I slowly opened my eyes, waking up from a faint yet annoying pain.
When I looked toward the source, I saw a black blur beside me.
"Guess you want to go out?"
"Nya!"
The culprit behind my rude awakening was none other than my pet.
I got up from bed and checked the time — 2 a.m.
A few steps took me to the door; once I opened it, Kuro darted outside. Nature's call is strong, huh.
Stretching a little, I made my way downstairs to grab something to drink.
After spending the whole day out, the fatigue still clung to me.After our family breakfast, we'd gone to the Chiba Shinren Shrine — a common place for locals to visit during New Year's to offer their prayers.
As expected, it was packed when we arrived.
Still, we managed to do everything one's supposed to during a shrine visit.
My mother, father, and sister all drew great luck omikuji, while I got one that said very bad luck. So I tied it to a tree, following the tradition to leave misfortune behind.
I'm not that superstitious, so I didn't give it much thought.
Even so, I wanted to buy a good luck charm just in case, but of course, they were all sold out.
A sign of what's to come this year, maybe?
Now that I think about it, last year I drew slightly bad luck, and while most of it went fine, those last few months were definitely exhausting.
Bad luck only exists in one's mind.
I brushed off the thought and checked the kitchen shelves, realizing we were out of Max Coffee cans — Rumi must've taken the last one.
Bad luck is just in the mind… mere coincidence.
If I want one, I'll have to buy it. Not from a convenience store, though — just the nearest vending machine.
Oh well.
I went back to my room, grabbed my keys and wallet, and headed out.
I quietly closed the front door behind me.
A pretty cold night.
I started walking while pulling up the hood of my sweatshirt.
Last year was… pretty strange.
With time to spare under such a calm, moonlit sky, I couldn't help but reflect on the most significant things that had happened so far.
At first, I didn't believe I was in another world — after all, no one really knows what comes after death.
I'm still not sure if my case is something that happens to everyone, or if I was an exception. Do people always reincarnate after dying?
Maybe getting hit by a car guarantees it?
Even if I thought about it forever, I'd never find an answer.
I do know someone with a similar situation, but I'd rather not remember her. Just picturing her face gives me a headache.
I'm grateful her parents got a job in another city and took her away.
I feel lucky for that.
In a better mood after recalling that I'd never have to deal with her again, I slipped a coin into the vending machine — I'd reached my destination.
Except the machine jammed and didn't drop my drink. I pressed the Max Coffee button a few more times, but nothing came out.
"Bad luck is just in the mind," I told myself.
I gave the side of the vending machine a solid hit, and my drink finally dropped.
"Violence solves nothing… what a lie."
My body warmed up the moment I took the first sip. There's truly nothing better than a hot drink on a night like this.
With my mind calmer, I drifted back into my thoughts.
At the start of last year, I thought it'd be just like any other — but to my surprise, things didn't quite go as expected.
Like becoming friends with Yumiko and Kawasaki.
Looking back on how things unfolded, I guess luck wasn't exactly on my side.
Ending up in the hospital because of my own carelessness was the reason I met Yumiko. Of course, back then, I didn't know that — I just thought she was a normal girl I'd never see again.
After that came our encounter at school; it was quite a surprise to find out we attended the same one.
When we ended up eating lunch in the same place, we exchanged a few words — she struck me as a girl with low self-esteem.
A few days later, I got myself involved in an argument — though, to be fair, only because those two girls made my lunch go cold.
To think that, because of that, I received a letter asking me to meet behind the school... Of course, I was suspicious, but I had no real reason not to go.
In the end, I took a few hits from other students. The whole thing had been orchestrated by the girls who mocked Yumiko — all part of a plan to break her will.
Though those four got exactly what they deserved — in quite a peculiar way, I'd say.
It was pretty surprising to realize I'd get the chance to take revenge on those same four that very same day.
Some might say I went too far, but that's up to interpretation.
After that incident, I found out that the girl I'd dragged into my mess had become someone completely different from who she used to be. That's when I realized my peaceful days were over — though I can't say I entirely dislike spending time with her.
It's actually become… kind of entertaining.
A few days later, when I joined a karate dojo to fulfill one of the things I'd left undone in my previous life — learning karate — I was surprised to run into a blue-haired girl who looked like a delinquent. Kawasaki Saki.
Training went smoothly at first, until, due to my own carelessness, I ended up injuring Kawasaki. So, I had to help her get around until she recovered. Because of that, we got to know each other better — we started talking like friends.
When Kawasaki finally recovered and was eager to get back to training, that day's class was canceled — which two idiots took as an opportunity to try and hurt her.
I still wonder if those two had something wrong with their heads. That kind of reasoning — that way of thinking — belongs to a complete fool, or someone with serious mental issues.
When I got there, thanks to my run-in with Taishi, Kawasaki had already knocked out Watanabe, while Tanaka could barely stand. That girl's a total monster — even at a disadvantage, she completely dominated her attackers.
I guess my help wasn't really necessary; Kawasaki could've handled it even if I hadn't shown up. But since I was already there, I didn't have much of a choice but to join the fun.
After giving Tanaka a light beating, I carried Kawasaki on my back and started walking aimlessly. Once I thought it through, I decided to take her home.
I treated her wounds, talked with her for a while, and let her spend the night at my place so she could recover.
The next morning, she woke up in a good mood and even made a simple breakfast. Turns out she has a more feminine side than she lets on.
What I noticed from that day on was that Kawasaki began treating me more casually — like she trusted me a bit more.
After that, I went shopping with Yumiko, spent my afternoons training, bought gifts for both of them, and gave them out. The following days went by just like before.
My daily life changed so quickly I still can't quite believe it.
"Life never goes the way you expect, huh."
I finished my drink and tossed the can into the trash; it bounced a couple of times before falling in. I smiled at that.
"If luck's bad, all you can do is overcome it with optimism."
It doesn't make much sense, but if it makes sense to you, that's enough — you just have to convince yourself to believe it.
I looked up, focusing on the clear sky that gave me a perfect view of the moon.
"To think so many unexpected things happened this year... I don't even want to imagine what'll happen once I enter Sobu High. Hopefully, it's nothing beyond what I can handle…"
Knowing my luck, though, it'll probably be chaos — and if that's the case, I'll just face it as…
"Hey, don't you think it's dangerous to be out on the street at this hour?"
I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard a voice.
"That's right — maybe we should walk you home. Of course, you should thank us properly."
When I looked toward the voices, I saw two guys, maybe eighteen to twenty years old. You don't need to be a genius to figure out what they really wanted. Besides, they smelled like alcohol — they'd probably been drinking.
"No need. I can take care of myself," I said confidently as I started walking toward them — the way home goes right past them.
"I guess I didn't make myself clear," one of them said, his gaze fixed on me.
Even an idiot would understand their intentions.
"Want to come hang with us? It'll be fun," the other said confidently.
Nights in Chiba are usually calm and peaceful—but sometimes they're not.
And, unlucky for me, this was one of those times.
It's partly my fault for going out alone in this part of town.
Didn't I tell you? I took a detour and walked a little farther from the vending machine near my house.
Why? I just wanted to walk and enjoy the night. Is that a crime?
One of the guys put his hand on my shoulder, his grip firm and overconfident.
To learn certain things, it's good to have someone to test them on. That's something my senpai once told me.
Some techniques just can't be practiced with a partner—I doubt anyone would let you dislocate their arm for training.
So the best way to practice some moves… is in a real fight.
Does that make me a thug or a troublemaker? Not at all. Like my senpai said:
"If you're walking peacefully at night and someone approaches with bad intentions, no matter how you look at it, it's self-defense. So you might as well use the chance to practice a few things."
I hesitated the first time I heard that. Then I tried it—and they gave me a very practical demonstration.
People can be "friendly" like that sometimes.
No matter where you live, there will always be sketchy people.
They might look polite or harmless on the outside, but inside, they're rotten.
Everyone chooses how to live their life; I'm not here to judge.
But life isn't as simple as it is in anime or light novels.
That's exactly why I wanted to train and get stronger ever since I was a kid.
You never know what might happen.
Maybe it sounds paranoid—but that's just how I think.
"If you want to keep going, don't complain later," I told them with a faint smile.
I don't know what this year has in store for me, but I'll keep doing things my way.
After all, this is how I want to live.
If I stop now, I feel like my memories will eat me alive.
Besides, like I said… I'm not exactly normal.
"Let's have some fun!"
I yanked his hand off my shoulder, leaving him completely off balance.
Even without a mirror nearby, I could tell what kind of expression I was making.
A little exercise before going to sleep wouldn't hurt.