[1] Chapter 1: Half dead corpse
Morning
"Haah."
A sigh escaped the lips of a young male.
Black hair swayed lightly in the wind, and he shut an eye against the morning breeze that moistened his eyes.
The air was cool.
A fresh morning breeze accompanied by the warmth of the early morning sun radiated through this little town.
Kuoh.
Located deep inside Japan.
Though it gave off the impression of a small town, it was known for many things.
It's calm and its peaceful charm which oftentimes draws visitors to this place to relax.
Even so, its population wasn't particularly small.
Not that it mattered to him.
His lips twitched slightly as his hand brushed over the black fabric of his uniform, before settling into a faint, dry smile.
'Too early.'
..thak!
It was as though he had already been ruminating something before those words finally left his lips, dryly.
Then he paused.
Looking forward,
He squinted his eyes toward the gate, then slowly, he raised his head toward the building beyond the gate.
Specifically, at the school.
"Deja vu."
He almost seemed to mouth that.
But, in reality, rather, deep down, the male vigorously shook his head with a deeply concerned expression.
Put simply,
The world didn't seem real to him yet.
Reincarnation.
Up until now, it has only been something that he had read in fantasy novels.
What's more..
It was an idea widely believed in, especially among those devoted to Hinduism and Buddhism.
But never, not once, had he imagined…
That he would become a victim of it himself.
"Mah, mah, on the bright side, it's not that bad, my situation, that is..."
Normally, one would expect some kind of advantage upon reincarnating.
Maybe a family, or maybe abilities granted by a random omnipotent being.
Yet, the same cannot be said for him.
—well, to some extent.
The main thing was that.
He had awakened in a pile of trash, dressed in nothing but tattered, half-torn clothes.
And then there was the black cat, with a blue ribbon tied around her tail, who refused to leave his side.
'…at least Bern is cute.'
The almost adult male thought with a small satisfied smile forming on his lips, but..
No, no, no!
Right. This wasn't the time to be distracted by his cute cat.
His situation was more concerning than that.
After all, he had been thrown into this world with nothing.
No identity, no background.
There was nothing that could prove who he was, making everything far more complicated.
Fortunately, if not for the scholarships offered by schools, things would have been far worse.
With that, and money he managed to gather, he managed to get by.
Still, that didn't mean he was in the clear.
'If not for the knowledge I carried up to university level, I'd be in a much worse situation.'
He raised both hands to his face, dragging them downward as his gaze drifted past the paved roads.
Toward the school he approached with each step.
It was extravagant.
Calling it a school almost felt inaccurate.
It resembled something closer to grand European architecture, merely disguised as a school.
Even from afar.
He could see the gardens stretching along both sides, along with the fountain standing before the building.
'Wow, what a flex.'
But was he complaining?
'No way!'
A light chuckle escaped him as he walked along the path.
Dried leaves crunched softly beneath his feet while more drifted down from the August trees lining the road.
Then—
He stopped.
Slowly, he reached into his bag, unzipped it, and pulled out a neatly placed envelope.
With a soft flutter, he opened it and retrieved its contents.
A paper further folded neatly into it.
Unraveling it, it read.
[Letter to]:
~ Frederica Luceris.
We are pleased to inform you that your transfer application has been approved by the school.
Furthermore, your class arrangements and accommodation have been finalized.
Upon successful registration, your details will be processed accordingly.
Kindly consult the student office, as your documentation has been processed.
We appreciate your cooperation.
[Kuoh Academy Registrar]
'Yup, this is fine.'
Having made up his mind, Luceris walked closer.
As he approached, his gaze naturally fell upon two striking figures standing by the gate.
Even before this..
He had a complaint.
Was it that every girl in this world looked like a model?
Maybe not all, but it was hard to deny.
At the very least, so far, he hadn't seen a single unattractive girl.
"Excuse me… are you the transfer student?"
Snapping his attention back.
Luceris blinked,
He shifted his gaze toward the slightly shorter, bespectacled girl standing beside a taller one.
She had black hair in a neat bob-cut and wore the standard Kuoh female uniform.
Like other female students scattered about, her skirt stopped right above the knees.
'...mmhm, Japan for the win.'
Luceris thought that, but he didn't let that distract him.
"Yes, I was told to reach the Student's office, where may I find that?"
To his words, the bespectacled girl adjusted her glasses from the sides as they slightly glinted in the sunlight.
"You're in luck, since it's almost time for homeroom, we can sort out the necessities before then. Follow me."
Her tone was rigid, like she was following a set of playbook instructions.
Just as she said that, she turned her back, eyes forward; however, the other girl stayed in place.
"Tsubaki, please continue."
"Yes, president."
President.
Luceris lips parted slightly.
So she was the student council president… then why was she standing at the gate?
He inclined his head slightly.
But in the next moment, he dismissed the thought and moved to follow behind.
From the back, she gave off the impression of someone rigid.
That was the impression she gave him.
'Reminds me of some people from my previous world…' a very specific type.
Right—
The kind known for their strictness.
But, it made sense.
She was responsible for overseeing the students in this school, after all.
With that in mind, he dismissed his earlier impression of her based on her looks.
As they walked across the brick-laid grounds, their footsteps clicked softly against the surface.
Luceris began to understand.
Kuoh wasn't just well-off.
It was filthy rich.
At first, he had felt a twinge of embarrassment.
Well, it was explainable in itself, him being a former university student and all.
It would make anyone feel ashamed at first.
Regardless, based on what he had tested, his current body was no older than sixteen.
So he didn't exactly have a choice.
But now, that lingering awkwardness has completely vanished.
And it was for one simple reason.
'This place is stacked, huh?'
He wondered if the principal was some tycoon who had just decided to wake up and waste money.
While he didn't have much need for it, a nonexistent tear still slipped from his eyes.
The rich really do live the happiest life, huh? Lower class people like him could not relate.
Just as he indulged in his silent contemplation.
"Mr. Frederica, correct? I took the liberty of reviewing your records."
The voice came as they stepped into the main building.
More precisely, it was the hallway leading to the staircase as they began to ascend.
That was when she spoke.
For a brief moment, however, she paused.
It was like she was choosing her words with care, or maybe playing her cards with care.
"No prior institution attended, yet your flawless national exam scores sparked… discussions."
At her words, his lips twitched.
So it's about that, huh?
The thought slipped out under his breath.
It was loud enough for the student council president ahead to catch.
She raised a brow slightly, but Luceris simply lifted his hand in response.
"My story is the kind 'that touches at the heart', you see. Let's say I worked hard."
He delivered the excuse with a perfectly flat expression.
One that barely concealed how questionable his choice of words sounded.
It's bullshit.
Complete nonsense.
That was what she thought as she adjusted her glasses along the bridge of her nose.
And yet—
He spoke so smoothly, without the slightest change in expression.
Strangely enough, there was a trace of truth within that blatant lie.
Maybe it was because of that.
"I see… my apologies for bringing it up."
"No need. I've been alone for as long as I can remember, so it doesn't particularly bother me."
The student council president gave a small nod.
So she had been right.
An orphan, then, someone who had studied on his own despite his circumstances.
It was… impressive.
With that, she took back her earlier impression of him too.
"Now that I think about it, I heard you were made to retake the exams…"
She began.
But before she could continue.
"Twice. After the first, I was asked to retake them two more times."
Fortunately, with the experience and developed mind from his previous life.
Picking up the subjects again hadn't been particularly difficult.
Of course, he hadn't scored perfectly across every exam.
But his results were consistently high.
Consistently high enough that they eventually let him pass.
Though his thoughts drifted now and then, he noticed students passing by.
What's more, each offered greetings to the girl ahead of him.
"You really are the student council president."
"Mm?"
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
Brushing it off with a small smile,
He watched as she gave a slight nod and continued leading the way up the stairs.
At last, they reached what appeared to be the top floor and stepped into the hallway.
"Well then… I believe we haven't properly introduced ourselves yet, have we?"
Luceris gave a small nod.
"My name is Souna Shitori, student council president of Kuoh Academy. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
She came to a stop, casting him a brief sideways glance as she spoke.
In response, Luceris placed a hand over his chest, a faint smile forming.
"Likewise. Though you probably already know. The name's Luceris—Frederica Luceris."
Souna's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer than necessary before she turned away.
Luceris blinked at that.
His lips pressed into a thin line before curling slightly into a wry smile.
It didn't take long.
Before long, the two arrived in front of the student council room.
Souna stepped forward first, placing her hand on the knob. With a slow turn, she pushed the door open.
"Enter."
"Pardon my intrusion."
Luceris stepped inside.
It was cozy and warm.
Victorian style, crimson rugs that absorbed the cold from the floor.
At the center sat two couches facing each other, separated by a table adorned with a small potted plant.
Toward the back stood a desk with a neatly tucked chair.
Shelves lined the walls, filled with organized books and files.
Finally,
Around the room, paintings and larger potted plants were carefully placed, completing the refined atmosphere.
"Once again, allow me to formally welcome you. Welcome to Kuoh Academy, Frederica Luceris."
This time, he simply nodded in response.
Walking to her desk, Souna unlocked a drawer and pulled it open, retrieving a white envelope.
"Your processing is complete. As for your class…"
She paused.
Her voice trailed off.
The student council president's gaze lingered on the contents of the envelope.
Specifically, what was written inside.
"…Class 2-C."
For a brief moment, the sharp gleam on her glasses seemed to dim.
It was the kind of look one had after making a poor decision, only to realize just how poor it truly was.
That was the expression she wore.
"Uh… is there a problem?"
Souna looked at Luceris, then quickly adjusted her glasses, regaining her composure.
"N.. no, nothing."
After straightening herself, she handed the envelope to him.
Inside were the application letter, his forms, and all the other necessary documents.
Luceris' eyes drifted down to the assigned class.
…Class 2-C.
His age fit, around sixteen physically.
Mentally, of course, he was a few years older, though only by about three years.
After all, he'd only been in this world for roughly three months.
"I see. Thank you very much."
"You're welcome," Souna replied.
She hesitated briefly, crossing her arms beneath her chest and tilting her head slightly.
"Say… have you ever tried chess?"
Why mention that now?
A student with no prior academic record suddenly earning a scholarship naturally raised eyebrows.
People might assume cheating.
But he had retaken the exams three times under strict supervision.
And despite having three sets of scores across the exams.
Each one was outstanding enough for the mostly-absent principal to approve a scholarship.
Luceris' lips curved slightly into a smile, followed by a polite shake of his head.
"I'm sorry, I'm not really into chess."
At his refusal, a brief flash of disappointment passed across her face.
It was subtle, almost unreadable, but he caught it nonetheless.
"I see… what a shame."
Even her voice couldn't fully hide it, but Luceris didn't bother responding.
The truth was, he had barely touched chess.
Luceris wasn't exactly a genius.
'I know English because I was raised in an English-speaking country.'
'Math, because my dad was an accountant… plus, I was the extra-lesson kid.'
Highschool-level science was still manageable.
And the way someone who'd grown up thinks.
Including the memory and reasoning, there really is a clear difference.
Those extra lessons in his previous life had real perks.
Not to mention, Vern had been excellent at looking after him in this world.
'…so really, I'm nothing special. Just a half-dead corpse, really.'
The light in his eyes dimmed slightly, only to be brought back by.
Riiiiiinnnggg~
"Would you look at that… homeroom's started. I should be going now, President."
Souna sighed, her hand brushing her forehead as she inclined her head to the side.
"Just call me Souna. Do you know your way around?"
Luceris smiled.
"Alright, Souna. I've got an idea. Thanks again."
With that, he didn't look back. He opened the door, stepped out, leaving behind a stunned girl.
The student council president's expression was one of awe.
She had said he could call her by her name, but, …this was bold, even for that.