As the electronic bells chimed, signaling the end of the school day, a wave of relief washed over the students. The sound echoed through the school halls and filled the classrooms, marking the moment when academic responsibilities paused, at least for a while. Students from all corners of the campus either hurried out the doors, eager to leave the confines of the school, or gathered their belongings to head to various after-school clubs.

As Aruto stood and stretched, he felt the stiffness of a long day melt away slightly. He had nothing much to pack, just a couple of loose papers that resembled notes, which he casually slipped into his jacket. His eyes briefly caught Light Yagami methodically packing up his materials, meticulous as ever. Not wanting to draw unnecessary attention, Aruto made haste to leave the classroom.

"Notebook..." he mumbled under his breath, his impatience palpable. The crucial element of his plan lay just outside, dropped unsuspectingly by the window during class.

Navigating through the crowded halls as a newcomer was challenging, but finding the exit was straightforward. The entrance of the building cast a guiding light, illuminating the campus in a soft glow. Outside, students milled about, some lingering while others made their way off campus. Aruto used his classroom as a reference point to try and pinpoint where the notebook had landed.

There, lying discreetly in the shade, was the black book—the Death Note. He glanced back at the classroom window. The reflection on the glass made it difficult to see inside, but it appeared empty. He likely had only moments to act without being noticed by Light.

Touching the book triggered a new notification.

[Spirit +1]

Simply interacting with the supernatural notebook had increased his spirituality by a single point. It made sense—this should now allow him to see shinigami.

Opening the book felt surreal to Aruto, who had only ever seen this through a screen before. A plot device that had driven so much story was now in his hands. Intent on enacting his plan, he quickly flipped to the very last page. Ripping out the last page as cleanly as possible, he placed the notebook back exactly as he had found it. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed that nobody seemed to have seen what he did.

"Phew… good." Aruto breathed a sigh of relief at his successful maneuver and quickly walked back towards the crowd. Yet, he remained nearby, curious and cautious, to watch how Light would engage with this pivotal plot point.

Just a minute later, Light followed the other students out of the entrance and came into view. From a discreet angle against the building, Aruto watched intently as Light stopped and turned his head towards where the Death Note lay. Aruto observed Light's curiosity spike; he walked over, acted exactly as he did in the anime, read the rules on the front pages, and seemed to laugh at them before putting the notebook down.

"Perfect, exactly as the plot showed." Aruto was pleased that everything had followed course. He turned around and continued to walk down the street but stopped again shortly thereafter. This time, he planned to stalk Light from a distance, keeping an eye on how the young man's newfound power would begin to influence his actions.

Suddenly, another notification appeared on his screen:

[Fans +84] | [Screen Time Total: 11.7%]

"Wow, what a boon in viewership!" The notification pleased him, despite not fully understanding how this might affect the final outcome—though intuitively, more couldn't hurt. His actions were resonating with the audience, and this could only mean more engagement with his character and potentially more resources or abilities unlocked by the system as he progressed.

While waiting for Light to begin his walk home, Aruto called up his status screen to check on his progress:

[Status]

———

[Name: Alden Ouro | Age: 26]

[Fans: 96 | Screen Time: 11.7%]

[Body: 10 | Mind: 10 | Spirit: 11]

———

Noticing the increase in his fan count from a mere one to ninety-six in just a single day brought a sense of achievement. The small boost in his spirit score also marked a significant development, hinting at the effects of his interactions with the supernatural elements of this world.

As he refocused on his surroundings, Aruto saw Light ahead, this time with the black notebook just peeking out of his school bag. A grin spread across Aruto's face as he followed at a safe distance. This was the opportune moment to learn where Light lived without raising suspicion.

However, as they moved further from the school, the fewer pedestrians there were, and Aruto's presence became more conspicuous. He had to increase the distance between them to avoid detection.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Eventually, Aruto followed Light all the way to his home—a plain house in a nice neighborhood. Having confirmed Light's residence, Aruto decided it was time to stop his surveillance for the day. He had achieved his goal and learned crucial information.

Satisfied with the day's accomplishments, Aruto turned to leave, already planning his next moves.

Aruto had another small objective; he was hungry and knew there must be a convenience store somewhere nearby. Thus, he planned to locate the store as well and buy some snacks. He would even come back later that night to watch the soon-to-unfold 'accident.'

"HuHu, I guess… I better get going," he said, showing a playful grin on his face. He hummed a tune he had heard from a small store and began his search, with plenty of time to spare.

As night fell, Aruto sat next to a trash can, pretending to be a small-time delinquent blending into the shadows. He had bought new clothes, including a large jacket to protect him from the night's chill. He was practically unnoticeable unless Light paid direct attention to him.

After hours of waiting and wandering about, Light finally showed up, and the small biker gang made their appearance as well. "What's up, little lady? The name's Takuo Shibuimaru. What do ya say? Come hang out with us, pretty lady," the slightly overweight leader of the group began to harass a woman outside. Light watched through the window, his actions observed by Aruto.

The situation unfolded exactly as it had before, with the woman escaping their clutches. The man rode his motorcycle after her but was then promptly struck by a large truck, killing him on impact.

Despite anticipating the scene, it was no less shocking for Aruto. Light was also clearly shaken by the ordeal. The sight of the broken body lying in the street, the others fleeing, and the accompanying screams were overwhelming.

Taking in the chaos, Aruto decided it was best to leave. He toyed with the idea of interacting with Light, but concluded it was likely too early for such advancements. Instead, Aruto continued his routine and attended school for the next five days.

During this period, Kira was born—at least figuratively. Numerous criminals began to die under mysterious circumstances. The person responsible was sitting just a seat away from Aruto, recognized as the top student in the nation.

The national mock exams took place during this time, and Aruto could have benefited from more study. Embarrassingly, he scored near the bottom, with his only saving grace being his proficiency in language studies.

Another day ended, and today Aruto decided to take a small risk by talking to Light. Packing up his bags, he approached Light confidently.

“Hello, Yagami. I’m sure you may not remember, but I’m Kurogane Aruto! I heard you’re the top student?” he said, injecting a bit of light playfulness into his tone to catch Light’s attention.

The reply was curt: “Yes—I remember you. Sorry, but I’m quite busy.” Light paid little attention to Aruto’s attempts at forging a friendship, as his mind was occupied with other matters.

Expecting that reply, Aruto continued, "Ah, but I need a tutor—I was willing to pay you a large sum of cash. I scored nearly last!"

Light showed another reaction, perhaps one of internal disappointment, "Sorry, but I don't tutor right now. Exams are soon."

Still within his expectations, Aruto skillfully steered the conversation after a moment of silence. "Hey, have you been following the news lately? About those bizarre incidents with criminals dying unexpectedly? Quite strange, isn't it?" This tactfully drew Light's genuine interest in the topic.

"I did hear about that, I hope the authorities can figure out what's going on soon," Light responded, his tone still cool but with a hint of engagement that Aruto noted as a possible opening for 'friendship.'

Nodding thoughtfully, Aruto replied, "Yeah, it's alarming but in a way, you could say it’s a bit of rough justice, huh? Not that I condone it, but you have to wonder about the kind of desperation behind such acts."

There was a very slight tug at the corner of Light’s mouth, a subtle reaction that would've been missed if Aruto hadn’t been watching for his habits. "True, it's a complicated issue. On one hand, it's vigilantism, but on the other, it might seem like some twisted form of heroism to some," Aruto said, threading his words with care to probe Light’s defenses without being too overt.

"Indeed," was all Light said, his stoic face offering just one word before they parted ways.

Aruto, still technically homeless, was beginning to consider a part-time job to fill all this empty time of his. But then he remembered—didn’t he have legal documents he never looked at still? Heading back to the motel, he opened the briefcase which had been untouched since the day he spawned into this world.

Seeing the contents almost made him bash his head into a wall. "God fucking damn it! I—ugh!" Aruto felt his insides turn hot from a mix of embarrassment and frustration.

Inside were a house deed, government official documentation, and orphan background documents. So much effort was wasted in searching for a place to live. This realization hit him hard, making him feel foolish for not checking the contents of the briefcase sooner.

With a long, disappointed sigh, Aruto examined the house deed. The address was in a richer neighborhood, just a couple of blocks away from Light Yagami's house. Taped neatly onto one of the pages was the house key, perfectly squared—Aruto wondered how the System had managed to set all this up so precisely.

He placed all the documents back inside the briefcase and slipped the key into his pocket before heading out the door and checking out of the motel. It had been an uncomfortable stay, not least because it was a love hotel, of all places.

As he walked through the neighborhood in the late evening, Aruto found it quite pleasant—certainly a stark contrast to the void he had spawned from. Whenever he looked in a mirror, he saw that same void reflecting back from within his eyes, a reminder of his origins in this world.

Looking up at the sky, he realized he was near the Yagami's house. There was a blue glow emanating from a room facing the street—Light was likely watching the news. However, something even more shocking caught his attention.

Floating towards the house was a long, black humanoid figure with wickedly sprouting black wings. Against his better judgment, Aruto's eyes followed the being, accidentally making eye contact.

Not wanting to appear foolish or intimidated, Aruto maintained the eye contact and stood as if he was waiting for the creature. He leaned against the wall, out of Light's view, and the Shinigami descended towards him instead.