James Walker was even more shocked, sticking closely to Henry Carter, even trying to put his arm around his neck, chattering nonstop: “You didn’t say yes? Carter, are you stupid? High school is a battlefield—if you’re not quick, you get nothing! You’re passing up a chance to get ahead? You could have a girlfriend in your first year, what more do you want? Such a waste… you’ll definitely regret this in the future…”

Henry Carter turned a deaf ear. James Walker was always like a rabbit in heat, and today was no exception. He headed straight for the food counter, hurrying to buy something to eat—there were so many things to do, he couldn’t waste time!

Study, get into a top university, start a business, achieve career success, and only then, with a solid material foundation, find someone to marry and have children—that was the right path in life.

Only a fool would date now!

Chapter Two: The Soup Thief

James Walker followed behind Henry Carter, nagging on and on, repeatedly talking about Megan Clark’s figure, looks, and temperament, and was absolutely convinced that Henry Carter would regret this so much in the future—his face twisted with frustration, as if he wished he could turn back time and say yes in Henry Carter’s place, and he’d even thought out how to trick Megan Clark into a love hotel.

Henry Carter ignored him, not saying a word, pretending not to hear. James Walker was at the age when boys are obsessed with girls—lecherous and long-winded, but he was a good source of information, so it was still useful, though the downside was having to put up with his constant noise. Gains and losses, as always.

After all, humans are social animals and need to communicate. When he first entered this body, he had to attend the high school entrance ceremony, and just when he needed information, this overly friendly James Walker came over. He’d managed to get some details out of him, but unexpectedly, James Walker latched on and seemed to have included him in his circle of friends—so even now, he didn’t want to fall out with James Walker, since there was still a lot he needed to learn from him.

Fortunately, although this guy didn’t look great and was in the throes of adolescence, he wasn’t a bad person at heart—tolerable, just barely.

At the food counter, he ordered the cheapest bowl of soy sauce ramen. James Walker casually ordered a tonkotsu ramen and kept talking, while Ryan Smith went to another counter to buy Italian-style fried noodles—he seemed to have a sweet tooth.

When the ramen was ready and the aroma wafted over, James Walker’s stomach growled a few times, finally calming him down a bit. He and Henry Carter carried their noodles to the dining area, but he was still regretful. “Sigh, from what I’ve gathered, Clark is at least top-tier, if not the very best. Hey, Carter, what are you thinking? Say something!”

There were only a few people scattered around the dining area. As Henry Carter looked for a table for three, he replied casually, “I don’t have time, I need to study.”

“That’s not a conflict!” James Walker was still unwilling to give up. He remembered that Megan Clark also had a small group, with two girls who were always with her, and they seemed pretty cute too. If Henry Carter succeeded, he’d have more chances to hang out with those two girls, which would greatly increase his odds of getting a girlfriend—or even losing his virginity. “Studying can wait until our third year. Right now, we should be enjoying our youth… Ah, watch out!”

James Walker cried out in alarm, and before Henry Carter could react, he felt someone bump into his side. He quickly steadied his tray to keep the soup from spilling.

“Sorry!” came a slightly dazed apology, and when Henry Carter turned his head… he was startled—he didn’t see anyone! Looking more closely, he finally spotted a very, very short girl bowing in apology, almost ducking under his tray. No wonder he hadn’t seen her at first glance.

The girl was wearing the spring uniform of the private Daifuku Academy: a snow-white shirt under a pale yellow, wide-collared sweater, a red tie, a dark red and black plaid sailor skirt, black cotton over-the-knee socks, and shiny round-toed leather shoes. But she was so short that, if not for the uniform, Henry Carter would have thought she was an elementary school kid wandering into the high school.

“It’s fine. Are you okay?” Henry Carter smiled slightly, not minding the accidental bump. The girl straightened up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, and apologized shyly, “I’m just too tired, I zoned out and didn’t see where I was going. Sorry for the trouble, I really apolo—” As she spoke, she got a good look at Henry Carter’s face and froze. “It’s you? Shiro… Henry Carter?!”

Henry Carter was startled. Could she be someone he knew? The original owner of this body shouldn’t have any acquaintances in Nagoya, right? Was she someone he’d met in the past few days, or a classmate? He was suspicious but didn’t show it, and took a closer look at the girl’s face. She was actually quite pretty—a palm-sized face, crescent-moon eyes, delicate brows and cherry lips, with two shallow dimples on her cheeks. But right now, her expression was shifting from sleepy fatigue to annoyance, and a pair of little tiger teeth flashed at the corners of her mouth.

Although Henry Carter was a bit face-blind, he was sure—he didn’t know her, and she wasn’t a classmate! If she were, he’d definitely remember someone this short.