The chirping of birds filled the early morning as the Izumi household opened its windows, letting golden sunrays spill into the rooms. Misaki had already risen, moving quietly through the house to prepare breakfast for Takeshi, who would soon board the morning train for his hour-and-a-half commute to Chiba University.
'What should I make today?' she wondered, tying her apron as she stepped toward the kitchen.
Suddenly, a faint murmur drifted through the air, halting her steps. It was soft, almost ghostly, yet there was something oddly familiar about it. Her brows furrowed, and she crept toward Takeshi's study room, noticing that the door was slightly ajar.
Taking a deep breath, she peeked through the crack—and froze.
She suddenly pushed the door open wider, stepping inside. Her eyes widened at the scene: rows of books neatly arranged beside Ryu, covering chemistry, microbiology, physics, aerodynamics, and even programming—from middle school through high school level.
More books were stacked carefully on the other side of the desk, each one open at different sections, as if Ryu had been hopping between subjects seamlessly.
Inside, Ryu was seated at the large desk, completely absorbed in a high school biology textbook. He didn't even glance up as he murmured, "It's bad habit to enter a room without permission, Mom," his voice calm, almost disciplined, yet childlike.
"What… what are you doing, Ryu?" she asked, a mixture of surprise and awe in her voice.
Without looking up, he replied simply, "Reading," his tone matter-of-fact. His small fingers traced diagrams of stomata on a leaf, and his eyes scanned the text intently.
"…the stomata facilitate gas exchange, allowing carbon dioxide to enter the leaf for photosynthesis, while oxygen and water vapor exit… the guard cells regulate the opening and closing depending on turgor pressure, light intensity, and environmental humidity…"
Ryu's lips moved slightly as he whispered the concepts, committing every detail to memory. Beside him, a physics textbook displayed diagrams of airflow over an airfoil. He leaned forward, fingers gently tapping the page as he read:
"…as the air passes over the convex surface of the wing, it accelerates, creating a pressure differential that results in lift according to Bernoulli's principle…"
His eyes darted back to a chemistry book on organic compounds, noting the electron configurations in molecules, the hydrogen bonding patterns, and the interactions in aqueous solutions. Each time he read a new section, his small hands adjusted the book's position, sometimes scribbling notes in the margin with uncanny precision.
Misaki stood frozen, her hand pressed lightly over her mouth.
She didn't know what to say—what could she possibly say? Her little boy, barely nine, was reading with the focus and comprehension of a grown adult. No, not just an adult—it was like a professor poring over texts he had studied for years.
Her heart thudded in her chest, a mix of awe and worry swirling together. Something had changed in her child, and she didn't understand what. Panic prickled at her, and she quickly turned, hurrying out of the study and back toward the bedroom, where Takeshi was still sleeping soundly.
"Takeshi! Get up! Get up!" she urged, her voice edged with urgency.
Takeshi groaned, blinking sleepily as he sat up. "What… what's wrong?"
Misaki pointed vaguely toward the study room. "Ryu… Ryu!" But the words caught in her throat. How could she explain what she had just seen? How could she describe the sight of her son absorbed in a world of knowledge far beyond his age?
She shook her head, realizing no words would do. Instead, she grabbed Takeshi's hand. "Follow me."
Confused by the situation but sensing the urgency in Misaki's demeanor, Takeshi swung his legs over the bed and followed her barefoot through the quiet morning house.
When they reached the study room, Takeshi's confusion deepened. "Why…?" he started, but Misaki only gestured for him to look.
And as he looked, Takeshi's eyes widened as he saw Ryu amidst the sea of books. Unconsciously, he stepped into the study room.
Inside, Ryu remained completely absorbed in the books before him, muttering quietly to Takeshi. "Father should ask for permission before entering the room," he said calmly, never lifting his gaze.
Takeshi stepped closer, his eyes widening as they swept over the open books: aerodynamics, physics, chemistry, biology—all arranged meticulously, notes in the margins, diagrams carefully studied.
He blinked, then looked at his son again, and back at the books. A strange weight pressed on his chest—a kind of weight he didn't quite understand.
Slowly, he stepped back, taking Misaki's hand in his. Together, they left the room, closing the door gently so as not to disturb Ryu.
Takeshi let out a long, shaky breath, trying to process what he had just witnessed. "Am… I still dreaming?" he whispered.
Misaki shook her head slowly, her own breath uneven. "I… I don't think so. I… think we're awake, maybe."
For a moment, the house was quiet again, save for the faint morning chirping outside, leaving the parents to grapple with the impossible reality of the child before them.
***
Please leave some comments and powerstones if you like this novel.