"No way," Renz mused. There was no way he could be a full-time streamer—not with his on-again, off-again work ethic and quiet nature. Even if he became a streamer, he wouldn't achieve much. Still, it was a clue.
"I saw a room that looks like it's been converted into a gaming room. Go check there for any clues," Erina Nakiri said, crossing her arms.
Suddenly, a phone rang. Erina lifted her hand to answer it.
---
"Moshi moshi, is this Ms. Nakiri?" The voice on the other end was a gentle female one, a voice Erina Nakiri knew well—Hisako Arato, her best friend from ten years ago.
"Is that… Hisako?" Erina's voice trembled slightly. Facing her close friend from ten years in the future felt unnatural. She had no idea what her friend had become over the last decade. Ten years could change so much. More importantly, she couldn't reveal what had happened to her—it would only complicate things.
"Uh-huh. By the way, it's been so long since I've seen you, milady," Hisako said with a hint of regret. "Oh, right, how's little Rina, that sweetheart?"
Erina hesitated. "Rina is very well. Very well-behaved." She was completely clueless about how to respond. This was her first day caring for Rina, so she didn't know anything about the past. She could only bite the bullet and say something vague.
"Hmm, never mind. I'll just tell you, though I feel like you'll probably refuse again," Hisako sighed on the other end. "Are you interested in being a judge?"
Hisako took a deep breath. In the past, Erina would usually decline such invitations, citing a busy schedule with her children's education or caring for her husband. Generally, she didn't participate in such events.
"What kind of judge?" Erina asked, frowning slightly.
"A judge for Soul of Cuisine," Hisako replied. From her tone, this should've been something Erina was familiar with, but she had never heard of it. It was likely something new that had emerged in the past decade. How should she respond? Should she agree immediately? If she did, she might encounter a group of acquaintances—and if she couldn't keep up with the conversation, wouldn't it be awkward?
Conversely, this entire interaction could also provide a lot of information about the future. Her task was to minimize her presence and gradually gather intel from others' conversations. So, Erina didn't agree right away.
"Let me think about it first," she said. It was best to make the decision with Renz. After all, they had both arrived ten years into the future—not just her. Moving forward together was the most sensible approach. While she hadn't seen anything particularly remarkable from Renz so far, he hadn't done anything terrible either. If he ever committed an unforgivable act, their cooperation could end then.
"Thinking about it again?" Hisako grumbled slightly. "Last time you said that, and before long, you had your second baby!"
"I still haven't even gotten married!!!" Hisako's mournful voice rang through the phone.
What could Erina say at this point? She had been diligently attending classes at Totsuki Culinary Academy, living in the dorms… and then she woke up not only with a husband but also a daughter and a son.
"And your daughter is super cute," Hisako added. "I want a daughter too!"
"By the way, has that bad guy, Ren, been bullying you? If he dares, tell me!" Hisako said seriously. "I'll beat him up for you."
Immediately after, Hisako let out a teasing laugh and affectionately joked, "But I don't think that's likely. Ren spoils you so much. You've been married almost seven years, and you're still as loving as ever. I'm so jealous!"
"Your LINE profile pictures aren't just giving off a rotten lovey-dovey smell anymore—they're practically a suffocating, lethal dose!"
Erina couldn't respond. She hadn't experienced any of this. What was it all about? She didn't understand. Still, she hadn't logged into her LINE account since waking up, and Hisako's words made her curious.
"All right, if you come to be a judge, we can meet then. If not, I'll find some time during a break from work to visit you," Hisako chuckled. "I'll bring a little gift for adorable Rina!"
"Mm-hm, okay," Erina rubbed her forehead. This was so hard. She was terrified of saying something wrong. Thankfully, the first hurdle was finally cleared—Hisako hadn't noticed anything unusual.
The moment she hung up the phone, Erina immediately opened her LINE app.
It was a thunderbolt right from the start. Her LINE profile picture had a simple background. Renz was half-squatting, wearing an infectious smile, his left hand on Rina's shoulder and his right on Haruki's. She checked her friends list.
Wow. What kind of nickname had she given Renz?
Disgusting. Her pretty face flushed a faint red. Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting. Seriously, wouldn't such nicknames get tiresome?
"My Beloved," "My Esteemed Husband."
She changed it. Hmph. Erina updated the nickname to just two plain characters: "Renz."
It looked much better.
Then she checked Renz's LINE profile picture—it was a photo of her, Renz, and the children together, almost the same pose. Erina was half-squatting next to the two children, her left hand on Haruki, and her right on Rina.
Hmm. So, they were homemade couple profile pictures. And this was a parent power-up. No wonder Hisako couldn't handle it. This wasn't just romance—it was full-on child-showcasing. A total torment for people who weren't even married yet.
---
In another room, Renz had already opened the computer.
Seriously? A password on his own computer at home? He sighed.
"What do I do if I don't know my own computer password?" he muttered. His streaming career hadn't even begun and already he'd hit a snag.
Sure enough, his future profession probably wasn't streaming. Renz didn't even know where this confidence came from, but he just felt that being a streamer wasn't in his future. Honestly, the chance of him being a freeloading slacker felt more believable.
Never mind that for now. The real issue was this computer.
What was the login password?
Renz was stuck.
---
What do you think Renz's computer password might be? And what other challenges do you anticipate they'll face in adapting to their new lives?
---Support with power stones