The morning sun streamed through the windows, waking Hojou Kyousuke with its rays piercing through his eyelids.
He groggily blinked a few times.
'Strange, did I forget to close the curtains last night?'
He raised his hand to shield his eyes, still half-asleep.
'Wait... why am I wearing clothes?'
Sitting up, he looked down at his wrinkled school uniform, confused.
He glanced at the clock.
Since he'd been awakened by the sun, it was still far from the time for school.
Hastily, Kyousuke stripped off his uniform and tossed it into the washing machine.
Then, he went to the bathroom for a quick rinse.
After changing into a fresh school uniform, he pulled out a Japanese language textbook and began studying.
Since he could choose Social for his college entrance exams, he didn't need to focus too much on English—just enough to pass the high school entrance exam.
With his natural aptitude for science, he had no worries about the science subjects; only Japanese language stood between him and university.
Despite spending a lot of time studying Japanese while his peers focused on science and English, there was still more to learn—ancient Japanese poetry, Japanese-style poetry, and classic Japanese texts.
Before long, the laundry was done.
His old-fashioned washing machine didn't have a dryer, so Kyousuke took the clothes to the balcony to dry.
Once finished, he hopped on his motorcycle and headed to school.
Some people, who appear to want to be the toughest delinquent in Japan, are secretly diligent students.
'Talking about you, Kisaki Tetta.'
As soon as he entered the classroom, Kyousuke noticed Kisaki Tetta studying intently. '
Good thing I studied at home too.'
'Don't think you'll beat me on next week's quiz, you scheming little rat.'
"Good morning, Hojou," Kisaki greeted, noticing his arrival.
"Good morning," Kyousuke replied, hanging his bag on the side of his desk.
He sat down and then turned to Kisaki.
"So, how did your discussion about Toman go last night?"
Kisaki looked at him oddly. "Didn't you say that Toman wasn't worth challenging, and asked the vice president to send Kiyobaku to scold them?"
"Huh? What are you talking about, Kisaki? I never said that."
Kisaki raised an eyebrow. "Do you remember how you got home last night?"
"Of course, I rode my motorcycle home... how else would I have gotten there?" Kyousuke trailed off.
'Wait, how did I get home?'
'How did I leave Nezu Shrine earlier?'
'Why was I wearing clothes when I fell asleep?'
These questions were starting to bother him.
Noticing Kyousuke lost in thought, Kisaki Tetta went back to his book.
'If there's an issue, he'll tell me during lunch break,' he thought.
"By the way," Kisaki added, "I used to call you 'aniki,' but you always refused. Why?"
"You're not a cute girl, so why would I let you call me that?" Kyousuke had once replied, even though he didn't quite understand the connection between being an "aniki" and being a beautiful girl.
Kisaki had let it go.
Soon, the morning reading session ended, and the first class was Hojou Kyousuke's favorite: Japanese language.
Though his memory was still foggy, he tried his best to focus and listen attentively.
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Lunch Break - Rooftop
While the rooftop had become a sort of private space for Hojou Kyousuke during lunch, members of the Delinquent Angels often visited to hang out before he took his nap.
Right now, Makki Hojou, a student preparing for exams, was sitting under the shelter, eating fruit enthusiastically.
"Seriously? Everyone was freaking out last night. Right, Eikichi? I saw your legs shaking," Makki said, looking at Eikichi Onizuka with amusement.
"Yeah, the boss was like a demon from hell!" Eikichi Onizuka nodded vigorously.
"You idiot, it's supposed to be a devil from hell," Danma Ryuji corrected, tapping Eikichi Onizuka's head.
He swiftly snatched the apple from his hands and took off running.
"Give it back! That was the last one!" Eikichi yelled as he chased after Danma.
Ignoring the noise from the two clowns, Kyousuke speared a piece of peach with a toothpick and chewed while massaging his temples.
"But I really don't remember what happened at Nezu Shrine last night... not even how I got home."
"Maybe you were possessed by a ghost from the shrine!" Eikichi chimed in after getting his apple back.
"It's a shrine, not a haunted house!" Danma immediately retorted.
"Maybe it was a foreign ghost. The gods here can't control them," Eikichi argued.
"That actually makes some sense, Boss."
"Want to go to the church and have an exorcism?"
"There's a church near Roppongi, and one of the staff is related to a senior member," Danma suggested.
"Will you two shut up?" Kyousuke was getting a headache from their bickering, his temples throbbing painfully.
The cool melon in his mouth seemed to turn unbearably hot, making him uncomfortable.
"If you're not feeling well, you should rest. We'll go ahead," Makki said, standing up and grabbing the collars of Eikichi and Danma, dragging them off.
Tsuzuki Ryou followed them, jogging behind.
"By the way, are we still handling Toman the same way?" Makki stopped at the stairwell and looked back.
"As long as they don't come into Bunkyo, leave them alone," Kyousuke replied, his eyes already closed.
He waved a hand dismissively.
The balcony door was gently closed by Kisaki, who came up next to Kyousuke and asked quietly, "Hojou, do you want to go to the hospital for a check-up?"
Even though Kisaki Tetta no longer wanted to rely on Hojou Kyousuke to become Japan's strongest delinquent, he still considered him his best friend.
In just a week, Kisaki had completely come to admire Hojou Kyousuke, who outshone him in every aspect—intellect, strength, and even charm.
"I'm fine, I just need some rest," Kyousuke replied.
Just then, his phone buzzed. It was the reminder for his latest nap time.
He picked up the phone and swiped away the "nap reminder." Just before closing it, a strange note appeared:
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A bolt of realization hit Kyousuke like a flash of lightning.
'Wait, that's it! The night the comet fell, that voice in my head...'
The note, written in Japanese, said "Who are you?" but meant "What is your name?" in a more subtle way, considering the language nuances.
He looked at the unfamiliar note in his phone, his mind racing through the fragments of the night before, all the events he couldn't remember. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
'I've been possessed!'
But wait... didn't I cross over into a world full of beautiful girls?
Possession doesn't fit that narrative.
One thing was clear: someone else had used his body last night, and it had to have been a woman.
His system wouldn't allow any man to do such a thing.
'"Your name?" Isn't this Okudera-senpai's world?'
'And if my body was used, does that mean I'm using hers as well?
'That would explain why I have no memory of that time!'
As soon as he realized this, everything in his head felt clearer.
He turned to Kisaki, who had been nervously watching, and reassured him.
Then, Kyousuke began typing in the note.
"My name is Hojou Kyousuke. What about you?"