Time passed once again. It was now the year 2001.
By this point, I had bulked up quite a bit. I started going to the gym when I was twelve, back in 1998, and even before that, my body had been growing at an unusual rate. I couldn't help but wonder—did I somehow get a reincarnation perk or something? (Author's note: The cause is from Gourmet Energy.)
Now, I had already finished middle school and was preparing to enter high school. I planned to attend Karakura High.
Today was the day my mother and brother were leaving.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Mom asked, her expression full of concern.
"I like living here, Mom. Sorry, but I'm staying," I replied.
She sighed but smiled gently. "Alright. Now that you can take care of yourself, I won't worry too much."
As she prepared to leave, she fussed over me one last time. "Don't forget to wake up on time, don't forget to study, don't forget to eat, don't forget—"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," I interrupted, rolling my eyes.
She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you sure you don't want to stay at the Kurosaki house instead of living alone?"
"I'm 100% sure. I don't even know if they'd welcome me after how much I annoyed them when I was younger," I said firmly.
"And are you absolutely sure you don't need support money from us?"
"I gotta start working for myself at some point, so no need," I said.
She pursed her lips. "Alright, but if you ever desperately need money, don't hesitate to ask. We'll send some over."
"I hope that never happens. That'd make me feel uncomfortable," I admitted.
Mom chuckled softly. "You don't have to feel uncomfortable. It's normal for parents to help their children financially."
"Not if the child is grown up," I argued.
"You're still only fifteen," she reminded me with a sigh. "You've got time."
"I'll be fine. I'll try my best," I promised.
I turned to my brother with a smirk. "Hey, Kentaro, will you miss me?"
"No," he deadpanned.
"Kentaro," Mom scolded.
He sighed. "Fine… maybe a little."
Mom pulled me into a tight hug. "I'll miss you. Your dad will too," she said softly. "Give us a call sometimes if you can, okay? And pick up when we call."
"I will. This isn't goodbye—I'll try to visit when I can."
"We'll be waiting," she said warmly.
I grinned. "Hey, Kentaro, how about you stay here too?" I joked, already knowing the answer.
"HELL NO," he shot back. "If you start gaming again, I don't want to be anywhere near it. These past three years have been peaceful, and I'd like to keep it that way. If you play again, at least try not to disturb the neighbors."
Mom nodded. "Kentaro's right. You really kept your promise, and I'm thankful for that. But if you do start playing console games again, please try to behave yourself."
I smirked. "I'll try."
With that, they left. Mom was still worried about me—and, more importantly, about the neighbors if I ever returned to my old habits.
As they walked away, Kentaro glanced at Mom. "Do you think he'll be okay?"
Mom smiled. "Don't worry. Your brother can handle himself."
Kentaro frowned. "No, Mom. I know he can. What I mean is… will the neighbors be okay?"
Mom hesitated. "They'll be fine… I hope."
Kentaro narrowed his eyes. "You hope? So it's not 100%?"
She chuckled nervously. "Your brother has changed. He's been well-behaved for three years without gaming. Even if he starts again, I don't think he'll go back to his old ways."
Kentaro sighed. "Maybe you're right, Mom." …I hope.
From his house, Ichigo watched them go and called out to me. "Well, looks like you really got what you wanted. Congrats."
"Thanks," I replied.
"You said you wouldn't play games until high school. Now that you're in high school, you're probably gonna start playing again soon, right?"
"Probably, but not often," I admitted.
Ichigo sighed. "If you decide to play again, PLEASE try not to disturb our household. You've been quiet for three years—that's been a blessing. If you start causing trouble again, it's gonna be annoying."
"Depends on the game… but I'll try."
Our eyes met for a moment before he turned and went back inside. I did the same.
Inside, I let out a deep breath and silently prayed. I hoped life outside the country would be safer for my mom and brother than it was here.
And also—finally—I could smoke freely. Hell yeah.
I knew smoking at a young age was a bad idea, but I'd already tried it in secret and didn't even cough. Same with alcohol—I drank, but no matter how much I had, I never got drunk. So, I pushed it further.
One day, just to test my limits, I drank bleach.
Yeah, I know—it was a stupid idea. But when nothing happened—no sickness, no pain, no damage—I realized something: I had poison immunity. The taste was horrible, but I survived without a scratch.
That's when it hit me—I really did have some kind of reincarnation perk.
Abnormal body growth, poison immunity… and a heightened sense beyond just a sixth sense. I discovered it while pulling a lottery—I could tell which tickets were winners and which were losers. I could also sense danger, predict certain events, and more. It felt almost supernatural, something far beyond an ordinary sixth sense.
That's why I drank bleach—my instincts didn't warn me, meaning it wasn't dangerous to me.
It hadn't activated when I was a kid either—like when I saw that mysterious ghost girl by the river. Since I chose to ignore her and never got close, my sixth sense remained silent.
But one thing still puzzled me—why didn't it activate when Mr. Isshin, Ichigo's dad, attacked me?
Well… I guess I'll never know.
If I had tried to save her, it would have activated, warning me. I could have told Ichigo and Ms. Masaki to stay away from that girl.
But it's all useless now.
And regret? Regret came too late. The past is the past—I can only move forward.
Oh, and I could see ghosts too. But I figured that was normal since Ichigo could see them as well.
I wonder if I'll develop more powers. Only time will tell. I didn't tell Ichigo about all my abilities—aside from seeing ghosts—because I didn't want too many problems.
For now, I had high school tomorrow. Time to eat, sleep, and study.
"…You know what? Screw it. I haven't played a game in over three years. It wasn't that hard to endure, but it wasn't easy either."
I looked over at my collection of game consoles—gifts from my parents.
"Hmm… let's go with the PS1. Crash Bandicoot sounds good."
With that, I plugged in my PS1, determined to conquer the game. I clenched my jaw, trying my best not to scream every time I lost. Frustration built up with each failure, so I lit a cigarette and took a swig of alcohol, letting the burn settle in my throat.
"Hooray for poison immunity," I muttered before diving back in.
Time passed, and now—it was finally time for the main arc to begin.