The tasks were simple, and the rewards weren't bad, but it was all rather uneventful.
Because of this, Ren Takahashi stopped exploring the streets for the time being.
The transfer procedures had been completed, and he was about to start attending his new school.
...
At that moment, inside Kamakura Third Middle School, Class 3-A.
Sitting in the second-to-last row, Saeko Busujima rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the window, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, the classmates around her were chattering excitedly, discussing the news that a transfer student would be joining their class today.
...
"Have you heard? A transfer student is joining our class today."
"How do you know?"
"I heard Mr. Yamaki talking about it when I was in the office just now."
"Do you know what kind of person it is?"
"Not sure. I hope it's a handsome guy. After all, the boys in our class are not only childish but also getting uglier by the day."
"Hey! Who are you calling ugly?"
"Even if a handsome guy comes, he won't look at you crooked melons and cracked dates!"
For these boys and girls in the throes of youthful restlessness, peaceful school life was undoubtedly dull and boring.
A sudden transfer student was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples of excitement.
The transfer student instantly became the hottest topic in the class.
They discussed the transfer student's appearance, what kind of person he might be, and his family background.
Only Saeko Busujima, sitting in the second-to-last row, rested her chin on her hand and turned her head to look at the scenery outside the window.
She seemed out of place compared to the others.
And no one approached her to discuss the transfer student.
With her tall figure, beautiful looks, and father who was a famous Kendo master, Saeko Busujima was undoubtedly the "Flower on the High Peak" of the class.
Even though her outward demeanor was approachable, others instinctively felt a sense of distance from her.
The boys didn't dare to get close; they weren't even as tall as her and felt inferior standing next to her.
The girls felt ashamed of their own inadequacy; in looks, talent, and temperament, they were completely outmatched.
So, under normal circumstances, people didn't take the initiative to chat with her.
And at this moment, Saeko Busujima's thoughts were not on the so-called transfer student at all.
Although her eyes were looking at the distant sky...
Her mind was filled with the scene from a few nights ago, where Ren Takahashi smashed those thugs one punch after another.
Every time she thought of that scene, her heart would begin to race uncontrollably.
Ding-ling-ling~
At that moment, the class bell rang.
"Everyone, take your seats."
The homeroom teacher, Mr. Yamaki, walked into the classroom right on time.
Seeing everyone quickly return to their seats, Mr. Yamaki nodded with satisfaction.
"Before class starts, there is something I need to explain to everyone. A transfer student will be joining our class today."
Mr. Yamaki turned his head toward the classroom door. "Takahashi-kun, please come in."
Hearing this, Ren Takahashi slowly walked into the classroom.
In an instant, the eyes of everyone in the room fell upon him.
The boys frowned in unison, feeling a massive sense of threat.
The girls' eyes widened, and the corners of their mouths couldn't help but curl upward.
"So... so handsome!"
"My wish really came true! It's actually a super handsome guy!"
"And he's so tall! He's much taller than Mr. Yamaki. He must be over 180cm, right?"
"His body looks amazing too, like a celebrity model."
"Silver-white hair... could he be mixed-race?"
Ren, who was already wearing the Combat Power Detector glasses, completely masked his sharp edge, appearing handsome, refined, and gentle.
Especially compared to the boys in the class whose features hadn't even fully settled yet.
As the saying goes, contrast creates beauty. It instantly made the girls feel like Ren's handsomeness was several levels higher.
Although his arrogant silver-white hair was extremely eye-catching...
In their eyes: if he's ugly, he's a delinquent. If he's handsome, he must be mixed-race, which adds another point to his charm.
As a result, as soon as Ren appeared, none of the girls could take their eyes off him.
Saeko Busujima naturally noticed Ren Takahashi as well and was stunned.
She hadn't expected to meet him again here.
The next second, a smile involuntarily curled on Saeko's lips.
At the same time, Ren also noticed Saeko.
He hadn't expected to meet her here either.
He smiled back and nodded at Saeko as a greeting.
Others didn't know the context, so some girls thought Ren was smiling at them.
A few girls couldn't control their emotions and let out screams.
"Ahhh~"
"He smiled at me! Did you see that? He smiled at me! Does he like me?"
"Nonsense, he was clearly smiling at me."
Ren was momentarily speechless.
In the past, seeing girls scream excitedly over celebrities seemed too exaggerated and ridiculous to him.
He had once suspected the celebrities paid them to act that way.
Unexpectedly, today he experienced it firsthand.
Could this be the effect of the [Combat Power Detector]?
Just as Ren thought this, Mr. Yamaki knocked heavily on the podium.
"Quiet down! Everyone, control yourselves, don't get excited..."
Fortunately, with Mr. Yamaki maintaining order, the class quieted down.
"Ahem~ Takahashi-kun, please introduce yourself."
Mr. Yamaki, having spent quite a bit of effort calming the class, let out a long sigh and spoke to Ren.
"Sure."
Ren then wrote his name on the blackboard.
"I am Ren Takahashi. That is all!"
Even though the self-introduction was ridiculously short...
It still elicited screams from the girls.
"What a cool name."
"If I marry Takahashi-kun in the future, will I have to change my surname to Takahashi too?"
Clearly, it wasn't just boys who had wild fantasies.
As for how far those fantasies went, only they knew.
"Cough, cough..."
Mr. Yamaki coughed loudly, then scanned the seating arrangement.
Finally, his gaze landed on the first seat in the first row. "Takahashi-kun, for now, please sit there!"
"Mr. Yamaki, with my height, sitting in the front will block the view of the students behind me and affect their learning. Aren't there several empty seats in the back? I'll just sit there."
Ren didn't want to sit in the first row.
What kind of Yakuza Young Master or outstanding delinquent sits in the front row?
How would he conveniently sleep or skip class in the future?
If it really came down to academic knowledge, it was uncertain who would be teaching whom.
As a transmigrator, Ren had absolutely no interest in attending classes; it was all stuff he already knew.
Plus, sitting in the front row meant enduring a baptism of chalk dust.
If the teacher got excited while lecturing, flying spit would be another baptism to endure.
Ren, unwilling to sit in the front row no matter what, finished speaking and walked directly toward the last row.
"Takahashi-kun, if you sit there, you might run into a bit of trouble," Mr. Yamaki spoke up, seemingly concerned, not intending for Ren to take the empty seat in the back.
Ren ignored him completely, put down his school bag, and sat directly behind Saeko Busujima.
"I think you'd better listen to Mr. Yamaki," Saeko said, turning her head slightly to speak to Ren.
...
"Takahashi-kun, you absolutely cannot sit there."
"You'll get into big trouble."
"Yeah, hurry up and change seats."
Even the other girls advised him with faces full of worry.
It was as if the seat beneath Ren Takahashi was some kind of taboo.
"Isn't it empty? What's the problem?"
Ren looked at Saeko Busujima with confusion.
"That is the seat of our school's famous delinquent. He won't allow anyone else to sit there," another girl next to him explained to Ren before Saeko could speak.
"I thought it was something serious. Turns out it's just a delinquent."