"Woah, look he's so handsome!"
"Shhh, you idiot. That's the Yakuza kid, don't look at him or he'll punch you even if you're a woman!"
"Huuuh? Really, what a shame.."
'Sigh...I can hear you guys'
Reiji looked around and realized there were many people glancing at him both in fear and interest. The girls were doing double takes, but their glimmering eyes turned dark when they recognized him.
Getting this much attention was more than a little unnerving for him. He was someone who was used to just being in a corner and minding his own business.
He tried his best to ignore them and shuffled on, moving towards his classroom which was on the first floor. Class 1A, where a lot of the story took place in the first stages of the game, Reiji was honestly excited to see it in person.
After playing the game 100 times, being able to experience the locations and characters firsthand was intriguing. Soon he arrived at the door, took a really deep breath, and slid it open.
The students who were already there turned to look at him, and most of them looked confused.
"Hey, who's that? Is it a transfer student?"
"I don't kn- eh? Isn't that Yagami?"
Conversations like that were whispered throughout the class, and Reiji moved to his desk, at the back left of the room which was next to the window.
'Meh, at least I've got the best spot in the class. Also, pleaaasse stop looking at me.'
Reiji sat down and dropped his bag next to him, curling his arms up and resting his head on the desk to block out the noise. He felt a little bit like a zoo animal, and it wasn't comfortable at all. If the attention was mainly positive, at least he could handle it somewhat, but when they realized who he was, everyone shrunk away and tried to block him out.
Well, he can't blame them. A violent, narcissistic delinquent who also has a terrifying background isn't exactly someone you'd just walk up to and chat with leisurely.
"U-Um, Yagami-kun?"
Scratch that.
Reiji raised his head and turned to look at the fidgeting green-haired boy who he helped in the alley.
"Hm? Oh it's you. What do you want? Are they messing with you again?"
"O-Oh no, I j-just wanted to thank you for earlier," he stuttered nervously.
The rest of the class looked at the corner in shock, flabbergasted at the sight of someone initiating a conversation with Yagami Reiji.
"Isn't that Ichihara? Did Reiji move on to that poor dude now?" Someone whispered.
Reiji just sighed and looked at Ichihara.
"Don't mind it, I didn't do much." He looked away and went back to lounging on his desk, hoping that he'd walk away.
Ichihara fidgeted in place for a few more seconds, as if he was contemplating something.
"M-My name is Ichihara Haruki, I-I'll go now."
With his introduction he walked away and sat a few desks diagonally to Reiji.
'What the hell, he was in the same class? OG Reiji had no memory of this dude.'
Well, he could barely recognize any of the students in the class. The main cast hadn't arrived yet because there was still over 20 minutes before homeroom started. Reiji secretly looked around and saw that he hadn't really talked to anyone in the class, since they had all avoided him like the plague even on the actual first day of school because of his appearance and reputation.
And since Reiji backed that reputation up thoroughly, he had become an outcast for the past month.
'This is worse than I thought. Reiji only used to chat with those upper-year delinquents, and there's no way in hell I'm going to keep mingling with them. Well, It'll be fine as long as they keep ignoring me.'
As Reiji was lost in his thoughts, the classroom door swung open again and a trio of students walked in. He turned instinctively and froze.
A petite girl, about 5'2, with exaggeratedly large curves in all the right places and brunette hair that was cut in a bob. She wore a pair of glasses over her almond-colored eyes that gave her a quiet and timid look. This was Sakuraba Hina, one of the three heroines in the game and the childhood friend of the protagonist.
Next to her was a taller girl, who had long blonde hair styled into a mature look and a slightly revealing uniform that showcased her seductive figure. Her emerald green eyes sparkled as she chatted in a very energetic manner with Hina, emphasizing her gyaru personality. The second heroine, Yuzuki Haruna.
"Hina-tan, what club are you going to join? Tell me pleaaase, I might join with you!"
"I-I don't know yet Haruna-chan, I'm still thinking about it," Hina replied.
"Why does it matter, just choose whatever and go with it."
The last remark was made by the boy who stood behind the two heroines. He had an average height, around 5'7, short brown hair and black eyes. Everything about him seemed unassuming, average even. It's not like he was ugly, in fact he could be considered decently good-looking, but nothing about him stood out.
It made sense in a way, because the game never showed his face. It was done from a first person's POV after all, so the player never got to seem him. This was done intentionally so that the player could input their own personality and choices to drive how the character was perceived. This meant that Reiji had a sneaking suspicion that this man was the protagonist, and Haruna's reply confirmed it.
"Geez, Riku-tan! That's not a good way to choose anything you know? This is imp-or-tant!"
"Yeah Yeah, whatever you say."
Kazama Riku, the protagonist of ~My Lovely Harem School Life~.....
'I still cringe every time I even think of that name. Still, I knew the heroines were going to be beautiful, but this exceeded every expectation I had.'
The game was designed in an anime style, while this was the real world. So Reiji had been curious about how the main cast would translate their image, and he was not disappointed. Their appearance was the type that would draw in attention like a magnet even if they just stood there.
Plus, each of them had their own unique charm. Hina's timid nature gave her a very kind and warm energy, igniting the desire to protect her. Haruna, on the other hand, was the type that was vibrant and colorful and enjoyed talking to people just for fun.
'Well, that's what she shows others anyway.'
They could be considered polar opposites, yet they were best friends. It was Hina who introduced Haruna to Riku at the start of the school year, and they quickly hit it off because of some of the events that must have happened before the transmigration.
Reiji observed them for a few seconds, the novelty of the situation piquing his interest. But he soon fell back onto his desk, since it didn't really concern him anyway.
"Well, Haruna-chan, do you have any ideas on what club you want to join?" Hina asked curiously.
"Hmmmm, let's see. I'm debating between cooking and dance. They both sound fun, but if what you choose sounds interesting I'd rather go with you Hina-tan!"
"Oh, I still haven't decided. I think I'll do more research since we have another week before the deadline."
"Haha, researching that seriously sounds exactly like you! Don't be such a nerd Hina," Riku replied with a chuckle.
Though Reiji had his head down, he was partially listening to their conversation. He frowned at Riku's teasing remark and scratched his hair.
'Isn't that....the bad choice? The good choice would be to go with her and check out the clubs, thus showing interest and increasing favorability. The neutral option would be to make some suggestions according to her preferences. Why....did he go for the worst one?'
This was one of the minor events in the game, where the trio would discuss the club choices, leading to various situations that would affect favorability.
Reiji was a little confused at Riku's choice. Even if it was a joke, it showed a lack of interest in the conversation.
"That's a little mean Riku..."
"Oh come on Riku-tan, don't be a downer," Haruna pouted.
"I was just joking, geez. It's not that deep."
'Does he default to the bad option if there's no player controlling him? That can't be true, if that was the case he would have chosen to watch and laugh at Greeny being beaten up this morning...'
He had subconsciously started to call Ichihara by a nickname, a habit of the the original Reiji. More importantly, there was something intriguing about Riku's decisions and Reiji needed to understand it more.
'Some of the events place the heroines in danger....If he doesn't choose the best option at that time...It'll be bad.'
Just as he was pondering on some of those events, the door slammed open again and a stern and chillingly cold voice rang through the class that silenced everyone.
"Where is Yagami Reiji?"