Soul POV
To whoever is responsible for my untimely death and rebirth,sincerely...FUCK YOU.
I had it all lined up—just graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering, and landed a job that would set my life on track. I was ready to make things happen. And now? I'mfloatingin the endless abyss like a forgotten piece of cosmic trash.
I could have made a difference,dammit. But no, someone decided to hit the 'reset' button on my life without asking for permission.
I sighed, feeling bitterness seep through me like poison. 'No point in ranting about it now, I guess.' It's just me, myself, and this suffocating void of darkness.Forever.
Except… hold on a second.
There's a light.
At first, it's just a distant flicker, but it'sthere. A glimmer in the nothingness, growing brighter by the second.
Too bright.
Wait. Is it moving towards me?
No...I'mmoving towards it.
Panic flared up inside me. I tried to swim away, thrash, anything—nope, the light kept dragging me in like I was caught in some gravity well, a helpless soul getting flushed down a cosmic whirlpool.
As the light swallowed me, a voice thundered through it.
"Push, Irene! Push!"
Push? What the hell are they talking about?
Then it hit me—literally. I'm surrounded by warmth and this sticky, suffocating feeling. Everything around me is red, and there's this pressure—ohgod, no.
I'm beingborn.
I can feel every agonizing second of it as I'm shoved out of whatever warm, squishy place I've been stuck in. Myconscious mindis fully awake for this. And believe me, you donotwant to be aware during childbirth when you're the one coming out.
After what felt like an eternity, I was finally free of the fleshy prison, gasping for air and mentally scarred beyond belief.
"It's a boy!" the doctor's voice rang out, like some twisted congratulation for my survival.
Through my newborn, blurry eyes, I saw them cutting the umbilical cord, measuring me, all while I was screaming like a banshee—not out of baby instinct, but out of puretrauma. Then, after what seemed like hours of being poked and prodded, I was finally handed to my new mom.
Andwhoa, she wasgorgeous. Long black hair, and vivid green eyes, like a supermodel out of some fancy magazine. There was something oddly familiar about her, but my frazzled brain couldn't put it together.
"Look at him, our beautiful baby boy," my new dad's voice cracked with emotion. He had this rugged, almost military look to him—buzzcut beard, dark-tipped white hair, and eyes the color of muddy earth. Again, that nagging sense of familiarity gnawed at me, but I couldn'trememberwhy.
As my eyelids grew heavy, the last thought that flickered through my tired mind was a half-formed question—where do I know these people from?
Then everything went dark again, and I slipped into sleep, resting in my new mother's arms.
My new name is Haruki Toshiro, born toDaichiandIrene ToshiroonMay 21st, 1999, weighing in at 6.9 pounds. Cute, right? It's weird getting used to this name, but weirder still is this new life.
First off, my mom, who I've learned is from England, is way more stunning than I initially thought during my birth trauma. Like, distractingly beautiful. She has this soft, graceful aura with long raven-black hair and emerald eyes that seem almost unreal. My dad? Total contrast. Daichi Toshiro was born here in Tokyo, and he's got this rugged look about him, like a man who's seen his fair share of battles but is surprisingly warm and tender around family. He's got that buzzcut beard, his white hair darkened at the tips, and earthy brown eyes that feel oddly familiar.
But here's the thing aboutbeing a baby—it absolutelysucks. First of all, let's talk about the elephant in the room: breastfeeding. Do you have any idea how weird it is to be breastfed when you're mentally a grown-ass adult? Yeah, let that sink in. Add to that the fact that I can'ttalk. I can't do anything except scream bloody murder when I need something. My bladder? No control. My bowels? Just as bad, if not worse. And don't even get me started on my flailing limbs. My arms are these chubby little sausages that I can barely move. Seriously,being a baby is the worst. All I want to do isgrow upalready.
On the bright side, I met myAunt Shinjako, who's the sporty one in the family. She's got this pinkish-red hair that makes her look like she belongs in an anime and a... let's just say,large bust. I don't know what's going on, but everyone in this world is stupidly attractive—even the nurses. Like, come on, universe. Give me a break.
But I digress. The past few days, I've been confined to a crib next to my mom, and somewhere in that time, I've had to fully internalize that these people are my newparents. It's emotionally exhausting, to be honest. I mean, these two—Daichi and Irene—love me, dote on me, and treat me like I'm the center of their universe. I should be overjoyed, but all I feel is...drained. I need to sleep.
And... great. I just crapped my pants again.Perfect. Guess it's time to cry now.
Timeskip 6 Months
Haha!Freedom at last! I've finally cracked the code to this baby prison. Crawling—oh, the sweettaste of victory. There's no stopping me now.
Right now, I'm crawling around on the living room floor, making a break for who-knows-where. My dad's sitting nearby, watching me with that calm, serene smile that I'm starting to associate with him.
"Look at him go, honey! He's a baby on a mission!" my dad chuckles, proud as can be.
Mom peeks out from the kitchen and beams at me, her smile brighter than the sun. But before I can make my great escape,Dadsnatches me up mid-turn and lifts me into the air, his beard brushing against my cheek.
"You're an energetic one, aren't you? Come give Dada a kiss," he says with that hearty laugh of his before planting a kiss on my chubby cheek.
"Can younot?" I babble, spitting in his face. Of course, what comes out is just baby gibberish, but in my mind, I'm like, 'Dude, your beard feels so weird on my delicate baby skin.'
Timeskip 4 Months
This is it.The moment of truth. One small step for me, one giant leap for... well,me.
I've beenplottingthis for weeks now, and today's the day I'm going to pull it off. I crawl over to the sofa, my target, andgripit with my chubby little hands. With a determined grunt, I pull myself up until I'm standing on my two feet, unsteady but upright.
'Alright, Haruki, this is your moment,' I thought, bracing myself for the next big move. I lift my right foot, shaky but ready, and plant it on the ground.
Just as I'm about to take the next step, my mom walks into the room andfreezes. Her eyes widen in shock and excitement as she watches me, her little boy, standing on my own.
"Daichi! Come quick! He's walking on his own!" she yells, her voice filled with joy.
My dad, who had been upstairs,rusheddown like a madman, his eyes brimming with pride.
"My little boy's taking his first steps," he whispers, his voice cracking as he wipes away a tear.
"Dad, seriously, stop crying," I want to say, but what actually comes out of my mouth is a clumsy, "Dada."
Both of my parentsgasp, their faces lighting up like they've just won the lottery.
"Say it again—da-da," my dad urges, sounding it out like it's the most important word in the world.
"Dada," I repeat, mostly to make him happy. I'm not heartless. The man's tearing up over here.
Dad cheers, lifting me into the air like I'm some sort oftrophy, while Mom scoops me up in her arms and, with a soft smile, says, "Now, say Mama."
I take a deep breath, lock eyes with her, and with the most serious expression a baby can muster, I say, "Mama."
The look on her face?Pure joy.
Timeskip – 2 Months
I can now walk without wobbling like a drunk toddler and talk—though the more advanced words still trip me up. It's weird having this tiny body but the mind of someone who once graduated in mechanical engineering. Speaking of which, I finally learned what my parents do for work.
Momis aschool nurse. Simple, right? It suits her calm and nurturing nature.Dad, on the other hand, is anaerospace engineer. That's the part that has me absolutely buzzing. Aerospace? Engineering? It's like the universe heard my soul cry out for something familiar in this strange new world. Considering my previous life major, I can already feel the gears in my brain starting to turn. I never got the chance to do any cool experiments with my old parents because they were always busy saving lives as doctors. Maybe in this life, I'll finally get to tinker with rockets or something even cooler.
But enough about that—today is my birthday. My first one in this new world, and my parents have thrown me a little party. It's... surreal. I don't remember my first birthday from my old life, but this one feels like an important milestone. EvenAunt Shinjakocame to join the festivities, along with some of my dad's coworkers.
The cake is massive—well, it looks massive to me, considering I'm still pint-sized. I've got a single candle flickering atop it. Mom's smiling at me with that proud, gentle look of hers, while Dad's standing behind the video camera, capturing the moment for posterity.
"Blow out the candles, Haruki, and make a wish," Mom encourages her voice soft and filled with love.
I take a deep breath, puff up my cheeks, and blow with all my might. The candle flickers and dies out, and the room erupts into applause from the small gathering.It's a nice moment, a warm one. Even though I can't articulate it fully, I hope I remember this feeling as I grow older in this strange, new life.
Timeskip – 3.5 Years Later
I'm now 4 and a half years old, and the world doesn't feel as foreign anymore. I can speak fluently, though the occasional word still stumps me, and walking has become second nature. I've embraced my place in this new life—mostly. Even though I'm just a kid, I've made peace that I'll be stuck in this tiny body longer.
Tonight, I'm outside in a grassy field near our house. The moon's out, glowing in its usual pale splendor. I lie on my back, staring up at it, captivated by its gentle light. In moments like these, my mind starts to wander, thinking back to my love for the sciences that has reignited over the years.
"What's ya thinking about, bud?" I hear Dad's voice from behind me. His footsteps are soft, and before I know it, he's sitting down next to me, gazing up at the moon with me.
"Why does the moon always follow me?" I ask, half-lost in thought. The curiosity in my voice is genuine. Over the years, I've rediscovered my love for asking the big questions—the ones that can keep you up at night, wondering.
Dad chuckles and gives me a smirk. "Maybe the moon has a crush on you," he says, playful as ever. He loves teasing me, but I'm not in the mood for it this time.
I sit up, furrowing my brow at him, and say in my best 'serious scientist' voice, "Dad, I'm talking serious science."
He grins, ruffling my hair. "Yeah, yeah, you little brat. The real reason isgravity. Our planet is so big that it pulls the moon along with it, and that's why it seems like the moon is always following you." He gestures up at the sky, explaining as if I'm a child—which, of course, I am. "And the reason you can always see it is because the moon is big too, but not as big as the Earth."
I soak in the explanation, my mind whirring as I try to picture the forces at play. It's moments like these where I can almost feel the adult version of me and the child I've become working in tandem. I've got a whole world to explore, and asecond chanceat doing something great.
I lay back down, glancing once more at the moon. "So gravity, huh?" I murmur, my eyes closing as I drift into thought.
Dad smiles, leaning back too. "Yep. Gravity's the reason you're not floating off into space, kiddo."
"Good to know," I reply softly, a faint smile curling on my lips as the moon continues to shine down on us. There's still so much more to learn.
Timeskip 3.5 years
It's my seventh birthday, and if you had told me when I first arrived in this world that I'd end up loving this life, I wouldn't have believed you. Over these years, Dad and I have grown even closer—whether it's bonding over little science projects or just him being my biggest supporter, we've become inseparable.
I've had plenty of milestones already. My first day of kindergarten, my first days of first and second grade—each one a little step forward in this strange but wonderful new life. I could have skipped grades easily, thanks to my adult brain lurking beneath this childlike exterior, but my parents insisted that I take my time. They wanted me to have a normal childhood, and I'm grateful for that. Life is different when you get to experience it through a fresh set of eyes, unhurried.
But today... today is special.
My parents threw me a small birthday party with just a few close family members and friends, but something was off—there was no pile of presents. Instead, my parents seemed to be buzzing with excitement, exchanging looks like they were keeping some grand secret from me.
"Alright, Haruki, close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you to," Dad instructed with a mischievous grin, gently guiding me upstairs while Mom followed closely, camera in hand, capturing every second of this mystery.
I complied, covering my eyes with my hands, feeling the anticipation bubbling inside me as Dad led me further into the house. After what felt like an eternity, we finally stopped.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now!" Dad said, his voice practically trembling with excitement.
When I opened my eyes, I couldn't believe what I saw. My room—my very own room—had been completely transformed. It was no longer just a place to sleep and do homework. No, it was a one-stop maker's paradise. The walls were lined with shelves, filled to the brim with tools and gadgets, wires, gears, and all kinds of equipment I could have only dreamed of. A workbench stood proudly in the corner, alongside a tiny 3D printer and other crafting materials that I couldn't wait to get my hands on.
It was everything I could ever want—no, more than I ever dared to wish for.
My brain couldn't process the overwhelming joy fast enough, and before I knew it, my body sprang into action. I bolted forward and wrapped my parents in the tightest hug my seven-year-old self could manage.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" I blurted out over and over again, my voice muffled in their clothes. My heart felt like it was going to burst from how happy I was.
Dad laughed, his deep voice rumbling in his chest as he hugged me back. "You've got a great mind in that head of yours, Haruki. We'd be terrible parents if we didn't help it grow. Happy Birthday, son." His words sent warmth through me, a feeling of being understood and supported in the best way possible.
That day was one of the best of my new life, a memory I knew I'd hold onto for years to come—especially after everything that would happen when I turned eleven.
Later that week, I decided to put my new workspace to the test. Nothing too crazy—yet. Just the tried-and-true classic: using a magnifying glass to burn stuff, in this case, ants. I spent hours outside in the field, feeling like some mini mad scientist, watching the sun's rays concentrate and create tiny flames.
Yeah, this was the life.
Timeskip – 3 Years
It's been three years since that unforgettable birthday, and I'm now ten years old. My room has grown with me, becoming a fully-fledged laboratory and maker space where I can create, experiment, and tinker to my heart's content. My parents encouraged my love for science every step of the way, and I took full advantage of it.
But today, I came home from school to hear some news that I wasn't prepared for.
"Guess what, Haruki? I got accepted into the JAXA program and next year... I'm going into space!" Dad said, lifting me into the air like I was weightless.
"YOU'RE GOING TO SPACE?!" I shouted, my eyes wide with awe and excitement. This was the kind of news that shook my entire world. Dad wasn't just going on some boring work trip—he was going into space. My mind raced with possibilities, thinking about all the experiments and discoveries he'd be part of up there. The cosmos, the stars... it was mind-blowing.
But then, a sobering thought hit me. I frowned, looking at him with concern. "Won't that mean you'll have to leave us for a long time? You said space missions take forever."
Dad's smile softened, and he put me down gently, kneeling in front of me. "Yeah, buddy, it's going to be tough. I'll be gone for a while, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Before he could say anything else, I hugged him tightly. "Go do it, Dad. I'll wait for you. But you better bring me something cool when you come back, okay?" I held out my pinky, waiting for him to make the promise.
With a grin, he hooked his pinky around mine. "I promise, Haruki. I'll bring you back something amazing. If I don't, I'll give up science forever!"
I laughed, but the thought of him being gone still lingered in the back of my mind.
Mom, ever the pragmatist, chose that moment to step in. "Alright, boys. Haruki has homework to finish, and you, dear, need to clean up the mess you made with that Tesla cannon."
Dad and I exchanged sheepish glances. The Tesla cannon was our latest experiment—a little too powerful for our backyard, apparently. But we couldn't help grinning at each other, already thinking about the next thing we'd work on before his big mission.
In the months that followed, I made every moment with Dad count. Whether it was building new gadgets in my lab or asking him endless questions about space, I soaked in every second like it was the last. This was going to be one of the biggest adventures of his life—and somehow, I knew it would change mine too. What I didn't know was it was for the worse.
Timeskip 1 year
Tomorrow is the day of the launch—the day my dad leaves for the stars. For the past eleven years, this new life has been a dream come true. I've got better parents and better looks, and I'm no longer seen as the weird kid—just the smart one. But there's a weird catch to this world: it's a lazy knockoff of everything I used to love. Instead ofDragon Ball, there'sDrag-So-Ball, a show where the main character isn't even a Saiyan but some reincarnation of Sun Wukong. There'sSingle Partinstead ofOne Piece, and don't even get me started onWhite-OutorCATEGORY: LUNAR. It's all so... underwhelming.
But none of that really matters now. Something bigger is happening. Tomorrow, my dad is going to leave for a long time—he's headed into space, a place only a handful of people in the world ever get to go. It feels unreal like I'm standing at the edge of a huge shift in my life. I can see his packed bags in the hallway, his clothes and mementos stacked neatly for the journey. He's been planning this for months, but now that the day is here, it feels too soon.
As if things weren't already changing enough, my mom's also starting a new job. We're moving to some place called Kuoh where she'll be working as a nurse at an all-girls school. We're leaving the life I know behind, and I don't know how to feel about it. Everything is happening so fast, that I can barely keep up.
While I'm lost in my thoughts, Dad walks in from the kitchen. He sees me standing there, staring blankly at his things. Without saying a word, he comes over and puts his hand on my shoulder.
"Hey kiddo," he starts, his voice calm and comforting. "I can tell you're feeling a bit down."
I don't say anything, but he continues, rubbing my back in that reassuring way he always does.
"Listen, I know things are changing," he says softly, "but it's gonna be okay. You know why?" He pauses, waiting for me to respond, but I stay quiet.
"Because no matter what happens, as long as you don't lose thatsparkof yours, nothing can stand in your way. So promise me—never lose thatspark."
He holds up his pinky, waiting for me to lock mine with his. I hesitate for a moment, but then I raise my hand and hook my pinky around his.
"I promise," I say, the words leaving my mouth with more weight than I expected.
Dad grins at me, that same infectious optimism shining in his eyes. "That's my boy," he says, ruffling my hair before leading me into the kitchen. "Now, let's have one last family dinner before I take off for space."
It sounds so simple like it's just another trip. But in the back of my mind, I wonder if this will truly be our last family meal. Little did I know, it would be.
Today was the day. Dad woke me up early, his smile beaming, but it didn't reach his eyes. I knew he was nervous about the shuttle launch, though he tried to hide it. He hugged me tighter than usual, whispering, "Be good for your mom, Haruki. I'll see you when I get back." His promise felt real—how could it not? He was going to space, fulfilling his dream. I watched him leave, standing at the doorway until he disappeared from view.
I went to school like it was any other day. The halls felt quieter, the classrooms duller. Even though I was used to being a bit of a loner, today, the isolation weighed on me. My mind was somewhere else, drifting along with the shuttle that was soon to launch. I was eager to get home, to see the recording of the launch, to witness the moment my dad became part of something bigger than the Earth itself.
When the final bell rang, I bolted out of school like my life depended on it. I couldn't wait to see him soaring into the stars. "Mom, I'm home!" I called, but the house was eerily quiet. I dropped my bag by the door and walked toward the living room, my heart picking up speed. The TV wasn't on, which was odd because Mom had been glued to it all week, tracking every bit of news about the launch.
Then I saw her.
She was sitting on the couch, a man in a dark suit beside her, his back stiff, as if he didn't belong there. My mom's face was hidden in her hands, her shoulders trembling with barely contained sobs. The air in the room felt wrong, heavy like it had been pulled taut, ready to snap.
"Mom...?" I called, stepping closer. She lifted her head, and the sight of her tear-streaked face made my stomach drop.
"Sweetie, come here. I need to talk to you," her voice cracked, and I saw the redness around her eyes, swollen from crying. Every fiber of my being screamed that something was horribly wrong.
"Haruki..." She paused, her breath shaky. "Dad didn't make it. Something went wrong with the shuttle... it... it exploded." Her words hit like a punch to the gut.
"No, no, this isn't funny, Mom. Dad's fine, right? He's fine. Hepromisedhe'd come back," I said, my voice rising in panic, feeling my hands shake as I tried to grasp at anything to make sense of it.
The man in the suit cleared his throat, his voice low and professional. "I'm so sorry, Haruki. Your mother is telling the truth. There was an issue with the fuel cells. The shuttle... didn't make it off the launch pad. There were no survivors."
No survivors. The words rang in my ears, each syllable a knife slicing into the fabric of my reality.
I stumbled back, my heart racing as my mind rejected the truth. This had to be a nightmare—a cruel, twisted dream. Any moment now, I'd wake up. I had to wake up. But when I looked at Mom's tear-streaked face, there was no denying it.
My legs carried me up the stairs, slamming my bedroom door shut behind me. I collapsed onto my bed, numb, staring at the ceiling as if it could give me answers. Minutes passed, then hours—I don't know how long I lay there, frozen in place, my mind a chaotic swirl of disbelief.
And then the dam broke.
Tears flooded my eyes, spilling down my cheeks in hot, uncontrollable waves. I sobbed, the sound raw and ragged, ripping through the silence of my room. My chest heaved, and for the first time in this new life, I truly felt the weight of loss, of something irreplaceable being torn away.
To all those isekai protagonists who shrug off their new parents' deaths—shut the hell up. You don't know what it's like to actuallylovesomeone in this life and then lose them. The pain, the emptiness—it's unbearable.
After a while, I heard a soft knock on the door. Mom and Aunt Shinjako came in, sitting beside me, their comforting presence doing little to mend the gaping hole in my chest. My mom hugged me, her warmth a reminder that she was still here, but I barely felt it. The world had lost its color.
The funeral was a blur—faces I barely recognized, people offering their condolences, recounting stories of my dad's brilliance and kindness. His coworkers from JAXA spoke of him like he was a hero, and I guess he was. But none of it made any of this better. He was gone, and no amount of well-wishing could change that.
We moved soon after. Aunt Shinjako helped us settle into the new house, but it didn't feel like home. The home was wherever Dad was, and now... that place no longer existed.
The days turned into weeks, and though the pain dulled, it never really left. My mom tried her best, starting her new job at Kuoh Academy, where I would soon enroll. I felt like I was just drifting through life, no longer the kid who built Tesla cannons with his dad, no longer filled with excitement and wonder. That part of me had died along with the shuttle.
When I transferred into Kuoh's middle school division, I did so without fanfare. I didn't care to make an impression, and I didn't care about the icebreakers. I sat at the back, keeping my head down, lost in my thoughts.
"Hey, I'm Issei Hyoudou. Nice to meet ya," a boy with spiky brown hair said, introducing himself with a wide grin.
"...Haruki Toshiro," I muttered, barely looking up from my desk.
"Nice to meet you, Haruki! You're in the presence of the future harem king!" he declared, shaking my hand with too much enthusiasm.
I stared at him, incredulous. Did he really just say that out loud? I couldn't even muster a response, too tired to engage with this guy's absurdity.
"Issei Hyoudou, settle down!" the teacher snapped. "How many times do I have to tell you to keep those kinds of comments to yourself?"
Issei grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, sensei."
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I didn't care about the lessons, and the lunch break didn't offer much reprieve either. I was content eating alone, silently going through the motions of what life had become.
"Hey, Haruki! Mind if me and my friends join you?" Issei's voice cut through my solitude like an unwelcome guest.
"Can you leav-," I am cut off by the one with glasses, "I heard you are smart, but I bet I am smarter than you," the glasses-wearing one says to me in a smug voice.
I sighed inwardly and looked at him flatly. "I doubt that."
The ensuing "arithmetic battle" was as ridiculous as it sounded. They didn't stand a chance. But when Issei pointed out that I was smiling—a small, fleeting smirk—I quickly wiped it away. I didn't deserve to be happy, not after everything that had happened.
Day after day, this gaggle of idiots made sure I was never alone, and slowly but surely, they got me to smile—a real one, not the forced kind. It started with games, and our free time was filled with matches ofSorcery: The SummoningandYogiyu. But soon, they discovered my love for science, and that's when we formed the "Science Squad." We ran wild with experiments, pushing the boundaries of what middle school kids should even be allowed to try.
The scene shifts to me in a lab coat, safety goggles on, mixing chemicals with glee.
"Combining iron oxide and aluminum shavings creates a thermite reaction," I say with a mischievous grin, as a column of fire erupts behind me, turning an old frying pan into a molten puddle.
My friends—all wearing safety goggles—watch in awe.
"That's insane!" Issei yells, his voice shaky with excitement.
An old man walking his dog passes by, his brow furrowing as he mutters, "Adorable…?"
In my room, I'm working on machines, endless blueprints scattered around, gears and circuits humming with potential.
Later, back in the field, I'm explaining our next insane venture, "Liquid oxygen boils off at insane temperatures. To inject it into this rocket's engine, I'll switch over to kerosene to maintain stability."
My friends stare in awe again, and this time, the old man, who had been secretly watching, nearly drops his cane.
Our first year of middle school went by with a bang. I took the top spot in every subject, followed by Motohama in second place. The rest of the guys scored higher than usual, which triggered Kiriyu Aika—our school's once-undisputed top scorer.
"How did you beat me?" she demanded one day, cornering me by the lockers. Her fiery gaze didn't even faze me.
"I can't help it if I'm just naturally smarter," I said with a cocky grin, "but keep trying, and maybe you'll catch up to the second place."
From that day, Aika joined our group, determined to beat me in something. But rather than competing, she ended up helping me set up some hilarious experiments using TENS units, creating makeshift muscle controllers. We tested them on Issei, making him take awkward steps while the rest of us doubled over in laughter.
By the time our final year of middle school rolled around, we decided to go all out. In honor of my dad, who had been on a space mission for years, we were going to build a rocket—one that would breach the planet's atmosphere. This would be the best start to our first year in high school, we all decided to go to Kuoh Academy now that it would be co-ed. Motohama, Aika, and I did the calculations, while Issei and Matsuda handled construction. Aika even made these little dolls of all of us to send into space, a goofy touch that somehow felt perfect.
Today was launch day. My mind raced double and triple-checking everything—the calculations, the blueprints, the rocket's integrity. What happened to Dad wouldn't happen again. Not on my watch.
"Yo, Haruki, you good?" Matsuda called, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"You've been staring at the rocket for, like, five minutes. We're ready to launch."
I shook my head, clearing the nerves. "Yeah, everything's fine. Let's do this."
We walked to the launchpad, performing the final checks.
"Rocket's in place, no defects. Fuel cells loaded with the right amount. Payload's secure, and weather conditions are optimal," I listed off, feeling my heart race as we headed into our makeshift command center—a mini-bunker we built from scrap.
"Count me down, guys."
5
4
3
2
1
"""""Blast Off,""""" we all say in unison.
Whoosh! The rocket roared to life, its tail spewing fire as it shot into the sky. Higher and higher it went, the altimeter ticking up.
"We've passed the troposphere!" I called, my voice trembling with excitement.
"That's the stratosphere! Now the mesosphere! We're in the thermosphere!" My breath caught as the blackness of space came into view.
"We've breached the exosphere!" I shouted, tears welling up as the rocket hit its target. We had done it. We had breached the planet.
With a press of a button, the payload is released. Our little dolls floated out into space, spinning slowly against the backdrop of stars. I wiped away a few stray tears, but I couldn't stop them from coming.
"Haruki, you okay?" Issei asked, concern in his voice.
"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine. This… this was my dad's dream." I smiled through the tears, feeling an overwhelming sense of pride.
Aika rested a hand on my shoulder. "He'd be proud of you, Haruki."
I looked up at the sky, my heart full. "Yeah. He would be."
And in that moment, I knew we'd done something special—something bigger than any of us.
Timeskip 1 Year (2 Weeks Before Canon)
Our first year of high school flew by like a breeze. I kept my spot at the top, even managing to surpass Souna, a second-year who was supposed to be the genius of the academy. The Science Squad? Still tight, still doing wild experiments, and as for the perverted trio—well, they haven't changed one bit. I always get busted trying to sneak peeks at the girls during gym time. It's almost become routine.
We coasted through the year, and now, as our second begins, life feels... predictable. A little too quiet, even. Things have been good, sure, but good can sometimes be boring. What I didn't know—what none of us knew—was that tomorrow, everything would change. My world was about to be flipped upside down, inside out, and spun into the nth dimension.
