The next day at school, Jin Haru walked into class like normal.
But something felt different.
Everyone stared at him. Some students whispered. Some girls smiled and giggled when they saw him. One even waved shyly.
He sat down at his desk, confused.
"Why are they looking at me like that?" he asked REI in his head.
> [REI]: "Your fame is rising, Master. After defeating the delinquents, your schoolmates see you as a mysterious fighter. They even gave you a nickname—The Backflip Prince."
Haru groaned. "That's so lame…"
He just wanted to be quiet. Normal. Safe.
But things were never normal for him.
He looked to the left.
There she was.
Shin Yerin. The cold girl. Top of the class. Smart, pretty, quiet.
She had long black hair and sharp gray eyes. She always sat near the window, alone, reading books or sleeping with headphones on.
Today, she was awake. Staring straight at him.
Haru blinked.
Yerin stood up from her desk.
Everyone got quiet.
The teacher wasn't even in the room yet.
She walked over to Haru's desk. Her steps were slow and calm.
Then, she spoke.
"You. New guy."
Haru looked up. "...Me?"
"Yes. You're causing too much noise in this school."
"I didn't mean to—"
"I don't care. You're not normal. I don't like it."
Haru scratched his cheek. "Sorry, I guess."
Yerin stared at him with cold eyes.
"Let's have a challenge," she said.
The whole class gasped.
"A challenge?" Haru asked.
"In front of everyone. A written test. Ten questions. No calculator. No cheating. You and me."
Haru tilted his head. "Why?"
Yerin crossed her arms. "Because I'm the top student. I won the national math olympiad. If you want to be in the spotlight, you better prove you deserve it."
He didn't want the spotlight.
But something about her… irritated him.
It reminded him of all the cold, arrogant people from his past life.
So he smiled.
"Okay," he said. "I accept."
---
Ten minutes later, the teacher entered and was very confused.
But Yerin already had a test paper ready. She printed it during break.
She handed it to the teacher and asked for permission.
"Fine," the teacher said, sighing. "As long as it doesn't waste class time."
Yerin passed out the papers. Two copies. One for her, one for Haru.
The timer began.
Ten minutes. Ten questions.
The class watched silently.
---
Haru sat back, calm.
> [REI]: "Do you want me to solve the questions, Master?"
"Scan them," Haru whispered in his mind.
One by one, the problems were hard.
Algebra, geometry, logic puzzles, advanced calculus.
But REI read them all in a second.
> [REI]: "Answers prepared. Uploading to memory now."
Haru's pen moved quickly.
Yerin looked over at him. Her eyes narrowed.
He was fast. Too fast.
"Is he guessing?" she thought. "Or… no, wait. That formula is correct. That method too. What's going on?"
Haru finished first.
He placed his pen down and waited.
Yerin finished a minute later, but her expression was no longer calm.
She looked serious. Confused. Maybe… nervous?
The teacher took the papers and started grading them right away.
Ten minutes later, the results were ready.
"Shin Yerin," he said. "9 out of 10."
The class nodded. Impressive as always.
Then the teacher looked at Haru's paper.
"…Jin Haru. 10 out of 10."
Silence.
Yerin's eyes widened just a little.
She stepped forward and took his paper.
She checked the answers herself.
Perfect. Every single one.
He didn't cheat. She watched him the whole time.
Her cold mask cracked just a bit.
"…Who are you?" she asked.
Haru smiled slightly.
"Just a normal student," he said.
She stared at him for a long time.
Then turned and walked back to her seat.
---
After class, Haru stayed behind.
He looked out the window, hands in his pockets.
> [REI]: "Why did you do it, Master? You dislike attention."
"She challenged me," he replied. "I couldn't ignore that. Besides… I wanted to see if I could still win using brains, not fists."
> [REI]: "You still can."
He smiled.
Just then, Yerin passed by him.
She didn't say anything.
But as she walked out of the room, she muttered something under her breath.
"…Interesting."
Haru blinked.
> [REI]: "She's watching you now."
"I noticed."
He looked up at the sky outside the window.
Peaceful blue.
But he knew deep inside—this was just the beginning.