Hikari opened her eyes.
She looked around—a vast white space, pale and empty, with faint mist drifting through the air, as if she were standing somewhere between a dream and reality.
Her body trembled slightly as she tried to understand where she was.
Then, a familiar figure appeared before her.
Its face was vague, calm, yet strangely piercing.
"Hello, Hikari," the voice said softly, though there was a coldness beneath it.
Hikari stared at the figure uncertainly.
"Eh… who are you…? Where am I?"
"I am Zata," the voice replied.
"I recreated you. You are now sixteen years old, and in this fifth game… you are the main character."
Hikari swallowed hard, her eyes widening.
"Eh? A game? The fifth one? Main character? But… what will happen in this game?"
Zata smiled faintly, his voice calm.
"This game is different from the others. You will return to the age of sixteen, and here… you will meet your father and mother as sixteen-year-olds."
Hikari froze in shock.
"Eh… Dad and Mom… at sixteen?"
She looked around again, confused and curious.
"Why… am I the main character this time?"
Zata let out a quiet laugh, cold like the whisper of wind.
"A good question. I chose you because… I pity you. When you were four years old, your mother was killed by my pet. So I created this game… so you could meet your mother again when she was sixteen."
Hikari frowned, still trying to process his words.
"Pity…? But… thank you. Because now I can see my mother again."
She lowered her gaze for a moment before asking softly,
"If my father and mother are both sixteen here… then who was I living with before meeting them?"
Zata smiled faintly.
"I will create a house and provide you with enough wealth to survive."
Hikari smiled nervously, calming herself.
"Oh… thank you very much."
Zata smiled one last time before slowly disappearing, leaving Hikari alone in the endless white space.
Hikari looked around, trying to steady her breathing.
Sixteen years old. School. Choices she would have to make… and a game she still did not fully understand.
But one thing was certain:
this journey had only just begun.
Hikari walked out of the empty white world and suddenly found herself standing in front of her new house.
"Whoa… it's huge," she murmured, her eyes sparkling.
She lightly patted her chest before remembering her goal.
"Oh right… I need to register for school," she said quickly before hurrying away.
When she arrived at the school, Hikari stepped into the administration office.
"Excuse me," she greeted politely.
By coincidence, the principal happened to be there.
"How may I help you?" the principal asked while looking at her.
Hikari bowed slightly.
"Um… I'd like to enroll in this school. Is that okay?"
The principal smiled warmly.
"Of course. May I know your name, your parents' names, and your age?"
Hikari took a deep breath.
"My name is Hikari Mikami. I'm sixteen years old. My father's name is Arou Sikita, and my mother's name is Airi Mikami."
The principal stared at her for a moment, then frowned.
"Alright… wait a second…"
Hikari looked nervous.
"Is something wrong, sir?"
The principal looked at her seriously.
"Arou Sikita and Airi Mikami are students at this school."
Hikari's eyes widened.
"Eh? Really?"
The principal smiled faintly.
"Yes… are those truly your parents' names?"
Hikari handed him her family registration card.
The principal examined it carefully, his eyes widening slightly.
"Eh… this is real. But it's currently the year 2025. Why does your birth year say 2029?"
Hikari swallowed nervously and lowered her head.
"Um… I'm sorry, sir. May I explain a little?"
The principal nodded.
"Yes, go ahead."
Hikari let out a long breath, tears forming in her eyes.
"I came from the future. They really are my parents. In the future, my mother was killed, and my father… I don't know where he is anymore. I came to the past because I wanted to see them again," she said, her voice trembling.
The principal looked at her sadly and sighed softly.
"But… if you meet Arou and Airi, they may not recognize you."
Hikari smiled faintly.
"That's okay. Just seeing them again already makes me happy."
The principal nodded slowly.
"Very well then… I'll handle your enrollment."
Hikari smiled, feeling both nervous and excited.
Her journey in this new world had finally begun.
The next day, Hikari wore her school uniform with a pounding heart.
She looked up at the grand school building and took a deep breath.
"Alright… this is my first day," she whispered.
The principal gently patted her shoulder.
"This is your classroom, Hikari. You'll be joining Class 2-A," he said while pointing toward the door.
Hikari nodded nervously.
"O-Okay, sir…"
She opened the classroom door and stepped inside.
The room was lively, students chatting and laughing together. The moment Hikari entered, every eye turned toward her.
Then the teacher walked in and tapped the desk lightly.
"Alright, Class 2-A, let's begin today's lesson. But first, we have a new student who will introduce herself."
Hikari took a deep breath and stood up.
"Um… hello, nice to meet you all. My name is Hikari Mikami," she said softly.
Her shimmering white hair contrasted beautifully with her bright purple eyes.
Airi stared at her in shock.
"Eh…?"
Lumina looked between Airi and Hikari with widened eyes.
"Ehh… Airi, is that your little sister or cousin or something?"
Airi quickly shook her head.
"No… I don't have a cousin named Hikari," she answered quietly, confused.
The other students stared curiously at Hikari.
Her face looked extremely similar to Airi's, yet the white hair and bright violet eyes made her feel completely different.
Hikari then noticed the empty seat behind Airi and nervously sat down there.
Without realizing it, tears began falling from her eyes as she stared at Airi—
her mother—
who was now sixteen years old again.
The classroom atmosphere became awkward as several students looked at her in confusion.
The teacher lightly tapped the desk again.
"Alright then… let's begin today's lesson."
Hikari sat quietly in her seat, staring at Airi with teary eyes.
Her emotions mixed together—
happiness at seeing her mother again,
and shock at how painfully familiar her face was.
Hikari's first day in Class 2-A began with awkwardness, mystery, and emotions she struggled to hide.
The lunch bell rang loudly, breaking the silence inside Class 2-A.
The tense atmosphere slowly melted away as students returned to chatting like usual.
But for Hikari, it felt as though time had stopped.
She lowered her head, trying to wipe away the tears threatening to fall again. Her hands trembled slightly.
Calm down… don't let them notice, she told herself.
Airi glanced back toward Hikari.
Their eyes met for only a second.
Hikari immediately looked away.
"Strange…" Airi murmured quietly.
"What's wrong, Airi?" Lumina asked while leaning against her desk.
"I don't know… but that new girl," Airi glanced back again, "feels like someone I've seen before. It's not just resemblance… it's more than that."
Lumina narrowed her eyes before grinning mischievously.
"Don't tell me you have a secret twin."
"It's not that," Airi replied quickly. "I'm sure I don't."
Behind them, Hikari stood hesitantly.
She wanted to greet her… wanted to speak…
but her legs felt too heavy to move.
If I go near her right now… I'll definitely cry, she thought.
Just as Hikari was about to sit back down, a male student approached her.
"You're Hikari, right?"
Hikari nodded softly.
"I'm Haru. If you need help, just ask. New students usually get confused."
"Thank you…" Hikari replied quietly, forcing a smile.
Airi watched their interaction.
For some reason, her chest tightened slightly—a feeling she could not explain.
The bell rang once more.
Classes resumed as usual, but Airi glanced back several times throughout the lesson.
Every time their eyes nearly met, Hikari would lower her gaze.
Strange… why does looking at her make my heart feel restless?
Airi tightened her grip on her pen.
Meanwhile, Hikari stared at Airi's back with teary eyes.
"Mom… I want to hug you.
But right now… I'm only a stranger to you."
That day ended without a single meaningful conversation between them.
But one thing was certain—
fate had already begun to move.
And Hikari's secret…
would slowly begin to reveal itself.