"When they said they'd give me time to digest the information, I didn't expect only fifteen freaking minutes," you muttered to yourself as you read through the last bit of information provided to you.

You had barely managed to squeeze in getting ready, locating literally any room, and preparing your bag in the short time interval given. Thankfully, you received some help from the mysterious person behind the unknown number, but the amount of times you got lost in the house still wasn't fun.

You made an effort to familiarise yourself with the area and began wandering around the kitchen, eyes taking their time admiring the foreign scenery. Glancing over the marble counter, your sights landed on a black box. Approaching it, you examined it with curiosity.

On closer inspection, you noticed white designs that decorated the edges. It looked like really intricately drawn roses. There was also drawn pictures of different pastries scattered across the box with the same white outline. The roses provided a professional and elegant appearance whilst the pastry imprints sprinkled in a cute and childish quality.

There was also a card settled on top of it that read:

Here are some pastries that we've prepared! Hand these out to your peers. Make sure to do your best to make friends, become the most popular person there, and steal all the hearts of the boys!

Love: Mother >3

[Information sheet]

Subject: Background Information

The (L/n) family are remarkably notable for their bakery company, especially for the uniqueness and ability to come up with innovative and eye-catching pastries that never fails to sell out. Recently, their business has been doing it's best in terms of profit and popularity.

Due to the spike in success, (Y/n)'s parents are always on the move for business purposes, working their hardest to grant a fulfilling life for their daughter. This led to (Y/n) always having to transfer schools and being often left home alone.

[Additional information: Yet to be unlocked]

A pensive expression settled on your countenance before you placed the card back onto the kitchen counter. Carefully lifting the lid up, you peeked in and saw a wide assortment of different cakes. Each one was wrapped in a transparent bag sealed with a pastel (f/c) ribbon.

The cakes were petite in size, however, it's presentation undoubtedly made up for it. Each individual cake held its own unique design done with the utmost delicacy. You almost wanted to put it up for display. "No wonder the business is doing well." You carefully held the box before grabbing your bag and heading outside.

Double checking that you've locked the door, you pocketed your keys and took out your phone to pull out a map. After you had grasped a basic understanding of your school's general location, you sighed and prayed that you don't get lost.

You knew that you could try to ask for help from that unknown number, but you'd rather do all you can without their assistance and strengthen your sense of independence in this world as much as you could.

[Information sheet]

Subject: The player

Despite the player attaining no knowledge about the world, once entered the game, they'll be automatically granted information such as basic customs and general knowledge. Regarding academic knowledge, they'll be given an average understanding on subjects they've never encountered in the past. For subjects that they have studied in the past, the knowledge they've accumulated will carry to this world.

For example: If the player had never learnt Japanese in their past life, they'll be given a basic understanding on the subject. It's their choice if they want to improve their understanding on their own.

You calmly walked along the pathway and as you were in the midst of idly observing your surroundings, you almost didn't notice the red light in front of you. Your carelessness made you wondered if you had died in a traffic accident in the past. While you waited for the light to flicker to green, you glanced over to the individual next to you and noticed that he was wearing the uniform of your school.

Listening to music through his earphones, a tranquil yet apathetic expression settled on his features. His eyes were a polished crystalline honey gold colour and were clouded in thought. The gold hue held an alluring brightness like constellations across a night sky.

"Is there something wrong?"

Oh shoot. It seemed like he had caught your stare. As soon as you both made eye contact, your phone vibrated in your pocket, much to your confusion.

Choosing to ignore it for now, you smiled sheepishly and replied, "I noticed that you were wearing the same uniform as me. I'm new to the school. I guess I was just excited to see someone else here." Nice improvisation. I should just ditch this game and become an actress.

"I see..." His voice was quiet and comforting, like a peaceful lullaby hushing you to sleep. "If you'd like, I can walk you there," he offered.

"Sweet, I'll take you up on that offer!"

If there was one thing you've learnt about the male for the past few minutes was that: he was not much of a talker at all. You had expected him to at least give you his name, but only silence lingered in the air for the entire duration of the walk. He had earphones in, so his attention was anywhere but you. You decided that it would be fine to check your phone.

[Character found: Satoshi Masaru]

Information: Yet to be unlocked

⇨ Tip: Engage in small talk

"The heck?" you mumbled under your breath.

There were many aspects to the game that you didn't understand, you barely had time to comprehend your situation and you were already introduced to a new function. You felt like you were thrown into a ferocious battle with a stick to defend yourself.

All you really knew was:

1. Don't let people die by the male leads (in which you've classified them as 'yanderes'). How in the world you were going to accomplish that? That was a thought you decided future (Y/n) can stress over.

2. This game took place in a novel-like style with an already established plot, you still had no idea how that applied to you, but you had a feeling you'll find out eventually.

Wait, so that means that this person has the capability to kill? Hesitantly, your eyes looked over to the male. A chilling feeling clutched your spine and you swallowed thickly. It was one thing saying yes to participate in the game, it was another to be currently experiencing it.

You hadn't realised that during your moment of contemplation, your eyes never tore itself away from the student. Satoshi's gaze displayed perplexion, no words parted his lips but you could tell he was expecting some form of response from you. After all, he caught you staring at him for the second time now.

"Your music," you said, trying to act like you weren't a little shaken by the male in front of you. "I was curious about what you were listening to."

Satoshi remained silent for a moment and you truly believed that he was going to kill you right then and there. However, instead, he took out his phone and displayed the song title to you. Since you had your own phone out, you assumed that he thought you wanted to search it up or something. Going by that assumption, you quickly entered the song in your notes.

"Thanks!" You pocketed your phone. The male simply nodded at you before averting his attention away again. How in god's name am I supposed to engage in small talk with him? You felt like he was the type to reply 'ok' after someone rambled a five page long essay about their extremely complicated break up.

"Why couldn't I be blessed with an irresistible charisma," you sighed to yourself dramatically and earned a curious look from Satoshi.

The male tucked his earphones away. "Sorry, I didn't know you wanted to speak to me," he said softly, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I don't mind talking." His voice carried a mellifluous tone and his expression wore a gentleness that effortlessly made you feel at ease.

This man has the capability to slit your throat, (Y/n), don't be fooled! Honestly, before making sure everyone survived the wrath of the male leads, you'd need to survive their charms first.

"Ah, I don't mean to pressure you!" you replied. I totally meant to pressure you. "But it'll be nice to talk a bit. I'm a little nervous since it's my first day and all." Actually, I'm more nervous about the idea of a potential murderer next to me.

"Don't worry, I don't feel pressure." A small smile adored his lips. "After all, I'd like you to feel welcomed."

You gave him an appreciative nod. "Well I guess introductions first before anything else. I'm (L/n) (Y/n)."

"Satoshi Masaru. If it's okay to ask, what year are you?"

You had to rack your brain a little to answer. You mentally thanked yourself for reading your student ID earlier, it would've been an awkward start if you told him you didn't know. "Third year."

"It seems like we're in the same year."

"Hopefully, we may end up in the same class!"

Satoshi nodded. "I'd like that," his voice expressed no malice, only honest kindness. However, you couldn't help but feel a sense of distance in his words, a foreboding feeling that he didn't want to get too close to you.

"Anyways, are you into music?" you questioned.

"Ah..." his voice trailed off momentarily. "I do listen from time to time, but my hobbies revolve around photography and painting. What about you?"

You assumed that due to your family's background it'll make sense to say baking. "I like to cook, specifically, baking." You'll punch yourself later if you find out that you were actually terrible at it.

[Information sheet]

Subject: The player

The player is still in possession of their body from their previous life, meaning, capabilities they had in the past are still prevalent now. Capabilities honed by this world's (Y/n) will not be given to the player.

Example: If the (Y/n) in this world had a talent for baking, the skill won't be transferred to the player.

Usually, that wouldn't be a problem. However, the memory loss you had made it become a problem. Having no idea of what your capabilities are, you would have to dedicate time to figure out what you could and couldn't do. It's like the game is doing everything it can to create every little thing into some form of activity for you to overcome.

"I supposed that makes sense," Satoshi replied.

"Yeah––wait, what do you mean?"

Amused, a small chuckle parted his lips. "The (L/n) family, their recent success has been quite a conversation topic. Everyone's lively about the upcoming event they're hosting in the near future," he explained. "So, in other words, your name makes a frequent appearance in some conversations."

This man knows more about my family than I do. Before you know it, you were going to be told that you had some secret long lost brother.

A small breeze blew by you, gracing your skin with a pleasant coolness that battled against the heat of the sun. Satoshi's brunette hair ruffled a little; the delicate light hue of brown in his hair resembled the colour of a latte and the golden rays from the sun made parts of his hair almost seem as if it were blonde. His wavy hair flowed down right above his ears and framed his gentle features.

The male's sun-kissed skin glowed under the illumination of the sun. His entire appearance held a subtle yet captivating beauty that seemed to flourish in the presence of warmer seasons. The peaceful expression that was settled on his countenance only added to his charms.

You quickly averted your attention away. Getting caught staring a third time was the last thing you needed. Drawing your attention back up front, you stopped yourself when you realised that you were nearing the school.

"I have some things to attend to," Satoshi said, "Sorry, that I couldn't accompany you further. I hope you enjoy your time here."

As he was leaving, realisation struck you and you quickly called out to the male. He glanced back with a quizzical gaze as he watched you open the box of cakes. "As a thanks for walking me here."

Satoshi looked ready to politely decline it, but before he had the chance to, you promptly placed it in his grasp. Sending him a wave goodbye, you swiftly went out of his sight before he had a chance to protest.

Once you were in the clear, you let out a soft sigh and redirected your attention back to the school. Getting accustomed would surely take a while. At least you had arrived relatively early, there weren't many students in sight. Maybe you'll head to the library first and collect your thoughts there.

"First things first is figuring out where the library is first."

"Oh! You're heading to the library too?"

You stumbled forward a little at the sudden voice. At the same time, your phone vibrated, most likely indicating that the person who just spoke to you was another one of the male leads. When you looked up, energetic greyish blue eyes stared back right at you way too close for comfort.

Wasn't he behind me just a second ago? That was way too fast! You took a few steps back, but didn't make it obvious that you were thrown off by the male's present. "That's the plan, but I'll probably get lost."

A bubbly laugh erupted from the student, his eyes twinkling with innocent amusement as a captivating smile graced his lips. His presence radiated a transparent friendliess that you found incredibly overwhelming in contrast to the guy you've just encountered before. "I'm new here as well! Wanna come with me? I'm not familiar with the school, but I'm sure I'll be able to find it."

"I mean, I have no reason to deny," you replied. "Sure."

You both entered the building and you couldn't hide the awed look on your expression. Everything was clean and polished to perfection as if they were jewels. The space was nothing to sneeze at either, the hallways alone were big enough for you to live in.

"By any chance, are you (L/n) (Y/n)?" the student asked.

You blinked in surprise. "How'd you know?"

"Of course I know! I'm a big fan of your family's pastries," he said enthusiastically. "Whenever I'm allowed, I'll always get something from them."

You really didn't know how to respond considering that you technically weren't their daughter. "That's... nice. By the way, what's your name?"

The male looked surprised for a moment before smiling brightly. "Utari Kashi!"

He held a hand to you, granting you a full display of his nails. They were painted with a vivid shade of sky blue with various designs drawn onto it in white. As well as that, most of the fingers on his hand were decorated with rings, each one with a different and stylish design. "Let's get along!"

You nodded and took his hand, ignoring the fact that having a normal relationship with him will definitely prove to be difficult given your current situation. Managing your best smile, you said, "Yeah, let's."

The two of you continued to engage in a lively chatter, Utari being the main one carrying it. You had to admit, he was really good at keeping a conversation flowing and avoiding the typical awkward silence. And, things were easier on you since he mainly talked about himself. However, he then began asking questions about you. Which would be fine under normal circumstances, however...

The problem was that you did not know anything about yourself.

"(L/n)-san, what do you like to do in your spare time?"

"Uh, cooking, I think."

"You're new here, right? Why did you transfer?"

"...Uh family reason, I think? Wait hold on––"

"Do you plan to inherit your family's business?"

"I have to what––"

"What are your favourite songs?" You picked up a note of interest in his tone as he said that question.

Oh god, what songs are here in this world? After a few seconds of panic, you remembered that you had asked Satoshi on a whim earlier what song he was listening to. You didn't remember the name, so you pulled out your phone and showed it to Utari. "Ah, I'm currently listening to this one."

A short silence descended amongst the two of you and a wave of concern washed over you. Did you open the wrong app?

"(L/n)-san..."

"Uh, yes?" you responded, genuinely confused. You pulled back your phone and checked it immediately. The song was clearly typed into notes, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

At first, a melancholic look momentarily flickered in his eyes as if he was recalling an unwanted memory. However, he was quick to burry it with a bright smile. "You seem genuinely confused," the male said before chuckling. You simply stared back, your confusion growing more by the second.

The male held a hand to his lips to stifle his giggles. "Ah, how should I put this?"

His head tilted to the side, causing his long blue hair––that was done in a slightly messy single braid––to sway gracefully along with his actions. The colour resembled the shade of forget-me-nots and its vividness granted it a zestful look. It was certainly a unique and mesmerising colour that complimented his outgoing personality perfectly.

He pointed to himself. "I'm the artist of that song."

He was the what. "Say sike right now."

Utari took out his phone and quickly searched up the song you showed him. You didn't fail to notice the small grimace on his face before he showed you his screen. "See? The artist is Utari Kashi!"

You leaned forward to read the digital text and lo and behold, his name was there. "Well then..." you mumbled awkwardly. "I guess I was too into the song to realise who the artist was."

"...Really?" The male's voice went unnaturally quiet before he instantly perked up again. "Well, now you know! Don't you think I look super cool here though? They always manage to capture my good side."

You raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "Whatever you say."

The library eventually came into sight. Upon entry, you felt like you were entering an entire empire of books, not a simple school library. You never knew a bunch of books could intimidate you so much.

"Hey, (L/n)-san?" Utari asked as he walked over to one of the shelves, picking out a book from the fantasy section.

As you were skimming through the selection yourself, you looked up and replied, "Yeah?"

He appeared a little hesitant in saying his next few words. "What did you like about the song––"

Cutting the male off were excited shrills from two female students who happened to walk by the two of you. Their gazes skimmed over your presence as if you were a feather in the wind as their attention was strictly pinned on Utari.

"He's here! I didn't think we would run into him so soon!"

"Wait, wait. I wasn't ready! I need my notepad to get his autograph!"

The two girls excitedly approached him, occupying his attention and sending a barrage of questions and requests. A curious hum flowed past your lips at that, wondering about the extent of his popularity. As the male was distracted, you took out your phone.

[Character found: Utari Kashi]

Basic Information:

A young and energetic idol, well known and popular amongst young females. Has been in the industry for a while, however, his popularity began to increase rapidly as of last year.

Has made a plethora of appearances in various magazines and tv shows.

Has only starred in one movie, however, his presence is widely demanded.

Typically well known for his energetic and upbeat music, extravagant stage presence, skilful dancing, and having incredible engagement with his fans.

[Additional information: Yet to be unlocked]

"There's still more to be unlocked?" you mumbled before shoving your phone back into your pocket. You glanced over to find that he had accumulated quite a group of girls around him. Looks like you won't be resuming your conversation with him anytime soon.

Excited susurration swept amongst the crowd, the volume of the whispering became increasingly prominent as more eager girls implored for the male's attention. Instead of being flustered, Utari handled them with ease, his friendly smile never faltering as he cheerfully chatted with everyone.

So much for coming here to collect your thoughts. You didn't mind the commotion, but you figured it was best to get out before the librarian tells everyone off for being too loud.

You walked out of the library, opting to find an empty space outside. However, as soon as you stepped out of the library, you realised that you had no idea where to go. Your eyebrows furrowed in contemplation as you tried to reflect back on your walk with the idol, but all you could remember was how you spent half the time internally panicking on how to answer the questions thrown at you.

"Are you having trouble?"

You weren't even startled by an unexpected voice this time. Was this your character development? You turned your head around as you felt a familiar buzz emitting from your phone. You really needed to mute that thing. "School hasn't started yet and I wanna go home," you said.

A small chuckle parted from the individual. "That's not a very good start." His gaze displayed a welcoming amiability and his eyes coruscated with an iridescence that sparkled with a variation of pink and purple.

"Wow, shocker." You took a closer look at the male's overall presentation. His uniform was perfectly immaculate, posture professional, and he carried a form of elegance you could only dream to achieve.

"Would you like me to grant you a tour of the school?" he asked before stopping himself. "Ah, sorry. I didn't introduce myself yet. Shichirou Yusei, I assume you're (L/n) (Y/n)?"

It was ironic that all the male leads seem to know who you were instead of vise versa. "That's me. How'd you know?"

"Well, there has been quite some discussion going around regarding the new students. An idol, the daughter of the (L/n) family, and a girl from an unknown background." He smiled at you as he tilted his head to the right, violet strands of hair briefly obscuring an eye as he did so. "I'd like to make you feel as welcomed as possible here, so don't hesitate to take up my offer."

You didn't know why he bothered to go out of his way to help you. It was either because he had some hidden motive or that he was simply a kind person. Given your current predicament, it was most likely the former. "I'll take you up on that offer," you replied. "I desperately need it."

Shichirou nodded and gestured you to follow him. He helped you around the school, explained where certain classrooms were, gave background information on certain clubs and events, and helped you figure out your timetable.

"Do you always help people like this?" you asked. "This is more of a job for the student council."

"Well, I was a part of the student council last year and am planning to try again this year," he said. "Naturally, even if I wasn't, I wouldn't ignore someone who needed help."

Why do I find that hard to believe? "How gentlemanly of you."

Chuckling lightly, Shichirou threw a wink at you. "Of course."

At that, the bell for homeroom rang and the hallways immediately flooded with students rushing to get to their classrooms.

"Oh! Before you leave." You quickly picked out a cake that happened to have matching colours to Shichirou's eyes. "As a thanks."

The male took it graciously, a humble smile gracing his lips. "I'm honored to personally receive something made from your family," he said, voice eloquent. "You don't need to feel compelled to thank me, I'll be here to help whenever you require it."

"Yeah, yeah. Just take the cake."

Shichirou chuckled, sending you a one last smile before walking off. You remained standing, arching an eyebrow before making your way to your homeroom and mumbling, "Yeah, he definitely wants something from me."

Thankfully, you didn't have to walk far. Finding a seat in the back corner, you let out a sigh as you sat down. Propping your arms against the table, you leaned your head against the palm of your hand and stared at the window. You watched as students get to their classes and a few scattered latecomers desperately rushing to make it on time.

It wasn't until you had some alone time to yourself that the bizarreness of the entire situation had finally settled into your mind. It was still difficult to wrap your head around it. It was as if this was all some dream and that you were simply playing along, waiting for the moment you wake up. If it weren't for the fact that you didn't have any memories to feel homesick, you would have a much harder time adapting.

Eventually, more students flowed into the room and brought lively chatter and conversation. Everything looked so normal to you. As if this was your typical life, not some world crafted into some game with lives on the line.

Feeling a headache creep up at your fierce storm of thoughts, you pinched the bridge of your nose and exhaled. "I should stop thinking too hard about this."

When the homeroom teacher made an appearance, everyone was quick to be quiet. "We have a few new students here, however, it seems like two of them are missing." The woman then glanced over to you, her gaze sharp through her glasses. It felt like they could penetrate straight through you any second if you were to step out of line.

"Would you like to introduce yourself?" she asked, tone strict. It wasn't due to some unexplained hatred towards you, it was probably just her natural way of speech.

"Oh! Yes." You promptly stood up in your seat, trying to ignore the eyes pinned onto you. "I'm (L/n) (Y/n). I'm still familiarising myself with the school, but I hope we get along." Literally the most basic introduction ever. You were granted with a few 'I hope we get along too', nods of acknowledgements from your peers, and a few stray whispers about your family name didn't go unnoticed by you.

The teacher gave you a look of approval before sending an impatient glare at the door. "It appears that the other two are late––"

"Sorry for being late!" A high pitched feminine voice called out as she abruptly bursted into the classroom. With bright blonde hair that rivaled the sun's glow, large round blue eyes that held a prized naivety and shone like crystals, the female did an exaggerated apologetic bow in front of the class. "I got lost on my way here!"

You felt your eyes unable to look away from the girl until the buzz of your phone snapped you out of your little daze. Tearing your attention away, you sneaked the device onto your lap. You checked the message and it immediately confirmed your first thought when your sights first laid on the female.

The heroine had made her appearance.