Chapter 1
My uncle is waiting for me to die.
The hospital room door opened.
A man in an expensive suit came in carrying a basket of fruit.
"How have you been feeling lately, Yuma?"
My uncle peered at my face and spoke as if he were worried.
His expression as he looked at me, and the tone of his voice, were both well practiced.
Well, the reason was simple.
If I died, he'd inherit my estate.
My parents' money had paid for my treatment, but apparently my body, afflicted with an intractable disease, didn't have much time left.
A mountain of books in all kinds of genres was piled beside my bed.
There were novels and textbooks. The one on top was a medical textbook.
At first, I'd only meant to read them to pass the time.
As I researched my illness, I gradually found reading more and more interesting.
I tried to guess why the doctor had changed my medication.
I compared test results against my symptoms.
Once I thought of pain as nothing but data, it stopped bothering me.
My own body had become the most fascinating research sample imaginable.
And my uncle right in front of me was just another subject of observation.
"My doctor told me..."
I said it casually.
"I don't have much time left."
My uncle's eyes opened a fraction.
The change lasted only an instant, but I didn't miss it.
Dilated pupils are a physiological response to anticipation or excitement.
No matter how much you hide it, the body tells the truth.
Last month, after I'd shown the slightest bit of weakness, my uncle apparently expanded his business, banking on my inheritance.
He'd even gone into debt.
People are fascinating. Give them a little hope, and they'll rush ahead without thinking.
I hadn't even died yet, but he'd already decided how to spend my money.
"...I see."
My uncle sat down in a chair, paused for a moment, then spoke.
"If it's too painful, you don't have to keep going with the treatment. There are ways to make sure you don't suffer."
Exactly what I'd expected him to say.
On the surface, he seemed concerned about me, but the slight tremor in his voice gave away everything he really felt.
"Yeah."
I put on a deliberately feeble smile.
"I'm tired. It seems like the treatment I'm getting now has reached its limit."
At that moment, my uncle's fingertips trembled faintly.
His breathing was slightly faster, too.
He really was easy to read.
Now then.
I wonder what kind of reaction he'll show me today.
I slowly drew out my uncle's greed and impatience.
It was the only entertainment I had in my boring hospital life.
"...So,"
I deliberately paused before continuing.
Three seconds here.
Just enough to let his anticipation build.
"I've decided to stop treatment."
After a beat, I continued.
"And the inheritance, too. I'm planning to donate all of it to research on intractable diseases."
The chair creaked.
The color drained from my uncle's face.
"W-what...?"
Seeing his expression, I laughed to myself.
Ah, just as I thought.
Exactly the reaction I'd expected.
Give them hope, then take it away.
People make the most interesting faces in that moment.
"...Don't say that. You should keep getting treatment. I'm sure you'll get better."
That was the exact opposite of what he'd said a moment ago.
He didn't seem to realize that his voice was trembling slightly.
"Okay."
When I answered, obvious relief spread across my uncle's face.
"Then maybe I'll try advanced medical treatment."
My uncle's expression froze again.
"My doctor recommended it. I was hesitating because it's expensive, though."
I continued as lightly as I could.
"But since I have the chance, I want to try everything I can until the end."
"Advanced medical treatment, huh..."
My uncle crossed his arms and let his gaze wander.
He was probably desperately trying to think of a way to talk me out of it.
"Of course it's worth a try. Yuma's health comes first."
My uncle said that, but he struggled to come up with anything to say after it.
"But... does it really work?"
That was the banal question he finally managed to squeeze out.
He couldn't exactly come right out and oppose my treatment.
But if I spent a fortune here, there'd be less left for him.
Beneath all those reasonable-sounding words, all he had was greed and impatience.
"Yeah. I'll think it over a little more carefully."
I chuckled to myself.
He was so easy to manipulate with nothing but greedy calculations.
"I see. Don't push yourself too hard."
With that, my uncle left the hospital room.
In his place, my aunt came into the room.
The strong scent of makeup wafted over to me.
The designer bag slung over her shoulder stood out. It was brand-new.
I smiled ever so slightly, making sure my aunt didn't notice.
That bag, too, had been prompted by something I'd said offhand.
Just a hint about the inheritance was enough to change things so easily.
"Yuu-chan, how are you feeling?"
Her voice was bright and gentle.
It was a different kind of act from my uncle's.
If my uncle pretended to be "concerned," my aunt pretended to be "close."
"I'm doing all right, thanks to you. I'm always grateful to you, Aunt-san."
The instant I said that, my aunt's eyes lit up.
"Oh, Yuu-chan, it makes me so happy to hear you say that."
My aunt squeezed my hand tightly.
Even that warmth somehow felt calculated.
"But, you know..."
Here it comes. The real reason.
"The kids' schooling has been costing us a lot lately. Not just tuition, but cram school and extracurriculars, too..."
My aunt went on from tuition to talk about living expenses and loans as well. I gave her a few noncommittal responses and waited for her to finish.
It was about time.
"By the way, Aunt-san. Your son Taro is aiming for medical school, right?"
"Yes, he is. But medical school tuition is so..."
"That's amazing."
I gave her a slightly wistful smile.
"If Taro-kun becomes a doctor, maybe he'll cure my illness."
"Oh, Yuu-chan..."
My aunt's voice wavered slightly.
"Yes, I'm sure Taro will become a fine doctor..."
My aunt's face held an indescribable mix of guilt and hope.
"I'll be rooting for Taro-kun."
With those words, my aunt's face lit right up.
"Oh, really? You're so kind, Yuu-chan."
I didn't answer, only smiled.
I'd let her hope a little longer.
I wondered what face my aunt would make later if I said, "Actually, I'm donating the entire inheritance."
I made my uncle think he might lose it.
I made my aunt think she might get it.
Just by choosing my words carefully, I could move people with astonishing ease.
"Well, I'll come by again."
Leaving behind a satisfied smile, my aunt left the room.
I watched her go, smiling only with my lips.
Just one little comment.
That alone was enough to make people's greed and impatience move exactly as I wanted.
But I was getting bored of this, too.
Choose my words, get their hopes up, then knock them down.
That was about all I could do now.
If this body could move more freely, I could have had so much more fun.
I looked up at the ceiling and sighed.
Even breathing was painful. Moving a single finger felt like too much effort.
I didn't have much time left.
My body had made that much clear to me.
Dying like this would be unbearably boring.
If I got another chance...
Would I be able to live more freely next time?
As I thought about that, my consciousness slowly sank.
The sounds faded away.
The weight of my body disappeared, too.
I stopped feeling anything.
Or so I thought.
The next thing I felt was an intensely bright light.
It was so bright that I could tell even through my closed eyelids.
When I breathed in, cold air filled my lungs.
In response to the sensation, a shrill voice burst out from my throat.
A baby's cry rang out.
My own voice was far higher than I'd expected.
I tried to stop crying, but couldn't, and the only thing I could clearly feel was the warmth of the arms holding me.
A woman spoke to me.
Her voice was gentle, but I couldn't understand the words.
At least, it wasn't Japanese.
I heard a man's voice, too.
It was low and calm, and he was talking with the woman about something.
Among the words, the same sound was repeated again and again.
"Noah."
There it was again.
Both the woman and the man looked at me and said that word.
Apparently, that was my name.
Noah.
I rolled the name around in my mind.
I should have been dead, but now I was being held as a baby.
And the words I could hear weren't anything I knew.
Reincarnation.
That would explain it.
I'd been born again, after all.
If there was no other explanation, then that was good enough.
I smiled to myself.
What kind of games could I play this time?