Chapter 4

Not white hair, not golden twin tails, not straight black hair.

But blue hair!

A slightly purplish shade!

The girl with starry eyes and a smiling face greeted everyone.

Sitting at his desk, Rei was pulled into endless memories by the girl who appeared in front of him. This person was the protagonist of an anime from his past life, and now, she was his childhood friend in this lifetime...?

Having never met her father and with her mother sentenced to prison, Ai, raised in an orphanage, was always an isolated figure. Coincidentally, when Rei followed his parents and transferred to Tokyo City, he was also isolated due to his limited language skills. Naturally, two lonely souls naturally gravitated towards each other.

They became good friends almost unintentionally.

But eventually, Ai face began to wear a disguise. With her gradually blossoming beauty, she became a core figure among their classmates.

To be honest, whether in the past or now, Ai had tried to reintegrate Rei into normal social circles. However, his past self was too timid to accept even a hint of goodwill from others, too afraid to step into unfamiliar territory, resulting in his continuous isolation.

They went through elementary and middle school together, but after that, they went their separate ways.

The reason for their separation... was because Ai grades were too poor to get into this school.

He heard she became an idol.

Ai Hoshino's gaze kept searching, quickly locking onto Rei. What was once a ninety percent disguised smile was now one hundred percent genuine.

"Teacher, can I sit in the back row by the window?" Seeing that the desk and chair next to Rei in the back row weren't in use, Ai pointed to that spot and asked Shizuka.

"Of course, if your eyesight isn't that good, feel free to sit closer to the front and let me know." Shizuka nodded.

With permission granted, Ai walked straight to her seat. As she passed her classmates, she received a smile from each of them.

"Now, let the next student introduce themselves."

A young man entered the office,

As soon as he entered, the attention that was focused on Ai immediately shifted. If Ai's smile was warm and charming, this returning student who had been on a three-year hiatus was a different story.

He exuded a beastly aura, his muscles straining against his school uniform, and his left hand in a cast, with numerous bruises on his face.

"So strong! So many muscles!"

"Is this a delinquent? Why is he so beat up and still coming to school?"

"Hey, why are you shaking all over?"

"Don't look at me, you're shaking just as much."

The first to notice something was amiss were the delinquents in the class. Compared to normal students, they got into fights much more often. They could sense that beneath this 1.7-meter frame was a hidden monster.

"My name is Hanma Baki, nice to meet you." On the podium, the young man introduced himself with a touch of shyness. With the utterance of those words, the oppressive feeling that had dominated everyone instantly vanished.

Rei, who had been surprised by Ai appearance, was now completely stunned.

He knew this person.

Hanma Baki, from the manga "Baki the Grappler," was the son of the strongest man on Earth, inheriting the blood of the Hanma clan. Later, he unlocked the Demon Back and possessed an Demon Brain, becoming a man who enjoyed the strength of an Ogre.

Rei's eyes widened. His everyday life seemed to have taken a strange turn.

Hanma Baki scanned the people around him and eventually locked his gaze onto Rei's position. He could sense a different aura from this man. As a beast, he could naturally discern the difference between beasts and prey.

In Baki's eyes, all the students present were just prey on a sticky board. But Rei was a beast that could compete with him for prey.

However, Baki wasn't interested.

The reason he came to this school was simply because Saeko was here.

And this guy didn't exude any fighting spirit. He seemed to be training for the sake of training. Such a person, even if their strength and speed were on par, had no remarkable combat ability.

"Well, you can sit in the second-to-last row by the window. Tanaka, who was there, is about to transfer, and there wouldn't be an available spot otherwise." Shizuka arranged.

Baki nodded,

And sat down quietly.

His oppressive presence was soon overwhelmed.

"Now, let's start the Japanese language class. In this lesson, we'll learn some new texts..."

Ai's gaze turned to Rei. She took a book from her bag and then pulled out a small blank notebook, tore out a page, and began to write on it.

Then, she crumpled it into a ball and tossed it onto Rei's desk.

Rei frowned. He was sincerely studying.

[Japanese Language Proficiency: 1%]

Still, he unfolded the note that Ai Hoshino threw at him.

Ai Hoshino: Long time no see, Rei Jun (^▽^)!

Seeing Rei open the note, Ai Hoshino was visibly excited, anticipating a response.

Staring at the familiar face so close by, Rei sighed softly.

He wrote down "long time no see" and tossed it back onto Ai Hoshino's desk.

[Throwing Proficiency: 1%]

Ai Hoshino: Rei kun, you're so mean! We promised to stay in touch, but as soon as we entered high school, you didn't even bother to call me once! (ಠ皿ಠ)

Rei: I lost my previous phone, and I don't remember your number. I heard you're an idol now?

[Throwing Proficiency: 1%]

Ai Hoshino: Sort of. I just signed a contract with a company. I'm going to

bring love to my fans and become a super idol!

Rei: Congratulations, congratulations. Well then, future super idol, don't bother the ordinary student Rei, who is focused on changing his destiny through the college entrance exam.

Ai Hoshino: Suspicious(;へ:)

After reading the note and looking at Ai, who was showing a skeptical expression beside him, Rei picked up the pen and wrote the final ripple on the note.

Rei: Anyway, welcome, Ai.

[Throwing Proficiency: 1%]

[Throwing skill leveled up to Lv2]

[Agility: 25->26]

Seeing the content,

Ai's heart warmed, neatly folded the note, and then put it into her bag.

Having been isolated by her classmates due to family reasons since childhood, in her most desperate moments, someone extended a helping hand. How could she ever forget? Rei was the person she would love for a lifetime, even if she became an idol, it was all for him.

"Ai, if you become an idol, you'll definitely be super popular!"

Rei didn't know, but his casual words back then had changed Ai's life forever, just as a butterfly flutters its wings and the world follows in it's whims.

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