Haru had just finished another "I might actually die this time" run when his mom caught him at the door.
"Haru-chan," she said gently, "if you really want to run every day… at least wear your Neuro-Linker."
"My… what now?"
She frowned, reached toward the side and put on a thin band like device on his neck, and then activated it by touching it lightly.
The screen on its side flickered to life for the first time in… apparently a while.
Haru jumped like he'd been poked by a divine thunderbolt.
"W-WAH! WHAT'S THAT THING AROUND MY NECK?! IS IT A CURSE MARK!?"
As he touches at his neck at where the neurolinker is connected and sees three prong like slots.
His mom gave him a look.
"Haru. Sweetie. That's your Neuro-Linker. You've had it since birth. Every child does. It lets you connect to AR, school networks, games….. everything."
Haru fiddled with it.
A device given to children from a very young age…
That connects them to augmented reality…
And his was OFF this entire time.
So basically, he'd been running around for a week like a medieval peasant.
Awesome.
She continued, "You begged me for a pink modification two years ago because you said it matched your cheeks."
Haru blinked.
His cheeks glowed red in self-defense.
"…That does sound like something… someone old me would do," he admitted.
She sighed, relieved. "If you keep it on, I can check your location from my phone. So if you collapse again..."
"I didn't collapse," Haru muttered.
"You were face-down on Mrs. Tanaka's lawn."
"…Maybe a little collapse."
He reluctantly accepted the device's existence, but as his fingers brushed its surface
Ping.
A system message flickered behind his eyes:
[External Device Detected: Basic Neuro-Linker]
[Neuro-Linker: a collar like personal computer that can communicate wirelessly with the user's brain. It has two functions: "Virtual Reality" and "Augmented Reality".
, Created in April 2031]
[Compatibility: High]
[System Update Initiating…]
"Wait..... WHAT UPDATE"
[Updating… System Quests temporarily halted (Est. 6 days)]
[Active daily quests will remain available]
Haru groaned.
"Great. Now I have two futuristic gadgets in my brain. I'm basically a walking child-sized smartphone."
A Week of Running: The Montage of Suffering
DAY 2, Kids Staring at the Local Chubby Meteor
As Haru jogged past the park, a group of kids pointed at him like he was a rare Pokémon.
"Look! It's Haru!"
"He's moving!"
"He's sweaty!"
"He's… moving like pororo!"
Haru pretended he wasn't being treated like a migrating panda.
DAY 3: Dog vs. Boy
A friendly dog chased him.
Haru didn't realize it was friendly.
All he knew was that a furry missile was charging at him like karma made of fluff.
He squeaked and sprinted faster.
Ping:
[+0.2 Agility]
Totally worth the terror.
DAY 4: Mom's Confusion Arc
Every morning, Haru's mom entered his room to find:
A blanket.
Silence.
And a perfect Haru-shaped sweat dent in the bed.
"Haru?"
No answer.
Again.
"Is my child… eloping with exercise…?"
DAY 5: The Sugar Decline
She noticed Haru stopped begging for sweets.
Stopped sneaking pudding cups.
Stopped inhaling cookies.
She gasped dramatically.
"My baby… is growing up…"
Meanwhile, Haru whispered to himself:
"I can still taste the zero-cal lies…"
One evening
"Haru," his mom said carefully, "you haven't logged into any AR games all week… or replied to any messages. Did you forget how to use your Neuro-Linker too?"
Haru froze.
Games?
Messages?
Augmented reality?
He was still trying to figure out how to tie his shoes without dying.
"…Uh. Yes. I forgot. Entirely. Completely. Absolutely."
Her expression softened immediately.
"Oh… sweetie. It's okay. We'll take things slow."
Then she launched into a health crusade.
Veggies.
Less sugar.
Japanese superfoods.
Haru stared at the green-filled plate.
"…Mom, what is this?"
"Broccoli."
"Why is it angry-looking?"
After the grueling week, Haru noticed something shocking:
He wasn't breathing like a dying vacuum cleaner anymore.
He wasn't collapsing like a fainting goat every lap.
He actually… felt better.
His mom watched him drink water instead of soda.
"Who are you," she whispered, "and what have you done with my son?"
Every night, the system whispered little fortune-cookie messages:
[+1 Optimism]
[Lung Capacity +1% (tiny)]
[New cosmetic unlocked: Chibi pig Stat Mascot]
A tiny, chubby, cartoon pig waved a little "GANBATTE!" flag.
He wanted to uninstall his soul.
The 7-Day Quest Complete
On day seven—
Haru finished his third lap, collapsed dramatically on his favorite patch of grass, and spread his arms wide.
"I DID IT! AGAIN!"
Ding.
[Quest Complete: 7-Day Running Challenge]
[Reward: Improved Genetics]
Effect: Slower weight gain achieved! Your ancestors applaud your effort.]
Haru laughed weakly.
"Nice… I'm evolving from 'chubby kid' to 'slightly less chubby kid.' Humanity should fear me."
The system flickered warmly…
And his mom, sharpening a knife to chop more broccoli, flickered ominously.
Tomorrow was a new start.
A green, vegetable-filled start.
Haru was not prepared.