**Inside the School Building**
Shindai Hakuka had just entered the school building when he overheard some students discussing the newly installed elevator in disbelief:
"What the hell? There wasn't an elevator here last year!"
"I'm almost graduating, and now they finally upgrade the facilities? That's messed up!"
"I heard the elevator was built because the school got a huge donation from some real estate mogul."
"Yeah, apparently his daughter's attending school here now, so he paid for all these renovations."
"Lucky rich kids... I wish I had a dad like that."
Hakuka wasn't as interested in the rich kid, but more in the upgraded facilities. After all, he'd be able to benefit from them.
He considered using the elevator, but there were too many students crowded around it, so he decided against it.
Since his classroom was only on the third floor, he figured he could just walk and treat it as a workout.
**Classroom 1-A**
By the time Hakuka arrived, most of the students had already taken their seats.
Many of them wore shy smiles, greeting each other and trying to find new friends. But some students were quieter, sitting alone, playing on their phones or reading books.
The door to the classroom was open, and Hakuka stepped in, heading straight to his seat by the window.
Looking around, he noticed that neither his desk mate nor the students sitting in front of him had arrived yet.
He didn't pay it much mind. Instead, he pulled out a textbook and started studying to grind some experience points for his student career.
His entrance, combined with his sharp features, immediately caught the attention of many students.
Hakuka's well-defined facial structure and sculpted features stood out. His calm, clear eyes, high nose bridge, and long eyebrows gave him a handsome and refined look.
Many girls in the classroom couldn't help but glance at him, whispering among themselves.
One girl, who wasn't bad-looking herself, mustered the courage to approach him, gently knocking on his desk as she prepared to ask for his contact information.
Hakuka, disturbed from his studies, didn't get upset. He simply looked up and asked calmly:
"What is it?"
Their eyes met, and the girl nervously pulled out her phone, asking:
"Well... I've started a class group chat."
"Most of the students have already joined. I thought I'd ask if you wanted to join too, since you're new here."
"Ah, so there's already a class group. That's great!" came a voice from behind, as Chitanda Mirai, seated in her wheelchair, was pushed forward by Ubahara Junko. She pulled out her phone, displaying a LINE QR code, smiling at the girl. "Can I join the group too?"
The girl, stunned by Chitanda Mirai's beauty and the sight of her wheelchair, was briefly taken aback, thinking, *She's so pretty.*
She smiled back. "Of course you can!"
"Great!" Mirai turned to Junko, smiling. "Junko-chan, get your phone out, let's join together."
It was only then that the girl noticed Junko standing beside Mirai. When she looked up and saw Junko's fierce expression and golden hair, she was filled with fear, thinking, *This girl must be a delinquent!*
Sweat beaded on her forehead as her eyes darted nervously. "You're... in our class too, right? Let me add you to the group as well."
Junko silently held out her phone with the LINE QR code, staring the girl down without saying a word.
The intensity of Junko's gaze made the girl feel like she was sitting on pins and needles, trembling with fear. She quickly scanned their QR codes, added them to the group, and scurried back to her seat, completely forgetting her original purpose.
"Oh my~ looks like she forgot to add you," Chitanda Mirai noticed, turning to Hakuka with a smile and offering her phone. "But don't worry, I'll add you to the group instead."
"Sure." Hakuka responded softly.
He didn't really care who added him, so he scanned her QR code and joined the group.
A soft beep sounded as Hakuka's name appeared in the group chat.
"Ah, so your name is Shindai Hakuka?" Mirai smiled brightly after seeing his name.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Chitanda Mirai, and I'll be your desk mate for the foreseeable future."
"Let's get along."
"Nice to meet you," Hakuka replied. He hadn't expected the girl in the wheelchair to be his desk mate.
Mirai then introduced Junko, holding her hand. "And this is Ubahara Junko, my best friend."
"She sits in front of me, though she can be a bit shy. Please take good care of her."
Hakuka glanced at Junko, who was glaring fiercely and had an unchanging expression. She didn't seem shy at all.
However, unlike the girl from earlier who ran away, Hakuka simply nodded calmly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Shindai Hakuka."
Junko, noticing that he didn't seem intimidated by her, fell silent for a moment.
She didn't say anything, though, and after helping Mirai settle in, she returned to her own seat.
Mirai, apparently accustomed to this, gave Hakuka a gentle smile and apologized. "Sorry, she's not as scary as she looks. She's just not very good at expressing herself."
"I hope you won't hold it against her."
"No worries," Hakuka replied with a shake of his head, not bothered by it.
Several students around the classroom kept sneaking glances at the group, finding the combination of the wheelchair-bound Mirai and the delinquent-like Junko odd.
But most were too afraid of Junko's intimidating aura to approach them.
Mirai, used to this reaction, didn't bother greeting the others either. Instead, she chatted with Junko, though it was mostly a one-sided conversation with Junko listening in silence.
Hakuka, uninterested in mingling with the other students, returned to his studies.
**[You studied diligently for a while. Student Career EXP +1!]**
The constant sound of his experience increasing made him feel quite satisfied, looking forward to what skills he might unlock once he leveled up his student career to LV4.
As the bell signaling the start of class rang, Hakuka glanced at his life-based career system.
**[Occupation: Student]**
**[Level: 3]**
**[EXP: 382/400]**
He'd gained three points of experience, which wasn't bad. By the end of the day, he figured he'd hit LV4.