Chapter Text
"Summing up..."
The hissing sound and the aroma of freshly made food came from the kitchen. The former commander, now in the body of a boy, carefully transferred freshly cooked rice onto a plate. Turning back to the stove, he grabbed the frying pan and gently placed a fried egg atop the rice.
As much as he didn’t want to think too deeply about it, his sharp observational skills and precise memory—courtesy of Record, a skill that noted every detail from clothing to toothbrushes—had already pieced together the situation. And all he'd wanted was to find the bathroom. Still, now he had a rough idea of where he was and who he was "acquainted" with.
"My name remains the same - Cale Henituse. It's currently 2003, and physically, I’m a 12-year-old elementary school student. I’m in Tokyo. Besides me and my mother, this house also has another woman and her child living here, as well as my twin brother."
Gathering his shoulder-length hair into a messy ponytail, Cale began his late lunch, washing it down with apple juice he'd found in the fridge.
The parent of this new-yet-familiar body worked in a brothel but decided to leave a few years after discovering her pregnancy. She even persuaded a friend—Draken's mother, in a similar situation—to come with her. At least, that was Cale's guess as to why this family had no men (children excluded) and why the son of his mother's friend bore such a resemblance to one of the secondary characters in this world.
"As for the elder Henituse, she's currently at school with my twin brother, handling some behavioral issue of his," he concluded, based on a message he'd found on the flip phone lying around.
After cleaning the dishes, the red-haired boy decided to head back to his room. Lively chatter from his brother’s friends filled the living room.
"And why did he let them in?"
°°°
Earlier.
"Hyung, didn’t you have the keys?" Cale raised an eyebrow in silent questioning. Thankfully, he'd checked all the rooms and contacts on the phone before opening the door. Without that precaution, he might have been exposed.
"I lost them," came the calm reply from a tall blond—Ken Ryuguji, who would later be known as Draken. There was something about his demeanor that reminded Cale of himself.
"Ah, right. Guys, this is my brother, the younger twin—Cale. Cale," Ken gestured towards a boy with light hair, starting introductions before being interrupted.
"Sano Manjiro. But you can call me Mikey. And that over there is Toothpick—er, I mean Baji. And him..."
A boy of the same age moved in uncomfortably close to Cale, invading his personal space as he cheerfully introduced the others.
Dark navy eyes, almost black like a certain god’s, studied Cale’s expression and demeanor, ignoring the indignant protests and playful insults from his friends over the nicknames.
Mikey was prepared for any reaction: irritation, an awkward aversion of gaze, or maybe a dumb grin—typical of most kids his age. What he didn’t expect was for Cale to glance over their group, nod politely for the sake of manners, and return to the apartment without a word.
Cale didn’t even realize how reflexively he masked all his emotions. But to Mikey, the change was electrifying. For the first time, someone piqued his interest from a single interaction... and something more.
A slowly growing feeling.
The younger Henituse seemed distant, yet strangely magnetic. His control over his facial expressions, his deceptively relaxed movements, his seemingly frail frame—all of it was a lie. One wrong move, and Mikey had no doubt this boy would annihilate him without hesitation.
Mikey watched the retreating figure in the hallway. His dark eyes widened as he processed the emotion he felt.
Fear, laced with a strange anticipation.
Just a little—but enough to know: he couldn't defeat him. This boy was someone stronger. It was a feeling Mikey had only experienced in his early years of martial arts, fighting against his uncle.
Finally sorting through his thoughts, Mikey followed Cale down the hallway.
Ken had initially wanted to retrieve his phone, but the gang of delinquents—his friends—joined him instead. And now, with Mikey’s growing interest in a specific individual, he had no intention of leaving anytime soon.
Meanwhile, Cale felt a chill run down his spine. Shaking his head, he focused back on the conversation with ancient forces. Not all of them, but a few, had transferred along with him—a fact he couldn’t help but appreciate.
{Sniff* I’m here...}
{Cale! I’m here too! Me too!}
"The Thief, the Crybaby, and the Glutton, huh?" He felt a faint aura wrap lightly around his small frame. "And Dominating Aura."
°°°
Back to the present.
Inhale.
The uninvited guests, along with his unrelated elder brother, had been let in—a decision Cale deeply regretted. To reach his "sanctuary," he would have to pass through the living room.
The plan to "avoid the headache of main characters" had failed spectacularly.
As the door opened, the noise died down. Several pairs of eyes turned toward the youngest in the room. Without acknowledging them, Cale walked calmly toward his destination—his room.
Since his parent and elder twin wouldn’t return until evening, he still had time to think... or nap.
"Cale-chi, let’s be friends."
It wasn’t quite a question but more of a statement. Mikey stood up from the couch and approached the motionless figure.
Cale’s relaxed stance remained unchanged, giving the impression that the bold declaration hadn’t fazed him in the slightest.
Yet internally, he was crying, screaming, and cursing that dumb god at least ten times before bidding farewell to the peaceful days that had never even begun.
Oh, how much he hated this.
"I..." He was saved by the loud bang of the front door. It seemed his mother and twin had returned.
"We’re home!"