Junichi sighed, rubbing his temples.
"I don't know how to draw. How embarrassing..."
In his previous life, he had been an typical salaryman—a hard-working overwork office worker who loved novels, manga, and dramas. The only vaguely creative skill he had was basic video editing.
Drawing? Not a clue.
And the boy whose body he now inhabited—the sixteen-year-old Junichi —didn't learned it either.
That meant: total rookie.
He exhaled again. "Great. The comic system can't even assist me with this."
His top priorities were clear:
1. Learn how to draw.
2. Buy food—or starve.
He began scavenging the small apartment his late father had left him. Under sofa cushions, behind drawers, in coat pockets—after 15 minutes, he can scraped together was just 2,000 yen. That's just enough for a convenience store dinner or a couple of instant noodle packs.
His stomach growled. Earlier, he had eaten a cup of noodles, but it barely touched the edge of his hunger.
He stared at his phone for a long moment.
Thankfully, the prepaid plan still worked.
He pulled up a contact: "Mom."
With a sigh, he pressed call.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
After a few rings, a gentle but strained voice answered.
"Hello?"
"It's me," Junichi said.
"...Jun? Junichi? Is that you?"
"Yeah. I..... I need a favor. I was wondering if I could borrow some cash."
A pause.
"Junichi... you don't need to borrow from your mother."
His mother—Aoki Yae—worked as a senior manager in a company. Career-minded, driven, and divorced. She had always tried to maintain some connection with him, especially after his father's arrest. But her work consumed her.
She continued, her voice softer now. "I know you're still angry about me and your father... but you've been living alone for so long. Why don't you come and stay with me? I can transfer you to a new school. I'll arrange everything."
He hesitated.
"..... No. I want to stay here."
A sigh. "Alright. I'll send you some money. But please, take care of yourself."
He ended the call.
Minutes later, his phone buzzed. 25,000 yen deposited.
He reached on for his hoodie, grabbed his keys, and headed out into the warm spring sunlight.
He went to the nearby ATM and cashout 5,000 yen in cash to use. He pocketed the bills and walked toward the supermarket.
On the way, he passed a small barbershop. In the window's reflection, he caught sight of himself—messy bangs nearly covering his eyes, hair flaring past his ears.
He froze, touched his fringe with his fingers, then pushed open the door.
"Welcome!" the barber greeted him brightly.
"I'd like a haircut."
"Of course! This way."
After washing his hair, the barber asked, "Any style in mind?"
Junichi consider it for a moment, then shrugged. "Not really. Something clean. Do what you think fits."
The barber examined his head shape and smiled. "Alright. Short textured layers, trimmed around the ears. It'll suit you."
Twenty minutes later, Junichi blinked at his reflection in the mirror.
His new look was... crispi. Clean-cut. Neatly trimmed. Surprisingly handsome.
"Looking good, young man. That'll be 1,500 yen."
"No discount for being ridiculously good-looking?"
The barber raised an eyebrow.
"Kidding. Kidding."
He paid and left, feeling lighter.
At the supermarket, he bought five instant noodle packs, a bundle of dry ramen, eggs, two tomatoes, and a bag of rice. Total cost: just under 2,000 yen.
Back home, he got to work. He chopped up the tomatoes, boiled noodles, cracked in an egg, threw it together and stirred.
The result: steaming tomato-egg ramen.
He devoured it.
One bowl. Then two. Then the whole pot.
His stomach finally calmed.
"Huh... My appetite's insane. What am I, Luffy? Or Goku? Even Naruto couldn't possinly eat this much."
He stood, stretched, and looked around the apartment.
Dirty laundry. Empty bottles. Dust.
"...Yeah. First things first."
Cleaning took over an hour. He swept, scrubbed, collected trash, sorted laundry, and wiped down the surfaces.
By the time he was done, the small apartment was unrecognizably tidy.
Junichi grinned with satisfaction.
Just then, his phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Junichi! You coming to the net café to open a black hole raid? I swear I won't bail this time!"
It was nine other than Haruto Yagami, his best friend and partner-in-crime.
Junichi laughed. "Nah, not tonight. School starts tomorrow. I want to get some real sleep."
Haruto stared at his phone in silent for a moment. "... You? Since when? Even the homeroom teacher gave up on your grades! And your class is full of freaks."
"Come on stop it. Only two months left till graduation. Might as well see it through."
"Tch. Alright, alright. Let me know if you change your mind."
The call ended.
They had met during a school brawl. Junichi had stepped in to defend someone. Haruto had been on the other side. The fight never actually happened—they both saw the absurdity of it. They walked away friends.
Junichi leaned back against the freshly cleaned wall.
"Okay... One step at a time. Next, art."
He opened his phone and began searching: "How to learn manga drawing from scratch."