My consciousness slowly returned, followed by a flood of memories I didn't recognize at all.
I was standing in front of a classroom.
In front of me, dozens of students sat neatly at their desks, looking at me with mixed expressions—some seemed impressed, others curious, while a few male students in the corner sneered and whispered to each other, clearly badmouthing me without even trying to hide it.
"Ehm… Kurogane-san," a voice called out.
"You can introduce yourself now."
I turned to the side.
A woman in her thirties stood there. Her hair was neatly tied back, wearing a simple teacher's outfit with thin glasses resting on her nose. Her expression was calm and professional—the kind of teacher who was already used to handling new students every year.
Then I turned around.
On the blackboard, a name was written clearly in neat kanji.
黒鉄 明
Kurogane Akira
In an instant, I understood everything.
I had died—and transmigrated into this world, into the body of Kurogane Akira.
The new memories flowing into my head told me that this world was very similar to the game Galactic Defender. But this wasn't a virtual version. This was the real world. Swords could break, bullets could run out, and a single mistake while fighting monsters meant real death.
My chest felt tight.
Just moments ago, I had still been inside a metaverse capsule. That explosion—my body being thrown back, blood pouring out, pain crushing my consciousness—
It wasn't an illusion.
I was sure I had died.
To confirm it, I dug my nails into my palm.
Sharp pain shot through me immediately.
This was different from the virtual world. Inside the capsule, I could feel temperature and touch to enhance immersion, but pain itself was deliberately removed. The system existed for user safety.
But this—
This was undeniable pain.
With a flat expression, I looked back at the people in front of me. Dozens of eyes were fixed on me, waiting.
I bowed my head slightly, out of habit.
"Nice to meet you," I said calmly.
"My name is Kurogane Akira. I hope we get along from today onward."
Or at least, that was my new name.
Even if I wanted to deny this reality, it was pointless. All I could do now was accept it and adapt.
The classroom fell silent.
A few seconds passed before the sound of chairs shifting and quiet whispers filled the room. Curious stares, silent judgments, and interest all mixed together, all directed at me.
"Alright," the teacher said with a small nod.
"Kurogane-san, please take the empty seat in the back."
I nodded again.
"Okay."
I walked down the aisle between the desks, passing the students' gazes until I reached the empty seat near the window in the back row. The afternoon sunlight slipped in, illuminating the surface of a desk that looked like it hadn't been used in a long time.
I sat down and placed my bag beside the chair.
"U-uh… hello. My name is Hoshino Nora."
That quiet voice came from beside me.
A girl with long, dull-blonde hair and a bandage on her cheek looked at me hesitantly. She was fairly pretty. She wore a Japanese high school uniform—a white shirt, black blazer, and gray tie. But the gloomy aura surrounding her made her presence feel faint.
At a glance, I concluded that she was the quiet type who rarely spoke.
Just like me.
"Nora? That's a unique name."
"Eh… y-yeah."
A transparent blue screen—very similar to the UI in the game—suddenly appeared in front of me.
I was slightly startled, but within seconds I managed to return my expression to its usual blank state.
"Why are you nervous?"
"Uh… b-because… I usually like to stay quiet…"
That sounded reasonable. But if that was the case, why did she try to talk to me in the first place? And earlier, she didn't seem nervous at all.
"That's not the right answer," I said softly.
"Why are you nervous?"
"Because I'm uncomfortable talking to strangers!"
I saw her take out a pen and start fidgeting with it between her fingers.
This screen… it was really describing what was going on in her head.
Was this a system? Like the ones that often appear in novels? Was this what brought me to this world?
Various thoughts flashed through my mind. In the end, I looked forward and ignored the girl beside me.
"Wow… I wasn't even paying attention to her," I muttered quietly.
This system felt like a stalker system.
Time passed.
The bell rang, signaling the end of class and time to go home.
Nora immediately closed her notebook, grabbed her backpack, and quickly left the classroom. Her figure disappeared into the hallway in an instant.
I followed her out and headed toward the school garden.
There, I saw Nora sitting alone on a park bench, calmly reading a book.
I sat on another bench and began sorting through the memories of this body's identity. From what I recalled, Kurogane Akira was one of the Guardian agents assigned to this small, quiet city because his abilities were considered lacking.
The reason was simple: so he could join the city's defense force and start gaining real combat experience—according to his father's plan.
"System, are you there?"
"Can you explain more about yourself? Who are you, what's your purpose, did you send me here, and what's your goal?"
Yeah… a pretty standard system template.
Whatever. It was too much trouble to ask further.
"Hey, look at that! It's that weirdo! We finally found you!"
A loud voice grabbed my attention.
I turned around.
In the distance, Nora was surrounded by several female students. She lifted her head, and from here I could clearly see the shock and fear on her face.
"Why are you still going to school?"
"No one wants you here!"
The girls threw increasingly harsh comments at her, accompanied by loud laughter. They were clearly enjoying Nora's suffering.
"Tch."
I clicked my tongue, a sense of displeasure spreading through my chest.