The break brought life to Kuoh Academy's halls and corridors. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed over the polished floor, mixing with lively chatter from groups of students. Laughter, casual remarks, and the clink of soda bottles filled the air with the rhythm of routine.
Amid the flow, Gasper walked in silence. His pristine uniform drew no attention, and the magic around him kept his presence discreet, nearly invisible. No one glanced his way, no group acknowledged him, no face turned.
It was as it had always been. To others, just another forgettable student. To him, an advantage.
The corridor stretched endlessly. Sunlight reflected off the windows, each door opening to reveal classrooms full of animated conversation. Gasper moved with steady steps, yet his eyes remained sharp, hunting for a specific target.
Issei was nowhere. No sign of the boy, nor of his inseparable friends. The hallway that should have overflowed with clues offered him nothing.
Time passed, and the search grew frustrating. Gasper recalled clearly what he knew. In the world he remembered, Issei and his two friends were notorious for their desperate attempts to peek at the kendo club. But now, the characteristic sound of practice was absent. No shouts of effort, no sharp strikes of shinai on mats.
The club was empty. There was nowhere left to look.
The narrow corridor carried him toward a group of students walking in the opposite direction. Two girls with fitted skirts and ponytails spoke softly, yet their words were clear enough for his keen ears.
"Did you hear? One of the three idiots joined the Student Council."
"I did. It's ridiculous. How could someone like Hyoudou manage that? It has to be some kind of joke from the president."
They walked off laughing, unaware they had just dropped the most important piece of information of the day. Their giggles vanished among the voices of other students, but the impact was done.
Issei, in the Student Council.
His body stayed upright in the middle of the crowd, but his mind spun in perfect silence. In the world he remembered, every member of the Council was part of Sona Sitri's peerage. No ordinary human could take that seat. That could only mean one thing.
'So he really joined her peerage.'
His heart tightened briefly. The line of destiny had shifted undeniably.
His steps regained purpose, faster than before. The corridor stretched ahead, filled with groups laughing and chatting, unaware of the hidden shadow passing among them. The concealment magic did its job. To everyone else, Gasper was nothing more than a passing blur.
Turning a corner, muffled familiar voices reached him.
Matsuda and Motohama stood near the open windows of the second floor. The first spoke loudly, frustrated, his face marked by a faint scar from kendo training.
"I still can't believe it. That idiot Issei got involved with the Council and came out on top. How is that possible?"
Motohama pushed up his glasses, the sun's glare hiding his eyes.
"It's worse than ridiculous. That traitor left us behind, and now he struts around like he matters."
Between them, Issei stood out. Not for his posture, still slouched, but for the wide grin stretching across his face. Arms crossed before his chest, eyes gleaming with inflated confidence.
"You're just jealous. I told you my destiny was different. Now I'm part of something greater. You should be grateful I still hang out with you."
His words dripped arrogance, and Gasper absorbed them from a distance, motionless in the corridor's shadows.
The contrast was stark. The Issei he remembered from another world was still far from this role—naïve, perverted, a dreamer. Now, there was something else. Pride. A hollow pride, built on a position he clearly didn't understand.
Matsuda punched the wall lightly, his voice sharp with resentment.
"Greater? You only got lucky. If it weren't for the president, you'd be on the floor with us."
Motohama added, his tone biting.
"And now you think you're someone. Don't forget who you were, Issei. To us, you're just another idiot."
Issei laughed loud, unfazed. His smile widened, eyes shining as if victory were absolute.
"Say what you want. But when you see what I'll achieve from here on out, you'll understand. I'm on another level now."
The silence that followed was short. Matsuda looked away in frustration, but before it could grow heavier, Motohama tugged his arm, pulling him a few steps aside.
The bespectacled pervert waited until Issei's grin turned toward the window, distracted in his pride, before lowering his voice.
"Listen, Matsuda. We can take advantage of this."
Matsuda narrowed his eyes in confusion, but soon a nervous smile crept onto his face.
"You're thinking what I'm thinking?"
Motohama adjusted his glasses, the sun glinting off the lenses like part of his cynicism.
"If the idiot's part of the Council now, we've got an inside channel. Think about it… swim club girls, kendo girls, even those who live in the library. He could open doors we never managed to force."
Matsuda let out a nervous chuckle that quickly grew into something bolder.
"Hah… that'd be perfect. Imagine using Issei as our private spy."
Motohama continued, voice low, dripping with malice.
"He's owed us for years. Without us, he'd have been beaten alone plenty of times. Now it's time he pays that debt."
They exchanged knowing glances, their stifled laughter bubbling up, hidden beneath the hallway noise.
Heh… heh… heh…
When they returned to Issei, his grin had faded. His narrowed eyes betrayed suspicion.
"What are you two whispering about?"
Matsuda was quick to mask it, throwing an arm over his shoulder in mock camaraderie.
"Relax, buddy. We were just thinking about how much your life changed. And then we thought… real friends share their victories, right?"
Issei squinted, silent. His lack of reply opened the door for Motohama to push further.
"Look, Issei. Now you've got Council access. That means schedules, records, club activities… even restricted areas. It's perfect for us. You can get info we'd never reach alone."
Issei's face tightened with doubt. His earlier euphoria wavered.
Motohama leaned closer, voice firm but low.
"Don't play dumb. You owe us. We've been beaten together, humiliated together, and now you'll just forget that? No. This is the time. You're in, and we need you to open the way."
Matsuda squeezed his shoulder, adding emotional weight.
"Friends do this for each other. You got in, but only because we always had your back. So it's only fair you help us now. We're a trio, remember?"
Their words pressed like chains, trying to bind him to a warped past of camaraderie.
But he didn't react as they expected. The grin once stretched across his face vanished entirely. His eyes stayed locked on them, expression flat and unreadable.
"You want me to use the Council… to keep spying on girls?"
Motohama nodded firmly, the glare on his glasses hiding the hunger in his eyes.
"Exactly. Can you imagine what we could get? Names, times, even isolated spots. It's our chance to finally have everything we wanted."
Matsuda chuckled, eager.
"It'll be perfect. You're our ticket, Issei. No one can stop us now."
His silence was heavier than any answer. They waited for an explosive laugh, a complicit smile, a word of agreement. But Issei stayed still, eyes locked on them, his face unmoved.
No approval. No refusal. Only neutrality.
Matsuda's grin faltered. Motohama's eagerness drained. Then Issei spoke, voice firm like never before.
"Enough. I won't stoop to that. If you want to keep being idiots, that's your problem. But I won't risk what I've gained just to feed the cravings of two losers."
His words cut like a blade. Matsuda turned pale. Motohama, mouth open, couldn't respond.
"You talk about friendship, but all you want is to use me. I don't owe anyone. If I still hang out with you, it's because I wanted to, not because I needed to. So remember this: I'm not the same fool I used to be."
Tliiing
The bell echoed through the corridor, marking the end of the break.
Issei was the first to turn his back. Before leaving, he cast a cold glance over his shoulder.
"And maybe it's better I walk alone from now on. That way I can enjoy all the girls for myself."
His grin spread in shameless provocation, swollen with pride.
He ran down the hall without waiting for an answer.
Matsuda and Motohama burst at once, their shouts tearing through the air.
"You damn traitor!"
"Screw you, Issei!"
They chased after him, footsteps pounding against the polished floor, but the distance only widened.
From afar, Gasper watched in silence. His crimson eyes followed the scene until it vanished at the corridor's end.
'Definitely, I can't rely only on the memories of my previous life. This world has already started down different lines.'
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