Chapter 1: The Life Choice System, at your service.
(Author's Note: The protagonist has a histrionic personality, is a faker, a madman, and struggles with mental stability. Please do not easily trust his perspective. He is not a puppet of the system; intellectual battles will come later. This story aims for a lighthearted and enjoyable tone.)
Inside a slowly moving bus.
A boy sat quietly in the back row, near the aisle.
His slightly wispy bangs partially obscured his dark eyes. His features were delicate, though not particularly handsome. Dressed in a white shirt beneath the standard red school blazer, he looked entirely ordinary.
After the bus had been stopped for a moment, an elderly woman with white hair boarded.
"Excuse me, could someone please give this elderly lady a seat?"
A cute girl with short, beige-colored hair and a confident demeanor addressed the passengers. She wore the same school uniform as the boy.
But... all she received in response were cold, indifferent gazes.
"This old lady looks unwell. Can't anyone offer her a seat?" The cute girl frowned, her tone becoming more serious.
Sitting in the back of the bus, the seemingly ordinary boy swallowed nervously as he watched this familiar scene play out.
It seems I really did time travel.
I've been transported into the world of that popular anime from my past life—"Classroom of the Elite"!
Hiroshi Kirito—Kirito for short—felt no joy at this transmigration. On the contrary, he felt only a faint melancholy.
In his previous life, he was an ordinary person who lived a life of leisure, doing nothing and waiting to die. He was a nobody with no ambition or lofty ideals.
Now, he had been suddenly transported to the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School. How could an ordinary person like him possibly compete with the monsters in this school?
Kirito felt speechless when he recalled the plot of the original series.
They turned what should have been a perfectly good high school life into a political drama rivaling Game of Thrones.
Sigh. For an ordinary guy like me, it's best to stay a nobody and remain anonymous.
Let them fight if they want!
All I want is to graduate smoothly and then continue living a carefree, easy life.
Thinking of this, Kirito relaxed completely. He slouched in his seat, watching the scene unfold with a sense of detached anticipation, like a spectator in a theater.
[Ding! The Life Choice System is at your service!]
Upon hearing the electronic voice ring out in his mind, Kirito's eyes suddenly flashed with light, and he sat bolt upright.
System?
Holy crap! This is the standard cheat code for time travelers!
With this kind of help, won't I be able to hold the sun, moon, and stars in my hands and rule the world for eternity?
Jackpot! I'm taking off!
[Ding! An event has been detected. You must now make one of the following life choices:]
[Option 1: The Socially Anxious Lunatic]
Stand up from your seat, laugh wildly three times, and scream in a crazed tone: "My name is God Almighty! How awesome am I? I dare to eat sh*t! I eat it for every meal, and I get hungry if I miss a serving!" (Note: If anyone doubts you, you must prove it on the spot.)
[Option 2: The Hot-Tempered Delinquent]
Stand up from your seat, walk up to the old lady, and slap the girl next to her across the face. Shout as you do so: "You're such a busybody, aren't you?! Mind your own business! Mind your own business!"
[Option 3: The Model Youth of the New Era]
Stand up from your seat, walk to the elderly woman, lift her up in a "princess carry," place her in your seat, and then kneel on one knee. Look at her sincerely and politely say: "Grandma, thank you for your hard work!"
[You have 60 seconds to make a choice.]
[60]
[59]
...
Kirito was completely dumbfounded as he stared at the holographic text floating in his vision.
What kind of idiotic choices are these?!
Especially the first option! Who likes to eat excrement? And for every meal?! Are you trying to stuff me to death?!
And what the hell is Option 2?!
Do you think I've never watched the anime?
That girl's name is Kikyo Kushida. She looks like an angel, but she's a vicious woman who is actually a total psychopath on the inside!
How could a simple-minded person like me dare to slap her across the face? It would be a miracle if she didn't hang me up and beat me to death later!
Kirito shook his head in sheer terror.
As for the third option... well, Kirito was too tired to even comment on it.
In any case, each of these three options was more outrageous than the last; none of them were things a normal human being would do.
[30]
[29]
The cold numbers continued to drop, and each jump was like a heavy hammer blow to Kirito's fragile heart.
What do I do?
Which one should I choose?
What happens if the timer hits zero?
Is it death? Or some other punishment?
"System, what will happen if I don't choose?"
Kirito wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and desperately asked the system internally.
But all he received in response was the cold, relentless rhythm of the countdown.
[10]
[9]
Damn it! This lousy system is ignoring me!
Kirito trembled with fear—the fear of the unknown.
No one knew what would happen to him after the numbers hit zero. He had learned from reading web novels in his previous life that there were generally severe penalties for failing system tasks. The price was usually obliteration!
He had only been in this world for a few days—was he going to die again?
No! I haven't lived enough yet!
Kirito gritted his teeth and made the difficult decision to select the third option.
Compared to the social suicide of the first option and the physical suicide of the second, only the third option was somewhat survivable.
[Selection ③ successful. You have 120 seconds to complete the task.]
[120]
[119]
Seeing the cold mathematical timer reset and start ticking again, Kirito couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Is this what it feels like to be alive?
After calming himself for about ten seconds, Kirito stood up from his seat with a resolute expression.
Since the choice had been made, then... he had no choice but to give it his all!
When Kikyo Kushida saw someone stand up, a happy smile appeared on her face.
It seems there are still kind-hearted people in this world.
"Thank you, classmate—"
Just as Kushida was about to thank the boy, he shoved past her and walked straight toward the old lady.
Then, while Kushida stood there completely bewildered, the boy suddenly scooped the 70-year-old woman up into a princess carry.
Not only was Kushida stunned, but everyone in the bus was dumbfounded.
What is this guy planning to do?
Gently placing the startled elderly woman onto his empty seat, Kirito ignored her confused expression. He immediately dropped to one knee, stared at her with wide, intense eyes, and shouted politely:
"Grandma! You've had a hard time!"
The bus fell into a deathly silence.
All eyes were glued to the boy kneeling on the floor, staring at him as if he were the strangest, most precious creature in the world.
(To be Continued)