Renji Kamisaka glanced at Mai Sakurajima's slender back as she disappeared from view, then turned his gaze elsewhere.Since the Game No Life system hadn't been triggered by any mission, it meant Mai Sakurajima's situation wasn't too serious. That was a relief. He exhaled softly, then naturally resumed enjoying his lunch in peace with Sumireko Sanshokuin, tucked away in the quiet corner of the library.
When the clock signaled that class would start soon, he parted ways with Sumireko and returned to his classroom. This library really is a great place for a nap, Renji thought. And quiet, too.
For Sumireko Sanshokuin, the library was practically a second home. She loved reading and genuinely felt at ease there. Besides, she didn't have many friends, and the way she disguised herself—dressing plainly like a countryside girl—was her way of hiding her beauty and alluring figure. She didn't enjoy being the center of attention. Being too pretty, too popular, could be a curse—something she had learned the hard way back in middle school.
But all of that was behind her now. She still cherished this quiet, untroubled life. And today, there had been a gentle, handsome boy who'd eaten lunch with her. Unlike the others she'd known, Renji Kamisaka seemed to see through her disguise, but he made no effort to expose her. He simply treated her as an equal—as a friend. That only made Sumireko like Renji even more, a quiet warmth blooming in her heart.
Back in class, Renji Kamisaka pulled out his notebook and began working on a manga script for the magical girl story Misaki. Technically, it was more like a dialogue-based novel. His focus was on crafting the dialogue, building the storyline, and fleshing out the scenes in vivid detail as references for the illustrator. He planned to write a few more plot points before handing them over to Misaki-senpai after school. Better to be prepared.
His ultimate goal was to create a sharp contrast with Jin Mitaka, who had a habit of procrastinating. This way, he wouldn't need to rely on sweet talk. Even though Misaki-senpai had a quirky and slightly naive personality, she wasn't a fool. She'd notice the effort. She'd remember. Compared to Jin Mitaka, who cared only about juggling six girlfriends at once, Jin would only fall further behind Renji Kamisaka.
In the middle of his writing session, Hachiman Hikigaya suddenly appeared. He glanced at what Renji was working on, eyebrows rising in surprise.
"Eh? Renji, are you writing a light novel?" he asked, his voice flat but tinged with curiosity.
"Not quite," Renji replied casually. "This is more like planning and scriptwriting for a game and anime."
Hachiman blinked. "Seriously? I thought you just said you liked manga and light novels."
Renji smiled and nodded. "I do. But I also know a senior who's really into animation. A bit of a genius in the industry, actually. Pretty well known." He paused, then added with a touch of pride, "A few days ago, I wrote up a project I'd been thinking about. He liked it right away and said he wanted to collaborate. We're aiming to create an anime that'll shake up the industry."
Hachiman's mouth fell open. His expression twisted with irritation. "Are you even a normal high school student? You're already starting your career before graduation? What're the rest of us supposed to do—just become office drones and pray we survive?"
Ranked third in liberal arts, Hachiman had always been quietly satisfied with himself, but now he felt utterly outmatched. This was ridiculous. Was producing anime and games now something expected of regular high schoolers?
Renji chuckled at the mix of envy and disbelief in Hachiman's eyes. "If you don't want to become a social slave after graduation, you'd better figure out what you're passionate about while you're still in school. If your interests can be tied to a career—and you can earn money from it—you're basically guaranteed success." He looked at Hachiman with sincerity. "So, Hikigaya-kun. What are you interested in? Any clubs you want to join?"
It wasn't often someone struck up a conversation with him like this, so Renji didn't mind chatting a little longer.
"I like playing games. Does lazing around at home count as a hobby?" Hachiman replied in his usual deadpan tone. "And I'd like to be a stay-at-home husband after graduation."
Listen to this dried fish talk, Renji thought, amused. He gave a thumbs-up, scribbled something on a piece of paper, and handed it over.
Hachiman read the note aloud. "'100 Ways to Marry a Rich Woman.' I feel like this book would be useful for you. If you're interested, give it a read." His face flushed with embarrassment. "I'm not some loser who needs a rich woman to support me…"
Renji shrugged and rolled his eyes. "What else can you do? If you want to be a househusband, your wife's the one who needs to work. Otherwise, what—are you both just going to starve together?"
Hachiman nodded, thoughtful. Renji's logic had caught him off guard. "Makes sense. I guess I've still got a long way to go before I become a real head of the household."
Renji grinned and shook his head. He, on the other hand, had already achieved the dream of being a househusband—minus the housework. Just lie back, collect rent, complete the occasional assignment, and boom—one million yen straight into the account. The real reason he wanted to write scripts, design games, and produce anime was to connect with beautiful girls from the worlds of novels and manga—girls like Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri Spencer Sawamura. If life was a game, then everything he was doing now was just a side quest. Only by completing the right missions and meeting certain conditions could you finally encounter the heroine and enter the main storyline.
And besides, if he really did nothing all day and just waited to collect rent each month, that would be way too boring. He needed something fun to pass the time.
Before he knew it, afternoon had arrived. Classes were over, and it was time for club activities. But Renji Kamisaka and Mahiru Shiina stayed behind to take care of their assigned duty: classroom cleaning. As the saying goes, when a boy and a girl work together, the work feels lighter. Mahiru Shiina was diligent and skilled at household tasks, so they wrapped up the cleaning quickly and efficiently. With the classroom locked, they were free to go home.
Mahiru Shiina didn't belong to any club, so she planned to head straight home. Renji initially intended to walk with her, but then he remembered something: he hadn't yet used the item called the "Cat Bag." So he told her he wanted to check out the school clubs. Mahiru nodded, understanding, and they went their separate ways.
Once she was gone, Renji pulled the Cat Bag out of his pocket. He was responsible for the three Sakurasou cats, who now rested silently inside the magical pouch. The bag had a special function—it could place the cats into a controllable state, allowing Renji to direct their actions however he wished.
After releasing the three cats, he wandered around the school grounds, searching for a target.
His goal was to find traces of Yukino Yukinoshita, the second daughter of the Yukinoshita family. In the original work, she had created a one-person club called the Service Club. Renji had no intention of joining any sort of service department—but he couldn't allow anyone else to join either. Especially not Hachiman Hikigaya with those dead fish eyes.
He couldn't just march into Class J and seek out Yukino with a clear objective, so instead, he chose a hidden spot by the flower beds in the school garden. Sitting down quietly, he used the Cat Bag's ability to connect his vision with that of the cats. From their low vantage point, the view was... surprisingly interesting. He could even catch glimpses under the skirts of some of the girls walking by—
Ahem. That wasn't the point.
What mattered was that the perspective felt fresh and fascinating—a unique way to observe the world around him.