Kōya sat beside Reona as they both looked down at the crisp acceptance letter.
The paper wasn't anything extravagant… there were no gold borders and no fancy embossing. It was just a clean, official notice from the Aurelia Leadership Institution.
It felt almost too normal compared to the insanity of waking up in another world, yet somehow that made it feel more real.
…
To: Amagi Kōya
Keropolis City, East Residential Ward
Dear Amagi Kōya,
We are pleased to inform you that, following your application and performance in the national entrance examinations, you have been officially admitted into the Aurora Leadership Institution (A.L.I.) for the upcoming academic term.
After evaluation of your academic aptitude, physical assessment, and Crest potential, you have been placed into:
Class 5
Class placements are determined by comparative ranking among all applicants nationwide. Students are reminded that placements may change each semester based on academic results, conduct, and the accumulation of Class Points.
As a newly admitted student, you are required to attend:
Student Orientation
Date: April 10th
Time: 09:00 JST
Location: A.L.I. Main Hall
During orientation, you will receive your student identification, dormitory assignment, and an overview of the Individual Point System, Class Point Regulations, and Academy Conduct Guidelines.
We extend our congratulations on your admission and welcome you to A.L.I.
We trust that with dedication and effort, you will find opportunities to advance, grow, and contribute to the future of Keropolis and humanity as a whole.
Respectfully,
Aurora Leadership Institution
Board of Directors
…
Reona slowly lowered the letter, her dark lashes fluttering as she looked at him with a proud little smile.
"Onii-chan… the letter looks very formal." Her feet kicked the chair, he could practically see the excitement leaking through every part of her body. "And you got into Class 5! That's like the best class, right?"
Kōya shook his head gently. "No, it's the worst class. But that's not a big deal."
He stretched his arms over his head, letting a small grunt slip out before picking up a piece of tamagoyaki with his chopsticks.
"Come on, let's eat, Reona."
She nodded quickly and hurried back into her seat, hands resting politely on her lap before she glanced up at him again. "Aren't you going to pray?"
"...Pray?" Kōya repeated, blinking. Although he possessed the original Kōya's memories, the habits hadn't embedded themselves as smoothly as manga always made it seem. 'Do I have to learn that myself?'
"Of course, Onii-chan," she said, clasping her hands together.
Her voice softened reverently. "To the President… The White King. He was the one who fought against the countless monsters and raised the Super Cities. Because of him, we can live safely, so we must be grateful."
'Smells like a whole lot of propaganda…' he thought dryly. But in the manga's later volumes, the White King was always portrayed as insanely powerful… even though he rarely appeared.
If anything, he was more myth than man.
"You've been acting really strange today, Onii-chan." Reona murmured as she motioned for him to clasp his own hands. "Come on."
He did only because he was curious.
Together they recited:
"May the Light of the White King guide our path, strengthen our Crests, and protect this world from the darkness beyond. We eat, we live, and we strive… under His blessed radiance."
The moment his palms touched, a sensation washed over him… like something subtle being tugged from his chest.
It was gone almost instantly, replaced by a gentle warmth.
'Weird,' he thought as the prayer ended. 'What was that? Did something take my energy?'
Reona smiled brightly. "Okay! Let's eat!"
Kōya stared at his bowl of steaming miso soup.
He had eaten plenty of instant ramen on Earth, but traditional Japanese breakfast? Never.
Still, the body remembered what to do. He lifted the bowl with both hands, brought it to his lips, and took a slow sip.
The broth was smooth and rich and was warm enough to soothe him all the way down to the stomach.
The soft tofu practically melted on his tongue, while the seaweed added a gentle saltiness that balanced everything perfectly. 'What the hell… that's actually amazing.'
Next, he broke apart the grilled salmon with his chopsticks. The flakes separated cleanly, revealing steaming pink flesh.
He placed a small portion into his mouth and blinked in surprise as the flavor spread… it was crispy on the outside and tender inside, lightly salted, and incredibly savory.
'I could get used to this,' he thought as he ate. 'This world's crazy but at least the food's good.'
As Reona focused on her meal, he pulled his phone closer.
Everything was different… every app replaced with local equivalents.
Browsers weren't the ones he knew, notifications looked different, and even the fonts felt strangely clean and futuristic. However, one icon stood out:
AwakLive.
The local version of FaceLive… he was sure of it.
He tapped it and opened his profile.
「Name: AmagiTheGreat」
「Followers: 3,500,279」
「Bio: Aspiring Student and Brutal reviewer😐」
'Damn, that's quite an addition of followers.' He whistled quietly. That was nearly four hundred thousand more than yesterday.
This world really embraced streaming culture.
After exiting the app, he moved to the universal banking app… ANB: Aurelia National Bank.
The screen lit up.
「Welcome back, Amagi Kōya」
「Balance: ₵218,450.78」
His eyes widened slightly. 'Damn, two hundred thousand plus Crowns? How much is that in dollars?'
Before he could ask, the System cut in smoothly.
「At this time, your current balance of ₵218,450.78 is approximately $178,000, which corresponds to the total amount of your savings in your past life.」
'So it brought my savings over here…?' he thought, closing the phone slowly.
That was… actually nice. He could buy a house with that amount, though he didn't need to. This apartment was already comfortably furnished and far better than what he used to live in.
Honestly, he wouldn't mind staying.
He finished the last of his breakfast and rose from his seat. "Hey, Reona… I have to get to the library."
"Eh? Onii-chan, why the library?" She tilted her head, confusion softening her eyes.
"I need to study more for A.L.I. Who knows what kind of questions they'll ask when I get there?"
He walked toward the coat rack and pulled on a black oversized coat, wearing it over his casual shirt.
He didn't bother adjusting it… he had never cared much about appearances.
'I don't really care what I look like. It's not like people will notice me anyway.'
Reona nodded as she placed her empty dishes into the sink. "Have a great time, Onii-chan. Reona will start cleaning."
Kōya waved once and stepped out of the apartment, letting the door close behind him. He stretched his shoulders and breathed deeply.
"Damn… it's really nice having a cute little sister," he muttered as he walked.
But his real goal was simple: learn more about the world he was in.
He didn't plan on becoming one of those clueless manga protagonists who "winged it." He wanted information… about the Academy, the Crests, the city, and the politics.
'Why reincarnate if you won't check your surroundings—'
He opened his eyes fully and…
He froze.
Everyone around him…
Looked short.
Like the entire population of Keropolis had shrunk.
Then he remembered.
He was Amagi Kōya now.
Six feet tall.
Built like a protagonist.
'Right… I'm the tall one now,' he thought with a blank stare.
He sighed.
"…This is going to take some getting used to."