"A-Ah Y-Yukinoshita... san."
"Good afternoon, Tachibana-sensei."
Yukinoshita gave a polite nod before grabbing her bento and walking straight out of the classroom. The whole thing was calm and detached, no special reaction whatsoever.
Though just as she left the classroom, she couldn't help but glance back at Hayato and Tachibana with the corner of her eye.
That brief exchange had revealed quite a bit of hidden information.
A female teacher says goodbye to a male student in the morning before returning to her apartment, then goes out of her way to buy lunch and deliver it to his classroom. That was bound to make anyone's imagination run wild.
Tachibana couldn't help but groan internally.
"Oh no, oh no. There's definitely going to be rumors about us now!"
Her whole mood crashed. The embarrassment was suffocating.
"Don't worry, sensei. At least from what I can tell, Yukinoshita's not the type to spread gossip. And even if she wanted to, she doesn't really have any classmates to tell."
That's... actually true...
The logic was sound, if a bit harsh.
Tachibana Hina's spirits lifted immediately.
"I'm heading out. Don't forget to prepare your own lunch from now on."
Before leaving, Tachibana Hina remembered something and added one more thing. She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice.
"I heard Hiratsuka-senpai complaining about you earlier. Better brace yourself."
What a kind teacher. Giving me a heads up like that.
Hayato flashed a smile to show he'd be fine, and Tachibana left, her heels clicking against the hallway floor.
He didn't stick around to eat in the empty classroom. Instead, he headed to the courtyard where other students were having lunch and ate there. The fresh air felt good.
That afternoon.
English class. But Class J's English teacher wasn't Tachibana. It was an older, middle-aged woman with strict eyes and a no-nonsense demeanor.
Hayato continued quietly playing his role as a regular high school student. Taking notes, answering when called on, blending in.
After school.
Classmates trickled out in small groups, their voices fading down the hallways.
The entire day had passed without a single classmate initiating conversation with him. That confirmed what the teachers had said. The original owner of this body had been practically invisible in class. Which actually made things easier for him. No need to deal with the original's relationships or friends.
After organizing the books on his desk, Hayato got up to head to Hiratsuka's office.
And just like during lunch break, the cool, distant girl sitting near the window remained alone at her seat, quiet and still, as if the world itself had been shut out.
Hayato glanced over. The breeze from the window stirred her hair slightly, making her long eyelashes stand out.
She really is beautiful.
Hayato had to admit it. Compared to Hoshino Ai's petite cuteness, Yukinoshita Yukino's cool elegance had a completely different appeal. She gave off this distant vibe that somehow made you want to look but not dare approach.
Yet that very beauty kept pulling at your attention without you realizing it.
"Need something?"
Her cool voice broke the silence. At some point, Yukinoshita's gaze had landed on Hayato. Her deep blue eyes reflected his figure, calm and assessing.
She was waiting for an answer.
"No, nothing."
Hayato shook his head and turned to leave. No point in prolonging the moment.
Yukinoshita watched his retreating back, wondering if maybe she'd overthought things. She'd half expected him to confess to her again. The usual pattern.
Since childhood, she'd lost count of how many boys had confessed to her. She was used to it by now. She rejected every single confession coldly, without leaving any room for false hope, to avoid potential complications.
Yukinoshita looked away, tidied up her desk, grabbed her literature anthology, and headed toward the club building to that classroom that belonged to her alone. Her sanctuary.
Meanwhile, Hayato arrived at Hiratsuka's guidance counselor's office.
The black-haired teacher in her white lab coat sat in a relaxed posture, her gaze fixed on Hayato. Arms crossed, one leg over the other.
"I honestly thought you'd skip out and leave school again today!"
"I promised sensei I'd come."
"Alright then. Promise me you'll study hard, and I won't say anything more."
"That's it?"
"Of course."
Hayato had half expected to be dragged to the Service Club like the original protagonist and so many fanfic MCs, forced to join. Some elaborate scheme to fix his youth. But apparently he'd been overthinking it.
"I'll... do my best."
"Haa."
Hiratsuka let out a long sigh, the sound carrying genuine concern.
"Hayato, you need to understand that you came all the way to Sobu High as an exchange student to study, to get into a good university, to become an excellent person. I really hope you won't waste your education. If you study seriously, you'll definitely get good results."
"Sensei, thank you."
"If you have any problems, you can tell me directly. And if you're too embarrassed to talk to me, you can always talk to Tachibana."
Hiratsuka knew Hayato was closer to Tachibana, which honestly annoyed her a bit. A competitive edge crept into her voice.
Hiratsuka and Hayato had been teacher and student for over a year now, while Tachibana had just started teaching and had only known Hayato for a single day.
"I will. On the next test, I won't let you down, sensei."
"Good."
"But sensei, if I do get good results, can I maybe... get some special treatment in daily life like Yukinoshita?"
"Get the results first, then we'll talk."
"Deal."
He'd forgotten most of his high school knowledge, but with some intense cramming and review, he could probably get it back. The foundation was still there, buried under years of disuse.
Hayato thought to himself.
Right up until he left Sobu High, nothing particularly special happened. Just another ordinary day.
"This is reality...."
Even as a transmigrator with supernatural abilities and status as an official Death Game Player, in reality he was still just an ordinary high school student.
That was fine, though. Keeping a low profile was safer at my current power. Less attention meant fewer complications.
Hayato grabbed dinner at a burger joint. The greasy food tasted better than it should have.
While eating, a news segment appeared on the TV screen mounted on the wall.
"The Chiba Fire Department has officially announced details regarding the Chiba Station fire incident."
"The fire directly caused one death and left three critically injured. One of the critically injured succumbed to their injuries, while the remaining victims are currently receiving treatment at Chiba Hospital."
Following the fire department's statement came the railway company's representatives bowing in apology. Deep, formal bows that meant nothing.
The images flashed by quickly, but one person caught Hayato's attention.
One of the people being treated.
Those eyes made him immediately connect them to the burning monster that had possessed someone last night. The similarity was too striking to ignore.
"Maybe there really was some connection between those two...."