Future (1)
Ding.
[New patch launched: Group chat undergoing update.]
[Chat functionality remains online. Sharing feature temporarily restricted.]
[Estimated completion: 16 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 20 seconds.]
The updates caught my attention. The group chat, usually a quiet place, was suddenly alive.
[Good Slime: @Ex-veteran Looks like this "Time suspension" feature you mentioned is working perfectly.]
[Star-Plasma Vessel: True, Kuroi-san didn't even notice I was gone!]
[Copy Ninja: This is quite convenient.]
The conversation buzzed with energy, a rare sight for this group. But something about it left me unsettled—like a missing piece in a puzzle I hadn't yet figured out.
I pulled my gaze away from the phone and focused on the system interface now addressing me.
[With this update, I should be able to assist you with anything that happens in the group chat.]
"You make it sound like you don't have complete control over the group chat," I said, narrowing my eyes.
[I don't.]
That made me pause. "Wait… you're telling me you created the system, but not the group chat?" The words felt strange as I said them, but a growing suspicion pushed me to ask.
[Correct.]
If the system wasn't behind the group chat, "Then who-" *Ding*
The screen flickered again, and a new message appeared. Its tone was both cryptic and unsettling:
[You don't need to concern yourself with him. I only provided you with the system. I never added any feature related to the group chat, nor did I give you that so-called "Starter Pack" when you began this second life.]
My mind blanked for a moment.
Huh?
[Those abilities you've been using—Universal Affinity, Thought Acceleration—I didn't send you any of that. In fact, your system should've only awakened today. It seems I've been careless...]
What? If they weren't responsible for the system, then... who was?
"Then who are you, really?" I blurted, my voice tinged with both frustration and confusion.
[I can't answer that now...] the reply came, measured yet evasive. [But remember this—you accepted my quest. You'll need to trust me. No matter how things unfold, I'm on your side. And...]
The pause felt heavy, as though it carried a deeper weight than the words themselves.
[If an admin suddenly appears in the group chat... don't trust them.]
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By the time I took my seat at the family dinner table, I had changed into my casual clothes. I wore a simple white T-shirt and running shorts, but the oversized white hoodie I threw on covered most of it.
'Can't you do anything about it, Great Sage?' I asked silently, the thought echoing in my mind as I sat. The warm aroma of freshly prepared dishes wafted up, but my focus was elsewhere. I picked up my chopsticks and began gently stirring the miso soup in one of my bowls, watching the surface ripple lazily.
«Answer: Breaching process may take longer than expected,» came Great Sage's calm reply, its words precise and detached.
Then another interjected, [I told you to trust me, didn't I? So why are you asking her to breach the system?]
Translucent tabs suddenly appeared in front of me, hovering between my face and the food. It was an annoying distraction, though to others, it probably seemed like I was just playing with my meal.
"Ame, stop playing with your food," Aqua scolded, his voice cutting through the quiet.
When I glanced at Aqua, the tab followed my gaze. Frustrated, I waited until it finally vanished.
[You're as paranoid as ever]
Damn straight.
A few years ago, they finally got news about our "father."
I wasn't surprised—I was the reason it happened, after all. But Mom and the others? Their shock was obvious.
After Mom's bold tweet, we quickly sorted out the paperwork. Even though we triplets were no longer officially tied to the president or Miyako-san, nothing really changed.
We still lived together under the same roof, our household staying the same—even after I started junior high. In a way, the Saitou pair has truly become our godparents.
"Ah, that's strange... Ame-chan was never a picky eater before," Ruby observed, her voice laced with curiosity.
"Is something wrong with the miso soup, Miyako-san?" Mom asked, glancing over at my other mom to make sure everything was fine.
Miyako-san shook her head with a small smile. "Un~ I even told you it was delicious before, right?" she replied, as she had been the one teaching Mom how to cook all these years.
I could feel myself being misunderstood.
"It's not the food... I was just thinking about something," I explained, trying to clear up the confusion.
"Hm? About what?" Ruby asked, leaning in, her eyes bright with interest.
"Did something happen at school?" The president chimed in, finally. Somehow, everyone seemed unusually attentive today, all eyes on me, waiting for an answer.
"....Well it wasn't something important." I wanted to brush it off once more but... Their face looks like they found out their cat had a fever or something.
"Could it be..."
Hm? Aqua muttered something under his breath, his tone low and almost hesitant and he brought his hand to his chin.
His words piqued my curiosity, so I instinctively activated magic perception, letting my magic spread outward to gather and translate his thoughts.
The moment the data came through, I froze.
'Did she experience her first period? She was in the bathroom a bit longer this morning.'
That was the translation I got. If I'd had coffee, I would've spit it out.
[Well, did your period start like he said?]
!!?--💢 Seriously? At least Aqua only thought about it, but why are you asking me that? I could feel a vein pop on my forehead.
[Well I was curious too...]
Instead of replying to the system or my brother's thoughts, I took a few more bites of my food and finished my soup before suddenly standing up and announcing, "I'm heading out."
"Ehhh~ It's the weekend! Let's go somewhere later!" Ruby complained, glancing at my empty bowl.
"I don't have time for shopping or a salon visit today. I've got plans," I replied.
"Where are you going?" Aqua asked.
"...The library, or something," I lied, not bothering to hide it.
"I'll be back," I said to the three adults in the room.
"Safe travels~" Mom and Miyako-san chimed in, while the president gave a quiet nod.
I cleared my dishes and placed them in the sink before heading out. At the entrance, I knelt down, to put on my running shoes. It was going to be a busy day, even though it was the weekend.
"Wait."
I froze mid-step as Aqua's voice stopped me. Turning around, I saw him standing there with his arm stretched out, palm open, clearly expecting something.
"Give me your phone. I'll add my number," he said flatly.
"Huh? Your number?"
"Yeah, we just got our phones yesterday after convincing Mom we needed them. You were holed up in your room all day, so I didn't get the chance to tell you."
Ah, right. So they finally got smartphones. I wouldn't be the only one with a phone anymore. With a shrug, I reached into my hoodie's pocket and pulled out my plain black-cased smartphone, handing it over to him.
Before Aqua could take it, Ruby appeared behind him, practically bouncing. "Oh~! Let me see it first! I'll add my number too!" she chirped, snatching the phone out of my hand before Aqua could.
Of course, this was my second phone—the normal one without the dimensional group chat nonsense. It only had basic apps, things for school, and a few family contacts. No password, no pattern lock.
"U-uwah~ What is this?" Ruby blurted, frowning at the screen. "You only have LINE?"
"...What's wrong with that?"
"Wait..." Her voice trailed off, her gaze fixed on the phone.
"There's only the president, Mom, and Miyako-san in your contacts? Don't tell me..." The words caught in her throat. "Is my little sister friendless?" The thought was a thunderbolt, striking her with its force.
"Does it really matter?" I muttered. I was twelve. It wasn't like every fourth grader three years ago—or even every seventh grader now—had a phone.
"And—LINE is your only social media?" she gasped.
"I deleted Twitter a few days ago," or X or whatever it called now. I only got it to keep tabs on Mom's gossip and any potential assaulters anyway.
"How will you know what's trending? No Instagram, no TikTok—do you even know what the internet is for?"
Of course I know, to steal data from the government and NASA and then threaten them with money for it, obviously, what else?
(A/N: Friendly reminder, this is our protagonist.)
"Just put in your numbers," I said flatly. "I'm busy."
It took a while to get past them, but after getting their numbers, I finally escaped the exhausting conversation.
"Young miss, where to?"
Like I said before, our family's rich now—rich enough to have bodyguards.
It was the president's idea at first, but it stuck. The man who just called me "young miss" is one of them. His voice is a deep baritone, but there's an energy to it that stands out. With a clean suit, He's tall, with a noticeable scar running along his chin, and, besides being a bodyguard, he also handles driving the car.
I paused at the large gate in front of our house, just as Yoshifumi-san, our driver and bodyguard, reached for the car gate. Raising my hand, I gestured for him to stop.
"It's fine, Yoshifumi-san. Ruby and the others might go out later. Please stay and accompany them. I won't need an escort today."
He hesitated for a moment but gave a respectful nod. "Understood. Have a safe trip, young miss."
We started hiring bodyguards three years ago, after the attacks on Mom suddenly became more frequent. Things had calmed down since then, but the risk was never completely gone.
I stepped around Yoshifumi-san and walked into the stillness of the quiet neighborhood. My goal was the train station, though it was a good distance away. As the streets emptied, I sped up, leaping over walls and darting across rooftops like a ninja to close the gap faster.
Mid-leap, I pulled a face mask from my pocket—the kind issued during the pandemic years ago—and slipped it on. At the same time, I tugged my hood over my head. I couldn't afford to be recognized, not even in passing.
Of course, I'm no ninja. My arms swung clumsily as I ran, nothing like the sleek, efficient movements a real ninja would use. They keep their energy focused, with minimal motion.
You might laugh, but in Naruto, the exaggerated arm-flailing runs are a far cry from reality. Though from what I've seen of Kakashi's moves, he nailed the Namba Bashiri perfectly so I suppose the laws that come from the anime don't really work out here in real life.
After a few more leaps and jumps, I finally see the station. I kept moving, searching for a quiet spot to land. Nearby the train station, I found a secluded alley and dropped down. Once there, I pulled off the stuffy mask with a sigh of relief.
Using a Kamui portal would've been faster, but I figured a bit of light exercise wouldn't hurt.
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Three stacks of books rested on the table in front of me. The library was a quiet haven, even with people constantly coming and going in search of books.
"So, this is all I managed to find," I muttered under my breath. At least my excuse for coming to the library wasn't entirely a lie now.
Honestly, I'd only come outside the house to avoid being disturbed while I stayed in my Kamui world back in my room. Still, hunting for a few books wasn't a bad idea.
Since it was a public library, I had to make a card. Even after all that, my haul was small—just a few medical books. Most of the ones I needed were already borrowed, which made sense. This place was close to a college with a medical program, after all.
[That's unusual. Are you really that interested in medical school?]
The system chimed in again, its translucent window popping up with annoyingly vibrant colors, blocking my view.
By now, I'd learned I didn't need to speak aloud to respond. 'Yes, I am,' I thought, directing my response inward. 'But you sound like you know me. To call it unusual for me to be interested in this... '
It's not like he'd actually tell me who he is, so I didn't bother chasing answers.
[...]
I brushed the floating screen away from my face and picked up one of the thick books. Aqua had stared at this particular one before, her expression tinged with a mix of discomfort and disdain. The title read: Color Atlas of Anatomy by Chihiro Yokochi.
Unlike the usual anatomy texts filled with artistic illustrations of human bodies, this book featured actual cadaver images. It was a leap forward in complexity, skipping over the gentler introduction of illustrated guides.
(A/N: A cadaver refers to a deceased human body donated for medical study or research, often through voluntary means or legal channels if unclaimed.)
Flipping it open, I landed on a page with "General Anatomy" emblazoned in bold, commanding letters. The opening sections offered a few diagrams, but as I turned the pages, the drawings faded, replaced by stark, vivid photographs of real cadavers.
But even after that, the system appears once again.
[...The system was made to help you develop basic skills. With practice, you could learn and level them up. It wasn't meant for supernatural or fantasy skills like the ones you have now. You're using it wrong.]
Thus, he suddenly interrupted.
'What are you saying now, suddenly you're going to guide me with this now?' I responded, putting away the books that I was about to read.
*Ding*
[You have acquired the skill 『Medic』]
[Medic] (E)
• Overview: Knowledge about basic human anatomy
• Special Effect: -
[Yes, like that. It was only meant to be a bunch of data that shows you progresses. There's nothing special like the status and level features that you've seen it give you. Someone else is messing the system up.]
'Messing the system up?'
[I think I know who did it, but well... just remember to stay alert with it.]
Before my reincarnation, I only met "Death." He claimed to be the one who gave me the system and brought me back to life instead of "Death". He spoke like a guide, as if he knew me well, even as an old friend.
Had he told me he's "Death", it would've made sense and he'll earn my trust easily but...
It's... irritating to think about. But I've learned not to dwell on things too much. After all the paranoia and mistrust I directed at Kakashi, I realized I can ease up a little. Whoever he is—Death or the one behind the system—I doubt he can harm the person I am now.
[...Alright, I was your friend in your past life.]
...Huh? The heck, did you picked that all up too? I only said a few things but you suddenly changes your mind that easily.
[It pains me as well being mistrusted you know? Especially by a friend who won't even remember me.]
Well, you're not wrong that I don't remember you. First of all, I'm friendless.
[Damn straight.]
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To be continued.