Arc 1 Principle of Causality Chapter 1: Loop
Year 2022 – month March
(The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess OST) Midna's Lament: Twilight Princess [Remastered] - YouTube
…
Beep
BEEP!
An annoying sound repeated loudly over and over again in the place,
The noise kept going and going and going until—
Click
Aaa
A yawn escaped the air
—Another day... how lazy...
The alarm was stopped by a person in the darkness, a hand stopping the alarm clock-like device. All the person knew was that they would have to get up, but they had set a second alarm that would go off a few minutes later.
….
….
…..
Beep
Beep
—Damn thing, shut up, I'm coming, I'm coming.
The reluctant man stood up and banged the gadget to silence it. He had gotten out of a comfortable bed.
— 6:00 in the morning...
Another day, another job...
If it weren't for the pay, I'd quit this tiring job...
…
Continuously complaining, a voice began to talk to itself.
As a person looked out the window of the dark room, seeing how the day had started rainy, looking at the dull atmosphere of the street. The park looked so dirty and abandoned.
— At this time, people should be out on the streets. Everything looks so empty and lonely...
The boy opened the curtain, while he looked out at the gray panorama outside.
…
— Why do I keep looking out... this isn't going to magically change the situation... not even if I wanted to.
Disheartened, the man near the window closed the curtain and began to get ready for work. He turned on the light in the room and began to dress while he was lost in his thoughts.
—- The world is frozen by a deadly virus. Shops, restaurants, and convenience stores are closed because of that virus, which doesn't allow them to feel comfortable. They can't eat without risking infection. They always have to spray a lot of disinfectant because I can't stand the smell. They can't leave things out in the open because of the risk of contaminating things.
—- People hardly go out anywhere anymore, and those who do go out alone dedicate themselves to misinforming people, only to end up dying due to their irresponsibility. People are so stupid that they don't take precautions and end up harming others. And I thought it was a better year...
—How life turns...
—It hurts me to know that things don't change for the better, that everything stays the same, but it doesn't surprise me anymore...
—The world has always been full of conflicts, over such trivial things. like discrimination, wars, poverty, bullying, and these days, a pandemic...
— We're all isolated from society, no one goes out except to buy food and the necessities of life... at this rate, we'll all become Hikikomoris.
— Sometimes I wish this were something more exciting, like a Zombie Apocalypse.
—Something less boring than always being locked up at home. But we don't have to be locked up here no matter how long. Slowly rotting away as time passes and we grow old, repeating a routine day after day.
—It's fed up with me... and today is a new day, another day with the same routine.
—My name is Kinomoto Kurosaki.
—I'm 18 years old and I just finished my studies. I thought I could finally work in my dream job. I can't say I'm unlucky, because at least I'm still standing. That's something...
In his room, a young adult with black hair, blue eyes, and average height, his attitude seems discontented. Someone grumpy and short-tempered.
He doesn't seem to want to get up much; perhaps he's lazy.
The boy's voice is somewhat young, as he seems to have not grown much; he practically sounds like a high school boy. Her hair is all disheveled.
"At least my family has turned out okay. My mother, father, and brother are all healthy. Although sometimes they're quite pushy and overprotective, I wish that were all there was to it. What's worse is people's moods. They seem bipolar. In the morning they smile at you, and in the afternoon they're throwing insults at each other and end up yelling at you, and they end up scolding you."
"I definitely think it couldn't get any worse, but the traffic light changed again. It turned orange..."
"I mean, it was more dangerous to go out. I can't go out to do several of my routines and hobbies, like buying TV shows, movies, comics, anime, manga. I can't leave the store anymore, much less buy candy."
—I finished school, and it looks like I'm going to work. I'm stuck and bored. The chores I do around the house are so unfair. I can barely use my console to play. Everything is so repetitive, and that's already fed up with me.
I can only describe my situation with this phrase.
Nothing is true, everything is allowed.
—I don't understand how we've reached these extremes; our society is definitely rotten.
The boy had a habit of reading comics, manga, books, and light novels. For someone like someone who wants to be a writer or screenwriter, these reading media are too appealing to pass the time or to distract themselves.
But the boy didn't seem very happy about it. He hardly seems to write anymore; he's lost his sense of cleanliness to a certain extent; he doesn't seem very excited.
—Oh, where are the shoes...?
—Damn, I already lost them. I can't be wasting time, I can't be late for work.
He immediately began to search his room, mostly the floor, where there were many cans and trash around him. It's such an ugly mess that it will be difficult to find what he's looking for.
—Oh, come on, where are they? Please, not now.
Kinomoto's room is a large, blue room. His room was decorated with many posters on the walls of different anime and movies, such as Dragon Ball, Inuyasha, Batman, Spiderman, The Flash, Sonic, Pokémon, Sailor Moon, Star Wars, etc.
His room had his bed in the front, while on the left was a huge trash can. To his left was a desk with a laptop, and the pencil holders below the desk held backpacks. To his right was a piece of furniture with his television and some of his consoles. There were both video games and movies, all separated by franchise and console.
In front was his closet, which held his clothes and black shoes.
In the back was a bookcase where, besides comics, there were also manga, with some figures scattered on top and inside the bookcases. There were several small figurines and some stuffed animals.
The floor, on the other hand, was a mess. There were potato and cookie wrappers, soda and water bottles, and Styrofoam cups.
—Wahi
Kinomoto had fallen, had found what he was looking for in his fall.——I found them. Perfect. Now let's go down to breakfast.
Wait, what's this?
Having found his shoes with something else inside them.
Getting up after falling on his face, he started to get up with both hands, but with his eyes, he saw a... bottle?
Getting up quickly while taking the bottle with him. After standing up, he fixed his gaze on the bottle while reading the label.
…
Antidepressants. Warning: Used with extreme caution, overuse could be harmful to your health. They can cause hallucinations.
Do not take more than one pill. And respect the schedule.
—Oh, um, I think I won't take this today. I also feel like it doesn't work.
Kinomoto distastefully threw the bottle of antidepressants somewhere along with more trash. Following that, the boy began getting ready to leave, ignoring the mess in his room.
The boy stuffed his wallet, a Uno card game, a cell phone, and a police baton into his jeans pockets.
Not to mention the face mask; it's now a requirement to enter everywhere.
—Okay, I'm ready to go.
Kinomoto went downstairs to the living room. To have breakfast before heading off to work.
While there, he met an older man wearing a dark blue suit and black shoes, black hair, blue eyes, and a traditional short haircut.
The man was sitting at the table, seriously focused on his phone. While he waited for breakfast.
—Hey Dad, good morning, how did you wake up?
Good, and how did you wake up? replied the man Kinomoto called Dad without even looking at his son.
—Good
—Okay, good luck at work.
This man is Yuki Takashi. He's Kinomoto Kurosaki's father. A cold and serious man. A man of actions more than words.
—Oh, come on, why are you always so serious? Cheer up.
Another boy commented, somewhat annoyed, much smaller, more tidy-looking, wearing red and yellow clothes, white sneakers, black hair, and brown eyes. 14 years younger than Kinomoto
"Kazuki, brother, shh, you know how he gets," Kinomoto whispered to avoid trouble. His father, however, ignored him, still on his phone, staring at him.
"Kazuki, have you finished your homework yet?"
"Oh, yes, Dad, I finished it.
(Because he always asks the same thing... he doesn't even relax during a pandemic)
Kinomoto thought, annoyed, his brow furrowing in frustration.
"Good, because now they're only online classes. You have to always be up to date. Otherwise, you can fail, and we don't have the money to pay for an extra exam."
Kinomoto's father had a deep, deep voice, which conveyed his seriousness. Although his experience wasn't yet evident in the boring lecture, he is 33 years old.
—Yes, Dad
—Well, I hope so.
…
—"My father's coldness sometimes discourages me, but what can you do?"
The two men and a younger boy were sitting in the dining room. It had a table with a simple white tablecloth on the glass table and about five chairs.
Yuki and Kazuki were sitting upright. Unlike Kinomoto, who was leaning his elbows on the table while slowly closing his eyes due to the fatigue caused by the well-dressed man's attitude.
—Kinomoto, get up, don't fall asleep. You'll be going to work soon. This isn't the time to slack off.
I'm awake... I'm just hungry," Kinomoto replied, yawning so loudly that his pearly whites could be seen.
Yes, of course, Yuki replied, looking rather skeptical at her son's lazy behavior.
"Dad, will you take me to class?"
"Yes, son, you know I will.
"Hey, will you take me to work since school is on the way?"
"No," his request for transportation had been quickly denied.
"Why not?!"
"You're an adult now, you can go on your own.
"But I'm getting more tired, and besides, I don't have any more money for the fare. Don't be like that, please."
"I said no."
Kinomoto's father had curtly rejected his request again, despite explaining his need.
"Besides... that'll teach you to save more. You'll be a piece of cake."
"Okay, I get it."
Disappointed, Kinomoto had become even more discouraged by his father's response, unwilling to repeat what he'd been told to avoid getting into trouble.
The dining room had fallen silent after the sharp conversation between father and son. All that was left was to wait for breakfast.
"I'm here! The meal is ready!"
Coming out of the kitchen door was a 35-year-old black-haired woman with black eyes, semi-short hair, and an unusual hairstyle. She was wearing a long beige skirt and a fuchsia sweater.
The woman looked extremely cheerful compared to the rest of the male members of the family sitting at the table.
The woman was carrying the dishes of food with her. Her name is Sumiye Kurosaki, and she is Kinomoto's mother.
"Woah! Who's ready for Mom's special dish?"
"ME!"
Ecstatically, the youngest member of the family raised his hand and shouted. Unlike the two adult men at the table, who watched with resignation, the dish was deviled eggs. Four dishes were quickly placed on the table.
"Come on, family, cheer up, it's Monday."
"I hate Mondays," Yuki replied.
"Honey, not now, it's not the time for this. We'll have to leave soon."
"Ow, love, I don't like it when you're so cold. Cheer up, drop the seriousness for a bit." Sumiye, showing affection for her husband, began to hug him affectionately.
"Sumi—I understand that you like doing this, but leave it between Fridays and the weekend. We don't have time to waste."
"So I'm a waste of time... Yuki, you son of a bitch!"
"Sumi, that's not what I meant, because people always misunderstand things."
Surprisingly, the elegant man had been intimidated by his wife, who hadn't liked the rejection. He furiously showed respect. He had a frown on his face and his fists clenched, like a furious boxer.
"I thought so." Hmm
Now eat, you have a long day and I don't want you to leave anything on your plates.
—Yes, Mom...
—I wake up in a good mood, and you're ruining my mood!
Annoyed, Sumiye had given orders like a soldier. The woman gave off a furious aura like that of a demon. In the eyes of her family, she was a woman to be feared. She's not someone to be bothered.
—Leaving that aside, I love you, family.
Sumiye quickly put aside her angry expression to show a soft smile toward her family. The latter only caused a drop of sweat to form at such a quick change of mood.
—Thanks, darling.
—I love you, Mommy.
—Yes, I love you too.
While everyone responded affectionately, only one responded with a hint of spite.
—How delicious is the food?
—Yes, it was delicious, Sumi.
—Yes, yes, yes, delicious.
tap, tap
Kinomoto quickly devoured the egg dish and quickly got up from the table.
"I have to go now. I won't make it if I stay here."
The older boy quickly got up and walked out the door of his house, without first saying goodbye to those at the table, without letting them react to his sudden action.
"Wait, didn't you take your food!"
"Brother, your lunch!"
...
It was too late. Kinomoto had already left.
"What the hell did you say to him, Yuki?!"
"He just needs to be more responsible... that's all I want him to be."
"Yuki, you're such an idiot sometimes, you ruined breakfast!"
"Kinomoto needs to start taking control of his own life.
And if we keep going like this, he'll never learn."
"If we continue like this, our son will hate us..."
Sumiye had become saddened after seeing how the family can't be comfortable with a single meal without arguments.
"Kazuki... you can go to the car for just a moment..."
"But Dad, I still have breakfast."
"Obey!"
"AH, I'm coming!"
Kazuki had quickly left the dining room, gone to the living room, and straight to the door to wait in the garage where the family car was. He was escaping the awkward conversation between parents.
"Yuki, don't you think you're being a little harsh on your son?"
"Sumi, you're too soft with him. He won't mature if he continues like this..."
Besides, you know very well why I am like this with him."
"But that was years ago, you can't keep punishing him for that mistake. He has to move on!"
"I know, but I want the best for him." He can't make the same mistakes he made before.
—Yuki, I understand you want to take care of him, but you'll only stress him out if you keep this up. See if he can stop taking those pills.
Yuki's expression had softened, showing a degree of discomfort at his wife's words.
/
—GUHHH, Come on, hurry up.
In a warehouse, the black-haired boy was moving boxes with sacks of flour to the other side of the warehouse.
—Ughh, okay.
(This would be the last sack of flour. All that's left is to tell the boss, and maybe do something lighter like tending to the register. Working in a bakery is too hard sometimes.)
Kinomoto left and closed the warehouse door to the kitchen and the checkout counter.
—(Ah, ah, ah, this would have been faster if I hadn't tired myself out walking instead of riding in my dad's damn car. And not been putting this filth in my mouth that's taking my breath away)
—Boss, I've finished the sacks. Do you want me to prepare the bread flour?
An elderly man with no hair, wearing suspenders and black pants. He looked askance at the trays containing various types of bread: rolls, donuts, and sweet bread, although there were few of them.
—Okay, kid, if you could please help me with the dough. We have to prepare more bread because there's almost none left in the trays. We need warm bread for the afternoon. When the high school students get out, they'll probably want a sweet bread or a roll to put jam on.
—Yes, boss. I'm going fast.
—And you, you have to handle the cash register, so finish sweeping.
There was another guy with long, hippie-like hair and striped shirts at the bakery, sweeping the place clean of flour and other trash.
—Good luck, buddy.
—-I already told you to call me by my name.
—- Yeah, yeah, good luck, buddy.
Without seeing the point, Kinomoto simply ignored his annoying colleague's complaints. Kinomoto didn't care about learning his name, not even learning his name, as he saw it as an annoying distraction from his work. For him, he's not a person who deserves to waste his breath uselessly...
—Okay, let's go, flour.
Kinomoto had taken out a small bag of flour and placed it on the preparation table, which was next to a large refrigerator that held some ingredients. He began to take out what was required for the recipe.
—Let's see, eggs, milk, sugar, flavorings, yeast, butter. It seems like some shells are missing, so I should also add that fake chocolate. I don't remember what it was called, but it's delicious.
Kinomoto diligently started and quickly grabbed the mixer, while cracking the eggs into another bowl to avoid ruining the dough in case the eggs were rotten. She carefully poured the milk into the dough bowl and added the eggs. She also cut a small piece of butter with a knife, which she added to the bread dough.
While she was quickly mixing the dough with a spoon to avoid splashing the dough and mopping up the mess, even though her hands were covered in flour, she wouldn't be spared from having to wash the dishes. Minutes passed, repeating the process until...
—-Done. Oh, I almost forgot the dishes.
—-Kinomoto left the kitchen to go to the sink near the cash register in another room.
—-Hey, buddy, I finished making the dough. Are you done cleaning up?
—-No, and don't bother me.
——I'm not being a bother, how do you think we're colleagues? That wouldn't be good, right?
——Anyway, let me clean up. I still have to attend to the register later.
Good luck, B-U-C-O-N-E-R
—Oof!
Having pissed off his colleague by calling him out for his displeasure, Kinomoto left carrying the dishes while a malicious smile appeared on his face as he sat in the dishwasher, wanting to laugh. It took him half an hour to finish washing the dishes.
—Damn, who left so many dirty dishes? My colleague was supposed to do this yesterday. But Phew, I'm done. I just have to tell my boss. Although without washing the dishes first, I'll have to go to the register. I'll see what my partner does.
Although I could take advantage and spy on my partner, hehe, I'll scare him, since these kinds of jokes put me in a good mood.
Kinomoto maliciously began to draw up a plan in his head on how he was going to scare his partner. He was thinking about how and with what, perhaps a classic ghost apparition, or even an unexpected trumpet. There's no doubt that for Kinomoto, his partner is his personal object of amusement and teasing.
——Okay, here I go. Time to have some fun.
Kinomoto began to slowly approach his partner from the kitchen to the cashier. He slowly approached the entrance. He was lucky that the bakery didn't have a door in that area, and that's why he always likes to cruelly take advantage of his partner.
He only had to walk slowly and quietly to successfully pull off his prank, and he peeked inside without his entire body being seen. Everything was ready. Perhaps he would catch his partner slacking off and thus receive a long-awaited raise.
But he was faced with a horrible surprise...
—-Hmm, what the hell?
As he tried to pull off his prank, Kinomoto realized with horror that his partner wasn't just working at the register, but was taking money from it at will. He was stealing from the bakery.
—-What are you doing?!
Kinomoto had caught his partner stealing. He knew something was up with his partner, but he couldn't fully read his intentions. However, he didn't completely trust his angry partner.
He didn't like what he was seeing. The boss had worked hard to keep his business going. Last time, sales had dropped, causing the boss to almost close his shop.
—-What the hell are you doing, leaving that there?!
—-
—- It's not what it looks like!
—-Aha, I knew you couldn't be trusted!
While Kinomoto pointed accusingly with his finger, he spoke: You're the fifth one to do this. I already know those tricks, you can't deny it.
—Wait, hey Kinomoto, um, Kino, if you keep quiet, keep your voice down. Maybe I'll share a little of what's happening here with you. What do you say?
—Hahaha, assholes, I can't believe this isn't a deliberate comedy.
—See, I told you it would be worth it.
So both brothers stayed up watching the movie until dusk.
—It was good.
—You had a good time, didn't you?
—I really did.
—Bro, they'll stop bothering you with this. Just show them you're not afraid.
—Kino, they don't bother me, they're just annoying kids. Besides, um, bro, this— don't you think it's too heavy?
Kinomoto had delivered a movie with a pretty heavy title, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
—Trust me, just watch with me, and then we'll see how they stop bothering you when you show that you're used to terror.
So on movie day, you put this on, and we'll see who the scared, bed-wetting faggots are.
—You know, bro, one step to ending fear is simple: you have to laugh at it.
And so sooner or later, things like this will stop scaring you, and those annoying people will leave you alone.
"And you can't interfere again?"
"You're crazy. I used to be able to because of my age, but now I'm even less able to, otherwise I'd end up in jail."
"Oh, I understand...
Okay, so now what?"
"Okay, help me out, and I'll get some snacks for later."
"Okay, I'll distract Mom so you can go out, and bro, I hope we can watch another movie later."
"I'm glad you liked it. If you want, we'll watch the sequel tomorrow."
"Thanks, bro, this helps me a lot."
Both brothers said goodbye, and one began a plan to distract his mother, so the older one could leave the house without being seen.
Brother, I hope they stop bothering you.
I wouldn't want you to go through what I once went through; She thought with some pity combined with a certain apathy,
One way or another, you need to get better. I won't be able to take care of you forever...
/
—Restaurant
—-Order 65
Here's your order.
A man in sportswear was standing with a young woman who was serving her at the restaurant. She had gone to get her food order. He was watched by a hooded man in green clothing, wearing black sunglasses and black shoes, while he hid his face with a menu from the rest of the people.
—"How much longer will my order take? I've been waiting for half an hour. Maybe I should go check if my order is there... um, according to this number, I'm 99..."
—"Hmm, what should I do after eating my burger? I should surprise my family with something. Maybe some chips and cookies, they'd love them. I should stop by the store after my dessert."
"Maybe that could cover up the problem if they were to find out, although I doubt they'd find out about this."
Kinomoto often frequents the chip shop, as it's where he likes to eat occasionally or when he's feeling ill, he goes there to cheer himself up. It's a nice place serving home-style food, serving a variety of dishes like chicken, steak, burgers, as well as breakfast and desserts, although this time the food was taking a long time.
"...uhm... I don't want to bother you, but... maybe I should ask about my food."
"...
"I'd rather not bother you. I'll wait a little longer."
"Order 66, take this to the Asian guy over there."
"Yes."
After the food was delivered, another young employee went to deliver the already paid order. The employee slowly approached the dark-haired, half-Asian man with the food.
"Your order, sir."
"Hey, wait, my order is 99," the boy said as he took off his dark sunglasses, which blocked his view of the person speaking to him. Upon taking them off, he saw a blonde girl with braided hair, almost his age, quite pretty and voluptuous, carrying a black apron.
"Boy, but they told you there you were 66-"
"Oh, then this was a mistake, haha, how silly of me.
"It happens often, numbers like these get confused with the other ones. Hey, he's seen you before, hasn't he?"
"Uh no, you must be confusing me with someone else."
"No, you're not the guy who's always here. You come for milkshakes or ice cream. Kinomoto.
"Haha, if you caught me, I'll come back here later," replied Kinomoto, who had taken off his hood, which would reveal her childish face and black hair.
"If I guessed correctly and I can see something else, you were going to ask why your order was taking so long, weren't you?"
"You're very observant, I see. Are you spying on me?"
I don't know, just going back and forth to various customers who frequent the place, and you and that guy over there frequent the place a lot." The blonde pointed to a customer, a businessman in a suit sitting at a table in the back.
"If that's accurate, what's your name, by the way?"
"I'm Sara."
"And I'm Kinomoto."
"What a strange name. Are you Chinese?"
"Um, not exactly..."
"Are you Korean?"
Hearing those two mistakes made Kinomoto sweat drop in discomfort. "Uh..." I'm half Japanese, but I'm also Mexican, as weird as that sounds.
—-Hmm, so you're a crossbreed of two people. That's kind of unusual. To be honest, I'm Mexican, but I don't know if I have any other half.
…"I don't know why that sounded so racist to me. Nah, inclusive language is worse."
"Hey, I'm not being rude, right?"
"Um, no, it's okay."
"Okay, Kinomoto, here's your order."
Now that I think about it, Sara, aren't you getting scolded for talking at work?"
"No, and you're the last customer there was. Now don't have..."
"Sara, FUCK, COME HERE, YOU HAVEN'T DONE THE DISHES YET!"
Both the boy and the girl's eyes widened upon hearing the shrill screams of the girl's boss.
"I think they're talking to you..."
"Yes, I noticed... um, I'll be right back, don't leave yet."
Without wasting any time, the girl ran quickly, so her white sneakers were visible, toward the restaurant kitchen.
"Okay, that was weird..."
I wonder why she approached me and spoke so casually? What a peculiar girl?
Although I'm not complaining...
"Still, what purpose did he have in approaching me...?"
With some hesitation, Kinomoto thoroughly inspected his burger and fries to see if they had put something strange in his food. He was somewhat suspicious of this strange approach.
"Well, I don't think I notice anything strange in the food, nor does my drink taste salty, so I can be confident in eating my food."
Kinomoto quickly began to devour his food, helping himself with his soda while eating his fries, putting them in his burger while he ate his double-meat cheeseburger. He emptied the food tray and ended up throwing the trash in the trash can.
"Ugh, that was delicious, but I don't have room for dessert anymore."
"Look, Dad, how pretty my toy is, look, Daddy!"
"My little girl is very pretty,
Look how precious, don't you think, love?"
Turning around, Kinomoto heard another family eating as he looked at what seemed like a close-knit family—father, mother, youngest daughter, oldest son—which made him feel a little lonely as he finished eating, looking a little jealous at the people for a while.
While he was thinking,
Dad, can I get another burger?
Sure, eat whatever you want.
Great. THANK YOU!
Son, let's get ice cream for everyone.
Are you sure about that, honey?
If I'm alone, we'll have to eat other things like eggs or beans next week.
I'm in.
Same here!
Okay, I'll skip it this time.
So go get the biggest single ice cream and lots of spoons. We'll eat like kings!
YEEEEEEEE!
...
—Ah… just thinking about it would be nice…
…
"Oh crap, it's late, I can't waste any more time or I won't be able to bring those things to my family."
"Although… that girl asked me not to leave… Should I wait? …. nah, it's not worth it… I'm sorry, Sara, but I have more important things to do than waste my time waiting for a girl."
Without further ado, Kinomoto quickly left, having already paid for his meal.
Hey, I'm back… he left… Sara had returned only to find an empty seat, making her a little sad.
/
Hours Later / Night
Elsewhere
—-It's 50 pesos
—-Okay, here you go. Do you want me to put everything in your bag?
—-Yes, please, thank you, ma'am.
—-Miss, I'm not old yet, boy…
—-Oh, sorry, well, I'll go now.
—-Boy…I always tell you this, and you don't seem to listen.
—- …. "Eh, goodbye," I said.
Kinomoto walked slowly as he left the store, carrying a blue grocery bag he'd carried with him before leaving, looking around to make his way across the street to go home more quickly.
Mentiras was stopped by a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk begging for money with a can of chips next to a dog lying next to him. He stared at the black-haired man, who looked neutrally at the person, while the homeless man seemed to expect something from the boy.
Kinomoto, on the other hand, didn't seem to have any intention of giving money after having given him money as a tip. Even so, something resonated when a person without many good clothes, torn and worn, fell into the homeless man's can. He felt more sorry for the poor little animal out in the open than for the bearded man who couldn't even place it.
The man looked inside and saw someone throwing about 15 pesos in coins at him. He saw her looking at him with some discomfort, but they weren't eyes of disgust, they were eyes of pity. As he walked away from the streets, he walked away.
The street was filled with motorcycles and cars, filling the street with smoke, smoke that stank of burning, probably caused by the gasoline in the cars.
The atmosphere seemed somewhat gloomy and unpleasant to the eye, and repulsive to the nose.
Cof cof, cof, why don't they fix their cars? It stinks of burning, ugh, it's like cigarettes. I hate those smells. Cough, cough, cough," Kinomoto mentioned while coughing as he crossed the street.
The air became harmful, while the smell of burning increased. It was a nauseating sensation for Kinomoto, who only quickened his pace to get home. The only thing that disgusted him was the smell of the streets.
—-AGH, I hate that smell… it's always the same. It's best if I continue with the computer project. I'll sit down with my pet to continue with the script, maybe I'll get further this time, and pray that work is forgotten.
/
—-na la, la, la
In the warmth of the kitchen, a woman was preparing what would be dinner in a pot: chicken in green chili. While she watched the sauce blend with the chicken.
—Na, la, la, la, la
The older woman gently stirred the sauce with a ladle to combine the rice and the chicken in green chili for better seasoning.
—The food's ready, MA!
—Not yet, son, be patient, we still have to wait for your brother and your father.
Click
—Tadaimaa
—Look, Dad's back!
—Don't shout, can't you see I'm not here?
—Oh, sorry.
—Just don't shout so loudly.
—Sorry.
—Hey, do you know what time Kinomoto will arrive? It's 7 pm. He was supposed to be here half an hour ago.
—Calm down. He should be here soon. You should know that the way back is harder on foot than by car... SOMEONE didn't let him do it in the morning. You didn't even bother picking him up in the afternoon. It's almost night.
—Okay, I'll give him 15 minutes of tolerance.
—If that's better. Just trust me.
—Oh, come on! I'm hungry, I don't want to wait any longer.
—Don't be so anxious, the warm food is ready. We just have to wait for your brother. We can't start without him.
—Oh... well...
—Be patient, he'll be here.
Click
A creaking sound was heard as the door to the main room opened, while keys jingled like bells as they were touched, and a voice echoed: "Already a vine."
"A little later and the food will get cold."
"Haha, yeah, of course, Mom always reheats the food."
"Hey, KIN, don't push your luck!" Sumiye said with some annoyance on her face.
"It's about time. Why did it take you so long?"
"Well, in my defense, I didn't have the money for transportation, and I bought all this for family snacks."
"That's great, thanks a lot, bro."
"Yeah, I hope you like it, this will be dessert."
"Hey, I don't think it was necessary. But thanks, it goes well with the food."
Kinomoto entered and took her keys with her, quickly slamming the door shut. She carried her bag with her, carrying it to the dining room, and the whole family went straight to sit down.
"Oh family, nothing better than a family dinner," Sumiye expressed, happy to see her family together.
The dishes were all served, with the chicken with green mole sauce and reheated tortillas on the table, served with hibiscus-flavored water. The chips were wasted on the plates and the cookies were still in the bag. The family dinner quickly began, with the members sitting opposite each other.
"Very well, family. Dinner is served."
With a traditional bow to the table of your country, Japan, the family placed their hands and
"Itadakimasu!" they all said in unison.
"Well, family, how was your day?"
——Let's see where I start... Yuki said.
——Brother, pass me the salt.
...
Kinomoto wasn't paying attention because his brother hadn't given him the magic words. He was also busy listening to the family chatter.
—I had a rather busy day. They asked me to solve another case, and it seems the client is guilty.
——Oh, Yuki, that looks horrible.
——I know...
——If it's any consolation, I'll make your favorite sushi dish tomorrow.
——Thanks for that. But the thing is... the pay is good.
——Hey, brother, pass me the salt.
...
Once again, Kinomoto ignored the request while he ate his food and thought about what happened at work, but he was still intrigued by the news his father was sharing.
"...But even knowing he'll lose, I still think it would be better to accept. After all, it doesn't matter if I win the trial or not."
"Ah, wait. You're saying it's better to accept than to deny it," Sumiye replied.
"It would be worse if I didn't..."
Kinomoto's eyes had widened as if he'd seen a ghost upon hearing that last sentence. He hadn't expected to hear this again, much less from his father, who's a minor lawyer.
"Wait. You're saying you'll accept a fraudulent trial..."
"So?"
"What do you mean, so? You're joking. You can't take advantage of other people's misfortunes."
"So, they were the ones who made a mistake."
"But why are you so sure of that? Have you investigated the client thoroughly?"
"No, and it doesn't matter. The point is to make money. They pay me and that's it. Whether I win or lose doesn't matter. I still win, so there's no need to worry."
Their needs are none of my business.
—I don't condone that line of thinking, Kin, but he has a point. He's just doing his job. It's like investigating someone at work just because they give you a bad feeling. There's no need to delve into things that don't concern us.
…
Just hearing what he'd just said made him bristle, making his brow furrow slightly. For Kinomoto, this was the most hypocritical thing he could have heard from the person who always taught him to follow the rules like a dog.
What bothered him most was hearing the dry, cold way his father spoke about his client. What if that person was framed for something he didn't do? He knew how corrupt Latin America can be. And what hurt him most was if he were in that client's shoes, his father treated him with disregard for the slightest importance.
This was really his father... a cold man who didn't give a damn about anything. Would that person believe his son if he were in real trouble?
"Besides, it's a job, and that's it." There's no need to dig too deep.
And speaking of work, how's it been at work, Kinomoto?
—Uh, good, because I asked, I earn well.
—Oh, really, and well, tell me how things are going with your boss. Kinomoto's father, who looked serious after being questioned, now demands answers from his nosy son.
—I get along well with him, I have no problems with him.
—I'm glad it was that way...
—Hey, bro, we say.
—Shh, shut up.
Kino spoke through gritted teeth, wanting his brother not to say anything that would hurt him.
—Tell us about Kazuki. Sumiye asked curiously.
—Nothing, actually, we agreed that it would stay between us...
—If you're okay with work, then could you explain to me why he called me in the afternoon, wanting to see me... in the morning?
—WHAT!
Sumiye was surprised to hear the news of the work call home.
"What did you do?!"
"I didn't do anything."
"So what happened that caused them to call us first thing tomorrow morning?"
"I swear it wasn't me."
The atmosphere in the dining room had changed drastically, the awkward silence and the arguments at the table grew louder.
"You talk about honesty, but you're the first to lie, Kurosaki."
"I swear, I didn't do anything wrong. I only helped Mr. Richard."
"Help. So why does this message say you put YOUR life at risk?"
"But Father, if you had been there, you would see that wasn't the case."
"So the gentleman is a liar...?"
"No!"
"Don't raise your voice at me, young man."
—Raise your voice, I'm not... ugh
Why are you so difficult to deal with?
—Difficult to deal with?
—That's right!
—I'm tired of always dealing with it.
—You never believe in me, you care more about public opinion than your family's, really, your image is more important than me?!
—You wouldn't understand...
—Not understanding what?!
—You're going too far...
Kinomoto was seething with rage, hearing his father's lame and stupid excuses, instead of saying it to his face, but what could he expect from the cold man who doesn't care about anyone but himself?
—I'm leaving... I don't want to have dinner anymore...
—Wait, Kin, don't go, we were just eating!
—No, Mother, I don't want to. Besides, I can't take it anymore. I'd better go before I screw up again.
—"I don't want to talk to you…"
Frustrated, Kinomoto, fists clenched and teeth bared, had run up the stairs to his room.
"Hey Yuki, what the hell…"
Because there always has to be a fight in this family, over anything…
"Sumiye… we don't fight like that."
He should understand the situation we're in by now.
"How the hell do you expect me to understand you if you never take a fucking second to talk about it?" Sumiye expressed her anger at her husband's inconsistency with her teeth bared like fangs.
"You know Sumiye, I don't think he can understand. He's stubborn like you."
Kazuki slowly started to climb the stairs to escape to his room without his parents, who were arguing, so as not to be near the crossfire.
/
Later that night.
click
tap
In a room with the lights off, a blue light reflected Kinomoto, who was looking at a blank document, which he called his life project.
The boy had an annoyed expression in his eyes as he wrote seriously and quickly with his fingers without much difficulty, but with some doubt on his face.
—Af
"I really can't stand it anymore. This has to be perfect, I can't fail now... The way things are, they might kick me out of the house. I don't have the confidence that they'll want to continue with this."
"Besides, it would be better if I became independent now, but I need a better financial support to support myself..."
"And I would save myself from these stupid fights."
—Damn, I don't understand what he's missing...
I keep changing things and I can't figure out what went wrong?
What could it be...
...
Those are footsteps... Suddenly, the boy heard what could be footsteps approaching the wooden stairs slowly but loudly. Without thinking, he closed his laptop and turned it off so they wouldn't notice he was awake. After all, it wasn't the time for him to be awake.
He took off the red slippers he was wearing and quickly got into bed, covering his face and pretending to snore to pretend he was asleep.
Son... are you awake?
A calm, sweet voice sounded as the door creaked.
It was certainly a female voice.
"Son, Kin, listen... what happened over there...
I understand you're still upset about yesterday and today..."
I may sound like a broken record... but you have to understand... there are things it's better not to know... it's not that we don't trust each other, they're things that shouldn't come to light.
Besides, even though your father is harsh, he loves you... we both love you, Kin.
It seems like you're asleep... or not?
We'd better talk tomorrow... good night, son.
"Great tomorrow, give a sermon... seriously... sometimes I don't understand them... I've seen enough of them to know they don't have to hide it."
The boy looked at his necklace with some discomfort as he carefully took it off and placed it on top of his bed. He covered his face with the blanket again and began to fall deeply asleep.
/
The next day.
With clumsy movements, the discouraged boy tried to get out of bed.
Getting up somewhat slowly, he stood up and turned on the computer on his desk, which he had left plugged in all night, then unplugged it since the battery had been fully charged. He started playing at very early hours of the morning, despite having had a fight with his family the day before.
He woke up early, still in his pajamas, and started playing Final Fantasy 6 for a while, since he was stuck and had to grind to continue and advance the story.
"Oh god, this is so repetitive. I don't want to waste time farming. Besides, I'm hungry. I'd better go see if there are any leftovers before they wake up and start bothering me."
"But when I went to check, my surprise was that there was nothing appetizing to eat in the refrigerator, and to top it all off, they'd eaten everything."
"Shit... there's never anything here?!
They always gobble everything up!"
Damn... I'll have to go out... but first, I should change, because I refuse to go out in pajamas and slippers!"
"And also, I shouldn't take too long because otherwise I'd get in trouble for going out without permission, but my patience was at its limit, and my hunger won out over the rules. And I went shopping with all the caution in the world."
Long, thick black clothes with a hint of brown, jeans with a belt, and her necklace that she never takes off.
"It's a gift from my mother, since I only take it off when I sleep or bathe. I also wear a face mask and even my police baton, which they gave me for self-defense, just in case. I don't want to get mugged."
"It's likely I'd escape if it came to that, but it's always better to be safe than sorry. I bought some chocolate cookies and a soda. After disinfecting all the items I'd bought and removing the protective gear, I packed a bag with my things and proceeded to go to my room to eat and watch TV. But I got incredibly sleepy and started blinking. I decided I had to sleep. It was a bad idea to get up early."
"I wish this were just a dream and that this pandemic would end..."
"I wish everything were more like a fairy tale, or maybe like those RPG video games, where it's easy to make money by killing monsters, where it's easy to win people over with pure altruism, where women are..."
Kinomoto said this while looking at his phone and his wallpaper, with the girl in blue armor.
There's a reason they're dreams... I'd better not think about it, I'd better get some sleep. I hope they don't find out, I don't want another big rant. Besides, life doesn't work like this.
As Kino slowly lay down on his bed, still carrying his bag and well-dressed, the boy was about to fall asleep.
Kinomoto began to doze.
At that moment, a strange, dark hand appeared from a distorted place. The hand tried to grab the sleepy boy. Without any problem, the hand succeeded in its mission.
Everything began to go dark.
It felt like the atmosphere was starting to distort, black, not purple, was starting to fill the room.
As if it were a black vortex or a portal, and he fell deeply asleep.
/
…
…
Aw, I slept well.
Without realizing it, while yawning and blinking, the boy simply turned his gaze to his bag of food.
Kinomoto began to investigate quickly, until he noticed something strange. This wasn't his bedroom floor. It was more airy than usual, and he wasn't even in his desk chair.
Kinomoto, realizing he wasn't in his room,
Stared at the unfamiliar landscape in shock. His eyes couldn't believe what he was seeing. The landscape was too rustic, there were lizards pulling carriages, and anthropomorphic animals.
He was shocked.
"W...
Where is he...!"
He was bewildered, unable to process what was happening. Had they drugged him, or was it his medication?
Noticing that people were staring at me, puzzled by his actions. I decided to pretend I had fallen asleep near what looked like a water fountain, not wanting to look crazy. I quickly left, grabbing his bag and things. I headed to another corner of this new place where he found himself.
"Well, they've stopped looking at me. I don't like being the center of attention, much less ridicule."
Kinomoto decided to meditate a little so he could think calmly while he slapped his cheeks with the palms of his hands.
"Calm down. Calm down. Getting upset isn't helping. I need to relax and sit down and think about what's happening. I need to remember what I was doing before I got here."
"First I woke up, then I played video games, left the store, came back, and fell asleep. Could this be a dream?"
"Is this a lucid dream? However, I can't be sure. This doesn't make sense. It hit me and I felt pain. I blinked and appeared here because of an isekai dream. I only hope I'm dreaming.
Could fate be smiling on me now?
Ah, what a good day to be alive!
/
"The houses were made of old, but mostly sturdy, materials, while the streets were filled with people wearing armor or extremely outdated clothing. Beast-like people, tails, ears, large teeth, and whiskers were things I could look at with great amazement as I slowly turned my body to observe the surroundings."
"I've only seen this kind of thing at anime conventions with the Pokémon mascots, although these clearly aren't anything like humans. It was a somewhat strange feeling; I still couldn't stop looking at them."
"All of this fits into the beautiful medieval world I love playing so much: Dragon Quest, Fire Emblem, and Final Fantasy."
As Kinomoto walked through the streets of the mysterious kingdom he found himself in, he bumped into several people. However, Kinomoto didn't notice until he bumped into a hooded person.
AW!
"Hey, that was a scream, what was that? It was a rather shrill scream."
Kinomoto quickly turned around and saw a person crashed to the ground. The impact had knocked him off his feet. People continued to follow his path, even with one person lying on the ground.
Aui!
"Wait a minute, that was a girl's voice; Kinomoto heard the voice of a girl lying on the ground, determined to pick her up*
"Hey, are you okay?"
… UA
"The girl comically rubbed her butt with one of her hands."
"Looking at her, she has a big buttock, or is it a hip? Not bad."
"I'm so clumsy, auu..."
"The girl continued to complain about the pain in her butt, while trying to stand up. Maybe she's just too whiny or just very sensitive in that area."
"Hey, are you okay?"
"I'm fine... oh no! I'm late, she'll kill me if I mess this up!"
"The hooded woman suddenly changed her childish attitude to a more concerned one. "She said she'd be late, but why? I guess she's in a hurry."
"I'm late, it's too late!"
"The girl began to quickly push herself up with her hands to stand up, as I approached. Even more so, I wanted to see if she hadn't hurt her face, although it seems the only place she was hurt was her butt."
"No, if I don't get there in time, they'll want to kill me!"
"I still insist on helping. After all, I'm in another world. The best I can do is put on my best image and first impression. I have to stand out, no more or less."
"Hey wait, hey, you haven't answered me yet."
"I grabbed her shoulder but accidentally pulled off her white hood. Her outfit consists of a short white cape with a green diamond-shaped pattern on the inside, a white and brown dress that's similar to the one she wears as a windbreaker, and high-end white boots. Her outfit consists of a short white cape with a green diamond-shaped pattern on the inside, a white and brown dress that's similar to the one worn by a windbreaker, and high-end white boots. so her head was exposed."
"And what I saw was... A girl with long, ponytail-like hair, aqua-green in color, pointy ears, and reddish-amber topaz eyes. I was stunned by how beautiful the girl looked."
...
...
"The pointy-eared girl was excited to have been uncovered, something several people noticed due to how loud she was. They stared at us for a brief moment."
"Did you hear that?"
"What's going on back there?"
"
The girl quickly looked both ways, pulled her hood back over her head and face, covering them from the gaze of the other witnesses, and..."
"Sorry, I have to go! I don't have time for this."
"What's going on? Why are you shouting so much?"
"That man is bothering that elf. I didn't see anything—hey, wait!"
"The elf ran away from the crowd. To my surprise, she was fast and disappeared from my sight in the crowd."
Demi-humans, always so annoying.
A few voices could be heard even with the crowd around them. disconcerting and alarming the elf
—Okay, that was weird.
"What just happened? I hadn't understood anything at all. The bizarre things weren't over yet. Being in another world is just so surreal. Should I ignore it or investigate it further? God, what should I do? There are so many possibilities to explore in this new world."
"Hey you!"
"Huh?"
"Yes, your black hair!"
Oblivious to his surroundings, the disoriented Kinomoto had been seen by a person. His carelessness didn't seem to please him at all. He had been seen by a person.
"Are you deaf? You're the only human with black hair!"
A being that was anything but human approached Kinomoto. The one who approached him was a demi-human. It was a dark green lizardman with sharp teeth and fangs. He was wearing faded, beige-colored clothes of a flimsy quality and a long tail.
"What does he want? I don't like the way he's coming at me, my hair... oh, that's right, this hair in fantasy worlds is anything but normal. What should I do... should I run away or deal with the lizardman? Oh, damn, it's so hard to decide. I wasn't prepared for this."
"Aren't you listening or something?!"
"Hey, what's wrong? Do you need something from my lord?"
"Yes, I need something. Don't you even pay attention to what you're doing?"
"You threw that elf and you didn't even notice." The lizardman showed his fangs even more. He wasn't happy to have seen such carelessness on the part of a human.
"I detest this indifference humans show toward our race."
"Uh, sorry, I didn't notice. I'm a bit distracted. You could say I'm somewhat... new here."
—... You better believe me, Rildo Flaky, I can't stand this kind of treatment of our kind.
"What a stupid name!"
"Okay..."
"Now get out of here, I don't want to see you again."
The lizard man was far from being a sane person or a clever, good-natured creature. That only terrified him, and he quickly fled elsewhere.
"These humans..."
/
"Oh my!"
"What the heck happened to that lizard man... Someone's in a terrible mood today, I see. I've been in a bad mood, but at least I have the decency not to piss other people off."
"I'm going to ignore that."
"It seems like I'm back to square one. This fountain was the first thing I saw in this place. The little I've seen of this world has been food stalls, and several buildings and castles have dragon symbols, unfamiliar letters whose meaning I still don't understand. Not to mention that the inhabitants of this world speak ancient Japanese, a medieval style quite similar to that of an RPG."
This seems like an... isekai?
"First, while it's true that nothing happens, isekais are generally adventure and harem animes meant to pass the time and have a few laughs. These anime don't usually take themselves too seriously, although it's very rare to see a serious one, as they're usually very harmless worlds, or the protagonists are very broken or cheated, posing no risk to the protagonists."
WHICH MEANS THAT.
WHICH MEANS THAT... GOODBYE, OLD LIFE!
Time to find the adventurer's guild!
"I'm free from that stupid toxic smoke, from those annoying street noises, from those shitty people and those whiny progressives. LONG LIVE FREEDOM!"
"Oh, I can't wait! What should I do and where to start? First, I'll find an adventurer's guild and join it. I'll start my own party, use a saber, learn magic, make new connections, become more popular, and maybe even get a girlfriend. I'm not pushing my luck. I'm happy to be famous."
This is the best day of my life!
Determined, Kinomoto began walking through the mysterious and strange world he found himself in, but to his surprise, things aren't easy, even starting from scratch.
You could see Kinomoto back at the fountain with a few bruises on his face and a look of disappointment and bitterness.
…
This is the worst day of my life...
HELL!
What a lousy world this is!
Every time I asked about an adventurer's guild, they either didn't know what to say or called me crazy. UGH!
"Then I went to the palace of the royal capital, but when I tried to enter there, there were many guards who didn't let me in there, they even pushed me and called me stupid, they call themselves knights and that's how they treat lowly people... how rude, my foot hurts a little after that act of bravado."
"Damn classists."
To top it all off, I just made a fool of myself. I tried to use magic, using random words, and nothing worked.
"Words like Abracadabra, Wingardium leviosa, Shazam, colulummibus! That was all a waste of time. I wish I could do magic, but I feel like I'll need a grimoire for that, or maybe magic doesn't even exist in this world..."
"Afterward, looking for information, I went into some rooms, and luckily for me, it was a bathroom... to top it all off, it was the women's bathroom. They slapped and hit me. I didn't even know that was a bathroom, much less a women's bathroom. Unfortunately, it was sluts who punished me. After that bad time, I went into a bar, but being so semi-human, they kicked me out as soon as I set foot in the place. This world is quite racist..."
"GOD, that's why knowing how to read is important... I wish I could read the scribbles, it would save me from more problems. Although I don't think I'm that bad, it would be worse if I couldn't talk to anyone."
Even though I'm alone now, and I still have no idea what drew me to this world.
"Besides, it's getting late and the sun is still rising. I have to find a place to sleep. As for food, I'll ration the portions I eat. I don't know when I'll eat again or if I'll have any money."
"As for where I'll sleep, I've thought about sleeping on top of houses if I can reach the roof. Although I think I ruled it out, I don't know if it was my imagination, but I thought I saw a strange blur, maybe someone jumping between buildings. It's possible I'd get robbed if I stayed there. The second option would be a tree, which, although also risky due to the height, could fall on me, but I feel like I'd be more hidden from any thieves or scumbags of the royal capital. As those guards called it... lugunica."
"Right now, I'll focus on hiding and protecting my food. As for that elf and the lizard, I hope I never run into them again. However, what I don't expect is that this blur would reappear, this time the blur would I saw yellow. The blur made some of the food at the stand disappear, unnoticed by the man at the stand. Taking advantage of the distraction, the boy slipped out of sight. He hid near the alleys.
"Uh, whew, that was close, they almost saw me."
"But it was worth it. This will give me enough to eat for a few days. But I have to find a way to sustain myself. But the question is, since I don't think my experience with computers and electronic devices will be of any use, I doubt such things exist."
"I SAW YOU."
AH!"
"I'm taken by surprise. Someone had spoken in the middle of the alley, but there was no one in sight. I look back and forth to see where the busybody who was watching me is. I had to shut him up, this would ruin me."
"Hey, don't you see me yet? What kind of thief are you?"
"The voice keeps insisting, but I can't find the accuser. Maybe he's invisible. No, wait, I haven't looked up yet. When I focused my gaze up, I found a small, mocking silhouette."
"It took you so long to find me!"
"A small girl wearing little clothing had come skipping down the walls. Upon closer inspection, I saw her as a short girl with light skin and medium-length, somewhat dirty-yellow hair with a black bow."
"She has red eyes and is wearing a black blouse, a red scarf, and black pants that are incomplete on the left side, where she also has a red ribbon. She also wears a vest, gloves, and brown shoes, and has a belt with a sheath that holds her knife."
"For a thief, you're pretty slow."
"I see you have some loot. It seems your robbery at the store was a success. However, they almost saw you. I'd say that if I hadn't seen you moving so desperately a while ago, I wouldn't have even noticed you and they would have seen you. You don't have anything either, right?"
...
...
The silence was awkward, but both individuals knew they were involved in the same acts of vandalism.
"Who are you and what do you want?"
"That's rude. I was just passing by the place of the theft and saw you stealing. You know I won't rat you out, right?"
"The small blonde girl was somewhat sarcastic. There's no doubt she's a small-time thug. I never thought I'd run into another thief so quickly."
"Code thief to thief. I'm not trying to harm you, just that you've aroused some curiosity. Where are you from? I've never seen you in the slums. Besides, those clothes don't look like they belong to someone poor. Those clothes are fine." Plus, I saw you moving strangely as you walked through the robbery scene.
"I'm not from the slums, and I'm not from this kingdom either."
"Oh, so a foreigner. I understand you fled your kingdom. What made you even do it?"
"This girl keeps asking questions, damn it. What the hell can I answer? This is so sudden."
"By the way, what's your name?"
"A thief, or do you have no manners? Why, you better tell me your name."
"Oh, how delicate. Okay, my name is Felt. Now for your thief of pretty clothes."
"The blonde girl insisted on knowing more personal information. This gave me the creeps, but I considered the possibility of lying or altering my information a bit. But considering I'm new to this world and there's no record of me, I think the best thing to do would be to be honest, although I'll be cautious."
"My name is Kinomoto Kurosaki."
— Kinomoto Kurosaki, aren't you a former nobleman, Kinomoto?
—Nobleman? What makes you think that?
—Your clothes clearly aren't old and worn, and they look fine.
—Just because of that? But these clothes are anything but expensive.
—You give the impression of it. I have a good eye for high-value things.
—High value, this, but this thing even has small rips, I wouldn't call it high value in this state…
"This brat just came to make fun of me."
—Well, that's what you think, but I'm willing to negotiate for that garment you're wearing.
—It's not for sale.
—Eh, well, if you put it that way, you'll lose out. I'll still insist. Seriously, that thing would fetch good money.
—I said no.
—Well, live a good life and be more careful when stealing. There are knights lurking around the place. I doubt you want to end up in jail.
The blonde girl skipped off again, this time running over the back of Kinomoto.
"Okay... I need to be more cautious. It's better if I limit my reactions more..."
"Besides, I still have to find shelter from the elements. I have to figure out how to survive tomorrow."
"I hate having to steal from people, but necessity demands it. I'll still have to look for a job sooner or later. If this is a dream, I hope I can wake up."
End of chapter.