Kazuki Yamada walked slowly back to his dormitory, his thoughts swirling as he tried to process the events of his first day back at university. Haruka Takahashi's kindness had been a bright spot in an otherwise difficult day, but he couldn't shake the feeling of being out of place. His awkwardness, his clumsy attempts at conversation, and the way the other students seemed to already have established their own social circles left him feeling more isolated than ever. Even Haruka's warm smiles and friendly demeanor couldn't completely dispel the lingering sense of loneliness that clung to him like a shadow.
As he neared the entrance to his dormitory, Kazuki's eyes caught sight of a familiar figure. The old lady he had helped cross the road on his first day in Tokyo was once again struggling to make her way across the busy street. Without thinking, Kazuki's feet moved on their own, and he rushed over to her side. His mind was preoccupied with his own troubles, but something deep within him couldn't ignore someone in need, especially this elderly woman who seemed so fragile in the face of the bustling city around her.
"Let me help you, ma'am," Kazuki said gently, reaching out to support her as she attempted to step off the curb. The old lady looked up at him, her eyes twinkling with a strange, almost knowing look that made Kazuki pause. There was something different about her this time, something in the way she smiled at him that felt… unsettling.
"Thank you, young man," she replied in a voice that was soft yet carried an odd weight. "You're very kind to help an old woman like me again."
Kazuki nodded, feeling a bit awkward under her gaze. He carefully guided her across the street, making sure to watch for any oncoming traffic. This time, he was more cautious, not wanting to repeat the accident that had delayed his start at the university. Once they reached the other side, the old lady turned to him, her eyes locking onto his with a penetrating stare that sent a chill down his spine.
"You have a good heart," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But sometimes, kindness comes with a price."
Kazuki blinked, confused by her words. Before he could respond, a sudden, sharp pain shot through his head, as if something were piercing his mind. He gasped, clutching his head in agony as the world around him blurred and spun. The pain was unlike anything he had ever felt before, searing through his skull with a burning intensity that left him breathless.
The old lady's voice seemed to fade into the background as Kazuki's vision darkened. He could hear something else now, a faint, high-pitched voice that seemed to be calling his name from somewhere deep inside his mind. The voice grew louder, more insistent, until it drowned out everything else. Kazuki's knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground, his hands still gripping his head as the voice became impossible to ignore.
"Kazuki… Kazuki Yamada…"
The voice was clearer now, almost childlike in its tone, yet there was something unsettling about it. Kazuki forced his eyes open, but all he could see was darkness, as if the world had vanished and left him floating in a void. The voice continued to speak, and Kazuki realized with growing horror that it was speaking directly to him.
"Who… Who are you?" Kazuki managed to whisper, his voice trembling with fear and confusion.
The voice giggled, a sound that was both innocent and eerie at the same time. "I am the AI of a very special system, Kazuki Yamada. You've activated me with your act of kindness. Isn't that wonderful?"
Kazuki shook his head, trying to make sense of what was happening. This had to be some kind of hallucination, a result of the stress and the accident. But the pain in his head was real, and so was the voice that continued to speak, its tone playful yet carrying an undercurrent of something much darker.
"Activated? What are you talking about?" Kazuki asked, his voice rising in panic. "What system? Why are you in my head?"
The AI's voice took on a more serious tone, though it still retained that loli-like quality that made Kazuki's skin crawl. "This system is now a part of you, Kazuki. It will guide you, give you tasks to complete, and in return, you'll receive rewards. But you must complete these tasks, Kazuki. If you don't… well, let's just say there will be consequences."
Kazuki's heart pounded in his chest as the AI's words sank in. Tasks? Rewards? Consequences? None of this made any sense, and yet the pain in his head was all too real, anchoring him to the terrifying reality that something beyond his understanding was happening to him.
"What kind of tasks?" Kazuki asked, his voice barely a whisper now. "What do you want me to do?"
The AI giggled again, a sound that sent shivers down Kazuki's spine. "Your first task is a simple one, Kazuki. You must steal a pair of panties from the girls' dormitory within three days. If you succeed, you'll be rewarded. If you fail… well, let's not think about that, okay?"
Kazuki's eyes widened in horror. "What? No, I can't do that! That's insane! Why would you want me to do something like that?"
The AI's tone remained cheerful, almost as if it were amused by Kazuki's reaction. "The tasks may seem strange to you, Kazuki, but they are necessary. You see, this system isn't just for fun—it's about survival. If you don't complete the tasks, you won't just fail—you'll die."
Kazuki felt as though the ground had fallen out from beneath him. This had to be a nightmare, some twisted dream from which he would wake up any moment now. But the pain in his head, the cold sweat on his skin, and the relentless voice in his mind all told him that this was very real. He was trapped in a situation that defied all logic, all reason, and it was driving him to the brink of madness.
"No, this isn't happening," Kazuki muttered to himself, his voice shaky. "This can't be real…"
But the AI's voice persisted, relentless and unyielding. "It is real, Kazuki. You've been chosen by this system, and now your life depends on it. You have three days to complete the task. I'll be watching you closely, so don't disappoint me."
Kazuki's vision blurred as the pain in his head intensified once more. He tried to stand, but his legs refused to cooperate. The last thing he saw before everything went dark was the old lady's face, her expression unreadable as she watched him collapse onto the pavement.
When Kazuki regained consciousness, he found himself lying in a hospital bed, the sterile smell of disinfectant filling his nostrils. His head throbbed with a dull ache, but the searing pain from before was gone. He blinked, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The last thing he remembered was helping the old lady, the sharp pain in his head, and that eerie voice in his mind. Was it all a hallucination?
As he looked around the room, a nurse entered, noticing that he was awake. "Oh, you're up! How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice soft and concerned.
Kazuki tried to sit up, wincing as his muscles protested. "I… I'm okay, I think. What happened?"
The nurse approached his bedside, checking the monitors before responding. "You collapsed outside your dormitory. Some bystanders called an ambulance, and you've been here for a week. You had a mild concussion, but you're going to be fine. Just need some rest."
A week? Kazuki's heart skipped a beat. He had lost an entire week, and the thought of what might have happened during that time sent a wave of anxiety crashing over him. But more than that, the memory of the voice, the AI, and the task it had given him flooded back with terrifying clarity. Was it real? Had he somehow activated a system that now controlled his life?
As the nurse continued to speak, Kazuki's thoughts raced. He needed to get out of here, needed to figure out what was happening to him. The idea of stealing panties from the girls' dormitory was absurd, humiliating, and completely against everything he stood for. But the voice had been so insistent, so certain that there would be consequences if he didn't comply.
"Is there anything else you need?" the nurse asked, snapping Kazuki out of his thoughts.
He shook his head, forcing a small smile. "No, thank you. I'm just… tired."
The nurse nodded sympathetically. "I'll let you rest then. The doctor will be in later to check on you, but if you need anything, just press the call button."
Kazuki watched as she left the room, closing the door behind her. The moment he was alone, he let out a shaky breath, his hands trembling as he tried to make sense of everything. Was he going crazy? Was this some kind of psychological break caused by the accident? Or was there truly a system inside him, dictating his actions and threatening his life if he didn't comply?
He lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as his mind raced. The idea of stealing panties was absurd, but the fear of what might happen if he refused was even more terrifying. Could he really take that risk? Could he afford to ignore the warning, even if it sounded like something out of a bad dream?
The AI's voice echoed
in his mind once more, soft and playful. "Don't worry, Kazuki. I'll be here to guide you. Just follow my instructions, and everything will be fine."
Kazuki closed his eyes, feeling the weight of the situation bearing down on him. His life had taken a turn into the bizarre and the inexplicable, and there was no going back. The normal university experience he had hoped for was slipping further and further out of reach, replaced by something dark, twisted, and terrifying.
And as he lay there, trapped in his thoughts, Kazuki knew that his life would never be the same again.