Death is like a cool summer night, where one can sleep peacefully without worries.

Izumi Yuu once thought so.

However, it wasn't until the moment of his sudden death that he realized that sometimes, death doesn't signify an end—it can be the beginning of a second life.

Yes, Izumi Yuu was reborn. Not just into any world, but into a Tokyo city stitched together from everyday anime.

Both his parents were gone. He now had a sister, a house, and a city filled with familiar faces from his past life.

His neighbor was Eriri Sawamura. His classmate, Kato Megumi. The student council president? Kaguya Shinomiya. His senior at the publishing house was Utaha Kasumigaoka. Even the academy he attended boasted an idol among its ranks—Mai Sakurajima.

And yet, in the six months since his rebirth, Izumi Yuu had avoided interacting with these heroines. They remained strangers or, at best, polite nodding acquaintances.

In truth, Izumi Yuu didn't want anything to do with them. His life after rebirth was simple and manageable—aside from his meager bank balance.

Of course, there was also his "System," his time-traveler's cheat, which granted him certain abilities. He even had more than one. But if given the option, Izumi Yuu would have gladly rejected it.

The reason? His "System" wasn't as great as it sounded.

As he walked up a familiar slope on the way to school, he checked the time. Thirty minutes remained before he would be late. At his usual pace, it would take exactly 27 minutes and 30 seconds to reach the school gate, 50 seconds to cross campus, 1 minute and 30 seconds to climb the stairs, and 10 seconds to settle into his seat.

If nothing unexpected happened, he would make it on time.

That was what he thought.

In the next moment, a slender figure appeared at the top of the slope.

A short-haired girl stood there, wearing a pink coat over a white skirt. She wore a beret atop her head, and her delicate frame stood outlined against the soft morning light.

Her back alone exuded beauty—an ethereal, understated elegance.

Yet, for all her beauty, her presence was faint. Without careful observation, one could easily overlook her entirely.

Izumi Yuu blinked. A strong sense of déjà vu washed over him.

"If nothing unexpected happens," he thought dryly, "her beret will fly off in the next moment."

The girl's presence at the top of the slope spelled trouble—trouble that Izumi Yuu had been diligently avoiding since his rebirth.

He didn't want to get entangled with these heroines. Entanglements meant complications. Complications meant draining the limited energy of his second life.

He sighed inwardly.

"How troublesome."

Sure enough, a gust of wind swept past, dislodging the girl's beret. It danced in the air before spiraling down the slope and landing squarely on Izumi Yuu's face.

The faint scent of shampoo lingered on the fabric, mixed with a fragrance uniquely feminine.

Izumi Yuu took the beret in hand and looked up at the girl.

She turned to face him, her calm gaze meeting his. Her white skirt fluttered in the breeze, its hem rising ever so slightly to reveal a fleeting glimpse of pure white.

It was Kato Megumi.

Her name surfaced in Izumi Yuu's mind. She was his classmate, though her presence in class was even fainter than his own efforts to avoid attention.

To Megumi, however, Izumi Yuu wasn't invisible.

Despite his efforts to keep a low profile, he was popular—particularly among the girls. His short black hair, tall and slender frame, sharp features, and aloof demeanor gave him the look of a lead in a romantic drama.

But there was one thing about him that set him apart: he was eccentric.

Meanwhile, Izumi Yuu's attention returned to the beret in his hand.

And then, it happened.

[You hold the girl's beret. Two options cross your mind:

1. Run off with the beret while it still carries her scent, keeping it as a treasure for a lonely night.

2. Use it to threaten her. Demand that she becomes your obedient servant. After all, this beret holds sentimental value—it's the last keepsake from her late grandmother.]

The voice in his head grated on his nerves.

This was his so-called "System," a scumbag narrator that never stopped encouraging him to do morally questionable things.

If Izumi Yuu actually listened to it, he'd probably be arrested before the day ended.

Still, it wasn't entirely useless. Following or rejecting the narrator's prompts granted minor attribute boosts.

Izumi Yuu sighed and brought up his stats screen—a translucent light display visible only to him.

---

[Host: Izumi Yuu]

Age: 17

Constitution: 7

Strength: 7

Agility: 8

Energy: 10

Charm: 10

---

Most of his stats were average, but his charm and energy stood out. The former made him dangerously attractive, while the latter… well, he still didn't fully understand its purpose.

The narrator's voice spoke again, this time with even more temptation.

[You should make your choice, Izumi Yuu. Do you act like a coward for three seconds, or claim her as your lifelong servant? The choice is yours!]

Izumi Yuu rolled his eyes. By now, he was immune to its nonsense.

"If I actually listened to you, I'd be in jail faster than you could say 'grand theft beret.'"

He shook his head and extended the beret toward Kato Megumi.

Kato Megumi stood atop the slope, her fair and slender hands gently brushing the ends of her hair. She gazed quietly at Izumi Yuu below, tranquil and beautiful, like a painting come to life.

He must be heading to school as well, right?

Kato Megumi made this judgment in her mind. Rather than walking down the slope, she decided to wait for Izumi Yuu to reach her.

Izumi Yuu glanced up at Kato Megumi and, as usual, skillfully ignored the nagging voice of narration in his head. With steady steps, he began ascending the slope.

As the two drew closer, a light screen suddenly materialized before Izumi Yuu, hovering above Kato Megumi like a digital profile.

---

[Name: Kato Megumi]

[Age: 16]

[Measurements: B:84 W:57 H:83]

---

Izumi Yuu's eyes flickered briefly over the screen, verifying its accuracy. The data seemed startlingly precise, matching his casual observations perfectly.

At least this system is more reliable than the ridiculous narration, he thought.

---

[Current Status: Confused about how to become a proper gal-game heroine.]

[Favorability: 22 (A stranger with no emotional attachment.)]

---

Beneath the favorability value, a note popped up, explaining its range:

---

[Favorability Scale]

≤ 0: Hatred

1–10: Hostility

11–20: Disgust

21–30: Stranger

31–40: Acquaintance

41–50: Friend

51–60: Confidant

61–70: Like

71–80: Love

81–90: Admiration

91+: Eternal Devotion

100+: ???

---

[Note: Favorability is highly unstable and should be considered as a reference, not an absolute measure.]

---

Below this, a list of potential outcomes appeared:

---

[Available Endings for the Host and Kato Megumi]

1. The Fallen Passerby Heroine

Condition: Use the beret in your hand to coerce Kato Megumi into being your servant or forcefully possess her.

Reward: 500,000 yen and +1 Physical Fitness.

2. The Used and Hurt Heroine

Condition: Maintain your distance from Kato Megumi and allow her relationship with Aki Tomoya to progress naturally.

Reward: None.

3. The Happy Heroine Who Regained Her Life

Condition: Raise Kato Megumi's favorability to 70 or higher and expose Aki Tomoya's true nature.

Reward: Master-level Music, Master-level Physical Skills, and 1,000,000 yen.

---

[Note: Higher favorability or significant progress (e.g., kissing, holding hands, etc.) may lead to additional rewards.]

---

This was the second golden finger Izumi Yuu had obtained after his reincarnation—the Favorability System. While he had seen favorability values before, this was the first time he had encountered its extended features.

Did I accidentally trigger some kind of hidden switch?

He thought back to the novels he'd read in his previous life. Often, dormant systems or powers would suddenly activate once the protagonist entered the "main plot."

Could it be… I've officially entered the first chapter of my story?

Izumi Yuu quickly discarded the thought and turned his attention back to the light screen.

The detailed system interface gave him pause.

Is this favorability system somehow connected to the trashy narrator?

In some ways, they seemed equally annoying. However, the system offered clear, achievable goals, unlike the narrator, whose mind was constantly in the gutter.

And then, there were the rewards.

One million yen, master-level music, master-level physical skills…

Just reading them made Izumi Yuu's mouth water. These rewards were exactly what he needed to stabilize his chaotic post-rebirth life.

As someone who prided himself on being a guardian of pure love, Izumi Yuu couldn't tolerate scumbags who exploited innocent girls for their own gain. Aki Tomoya, the epitome of such a scumbag, was a blight on humanity.

For the sake of justice—and those rewards—I have no choice but to save this girl from his clutches!

His resolve hardened.

"Huh?"

Kato Megumi tilted her head slightly as she noticed Izumi Yuu suddenly stopping halfway up the slope, staring at her in a daze.

Is there something strange about me?

She instinctively checked herself. Her outfit was tidy, her face was clean, and her fair, slender legs—wrapped in pristine white socks—were immaculate. Yet, Izumi Yuu's intense gaze made her feel inexplicably self-conscious.

Just as Kato Megumi was about to second-guess her entire existence, Izumi Yuu resumed walking, sparing her any further embarrassment.

When he reached the top of the slope, Kato Megumi spoke softly, her voice as serene as her demeanor.

"I'm sorry for troubling you, Izumi-san," she said with a slight bow.