The little Pangolin

Athan stared at the girl beside him, watching as she tried to make herself smaller under his gaze. She reminded him of a pangolin curling up for protection—small, vulnerable, and pitiable.

Her name was Elara. He had caught that much when the teacher introduced her. Her long bangs partially covered her face, but from what he could see, she was cute in a quiet, delicate way. Her uniform was noticeably old, the fabric slightly faded, but meticulously clean. The only accessory she wore was a single butterfly hair clip. She looked thin—so frail that a strong gust of wind might blow her away.

Athan sighed. He had seen this trope before.

He still wasn't sure if he had been reincarnated into a novel, a game, or some other fictional world, but everything about his situation screamed "significant character." And from everything he had pieced together so far, it didn't seem like he had landed the role of the protagonist.

No, he had all the classic signs of a villain. A rich and powerful background? Check. A reputation that made people tremble? Check. A feared and notorious presence in the school? Check.

That meant his likely fate was one of three outcomes: poverty, death, or an unhappy marriage.

Like hell he'd let that happen.

"If the world expects me to be a villain, I'll just flip the script," he thought.

A bully? He'd become an anti-bullying god.

A terror? He'd turn into the friendly neighborhood spider.

Handsome? Well, some things couldn't be helped.

Besides, he had the Karma System. If push came to shove, he could just brute-force his way through problems with enough karmic points.

Still, it was better to be cautious. He wouldn't make any reckless moves that might cause problems in the future. He had a brain—he should use it.

Athan had been on edge ever since he found himself here. He had no plans of letting his guard down until he was at least 99% sure of his safety.

He steadied his thoughts and began strategizing for the future. First, he needed more information. That was his priority.

Taking out his phone, he immersed himself in research, temporarily ignoring the girl sitting beside him, who was still frozen in silent terror.

Elara had transferred schools for a fresh start, but the moment she walked into this classroom, she realized she had stepped into another nightmare.

Of all the people in First Imperial High, why did she have to end up sitting next to him?

She had only ever heard rumors about Athan Silvernight, but they had been enough to send chills down her spine. And now she was seated beside him.

Her face was pale, her hands fidgeting in her lap. Her body screamed at her to run, but she forced herself to stay still. She had worked so hard to get here—to earn a scholarship at the most prestigious school in the Imperial Capital. She couldn't let fear ruin her chance at a better life for her grandparents.

'No. Don't lose hope. Study hard, get good grades, and make a better life for Grandma and Grandpa. You can do this, Elara,' she reminded herself, clenching her fists under the desk.

Despite the anxiety twisting her stomach, she took out her books and stationery, forcing herself to focus on the lesson. The teacher's voice helped drown out the fear, even if only a little.

She had learned from experience that the best way to avoid bullies was to be as invisible as possible. And so, she curled in on herself, trying to make herself disappear.

It seemed to be working.

The terrifying classmate beside her hadn't made a single move against her since the lesson started. Maybe if she stayed quiet, he'd continue to ignore her.

Athan, meanwhile, was completely focused on his research.

He raised an eyebrow at the information he was finding.

This world was not Earth, but it was strikingly similar. The planet, called Grasia, was about three times the size of Earth, yet its culture, history, and even myths were eerily familiar.

One major difference was that there were no longer individual nations. Instead, the entire planet was governed by a single entity—the Planetary Alliance.

Curiously, there was no mention of supernatural powers. That didn't mean they didn't exist, but if they did, they were well hidden.

Technology-wise, the world seemed stuck in an era similar to Earth's 2000s to early 2010s. The internet and smartphones were not common, but there were no signs of futuristic advancements.

As Athan absorbed the information, he lost track of time.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson.

Athan looked up, realizing the classroom was already bustling as students packed their things for lunch. He had no friends here, so he decided to simply follow the crowd and grab a meal for himself.

The moment he stood up, the entire class froze.

It was like someone had hit pause on a game. Everyone stopped what they were doing, their eyes darting to him in fear.

Athan's mouth twitched. 'Seriously? Is this a damn horror movie?'

Ignoring the tension, he walked toward the door. But as he took his second step, his foot accidentally landed on something.

He looked down.

Elara's stationery was scattered across the floor, and a few of her pens were crushed beneath his shoe.

'Oh, come on.'

He sighed, wanting to curse his luck. He had been about to apologize, but when he looked up, he saw Elara's face.

She was white as a sheet, her lips trembling, her eyes welling up with unshed tears.

Athan immediately understood the situation.

Even if he swore on his life that it had been an accident, no one would believe him. His reputation was against him.

The last thing he wanted was to make the girl cry on her first day. That would just reinforce whatever villain role this world had prepared for him.

'Better fix this later.' He glanced down at his pockets, realizing he had nothing useful on him.

'Who the hell carries a butterfly knife to school? Damn past owner of this body.'

Deciding to replace her stationery later, Athan walked out of the classroom without a word, ignoring the whispers and stares that followed him.

Behind him, Elara stared at her broken pens, her mind flashing back to haunting memories she wished she could forget. The weight of past trauma pressed down on her chest.

She couldn't stop the tears from spilling over.

The classroom, which had been filled with nervous whispers, fell into dead silence.

The only sound was Elara's quiet, stifled sobs.

Athan had just reached the door when he heard it.

His steps paused.

The entire class held their breath.

The menace of First Imperial High had stopped walking.

What would happen now?