"Alright, time's up. That's enough questions for now. Ask them again after class. I'm going to start teaching. Natsuo, go sit next to... Yumiko Miura, the blonde one there."
"Hiratsuka-sensei, I call this golden hair," Yumiko Miura argued, twirling a strand of hair near her ear, clearly dissatisfied.
"It's all the same. Why are you dyeing your hair so young, instead of focusing on your studies?" Shizuka Hiratsuka scolded her with disdain.
"Ugh..." Yumiko Miura bit her lip, daring not to speak back.
In this school, Shizuka Hiratsuka's reputation was well-known. Students mostly felt conflicted, wanting her as a teacher but also fearing her a little, because while she was approachable and beautiful, she was also somewhat violent.
The class didn't use shared desks, so Natsuo took the seat to Yumiko Miura's left.
Yumiko Miura was a very pretty girl with well-defined features and long, wavy, shining blonde hair that fell loosely. Although she looked a bit flashy, she exuded an elegant and sophisticated aura, like a young lady from a wealthy family.
"Miura-san, I look forward to your guidance," Natsuo greeted her after settling down.
"Natsu-kun, you can ask me if you don't understand anything later," Yumiko Miura showed goodwill.
"That's great. I was quite nervous coming here today, being new and unfamiliar with everything," Natsuo said happily.
"Is that so? Well, transferring schools is usually like that."
"Yes. It's wonderful to meet such a gentle classmate like you right off the bat, Miura-san."
"Eh? Gentle? Me?" Yumiko Miura blinked in surprise.
"That's right," Natsuo nodded, smiling.
"You... are you the type of person who just says whatever they think?" Yumiko Miura turned her head away, a little embarrassed.
"I'm just telling the truth. I'll rely on you to show me around the campus during the break."
"That shouldn't be a problem..."
"You two over there! What is all this 'sweet talk' already? Get back to listening to the lesson!" Shizuka Hiratsuka suddenly interrupted Yumiko Miura.
"Wha?! What sweet talk!" Yumiko Miura was utterly flustered.
"Are you saying it isn't? And you, new kid, have you forgotten my warning?" Shizuka Hiratsuka glared at Natsuo.
"I've been wronged! I just wanted Miura-san to show me around the campus later," Natsuo truthfully replied.
"Then why didn't you ask a boy? Isn't there one right next to you?"
"I..."
"Just focus on the class!"
"Yes..."
Natsuo felt like Shizuka Hiratsuka was targeting him, but fortunately, since he was new, she wouldn't call on him for questions in class yet.
He didn't have to worry about exposing his true knowledge level for the time being.
However, with this "perfect student" background, he knew he had to do his homework when he got home. Otherwise, if he failed to answer questions or flunked the upcoming finals, people would suspect he cheated on the entrance exam.
The Unordinary School
The morning passed peacefully. After lunch, Yumiko Miura and her friends took Natsuo on a tour of the campus.
Natsuo ate lunch with them too.
Of course, they weren't overly enthusiastic; Natsuo just shamelessly asked them to guide him since he didn't know where the cafeteria was.
This Kyōshū Bunbu High School was a school Natsuo had never heard of. Logically, he should have been at Sōbu High School, a key location in the Oregairu anime.
This world is definitely weird.
But for Natsuo, it didn't matter. Whether the world changed or not, as long as they were here, it was a good world.
Joining Yumiko Miura were Hina Ebina and Yui Yuigahama.
Hina Ebina was quite pretty, wearing red-rimmed glasses and looking very reserved.
Yui Yuigahama was a cute, light-brown-haired girl with a bun, but she looked timid, seemingly just agreeing with those around her.
She hadn't come over voluntarily but was pulled along by Yumiko Miura.
Natsuo didn't specifically try to talk to her, instead following Yumiko Miura as he toured the school.
The campus was huge, featuring a teaching building, an old school building, gardens, administrative offices, club rooms, a gymnasium, and a sports field—it was more comprehensive than the university he had previously attended.
The tour finished just as the lunch break ended, and Natsuo went back to class with them.
There were only two classes in the afternoon. They finished just after 3 p.m. Natsuo felt like the day had barely started before it was time to go home.
It's so easy.
He could definitely accept repeating school if it was this relaxed, especially with them around.
Natsuo's only regret was that today was Friday. He had just arrived, and now he had to endure the weekend.
He usually loved weekends, but in this world, and at this school, it was different!
Moreover, he hadn't yet seen the cool, long-haired girl in black (referring to Yukino Yukinoshita), and he wondered if she was even at this school.
After school, Natsuo went home alone.
His apartment building was a five-story building, but it occupied a large plot of land, with only two units per floor.
The building seemed intentionally developed because it was not far from the school and near a small park.
It was clearly a school-district property.
However, the apartments weren't affordable for ordinary people; Natsuo relied entirely on his "compensation."
The World's Compensation and the Sudden Shift
Natsuo thought as he tossed his backpack, sitting down on the living room sofa, and began considering his future life.
Being all alone, he would have to rely on himself for everything.
He didn't mind, as he had lived alone before, but he hadn't developed many domestic skills.
He figured he could just eat out, buy ready-made meals from the supermarket, or teach himself how to cook.
This brought up the issue of money. Based on his background story, he shouldn't be short on cash.
Thinking this, Natsuo pulled out the mobile phone the "World" had prepared for him and checked his personal account.
He froze when he saw it: the funds were only a six-digit amount, starting with a two (200,000 JPY or similar).
This was Japanese Yen! How was he supposed to live on that?
Am I going to have to work a part-time job?
"Hey! Can't you give me more money? How am I supposed to survive on this?"
Natsuo looked up and questioned the empty air, but he received no response. Since yesterday, the "World" had been completely silent.
He also hadn't been informed how he was supposed to help "It."
Natsuo instead grew concerned for "It," since It had mentioned being corrupted. He didn't want this world to be in danger.
He questioned the void a few more times, but still got no response, forcing him to temporarily give up.
Since It said It needed his help, It would surely contact him if It ran into trouble.
He had a more important matter to consider: the funding problem. With so little money, he couldn't afford to live off his savings.
But he didn't have any outstanding skills. He couldn't rely on his looks to be a host or anything, could he?
It was good that it was the weekend. He could use these two days to find a suitable part-time job.
Temporarily setting aside the money issue, Natsuo returned to his room and began studying seriously. He had to solidify his genius student persona.
To his surprise, his learning ability was quite strong: he grasped concepts instantly, never forgot what he read, and solved problems effortlessly.
This must also be part of the compensation.
With this, he had hope that he wouldn't crash and burn.
Natsuo studied until the evening, then stopped, went to the supermarket to buy a cheap, half-price bento box, and went to bed after eating and washing up.
It wasn't self-discipline; he was just exhausted.
Studying was tiring.
This time, Natsuo fell asleep with a different expectation than the night before, believing the next day would be wonderful.
However, when he opened his eyes again, he found himself not lying in bed, but in an unfamiliar environment that resembled a cave, surrounded by stone pillars.
It was a sealed environment, without a light source, yet it was bright. Besides the stone walls and pillars, there was nothing else.
Natsuo didn't rush to look around. A simple status panel had appeared in his mind:
Natsuo: 16 years oldStrength: 5Intelligence: 8Spirit: 9Speed: 5Charm: 8Skills: None
"What is this..."
"Where am I?"
Just as Natsuo asked in confusion, a cold, clear voice sounded simultaneously near his ear. He looked towards the source of the sound and his eyes widened.
Standing silently there was a girl with long, straight black hair. She was exquisitely beautiful and detached, like a celestial being from a painting.