"..want to play house together?"
A girl with clipped up bangs came up and and asked whilst holding a mini frying pan.
"Sure. I'll be the house cat."
"Yay! I'm the mother, come, let's go home, I'm going to cook!"
"..meow."
She pulled me into a corner and started her play of being a housewife.
"TssSSs *fake cooking* the other day Jenny came by with a whole lot of shopping bags *continues fake gossip*.."
"meow."
[ Due to your methodical acting, Charisma is increased by 0.01! ]
Har Har. Very funny, system.
"..and then she blew up.", she ended her story, leaving me confused.
"..meow?"
'What the hell happened, who blew up?'
"Okay, kids! It's lunch time, let's eat!"
* * *
The rest of the day went by without a hitch. I continued to be a house cat and paid attention during lessons.
[ Status ]
Name: Sung Yeon Woo
Age: 4
Template: Kise Ryota 0.01%
Strength: 0.63
Appearance: 0.9
Charisma: 0.3 > 0.35
Intelligence: 1.4 > 1.43
[ Passive Ability: Lesser Copy Ability
... ]
Welp. Can't wait for more of my meticulous acting to increase my boundless charms.
"Yeon Woo-ah, let's go home.", my mother held my hand as we walked together.
"Bye-bye kitty!", the girl who was with me the entire day, waved at me.
"Omo (Goodness)! Uri (Our) Yeon Woo-ah, have you already made a friend? What's her name? Why did she call you kitty?"
"Meow."
"...Let's go home."
"..meow."
[ Due to your relentless methodical acting, Charisma is increased by 0.01! ]
Can't stop the catman.
* * *
The next day came and, by the end of it, I felt as if I had adjusted myself to school.
However, something or rather, someone made me feel comfortable or, at peace, as if I was at home.
I had made a few friends but this person felt important to me, given as though the fates had something decided for the both of us.
It's a strange sort of feeling that I can't quite put my finger on.
"Ji Eun-ah, let's go home!", I was stunned as I tried to recall where I had heard that name from and, stared at the girl I've been playing 'house' with.
"Bye, Yeon Woo! *waves and left in direction of her mother*."
The same person that had made me into the catman was the character I felt that is of significance.
Hahaha... can't be right? The same Ji Eun.. no. It's just a coincidence that their names are similar. No way that it's her.
-----------------
Eventually, years passed, as the end of kindergarten classes came to a close.
On their graduation day, many children are seen happy, yet some are sad as they are to part with some of their best friends.
"Good-bye, my fellow Ice Wheels' enthusiast. May the wheels be in your favour in the future. Take this for your future journey. *hands over most prized possession of Ice Wheels*.", I said, in a fake sadness tone.
"Likewise, my friend. Likewise. *exchanges gift for his own most prized possession of Ice Wheels*.", as he expressed the same sentiment.
"Ya!! Why are you guys talking like that?! You guys live so close to each other, it's not the end just because you're in different schools!"
"Ji Eun-ah, you can never understand, it's like missing a wheel for a 4-wheeled car, that's life when we're no longer together in the same class.", I shook my head while explaining.
"Mwo (What)? You guys are only 2-person, how can there be four wheels for 2 people?", she asked, baffled at the analogy.
"Tsk. This is why you'd never understand."
"Mwo?! Come here, you little!", she gives chase wanting to smack me.
"Ack!", I dodged and started sprinting.
'System, show me my stats' I say, as I'm running from the chase.
[ Status ]
Name: Sung Yeon Woo
Age: 6
Template: Kise Ryota 0.01% > 0.23%
Strength: 0.63 > 0.81
Appearance: 0.9 > 0.95
Charisma: 0.35 > 0.89
Intelligence: 1.43 > 2.15
[ Passive Ability: Lesser Copy Ability.
Due to Kise Ryota's template, host is able to hone his skills for 16 hours worth of eidetic memory, lesser spatial awareness and lesser hand-eye coordination.
Thanks to the expertise above, host has a 3% chance to mimic an action observed for an action that is limited to 1.2 seconds. ]
Noice. 2 years and small improvements are as good as any.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's insignificant for a whole 2 years worth of progress but the system barely rewards me with a bigger upgrade.
It's still better than nothing, I guess.
"Ya!! Stop running! Huff... Huff.."
"It's too late, Ji Eun-ah.. For I have the high ground.", I stood composedly, as if looking down on her.
"Mwo? You're being weird again...", she looks at me while panting heavily.
"Hmm, I'm gonna head home first, Ji Eun. I'll see you when school starts. Get home safely, okay?"
Yeon Woo waves as he leaves the vicinity.
"Okay.. see you soon!", as she quickly turned to leave.
* * *
My days are mostly spent on reading and learning. I've already got a solid foundation to my academic background thanks to my past life.
As such, my presence is mostly seen in the neighbourhood library.
I mean, I'm unable to search up much on the web since Woogle had just been launched not too long ago and, my mother has yet to purchase a broadband router for the use of the internet.
Hence, the library for its books and cool temperature.
Thanks to eidetic memory, I'm able to store most of I've read easily, and such information is not only retained but also comprehended.
Which is also the reason for the huge boost in intelligence, as compared to appearance...
Man, I wish there was a way to easily look better as compared to what I've been doing, which are face exercises.
[ You have received an Emergency Quest! ]
'Emergency quest? That's a first.'
[ Quest: Damsel in distress.
Your childhood friend had taken a wrong turn in an alley and has been cornered by a few sketchy men!
Tasks:
Save the damsel (0/1)
Optional: Subdue men (0/4) ]
'The fuck?! Ji Eun!'
I dropped my book and stood up, dashing out the library, trying to find the god forsaken alley.
A couple of alleys later, I finally found her pinned up against the wall, held by two men as two others were searching through her bag.
Their age group seems to be between the ages of 12-16. A couple of high schoolers working together.
"Yaaa. What's a pretty little girl like you doing around here? Didn't your mom told you not to be back here in a dodgy alley like this?"
"*Sob* Pl-ease... stop..", I could see tears falling from her face.
"Huh? Did you just ask for more? You heard she said go for more right?", he mocked as he leaned closer.
I grabbed what seems to be a block of wood by the nearest dumpster and bolted into action.
I'm not down for a murder count on my name so I went for the front of his neck, trying to cause asphyxiation.
{Pu-heok!}, he choked and coughed badly at the hit.
Right after the first strike, I went for the knees of the second guy so he'd fall and I'd have time for what's coming next.
{Fu prok!}
The action turned to be meaningless as the wood splintered into two and I had lost my weapon.
Mind you, I'm 6 years of age and these boys are more than twice my size.
"Fucker! Get him!" - The second guy yells.
Now, I'm swarmed by the guy who had just yelled and the two men who'd been searching the backpack, for hidden gold? I have no clue.
It's a these notable moments where I'm glad I have the passive ability which consists of spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination.
Given, they're a lesser version of the former, it works like a charm in my current predicament.
[Ji Eun's Commentary]
I've made a mistake..
I wanted to take a shortcut home which is through this alleyway, when 2 guys from both sides of the corners came blocking my path.
I thought everything was over... until he came.
'Yeon Woo..? What's he doing here?'
"Get him!!", I heard them yelling as they closed in on him.
'No!!! Yeon Woo!'
I could only helplessly watch in tears as they started attacking him.
'This is all my faul-'
'Huh?'
That's strange...
He's not getting hit at all..
'He's.... dancing..?'
I was lost in a daze as I watched him dodged the bullies, occasionally shoving them back.
'It's almost like.. a waltz..'
[End of Commentary]
I bobbed and weaved the 3 men as the first guy tried to regain his breath.
Slowly but surely, amidst all the chaos, there was a pattern.
Taking advantage of it, I shifted the weight distribution of one guy and pushed him towards another.
Continuing this sort of routine, eventually they had all but laid down on the ground, tired and beaten up by their own hands.
All in a day's work, I guess.
Picking up her backpack, I pulled her hand and brought her out of the alley and walked her home.
Throughout my years in kindergarten, we had been to each other houses' as we became close friends.
I assumed the situation was too much for her to process throughout the journey back, as she had only broken down into my arms once I'd say, "we're here. Are you okay?".
"*Sobs* I was so scared!! ｡°(°.◜ᯅ◝°)°｡"
I patted her head and tried my best to comfort her saying it's not her fault and that they'd be punished for their actions.
Not long after, the door to her home opened and I told them the story after being questioned, barring the part of me having the goons' asses handed to them but, that we ran away.
After, I was highly requested to accompany her whenever she goes home, since she'd feel unsafe if she were to go home alone again.
Her parents are currently too busy to take that position at the moment, as they had already changed their work schedules, believing that she was mature and safe enough to walk home alone.
When asked whether this should be reported to the police, I told them to do so only if they took action against us first, as Ji Eun is adamant on not wanting to see them again.
'Well, as long as she's safe.', I thought when confronted with her decision.
I was glad nothing bad had truly happened, is my takeaway from all of what happened.
[ Emergency Quest successfully complete! ]
Ah, there's also that.