Just when he was going to slide his hands into my pocket, I caught it.

“You will surely find it, after all, I too stole it just like you. But the fact it is yours does not have any definite proof.” I said.

“What do you even mean!?” she, I mean he, was widening her eyes which were partly visible despite the obstruction of vision by the cap.

“Even if you were to issue a complaint, you wouldn’t be able to prove it.”

“You—”

“I am well known in this area and my words would have a better weight than you.”

I paused for a moment so that she could process what I was saying.

“Also my economic status reduces my motivation to steal something from you as well.”

Well, I am not well known in this area but not that she has any reason to not believe the bluff. But yes, we are economically stable.

His facial expression became vague. He understood his situation, but he wasn’t angry. He looked disappointed and shaken. His eyes were on the verge of being moist, and he clicked his tongue.

“You...!”

He made slight movements, possibly trying to release my grip and make a run. I tightened my grip.

“What the—What the...leave me, you fre...freak!”

Despite being in a state of anger and fear, she—–I mean, he realized the harsh reality that he cannot overpower me, be it physically or mentally. His words were shaking, with a few tears shedding from his eyes.

His words were shaking with a few tears shedding from his eyes, “Please, give it back to me...I need..it, I...”

He completely broke down as if he lost his will to even evade anymore, giving the impression that it was indeed pointless. Indeed, this money meant something too important to him. This was not just a basic need.

I assumed earlier he might be a pickpocket who was checking me out and studying my details. After all, there were just the two of us who were present at that particular place.

If he were a pickpocket, I had predicted a few outcomes.

He suddenly changed his pace towards me. A clear intention of posing some impact. It went as I had in mind as one of the outcomes, albeit a favorable one at that. He probably was an amateur who did not even realize that anyone could sense the wallet-like thing in his pocket as well. He gave me a slight push to divert my attention, a futile attempt to pickpocket my wallet.

However, knowing it was a blank statement, I let him steal it while stealing his wallet in the process.

22

Pick-pocketing requires a decent amount of concentration. Even if I was not perfect with my stealing techniques, there was a high chance that he would not have realized right away that I had stolen something from him at that moment.

That said, he was just snatching a wallet and collecting the money inside, throwing the wallets away after. Because measuring the gaze by just touching this wallet, I could feel a huge amount of money within it. It made me think of choice two for a second. It was a profit with no loss.

Also, it was indeed obvious he was just an amateur at it.

“Trying to raise the basic funding one has to fulfill despite getting a scholarship at Genesis High? ”

His eye stare changed or rather her eye stare changed. It widened up as if she was in a bit of shock.

“And, you aren’t a boy, are you?” I said before she could question something.

She fixed her teary gaze by rubbing her left palm on her eye.

“How do you know about Genesis? Also, I am not—not a bo..boy, what are you talking about?”

I lifted her cap suddenly and her tied blonde hair spread down due to the sudden lifting...She was pretty, to add on, her brownish iris was charming.

“Just because you include some heavy words or curses frequently in your words, that does not make you a boy.”

“You can say just by that!?” she said, with a surprised look. 23

“Your disguise is not the best thing—and you are pretty awful at changing and maintaining your tone constantly as well.”

And well, your disguise completely fails to hide your curvy femi nine figure; indeed, she was quite mature for her age.

She averted her gaze and looked downward, and said in a puzzled manner.

“But...But how did you know that I got a scholarship at Genesis High?!”

I tapped on the bottom of my neck and pointed my finger towards hers.

“The badge?” she asked.

She made a chain out of the small badge, wearing it around her neck.

“This specific badge is given to those who perform excellently well at the entrance and avail of a scholarship.”

“But..”

“Wearing it as a chain already shows your excitement towards academics.”

Her eyes did not deny it, even when she kept quiet. That confirms my line of thought.

“Seems like you have tried very hard to reach this position,” I said.

Her eyes seemed a bit more relaxed than before.

“Yes...I have tried...the best I could...” she said, her voice softer than earlier, her eyes fixed on the ground.

“That was the only thing I could think of when I saw an educated amateur person pick-pocketing in daylight on the very last day of registration.”

“Oh....”

There could be other reasons as well, such as any relatives being sick or some serious emergency.

But the fact that today was the last date for registering the cash to enroll in Genesis High made this idea more appealing, especially keeping in mind how she treasured the badge. Because the former was particularly of no importance other than proof to oneself that they did their best.

Even if I were wrong, she could have just corrected me. “Here, catch your wallet.”

She caught it.

“Huh? You are returning it..!?”

“It’s in your hand, so I think I did.”

“But—why?”

“I don’t care too much about morals since you have not harmed me in any way.”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Uh just that—sorry,..thanks...” she said, her eyes gaining a sudden sigh, letting out a sigh.

“It’s fine. Bye now.”

I simply passed her without further talk.

25

“Hey! Black hair!”

I turned back while she closed the distance again,

“Your name?”

“That’s pretty rude of you to call me black hair. Mind telling your name first...”

“Sorry, I am Akari Aoki, ni...nice to meet you!”

“I am Hayashi Hiroshi, however, I am not sure if our meeting was particularly nice—but it was interesting.”

She bowed her head,

“Really sorry for what happened—there was no other way to raise the amount at the moment.”

“It’s fi—”

“I can’t miss my chance to join Genesis High. Stealing is an unforgivable offense, I know that, but...”

She said it in a pretty fast flow without a break.

“It’s fine. Good luck with gathering the amount today to enroll at the school.”

She nodded her head and passed me like a breeze without any further words. The amount left surely is not too much if she thinks some minor pick-pocketing would yield her the amount.

To her, my actions were kind. Although I wish for her to join the school for her possible past efforts, I am not sure if it was an act of kindness from my side.....

And well, it’s funny, but she has quite the determination even 26

in pick-pocketing. Despite being an amateur, she will most likely collect the amount.

Let’s head back home now.

27

1.3 10 Seconds Of Punishment

After some lazy effort, I reached back home.

“What are you doing, sitting near the door?”

Emi stood up and came towards me,

“Bro, you back?”

Her face suggests she was in some problem. For some reason, I felt I should escape.

“No, I am not.”

“It’s okay, just lend me some money. You know right I had some important stuff to buy today.”

There was no escape.

“Mother sends all three of us plenty of money each month.”

She sighed and diverted her sight by looking down towards the ground with a mysterious smile on her face,

“You see...don’t be annoyed. I mean I can’t believe it...I was this careless, will be careful next time I promise...so..”

I don’t want to hear that she used her money or lost it completely. “Tell me already..”

“I dropped my mini purse somewhere. It contained my whole month’s budget.”

I wonder why I have to hear things I don’t want to.

“I don’t understand how you can drop a purse and don’t even 28

notice it. No matter how mini it is. Where did you keep it?”

“Here...in my right pocket. Believe me, I searched back through all the way that I traveled to the store.” She pointed towards her waist.

Thinking back on what happened to me today, could it be...

“Can you recall any weird incident between the time you last had to did not have it? ”

“Nothing much—On the way, I petted that famous golden cat from our neighborhood, took a quick nap on a bench, and grabbed some food from stalls along the way. Oh, and I got bumped by a cap guy and blah blah...”

“Cap boy? Cap...Can you estimate his stature and his cap’s color?” “Somewhat like me I guess—White. Why?”

Come to think of it, that girl, Akari, rushed in this direction. She would have passed through Emi of course on her way if she ran straight. No doubt that she stole my sister’s purse. Did she not get anyone other than my sister in this whole way? Now I feel I am at a loss. However, that also means she probably secured her place in Genesis High. The amount of money Emi processed was quite much.

The amount did not go in vain completely.

It would just help someone to move ahead in their life. Even though the process is not an ideal one, well, why should I care?

The words moral and humanity are ambiguous in themselves. Neither do they have a definite meaning nor structure despite being the most important aspects in the eyes of society. If anything, they are the biggest lethal weapons humans possess disguised as the

29

goodwill of society.

“Some rank 3 you are at Genesis Junior High.”

“Stop pulling my leg, I apologized pouring all my heart into it. Please, please my kind brother, lend me some money.”

“You should have thought that before pinching me in the morning. Having a man’s body does not mean it is resistant to pain. However, there is a way.”

“Just quickly say it!”

“I don’t like your tone right now. It should be more softer and respectful.”

She smiled, but it wasn’t a smile, it was rather creepy.

“Dear bro, please kindly instruct what this tender girl needs to do for you...”

That sounded more like mockery.

“For a few seconds, you won’t fight back or defend no matter what I do.”

“Geez, just do whatever you want.”

I raised my two hands, pinched, and pulled her cheeks for more than 10 seconds.

“Aou, Aou....Ouch..ch...chh”

“I’m satisfied, here it is.”

I took out my real wallet from the back of my hoodie and lent her some money. I always keep the empty one in my pocket to scam any potential pickpocket. That said, the empty wallet itself has some cost

30

even though it’s cheap.

“I will get back to you for it someday, just wait.”

Saying it in a determined voice, she rushed off towards the shop.

Our family is quite stable on economic grounds, thanks to the mysterious job father does. We are always ignored by our mother when we ask about his job, although I know Aiko already knows about it. However, she refuses to share with us as well.

In short, our family consists of me, my twin sister Emi, my older sister Aiko, my mother Hayashi Jenny, and my father who usually stays overseas. I don’t even remember when I saw him last time.

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1.4 Is It Fine For Me To Be a Part Of This Family?

Hiroshi, Emi, Aiko, uh, I struggled to know these names...I, who thought of myself as a prodigy, could not figure out my name before I was 3 years old.

Nobody used to call me by my given name. I could not even directly ask because that might mark me as suspicious until I got called Hiroshi by Aiko. I discovered a few months later that I also have an older sister as well who is nearly a year and a half older than me.

With all the effort as it may seem to discover one’s name with some later discoveries of my surname as well, my name is Hayashi Hiroshi.

I figured out my twin sister’s name as well within that year, her name is Hayashi Emi and my older sister’s name is Hayashi Aiko.

We three have been staying away from our actual house in our second home since our elementary school days since it is nearer to our school...Our actual home is quite far away from our schools, which was a hassle given that we have to travel to school daily. This is why Emi, Aiko, and I transferred ourselves to this second house.

During our initial days, we also had a personal caretaker who usually worked as a regular maid for my mother. This is the same person for whom I became aware that my mother’s name is Jenny. She was the same person from the blind spot while I was a child who just regained his partial memories.

After we were self-sufficient in taking care of ourselves with Emi and I being 10 and Aiko being 11 years of age, she left for our original

32

house to our mother. Yes, we were self-sufficient at a pretty young age and we managed to fend her off that early.

I and Aiko were already the self-made masters of cooking and housing. On second thoughts, my cooking is even better. Emi was no good at household work. This is why it is me who usually cooks the food every day if we are not ordering something.

Currently, I am leading a peaceful life as it is. Going by the flow. What comes after this break is our high school life.

High school life can be a bit challenging given that it is a completely different playground. Nothing should be taken for granted. More so when the school is not just about academics. Rather academics is just a part that was neither major nor minor, unlike junior high where we were ranked only based on our grades. As simple as it is, there is practically no similarity between junior and senior high.

Entering the house, I went back to my room, my sight falling on our family photo. A family which I should not be technically a part of. But, it does not feel wrong. Everyone cares about me quite a lot.

However, I am not sure if I was caring about them the same way they do...I was not sure if I loved them as much as an actual family member should love each other. What if the person that was meant to be born and myself were different?

Practically it wasn’t my fault since this was not in my hands. But yet, it sometimes felt like I had tricked my family this whole time despite the genuineness of their feelings. Well, that does make sense, after all, I am the irregular Hayashi among them...

I may have been given a second chance, but, I am not sure if I am using it as efficiently as the person who had not been born with

33

these partial memories. I didn’t know how I was in my past life...

Truth to be said, I am yet to realize if I am truly happy with this second life...