I'm Here, Damn It

Class B.

"Not bad at all~"

Being assigned to Class B, Kitagawa Kai was quite satisfied.

Class B, a whole group of little angels, with an extremely high moral standard.

As for the system on him, Kitagawa Kai liked it very much.

With this system's help, he could boost his own strength and even pull out some overpowered, miraculous items.

Now, he just needed to figure out how to rack up some Affection Level.

After all, in this reality-bending battle of wits—comparable to Zhongli's faked death—the physical combat elements were way too abundant.

It was also jokingly called a vocational school brawl.

Meeting someone meant a punch to the face; who could withstand that?

Just as he was pondering his next target for a strategy, he hurriedly turned a corner.

"Mm~"

A stifled cry of pain accompanied a dull thud, followed by the light clatter of some hard object hitting the floor.

Kitagawa Kai only felt a soft, small thing bump into him, the sensation like a startled kitten.

He instinctively tried to grab hold of the other person, but his hands grasped empty air.

The other party had already lost their balance.

His heart jolted, and he quickly looked down.

There, a girl sat collapsed on the ground, a delicate silver cane lying beside her.

One hand propped her up on the floor, while the other tightly pressed against her forehead. Her small brows were furrowed in pain, and she let out a faint whimper.

Kitagawa Kai's heart clenched. He crouched down, his voice anxious and concerned: "Hey! Are you okay? Sorry, I was walking too fast!"

The girl slowly lifted her head, those pitiful eyes still dazed.

[Ding!]

[Detected a recruitable character near the host: Sakayanagi Arisu]

[Character Strategy Support Pack: Master-Level Chess Skill]

[Affection Level: 10 (Perpetrator)]

This little thing is Sakayanagi Arisu?

He had imagined countless scenarios for his first meeting with this princess of Class A.

He never expected it to be a clumsy, messy encounter at a hallway corner.

"Your forehead looks a bit red. Let me take you to the school infirmary."

Sakayanagi Arisu didn't agree immediately.

She just stayed seated, responding in a voice tinged with light, breathless pauses: "...No need, thank you. It's just a small accident. I'll be fine after resting a bit."

To win over an arrogant genius like Sakayanagi, he had to break the mold and leave a deep impression on her.

An idea struck him.

"Class is about to start. I'll take you to your classroom, then."

Before the words had even faded, Kitagawa Kai, without waiting for a reply, slid one arm under her knees and wrapped the other securely around her back, lifting her off the ground in a princess carry.

He also picked up her cane.

"?!"

For an instant, the whole world seemed to fall silent.

Sakayanagi Arisu's mind went blank.

She... had been picked up by a strange man, in something close to a princess carry?

Kitagawa Kai held her, standing up steadily, and looked down at the dumbfounded girl in his arms. In a light, teasing tone, he said: "Isn't this more convenient than walking with a cane? Don't worry, I'll deliver you before class starts. No way you'll be late."

"If you don't speak, I'll just go ask around every class until I find yours."

That sentence was the last straw.

"Class A. Sakayanagi Arisu."

"I'm Kitagawa Kai from Class B. Go, go, go—let's move out."

Sakayanagi screamed inwardly: "Kitagawa Kai, I'll remember you."

The bizarre pair drew stares from passersby.

Class A was right ahead.

Kitagawa Kai held Sakayanagi Arisu in both arms, pausing at the doorway for less than a second.

BAM—

He had no choice but to kick the classroom door open.

"I'm hella here~"

The entire classroom fell dead silent.

Everyone's gaze snapped in unison toward the uninvited guest at the door.

And the little girl in his arms—pale-faced, forehead slightly red, glaring at him with murderous eyes.

Who the hell is this guy?

Katsuragi Kohei, his shiny bald head gleaming, shot to his feet.

"This classmate, what happened?"

"Ah ha, sorry, I didn't have any other way to open the door, so I had to use this rather rude method."

He explained as he carried Sakayanagi Arisu, striding straight toward the only empty seat, gently setting her down.

"I won't disturb you all. Keep studying, keep chatting."

"Goodbye, Little Princess Sakayanagi."

With that, he made a dashing turn, wind at his heels, at a speed rivaling an Olympic sprinter.

Whoosh—

Before any of Class A's students could even react, he slipped out of the classroom in their dazed stares.

"!!!"

The whole of Class A fell into several seconds of dead silence.

The first to break it were the girls closest to Sakayanagi.

"Classmate, are you okay?"

"You two seem close~"

"Are you dating?"

"..."

Facing these girls, Sakayanagi Arisu sat rigid in her seat, stiff as ice.

She could feel her cheeks heating up uncontrollably—from pale to flushed, then to a scorching red.

"I'm fine."

Kitagawa Kai.

This grudge.

I'll remember it.

[Ding!]

[Sakayanagi Arisu Affection Level +10]

[Sakayanagi Arisu Affection Level -10]

[Sakayanagi Arisu Affection Level +10]

Meanwhile, in Class B's classroom.

Kitagawa Kai dashed into his own room in one swift stride.

Holy crap... that was intense...

He steadied his breathing while mentally giving his performance just now a perfect score.

Kitagawa Kai's seat was in the back row.

Back row by the window—king's domain, protagonist's throne.

Next to him sat a girl with cherry-pink hair, radiating warmth like the sun.

She was leaning sideways, chatting softly with the classmates around her, exuding an aura of a social butterfly.

Ichinose Honami.

Feibo.

A true little angel.

Even though it was their first meeting, Ichinose Honami had already blended in with the class.

She noticed her late-arriving deskmate.

In a tone full of energy and goodwill, she took the initiative to greet him: "Hello! You're Kitagawa-kun, right? I'm Ichinose Honami. Looking forward to working with you from now on!"

The girl secretly sized up her deskmate. He had a strikingly handsome face, neat black hair, sharp and defined features, and bright, keen eyes that carried a composure and confidence beyond his years.

[Ding!]

[Detected a conquerable character near the host: Ichinose Honami]

[Character Strategy Support Pack: Stamina +1]

[Affection Level: 30 (Friend)]

(Other minor characters won't be padded with text—details to be added later~)

Wait, what?

Kitagawa Kai's brow twitched sharply, and he barely managed to keep the corners of his mouth from curling up.

How was the starting point already 30 Affection Level!

He'd just met Yamamura Miki on the bus earlier, climbing from stranger to friend by grinding Affection from 20 all the way to 40 through sheer effort and conversation.

And now, just by being greeted by this little angel, his Affection Level had shot straight to 30?

Was this the true value of a little angel?

This wasn't even about starting line advantages anymore—this was like she was waiting for him at the finish line while riding a Gundam!

One friendly greeting at the start, and it came with a free 30 Affection Points and a permanent +1 Stamina passive BUFF.

"Hello, Ichinose-san!" His voice came out a pitch higher than usual. "I'm Kitagawa Kai! Nice to meet you!"