Kotomi Izumi kept writing until 11 p.m., finally stopping her small hands and stretching with satisfaction as she looked at the Word document on her computer.

In just a few hours, she had finished the outlines and character settings for Mushoku Tensei and The Testament of Sister New Devil. It wasn't just because of her writing level—Kotomi remembered the plots and character settings for these two works vividly, able to recite them backwards if needed.

Especially The Testament of Sister New Devil. In her second life, Kotomi had watched it countless times, particularly rewatching certain scenes over and over by dragging the progress bar.

Her impressions were crystal clear, and turning those visuals into text was no problem at all.

What's more, she had already read all the way from Volume 1 to Volume 13 of the original novel, so the entire plot was fresh in her mind.

"To be able to recall everything… my memory isn't bad at all. Next, I just need to make some changes based on my own ideas. But I've worked hard enough today—I'll continue tomorrow."

After saying that, Kotomi saved her work, shut down the computer in one smooth motion, and returned to bed. Pulling up the blanket, she lay down and picked up her phone—it was time to happily watch anime.

"This month's new anime isn't pushing the limits enough. Hmph, when The Testament of Sister New Devil gets its anime adaptation, I'll personally make sure its already bold scenes go even further!!" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI[F]ire.net

She smirked mischievously, not even considering whether she'd die of embarrassment if her family saw the anime.

School, going home, band practice—

That was the rhythm of her daily life. The cultural festival performance rehearsals with Yui Yuigahama and Yukino Yukinoshita were steadily improving through their cooperation.

Their ensemble was already good, but it was getting even better, filling all three with confidence for the festival.

Time moved forward as always.

Friday.

Of the five school days, which did students love most? Friday, of course—because the afternoon meant the start of the weekend. (Unless there was no weekend off, but that's another story…)

As the weather cooled and winter approached, people began to wonder whether it would snow heavily this year. Schools also adjusted their schedules slightly for the winter season.

Normally, if students wanted to participate in club activities on Friday, the school didn't interfere. Teachers might just remind them not to stay too late and otherwise turn a blind eye.

But with winter coming—and once it arrived—those easygoing teachers no longer ignored Friday club activities. After all, it got dark earlier, and for safety reasons, they didn't want students staying late.

Before the first afternoon class, Kotomi Izumi was called to the office by Shizuka Hiratsuka.

"Shizuka-sensei, I've been turning in my homework on time lately, right?"

Kotomi asked the moment she entered, wondering why she was being summoned since she hadn't caused trouble. Her blunt question made several other teachers in the office chuckle.

Kotomi already drew attention naturally, and with her two consecutive first-place rankings in all of Tokyo, every teacher at Sobu High School knew her. She didn't visit the office often, but whenever she did, it left an impression.

Simply put, her way of speaking sometimes sounded more like a cheeky gyaru than a top student—yet she also had emotional intelligence, tact, and conversational skills far beyond her peers.

Kotomi could say a single sentence in a hundred different ways. Even the harshest words, if she wanted to, could be dressed up to sound much less offensive. On the flip side, if she put a bit of calculated malice into her tone, she could probably anger someone to the point of blacking out.

She had none of the docile, well-behaved image of a model student. Even when she did act obedient, most of the time it was just for show—but she somehow never made people angry.

The reason was simple: while Kotomi didn't always follow the rules to the letter, she knew the boundaries and bottom lines of each one. She skillfully maneuvered within them, gaining both convenience and benefits for herself while still giving the teachers face. Having such a student naturally put teachers in a good mood.

It started with the English teacher, and later several others said: "If Izumi ever studies law, she'll definitely become an outstanding lawyer."

Unfortunately, Kotomi had zero interest in becoming a lawyer. All she wanted was to write novels, draw manga, make games, earn money, marry a wife, marry a wife, marry a wife, marry a wife, marry a wife, marry a wife, marry a wife, marry a wife…

Shizuka Hiratsuka rolled her eyes. This little witch always had to toss in a few jabs whenever she appeared.

"Alright, enough chatter. I wanted to ask how your rehearsals have been going this week."

"They've been great. I even want to name our band Linkin Park. No, wait—that would be naming it, since we still don't even have a name, and I'm too lazy to think of one."

Kotomi proudly lifted her alluring chin. Luckily it wasn't after school yet, so she wasn't carrying her guitar—otherwise she would've already pulled it out to play a song for Shizuka on the spot. She even had the song picked out: The Moon Represents My Heart. After all, Shizuka could understand Chinese.

"Don't get cocky. There are quite a few classes performing at the cultural festival this year, and if you let your guard down, your performance might lose its edge. The reason I called you here today was to ask how things are going with Yukino and Yui. Is your three-member band lineup finalized? I have to turn in the names by Monday, so let's settle it before the end of the day."

"Huh? It's not finalized yet? I thought you'd already submitted it."

Kotomi was surprised. She thought her collaboration with Yukino and Yui was going perfectly, as if the roles of keyboardist and lead vocalist had been made for them.

"How could I? You never come to me with updates—you just head straight to the second music room after school. If you had this much drive in music class, the music teacher would probably be moved to tears. I've been quietly observing for a week, and now I'm asking for your opinion."

"Let's finalize it."

"Are you sure? Once it's set, there's no changing it."

"Absolutely! Shizuka-sensei, let me put it this way—when we're playing together, I've thought more than once: Yukino and Yui are my destiny!"

Shizuka froze. What was this girl doing, blurting out something that sounded like a confession in the teachers' office? At least the "targets" weren't her…

"Oh."

Shizuka didn't say another word. She simply wrote down the names: Kotomi Izumi, Yui Yuigahama, and Yukino Yukinoshita.

Shizuka Hiratsuka felt she was being a little unreasonable—but she couldn't help it. Hearing Kotomi say that Yukino and Yui were her "destined ones" made her very unhappy!

It felt almost like Kotomi had betrayed her.

For a moment, she even wanted to slam her pen on the desk and tell Kotomi to get out. Luckily, reason stopped her. There were other teachers in the office—acting that way would only invite suspicion about her relationship with Kotomi.

Her relationship with Kotomi? The thought made Shizuka rub her hair in irritation. Right—at least in Kotomi's eyes, what else could there be between them besides teacher and student?

She wondered—if Kotomi knew she'd just been jealous, would she laugh at her?

Taking a deep breath, Shizuka worked to calm herself. To put it plainly, they were just teacher and student. No matter how much that last sentence had sounded like a double confession to two girls, as a teacher, the appropriate reaction would be stern criticism—never jealousy.

What right did she have to feel jealous over that?

Why did I get so emotional just now? Is it PMS? Shizuka mocked herself inwardly. After signing her name to confirm the lineup, the three-person band was officially set.

Three-person ensemble.

Class: 1-F.

Performers: Vocalist – Yui Yuigahama; Guitarist – Kotomi Izumi; Keyboardist – Yukino Yukinoshita.

Honestly, writing Yui Yuigahama's name in the vocalist column felt surreal. When she'd recommended classmates with good singing voices to Kotomi before, Yui had never crossed her mind.

It wasn't that she'd forgotten Yui, but just like Kotomi and Yukino, Yui was one of those masters at hiding her abilities. Until they personally revealed their skills in instruments or singing, no one would have guessed they had musical talent.

Especially Yui. While Kotomi was the most shameless about sleeping through music class, Yui wasn't much better—her head would start nodding the moment she entered the classroom.

And the two of them sat together, leaning against each other's shoulders to nap. One glance from the music teacher, Ami Koishi, was enough to nearly make her lose her temper. She had the urge to storm over and shake them awake: Are you two filming a romance drama?!

But Ami didn't even know how to discipline them. She remembered once complaining to her father, the school chairman, about Kotomi Izumi and Yui Yuigahama always sleeping in her class. Her father had instead lectured her:

"Daughter, people only have so much energy. Kotomi Izumi has ranked first in all of Tokyo twice, and Yui Yuigahama has made miraculous leaps in her grades twice in a row. Do you think results like that come easily?"

"Of course not. To achieve them, they must work extremely hard. Studying is a boundless ocean, and the boat is bitter toil! If they study late into the night every day, what's wrong with resting a little during music class? Their naps are the result of long hours at their desks, pushing themselves until midnight."

"But they sleep in class…"

"Let me ask you—are they music majors?"

"No…"

"Then will they be tested on professional-level music knowledge in their high school graduation exams?"

"…No…"

"Exactly. They're not music majors, and they won't be relying on music knowledge to get into university. As long as Yui Yuigahama keeps her grades up, getting into a good university won't be a problem. And for Kotomi Izumi, getting into a top university—or even studying abroad—is practically guaranteed."

"Why set the bar so high? To be blunt, for most students who aren't aiming for an arts entrance exam, music and art classes are practically useless. Their only real purpose is to provide a break. Even as a teacher, you have to learn to pick your battles."

Her father, the school chairman, spoke with blunt realism. The message was clear: if Kotomi Izumi and Yui Yuigahama daydream or nap during music class, just turn a blind eye.

Ami Koishi was still a little unconvinced, but her father's words were undeniably reasonable.

Because of that, whenever Ami ran into Shizuka Hiratsuka, she would complain about Kotomi and Yui. But Shizuka could only respond helplessly—she couldn't bring herself to scold either of them over something as minor as music class. Kotomi's grades were stellar, and Yui's progress was remarkable, with great potential for the future.

Unexpectedly, those two were now about to perform a music ensemble at the cultural festival.

Shizuka was suddenly looking forward to seeing Ami's face when she watched Kotomi and Yui perform on stage.

"At last, the lineup's set. Take a look," Shizuka said, handing Kotomi the list.

But before Kotomi's hand touched it, Shizuka swiftly pulled it back. "Never mind. I've already signed my name. Even if you wanted to change something, it's too late now."

"Shizuka-sensei, is that supposed to be funny?" Kotomi asked, half amused and half exasperated.

"Very funny," Shizuka replied with a shrug. Seeing Kotomi's frustrated expression lightened her earlier sour mood.

"When will we see the cultural festival program?" Kotomi asked. She'd been curious for a while. Their ensemble wasn't likely to be the closing act, which meant there would be performances both before and after theirs.

The acts directly before and after them could have the most immediate competitive impact. If their performance wasn't as memorable as the one before, or not as dazzling as the one after, it would be hard for their trio to stand out. Kotomi might seem laid-back most of the time, but when it came to serious matters, she always aimed for the best.

This was something nurtured in the Izumi household: if you're going to be serious, you aim for the top.

"Tuesday at the earliest," Shizuka answered. She was thinking the same as Kotomi—check in advance what acts would be before and after their ensemble, which classes they were from, and who the performers were.

Kotomi had assumed the act before theirs would be Class 1-E's opera performance of Othello.

However, she heard that the boy playing Iago had recently visited a friend in Class 1-B. While chatting, they discovered they were both playing the same mobile game. Excited, they pulled out their phones to add each other as friends and plan to run a dungeon together that evening.

It was at that moment that the vice principal appeared silently at the classroom door, like a ghost.

According to the boy's later account, the instant he saw the vice principal, he was reminded of The Shining, Stephen King's original story as directed by Stanley Kubrick.

The boy was instantly reminded of Jack Nicholson's iconic scene as Jack Torrance in The Shining, when he goes mad, breaks through the door with an axe, and, amid Wendy Torrance's screams, grins and says, "Here's Johnny!"

In short, this Class 1-E student, after wandering into Class 1-B, had his phone confiscated by the vice principal and was roped into helping Class 1-B sell grilled sausages to earn money for a new phone.

The 1-B class rep was delighted. They'd been short on hands, but now they had an extra helper from another class—perfect.

When sending the boy off, the class rep cheerfully said, "Come by our class more often!"

Since the cast for Class 1-E's opera Othello was already fixed, they couldn't swap roles. While the performance schedule hadn't been finalized before, shows like operas and musical numbers were usually set for the afternoon.

But now, the school had to move Othello to a morning slot so the Iago actor could finish early and join Class 1-B's sausage stand.

Kotomi learned about this a few days earlier while playing CS:GO with Kiyoko Matsumatsu.

At the time, Kotomi was wielding her newly acquired AK-47 | Fire Serpent, topped with four 2014 Katowice Titan holos, feeling the perfect synergy of her keyboard and mouse. In a chorus of teammates begging her for a drop, she reveled in the good hand feel.

Her gaming skill was a mystery—off days meant baffling mistakes that raised teammates' blood pressure, though sometimes her bizarre plays accidentally countered skilled opponents. On good days, she could carry the whole match, earning comments like, "Whoa, pro player?! We've got this!"

In high spirits, she pushed mid—only to be blinded by a flashbang so bright it felt like staring into the sun. Moments later, she was gunned down.

In the ensuing silence, Kotomi slowly said, "Mid, one Tiga."

Meanwhile, Kiyoko had just reached A site, only to be smoked off and knifed by an Akali wielding claws in the haze.

Bored, Kiyoko called Kotomi for a chat, and in the process mentioned the schedule change for Class 1-E's opera.

"Think you can bring home first place at the cultural festival?"

"When you tricked me into signing up for the festival, you never said first place was mandatory," Kotomi shot back, undercutting Shizuka Hiratsuka's attempt at encouragement.

Shizuka was speechless.

After a pause, she lowered her voice. "There's been a change to next month's dinner with my mom. Come with me—I'll explain."

Kotomi was momentarily taken aback. Wasn't it just about pretending to be Shizuka's girlfriend to meet her mother and have a meal?

One look at Shizuka's troubled expression—like the difficulty level had suddenly increased—and Kotomi silently nodded, following her out of the office to a quiet, seldom-used spot.

Before speaking, Shizuka opened a window and lit a cigarette.

"Shizuka-sensei, did your mom cancel because she's busy?"

"If only.…" Shizuka sighed, took a few drags, then put it out. "On November 6th, my dad will be there too."

"Huh?"

"Because my mom told him I have a girlfriend. And once he heard that, he insisted on meeting you."

—

—

40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:

Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven