A week had passed since I returned home. It felt strange—warm, yet unfamiliar.Mother's voice in the kitchen, the scent of green tea, Yuriko's soft laughter—everything felt like a dream I once thought I'd never touch again.
I didn't tell them everything.
Not about the laboratory, not about the experiments, not about Kai living in my mind—none of it. I kept it all locked away. They wouldn't understand, and I didn't want to drag them into danger.
I simply said I'd washed up on an island after an accident, lost my memory, and that it had slowly returned.
They believed it.
Or maybe… they just wanted to.
Even though my body was different now—taller, stronger, my face changed—they didn't question it.
They recognized me not by appearance, but by the way I spoke…by the little memories only family would know.
And that was enough.
That evening, I sat in the living room. The orange glow of sunset washed over the room, brushing against a photograph on the small table.
Father.
He smiled inside the wooden frame, incense burning slowly in front of him.
"So… Dad passed away three years ago?" I murmured.
[Data confirmed, Host. Cause of death: workplace accident. Case closed by Tokyo Metropolitan Police.]
I stared at the photo for a long time. Something heavy stirred in my chest—grief, maybe guilt.I didn't even get to say goodbye.
The sound of the fridge door opening snapped me out of it.
"Nii-san, what's wrong?" Yuriko asked, sipping apple juice.
I blinked and shook my head. "Yeah… it feels good to be home. But it's also a little… overwhelming."
Yuriko gave a faint smile. "I see."
We sat quietly, the ticking of the clock filling the silence.
"By the way," I said at last, "how's school?"
She let out a small sigh. "They're still fussing about the break-in at our house, but everything's fine now. My teachers are okay too."
I nodded. "Good."
Then she looked at me, hesitation flickering in her eyes.
"Nii-san… what about you? Are you going back to school?"
The question cut deep.
Instantly, the memories resurfaced—Takeshi and his gang, their laughter, those dark days on the school rooftop.
My hands tightened.
"I don't know," I said finally. "For now… I just want to spend time with you and Mom. I'm not sure if I'll go back."
"Eeeeh… But it'll be a hassle, you know! Your whole class has already moved up. If you return, you'll be alone." She pouted—just like before.
I smiled faintly. "Whatever people say… I already have my own plan.""Plan?"
"Yeah." My gaze drifted to the window, to the evening sky turning red. "I need to earn money."
"Money?" Yuriko frowned. "For what?"
I looked down at my own hand.
Inside my mind, Kai displayed data showing how our family savings were dwindling, and the mortgage left unpaid since Father's death.
I drew a slow breath, then smiled gently at my sister.
"For our future."
...
A month had passed since I decided to live like an ordinary human again. But of course, "ordinary" was just a pleasant word—nothing had truly been normal since the day I woke up on that beach.
Every day felt like the same looping simulation.
In the morning, I worked as a courier, delivering packages across the city.By noon, I turned into a construction worker, hauling steel and cement as if my body were made of iron In the evening, I became a server at a small diner near the station. And at night, I stood behind a counter as a bartender, serving customers with a faint smile I'd practiced in the mirror.
Four jobs. All for one simple goal: to save one million yen.
[Host, based on your current performance, your financial target will be achieved within 72 hours.]
"Thanks, Kai."
My voice sounded flat, but deep down I knew it wasn't just about the money. It was training—teaching myself control, rhythm, and awareness as a human amidst abilities that could easily erode that humanity.
But everything changed when I realized one thing: With Kai's near-perfect analysis of global economic trends, the stock market felt like a child's game.
So I switched lanes.
Three weeks later, from a mere one million yen, I'd generated over 200 million yen. And that wasn't even the upper limit—Kai calculated it could be multiplied further if I were willing to take greater risks.
But I chose to quit the heavy jobs. I dropped three of them and kept only one: the small family diner run by an elderly couple.
The reason was simple. I needed something real.
Kai could handle anything related to money and data, but only human interaction made me feel… alive.
And that was where I met Yamamura Eri.
"Inoue-sa~n!"
Her soft voice came from the kitchen, a little husky yet comforting—like someone who'd weathered the harshness of life and learned to laugh through it.
I turned around, lowering the tray in my hands. Eri stood by the stove, wearing a floral apron, her hair tied back. She was probably in her late twenties—pretty, but strong too. There was something sharp in her eyes, as if she could read straight into someone's heart.
"Yes? What is it, senpai?"
She smiled, teasing like always. "You're working too fast again. Let the customers enjoy the view first."
I frowned. "View?"
She shot me a mischievous look. "Don't play dumb. Ever since you started working here, the number of female customers has skyrocketed. They're not coming for the food—they're coming to look at you."
I went silent for a moment. Kai cut in immediately with his mechanical tone:
[Host, facial-attraction analysis indicates an 82% interest ratio among women aged 18–35 in direct interaction.]
"Thank you for statistics I didn't ask for," I muttered.
Eri laughed softly at the sight of me flustered. "See? Even your face changes color. Didn't think the hardworking type could get embarrassed."
I scratched my cheek, trying to hide the awkward smile.
Maybe Kai was right—this body was too "perfect." My posture had become that of an athlete, muscles defined beneath the server uniform, and my face… even I barely recognized it anymore.
Sometimes I wondered whether the human once called Inoue Hikaru still truly existed, or if I was just the final product of a laboratory reshaping both my body and mind.
That evening, the little diner was filled with the warm smell of broth and the laughter of customers.For the first time in weeks, I actually felt calm. No missions, no commands from Kai, no shadows of the past whispering in the back of my head.
I wiped tables, arranged plates, and occasionally glanced at Eri-senpai joking with the regulars.There was something comforting about this place—a simple life I once dreamed of but never managed to grasp.
But, as had become routine in my life, peace never lasted long.
A loud voice erupted from the far end of the room.
"Hey! Watch where you're walking, idiot!"
I turned sharply. One of my senpais, Natsumi, had fallen to the floor.Standing in front of her was a large man with bleached-blond hair, clicking his tongue in annoyance.Two others behind him burst into laughter, mocking her.
Their faces… looked familiar.
Kai immediately pulled up a small holographic overlay in the corner of my vision—something only I could see.
[Face match: 93%. Identity detected—Takashi Kuroda. Note: Subject involved in juvenile violence. Record: South Shibuya school assault cases.]
Takashi…?
My breath caught for a moment.
Those eyes, that sneer, that arrogant posture—it all triggered memories I had buried deep.
Back then, they were my hell.
The ones who made every day at school feel like torture. Takashi and his gang—delinquents who beat me senseless like I was some living toy.
They would never recognize me now.Even if I stood right in front of them.
My body had changed, my face no longer belonged to the Inoue Hikaru they once mocked and destroyed. But something inside me began to pulse— something that had been sleeping beneath my skin for a long, long time.