The first thing Ken noticed was the sound of chalk scratching against a blackboard. A faint hum of fluorescent lights followed, blending with the monotone voice of a teacher droning on about criminal law.
His eyes fluttered open. A classroom stretched out before him rows of neat wooden desks, walls plastered with exam schedules, and large windows letting in the pale glow of an overcast sky. Students sat scattered across the room, their faces focused on notebooks or half-asleep.
Ken blinked once. Twice. His mind raced.This… isn't my room.
Then his gaze drifted to the boy sitting two rows ahead.
Brown hair. Calm, handsome face. A sharp aura that screamed superiority even in the way he tapped his pen against an open notebook.
Ken's breath caught.
Light Yagami.
For a moment, the world tilted. He almost laughed, but the sound died in his throat, replaced by a growing grin tugging at his lips.
No way. Death Note? Seriously?
Before he could piece together the absurdity, a sharp ding rang in his mind.
[System Booting…][Welcome, Ken.][Initialization complete.][Starter Pack Granted: 1x Travel Ticket, 1x System Manual.]
A translucent blue panel hovered in the corner of his vision, letters shimmering faintly before fading to a discreet icon.
Ken inhaled slowly. Then exhaled.A system. A freaking system. This just went from insane to… god-tier insane.
He glanced around, but no one reacted. Of course they didn't. Only he could see this.
The teacher's voice droned on, oblivious: "As I was saying, criminal psychology begins with understanding intent..."
Ken barely heard a word. His mind was a storm.
Transmigration? Check. Death Note world? Double check. System? Jackpot.
He wanted to laugh, but forced himself still. Acting normal was survival rule number one. No screaming "isekai" like an idiot.
Ken shifted his eyes back to Light. The boy looked perfectly ordinary, calmly taking notes, but Ken knew better. Behind that face was a monster waiting to bloom. A monster who'd kill thousands in the name of justice.
And Ken knew every detail of how it would happen.
Alright… think. Starter pack, system, and… the timeline. Where am I exactly?
The answer came when a shadow flickered across the window. Ken tilted his head and spotted it, a black speck tumbling from the gray sky like a dead leaf. Spiraling. Falling.
A notebook.
His pulse spiked. Oh, it's happening. It's actually happening.
The Death Note. The trigger for everything. And now, he had the advantage of foresight.
Ken shot his hand up. "Sensei, bathroom."
The teacher, too absorbed in scribbling on the board, waved him off without looking. "Go."
Ken didn't walk. He glided out of that classroom like a man on a mission, heart pounding. He passed the hallway, pushed open the door, and stepped into the open courtyard just in time to see it land.
A black notebook, pristine despite the fall, sitting in the grass like an invitation from the devil himself.
Ken approached slowly, savoring the moment. When he crouched and picked it up, the weight felt… ordinary. But the power inside? Anything but.
The words on the cover were as chilling as they were iconic
DEATH NOTE
He flipped it open, eyes scanning the familiar rules. The human whose name is written in this note shall die...
He didn't need to test it. He already knew it worked.
Still, seeing it in his hands sent a thrill racing through his veins.
Then, another ding echoed in his head.
[System Alert][Major Divergence Detected: You have intercepted a key plot item.][Reward: 500 Points.]
Ken smirked as a tiny counter appeared at the edge of his vision: Points: 500.
Oh, this is going to be fun.
He snapped the notebook shut, slid it into his bag, and straightened up. Above, gray clouds rumbled faintly like applause from a distant god.
Ken cast one last glance at the classroom windows where Light Yagami sat, oblivious.
Sorry, genius. The script just got a rewrite.
End of Chapter 1.