Youth---
"Youth is a symphony of uncharted melodies, where each note resonates with the vibrancy of dreams and the cadence of endless possibilities."
"Like a canvas untouched by time, youth paints life with the vivid hues of curiosity, dauntless spirit, and the brushstrokes of boundless hope."
"Youthfulness is about how you live not when you were born."
...
As he awoke, the phrase "Unfamiliar ceiling..." crossed the boy's mind. He rose from the bed with a languid demeanor, making his way to the bathroom. Staring into the mirror, he contemplated the reflection before him.
Staring back from the mirror was a young face, maybe around fifteen or sixteen years old. This face had a certain charm, like an 8 out of 10. The only issue was a pair of eyes that looked dull, like fish that had gone bad.
But these eyes helped the young man figure out who he was. You see, these lifeless eyes were famous in the world of two dimension.
"It looks like I'm pretty good-looking. If you ignore these eyes, I'm quite attractive. But because of these eyes, my handsomeness seems a bit toned down."
Standing in front of the mirror, touching his face with one hand, the boy said to himself.
"Hey, I know you think you're handsome, Onii-chan, but if you don't hurry to wash up, let me go first. I need to get wash up too!"
Right as the boy was being a bit too self-absorbed, a clear voice came from behind him.
He turned around and saw a girl in pajamas standing there. She looked about twelve or thirteen and had short hair.
From what she said, it was obvious that she was his younger sister, Komachi.
With those distinct eyes that looked a bit lifeless, it was easy to figure out who the boy was – Hikigaya Hachiman.
With the confirmation of my identity, a rush of memories came pouring into my mind!
I hadn't expected that an ordinary gamer like me would end up in this world, taking on the role of Hachiman.
"Hey~~~ Onii-chan, move it! Komachi is going to wash up!"
As Hachiman remained unfazed, Komachi let out a small yawn, revealing a cute little canine tooth peeking out from the corner of her mouth.
Seeing that tiny canine tooth, a fleeting thought crossed Hachiman's mind, prompting him to give himself a hard mental slap.
"Come on, Hachiman, that's your own sister," he chided himself.
It looked like he needed to be more careful from now on.
"Alright, alright, since my adorable little sister has spoken, let's have Komachi go first and get ready!"
Being a true Chiba native, Hachiman certainly wouldn't turn down such a simple request from his sister. He stepped aside.
Listening to her Onii-chan brag about her cuteness, Komachi's eyes sparkled with happiness. She headed to the mirror to start washing up.
"Oh, what you said just now, Onii-chan, it really got to me. But hey, have you finally reached that age where you care about how you look? I guess it's something every guy goes through." Komachi reminisced, recalling Hachiman's earlier musings to himself.
Hachiman waved it off, saying, "Nah, I was just lost in thought. Komachi, go ahead and get ready. I'm going to make breakfast." With a yawn, he left the bathroom, not wanting to dwell on the topic.
Upon reaching the kitchen, Hachiman set about preparing breakfast.
Cooking breakfast was a breeze for him, given his background as a seasoned gamer. Living alone most of the time had granted him some cooking skills.
As he worked on breakfast, Hachiman also organized his thoughts. Notably, he had recently graduated from junior high school and was set to begin his first year of high school after the summer break.
The situation left him feeling somewhat powerless. He had been excited to meet his destined companions in the upcoming school semester, Yui and Yukino. However, he now found himself having to wait a year for that encounter.
On the bright side, the extra time would allow him to prepare more thoroughly. With a year ahead, he could ready himself for the eventual reunion with Yui and Yukino.
Having said that, since I have dimensional travel, I just don't know if I have a cheat. What if I don't get a cheat and embarrass the vast number of dimensional travelers.
As my mind wandered, Hachiman's hands were busy, and he finished two breakfasts in a short while.
He quickly finished two breakfasts: egg and bacon sandwiches paired with a cup of hot milk, completing a simple morning meal.
[Cooking module loading...]
[Loading complete.]
As Hachiman placed the two breakfasts on the dining table, a mechanical voice resonated in his mind.
Upon hearing this voice, a trace of surprise flickered in Hachiman's otherwise lifeless gaze.
Its coming!
This is the cheat that the traveler must have.
But before he could be happy, Komachi came out of the bathroom.
"Oh hey, Onii-chan, what's for breakfast this morning?"
"Egg bacon sandwich and milk, okay."
As Komachi emerged, Hachiman suppressed his smile and responded to her inquiry about today's breakfast.
"Of course, Komachi has never been a fussy eater! No matter what Onii-chan prepares, Komachi will gladly eat it!" Komachi said with a smile.
Because their parents often worked overtime, Hachiman took care of Komachi most of the time during their childhood. Regardless of others' opinions of him, as an older brother, Hachiman truly did his best.
"By the way, this line really warms Komachi's heart!" Komachi said as she reached the dining table, tilting her head toward the banner, playfully sticking out her tongue.
"Sure thing, Komachi. You go ahead and have breakfast. I'm going to wash up."
After exchanging greetings with Komachi, Hachiman entered the bathroom. With the appearance of the cheat, he needed to study it carefully.
In the bathroom, Hachiman started washing up and also tried to communicate with his system.
"System?"
"System!"
"System."
Despite his attempts, the voice he heard earlier didn't return. However, he could clearly see a virtual game-like screen in his mind.
The screen displayed a handful of details:
[Host: Hikigaya Hachiman]
[Age: 16 years old]
[Module loaded: Cooking lv1 (100/1000)]
Despite calling out to the system repeatedly and receiving no response, Hachiman eventually gave up.
He came to realize that the system lacked any form of artificial intelligence or even an instruction manual. He couldn't help feeling a bit downcast – the cheat seemed disappointingly irresponsible, earning it a bad review!
Feeling a bit sad, Hachiman finished washing up and left the bathroom.
"Onii-chan, come and eat quickly." Komachi saw Hachiman coming out at the table and shouted at him.
"I'm coming! Coming! Didn't I tell you to eat first! You don't need to wait for me!" Hachiman sat down and couldn't help but said.
"We are family! Of course I have to wait for Onii-chan to have breakfast together! Ahh~" Seeing Hachiman sitting down, Komachi couldn't wait to take a bite of the sandwich, and then said with a happy face.
Hachiman didn't say anything, but he felt touched. Having lived alone in his previous life, he hadn't experienced this kind of family warmth for a while.
From now on, he fully embraced his identity. Having a cute sister like Komachi made him feel good.
He definitely won't be alone like in the original.
I, Hikigiya Hachiman, need to change!
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A/N:
This is edited
I'm going to edit chapters 1 to 12 to fix mistakes like "oni-chan," which should be "Onii-chan," and correct grammar errors. I want to improve the overall readability and accuracy of the text.