The game St. Eden Academy, though it had occupied a notable place on Hara Kei's computer in his previous life—and one he had completed multiple times—did not mean he had a complete, intimate understanding of the current "St. Eden Academy."
In his previous life, Hara Kei had read novels about people who got transported into the games they had played. In those stories, the protagonists often rose to the top by relying on their prior knowledge, cheat codes, and familiarity with game mechanics. But Hara Kei was not that kind of player. He wasn't the type who knew the exact frame a monster paused before using a skill.
He was just a very ordinary gamer.
The St. Eden Academy: Perfect Compilation Edition—thanks to the tireless efforts of numerous creators—was enormous, hundreds of gigabytes in size, with nearly a thousand scripted events. Over the three-year course of the game, a player could only complete a few dozen events, and pursue only a handful of heroines.
Moreover, the so-called "Perfect Compilation Edition" was a generous way to describe a patchwork mess. The heroines, taken from different anime, had varied origins for their models and scripts, but were allowed to exist under the game's loose copyright enforcement.
As a result, each heroine's story events were basically unrelated to others. When entering one heroine's route, all unrelated characters instantly became invisible, only reappearing after that route was completed.
In reality, such a setup couldn't exist. This world was based on Hara Kei's game, but it had transcended its rigid, mechanical programming. Events that had seemed predestined in the game could now be altered or prevented by other people's actions. Likewise, events that should have been impossible could now become part of the actual course of history.
So, when he heard that Touma Hasa had stopped playing the piano, Hara Kei was only mildly surprised before regaining his composure.
For someone who wanted to avoid getting involved, it didn't matter if she switched careers entirely—even if she became a model, it wasn't his concern.
But unlike Hara Kei's indifferent demeanor, Yukinoshita Yukino was highly invested.
"Touma Hasa," she repeated the name carefully. "Hara Kei, do you know who this person is?"
"Of course not." That was a lie, but Hara Kei delivered it with a perfectly straight face. "But I do know someone who knows about her."
"Who?"
"It goes by many names, but I like to call it 'Mr. Google.'"
With a self-satisfied grin, Hara Kei held up his phone to show Yukino. On the screen was a girl with long black hair, eyes closed, seated at a grand black piano.
It was a Google encyclopedia entry.
…
Touma Hasa was the daughter of world-class pianist Touma Yoko, a first-year student at St. Eden Academy's high school. From a young age, she had been recognized as a "piano prodigy." In middle school, her talent began to bloom, earning her numerous trophies and awards.
She seemed obsessed with being first, entering countless competitions and claiming top positions. Many disliked her for this, dubbing her the "Piano Queen Who Ruins Competitions."
There was even a recording of one of her piano competitions online. In it, Touma Hasa's expression was focused and serious, her pale, delicate fingers flying over the black-and-white keys. The music poured forth like a river, striving to break free from the confines of the massive piano, each note clashing with the next in a tangible, almost physical intensity.
"D…" Yukino read the video title, trying to pronounce it, but clearly didn't recognize the letters.
"D lkenig Schbt D.328," Hara Kei helpfully supplied. "That's the name of the piece Touma Hasa played. If you're not in the field, it's understandable that it seems unfamiliar. But it has another, far more famous name."
Seeing Yukino's puzzled look, he clarified: "Erlkönig—it's Schubert's famous narrative piano piece. Touma Hasa played a segment of it."
"Hara Kei, are you familiar with the piano?"
"Somewhat," he replied, modestly.
After watching the competition video, Yukino returned her attention to Touma Hasa's encyclopedia entry, scanning the praise and list of awards. That's when something caught her eye.
At first, all of Touma Hasa's accolades were "First Place, XXX Piano Competition," a stacking of victories that reinforced her reign as the Piano Queen. But suddenly, in the most recent competitions, the streak of first-place titles had broken.
Could this be why she had decided to stop playing the piano?
Yukino stood abruptly. She intended to find the strict but responsible teacher who had, despite being difficult, often helped her. Perhaps that teacher could provide more clues.
…
Like a shrewd detective uncovering a crucial lead, Yukino exited the classroom without hesitation. Watching her go, Hara Kei breathed a satisfied sigh.
Yukino, whose principles were built on "justice," "correctness," and "truth," was naturally inclined to help others. Unlike the lazy, solitary Hara Kei, she had obvious leadership potential.
As Hara Kei had predicted, Yukino's motivation to improve the status quo and sense of responsibility drove her to dive wholeheartedly into the Student Council campaign. Soon, she would be so busy that she would no longer pay attention to him, the initial "companion."
Hara Kei could once again enjoy his quiet, solitary life in this corner of the club building—a true win-win situation.
Just as he was quietly celebrating and thinking about how to spend the time before afternoon classes, a strange, peculiar sound reached his ears.
This wasn't unusual—after all, the club building hosted various music clubs—but this sound had a firm grip on his attention, clawing at his mind relentlessly.
Try as he might to ignore it, the strange music only grew louder, its subtle dissonance making his veins throb with irritation.
"What kind of terrible tuner produces this chaotic mess?!" Hara Kei could take no more. He jumped up, determined to track down the source.
Skills affected perception. As Hara Kei's [Piano] level increased, his respect for the instrument deepened—not because of the system, but because he had genuinely come to love the piano.
And hearing someone so unskillfully tune it was simply unbearable.
Finally, he found the source. Pushing the door open, he saw a girl holding a tuning fork in one hand and a wrench in the other, staring at him in disbelief.
Her long black hair gleamed, her elegant, pale face like a model's, and her narrow, refined eyes shone sharply—a stunning, aloof beauty.
Hara Kei recognized her instantly.
Just moments ago, he and Yukino had been looking at her Google encyclopedia entry.
Of course—this was Touma Hasa herself.