As I opened my eyes, the world seemed unfamiliar, as if I had just awakened from a long slumber. Confusion enveloped me as I found myself in the midst of a tranquil room.
However, this peacefulness was short-lived, as it was abruptly shattered by the piercing sound of loud cries, filling the air around me.
"WAAAAAAH!!!"
Once again, the piercing sound of a baby's cry echoed around me, and that's when I understood—I was one of the crying infants.
I looked down at my tiny hands, confirming my newfound existence as an infant. The shock of the situation made my eyes widen as I took in my surroundings. The room I was in had bars, but it wasn't a prison—it was a crib. In front of me, two other babies with blonde hair were being held by a young-looking girl who seemed to be my mother. It finally sank in—I had been reborn into this world as a baby..
"Hush, hush... Aqua, what happened??" The mother's voice tried to soothe the crying child.
The baby who cried in the cradle had blonde hair and red-pinkish eyes.
"That one's Ruby, are you sure you're their mother?" A rough-looking man with sunglasses asked her, raising a curious eyebrow.
In the midst of the discussion, the young mother confessed, "I can't help it, I'm bad at remembering people's names and faces. Isn't it awful, babies? Japanese men like to stereotype mothers."
The man with sunglasses retorted, "STOP PREACHING LIKE A FOREIGNER WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A PASSPORT! FIRST OF ALL, YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DOESN'T ALLOW SHOOTS OUT OF THE COUNTRY!"
Amidst the banter, the mother managed to get the man's name wrong, calling him Satou instead of Saito. Despite the mix-up, he seemed amused and had a smile on his face.
There was another woman present, an adult with strawberry-blonde hair, who joined the discussion. This is Miyako Saitou, the wife of the Ai's Talent Manager, Saito Ichigo.
"Anyways! As of today, the idol 'Ai' shall make her comeback! Let's discuss what we're gonna do from now on. Your first appearance will be tonight's singing show. It will be live, but you can do it, right?" she said.
"Of course," Ai replied, seemingly unfazed by the upcoming challenge.
The mention of her being an idol left me confused.
"Can't I bring my kids to work?"
"OF COURSE YOU CAN'T! THINK ABOUT IT, YOU'RE AN IDOL WHO'S 16 AND HAS 3 KIDS!! IF YOU LET THE WORLD FIND OUT ABOUT IT, YOUR LIFE AS AN IDOL IS OVER."
"You can't go shopping with your kids or handle any documents. If there is an emergency, we'll take care of them!"
Uwa--- that's such a pain...
"Ehh~? That's such a pain, so annoying right, Ruby?"
As I looked at the young mother, it was clear she was oblivious.
"That's Aqua!"
Once again, the mother got the baby's name wrong.
As the young mother approached the crib, I found myself lying there, listening to their conversation.
"Oh well, whatever... At least I won't get Ame-chan's name wrong, right~ ame-chan~~🎶" The mother smiled brightly as she gently stroked my cheeks.
Amidst the confusion of mistaken names, I felt my heart warm with affection as the mother's gentle gesture touched me deeply.
'Rain (Ame)? Doesn't that sound a bit feminine? I guess that's my name in this life,'
"Haa... That is just because her features are distinguishable! at least try remembering people's names more after this..." The "President" guy stated thus.
As I peered into the mirror from the crib, I couldn't believe what I saw – the old man's words were indeed true. Among my siblings with their blonde hair, I was the only one with my mother's distinct blue-purplish hair. It felt unnatural and left me feeling perplexed.
I suppose, this is what Death meant by "live again"?
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As a baby, I couldn't control my bodily functions, and I ended up wetting myself.
"Waaaah!!!" I cried out, hoping to get Miyako-san's attention.
To my surprise, Miyako-san, the pinkish-blonde-haired woman, who also happened to be the president's wife, became our babysitter.
"I'm changing it, I'm changing it, just stop crying!!" She changed my diaper with contempt look in her eyes.
But, it seems like I had underestimated the situation...
Yes... I was not prepared for what I saw.
Miyako-san took away my diaper, and something unexpected was right in front of me.
No, it wasn't the magnificent assets of Miyako-san; it was the realization that I was a girl!
'"I'M A GIRL!??????"—is what I wanted to say, but all that came out was: "WAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!??"
"Wha--!!? What's wrong with you all of a sudden!???"
Unconsciously, I let out a cry as I noticed the unfamiliar anatomy between my legs. My comrade in arms was nowhere to be found! He didn't reincarnate like I did!
"Gah! Stop wailing."
Miyako passed out soon after, overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for the baby and contemplating her life decisions.
Her thoughts echoed with uncertainty, "I've never done this before... Why am I supposed to do this...?"
Well at least my diaper was changed.
"Wait... N-STEP STARTED ALREADY!?? WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP!?"
Suddenly, my attention was completely drawn to the girl who had just woken up and stormed off to the TV – Ruby Hoshino.
Ruby was one of the triplets, with blonde hair and reddish eyes, earning her the name "Ruby."
"Ugh, live streams are only valuable when you watch them during the actual stream! Why didn't you wake me up!? This body is always tired, so help me out here!"
"I called you several times..."
As for the boy with blue eyes, he's "Aquamarine," or Aqua for short.
And then there's Ame, still figuring out why her name is so different. It seems like my name is also a shortened version, just like the others.
Her name being just "Rain" or "Candy" seemed unlikely when her other siblings had jewel-themed names. They were triplets, after all.
I shifted my attention to my sibling who had turned on the television. The sight of a baby skillfully pressing the remote and watching it intently was indeed bizarre.
'That baby... He must be the same as me,' I thought to myself while looking at my "Brother" Aqua.
Indeed, I had heard him talk to himself before, as if he were a grown-up.
My sibling and sister had already conversed with each other, seemingly unaware that I too was a reincarnator, as I had not spoken any coherent words until now.
Well, anything that came out of my mouth was mere baby babble, But that's when it happens...
*Ding*
It was the classic cheat whenever a main character got reincarnated: a system. The pop-up window before me appeared strikingly similar to the one when I met Death.
[Welcome, player]
[You have one message!]
Using my tiny baby fingers, I struggled to click the confirm button until finally...
*Ding*
["Starter Pack ver. 2.1" has been received, would you like to open it? Y/N]
Of course, I picked yes.
[You have received:
• Stat Points (10×)
• Skill Core (3×)
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[Skill core 『Universal Affinity』 has been opened.]
[Skill core 『Thought Acceleration』 has been opened]
[Skill core 『Multilingual』 has been opened.]
"Aaa~ Aaa~ A, I, U, E, O, Sa, Si, Su, Se, So, Ka, Ki, Ku, Ke, Ko" I can finally speak...
I examined the system further, finding intriguing features beyond the "Multilingual" skill core.
I noticed the presence of a "Market" and a "Chat Group," both greyed out with the message "unlock at age 5" below them.
The idea of a chat group seemed strange and amusing. Why would such a feature even exist?
Just like any main character in a Isekai story, I muttered, "Status."
*Ding*
The system promptly responded.
[Name: Amethyst Hoshino]
[Age: 18 months]
[Lv: 1]
[EP: 110/110]
[Strength: 1.5]
[Wisdom: 28.5]
[Dexterity: 1.5]
[Defense: 1.5 ]
[Luck: 10 (0.1)]
[Points: 10]
(A/N: Normal adult's average shall be 50 each except luck. Every level up adds 5 points]
Ah, so "Ame" was actually from "Amethyst". Thank god, I thought I was named after a candy or something...
"Oh well, this would be a perfect time,"
Finally finding my voice, I spoke, "You guys have been chattering with each other ever since we were born... Can anyone explain to me what's going on?"
"Gah! The baby spoke again!?" Ruby exclaimed in surprise.
"You gave me that reaction too before, shouldn't you be used to it at this point?" Aqua replied calmly.
Well, at last, that was interesting.
"So you're reincarnated just like us..." My expression remained indifferent. I had only asked that first question to hint that I was also a reincarnator.
But to my surprise, Aqua caught me off guard with the next question...
"Were you... A guy?"
"Eh!??"
So sharp! How did he even know? I didn't make any face when I was pleasantly sucking mother's breasts!
"She's actually a guy!?" Ruby exclaimed in shock.
I tried my best to remain composed, and responded with a smile that no one could see through.
Yes, just a smile.
However, Aqua seemed to sense that there was more to my facade, that beneath that smiling face, I am dead inside.
"Um... Don't worry, it'll be okay. Probably... Maybe... Hopefully," Aqua reassured her.
Thank you, therapist-san, I thought sarcastically.
"No, it's fine... I mean, just look at my name. My name is Ame-chan. Ha ha ha ha, I am a candy, how cute our mother's naming sense is... Don't you think so?" I delivered the line with a dry laughter that sent an aura of dreadfulness, making my siblings uneasy.
"!!? ... I'm going to change my diaper, so go over there," Ruby suddenly said, and I turned away in response. Aqua went back to watching TV, seemingly unbothered.
Ruby cried again, and soon, Miyako-san came with a new diaper in her hands.
"Ugh..."
Frustration was clearly shown on Miyako-san's face as she dealt with the challenges of taking care of us, triplets.
"Why do I have to do this...? I ONLY MARRIED THAT GUY BECAUSE HE TOLD ME I'D BE ABLE TO WORK WITH HOT GUYS!! YET HE PUTS ME TO WORK TAKING CARE OF A 16-YEAR-OLD IDOL'S KIDS!?"
Miyako grumbled in frustration as she expertly threw the dirty diaper into the trash bin perfectly without even looking at it.
"AND SHE'S A SINGLE MOTHER WHO WON'T EVEN DISCLOSE TO US WHO THE FATHER IS! IT'S WAY TOO SHADY!! I DIDN'T MARRY HIM TO BECOME A BABYSITTER!!" she continued, clearly agitated.
She then looked at the dark corner of the room with a twisted grin, holding Ai Hoshino's diary in her hands and taking pictures of its content.
Uwa--!! Oi, even if I were you I wouldn't go that far...
We picked up her behavior immediately.
"What a miserable girl... No champagne could ever quench the thirst in your heart," Aqua said in a mature tone that sent shivers down anyone's spine.
"W-who!?" Miyako looked at the two blonde children, Aqua and Ruby, sitting on the table, staring at her intently with malice.
"I... Am the messenger of heavens. Those misdeeds of yours... Are something I can no longer overlook!!" Aqua accused.
"A messenger... No wait, Did this baby just talk? No way---"
"Is it common sense to you that an infant would speak? You must believe..." Aqua tried to maintain the act, but it seemed to waver a bit.
"Oh, I see! This is some TV event, right? A surprise event for Ai's manager or something!! Happens all the time!!" Miyako panicked, trying to dismiss the absurdity.
"Ruby-chan, why don't you get down from the desk... It's dangerou---"
*Slap*
Ruby silenced her with a slap.
"Quiet. I am the embodiment of Amaterasu. I am what you call a GOD," Ruby posed menacingly (not a T pose) to instill fear.
"You've been blinded by your greed, and now are on the verge of going against god's will."
"G-god's will...???" Miyako's face turned fearful as she started to accept the reality presented to her.
"Fufufu, Amaterasu-chan~~" I sang with a sing-song tone, adding an element to the intimidation.
"I am the goddess of death, Izanami... How many times shall I guide your soul, I wonder..." Ame continued, her demeanor resembling that of a childish devil.
Miyako was now full of fear, no longer resisting the reality in front of her. Aqua seemed impressed by Ame's acting.
"You'll die, you know that... Miyako-san?" With a calm smile in contrast to my blonde siblings' mature act, I couldn't resist taunting Miyako-san, enjoying the thrill of fueling her terror.
"NOO! I'M SORRY, THAT'S SO SPECIFIC-- PLEASE TELL ME WHAT SHOULD I DO~~~!" Finally Miyako begged in tears.
"Easy... You must protect the secret of Ai and her kids. Dote on them, and listen to everything they say. With that, remarrying a hot actor might be a possibility." Ruby concluded.
Hearing thus, Miyako brightened up, as if the fear had vanished in an instant. Well, Ame bet it was because she heard "remarrying a hot actor" in Ruby's words...
"✨Really!? I'll do it! I'll listen to everything!! I'll even lick their shoes!!!✨"
So fast...
Middle aged woman sure is scary..
Well somehow they managed to avoid a Disaster for a while...
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[Multilingual] (C) (Max)
• Overview: the ability to speak and comprehend a language after hearing it only once. Furthermore, they can quickly learn written languages by merely observing them for a short period.
• Special Effect: Increase the user's WIS by 3.
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[Universal Affinity] (B)
• Overview: Chakra, Qi, demon energy, Cursed energy, Magicules, and nen possess unique characteristics. However, they all essentially represent different types of energies. The Universal Affinity skill grants the user the ability to utilize any technique associated with these energies and ensures absolute control over their existing power points. This means the user can proficiently harness and manipulate any form of energy, showcasing versatility and mastery in their usage.
• Special Effect: Convert MP stat to EP, Raise EP capacity by 100.
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[Thought Acceleration] C)
• Overview: When activated, this skill enhances the brain's thought-processing speed by expending energy. While active, it boosts the user's stat by adding 5000 points of WIS (Wisdom). This heightened cognitive ability allows for faster and more efficient thinking and decision-making.
• Special Effect: Raise WIS by 0.5 permanently every day.
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(A/N: 2433 word count)
To be continued.