I had no idea how long I was out, but when I woke up, I found myself inside my room. The air was still, heavy even. The lights were off, and everything around me was swallowed in darkness. My head throbbed faintly as I stumbled through the room, hands brushing against the wall until I finally found the window. With a tired tug, I pulled the curtains open — the faint silver of moonlight slipped in, revealing the world outside. It was night.
I let out a long sigh of relief and dropped back onto the bed, the mattress groaning under my weight. Just as I was about to close my eyes again, a soft brrrrr echoed through the room — the sharp vibration of a phone cutting through the silence.
"What is that?" I muttered, frowning.
I flicked on the light switch, squinting as the dull yellow glow filled the room. The sound was coming from my desk. My eyes caught sight of the small device resting there — the phone Mr. Bront had given us on the first day of school. I had tossed it aside back then, thinking I'd never use it. Now, it was vibrating violently, like it was demanding my attention.
I walked over and picked it up, sitting on the edge of the bed. The moment my fingers touched the screen, it unlocked on its own, and the display began flickering with boxes — missions, dozens of them — flashing and disappearing faster than I could even read.
"Whoa…" I leaned in, trying to focus, but each mission only stayed for half a second before vanishing.
I sighed and just tapped a random one, my finger landing on the glowing Apply button. A second later, the text expanded, revealing the full description.
Mission: "Trouble at Kasei High."
A string of brutal murders has shaken Kasei High — a school overflowing with delinquents and misfits. During this mission, you will need to infiltrate the school under the guise of a transfer student. Your objective: uncover the source of the killings, gather solid evidence, and identify the culprit — all without blowing your cover. Failure means more lives lost… and a rank decrease.
"Rank decrease?" I murmured, yawning. My eyelids drooped as I mumbled to myself, "Guess I'll deal with it tomorrow…"
The next thing I knew, morning had arrived.
When my eyes opened again, I was sitting in a metal chair in the middle of a dimly lit room. The air smelled faintly of dust and cold iron. A large projector flickered to life in front of me, casting a white glow across the floor. Two men in black suits stood on either side — both wearing sunglasses despite the lack of sunlight.
"This is what you'll need to know for this mission," said the one to the right, his voice calm and firm.
The other man pointed toward the glowing screen, which displayed a student profile. "Your new name will be Tsugioshi Kabe. The individual we suspect at this moment is a boy named Opu Oshi. He was reportedly bullied by the same students who ended up dead."
The screen shifted to show a boy with messy brown hair and lifeless eyes staring into nothing.
"You'll need to investigate him and gather information on who the culprit could be," the man continued.
"Got it!" I said, trying to sound confident — maybe too confident.
Not even an hour later, I found myself walking toward my new school, Kasei High. I wore a red uniform that felt stiff and uncomfortable, its color brighter than I'd like. Around me, other students in similar uniforms crowded the streets, laughing, shoving, and cursing. The building up ahead loomed tall and battered — the kind of place that gave off the scent of trouble before you even stepped inside.
As I reached the school gate, my eyes caught sight of a commotion. A group of students surrounded someone near the courtyard. I edged closer, curiosity pulling me in.
When I got close enough, I froze. It was him — Oshi Opu. He was on the ground, arms wrapped around his knees as kicks and laughter echoed around him. The sight hit me harder than I expected.
"This scene…" I whispered. Memories crashed back — the boy I once helped, Haruki. The one who had smiled, thanked me… and then murdered me.
"Catch the culprit." That familiar deep voice in my head ordered me.
My chest tightened, my breathing quickened. I grabbed my shirt as my heartbeat pounded against my ribs.
Then, a firm hand rested on my shoulder. I turned around to see an older man with a gray beard, his eyes sharp with authority.
"Cut it out and get to class now!" he barked. His voice carried command, enough to make everyone scatter instantly.
The bullies backed away, muttering as they went. Oshi stayed on the ground, trembling slightly.
Even after everything, I crouched down near him. "It's for the mission," I reminded myself.
"Hey, are you okay?" I asked quietly, extending a hand.
He didn't take it. Instead, he scrambled to his feet, gave a brief nod, and ran into the building without a word.
"I get why they think it's him now," I muttered, standing back up.
When I reached the doors of classroom 1-A, I hesitated. My thoughts were still circling back to that moment. Then, a slap landed on my back, nearly knocking the air out of me.
"You're the new transfer student, correct?" said a bald man with a grin — the teacher, apparently.
"Y–Yes, sir," I stammered.
He opened the classroom door. The sight inside nearly made me forget to breathe. The desks were scattered, graffiti covered the walls, and the windows were cracked with holes in them. Loud laughter filled the air.
But as soon as the teacher clapped his hands, the chaos stopped. Everyone rushed to fix their desks and sit down as if nothing had happened.
"This is our new transfer student, Tsugioshi Kabe," he announced. "He'll be joining your class from today onward."
I gave a stiff nod, not daring to speak.
"Kabe, you can sit near Oshi — that empty seat at the front."
Of course. The one right beside him.
I walked to my seat, feeling a dozen pairs of eyes follow my every step. Oshi sat by the window, gaze fixed outside, silent as stone.
The teacher began writing on the board. "Today we'll continue our lesson from yesterday — trigonometry."
A nervous gulp escaped me. Trigonometry, huh? This might be harder than fighting monsters.
By the time lunch arrived, my head felt like it was going to explode. I rested it on my desk, groaning quietly.
That peace didn't last.
A group of boys surrounded Oshi's desk, laughing obnoxiously. Their uniforms hung loosely from their waists, white tank tops showing underneath.
"Ew, look at what he's eating," one of them sneered, pointing at Oshi's small, messy bento box.
"I… I made it," Oshi mumbled weakly, eyes trembling.
"Shut the hell up. Did I give you permission to talk?" The boy smacked the box off the desk, food spilling across the floor.