Los Angeles International Airport → Tokyo, Japan**
The fluorescent lights of Narita Airport's arrival gate buzzed overhead as Ethan Kane adjusted the strap of his duffel bag. His eyes locked onto the massive bilingual sign above customs:
**日本語 / English**
*"Since when does Japan put English first?"* he thought, frowning. The last thing he remembered was his flight from LAX hitting freak turbulence over the Pacific - the kind that made even the flight attendants grip their seats, white-knuckled. There'd been something unnatural about that storm, with lightning that crackled violet against the midnight clouds. Then... darkness.
Now here he stood, in what looked like Tokyo, but *felt* different. The air hummed with an energy he couldn't place.
**"Excuse me. Ethan Kane from the United States?"**
The voice - crisp, professional, and slightly impatient - came from his left. Ethan turned and felt his breath catch.
Standing at perfect attention was a woman who looked like she'd stepped straight out of an anime. **Long pink hair** tied in a severe ponytail, icy blue eyes that missed nothing, and a navy blazer-skirt combination that screamed "strict teacher." Her nametag read:
**Fuyumi Kirisu - Sobu High School**
Ethan's brain short-circuited. *"No fucking way. That's Kirisu-sensei from 'We Never Learn.' Am I hallucinating? Did I hit my head?"*
Kirisu's left eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly. "A question: Why do you appear to be mentally comparing me to a fictional character?"
Ethan felt his stomach drop. *"She heard that?! What the hell is going on?"*
**[Ding!]**
A robotic chime echoed in his skull as glowing blue text materialized before his eyes:
**[System Activation Complete]**
**[SSS-Rank Talent Detected: Fuyumi Kirisu]**
**[Ability Extraction Available Upon Physical Contact]**
Ethan barely suppressed a grin. *"Oh. Ohhhh. I didn't just transmigrate - I got a damn system too!"*
"Kane-san?" Kirisu's voice had dropped several degrees colder. "Your prolonged silence suggests either severe disorientation or deliberate rudeness. Which is it?"
Ethan snapped to attention. "Jet lag!" he blurted, executing a bow that was just a little too deep to be natural. "I'm honored to study at Sobu High. The cultural exchange program between our countries is truly—"
"A reminder," Kirisu interrupted, adjusting her glasses with a practiced flick of her wrist. The lenses flashed ominously. "While Japan values international academic exchange, we are not, nor have we ever been, a territory of the United States. You would do well to remember that distinction."
Ethan's eye twitched. *"Message received loud and clear: No 'Little America' colonial bullshit here."*
Kirisu extended her hand. "Your documents, please."
As their fingers brushed, the system flared to life:
**[Contact Established]**
**[Extracting SSS-Rank Ability...]**
**[Conqueror's Haki Acquired!]**
Power *erupted* from Ethan's core - an invisible tsunami of will that made the overhead lights flicker. Kirisu's eyes widened as an unseen force slammed her back against a support pillar, her briefcase clattering to the floor. Several nearby travelers stumbled, clutching their chests like they'd been punched.
"Kirisu-sensei?!" Ethan lunged forward, grabbing her wrist to steady her while desperately trying to reel the energy back in.
The teacher wrenched her arm free, cheeks flushed with what might have been anger or something else entirely. "I-Impertinent!" she hissed, straightening her blazer with sharp, jerky motions. "To think the Ministry of Education warned me about American... *enthusiasm*, but this is beyond—"
She cut herself off, taking a visible breath. When she spoke again, it was through gritted teeth. "We will speak no more of this incident. Understood?"
Ethan nodded rapidly. "Yes, ma'am. Absolutely."
Kirisu snatched up her briefcase and marched toward the exit without looking back. "Keep up, Kane-san. We're behind schedule."
---
**Parking Lot - 14:37**
The Tokyo afternoon sun glinted off the sleek lines of Kirisu's **Toyota Crown Athlete**, its gunmetal gray paint job practically screaming "respectable professional." Ethan whistled under his breath as he loaded his luggage into the trunk.
"Nice ride, sensei. The new hybrid model, right?"
Kirisu didn't look up from her phone. "Your dormitory has a 10 PM curfew. Violations will be reported to your scholarship committee."
*"Ouch. Ice queen indeed."* Ethan slid into the passenger seat, taking in the immaculate interior. The car smelled like lemon disinfectant and something faintly floral.
As they pulled onto the highway, Ethan watched the cityscape blur past. Something nagged at him. "Hey, sensei? That storm during my flight... was there any news about it?"
Kirisu's grip tightened on the wheel. "No reports of abnormal weather." A pause. "Why do you ask?"
Ethan grinned. "No reason."
**[Ding!]**
**[Hidden Quest Alert: Investigate the Violet Storm]**
**[Reward: ???]**
Ethan's smile widened. *"Now we're talking."*
Kirisu side-eyed him. "That expression worries me."
"Just excited for school!"
The teacher sighed. "Sobu High has strict policies against... whatever *that* is." She gestured vaguely at his face. "Control yourself."
Ethan leaned back, watching Tokyo Tower gleam in the distance. *"Conqueror's Haki, a tsundere teacher, and a mystery storm? This might be the best isekai ever."*
**[To Be Continued...]**