October mornings were still a little chilly. Because he wasn't used to sleeping in new places, Yin Ze woke up on his own a little after six, greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling.
He lay there for a bit before giving in and getting up to use the bathroom, wash his face, brush his teeth, and scrounge up something to eat. With his cooking skills maxing out at instant noodles and fried sausages, he stared at the stove in contemplation for several long minutes.
"Forget it. I'll just boil a few eggs in plain water."
While the pot bubbled away, Yin Ze sat cross-legged on the floor, lazily petting his leg hair while pulling up some videos on his laptop.
Now that he was technically in the industry, he decided to see which anime and manga were trending.
Oho, this one looks like it's blowing up. Let's have a look.
It was a classic swords-and-magic fantasy. A completely ordinary farm boy named Sass, with zero talent for swordsmanship or sorcery, nevertheless longed for a life of adventure astride a horse with a sword at his side.
One day, a foreign army blitzed across the border, razing everything in its path. Sass's family perished under the enemy's boots, and the village burned to the ground.
Lying half-dead among the ruins, the boy locked eyes with an old swordsman in a black cloak who had stumbled upon him.
"There's a lion hiding in your eyes. What's your name?" the old man asked.
"...Sass."
"That name's too weak."
The old swordsman threw off his cloak, unleashing a blast of sword aura that annihilated the approaching soldiers without lifting a finger. Then, without even looking back, he walked away.
"From now on, your name is Lyon—the heir to the Lion King Sword!"
And so began a classic tale of vengeance, downfall, redemption, and the rise of a hero. With its grand storytelling, stellar animation, and lush soundtrack, it was clearly a high-budget production.
Yin Ze nodded approvingly after watching the promo. Impressive, he thought—though he had no plans to actually buy the Blu-ray.
Next, he clicked on another trending show: a high school romantic comedy.
A perfectly average student had been diagnosed with a rare condition: if he didn't fall in love, he would die. But he was also deathly afraid of commitment, so to stay alive, he had to constantly lie to girls.
Cue the upbeat music.
"Wait—Yuuji! You saw that just now, didn't you?!"
On screen, a red twin-tailed childhood friend turned on the stairs, flustered and pulling down her skirt. Freeze frame. Zoom in. Voice actor name flashes on screen.
"Yuuji-senpai, you're here again. Looking for a book?"
Cut to the library. A blue-haired, bespectacled underclassman in the literature club looks up expressionlessly.
"I'm nothing like you plebs. Maybe if you lick my shoes clean, I'll consider it."
The haughty blonde student council president flips her hair from on high.
"You can't even swim? Wow, you suck."
A sporty, tan-skinned junior from the swim team beams by the poolside in a skin-tight swimsuit.
"You forgot your school ID again?! I've told you how many times now?!"
The stern, long-haired discipline committee girl scolds him with hands on her hips.
"Heh… so you transferred here after all. Surprised to see your ex?"
A graceful purple-haired beauty with a mysterious smile leans in.
Female characters flashed by in a chaotic montage as voice actors read ad copy one after the other:
"A thrilling, heart-pounding rom-com battlefield☆!"
"Colorful cast of girls! Only true love will win the prize!"
"Hey hey, you're going to choose me, right?"
"The most chaotic, blazing love battle in history begins—!"
Yin Ze exited the video without hesitation, chewing on a boiled egg as he skimmed the show's background. As expected—it was adapted from a dating sim.
They think a bunch of flashy character tropes and a harem will win me over? Please. I'm a man of taste, a traveler from another world with over a decade of discernment.
Hmm? That cover art looks striking. Without thinking, he clicked it.
Lans Reign III!
"War looms again across the land—will the reclusive god of war rise once more?"
"A saint from the Church, a demon princess, a grand tale of light and shadow!"
"The Chalk Beast Mercenary Corps returns—legend reborn!"
"Fully uncensored OVA now on sale!"
It was a short teaser, but the message was loud and clear.
Brilliant. The balance of colors, the fluidity of the figures, the perfect lighting—truly a rare gem.
He began searching for the game version.
Lighting a cigarette with a satisfied smile, Yin Ze tapped away on his keyboard. A perfect morning, spent appreciating quality content. As a versatile concept artist, he had to study top-tier hits like this.
Just then—BANG BANG BANG—someone knocked on the door so hard it nearly cracked.
He flinched. The tranquil morning shattered, and his eagerness to learn went up in smoke.
BANG. BANG. BAM. BAM.
"Alright, alright! What is this, a demolition squad?!" he grumbled, tossing the mouse aside and heading for the door.
He was expecting a gruff worker in a baseball cap or a plumber in red overalls.
Instead, a neatly-dressed young woman with short hair stood before him—poised, confident, sharp-eyed.
Yin Ze blinked in confusion. He looked her up and down.
"Hi, can I help you?"
She stared at him, brow furrowing deeper and deeper—especially when her gaze landed on the cigarette between his fingers. Her expression turned dark, her voice dangerous.
"You're smoking? In the house?"
Now it was Yin Ze's turn to feel guilty. He glanced around nervously.
"Wait, is it… illegal to smoke in rented apartments here?"
"Oh, don't get smart with me. You look proud of yourself. Put it out—now." Her tone brooked no argument.
"O-okay!" Under pressure, Yin Ze obeyed instantly, tossing the cigarette into the corridor and stomping it out with a slipper.
The woman sniffed. Something didn't sit right. She stepped closer and inhaled again—then widened her eyes in disbelief.
"Is that… booze? Have you been drinking?"
"Just a sip! Just a tiny sip!" Yin Ze waved his hands frantically.
"I leave you alone for a bit and this is what you become?" she scolded, furious.
"…Miss, do I… know you?" Yin Ze was now completely lost.
"Miss?" she raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
"…Beautiful lady?" he tried again.
"Well, well. Learned some sass, have we? Not calling me 'teacher' anymore?" Her tone chilled.
"..."
And just like that, it clicked. Oh crap—she's the homeroom teacher. And he was supposed to go to school today.
Crap.
"Haha, wow, teach, you didn't have to come all the way here. I was going to school, promise! No need for a house call!"
"With how you look? You probably don't even remember which school or what class you're in," she said, crossing her arms.
...Fair.
"Please, come in! Have you eaten? I just made some eggs," he offered.
"No need. Pack your bag and come with me. My car's downstairs. And take off that stupid hair tie."
Yin Ze nodded and bowed repeatedly, scrambling to shut his laptop, check the stove, and grab his phone. He couldn't find his school bag, but whatever—he grabbed any bag to keep up appearances.
"All set, teacher. Shall we?"
She took one look at the bag, yanked it from his hand, unzipped it, and dumped it out on the floor.
A book did fall out. Just not the right kind.
There, in all its full-color glory, lay a gravure magazine featuring swimsuit idols—open to the most striking, dynamic pose imaginable.
...Seriously? Takizawa's supposed to be into 2D girls. Why was this even hidden here?
His homeroom teacher's face contorted in exasperated disbelief before she let out a long sigh.
"Whatever. Just come with me."
"Where to? Juvenile detention?"
"To school!"