"Wake up, Akito. Time to get up."
A gentle voice cut through the haze of sleep.
He slowly opened his eyes — and saw his mother's face.
Her soft hand brushed his hair, while morning light poured through the window, wrapping everything in a warm glow.
"Today's the first day of summer break."
"I don't wanna get up…" Akito mumbled, pulling the blanket over his head.
"Just five more minutes…"
"Come on now. Your dad's already in the kitchen, and so is Haruki," she said cheerfully, tugging the curtains open.
Sunlight flooded the room, and he squinted, groaning.
Dragging himself out of bed, he rubbed his eyes and shuffled to the bathroom.
A few minutes later, freshly washed and a bit more awake, he stepped into the kitchen.
Warmth.
The smell of breakfast.
The quiet hum of the TV in the other room.
"Morning, Dad," he muttered sleepily, taking a seat.
"Morning, Akito," his father replied, sipping coffee and browsing the news on his tablet.
"What, no morning for me?" Haruki teased, lightly smacking Akito's shoulder.
"Both of you, behave," their mom said with a smile as she placed breakfast on the table.
A cozy silence settled over them.
A family.
Whole.
Real.
It was one of those mornings you'd remember forever.
"Akito, you do remember your exams are coming up, right?" his dad asked, looking up.
"Hope you start prepping early."
"Yeah yeah, I've got all summer," Akito waved it off, polishing off his last piece of toast with jam.
Seconds later, he was already running down the hall.
"Yo, Kaito? It's me. Wanna hit the field today?"
"Of course. Let's meet at ten."
He grabbed his ball and bolted out the door.
The field was nearly empty, but within minutes, Kaito showed up.
Together, they were unstoppable — the best duo in the neighborhood.
Game after game, with only quick breaks in between.
Sweat streamed down their faces, but they didn't stop.
After one particularly exhausting match, they collapsed on the grass, hearts pounding in sync.
"Do you think we really have a shot at going pro?" Kaito asked, staring at the sky.
"Of course. As long as we don't give up," Akito replied confidently.
Later, they decided to walk around.
The city buzzed with life.
Some people hurried by, others argued on phones, parents held kids' hands.
The heat, the noise, the scent of fried food and dusty trees — it was a true summer day.
"Hey, Kaito, I'm thirsty! Let's hit that kiosk!"
"Not that one… the old man will kick us out again."
"Forget it, let's go."
They rushed up to the familiar street kiosk.
From the window popped the grumpy old man with his usual scowl.
"You again?! Little punks, I ought to—"
"We just want water," Akito cut in calmly.
"Last time we almost broke his window," Kaito whispered.
"What do you want?" the man grumbled.
"Two fruit waters. With ice."
A minute later, they had their drinks.
Akito grabbed the cups while Kaito fumbled for coins…
But then — the ball rolled under Kaito's feet.
He slipped.
Both cups went flying — and landed squarely on the old man's face.
"AAGH! YOU LITTLE—"
The shout was cut short.
The boys were already sprinting down the street, laughing and yelling "SORRY!"
They stopped in a nearby park.
Ornamental trees swayed gently, and a bench offered shade.
Akito dropped the ball at his feet.
They looked at each other — and burst into laughter.
The kind of laughter that makes your stomach ache.
But then Kaito's smile faded.
"We won't stay like this forever, you know. One day, we'll have to grow up."
"You're such a buzzkill, Kaito. Stop ruining the moment."
"…Fine. I gotta go. See you later."
"Later!"
On the way home, a local bully blocked Akito's path — the kind that always took people's stuff.
"Hey! Hand over the ball!" he barked.
"Try me, loser," Akito muttered.
A punch.
He hit the ground.
But then — like a hero from the sky — Haruki appeared.
He shoved the bully away.
The guy quickly backed off.
"Get up," his brother said, offering a hand.
Akito stood, brushed himself off.
Haruki pulled him into a side hug.
"Remember this, little bro. Your big brother's always got your back. Always."
Akito smiled.
Everything began to blur.
The sounds faded.
The world started to dissolve.
"Akito… Akito…"
His eyes snapped open.
His breath ragged.
Sweat ran down his temple.
His heart pounded like it was trying to escape his chest.
Standing before him were his Guardians — all three of them.
Silent.
Tense.
"He's awake," Arden was the first to speak.
In the next moment, all three — Arden, Targus, and Elian — bowed their heads.
"I'm sorry, young master…" Elian began.
"We… we failed to protect you."
"Jarl, forgive me," Targus muttered, lowering his gaze.
"I wasn't strong enough. I'm a poor excuse for a warrior…"
"Hold on."
Akito's voice was oddly calm.
"Just… give me a minute. I need to process everything."
He sat at the edge of the bed and covered his face with his hands.
Memories returned in fragments —
Zalgroom…
Ren's death…
His own death…
The void…
That voice.
The light.
The second chance.
"The system's creator… he brought me back…"
He jumped up and ran to the window, yanking the curtains aside.
His eyes widened.
The streets were clean.
The buildings — intact.
People walked around peacefully.
Tokyo was… alive.
"It's like… everything reset."
He whispered it, eyes still locked on the view.
He turned back to his Guardians — the ones who'd been there from the start.
"This time…" he said, clenching his fists.
"We're not going to lose.
We'll grow stronger.
Much stronger."
The fire in his eyes was different this time.
It wasn't rage.
It wasn't fear.
It was resolve.
One thought echoed in his mind:
"This second chance… I won't waste it."
DING-DONG.
The doorbell rang.