The sound of rain outside filled your ears as you slowly opened your eyes, only to find yourself in an unfamiliar place.
Instinctively, you reached for the system, but it appeared to be functioning normally, except for one glaring detail - the date.
Confused and disoriented, you rose from where you had been lying and ventured into the premises . There, in the dining room, you found your mother.
"Mom, where are we?" you asked, your voice trembling with uncertainty.
Your mother glanced at you, her expression a mix of concern and puzzlement. "We're at home, sweetie."
Your heart sank as you struggled to comprehend her words. "But this isn't our home..."
"Honey, we moved here two years ago," she explained patiently, though her eyes betrayed a hint of worry.
You furrowed your brow, trying to piece together the past two years, but it felt like trying to grasp at fading dreams. "I don't remember moving here, Mom. Are you sure about this?" Doubt gnawed at you, intensifying the sense of disorientation that had settled over you like a heavy shroud.
As your disorientation deepened, you felt a familiar buzz in your pocket. Retrieving your system, you hesitated for a moment before opening the message, half-expecting it to provide some clarity.
ˢʸˢᵀᴱᴹ ᴹᴱˢˢᴬᴳᴱ
ᵀᴵᴹᴱ ˢᴷᴵᴾ ᴰᴱᵀᴱᶜᵀᴱᴰ
ᴰᵘᵉ ᵗᵒ ᵃⁿ ᵉʳʳᵒʳ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ˢʸˢᵗᵉᵐ, ᵃ ˢⁱᵍⁿⁱᶠⁱᶜᵃⁿᵗ ᵗⁱᵐᵉ ˢᵏⁱᵖ ʰᵃˢ ᵒᶜᶜᵘʳʳᵉᵈ. ᵂᵉ ᵃᵖᵒˡᵒᵍⁱᶻᵉ ᶠᵒʳ ᵃⁿʸ ⁱⁿᶜᵒⁿᵛᵉⁿⁱᵉⁿᶜᵉ. ʸᵒᵘʳ ᵗⁱᵐᵉˡⁱⁿᵉ ʰᵃˢ ᵇᵉᵉⁿ ᵃˡᵗᵉʳᵉᵈ.
ᴾˡᵉᵃˢᵉ ᵃᵈʲᵘˢᵗ ᵗᵒ ʸᵒᵘʳ ⁿᵉʷ ᶜⁱʳᶜᵘᵐˢᵗᵃⁿᶜᵉˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᶜᵒⁿᵗⁱⁿᵘᵉ ʸᵒᵘʳ ʲᵒᵘʳⁿᵉʸ.
Your heart pounded as you read the message. A time skip? An error in the system? It was almost too surreal to believe. It explained why your memories seemed to have gaping holes.
Now you were faced with the daunting task of adjusting to these new circumstances and resuming your journey...
Feeling a mixture of curiosity and anxiety, you decided to consult your system for more information.
"'puter," you began, "Can you tell me what's happened in the past two years? Why have things changed so much?"
ₛYₛₜₑₘ ᵣₑₛₚₒₙₛₑ
『 ʸᵒᵘʳ ˡⁱᶠᵉ ʰᵃˢ ᵘⁿᵈᵉʳᵍᵒⁿᵉ ˢⁱᵍⁿⁱᶠⁱᶜᵃⁿᵗ ᶜʰᵃⁿᵍᵉˢ. ʸᵒᵘ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵇᵉᵉⁿ ᵗʳᵃⁿˢᶠᵉʳʳᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ᵃ ⁿᵉʷ ˢᶜʰᵒᵒˡ ᵈᵘᵉ ᵗᵒ ʸᵒᵘʳ ᶠᵃᵐⁱˡʸ'ˢ ʳᵉˡᵒᶜᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿ. ʸᵒᵘ ᵃʳᵉ ⁿᵒʷ ˡⁱᵛⁱⁿᵍ ᶜˡᵒˢᵉʳ ᵗᵒ ᵗʰᵉ ᴵᵗᵒˢʰⁱ ᵇʳᵒᵗʰᵉʳˢ, ˢᵃᵉ ᵃⁿᵈ ᴿⁱⁿ, ʷʰᵒᵐ ʸᵒᵘ ᵐᵉᵗ ᵇᵉᶠᵒʳᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᵗⁱᵐᵉ ˢᵏⁱᵖ. ᵀʰᵉˢᵉ ᶜʰᵃⁿᵍᵉˢ ʷᵉʳᵉ ᵃ ʳᵉˢᵘˡᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ˢʸˢᵗᵉᵐ'ˢ ᵉʳʳᵒʳ, ʷʰⁱᶜʰ ᵃˡᵗᵉʳᵉᵈ ʸᵒᵘʳ ᵗⁱᵐᵉˡⁱⁿᵉ.』
The news hit you like a ton of bricks. A new school, closer to the Itoshi brothers? It was a lot to take in, and you couldn't help but wonder about the implications of these changes. Your connection with Sae and Rin, in particular, seemed to be a focal point of this altered timeline.
You couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this situation than met the eye. The system had thrown you a curveball, and you were left to navigate this new reality with more questions than answers.
Now before you could ask anything more, a voice called out your name.
"Y/n onee-chan!" You turned around to see Rin running in "Me and nii-chan are going going to eat ice cream! Wanna come?" He asked.
Your mind was still swirling with questions and uncertainty, but the idea of enjoying some ice cream with Rin and Sae sounded like a pleasant distraction. You couldn't help but smile at Rin's cheerful invitation.
"Sure, Rin! I'd love to!" you replied warmly, allowing yourself to be swept up in the moment.
Rin's eyes sparkled with delight as he grabbed your hand, his slender fingers tightly holding yours. "Let's go!" he exclaimed.
As you followed Rin, you couldn't help but steal a glance back at the house you now called home, even though it didn't quite feel like it yet. The mysteries of the system, the altered timeline, and the uncertain future weighed on your mind.
"Honestly though, who eats ice cream in rain..." you said as you hold the umbrella in one hand while ice cream on the other.
"Us?" Sae took a bite out of his ice cream as he replied. "We are gonna be sick tomorrow, I'm calling it" you laughed followed by sae and rin.
You noticed Rin was getting wet "Oi Rin get under the umbrella properly" you grabbed him by the shoulder as you pull him closer to you. "Okayy" Rin said and turned red. He faced away from you and continued eating his ice cream.
"Oh, I won something." Rin showed you and Sae his ice cream stick which had "won" written on it.
"Way to waste your luck Rin" Sae mocked, Rin just shrugged and threw away the stick.
'We could've gotten a new ice cream with that...' you thought to yourself but decided to not say it out loud.
You sighed as you started to think about your current situation. The two years were skipped and it was really obvious by the how tall Sae and Rin had gotten.
Heck Rin is almost as tall as you now! Did you not grow at all or something? Man was this confusing as hell to you.
You weren't paying attention as you were too deep in thoughts and so the rain-slicked pavement had claimed your footing, sending you into an unintended slide. Instinctively, you reached out to grab whatever you could to steady yourself, but it seemed fate had other plans. Your hands closed around Rin and Sae, inadvertently dragging them down with you.
As the three of you hit the ground, it was clear that it wasn't the most graceful landing. You couldn't help but wince at the sudden impact, cursing softly under your breath.
Looking down, you groaned at the sight of your once pristine t-shirt, now adorned with a smear of fallen ice cream. "Oh no, I liked this t-shirt..." you lamented, your voice tinged with frustration.
"Ouch," Sae chimed in, rubbing his elbow where he had landed.
Rin, on the other hand, was more worried about you. "Y/n onee-chan, are you okay?" he asked with genuine concern.
You managed to sit up slowly, inspecting the damage. Your t-shirt was stained with melted ice cream, and you sighed in disappointment. "I'm fine, just a little sore," you assured Rin, giving him a reassuring smile.
Sae, in his usual teasing manner, added, "At least you saved your ice cream, right?"
You glanced down at your now ruined ice cream with a sheepish grin. "Well, priorities," you quipped, earning a chuckle from both Sae and Rin.
Rin and Sae got up led you a hand to get up, you looked at them with a small blush as you took both of their hands "thanks"
You quickly got up and grabbed your umbrella to hide your red face, 'Holy crap those two are getting cuter as they grow-'
"You okay?" Sae put his hand on my shoulder and asked "y-yeah" I replied and started walking.
You got home and went straight to bath since you didn't wanna catch a cold.
Setting in the bathtub you opened the system and went into character profile.
ᶜʰᵃʳᵃᶜᵗᵉʳ: ˡ/ⁿ ʸ/ⁿ
ᴬᵍᵉ: ⁹
ᴴᵉⁱᵍʰᵗ: ⁴'¹¹
ˢᵏⁱˡˡˢ:
ᴺᵃᵗᵘʳᵃˡ ˡⁱᵃʳ
ᴺᴱᵂ: ᶜʰᵃʳⁱˢᵐᵃ ᵃⁿᵈ ᴾᵉʳˢᵘᵃˢⁱᵒⁿ
You pondered the new skill, "Charisma and Persuasion," as you soaked in the warm bath. Your mind raced with curiosity about how this skill might be useful in your adventures.
With a determined expression, you decided to explore its potential. You started by practicing your charismatic charm, trying to exude confidence and warmth, even though you were only nine years old. You flashed a bright smile at your rubber duck floating nearby and said, "You're the most magnificent rubber duck in the world, and I'd be honored to have you on my team."
You chuckled at your own silliness while the toy seemed to nod in agreement, though you knew it was just your imagination, probably..? Right?
As for persuasion, you thought about how you could use it to your advantage in the future. Maybe you could convince adults to give you more candy or persuade potential allies to join your quest. The possibilities were endless.
Feeling both excited and a bit mischievous, you whispered to yourself, "This new skill might be more fun than I thought."
ᴵⁿᵛᵉⁿᵗᵒʳʸ
³ ᵖᵒᵗⁱᵒⁿˢ
ᴺᴱᵂ ᴬ ᵀʳᵉᵃˢᵘʳᵉ ᵇᵒˣ
ᴺᴱᵂ ⁷ ᴱⁿᵉʳᵍʸ ᵇᵃʳˢ
The inventory was an intriguing discovery. You decided to delve further into it, wondering what items you might have acquired in your adventures. You clicked on the "Potions" section first.
Slumber Elixir x1: This elixir can induce a deep sleep in anyone who consumes it, lasting for precisely 46 minutes.
Invisibility Potion x1: A potion that grants temporary invisibility when consumed, with a duration of 10 minutes.
Gender-Swap Serum x1: This serum allows you to change your gender for a limited duration of 1 hour.
You marveled at the intriguing potions you had discovered in your inventory. Each one held the potential for unique adventures, but you decided to keep them safe for later use, not wanting to waste these precious items.
Turning your attention to the treasure box, you clicked on it eagerly, but to your disappointment, it wouldn't open. A message popped up
ʸᵒᵘ ⁿᵉᵉᵈ ᵃ ᵏᵉʸ ᵗᵒ ᵒᵖᵉⁿ ⁱᵗ!
You scratched your head, realizing you didn't have a key yet. It was a mystery for another time.
Lastly, you checked out the energy bars. They seemed pretty straightforward. You figured they were like snacks, maybe giving you a boost of energy when needed. You left them as they were, not feeling the urge to munch on them just yet.
You head off to the love interest to see whats new there
ᴸᵒᵛᵉ ᴵⁿᵗᵉʳᵉˢᵗˢ
ᴷᵘⁿⁱᵍᵃᵐⁱ ʳᵉⁿˢᵘᵏᵉ
ᴮᵃᶜʰⁱʳᵃ ᴹᵉᵍᵘʳᵘ
ᴵᵗᵒˢʰⁱ ʳⁱⁿ
ᴵᵗᵒˢʰⁱ ˢᵃᵉ
ᴼᵗʰᵉʳˢ ᵃʳᵉ ʸᵉᵗ ᶠᵒʳ ᵇᵉ ᵘⁿˡᵒᶜᵏ
Seeing Bachira's name you wonder how's he doing... you didn't even get to see him off.
You sighed as a frowned took over. Switch off the screen, you submerged your head in the warm bathwater, bubbles floated around, and a sense of nostalgia washed over you. You couldn't help but think about him. Memories of your time together flashed through your mind.
The thought of not being able to say a proper goodbye tugged at your heartstrings. You missed him deeply.
.
.
.
"What was the last time I even saw nii-chan?" you wondered aloud, your voice muffled by the water.
Your mind began to sift through those moments, each memory a precious gem. You remembered his warm smile, the way he used to ruffle your hair, and the countless times he had been there to protect and guide you.
You couldn't contain your excitement as you hurried out of the bath, leaving a trail of water droplets behind you. Rushing up to your mother, you blurted out, "Mom! It's been so long since I talked to nii-chan!"
Her eyes widened in a mix of horror and amusement as she exclaimed, "Y/n, go put on clothes first!"
It seemed that your enthusiasm for reconnecting with your brother had led you to momentarily forget the importance of proper attire. With a sheepish grin, you scampered off to get dressed, leaving your mother chuckling at your antics.
You quickly returned, now dressed in dry clothes, and approached your mother with a hint of eagerness still in your eyes. You repeated your earlier question, "Mom, it's been so long since I talked to nii-chan, where is he?"
Your mother couldn't help but smile at your persistence. She knelt down to your eye level and gently said, "But, sweetheart, you did call him just yesterday!"
Your eyes widened in surprise as you realized your mistake. "I did? Oh..." You felt a bit embarrassed but also relieved to know that you hadn't lost touch with your brother.
Your mother chuckled, ruffling your hair affectionately. "Don't worry, dear. You two chat so often; it's easy to lose track of time."
You nodded, feeling a bit sheepish but glad to know that you weren't as out of touch as you had initially thought.
"Can I call him now?" you asked with a hopeful look in your eyes.
Your mother smiled and reached for her phone. She quickly unlocked it and handed it to you, saying, "Of course, sweetheart. Here you go."
You eagerly took the phone, your heart brimming with excitement at the prospect of talking to your beloved brother. With nimble fingers, you navigated to his contact and pressed the call button. The phone rang a few times before a familiar voice answered on the other end.
"Hello?" It was your brother's voice, warm and comforting.
"Nii-chan!" you exclaimed, your joy evident in your voice. It felt so good to hear his voice again.
As you and your brother chatted away, catching up on the latest news and sharing stories of your respective lives, he suddenly mentioned something that made you pause.
"Y/n-chan, I hate to cut our conversation short, but I need to go," he said with a hint of urgency.
Your brow furrowed with concern. "Nii-chan, what's going on?"
He chuckled softly. "It's time for my very important match. I can't keep my team waiting."
Understanding the gravity of the situation, you nodded, though you wished you could continue talking. "Alright, nii-chan. Go show them what you're made of, and I'll be cheering for you from here!"
He laughed heartily, and his voice brimmed with confidence. "Thanks, Y/n-chan. I'll give it my all. Take care, and we'll talk again soon, okay?"
With promises to talk again soon and words of encouragement exchanged, you reluctantly ended the call. Your heart swelled with pride for your brother's dedication to his passion. You knew he would give his very best in that important match.