After leaving Takahashi-sensei's office, I wandered the halls for a while, my thoughts a tangled mess.
First place, huh…
Eventually, my feet led me to the rooftop door.Technically off-limits.But right now, I needed air more than rules.
Wind tugged at my shirt as I stepped into the open sky. The city spread beyond the fence. Below, the school buzzed with life. I sat down by the railing and unwrapped my bento. Mom's lunch was as good as always—warm, full of care.
Still, my appetite was gone.
Can I really sing instead? Would it be disrespectful to the scholarship? To Takahiro-sensei?
The metal door creaked open with a sharp click.
"Eishi Lucivar."
I froze mid-bite.
The breeze caught the edges of my school jacket as I turned around slowly.
There she was — Sona Shitori, Kuoh Academy's infamous Student Council President. Sharp gaze. Perfect posture. A clipboard in one hand, and authority in the other.
Her glasses glinted in the sunlight like twin blades of judgment.
"The rooftop is off-limits to students."
"…Ah. Yeah, I know."
She stepped forward, her shoes clicking softly against the concrete. "Then why are you here?"
"Needed air. Quiet. A place to think."
She frowned, arms crossed. "Rules are not suggestions."
"I didn't think anyone would notice," I admitted with a sheepish smile.
"I notice everything," she said flatly.
I scratched the back of my head. "You always this intense?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"You keep this up and you'll never get a boyfriend," I muttered under my breath.
"…What did you just say?"
"Nothing!" I coughed, quickly trying to change the subject.
Then — the growl. Her stomach betrayed her.
It echoed just enough to ruin the moment.
Her face turned a slow, furious red. Her composure cracked ever so slightly.
I blinked.
Then smiled. "Kaichou… you're hungry."
She looked away, lips pressed into a hard line.
I pulled out the spare sandwich from my bento box and offered it with both hands. "Here. Take it. You're working hard. It's the least I can do."
"I don't accept bribes," she snapped quickly.
"Not a bribe. A peace offering. Consider it… community service?"
She looked torn for a moment, then took the sandwich without saying another word. She sat down beside me — but at a proper, dignified distance. Every bite she took was done in silence, her eyes still fixed on the skyline.
After a few moments, I muttered, "It's okay to work hard, but take care of yourself too. That's what my mom always says."
She glanced at me, a quiet pause between bites.
"You've got a lot going on, haven't you?"
I gave a hollow chuckle. "Is it that obvious?"
"Very."
The silence stretched again.
Then she added, "Even when something seems hopeless, sometimes the only thing you can do… is give it everything. Win or lose."
I turned to look at her. Her eyes were sharp, but… kind.
"…Is that advice?"
"No. It's an observation," she said coolly.
I blinked. " by the way Kaichou? …How do you know my name?"
Her gaze sharpened, lips tugging into the faintest hint of amusement. "You're friends with one of the infamous 'Three Perverted Trio.' Hyoudou Issei."
I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. "Damn it, Issei. You're infamous even by student council."
"Also," she added coolly, "there aren't many male students in this school. As Student Council President, it's my responsibility to guide and be aware of all our students."
Then, finishing the sandwich, she stood up and brushed the crumbs off her skirt.
"Now," she said crisply, "as for your punishment."
I blinked. "Punishment?"
"You broke a school rule," she said, adjusting her glasses. "Being hungry doesn't erase that fact."
"…You ate my sandwich."
"I don't accept bribe."
I sighed. "Fine. What's my punishment?"
She pointed at the concrete.
"Fifty squats. Hands on ears. Immediately."
"…What?"
She crossed her arms. "Unless you'd prefer a written report and detention."
"Tch… you're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"I enforce rules. I take no pleasure from it. Now—squat."
Muttering under my breath, I obeyed. "This school is insane…"
As I squatted — hands awkwardly gripping my ears like a cartoon monkey — she pulled out her phone and checked the time.
"Thirty-nine… forty… knees lower, Lucivar."
"I hate this place."
"No, you don't," she said flatly.
By the time I hit fifty, my legs burned. My pride hurt even more.
She scribbled something onto her clipboard.
"…Penalty served. You're dismissed."
"Gee, thanks."
I picked up my bento, muttering about tyranny under student councils.
She didn't smile. Not quite.
But as I walked away, I heard her voice one more time.
"Lucivar."
I stopped.
"I saw your last performance."
A breath caught in my throat.
She didn't elaborate. Just met my eyes, calm and unreadable.
"…Its good."
Then she turned on her heel and left.
The door closed behind her with a soft click.
I stood in the quiet breeze for a while longer, heart thudding slightly faster than before. Not from the squats.
"…She's terrifying."
But I smiled anyway.
"Thanks Kaichou"
———————————
After school, I made my way to the club room.
It wasn't much—just an unused music room tucked behind the auditorium—but Takahiro-sensei had pulled a few strings to let me use it freely.
The room smelled faintly of dust and rosin. Faded posters of recitals and cultural festivals clung to the walls, edges curled with time. A few old music stands were shoved into the corner, and a worn upright piano sat under the window, waiting patiently. Cases of forgotten instruments lay scattered under chairs like sleeping animals. Quiet. Still.
It was mine now.
My sanctuary.
I dropped my bag by the door and stepped inside, letting the silence settle around me.
How do I prepare for this competition?
What kind of song should I even sing?
I pulled out the piano bench and sat down, fingers brushing the keys. They were cold and familiar. A thousand melodies flooded my mind—songs I'd practiced, ones I'd admired, even ones I hated. But none of them felt right. Not anymore.
Should I write something new?
Maybe that was the only way.
If I was going to survive this, I had to make something that came from me.
I opened the system screen with a thought.
Status
Main Class: Singer – Mastery (12%)
Subclass: Martial Artist – Mastery (5%)
The martial artist class was leveling slowly, but surely. I trained at night when I couldn't sleep—throwing punches at a worn sandbag in my room, running until my lungs burned. It helped keep me grounded.
I was starting to understand how the system worked.
Mastery wasn't just about repetition—it was about immersion. Every action, every thought related to the class contributed to growth. Even something as simple as brainstorming lyrics for a song nudged the bar forward.
But there was a difference—main class progression was noticeably faster.
It felt like a bonus exp system in a game. When I set something as my main class, I gained progress at twice the rate. Subclass still leveled, but it was sluggish by comparison.
And then there was the strange part—what came with the mastery.
It wasn't just numbers increasing. I felt… changes. Like flashes of muscle memory or mental clarity surfacing from someone else's past. The first time I sang with Singer as my main class, I noticed how effortlessly my breathing adjusted. How certain notes just felt right. Like I'd been training for years—but all at once.
Martial Artist was similar. At first, I moved like a rookie student. My stances were rough, unbalanced. But as my mastery ticked upward, I found myself recalling footwork drills, sparring patterns—memories that didn't belong to me, yet felt like mine.
It was like… rediscovering a part of myself that had always been there. As if each class I unlocked came with a soul imprint—a fragment of someone who had walked that path before me.
The system didn't just teach me skills.
It let me become those who had already mastered them.
But I also learned quickly: the body had limits.
Even if the memory was there, I needed the strength and stamina to use it properly. I couldn't just spam martial arts techniques or sing for hours on end without paying the price. Endurance, breath control, physical fitness—those were still mine to build.
Still, it made one thing clear.
If I wanted to walk this road and unlock the truth behind this power…Then I had to keep training..
I dismissed the screen with a sigh.
And that's when I saw it.
The violin.
It sat in its case near the window, the lid slightly open as if it had been waiting for me. The polished body shimmered in the amber afternoon light, its strings still and silent.
Untouched.
Unplayed.
My chest tightened.
I hadn't held it since that day.
I approached slowly, as though nearing the grave of someone I once loved.
Its reflection curved along the varnished surface. I reached out—but just before my fingers could graze the wood, I pulled back.
I wasn't ready.
Not yet.
I turned around and sat at the piano again, my thoughts racing.
"…I've decided," I whispered.
If I can't play the violin anymore… then I'll write a song for it.A song that remembers what I've lost.A song only I could create.
To do that, I needed something more.
I pulled up the system screen with a flick of thought. The interface pulsed faintly, like it was waiting for me to act.
[Available Class Points: 1]
Unlock Class?
Pianist – 1 pt
I hesitated only for a second.
Acquired!
Sub Class: Pianist – Mastery (0%)
As soon as I confirmed it, a subtle shift echoed through my body—not as dramatic as switching main class, but still noticeable. My fingers tingled, not from power, but from memory. Like I could almost feel the weight of unseen keys beneath them.
"...Okay," I murmured, letting out a slow breath.Let's start from the beginning—again.