[Nemuri Hayata POV]
The gym was quiet, the only sounds the clanking of weights and the steady rhythm of my breathing. I finished my set, lowering the barbell back onto the rack with a controlled motion. Three hundred and sixty pounds. Not my best, but solid.
I stood up, grabbing my towel and wiping the sweat from my face. My muscles burned pleasantly, the familiar ache of a good workout settling into my body.
My friend, Reiko, leaned against the nearby bench, watching me with a knowing smirk. "You know, you're getting a lot of attention lately."
I shrugged, pulling my bomber jacket on over my sports bra. "I don't care."
"Come on, Nemuri." Reiko rolled her eyes.
"You should at least try to get a boyfriend or something."
I paused, my hand stilling on my jacket zipper.
A boyfriend.
The thought made something twist in my chest. I thought of a pompadour, perfectly styled after his favorite protagonist from Yu Yu Hakusho.d
My senpai. Katsuya.
He'd been gone for five years now. A construction accident in America, his father had said. I'd cried for weeks. I still dreamed about him sometimes. Woke up with tears on my pillow and a hollow ache in my chest. In my dreams, he still had that ridiculous pompadour. He still smiled at me like I was worth something.
"My fated partner passed away," I said quietly, my voice flat. "Probably thinking I was a guy the whole time."
Reiko's eyes went wide. "No way! Nemuri, look at you!" She gestured at my chest. "How could anyone think you're a guy?!"
I shook my head. "When we were in middle school, I was incredibly small. Flat chested, short hair, no curves. My family was poor—hand-me-downs from my older brothers. I wore boy clothes because that's all we had. I looked like a boy. He never knew. He called me Hayata because i was too nervous to say my full name."
Reiko was silent for a moment, her expression softening. "Nemuri..."
I didn't want pity. I zipped up my jacket and grabbed my bag. "Let's go. I need a shower."
We left the gym together, the evening air cool against my heated skin.
Then I noticed them.
Two guys, standing near the entrance of the gym, watching us. They'd been inside earlier, I remembered. Staring at me during my sets.
Now they were following us.
I tensed, my hand tightening on my bag strap.
Reiko noticed my expression. "What is it?"
"Don't look back," I muttered. "Just keep walking."
Reiko noticed me tense up and glanced over her shoulder. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing," I said quickly. ""
Reiko frowned but didn't push. We walked a few more steps before she spoke again, her voice lighter, trying to change the subject.
"So," she said, "tell me about your favorite person. The one who passed away."
I felt my chest tighten, but a small smile tugged at my lips. "Katsuya. He was my senpai in middle school. He saved me from some bullies once. After that, he let me hang around him. We'd go to the bookstore together, play video games, watch anime."
"What kind of anime?"
"Yu Yu Hakusho," I said, my voice warming. "He loved Yusuke Urameshi. Said the pompadour was iconic." I chuckled softly. "He had one himself, you know. A pompadour. He spent so much time on it every morning to have it look as similar as possible to it. It was ridiculous but... it suited him."
Reiko smiled. "Sounds like he was something special."
"He was." I paused, then continued, my voice softer. "He was a sucker for romance too. Always pretending he didn't care about that stuff, but I caught him watching romantic dramas when he thought no one was looking."
Reiko giggled. "So, if you had revealed yourself back then and you two started dating... what would you have done?"
I felt my cheeks warm, but I answered honestly. "I've thought about it a lot."
"Oh?"
"First," I said, my voice dropping into something more teasing, "when he came back from work, I'd be waiting for him. Wearing nothing but an apron. I'd do the whole thing—lean against the doorframe, put my hands on my hips, say something like 'Welcome home, darling~' in that sultry voice."
Reiko's eyes widened, a grin spreading across her face.
"Then we'd eat dinner, maybe watch some anime. But eventually, we'd end up in bed." I felt my face heat up, but I kept going. "We'd cuddle after—"
"Okay, okay!" Reiko held up her hands, laughing. "There are kids nearby! Tone it down!"
I blinked, looking around. Sure enough, a family was walking past, a mother holding her child's hand. My face went red.
"Sorry," I muttered quickly.
Reiko waved it off, still grinning. "No, no, it's sweet. Really. You've got it all planned out." Her expression softened. "He was lucky, you know. Even if he never found out."
I looked down at my feet. "Yeah. Maybe."
Reiko checked her scroll. "I've gotta go. My mom's waiting for dinner. I'll text you later, okay?"
"Yeah. See you."
She waved and headed off down the street. I watched her go, then turned and made my way toward the nearby alleyway—a shortcut to my apartment.
The evening air was cool against my skin. I unzipped my bomber jacket and pulled it off, draping it over my arm. My sports bra was still damp with sweat, but I didn't mind. The breeze felt nice.
I was halfway through the alley when I heard footsteps behind me.
"Hey, girl."
I stopped.
I turned around slowly.
Two guys stood at the entrance of the alley, blocking the way. The same two from the gym. One of them was grinning, his eyes scanning my body openly.
"Where you going in such a hurry?"
I stood there, my smirk still in place as the two guys blocked the alley entrance.
"I'm waiting for my boyfriend," I said, my voice calm and steady. "He's gonna be here any minute."
The two guys glanced around the alley. Then back at me. The one in front laughed, stepping closer.
"Boyfriend, huh? I don't see anyone." He cracked his knuckles. "Looks like you're all alone, sweetheart."
I could see it in their eyes. The way they were looking at me. They weren't just here to talk. They were planning something. Something bad.
The guy reached out to grab my arm.
I moved.
My fist drove into his gut with devastating force. The air left his lungs in a strangled wheeze, and he doubled over. Before he could recover, I dropped into a perfect split and delivered a brutal nut punch—Johnny Cage style—that made him squeak like a dying animal.
He crumpled to the ground, clutching himself, tears streaming down his face.
I sprang back up in one fluid motion, my muscular legs propelling me effortlessly. I brought my foot down on the back of his head, and he went still, unconscious.
The second guy, who had been keeping watch, stared at his fallen friend in shock. Then he snarled and charged at me, arms outstretched.
I sidestepped smoothly, letting him stumble past me.
I sidestepped again as the guy lunged at me, his arms flailing wildly. He was slow. Uncoordinated. This was almost embarrassing.
I grabbed his arm, spun behind him, and locked my legs around his torso in a tight scissor hold. He struggled, but my thighs were like steel. He wasn't going anywhere.
"Pathetic," I muttered, tightening my grip. "My boyfriend could have gotten out of this no problem. You're not even trying."
The guy wheezed, his face turning red. He thrashed weakly, but it was useless.
Then, finally, he went limp.
I released him quickly, checking his pulse. Still alive.
I stood up and turned to the first guy, who was groaning and trying to push himself up. I walked over and put him in a chokehold, my arm locking around his neck.
"You're both so weak," I said, genuinely confused. "I didn't even break a sweat."
His phone started ringing.
I blinked, glancing down at his pocket. The screen lit up with a caller ID: "T-kun."
Who the hell was T-kun?
I reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone, answering it.
"HELLO?!"
A truck horn blared directly into my ear.
I flinched, pulling the phone away, my ears ringing. "What the—"
The line went dead.
I stared at the phone, confused. Some guy named T-kun... and a truck horn. Did these guys work for some kind of trucking company?
I laughed to myself, shaking my head. "I was about to get truck-kun."
I dropped the phone, stepped over the unconscious bodies, and walked out of the alleyway.
I took two steps down the street.
Then I felt it.
A strange sensation. Like something was wrong. Something was off.
I stopped.
I turned back.
A truck—a massive delivery truck—crashed down from the sky, slamming into the exact spot where I had been standing just seconds ago. The impact shattered the pavement, sending debris flying.
I stared at the wreckage, my heart pounding.
Then I turned and began hauled ass straight home.
What the hell was that?! A truck fell from the sky!
From the SKY!
I didn't stop running until I reached my apartment building. I burst through the door, sprinted up the stairs, and slammed my front door behind me, locking every single lock.
I leaned against the door, breathing hard.
Okay. Okay. I was safe. I was home. Nothing could fall on me here.
I pushed off the door and walked through my apartment, still shaking. My mind was racing. Where the fuck did that truck come from? How did it fall from the sky? Was I in some kind of isekai story? Some shitty novel where random things fall out of the sky?
I shook my head, laughing nervously to myself. That was ridiculous. That was insane.
I walked into my bedroom.
My sanctuary.
Pink heart-shaped pillows covered my bed. Stuffed animals lined the shelves. Everything was soft and warm and comforting.
And there, on my bed, was my custom-made pillow.
Katsuya. My senpai.
I climbed onto my bed and grabbed the pillow, hugging it tightly against my chest.
"I miss you," I whispered into the fabric. "I miss you so much."
I curled up around it, burying my face in his printed smile. The chaos of the night slowly faded as I held onto the only comfort I had left.
Then a blue screen appeared in front of my face.
The blue screen hovered in front of my face, glowing softly.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING...]
I blinked, still hugging the pillow. What the hell was this?
[WELCOME TO THE SOULBOUND LOVER SYSTEM]
[This system allows you to connect yourself to your destined lover across any and all realities. Through this bond, you may support, and empower your partner.]
I stared at the screen, my heart pounding.
"Soulbound Lover System?" I whispered. "What... what does that mean?"
[PLEASE STATE THE NAME OF YOUR SOULBOUND LOVER.]
My breath caught in my throat.
"Katsuya Akiya," I said immediately, my voice barely above a whisper.
The screen flickered.
[SEARCHING...]
[ERROR: TOO MANY MATCHES FOUND.]
[UPON DEATH, THE SOUL OF THE INDIVIDUAL YOU SEEK WAS FRAGMENTED AND SCATTERED ACROSS MULTIPLE REALITIES. PLEASE PROVIDE A MORE ACCURATE IDENTIFIER.]
I frowned, my fingers tightening on the pillow. More accurate? What did that mean?
I thought for a moment, then spoke again. "The one that remembers me the most."
The screen flickered again, loading.
[PROCESSING...]
[MATCH FOUND: KATSUYA AKIYA (HAZAMA)]
I felt my eyes widen. Hazama. That was his main in BlazBlue. The character he always played.
"That's him," I breathed. "That's definitely him."
[CONNECTION ESTABLISHED.]
[As a Soulbound Lover, you may now:]
[- Buff your lover from afar]
[- Send items to your lover]
[- Gain rewards based on your lover's achievements]
[- Establish a permanent bond across realities]
I stared at the screen, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.
I could buff him. Send him items. Help him from wherever he was.
I hugged the pillow tighter, a small, hopeful smile spreading across my face.
"Maybe..." I whispered. "Maybe he could come back?"
[(Author: so im tired but I promised two chapters today so here's that... I'll try to make a chapter or two for the uma musume one if im not busy... but I'll leave this here to let everyone debate and argue about the next members... and certain changes the mc will have... also yeah Magik (Illyana Rasputin) is a baddie... this doesn't mean anything though dont get ideas... thats for something else)]