After dinner, I went back to my room and stepped into the bathroom. Warm steam fogged up the mirror as I finished my bath. I wiped it with one hand, revealing my reflection.
Round face, still a bit of baby fat—but not ugly by any means. My auburn hair stayed tidy on its own, and my blue eyes had that sharp, expressive look. Honestly, with a bit more toning, I might even be considered handsome.
Not that I needed a gym membership or anything. Renovating this dorm on my own was just as intense as any powerlifting regimen—maybe more. And besides, I wasn't trying to get ripped.
"Now then…"
Congratulations! Your first resident has arrived.
Hoshino Ai has been added to the list.
Ding! Would you like to spin your random reward?
A grin spread across my face.
"Let's fucking go!"
A glowing box appeared in front of me, spinning rapidly. Then, with a loud click, it stopped—and popped open.
Congratulations, Host.
You've received: Chilly-Chilly Devil Fruit!
My eyes widened. My mouth hung slightly open.
Name: Hie Hie no Mi (Chilly-Chilly Fruit)
Origin: One Piece
Description: Grants the user the ability to create, control, and become ice.
"I knew it! That's what I'm talking about, baby!" I shouted, practically bouncing with excitement.
The Hie Hie no Mi—a Logia-type fruit once used by Admiral Aokiji. Complete ice manipulation. Freeze oceans. Make weapons out of thin air. Turn into ice particles and zip around like a ghost. And best of all? It could be combined with Haki.
A strange, bumpy fruit appeared in my hand, its surface covered in swirling frost patterns. I brought it closer to my mouth—then paused.
"Wait… I'm still in the bathroom."
I chuckled. "Ah, screw it."
I took a bite. Instantly regretted it. It tasted like rotten metal and cold, wet dirt. But I powered through. Downed the whole thing.
"Blegh! That was disgusting! But…"
I glanced around. The bathroom was frozen solid. Walls, floor, mirror—everything iced over.
"Yikes. Still don't have full control. Guess I'll be using the guest bathroom for a week."
I sighed, grabbed some fresh clothes, and headed to bed.
One week later. Saturday had rolled around again.
"Yo, keep it straight! Slowly!"
The loud beeping of the delivery truck echoed through the yard as I watched a group of workers unload a massive shipment of construction materials.
"Right, just sign here and we're done," one guy in a white shirt said, handing me a clipboard.
"Alright," I said, scribbling my signature. "There you go."
The man blinked at me. "Aren't you a little young to be an architecture contractor?"
I stared at him flatly. "Yes. Got a problem?"
He chuckled. "Not at all. Honestly? I'm impressed. You must be the reincarnation of some ancient Greek architect or something. Good luck with your project, kid."
I smiled. Nice. A man who knew how to mind his business.
This past week, I'd already started renovating the dormitory. With Alread's template and Dwarven craftsmanship, it was honestly a piece of cake.
I walked over to a massive square marble stone. Squatted, grabbed it, and lifted it like it was nothing. Turns out, eating a Devil Fruit gave me superhuman strength. Lifting heavy stuff without machinery? Easy. The Dwarven knowledge I'd gained also taught me that the old ways worked best.
After storing the material in the back workshop, I opened the system interface.
Dormitory Status: Under Construction
With that, I couldn't take in any new residents. Not that anyone wanted to stay in a creepy, half-destroyed mansion. Ai was the exception—and only because she was broke.
Two years. That's how long my calculations said the full renovation would take.
"What a drag. But let's keep grinding."
I grabbed a sculptor's chisel and hammer and got to work. The sound of pounding stone echoed around me—but not outside. I'd already set up a soundproof barrier and cloaked the construction zone.
The back door opened.
A girl with long, purplish eyes stepped into view, smiling as she walked toward me. Ai.
"Hey, Sasaki, whatcha doin'?"
I paused and looked back. "Working. Did I wake you?"
She giggled. "Nope~ I didn't hear anything until I opened the door to the backyard. Anyway, I'm heading to Shibuya to practice with the girls. Should I pick up groceries on the way back?"
"Really? Thanks. But if it's a hassle, I can just order delivery."
"I'm fine with it. But wow, that's way too convenient. Your world really is living in the future."
"Well, technically, it's 2092."
She smirked. "Then I'm basically a big sister from 70 years ago."
"I see you're ol—" I shut my mouth as she narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Nothing. Said nothing."
"Anyway…" She held out her thermos. "Can you make my juice colder?"
I touched it with my finger, focused, and iced the contents.
"Done."
"Yata!" She opened it, peering inside. "A bit frozen—perfect! It'll stay fresh 'til practice ends. Man, I wish I had magic too."
That gave me an idea—maybe I could help her power up…
"Do you have money? Want some pocket change?"
She pouted. "Hey, I'm older than you, remember? Why would I, the older one, need pocket money from a kid?"
"I see. You've matured."
"Umuu~ Exactly! Now I'm off!"
I raised an eyebrow. "You sure? I remember you still need to catch a train from Minato to Shibuya."
She froze in her tracks.
"You're not gonna make it there on foot."
Still holding her backpack straps, Ai walked awkwardly back toward me, took the money, gave me a slight bow, and hurried back into the dorm.
I smirked. She was really something.
She had to return through the dorm to switch to her own world. Right now, the dormitory was synced to my world. If she went through the backyard gate as-is, she'd end up in the wrong Shibuya.
So why didn't I get affected when switching worlds?
The answer was simple—the outside remained anchored to my world unless the entry happened inside the dorm. It was like a one-way mirror. From inside, I could change the connected world, but the outside stayed default unless switched internally.
Plus, the dorm had built-in protection: a magical barrier that blocked any threat or person with ill intent, no matter where they came from.
Also, with the construction ongoing, the whole perimeter was hidden behind magical barricades—even across all connected worlds.
"Phew…"
Half a day's work, and I was drenched. I wiped sweat from my neck with a white towel.
"Hold up…"
Something bugged me.
"I've been training my Devil Fruit powers, mixing in Haki practice with all this labor… so why does it feel like something's missing?"
I checked my schedule. All good. Checked the blueprint. Nothing off.
Then it hit me.
"Ah! I haven't tried fusing the two yet!"
I used my ice powers to craft a chisel and hammer made entirely of ice. Then went to test them out.
Crack!
Both shattered.
"Hm. Too much power. Maybe I need to imbue them with Armament Haki."
I wasn't about to waste good marble on testing. I found a random big rock instead and created another ice tool set.
What is Haki? Spiritual energy. Manifested willpower. Armament Haki lets you harden your body, imbue objects, and even emit force or destroy internally.
I closed my eyes and focused. Felt the strange energy flow into my hands, into the tools.
Clack!
When I struck the chisel with the hammer—it held.
I grinned.
Looks like this renovation was going to help me train too.
---
Just like that, another week had passed.
I kept working on the dormitory renovations by myself. There was always something that needed fixing, reinforcing, or enchanting.
"Sasaki, I think I'll be late again, so have dinner without me. See you later."
"Alright, take care."
Ai waved and disappeared toward the front gate. I stayed in the workshop, but I shifted my senses—tapping into Observation Haki. I could feel her presence, her aura, gradually fading as she walked away. But then it vanished altogether.
"Huh… the building has some kind of energy shielding it from outside perception? So that's why her aura disappears past a certain point. Doesn't mean I can't track her… but I need to train more."
Still, the past week had been productive. Training. Renovation. Training while renovating. I'd found ways to blend both now—strengthening my Haki as I carved beams or laid flooring.
And yet… something was bugging me.
"I still couldn't figure out what I'm forgetting…"
I took a quick coffee break, sitting on the veranda with a mug in hand, letting the bitter flavor clear my head.
"Did Zoro's workout method fry my brain or something? Nah… Alfred's influence would never let that happen. Damn it. Forget it."
If I forgot it, maybe it wasn't important.
That's when the bell rang.
At first, I wasn't sure which world it was from—sometimes the interdimensional buzzer threw me off. But when I glanced at the intercom, it confirmed: someone had rung from this world.
"Huh? Someone's visiting? Don't tell me it's Eri again?" I rubbed my temple. She'd already told me she wouldn't be coming anymore, especially after mistakenly thinking Ai was my girlfriend. "Did she change her mind?"
I could've just checked the monitor, but instead I used Observation Haki again. Call it instinct. The moment I focused, I picked up the dorm's protective barrier again—and then, beyond it, a powerful aura.
"…That's no ordinary person."
The silhouette was slim. A girl, maybe my age. I didn't sense any hostility, but the strength in her presence was undeniable.
Curious, I opened the gate remotely.
Sure enough, a girl in a white dress, with long black hair and crystal-clear blue eyes, blinked as the gate slowly opened.
"May I help you, Miss?"
She glanced up, polite and composed. "My apologies for arriving unannounced. My name is Shiba Miyuki. I'm here looking for Yamada Sasaki-san."
I blinked. "You're… Shiba Miyuki?"
She nodded. "Yes. Do you know me?"
Shiba Miyuki? Wait… she's the heroine of this world, right? But she looks way younger than I expected. Is this before the main plot? That would explain it. No sign of Onii-sama either…
I cleared my throat. "Of course not. Why should I know you?"
She smiled awkwardly. "O-of course not… ehem. Is he living here, by any chance? Our teachers noticed he's been absent from class for two weeks without notice. As class representative, I was asked to check up on him… and I was curious myself."
That's when it hit me like a sledgehammer.
"Oh crap. That's it. That's what I forgot—I'm twelve! I'm supposed to go to school five days a week!"
Eri did mention enrolling me in Tokyo's top private middle school. But I never ran into Shiba during the entrance exam… Then again, I was the top scorer. Of course they'd find me eventually.
"So, you're his classmate?"
"Yes. And he didn't attend the entrance ceremony, even though he was supposed to give the freshman speech."
I gave her a sheepish grin. "Yeah, that's on me. Why don't you come in?"
She followed me into the living room, visibly impressed by the décor. I returned with two cups of tea.
"There you go."
She took a sip and widened her eyes. "This… this is delicious tea!"
I grinned. "Really? Nice! Guess that bit of training paid off."
"The balance of flavor, the aroma… I've had this blend before, but never this perfectly brewed. May I ask your name?"
I leaned back and smiled. "Yamada Sasaki."
"I see, you're Yamada-san—WHAT?!" She jumped up, pouting. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?!"
"Oops. My bad." I chuckled. "Well, as you can see, I'm not dead or sick."
She sat back, still flustered, sipping her tea. "You've lost a lot of weight. No wonder I didn't recognize you. The photo they gave me had… baby cheeks."
She pulled out the photo, and I cringed. I looked like a dumpling.
"But why did you skip class and the entrance ceremony?"
I gave her a flat look. "I forgot."
She paused mid-sip. "Excuse me?"
"I forgot."
"You're joking."
"Nah, I'm not."
Miyuki's expression darkened. "Yamada-san… that's really disappointing. Especially since I didn't get first place on the exam. Anyway, regardless of your reason, you're coming to school tomorrow."
I studied her. In the anime, I didn't like this girl much—too perfect. Everyone worshipped her. A total Mary Sue. But in person? She was kind of fun to tease.
"I'll try to remember."
"You better. You're supposed to be our representative, you know."
"You're still mad, huh?"
"I am." She finished her tea and placed the cup down. "It's delicious—anyway, I need a reason. I have to report to the teacher about your absence."
I sighed. "Fine, you got me." I raised my hands in mock surrender. "I'll show you. Come with me."
I led her to the backyard, where the real work was happening.
"I kinda lost track of time fixing this mansion… well, dormitory now."
She blinked, stunned by the half-rebuilt construction.
"I'll just show you."
I grabbed my tools and lifted a thick plank of wood.
'He's using magic?' she probably thought. But she looked confused—no CAD, no magic sequence, not even a psion fluctuation.
"Heave-ho." I dropped the wood down and grabbed the measuring tape.
"Wait."
I turned. "What? I was just trying to show you why I forgot."
"Are you… a magician?"
I thought about it. Ever since I ate the Hie Hie no Mi, my mana—or psion, whatever this world called it—had definitely increased. Physically, I was also kind of… superhuman.
"Yeah."
"Then how are you doing all this without a CAD?"
I smirked. "I don't need one."
"Then how?"
"I use muscle."
"…Huh?"