Chapter 1: I Died! I’m Alive!

“!?” Like a drowning man yanked to the surface, Shangguan He bolts upright in bed, drenched in sweat. His eyes dart around the familiar bedroom. Morning sunlight streams through the window. The wall clock ticks steadily.

‘A dream?’ His head swims with questions. He lifts his pajama shirt. No wound on his chest. Yet the sensation of a blade piercing his body lingers.

He grabs the flip phone charging on the nightstand, enters the password, and the screen lights up. The date and time make his heart skip. [January 13, 6:10 AM] The exact moment he first transmigrated into this world.

Death rewind? Bad ending reset? Or some other mechanic? No. His head throbs. Damn, it’s like my brain’s about to grow a mind of its own.

Sitting on the bed, Shangguan He rubs his temples, piecing together recent events. As mentioned, he’s a transmigrator. In his past life, he was an ordinary office drone and a Galgame master. Online, he single-handedly translated hundreds of obscure Galgames and authored thousands of strategy guides for dating sims. In the Galgame community, the name Shangguan He commanded respect. So when he died suddenly at his desk and woke up in this game-like world, he thought it was a divine reward.

In his first playthrough, he dove into his conquests with ease. What? Stick to one route for pure love? No way, that’s too boring! In games, external constraints force players to progress one route at a time. But as the protagonist, he’d tackle multiple routes at once! Aim for the harem ending in one go! Bold! Arrogant! That’s the swagger of a Galgame god!

Then that mysterious sailor-suited girl stabbed him.

“Speaking of which…” Recalling the face of the girl who killed him, Shangguan He frowns in confusion. “Who the hell was she?!”

Yes. He doesn’t know the girl who stabbed him. Or rather, he has no memory of ever pursuing her. It’s not because he’s some scumbag who forgets his targets. Quite the opposite—he remembers too well.

In his first playthrough, he pursued six girls: Suzuki, his classmate; Sakuragi from Class C; Tanaka from the gaming club; Dai, the student council treasurer; Arisugawa, a senior; and Fukumaru, the library committee member. Each was carefully chosen because their affection events never overlapped. Perfect for Shangguan He, aspiring “time management master.”

But that mysterious sailor-suited girl? If he got stabbed for juggling too many girls, fine, lesson learned. But he doesn’t remember pursuing her! He doesn’t even know her name! And her uniform—it wasn’t from Yingcheng High. Yingcheng’s uniforms come in spring, summer, and winter styles. The summer female uniform is a sailor suit, but it’s beige with pink accents and a white pleated skirt. The girl who killed him? Her sailor suit was all black. Or maybe a deep navy? Whatever, definitely not white.

“Know your enemy, win every battle… First, I need to figure out who she is.” Rolling out of bed, Shangguan He skips changing or washing up. Still in pajamas, he boots up his computer and, relying on his still-vivid memory, searches for clues about that uniform.

Luckily, reputable high schools display their uniforms on their websites. For many students, a stylish uniform is a key factor in choosing a school. He types keywords into the search bar: “sailor suit uniform,” “navy sailor suit uniform,” “stylish uniform designs,” “high school allowing black pantyhose.” After about ten minutes, he narrows it down.

“Shengquanyuan Girls’ Academy…” A prestigious private high school in a neighboring city. Established 124 years ago, it operates under strict, closed-off management. Motto: “Exemplary conduct, unparalleled virtue.” Founded by Sister Telaiya—a church school, no less. Rumor has it, daughters of politicians study there, alongside nouveau riche kids chasing elite status. Some tycoons spend fortunes to enroll their daughters, hoping to mold them into refined ladies. It’s a breeding ground for socialites, a hub for the elite. Graduates often marry into wealthy families.

With a basic understanding of his “enemy,” Shangguan He feels a headache coming on. “But what the hell does this have to do with me?”

Yingcheng High is just a public school, a place for ordinary folks. He’s worlds apart from some aristocratic miss at a private academy. Even geographically, Yingcheng High and Shengquanyuan are over 800 miles apart. A train ride would take more than four hours! What, some rich girl from an elite school fell for him from 800 miles away? Then trekked all that way to stab him? With that kind of vision, determination, and action, why be a heiress? Go be a superhero!

“How did she even fixate on me…?” His mouth feels dry. Shangguan He shuts off the computer, steps out of the room, and grabs a glass of cold water to rinse his mouth. He wanders the house, checking his surroundings. Everything matches his first playthrough. A classic Japanese-style single-family home: a small yard, parking space, private road, and a two-to-three-story wooden building. Car, house, busy parents. No sister, though. A fairly standard Galgame protagonist setup. No wonder he slipped so easily into the role and started messing around…

“All right, prep done.” Showered, breakfast eaten. Looking in the mirror, Shangguan He sees a dashing, charismatic figure. The only unstable element in this world is that mysterious sailor-suited girl. By normal logic, one would avoid any choice involving her to minimize risk. But Shangguan He isn’t normal. He’s a “Galgame god”! Knowing there’s a tiger in the mountain, he charges toward it! That’s his style!

“Shengquanyuan Girls’ Academy? Ha! Your boy’s coming for you!”

TL Note: “Galgame” refers to a genre of Japanese visual novel games focused on romantic interactions with female characters.