"This… can't be real," Haruto whispered, staring at the mirror. His heart pounded, and his hands trembled.
The door creaked open, and a nurse stepped in, holding a clipboard. "Oh, Mister Takeda, you're awa—" She froze, her face suddenly turning bright red.
"Mi-Mister Takeda, please cover yourself first!" she stammered, avoiding eye contact.
Haruto blinked, confused. He looked down at himself and finally noticed. His body was toned, with defined muscles and a six-pack that didn't match how he remembered himself.
"Oh," he muttered, scratching the back of his head. He walked back to the bed as the nurse handed him a hospital gown, still looking flustered.
"It's good to see you're finally awake, Mister Takeda," she said quickly, trying to keep her voice steady. "Oh, and I'm Anne. I'll be taking care of your schedule and health while you're here."
Haruto sat down, now wearing the gown. He looked at Anne and said quietly, "Anne, could you leave the room for a bit?"
Anne hesitated, clearly confused. "Um… sure. If you need anything, just press this button," she said, pointing to the call button by his bed. "I'll come back and knock before I enter. I'll also bring your breakfast when I return. Take it easy, Mister Takeda."
She gave him a small nod before leaving the room, closing the door softly behind her.
As the door clicked shut behind Anne, Haruto sat in silence. He let out a deep breath, trying to calm the whirlwind of thoughts in his head.
"Alright… let's figure this out," he muttered to himself.
He sat up straighter and said quietly, "Status: Open 1."
To his surprise, a glowing green screen appeared in midair, floating right in front of him. Haruto blinked, leaning closer. On the screen were several details:
Name: Haruto Takeda
Level: 2
Class: ???
"What the...?" he murmured, his brow furrowing. The "Class" field being filled with question marks only made him more uneasy.
Still confused, he decided to try again. "Status: Open 2."
A second screen appeared, this one showing his health status. His eyes scanned the information until one line made him freeze:
Life Expectancy: 1 Year, 4 Months, 2 Days, 5 Hours
His eyes widened, and his stomach dropped. "What?! No... that can't be right," he whispered, staring at the words.
Haruto's hands trembled as panic crept in. Desperate, he did the only thing he could think of—he tried to use his healing magic.
"Alright, focus," he said, closing his eyes. He held out his hand and said firmly, "Healing Magic: Healing Cube."
The green screens suddenly turned red, flashing an error message in dark, bold text:
Error: No Ability Found in the Database
Haruto's mouth opened slightly in disbelief. "No ability found? What do you mean, no ability found?!"
He tried again, his voice louder this time. "Healing Magic: Healing Cube!"
The same error message appeared, as if mocking him.
"Error: No Ability Found in the Database."
Frustrated, he tried it a third time, then a fourth, but the result was always the same. His breathing grew heavier as the reality of the situation sank in.
Haruto slumped back against the bed, defeated. He had tried every ability he could think of, but the same error message appeared every time:
Error: No Ability Found in the Database
It was like the system had wiped his abilities clean. He stared at the red screen, then swiped at it in frustration, making it disappear.
"Fine. Guess I'll figure this out later," he muttered, letting out a tired sigh.
Reaching for the call button beside the bed, he pressed it. After a few moments, a soft knock came at the door.
"Come in," Haruto said.
Anne entered, carrying a tray with breakfast. She set it down on the small table near the bed and smiled. "Here's your meal, Mister Takeda."
On the tray were three toasted slices of bread, two eggs, a glass of water, and a small jug of mango juice.
Haruto's brow furrowed. "Anne, I don't drink mango juice."
Anne blinked, tilting her head in confusion. "But, Master, I was told you love mango juice. At least, that's what your father mentioned."
Haruto's confusion deepened. "My... father?" He frowned, but before he could say more, Anne quickly corrected herself.
"Never mind that," she said with a polite smile. "I'll go get you something else." She reached for the jug of juice, but Haruto instinctively grabbed her hand, stopping her.
"Leave it," he said firmly.
Anne froze, her eyes widening slightly. "Why?"
"Bring a chair here," he said, his voice calm but commanding.
Still confused, Anne nodded slowly, pulling a chair from the corner of the room and placing it next to the bed.
"Now, bring me a book and a pen," Haruto said.
Anne hesitated for a moment, then gave a small bow and left the room. A few minutes later, she returned with a plain notebook and a ballpoint pen, placing them on the small table by his bed.
"Sit," Haruto instructed, gesturing to the chair.
Anne looked at him, puzzled, but sat down as he opened the notebook to a blank page and clicked the pen.
"Alright, I need to ask you some questions," Haruto began, his tone serious.
Anne nodded. "Of course, Mister Takeda."
"What day is it today?"
"It's the 30th," Anne replied. "Thursday."
Haruto scribbled that down. "What year is it?"
"2041," she answered.
Haruto's hand paused mid-writing, his eyes widening. 2041? He quickly composed himself and continued.
"What month is it?"
"The 11th: November," Anne said.
Haruto's thoughts began to race. So it's only been a year since I… died. I guess I'll figure out the how and why later.
He took a deep breath and asked the last question. "What country are we in?"
Anne tilted her head slightly, confused by the question but answered nonetheless. "We're in Japan, Hokkaido to be specific."
Haruto wrote that down, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he closed the notebook, set the pen down, and looked at Anne.
"That's all for now. You can leave."
Anne nodded and stood, collecting the empty plates and glasses from his breakfast tray. "If you need anything, just use the call button," she said with a polite bow before leaving the room.
Haruto sat in silence for a few moments, staring at the notebook he had just written in. Shaking his head, he stood up and stretched.
"Well, there's no use sulking. I'll go on a walk," he said to himself, grabbing the hospital gown tighter around him as he headed for the door.
Before leaving, something caught his eye. At the far end of the room, sitting on a small table, was a portrait. Haruto walked over, curiosity tugging at him.
The picture was of a younger version of his current body—his black hair slightly shorter, his face softer and youthful. Standing beside him in the photo was a man whose face had been crudely scribbled out with a black pen.
Haruto frowned, holding the picture closer to examine it. "What the hell…?" he muttered, confused.
After a moment, he set the photo back down on the table and left the room.
As soon as he stepped out, his jaw dropped. He was standing in a massive hallway, lined with polished floors, intricate chandeliers, and walls adorned with artwork and expensive decor.
"This… this is insane," Haruto whispered, his eyes wide with excitement. He started to walk around, then broke into a jog, peeking into the nearby rooms and running his hand along the smooth walls.
"Did I get reborn in a rich dude's son's body?!" he exclaimed, practically laughing to himself as he wandered through the luxurious space.
After a while, he turned a corner and bumped into Anne, who was carrying a clipboard. She stopped, startled, then quickly bowed.
"Good to see you walking around, sir," she said with a small smile.
Haruto grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks. Oh, and Anne, I've got a question. Who's the person in the picture in my room?"
Anne blinked, her face briefly showing surprise. "Ah… you do have amnesia," she muttered softly to herself, not realizing Haruto had heard her.
"Amnesia?" Haruto asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
Anne straightened up, her tone more formal now. "The person in that picture is your father, Koji Takeda. He is the owner of this hospital—'Hokkaido National Hospital.'"
Haruto's expression shifted as he processed the information. "I see," he said thoughtfully. "It seems I can't remember anything other than my name."
Anne gave him a sympathetic look.
Haruto hesitated, then asked, "If you're free tonight, before I go to bed, I'd like you to explain a bit more about me—about what's been happening and what has happened."
Anne's cheeks turned pink, and she stammered, "Y-Yes, of course! I will come to your room an hour before bedtime and explain everything." She gave a nervous smile, clearly flustered.
Haruto chuckled lightly, amused by her reaction. "Thanks, Anne. I appreciate it."
Anne bowed slightly before hurrying off, leaving Haruto to stand in the grand hallway, his mind racing with questions about the life he had been reborn into.