Chapter 1， Cheerful Mornings and Youthful Wisdom

--- May 1, 2059 (Thursday) ---

"Good morning!"

I hear the cheerful voice of my childhood friend, Yuki Hayami, coming from the entrance. Every morning, she comes to pick me up, Suzanne Ohgami. She really doesn't have to go through all that trouble.

"Oh, good morning, Yuki! Just a moment, okay? Suzanne is finishing breakfast," my mom calls out. "Suzanne! Yuki's here to pick you up! Hurry up and get ready!"

While my mom chats with Yuki, I quickly finish my meal.

"Thanks for the food. Well, Dad, I'm heading out."

"Ah, have a good day. Make sure to enjoy your youth!"

It's not what you'd expect to hear; usually, parents say something like "Make sure to study hard." But my dad is different. He always tells me, "You can catch up on studies later, but youth doesn't wait for anyone," encouraging me to enjoy school.

I grab my bag and, while greeting my dad, make my way to where Yuki is waiting by the entrance.

"Oh, Suz-kun, good morning!"

"Yeah, good morning. Mom, I'm off!"

"Okay, have a good day!"

I walk alongside Yuki as we head to school. It's a bit odd that, even though we're childhood friends, we're walking so closely together. Our families— her parents, the Hayamis, and mine, the Ohgamis—are good friends, and our houses are right next to each other, which has forged our bond since we were little.

To top it off, our birthdays are just a week apart, and we've been inseparable childhood friends through elementary, middle, and high school. However, by high school, it's not quite appropriate for us to be so clingy anymore… Nevertheless, Yuki insists on picking me up every morning.

"Hey, Yuki, I've told you before—just because we're childhood friends doesn't mean you need to come get me every day."

"I'm not doing it just because we're childhood friends. I want to go to school with you, so I come to pick you up."

Isn't that basically the same thing?

"Ugh, whatever. If you're not going to listen after all the times I've said it, then do what you want."

"Okay, I'll do whatever Yuki likes."

Yuki may seem lively and cheerful now, but back in elementary school, she was a truant. With her long, straight hair reaching her waist and her striking features, she has a well-proportioned figure that highlights her curves—definitely not lacking in the chest department, probably a D cup. Most people would say she's a stunning beauty.

But elementary school Yuki was a far cry from who she is today; she was overweight—plainly put, she was chubby. Bullied by her peers who showed no hesitation in using words as weapons, Yuki fell into a bout of truancy. During that time, I was the one who picked her up every morning and tried to cheer her up by hanging out with her.

I pushed Yuki, who had been hiding away for too long, saying, "Why don't you get so beautiful that you can show those idiots what they're missing? Then you can see their dumb faces." After that, Yuki started to work hard, lost weight, and became more energetic and cheerful.

Every morning, she comes to pick me up, perhaps as a way to thank me for that encouragement. I suppose she also finds school more enjoyable now.

"By the way, have you been gaming again?" I asked.

"Yeah, absolutely! Just yesterday, I teamed up with an S-rank adventurer named Mihane to clear the KATANA quest. Mihane was so cool!"

What does she mean by "absolutely"? And what an impressive name—Mihane! Yuki had developed quite an obsession with games and manga during her seclusion, transforming into a proper otaku. It's a shame she's a beautiful girl and wasting it on that.

"Hey, hey, Suzu-kun, let's play AIWOn together!"

"No way. Why would I want to level up in a game world?"

Yuki was talking about the latest VRMMO-RPG, "Alive In World Online." Twenty-three years ago, the Angel In incident had trapped players in a VR world, where if they died in the game, they died in real life. That death game had almost crushed the VR industry.

However, the VR industry is so captivating that it overshadows even the most shocking events, leading to a plethora of VRMMO-RPG titles being released. Among them, "Alive In World Online," commonly referred to as AIWON, has gained explosive popularity.

The most remarkable feature of Alive In World Online is the elimination of HP, MP, and stats, as well as the removal of storage boxes like Ava's Storage. When you get injured, blood appears; monsters don't disappear when defeated; and if you die, there's no resurrection—you must create a new character to play again. This creates a gameplay experience eerily similar to reality.

In other words, players must train their swords and bodies as they would in the real world. Crafting and cooking require appropriate knowledge, experience, and time. The game is supposed to be about having fun without hard work, yet players face challenges comparable to those in real life. Isn't there something wrong with that?

Despite this, Alive In World Online remains immensely popular and is currently the leading VRMMO-RPG in the nation. From my perspective, I struggle to see the value in this game among the many titles available. "But, hey, it's different from reality because you can use magic!"

"Other VRMMOs can use it too. Plus, it's easy!"

"Ugh, then AIWON has a 100% learning rate. The more you train, the stronger you'll get!"

"But if you train incorrectly, you'll also remember 100% of that wrong knowledge."

"Ugh! Suzuku, you're so mean! Yuki just wants to play with you..."

Next to me, Yuki droops her head in disappointment.

I don't dislike VRMMOs, but AIWON just doesn't suit me.

"If you have time to train in a game, you might as well train in real life."

"Ah... by the way, are you heading to the dojo again on your way back today?"

"Yeah, there's no point unless I keep practicing every day."

The dojo is run by Yuki's father and is a karate school.

...Is it right to call it a business?

This karate dojo is really just a hobby for her uncle, and I'm the only remaining student. It's questionable whether it can even be called a dojo anymore.

The name of the style, "Rapid Wind and Thunder Karate," likely contributes to the dwindling number of students—very cringeworthy indeed.

But since it's a hobby, I doubt he cares much about the decline.

"Well, then I'll head back with Sanna-chan and the others."

"Sure, go ahead."

◇　◆　◇　◆　◇

When we arrive at school, Yuki and I enter the classroom together.

It feels a bit odd that we've been together since elementary school and are still in the same class, but I suppose that's just how life goes.

"Hey, good morning, Suzanne!"

"Morning!"

My friends, who had been chatting around my desk, noticed me and greeted me.

"Good morning."

I returned the greeting and took my seat.

"Are you still walking to school with your wife? You two are as lovey-dovey as ever."

"Ugh, you idiot!"

One of the friends hastily tried to stop him, but I had already heard.

"Whaat?!"

He probably said it half in jest, but that kind of teasing is a sore spot for me. I shot him a glare, half-closed my eyes, and leveled a menacing voice at my friend.

"Yikes! S-sorry…"

"Idiot, those kinds of jokes about Suzanne and Harumi are off-limits."

Overwhelmed by my glare, my friend immediately apologized, while another one quietly reminded me to be cautious about my relationship with Yuki.

Since childhood, I've been teased mercilessly about my bond with Yuki. In elementary school, it was all about her being chubby. Now, it's mixed with jealousy over how she has transformed into a beautiful girl.

I've always crushed those teases with sheer force. To protect Yuki and fend off unwanted jabs, I trained at my uncle's dojo, honing my strength and wielding it without hesitation.

Naturally, my actions, which far exceeded mere mischief, had repercussions, drawing in some troublemakers from time to time.

If I had driven all those troublemakers away, my notorious reputation—known as "The Hungry Wolf"—would have spread like wildfire. The truth is, I don't seek out trouble with delinquents; I merely step in to help friends or fend off attackers. Thankfully, this means I haven't been labeled as one of them.

Because of that, any mention of my reputation instantly darkens my mood, and when combined with my fearsome name, it makes others shrink back from me.

"By the way, isn't Suzanne's dad the manager at ICE?"

"Wait, seriously?! The manager at that rapidly growing ICE from the Yotsuba Group? Suzanne is amazing!"

"So, does that mean there are humanoids at Suzanne's house?"

One friend tried to shift the topic to my dad's company. Even the friend who had just been cowed by my presence now perked up and gleefully engaged in the conversation. It's funny how quickly they rebound.

"Look, it's my dad who's impressive, not me. And humanoids are custom-made; just because someone works there doesn't mean you can easily get one."

My dad works at a company called Intelligence Create Electronics—ICE for short—which is one of the rising stars within the Yotsuba Group.

Initially focused on researching and selling industrial AI and program-controlled AI, the company garnered significant attention in recent years by creating humanoids—essentially androids that closely resemble humans. Unlike the typical robot-like androids of the past, these humanoids possess advanced AI that mirrors human intelligence, complete with lifelike skin, blood, and the ability to eat and excrete, marking a groundbreaking development.

However, this human-like nature has led to human rights concerns, sparking debates in Congress about potential legal reforms, as they are currently classified as specialized household appliances. Consequently, humanoids are not mass-produced; they are sold only to carefully vetted customers.

Naturally, each humanoid is equipped with a management code to monitor their location and ensure they are not mistreated.

"By the way, my dad is a section chief, but he has nothing to do with the humanoids," one student said.

"What? I was hoping for something more exciting," another replied.

"Wait, wait! If you get close to Suzanne now, you might have a connection to acquire a humanoid in the future," someone suggested.

"No way, that's not happening."

"Hey, were you guys even listening to me?"

"Alright, everyone, take your seats! We're starting homeroom!"

As we chatted away, the time came for class, and our homeroom teacher stood at the front of the classroom. Thus began another uneventful day in school.

◇　◆　◇　◆　◇

"Hey, Suzu, let's eat lunch together!"

During the lunch break, as usual, Yuki brought my bento and set our desks side by side.

"Ugh... if only I could kill someone with a curse!"

"May the happy people explode!"

"Is there no divine salvation in this world?"

From a little distance away, my friends were muttering curses while shedding blood tears.

"Yuki, you're such a sweetheart, going out of your way to make my lunch."

"Well, I just want to eat lunch with you, Suzu! It's common courtesy to bring an extra bento, don't you think?"

...I guess Yuki's obsession with otaku culture makes her spout some odd things sometimes.

"Well, it's nice of you to prepare it; I'm in no position to complain. But you're not actually going to do the whole 'Ah—n' thing, right?"

"What? You want me to feed you that way, Suzu? If you do, I'd be happy to!"

"No, I was just joking! Don't take it seriously!"

Despite my sarcasm, Yuki boldly attempted to perform the infamous 'Ah—n' in front of the entire class, exposing her bento for all to see.

Please, no.

Just when I thought things couldn't get messier, another troublesome person showed up.

"Hey, Yuki. That bento looks delicious! Make one for me next time, okay?"

That was the voice of the most attractive guy in our grade, Koki Shiba, surrounded by a gaggle of girls. He claimed he wasn't deliberately garnering attention; it just seemed to happen. But really, he only had eyes for Yuki, seeing the other girls as mere distractions.