With the idea of trying out his new skill, Chihaya Rei focused his thoughts and used [Stealthy Aura].
Now transformed into the Grand Assassin, he carried his shopping bag back to the supermarket first, then strode swiftly toward the student dormitories.
At Advanced Nurturing High School, the boys and girls lived in the same building.
However, the boys lived on the lower floors, while the girls lived on the upper floors.
And after ten o'clock at night, boys were strictly forbidden from staying in the girls' dormitory area.
The School Handbook also had a rule that read, "Romantic relationships that are inappropriate for students are prohibited."
In other words, students were allowed to date, right?
As long as nobody did anything that put their life on the line.
After all, whether at the supermarket or in the vending machines he'd passed on the way here, Chihaya Rei had spotted "silencers" and "blue elves"...
As long as you took precautions, it was all good!
Students could pick up their room cards from the dorm supervisor's office on the first floor.
After getting his own room card, Chihaya Rei told the staff that he needed a friend to wake him up every day, and asked them to give him a spare card as well.
Only then did he happily take the elevator upstairs.
In the original story, the room key was another thing that made you want to complain.
Yamauchi Haruki, the White Room's greatest masterpiece, had actually managed to get a replacement card for Ayanokoji by telling the staff he was Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's friend and couldn't get into his dorm room.
From then on, the Three Idiots of the Black Room could come and go from Ayanokoji's room with ease.
Even Ayanokoji couldn't fend off Lord Yamauchi's advances.
Chihaya Rei didn't want anything like that happening to him.
He had to nip it in the bud!
As he waited for the elevator, Chihaya Rei saw the person he'd just been thinking about.
"Well, if it isn't Ayanokoji, the guy who sits by the window in the back row."
Without the system, if Chihaya Rei ran into one of those emotionless monsters raised in the White Room, he'd stay as far away as possible. He'd be better off just forming a band like a good little student.
But now that he had the system, things were different. There was no harm in approaching him first.
"Hey, Chihaya."
Ayanokoji nodded and looked over with his utterly placid eyes, greeting him in an even tone.
Chihaya Rei noticed that Ayanokoji, like him, was carrying a shopping bag. He'd probably gone shopping for supplies before heading back to the dorm.
After two seconds of silence, Chihaya Rei smiled and broke the ice.
"Ayanokoji, were you born with an aversion to smiling?"
"Uh... I suppose so."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka answered softly.
It wasn't that he couldn't smile. He just didn't think there was usually any need to, and if he kept his face expressionless, it was difficult for others to figure him out.
"You're so cold."
Chihaya Rei teased him, then asked, "Ayanokoji, has anyone ever said that the way you speak without changing your expression makes you sound like a robot?"
Ayanokoji fell silent for a moment, seemingly considering how to respond.
"That's a harsh thing to say."
"But you don't seem angry."
"I'm not going to get angry over something so trivial."
Ayanokoji answered, then added, "This is my floor."
"Okay, see you next time."
After leaving the elevator, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka felt that Chihaya Rei might have been deliberately trying to get close to him.
Whether it was watching him that morning or striking up a conversation just now.
Of course, it was also possible that the other boy was simply outgoing and proactive.
Ayanokoji couldn't help wondering:
Could the other boy have been sent by the White Room?
Before he could be sure, it was worth learning a little more about him.
So, as he walked toward his room, he recalled Chihaya Rei's introduction earlier that day.
Ayanokoji pulled his phone from his pocket and searched social media for keywords like Tokyo and bands...
Chihaya Rei looked up at his room number and pondered for a moment. 404—a rather peculiar number.
The dorm rooms provided by the school were standard single rooms, with a semi-open kitchen by the entrance, a private bathroom, and a balcony.
Chihaya Rei thought it was great that he could have a single room while he was still a student.
Before he'd transmigrated, his university dorm had been an eight-person room with bunk beds. They hadn't even had desks beneath the beds.
Here, the air conditioner, bed, matching desk and chairs, and most of the other necessary furniture were already provided, and they all looked brand-new.
The floor also looked clean and polished, without a speck of dust. The cleaning staff must have tidied up in advance.
Aside from the fact that students could be eliminated through competition, Advanced Nurturing High School was a very comfortable place to live and study.
After spending over ten minutes unpacking and putting everything in its place,
Chihaya Rei finally stretched out comfortably on the bed and started scrolling on his phone.
That was when he noticed a message from Kamuro Masumi, whom he'd only added as a friend recently. She'd sent it half an hour ago.
[Kamuro Masumi: How many points did you spend on the beer? I'll pay you back.]
[Kamuro Masumi: Also, I owe you one for what happened this time. If you ever need me to do something, just ask. I'll help, as long as it's not too outrageous.]
After all, Chihaya Rei had helped her out of a predicament, and made sure she wouldn't have to worry about repercussions.
For both personal and practical reasons, Kamuro Masumi felt she had to reimburse him for the points he'd lost.
Chihaya Rei typed back.
[Chihaya Rei: Don't worry about the points. It wasn't much. I'll take the favor, though.]
Chihaya Rei had no intention of taking her points, but a valuable favor was another matter.
The message was marked as read in an instant, and Kamuro Masumi sent another reply.
[Kamuro Masumi: No way. I'm paying you back, too. I don't like owing people.]
[Chihaya Rei: That's not up to you.]
Chihaya Rei was all for people owing him favors.
Little Kamuro—she'd be easy enough to keep under his thumb.
Why did it feel like this one little incident meant he could hold it over Kamuro Masumi for the rest of her life?
[Kamuro Masumi sent you 50,000 points. Accept transfer?]
Chihaya Rei was nine-tenths amazed. The little thief was surprisingly generous.
But Chihaya Rei still chose to return the points.
Kamuro Masumi sent them again, and Chihaya Rei returned them again.
She sent them once more, and he returned them once more.
After they went back and forth a few times, Kamuro Masumi couldn't take it anymore.
Her way of speaking changed a little, reverting to her somewhat tsundere nature.
[Kamuro Masumi: You! Why won't you accept the points I'm trying to give you?! Fine, don't take them. Don't come crying to me later, and don't expect me to send you any more.]
[Chihaya Rei: Instead of worrying about this, you should worry about not getting caught by Sakayanagi and becoming her little dog.]
[Kamuro Masumi: I'd never be her dog. She just tells me what to do.]
[Chihaya Rei: Is there a difference?]
[Kamuro Masumi: There's a huge difference, okay?!]
Chihaya Rei could practically picture Kamuro Masumi on the other end of the screen, blushing with embarrassment and anger, wishing she could reach through the internet and stomp on him with her black-stockinged foot.
What a treat!
But she couldn't come stomping over through the screen, either.
[Chihaya Rei: I think I've come up with something I need you to do.]
[Kamuro Masumi: Already? What is it?]
[Chihaya Rei: Handwrite an apology of at least 3,000 words, reflecting on what you did wrong today. Just give it to me by the end of this month.]
[Kamuro Masumi: Huh?!]
[Kamuro Masumi: Are you joking?]
[Kamuro Masumi: Hey, don't leave me on read!]
After teasing the little thief, Chihaya Rei rested for a while. It wasn't until a little after six in the evening that he put on his shoes and headed to the cafeteria to find something to eat.
Before you continue