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Without the hustle and bustle of working in the Ocean Oasis Bar, my busy days have become serene.

My parents told me to stay home to recuperate while they worked every day. There wasn't much to do other than game, exercise, or read the books around.

I went out to explore one day since I got bored reading Japanese literature all the time. It simply didn't have that power fantasy aspect that I liked. As for my destination, I hadn't decided at the time.

I went where my feet took me. Instead of leisurely walking, I jogged since I needed to do my 10km for the day.

Well, at least I tried to. If I was being generous, it was more like four and a half kilometers with multiple rests. But that's plenty impressive for someone as weak as me, okay!?

It was during this time that I came across a salon. Perfect. My head was feeling itchy just now.

"Welcome back, little lady. Hmm, did you come alone? Where are your parents?"

The owner was a bald, middle-aged woman. I've never met her in my entire life, but she seemed to know me.

'Well, it doesn't matter.' Looking at her shiny head that must've felt comfortably cool in this summer heat, I felt really good about this place.

"My parents are at work," I replied while settling on one of the empty seats. There was no one else in the shop other than the owner. Maybe I'm her first customer of the day? I did leave home pretty early.

The owner nodded her head in understanding. "Right. So, do you want the usual?"

"Umm, what is my usual haircut? I forgot."

"Just a simple trim," she said while gathering her tools.

"So my hair is still gonna be long?"

"Of course. So, do you want the usual?"

"No, thank you. I want my hair short this time since it's so hot. I'd also like it to be as low maintenance as possible."

The owner seemed surprised but didn't dig any deeper. She stroked my hair, saying, "Such a shame... it looks so nice and healthy... but your wish is my command! Short hair it is! Do you have any style in mind?"

I shook my head since I knew nothing about haircuts apart from buzz cuts, bowl cuts, and anime haircuts. 

"I'll leave it up to you."

When was the last time I had a haircut? Before I got my wishes? So, nearly a year.

I've almost forgotten how relaxing a haircut was. The snipping of the scissors was pure ASMR, while the weight on my head seemed to lessen with each snip.

Today was my first time going to a salon. Usually, a barbershop is where I go, but for dealing with long hair, I think I have to go to a salon? At the very least, none of my past barbers ever treated me this gently. It feels nice, like a massage.

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the relaxing sensation on my head.

...

An hour later, the owner was adding the finishing touches.

"And... done!"

I examined my reflection in the mirror. My wavy, long white hair was gone, reduced to a fifth of its original length. I could see my nape in the mirror now. That's how short it got.

"This feels good. It looks good too."

"I'm glad you like it!"

I paid the owner using my salary while working in the Ocean Oasis. I was rich enough that I didn't need to think about the cost of a single haircut. Thanks a lot, my generous tippers, and thank you too, Grandpa!

My thirst for adventure was now satisfied. Thankfully, I didn't get lost when I retraced my steps back home.

While gaming in the afternoon, my parents returned home. They looked at me once, double-backed, and immediately lost their balls.

"You went all the way to Mia's Salon?! Do you know how far that is?! What if something happened to you?! Your memory isn't well, so what if you got lost and couldn't return?! Do you remember what a truck is?! What if you got hit by a passing truck?!"

"I'm sorry..."

Mayumi clicked her tongue. 

"Your Gameboy privilege has been taken away."

Yoink! The Gameboy in my hand was snatched just like that.

"What?! No way, that's too much!"

I tried to take it back, but Mayumi held the Gameboy over her head. I wasn't tall or strong enough to jump that high.

"We will give it back when the time is right."

"Son of a...!"

I didn't talk to them for two days after that.

'I used my own money to buy that thing, dammit! You can't just confiscate it!' As much as I wanted to say that, I kinda was in the wrong for leaving without telling anyone. Meh, still pissed though.

Anger was a surprisingly good fuel for exercising since I completed 100 pushups for two days straight (with a lot of rest time between sets).

In the past, I never could've imagined doing such a feat. Not only was I unmotivated, I was gobbling up all kinds of anime I could get my hands on. Yet here I was with super sore arms and a calmer mind.

I flexed in front of a mirror. I didn't see much change in my body. My skinny arms were still thin, my legs resembled that of a chicken's, and I wasn't losing hair. It's safe to say that I won't be breaking my limiters anytime soon.

Wait. I can see a little bump there. Aha! It feels a bit firm!

'Well, muscles aside, I feel like I've gotten somewhat stronger.'

<Annihilate>

With a thought, my bedroom became completely dark.

The darkness lasted for as long as I wanted. My eyes saw nothing but black, as if nothing was there, but I could still clearly feel the floor through my feet, and I felt the surrounding air turn crisp.

'I have gotten stronger. Well, at least, smarter in how I use what I have.'

The larger the thing I wanted to Annihilate, the more I felt the burden. Light was super tiny, however. And if I remember correctly, light was massless.

'So, can't I Annihilate tons of it?'

And here was the result of that thought.

'What else can I Annihilate...'

That was how I spent the remainder of my summer vacation: Exercising and experimenting with my powers. Without work taking up my time, I found myself buried in Skill R&D.

******

The time for school came.

"Stay home for the time being."

And it went ignored. My parents didn't want me to go to school just yet. It had something to do with making preparations or something.

To be honest, it's a different feeling when you stay home knowing that you have school. It just makes the whole experience better somehow.

Unfortunately, a mere week later, my parents changed their tune.

"My memories... they're returning... I remember school being a horrible place..."

Mayumi looked at me weirdly.

"Stop exaggerating. You always came home with a big smile, talking about all the fun things you and your friends did!"

"Tsk."

Why couldn't I get Pico's memories as well? Everything would be much easier if I knew the people around me and her experiences in the past.

'I'm sorry, Pico. I'll probably be destroying the friendships you've made along the way. They aren't my friends, you know?'

In the first place, it's a bit weird for me to be friends with children. I'm mentally twice their age.

"Come on, Eira. We'll miss the train if we don't hurry!" Kenzo quickly gobbled down his meal. By the way, I've been responsible for cooking breakfast and bento boxes for everyone since I returned from the Ocean Oasis. I won't allow myself to grow rusty.

"Ugh, alright. I'll go to that stupid school."

I cursed under my breath as I headed to the bathroom. 

...

After drying myself with <Consume>, I looked for my uniform. It didn't take much effort to find it in my closet of flashy dresses.

"Is this uniform or cosplay?"

My supposed school uniform looked similar to Sailor Moon's clothing but for kids. I even have a hat that came with it.

"Mom, is this my uniform?"

I asked Mayumi just in case this was actually Sailor Moon cosplay.

"Did you forget that too? Yes, it is."

"Can I wear something else?"

"Do you want your Gameboy back?"

"Tsk."

I spent ten minutes figuring out how to wear my so-called seifuku uniform. Mayumi broke into my room after I took too long and fixed it in a jiffy.

"Hurry now!" she said while handing me my backpack.

"Okay. See you later, Mom."

"Bye, honey."

Kenzo and I speed-walked to the train station. Since I didn't know where my school was, he suggested he guide me for a few days until I got used to traveling back and forth, even if he might be late to work because of it.

After all, I have no clue where my school is.

The train came to a screeching halt. More people entered than got off, and we were of the former.

The train had little space. Not a single seat stayed empty, and when someone got off, another person replaced them.

Past the crowd of standing strangers, I glimpsed some hats resembling mine. 

'We have the same uniform.'

I observed the kids rather intently. Kenzo was here to guide me, but if I ever forgot the way later, I could follow one of them to school.

"This is our stop," Kenzo spoke as the train began to slow.

Once the station staff opened the train doors, an army of children in school uniforms flooded the platform.

By this point, I was confident I could get to school alone. It was a simple matter of following the crowd. Still, Kenzo insistently walked me all the way to the front gate.

The gate towered over me. So did the gray walls made of concrete. But the gate was wide open, and students of all ages entered without much thought.

This school was larger than the one I went to in my youth. It looked cleaner as well, and there were a lot of students loitering everywhere.

'Will it be different this time?'

I remembered my school life in the past. It was, well, not really...

"Nervous?"

Kenzo's face was in front of me before I knew it. A knowing smile was on his face.

"Pfft, n-no."

"It's okay. You've been doing fine in the past; you will be fine now. You're not alone. Always remember that."

I felt a hand on my head. My neatly tucked hair quickly became disheveled. 

"I'm always here for you. Mommy's always here for you."

"Yeah. Got it," I said. My lips gradually curved into a smile. If there was ever one thing I learned about Kenzo, he was good at reassuring people.

"The homeroom teacher is always there for you too. Friends too."

"Umm, sure."

"If someone messes with you, especially boys, you can kick them between their legs as hard as you can. I won't be mad."

Uhh, should he be saying that right now?

I cleared my throat. "Ehem. Aren't you going to be late to work if you stay any longer, Dad?"

"Not until you promise me you'll kick them hard."

"I get it already, so just go!"

With a final pat, Kenzo turned back the way he came. Still, he kept looking back to wave at me.

"Good grief."

That guy can get bothersome at times.

Ah, but in a good way, of course.

"Sasaki-chan."

A voice called out to me before I could step past the gate.

An adult woman, undoubtedly a teacher, approached with her clickity-clackity high heels. She spoke with a troubled look on her face.

"I've heard from your parents. You've lost your memory, yes?"

"Yes."

"Follow me. I'll lead you to your classroom.."

Seeing her walk away, I thought, 'I'm like a little duckling today.' I followed her deeper into the school, entering the main building.

"So..." The teacher said, "...you don't remember me?"

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. I'm your homeroom teacher, so you can ask me anything you aren't sure about."

'Well, I'm not sure about a lot of things.'

For example, the teacher and I switched into indoor shoes before ascending the building. I've seen it happen in anime, but I would have mistaken the shoe lockers for regular lockers anyway. I could have been expelled right there and then! (I'm obviously exaggerating)

'That's a good idea, actually. Should I get myself expelled?'

It's worth thinking about.

From what I saw outside, I estimated the main school building to have four floors, including the open rooftop area. Mayumi mentioned that I was in my fifth year of elementary school, and from what I've seen, the lower years are closer to the ground floor, so my classroom should be up there somewhere.

And just as I thought, up and up we went, all the way to the third floor.

"This is it."

The walls had large transparent windows that allowed me to see into the classroom. School bags were stored on a shelf at the back of the classroom. Kids chatted with each other in multiple friend circles. Some kids in the back were even playing games on their Gameboys.

'Damn, I should have brought mine too. I didn't know that was allowed.'

"Let's go in then, shall we?"

The homeroom teacher dragged me into the room without waiting for a response.

Suddenly, I was on the podium. When the homeroom teacher entered, their rowdy chatters somewhat lessened but continued on. When I entered immediately after, they just went straight up silent. I felt the gazes of the kids—my classmates—gradually fall on me.

"Hey, it's Sasaki Pico."

"She was sick, right?"

"Weren't you listening last week? Idiot. She lost her memories!"

I overheard their whispers. Frankly, their supposedly hushed whispers were loud.

"Okay, hush now, everyone. Sasaki-chan, won't you introduce yourself?"

"Huh?"

What do you mean introduce myself? WHAT DO YOU MEAN INTRODUCE MYSELF?!

The homeroom teacher smiled. "Since you lost your memories, that makes this the first time you're meeting everyone."

I suppressed a frown. "Everyone already knows who I am, though?! I don't think I need to reintroduce myself."

"Come on, it's no fun that way—I mean, this will let you get reacquainted with everyone much easier."

I heard that! You're doing this for your own entertainment!

She ushered me forward. "Everyone's waiting for you."

'Don't put this kind of pressure on me, you witch!'

Sighing, I stopped glaring at the homeroom teacher and returned the gazes of all my classmates. 

Approximately twenty kids were before me. However, the desks numbered more than thirty. There must be some still out there making their way here, loitering outside, or simply sick.

Looking at all their faces full of baby fat, I calmed down before I knew it.

'They're just kids. What the hell am I so anxious for?' I reassured myself. What kind of adult man was afraid of a bunch of little turds anyway? It simply doesn't make sense!

Everyone under the age of 20 is practically a child in my eyes!

'I'm no ordinary guy either! I have my pride to uphold as someone who used to be OP as fuck!'

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. That little action cleared my head. When I opened my eyes, I saw the world differently. It didn't seem as frightening anymore.

After all, I have seen tons of crazy things in my time. Elementary kids were nothing.

"Good morning, everyone. My name is Sasaki Eira, and as you may have heard, I lost all my memories. Nice to meet you all again."

I finished off my introduction with a bow.

From my peripherals, the homeroom teacher's eyes widened slightly. "That was more composed than I expected. Nice job."

I gave her a mental middle finger. 

Once I finished my introduction, the hushed whispers returned with even greater intensity. 

'I'm right here, people! At least try to make it less obvious!'

Eh, they're kids. I'll let this one go.

"Where do I usually sit?" I asked.

"Down there in the corner." The homeroom teacher pointed at a seat in the furthest row, one beside the window. 

Wow. I get to sit on the main character seat? Nice! Score!

"But," the homeroom teacher added, "since it would be best for you to be within reach of your teacher if you ever need help, I'll send you to the front."

My heart dropped at her statement.

"Miss, I'm pretty sure I can manage from all the way back there."

"Ah, but I insist. Your seating arrangement will affect your studies. Since you lost memories, you probably can't answer even the simplest of questions. It would be easier for you to pay attention up front."

But at this rate, I'll live my days in constant scrutiny! It'll have a detrimental effect on my mental health!

"What about the person who will get sent to the back? What about their future? You are dooming them, Miss Homeroom Teacher!" I spoke with a somewhat authentic, worried tone.

Worried for my future, of course.

"Nakamura-san will be fine. He's plenty smart."

"I'm pretty smart too!"

I heard snickering from somewhere in the room when I said those words. I snapped my head towards the source, but everyone I made eye contact with averted their gaze.

'Was I hearing things? I feel mocked for some reason...'

Nevertheless, I wanted to get the main character seat. There is no way I will sit up front like some teacher's pet!

I proposed a quick and easy solution to settle the situation in my favor.

"Coin flip? You want to settle this with a coin flip?" said the teacher.

"Yes, Miss Homeroom Teacher." I tried to hide the giddiness in my voice. I couldn't let her discover my inner thoughts. "I want to play a... simple game of chance."

"I have a name, you know... but I'll let it go since you lost your memories. Let me remind you that my name is—"

"If the coin lands with the head side up, I get the main character—I mean—the perfectly normal seat back there. Landing on tails means I sit up here. That's the fairest way we can come to a decision."

The homeroom teacher's face twitched after being ignored, but she soon showed resignation. "...you know what? It's a reasonable suggestion. If you really want to keep sitting at the back, go ahead. I'll give you a chance."

The homeroom teacher agreed. Perfect.

I opened my purse/wallet and pulled out a coin. Then, after scanning the people in the room, I handed it to some random kid. 

The kid looked confused.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Umm...?"

"Name. What's your name?"

He seemed startled by my question. Nevertheless, he managed to squeak out, "Nakamura Kojiro."

Oh, THIS is the Nakamura kid who's plenty smart, huh? I couldn't have picked a better coin flipper. What a nice coincidence.

"Nice to meet you, Nakamura. You will be the one to flip the coin to make the result as fair as possible."

Nakamura frowned. "But... if you lose, I'll have to sit back there." He looked towards the homeroom teacher, clearly annoyed. "I don't even get a say in this, do I?"

Hmm, he doesn't want to leave his seat too. Comrade!

"Buddy." I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just do it. Trust me. It'll be fine. I won't lose a simple game like this."

Instead of listening to my words, he stared at the hand touching his shoulder.

"...you really did lose your memories."

"Huh?"

"We're not friends. Don't touch me so casually," he said before shrugging off my hand.

*Clink*

Finally, Nakamura flicked the coin up. He didn't catch it, so it landed and spun on the floor. Round and round it went.

I wasn't worried. I was far from being anxious about the result. The moment the homeroom teacher agreed to play along with my innocent game was when I won.

'Ever since my Hax activated, I haven't "lost" a single game once. No deaths, minimal mistakes, and godlike RNG.'

I confirmed it by visiting the arcade a lot. I mean, I was spending my own money so my parents didn't complain too much. There's also the fact that I only buy a small amount of tokens since I only need one to beat a game.

'Godlike RNG... I've lost my physical stats and most likely my INT since I don't feel so smart... but is it possible that... my Luck stayed the same?'

I went to my rightful seat at the back of the class even before the coin stopped spinning.

"Phew..."

When I heard Nakamura sigh in relief, I knew I wouldn't be moving anytime soon.

Main Character Seat, Get!

"Alright, so that's settled then. See you around, Sasaki-chan! Come to my room if you have any questions, okay? You probably don't remember where it is, so ask Nakamura to lead you whenever."

"Okay. Bye-bye."

The homeroom teacher, who I didn't know the name of, finally left me alone. Since the teacher left, the chit-chat of my classmates resumed, and the classroom became noisy again.

Except for the little corner I was in.

'Speaking of friends, didn't Pico have a lot?'

I looked around the room. Everyone was talking to someone. Not me though.

'Why hasn't anyone spoken to me? I'm not jealous, but where the hell are Pico's friends? Are they not in school yet?'

The time for the start of school drew nearer. The students that had yet to arrive appeared one by one. Every time the sliding door opened, I expected the person behind it to come running in my direction.

That expectation didn't last. It reached the point where a simple hand wave would have sufficed to label them a bff, but even that was nowhere to be seen.

By the time the school bell announced the start of the first period, no one had talked to me.

'I'm so confused.'

What the heck is going on?