Chapter 1

【Drip...... Drip......】

【System activated, game started】

【Players can earn points upon completing objectives】

【Objective targets must meet system-approved standards (click for details)】

【Completion of temporary events allows for the purchase of special items, encouraging active participation】

【Panel...... activated】

【Store...... activated】

【Loading complete, enjoy the game】

【Reasonably schedule your time, take care of yourself;】

【Beware of scams, make sincere friends;】

【...... Stay away from the katana (blackened)】

Watanabe Tetsu stared intently at the blackboard, where the math teacher's hastily scribbled characters suddenly revealed a light blue, nearly transparent panel.

He blinked, lowered his head, and wrote in his notebook: Methods of representing sets — enumeration, description....

“Snap”

The pencil lead broke, leaving a small black mark on the white notebook page.

Watanabe Tetsu pressed the back of the pencil, but the lead didn't come out. He took a spare 0.5mm lead from his pencil case, inserted it into the tip like threading a needle, and then completed the word "description" in his notebook.

The light blue, nearly transparent panel had been in his line of sight the entire time.

A system awakening now? Isn't it too late?

Watanabe Tetsu was reborn in a remote village where buses only came every two hours. By the time he was old enough for kindergarten, he had given up on unrealistic fantasies like "systems," "awakening stand abilities after being shot with an arrow," "aliens," "people from the future," and "people with superpowers."

He decided to focus on his studies.

In that village, the kindergarten, elementary school, and junior high school combined had only five people, including the teachers. Watanabe Tetsu, after self-studying, took the entrance exam for a prestigious high school in Tokyo and was admitted with the third-highest score in the school.

His next life goal was to get into Tokyo University.

After graduation, he planned to take the civil service exam and be supported by taxpayers for the rest of his life.

But now, after all the hard work, after planning his future, and after preparing for the challenges ahead, the system appeared?

If it was going to come, it should have come earlier. If it wasn't going to come, it shouldn't have come at all. What's the point of this half-hearted appearance?

Watanabe Tetsu seriously finished the math class—fortunately, the panel didn't obstruct his view, or he would have been really angry.

The last time he was angry was yesterday, when the class advisor informed him that all students must join a club and were not allowed to leave school early.

He should have gone to the neighboring Hikari High School instead.

Not only did the girls there wear super cute sailor uniforms, but students could also join the "Going Home Club." The more Watanabe Tetsu thought about it, the more depressed he became.

In conclusion: No matter how many times you restart your life, there will always be regrets.

Those who claim that restarting once can make your life perfect are, in Watanabe Tetsu's opinion, all liars or memory-impaired fools.

Math class was the last period of the morning. As soon as the teacher announced the end of the class, while the classroom still maintained its quiet atmosphere, Kuni Kousuke shouted loudly:

“Watanabe! Saito! Let's go eat!”

The math teacher, who was about to leave the classroom, gave Kuni Kousuke a disapproving look through his reading glasses.

“You, can you lower your voice a bit!” Saito Keisuke laughed and scolded, then asked, “What are we eating today? Set meal? Ramen? Or bread?”

“Ramen!”

“Alright, let's go for bread then.”

“Saito, you're asking for it, Ora Ora Ora Ora!”

“Muda Muda Muda Muda!”

“Damn, you caught all of them! Watch out for my Oni Garami!”

“Not enough yet, Kousuke! Take my Hell's Finishing Blade!”

“Hey, my neck?! Keisuke, why are you hitting me? We agreed no physical attacks!”

Watanabe Tetsu closed his textbook, stood up, and left the classroom with the others, who looked at him as if he were an alien.

These two were friends Watanabe Tetsu had made in high school. They usually ate together and discussed anime, manga, light novels, and beautiful girls.

On weekends when Watanabe Tetsu didn't work, they would also hang out together.

At the cafeteria, the three of them finally ordered a 400 yen grilled meat set meal—grilled meat, grilled mushrooms, salad, rice, and miso soup.

Kuni Kousuke shoveled rice into his mouth and said indistinctly, “Want to go to the arcade after school today?”

“I can.” Saito Keisuke nodded, “By the way, Watanabe, are you going to work after school on Wednesday?”

“I was supposed to.” Watanabe Tetsu took a bite of the grilled meat, finding it average in taste.

“Supposed to? What happened?” Saito Keisuke asked.

“Is it a date? Finally, the day has come!” Kuni Kousuke wailed, “Watanabe is going to be the first man among us!”

Saito Keisuke turned curiously to Watanabe Tetsu, “Is that so? Who is it? Which class? What does she look like?”

“No, it's not that. Teacher Koizumi gave me an order to join a club today.”

“This matter. Tch, boring.” Kuni Kousuke continued to shovel rice into his mouth, and only started eating the grilled meat and salad after finishing his rice.

What a strange guy.

Saito Keisuke said, “How about the Computer Research Club? There are no cute girls, but you can play many games for free.”

“Join the baseball club, Watanabe. Let me lead you to Koshien and become a rising star!” Kuni Kousuke said with enthusiasm.

Watanabe Tetsu said coolly, “Aren't you still fetching water and towels for the second-year seniors?”

“This is just temporary! The captain secretly told me that I'll start training next week!”

“Is that so.” Watanabe Tetsu found the salad decent, with fresh vegetables.

“Hey, I'm serious! The captain really said that!”

“Alright, alright, you're being too noisy.” Saito Keisuke said, picking up his bowl and taking a sip of soup.

After lunch, there was an hour of break. Previously, the three of them would chat together, but today Watanabe Tetsu decided to check out the clubs first.

“Do you want us to go with you?” Saito Keisuke asked.

“No need.” Watanabe Tetsu waved his hand, “You guys go back to the classroom first.”

“Alright.”

After parting ways with the two, Watanabe Tetsu took the opportunity to study the system on his way to the club building.

The words 【Panel】 and 【Store】 were highlighted.

He tried to open the panel with his mind, and it opened smoothly.

【Character: Watanabe Tetsu】

【Age: 15】

【Intelligence: 7】

【Charisma: 8】

【Stamina: 3】

【Items: None】

【Skills: None】

【Points: 100】

【Money: 154,650 yen】

The average was five points.

Looking at it this way, he was indeed smart, good-looking, and had no problem being lapped by girls in long-distance running.

In terms of skills, Watanabe Tetsu had indeed not discovered any particular talents so far.

He then opened the 【Store】.

【Item: Detector (Original Price: 1000 / Special Price: 100)】

【Money: 100 yen / 1 point】

【Intelligence: 1 point / 100,000 points】

【Charisma: 1 point / 10,000 points】

【Stamina: 1 point / 5,000 points】

【Skills: Beginner — Writing (100), Intermediate — Photo Editing (1000), Advanced — Cooking (10,000), Master — Fishing (100,000)】

With only 100 points, it seemed like the only thing he could buy was the detector, which he didn't know what it was for.

Watanabe Tetsu searched for a full minute before finally finding the almost invisible 【Terms】 menu button.

This kind of setup clearly had rules designed to trap players.

【Terms】

{1. The game is not responsible for the player's death, and there is no obligation to revive (injuries can be repaired, methods to be explored on your own)}

“...” Watanabe Tetsu looked at this clause and fell into deep thought.

{2. It is recommended to use the detector before each objective to check if the target is eligible (detector can be purchased in the store)}

{3. A new item purchase option is added each month;}

{4. There is no upper limit for money conversion, and it can be used in reality with peace of mind;}

{5. The cost of converting intelligence, charisma, and stamina increases exponentially after 10 points;}

{6. Skills are randomly refreshed at the end of each month;}

{7. Each refresh includes one beginner, one intermediate, one advanced, and one master skill, with prices remaining the same;}

{8. Beginner skills correspond to the level of a typical college graduate, intermediate skills to industry professionals, advanced skills to industry elites, and master skills to the pinnacle of human achievement;}

{9. When converting intelligence, the player must choose a specific area of expertise (e.g., choosing painting will make the player a world-class genius in painting, potentially surpassing the master level);}

{...}

{997. Players are obligated to keep the game a secret;}

{998. Out of respect for basic human rights, players can choose whether to pursue objectives;}

{999. All consequences of successful objectives are borne by the player;}

{1000. All rights reserved by the game.}

The terms filled ten dense pages. To read them all, Watanabe Tetsu stood dumbfounded in the corridor between the teaching building and the club building for several minutes.

After reading them carefully, Watanabe Tetsu had a general understanding of the game.

The objective was to win the hearts of girls, making them sincerely agree to be his girlfriend, at which point he would earn game points.

These points could be used to achieve almost anything, though it required some luck—whether the skills that appeared were powerful enough and whether they were what he wanted.

This was forcing players to become heartbreakers.

Watanabe Tetsu didn't know what to say about this game, but with the mindset that there were no penalties and it was worth a try, he exchanged for the 【Detector】.

【Detector: Can view female information (3/3 uses)】

Just then, a female student walked past Watanabe Tetsu, and he clicked to use it.