Silence returned to the room after Nurse Satou and the doctor left. Yuuka (Hiroshi) still lay on the bed, his heart pounding non-stop. Part of it was from the shock of the new body and the "System" numbers had just "revealed," and part was from the lingering weakness. He tried to breathe steadily, staring up at the ceiling, trying to digest everything.
Hospital. A 16-year-old body. Traffic accident. 3 weeks in a coma. System. Yuuka Hatsumina. 84-63-91...
Scattered pieces of information whirled in his head. This... this was beyond imagination. Isekai? Is it my turn now? But why in a girl's body? And that weird System... what is it?
He shifted slightly. The feeling of tightness, of fullness in his chest made him blush again. This was really going to be a challenge... not just mentally, but also... physiologically.
As he was lost in his chaotic thoughts, the room door opened again.
This time, it wasn't a nurse or a doctor. Two men walked in. They were dressed formally but with a stern look; one was middle-aged with salt-and-pepper hair and a weathered face, and the other was younger, looking quite eager. Both wore police badges.
Police?! Why are they here?
Hiroshi, in Yuuka's body, immediately became highly alert.
The older man approached the bed, offering a strained smile but maintaining a serious demeanor.
"Hello, Yuuka-san. How are you feeling?"
His voice was deep and warm, with a hint of concern.
"We are police officers. I am Detective Tanaka."
He introduced himself, gesturing to himself, then indicated the person accompanying him. "This is my colleague, Officer Suzuki."
Officer Suzuki bowed slightly in greeting.
"I... I'm alright..." Yuuka replied softly, her voice still weak. She tried to maintain a slightly bewildered expression, fitting her state after waking up from a coma.
"We are very relieved to see you've woken up," Detective Tanaka said. He pulled a chair closer to Yuuka's bed. Officer Suzuki stood back a step, his eyes observing the room and Yuuka herself.
"Yuuka-san," Detective Tanaka continued, his tone becoming a little more serious. "We'd like to ask you a few questions about the incident that happened. Do you remember anything about the accident?"
The accident? The System said it was a traffic accident. But... the last scene in Hiroshi's memory was playing a game, then that "system error." He didn't remember any car accident at all.
Here it is. The opportunity. Also, the only way out.
Feigned amnesia.
This plan formed in Hiroshi's mind the moment he learned he'd been in a coma for 3 weeks and remembered nothing about this Yuuka identity. It was risky, but it was the best way to hide the terrifying truth about who he was and where he came from.
Yuuka looked at Detective Tanaka, blinking slightly, appearing confused. She raised a hand to hold her head.
"I... I don't remember anything at all..." she whispered. "My head... it hurts a lot... everything is so hazy..."
She tried to display weakness and confusion as naturally as possible. She furrowed her brow slightly, her eyes looking around as if trying to search her memory in vain.
Detective Tanaka looked at Yuuka searchingly. His gaze lingered on her young, pale face. He seemed to be assessing whether she was telling the truth or lying. Officer Suzuki beside him also watched in silence.
Calm down... Just keep this bewildered look... I really don't remember that accident, so I'm not completely lying. Hiroshi reassured himself in his head.
"You don't remember anything at all? Even a little bit?" Detective Tanaka asked again, his voice still patient but slightly disappointed. "Where were you before that? What were you doing?"
Yuuka shook her head slightly. "I... I don't know... Everything before... before waking up... is blank..."
"Is that so..." Detective Tanaka murmured. He exchanged glances with Officer Suzuki. Officer Suzuki nodded slightly, seemingly accepting this initial statement.
"Alright, Yuuka-san. You've just woken up, perhaps your memory needs time to recover," Detective Tanaka said, his tone sounding a little less tense. "Well then, let us tell you what we know."
He took a deep breath, looking directly into Yuuka's eyes.
"You were found unconscious at the scene of a... special incident. It happened in the downtown shopping area near Shibuya Station... About three weeks ago."
Shibuya? Shibuya Station? That's a very crowded area!
"This incident involved the sudden appearance of a... strange item," Detective Tanaka hesitated a little when saying the words "strange item," as if he himself wasn't used to the terminology. "There was a group of people trying to爭奪 (struggle/contend for) that item, leading to chaos and conflict."
Struggling for an item...? Strange item...? Hiroshi's ears roared. The System, the "Drop Item" he saw in games, is real now! And it's what caused him to be in a coma here!
Detective Tanaka continued, his voice deepening. "That item... turned out to be a type of improvised explosive device, very cleverly disguised. Fortunately, the authorities managed to neutralize it in time, otherwise, the consequences would have been very serious."
A bomb?! An explosive device?! Yuuka's accident was due to being involved in a... terrorism incident related to a "dropped item"?!
Gaaahhh!! What is this world?!! Not only are there guns dropping, but there are bombs too?!! And I... I got caught up in the very first incident?! Real panic erupted in Hiroshi's mind.
Outwardly, Yuuka tried to maintain her bewildered look, only widening her eyes slightly, showing surprise and fear upon hearing about the explosion. She trembled slightly, as if the detective's words had stirred some terrifying memory.
"Was I... in danger?" Yuuka whispered, acting weak and frightened.
"Yes, Yuuka-san," Detective Tanaka looked at her with sympathy. "You were very unlucky to be there. It seems you were shoved or sustained injuries during the panic and stampede. When we found you, you were unconscious and showed signs of concussion."
He paused for a moment, observing Yuuka's reaction. She maintained her bewildered and confused expression.
"We are investigating who the group responsible for this incident is, and why they obtained that explosive device... and also where that 'item' came from," Detective Tanaka said. He took out a small notebook, flipping through some pages. "The situation recently... is quite complicated. Random 'item' appearances are happening in many places. Sometimes they are harmless, but sometimes... they are very dangerous."
That's right! The "Drop Item Phenomenon" I saw in the previous story! It's real! And the police know about it too!
"The incident in Shibuya might be connected to a terrorist network or organized crime group taking advantage of this phenomenon," Detective Tanaka said, his voice sounding concerned. "We need to find out if you saw the face of anyone in that group... or anything else unusual before the incident occurred."
Yuuka shook her head again. "I... I'm sorry... I really don't remember anything at all..." She looked down at the blanket, her face sad and helpless.
Detective Tanaka sighed softly. "It's alright, Yuuka-san. Just rest. Perhaps as your health recovers, your memory will gradually return." He stood up. "We will visit you again after you're feeling better."
"Just try hard to remember. Even the smallest detail could help our investigation greatly," Officer Suzuki added, his voice sounding eager but still polite.
"Yes..." Yuuka replied softly.
"Well then, we'll be going," Detective Tanaka said. He and Officer Suzuki bowed slightly, then walked out of the room.
The sound of the door closing.
The room fell silent again.
Yuuka (Hiroshi) lay there, his body tense like a drawn string. Only when he was sure they were far away did he let out a long sigh of relief.
Phew... Got through it...
The amnesia act was successful. At least for now.
But what the police just said... was beyond imagination. Yuuka's traffic accident wasn't just a simple car incident. She had been caught up in a serious criminal case involving "dropped items" and even... terrorism!
Bomb... Shibuya... Yuuka Hatsumina... Accident due to struggling for an item...
Those keywords repeated in his head. This world doesn't just have "Drop Items," it also has people willing to do anything to get them, even using bombs.
And he, in the body of this 16-year-old Yuuka Hatsumina, had become a witness, or a victim, of that damn phenomenon.
He looked up at the ceiling. The white light was still soft, but the atmosphere in the room was now completely different. It was heavier, gloomier.
His new life, in this body, wasn't just about learning how to be a girl or dealing with the System. It was also about facing a world full of unexpected dangers, where items falling from "the sky" could turn an ordinary day into a battlefield.
And he had to survive in it. With the identity of Yuuka Hatsumina, the amnesiac girl involved in a bombing incident.
A 30-year-old programmer, now a beautiful, weak, "amnesiac" 16-year-old girl, potentially being hunted by criminals.
This truly was... the most difficult game level yet.
He gently closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. The road ahead would certainly not be easy. But he, Hiroshi Takahatsu... no, Yuuka Hatsumina, would have to find a way to overcome it.