The dull hum of the teacher's voice droned on like background noise. The classroom was warm, the afternoon sun slipping through the windows, making the wooden desks glow faintly.
At the far back, Ryouta Asakura lay slumped over his desk, staring blankly at the swirling patterns in the wood. His arms were folded under his head, his black uniform slightly disheveled. He wasn't paying attention to the lesson. He wasn't paying attention to anything.
Because he had reincarnated. An hour ago.
Just like that. No warning, no explanation. One moment, he was crossing the street, and the next—bam. He woke up in this body. A different name, a different world, yet eerily similar to Japan. His memories were intact, but his body wasn't his own.
He clenched his fists under the desk. This body was stronger than he initially thought—definitely not frail—but it felt wrong. The way his hands moved, the way his voice sounded slightly different, the way people glanced at him with odd expressions… It was disorienting.
His eyes shifted toward the window, catching a glimpse of his reflection.
Short, slightly messy black hair. Sharp, light brown eyes. Smooth, pale skin. A face that leaned way too much on the "pretty" side. It wasn't feminine per se, but it had delicate features that could be mistaken in the wrong lighting.
And the baggy uniform wasn't helping.
He sighed, pressing his forehead against the desk. What the hell is this situation?
As if that wasn't enough, there was that voice from earlier.
[Golf System Activated.]
[Beginner Mission: Make your first swing. Reward: Basic Strength Boost.]
Ryouta groaned internally. Golf? Out of all possible cheats, it had to be golf?!
Not swordsmanship. Not martial arts. Not even something useful like an intelligence boost. Golf.
What was he supposed to do with that?
He barely even played golf in his past life. His only memory of it was watching rich businessmen swing clubs on TV. What kind of reincarnation joke was this?
"Oi, Ryouta."
A sharp whisper broke through his thoughts. He turned his head slightly to see Kenji, his seatmate, nudging him with a pen.
"You dead or what?" Kenji smirked, his dark brown eyes glinting with mischief. "You've been out of it since lunch. What, heartbroken or something?"
Ryouta exhaled slowly, shifting in his seat. "Something like that."
Kenji chuckled. "Damn. Can't relate."
Ryouta wasn't in the mood for banter, but Kenji wasn't the type to let up.
"Yo, I was talking to the guys earlier," Kenji whispered, leaning in slightly. "You ever think about picking a sport?"
Ryouta blinked. "A sport?"
"Yeah, man. You know, to get a girl."
Ryouta stared at him. "That's the dumbest thing I've heard today."
Kenji grinned. "Nah, listen. Chicks love athletes. You see all these guys on the soccer and baseball teams? They've got girls practically fighting over them. If you wanna get ahead in life, sports is the way to go."
"…You're seriously choosing a sport just to impress girls?"
Kenji shrugged. "Why not? Might as well have fun while doing it. Plus, some sports are blowing up right now. Like golf."
Ryouta stiffened.
Kenji didn't notice. He kept going.
"You know golf, right? It's getting huge lately, especially with all those pro tournaments. Not to mention, the girls in golf? Absolute stunners. I swear, half of them could be models. If you played golf, you'd be surrounded by beauties all the time."
Ryouta felt a cold chill run down his spine.
[New Quest Activated.]
[Mission: Use golf to attract female attention. Reward: +1 Charm Stat.]
His fingers twitched. Oh, come on.
Of course. Of course, this ridiculous system would react to something like that.
Kenji was still talking. "Think about it, man. Golf's an elite sport. Rich people, high-class tournaments, sponsorship deals… If you get good at it, you're set for life."
Ryouta gritted his teeth. That wasn't the problem here!
The problem was that the system had activated because of this exact conversation.
He rubbed his temples, resisting the urge to slam his head against the desk.
So this was his fate now? Playing golf for money and girls?
…God, he needed aspirin.
The last bell of the day rang, echoing through the hallways. Students stretched, chatted, and gathered their things, some rushing off to practice, others preparing for after-school part-time jobs.
Ryouta sat motionless at his desk, staring at the notification still floating in his vision.
[Mission: Use golf to attract female attention. Reward: +1 Charm Stat.]
He exhaled sharply and flicked his fingers, willing the system screen to disappear. It did. But the frustration remained.
His mind was still struggling to process everything.
One hour ago, he woke up in this body.
The memories came rushing in—this body's name, Ryouta Asakura, remained the same, but the life behind it was different. The original owner was a scholarship student, ranked top 10 in the city, which allowed him to attend Seiryo Academy, a school renowned for sports rather than just academics. Though studying well could earn sponsorships too, the real stars of the academy were the athletes—future pros in soccer, baseball, swimming, and now, golf.
Golf was booming.
Tournaments were held nationwide, rich sponsors backed elite players, and universities scouted talent straight out of high school. It was no longer just a game for businessmen—it was a competitive, money-making sport.
And Ryouta?
He didn't give a damn about it.
At least, not until that system shoved golf into his life.
"…Tch." Clicking his tongue, Ryouta grabbed his bag and stood up.
Kenji, who was stuffing his books into his backpack, glanced over. "Yo, you heading to work?"
Ryouta paused. Work. Right.
The previous host had three part-time jobs—a convenience store shift, a library assistant gig, and occasional tutoring. The guy had been grinding himself into exhaustion, despite having enough money to live comfortably. Probably out of habit.
Ryouta had no interest in wasting his time like that.
"Nah," he muttered, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Not today."
Kenji raised a brow. "Huh. That's new."
Ryouta ignored him and headed out.
A short train ride later, Ryouta arrived at Sakura Dormitory, a small, modest building located near the academy. It wasn't an official school dorm but a place he was renting with his parents' financial support.
Sliding open the door to his room, he tossed his bag onto the floor and sighed.
"…Alright."
Now that he was alone, he needed to properly think.
He wasn't freaking out—he'd already done that internally in class—but the reality of his situation was settling in. He had reincarnated. His new body was well-off, not rich but stable. He had a top 10 academic ranking that gave him security in the school. And now, he had a golf-based system that seemed to push him toward playing a sport he barely knew.
Ryouta rubbed his temples.
"…I need to figure out how this system works."
Even if he didn't care about golf, a system was still a system. It could be a game-changer, and he wasn't about to waste a potential cheat.
He took a deep breath.
"Status."
A blue screen appeared before his eyes.
[Status]Name: Ryouta AsakuraAge: 17School: Seiryo AcademyPhysical Strength: LowStamina: LowGolf Skill: NoneCharm: … (Hidden)System Points: 0
Ryouta stared at the stats.
"…Wow. I suck."
This was going to be a long ride.
Ryouta leaned back against his bed, staring at the status screen floating in front of him.
Golf Skill: None.
That was a problem. If this system was pushing him toward golf, then he needed to understand the sport first. There was no way he'd jump into something blindly.
Sitting up, he grabbed his laptop from the desk, powered it on, and started typing into the search bar:
"How to start playing golf for beginners."
A flood of results appeared—guides, YouTube videos, articles, equipment lists. Ryouta clicked on a beginner's guide and skimmed through.
Golf wasn't just about hitting a ball into a hole. There were different clubs for different shots, techniques like putting, chipping, and driving, and a whole set of unwritten etiquette rules.
Then came the costs—clubs, balls, course fees. Expensive as hell.
Ryouta frowned. "This isn't a sport you just 'try out' for fun…"
Scrolling further, he found something interesting—a local golf practice center not too far from the dormitory. It wasn't a full course, just a driving range, where people could rent clubs and practice their swings.
"Perfect."
If he was going to test this system, he needed to start somewhere cheap.
Just as he made up his mind—
Ding!
A familiar screen popped up.
[Congratulations! You have officially taken the first step toward golf.][Starter Gift Package Unlocked!]
"…Huh?"
The system just gave him a reward for researching golf?
Before he could question it, another notification followed.
[Starter Gift Package]
5,000 Yen (Initial Funds)
Basic Golf Knowledge (Passive Skill)
One-Time Free Equipment Rental (Automatically Applied)
Ryouta's eyes widened. "Wait, money?!"
Opening his wallet, he counted the bills inside. His funds had actually increased by 5,000 yen. The system gave him real cash.
"…Okay, this just got interesting."
He glanced at the screen again. The Basic Golf Knowledge skill was now listed under his stats. Testing it out, he thought about the purpose of an iron club—and somehow, the answer just popped into his head, as if he'd always known.
"…This is actually useful."
With free rental and some starting cash, he had no excuse not to try.
Shutting his laptop, Ryouta stood up, grabbed his jacket, and muttered:
"Guess I'm going golfing."