(A/N: This is my first-time writing a novel. In the beginning, there will be mistakes or maybe stiff tone in the writing and such, so I would really appreciate if you all point them out and be patient with me 🙏)
(A/N: Also, all kinds of suggestions will be very much appreciated. If you find any inconsistency, any problem or anything, please comment. I will be sure to check it)
*****
The morning sun filtered through the heavy, custom-made velvet curtains of the Kamishiro estate, painting the incredibly spacious master bedroom in a soft, muted gold.
The light didn't simply illuminate the room, it seeped into every corner slowly and gently, as if even the dawn itself hesitated to disturb the quiet, overwhelming luxury that wrapped around everything like a warm embrace. The morning rays danced across polished mahogany surfaces, brushed teasingly over the high-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, and settled over the vast space with an almost suffocating elegance.
For Kamishiro Renji, however, that gentle glow wasn't just a peaceful wake-up call. It was a violent, mind-shattering revelation. It felt like reality reaching down from the heavens and smacking him completely awake without a single second of warning.
He bolted upright in his massive king-sized bed, gasping sharply, his chest heaving as though he had just violently broken the surface of the ocean after nearly drowning.
Haa… Haa… Ha…
His heart pounded a frantic, heavy rhythm against his ribs. The soft, premium mattress dipped under his sudden, panicked movement, and the expensive silk sheets slid down his bare torso, pooling around his waist.
A rhythmic, throbbing pressure pulsed through his skull, but it wasn't mere physical pain. It was raw data. It was a torrential, unstoppable flood of memories crashing into his consciousness all at once.
It wasn't the kind of thing you could sort through calmly. This was a full-blown information overload, exactly like someone dumping an entire, overloaded hard drive straight into his organic brain without asking for permission.
Memories of another life completely washed over him. A life spent in an entirely different, incredibly bleak world. A life that, compared to the absurd, suffocating luxury surrounding him right now, felt almost comically miserable.
It was dull, suffocating, and most of all, it was painfully, agonizingly ordinary.
He had been barely college-aged back then, a young man who couldn't even afford to attend a cheap university if he wanted to keep a roof over his head and his stomach full.
The sharp, nauseating smell of damp mold in his cramped, freezing apartment hit his memory like a physical blow. He remembered the depressing, artificial flavours of the cheap instant ramen he ate for dinner five nights a week. He remembered the heavy, bone-deep exhaustion of working back-to-back, dead-end part-time jobs just to pay his predatory landlord. Tuition or food, he had to pick one. That had been his daily, miserable reality.
A world of lonely nights, empty bank accounts, and an obsessive, desperate dedication to galgames. Those had been his absolute only real escape from the crushing monotony of his poverty. And it wasn't just casual playing. No, this had been full-on, borderline unhealthy dedication.
Route analysis, dialogue memorization, optimal stat building, relationship flag strategies… he had practically turned his digital escapism into a second profession just to feel like he had control over something.
The very last game he had been heavily grinding, a massive hit titled Love Bloom Academy, flooded his mind with perfect, terrifying clarity. Scene after scene replayed behind his eyes, the complex branching routes, the impossibly beautiful heroines, the subtle dialogue flags that decided everything.
Those foreign memories merged seamlessly with the eighteen years he had already lived in this new world as Kamishiro Renji, reshaping his entire psyche, or perhaps simply awakening something far more ambitious than he had ever been before.
As the chaotic flood of memories finally began to settle, a deep, profound wave of genuine gratitude washed over Renji's chest.
In his past life, he had been entirely alone. He was an orphan with no family, no safety net, no one to come home to, and absolutely no one who cared whether he ate or struggled through another empty, exhausting day.
But here… in this reality… he had this warm, incredibly beautiful family.
He thought of his parents — wealthy, powerful people who still made sure their children never wanted for anything and actively supported them. And then, there were his two younger sisters. Akari, who was currently trying so desperately to act mature for her high school debut, masking her nervousness behind a cute, haughty attitude. And Yume, the sleepy, incredibly clingy younger sister who always had just wanted attention from him, her onii-chan.
He had a grand, sprawling estate filled with quiet comfort, and people who genuinely depended on him and loved him.
The contrast was hitting him so hard it actually made his breath hitch. He was blessed beyond words. After experiencing memories of his past life with years of crushing, isolating loneliness in a freezing apartment, and waking up to a loving family who waited for his attention felt like the greatest gift imaginable.
He made a silent, unbreakable resolution right then and there. He wouldn't take this affection for granted. He would cherish them, protect them, and enjoy the warmth he had been denied in his previous life.
Gradually, the headache eased. The sharp pain receded like a retreating tide, leaving behind a crystalline, hyper-focused clarity in its wake.
Renji swung his long, heavily muscled legs over the edge of the plush bed and stood up.
He moved with slow, deliberate control, actively testing this body unlike he had ever before and started comparing it with his previous life's.
There was no lingering joint pain from standing on his feet for more than eight hours at a retail job. There was no heavy lethargy from malnutrition. His body felt like a perfectly tuned, high-performance engine.
He crossed the massive bedroom, stepping onto the plush, heated carpet, and stopped in front of the full-length, gold-rimmed mirror that dominated one corner of the expansive space.
His reflection stared back, and it was absolutely nothing like the tired, average, hollow-eyed guy from his previous memories.
This was him in the present. He was, quite literally, a genetic masterpiece.
The difference wasn't just noticeable. It was almost insulting to his past self. No, calling it a "difference" felt like a massive understatement. This was a complete, ground-up overhaul of his entire existence.
He stood at a commanding 186.5 centimeters tall. Even standing perfectly still, relaxed, he looked like he belonged on the cover of a high-end fashion magazine rather than waking up in a bedroom.
Every line of his body flowed naturally and aesthetically into the next. His broad frame was defined by the lean, densely packed muscle of a competitive swimmer — incredibly broad, thick shoulders tapering down to a tight, deeply sculpted V-line waist.
His skin was flawless, carrying the healthy, sun-kissed glow that only came with immense wealth, proper diets, and privilege. Jet-black hair fell in artfully messy, textured waves that perfectly framed a face carved from marble: high cheekbones, a sharp, aristocratic jawline, and piercing, dark blue eyes that held a calm, incredibly intelligent depth.
His gaze drifted lower, guided by the lingering, insecure instincts of his past life. Almost instinctively, he hooked a thumb into the waistband of his expensive black silk boxers and tugged the soft fabric down just enough to reveal what waited beneath.
A slow, highly amused, and deeply smug grin spread across his lips.
'Holy crap…' Renji thought, genuinely awestruck by his own reflection. 'Before gaining the memories, I have never thought about these… but I must say that the game developers really didn't hold back when they designed me, did they?'
What he saw wasn't just impressive; it was a literal weapon designed for absolute conquest. His dick was incredibly thick and heavy, resting with a substantial, dormant weight against his muscular thigh. Even in its relaxed state, it promised a level of physical dominance far beyond anything he had possessed in his old life. He was easily packing twenty-three centimeters of vascular, threatening potential when fully aroused. Beneath the thick shaft hung a heavy, full pair of balls that completed the picture of absolute virility, promising a ridiculous, cheat-level stamina that could easily go on for hours without tapping out.
He let the silk waistband snap back into place with a soft sound, a deep, radiating satisfaction settling warmly in his gut.
'This is dangerous…' he mused silently, his dark blue eyes narrowing with genuine amusement. 'Like… genuinely dangerous. If this is my physical standard, I might accidentally ruin someone's entire life just by existing in their general vicinity.'
He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple as he tried to rein in the massive surge of raw, masculine confidence that was actively threatening to overwhelm his common sense.
'Stay calm. We are not abusing this immediately.'
A beat of silence passed in his mind.
'…Probably.'
"Anyways," Renji whispered to himself, "so that's what I, Kamishiro Renji, am supposed to do…"
He said it out loud like he was reading a terrible job description he had absolutely zero intention of following.
"The perfect best-friend type character. A rich, handsome, ultra-reliable guy who never get the girls because he politely, tragically steps aside for the protagonist."
He remembered his original character's lore perfectly. He, Kamishiro Renji was a tragic plot device. He was the guy who funded all the expensive beach trips, who offered a warm, platonic shoulder to cry on when the heroines were upset, who stood in the background, smiling a sad, supportive smile while the hopelessly dense protagonist got to build a massive harem. In simple terms — he was the guy who did absolutely everything right, possessed all the money, looks, and talents in the world, and still lost.
He ran a hand through his messy black hair and let out a low, genuine laugh. It wasn't loud or wild, but quiet and deeply entertained, as if the sheer absurdity of his current situation was just too much to ignore.
"To think I'd get this kind of second chance… honestly? Still… my old life was worth shit. This… this is the most massive upgrade in human history."
He paused, looking at his flawless face in the mirror, then shook his head lightly with a charming smirk.
"Maybe that's why I'm not bothered at all. That past life really was worth shit. I have nothing to mourn."
The conclusion was incredibly simple and highly liberating.
The complex script of Love Bloom Academy flashed through his mind as he actively compared the timelines. Today marked the very first day of the third year at Kosei Academy — the final, most crucial year of high school.
In the original game, this year was pivotal. The dense, hopelessly naive, but strangely effective protagonist, Hoshino Takumi, would finish establishing his romantic connections with all the top-tier heroines, while Renji simply smiled supportively from the sidelines like the perfect, castrated wingman.
Renji's expression instantly flattened.
"…Yeah. No."
That absolutely wasn't happening anymore. He was entirely done acting like the distant, perfect older brother from the game script. From now on, he would live freely. He would be warm and genuine with the family he was lucky enough to have, and out in the world? He was going to do what he wanted.
Just as the thought settled into his mind, his sleek smartphone buzzed sharply on the mahogany nightstand, the vibration cutting through the quiet room. Renji walked over and picked it up, glancing at the bright screen.
[Takumi]: YO RENJI!!! Wake up!!! New semester starts today! Youth awaits! But man, my back is killing me. Hina got this crazy idea last evening to completely rearrange her bedroom furniture. I went over and spent three hours moving her heavy desk and bed around like a total workhorse. I was so sore I totally forgot to buy my math textbook lol. Can we share yours today? You're a lifesaver, bro!
If he hadn't awakened his past life memories, the old him would have sighed, offered a helpless but fond smile, and immediately texted him back.
But now… Renji simply stared at the text message, a slow, highly perceptive smile curving his lips.
He could see the scenario playing out so clearly in his mind's eye. Takumi, rushing over to help their voluptuous childhood friend with manual labour just because she asked. That relentlessly kind, earnest, golden retriever energy was exactly why girls fell for Takumi in the first place. Takumi was a guy who would go out of his way to help anyone without a second thought.
But Takumi was also a dense, hopelessly frustrating idiot.
A girl asking her childhood friend to move furniture in her bedroom wasn't a request for a moving company. It was an excuse to get him alone, in her private space, while she was likely wearing a comfortable outfit and sweating.
It was an obvious hint. And Takumi, being the classic, clueless protagonist, had treated it like actual manual labour. He had probably complained about his back hurting, entirely ignored Hina's advances like offering of cold drinks, and went home to sleep, completely missing the point. He had likely left the poor girl entirely pent-up, emotionally vulnerable, and incredibly frustrated that he didn't see her as a woman.
Renji didn't need anything to tell him what women were feeling. His merged memories had sharpened his intuition into a razor's edge. He understood the social ecosystem of this world perfectly now, and he knew exactly where the blind spots were. Takumi was leaving an absolute feast on the table, starving the girls around him of the physical validation they actually craved.
"Yup…" Renji murmured softly, tossing the phone carelessly back onto the nightstand. "I'm done playing the castrated wingman role."
He moved to his massive, cedar-lined walk-in closet and pulled out his Kosei Academy uniform. He slid the crisp white button-down shirt over his broad shoulders, intentionally leaving the top button undone to expose just a hint of his sculpted collarbone. He rolled the sleeves up precisely to his mid-forearms, purposely highlighting the masculine, vascular lines of his wrists and hands.
He strapped an expensive, silver-banded watch to his left wrist, checking the time. Finally, he reached for a glass bottle on the dresser and spritzed on his signature cologne — a crisp, sophisticated blend of cool mint and expensive citrus that lingered in the air like a subtle, intoxicating invitation.
He checked himself in the mirror one last time.
'I never realized how good I look before getting those memories… It's as if I didn't register my own advantages.'
He was the new Kamishiro Renji.
He possessed impossible wealth, a perfect face, and body features, and the foresight to know exactly how this world operated. And it was time to take this new life for a highly entertaining joyride.