Kaito was walking outside, heading toward his favorite grocery store. As he passed by the usual shops, his eyes caught a familiar face—Ayame, the girl he had saved a few days ago. She was standing in front of a store, holding a shopping list and looking at ingredients.
"Wait... is that Ayame?" Kaito murmured, recognizing her.
He got closer and noticed something odd: Lvl: 2 was floating above her head.
"Wait... is this the upgrade? What the heck?" Kaito thought, blinking in surprise.
He couldn't help but stare in awe. "Woah, cool."
A floating window appeared before him:
Name: Ayame Nakamura
Age: 17
Traits: Scaredy, Kind, Average Intelligence
Power: None
Kaito scratched his head. "Wait... no power? Then what's the deal with the level? Something's off..."
Ayame, feeling someone's gaze on her, looked up. Her eyes met Kaito's, and she smiled warmly when she saw him.
"Oh, Kaito! Hi! What are you doing here?" Ayame asked, waving at him cheerfully.
Kaito smiled back, "Oh, just buying some food. Aiko's hungry."
"Ah, I see! Aiko must be growing fast!" she said with a soft chuckle. "I'm just buying some stuff to make curry today."
"Wait, curry?" Kaito's eyes lit up. "That's my favorite food!"
Ayame laughed softly. "Really? What a coincidence! It's one of my favorites too."
Kaito grinned. "No way! If you're making curry, I might just have to come by and try it."
Ayame blinked in surprise but then smiled warmly. "Well, if you're really interested, you can come by later. I could use a hand with the cooking if you're up for it!"
Kaito nodded enthusiastically. "Sure! If you want, we can cook together."
Just then, a system window popped up in front of Kaito:
[Rizz increased by 100% (temporary)]
Kaito blinked in confusion. "Rizz? What the heck does that mean?"
The system replied: Rizz means: Charisma.
Kaito was stunned. "Charisma? What is this system doing to me?"
The system didn't reply, but Kaito noticed that Ayame's face was turning a bit pink as she glanced away, clearly a little embarrassed.
Ayame caught him looking and laughed nervously. "I-I wasn't expecting you to say that... but sure! We can cook together if you want!"
They walked together to Kaito's apartment, and when they got inside, Aiko immediately noticed Ayame.
"Who's this, Kaito?" Aiko asked curiously, her eyes scanning Ayame.
Kaito laughed awkwardly. "She's my friend, Aiko."
"Friend? Really?" Aiko tilted her head, giving Kaito a mischievous look. "Not a... special friend?"
Kaito flushed red. "W-Wha... no! She's just a friend!"
Ayame smiled at Aiko's teasing and waved. "Nice to meet you, Aiko! I'm Ayame."
Aiko smiled back, now more relaxed. "Nice to meet you too, big sis!"
Ayame blinked, a little confused. "Big sis?" she repeated, a little flustered. "I'm not that old, you know?"
Aiko giggled, but Ayame just smiled at her warmly. "It's alright. You can call me that if you want!"
Ayame began cooking, and the rich smell of curry soon filled the apartment. Both Kaito and Aiko couldn't help but inhale deeply, their mouths watering.
Kaito laughed. "It really does smell like mom's cooking."
Aiko nodded. "Yeah, it smells amazing!"
When Ayame finished cooking, she served the curry to both Kaito and Aiko. "Here you go," she said, her smile wide as she placed the bowls in front of them.
"Thank you, Ayame!" Aiko beamed. "This smells so good!"
Ayame smiled at Aiko's excitement. "I'm glad you like it."
The three of them ate together, and after finishing, Ayame stood up to leave. "I should get going now. Thanks for letting me cook for you," she said, waving at them.
Aiko waved enthusiastically. "See you, Ayame! Come back anytime!"
Kaito also waved, "Thanks again for the curry, Ayame. It was really good."
Ayame turned back with a bright smile. "No problem! I'm glad you both liked it. See you later, Kaito, Aiko!"
Aiko turned to Kaito with a teasing grin. "You like her, don't you?"
Kaito turned red instantly. "W-What? No! She's just a friend!"
Aiko chuckled. "Sure, sure. I get it, big bro."
As Kaito sat down after Ayame left, Aiko was staring at him with a curious look on her face. She squinted her eyes, taking in her brother from head to toe.
"Brother," Aiko suddenly said, her voice filled with surprise, "you look taller... and stronger too."
Kaito blinked, a little confused. "Huh? Taller? Stronger? I don't see it, Aiko."
Aiko crossed her arms, shaking her head. "No, I'm serious! You're definitely taller now, and you've got a more... muscular build. It's like you've been hitting the gym or something."
Kaito chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Really? I don't feel any different."
"Yes, I'm not lying!" Aiko insisted, her tone becoming more firm. "Look at you! You used to be around 5'8", but now... it's like you're taller than before."
Kaito paused, thinking for a moment. "Hmm... let me check then."
He stood up, walking over to the wall where they had a height marker. He stood up straight, trying to measure himself. He grabbed his phone to take a quick measurement using a height chart app.
He stared at the screen, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Wait... this can't be right."
Aiko leaned over his shoulder to see. "What? What does it say?"
Kaito blinked, looking at the number on his phone. "Last time I checked, I was 5'8", but now... I'm 6 feet."
"What?!" Aiko exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock. "See? I told you! You're taller!"
Kaito looked himself over in the mirror, running a hand through his hair, still processing the change. "What the heck... I really am taller now. Guess I did change."
Aiko grinned, clearly proud of herself for noticing the change before Kaito did. "Told you! And look, you've got muscles now too. You've been secretly working out, haven't you?"
Kaito laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I swear, I haven't been to the gym. Maybe it's just... one of those random upgrades?"
Aiko smirked. "Yeah, sure. A random upgrade. I bet you've been hiding your secret workout routine from me!"
Kaito grinned, feeling a sudden burst of confidence. "Well, whatever it is, I guess I have you to thank, Aiko. You pointed it out before I even noticed."
Aiko giggled. "Yeah, you can thank me later! But seriously, you look way better now. I'm proud of you, big bro."
Kaito chuckled, playfully ruffling her hair. "Thanks, Aiko. You've got a good eye. I feel... different. I don't know if it's just the height, but I feel more confident now."
Aiko winked, "I knew you had it in you, bro."
Kaito smiled, feeling more at ease with himself. "Well, I guess I'll just have to live with being taller and stronger now. Thanks, little sis."
Aiko stuck her tongue out, teasing, "No problem, bro. Now go and show that new height off to Ayame next time!"
Kaito laughed, shaking his head. "I'll keep it in mind. Maybe she'll notice, too."
Kaito open his system to make it sure
"Open system"
Kaito stared at his system profile, his eyes scanning each entry.
Name: Kaito Ishida
Age: 15
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 60kg
Birthday: February 14, 2004
Zodiac: Aquarius
[Powers:]
•Storage
•Clairvoyance
•RBD (Return by Death)
•Ultra Instinct (Not Mastered)
•Information Insight
[Unknown]
Money: [3M Yen]
"6'0"?" Kaito muttered, frowning. "I was just 5'8" before... did this power do that?" He checked his reflection in a nearby mirror, his height definitely different. "That's a pretty big jump."
He scrolled down to his powers. "Storage? Clairvoyance? RBD?" Kaito raised an eyebrow, still processing. "Return by Death... That explains everything. I keep coming back, but... how does it even work?"
His gaze shifted to Ultra Instinct. "Not mastered? That's gonna take some time..." Kaito rubbed the back of his neck, unsure how to even begin with that. "Guess I'll figure that out when I need it."
Then his eyes landed on Information Insight. "So... does that mean I just understand things better now?" He paused, thinking it over. "I don't know if I feel smarter, but... okay."
Finally, he saw the [Unknown] power.
"What's this one about?" Kaito said to himself, furrowing his brows. "Guess I'll find out sooner or later."
And then his eyes flicked over to the Money section, seeing the 3 million yen.
He nodded casually, as if it didn't faze him at all. "Alright, I've got 3 million yen. Doesn't change much. I'll just use it when I need it."
Kaito leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "I've got all these powers, but no idea what to do with them... Guess I'll have to figure it out." He looked at his profile again, trying to make sense of everything. "I didn't ask for this, but... I'll manage. I always do."
He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as the weight of the situation slowly sank in. One thing was clear: His life wasn't going to be normal ever again.