The moment I stepped into the hallway, I felt it.
Eyes.
So many eyes.
Sharp. Judgmental. Full of hostility.
Anyone with half a brain could tell why.
It was Issei.
Hyoudou Issei—local legend, walking deterrent, certified pervert. A man so infamous that nearby schools probably warned their female students about him during orientation.
Girls didn't just whisper his name.
They flinched at it.
It was like one of those sayings—even if I'm not in the spotlight, my reputation still spreads on its own.
The glares felt less like curiosity and more like I was being marched to an execution. Honestly impressive. Issei had managed to turn himself into the school's public enemy on day one.
Then—
Whoosh.
A sudden gust of wind swept down the corridor.
Skirts flipped up.
"Ahhh—!!"
Screams erupted instantly. Chaos. Panic. Hands flew everywhere as girls desperately tried to hold their uniforms down, faces burning red.
Issei froze.
Then his eyes lit up as he'd just seen the face of God.
"LOCK! LOOK! LOOK AT THAT—! Oh—oh! Thank goodness my brain has plenty of storage space! Pink—red—blue—white—!"
Blood streamed out of his nose.
"This is heaven!" he declared.
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"…You're beyond saving."
The guy was already ascending.
At that exact moment, a girl holding a loudspeaker yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Attention! Attention! The pervert has arrived! Please secure your belongings and protect yourselves!"
I felt the crowd shift again.
"Wait… the guy next to him is actually handsome."
"Yeah… he kind of looks like Yuuto-senpai."
"Oh no… I think I'm in love—!"
One girl actually swooned and collapsed into her friend's arms.
I slowed my pace, hands in my pockets, looking calm on the outside.
Inside?
Yes. This is working. This is working very well.
Meanwhile, Issei looked like he'd been struck by lightning.
"Why?! Why are you popular, and I'm stuck with the pervert label?!"
He dropped to his knees dramatically, clutching his head and shouting at the ceiling like a tragic hero.
I brushed my hair back casually.
"Issei, you wouldn't get it. Women are felt with the heart. Someone who only studies adult videos wouldn't understand."
I didn't even look at him.
Two completely different worlds.
"…Hey," someone whispered nearby.
"Do you think those two are… together?"
"…Now that you mention it, they walked in together…"
The words hit me like a truck.
My smile vanished.
I immediately sped up.
"Lock! Hey! Why are you walking so fast? Wait for me!"
Issei chased after me.
Behind us, a group of girls stared in horror.
"…No way."
"…Is it true?"
I pretended not to hear anything and rushed straight into the classroom.
More eyes followed me in.
I sat down at my seat and slammed my forehead onto the desk.
Great. First day of school, and my image was already at risk.
If being handsome was a crime, I'd accept life imprisonment—but not this.
"This is all Issei's fault," I muttered.
Then—
Someone stopped in front of my desk.
I looked up.
A girl with glasses and rare brown twin-tails smiled brightly at me.
"It's you—the one standing next to the pervert earlier."
…Ah.
I recognized her instantly.
Aika Kiryuu.
Outspoken. Shameless. And the owner of a Sacred Gear that could read… certain measurements.
I kept my expression neutral.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kiryuu Aika. Please take care of me!"
"Lock," I replied. "Nice to meet you."
"May I call you Lock-sama?" she asked, blushing.
"…Sure. Whatever works."
She leaned in slightly.
Her gaze felt… intense.
Wait. She's not actually looking at—
No. No. Think pure thoughts.
Another voice interrupted.
"Tch. Figures. The ecchi girl again."
Issei stood at the doorway.
Aika instantly turned hostile.
"Shut up, trash! Don't interrupt Lock-sama and me!"
"Hey! What do you know? We're discussing important life experiences!"
Two other guys joined in—one with flat hair, one with glasses.
"Exactly," the glasses guy said.
"This is the path every man must walk."
Issei clenched his fist.
"Matsuda. Motohama. You get it."
The three of them raised their fists together like idiots.
I stared at them.
…Inspirational, if it weren't disgusting.
"Lock, these are my friends," Issei said proudly.
"Matsuda and Motohama."
"…Nice to meet you," I said politely.
Motohama leaned in close and whispered, "I've got limited-edition DVDs at home. Want to come over sometime?"
He unzipped his bag and dumped several DVDs onto my desk.
The nearby girls recoiled in unison.
"Disgusting."
"The pervert trio…"
Aika snapped.
She shoved Issei aside and punched Motohama straight out of his seat.
"Lock-sama, stay away from them! They're corrupting influences!"
Ding—dong.
The bell rang.
Everyone returned to their seats. Motohama quietly packed his DVDs away as if nothing had happened.
The rest of the day passed quickly.
After school, just as I stepped outside—
"Lock-sama, would you like to walk home together?"
I turned to see Aika looking up at me nervously.
"…Sure."
Her face lit up instantly.
We parted ways at the intersection near my house.
Walking home alone, I let out a long sigh.
So this was still the early days.
Soon enough, Sacred Gears would be popping up everywhere, Balance Breakers left and right.
…Which made me wonder.
"Do I have one?" I muttered.
I searched my body. Nothing.
No power. No cheat. No system.
"…Unbelievable."
Reincarnated, and I didn't even get a bonus.
I kicked a pebble down the street and headed home, watching the sunset paint the sky orange.
At least that was nice.
"—I'm home."
The smell of food greeted me instantly.
Dinner was ready.
"Welcome back," my mom said. "Wash your hands."
She set food in front of me.
"How was school?"
"It was fine," I said, smiling slightly.
"I think I'll get along with everyone."
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