Chapter 4: This Has Got to Be Rigged!!!

The spinning needle on the Lucky Draw Wheel slowed, and Kyren held his breath.

Never in his life had he cared so much about his own luck. But this wasn't just a casual game of chance—this draw would decide how he took his very first step in this new world.

He'd watched LoveLive! before, of course. He adored the colorful cast of nine girls, each sparkling with unique charm, and their infectious music that lingered in the ears long after the show ended. But none of that mattered now. Knowing the story didn't mean he could sing it—or even write a note. His tone-deafness was legendary, and his Japanese… Well, let's just say it peaked at "Onii-chan" and "Yamete."

What good was foreknowledge when you didn't have the skills to back it up? Even if the world was about to end, people would sooner call you delusional than believe your warnings if all they saw was an ordinary, unimpressive guy.

That was why this draw mattered. If he could land anything from the LoveLive! franchise—even the smallest thing—it would be enough to give him some footing in this world. Just one ticket. One chance. One spark.

Kyren wasn't aiming to stay at Otonokizaka Academy forever. The series had made it clear—it was a prestigious all-girls school. There was no way they'd allow a random, unvetted guy to live on campus, unless the principal had lost all her marbles. Even if by some miracle he drew the legendary title of "Idol Development Master," something that could fill in all his deficiencies and make him an asset to the school, he knew it was unrealistic to expect a permanent stay. A male student at an all-girls school? That was a walking scandal waiting to happen.

Still... if he could quietly guide girls like Kotori Minami, Honoka Kosaka, and Umi Sonoda—future members of Muse's—to become proper school idols from the sidelines, perhaps… just perhaps… he might earn the right to return someday. Not as a student, but as something else. Something special.

The wheel's pointer was finally slowing, its motion visible to the naked eye. With each tick over the prize slots, Kyren's heart skipped another beat.

Tick.

Tick.

Tiiick—

He couldn't take it anymore. His palms were sweaty, his nerves fraying. "This is ridiculous," he muttered. "No use stressing over something I can't control."

With a deep breath, he shut his eyes.

One second…

Two seconds…

Three—

He cracked one eye open. He couldn't help it. The pointer was barely crawling now, like a tired snail.

Then he saw it.

The needle dipped into the "Thank You for Participating" section—but it wasn't done yet. Just beyond that dull gray strip was a brilliant gold: the ultimate prize, the Idol Development Master title.

He leaned forward instinctively. "Come on… just a bit more… just a little more…"

Miraculously, the pointer inched past the "Thank You" zone. It teetered on the very edge of the golden section. Technically—technically—it counted. The needle pointed to the shimmering border of victory.

Kyren's fist clenched. "YES! I knew it! My first interdimensional prayer paid off! Not just Europe-tier luck—I've ascended to Martian!"

But his celebration was short-lived.

The pointer twitched.

It moved.

Barely a nudge—but enough to slide out of gold and into…

"Don't Lose Hope."

Kyren's soul plummeted from heavenly relation to earth-shattering despair.

"This has to be rigged. It's rigged, right?!" he shouted, gripping the phone like he might throttle it. "You've got to be kidding me! Who does that?!"

The system's silence was deafening.

'Don't lose hope,' huh? Kyren seethed. You could've just told me I wasn't getting the prize instead of playing me like this. Sheep's head, dog's meat—how dare you sell lies in gold foil.

He glared at the screen, rage simmering beneath the surface. The only thing stopping him from smashing the phone against the nearest wall was the hope that this cursed system might still help him return to his original world.

As if hearing his mental tirade, a new message flickered onto the screen:

"As this is the host's first draw, you are entitled to a consolation prize."

"Consolation prize? I want my actual prize! Don't think you can fob me off with scraps!"

The screen flashed again:

"If no choice is made within three seconds, the consolation prize will be forfeited."

A bold countdown appeared beside the message. 3...

"Like hell I'm walking away empty-handed!" Kyren growled, tapping the bright red button.

Two options appeared before him, each wrapped like a game gacha bundle.

Japanese Voice Pack: Gain full fluency in spoken Japanese.

Japanese Reading Pack: Gain the ability to read and comprehend written Japanese.

"Wait… this is the consolation prize?" he blinked. "All that teasing and this was what you were holding hostage?"

He paused, tension bleeding into reluctant admiration. "Alright. Touché."

He considered his choices. Sure, he was an anime fan. But even now, his Japanese vocabulary was limited to common pop phrases like "Onii-chan," "Yamete," and "Hentai." As for reading… forget it. Subtitles had always been his savior.

He gave a silent salute to all the unsung heroes of fansub groups. True warriors of culture.

Wait a minute.

Hadn't he just spoken with Honoka and the others in fluent Japanese earlier? That meant—

Another message popped up:

"Auto-translation was a temporary new-user perk. Now that you've received a cultural gift, the feature is disabled. Please choose wisely."

He narrowed his eyes. This system is definitely self-aware…

Still, no time to dwell. It wasn't even a real choice. You could learn to read Japanese slowly—but if you couldn't speak it, you couldn't interact with anyone at all.

He tapped the voice pack.

Immediately, the screen dissolved into particles of light, which streamed toward his forehead like fireflies. His mind sparked with sudden clarity. Words he once heard but never understood now arranged themselves into meaning.

He exhaled slowly. "So that's it… Even basic benefits from transmigration aren't guaranteed anymore. This job is going out of fashion…"

Knock-knock-knock.

The sound of gentle knocking snapped him out of his thoughts.

He pocketed the phone and sat upright on the infirmary bed. "Come in."

The door opened.

And there she was.

A striking woman in a sleek gray-striped uniform stepped into the room, her poise and aura lighting up the otherwise sterile space. Kyren's heart nearly stopped.

Holy crap. I'm in love.

She was unmistakable—Kotori Minami's mother. One of the four motherly figures in LoveLive! canon, and in Kyren's humble opinion, the most elegant of them all. She wasn't just the school's chairwoman; she was a fan favorite in her own right.

The woman approached, observing him with a calm but curious expression. He looked younger than she'd expected—probably a student from another academy, she guessed.

"Good afternoon," she said with a gentle bow. "I'm Nanami Megumi, Chairwoman of Otonokizaka Academy."

Kyren rose slightly and returned the gesture. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kyren. Thank you for having me."

Nanami Megumi, he echoed in his mind. So that's her name…

Once again, he felt grateful—so grateful—that he'd chosen the voice pack. If he'd gone with the reading option, he'd be forced to communicate with this divine woman through written notes. What a tragedy that would've been.

He didn't wait for her to speak again. He already knew why she was here, and he wasn't about to make things awkward.

"I'm very grateful to the students of your school," he said earnestly. "They brought me here when I fainted. Please don't worry. I'll be leaving shortly."

There was a brief pause.

Nanami Megumi said nothing.

But Kyren could only hope that by making the first move, he might leave behind—if nothing else—a good impression.

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