It happened then—when a strange pulse flickered deep within his consciousness. Memories he never thought existed began to resurface, threading through the gaps of his current life like rays of light piercing a fog. Forgotten faces, long-lost emotions, and even fragments of another world—his past life—slowly began stitching themselves together.
Yes! It was the time when his memories of the past resurfaced in his current life.
Some of those memories, however, were broken, half-erased by a mysterious force. One such fragment included a meeting with beings called the Marebito—their faces blurry, voices distorted like echoes from a dream. But the more his memories pieced themselves together, the clearer one truth became: this world was not ordinary.
Hidden beneath the veil of mundane life, numerous supernatural beings and phenomena existed.
Thanks to that, Rito was able to realize that even though his actual age is already 19 years old, his body has only aged to the age of a high school student's height.
Something only possible in a fictional world. But to him, this is the new kind of reality that he had to accept. Well, at this age group, he would have been an adult in his previous life, but here he is just a high school student. And unlike in anime that had 3 years of high school, they had four years of high school in this world.
Although on October 16, he will turn 20 years old. And Mikan is turning 18 on November 3, her birthday. So, Rito was thinking of throwing a great birthday party for her with his own earnings, and until now he did not have those skills to do it.
But he also knew that until recently, he hadn't had the skills—or money—to pull something like that off. Now, though, things were different. Thanks to the Language Mastery [Max] skill the system had granted, a world of new abilities had opened up to him.
He didn't just know languages anymore—he understood them. Every nuance, tone, and hidden rhythm behind the words. Whether written, spoken, or expressed through subtle gestures, it all connected seamlessly. His hand could now dance across paper with the elegance of a seasoned calligrapher, his tongue could adapt to accents and dialects, and his mind processed grammar like breathing.
In essence, Language Mastery was divided into three pillars:
◈ Reading Mastery—the foundation, the bridge to comprehension.
◈ Writing Mastery—the act of creation, of shaping thought into symbol.
◈ Speaking Mastery—the purest form of connection, where communication became art.
And it was during his visit to the Kawai Residence that he first realized just how deep that skill went. After Ritsu's brief introduction earlier, Sumiko-san had looked mildly guilty for her granddaughter's cold reception. To smooth things over, Rito, ever the optimist, decided to strike up a casual chat with Ritsu.
It was then that he noticed the cover of the book in her hands.
He blinked.
'Wait a second… I've seen that before.'
It was the same novel series that had once been on his father's desk—back when his father was deeply engrossed in literature and often used it as inspiration for his own ideas. Rito had skimmed the first volume once, intrigued by the foreign language gags woven through the comedy.
And now, as he peeked over Ritsu's shoulder, he effortlessly understood every bit of the Italian dialogue written in it—jokes and all. Lines that once made no sense to him now felt alive, carrying their full cultural nuance.
He chuckled softly, unable to stop himself. "Ahaha… this part's clever. The misunderstanding here isn't about translation—it's about intonation. See? When he says 'amico,' it's half an insult and half a tease. That's why it's funny."
Ritsu's usually stoic expression cracked with surprise. Her eyes widened a little, glinting with genuine curiosity. "You understood that?" she asked quietly, tilting her head.
"Yeah," Rito replied, smiling sheepishly. "I guess I just… got lucky with languages."
Ritsu studied him for a moment longer before her lips curved faintly upward—a rare sight, even for those who knew her well.
"Yeah. This part is really catchy," she said softly, turning the page. "Most people miss the silent joke entirely if they don't understand Italian. Hearing it from you makes more sense than what I read online."
"See? I knew it!" Rito laughed, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye from laughing too hard. "Google Translate doesn't do humor justice!"
Their brief exchange drew attention from the side. Chihiro, standing nearby with her arms crossed, watched the two with a raised brow and an amused smirk.
'Well, well… since when does Ritsu let anyone sit that close? And she's actually smiling?'
Her grin widened. "Gaki~ I didn't know you were into learning foreign languages. Maybe I should make the next exam extra challenging for you."
Rito froze. The temperature in the room seemed to drop a degree.
"Sensei, please don't—"
"Or maybe I'll make you write the next essay entirely in Italian. How's that?"
Feeling the sudden chill crawl up his spine, Rito stood up straight like a soldier caught off guard. "I-I will do my best, sensei!"
Before anyone could react, he turned and dashed toward the exit, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like binary code.
Ritsu blinked at his retreating figure, then let out a small pout, pressing her book lightly against her lips. Chihiro chuckled, patting Ritsu's head gently.
"Don't worry, kid. You can always talk to him again at school. He'll be more than happy to help, I bet." Sumiko, who had been quietly watching from the side, smiled warmly at the scene.
Ritsu didn't answer. She simply turned her head away, her cheeks faintly pink, and reopened her book. The rustle of the pages was soft—almost embarrassed.
No comment was needed. The faintest of smiles on her lips said more than words ever could.
After stepping outside, Rito adjusted the strap of his bag over his shoulder, the evening breeze brushing lightly across his face. The faint glow of the setting sun stretched long shadows across the stone path leading away from the Kawai Residence.
He turned back once, his eyes resting on the traditional dormitory building. The warm light spilling from the windows, the faint laughter echoing from inside—it all felt strangely peaceful.
A soft smile tugged at his lips. "What a bizarre day," he murmured, shaking his head lightly.
Just as he was about to leave, that familiar chime echoed in his mind once more.
[Target name: Kawai Ritsu.] [Has been registered.]
[Favorability: 13.] [Familiarity.]
[Erometer: 0]
[For first favorability benchmark.]
[Host will be rewarded with 3 different rewards.]
↦ [Seaway Resort House.]
↦ [Originpedia] [Lv. Max]
↦ [Writing Mastery] [Max.]
Rito blinked, his footsteps halting mid-step as a wave of information flooded his brain again. The glowing texts lingered in his vision before fading into a calm, shimmering line of energy that seemed to sink into his consciousness.
'Another reward set already? Just by chatting with her?'
He rubbed his temple, feeling the mild pulse of new knowledge integrating itself seamlessly into his mind.
[Originpedia]—a skill that worked like an omniscient encyclopedia, feeding him information about anything he focused on. Anything.
Names, details, background data, even secrets that shouldn't be possible to know. It wasn't simply surface-level information—it reached into the very core of what defined something.
Then came [Writing Mastery], a skill that felt almost divine in its simplicity. He could now write, express, and create exactly as he imagined it—no grammatical flaws, no clumsy phrasings, no creative block. Whether it was a novel, a script, or even a poem, the words would flow as naturally as breathing.
'Language Mastery lets me understand… but Writing Mastery lets me shape that understanding,' he mused with a half-smile. 'Guess I'm leveling up as a creator now.'
He exhaled, stretching his neck before looking up at the glowing city skyline in the distance. The orange hue of dusk painted everything gold, while small ripples of sound—passing cars, chattering students, the distant song of cicadas—filled the street around him.
"Still… this 'Originpedia' thing is ridiculous," he muttered.
Curiosity got the better of him. He shifted his gaze to a random passerby—a man in his late twenties carrying groceries. Immediately, streams of translucent text appeared in his field of vision.
[Name: Iwasaki Ren. Age: 27. Occupation: Graphic Designer.]
[Likes: Jazz music, coffee, cute dogs.]
[Savings Account: 1,278,944 Sakura.]
[Password Hint: Childhood Pet's Name—"Kuro."]
Rito's eyes widened slightly.
'It even gives me passwords…? That's… too much.'
He quickly turned his gaze away, and the text dissolved.
The skill's sheer potential sent a chill down his spine. Used maliciously, this wasn't just dangerous—it was world-breaking. A single thought, a single glance, and he could access anyone's private world.
He took a deep breath, exhaling through his nose. 'No. That's not what this system's for… or at least, not how I'll use it.'
Instead, he found himself grinning faintly at the absurdity of it all. 'Information about hobbies, likes, favorite colors… well, that could make chasing girls easier.'
A short laugh escaped him before he tucked his hands into his pockets.
Why bother with crime or chaos when the system literally showered him with rewards for simply connecting with people?
He opened his phone and checked his balance, half expecting it to be an illusion. But there it was—an actual, legitimate deposit.
Balance: 2,097,268,000 Sakura.
Two billion. Enough to buy a high-rise building in Tokyo.
Rito let out a long whistle. "I really could retire before graduation if I wanted to…"
But that wasn't the kind of life he wanted. Not yet.
'No… I'll earn things on my own too. The system might give me tools, but how I use them—that's on me.'
The thought lingered as he started walking again, his figure blending into the soft evening glow.
Behind him, the faint silhouette of the Kawai Residence flickered in the distance, the laughter of its residents faintly echoing on the wind.
Rito smiled to himself, his heart oddly light.
'Still… meeting her was worth it.'