"Breakfast—done! This is my first time making a Chinese-style breakfast. I wonder if Sora will like it." Kamiyā Yuu looked at the spread laid out on the table and nodded in satisfaction, muttering to himself. Calling it a Chinese-style breakfast was a bit of a stretch—it was just dumplings he had personally wrapped, paired with some xiaolongbao. Making soy milk was too much trouble, so he simply substituted it with plain milk. Japanese kitchens were generally well-equipped, even including specialized tools for measuring seasonings. Thanks to that, he was able to perfectly replicate the recipes.
"Lunch boxes—done. Even though there's celery she doesn't like, it shouldn't be a big problem." He organized the two bento boxes and set them aside—one for Kamiyā Sora and one for himself. Most Japanese high school students spend their lunch break at school. Classes typically run from around 8 a.m. to 3 or 4 p.m., with a one- to two-hour lunch break in between. After school, students either stay for club activities or go straight home. With Kamiyā Sora's personality, it went without saying—she belonged to the "go-home club," always avoiding troublesome things.
In his previous world, Kamiyā Yuu had envied the lifestyle of Japanese high school students more than once—relaxed, free, and without evening self-study sessions. But the reality was that Japanese students didn't have it any easier than Chinese students. Those focused on academics usually attended various cram schools after class, and their homework load was often even heavier. Incidentally, in this world, Kamiyā Yuu himself had only completed compulsory middle school education. As for high school, he hadn't even set foot inside its gates. Thinking back now, his memories of middle school were also quite hazy. During that time, aside from studying hard, he had devoted almost all his time to Kamiyā Sora. As for his grades, while he couldn't break into the top ten of the entire school, he consistently ranked within the top three of his class—barely qualifying as a diligent top student.
"Knock, knock~!" He walked to Kamiyā Sora's door and tapped lightly. "Sora, it's about time to get ready for school."
"Mm." A faint response came from inside, so soft it was barely louder than the buzz of a mosquito.
After waking her, Kamiyā Yuu took out his phone to check the time. Then he returned to the table, opened his laptop, and immersed himself in programming the MAYA 3D modeling software. His hands flew across the keyboard with nimble precision, like butterflies dancing among flowers, almost dazzling to watch. Lines of code—indecipherable to ordinary people—were generated in rapid succession according to precise calculations. The code window flickered as lines appeared and vanished at astonishing speed, resembling a hacker's intrusion scene straight out of a movie.
His ability to work at such speed was thanks to the networking capability of his consciousness space. His awareness remained connected to the internet of his previous world, and this strange connection gave him an acute sensitivity to the flow of digital information. Whenever he linked to that network, he had a clear perception of his own mind—like his brain had become computer hardware, with systems running through it and imprinting themselves into his instincts.
"The programming progress is a bit faster than expected. At this rate, I should be able to complete the MAYA 3D modeling software in half a month. If I can squeeze out more time, maybe even just a week. The train ride is a great opportunity to make use of idle time." Kamiyā Yuu's eyes rapidly scanned the changing code, his focus no less intense than when drawing original artwork.
"As expected, there are still subtle differences in the system… that's the most troublesome part. I only wanted to make a piece of software, but now I have to upgrade the entire Windows 7 system."
"For now, a single 3D modeling program is manageable. But if I also want to develop professional rendering software… setting aside the time required, this laptop's hardware simply won't be able to handle it."
—Looks like I'll need to find time to assemble a high-end desktop.
Kamiyā Yuu muttered inwardly. He had considered developing the MAYA 3D modeling software in this world and applying for a patent to sell it. But after some thought, it felt like too much trouble—and he simply wasn't interested. More importantly, there was a bit of selfishness in him: if others in this world also had access to MAYA 3D, his advantage in 3D animation technology would disappear entirely. As a transmigrator, there was always that urge to firmly grasp the technologies of his previous world. Selling them off—wouldn't that just make him no different from a lazy nobody?
He paused only when he heard the door open, reluctantly closing the laptop.
"Ahh~ morning, Yuu." Kamiyā Sora walked out in a light white nightdress, yawning as she greeted him. Even just after waking up, her silver hair fell smoothly over her shoulders. Her sleepy, unfocused expression made her seem even more detached than usual—there was an almost unreal sense of distance, even when she spoke to him.
The apartment kitchen was connected to the living room. Moving lazily, Kamiyā Sora walked through the living room into the kitchen, picked up her cup, and began washing up.
"Morning. You're fifteen minutes later than usual. If you don't hurry, breakfast will get cold."
Standing at the sink brushing her teeth, Kamiyā Sora lowered her head, her silver hair getting in the way. As if remembering something, she looked up and mumbled, "Mm… Yuu, help me get my hair tie."
Kamiyā Yuu chuckled as if he had expected this and stood up. "The black one?"
"It should be on the cabinet," Kamiyā Sora replied softly. She only let her silver hair down at home; for school and going out, she usually tied it up for convenience.
Following her instructions, Kamiyā Yuu retrieved the black hair tie from her room. While she brushed her teeth, he skillfully and gently tied her silver hair into twin tails.
"All done."
Kamiyā Sora returned to the dining table. When she noticed the laptop beside Kamiyā Yuu, her beautiful eyes lingered on it in confusion. After a moment, she slowly asked, "Are you bringing the laptop to work today?"
"Yeah, it'll make things much more convenient," Kamiyā Yuu replied with a smile, offering no further explanation.
"I see." Kamiyā Sora responded indifferently and didn't pursue the matter further. In the mornings, when she was in a low-blood-sugar state, not only were her emotional expressions dulled, but she also showed little interest in anything. It was somewhat similar to the energy-saving philosophy of Oreki Hōtarō from 'Hyouka'.
After a moment's thought, Kamiyā Yuu dismissed the comparison.
—Maybe she's more like the protagonist of 'Tanaka-kun Is Always Listless'. Though not to that extreme… as for me, I guess I'm destined to be the "Oota-kun" type.