"The lesson for today is over; everyone can go back now, and remember to finish your homework."
Standing at the lectern, Shizuka Hiratsuka had gathered her teaching materials and was ready to leave the classroom, addressing the students below as they started to get noisy.
"Those of you in clubs, make sure to study as well; exams are just a few days away."
Seeing that many students were getting even more restless, Shizuka Hiratsuka added another reminder, making the students who had already been about to leave groan with disappointment.
In this country that values joyful education, there are many students who struggle with studying, and failing exams is a tall barrier in front of them.
For many students who had just been energized by club activities, their spirits were quickly dampened by Shizuka's words.
"Come on, Hiratsuka-sensei, don't rain on our parade like that."
"Yeah, I was just planning to show off my ball skills to my juniors today, but now I'm totally unmotivated."
Complaints from the students immediately echoed around the classroom, but Shizuka Hiratsuka only gave them a glance and left them with one final comment.
"Anyone who fails this exam will have to attend weekend classes."
This remark carried weight, and the classroom fell even quieter.
Not that Shizuka minded; making these normally less-diligent students feel a little urgency was a good thing. Gathering her materials, she left the classroom.
Sitting by the window in the second-to-last row, Shin observed this and began packing up his books and bag, ready to go home.
Unlike other students, Shin wasn't in any clubs and was a proud member of the "go-home club," so he wasn't in Hiratsuka's "line of fire."
"Shin, heading home already? Want to go to karaoke with us? The class next door will be there too, and I heard they invited Senpai Kasumigaoka."
Noticing that Shin was getting ready to leave, a boy next to him came up with a grin and extended the invitation.
"This might be a rare chance to hang out with Senpai Kasumigaoka. Are you sure you don't want to come?"
The "Kasumigaoka Senpai" he mentioned was Utaha Kasumigaoka, a well-known beauty at this private Toyosaki High School.
Tall, with a lovely face, sleek, long black hair, and consistently ranking first in her grade, she was often the talk of the school.
However, Kasumigaoka seemed uninterested in others, absorbed in her own world. Many tried to approach her but failed.
So it was no surprise the boy called this a "rare chance to hang out with Senpai Kasumigaoka." Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦·𝘯𝘦𝘵
But Shin had no intention of accepting. He shook his head and, smiling like an ordinary student, politely declined:
"No, I have a few things to take care of. Maybe next time."
"Really? Well, that's a shame."
The boy looked a bit disappointed, seemingly regretting Shin's refusal.
After all, Shin was also quite good-looking. Although he wasn't well-known at school since he tended to keep a low profile, his looks had garnered him confessions from several girls.
Yet Shin seemed uninterested in relationships, as though something was holding him back, and he had always gently turned down those girls.
"Well, then, I'll head out first."
Shin picked up his bag, waved to the boy, and left the classroom without looking back.
To be honest, he didn't have much faith in the boy's claim that Kasumigaoka would be there. Kasumigaoka wasn't the type to go to karaoke with her classmates.
But he hadn't directly said this, since that might've seemed a bit rude. For now, Shin preferred to live "under the radar."
Although his appearance attracted some attention, his life was generally quite ordinary—academically above average, decent in sports.
However, this normalcy probably wouldn't last much longer; tonight, he would likely experience a life-changing shift.
Walking briskly back to his rented apartment, Shin threw his bag in the corner of his room and sat down on his bed, trying to calm his excitement, and silently thought:
Yes, Shin wasn't an ordinary person. He was a transmigrant who had mysteriously arrived in this world about two years ago, becoming a middle school student.
Though he was in his own body, he somehow reverted to a younger age and gained the status of an orphan, which had baffled him.
Along with his arrival came a countdown in his mind—a system set to activate in two and a half years.
So, for two and a half years, Shin had been playing the part of an average student. Six months ago, he graduated middle school and enrolled in Toyosaki High.
Only then did he realize what kind of world he was in—a world blending many anime characters he had once seen, with familiar names circulating around the school.
However, despite the presence of characters he'd only seen in anime, he hadn't taken any impulsive actions.
With the system set to activate soon, he wanted to understand it first. If it turned out to be something apocalyptic, things could get serious.
Shin hadn't found any "Apocalypse Academy" on this world's internet, but he couldn't rule out the possibility of apocalyptic elements lurking around.
After all, even Yukinoshita Yukino appeared at Toyosaki, suggesting that characters and settings could migrate to different schools, even if the original ones didn't exist.
So Shin was both excited and anxious—if this system were linked to an apocalyptic scenario, the world could be more dangerous than it seemed.
Hopefully, the system would be relatively low-risk.
"Alright, let's see what kind of system it is...!"
As Shin's anticipation grew, the system he had waited two and a half years for finally revealed itself, and a cold, emotionless voice sounded in his mind.
"Welcome to the 'Infinite Terror VR Game.'"
"Please enter your username."
(T/N: Originally, his name was Qin Chuan, but I have changed it to Shin, Shin Ran)