Rika!

"It's alright! I'll clear it up today."

Renji muttered as he grabbed a nearby empty cup ramen container, tossing it into the trash bin with an uncharacteristic lack of laziness.

Rika, who had been resting her chin in her palm, raised an eyebrow.

"…Huh?"

She blinked at him, clearly taken aback. Did she hear that right?

"You? Cleaning up?" She repeated slowly, as if testing out the words. "Are you sick or something?"

Renji let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "Just felt like it."

Rika squinted at him suspiciously.

Something was weird.

Normally, Renji would have just grumbled, made an excuse, or outright ignored the mess like always. But now... he wasn't acting like the Renji she knew.

She watched as he actually started picking things up, stacking old manga magazines, gathering empty wrappers, and dusting off his desk with smooth, intentional movements. Not sluggish. Not hesitant. As if he was just... used to doing this.

"You're being weird," she finally said, crossing her arms.

Renji paused for a moment before giving her a small smirk.

"How so?"

"First, you actually wake up on time," she started, counting on her fingers. "Then you don't immediately complain about life. And now, you're cleaning?" She leaned forward slightly, peering into his face. "Where's the real Renji, and what have you done with him?"

He let out a breathy chuckle, scratching his cheek.

"…Can't a guy change a little?"

Rika pursed her lips. "A little? This is a lot. You look... calmer, somehow."

Renji glanced at her, feeling the weight of her words.

Calmer, huh?

She wasn't wrong. Years of hardship in the Isekai world had tempered him. He had seen life and death and learned how to survive and how to think ahead. Compared to that world, his old life here felt almost unreal.

He wasn't the timid shut-in she used to know.

And Rika was noticing.

"Hmm…" Rika narrowed her eyes, staring at him thoughtfully before suddenly smirking.

"Wait… don't tell me." She leaned in, resting her elbows on his desk. "You met a girl online, didn't you?"

Renji choked on his tea.

"Wha—?! No!"

"Oho~? That reaction was kind of suspicious, though!" She giggled, tapping her fingers on the table. "Spill it! Who is she? A V-tuber? A gamer girl? Or did you finally get a waifu in some MMO?"

Renji groaned, rubbing his temples. Of all things, she had to jump to that conclusion.

"I told you, it's nothing like that."

Rika pouted, resting her cheek on her hand. "Boooring."

But despite her playful teasing, she couldn't shake off the odd feeling creeping up inside her.

Renji was different.

Even if he still looked the same, there was something deeper—something in the way he spoke, moved, even the way he looked at her.

It was subtle, but...

He felt distant.

As if he had lived through something far beyond her understanding.

"Don't think too much about it. I just wanted to change."

Renji's voice was calm, almost indifferent, but there was a weight behind his words that made Rika pause.

She twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers, her lips pursed in thought.

"…Really?" she muttered.

"Yeah." He shrugged, finishing off the last of the cleaning before slumping into his chair. "Nothing special about it."

But there was.

Rika had known Renji for years. He didn't just 'change.'

He was the kind of guy who avoided effort unless necessary, who grumbled about everything, who always had that slightly slouched posture like life itself was pressing down on him.

But now?

His back was straight. His movements were smoother. He spoke with an odd certainty—like someone who had already lived through things she couldn't imagine.

"…Weird," she muttered under her breath.

Renji sighed. "You keep saying that."

"Because it's true," Rika leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "It's like… you're a different person."

Renji stilled for a fraction of a second.

She wasn't wrong. He really was different.

After years in another world, fighting, struggling, surviving—his old life felt like a dream. And now, he was back, forced to pretend like nothing had changed.

But…

Could he really just go back to how things were?

"Oi, Renji."

Her voice pulled him from his thoughts. He glanced up, only to see Rika leaning in closer, her large eyes scanning his face.

"You… you're not secretly in some kind of trouble, are you?"

Renji blinked. "Huh?"

Rika frowned, tapping her fingers on the desk. "I dunno. You just… I feel like you're holding something back."

He met her gaze, and for a brief moment, he considered telling her.

About the other world. About everything.

But then, he saw it.

The innocence in her eyes.

She had never experienced war. Never had to kill. Never had to wonder if she'd survive the next day.

She wouldn't understand.

"…Nah," he finally said, forcing a small smile. "I just figured… it'd be nice to do things differently this time."

Rika studied him for a long moment before sighing. "Well, whatever. As long as you're not in some weird cult or something."

Renji let out a short laugh. "Yeah, no cults."

"Good." Rika stretched her arms above her head before standing up. "Well, I should get going. I only came to check if you were still alive, but since you're oddly functional today, my work here is done."

She grabbed her bag and made her way to the door, but just before she stepped out, she glanced back at him.

"Renji."

"Hm?"

"…You really seem different."

He didn't reply.

Rika hesitated for a moment, then gave him a small smile. "But I think… I kinda like it."

And with that, she left.

Renji sat there, staring at the door long after she was gone.

A bitter chuckle escaped his lips.

"You say that now…"

But she still only saw him as a friend. Nothing more.

Just like before.

After Rika had left, Renji let out a soft sigh.

I need money. It is essential in any world.

No matter where he was—whether in the brutal world of magic and monsters or the peaceful yet suffocating life of Tokyo—money ruled everything.

But here, earning as a high school student is a tall order in itself.

He rubbed his chin in thought. A part-time job? Too much effort for too little gain. Scams? Not his style. Gambling? Risky.

His fingers tapped against the desk absentmindedly before his gaze flickered toward his system window.

— [System Reboot Complete] —

— [Blessing Unlock: Basic Physique] —

"…So, it really did reset," he muttered.

Even though all his overwhelming power had been locked away, he still had one advantage—the Blessings.

Each blessing represented a core ability that grew over time, shaping his skills and potential. Right now, he only had access to a Basic Physique, but…

The swordsmanship talent only took a year to catch up to Earth's best swordsmen.

That alone proved how broken his cheat could be if used correctly.

Blessings don't just boost what I already know. They enhance anything I try to do.

That meant if he picked up something like writing, alchemy, programming, or even business, he could master it at an unnatural speed.

A smirk tugged at his lips.

"If money is a problem, then I'll just find a way to make it."

Renji pulled out his phone, scrolling through potential ways to earn online. Trading? Dropshipping? Stocks? No, too slow. Too complicated.

Then, his eyes landed on one option.

"Light novels…"

A simple yet profitable industry. If he could write stories and gain traction, he might be able to earn a passive income while staying indoors.

More importantly, with his experience from another world, he had knowledge that didn't exist here. Unique battle systems, realistic combat insights, deep world-building—he had lived through it all.

His system's blessing would make the process faster, and if his work took off, he could build influence and connections.

His smirk widened.

Not bad. Let's start with that.

Renji cracked his knuckles and opened a blank document.

The first step to reclaiming his power… would start with a story.