--------------------------------
[Committee Meeting Minutes]
"Clannad, huh."
"This specially selected user is unusual."
"Wasn’t that more or less expected, given his disposition?"
"Most people who are given an opportunity want power, whatever their disposition may be."
"Peace over abilities and power, then."
"That’s what makes it more interesting."
...
"But."
"I believe he is mistaken about something."
"Leave him be."
"Clannad is indeed a safe world."
"Physically, at least."
"Does he lack knowledge of the original work?"
"No."
"He remembers it."
"Only."
"Cherry blossoms and smiles were the first things that came to mind."
"That is simply human nature."
...
"Continue observation."
"We will decide later whether to intervene."
"And if his Mental Strength recovery rate exceeds the standard?"
...
"Then he will need a new stimulus."
[Pending]
--------------------------------
A warm breeze brushed against my cheek.
"..."
I opened my eyes.
An unfamiliar sky.
I was dazed for a moment by the fact that it was not a ceiling.
When I turned my head, I saw a bus stop.
And.
In one hand, I held a suitcase.
In the other was a cell phone.
"..?"
Looking over the phone in my hand, I found it was the sort of cell phone I had only seen in Japanese anime as a child.
It looked incredibly old.
What had it been called again?
A feature phone?
Anyway, it was not a smartphone.
But.
When I turned on the screen, familiar app icons appeared.
There was no way this could be technology from the 2000s.
"...What is this?"
Ding.
[1.3 km to Hikarizaka Academy]
[Would you like directions along the recommended route?]
"..."
I really came here.
As I stared blankly at the screen,
the scenery around me gradually came into view.
Perhaps because it was the weekend, there were many people around the station.
And.
Only then did I realize it.
I had been standing in the middle of the station entrance, blocking the way.
"Ah."
People walked around me.
A few even glanced my way.
In that instant,
guilt and embarrassment washed over me at once.
[User.]
[You are currently obstructing pedestrian traffic.]
"Ah."
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry.
Apologizing repeatedly in my head, I hurried out of the station.
...
Bzzzt.
[You are moving farther away from your destination.]
My hurried steps, as though I were fleeing, came to a stop.
"..."
"...Ah."
Come to think of it.
I did not know where I was supposed to go.
Looking around, I seemed to be in a residential neighborhood.
[I will guide you directly to your destination.]
"No. Wait a second."
Rather than moving blindly, I needed to get a handle on the situation first.
When I went a little farther in, I spotted a small park.
"Let’s sort things out over there for a moment."
The place I arrived at was an ordinary neighborhood park.
A public restroom off to one side.
Benches and swings.
A slide and jungle gym.
Maybe because it was the weekend, there were quite a few children as well.
...
And.
One person stood out in particular.
A man in an apron was swinging a baseball bat with a serious expression.
"...?"
For some reason, I could not take my eyes off him.
[User.]
[Have you spotted a suspicious individual?]
"..."
Without saying anything, I simply went around at a distance and sat on a bench.
"App."
[Speak.]
"What did you do to my memories?"
...
Something had gradually begun to feel off.
This was definitely a world I knew.
Clannad.
I knew the title.
I knew it was a moving story.
But.
Who the protagonist was.
What happened.
What ending it came to.
None of it came to mind, as though it were shrouded in fog.
My memories had not vanished.
But the more I reached for them, the farther away they felt.
It was as though someone had blurred only the important parts.
Even the person right in front of me felt clearly familiar.
Yet I could not remember who he was at all,
or what circumstances he was in.
[This measure is intended to prevent future prediction based on knowledge of the original work.]
"...What?"
[This inquiry is frequently received.]
[Please review the Terms of Service and the precautions for specially selected users.]
"..."
When I operated the phone, the message I had first seen appeared.
[※ Specially selected users may face restrictions depending on circumstances.]
I could click that?
[Precautions for Specially Selected Users]
- For the user’s safety, some memories and perceptions may be restricted.
- Information that critically affects the world’s progression may be automatically obscured.
- These restrictions will gradually be eased according to the user’s adaptation level.
"..."
"Hey."
[Yes.]
"Why are you telling me this only now?"
[You did not read the Terms of Service.]
"No, you should have shown it to me right away. Who hides something behind a click?"
[Above all, it is because we hope you enjoy this world.]
"What?"
[If you knew the original work.]
[When conflict arises.]
[When difficult things happen.]
[Could you face them rather than run away?]
In that instant,
I realized this was not healing.
It was another life.
"..."
I had no answer.
[Could you grow close to someone knowing you would lose them?]
[Could you form a relationship knowing you would be hurt?]
[Could you enjoy the present knowing the ending?]
"..."
"It hurts because it’s true."
...
[I have confirmed why your Mental Strength is 1.]
I suddenly wanted to talk about something else.
"Show me my status window. I should check my identity while I’m at it."
[Topic change confirmed.]
"If you know, then let it go."
[Calling up the status window.]
Name: Morita Shu (森田 修)
Age: 16
Grade: Second Year (Transfer Student)
Affiliation: Hikarizaka Academy
Residence: Boys’ Dormitory
Cash on Hand: 50,000 yen
Lv. 1
[New user rewards have been applied.]
Points: 200
Strength: 4
Stamina: 5
Agility: 4
Intelligence: 6
Luck: 2
Mental Strength: 1
Titles Held
- Specially Selected User
Status
- Social Anxiety
- Excessive Self-Criticism
- Chronic Fatigue
Special Notes
- Mental Strength Growth Restricted
- Partially Lifted Upon Achievement Completion
"Ah, I thought the points would disappear if I didn’t use them."
[Current points held: 200]
[Would you like to use them?]
"No, later. Explain them to me then, too."
[I expected that.]
"...What?"
[You prefer saving to spending.]
"How do you know that?"
[I analyzed your behavioral patterns.]
"..."
[I also consulted your account history.]
"Hey."
No.
There would be no end to it if I started arguing with this app.
"So I’m... Morita Shu now?"
"...What exactly is the situation, then?"
[You are currently registered as a student who transferred from Tokyo.]
[You will move into the dormitory today.]
[After visiting the faculty office on Monday, you will be assigned to a class.]
[The relevant documents have already been submitted to the school.]
Thank goodness.
At least I would not have to deal with bothersome procedures like that.
"Does Shu have parents?"
[Guardian information has been registered.]
"...A guardian?"
[Your current settings have been configured to facilitate your stable adaptation.]
"What does that mean?"
[That information is not necessary at this time.]
"...So you have no intention of telling me."
[Contact between you and your guardian is currently kept to a minimum.]
"A minimum?"
[You exchange greetings during each school vacation, approximately.]
"..."
[You do not need to worry about it from now on.]
"...That’s true, too."
[You tend to worry in advance about things that have not happened.]
"..."
For some reason, I could not refute that.
Bzzzt.
[Current time: 15:27]
[1.8 km to Hikarizaka Academy]
[1.4 km to the Boys’ Dormitory]
[Recommended action: Move in]
[The Boys’ Dormitory caretaker is waiting.]
"..."
Ah, someone was waiting for me.
"You should have told me that sooner!"
[I did tell you.]
"When?"
[Recommended action: Move in]
"..."
[You tend to read your worries before explanations.]
[1.4 km to the Boys’ Dormitory]
"Do I have to walk?"
[Yes.]
"What about a taxi?"
Right. Japanese taxis were expensive.
[Current cash on hand: 50,000 yen]
"..."
[You prefer saving to spending.]
"Let’s walk."
No.
Let’s jog a little.
I rose from the bench.
I began walking briskly toward the entrance.
"Hey!"
"?"
Ah, it was the baseball-bat guy.
"I’ve been watching you. You’ve been staring at your phone and muttering to yourself this whole time."
"Are you sick or something?"
My face felt like it was rapidly growing hot.
"Ah... I’m fine."
The man glanced at my face and suitcase.
"Huh? Looking at you, you’re obviously a student, aren’t you?"
I just wished he would let me go quickly.
"Yes."
"Hikarizaka High School?"
"Yes."
"Oho, a dorm student!"
"Yes."
"Ooh!"
The man suddenly reached somewhere and pulled out a plastic bag.
"Here, take it!"
"...?"
It was filled to the brim with colorful bread.
"It’s my wife Sanae’s special masterpiece!!"
"..."
"Don’t be shy—take as much as you want!"
[Danger detected]
"?"
[Consumption may affect your Mental Strength.]
What kind of bread affected someone’s Mental Strength?
"Can I really accept this?"
"Hahahaha! Why’s a young man like you so suspicious?"
Was he serious?
Still, it felt a little awkward to refuse.
"Thank you. How much do I owe you?"
"I said it’s fine! We have loads left over anyway!"
I wanted to ask why they had so much left over.
But I was afraid, so I held back.
Just as I dipped my head and was about to leave—
"Boy! If you’re looking for bread, come to Furukawa Bakery!"
Looking where he pointed, I saw a bakery with a small red sign across from the park.
"Okay."
I answered vaguely.
The park gradually receded behind me.
I opened my phone again.
"App."
[Speak.]
"Do I really have to look at my phone to talk to you? Don’t you have another function?"
[Optimizing the UI for the convenience of the specially selected user.]
"UI?"
[The guidance function will be switched from phone-based to a mental-link-based interface.]
[Continuously checking your phone is unnatural.]
"You could have..."
done that sooner.
[I can hear everything.]
"Ah."
...
Pulling my suitcase behind me, I walked quickly.
A warm breeze passed by.
An unfamiliar street.
An unfamiliar world.
And.
The first step that began here.
My destination was the Boys’ Dormitory.
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