"This is getting quite complicated..."
"Yes, therefore, the best thing we can do right now is let Tsuragamae-san handle the investigation and avoid hindering his efforts by any means."
Shino commented with a serious expression, causing Nemuri to let out a frustrated sigh from her beautiful cherry-colored lips.
"Haaaa… I suppose you're right, though it's a bit frustrating not being able to do anything in this situation."
"Don't say that; you also have a very big responsibility with Kai-kun. How are the preparations going?"
In response to Shino's question, filled with a bit of concern, Nemuri replied in a calmer tone while sipping her delicious coffee.
"Well, I've already met with my lawyer to start the procedures for the succession of Jiro-san and Alisa-san's assets to Kai-kun, as well as to be recognized as his legal guardian. Regarding being the legal guardian, my lawyer estimates it won't take more than a couple of weeks since there are no other relatives. As for the succession, that could take a couple of months."
"That's a relief. And do you know where you're going to live from now on? Your apartment isn't big enough, and I don't think it's a good idea for Kai-kun to return to his parents' house for the moment."
"Yes, I thought about that too. That's why I decided that for now, we'll live in my apartment, even if it's a bit tight, while the succession matter is resolved. Then I'd like to get Kai-kun's opinion on which of his parents' properties he'd like to live in."
Thinking about the sweet Kai, Nemuri revealed a small smile as she spoke, something that spread to Shino, who added with a warm smile on her face.
"That sounds like a very good idea, and if you have any problems, you know you can always stay on our property. It's quite large, and I don't think any of the girls would object."
"I appreciate the offer, but right now I want to stay as close to Kai-kun as possible. His attitude is really concerning; he's practically a different person. Although I can see glimpses of the Kai-kun I always knew, most of the time, he seems like a stranger. This event has marked him so deeply that I feel it might be impossible for him to return to being that sweet and playful child."
Saying the last part, a somewhat disheartened expression appeared on Nemuri's face, prompting Shino to ask.
"It's something that surprised me too—the mature attitude he shows, not at all like a child his age. But you say he wasn't like this before. What was Kai-kun like before all this?"
"Well, although he was sometimes quite 'mature' and even a bit 'odd', most of the time he wasn't much different from a normal child. He was very playful and so sweet that he could give you a sugar rush if you interacted with him for too long.
He was also a little genius; he learned to read and write at 2 years old and was playing with advanced mathematics by 4. That's why Jiro-san and Alisa-san decided to wait and not enroll him in preschool, as they thought he might become arrogant seeing that he surpassed all his classmates.
Besides, Alisa-san strongly refused to enroll him in a gifted course that Jiro-san proposed. Hahaha, I still remember Jiro-san's grim face complaining that Alisa-san made him sleep on the couch for a week after that. Those were really good times…
Kai also hated being given ready-made toys. According to him, the best gift you could give him was tools and materials to build his own toys. He would spend days in his little workshop working on his 'projects', as he liked to call them, and only allowed Alisa-san to enter after Jiro-san damaged one of his 'projects' and a couple of tools by accident, which made Alisa-san tease him all the time."
Tears streamed down Nemuri's face as she talked nonstop about the family that took her in as their own, cared for her, and loved her, a family she still found hard to believe she would never see again. Shino, meanwhile, took a packet of tissues from her bag to wipe the tears that had accumulated in her eyes and extended her hand to Nemuri to take some.
"You really love them."
"Yes, I love them so much. They were my family. That's why it hurts so much, losing them so suddenly. After all, I didn't go on the trip because I had commitments at the agency. Maybe if I had gone, things would be different…"
Pain and regret intertwined in Nemuri's tearful voice, causing Shino's tears to increase exponentially as she spoke.
"Don't blame yourself. No one knows what could have happened. Maybe life wanted you not to go so you could be there for Kai-kun and not leave him alone in such a difficult time."
"Yes, it could be, but it's so painful to see Kai-kun like this. He's not even a shadow of what he used to be. He hasn't even asked about his tools when he couldn't go to sleep without checking them several times before.
Now he tries to act like an adult all the time. You know, before, whenever he saw me, he would run to hug me while shouting Onee-chan, Onee-chan. Now he doesn't even want to make eye contact with me for long. I think he blames me for what happened, and he would be right to do so. I wasn't there when he needed me most."
Nemuri began to cry more heartbreakingly while hugging herself, causing Shino to quickly stand up and hug her, crying alongside her.
"Calm down. Kai-kun doesn't think that way. He's going through a very difficult time and needs you more than ever. You can't let yourself be overwhelmed by pessimism."
"Umm."
The beautiful private room was filled with sobs of sadness from two women of unmatched beauty, imbuing the entire place with a gloomy and depressive atmosphere as time passed slowly.
...
...
...
In a VIP hospital room, a magically attractive five-year-old boy could be seen doing handstand push-ups steadily and slowly, his jet-black hair falling messily, contrasting with his white skin and deep blue eyes.
On his forehead, however, a detail contrasted with his angelic appearance: an elegant but visible scar running from the right side of his forehead to the edge of his eye. It looked more like a distinctive touch than a reminder of an unfortunate event, giving his face an air of mystery and courage that was surprisingly attractive.
This boy was Kai Saito, who was trying to 'train' but unfortunately couldn't find satisfactory results.
"And 200."
Kai whispered softly while pushing himself off the ground with his hand, flipping in the air to land firmly on his feet, then jumping onto the wide hospital bed.
"Really, my own weight is insufficient to make me feel any pressure. It almost feels like I'm playing with lifting pillows, barely feeling anything despite doing so many repetitions."
Kai whispered to himself, then let out a disappointed sigh while lying on the bed and getting lost in his thoughts.
(After carefully examining Kai's memories following my conversation with Onee-chan, I realized that Kai was indeed quite strong for a child his age, almost like a moderately trained adult.
He just never noticed it because his father was too strong and he instinctively repressed his strength when interacting with his mother. Also, he had strangely little interaction with other children, and oddly enough, it never bothered him, although that's not so important.
What is important is that now it seems my quirk has somehow strengthened, as even without actively 'fortifying' myself, I am much stronger than before, nearing the peak level of an athletic adult.
On the other hand, Kai is almost a version of Daniel with better resources and a father. His hobbies are the same, and even his attitude is very similar, although Kai is definitely more talented. While their skills are almost at the same level, Daniel took decades to develop, whereas Kai only a few years.
Also, no matter how I look at it, Alisa is identical to Daniel's mother, though her beauty was incomparable. It's like Daniel's mother with a few beauty filters, but everything else is a carbon copy—her attitude, personality, and way of speaking, despite the language difference, are practically exact.
Did she also reincarnate? Is Alisa really Daniel's mother? And was Jiro a version of Daniel's father?
Hmm... the first two are practically impossible to answer now, and as for the last one, it's a definite NO. If there's anyone I despise and hate more than Daniel's worst self, it's that bastard who impregnated my mother.
He not only abandoned the woman who gave him everything when he got her pregnant but also ended up being her killer years later. That bastard, one of my greatest regrets is not being able to kill that piece of trash with my own hands.)
As hatred and anger filled Kai's mind, his aura seemed to go out of control for a moment, so he had to take a couple of deep breaths to calm himself before getting lost in his thoughts again.
(It's a fact, Jiro, my father, is not like that piece of trash. For one, my eye and hair color are different, and even though Kai and Daniel are quite similar in appearance, it's more like they are brothers from the same mother rather than identical twins...
Hey!!, I like that, and it makes perfect sense. So there's nothing more to add on that matter. I am now Kai Saito, son of Jiro Saito, a real man, an admirable man who gave his life to protect his family. Though a bit naive, he is someone I can proudly call my father.
So cheer up, Daniel, we no longer have to bear the eternal shame of coming from such a rotten piece of filth. We are now the son of an admirable man, so let me bury that name in the sea of my memories and finally escape that shame.)
A peculiar smile settled on Kai's angelic face as he enjoyed the strange feeling of liberation he was experiencing. After a while, he changed his position on the bed and got lost in his thoughts again.
(But let's get back to where we left off. I'm going to need special equipment for my training, although thanks to the fact that strengthening quirks aren't that rare, it shouldn't be too difficult to obtain… Wait!!
If my father had a strengthening quirk, it means he should have that equipment somewhere. Even though I never saw it at home, it must be somewhere. I should ask Onee-chan, she should know where it is, which will save me a lot of trouble and especially money.
Speaking of money, from my childhood memories in this world, I know my family was quite well-off—well, more than well-off, they were damn rich, much more than I ever managed in my previous life. So, I shouldn't worry about money in the short term unless something weird happens with the inheritance or my personal savings...
But for now, let's get back to the point. I have my [Aura] and my [Haki] to train. [Haki] is complicated since it was never directly shown how to train it apart from blindfolding yourself while someone else attacks. So, let's leave that for now and focus on my [Aura] and start with the basics.)