Here is the translation and localization of the chapters, continuing with the name Kagehiro Shiro (or Shiro).
Chapter 5: The King of the Savannah
I want to be a lion!
Lions are large and well-proportioned, with long, elegant limbs and enchanting eyes—much like a cat's. In a pride, once a young male grows strong enough, he will challenge and defeat the old king to become the new ruler.
While the lionesses in a pride are generally stable—staying in the same group from birth until death—the male lions are often rotated out. They are either driven away by a younger, more charismatic male, or they leave on their own to seek new territory and families.
During their youth, they are cast out to wander the wilderness alone. On the savannah, you'll find inexperienced adolescents, prime adventurers radiating power, and fallen kings who have been usurped. These wanderers sometimes act alone, surviving in the shadows, or they form alliances. Until one member conquers another pride, they are sworn brothers, sharing joys and sorrows as they roam the plains, tracking migrating prey.
It's said that some males are so talented and charismatic that they can control multiple prides in a territory, maintaining two "homes" at once. Within the group, the male lion doesn't need to work; he only needs the martial power to defeat invading enemies. He lives a life of privilege. From being a promising youth to a radiant adult, even if he is eventually replaced by a younger lion in his old age, he can look back at his life with no regrets.
The fact that everything can be settled purely through martial force is the best part.
If there is a next life, I definitely want to become a lion!
Biology class didn't happen every day, so if Shiro wanted to hear the teacher's evaluation of this essay, he'd probably have to wait until next week. Spinning his pen, Shiro's thoughts drifted to next week, looking forward to catching up with his "sworn brother"—the boy who wanted to be a solitary "Bear."
"Heh."
First period ended smoothly. Second period was Math, a subject he didn't need to pay much attention to. He opened his manuscript, reviewed yesterday's progress, and began working on the final touches.
Lunch break meant eating bread on the rooftop. In reality, school bentos were almost always cold and weren't as delicious as people imagined, and the cafeteria required enduring noisy crowds and long lines. So, he chose a Melon-pan. While there was that strange "Carb-on-Carb" hybrid known as the Yakisoba-pan, he preferred the simple, honest sweetness of the melon bread.
In addition to the stairs at either end of the building, there was a central staircase. The lock leading to the roof from the central stairs was broken and had never been fixed—a secret known only to a few.
From the roof, you could see the entire school campus. The distant town was partially blocked by a few buildings taller than the school, so the view didn't stretch too far. Shiro checked his phone for news, but there were still no official reports. Was there an information blackout? The domestic internet was silent. He wondered what the international web looked like.
He turned to sit down and saw the solitary "Bear," Hikigaya Hachiman, also there to eat his lunch.
"Say hello if you're going to join me," Shiro said.
"There's no need for that," Hachiman replied.
Shiro sat on the other side of the bench, crossing his right leg over his left knee and leaning back. Being able to eat at one's own pace in a quiet place without worrying about social cues was a great luxury. And compared to the courtyard, which was crawling with couples, the roof was practically empty.
"Is it good?" Shiro glanced at Hachiman's sausage roll.
"It's average."
"What about Komachi's bento?" Hachiman had a younger sister—cute, obedient, and very lively.
"No leftovers from last night," Hachiman replied, his "dead fish eyes" staring straight ahead. He only looked down to take a bite after he had finished swallowing.
"Ah..." Shiro understood.
The two ate in silence, perfectly practicing the philosophy of "no talking while eating." The sea breeze on the roof was refreshing, lacking the sweltering heat of summer since it was still spring.
Shiro didn't plan on telling Hachiman about yesterday's incident. In fiction, the protagonist always regrets not telling their friends about the key details sooner. But in reality, there are too many complications and hesitations.
"Leaving already?" Shiro asked.
"Yeah," Hachiman replied, leaving without a moment's delay.
After he left, Shiro lay down on the bench. He didn't think sleeping in a public place was a great idea, but he only did it because no one was around. He certainly didn't want to sleep at his desk in the noisy classroom, and lunch breaks were too short for a proper nap. He didn't want to go to the nurse's office either.
He hadn't slept well last night, having spent hours scouring the internet for information. He was already thinking about buying a sword; only having a blade nearby could make him feel truly at ease. Strictly speaking, he was running on fumes, and the cool breeze made him drowsy.
Just... just for a little bit, he thought. He slowly closed his eyes.
He woke up from a daydream—a high-brightness dream whose details were already fading, leaving only a lingering sense of sadness. His mood upon waking was terrible. At some point, the arm he had used to cover his eyes had moved to his forehead. His eyes had probably felt uncomfortable under the pressure while he slept, and he had moved his arm unconsciously.
"Terrible."
Staring straight up, he saw the bright sky. It looked no different from the sky back home—the modern grayish-blue, lacking the crystal clarity of the ancient world. Great heaps of white clouds sat like marshmallows, but the sun wasn't hiding behind them, which explained why the dream had been so bright.
"Ah..."
Shiro pulled out his phone. He saw that the first period of the afternoon was already half over. His face twisted into a grimace. Heaven is my witness, I didn't actually intend to skip class.
But he didn't rush. Since he was already late, he might as well take his time. He sat up slowly.
The courtyard was empty and silent. On the other side of the building, he could hear faint shouts from a PE class. PE at this school covered everything—volleyball, track, tennis, soccer, ping-pong.
The afternoon breeze on the roof had turned cooler. It felt wonderful against his face. The cicadas wouldn't appear until summer, so there were no noisy mating calls yet; every sound that reached his ears was pleasant. Shiro licked his dry lips and decided to go down to the vending machine for a drink.
As he descended the stairs, he moved cautiously, afraid of being spotted by someone in the hallway. He let out a soft laugh at his own skittishness. He navigated the corners with perfect "safety first" precision.
He dropped a few coins into the machine and selected a citrus soda. He walked through the campus, sipping the drink. He avoided the courtyard—a "dangerous land" surrounded by enemies on four sides.
He approached the main exit, a large hall with a massive central pillar. The windows here would catch the sunset in the late afternoon; every student had to pass through here to leave the building. He decided to just sit on the steps of the exit and kill time until the period ended.
"Hm?"
Someone's coming in at this hour? If it was a teacher, he'd have to relocate.
A figure appeared at the school's main gate. Since school was in session, the gate was naturally closed and guarded by security. The person stood there abruptly, shoulders slumped.
"Hey! What are you doing there?" the school guard called out, performing his duty.
The person didn't respond. The guard felt like the stranger was rolling his eyes at him—an act of provocation. Then, the person began to slam their body against the gate. Clang! Clang! The heavy sounds echoed.
"Hey!" the guard shouted, startled by the irrational behavior. "This is a school! If you don't have business here, please leave!"
Still no response. Only a low, guttural groan. "Ugh..."
The guard assumed the person was ill. He gripped his radio but then put it back. He decided to open the gate to see what was wrong. But the moment the gate swung open, the person stumbled inside.
Shiro watched from the distance, feeling that something was deeply wrong. He had a sense of deja vu—a feeling so distant it felt foreign.
It felt like... like a scene from an anime he had watched in his first life!
He squeezed the soda bottle in his hand. Fortunately, it was empty, but the force of his grip crushed it into a mangled ball of plastic. Realization struck Shiro's mind. He spun around and sprinted back into the school building.
He took the stairs two or three at a time, clearing two floors in seconds. He bolted down the empty hallway, the "thump-thump-thump" of his footsteps echoing off the walls.
He skidded to a halt at the door of Class 2-F. It wasn't his class; his was Class E. Shiro forced his breathing to steady and plastered a pleasant, fake smile on his face.
Knock! Knock!
"Come in," a casual female voice called from the podium.
Shiro slid the door open. "Excuse me. Is Hikigaya Hachiman-kun here? Tanaka-sensei needs to see him for a moment."
"Hikigaya?" Hiratsuka Shizuka, the Japanese teacher at the front, looked puzzled. The idea of someone actually coming to look for her most antisocial student was unheard of. "Tanaka-sensei...?" As she tried to remember which Tanaka it could be, Shiro was already waving his hand at Hachiman, who sat by the inner wall.
This guy...
Hachiman knew instantly that Shiro was lying. No teacher would ever go out of their way to find him.
"That's the guy..." Miura Yumiko, sitting near the "protagonist's seat," frowned. He's the guy from the convenience store yesterday. He knows our class loner?
Because part of Hachiman's name sounded like "Hikikomori" (shut-in), she had remembered him as the "Hiki-loner."
"Hiki-kun...?" Yuigahama Yui also looked over. She remembered him—Hachiman's only friend from another class?
"Wait, that guy looks so gloomy. Does he really go to our school?"
"Ah... I think I recognize him."
"Isn't that the 'Weirdo' from Class E?"
"Weirdo? What weirdo?"
The classroom began to buzz with whispers.
SLAM!
Shizuka-sensei slammed her book on the podium. "Quiet down! We're in the middle of a lesson." She scratched her head with a hand covered in chalk dust and turned back to the door.
"Ah..."
***********************************************
For advanced chapters up to 20 chapter ahead is on my Patreon
My Patreon name : M7md_sol
If your having trouble reaching my Patreon
Just write M7md_sol Patreon on Google search and I'll probably be the first page that shows up and thanks for any support you guys give