"You know, it's nothing." I said, trying to sound tough.
Her response was swift and unexpected—she flicked me on the forehead.
"Ow!" I whined, rubbing the sore spot. "That hurt!"
"Quiet," she said flatly, as if scolding a child.
While her back was turned, I stuck my tongue out at her in defiance. Unfortunately for me, she caught the gesture, and before I could react, she flicked me again, this time harder.
"Ow!" I whined louder.
"Here," Koneko said, grabbing my hand. "Let me show you."
Her small hands guided mine as she demonstrated the proper technique to chop the carrots. Even with her help, it was still surprisingly tricky, but at least I wasn't cutting my fingers anymore.
….
After class, I sat outside, enjoying my eighth chocolate bar of the day. There was something soothing about sweets—they were my way of unwinding.
As I tore open another wrapper, a familiar-looking boy walked by. Brown hair, a slightly goofy expression, and a certain… air of perversion about him. I decided to use [Observe].
[Observe]
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Gender: Male
Race: Reincarnated Devil
Title: Pawn of Rias Gremory
Fame: Leader of the Perverted Trio
Sacred Gear: Boosted Gear
Level: 7
HP: 110/110
MP: 50/50
Stamina: 100/100
Strength: 9
Endurance: 9
Agility: 9
Intelligence: 13
Wisdom: 13
Luck: 4
I wasn't surprised by what I saw. His stats were laughably average, but given the timeline, it made sense.
Not feeling particularly motivated to deal with anyone, I decided to skip my next class. Math wasn't exactly my favorite subject, and the thought of sitting through equations made my head hurt.
Instead, I made my way to the rooftop, hoping for some peace and quiet.
I leaned against the wall of the rooftop staircase, taking care to stay out of sight in case anyone decided to come up. With the breeze gently brushing past me, I unwrapped another chocolate bar, taking a bite as I stared up at the sky.
….
I was halfway through my chocolate bar when I heard the door to the rooftop creak open. Freezing for a moment, I peeked around the corner to see who it was.
Koneko.
She scanned the area, her sharp eyes darting around as though she were looking for something—or someone. I ducked back behind the wall, holding my breath. The last thing I wanted was for her to find me.
The door eventually closed, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief. Thinking the coast was clear, I leaned back against the wall and resumed munching on my chocolate bar.
A sudden tap on my shoulder made me jump. Whipping around, I found myself face-to-face with Koneko.
My heart sank. Her blank expression made it impossible to gauge what she was thinking, but I could feel the intensity of her presence. Right now, there was no question—I'd lose in a fight against her.
She raised her hand, and I instinctively closed my eyes, bracing for a flick—or worse.
Instead, her soft voice broke the silence. "Why are you afraid?"
I opened my eyes, startled, only to find that Koneko had taken half of my chocolate bar. She held it in her hand, looking at me expectantly.
"Go on," she said in her usual monotone, though her eyes were sharp. "Answer me."
I hesitated before blurting out, "Oh, uh… I thought you were going to hit me."
That seemed to surprise her. For the first time, I noticed a flicker of emotion cross her face—confusion, maybe even disbelief.
"Why would I do that?" she asked, her tone softer than before.
I scratched the back of my head, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse. "Because… I skipped class?"
Her expression softened, and she took a small bite of the chocolate. "I took your chocolate as punishment."
"Oh, okay." I nodded, somewhat relieved.
She tilted her head slightly, still looking at me. "But why would you think I'd hit you for skipping class?"
Koneko sat down beside me, her presence surprisingly calm and nonjudgmental.
'I can't tell her about… that.' I shook my head. "No reason."
She stared at me for a moment, as if trying to read my thoughts, then nodded. "Okay. Just know… if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here."
"Thanks," I muttered, surprised by her sincerity.
She glanced at me, her expression unchanging. "Are you going back to class?"
"Are you going to make me?" I asked cautiously.
"No."
"Why not?"
"I hate math too," she said simply.
I couldn't help but snicker at her deadpan delivery.
"And," she continued, "there's only a few minutes left until school ends anyway."
"Cool."
….
After school, I found myself sitting in a quiet park, flipping through my stats. The serene environment helped me focus as I assessed how best to allocate my unused points.
[Stats]
Name: Shiro
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Title: None
Fame: None
Sacred Gear: None
Level: 15
HP: 260/360 (Regen: 10/min)
MP: 1000/1400 (Regen: 50/min)
Stamina: 330/550 (Regen: 20/min)
Strength: 35
Endurance: 35
Agility: 35
Intelligence: 38
Wisdom: 35
Luck: 20
I studied the numbers for a moment, pleased with how balanced my stats had become. Strength, endurance, and agility were all climbing steadily, while intelligence and wisdom felt well-rounded enough to give me an edge.
"Alright," I muttered to myself, leaning back on the park bench. "This is a good start."
As I sat in the park, I suddenly remembered the quest I had completed earlier—Get to school on time. It hit me that I hadn't checked my inventory since. Curious, I opened it up and scrolled through the items. My eyes landed on a book titled Water Control.
A prompt immediately appeared before me:
[Would you like to learn the skill Water Control?]
[Yes / No]
———
Power stones, comments, and adding this book to your library will be a very good deal in exchange for more chapters.
What do you think?