The teacher pointed to an empty seat by the window, in the second-to-last row. The spot was perfect for discreetly tuning out, contemplating the clouds or the crows sleeping on the branches. But there was one detail. It was right in front of one of the few boys in this class—Hyoudou Issei.
As Jin unhurriedly made his way to his desk, he shot a short, sharp glance toward the future wielder of the Red Dragon. This wasn't a glance of introduction or curiosity. It was the cold, appraising stare of a predator sizing up another animal in its territory. Issei, who had been gawking at the new "competition" with a dopey grin, caught that gaze and instinctively flinched. An icy chill ran down his spine. He didn't understand what that was, but something in those violet eyes made him pale and hastily look away, staring at his textbook with an intensity that suggested his life depended on it.
Jin took his seat, and the teacher, clapping her hands, continued the lesson.
The class sank into a monotonous drone. It was a lecture on modern Japanese literature, an analysis of some sickeningly sentimental story about lost love and blooming sakura. Material that Jin, thanks to the knowledge poured into him, knew almost by heart. He propped his head on his hand and stared out the window. Boredom. Thick, viscous, almost tangible.
He could feel the stares. Dozens of them. Almost the entire female population of the class, instead of heeding the teacher's words, was covertly studying him. Admiring, curious, dreamy gazes. He heard their quiet, broken whispers, which to his heightened hearing sounded as clear as a shout. "He's perfect even in profile...", "I wonder if he's seen Kiba-kun yet?", "We have to go talk to him after class...". Added to this were a couple of irritated, envious glares from the "Perverted Trio," who clearly sensed a threat to their dubious status.
Jin sighed heavily. His mind was blank. He closed his eyes, letting the teacher's monotone voice and the warm sunlight lull him. He started to nod off, sinking into a welcome drowsiness…
BRRRIIIIINNNG!
The sharp, deafening bell announcing the end of class made him jolt. He opened his eyes. And realized there would be no escape. With the bell, his desk was instantly surrounded by a tight ring of girls. They pushed and giggled, trying to get closer, their eyes burning with the enthusiasm of explorers who had stumbled upon a new, undiscovered species.
"Izayoi-kun, is it true your hair color is natural? It's so beautiful, almost platinum!" "Are you a foreigner? You have such unusual features... And your eyes! They're such a deep violet! I've never seen any like them!" "Where did you transfer from?" "What are your hobbies? What kind of music do you listen to? Your headphones look so professional!" "Tell us, tell us, do you have a girlfriend?!" "What's your type? Do you like girls with long hair or short? With big breasts or small?!"
The questions rained down from all sides, interrupting each other, creating a deafening din. Jin, though a bit overwhelmed by the onslaught, tried to remain calm. He answered some of the questions, attempting to project a friendliness he didn't feel.
"It's my natural hair. Not a foreigner, just turned out this way. My hobby is... reading."
At one point, one of them, the boldest girl with a short haircut, asked with interest, "Izayoi-kun, have you settled into the academy yet? Do you know where everything is? If you want, I can give you a tour! I'll show you all the best spots!"
Her words were the trigger. "Hey, Kaori, I wanted to offer first! Izayoi-kun, I know all the secret paths and places where you can sit in peace!" "No, me! I'll show him the gym and the pool! He must be good at sports!"
The girls began to argue noisily, offering their services. Jin was bewildered. This deafening squabble between young girls fighting for the right to be his guide was both comical and exhausting.
And then, amidst the din, three uncertain male voices spoke up. "U-uh... we could... maybe... too..."
All the girls instantly fell silent and, as if on command, turned their venom-filled gazes on the source of the sound. It was the "Perverted Trio." Issei, Matsuda, and Motohama were standing by their desk, trying to look confident, but their bravado quickly evaporated under the collective female glare.
"We... we were thinking..." Issei began, his voice trembling slightly, "that we'd give the new guy a tour... as... well... fellow male students. Us guys gotta stick together!"
The room temperature instantly plummeted. The smiles on the girls' faces vanished, replaced by icy masks. Their eyes darkened, and a dark aura seemed to gather around them. They stood with faces worthy of a Japanese horror story.
"Y-y-you...?" one of them hissed, her voice dripping with contempt. "You want to corrupt the new guy with your pestilent influence?!" "How dare you even interrupt our introduction to Jin-sama?!" "You trash aren't worthy of breathing the same air as him!"
The girls became more and more terrifying in the trio's eyes. Their aura was crushing, making the boys shrink. They seemed to become smaller and more pathetic under the onslaught.
Watching this scene—the demonic faces of the girls and the pathetic, terrified expressions of the "Perverted Trio"—Jin's tension broke. He couldn't hold it in. He burst out laughing. Loudly, genuinely, from the heart.
"Ahaha-ha-ha... haah... ehhh..."
The laughter instantly drew everyone's attention. The girls turned, their menacing looks immediately replaced by surprise. The trio stared at him with their mouths open.
Jin wiped away a tear of laughter and, turning to the girls, flashed them a bright, confident smile. "Thank you all for such a warm welcome," he said, his voice charming and firm. "I'm very pleased. But I'm afraid I'll have to politely decline your kind offers."
He shifted his gaze to the boys standing dejectedly to the side. "I'll go with these idiots."
When their eyes met, Jin's gaze changed. The warmth vanished, and his smile turned slightly mocking, predatory. A cold glint flashed in his violet eyes, making the trio flinch involuntarily. This guy was weird. And possibly very dangerous.
In the academy courtyard, under the shade of a sprawling tree, the official introductions took place. "I'm Matsuda!" the guy in glasses introduced himself, adjusting them with an intellectual air. "My goal is to gather data on all the beauties in this school! My 'All-Seeing Eye' ability allows me to determine a girl's measurements down to the millimeter just by looking!" "And I'm Motohama!" the second, stocky guy with a buzz cut chimed in. "My dream is to become a true kendo master... so I can peek in the girls' locker room! I've developed a 'Pervert's Ear' that lets me hear girlish whispers through three walls!"
Jin stood with a completely blank face, listening to their nonsense. 'Why haven't they been castrated yet?' he thought, detached.
Finally, it was the protagonist's turn. "I'm Hyoudou Issei! My dream is to become the Harem King! I'll gather the most beautiful girls around me and create my own kingdom of love and erotica!"
Jin listened intently. Hyoudou Issei. He thought about this guy's fate. About his future. He compared this loud, clumsy, obsessed idiot with the character who would one day become one of the strongest beings, challenge gods, and save the world. And he couldn't believe it was the same person. The gap between the present and the future was colossal. Jin stared at Issei for so long and so intently that he started to get nervous and fidget, interrupting Jin's thoughts.
Unexpectedly for everyone, Jin asked Issei a question in all seriousness. He pensively brought a finger to his chin and tilted his head slightly, his gaze completely serious.
"Why a Harem King, specifically?"
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