A New Beginning, a Familiar Frustration

“Kid, are you my new deskmate?”

I turned, looking at the massive classmate beside me.

Though I wasn’t fond of this type of person, it seemed only right to get acquainted. After all, we were classmates, and despite my reluctance, I would be spending a considerable amount of time with this individual.

“…Hello, I’m Ye Sakaki, a skipped-grade student. I’ll be fourteen in about four months. It’s a pleasure to meet… Um, classmate, what’s your name?”

“Heh-oh, my name is Liu Zhuang. The ‘Liu’ is from Liu Bang, who was granted the surname in 202 BC. The ‘Zhuang’ means strong and powerful. It’s good to meet you, kid Ye Sakaki.”

“The others before you surprisingly knew their place and didn’t come to sit with me. But you, Ye Sakaki, you’re not bad. You have potential and strength, so I welcome you.”

Despite his girth, this person was unexpectedly meticulous, even complimenting a new classmate.

I hadn’t even considered the need to explain how my name was written.

‘I suppose many people might mistake my character ‘榊’ (shén) for ‘神’ (shén), meaning god or immortal, right?’

I brushed aside my bangs, which had nearly obscured my vision, then ceremoniously pulled out the new textbooks I had collected from the dean’s office.

From this moment on, studying was paramount.

My elementary school habit of haphazardly guessing ‘one’ question on every test—all “to avoid hurting my little sister’s self-esteem” by mimicking her—could no longer be employed.

For one, my little sister apparently didn’t need me as a foil.

Her utterly appalling academic performance throughout elementary school, consistently for five years, had been a deliberate act of deception.

Moreover, had I not been slightly more astute in sixth grade, breaking from the years-long tradition of intentionally leaving answers blank “to protect her self-esteem,” I would have committed a grave error.

‘I would have been completely left behind by my little sister, wouldn’t I?’

‘Even our schools would have diverged, and I’d have ended up in that fabled place within the province, coincidentally located in my own Crescent City, known as the ‘Heaven for Society’s Outcasts,’ wouldn’t I?!’

Rumor had it that every student graduating from that institution, after turning twenty, would ‘happily’ hold a green-covered piece of paper, utterly meaningless, called a ‘-Eighth Middle School Diploma-‘.

They would then remain at home, enjoying domestic bliss with their parents.

Yet, in reality, even the supposedly revered and hardworking profession of a ‘great social laborer,’ despite its low wages, was scarcely allocated by the government to those holding the so-called ‘-Eighth Middle School Diploma-‘, was it?

‘If someone were to tell their boss, “Ah, the job should be assigned to someone who graduated from ‘that’ middle school,” what would happen?’

The very next day, they would surely end up like the students from ‘Eighth Middle School’.

They would be like those who graduated from that place—a supposed school, but truly a ‘district’—whose name no one even dared to utter, instead referring to it simply as ‘that middle school’.

They would all return to their hometowns, sharing the joys of family life with their parents.

Furthermore, I had diligently prepared and painstakingly achieved the grades necessary for skipping a grade, all to be in the same class as my little sister.

As Little Qi’s older brother, even if I couldn’t match her city-wide third-place ranking, I certainly couldn’t bring shame upon her.

Though she was incredibly tsundere, my little sister definitely cared for and protected me! Of that, I could be absolutely certain.

‘If Ye Qi were to hear Ye Sakaki’s innermost thoughts, would she go mad?’

‘This product of the “Human Shield Cultivation Project” actually believed she cared for him at this moment? Absolutely not!’

‘In truth, Ye Qi was only concerned with her own perpetually proud face, and that the body which allowed her to fulfill her wish of befriending the Class Monitor wouldn’t be ruined by this ‘little brat’.’

‘Beyond that, she merely hoped his death wouldn’t be too unsightly during high school!’

Moreover, Ye Qi constantly dreamed, day and night, of one day completely possessing Ye Sakaki’s body through ‘unscientific means.’

This would allow her to achieve true ‘resurrection from the dead,’ rather than being ignominiously confined within a young girl’s shell.

‘If she were to remain in her current body, wouldn’t it be inconvenient in many ways? Uh… wouldn’t it?’

Though she hadn’t heard of an ability to swap bodies, the ‘Inner World’ was vast.

In a world where ‘flesh transmogrification into insects’ and ‘soul materialization’—abilities that bridged racial divides and could be called paranormal—existed, how could there not be a mere method of ‘body snatching’?

In truth, both versions of Ye Sakaki were quite selfish, coupled with extreme arrogance and self-esteem.

This was an extreme selfishness that permitted his possessions to drift freely, yet absolutely forbade them from falling into the hands of others.

One was stubbornly selfish about the love of his previous life’s parents and his original body, while the other clung to ‘other things’ that had changed due to a completely different life trajectory in this current existence.

‘If one were to follow the “Ability and Subconscious Connection” theory mentioned by the purple-haired senior, how could such a ‘pathological’ personality, as unyielding as ice, have possibly achieved an ability in his past life—an ability whose power was exponentially greater than others of its kind, capable of cutting and shattering even diamonds, known as ‘Complete Water Element Manipulation’?’

Ye Sakaki pulled out his newly issued textbook, then a fountain pen.

He tightened the poorly secured pen barrel before gently beginning to take notes in the book.

‘Speaking of which, is there a feeling like this in reality?’

‘That only when a textbook is brand new, without a single crease, and still carries the fresh scent of paper when flipped, does it make one’s otherwise messy handwriting appear neat?’

In any case, I had embarked on a self-study journey that began auspiciously.

‘And this promising self-study journey would likely last only until I turned the page again, causing the paper to wrinkle, wouldn’t it?’

Suddenly, I felt a gaze upon me.

It was Liu Zhuang.

“What is it, Liu Zhuang?” I asked, a touch of curiosity in my voice, for he seemed to be observing me quite intently.

“The way you’re taking notes is wrong!”

Liu Zhuang’s tone was brimming with confidence.

“Then how shou—”

Before I could finish my sentence, a classmate from the aisle side of the desks abruptly interrupted my question.

“Hey! You’re Ye Sakaki, right? That’s a really good name, full of vigor! Oh, and make sure to stick to your own style. Don’t ask unnecessary questions! It’ll really bother your deskmate! If you want to have a good school life, it’s better to just study quietly on your own.”

This person had slightly golden, medium-short hair.

Their appearance was typically ordinary yet possessed a face that quickly inspired goodwill, belonging to the kind of social talent who could effortlessly navigate any crowd.

However, their tone was a bit too aggressive, making me feel rather uncomfortable.

‘How arrogant! I hadn’t even finished speaking!’

As someone habitually self-centered and unswayed, I would never admit that a few words could provoke me to lose my composure.

Instead, I merely offered the social-type boy a ‘seemingly friendly’ smile, then resumed the interrupted conversation.

“Liu Zhuang, please excuse my earlier rudeness… What exactly did you mean by ‘incorrect’?”

Just like before, my words were cut short.

The ordinary short-haired girl sitting in front suddenly spoke up.

“Um..! Ye Sakaki, please don’t talk in class, it’s really disruptive! Please!!!”

“…”

‘Honestly, these are the people I despise the most!’

‘They were just chatting animatedly themselves, but when it comes to me, they suddenly turn into busybody parents?’

‘Is it a case of the magistrate being allowed to burn down houses while common folk can’t even light a lamp?’

What rude classmates, truly far inferior to my ‘arrogant little sister.’

‘(Yet, isn’t that comparison itself a colossal problem?!)’

“Ye Sakaki…”

Completely ignoring the provocative ‘advice’ from a few new classmates, I once again attempted to finish my interrupted reply.

Though I didn’t particularly like this deskmate, basic courtesy demanded it!

“…Liu Zhuang, what did you mean by ‘incorrect’? Is there a problem with my note-taking method?”

At this, the surrounding classmates let out a long sigh, yet I remained entirely oblivious to the situation.

However, when it came to matters of study, I would absolutely not compromise in the slightest! I simply couldn’t allow her to leave me behind again. Otherwise, how would my authority as an older brother be upheld?

Since a problem had been pointed out, I would set aside my pride and ask, seizing every opportunity to narrow the gap between us!