When Ryo opened his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling. It took him a few moments to remember everything that had happened just a mere minute ago. The gods, meeting his parents one last time, the wishes and then he was here.
The room looked very simple. It was a studio apartment with little to no decoration, but Ryo couldn't care less. After all, he would be staying here for very little time. On top of the bedside table, he found his family picture and his father's rosary.
"Might as well wear it... besides, it looks good on me" he said, donning the piece on his neck.
Going to the bathroom, the only separated room in the place, Ryo checked his appearance and body. Absolutely nothing had changed. The thing he was most happy about were his blue eyes, since they combined with the rosary and reminded him of his mother. After taking a quick shower, he went towards the kitchen to prepare something to eat.
On the kitchen counter he found a note that said there were no ingredients, since he didn't need any in the first place. When he read that, Ryo immediately tried summoning eggs, rice, canned tuna and an onion. Once he realized it was relatively easy to summon food for his own daily needs, Ryo quickly found himself cooking fried rice with tuna and caramelized onion. It was simple, but he enjoyed it.
"Now... what should I do?" Ryo asked himself. To his surprise, though not much, he received an answer.
[Host may check his stats and serach for his new high school uniform.
Rewards: Charisma +1]
Reading the message from the System, Ryo remembered his ability to see stats, Reason's blessing. Deciding to see where he stood, Ryo focused on himself. Since he was in front of a mirror, he noticed the way his eyes shined when he used this ability. In an instant, a semitransparent screen appeared before him.
[Name: Hashimoto Ryo
Level: 1
Strength: 12
Agility: 14
Intelligence: 11
Dexterity: 13
Charisma: 15
Skills:
Ryo was happy with his stats. After all, his body was the same as before, which meant he was at the level of pro athletes. He felt amused when he saw his Charisma was his highest stat.
'There was a reason why I became a successful model, after all' he thought to himself while thinking about his skills. He focused on Essence Reading to confirm his theory.
[Essence Reading: The blessing of Reason, a primordial ruler of Everything. It allows the user to read the true essence of everything, from a common stone to a human being]
Seeing the screen, Ryo couldn't help but smile wryly. It turned out that Reason downplayed his blessing as just a small status screen, but it gave a full blown analysis of anything he wanted. It was an overpowered version of the usual "analyze". With his guess confirmed, he went on to his second important skill.
[Immesurable Talent: The blessing of Potential, a primordial ruler of Everything. It turns the user into the perfect recipient for knowledge and skill. Whatever the user tries to do, he will naturally get better at in a short period of time. The effect is big enough to leave those considered geniuses in shame.]
When Ryo read this skill he realized one big truth...
"I'm fucking overpowered"
[Carisma +1]
When he saw that notification from the System, he remembered the suggestion he had been given a moment before. So long as he was diligent in practice and training, as well as completing the System's suggestions, there was no stopping him.
"Calm down Ryo, overconfidence is a huge red flag" he told himself as he searched for his new high school uniform. Ryo had never attended the last year of high school, but he didn't miss any of the studying since he wanted to keep up with his would-have-been peers. A few minutes later, he was ready to go.
[Host can make a good first impression on his first day in Fujimi High School.
Rewards: Agility +1 - Charisma +1 -
Ryo was impressed at how good the rewards were, for something so simple, but he quickly assumed the reason behind such a thing was quite simple. It is designed to help him evolve in a zombie infested world where anything can happen. As such, he simply decided to follow as many suggestions from the System as he could.
*
After walking for a few minutes and asking a few pedestrians, Ryo was finally able to reach Fujimi High School. Much like in his past life, a few girls tried to talk to him and even offered him their numbers. He felt a bit guilty, thinking how they would either turn into zombies later or be eaten by them, but he knew he couldn't save anyone. And between saving someone he knew wouldn't backstab him or someone he didn't know, he'd rather save someone who's personality he already knew.
Entering the school, he received a few -perhaps more than a few- stares from the students. Since Fujimi High was a boarding school, not many students entered through the main gate. The funny thing was how nobody seemed to know who the young man was. The reason for that was simple. Ryo wasn't a student in Fujimi High until that day.
"You are Hashimoto Ryo, right?" asked a mature woman with sharp features. Age had certainly taken a toll on her, since it was evident she was beginning to have small wrinkles -her furrowed brows certainly didn't help her image too much. She had long dark-red hair kept in a loose ponytail and wore oval glasses. The most surprising thing though, was the stupid size of her bust. Ryo looked at her for a second before answering, bowing his head slightly to hide his surprise. "Indeed. Good morning, sensei"
Kyoko Hayashi, a woman who wasn't happy with the life she had, felt slightly surprised seeing such a handsome student being so polite. She was used to that kind of kid being extremely rude, egotistical or self-centered. Feeling slightly happy seeing his respect, she decided to treat him better than others.
"Good morning to you, Hashimoto-kun" she said with a soft smile on her now relaxed face. Ryo was surprised by the sudden change in her appearance from an angry to a relaxed face, so much so that he couldn't help but open his eyes slightly. Remembering he had to make a good impression, he realized that it applied to everyone, not just his class. "You look better with a smile, sensei. You shouldn't furrow your brows so much"
"Hmph, flattery won't get you anywhere, youngster" even though she said that, Kyoko's face was clearlymore relaxed and her smile was a bit wider. "Now come on, follow me to the teacher's office. I'll tell you your class and give you the corresponding timetables"
Nodding in answer, Kyoko began guiding Ryo thought the school. After going up a couple of stairs and turning around a corner, they reached the teacher's office. Ryo did his best to remember the layout of the building so he would have an easier time navigating through it when the zombies appeared.
"Hashimoto Ryo, eighteen years old born in April 1st, right?" Kyoko asked once we were inside the teachers office. I simply gave her a smile. "That would be me, yes"
Kyoko couldn't help but think that they had gotten a cheeky student, but she didn't mind. After all, he was handsome and respectful. "Ok, you'll be in class 3A. The homeroom teacher should be here to guide you there any minute now. Here is your timetable, make sure you don't lose it"
After thanking Kyoko for her patience, Ryo left the room to wait for the homeroom teacher to arrive. He didn't have to wait for long though, since a minute later she had already arrived. Looking at her, he wasn't even surprised when he realized she also had a huge bust. Deciding not to ogle for too long, he greeted her politely.
"Good morning, sensei. I'm Hashimoto Ryo and I will be in your care from now on" he said as he bowed his head slightly. The teacher already had a favorable impression of him because of his good looks and, much like Kyoko, felt even better when she realized he was polite. "I'm Shizuka Hiratsuka. I'll be your homeroom teacher from now. You better behave, Hashimoto-kun"
Ryo's brain almost short-circuited when he heard his new teacher's introduction. Shizuka Hiratsuka was a character he knew because of Oregairu, but the woman in front of him...
'Unless I pay extreme attention, I won't know its her... what's up with that fucked up bust size, geez' Ryo thought while doing his best to look into her eyes. He knew Shizuka was kind so long as you didn't mention her being single and her age, so he promised to never do either. "I will, Hiratsuka-sensei"
A few minutes later, Ryo arrived at the door of his new classroom. Shizuka told him to wait a second and, as soon as she reached her desk, she announced that they had a new transfer student and that was why she took longer to reach the class. "Without further ado, come inside and introduce yourself already"
Walking into the room, Ryo quickly spotted one of the people he was most interested in, Saeko Busujima. A beautiful woman with long purple hair and dark blue eyes. Her figure was impeccable and attractive, but what picked his attention was her demeanor. No matter how you looked at her, Saeko was a refined lady. Smiling sideways he decided to make the best impression possible on the class and her.
"Good morning, everyone! I'm Hashimoto Ryo. Ryo meaning "distant" and Hashimoto written with "hashi" meaning bridge and "moto" meaning origin" he introduced himself in the most natural way possible, his Charisma doing wonders in picking up the attention. "I hope we all have a very~ interesting year together!"
After that came the usual barrage of questions, which was reduced to "are you single?" and "what are your hobbies?". The answers were no and anything new he could learn. Ryo quickly managed to fit in with his classmates, but he didn't get close to any of them. After all, most of them would turn or die later on that same day. As much as Ryo wanted to feel guilty, he wasn't Superman. He couldn't save everyone and that reassured him of one thing.
'I will help if I can, but if I can't... I won't feel guilty about it'
Later on that same day, he surprised his classmates with how easily he solved the more complicated Math problems they were presented and with how fluent his English was. Hashimoto Ryo had become the most popular boy in class in a matter of four hours. By the time the classes were over, he began heading towards the rooftop.
[Agility +1 - Charisma +1 -
Feeling happy that he had gotten his rewards, Ryo realized how cheaty his System actually was. After chuckling at his own idea, not minding if anyone heard him, he said a few words to himself.
"Things are going to shit soon... better get serious"
-------------------------------
So yeah, that is the meaning of Ryo's name if anyone cares... As a little piece of information, the System can only give stat points and (Beginner) level skills. This is the longest chapter huh? I didn't actually expect it to turn so long, 1886 words without taking this little piece into consideration.