Kamiyā Sora was still a high school student, so aside from class hours, she spent almost all her time at the hospital. Even though she disliked the smell of disinfectant, she could stay by Kamiyā Yuu's side all day without complaint.
She was his younger sister. Because of Yuu's excessive doting, she had grown into someone like an ignorant princess, detached from the mundane world. At the same time, she possessed something Yuu did not—
a genius-level intellect.
Her grades always ranked first in school. Skills that ordinary people needed great effort to master could be easily surpassed by her after just a few days of practice. For example, the original drawing experience Yuu had accumulated over several years, Sora could learn it in just a few days. Often, she even acted as his assistant, helping him with key animation work. Pieces Yuu struggled to complete could be sketched effortlessly by her in just a few strokes.
Because of this intelligence, Sora displayed a maturity beyond her age, while still retaining traits appropriate for it.
At the same time, she was a complete klutz when it came to physical activity and a shut-in by nature. Aside from computers, she barely knew how to use household appliances like washing machines or induction cookers—not because she lacked ability, but because she had never needed to learn.
All these traits combined made her less like a younger sister who needed care—
and more like an older sister who took care of others.
"Clearly has the soul of an older sister, but both her appearance and personality lean more toward being a younger sister who needs protection."
This was one of Kamiyā Yuu's current evaluations of Sora.
...
Night fell. Silence blanketed everything as all daytime creatures sank into sleep.
—Where… is this?
Within the darkness of his sleeping consciousness, Kamiyā Yuu found himself in a strange place.
Unlike a dream, he retained clear self-awareness. He knew he was in a state impossible for ordinary people. A peculiar sensation told him this was a mental space that belonged solely to him—
Though he had no idea what its purpose was.
—Is this… a computer?
In the pitch-black consciousness space, a completely different scene appeared.
A massive display projection occupied the void—the only source of light in the darkness. On the screen, he saw the desktop of his computer from his previous world. Familiar folders and game icons were all clearly visible.
This wasn't an illusion.
Illusions didn't feel this real. Deep down, he could also sense that he could control this projected screen.
With a slight shift of thought, he "saw" the browser icon being double-clicked. The browser opened smoothly, leading directly to his preset 'Baidu' homepage.
"It can even connect to the internet!? The date is June 9, 2033… The day I transmigrated was the 8th."
Kamiyā Yuu felt a surge of amazement. Then again, transmigration itself had already happened—compared to that, this didn't seem so shocking.
"Judging by web novel logic, this is probably my 'golden finger'—a cheat ability. So I'm basically wearing the protagonist template now?"
The thought felt strange to him. He used to be a web novel author, and now he might have become the protagonist in someone else's story.
"Forget it. Whether I have a protagonist template or not, what's done is done. In 'Men in Black', the universe was just a marble in someone else's hand anyway. I'll just enjoy my life."
He gave up overthinking it and began enthusiastically exploring this "mental computer."
"Incorrect password or account does not exist."
A login error popped up when he tried to access his Baidu account—even though he was certain the credentials were correct.
Everything about the computer functioned normally, yet within his consciousness, that normality felt extremely strange. Rather than controlling the computer, it felt more like his consciousness had turned into data, freely roaming the digital world.
Setting aside the login issue, he tried searching for news about himself in his original world.
Since he had transmigrated—
What happened to his original body?
Sudden death? Electrocution?
But no matter how he searched, there was no trace of any related news.
A sense of unease crept in.
He racked his brain to recall his old student ID number from high school and tried checking it on an education database.
The result—
"No such student found."
"…So my existence in that world has been erased."
Kamiyā Yuu's feelings grew complicated. Yet strangely, it wasn't entirely a bad thing.
At least, he wouldn't have to see news of himself dying suddenly on his computer. If he had never existed in the first place, his parents wouldn't have to worry. Besides, he still had a capable older brother who could take care of them.
"Let's keep exploring."
Following an instinct he couldn't quite explain, he continued testing this space. Soon, he discovered that time here flowed at roughly a 1:10 ratio compared to the real world.
"That's good news. It means I can access knowledge and information more advanced than this world. Though… this world is only at 2016 anyway—it's already behind my previous one."
"Can I manifest a body here?"
With a thought, a body identical to his current physical form slowly materialized. When his consciousness entered it, the body opened its eyes.
"It perfectly replicates my real body—even the weakness from the fever."
Kamiyā Yuu jumped and waved his arm in the dark space, surprised at how real everything felt.
"If I can create a body… what about other things?"
A blazing sun suddenly appeared in the darkness. Then, as his thoughts shifted, familiar skyscrapers materialized—reconstructed entirely from memory. Scene after scene unfolded, making it feel as though he had returned to his original world.
"This world is a product of my consciousness. Everything can be controlled by my will—but that's all."
In an instant, he appeared in front of a building. As expected, upon entering, he found only empty darkness inside.
Because he had never been inside that building in his previous life, he had no memory to construct its interior.
Thus, it remained void.
In this world, he could create anything—
except something with its own consciousness.
Not even a tiny mosquito.
"So it's basically 'Minecraft'… though being able to connect to the internet is unexpected."
The skyscrapers collapsed, and the world reshaped itself into a vast white-tiled plaza. At its center stood a small room—
his room from his previous life.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped inside, sitting at the computer desk. Turning his head, he saw Kamiyā Sora sitting quietly on the bed.
Her temperament was the same as in reality—cold, pure, untouchable.
But her eyes lacked any spark of life.
She was nothing more than a porcelain doll—
completely under his control.
"So this is what an 'inner world' looks like…"