On a street on the outskirts of the city, there was a handsome young man walking.
The young man had black hair and pale white skin.
His dark eyes looked around like a curious tourist eager to discover many things.
The people walking around him glanced at him strangely and kept a slight distance.
This young man was Fuyuki Nao.
...
He gazed at the tall buildings on both sides of him and the vehicles passing by.
"It seems this world isn't that different from my previous one."
Looking back at those tall buildings, he couldn't feel a significant difference from the ones in his old world.
The same went for the passing vehicles—cars, motorcycles, trucks, and so on. All normal.
Well, except for the fact that those vehicles didn't touch the ground and operated automatically, they were still familiar types of vehicles.
This is what allows him to adapt and adjust easily, even though there are still some differences in various aspects compared to his previous world.
"And also..."
Looking at the people passing by, he noticed something unique about them.
Some of them had colorful eye and hair colors—white, red, blue, etc.
Almost 20% of the people he encountered had this unique traits.
This wasn't caused by a genetic disorder but rather a result of their training techniques.
Some of them inherited it from their parents, making them inherently more attuned to certain elements or techniques.
This was how people roughly gauged someone's lineage and talents.
Watching the people still passing in front of him, he couldn't help but think about the country he was in.
This city was called Kyoto, and the country was still Japan.
'According to his predecessor's memories, this country was also called Japan.'
He called it Japan, but this wasn't the Japan from his previous world.
That Japan had long been destroyed in the Great Catastrophe.
And this country was one built by an extreme nationalist. Why did he call him an extreme nationalist?
Because when the original Japan was destroyed, he alone declared that he would bring Japan back to the world.
And not only that.
"He didn't just manage to rebuild Japan, but also kept some of Japan's distinctive features, like the cherry blossom tree beside me."
Looking at the pink-leafed tree next to him, he muttered.
During his rule, he always strived to make the Japan he built as similar as possible to the original Japan, which led him to plant many cherry blossom trees.
Although it remained a question whether these trees were just similar native varieties or if he always carried cherry blossom seeds in his pocket.
This was also why the city he lived in was named Kyoto, the country's capital.
A bit different from the Japan he knew, where the capital was in Tokyo.
Because of his extraordinary achievements, many future scholars referred to him as "the number one weeb in the world."
A title that was later contested as others seemed to want that title for themselves.
In his journey to rebuild Japan, many people joined him, and many of them weren't even Japanese.
These people came from other countries, but their love for Japan even surpassed their love for their own country.
They always wanted to be part of Japan, but couldn't due to many reasons. Only after the Great Catastrophe were they able to join their beloved Japan.
This was why they felt that the title was more fitting for them, considering they had betrayed their own countries to join Japan.
'The image of the country's leaders, controlling the fate of tens of thousands of people, debating who's more of a weeb with serious faces.'
Thinking of this "beautiful" image, Nao's face showed a strange expression.
Luckily, before his thoughts wandered any further, he arrived at his destination.
Kyoto Ishiki Ichiban,
The traditional market often referred to as "Kyoto's kitchen," though this wasn't the original Ishiki Ichiban; it was still a good traditional market.
The market was located in Kyoto's Block C, near the coastal area.
As he entered the traditional market, he was greeted by the noisy sounds of people shopping and haggling over prices.
"Come on, come on, buy these spirit vegetables! Perfect for curing pale skin, boosting energy, and restoring vitality!"
"Do you want my talisman charms? They're great for protecting you from yin and evil energy. Just give me 10 more of those spirit fruits, please!"
"What?! 4,000 yen for just one fruit? Are you trying to rob me in broad daylight? Yesterday it was still 3,500 yen. 3,000! Sell it to me for 3,000, or I'll buy it somewhere else!"
Seeing the countless flow of people, he was bumped into several times due to the crowd.
Noticing this, he quickly chose a random fish shop to buy some fish.
Entering the shop, he found aquariums and freezers lined up around it.
There was also a cleaning robot picking up trash. Finally, there was a female shopkeeper sitting at the cashier.
"Welcome!"
"Feel free to pick, sweetie. They were all caught fresh this morning."
The shopkeeper greeted warmly.
"Can the items be delivered according to my order?"
He asked with a slight smile on his face.
"Of course they can!"
"But how much do you want, sweetie?"
"If it's too little, sorry, that won't be possible!"
"But no problem, because I've never seen someone as handsome and sweet as you! This lady will lower her standards!"
Despite the shopkeeper's enthusiastic flirting, Nao maintained his slight smile, with a hint of indifference in his eyes.
If this were the original Fuyuki, he might have been a little embarrassed by now. But unfortunately, this was him.
He was already familiar with this trick. It was used to make customers feel special and make them want to come back to the shop.
He could almost guarantee that 90% of the shop's customers experienced this treatment.
But he didn't reject it either, as he would need her help to feed his clones in the coming days.
"The total is 10,871 yen, sweetie."
"Can I pay using this app?"
"Oh, sure, just scan it here, sweetie."
"Thank you! Please come again, sweetie."
"If you really want me to come again, why don't we exchange contacts?"
At that moment, the shopkeeper froze with her mouth shaped in an O.
Seeing this, Nao asked again.
"Why, is it not allowed?"
Looking back at the handsome young man smiling slightly in front of her, the shopkeeper snapped out of it and wiped the drool from her lips.
"Okay, okay, of course it's allowed!"
Seeing this, Nao shook his head slightly.
...
After exchanging contacts, Nao left the traditional market carrying a plastic bag.
On his way home, while carrying a plastic bag filled with fresh fish, he thought about what had happened earlier at the traditional market.
The reason he asked for her contact was simply so that he could order fish without having to leave the house repeatedly.
That's why he asked at the beginning if the fish could be delivered or not.
If not, he wouldn't have asked to exchange contacts with h--
"Buzz"
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of waves beside him.
At that moment, he stopped.
Beside him was the vast ocean and the beautiful blue sky, like two mirrors overlapping each other.
The sound of waves crashing against the tetrapods echoed in his mind.
The cries of seagulls in the sky harmonized with the sound of the waves, creating a unique melody of their own.
Soothing all the negative emotions that had filled him since his transmigration.
His black eyes sparkled like stars reflecting the vast ocean.
At that moment, he smiled widely. Even wider than his usual smile, showing true happiness from his heart.
At that moment, his heart was filled with joy and hope for the future.
Looking back at the blue sky and the vast ocean in front of him,
he whispered softly.
"My life has just begun."