May 11 (Monday)
So. Yesterday’s bombshell from that so-called angel threw me for a loop. I checked, just to be sure-and yeah, the money actually hit my account. The building’s a mixed-use tower: floors one through five are retail, supermarket and everything. Floors six through fifty are residential, fully leased. There’s even a gym and some other facilities around floor thirty. Not exactly cheap-rooms run close to a million yen a month. And I get that every month. After management fees, I still clear more than enough to live like a king.
As for floors fifty-one through fifty-nine? Vacant. Apparently, I have free rein to fill them however I want. Why Red-san set it up that way? No clue.
”Anyway… today’s school. Ugh…”
That sigh wasn’t the usual “I don’t wanna go to school or work” thing. I’ve got other baggage. Since I reincarnated-or rather, merged with this body’s original memories-I’ve got a lot to think about when it comes to how people see me here.
”Already paid the tuition, so I’ve gotta go, right…”
With my current insane income, I could just ditch school entirely. Hell, I could skip college and work too-live purely off rental income.
”Alright. Man up, me.”
And so, steeled myself, took the train one stop, and walked the rest of the way. As I got closer to Tenou Academy, the number of students in uniform increased.
”…”
”Hey, isn’t that…?” a girl whispered.
”Shut up, don’t look,” her friend hissed.
”Ugh, he’s actually here?” a boy muttered.
”Morning’s already ruined,” another groaned.
”That’s the rumored upperclassman?” a first-year asked.
”Yeah… they say he’s a criminal,” her friend replied.
Is it too late to cry? That’s harsh, right? I haven’t done anything. Just walking, and this is what I hear. Even digging through my merged memories, I never committed any crimes. I mean, yeah, I punched Kamiya Koichi at the end of last year-but the rumors that bastard spread have grown fins, tail fins, even chest fins by now. So now I’m the neighborhood monster.
”Ahhhh… sky’s got no right being this blue. I could kill someone.”
Anyway, griping aside, I arrived. Tenou Academy-my alma mater. Not that the name rings any bells, so I still have no idea what kind of world this is. Probably some gal game or eroge world, given the setup. The guys’ blazers are normal enough, but the girls’ uniforms are frilly and way too cute.
”Hey, is that…?” a student murmured.
”Ohhh! A goddess first thing in the morning!” another exclaimed.
”So cute… that waist is so slim… lucky…” someone else sighed.
The crowd’s buzzing. I spot the reason quickly. A girl stands at the main gate-ash-gray hair flowing past her shoulders. The very picture of an ojou-sama, a sheltered young lady. And she actually is one, famous at school too.
”…”
”Wait, please,” she called out.
”…Yeah, what is it?” I replied, turning.
I tried to walk past, but she stopped me. The crowd’s watching now. I catch whispers-“Is Kuonji-san okay?” and the like.
”May I have a moment of your time?” she asked, her voice perfectly polite.
”Sorry, I’m busy,” I said flatly.
”…You have a moment, don’t you?” she pressed, not backing down.
”Yeah…” I sighed, defeated.
Yikes. Pretty girls are terrifying when they’re persistent. So I follow her-Minaho Kuonji. She’s the biological daughter of my deadbeat parents who adopted me and abandoned me. Which technically makes her my stepsister.
”Here should be fine. …You moved, didn’t you? When?” she asked, her tone clipped and formal.
”Huh? Moved?” I blinked, confused.
For a second, I’m lost. Then it hits me-I was supposed to be living in that cheapo apartment my trash parents set up. But Red-san’s interference moved me to the tower. Except… my merged memories don’t even have a record of moving.
(“Aw, I thought of that adjustment too late, so I didn’t bother-forgive me, alright?”) the voice echoed in my head in a warm, blunt drawl.
…Could you maybe adjust things a little more carefully?!
”Are you alright?” Minaho asked, her brow furrowing slightly.
”Yeah, nothing,” I said quickly. “Anyway-why do you care about my moving? I don’t owe you an explanation.”
I didn’t mean to be so cold. I don’t even hate her personally. But the words coming out of my mouth are ice-cold. Must be the merged memories acting up. Not like I’ve got any fond ones of her to draw from. Honestly, she ganged up with those bastards against me before. So yeah, hostility comes naturally.
”Wait-how did you even know I moved?” I demanded.
”I… went to your apartment on Saturday,” she admitted, her voice faltering slightly. “They told me you’d moved out.”
”Ah. Well, sorry, but I’m not telling you where,” I said, turning away.
”But we’re… siblings,” she insisted, her voice breaking with emotion. “I think I have a right to know.”
”You don’t,” I said coldly.
Damn it. I can’t help being cold. Is this okay? If I make her cry, I’m screwed.
”I see. …That’s all I had to say,” she said quietly, her composure barely holding. “Thank you for your time. Goodbye.”
”Ah…” I started, but she was already gone.
Minaho leaves immediately. And the stares from the students watching from a distance? They’re murderous.
Trivia:
- The protagonist has inherited not just memories but also the emotional baggage and social reputation of the original body’s owner.
- Despite being “technically” siblings, the protagonist and Minaho have a hostile relationship due to the adoptive parents’ abuse and abandonment.
- The tower mansion income (approximately 1 million yen/month) represents the protagonist’s complete financial independence from traditional life paths.
- Red-san’s voice in the protagonist’s head speaks with Kansai-ben, contrasting sharply with the otherwise standard Japanese narrative voice.
- The protagonist punched Kamiya Koichi at the end of the previous year, and the subsequent rumors have exaggerated the incident into “criminal” status.
- Minaho specifically sought the protagonist out at his old apartment on Saturday, suggesting she was actively trying to find him.
- The school’s name “Tenou Academy” doesn’t trigger any recognition in the protagonist, indicating this world might be from a game or other medium he’s unfamiliar with.
- The protagonist’s cold treatment of Minaho is described as “must be the merged memories acting up” — he’s aware he’s being cruel but can’t fully control it.
- The “sky’s got no right being this blue” line is dramatic irony — the beautiful weather contrasts with his miserable social situation at school.
- The author’s note at the end (asking for ratings, bookmarks, etc.) is a meta-element common in light novel web serialization.