"The butterfly effect… this change is a bit too drastic." Kamiyā Yuu frowned deeply. After pondering for quite a while, his hands rapidly clattered across the keyboard as he entered a series of search keywords. The results he got were both within his expectations and beyond them.
The butterfly effect was originally used to describe the unpredictable nature of climate—just the flap of a butterfly's wings in Europe could potentially trigger a massive storm on the other side of the continent. This term later became widely known through the time-travel movie 'The Butterfly Effect', and is often used to describe the chain reactions caused by altering time, much like a domino effect.
Then, as one of the giants of this world—China—its every move would naturally shift the global landscape. Because China in this world was overwhelmingly powerful in all aspects, there were several points in the early post-war period where World War III nearly broke out. Meanwhile, Western economies declined compared to those in his original world due to Asia's rise. Under such circumstances, many major figures who should have risen to fame during this era had instead faded into obscurity—or made their mark in entirely different fields.
The internet had appeared about three years later, and its leading figure was no longer Bill Gates. Whether in literature or film and television, even when similar themes existed, the depth, actors, and storylines had undergone earth-shaking changes.
"So it's not just post-war differences—there are also divergences in China's earlier history, though it somehow still returned to the same general trajectory. It's probably because this world is more 'idealized.' For me, that's not a bad thing. At least in reality, a little sister like Sora at that level wouldn't exist." Kamiyā Yuu realized that, compared to his original world, this one was a more idealized version built upon reality. That much was evident just from Sora's otherworldly temperament.
"I can basically confirm now that this is an idealized version of reality. In a world like this… what can I do?"
"Rely on knowledge from my previous world to become a legendary singer? I don't have the voice or talent, and I'm not interested in being a celebrity."
"Use the technological gap between eras to become an industrialist? That's not bad, but it's too exhausting."
"The easiest route would be to copy novels from my previous world and publish them here. That's not a bad option, but it doesn't feel like what I truly want to do. Still, it could be listed as one of the necessary means to gain money and fame."
"Become a director? That's also a good choice. Given the quality of girls in this world, being a scumbag director would basically guarantee a winner's life."
"The final option is to continue improving in my current profession as a key animator, and eventually become a famous animation director on the level of Miyazaki." Kamiyā Yuu let go of the keyboard and closed his eyes, carefully considering his future path bit by bit. Honestly, he was already quite satisfied with his current life. If his financial situation improved just a little, it would be perfect.
After thinking for a long time, Kamiyā Yuu shook his head self-mockingly. "A slacker stays a slacker even after transmigrating. Everything I'm thinking about is just how to coast through life."
"Putting aside the shame of being a transmigrator, am I really willing to remain a useless person who changes nothing—even with the ability to connect information between two worlds?"
…
After a long, long time, Kamiyā Yuu finally sorted out the tangled mess of his thoughts.
"In this world, Kamiyā Yuu's profession is a key animator, and he genuinely loves the animation industry. As Su Yang in my previous life, I was also a hardcore otaku with a deep interest in the entire anime field."
"Director… what about becoming an interest-driven animation director? A director who guides the direction of the entire anime industry, one whose status rivals that of any top international film director. At the same time, I could also build an internet empire. At the very least, the company would need to reach the scale of something like the Penguin internet empire—bringing together all the anime I loved in my previous world, the danmu sites I frequented, the major single-player games I enjoyed, and even online games."
"Heh."
With his thoughts settled, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Kamiyā Yuu's lips as he muttered, "Isn't that pretty interesting? If I shave my head clean too, dominating the industry shouldn't be a problem."
"Sora likes this kind of stuff, too, right? I'm really looking forward to seeing her expression when she finds my name listed among the creators of the games she plays."
…
At seven in the evening, Kamiyā Yuu finished preparing dinner before waking the still-sleeping Kamiyā Sora.
She was dressed in a loose Gothic-style nightgown. Through the thin, gauze-like fabric, her snow-white skin and pure white underwear were faintly visible. Kamiyā Yuu had already become immune to this kind of scene—one that could tempt any man into wrongdoing. With the fusion of his memories and emotions with the original Kamiyā Yuu, he now viewed Kamiyā Sora entirely as a younger sister.
"German Orthopedics" wasn't a place just anyone could casually visit—it was like the common understanding that people with younger sisters usually aren't siscons.
The meal was entirely Japanese-style: several side dishes accompanied by miso soup. The flavors were light, yet the food carried a refined delicacy. Years of taking care of Kamiyā Sora had long since given Kamiyā Yuu excellent cooking skills.
Kamiyā Sora picked up her chopsticks, lightly dipped them into the miso soup, and tasted it. Looking at the rice and dishes on the table, she frowned slightly and said softly, "I don't really have an appetite."
By this time, Kamiyā Yuu had already finished half a bowl of rice. Hearing that, he set down his chopsticks and looked at her gently as she sulked. "At least eat half a bowl. Eating too much of those ready-made snacks isn't good for you." He was referring to the snacks Sora often ate—aside from instant noodles, she liked all kinds of junk food. Whenever he wasn't paying attention, she would finish off a mountain of snacks. It was hard to imagine how such a small body could hold such a huge appetite.
"Mm."
Kamiyā Sora nodded absentmindedly, slowly eating small bites of rice. The atmosphere fell silent for quite a while.
"Yuu."
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry."
Kamiyā Yuu raised an eyebrow, looking at Kamiyā Sora's heavy expression in surprise. "Why are you apologizing?"
"It's all because of me that you collapsed from overwork. Even now, I can't help at all. Laundry, cooking, hanging out the bedding—I can't do any of it properly. Being like this… It's too selfish of me." Kamiyā Sora put down her chopsticks, her voice stiff. The fragile look of her shaken expression caused a faint ache in Kamiyā Yuu's heart.
"Well, I'm the older brother. Didn't you say it yourself this afternoon? An older brother is a younger sister's servant."
Kamiyā Sora gripped her chopsticks tightly, raised her head, and stared straight into Kamiyā Yuu's eyes as she pressed, "Yuu, you won't ever abandon me, right?" His hospitalization due to overwork had dealt her a heavy blow. She understood the reason he had collapsed—besides being busy at work, he had to devote himself entirely to taking care of her, a burden dragging him down. No normal person could perfectly handle both.
Kamiyā Yuu, who had been forcing himself all this time, finally collapsed from overwork. The complications from his high fever had nearly landed him in intensive care. Only then did Kamiyā Sora truly realize that the thing she feared most in this world wasn't anything else—it was Kamiyā Yuu leaving her.
"What are you thinking about?" Kamiyā Yuu found it a bit amusing.
"Forever. Forever and always."
Faced with her seriousness, Kamiyā Yuu could only answer with equal gravity, "Alright. Then, in the past, now, and in the future, it'll always be the same. I'll protect Sora forever."
Kamiyā Sora's expression relaxed slightly. A faint blush appeared on her tense face as she smiled at him. The relief in her expression carried attachment and an indescribable complexity. That fleetingly beautiful smile caused Kamiyā Yuu to lose focus for a moment—it was a smile that belonged entirely to him.
"Mm. Then starting tomorrow, I'll cook. At the very least, I can reduce your burden a little."
Sensing what she was thinking, Kamiyā Yuu shook his head, his expression turning serious. "I understand your thoughts and your intentions, but if you push yourself like this, it'll only make me worry more. Just like before, you don't need to do anything."
"But…"
"Don't worry. I won't push myself anymore. Besides, doing housework is one of my hobbies. If something like that happens again, you can help me then. I promise my health won't have problems a second time." Kamiyā Yuu reassured her. Honestly, he didn't dare imagine Kamiyā Sora doing housework—according to his memories, he had suffered through quite a few of her 'dark cuisine' creations.