Getting hit by a truck was probably one of the most ordinary ways for a person to die in a reincarnation story.
Unfortunately, Kisaragi Haru didn't get to choose how his story ended.
One moment, Haru was walking home while looking at his phone.
The next—
BANG!
Everything went black.
Just darkness.
Then, after what felt like aeternity, Haru opened his eyes.
A ceiling appeared above him.
White.
Plain.
Unfamiliar.
Haru blinked several times.
"...Where?"
His voice sounded strange.
Younger.
He slowly sat up.
The room wasn't familiar either.
There was a bed, a desk, a closet, and a bookshelf. A school bag rested beside the desk, while a neatly folded uniform was hanging inside the closet.
Haru looked down at his hands.
They were younger.
Much younger.
His heart skipped.
He quickly got out of bed and walked toward the mirror.
A teenage boy stared back.
Black hair.
Dark eyes.
A fairly ordinary face.
Haru raised his right hand.
The reflection did the same.
He touched his cheek.
"...This isn't my body."
Before Haru could process that fact, a transparent screen appeared in front of him.
[Sign-In System successfully bound.]
Haru froze.
"...What?"
The screen remained.
[Welcome, Host.]
[The Sign-In System is now active.]
[Would you like to perform your first sign-in?]
[YES] [NO]
Haru stared at it.
A few seconds passed.
Then he slowly raised his hand.
There was no reason to refuse.
Haru pressed YES.
The screen changed.
[First Sign-In successful!]
[Congratulations!]
[You have received: Complete Knowledge Mastery.]
Haru frowned.
"Knowledge?"
A new window appeared.
[Complete Knowledge Mastery]
The Host has mastered the knowledge required for all major academic fields.
Mathematics.
Physics.
Chemistry.
Biology.
History.
Literature.
Economics.
Computer Science.
Law.
Languages.
And other recognized academic disciplines.
Knowledge Level: Graduate-level mastery.
Haru didn't have time to wonder what that meant.
Information flooded into his mind.
There was no pain.
No headache.
No feeling of his brain being overloaded.
Instead, everything simply became clear.
Mathematical formulas that had once required memorization now felt obvious.
Scientific principles connected naturally.
Historical events were organized in his mind.
Programming languages made sense.
Economic theories became understandable.
Even subjects Haru had never seriously studied before seemed strangely familiar.
He walked toward the desk.
A textbook was lying open.
Haru picked it up.
He read one page.
Then another.
He understood everything.
"...That's ridiculous."
He grabbed a notebook and found a difficult mathematics problem.
Haru stared at it.
The answer appeared in his mind almost immediately.
He wrote the solution.
Correct.
He tried another.
Correct.
Another.
Correct.
Haru put the pencil down.
"So that's what the System means."
He looked at the floating screen.
"Complete Knowledge Mastery."
The System didn't respond.
A few seconds later, another message appeared.
[Daily Sign-In completed.]
[Next Sign-In: 24 hours.]
Then the screen disappeared.
Haru stood silently in the room.
A second life.
A mysterious system.
And enough knowledge to potentially make university-level academics look easy.
It was a lot to take in.
Still, there was one question that bothered him more than the System.
Whose body was this?
Haru searched the room.
The first thing he found was a school identification card.
Name: Kisaragi Haru
Age: 16
School: Seiran High School
Haru looked at the card for a while.
"So that's my name now."
He checked the smartphone on the desk.
It unlocked without a password.
The information inside was surprisingly ordinary.
Messages.
School announcements.
Banking information.
Photos.
Nothing strange.
Haru opened the photo gallery.
Most of the pictures showed the apartment, school events, food, and scenery.
There were no family pictures.
Not even one.
He checked the contacts.
There were classmates.
Teachers.
A few stores.
A doctor.
No mother.
No father.
No siblings.
Haru's expression became slightly more serious.
He checked the apartment.
Two bedrooms.
A small kitchen.
Living room.
Bathroom.
Everything was clean.
There was food in the refrigerator.
The electricity was working.
The internet was active.
The rent appeared to be paid.
There was enough money in the bank account to live comfortably.
But there were no parents.
No relatives.
Nobody waiting for him.
Haru sat on the edge of the bed.
"So I'm alone."
It wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
But it was certainly strange.
There wasn't even a complicated explanation.
The documents on the desk made it clear.
Kisaragi Haru had been living independently.
The apartment belonged to him.
His parents were not part of his current life.
That was apparently how things were.
Haru accepted it.
There wasn't much else he could do.
He looked toward the mirror again.
"Kisaragi Haru."
The name still sounded unfamiliar.
But it would probably become normal eventually.
After all, this was his second life.
The next thing Haru checked was the date.
He picked up his phone.
Then froze.
"...Japan?"
The language was Japanese.
The school documents were Japanese.
The television was broadcasting Japanese news.
Haru already knew enough from his previous life to understand the situation.
But that wasn't the strange part.
The strange part was the city.
Tokyo.
Haru stared at the screen.
He slowly sat down.
Tokyo.
Japan.
Sixteen years old.
High school.
Anime characters.
His mind immediately went through the possibilities.
Maybe this was simply another world that happened to look like Japan.
Maybe his memories were useless.
Maybe it was an entirely different timeline.
There was no way to know yet.
Haru didn't rush to conclusions.
He decided to wait.
The easiest way to find out was simply to live.
Go to school.
Meet people.
See what kind of world this was.
The following morning, Haru woke up early.
There was no reason to stay in bed.
He showered, changed into his uniform, and prepared breakfast.
The kitchen was surprisingly well stocked.
Haru cooked eggs, toast, and some vegetables.
He sat down at the dining table.
Silence.
There was no one to talk to.
No parent asking whether he had slept well.
No sibling complaining about breakfast.
Haru ate quietly.
For some reason, the silence felt stranger than the reincarnation.
In his previous life, there had always been noise.
Family.
Neighbors.
Phones.
Television.
People.
Now there was only Haru.
He finished breakfast and washed the dishes.
"Well."
He picked up his school bag.
"At least school will be less lonely."
The walk to Seiran High School took around fifteen minutes.
The neighborhood was peaceful.
Small stores lined the streets.
There were convenience stores on several corners.
Students in uniforms walked toward their schools.
It felt completely ordinary.
Haru liked that.
He didn't need some grand adventure.
After dying once, a normal life sounded pretty good.
He reached the school gates.
Students were entering in groups.
Haru walked inside.
Nobody paid much attention to him.
That was fine.
Being ignored was comfortable.
At least until someone called out to him.
"Are you new?"
Haru stopped.
A girl was standing nearby.
Long brown hair.
Friendly smile.
Energetic expression.
Haru recognized her immediately.
His steps stopped for half a second.
Yui Yuigahama.
She was real.
Not a character on a screen.
Not someone from a manga panel.
She was standing right in front of him.
Yui tilted her head.
"Are you okay?"
Haru recovered quickly.
"Yeah."
"You're the transfer student, right?"
"That's right."
"What's your name?"
"Kisaragi Haru."
"I'm Yuigahama Yui."
Haru smiled.
"Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too."
Yui looked at him for another second.
"You don't seem nervous."
"Should Haru be nervous?"
Yui laughed.
"Not really."
She pointed toward the building.
"Come on. The classrooms are this way."
Haru followed her.
As they walked, Yui talked about the school.
Teachers.
Classrooms.
The cafeteria.
The best vending machines.
Which staircase was usually crowded.
Haru listened.
She was exactly as energetic as he remembered.
But there was something different about seeing her in person.
She wasn't an anime character anymore.
She was simply Yui.
A real girl.
A classmate.
Someone Haru had just met.
That thought made him change the way he looked at everyone around him.
He couldn't treat them like characters.
They were people.
The classroom was already busy.
Haru entered behind Yui.
Several students glanced toward him.
Yui pointed toward an empty desk.
"That's probably your seat."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
Haru sat down.
A few minutes later, the teacher entered.
"Everyone, settle down."
The room became quiet.
"We have a transfer student joining the class."
The teacher looked toward Haru.
"Kisaragi, introduce yourself."
Haru stood.
"My name is Kisaragi Haru. It's nice to meet everyone."
Simple.
No long speech.
He sat down.
The teacher continued with the lesson.
Haru listened.
It was obvious almost immediately that the class material was far below his current knowledge.
Not because the teacher was bad.
The material simply wasn't difficult anymore.
Still, Haru didn't want to stand out.
He copied notes.
Answered questions only when necessary.
And generally behaved like an ordinary student.
That lasted until the first test.
The test was held the following week.
The teacher placed the paper on Haru's desk.
"Begin."
Haru looked at the first question.
Easy.
Second.
Easy.
Third.
Easy.
The entire test took him less than half the allotted time.
Haru checked his answers twice.
Everything was correct.
He placed his pencil down.
Around him, students were still struggling.
Yui was biting her lip while thinking about one of the questions.
Haru quietly looked over.
She was having trouble.
He couldn't help smiling.
Yui noticed.
She frowned.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You smiled."
"Did I?"
"Yes."
Haru looked away.
"Probably because the question was funny."
Yui stared at him.
"How is a math question funny?"
"That's a good question."
Yui shook her head.
"You're weird."
Haru smiled.
"Apparently."
The results came back several days later.
The teacher placed the papers on the desks.
"Kisaragi."
Haru looked up.
"Yes?"
"Come here for a moment."
Haru approached the teacher.
The teacher handed him the paper.
A large red number was written at the top.
100
Haru looked at it.
"Perfect score."
"Yes."
The teacher looked at him strangely.
"And you achieved the highest score in every subject."
Haru glanced at the other papers.
Mathematics.
Science.
Japanese.
History.
English.
Every subject.
Perfect.
The teacher adjusted his glasses.
"Have you always been this good?"
Haru considered the question.
"Apparently."
The teacher sighed.
"Don't waste your ability."
"I won't."
When Haru returned to his seat, Yui immediately leaned over.
"Kisaragi-kun!"
"Yes?"
"Perfect score?"
Haru nodded.
"Apparently."
"Every subject?"
"Yes."
Yui stared at him.
"You're a genius!"
Haru shook his head.
"Not really."
"Then what are you?"
"Someone who studied."
That wasn't exactly a lie.
The problem was that Haru had effectively received the equivalent of years of education overnight.
Yukino Yukinoshita, who had been sitting nearby, looked toward the paper.
Her expression remained calm.
But her eyes lingered on the score.
"Perfect."
Haru looked at her.
"Looks like it."
Yukino adjusted her hair.
"Impressive."
"Thank you."
"Although your answer doesn't explain anything."
"What do you want me to say?"
"Nothing."
Yukino looked away.
Haru smiled.
She was exactly as serious as he remembered.
A few days later, another piece of information reached Haru.
The student council election.
The school was preparing for the upcoming election, and several students were discussing it during lunch.
Haru wasn't particularly interested.
Until Yui mentioned a name.
"Shinomiya-san is running for president, right?"
Haru stopped eating.
"Shinomiya?"
Yui nodded.
"Kaguya Shinomiya."
Haru's hand paused.
For the first time since entering the school, his expression changed noticeably.
Kaguya Shinomiya.
So she really existed.
Yui continued talking.
"She's really popular."
Another student joined the conversation.
"She's also from an incredibly wealthy family."
"Everyone already thinks she'll win."
Haru quietly listened.
There was no need to search her name.
No need to look her up online.
He had finally received proof naturally.
The character from his previous world existed here.
But something was different.
The name of another candidate never appeared.
There was no Miyuki Shirogane.
No one mentioned him.
No one knew him.
Because there was no such student.
Haru didn't know it yet, but that missing name would become important.
After school, Haru was walking toward the entrance when Yukino approached him.
"Kisaragi-kun."
Haru stopped.
"Yukinoshita."
"The student council election."
"I heard about it."
"Are you interested?"
"Not particularly."
Yukino looked at him.
"That's surprising."
"Why?"
"You achieved the highest academic scores in the school."
"So?"
"You have the qualifications."
"Qualifications aren't the same as interest."
Yukino nodded.
"That's true."
She handed him a flyer.
Haru looked down.
Student Council Presidential Election
Candidate Registration Open
He glanced at the paper.
"Why give this to me?"
"Because I think you should consider it."
"That's a surprisingly direct recommendation."
"I don't see the point in being indirect."
Haru laughed.
"Fair enough."
Yukino turned to leave.
"Kisaragi-kun."
"Yes?"
"If you decide to run..."
She looked back.
"Don't underestimate Shinomiya-san."
Haru's expression became slightly more serious.
"I wasn't planning to."
Yukino nodded.
Then she left.
Haru remained standing near the entrance.
He looked at the election flyer again.
Kaguya Shinomiya.
The name was already printed on another announcement.
She was running for president.
And judging by the rumors, she was expected to win.
Haru folded the flyer and placed it inside his bag.
He wasn't interested in becoming famous.
He didn't need power.
He didn't need attention.
But there was something tempting about the idea.
Not because Haru wanted to defeat Kaguya.
It was simply that the position might give him a chance to become more involved with the school.
And maybe...
make his new life more interesting.
That evening, Haru returned home.
He prepared dinner.
After eating, he washed the dishes and sat down at his desk.
The clock reached midnight.
A familiar notification appeared.
[Daily Sign-In Available.]
Haru smiled.
"Right."
He tapped the screen.
[Sign-In successful!]
[Congratulations!]
[Reward: ¥100,000.]
Haru stared at the number.
"Not bad."
The money appeared in his bank account moments later.
Haru leaned back.
The System really was as simple as it seemed.
Sign in every day.
Receive a random reward.
No missions.
No obligations.
No mysterious purpose.
Just rewards.
Tomorrow could be money.
A skill.
An item.
Maybe even a property.
Haru had no idea.
And that was part of the fun.
He closed the System window.
Then looked at the election flyer sitting on his desk.
Student Council Presidential Election.
Kaguya Shinomiya was running.
Haru had no intention of getting involved.
At least...
not yet.
For now, there were more important things.
Tomorrow was another school day.
There were classes to attend.
People to meet.
And a new life to live.
Haru turned off the light.
The apartment became quiet.
Outside, Tokyo continued moving.
Somewhere in the city, Kaguya Shinomiya was preparing for her presidential campaign.
Elsewhere, other students were living ordinary lives.
A girl named Mahiru Shiina was probably preparing for another day.
A girl named Marin Kitagawa was probably thinking about cosplay.
Hori and Miyamura were living their own school lives.
Yamada and Ichikawa had yet to become important parts of Haru's world.
And Haru himself knew none of them personally yet.
There was no rush.
Their stories didn't need to happen all at once.
One meeting at a time.
One day at a time.
One relationship at a time.
For now, Kisaragi Haru was simply a sixteen-year-old student who had been given a second chance at life.
And tomorrow...
Haru would sign in again.
End of Chapter 1