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Ren was eating his breakfast while sitting at the dining table when, all of a sudden, he heard a familiar notification sound echo in his mind.
What's this? Ren thought.
...…
[For the excellent performance of the Player while clearing the dungeon—and in hopes that the Player does not perish—the System grants the following reward:]
Blessing of Longevity
Passive Effect:
You are immune to all diseases, poisons, and status effects.
Your regenerative abilities will drastically increase while sleeping.
...…
Looking at the skill, Ren was genuinely surprised. After all, this was no ordinary ability—its effects were incredibly significant and extremely useful for him.
He still remembered how Jin-Woo, thanks to this very blessing, had easily defeated the Monarch of Plagues and the Queen of Insects.
It had also proven invaluable during his battle against the Monarch of Destruction.
After acquiring the skill, Ren felt an unusual sense of refreshment wash over his body.
Well, that's nice… but I still have to go to school, Ren thought.
After finishing his breakfast, he cleaned his dishes, locked his door, and headed out.
On the way, he couldn't help but glance up at the sky. It was a clear, cloudless blue.
Soon enough, he arrived at school.
As he entered the classroom, several girls immediately began whispering among themselves, sneaking glances at him with smiles on their faces.
At this, Ren could only sigh. This is really troublesome…
He took his seat beside Orihime Inoue.
Noticing him, Orihime immediately struck up a conversation.
"Good morning, Toshiki-san! How are you? I hope your day is going well!" Orihime said enthusiastically, brimming with energy.
"Oh, good morning, Inoue-san. And yes, I'm doing fine," Ren replied calmly.
"I'm really glad to hear that!" she said cheerfully before leaning closer. "But I wanted to ask you something, Toshiki-san."
"Go ahead, Inoue-san. I'll try to answer," Ren replied coolly.
"Have you started going to the gym or exercising? You've changed so much that I almost didn't recognize you at first," Orihime said, studying him curiously.
"You could say that," Ren replied casually. "I just thought of doing something new, so I've been working out recently."
"But why the sudden curiosity, Inoue-san?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow.
"!! O-Oh, no reason!" Orihime flustered. "It's just that… you suddenly became so handsome."
Realizing what she had said, her face instantly turned bright red.
Ren couldn't help but give her a playful, teasing look.
Seeing his expression, Orihime's blush deepened even further.
Watching the two of them flirt, the students sitting nearby felt as if they'd been force-fed an entire mouthful of dog food.
Thankfully—or unfortunately—the moment was interrupted when the teacher entered the classroom.
Everyone quickly took their seats and adopted serious expressions.
As the class began, Ren's gaze drifted toward the front row, locking onto Ichigo Kurosaki.
Something felt different.
Ichigo's spiritual pressure was noticeably stronger than before.
Seeing this, Ren immediately understood—the canon had already begun.
So he's become a Soul Reaper…
Just then, the teacher cleared his throat.
"Attention, everyone. Today, we have a new transfer student. I hope you'll all warmly welcome her."
He then gestured toward the classroom door.
A petite girl with an onion-like hairstyle and a beautiful face walked in. She wore the same uniform as them, carrying herself with elegance and politeness.
"Nice to meet you all. My name is Rukia Kuchiki. I just moved here, so I'm not very familiar with things yet. I hope we can be friends."
Ichigo was visibly shocked.
Her cheerful introduction caused most of the boys in the class to cheer.
"Alright, quiet down," the teacher said. "Kuchiki-san, you can take the seat beside Kurosaki."
"Yes, thank you, sir," she replied, bowing politely before walking toward Ichigo's desk.
Ichigo whispered urgently, "What the hell are you doing?!"
Rukia said nothing out loud. Instead, she raised her hand, revealing a message written on her palm with a marker:
"If you say a word, I'll kill you."
From behind them, Ren watched the scene with amusement. This is hilarious.
Orihime suddenly leaned closer and whispered, "Toshiki-san, do you think Kuchiki-san is really close to Kurosaki-san? Could it be that she's secretly his fiancée who ran away—and now she's come back for him?"
Ren's eyebrow twitched at Orihime's bizarre theory.
He stared at her speechlessly.
"Inoue-san… sometimes I really wonder what goes on inside your pretty head."
She simply stuck out her tongue at him cutely.
Ren could only shake his head.
...…
After lunch break
Ren stretched lazily, feeling extremely bored.
What should I eat…?
Orihime noticed him staring absentmindedly out the window.
"Toshiki-san, you seem distracted. Is something wrong?" she asked with concern.
Hearing this, Ren straightened in his seat, half-staring at the orange-haired girl with the… notable figure.
"No, it's nothing. Just feeling a little off. Nothing to worry about," he replied. "But I appreciate your concern, Inoue-san."
"Oh!" Orihime suddenly exclaimed, as if struck by divine inspiration. "I know what'll help!"
Oh no… I don't like that smile, Ren thought nervously, already sensing danger.
...…
A few minutes later
Ren now sat beside Orihime, staring at the lunchbox in front of him with an indescribable expression.
He wasn't exactly sure what the thing inside was supposed to be.
Somewhere between a mutant sushi roll and a tuna-chocolate cake.
It wasn't that he disliked strange food combinations.
But Orihime… Orihime existed in an entirely different league.
(Let's hope I don't die of food poisoning and get reincarnated again…) Ren thought as he picked up the chopsticks with trembling hands.
"Come on, Toshiki-san! Eating helps you forget when you're feeling distracted—it always lifts your spirits!" Orihime said cheerfully, eyes sparkling.
Ren stared at the contents as if they were alive.
Then he sighed.
(Well… if I die, the journey to becoming the Shadow Monarch End before it begin.)
(Look on the bright side—at least it's not Indian or African food. Compared to that, Orihime's cooking looks like a five-star meal.)
With that questionable motivation—and not wanting to be rude—Ren took a bite.
He chewed slowly, raising a finger for silence as he processed the taste.
After a few tense seconds, his frown eased… and he nodded.
"Hey… not bad. It actually tastes good," he admitted, genuinely surprised. "Edible," he added, giving her a thumbs-up.
"I'm so glad you liked it!" Orihime beamed. "I honestly didn't think you would. My friends usually reject my dishes," she said shyly, scratching the back of her head.
(Well, with how it looks and those random ingredients… who wouldn't?) Ren thought, smiling faintly.
"It really does taste good," he said. "Even though I have no idea what's in it."
"Hehehe~" Orihime giggled, her cheeks lightly flushed.
Despite its terrifying appearance, her food truly wasn't bad.
…Or maybe it was because of Ren's newly acquired Blessing of Longevity.
They continued chatting lightly, though Orihime's bizarre stories occasionally left Ren completely speechless.
Nevertheless—
"Today hadn't been half bad,
To be continued.
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