New Game Plus

The Joke From Fate

School ended for the first day, and I returned homesafely, no interesting events happening on the way. As soon as I entered through the doorway, I was immediately grabbed and lifted off the ground. It was my mother picking me up and carrying me in her arms.

"Aria! How was your first day of school? You had fun, right? No one tried to bully you, right? If anyone does such a thing, be sure to tell me, okay?" She asked me several things at once, but my father, who was behind her, immediately calmed her down

"So, Aria, how was it? Did you make any friends today?" I shook my head as a response to my father's question, and his expression became saddened for a bit, before being replaced by a smile. "No worries, you'll be able to get some soon. It's only the first day after all, right?" I nod in agreement to this, and his mood went up a bit.

"Kieran, we should get ready now, shouldn't we? Our guests will arrive soon."

"Ah, that's right. Aria, go change your clothes and head to the living room. We've got someone coming over today, and they have a child your age as well. Be sure to try and talk to them, okay?" I nod to my father's instructions and went immediately. After quickly switching to a different, random t-shirt and a different pair of shorts, I go to the living room and sit on one of the couches, while my dad prepared snacks on the table for the guests. I grab one of the cookies he made and nibbled on it as I waited. Eventually, the door bell was rung, and my parents head over to the door to greet them. I stayed in the living room, and waited for my parents to bring the guests in. I could hear their voices from here

"Lisa~ it's so nice to see you again!" I hear my mother's cheerful voice and a short shriek right after.

"Captain, please, stop hugging me! It's embarassing!" A loud, shy voice cries out, and I hear someone burst into laughter.

"C'mon Lisa, let captain have her fun. Weren't you her cuddling toy in the past as well?" So there were other victims too, huh...

"Trax, you're not helping! At all!" Based on what I've heard so far, these people used to be under the party that my mother led in the past.

"Mom, I smell cookies! Can I have some!? Can I have some!?" A new, energetic voice chimed in.

"Go ahead, Thoth." I shoved the rest of the cookie into my mouth and nearly choked on it. I hear an excited 'Yeah!' from the hallway, then my father's voice telling him the way to the living room. A few seconds later, a boy enters the room and immediately noticed me sitting on the couch. We stared at the each other, no one making a single move. I completely recognized this boy's appearance though.

This is the craziest thing I've even seen. This boy in front of me, not only did he have my name, but he literally had the exact same appearance as I did when I was a child in my previous life. Short black hair, dark brown eyes, he even had a mole on his left cheek, exactly like mine. His personality was completely different though, and probably his upbringing as well. I also doubt that he has the same abilities I did in my previous life, because he'd be able to release an intimidating pressure just by staring at someone. Based on what I see though, his strength and magic is better than the average child's, so he was a prodigy in his own way.

"Heya!" The boy broke the silence first with a cheerful greeting. I respond to it by waving my hand at him. Probably confused about why I didn't speak, he tilted his head and straight up asked, "You can't talk?" I shook my head side to side, still not using my voice to communicate with him. He shrugs his shoulder in response, and walked up to the table and grabbed a cookie, took a huge bite out of it before sitting on the couch as well. Right next to me. He then began staring at me again

"My parents said that you're supposed to be a girl, but you're way too tall to be one! Why did you cover yourself anyway? Are you scared to show your face? Hey, show me your face. I wanna see! Please, please, please?"