Imaizumi Keita is a transmigrator.
Having lived in this world for nearly seventeen years, it wasn't until recently that the kaleidoscopic memories of another world flooded into his mind, allowing him to finally understand where his "sense of dissonance" with this world came from.
Those memories brought with them a completely different understanding of "love."
In his view, the spiritual core of so-called love often has to compromise with physical desire.
Instead of pursuing an ethereal eternity, it is better to frankly accept its essence.
In this cold world, meeting a soul also seeking solace by chance, embracing for warmth, and waving goodbye at dawn.
Passing through ten thousand flowers without a single leaf sticking to one's body.
This was the life path he had planned for himself.
As if in response to this "realization," the transmigrator's Golden Finger arrived, albeit late.
Three days ago, this power awakened within him.
That day after school, he passed by a bakery.
As he walked past the queuing crowd, the housewife at the front of the line grabbed her husband's arm with a flushed face. Her body went soft as she acted spoiled: "Hubby, let's hurry home..."
At the same time, Imaizumi Keita felt a needle-like sting in his temples, as if something invisible was uncontrollably overflowing from his body.
He instinctively quickened his pace, moving away from the couple.
But similar things happened one after another: on the train, an office worker peeking at a beautiful girl suddenly developed an aggressive look in his eyes;
In the Library, a female student reading manga suddenly pressed her legs together and rushed toward the restroom as if fleeing.
Every time, he could feel that uncontrollable overflow of energy and that impossible-to-ignore sting.
Before long, Imaizumi Keita naturally understood the function of his Golden Finger.
'Succubus Aura'—a prerequisite ability for lighting up succubus skills, which can faintly influence the subconscious desires of those around him.
This power was currently in an extremely unstable "awakening period." Only after awakening would the energy belonging to the Golden Finger truly open up to him.
But until he found a way to awaken it, not only would he encounter the kind of trouble from before, but his brain would also experience periodic stinging.
Therefore, Imaizumi Keita needed a quiet place, an environment where he could isolate himself from external interference and carefully study his own changes and their impact on others.
The Family Restaurant located in a remote corner near the station, which he often visited after school, became his first choice.
There weren't many customers here, and their emotions were stable. He could play the role of a quiet diner, enjoying his solitude while carefully restraining and experimenting with his out-of-control "Succubus Aura."
He ordered his usual hamburger steak set, his gaze sweeping over a couple at the next table.
The boy talked incessantly while the girl smiled and agreed, as bland as a glass of warm water.
Good, the emotional fluctuations here are very small; it's safe.
Imaizumi Keita quietly played the role of a diner, enjoying his solitude while carefully studying his new ability.
Since the ability was related to succubi, Imaizumi Keita guessed that the "full awakening" of the ability would inevitably involve contact with the opposite sex.
Although he believed in the "warmth" of chance encounters, going to places like brothels did not align with his principles.
He needed a more stable, purer... solution.
While he was boredly poking at the hamburger meat with his fork, he suddenly noticed two core figures of the class's Popular Group in the restaurant—Yanami Anna and her childhood sweetheart, Hakamada Sousuke.
To him, Yanami Anna was a girl who seemed to be molded from sunlight, always lively and generously displaying her charm.
Meanwhile, Imaizumi Keita deliberately avoided trouble most of the time, successfully shaping himself into an ordinary classmate whom no one would particularly notice.
In Imaizumi Keita's estimation, the two of them weren't actually supposed to have any contact...
"You can't waste time here! If you don't go now, Karen is going to leave for England!"
Yanami Anna urged anxiously.
In Imaizumi Keita's perception, strong negative emotions spread to the surroundings, making his brow furrow instinctively.
"But, she said goodbye to me before..."
Hakamada Sousuke was still hesitating.
"When a girl says goodbye, she obviously wants you to ask her to stay! You idiot!"
"How do you know?"
"Of course I know. That's because I've always... also... towards you..."
Yanami Anna didn't finish. She turned her face away and placed the bicycle keys she was clutching onto the table.
Under Yanami Anna's worried and sad gaze, Hakamada Sousuke finally grabbed the bicycle keys from the table and made up his mind.
"Then... I'm sorry, Anna."
Leaving those words behind, he ran out of the restaurant without looking back.
The entire process took no more than three minutes.
Before Imaizumi Keita could make any judgment.
He had just breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Yanami Anna across from him, seemingly noticing him, a boy wearing the same school uniform.
With the sound of a chair dragging, Yanami Anna's despondent figure walked straight to the seat opposite Imaizumi Keita and plopped down.
The fresh scent of shampoo wafted toward him.
The close proximity caused the stinging in Imaizumi Keita's temples to instantly reach its peak.
Imaizumi Keita looked up and met Yanami Anna's red, tear-filled eyes.
"Classmate... Imaizumi?"
Yanami Anna seemed to only recognize him now, her voice tinged with surprise and uncertainty.
Imaizumi Keita expressionlessly put down his fork.
Sigh,
His peace,
His safe zone,
Suddenly came to an end...
Sitting opposite him, Yanami Anna didn't realize what a troublesome person she was for Imaizumi.
She was completely immersed in her own world.
Those eyes, red from watching her childhood sweetheart leave, were now full of grievances and unwillingness that she couldn't hide.
"It's too much... It's too much, right? Classmate Imaizumi!"
She spoke to herself, her voice still carrying a sob.
If it were before, Imaizumi Keita might have listened to Yanami Anna tell her embarrassing stories out of curiosity about the beautiful girl in front of him.
But now, every second Yanami Anna stayed here, Imaizumi Keita suffered another second of torment.
Imaizumi Keita remained expressionless, gently poking the half-cold hamburger meat on his plate with his fork.
He didn't respond, even begrudging a simple "mm" to show he was listening.
Unfortunately, Yanami Anna clearly didn't need a response to keep talking.
"It was clearly me, Sousuke and I knew each other first! It's been twelve years! How long has that transfer student even been here? Why her?!"
She clenched her fists and lightly pounded the table.
"That Himiya Karen, isn't she just a bit prettier, with... bigger breasts, and back from England? That idiot Sousuke, when we were little he even said he'd marry me! And now, for that Cow-woman, he just leaves me here all alone!"
Cow-woman...
What a classic loser speech.
Imaizumi Keita's eyebrow twitched imperceptibly.
He had seen too many stories like this in his past life, but never before today had he been able to personally "feel" how aggressive a loser's emotions could be.
Yanami didn't notice his near-indifferent expression at all.
While complaining, she skillfully raised her hand and called to the nearby Waiter: "Waiter! A garden salad over here, and add a large order of French fries!"
Imaizumi Keita's hand holding the fork stopped in mid-air.
His gaze fell on Yanami's tear-streaked face, then on the approaching Waiter.
He found it hard to imagine that the person in front of him could switch so easily between "sadly venting" and "calmly ordering food," especially right in front of him, the one being bothered.
This indicated one thing: she was aware of what she was doing and had the ability to switch her state.
But Yanami Anna didn't; she chose to pour her negative emotions onto him in exchange for improving her own terrible mood.
As for his mood?
She didn't care at all.