Hikaru felt like someone who had just won the lottery.
No.
Actually, that was not quite right.
He had won the lottery.
A second life.
A younger body.
A private apartment.
A system that rewarded effort.
A unique skill with the absurd name of Limitless Potential.
And, most importantly, proof that his efforts could finally return something to him.
That alone was enough to make the world look brighter.
But unlike those people who won the lottery and somehow managed to lose everything within a few years, Hikaru had no intention of wasting his prize.
He was going to use it carefully.
Wisely.
Efficiently.
After completing his first daily tasks and receiving his first rewards, Hikaru had reached a simple conclusion.
"The system wants me to be lazy…"
He stood in the middle of his apartment, staring at his own hands.
"But until I can actually afford to be lazy, I have to work hard."
It was ironic.
Painfully ironic.
The Super Lazy System was not telling him to sleep all day and magically become rich.
Its logic was much simpler.
Work.
Grow.
Get rewarded.
Use those rewards to make life easier.
Then, eventually, build a peaceful life where effort was no longer suffering, but a choice.
That was the part that caught Hikaru's attention the most.
In his previous life, working hard had often felt meaningless.
Effort disappeared into a void.
Results were taken for granted.
Kindness was consumed like a free service.
But here?
Effort had weight.
Effort had value.
Effort had immediate results.
And that was terrifyingly motivating.
Which was why, even though Hikaru had already returned to his apartment, eaten the pastry he received from Cake Shop Iori, and should have been resting…
There was currently a young man on the floor, fighting a heroic battle against his own arms.
"One more…"
Hikaru's arms trembled.
Sweat fell from his forehead.
His breathing was rough.
"One… more…"
[Host.]
"Don't talk to me right now, System. I'm in the middle of greatness."
[The Host is in the middle of his living room.]
"That too."
Hikaru lowered himself again.
His arms shook violently.
He pushed up.
Barely.
Then collapsed onto the floor.
"Ha…"
He rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling like a warrior who had survived a battlefield.
"I did it."
[The Host completed another set of push-ups.]
"Say it with more emotion."
[Congratulations. The Host has voluntarily tortured his upper body.]
"Perfect."
A small notification appeared.
[Repeated Physical Effort Recognized.]
[Strength increased by 2.]
[Endurance increased by 1.]
Hikaru's tired eyes widened.
"Oh?"
His exhaustion vanished for about three seconds.
Then his muscles reminded him that numbers did not erase pain.
"Ow."
[Status Updated.]
---
[Status]
Name: Hikaru Fujiwara
Age: 17
Race: Human
Condition: Tired
HP: 100/100
SP: 31/106
Strength: 13
Agility: 11
Endurance: 12
Dexterity: 10
Intelligence: 12
Magic Power: 10
Charm: 11
Available Points: 0
Skills:
Limitless Potential
---
Hikaru stared at the screen.
Then he smiled.
"That's dangerous."
[The Host said the same thing earlier.]
"Because it keeps being true."
He slowly sat up.
"If I can see progress every time I try, I might actually become addicted to self-improvement."
[That would be ideal.]
"That would be suspicious."
[The System fails to see the issue.]
"The issue is that I'm supposed to be lazy."
[The Host is working hard now to become lazy later.]
Hikaru paused.
Then nodded.
"That is such a beautiful contradiction."
[The System agrees.]
Hikaru placed his hands on the floor again.
The system screen flickered.
[Warning: The Host's stamina is low.]
"Good."
[Good?]
"In this next set…"
Hikaru's eyes burned with dramatic determination.
"I'm going until failure."
[Host, while effort is admirable, collapsing on your first day may reduce long-term efficiency.]
"Don't demotivate me, System."
[Correction: The System is attempting to prevent inefficient stupidity.]
"That sounds like demotivation with extra steps."
[The Host is currently too weak to justify pride.]
Hikaru froze.
Then slowly turned his head toward the screen.
"Did you just provoke me?"
[The System provided accurate assessment.]
"You really are a life coach."
[Then allow this coach to say the following:]
The screen glowed brighter.
[Come on, Host.]
[One more set.]
[One more step toward comfort.]
[One more step toward early retirement.]
Hikaru stared at the words.
His expression slowly changed.
"System…"
[Yes, Host?]
"You understand me too well."
He began another set.
This time, there was nothing elegant about it.
His push-ups were ugly.
His arms trembled.
His body moved with the grace of a collapsing table.
But he continued.
One.
Two.
Three.
By the sixth, his face was red.
By the eighth, his elbows looked like they were filing a resignation letter.
By the tenth, Hikaru was making sounds that no dignified protagonist should ever make.
[The Host is performing adequately.]
"Compliment me properly!"
[The Host is not dead yet.]
"Good enough!"
He pushed himself lower again.
His arms refused.
His pride objected.
His ambition negotiated.
His laziness watched from the corner and asked if they could all go to sleep.
Hikaru forced himself up one final time.
Then collapsed.
This time, completely.
[Repeated Physical Effort Recognized.]
[Strength increased by 1.]
[Endurance increased by 1.]
[Willpower-based effort detected.]
[Skill acquired.]
[Iron Virtue.]
Hikaru's eyes opened.
"Skill?"
His exhausted body suddenly found enough energy to roll over and stare at the screen.
"I got a skill?"
[Correct.]
"Open it. Open it right now."
[Skill Description: Iron Virtue.]
---
[Iron Virtue]
Rank: Rare
Description: A skill born from repeated effort, pain tolerance, and the will to continue despite exhaustion.
Effects:
1. Slightly increases resistance to physical fatigue.
2. Slightly improves the body's ability to endure training.
3. Makes it easier to continue simple physical actions when the Host has a clear goal.
4. Reduces the mental burden caused by repetitive effort.
Note: This skill does not remove exhaustion. It only helps the Host endure it more efficiently.
---
Hikaru read everything carefully.
Then he covered his face with both hands.
"This is amazing."
[The Host appears pleased.]
"Pleased? I'm emotional."
[The Host is lying on the floor covered in sweat.]
"Many emotional moments happen on the floor."
[The System will record that statement.]
"Please don't."
Hikaru slowly sat up, breathing heavily.
Iron Virtue.
It was not flashy.
It did not summon lightning.
It did not give him dragon powers.
It did not make him immortal.
But for Hikaru, it was perfect.
A skill that made effort easier.
A skill that helped him endure.
A skill that made the path toward strength less painful.
For someone who wanted to build a comfortable life through efficient effort, this was exactly the kind of foundation he needed.
He looked at his status again.
Strength had already increased.
Endurance had increased.
He had gained a new skill.
All from training.
All from effort.
Hikaru laughed quietly.
"In my previous life, I could work myself to death and barely get a thank you."
He looked at the glowing blue screen.
"Here, I do push-ups and the universe gives me numbers."
[The System recommends sleep.]
"For once, I agree."
After taking a quick shower, Hikaru changed into clean clothes and collapsed onto his bed.
The bedroom was simple.
A desk.
A wardrobe.
A bookshelf with a few textbooks.
A bed that was not luxurious, but felt like heaven to his exhausted body.
Hikaru stared at the ceiling.
For the first time in this world, everything became quiet.
No running.
No system notifications.
No divine letters.
No jokes.
Just him.
Alive.
Again.
He raised one hand and looked at it under the soft light.
Young fingers.
A healthy body.
A second chance.
"I really came back…"
His voice was quiet.
Not dramatic.
Not sarcastic.
Just honest.
He thought of his parents from his previous life.
The ones he had left behind.
God had promised they would be taken care of.
Hikaru wanted to believe that.
He had to believe that.
Otherwise, moving forward would hurt too much.
"I'll live properly."
His eyes slowly grew heavy.
"This time… I'll live for myself too."
His breathing softened.
The exhaustion finally caught up with him.
And Hikaru Fujiwara spent his first night in his new world asleep, sore, poor, confused…
And happier than he had been in years.
When morning came, sunlight slipped through the curtains and gently touched his face.
Hikaru opened his eyes slowly.
For a few seconds, he did not remember where he was.
Then everything returned.
Death.
God.
Reincarnation.
Kuoh.
The system.
Training.
His body aching in several places that he had apparently offended the previous night.
"Ugh…"
He sat up, holding his head.
"Good morning to me."
A blue screen appeared immediately.
[Congratulations on surviving your first night in this world, Host.]
"That sounds more ominous than it should."
[Please have a good day.]
"Now that sounds fake."
[Special Skill granted as first-night survival support.]
Hikaru blinked.
"Wait. What?"
[Skill acquired.]
[Appraisal.]
Hikaru sat up straighter.
"Appraisal?"
The skill description appeared.
---
[Appraisal]
Rank: Special
Description: A support skill that allows the Host to obtain basic information about people, creatures, objects, and unknown materials through observation.
Current Effects:
1. Allows the Host to view basic information such as name, age, gender, race, and general condition.
2. Allows the Host to inspect simple objects, tools, ingredients, items, and materials.
3. Allows the Host to identify unknown things such as minerals, plants, or unusual objects, depending on the Host's current knowledge and skill level.
Limitations:
1. Information may be incomplete if the target is too powerful, protected, hidden, or outside the Host's current understanding.
2. Excessive use may cause mental fatigue.
---
Hikaru stared at the screen.
Then he slowly smiled.
"This is a classic."
[Correct.]
"And useful."
[Correct.]
"And probably essential if I want to avoid accidentally talking to a demon lord, vampire, alien, or something worse."
[Correct.]
"System."
[Yes, Host?]
"I love practical gifts."
[The System will remember this preference.]
Hikaru stood up.
His body complained.
His legs were heavy.
His arms were sore.
His abdomen felt like he had personally insulted every muscle in it.
But despite that, he felt strangely refreshed.
The soreness was proof.
Proof that yesterday happened.
Proof that he had moved forward.
Proof that this new life was real.
Then the system ruined his peaceful moment.
[Host.]
"What?"
[The Host needs to go to school.]
Hikaru froze.
The room became silent.
Even the sunlight seemed crueler.
"...Excuse me?"
[The Host is a second-year student at Kuoh Academy. Attendance is required.]
Hikaru slowly sat back down on the bed.
"No."
[Clarification: Yes.]
"I died. I reincarnated. I received a system. I trained until my arms questioned my leadership. And now you're telling me I have to go to school?"
[Correct.]
Hikaru stared at the screen in betrayal.
"This is crueler than poverty."
[Education may provide social connections, information, opportunities, and long-term benefits.]
"It also provides homework."
[That is unfortunate.]
"Unfortunate? That's a tragedy."
[The Host must prepare.]
Hikaru let out a long sigh.
"Fine."
After searching through the wardrobe, Hikaru found his Kuoh Academy uniform.
The moment he held it, reality hit him a little harder.
He was going to school.
Again.
After years of work, adulthood, bills, exhaustion, and responsibilities, he was somehow returning to a classroom.
He changed slowly, adjusting the uniform in front of the mirror.
It fit perfectly.
Of course it did.
This world seemed very committed to being convenient when it wanted to be.
Hikaru looked at his reflection.
A seventeen-year-old student stared back.
"You look calm."
He fixed his collar.
"You are not calm."
He grabbed his bag, checked his phone, wallet, keys, and documents, then left the apartment.
Kuoh Town in the morning was even livelier than the previous day.
Students walked in groups.
Bicycles passed by.
Shop owners opened their doors.
The air smelled faintly of bread, coffee, and the start of a normal day.
Normal.
That word was dangerous here.
Hikaru walked toward Kuoh Academy while observing everything with quiet curiosity.
Every corner could belong to another story.
Every passerby could be someone important.
Every peaceful street could be hiding a supernatural incident waiting to happen.
He felt nervous.
But also excited.
Returning to school after so long felt strange.
In his previous life, school had ended long ago. Back then, he had thought adulthood would bring freedom.
Instead, adulthood had brought unpaid overtime and back pain.
"Maybe school isn't so bad after all."
[The Host is romanticizing education due to trauma from employment.]
"That is… unfortunately accurate."
When Kuoh Academy finally came into view, Hikaru stopped for a moment.
The building was impressive.
Clean.
Elegant.
Far more prestigious than he expected.
Students entered through the gate, chatting casually, completely unaware that this peaceful academy was connected to supernatural chaos.
Or maybe some of them were aware.
That was the scary part.
Hikaru took a deep breath.
"Second year. Kuoh Academy. Same world as DxD."
He adjusted his bag.
"Please, let this be a peaceful day."
[Probability unknown.]
"That was not reassuring."
He entered the school.
Finding his classroom was easier than expected. His phone had a schedule, and his student documents included enough information to guide him.
Second-Year Class.
The same class as Issei Hyoudou.
That fact alone made Hikaru pause outside the classroom door.
"Same class as Issei…"
He placed one hand on the door.
"This can go in many directions."
Then he opened it.
The classroom was already full of students.
Some chatted.
Some read.
Some looked half-asleep.
And some immediately triggered Hikaru's inner anime radar.
Near the back, three boys were talking with suspicious intensity.
One had brown hair and an energy that screamed protagonist.
Issei Hyoudou.
Beside him were two other boys with equally dangerous expressions.
Matsuda.
Motohama.
Hikaru recognized the trio immediately.
"The perverted trio exists…"
He looked away.
"Danger confirmed."
But they were not the only ones.
Sitting near the window was a tall, quiet boy with dark hair and a serious expression. He had the gentle, focused aura of someone who cared deeply about traditional craft.
Wakana Gojo.
And nearby, bright enough to change the atmosphere of the room just by existing, was a beautiful girl with long blonde hair, sparkling eyes, and the kind of presence that made people naturally look her way.
Marin Kitagawa.
Hikaru blinked.
Then he looked at the ceiling.
"God really mixed things up."
First, Cake Shop Iori.
Now cosplay.
He slowly walked to his seat.
"This world is either a blessing or a trap."
[Possibly both.]
"Do not say that."
As Hikaru sat down, he noticed a few students glancing at him. That made sense. To them, he was probably a classmate who had been absent or quiet until now.
To him, however, this was his first time meeting everyone.
A difficult situation.
Fortunately, before he could think too much, Issei Hyoudou approached him with a friendly smile.
"Yo, Fujiwara, right?"
Hikaru looked up.
"Yes. Hikaru Fujiwara."
"I'm Issei Hyoudou. Nice to meet you properly."
Issei extended a hand.
Hikaru shook it.
"Nice to meet you too."
Then the two boys behind Issei appeared like shadows of bad influence.
"I'm Matsuda."
"And I'm Motohama."
Hikaru nodded politely.
"Nice to meet you."
Motohama adjusted his glasses, his expression serious.
"Fujiwara…"
"Yes?"
"You seem calm. Mature. Maybe even reliable."
Hikaru did not like where this was going.
"Thank you?"
Matsuda leaned closer.
"Are you interested in joining a noble cause?"
"A noble cause?"
Issei placed a hand over his chest.
"The pursuit of beauty."
Motohama nodded gravely.
"The appreciation of the feminine form."
Matsuda clenched his fist.
"The sacred mission of youth!"
Hikaru stared at them.
Then he smiled politely.
"I see."
The three looked hopeful.
Hikaru placed a hand over his heart.
"Unfortunately, I must respectfully decline."
They froze.
Issei looked betrayed.
"Why?!"
Hikaru's expression remained elegant.
"Because I have recently obtained a second chance at life, and I would rather not waste it being arrested before retirement."
The three boys stared at him.
Matsuda whispered, "Retirement?"
Motohama whispered back, "At our age?"
Issei narrowed his eyes.
"Fujiwara… you're strange."
Hikaru nodded.
"I have been told that recently."
Despite his refusal, the interaction was not unpleasant.
Issei, for all his perversion, had an oddly friendly energy. He was simple. Honest. Shameless, yes, but not malicious.
That made him easier to talk to than many "normal" people Hikaru had known before.
Soon after, Hikaru found himself speaking with Wakana Gojo.
It happened naturally.
Gojo had dropped a small sewing kit from his bag, and Hikaru picked it up before it rolled under a desk.
"Here."
Gojo looked surprised.
"Ah, thank you."
"No problem."
Hikaru glanced at the kit.
"You sew?"
Gojo hesitated for a moment.
"Yes."
His answer was careful.
As if he was used to people reacting strangely.
Hikaru noticed.
Instead of asking something careless, he simply nodded.
"That's impressive."
Gojo blinked.
"Impressive?"
"Yeah. Making things by hand requires patience and skill. Most people can barely fix a loose button."
Gojo looked at him quietly.
Then his expression softened.
"Thank you."
A bright voice suddenly joined them.
"Gojo-kun is seriously amazing!"
Marin Kitagawa appeared beside them with a cheerful smile.
"He can make clothes, and he's super careful with details!"
Gojo immediately became flustered.
"K-Kitagawa-san…"
Hikaru looked between them.
Then he smiled.
"I see."
Marin turned to Hikaru.
"You're Fujiwara-kun, right? Nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too, Kitagawa-san."
"You can just call me Marin!"
"That is very friendly for a first conversation."
"Is it? Well, we're classmates, so it's fine!"
Hikaru glanced at Gojo, who looked both embarrassed and helpless.
Then Hikaru thought to himself:
Yep.
This is definitely cosplay territory.
God really did mix things properly.
Still, Hikaru liked them.
Gojo had a quiet seriousness that felt comfortable.
Marin had a bright honesty that made conversations easier.
Compared to the fake friendships Hikaru remembered from his previous life, talking to people who were simply passionate about what they loved felt refreshing.
Classes began soon after.
And Hikaru quickly discovered something important.
School was both easier and harder than he remembered.
Easier because his adult mind made it easier to stay calm.
Harder because he had not sat through a proper lecture in years.
By the second period, he was already fighting the ancient enemy known as drowsiness.
[Host, please pay attention.]
"I am paying attention."
[The Host has been staring at the same sentence for three minutes.]
"I am appreciating its structure."
[The Host is sleepy.]
"I am strategically conserving mental energy."
[That is called nearly falling asleep.]
"System, you lack imagination."
Still, he managed to survive until lunch break.
The moment the bell rang, the classroom became livelier.
Students gathered in groups, opened lunch boxes, left the room, or headed toward the cafeteria.
Hikaru was considering where to buy something to eat when he heard something faint.
A sound.
Soft.
Almost hidden beneath the noise of the school.
A guitar.
His head turned.
The sound was coming from somewhere outside the classroom.
Quiet, careful notes.
Not confident enough to demand attention.
But skilled enough to deserve it.
Hikaru followed the sound.
Down the hallway.
Past a few students.
Toward a quieter corner of the school building.
There, sitting in a secluded spot near a window, was a pink-haired girl holding a guitar.
She was alone.
Her posture was tense.
Her presence was strangely small, as if she was trying to occupy as little space in the world as possible.
But her fingers moved beautifully.
The notes were delicate, hesitant, but genuine.
Hikaru stopped a short distance away.
He knew her.
Hitori Gotoh.
Bocchi-chan.
Seeing her in person was different from watching her through a screen.
On screen, her social anxiety had been funny.
Exaggerated.
Absurd.
In person, it was still strangely funny in its own way, but also more delicate.
More human.
More painful.
She finished playing a short phrase and immediately looked around in panic, as if afraid someone had heard her.
Then she saw Hikaru.
Her entire body stiffened.
For a second, Hikaru thought she might evaporate.
"Ah."
He raised both hands calmly.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
The girl stared at him.
Her mouth opened.
No sound came out.
Then she lowered her head so quickly it was almost dangerous.
"I-I-I-I'm sorry for existing in a place where sound can reach other people!"
Hikaru blinked.
That was…
Exactly her.
More intense in person, somehow.
"No, no. You don't need to apologize. I heard the guitar and thought it sounded good."
Hitori froze.
"G-Good?"
"Yes."
Her eyes widened.
Then her expression twisted into a complicated mixture of joy, disbelief, fear, and suspicion.
"Is this… a scam?"
"A scam?"
"Are you going to ask me to buy expensive equipment? Or join a suspicious club? Or pay a monthly friendship fee?"
Hikaru stared at her.
"A monthly friendship fee?"
Hitori looked away.
"I-I don't have money, but if friendship has a beginner plan, maybe…"
Hikaru covered his mouth.
He was not laughing at her.
He was trying not to laugh because she was exactly as chaotic as he remembered.
"No friendship fee."
"R-Really?"
"Really."
"No hidden contract?"
"No hidden contract."
"No requirement to maintain eye contact for more than three seconds?"
"That would be cruel."
Hitori's shoulders relaxed by approximately one millimeter.
"Then… thank you."
Hikaru leaned lightly against the wall, keeping a respectful distance.
"You're really good at guitar."
Her face turned red.
"N-No, I'm not! I just practice alone in my closet for hours because online people are easier to interact with than real humans and also because if I stop practicing, I might have to face society!"
"That sounds like dedication."
"It sounds like illness when I say it out loud…"
"Sometimes the line between passion and survival strategy is thin."
Hitori slowly looked up at him.
For the first time, she seemed genuinely curious.
"You… understand music?"
"A little."
Hikaru smiled faintly.
"In my previous—"
He stopped.
Wrong topic.
"In the past, I liked music. Guitar, piano, that kind of thing."
Hitori's eyes brightened slightly.
"You play?"
"A little. I'm rusty, though."
"Rusty…"
She looked at her guitar.
Then at him.
Then away.
Then back again.
It was like watching a small animal decide whether a human was safe.
Hikaru decided not to push.
Instead, he asked gently, "Can I listen for a bit?"
Hitori's soul appeared to leave her body.
"L-Listen?"
"Only if you're comfortable."
"Comfortable…"
She looked down.
Her fingers tightened around the guitar neck.
"I'm not comfortable with most forms of reality…"
"That's fair."
"But…"
Her voice became smaller.
"If it's only a little…"
Hikaru smiled.
"Only a little."
She began to play again.
At first, her hands trembled.
The notes were unstable.
But after a few seconds, her breathing changed.
The fear did not disappear.
But music gave her somewhere to place it.
The melody grew clearer.
More confident.
More honest.
Hikaru listened quietly.
There was something beautiful about it.
Not perfect.
Not polished for an audience.
But real.
When she finished, the silence between them was gentle.
Hikaru nodded.
"That was really good."
Hitori lowered her head.
Her ears were red.
"Thank you…"
Then, after a long pause, she added in a voice barely above a whisper:
"Gotoh…"
"Hm?"
"My name is Hitori Gotoh."
Hikaru's smile softened.
"Hikaru Fujiwara."
"I-I know. You're in my year."
"Oh?"
"I don't stalk people!"
She panicked immediately.
"I just sometimes observe classmates from a safe distance because talking directly is too difficult and also because if I try to join conversations my brain turns into expired pudding!"
Hikaru nodded seriously.
"Expired pudding is a serious condition."
"It is…"
For some reason, that made her relax a little.
Not much.
But enough.
Hikaru looked at the guitar.
"Gotoh-san."
"Yes?"
"Do you want to play for people someday?"
Her fingers froze.
For a moment, she looked scared.
Then, quietly, she nodded.
"I do."
Her voice was fragile.
"But I'm scared."
Hikaru understood that feeling.
Wanting something.
Needing something.
But being terrified of the path toward it.
He looked at her and spoke gently.
"Then maybe start small."
"Small?"
"One person listening today."
He pointed to himself.
"Maybe two people another day."
Hitori stared at him.
"That sounds…"
"Possible?"
She nodded slowly.
"Possible."
Then she looked away, hiding behind her pink hair.
"Fujiwara-kun…"
"Yes?"
"Are we…"
Her voice became almost inaudible.
"Acquaintances?"
Hikaru smiled.
"At the very least."
Hitori looked like she had just received a rare achievement.
"Acquaintance…"
She whispered the word with strange reverence.
Then she suddenly stiffened.
"Wait, is this where I wake up and discover I imagined a social interaction because of loneliness?"
"No."
"Can you prove it?"
Hikaru thought for a second.
Then he lightly tapped the wall beside him.
"This wall is real. I am beside the wall. Therefore, I am probably real."
Hitori stared at him.
"That logic is suspicious, but comforting."
"I'll take it."
The bell rang soon after, signaling the end of lunch break.
Hitori jumped slightly.
"Ah! Class!"
She hurriedly packed her guitar, nearly dropped her pick, caught it, panicked because she caught it too well, then bowed quickly to Hikaru.
"T-Thank you for listening!"
"Thank you for playing."
She paused.
Then, very quietly, said:
"Maybe… you can listen again sometime."
Hikaru's expression softened.
"I'd like that."
Hitori nodded so fast it looked dangerous.
Then she escaped down the hallway.
Hikaru watched her go.
"Bocchi-chan in person is…"
He thought for a moment.
"More fascinating than expected."
[The Host appears pleased.]
"I am."
He smiled.
"I think I made a friend."
[Correction: The Host began the process of making a friend.]
"That is a very system-like way to say something emotional."
[Accuracy is important.]
"Sure."
The rest of the school day passed with surprising ease.
Hikaru talked a little more with Gojo.
Marin waved at him when they crossed paths.
Issei tried once again to invite him into what he called "a gentleman's discussion," and Hikaru once again declined with the dignity of a man protecting his future.
By the time classes ended, Hikaru felt tired in a different way.
Not physically like after training.
Socially.
Emotionally.
But it was not unpleasant.
He had spoken with people.
Real people.
Interesting people.
People who loved things.
People who were awkward, passionate, strange, bright, and human.
That alone made the day feel valuable.
As he left Kuoh Academy, Hikaru realized he had not properly eaten lunch.
His stomach reminded him with a low growl.
"Right."
He placed a hand on his stomach.
"Food."
[The Host requires nutrition.]
"I require something cheap."
[The Host requires financial planning.]
"I require a miracle."
He walked through Kuoh Town, searching for a convenience store, a small restaurant, or any place where he could buy something without damaging his already tragic bank balance.
As he walked, he thought about the day.
Gojo.
Marin.
Issei.
Hitori.
Cake Shop Iori.
Kuoh Academy.
DxD.
Horimiya.
My Dress-Up Darling.
Bocchi the Rock.
This world was a ridiculous mixture.
Dangerous, probably.
Chaotic, definitely.
But also full of possibilities.
For the first time, Hikaru was not just surviving another day.
He was collecting reasons to look forward to tomorrow.
And just as he stopped in front of a small shop, wondering what he could afford, a familiar blue screen appeared before his eyes.
[Spontaneous Achievement Recognized.]
[The Host made meaningful social connections.]
[Effort Type: Emotional Courage / Social Initiative / Human Connection.]
Hikaru blinked.
"Wait…"
The screen continued.
[Reward prepared.]
[Skill acquisition pending.]
[Skill will be revealed after reward processing.]
Hikaru stared at the message.
Then slowly smiled.
Making friends was an effort too.
Of course it was.
For some people, talking was easy.
For others, it was terrifying.
For Hikaru, opening himself to others after a life of being used was not simple.
For Hitori, simply letting someone listen to her music was probably a battle.
And yet, both had taken a step.
Small efforts.
Real rewards.
Hikaru looked up at the evening sky over Kuoh Town.
Then he laughed softly.
"This system really does reward everything."
[Correct.]
Hikaru placed a hand over his chest.
His body was sore.
His wallet was light.
His future was dangerous.
His school life had just begun.
And somewhere in the system, a new skill was waiting to be revealed.
For a man seeking early retirement at seventeen, today had been far too busy.
But strangely enough…
He did not hate it.
Not at all.