The first thing Kaito felt was sunlight.
Soft, golden sunlight pressed against his eyelids, warming his skin in a way he hadn't felt in years. Not the harsh fluorescent light of his 2020 apartment, not the chill of a rainy night in the Tenderloin district — this was alive, real, welcoming.
He opened his eyes slowly, taking in the room. White walls, a desk cluttered with notebooks and textbooks, a thick laptop screen blinking quietly in the morning light, and a small poster of The Matrix above the bed.
His body felt… different. Light. Strong. Unburdened. He flexed his fingers and arms, and a strange surge of vitality ran through him. No aches. No chest pain. Nineteen years old. His 35-year-old body, broken and exhausted, was gone.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]
Welcome, Kaito Sato
Age: 19
Date: March 12, 2004
Location: San Francisco, California
Status: Freshman – University of San Francisco
Starting Assets: $1,000,000,000 (Secured Global Accounts)
The holographic blue screen floated before him. It was real — he could see it, touch it, feel its hum.
[Main Objective]
Rebuild your destiny. Live without regret.
Kaito exhaled slowly, trying to absorb everything. He remembered the rain, the hospital notices, the hollow apartment in 2020, and the chest pain that ended his life. A life of regret, of wasted time, of dreams unfulfilled.
Now, he was here. Alive. Nineteen. San Francisco. 2004.
He swung his legs over the bed and padded to the window. Outside, the city stretched wide and alive. He could see the bay glinting under the morning sun, the tops of cable cars making their slow journeys along the streets, students walking to class, and vendors setting up street carts. The smell of saltwater, coffee, and fried breakfast pastries drifted in on the breeze.
Everything looked familiar — yet different. Younger. Simpler. A world untouched by social media, by smartphones, by the tech revolution he knew was coming.
Kaito let his mind wander. He could see the possibilities:
The stock market in 2004 was far different — Google was young, Apple was on the brink of the iPod boom, and Facebook hadn't yet changed the world.
Cryptocurrencies didn't exist. The iPhone was still years away. The first YouTube videos were waiting to be uploaded in the future.
He smiled faintly. "I can actually change things this time."
A knock on the door snapped him from his thoughts.
"Yo, Kaito! You alive, man?"
Ethan, his tall, curly-haired roommate, leaned in, skateboard under his arm. "You missed breakfast. You coming to class?"
Kaito grabbed his bag, adjusting to the strange thrill of youth once again. "Yeah… let's go."
Outside, the campus buzzed with life. Students laughed, argued about homework, carried books, and sipped coffee from paper cups. The sound of sneakers on pavement mixed with birdsong and the hum of the city.
L
Kaito took a deep breath, savoring every detail. He remembered 2020 — rushing, tired, alone — and now everything felt rich, alive, and full of opportunity.
[Daily Mission Unlocked]
– Attend your morning class
– Observe current market trends
– Identify one opportunity
Reward: +1 Skill Point (Business Insight)
He laughed softly. "A system with quests… guess I really am in some kind of game."
As he walked toward the campus entrance, he paused to look at the streets below.
The cars were small, boxy, and unconnected. Gasoline engines roared where electric cars had not yet dominated. Stores displayed early MP3 players, CDs stacked high, and cellphones with antennas protruding from every pocket. People carried tiny digital cameras and wore baggy jeans and oversized t-shirts.
Everything was… normal. And yet, in his mind, he knew exactly how the future would unfold.
Amazon, Google, YouTube… Apple, Tesla, Bitcoin… He could invest, create, influence, and profit from knowledge others didn't have. He could start a company, build an empire, and live a life far beyond anything he had before.
But he didn't want to just get rich. Not this time. He wanted to live differently — smarter, more aware, appreciating every moment.
He glanced down at his hands, young and strong. "This is my second life… and I'm not wasting it."
Kaito reached the main quad and noticed the first lecture hall. Students filed in, chatting, laughing, waving to friends. The campus smelled faintly of coffee, paper, and freshly mown grass. A small tree nearby had delicate pink blossoms. He paused for a moment, soaking in the life around him.
[Daily Reminder]
Observation: Note current trends in technology, economy, and social behavior.
Reward: Skill Point potential +2 if completed accurately.
He pulled out his notebook, not because he needed it yet, but because he wanted to record everything — the world of 2004, the culture, the environment, the opportunities. Every detail could be valuable later.
He smiled. A fire burned inside him — not desperation, not fear, but excitement. For the first time in fifteen years, he felt truly alive.
"This is just the beginning," he whispered. "My life starts now."