Kaito walked down the familiar street, the sun casting a warm glow over the shops he passed by. It was an ordinary day, and yet, something caught his attention. Standing in front of the local grocery store was Ayame— the girl he had saved just a few days ago. She was looking at a shopping list, seemingly deep in thought as she glanced at the ingredients displayed on the shelves.
"Wait... is that Ayame?" Kaito murmured to himself, stopping in his tracks. He blinked in disbelief before walking closer.
As he approached, something strange caught his eye. Floating above Ayame's head was a small notification: Lvl: 2.
Kaito paused, squinting at the strange sight. "Wait... is this the upgrade? What the heck?" he thought, still processing what he was seeing.
He stepped forward, curiosity overtaking him. This can't be real, he thought. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her, and before he realized it, a floating window appeared before him.
Name: Ayame Nakamura
Age: 17
Traits: Scaredy, Kind, Average Intelligence
Power: None
Kaito scratched his head in confusion. "Wait, no power? Then what's the deal with the level? Something's off..." he muttered under his breath.
Ayame, sensing someone was watching her, looked up and instantly caught his gaze. Her face brightened, and she smiled warmly when she saw him.
"Oh, Kaito! Hi!" she called, waving cheerfully. "What are you doing here?"
Kaito smiled back, a bit sheepish. "Oh, just buying some food. Aiko's hungry."
"That's so cute," Ayame chuckled softly. "Aiko must be growing fast! I'm just picking up a few things to make curry today."
Kaito's eyes lit up at the mention of his favorite dish. "Wait, curry? That's my favorite food!"
Ayame laughed, clearly amused. "Really? What a coincidence! It's one of my favorites too."
"No way!" Kaito grinned. "If you're making curry, I might just have to come over and try it."
Ayame blinked in surprise but soon returned his grin. "Well, if you're interested, you can come by later. I could use some help with the cooking if you're up for it!"
Kaito nodded enthusiastically. "Sure! I'd love to cook with you."
Just as they were chatting, another strange thing happened. A small system window popped up in front of Kaito.
[Rizz increased by 100% (temporary)]
"Rizz?" Kaito blinked in confusion. "What the heck does that mean?"
A message from the system flashed, explaining: Rizz means: Charisma.
Kaito's eyes widened. "Charisma? What is this system doing to me?"
Ayame, seemingly oblivious to Kaito's internal turmoil, glanced at him and laughed nervously, her face turning slightly pink. "I-I wasn't expecting you to say that... but sure! We can cook together!"
The two of them walked together to Kaito's apartment. As they entered, Aiko immediately noticed Ayame.
"Who's this, Kaito?" Aiko asked, her gaze fixed on Ayame with curiosity.
Kaito laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "She's my friend, Aiko."
"Friend? Really?" Aiko raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Not a... special friend?"
Kaito's face turned crimson. "W-What? 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, but there was a playful edge to her words. "Nice to meet you too, big sis!"
Ayame blinked, looking a little flustered. "Big sis?" she repeated, her cheeks reddening. "I'm not that old, you know?"
Aiko giggled, but Ayame just smiled warmly at her. "It's alright. You can call me that if you want!"
Ayame moved to the kitchen to prepare the curry, and the rich, savory scent soon filled the apartment, making both Kaito and Aiko's mouths water.
Kaito laughed as he inhaled the aroma. "It really does smell like mom's cooking."
Aiko nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it smells amazing!"
After a little while, Ayame served the curry to them both, her smile wide with pride. "Here you go," she said.
"Thank you, Ayame!" Aiko beamed, taking a deep breath. "This smells so good!"
Ayame smiled at her enthusiasm. "I'm glad you like it."
The three of them ate together, the conversation flowing easily as they dug into the delicious meal. When they were done, Ayame stood up to leave.
"I should get going now," she said, smiling warmly at them. "Thanks for letting me cook for you."
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, her smile bright. "No problem! I'm glad you both liked it. See you later, Kaito, Aiko!"
As Ayame left, Aiko looked at Kaito with a teasing grin. "You like her, don't you?"
Kaito flushed a deep red, quickly turning away. "W-What? No! She's just a friend!"
Aiko chuckled, shaking her head. "Sure, sure. I get it, big bro."
Kaito slumped onto the couch, still flustered, but his thoughts were interrupted when Aiko suddenly pointed at him.
"Brother," she said with a raised eyebrow, her voice filled with surprise, "you look taller... and stronger too."
Kaito blinked, confused. "Huh? Taller? Stronger? I don't see it, Aiko."
"No, seriously! 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 laughed nervously, running his hand through his hair. "Really? I don't feel any different."
"Look at you!" Aiko crossed her arms and shook her head in disbelief. "You used to be around 5'8", but now... you're taller. You've got muscles now too."
Kaito paused for a moment. "Hmm... let me check."
He stood up and walked over to the height marker on the wall. With a curious look, he stood tall and checked his height using a phone app.
When he saw the number on his screen, his eyes widened. "Wait... this can't be right."
Aiko leaned over, peering at the phone. "What does it say?"
Kaito's voice was barely above a whisper as he stared at the screen. "I was 5'8" before, but now... I'm 6 feet."
Aiko's eyes grew wide. "See? I told you! You're taller!"
Kaito couldn't believe it. His gaze shifted to the mirror, and he ran a hand through his hair, still processing the change. "What the heck... I really am taller now. Guess I did change."
Aiko grinned, proud of her observation. "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 raised an eyebrow. "A random upgrade? Sure, sure. I bet you've been hiding your secret workout routine from me!"
Kaito grinned. "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, feeling a newfound confidence. "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 playfully. "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."
As Kaito relaxed, he decided to check his system profile once more. Something didn't sit right with him, and he needed to make sense of these changes.
"Open system," Kaito muttered, and the window appeared before him.
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
Money: [3M Yen]
Kaito stared at the screen in disbelief. "6'0"? I was just 5'8" before... did this power do that?" He looked at his reflection in the mirror once more, confirming the change. "That's a pretty big jump."
He scrolled down to his powers. "Storage? Clairvoyance? RBD?" His thoughts raced. "Return by Death... That explains everything. I keep coming back... but how does it even work?"
His eyes lingered on the "Ultra Instinct" power. "Not mastered? This is going to take some time..." Kaito rubbed the back of his neck, uncertain how to even begin mastering it.
He then focused on the "Information Insight." "Does this mean I just understand things better now?" Kaito mused. "I don't feel smarter... but okay."
Finally, he stared at the [Unknown] power. "What's this one about?" he muttered. "Guess I'll find out sooner or later."
Then his gaze shifted to the Money section, and he saw the 3 million yen sitting there.
"Alright, I've got 3 million yen. Doesn't change much," he shrugged, unaffected by the amount. "I'll just use it when I need it."
Leaning back in his chair, Kaito took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. "I've got all these powers, but no idea what to do with them... Guess I'll figure it out. I always do."
His mind raced, still trying to grasp the enormity of the situation. One thing was clear: His life was about to change in ways he couldn't possibly imagine.