"I’ve got you...!"
With a little grunt of effort, I grabbed the person called Sunohara(?) who was sprawled across the hallway floor and helped him up.
After being ruthlessly trampled by those burly athletes, he looked like he ought to be pretty heavy, but
the weight resting on my shoulder was unexpectedly lighter than I’d thought.
Maybe getting kicked around and sent flying every day had honed his body into something nimble.
What was even more shocking, though, was the terrifying vitality of this yellow lump.
The guy who had been screaming bloody murder loudly enough to shake the hallway just moments ago
was already sparkling-eyed and grinning as though nothing had ever hurt the instant he got to his feet with a hand on my shoulder.
If not for the clear sneaker print stamped across his cheek, I might have believed the tragedy from earlier had been a hallucination.
"Whoa! New Paint, you look scrawny, but you’re surprisingly strong! You saved my life!"
"..."
I decided not to care anymore about whether he was having trouble pronouncing “face” or “paint” in English.
This level of recovery and shamelessness,
along with that unearned energy that instantly swept everyone around him into his pace.
A highly plausible hypothesis suddenly flashed through my mind.
‘...Could this guy be the protagonist of this world?’
Now that my knowledge of the original work had vanished into the mist,
the only beings I could think of with such singular characterization and phoenix-like vitality
were, with high probability, the main protagonist or a core character close to him.
[The system has analyzed the user’s extraordinary deductive ability.]
[It has been confirmed that Intelligence 6 is not merely for show.]
‘Are you bored?’
[However, please be warned in advance that if you continue to maintain that inference, the psychological shock you must endure later may be multiplied.]
‘So is that a yes or a no...?’
[Experience it for yourself and find out.]
The thought that there was something I had to find out
made me instinctively recoil for a moment, but I soon accepted it.
As I slowly moved forward, I discreetly glanced at the profile of the guy hanging onto my shoulder.
He looked like he was in a lot of pain.
Objectively speaking, he really did look like he was in a lot of pain.
His cheeks were terribly swollen, and his clothes had become rags,
so I felt a needless pang in my heart.
"...Shouldn’t you treat your injuries first?"
"Huh? Food comes first!"
"..."
An abnormal mindset that placed appetite above pain.
The drive to push forward with nothing but his instincts, heedless of the eyes around him.
This guy.
He really is the protagonist, isn’t he?
Once we passed the first-floor entrance and the dorm supervisor’s office,
a rough concrete staircase leading down to the basement came into view.
From below the stairs already came the savory scent of miso soup, along with the boisterous noise of dozens of male students mingling together.
Ah.
I already wanted to go home.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa...! New Paint, be careful! If I roll down the stairs, I’ll seriously die!"
If it hadn’t been for this guy,
I definitely would have turned around and gone back.
"Please hold still for a moment..."
I was already tense enough to have my entire body stiffen because of my timid personality,
but this fidgety yellow lump kept swaying around without finding his balance the whole way down the stairs.
Every other second, he would clutch my shoulder tightly
or groan beside my ear,
making every single step a genuine ordeal.
[Warning: Due to close physical contact with a current resident, your Mental Strength is decreasing abnormally.]
[Recommended action: Separate immediately.]
‘I know... I know.
But I already offered him a hand. I can’t just abandon him.’
Suppressing the turmoil within me, I finally stepped onto the last stair of the first basement floor.
My chance to run away was completely gone now.
A large wooden sliding door stood right in front of me.
Above it hung an honest, boldly lettered sign: [Dormitory Cafeteria].
Orange lamplight spilled through the gap in the doors, accompanied by an even stronger waft of delicious smells.
"W-We’re here..."
"Whoa! The cafeteria! Misae! I’m not too late yet, right?!"
Sunohara, who was still hanging off my shoulder, raised his voice before the door had even opened.
I took one deep breath, then carefully slid the door open.
Rattle—
In that instant,
an incredible wall of noise crashed over me.
Laughter.
The clatter of spoons and chopsticks.
Voices talking.
And dozens of male students.
Should I close it?
I meant it.
The urge to shut the door again after one second, turn around, and flee back to my safe zone in Room 103 consumed my thoughts.
[Do not avoid this.]
‘I know... Yeah, I know.’
As the door opened, several students inside the cafeteria turned to look toward the entrance.
And soon,
every last one of those gazes landed on the yellow-haired guy beside me.
That was only natural, considering a yellow lump dressed in rags was being supported into the room by a new transfer student.
"Huh? Sunohara, what did you do today to get yourself wrecked like that?"
"Who’s that next to him? The rumored transfer student? Poor guy. He stepped in the biggest pile of crap on his first day."
The whispers of the onlooking crowd nearby struck my ears in real time.
I didn’t like this situation very much.
The critics in my head began to wake up again.
Just as I was about to lower my head, wishing I could sink through the floor—
"Sunohara."
A low female voice cut sharply through my thoughts.
Beyond the huge serving counter at the back of the cafeteria,
I met the sharp gaze of dorm supervisor Sagara Misae, who was looking our way with a large ladle in hand.
I could feel Sunohara trembling faintly behind my shoulder.
All the bold energy from moments ago was gone, and Sunohara discreetly hid behind me.
Misae looked back and forth between the utterly battered Sunohara and me.
...
Then she let out a deep sigh.
"Haa... I knew you’d get dragged into his mess eventually since you’re in nearby rooms, but he’s already caused trouble, Sunohara."
"Hahaha... Misae, you see..."
Sunohara scratched his cheek awkwardly, wearing a servile smile.
Tapping her ladle against the counter with a bang, bang, Misae went on in a look of exasperation.
"You’re Morita, right? It’s been rough on you, having to deal with a troublesome guy like that from your very first day.
If you get too deeply involved with him in this dorm, nothing but exhausting things will happen,
so keep a reasonable distance after you eat. There’s still food left, so hurry up and grab a tray."
"Ah... Yes! Thank you."
I was about to go get a tray when I suddenly stopped.
The heavy weight on my shoulder.
Come to think of it, I was still supporting him.
"Would you like to come with me?"
"Oh! You’re a good guy!"
Sunohara beamed.
For no reason, I felt embarrassed.
It was nothing much.
But being praised made me a little shy.
Today’s menu consisted of white rice, golden grilled fish,
and several neat side dishes.
It looked much tastier than I had expected.
Once rich miso soup filled one corner of the tray as well, it made for a rather convincing meal.
Holding our trays and supporting Sunohara, I found us seats at an empty table in the corner of the cafeteria.
I dropped into my chair and caught my breath,
quietly watching Sunohara across from me pick up his chopsticks and begin eating rapidly as though he had never been hurt.
A strict but beautiful older dorm supervisor who still made sure even the new student from the neighboring room got fed.
He brought trouble wherever he went, but somehow people didn’t hate him.
The people around him cursed him, yet everything still ended up revolving around him.
‘...There’s no doubt.’
This guy was definitely the male lead of either a slice-of-life harem story where even the older dorm supervisor was among his targets,
or a comedic school story.
Despite the system’s warning, in my personal speculation, Sunohara was already the very center of this world.
...
Could a moving story really be made with a character like this...?
I had my doubts for a moment, but decided to focus on my food for now.
"Whew, I’m alive! Misae’s cooking really is the best! New Paint, hurry up and eat too!"
"Paint... No, thank you for the meal."
With a deep sigh, I took a sip of the miso soup.
As the warm broth ran down my throat, it felt like some of the tension I had been carrying finally eased.
For the next several minutes, an odd silence lingered between us.
Even amid the noisy chatter of dozens of male students,
Sunohara and I silently concentrated on our meal.
I was busy trying to adapt to the unfamiliar environment,
while the person across from me, perhaps truly starving, was clearing his tray at an alarming speed.
It was Sunohara who broke the silence first, naturally enough.
Having cleared about half his tray, he grinned, spoon in hand, and pointed at me.
"Come to think of it, you’re the transfer student, right? I’m Sunohara Yohei! The ‘strongest’ at Hikarizaka Academy!"
"..."
I felt as if I were witnessing eighth-grader syndrome in real time.
An embarrassing memory from my own childhood came back to me, and I barely held myself together through the mental dizziness.
I furtively checked the people around us, then lowered my voice.
"The strongest...? Earlier in the hallway..."
Did being a protagonist require that much confidence?
At my careful factual blow, Sunohara’s face instantly turned red.
His hand holding the spoon trembled as he hurriedly began making excuses.
"Urgh...! Th-That was because there were too many of them! I wouldn’t lose in a one-on-one fight!"
"Be careful...! Those athletes from before might be around here."
Gripping my tray tightly with both hands, I whispered while nervously glancing around.
Sunohara was growing more animated and raising his voice,
but my heart, sitting right beside him, was pounding as if it would burst.
...
You might be the protagonist.
But I’m not...!
No, what if he picked another fight while surrounded by sturdy guys in a dorm cafeteria like this?
"Damn it... those Rugby Club guys."
Ah.
They were from the Rugby Club.
Whether or not he knew how my insides were burning,
Sunohara scraped up every last grain of rice before patting his stomach with a satisfied expression.
"So, what’s your name? I can’t keep calling you New Paint forever, can I?"
"Ah... Suho, n-no... Shu... Morita Shu."
For a moment, my familiar Korean name almost slipped out.
Even such a small mistake made my heart pound.
What if he thought I was strange?
Fortunately, Sunohara didn’t seem remotely concerned about my little verbal slip.
"All right, Morita! Let’s get along from now on!"
"...Likewise."
After finishing our meal and returning our trays, where Misae gave us another brief scolding,
we left the cafeteria.
I followed Sunohara toward the dormitory hallway, and he was already moving normally enough to seem unbelievable.
It was an absurd recovery rate for someone who could barely walk on his own just a little while ago.
"You came from Tokyo?"
"Yes."
"Why would anyone go out of their way to transfer from Tokyo to a countryside place like this?"
"..."
He had hit the nail right on the head.
I couldn’t exactly tell him the truth.
As I racked my brain for an excuse, cold sweat was about to break out.
"Well, never mind! What’s the point of worrying about complicated stuff like that?"
Sunohara said casually, lacing both hands behind his head.
I didn’t know whether he had given up on thinking about it
or genuinely wasn’t interested.
But that simplicity felt more like salvation to me right then.
‘...Anyway, that’s a relief.’
Letting out a deep breath tinged with relief, I kept walking.
Before I knew it, we had arrived in front of our rooms, which faced each other.
"Well, I’m heading in!"
"Okay."
Sunohara waved as he took hold of the doorknob, then stopped with an expression like he had just remembered something.
"Oh, right."
"?"
"What year are you in?"
Come to think of it.
I didn’t even know his age.
What even was my social life?
"Second year."
"Oho."
What was with that reaction?
"Why?"
"Nothing, just."
Sunohara smirked.
"We’re in the same year, but you’ve been speaking so formally."
"...Ah."
Only then did I realize it. My old habit from working life had come out unconsciously,
and I had been stubbornly polite toward someone I had just met.
"Well, I don’t mind! Looking forward to getting along with you, Morita!"
"School starts Monday, right? If we end up in the same class, I’ll show you the ropes!"
Monday.
Come to think of it, I really was going to become a student.
As the reality of having to adapt to a false identity and unfamiliar school life truly sank in,
my stomach suddenly began to hurt.
Sunohara grinned and slipped into his room, just before closing the door.
"Wait a moment!"
"Huh?"
I had stopped him without realizing it.
Was it because he was the protagonist?
Or because, somehow, he made me feel comfortable?
I was more surprised by the fact that I had stopped someone at all.
Though we had been forced together,
he had gone into that unfamiliar dorm cafeteria with me.
I was more grateful for that than I had expected.
If I had gone down to that noisy basement cafeteria alone,
I would surely have stood at the entrance, hesitating and worrying endlessly over whether I should go in.
Our first meeting hadn’t been pleasant, but
I wanted to offer him some small gesture of thanks for being the first person to eat with me.
"Do you happen to like bread?"
"Bread? Sure! Are you giving me some? Yahoo!"
Seeing him so happy made me feel good for no reason.
"Then please wait just a moment."
I opened my door across from his, then brought out the heavy bag I had placed on top of the shoe cabinet when I came in earlier.
"Here. I just ate, so I’m not really in the mood for any."
It was the bread the bakery owner had given me as a free extra at the park earlier.
"Whoa, that’s quite a lot! It’s rainbow-colored too, and it looks delicious!"
‘...Hm?’
For a moment, I had an ominous feeling.
‘App, I feel like I’m forgetting something. Do you know what it is?’
[There is no problem.]
Maybe I was just tired.
Seeing him so innocently delighted made me strangely proud, so I chose not to think too deeply about it.
"Yahoo! Morita! Misae’s cooking is delicious and all, but it wasn’t quite enough!"
"Okay. Enjoy it."
Sunohara hugged the bag of bread to his chest as carefully as if it were merchandise from his favorite series and slipped into his room.
The door closed, and quiet returned to the hallway.
"Rather than resting right away, should I look around a little?"
Until just a moment ago, all I had wanted was to rest.
But I had eaten.
And I felt a little proud, too.
Somehow, I felt like going outside.
[Would you like to visit a recommended location?]
‘A recommended location? You’re not sending me somewhere weird, are you?’
[Taking the user’s disposition into account, I will guide you to a bench overlooking the town.]
The words “disposition analysis” made me feel strangely as if I had been stripped naked.
‘Guide me there.’
[Guiding you along the recommended route.]
With somewhat lighter steps, I slowly left the dormitory.
"Aaaaaaah—?!"
...
Just as I was leaving the entrance, I heard someone scream.
"..."
But I didn’t want to concern myself with it for no reason.
I had already been through more than enough today.
Without thinking, I began walking aimlessly along the recommended route that vaguely floated in my mind.
The destination seemed farther than I had expected. After walking for quite a while, my legs started to feel a little sore.
As I climbed the gradually steepening hill, I found myself more and more out of breath.
Disappointed by my pathetic stamina, I turned the final corner.
And then.
My view suddenly opened wide.
The red evening glow enveloped the entire town.
At the summit of a hill overlooking all of Hikarizaka Town,
there stood, just as described, a single old but cozy-looking wooden bench.
I trudged over to the bench and dropped onto it.
I regretted not exercising regularly.
As I caught my breath, I looked straight ahead.
...
I suddenly remembered signing up for CrossFit and barely going a few times.
Did I really need to exercise after all?
‘Isn’t my stamina way too low?’
[Current Stamina: 5]
[Ordinary people begin at Stamina 5.
A Stamina value below 5 indicates a health issue.]
...
That’s low.
‘Then I’m exactly average.’
[Correct.]
‘What’s the maximum Stamina value?’
[Upon reaching Stamina 10, you will possess stamina on the level of a national athlete.]
‘Wait.’
‘Then wouldn’t even reaching 6 make a huge difference?’
[Correct.]
‘Oh.’
‘What about beyond that?’
[You will reach superhuman levels and be able to survive even in ability-based worlds.]
[Would you like to change worlds?]
"No, no, no."
I objected out loud without realizing it.
What was it talking about?
Why was it suddenly bringing up changing worlds?
Now that I had come all this way,
shouldn’t I try doing something here at least?
If I just rested and went back,
it felt like there would have been no point in choosing this world.
[Would you like to use points to increase your Stamina?]
...
‘I’ll put it off for now.’
‘Whenever I use things like this without thinking, I end up regretting it.’
I was deeply immersed in my thoughts when—
...
“...Huh?”
My body stiffened with a start, and only then did my mind return to reality.
Had I been too lost in thought?
I hadn’t noticed someone approaching all the way up this high hill.
"Hey."
A low, unfamiliar man’s voice called out.
"Could you move over a little? There’s only one bench."
"Ah, yes, of course..."
Reflexively, I pressed myself into one end of the bench to make room.
"Thanks."
After his brief thanks, the man dropped down at the other end of the bench.
Black hair.
An indifferent expression.
He didn’t seem to have any intention of continuing a conversation with me.
He simply stared wordlessly at the view of Hikarizaka Town, drenched in red.
A cold silence hung between us.
Awkward.
Incredibly awkward.
The bench was wide, so why did it feel like he was so close?
He seemed like someone accustomed to situations like this.
Without a word, he only looked at the scenery.
...
But me?
I had no idea what to do.
I didn’t know whether I should talk to him or just stay quiet.
My shoulders only grew tense for no reason.
"And you?"
My body twitched at the sudden question.
"Y-Yes?!"
Still looking ahead, the man spoke briefly.
"Your name."
Ah.
He was talking to me.
"M-Morita Shu."
Why did saying my name alone feel like I was in a job interview?
"I haven’t seen you before. How did you find out about this place...?"
Without even looking in my direction, the man murmured as he kept his gaze fixed on the distant townscape, where the sunset glow was beginning to fade.
‘...Was that a question?’
‘Or was he just talking to himself?’
I couldn’t tell.
His tone had been quiet enough to sound like a monologue,
but it also felt as though he had definitely said it with me in mind.
If it was a question, I should answer.
If it was just a monologue, I might embarrass myself by butting in.
...
What should I do?
[The user’s excessive thought processes are now operating.]
[Status: Social anxiety index is rising.]
[Emergency Quest]
[Answer the man’s question within 10 seconds.]
[Upon failure]
- Awkwardness 1
- Regret 1
- Increased likelihood of kicking your blanket in embarrassment
[Upon success]
- Conversation progresses
- Free Gacha Ticket ×2
A ten-second countdown appeared before my eyes.
10.
9.
8.
...
It was nothing serious.
All I had to do was answer with one sentence.
But for some reason, my heart began to race.
I became even more flustered.
"T-The dorm!"
"Huh?"
"Ah, no... I transferred from Tokyo, and I arrived today!"
My voice rose without my meaning to.
...
How embarrassing.
So incredibly embarrassing.
Why was speaking normally this difficult?
"Sorry..."
"Why are you apologizing?"
The man looked at me for a moment, then gave a faint smirk.
"I see."
Thankfully, he didn’t seem to think I was some weird person.
[Quest complete]
[Reward issued: Free Gacha Ticket ×2]
[Additional reward: Avoided social death]
A notification popped up saying I had succeeded at something, but it barely registered.
As silence began to settle in again, I felt like I had to do something.
[How about offering him coffee?]
What was it talking about?
[Inventory]
- Free Gacha Ticket ×2
- Warm Canned Coffee
Crazy.
I had an inventory too?
[The user has never opened it until now.]
‘How was I supposed to know if you didn’t explain it?’
[You did not ask.]
I had nothing to say to that.
...
When I slipped my hand into my pants pocket as instructed,
my fingertips touched the round, solid texture of a metal can. My pocket had definitely been empty.
"...Huh?"
When I carefully pulled it out, a warm can of coffee was in my hand.
It must have been heated in real time inside the inventory, because the outside was pleasantly hot.
Feeling the warmth against my palm, I stared blankly down at the canned coffee.
...
Give it to him?
No, all of a sudden?
To someone I had only just met?
And on top of that, just handing coffee to this guy who felt intimidating and indifferent?
...
No way.
[Recommended action]
[Gift the canned coffee.]
[Estimated chance of success: 78%]
Seeing the success rate as a number gave me a strange burst of courage.
More than anything, before the silence dragged on long enough for that suffocating situation to return, it was better to just go through with it.
"Um..."
"...?"
"Would you like some coffee?"
His cynical, almost hollow-looking eyes widened slightly as they turned toward me.
Our awkward gazes met.
Several seconds passed.
For some reason, I felt like I shouldn’t be the first one to look away.
So I held on for no reason.
The can in my outstretched hand had been warm at my fingertips,
but it felt as though it were growing cold in real time.
The man indifferently looked back and forth between my face and the canned coffee in my hand,
then let out a quiet, faint laugh.
"...Ha."
Just as I wondered if I had made a mistake and began to pull my hand back,
the man casually reached out.
Then he took the canned coffee from my hand as though it were nothing.
"Thanks."
It was only one short word.
He took it.
What a relief.
"Okazaki Tomoya."
"Pardon?"
"My name."
"...Ah."
Only then did I understand what he meant.
"I’m Morita Shu."
"You said that earlier."
"...Ah."
I was embarrassed again.
Why did I say everything twice?
"Morita... Shu."
Okazaki quietly repeated my name.
...
Was my name unusual?
"Ah, and I’m a second-year student too..."
I remembered only finding out after talking with Sunohara for a long time that we were in the same year.
Why had I felt the need to say that?
He might not even be a high school student.
Regret came flooding in only after the words had left my mouth.
"Me too."
"...?"
"Second year."
"Ah..."
What a relief.
We were in the same year.
I didn’t know why that made me feel relieved.
...
I furtively looked over at Okazaki as he sipped the warm canned coffee.
It was still awkward.
I still didn’t know what I was supposed to say.
But somehow,
I felt much more comfortable than before.
With the evening breeze blowing by,
it felt as though I had become a little more accustomed to this unfamiliar place.
It was my first sunset in Hikarizaka.
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