A dull ache pulsed at the base of my skull. Not sharp. Not unbearable. Just… there. A lingering, hazy pressure, like my brain was wrapped in cotton and my body was a second too slow to catch up with itself.

Warm sunlight filtered through my closed eyelids, painting the inside of my vision in soft, shifting reds and golds. The distant chirping of birds seeped into my consciousness.

It was peaceful.

[WAKE! UP! WAKE! UP! WAKE! UP! WAKE! UP!]

Ah!

My face scrunched as my entire body flinched.

A voice blared in my skull like a broken alarm clock stuck on maximum volume.

[IT'S A BRAND NEW DAY! A BEAUTIFUL MORNING! RISE AND SHINE, SUPERSTAR!]

I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut tighter as if that would somehow make it stop.

[UP! UP! UP! UP! UP! UP! UP!—]

"OH MY GOD, SHUT UP!" My voice came out hoarse, cracking midway as I bolted upright.

System finally shut its mouth.

For a moment, I just sat there, disoriented and blinking against the sunlight streaming through the window. My vision adjusted sluggishly, the hazy blur of sleep fading into sharper details—the familiar walls of my room, the slightly ajar closet, my desk cluttered with books and papers.

And there, draped neatly over the back of my chair, was my school blazer.

I looked down.

I was still in my uniform shirt, the fabric slightly wrinkled from sleep.

Wait… what?

My brain, still stuck in low-power mode, attempted to piece things together. The last thing I remembered was...

Slowly, I turned my head toward the corner of my vision, where the System's interface usually hovered. "What… happened?" I asked, my voice rough from sleep.

A long pause.

Then, a very sheepish-sounding voice answered.

[Ah. Well. You see…]

I narrowed my eyes.

[First of all, I deeply, deeply apologize for the unexpected downtime! That was… uh… my bad. Totally my bad.]

I raised an eyebrow.

System, who never admitted fault for anything, was straight-up apologizing? This was bad.

It continued, its words oddly hesitant.

[So… turns out, um, someone was recording your performance. Which! You didn't know about, obviously. And I—uh—didn't take that into account when calculating your quest reward.]

Someone was recording!?

[So, uh… yeah. The sudden influx of external data threw off my processing power, and I may or may not have completely underestimated the payout for your reward, which, in turn, caused… um…]

I stared.

System let out a very awkward cough.

[…a critical error.]

I let that sit for a second.

Then, slowly, I dragged a hand down my face.

Are you telling me that you crashed because you miscalculated… points?

[Okay, when you say it like that, it sounds really bad—]

BECAUSE OF POINTS?

[…Yes.]

Unbelievable.

I groaned, flopping backward onto my bed, my arm thrown over my face.

I lay there, staring at the ceiling, willing my headache to disappear through sheer force of will.

...So? What happened after that? I don't remember anything.

[Ah, right! That! Ahem. Well, from what I could gather—since, you know, I was kind of in the middle of an emergency reboot—someone called for that Chaba-something person, and after confirming that you weren't, uh, dead, she and some other teacher brought you back here.]

I frowned. Chaba-something?

Then it clicked.

"Chabashira-sensei," I muttered.

As if my humiliation last night wasn't enough, I had also apparently collapsed in front of everyone.

I groaned, rubbing my temples. Not only did I embarrass myself in front of the entire school, but I also passed out like a complete idiot…

[Hey, now! No need to be so negative! I mean, sure, you technically lost consciousness in an extremely dramatic and public way, but look on the bright side—]

I sat up just in time for a glowing notification to appear in front of my face.

[STATUS UPDATED.]

I blinked.

Oh no.

Oh no no no no no.

I reached out with a growing sense of dread, tapping the hovering screen.

And then—

My soul left my body.

ㅤ

[Horikita Suzune: The Warmth-Hearted Super Beauty]

STR: 15

DEX: 30

END: 30

INT: 40 - 35 (Oops~! Brain lag is a natural side effect of System failure… or are you just still in shock?)

WIS: 23 - 24 (At least you finally learned something! Growth!)

CHA: 17 - 112 (A legendary performance. A truly divine spectacle seen by many. You are now an untouchable icon. An IDOL!)

LUK: 9 - 15 (An unexpected rise… a sign of fate? Or just dumb luck? Nope, it's my help!)

[Unlocked Stats]

Cuteness: 12 - 96 (Deny it all you want, but the numbers don't lie~!)

Sexy Points(Charm included): 5 - 30 (Confidence is attractive! …Even when it's accidental.)

Mental Fortitude: 1 - -5 (…)

Heartbreaker Points: 1 - 12 (A new challenger has entered the field! I wonder what they mean.)

[Titles Unlocked]

Reluctant Dress-Up Doll:

"You fought bravely, but fashion always wins in the end."

Hopelessly Adorable:

"Denial only makes it cuter."

New! Irresistible Showstopper:

"Koenji may have his method, but you conquered the stage in front of an audience and seized their hearts. Your performance is now an unforgettable legend. Everywhere you go, whispers follow, and eyes linger just a little too long…"

ㅤ

I just.

Stared.

At everything.

At the absolutely unhinged charisma stat. At the mental fortitude drop. At the stupid new titles.

My lips parted. My brain attempted to process what I was looking at.

System, meanwhile, let out an extremely smug hum.

[See? Not everything that happened last night was bad!]

I inhaled sharply through my nose.

I will kill you.

There was no heat behind it. Just sheer, exhausted, soul-crushing resignation.

And then, like a bucket of cold water to the face, a realization hit me.

Today.

School.

My uniform was...

I shot up so fast that I nearly gave myself whiplash. My blazer was still draped over my chair, completely wrinkled. My skirt was no better, and my shirt—ugh, this was a disaster.

"I can't go to class like this."

[Oh, don't worry! With your Charisma this high—and your Cuteness stat? Honestly, it probably won't even matter what you wear. If anything, I'd be more concerned about something else entirely…]

I froze.

…What do you mean?

[Well, uh, how do I put this… Your aura is kinda high right now. And I don't actually know what that means for social interactions. But I do know that you don't exactly look like a 'stunning girl' anymore.]

Excuse me?

I scrambled off my bed and rushed to my mirror, expecting something insane—pointed ears? Glowing eyes? Floating off the ground?

Instead…

I blinked.

Then leaned closer.

My skin looked… oddly clear. Suspiciously clear. Like one of those ridiculous fantasy descriptions where a princess has skin "as smooth as polished jade" or "as pure as a fresh snowfall." In certain angles, it even seemed to shimmer.

I hesitantly touched my cheek.

Soft. Like—like fresh mochi or the surface of a perfectly steamed bun.

Oh no.

System let out a pleased little beep.

[Nice, huh? Even without makeup, you could walk into a skincare commercial and nobody would question it!]

I pressed my hands to my face.

This couldn't be happening.

This wasn't normal.

I was not trying to become an actual goddess.

I collapsed back onto my bed, groaning into my hands.

"I don't wanna go to class."

I could already picture it—people staring, whispering, maybe even trying to talk to me. More than usual. And if even System wasn't sure what kind of effect this "aura" would have, then what the hell was I walking into?

This was too much.

Yesterday had already been insane. That whole disaster of a dance battle, the absolute humiliation, the way the crowd had lost their minds, and now this?!

I wasn't ready for this kind of attention. I wasn't Koenji. I wasn't someone who thrived on being in the spotlight.

I liked things being quiet. Predictable. Under control.

Now I was scared to even step outside my damn room.

I waited.

I had nothing else to do.

System kept trying to reassure me, saying things like 'Don't panic!' and 'You're overthinking it!' and 'Maybe you've just ascended to a higher plane of existence—oh wait, that's actually a possibility.'

None of it helped.

I spent the morning pacing my room, half-heartedly scrolling through my phone, and occasionally groaning into my pillow whenever I remembered—oh yeah, I was an actual public spectacle last night.

At some point, I forced myself to eat something, mostly to do something, but even that didn't stop the nervous, twisting feeling in my stomach.

I wasn't going to class. Not like this. Absolutely not.

So I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Until, eventually, my eyes flickered toward my phone again.

The time on the screen told me that the class should be over by now.

I hesitated.

Then, before I could overthink it, I quickly pulled up his number.

Ayanokouji.

I… wanted to talk to him.

I didn't really know what I was going to say, but—

No. That wasn't true.

I did know.

I just didn't know how to say it.

My thumb hovered over the call button, my heart already hammering against my ribs, and I—

I tapped it before I could change my mind.

The line rang.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Maybe he wouldn't pick up. Maybe he was still busy. Maybe this was a mistake—

Click.

"Hello? Horikita?"

My heart nearly stopped.

I straightened, gripping my phone tighter.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. "Are you alright after yesterday?"

I felt the words hit me square in the chest.

He was… worried about me... like always.

I swallowed, trying not to let the sudden wave of warmth show in my voice.

"I—I'm fine," I said quickly. Too quickly. I winced.

There was a small pause.

…Okay, I needed to say something else. Anything else.

"U-uh, how… how was class today?" I managed.

He was silent for a beat before replying, "Quite a few people were talking about what happened yesterday."

I stiffened.

Oh no.

"O-oh,"

My voice was so small I barely recognized it as mine.

Another pause.

He didn't say anything.

Maybe he was waiting for me to speak, but my brain had completely short-circuited at the realization that people were talking about me.

And—oh god—what were they even saying?!

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing down the rising panic.

I called him for a reason.

I had to focus.

"U-um," I started. Then hesitated. Then cursed myself for hesitating.

Deep breath.

"I wanted to ask if… if you could meet me today."

Pause.

"In the park. You know, the one where we… used to sit together…?"

My face was burning.

I gripped my phone like it was the only thing keeping me alive.

"Alright," he said after a brief pause. "Then let's meet there at 4 PM. Does that work for you?"

"Y-yeah! That works!"

Way too eager. Way too fast.

I barely gave him a chance to respond before blurting out a quick, "Okay, see you then—b-bye." and immediately hanging up.

The moment the call ended, I just… sat there, gripping my phone in my hands, staring at the screen.

A sound bubbled up in my throat.

Soft, breathy. Light.

I wasn't even thinking about it, but I could feel the warmth spreading in my chest, the tiniest, involuntary shake of my shoulders.

It took a second to realize—

…Oh god, I was smiling.

I flopped back onto my bed. What was happening to me?!

I barely had time to process the complete, utter mess that was my current mental state before something hit me.

Wait.

The clothes.

I needed those clothes.

My head snapped up, my hand already moving to the phone call.

A few rings later.

"Mmh? Horikita-san?"

Karuizawa's voice came through, sounding just a little surprised.

"Jeez, I was actually kinda worried about you! You weren't in class today, and then there was that whole video of you dancing—H-Horikita-san, what the heck was that?!"

I refused. Refused to acknowledge that.

"Karuizawa!" I interrupted, uncaring about honorifics and cutting her off entirely. "The clothes! The ones we bought yesterday! You still have them, right?! Right!?"

There was a pause.

A beat of silence.

"W-what?"

I didn't even blink.

"The clothes," I repeated, my voice almost breathless.

I needed to look good.

"Uhh… yeah? I still have them in my room, but—" Karuizawa hesitated, still sounding thrown off. "Sorry, I'm not there right now, so maybe later…?"

My heart shattered.

"W-when?" I asked, my voice practically a whisper.

"Eh… Tonight, maybe?"

T-Tonight?

Tonight was too late.

I opened my mouth, ready to argue, ready to say anything—but then something clicked.

A realization.

A perfectly, dangerously simple solution.

"…Never mind!" I blurted out before she could say anything else. "Just tell me your room number!"

"Huh?"

"Your room number. P-Please!" I repeated, trying to sound as normal as possible.

A short pause. Then, reluctantly, she gave it to me.

I gripped my phone tighter, committing it to memory.

"Thanks, Karuizawa!"

Before she could question me, I hung up.

The moment the call ended, I exhaled deeply.

Then, I turned on my heel, heading straight for the fridge.

I reached up, plucking a small magnet from the surface.

A handy little tool.

Perfect for this exact moment.

Now—

All I had to do…

...was find Karuizawa's room.

I stepped out of my dorm, shutting the door behind me with a soft click.

Immediately, a wave of nerves crashed into me.

Stop! Right now!

This was stupid.

This was so stupid.

I was about to do something extremely irresponsible, and yet—

My heart was hammering, my palms felt clammy, but my feet still carried me forward.

I moved through the hallway as quietly as possible, forcing myself to act naturally. Head down, pace steady, eyes scanning the doors.

Every step felt heavier, the weight of my actions pressing down on me.

I shouldn't be doing this.

I should not be doing this.

There.

Karuizawa's room.

I inhaled sharply, glancing down the hallway once more. No one was around.

This was my chance.

With slightly trembling hands, I pulled out the small magnet, gripping it between my fingers.

I had seen Ayanokouji do this before.

Carefully, I pressed the magnet against the lock, shifting it just so—

Click.

The sound was so quiet, yet it might as well have been an explosion in my ears.

The door cracked open.

I did it!

Heart pounding, I exhaled, pushing the door open just enough to slip inside.

I stood frozen just inside the doorway, my pulse pounding in my ears.

This is insane.

This is so insanely wrong.

My brain was screaming at me, my own thoughts attacking from every angle.

I could still leave. I could still walk away before doing something completely unforgivable.

I could just call Karuizawa back.

Tell her the truth.

Ask—beg—if she could come back early.

She probably would've laughed at me. Maybe teased me a little. But would she have said no?

Probably not.

I swallowed hard.

And yet—

T-This is our chance!

My body moved before I could stop it.

The bag was right there, sitting on her bed, just waiting for me to take it.

My hands trembled as I grabbed it, clutching it close to my chest.

I turned.

Walked.

Didn't let myself think.

Didn't let myself feel.

The moment I slipped out of Karuizawa's room, I shut the door as quietly as possible and bolted.

Each step felt heavier. The hallway stretched endlessly before me, the weight of what I'd just done pressing down on my chest.

My room. I just needed to get to my room.

By the time I made it back, I barely had the strength to close the door before I collapsed onto the floor, hugging the stolen bag like it was some kind of lifeline.

And then, finally—

A choked sound left my throat.

Tears welled in my eyes, spilling over before I could stop them.

I had just committed a crime.

I had just broken into someone's room over clothes.

This was so much worse than anything Ayanokouji had done.

I curled into myself, shaking.

I was a criminal.

We're c-criminals because of h-him!

A stupid, love-struck, well-dressed criminal.