The Eye of the Storm

The confrontation on the rooftop was like a stone tossed into a still pond, its ripples quietly spreading.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka—or rather, Yang Ye, who now occupied his body—walked quietly back to the dormitory. The evening breeze swept through the rows of cherry trees along the campus paths, rustling their leaves.

[Insight (Beginner)] was quietly taking effect.

He found that he could notice the details around him more keenly: the rhythm of the soccer club members' footsteps as they trained on the distant field, a figure flashing past a window on the third floor of the classroom building, even the differences between the scents wafting over from the various cafeteria counters.

More importantly, he had begun instinctively analyzing what those details might mean.

The figure on the third floor had been standing in a spot with a clear view of the rooftop entrance.

Was it a coincidence, or had someone taken an interest in what had just happened?

"Interesting," he murmured.

When he returned to his dorm room and closed the door, the minimalist style of its former owner immediately struck him. There was a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe, with almost no personal belongings.

Yang Ye walked over to the mirror and looked at the face that was both familiar and strange: Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's trademark impassive expression, slightly messy short black hair, and eyes that showed little emotion.

"Now, I'm both Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Yang Ye." He spoke to his reflection. "In this world, where 'ability' is the measure of everything, the system has given me the key to upset the balance."

He clenched his fist, feeling the strength coursing through his body, far beyond that of an ordinary high school student. "Combat Mastery (Master Level)" wasn't just a collection of knowledge; it felt more like an innate instinct. If he faced Albert, the so-called "strongest person in the school," right now, he was confident he could end the fight in ten moves.

But that wasn't what he wanted.

"Advanced Nurturing High School... personal points, Class Points, Class A's privileges, and the people pulling strings behind the scenes." Yang Ye sat on the bed and began sorting through his thoughts. "The original Ayanokoji wanted to keep a low profile, but now that I have the system, I can set my sights a little higher."

[Ding! The host has completed his first show of strength. His influence on campus has increased slightly. Long-term mission activated: Climb to the Top.]

[Mission details: Lead your class to Class A before graduation. Mission progress: Class D (0/100)]

[Milestone objective: Ensure no one in the class is expelled during the upcoming midterm exams. Mission rewards: Issued based on completion.]

The system's notifications were always so timely.

The midterms... Yang Ye recalled the original story. They weren't just exams; they were the first real crisis D Class faced—the high bar set by their teacher, Sae Chabashira, and the divisions within the class that would arise because those who failed might be expelled.

"The original Ayanokoji solved the problem behind the scenes, but now..." Yang Ye smiled slightly. "Maybe I can be more direct."

The next morning, in the classroom.

When Ayanokoji Kiyotaka entered the classroom as usual, two minutes before the warning bell rang, he could clearly feel that the atmosphere had changed.

Many eyes were on him—curious, inquisitive, wary. Yesterday's shocking confession to the entire class, followed by his brief "private conversation" with Kushida Kikyo, had become D Class's hottest unsolved mystery.

Yosuke Hirata, one of the central figures in the class, walked over with his trademark gentle smile. "Good morning, Ayanokoji."

"Good morning, Hirata."

"Um..." Hirata hesitated slightly. "About what happened yesterday, if there was any misunderstanding or you need help sorting things out, please let me know. As a member of the class, I want everyone to get along."

It was a typical Hirata-style statement, full of goodwill and a sense of responsibility. But with [Insight (Beginner)], Yang Ye noticed a trace of worry deep in Hirata's eyes. He was concerned that the harmony in the class might be disrupted.

"There was no misunderstanding," Ayanokoji Kiyotaka replied in his usual flat tone. "It was a personal matter. It won't affect the class."

"I see... That's good, then." Hirata seemed relieved. He smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "If you have any trouble with your studies or daily life, be sure to let me know."

Another gaze came from the seat by the window at the back of the classroom.

Suzune Horikita, the aloof and stubborn girl, was watching him with an appraising look.

When she noticed Ayanokoji looking back, she didn't avert her gaze. Instead, she furrowed her brow slightly, as though evaluating an object she couldn't understand.

Yang Ye understood. In Horikita's eyes, yesterday's "frivolous" behavior was incomprehensible. She probably thought Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was an idiot led astray by his hormones. If it weren't for the unusual physical ability he occasionally displayed in gym class, she would probably have already filed him away as "worthless."

He walked to his seat and sat down, taking out his textbook as if nothing around him had anything to do with him.

Then he felt a particularly distinctive gaze.

It came from Kushida Kikyo's seat to his front right.

She was chatting and laughing with several girls, her voice sweet and her expression radiant, having completely returned to "angel mode." But whenever she turned and her gaze swept over Ayanokoji, Yang Ye could catch a flash of complex emotions—wariness, confusion, and a hint of... resentment?

[Insight (Beginner)] revealed even more: her fingers tightened slightly around her pen; when she smiled, the corners of her mouth lifted a little higher than usual; and while discussing fashion magazines with the girls, her eyes occasionally drifted toward Ken Sudō at the back of the classroom—the hot-tempered troublemaker who excelled at every sport.

"She's gathering information on Sudō..." Yang Ye immediately understood. "Is she preparing to use him as her next pawn, or...?"

In the original story, Kushida Kikyo would stop at nothing to maintain her popularity and gather information, approaching and using all kinds of people. Sudō, simple-minded and easy to control, was indeed an ideal target for her.

For now, though, none of this had anything to do with him.

The morning classes proceeded as usual. During math, Sae Chabashira explained complex functions, occasionally sweeping her gaze across the class and pausing on a few key students—Suzune Horikita, Yosuke Hirata, Koenji Rokusuke... and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

When she looked at Ayanokoji, a glimmer of interest flickered in her eyes.

During the break, the system notification sounded again:

[Ding! The special character "Sae Chabashira" has taken an interest in you. Random mission triggered: Prove Your Worth.]

[Mission requirement: Get a perfect score on the next math quiz.]

[Mission reward: Memory Enhancement (Beginner)]

[Failure penalty: Randomly lose one attribute point]

A math quiz? Yang Ye thought back over the schedule. Chabashira-sensei did like to use surprise quizzes to test her students' true abilities. In the original story, Ayanokoji had deliberately kept his scores around the middle of the class.

"But things are different now." Yang Ye looked out the window. "If I'm going to make a change, I might as well start with the little things."

At lunchtime, while most of the students headed for the cafeteria, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka made his way to the library.

It wasn't an arbitrary choice. Using [Insight (Beginner)], he had noticed that more than one person had been watching him in secret since morning. Besides his classmates, there seemed to be people from other classes, too.

"Did Kushida spread some rumor, or did yesterday's fiasco simply attract attention?" he wondered, without slowing his pace.

The library was quiet, with only a few students browsing the shelves. He walked to the philosophy section, casually pulled out a book by Nietzsche, and sat by the window.

Five minutes later, someone took the seat across from him.

"I'm surprised to see you in the library, Ayanokoji." Kei Karuizawa, an influential member of the girls' group in D Class, wore a sociable smile. "Are you preparing for something?"