"Damn."
That was the first word I spoke in this new world. Or rather, the first word I managed to force out of my dry throat, inside this cheap-ass apartment that reeked of old tatami mats and a humid Japanese summer I never asked for.
My death wasn't heroic. No Truck-kun, no saving a cat, no divine smiting. Just a stupid slip in the bathroom after a long night of... research. Yeah, "research."
And now, I'm here.
I opened my eyes, not to my familiar ceiling, but to a cheap wooden one with flickering fluorescent lights. My body... wasn't mine. It was lighter, tighter, and felt annoyingly... snug... in the crotch.
"This is ridiculous," I muttered, sitting up on the thin futon.
The room was exactly as I'd described: one bedroom, a tiny bathroom, a living room combined with a kitchenette. The typical student flat. I looked at my hands. Soft, younger. I looked at the mirror on the wall.
"Oh, hello handsome."
The person staring back was... "Kaito." That's what it felt like. A sixteen-year-old, messy dark hair, and eyes... oh, *those* were definitely mine. Eyes that screamed, "I'm here for bad intentions and maybe some snacks." Bold, sarcastic, and perverted to the core.
Just then, a cold, electronic voice rang out directly in my mind. A synthesized female voice, like a GPS that had read *120 Days of Sodom* and liked it.
**[...Activating... Host compatibility... succe— no, fuck this, compatibility is 100%.]**
"What?"
**[Welcome, Host Kaito. You have been selected due to your off-the-charts perversion. You have been granted the [Hent\*i System]!]**
I held my breath for a second. Is this...?
"Don't fuck with me," I whispered to the mirror.
**[I never joke about pleasure. Your mission: You are in the world of the school-romance manga, "Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku." A world full of nauseatingly shy, innocent romance.]**
Memories of the manga flashed before my eyes. Rintaro, Waguri, the two schools...
**[Your task is simple: Turn this fluffy bullshit into an adult masterpiece. Change destiny. Control everything. Build your harem. No censorship, no filters, no "is it too soon?".]**
I burst out laughing. A deep laugh from my new chest. "Oh my god," I wiped away an imaginary tear. "I've made it to heaven."
**[First Main Mission: Identify Targets.]**
**[Daily Mission (New): "Cake Rendezvous." Go to "Patisserie Tsumugi" immediately. No, not for the cake, you idiot. For the first target.]**
A shark's grin split "Kaito's" face.
"A target?"
**[Classification: M.I.L.F.]**
"I'm coming, Mommy," I said aloud, pulling on the school uniform I found tossed on a chair. It was the uniform for Chidori High. The school for "trash" and "delinquents."
"Hmph. At least they got the 'delinquent' part right," I thought, fixing my collar. "This will save me the trouble of pretending to be nice."
***
I stepped out onto the street. The humidity was sticky, thick, like a hot breath on the back of your neck. It amplified every smell: hot asphalt, car exhaust, and burnt yakitori from a nearby shop. The street was exactly as described in the original manga's first chapter.
To my right, Chidori High. A worn-out chain-link fence, broken windows, and terrible graffiti. "My new home."
To my left, Kikyo Girls' Academy. Another world. Pristine white walls, clean windows, and ridiculous lace curtains hiding... well, hiding everything.
The most ridiculous part was that the two schools were right next to each other, separated only by a narrow alley and a bad reputation.
"Curtains... I hate curtains," I muttered. "They ruin the view."
I started walking towards "Patisserie Tsumugi." Of course, I knew this world. I knew the original protagonist, Rintaro, was supposed to be "scary" but "nice."
"What a waste," I thought. "If you've got a scary face, use it. Terrorize them, dominate them, make 'em piss themselves a little. Don't bake them fucking cakes."
As I walked, I passed a group of Chidori students. They were shouting, smoking, and trying *so* hard to look tough. They were, frankly, pathetic.
"Look at these amateurs," I scoffed internally.
Then I saw him. The OG protagonist. Rintaro Tsumugi. He was tall, blonde, and honestly, his face *did* look like it would kill you for fifty yen. He was with his idiot friends.
They didn't notice me. I was just another "new face" in a school full of them. Perfect.
"Don't worry, Rintaro," I whispered to the wind. "I'll take good care... of your mom."
***
I reached "Patisserie Tsumugi." It was a small shop, sickeningly cute, with a pale pink sign. The smell of burnt sugar and butter hit my nose. It was strong, warm, and almost... sensual.
I took a deep breath, pushed the door, and the tiny bell jingled.
"Welcome!"
The voice came from behind the counter. And... dear god, it was like warm honey.
Then I saw her. Rintaro's mom.
She wasn't "anime pretty." She was *real*. A woman in her late thirties or early forties, but she was holding up spectacularly. The few glimpses in the original manga did her zero justice.
She wore a simple pink apron over a house dress. The apron was tied tight at her waist, accentuating the curve of her hips surprisingly well. Her hair was up in a messy bun, a few damp strands from sweat (kitchen sweat, the best kind of sweat) stuck to her neck and temples. Her skin was flushed from the heat of the ovens.
I saw a single drop of sweat glistening in the hollow above her collarbone.
**[...Target Acquired (MILF): Tsumugi Ayako. Status: Ripe and ready for picking.]**
"God damn me," I muttered, way too quietly.
She looked up from a tray of cakes, smiling at me. It was a tired but genuine smile. "Oh! A Chidori student? That's a little unusual."
I approached the counter, using every ounce of self-control I had (which wasn't much) to lift my eyes from her full chest, rising and falling with her breath.
"New transfer student," I said, using my smoothest voice, which still sounded like I was planning something. "Name's Kaito. Just moved into an apartment nearby. I was told this place has... the best sweets in town."
Her smile widened. "Oh, you're too sweet! Well, Rintaro... my son... he does most of the baking now. I just help."
"Your son?" I feigned surprise. "He must be very talented. Just like you."
I noted the way her cheeks flushed even more. Not shyness, but... appreciation. This was a woman who clearly didn't get enough compliments.
"I... I don't know what to choose," I said, my eyes roaming. But I wasn't looking at the cakes. I was looking at *her*.
I was analyzing her. The way she bit her bottom lip when she concentrated. The slight curve of her back. The *smell*. It wasn't just sugar. It was *woman*. Vanilla, a little salt from her sweat, and a clean scent of soap. It was a potent combination...
"How about... the strawberry shortcake?" I asked, pointing randomly.
"Excellent choice!" she said, turning to bend down and get one from the glass display.
She bent over.
Holy. Hell.
It was just a simple bend. But from my angle, and thanks to that house dress, I got a glimpse... a sliver of her thigh, and the start of the curve of her ass under the fabric.
**[+5 Perv Points. Please continue.]**
"System, I love you," I whispered.
When she straightened up, her breathing was a little faster. Did she feel my gaze? I hope so.
"Here you go," she put the cake in a box. "Will that be all?"
I was about to say something obscene, something like, "I'll take you too, with extra cream," but before I could open my degenerate mouth, the bell on the door jingled again.
***
She was like a tiny fawn entering a lion's den.
She was small. Much shorter than me. She wore the pristine white uniform of Kikyo Academy. Her hair was down, her eyes were wide, and she was clutching her school bag in front of her chest with both hands like a shield.
Waguri Kaoruko.
**[...Target Acquired (The Innocent): Waguri Kaoruko. Status: Unspoiled (For now).]**
"Oh, Waguri-chan!" Mrs. Tsumugi said cheerfully. "Welcome back! Did you forget something?"
The little girl froze when she saw me. Her wide eyes went wider. She looked at my uniform (Chidori), then at my face (Kaito), then back to the uniform. She was visibly trembling.
"I... I..." she stammered.
This was the scene from the original manga. But in the original, it was just her and Rintaro. Now, I was here. The "variable" mucking up the equation.
"It's okay, it's okay, dear," Mrs. Tsumugi said. "He's just..."
"Kaito," I said, introducing myself with a slow smile. "The new neighbor."
Waguri looked at me, her face bright red. Not from excitement. From fear. Or something. This girl lived in a bubble, and I was the pin.
"I... I'm sorry... I... just remembered I have... homework!" she said quickly, her words tumbling over each other.
"But you just got..." Mrs. Tsumugi started.
"Sorry for the intrusion!" Waguri squeaked, bowed fast and deep, spun around, and ran out of the shop, the bell nearly flying off the door.
An awkward silence filled the shop.
Mrs. Tsumugi looked at the door, then at me, and sighed. "Oh, dear. She's a sweet girl, but so shy. Especially around... well..."
"Chidori boys?" I finished for her.
She nodded sadly. "Especially my son. Rintaro. I think she's afraid of him."
"Why would she be afraid of a talented baker?" I asked, feigning innocence.
Mrs. Tsumugi laughed, a real laugh this time. "You're funny, Kaito-kun." She handed me the box. "This cake... it's on me. A welcome-to-the-neighborhood gift."
"Oh, I couldn't..."
"I insist." She put her warm hand over mine as I was 'about to' pay, but instead, I flipped my hand over and held hers.
Her skin was soft, warm from work. I felt a small callus on her knuckle.
She froze. Her eyes met mine. I didn't pull away.
"Well then... I'll see you tomorrow," I said softly, my tone deeper than before. "Mrs. Tsumugi."
She pulled her hand back slowly, her eyes never leaving mine. "Yes... tomorrow."
I took the cake and left the shop, feeling the tingle of her gaze on my back until the door closed.
Once I was on the street, I opened the box. I didn't care about the cake. I tossed it in the nearest trash can.
I stood there, at the crossroads between the two schools.
**[Daily Mission Complete! Initial physical contact (hand-holding) with Target (MILF) has been established.]**
**[Reward: Skill [Appraisal Gaze] (Lv. 1). You can now see basic 'Interest Levels'.]**
**[Both targets acquired. The path is set. The world is yours for the taking, you pervert.]**
I smiled. I looked at Kikyo Academy, where Waguri had fled. Then I looked at the cake shop, where Mrs. Tsumugi was standing behind the window, pretending to arrange things, but watching me.
"Chapter 1: Rintaro and Kaoruko?" I sneered, quoting the original manga's title.
"No. That's wrong."
I looked directly at "the reader."
"Chapter 1: Kaito, the MILF, and the Innocent Maiden Who Has No Idea What's Coming."
"Time to begin."