Just like encountering a blond delinquent in a romance game.

“Hey, big bro, time to get up for school!”

The next morning, Chen Shang awoke to the gentle call outside his door. He dressed in his formal school uniform from the wardrobe, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and stepped outside.

As he opened the door, his little sister was already waiting, standing respectfully at the threshold with her own bag held neatly in front of her. Although Nayuta was, by design, a year younger than Chen Shang, her exceptional academic prowess had seen her skip a grade and enter high school the same year as her brother.

Today, Nayuta wore the standard autumn uniform: a crisp white shirt beneath a black, open-collared sweater, a tidy black skirt with white trim, white knee-high socks, and gleaming round-toed leather shoes, clearly polished with care.

“Breakfast is ready, big bro. Let’s eat before heading to school,” she said, nodding politely, almost with the air of a devoted maid.

“Mm,” Chen Shang replied with his customary indifference.

The siblings sat at the dining table in the living room, facing each other. On the table were two plates of omelet rice and some simple side dishes. According to the game’s backstory, the protagonists’ parents had left for distant work years ago, leaving the brother and sister to fend for themselves.

Nayuta, ever dutiful and mature, had taken over nearly all the household chores since their parents’ departure, becoming her brother’s personal caretaker. In other words, Chen Shang’s situation was the classic “sister, house, and parents working far away”—and in every sense, his sister was exceptionally capable.

Originally, Chen Shang had intended to make the protagonist an orphan. Unfortunately, a few years ago, the gaming industry suddenly issued a ban: no more orphaned protagonists. The reason was that some parents feared such characters would foster rebellious values in children, with unpredictable negative effects on youth.

But for every rule, there’s a workaround. Decades ago, adult game developers, confronted with bans on underage characters, invented the “loli as old as your grandmother” trope, known as BBA.

The orphan ban was handled just as simply: as long as the protagonist’s parents were said to be working far away and almost never came home, it was fine.

After a simple breakfast, the two set off together for school.

“Big bro, we’re starting high school today. I hope we’ll be in the same class!”

“Are you nervous?”

“I really hope I can make new friends in high school!”

Along the way, Nayuta kept turning to chat with Chen Shang, but his replies were limited to “Mm,” “Oh,” “I know,” or silence. It was as if Nayuta were the player and Chen Shang merely an NPC repeating dialogue lines.

In his previous life, Chen Shang had received plenty of confessions from women, but nearly all were drawn by his looks or income. Over time, he abandoned the “straight man approach” and switched to the more efficient “Link method.” If I don’t speak, women can’t engage me in conversation.

“So many people...” As they arrived at school, Nayuta was struck by the crowds thronging the entrance.

Uptown High was the largest and most prestigious school in Longmen District; even students from neighboring Arakawa Ward came from afar to attend.

Today, being the entrance ceremony for new students, the lively atmosphere was extraordinary. The school gates were festooned with banners and streamers; students and parents came and went, while teachers in crisp uniforms welcomed the newcomers.

“I’m going to check which class we’ve been assigned to!” Nayuta bounced into the crowd of students to look for their names on the electronic board.

“You go ahead,” Chen Shang replied casually, waiting for her outside the throng.

As the game planner, Chen Shang remembered the class placements for every important character in the “school arc,” including the protagonist.

Soon, Nayuta wriggled out of the crowd and hurried up to him.

“Big bro, I’ve been put in Class A...”

“That’s great, isn’t it?” Chen Shang responded without surprise.

At Uptown High, Classes A and B were the elite tracks, reserved for top students. For a genius like Nayuta, who had started with an intelligence stat of 2, being placed in Class A was only natural.

As for Chen Shang, whose starting stats were all zero, being assigned to an ordinary class was only to be expected.

“But...” Nayuta’s face fell, her head drooping a little. “You’ve been put in Class D, big bro. I worked so hard to get into this school just so I could be in the same class as you...”

—The problem is you worked too hard!

Sensing the mood was turning awkward, Chen Shang quickly changed the subject. “I’ll walk you to your classroom.”

“Okay!” Nayuta immediately brightened, skipping along beside him into the school building.

At the door to Class 1-A, Nayuta reluctantly went inside, and was almost instantly surrounded by a group of girls eager to chat.

Chen Shang, meanwhile, scanned the classroom and immediately spotted a striking young man with short blond hair.

This blond student was at the center of attention, surrounded by classmates as if he were the focal point of the entire class.

Everything about him—his demeanor, physique, looks, and sense of style—radiated perfection. He seemed to have stepped straight out of a romance novel, an impossibly handsome CEO-type who would outshine Chen Shang from any angle.

From the moment he laid eyes on the blond youth, Chen Shang felt his blood pressure spike, like Peter Parker’s spider-sense kicking in.

“So, you’re here after all...” Chen Shang muttered under his breath, a twitch flickering across his face.

The blond young man’s name was Xu Qing. To put it bluntly, he was the “second male lead”—the greatest obstacle players would face in this dating sim.

When the rich kid who invested in this game took over the script, he demanded that the production team create a main character modeled after himself.

So, without a hint of shame, this trust-fund brat had all of Xu Qing’s stats maxed out at 5—the highest possible for a human.

With this kind of stat lineup, never mind the female lead—even a female gorilla would be utterly smitten.

What’s more, Xu Qing was the scion of the Xu Group, the biggest corporation in Longmen District, and had bodyguards watching over him 24/7.

Even if players loathed him, if they tried to assassinate Xu Qing, they’d be taken out by snipers before even drawing their knife.

And with the protagonist’s starting stats averaging zero—even if Chen Shang underwent gene modifications, he’d only reach one—Xu Qing wouldn’t even need his bodyguards to deal with the player.

In other words, under normal gameplay, there was no way for players to topple Xu Qing in the early or even middle game. Even if they managed to take him out in the later stages, the girls would already have been won over by Xu Qing—and might even turn on the player for killing him.

But as the game’s planner, Chen Shang had no intention of following the usual path. He already had the beginnings of a plan for throwing this dating sim into chaos—and for bringing down the second male lead along the way.

At this thought, the corner of Chen Shang’s mouth twitched in a faint smile.

Xu Qing seemed to sense someone watching from the doorway and glanced over, only to catch a fleeting glimpse of a male student’s back as he walked away.

Chen Shang entered his own Class D, chose a seat by the window at the back, and idly chatted with a few half-cybernetic classmates to pass the time.

The bell soon rang. After a brief introduction, the teacher led the new students to the auditorium for the opening ceremony.

As always, the ceremony was just the principal and his cronies pouring out empty platitudes, followed by a few standout students taking the stage to flaunt their achievements.

Predictably, “second male lead” Xu Qing also delivered a speech. His charisma, maxed at 5, had girls in the audience screaming, and he quickly amassed a legion of fangirls. The event felt more like a fan meet-and-greet than a school assembly.

After the new student orientation, everyone returned to their classes for the day’s lessons, and school let out around 3:30 in the afternoon.

As soon as Chen Shang left the classroom, he found Nayuta waiting for him by the door.

“Let’s go home together, big bro! What would you like me to make for dinner tonight?” Nayuta ran over and affectionately took his arm.

Their classmates, witnessing this, all showed twisted expressions of envy.

“Damn, this guy actually has a Class A little sister! And she’s so cute!”

“She even cooks for her brother... I... I... Chen Shang, do you need another brother?”

“Take me with you, Chen! From now on, you’re my dad!”

Ignoring his classmates’ jealous mutterings, Chen Shang led his sister to a quiet corner and instructed, “I’ve got something to take care of today. Go on home without me.”

“Huh? Why?” Nayuta immediately grew suspicious. “What is it, exactly?”

According to the backstory, the protagonist had always been a pure and devoted shut-in, rarely leaving home except to shop for essentials.

“A man’s secret,” Chen Shang replied, not even bothering to make up an excuse.

He patted Nayuta on the shoulder and strode alone toward the school gate.

“So suspicious...” Nayuta puffed out her cheeks, her expression full of distrust. “I’d better follow him and find out for myself!”