Chapter 001: Kill The Game Directly!

April.

Cherry blossoms fluttered in the spring breeze. On the bus bound for ANHS, Hikigaya Hachiman sat alone in the middle seat, staring out the window as tears silently streamed down his face.

Today marked the beginning of something he wasn't ready for. For the next three years, he would be separated from his beloved sister, Komachi.

ANHS was a prestigious institution with a national reputation. It offered the freedom of a liberal education, free tuition, and the ability to choose any career path after graduation. You could become a celebrity, a national athlete, or even a politician. The opportunities were endless.

But there was one significant downside. The school was completely closed off. Unless there were special circumstances, even family members couldn't contact students. No calls. No visits. Nada. Sure, the campus was filled with all sorts of entertainment options like cinemas, karaoke lounges, and gyms, but that didn't matter to Hikigaya.

For someone like him, who adored his sister more than anything, this policy felt like a prison sentence.
Unfortunately, the ANHS admission letter was already in his hands.

As someone whose family's financial standing was barely above poverty level, Hikigaya had no real choice. His parents had made it clear: accept the offer, or they would stop paying for his high school tuition. And so, in order to keep the dream alive of lounging around until graduation and living the carefree life of a househusband, Hikigaya reluctantly accepted.

"I bombed the entrance exam, so there must be something wrong with this school…"

The thought of his situation made Hikigaya want to cry. During the interview, he had babbled endlessly, hoping his parents might change their minds. But his "perfect zero-point strategy" had failed inexplicably. The bus made a stop.

An old woman, trembling and unsteady, boarded the bus and leaned on the railing. Her hands, pale and stiff as dried wood, gripped it with difficulty. She was clearly struggling to stay upright. The other passengers didn't even bat an eye. They seemed to act like she didn't exist.

Hikigaya, too, was lost in his thoughts, staring out the window, thinking about how he wouldn't see Komachi for three long years. The weight of it nearly made him cry. But if he cried now, people might think he was some kind of idiot.
The shame of it would be unbearable. No. He couldn't. He had to hold it that thought, Hikigaya stood up and walked to the empty seat at the back of the bus, where he could quietly wallow in his misery in peace.

"Thank you..."

The old woman's voice was barely audible as she tried to speak to him. But Hikigaya didn't acknowledge her. He simply walked past, heading toward the back without so much as a glance in her direction. No words. No conversation.

"The world is so dangerous... What would happen if Komachi were deceived by some scumbag?"

Hikigaya let out a quiet sob, as if he were silently grieving the loss of his sister to a cruel fate. ANHS was located on an artificial island—a small, self-contained world all its own.

The streets were lined with flowers, and the scenery was breathtaking, dotted with modern shops on either side. It was the kind of place that would be perfect for anyone to live for three years. Too bad it couldn't hold a candle to Chiba Prefecture. If the goal was to build a "closed school," they should have taken some notes from Chiba. It would have been much better if they'd just copied it.
And—

He'd only seen one ramen shop on the whole island. Jiro Ramen, of all things. Now, Hikigaya knew one thing: ramen was the soul of Japanese men. A school without ramen had no soul! And on top of that, there was an abnormal amount of monitoring.

As a professional loner, Hikigaya had an uncanny sense for being watched. And in the short time he'd been on campus, he'd already felt dozens of eyes on him.

"I doubt I'll even be able to sneak around here at night."

Hikigaya rolled his eyes mentally but didn't let it bother him too much. After all, he was used to being alone—and it seemed that wasn't about to change anytime soon. What these monitors were for didn't concern him.

What did concern him, however, was whether there was a hidden ramen shop somewhere in the Keyaki Shopping Center. Unfortunately, time was tight. It was impossible to find a hidden gem without some effort. After following the admission guide, Hikigaya finally reached the teaching building. The school was divided into three grades, each with four classes: A, B, C, and D.

Freshmen were instructed to go to their assigned classrooms first, drop off their bags, wait for the class instructor to go over the rules, and then head to the gymnasium for the entrance ceremony.
Though the word "rules" did make him uneasy, Hikigaya wasn't too concerned.

"I don't need to follow any rules. If I stay quiet and do my own thing, I'll be fine."

With a mix of anxiety and mild excitement about entering a new environment, Hikigaya arrived at the door of the classroom labeled 1-B. Though he was reluctant to leave Komachi behind, part of him was looking forward to living alone for the first time in his life. Maybe, just maybe, he could live out a school life like the ones he read about in manga. The door opened.

As soon as he stepped into the classroom, Hikigaya felt an odd atmosphere hanging in the air. Most of the students were gathered around a girl with long, pink hair. Her waist-length hair cascaded down her back, and her bright, cheerful smile made her the center of attention. She effortlessly led conversations, pulling everyone around her into the discussion. Her chest was impossibly large—her school uniform barely holding together—and beneath the tight, slender waist, her long legs were undeniably striking.

Hikigaya's attention was instantly drawn to her. The occasional exclamation of "Ichinose is amazing!" floated through the air. But what truly caught his attention was the fact that, despite school just beginning, this girl had already become the undeniable focal point of the class. Hikigaya couldn't help but reminisce about his middle school days, when his otaku friends would go quiet at the mention of anime. It was always the same story.

"Let's wait until there are fewer people to talk to."

Hikigaya hesitated, then decided to take his seat. His desk was in the middle of the first row near the corridor—an ideal "background character" position. But just as he settled in, his eyes caught the gaze of another girl. She was sitting at the same table as him. Her twin ponytails framed her face, and her slender figure made her seem delicate. Her peach blossom eyes glinted mischievously as if she were ready to fire a thousand unspoken words."Everyone in this school is so much more attractive than back in middle school…"

Her nameplate read "Himeno Yuki," and despite the pleasantness of her appearance, Hikigaya felt a bit uneasy.
He recognized that look. It was one he had seen before. During junior high, a girl had exchanged contact information with him with the same look—an awkward attempt to avoid the embarrassment of an accidental glance. He had started texting her every day, filled with hope... only to discover she had only shared her number to avoid looking rumors soon followed:

"Hikigaya texts me every day. It's disgusting and annoying."

Hikigaya shuddered at the thought of such pitying interactions. Without missing a beat, he gave a subtle nod, walked past her, and took his seat. She nodded back without further interest.

"I'm not falling into that trap again."

He sat at his desk, feeling a small surge of pride. But his eyes couldn't help but flicker toward the red dot of the security camera in the corner.

"Not awkward at all, even in a crowd."

He chuckled bitterly to himself. What was he expecting, anyway?
Just… disgusting.