Chapter 1

In the darkness, a rapidly shrinking light source. Unconsciously reaching out, he grasped at nothing, a terrifying sense of falling surged between his legs, and Nanun Aichi's expression twisted in fear, staring at the light that was gradually disappearing. Aichi was now plummeting into the abyss. The visible light was from the ground. During the exploration of the labyrinth, Aichi, who had fallen into a huge crevice, continued to fall, finally reaching a depth where even the light could not reach. Enveloped by darkness, he heard the whistling of the wind and saw a series of fleeting images.

For me, a Japanese, to express the various inequalities I have experienced since coming to this world, and the inequalities I am currently experiencing, with a language full of fantasy and hope, is somewhat too difficult.

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Monday. The day that marks the beginning of a week of melancholy. Most people sigh at the start of the week, longing for the paradise of yesterday. And Nanun Aichi was no exception. However, Aichi's situation was not simply one of inconvenience, but rather because school was a place that made him feel depressed. As usual, just before the bell rang, Aichi, with his sleep-deprived body, stumbled in and finally managed to push open the classroom door. At that moment, most of the boys in the classroom clicked their tongues and glared at him with disdain. No girls showed him a friendly face; indifference was the best he could hope for, and some even openly showed contempt. Aichi tried his best to ignore them and walked to his seat. But every time, there were busybodies who spoke up.

"Hey, disgusting otaku! Did you stay up all night playing games again? It must be an ecchi game, right?"

"Wow, disgusting~ Staying up all night playing ecchi games is really disgusting~"

What did their laughter mean? The one who spoke first was Hinoyama Daisuke, a student who, without tiring, targeted Aichi like it was homework. The idiots laughing nearby were Saito Rikushi, Kondo Reiichi, and Nakano Shinji. These four people frequently targeted Aichi. As Hinoyama said, Aichi was an otaku. Though called a "disgusting otaku," it wasn't because his behavior or appearance was bad. His neatly cut short hair was not messy from sleep, and he did not have autism, though he did not actively participate in community activities. His honest appearance did not seem gloomy; he simply liked creating things, manga, novels, movies, and games. The criticism of otakus was indeed strong, but it was usually just ridicule, not hostility. So, why did all the boys in the class hold such hostile and contemptuous feelings towards him? It was because of her response.

"Good morning, Nanun-kun! You're always so late, try to come earlier next time."

A female student walked up to Aichi with a smile. In this class, and in this school, one of the few exceptions who treated Aichi kindly was the cause of the situation just now. This girl, named Shirasaki Kaori, was one of the two major goddesses of the school, a beautiful girl with ultra-high popularity among both boys and girls. Her long, lustrous black hair reached her waist, and her slightly drooping large eyes exuded gentleness. Her small, well-defined nose and pale pink lips formed a perfect layout. Always smiling, she was responsible and caring, trusted by her classmates, and treated everyone with sincerity, showing a maturity beyond her high school years. For some reason, Kaori often paid attention to Aichi. Due to staying up all night, Aichi often dozed off in class and was considered a lackadaisical student (though he achieved average grades). Kaori, who naturally liked to take care of others, always paid attention to him. If Aichi's attitude in class could improve, or if he were handsome, Kaori's attention might be tolerable. But unfortunately, Aichi had an average appearance, a motto of "a life centered on hobbies," and showed no signs of improving his class attitude. The fact that Aichi could be close to Kaori was something that ordinary male students could not tolerate, "Why only that guy?!" The girls were simple; they were just unhappy with his lack of improvement and the effort Kaori put into him.

"Ah, good morning, Shirasaki-san."

What—was this a killing aura?! While exposed to such silent gazes, Aichi grimaced and replied to Shirasaki. Subsequently, Kaori's expression was very happy. Why such an expression?! More piercing gazes made him break out in cold sweat. Aichi always wondered why the school's top beauty, Kaori, paid so much attention to him. Aichi sensed that there was a reason for her attention beyond her nature, but he never indulged in the thought that "Could she have romantic feelings for me?!" Aichi was aware that he had sacrificed many things for his hobbies. His appearance, grades, and athletic ability were all average. And her surroundings were filled with men no worse than himself, so her attitude was puzzling. In any case, he noticed the brewing storm of hostile gazes! And he was certain that, the moment he spoke, compulsory labor in the gym was inevitable... As if planned, at the end of the conversation, three people, including the "good men" mentioned earlier, approached.

"Good morning, Nanun-kun, you must be very tired every day."

"Kaori, you're taking care of him again? You, Kaori, are really very kind."

"That completely unmotivated guy, talking to him is pointless."

The only girl among the three who greeted him was Yatogame Mizu, Kaori's good friend, known for her long black ponytail. Her slender, clear eyes were sharp but revealed gentleness, giving her a cool rather than cold appearance. Standing at 172 cm, she was tall for a girl, with a taut body and a dignified presence, reminiscent of a samurai. Her parents ran the Yatogame School of Kendo, and Mizu herself was a fierce warrior who had never lost in kendo tournaments since elementary school, often featured in magazines as a modern kendo girl and followed by enthusiastic fans. Mizu, whose cheeks twitched when addressed as "Onee-sama" by younger girls with fervent gazes, was a common sight.

Next, the one who spoke to Kaori with a slightly arrogant tone was Tennohiro Hikari, a boy with a name that shone like a hero's, known for his handsome appearance, excellent grades, and all-around athletic ability. His fluffy brown hair and gentle eyes, standing at about 180 cm, with a slender and taut body. He was kind to everyone and had a strong sense of justice (prone to getting carried away). He had been a student at the Yatogame School since elementary school, just like Mizu, and was a national-level champion. Mizu and he were childhood friends, and the number of girls who liked him was at least in the dozens, but he always stayed with Mizu and Kaori, causing many girls to hesitate to confess. Despite this, he received at least two confessions per month at school, making him a well-liked boy.

Finally, the male student with a teasing tone was Itagaki Ryutaro, Hikari's friend, with short hair and eyes that revealed both sharpness and friendliness, standing at 195 cm with a bear-like build, appearing to be a type who didn't care about details and had a brain full of muscles. Ryutaro was very fond of effort, perseverance, and enthusiasm, so Aichi, who came to school to sleep and showed no motivation, was exactly the type he disliked. Now, he glanced at Aichi and snorted, completely ignoring him.

"Good morning, Yatogame-san, Tennohiro-kun, Itagaki-kun. Ha ha, well, you could say I brought it upon myself, but there's nothing I can do."

Aichi greeted Mizu and the others with a bitter smile. 'Why do you get to talk to Yatogame-san so casually?!' After the greeting, even more piercing gazes were directed at him. Mizu also had high popularity, not inferior to Kaori.

"Do you understand that your behavior needs to change? How long do you plan to keep acting like a child to Kaori? Kaori shouldn't have to keep taking care of you."

Hikari advised Aichi. In Hikari's eyes, Aichi was clearly a lackadaisical student who wasted Kaori's kindness. Aichi wanted to loudly protest, "I'm not acting like a child at all! I'd rather she didn't take care of me!" If he did, he would be subjected to compulsory teaming. Hikari was prone to getting carried away, and arguing with him when he was convinced would be futile, which was why Aichi kept quiet. Moreover, even if others told him to "change," Aichi had no hesitation about putting his hobbies at the center of his life. His father was a game creator, and his mother was a shoujo manga artist, so he planned to work at his father's company or his mother's workplace in the future. His skills were already recognized as potential, and his future centered on his hobbies was perfect. This was Aichi's serious life, so he didn't feel the need to change his current lifestyle no matter what anyone said. If Kaori didn't involve herself with Aichi, his originally peaceful and unremarkable student life could have ended.

"Don't~ ahaha..."

Therefore, Aichi intended to laugh it off. But today, as always, our goddess unintentionally dropped a bomb.

"? Hikari-kun, what are you talking about? I, I was just talking to Nanun-kun?"

The classroom was noisy, and the boys gnashed their teeth, glaring at Aichi with murderous gazes. The four troublemakers, including Hinoyama, had already started discussing where to take Aichi during lunch break.

"Eh? Ah, really, Kaori is kind."

Clearly, in Hikari's eyes, Kaori's words were interpreted as concern for Aichi. The perfect superman, perhaps because of this, had the flaw of never doubting his own correctness, which was troublesome. Aichi, with a sense of escapism, turned to gaze at the clear sky outside the classroom window.

"...Sorry, but these two have no ill intentions..."

Mizu, who fully understood the interpersonal relationships and moods in this situation, secretly apologized to Aichi. Aichi shrugged, saying "There's nothing I can do," and smiled bitterly. As he spoke, the bell rang, and the teacher entered the classroom. Perhaps accustomed to the atmosphere in the classroom, the teacher said nothing and directly announced the morning announcements.

Then, as usual, the class began, and Aichi, as expected, embarked on a journey to the world of dreams. Kaori smiled at Aichi, Mizu showed a

bitter smile, thinking he was a big shot in some sense, the boys clicked their tongues, and the girls looked at him with disgust.

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Feeling the noise in the classroom, Aichi's consciousness gradually awoke. As a habitual dozer, his body remembered the time to wake up. It seemed that it was now lunchtime. Aichi propped up his slumped body and took ten seconds to rummage out his daily fixed item—his lunch box. Looking around, the number of people in the classroom had decreased significantly as the purchase group had rushed out. Even so, the bento group, to which Aichi belonged, still made up the majority of the class, so about two-thirds of the students remained, and the social studies teacher, Enishi Ayako (25), was still on the podium chatting with a few students.

────Gaba gaba gaba! (Translator's note: The sound of eating is really loud...)

Aichi, who had rapidly replenished his energy for the afternoon in just a few dozen seconds, decided to lie down on the desk and sleep a bit more, but our goddess, who was a demon to Aichi, approached his seat with a smile. Aichi groaned inwardly, "Trouble." On Mondays, he occasionally overslept, and if it were a normal day, he would leave the classroom to take a nap in an inconspicuous place before getting involved with Kaori, but two consecutive nights of staying up had made him oversleep.

"Nanun-kun, it's rare to see you in the classroom. Bento? If you don't mind, would you like to eat together?"

The dangerous atmosphere filled the classroom again, and Aichi inwardly groaned. Why can't she just leave me alone? He found her behavior quite inexplicable. Aichi tried to resist.

"Ah~ Thank you for the invitation, Shirasaki-san, but I've already finished eating. Why don't you go eat lunch with Tennohiro and the others?"

As he said this, Aichi showed her the lunch box, now empty like a mummy. If he refused, others would think, "Who do you think you are?" and the lunch break would be a time of constant unease. However, this level of resistance was meaningless against the goddess who immediately launched a counterattack.

"Eh! Just eating like this at noon? You can't eat properly! I'll share my lunch with you!"

(Please spare me! Notice! Notice the atmosphere around you!)

The pressure from the surroundings and the cold sweat on his back increased with each passing moment. At this point, the saviors, Hikari and the others, appeared.

"Kaori, let's eat together. Nanun-kun still looks sleepy. I won't allow a sleepyhead to eat the delicious homemade meal you worked hard to make."

Hikari, with a bright smile, spouted nauseating words, but his handsome smile and words seemed to have no effect on Kaori, who was a bit slow or perhaps a bit air-headed.

"Eh? Why do I need Hikari-kun's permission?"

Hearing Kaori's counter-question, Mizu couldn't help but laugh. Hikari, looking confused, (Translator's note: Calling you a show-off, you look silly, the beauty doesn't care about you~)

Despite this, the fact that the school's famous quartet gathered at Aichi's seat did not change, and the pressure from the gazes did not lessen. (Translator's note: The quartet here is Kaori, Mizu, Hikari, and Ryutaro, not Aichi