Winter in Tokyo brought snow and cold winds together.
A male student stepped out of the train station onto the snow-covered ground, wearing a thick school uniform overcoat, carrying a guitar case and a shoulder bag, his face slightly red from the cold and expressionless.
"Hey, isn't Yui-chan going to strike up a conversation?"
"Eh~ Why don't you go."
Two high school girls huddled together, secretly observing Kagura Hikaru walking ahead, whispering from time to time, their eyes glued to the boy's profile, which made them forget to watch their step, leading to a slippery fall.
Attracted by the girls' screams, Kagura Hikaru turned his head to look back, saw that both were unharmed, and then continued walking towards the school without further concern.
Kagura Hikaru, 16 years old, a first-year high school student, a crosser.
He had no lover, no friends, no club, and no hobbies.
His specialty was mind reading.
"Good morning!"
In front of the school gate, members of the Discipline Committee stood with their hands behind their backs, loudly greeting the arriving students.
As Kagura Hikaru passed by, he noticed the Vice Chairman of the Discipline Committee, who resembled a gorilla, staring at him.
So, he casually tossed a Mind Reading Technique his way.
[This guy, called Kagura, right? Damn, don't let me catch you breaking the rules!]
He had somehow attracted attention for no reason... Well, it was common with a face like his.
Kagura Hikaru shifted his gaze away.
[You have gained by looking into the mind: Sword Dao +1]
[Sword Dao lv4 (12/100)]
This was his Golden Finger, which could be used not only to read minds but also to acquire the skills possessed by others. The longer he read, the more proficiency in the skill he gained.
Once the proficiency reached 100 points, the skill level would increase, with a limit of lv5.
The appearance of this Golden Finger meant that Kagura Hikaru's future was destined to become an all-capable superhuman.
However, he was even restraining himself from using his abilities now.
When he was younger and unwise, he read everyone's minds indiscriminately, greedily absorbing skills, but he did not realize the consequences of prying into people's minds.
Everyone has a dark side, which they usually keep hidden, but it was fully exposed in front of Kagura Hikaru.
Because of this Golden Finger, he had lost many opportunities to make friends and had hurt many people, causing his personality to gradually become twisted and indifferent, disregarding human warmth.
Now, he was no longer pursuing such things.
Neither abilities nor friendships.
"What should we do this weekend?"
"Karaoke, maybe?"
"Oh~! Yui has a boyfriend now, huh."
"Shush!"
"Hahaha, it's not like it's something shameful."
As he entered the noisy Classroom 1-A, Kagura Hikaru tried to keep a low profile as he sat at his own seat, placed down his shoulder bag and guitar case, and began to study his books.
They weren't profound books like "Nuson" or "Snow Country," just ordinary light novels.
Reading soul-crushing books at a young age wasn't suitable; content that could relax the brain and make one laugh was more fitting for high school students.
Though Kagura Hikaru hadn't laughed for almost half a year now.
Perhaps, he should consider seeing a psychologist?
While his eyes were on the book, Kagura Hikaru's mind wandered, suddenly feeling a stabbing pain behind his head, his hair standing on end as if a fierce beast was targeting him.
He gradually became aware that the noisy voices around him had lowered by at least three times.
Slowly turning his head, he saw a high school girl, colder than himself, almost like an iceberg radiating chill, holding a folder and staring at him with her refined and dignified face.
"Classmate Kagura, why didn't you report yesterday?"
"...I have said before, I won't join any clubs, including the Discipline Committee."
Ayakoji Chiyoko, a first-year student, the current President of the Discipline Committee at Yuqiu Private High School.
Excellent in both academics and martial arts, from a wealthy family, greatly violated the rules with her idol-level beauty, gaining her a huge popularity.
Since she joined the Discipline Committee, she swiftly leveraged her influence, leading her subordinates around to enforce discipline, feared by everyone, and even attempted to modify the school rules, practically turning the school into a military academy.
Incredibly, even as the Discipline Committee reached further and gained more power, even nearing a rivalry with the Student Council, they faced little criticism.
This experience had fed Ayakoji Chiyoko's arrogance. Even though she was expressionless, the dangerous sharpness of her aura, like a samurai sword, was palpable.
She was a true lioness, and Kagura Hikaru even doubted she considered any other students human. Her expression was chilling.
And now, the lion had set its sights on him.
.....So?
They gazed at each other with indifferent eyes.
"Instead of convincing me, why not find someone else?"
"No need, I want you."
"You're too domineering."
"That is exactly one of the qualities needed by the Discipline Committee member."
Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko faced each other expressionlessly, seemingly determined to drag it out until the bell for class rang.
The Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee wasn't in the same class as him, and she would have to return once the teacher arrived no matter how reluctant she was.
A few minutes later, the bell rang.
"I will come back." Ayakoji Chiyoko glanced at him and walked straight out of the classroom.
Kagura Hikaru silently cast a mind-reading technique at her retreating figure.
[...]
[You have gained through peeping into the heart: Kado +1]
[Kado lv3 (8/100)]
Kagura Hikaru's expression remained calm, the expected result indeed; the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee surprisingly had a simple mind.
Or should it be said, what you see is what you get?
Truly troublesome.
He could still clearly recall, a few months ago just after the Student Council elections had ended, how Ayakoji Chiyoko, who was originally unconnected to him, suddenly stopped him in the corridor—
"I heard you have a grudge against her."
"Who?"
"Kiryu Hina, the new Student Council President."
"Oh."
"Join forces with me, and we can bring her down together."
"I refuse."
To others, Ayakoji Chiyoko's actions might have seemed like persistent infatuation, but only Kagura Hikaru knew that she wasn't interested in him at all; what she coveted was the dirt Kagura Hikaru held on the Student Council President.
However, she was destined to be disappointed because it wasn't something that could be leaked.
After Ayakoji Chiyoko had left, the oppressive atmosphere finally dissipated from the classroom, and the volume of everyone's voices increased.
Some stealthily cast admiring glances at Kagura Hikaru, yet no one approached him to speak.
If Ayakoji Chiyoko was a true lion, then Kagura Hikaru was an immovable rock, impervious to whatever was said or done.
It was impossible to befriend such a person; he had refused everyone.
Kagura Hikaru seemed completely oblivious to the gazes around him, he put away his light novel and opened the textbook for the first lesson.
The teacher arrived, and the class began.
At 3:30 in the afternoon, school was dismissed.
If there was one thing Kagura Hikaru appreciated about schools in the Island Nation, it was that they dismissed particularly early.
Most schools ended between four and five o'clock, but Yuqiu High School valued club activities and, being a private school with lenient rules, drastically set dismissal time at three in the afternoon. Probably many students chose this school just for this reason.
Oddly enough, even in such a lenient educational environment, Yuqiu High School's university admission rate still ranked among the top five in the city.
After most of his classmates had left, Kagura Hikaru finally packed up and stood up.
As he descended the stairs, he was still thinking about the part-time job he was heading to next.
But suddenly, unexpectedly, without any psychological preparation,
In the stairwell, he saw someone who should not have been there.
Black hair and black pupils, neatly cut long black hair, an elf-like beautiful face, slender legs clad in white thigh-high stockings, a figure both dainty and flawless.
Perhaps the legendary Yamato Nadeshiko was modeled after her—seeing her, one couldn't help but think this.
A first-year student representative, the current Student Council President of Yuqiu High School, Kiryu Hina.
She was talking to two male students, expressions of respect and adoration on their faces.
Seeing this, Kagura Hikaru's feet halted on the stairs, unmoving, like a penguin lost in a snowstorm.
Shortly after, those two students left, and Kiryu Hina looked up, her right hand gently sweeping her hair behind her ear, revealing a smile and softly saying,
"Long time no see, Mister Hikaru."