Although Yukinoshita had declared she liked girls, no one really knew who it was she liked.
A person like her used to be like a poisonous mushroom growing in a dark corner sinister and spiteful. But now, she was more like the untouched snow atop Mount Fuji in winter pure, aloof, untouchable.
Ever since that day when she was hit with a triple strike of "Guardian Committee Warning," "Legal Letter Warning," and "Secret Crush Warning" the resentment toward her in the class, and even throughout the school, hadn't disappeared entirely, but it had at least been reined in.
Those who once enthusiastically sought to provoke her had largely vanished as well.
At this age, girls' feelings toward same-sex crushes vary. Some are indifferent, some feel uncomfortable or offended.
But when the person doing the crushing is a stunningly beautiful girl, the entire dynamic shifts instantly.
Casual passersby began appearing near the door of Class 2-F more and more frequently. There were both boys and girls among them.
"Is that Yukinoshita? She doesn't look like a toxic manipulator at all."
"You can't judge a book by its cover... But seriously, is she really into girls?"
"I think she is."
"Why?"
"Because... maybe she has a thing for me!"
Yukinoshita: "…"
Her current urgent mission remained the same: to reverse the negative image held by those popular and influential figures around her. Otherwise, the threat of being taken over body and soul would remain a sword hanging over her head.
The glowing screen appeared before her eyes again. The pitch-black humanoid silhouette had faded ever so slightly, now almost imperceptibly. Beneath it was a simple progress bar.
[Negative Impression: 99% - Takeover Risk: 99%]
Only when the silhouette turned pure white and the progress bar hit zero would Yukinoshita finally be safe from possession.
She still had no idea where this system came from or how it operated. Maybe it was the twisted product of some intergalactic civilization like those infamous QB beings. But right now, she had no choice but to play along one step at a time.
At least the system wasn't entirely heartless it didn't make her work for free.
A conscientious capitalist. Nice.
A refreshing change of pace!
Hmm…
She was beginning to notice a growing compulsion to snark at everything. Probably a result of just how many things in this world deserved to be snarked at.
After her last completed option, the system had awarded her a +1 to "Spirit," and Yukinoshita genuinely felt her memory and thinking speed improve, if only slightly.
Now with Spirit +3, she was bursting with mental energy, but the academic material she'd missed over the past year still gave her a splitting headache. Her current grades were arguably the most humiliating of her entire life.
From scoring in the top three during entrance exams to dropping to the bottom of the class and ranking in the bottom ten of the entire year she had achieved a sort of tragic excellence.
Yukinoshita held a special grudge against the one who had stolen her body.
Who even was this possessor? Did they get a license before hijacking someone else's body? Was there no martial code anymore?
To sneak in and attack a sixteen-year-old girl like her truly despicable.
But useless complaints could only go so far. With a sigh, Yukinoshita opened her phone and launched LINE, Japan's most widely used messaging app. Even as the "golden-haired Yukinoshita," her social circle was pitifully sparse.
Her contact list had plenty of entries, but they could all be classified into three sad categories:
Guys she had already flirted with
Guys she was currently flirting with
Guys she ghosted or blocked after they wouldn't leave her alone
Girls who were victims and had already been blocked
Yukinoshita: "..."
She deleted them all.
Then she noticed that only one contact remained a user her predecessor had labeled That Nasty Woman.
Yukinoshita stared at the avatar for a while. Eventually, she changed the label.
To "Sister."
Their chat history was completely blank. It wasn't clear whether the messages had been wiped or if, like in the past, the two had simply never messaged each other.
She sat still for a moment, then curled up in her seat, burying her face in the crook of her arms.
No matter how composed and strong-willed she was, she was still only a sixteen-year-old girl. Overnight, she had lost more than a year of time, found her life in shambles, and her future in a fog. Even if she could handle everything on her own, it didn't mean she wasn't hurting.
She didn't even know what her current relationship with her family was like or if it, too, was in ruins.
After school that day, Yukinoshita logged into her school forum account. She glanced at her inbox, now bursting with profanities and sarcasm, and massaged her temples.
There was simply too much lost knowledge. She was seriously considering hiring a tutor.
She had just finished packing up her things when a woman burst into the classroom. Dressed in a flowing white trench coat, with sharp features and an intense aura, she stormed in and scanned the room before her eyes landed, puzzled, on Yukinoshita.
"Yukinoshita? Come with me."
Yukinoshita recognized her immediately Hiratsuka Shizuka, homeroom teacher of Class 2-F and the school's life guidance counselor.
In fact, just yesterday, Yukinoshita had memorized all the names and faces of her classmates and most of the staff by glancing over the attendance list and faculty directory.
Yukinoshita slowly gathered her books and ambled over. "Ms. Hiratsuka."
Truth be told, she really didn't want to deal with this kind of sharp, perceptive adult right now.
"What's with the dragging? Come on, move it."
Hiratsuka grabbed her by the sleeve and started walking. Yukinoshita kept her face calm and composed. "Sensei, I don't recall stealing your boyfriend."
Then, as if she'd just had an epiphany, she added flatly, "Oh, right. You don't have one."
A firm slap landed on the back of her head. Hiratsuka turned and smiled sweetly. "Say that again? I didn't quite catch it."
Yukinoshita wisely shut her mouth.
Hiratsuka let go and walked ahead.
"So what exactly are we doing, sensei?"
"You forgot already? It's what you promised me last week."
Yukinoshita: "..."
Apologies. Her memory only went back a year and a half.
Seeing Yukinoshita's hopeless expression, Hiratsuka seemed downright gleeful. Despite her elegant appearance, her laugh had the rugged energy of a cheerful old man.
"Yukinoshita, I heard you came out and said you liked girls?"
"I did."
"Wow. So, do you like me?"
Yukinoshita sighed. "Sensei, rather than hoping for that, wouldn't it be more realistic for you to aim at getting a date this year?"
This time, Hiratsuka didn't slap her again, because they had arrived at their destination. She pushed open a classroom door.
"Club President Hikigaya, I've brought today's client."
Yukinoshita looked in and saw a boy with a serious face and dead-fish eyes. Their eyes met for a moment before he quickly looked away.
And in that moment, Yukinoshita also realized who he was.
A fellow student at her school Hikigaya Hachiman. Also, the boy that her so-called "former friend" Yui Yuigahama had a crush on.
And, of course, yet another victim of golden-haired Yukinoshita's sea king antics.