Chapter 3

Some time later...

The sun shone high in the sky, but it wasn't scorching hot. There was a gentle breeze that didn't so much buffet a person as it playfully tickled them. The air was fresh in the city, and life went on as usual. The streets were filled with people hurrying along, each with their own destination in mind. The hustle and bustle of the metropolis was heard all around, mixing with the sounds of cars moving along the avenues.

How long had it been again, I wondered as I watched the city bustle. I had completely lost track of time since I woke up in this world. Two weeks, maybe a month? The truth was, I had no idea anymore.

My days here hadn't been particularly remarkable. I focused on honing my sorcery skills and also made an effort to strengthen my body whenever I had the chance. Since I didn't know many specific training regimens, I decided to follow Saitama's simple approach: 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and all that. It was going well, but it seemed that now I would have little time to continue my training.

And you might be wondering, why? Well, the reason is quite simple. I believe everyone should know that place, that dreaded and ominous place you're forced to attend no matter where you are. Yes, I'm talking about school.

So, yes, the holidays seemed to have come to an end, and I would be forced to go back to school. What a bother. I had already finished high school before coming here, and now I faced the prospect of starting all over again. Why didn't the deity that brought me here provide my academic documents and records? Those fanfics aren't very reliable, apparently.

So here I was, sitting in a van with other kids whose names I didn't even bother to remember. The caregiver was driving towards what seemed to be hell incarnate. The very idea annoyed me. My high school education had already ended long ago, and returning to school wasn't exactly my idea of fun.

The caregiver, with a smile on her face, broke my contemplation. "Alright, kids, we're almost there. Aren't you excited?" she asked. The nameless children cheered happily. I silently scoffed at them because they had no idea how unpleasant school could be. The caregiver noticed my subdued expression in the van's mirror.

"What's wrong, Satoru? Everything okay?"

I shrugged, trying to appear disinterested, but my face probably still reflected my annoyance. "It's no big deal. I'm just a little nervous, that's all."

The caregiver simply nodded and continued driving. She knew it didn't make sense to argue with her. My fate was inevitable, at least for now. Once the van parked, the children and I got out in an orderly fashion at the caregiver's request.

"All right, kids, don't forget to obey your teacher. And don't mistreat your classmates. I'm watching you, Satoru," she said with a meaningful look in my direction.

I could only remain silent, not really knowing how to respond to that comment. Seriously, no one will forget it? I just hit him a few times. I'm not a racist!

Leaving that aside, I looked at the school stretching out before me, and for a moment, nostalgia washed over me. The building was familiar, but not in a good way.

In my previous life, my social life in school had been mediocre at best. While I couldn't consider myself a complete loser, I didn't stand out either. I wouldn't suffer school bullying to the point of physical violence, but the teasing and derogatory comments had worn down my self-esteem and pushed me into isolation.

Once inside, each of the children went to a different classroom. I, on the other hand, had to wait at the door to be assigned a teacher. Unlike the other children, my arrival at the orphanage had occurred several days before my reincarnation in this world. The truth was, I hadn't bothered to find out more about my past in this new life; I simply didn't consider it relevant.

So I stood at the door, not paying much attention to the classmates passing around me, while mentally preparing myself to face whatever the school had in store for me.

It seemed I didn't have to wait long, as a teacher approached me. She wasn't a male teacher but a female one, and she indicated for me to follow her.

"Come, Satoru-kun. I'll take you to your classroom," she said with a smile.

I followed the teacher through the school's hallways, paying just enough attention not to get lost. It wasn't a very large place, and after a few turns and staircases, we arrived at a classroom that seemed to be mine. Upon entering, the teacher introduced me to the other students.

"All right, kids, we have a new classmate. Satoru-kun will join our class starting today." Curious and surprised gazes were fixed on me as I stood by the teacher's side.

Some students began whispering to each other, giving me furtive glances. The teacher noticed the class's curiosity and made an unusual decision. "You can only ask him three general questions, and Satoru will decide whether to answer," she announced, likely in an attempt to prevent me from being overwhelmed with questions.

Hands shot up, and the teacher pointed to a girl in the front row. "Go ahead, you can ask the first question."

The girl looked at me with bright eyes, clearly excited. "Satoru-kun, do you have a girlfriend?" The girl's question took me by surprise, but I just shrugged, showing little emotion. "No, I don't have a girlfriend." My brief response seemed to dampen the class's enthusiasm, especially the girls, who seemed delighted with my answer.

The teacher pointed to another student, a boy in the second row. "What's your last name?"

I looked at the boy before responding in a calm tone. "I don't have one; I'm an orphan." My brief answer seemed to surprise some of the students, and I could hear a whisper or two.

I heard some kids laughing, probably the classroom bullies. But honestly, I didn't care. I had dealt with bullies and teasing in my previous life, and this time, I wasn't going to let it affect me. Indifference was always my best weapon.

The teacher pointed to a third student, a girl who seemed a bit more serious than the others. "What's your Quirk?"

Everyone seemed interested in hearing my response, and as the students waited with anticipation, I pondered a bit on what to answer. Fortunately, I already had a clear response to this question. I knew that cursed energy wasn't something anyone in this world would be familiar with, so I decided to summarize my power in a simple and easily understandable way for others.

"My Quirk is called 'Energy Manipulation.' Through my eyes, I can control and channel energy. This Quirk allows me to manipulate the energy around me."

The class nodded and murmured among themselves, apparently intrigued by my Quirk. The teacher thanked the students for their questions and indicated for me to take a seat.