บท 21: Ch 8: A Message…
As a couple of days passed, more coverage was done on the incident with Hiroto's righteous act though not intended, there was a leak of information about him who saved the little girl in need from a rap*st who had malevolent motives against the girl.
And with that attention, they came to find Hiroto's age and picture with not much to do to hide the fact he was involved.
In the end, he was not all concerned about it anyways, so he let it be, it was not like he goes to school, and be confronted about it all that much.
As for the following days, it was just more attention whenever he went to the same playground to exercise, since the situation itself was close by, most he encountered in the neighborhood recognized him.
And following that kiss from Rinka, Hiroto's sister Kazuki saw the whole thing being upset, pouted her face, lastly confronted him about.
It took quite a while to comfort or calm her down enough, complying with her demands and with Hiroto's own thoughts of what Kazuki likes.
Let's just say, she left satisfied and with a mark on her neck. Nothing beyond that however.
Otherwise, no one else necessarily noticed the kiss from Rinka, considering the parents were conversing with one-another, busy getting to know one-another.
While Okino, Rinka's brother was busy dazing off at Kazuki, Hiroto's sister.
'He sure is disgusting when he's like this'
Hiroto thought as he noticed Rinka's brother looking at his sister in an abnormal manner.
Not to mention for long periods of time.
Although Hiroto does admit his sister does seem beautiful and have that unique air around her, to him it was a momentary attraction, then he adapted to her appearance.
Except for the intimate times of course, everything else doesn't faze him as much.
At the same time, he met the daughter of the person he met prior to everything that occurred, the promise that was made with a women by the name of Ryoba Aishi, as they met at the same playground just the day after the incident.
She can be seen carrying an infant that is very well distinctly younger than him, along with a man that seemed to be her husband.
"Hiroto over here!"
Ryoba called out to him in the distance.
"Hello Ryoba-nee! And umm… you are?"
Hiroto asked the man standing close.
"Oh! I-I'm Jokichi Yudasei. N-Nice to meet you. Ryoba told me a bit about you"
He said with visible signs of stuttering or perhaps a tone of worry found in his voice, oddly enough.
"Ahh I see… Nice to meet you uncle!"
Hiroto replied with a childish and a innocent tone.
But behind his facade felt something off between the couple, as they don't present themselves to be as close as they are to be considering they were married, especially the man in front of him.
"Well, Hiroto isn't my daughter a cutie"
Ryoba spoke jubilantly with a motherly atmosphere around her, as she was touching the hand of her small baby.
As the baby herself reaches out to the hand reaching to her while also staring at Hiroto, as she extended her other arm at him.
"Yes, she looks very cute, Ryoba-nee!"
Hiroto conforming to his age to a certain extent, spoke childishly and happily as he also stared at the baby, while lightly holding that arm that reach towards him.
"Heheh! I know right. She recently turned one years old a few days ago. And we named her Ayano Aishi!"
She affirmed with a affectionate smile. As the baby keeps trying to reach out for Hiroto.
All the while Jokichi seems oddly out of place, staring right at him, making him uncomfortable.
"Hmm—Hiroto, can you possibly be friends with my daughter Ayano? Like perhaps meet up here everyday from now on. I'm sure you guys will get along well in the future."
Ryoba said so bluntly and calmly with a smile.
Hiroto sensed an intent or motive behind her words, at most it felt like he was being used as a babysitter or some sh*t, so he was going to refuse.
Not to mention he had a good reason to refute.
"Ah! I'm sorry, Ryoba-nee. But I won't be able to meet up here everyday soon to play with umm—Ayano"
He said so as he scratched his face with his finger.
"Oh! I know you won't be hanging out here in the playground everyday, though maybe perhaps we can visit you sometime and meet your parents perhaps?"
Ryoba insisted keeping up her smile.
'Well, I can't just let you go so easily, my daughter might need you someday. It's best to build a relationship early on, right Hiroto…'
She thought as she kept looking at him with motives behind them, as she tried to set her daughter up with him.
"Oh, well I guess that's fine! I do remember that my mother planned on inviting a few people over tomorrow, because of umm—yesterday's incident."
Hiroto replied hesitating on his last few line of thought, thinking it was fine for him to reveal the event the day before.
"That's nice! And what do you mean by yesterday?"
Ryoba said keeping up her smile and curious at what he meant.
"Hmm… not much really, just that I saved a girl who was being attacked by a random old guy, and then the parents of the girl wanted to come by to properly thank me."
Hiroto thought for a second before revealing vaguely what occurred.
"Oh! Are you sure you're alright, it must have been hard for you?"
She worriedly asked him.
"I'm fine! It wasn't a big deal"
He lied so casually, as he continued with his childish facade with a smile, gesturing with his hand as it moves side-to-side.
"Well, since you're here unharmed, you're right it doesn't seem like a big deal."
Ryoba says as she looked at him clearly fine and healthy.
'Hmm—it seems the news hasn't reached her ears yet huh…'
Hiroto thought as he inspected her reaction to a vague explanation of yesterday's incident.
As an hour or two passes, the family of three eventually leaves to do their thing, as promised in a few days, Hiroto will meet them again.
Beforehand, he must remind his family of another family joining in on them.
'It's been a long week huh.'
He thought before letting out a yawn.
'An absolute waste of time and energy spent today.'
Hiroto continued, a little angry, considering his introverted self gets drained from social interactions. He's rather keep to himself.
Not to mention hours long of conversations.
The problem with himself is that humans are social animals by nature, so when it came to his tendencies to not get involve in social situations, he can't help but just be social at those times.
"Hahh… anyways gotta keep that grind"
He sighed calming himself down, getting ready to exercise.
And with that said, he started doing a series of exercises, enough to tire him out.
As he worked himself further than the day prior, with a bottle of water to refresh himself.
In an hour or two, he can be seen resting on the ground, the water in his hand empty, sweat and grime all over his body, making his clothes see-through
'Let's call it a day shall we…'
He thought exasperating.
Hiroto heading home attracted many glances and made many passerby stop to look at him, as his unparalleled charm and face swoon to some extent.
Some recognized him to be the person spoken a lot lately, so they had a pitiful look as they stared at him.
Later as he arrived home he first went to take a shower, with the daily routine of Kazuki intruding in.
As dinner came about informed his parents involving Aishi's family wanting to meet.
And to which was agreed upon by his mother, albeit with a confirmation with Ryouji, as she still can't make decisions by herself.
Days passed as the day to meet up came, prior to which Hiroto came to do his daily routine, occasionally meeting Ryoba and her family along the way, rinse and repeat.
All until the fated day the three families meet has come.
…
..
.
[ First Person POV ]
[ Hiroto POV ]
…
Hahh…
Letting a sigh out my mouth, as I looked around.
'It's too cramped…'
I thought as to my very right, I can see a family of four and another person. It was Rinka's family with her parents and brother. Along with a girl same age as them.
That's right, it was Otome Sakuragi.
A friend of the two kids, who unexpectedly followed the Okino's at the meeting, with her own parent's permission was allowed to come along.
'I wonder why I didn't meet her in the park during that time a couple of days ago. Rinka was there where the plot of Otome Dori mainly began, but did she leave earlier on before I arrived'
I contemplated at the idea of why he had not met her earlier.
'Hmm—I mean it did take a while for Rinka's family to even arrive, I had to even get involved to call them. So her brother may have left with Otome beforehand, forgot about Rinka. Then separated some time later only to discover about the event that happened'
It was just a monologue to distract myself off this crowded space around, it worked, but at the end of it, was a meaningless thought.
As I stopped that line of thought, I turned to my left.
And to my very left is Ryoba with her baby as well as husband.
Lastly, my own family, right in the center of the two, the Kazami's.
It only took a few seconds, as all families introduced themselves to one-another.
And then came a long time of conversing mainly my mother who spoke, although even then she was quite to say the least quiet or odd to some extent when speaking.
As she had troubles considering she herself didn't have many friends and was quite soft spoken since the very beginning even before everything had occurred.
But she came through alright at the end of it all, of course the adults had their own conversation whilst us as children had our own.
Rinka's brother for the most part had all of his attention at my sister, trying to talk to her.
Kazuki just responded blankly and distantly, seemingly bored out of her mind. Not that Okino himself noticed, considering he himself isn't that smart or perceptive, along with the fact that he was only just two years older than I.
As Kazuki stares at me, seemingly wanting help in getting this annoying boy out of his interest on her.
Otome herself felt left out or ignored at the person she had a crushed on.
While Rinka was focused in on me, trying to get to know me better.
Hahh…
Letting out a sigh out my mouth.
'Kids these days, no matter what world, always desired love and attention. Not a problem that I even had before reincarnation, yet the thought of others acting on them is obnoxious to me.'
As I shook my head at the thought.
'So this girl is Otome huh…'
I thought as I looked at the little girl.
She had medium length pink hair, smooth skin, and seemingly at the brink of tears with Rinka's brother not paying attention to her, around four years old or so.
The tragic person involved of Rinka's scheme or resentment due to her brothers own actions.
At the moment, she's only a kid, and her crying might cause a ruckus so…
I went over to her.
"Hey, are you alright?"
I said as I made eye contact with Otome.
Before she averted her eyes away from mine, blushing at the gesture.
"A-Ah! Y-Yes, Kazami-kun."
She stuttered as she spoke to me, albeit shyly.
"Oh! Hehe. You can call me by my first name you know—Otome!"
I responded in a childish manner as intended with a smile on my exceptionally cute face.
As the very impression I intended gave me a casual and friendly air around me that helped to close the distance.
It wasn't long before Otome started to speak better and easier with me, as my easygoing attitude made it possible for us to eventually be in tune with one-another.
As she started coming out of her shell, and stopped being nervous around me.
Otome eventually forgot her previous contempt with Rinka's brother, her crush and focused her attention on me, as she found me interesting.
Despite that however still can't make eye contact with me face-to-face.
Must be my charming appearance at work.
Anyways, there was nothing really off about her necessarily that I found interesting.
Otome is just an innocent child, a normal kid, nothing noteworthy or special about her that makes me interested.
The only interest I had was of her plot for possibly why she had a tragic ending.
If this were the past before reincarnation, the supernatural would certainly be unbelievable or nearly impossible to truly exist, just totally incomprehensible.
But the system itself serves as one of the few examples that I use to gauge just how much that once was fiction can come to fruition.
Not to mention my reincarnation.
One of the few depictions in novels are cultivation genre that believed that there is a 'concept' or 'law' behind all sorts of things.
Like perhaps, the concept or law of fate.
To which there is a possibility of it being involved in her own predetermined circumstances.
After all there is always a reason behind most things and one possibly that was the reason for my own situation.
Anyways enough said, I noticed that the system seemed to have changed.
As my system had started to not inform me of something about acquiring points like it would earlier and a new function was unlocked.
—————————
[ Host: Hiroto Kazami! ]
< Age: 2 >
< Race: Human >
[ Points: 790]
[ Status ]
[ Lottery ]
[ Shop ]
[ Inventory ( 2 Slot Available) ]
[ Worlds ]
[ Mail (New!) ]
—————————
A mail function was added in the mix.
The system itself seemed to have been created by some being, possibly as a way to communicate.
At the moment it all seems to be in my favor and worrying about its purpose or motive is of no use, more like it serves as a distraction if I ever thought too deeply on this topic.
As for any other changes it seems that my points increased, last time I remembered I had around 100 Points.
After purchasing that knife that costed 10 Points, resulted in 90 Points left.
So, as for the newly added points, a different or more direct methodology on the way the points are allocated.
Before it would send reminders of my fate intervention and now goes directly in my balance.
That is one way that lessens the effort of having to click accept on every change I make.
Anyways I was curious on that new function, accessing the mail, a new display pops up.
—————————
[ Mail ]
〔 Introductions (New!) 〕
—————————
It seems to be a very simple looking feature, nothing necessarily noteworthy, aside from that one letter sent in my mail.
Clicking on that first mail I received, the letter read out.
—————————
[ Mail ]
〔 Introductions 〕
『 —Hello,
XXXO or otherwise Host of the system.
You may not know of whom I may be, but one thing I do assure you is that I mean no harm nor have any motives that can possibly put you in jeopardy.
I can not communicate with you directly, as some requirements need to be fulfilled before we can reach out to one-another.
And I hope you can succeed in your journey so that we can… meet once again fufu, XXXO AXXXS
Love,
XXXX XXXX』
—————————
The message read out, starting with a serious sounding letter, yet later on becoming more conscious or less for the lack of the better terms robot-like.
Not to mention, glitchy when it spoke of what seemed to be names.
And now I'm really curious of what the person or being behind all of this is.
At the moment I can only pinpoint that it is related to the system and most likely my reincarnation, as well as a being with a conscious mind.
And one that is for some odd reason, sounded familiar.
I mean—who writes a message like this.
The person who wrote this texted me with some indications that imitate or most likely expected of a woman.
It stands out a lot and strangely… familiar.
Hopefully, there is no malicious intent to me, I would hate to be used by some unknown being for their own reasons.
If in that chance, I were being used then…
I might just… hehe.
As I contemplated that idea, a smile unconsciously reached my cute face, and my eyes shimmering brighter.
It was as if some emotion or thing took over me, somewhat of a reminiscent feeling, that I can't put a finger as to what it was.
Realizing that fact, I calmed myself down.
"A-Ah Hiroto, a-are you alright?"
Otome called out at the changes that occurred to my face.
"Oh! I'm fine, thanks for asking Otome."
I said to her with a smile snapping out of all of my previous thoughts, as I went to pat her head softly, as she blushed and went silent at the gesture.
And without realizing it, Rinka got in between both of us.
'Hnn—Rinka! I almost forgot about her.'
She looked a little pale and worried when me and Otome were getting along.
…
——————————————————
( Authors Note:
Hello Readers,
I have returned.
And to be honest I planned on making a lot of chapters after all that busy work was done, all the way until chapter 13 when I would've started deleting the old chapters before the rewrite.
But what can I say, I was too lazy to get started. I'm not sure how the following days will go by, though it shouldn't be too busy for me… hopefully.
Anyways, it's been a while since [ First Person POV ] and I have finally decided and noticed the best POV between that and [ Third Person POV ]. I know that if I kept switching POVs it will lead to confusing and rather annoying interactions. So with that said I will push forward with [Third Person POV] from now on.
My writing skills and vocabulary has shown improvements to some extent as well as noticing the style of writing used in other fanfics and novels, but quality in some regards will fall since I type usually in my phone. Autocorrect is a b*tch is all I can say.)
Word Count: 3.1K
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