Chapter Seven: All Because of Charm

Since he had merely acted in self-defense after being provoked, Aoki was not really punished. He only received a verbal warning before returning to class. As for Maeda Tora and his unlucky gang, though they had started the trouble, they were beaten so badly that the teachers couldn’t bring themselves to punish them either, and sent them straight to the infirmary for treatment.

Aoki was not particularly concerned. During his “trial card” experience, he had been careful with his strength; the beating looked worse than it actually was. They’d probably recover in a few days without even needing to go to the hospital, though they’d be sore for at least a week.

Back in the classroom, Aoki looked around at his classmates, all of whom now avoided even glancing his way, and felt a wave of despair wash over him. Now, no one would ever see him as a good person.

Still, there was an upside to this—no one would bother him anymore. Even the teacher currently conducting the lesson pretended not to notice him and let him lay his head on the desk as he pleased.

Sitting in the last row, Aoki gingerly touched his swollen fist, wincing at the pain, and inwardly grumbled at the system.

“During that trial card experience, I felt like I wasn’t myself. That feeling was just awful!”

[The trial card was meant to let you experience the life of a true delinquent. So? Didn’t you find that headstrong, overwhelming sense of power intoxicating?]

Aoki’s expression cooled, and he replied inwardly, “No. Not at all.”

“I believe violence is only a means to protect oneself, not a tool to oppress the weak.”

[…Your way of thinking is quite unexpected. But the character you experienced, Genji Takaya, wasn’t a bad person at all.]

“True, that feeling was exhilarating.” Aoki gave a bitter smile as he laid his head on the desk, staring blankly at his torn knuckles. “I’ve never felt that kind of strength before. But…”

“During the trial, I only felt emptiness.” Aoki turned his head to watch students playing outside during their gym class and replied to the system, “I don’t know who Genji Takaya is, but I could sense it during the experience. When he threw his punches, it wasn’t for himself.”

“Maybe this sounds a bit mystical, but that’s genuinely how it felt. He wasn’t happy, even in the midst of a fight.”

“Forget it, let’s drop the subject. Anyway, I’m never going to start trouble or bully anyone. If people don’t mess with me, I’m generally not going to lose my temper.” Unable to fully grasp his own thoughts, Aoki decided to let it go and pivoted to another question that had been bothering him. “Why is everyone so scared of me? Or rather, why have I become so terrifying? Even when I look in the mirror, I look fierce as hell. It can’t just be because of my shaved head, right?”

[That relates to your Charisma attribute.]

Aoki nearly sprouted a question mark on his forehead. “Isn’t Charisma supposed to make people like me? If everyone is this disgusted by me, shouldn’t my Charisma be in the negative? Whatever, open my attribute panel so I can see for myself.”

[Host: Aoki]
[Strength: 8 (10 is average for an adult; overall muscle strength is the metric.)]
[Agility: 9 (10 is average for an adult; overall coordination and explosive power are taken into account.)]
[Intellect: 14 (10 is average for an adult; memory, logic, and learning ability are considered. Note: This is not equivalent to IQ or EQ.)]
[Charisma: 15 (The average for a normal person is 10; this is a comprehensive score based on appearance, physique, and temperament.)]

“Huh? Why have my stats risen so much?” Aoki stared at the panel in surprise.

[Mission ‘The Delinquent’s Debut Battle’ completed. Reward: +1 Strength, +1 Agility, +1 Charisma.]
[Skill learning has provided an additional +1 to Intellect.]
[Shaving your head has granted you an extra +3 Charisma.]

Wait a minute, why does having a shaved head add three points to Charisma? Aoki’s eyes widened. He suddenly had a strong premonition that this so-called Charisma attribute might actually be a huge trap!

[Since this system specializes in developing delinquents, the Charisma bonus primarily affects intimidation and presence. Furthermore, how Charisma manifests depends heavily on the host. In other words, if you put on a girl’s wig, your Charisma would make you appear even more beautiful than most girls.]

[Also, even with a shaved head, if you always smile and behave like a sunny, cheerful boy, people wouldn’t feel so intimidated. Of course, the bonus from the shaved head mostly manifests as intimidation.]

Aoki’s face darkened. “So, if I keep my head shaved and my Charisma reaches thirty, as long as I keep a straight face, I’ll scare everyone half to death? I’d like to be friendly to them, but in my current state, if I so much as smile at someone, they’ll probably have nightmares at home tonight.”

[Charisma is the embodiment of personal aura, just like how an actor can create a completely different impression by changing hairstyle or demeanor. Without altering your actual appearance, Charisma will simply amplify your dominant traits.]

Aoki gazed hopelessly at the ceiling. “It’ll take at least half a year for my hair to grow back.”

“And in your eyes, my most prominent feature is… being fierce?”

[The fiercer a delinquent looks, the more aura he exudes. Isn’t that exactly what you want?]

Aoki suddenly felt as if his bright high school life had ended before it even properly began.

He looked out the window at the boys and girls laughing and playing in gym class, then turned back to see his classmates shivering under his mere gaze…

What kind of cursed Charisma attribute is this!