The forced sleep broke like a fever at 6:47 AM on Sunday morning, leaving Ryu gasping and disoriented in sheets soaked with cold sweat. The system's emergency protocols had worked - his mind felt clearer, the crushing weight of guilt and confusion lifted just enough that he could breathe without feeling like he was drowning.
But the memories remained. All of them. Six years of orphanage life superimposed over thirteen years of family love, creating a dissonance that made his head pound with contradictions.
[Emergency Sleep Mode: Complete]
[Memory Integration Status: 60% processed]
[Identity Crisis: Moderate - manageable levels]
[Recommendation: Family interaction may provide emotional stabilization]
"Great," Ryu muttered, wiping his face with the corner of his pillowcase. "The system thinks I need therapy, and its prescription is 'spend time with the family I'm lying to.'"
His phone buzzed with a text from Hinata: "Ready for practice today?! I found this amazing drill online that's supposed to improve receives by 200%! It probably won't work but it'll be fun to try! (≧∇≦)"
The enthusiasm in those simple words made something warm unfurl in Ryu's chest. Right. He had volleyball practice today. He had a friend who believed in him, a system that - despite its cryptic nature - was helping him improve, and a family that loved him.
Even if he wasn't entirely sure he deserved any of it.
A gentle knock on his door interrupted his brooding. "Izumi? Breakfast is ready, sweetie."
His mother's voice - warm, caring, exactly like the voice that had sung him lullabies and bandaged scraped knees in what felt like another lifetime. The similarity still made his chest ache, but now it was a different kind of pain. Less like a wound and more like homesickness for a place he'd never actually left.
"Coming, Mom," he called back, surprised by how natural the word felt.
Downstairs, the Sunday morning ritual was already in full swing. Mei sat at the kitchen counter in her pajamas, hair sticking up at impossible angles, glaring at a bowl of cereal like it had personally offended her. Their father stood at the stove, humming quietly while he flipped pancakes with the kind of domestic competence that suggested years of practice.
It was so perfectly, overwhelmingly normal that Ryu had to grip the doorframe for support.
"Morning, son," his father said without turning around, somehow aware of his presence. "How'd you sleep? You look a little pale."
"I'm fine," Ryu said automatically, then caught himself. These people cared about him. They deserved better than reflexive deflection. "Actually, I had some weird dreams. Nothing serious, just... processing yesterday, I guess."
"Yesterday was a big day," his mother agreed, setting a glass of orange juice at his usual place. "New interests, new goals, family drama courtesy of someone's knitting obsession."
"Hey!" Mei protested around a mouthful of cereal. "My knitting is not dramatic! It's practical and thoughtful and - " She paused, studying Ryu's face with those sharp eyes. "You do look weird. Like you've been crying in your sleep or something."
"Mei," their father said with gentle reproach.
"What? I'm just making an observation! His face is all blotchy and his hair is doing that thing it does when he's stressed about tests."
Ryu automatically reached up to smooth down his hair, then stopped when he realized what he was doing. Mei knew his stress tells. Of course she did - she'd been watching him for thirteen years.
Except she hadn't been watching him. She'd been watching Yukitaka Izumi, the boy whose body he now inhabited, whose life he'd somehow inherited.
The guilt threatened to swamp him again, but this time he fought it back. The system was right - spiraling into self-recrimination wasn't helping anyone. What mattered now was figuring out how to be the person this family needed him to be.
"Just thinking about a lot of things," he said, settling into his chair. "Yesterday made me realize how much I don't know about... well, everything."
His father flipped the last pancake and turned around, studying Ryu with the kind of parental radar that could detect trouble from three rooms away. "Want to talk about it?"
"Maybe after breakfast?"
"Of course." His father's smile was understanding and patient. "In the meantime, how about some fuel for all that thinking?"
The pancakes were perfect - golden brown, fluffy, with just the right amount of vanilla. Ryu found himself eating with genuine appetite for the first time since the transmigration, the familiar flavors somehow grounding him in the present moment.
"So," Mei said, apparently recovered from her morning grumpiness, "what's the plan for your first day as a volleyball enthusiast? Are you going to practice with Hinata? Try to hit fewer people in the face?"
"That's the goal," Ryu said, then hesitated. "Actually, I was hoping Dad might have some advice. You know, from his playing days."
The effect was immediate and dramatic. Their father's face lit up like someone had plugged him into an electrical outlet, while their mother smiled with the fond exasperation of someone who'd heard many, many volleyball stories over the years.
"Advice?" his father repeated, setting down his coffee cup with careful precision. "You want volleyball advice? From me?"
"Well, yeah. You played at a pretty high level, right? Made it to nationals?"
"Quarterfinals, spring tournament, senior year," his father said, and there was no mistaking the pride in his voice. "Lost to Shiratorizawa in straight sets, but it was still the best experience of my high school career."
"What position did you play?"
"Middle blocker. Loved the technical aspects - reading the setter, timing the blocks, coordinating with the libero for transition attacks." His eyes grew distant with memory. "There's something beautiful about a perfectly executed stuff block. The timing, the positioning, the way you can shut down an opponent's best hitter with pure technique and teamwork."
Ryu leaned forward, genuinely interested. This was the first time he'd seen his new father talk about something with such obvious passion, and the enthusiasm was infectious.
"Could you teach me? I mean, I know I'm starting really late, and I'm probably terrible, but - "
"Are you kidding?" His father was already pushing back from the table. "I'd love to teach you! We could set up a net in the backyard, work on basic footwork, maybe some approach techniques - "
"Slow down there, coach," their mother said with an amused laugh. "Let the boy finish his breakfast first."
"Right, right. Of course. But Izumi, this is fantastic! I never thought - I mean, I always hoped maybe you'd be interested, but you were so focused on basketball that I didn't want to push - "
"You hoped I'd be interested in volleyball?" Ryu asked, something warm spreading through his chest.
"Of course I did. It's been my favorite sport since I was your age. But I knew you had to find your own path, make your own choices. Having it forced on you would have taken all the joy out of it."
The sincerity in his voice was overwhelming. This man had spent years patiently waiting for his son to discover the thing he loved most, never pushing, never making Ryu feel guilty for pursuing other interests.
"Dad?" Ryu's voice came out smaller than he intended. "What if I'm really bad at it? What if I can't live up to your expectations?"
The question hung in the air for a moment, loaded with more weight than it seemed to carry. His father's expression softened, and he reached across the table to cover Ryu's hand with his own.
"Son, my only expectation is that you enjoy yourself. Volleyball isn't about being the best or making anyone proud - it's about the joy of the game, the satisfaction of improvement, the bonds you build with your teammates." He squeezed gently. "Besides, everyone starts somewhere. I wasn't exactly a prodigy when I began playing."
"Really?"
"Really. Ask your mother about the time I served a ball directly into the referee's face during my first tournament."
"That was an accident," their mother protested, but she was laughing. "Though the ref didn't appreciate the apology chocolates you brought to the next match."
"The point is," his father continued, "skill comes with time and practice. What matters is having the heart for it. And based on how excited you were yesterday about continuing to play, I'd say you've got plenty of heart."
Ryu felt his eyes getting watery again, but this time it wasn't from guilt or confusion. It was from the overwhelming realization that this man - regardless of cosmic circumstances or identity crises - genuinely wanted to share something meaningful with him.
"Thanks, Dad," he managed.
"Thank me after I make you run suicide drills for an hour," his father said with a grin. "Then we'll see how grateful you are."
"What are suicide drills?" Mei asked with morbid curiosity.
"Conditioning exercise. You run back and forth between lines until your legs feel like they're about to fall off."
"That sounds horrible. Can I watch?"
"Only if you help with setup," their father said. "This is going to be a family effort."
As they finished breakfast and began planning their backyard volleyball session, Ryu felt something he hadn't experienced since arriving in this world - a sense of belonging that didn't come with guilt attached. His father's passion for volleyball was genuine and infectious, his mother's supportive teasing was warm and familiar, and even Mei's sarcastic commentary felt like the kind of sibling relationship he'd always imagined having.
Maybe the system was right. Maybe he didn't need to torture himself with questions about identity and belonging. Maybe he could just accept this gift and try to be worthy of it.
"Alright," his father said, clapping his hands together. "Let's go set up a net and see what you can do."
"Should I warm up first?" Ryu asked, remembering Kenichi's endless lectures about proper preparation.
His father's eyebrows shot up. "That's very mature thinking. Most beginners want to jump straight into the fun stuff without considering injury prevention. Where did you learn about warming up?"
Ryu paused, realizing he'd almost mentioned Kenichi without thinking. "Just... something I read online. About athletic preparation and stuff."
"Smart. Very smart. Proper warmup can be the difference between improvement and injury." His father's approval was obvious. "I can see you're taking this seriously."
As they headed toward the backyard, Ryu caught sight of his reflection in the sliding door. For just a moment, he saw not Yukitaka Izumi but himself - Ryu Miyamoto, the orphan who'd spent six years dreaming of exactly this kind of moment. A father who shared his love of volleyball, a family that supported his dreams, a chance to build something meaningful.
The system flickered in his peripheral vision:
[Status Update: Identity Integration Progress - 78%] [Family Bond Strength: Significantly Improved] [Emotional Stability: Stable] [Special Achievement: Genuine Connection Established] [Reward: +5 XP, Minor Stat Boost Available]
Ryu barely paid attention to the blue text. He was too busy watching his father gather volleyball equipment with the enthusiasm of someone getting to share their greatest passion with the person they loved most.
"Ready to learn the beautiful game?" his father asked, holding up a somewhat deflated volleyball.
"Ready," Ryu said, and meant it.
Though as they walked outside, one small notification caught his attention:
[System Note: Identity questions resolved through emotional acceptance]
[Truth Status: Your parents are who they have always been]
[Family Bonds: Authentic regardless of dimensional circumstances]
[Recommendation: Trust in what feels real]
Ryu stopped walking, staring at the message as it slowly faded. The system had just told him something important, something about the nature of his situation that went beyond simple transmigration. But before he could process it fully, his father called out from the garage.
"Izumi! Come help me with this net! Your volleyball education starts now!"
The questions could wait. Right now, he had a father to learn from and a sport to master.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
[Current Status:]
[Host: Yukitaka Izumi (Soul: Ryu Miyamoto)]
[Level: 1 (11/100 XP)]
[Skill Points Available: 0]
—
[Stats:]
- Serving: 2/100
- Receiving: 1/100
- Setting: 3/100
- Spiking: 0/100
- Blocking: 0/100
- Stamina: 15/100
- Jump Height: 28/100
- Game Sense: 15/100
—
[Abilities:]
- Empathic Connection (Level 1) - Active
- Critical Strike (Level 1) - Locked
—
[Active Quests:]
- Daily: Complete 1 hour of focused volleyball practice (Deadline: 2 hours)
- Tutorial: Successfully receive 10 serves in a row (No deadline)
- Main: Find Your Team (Deadline: 29 days)
—
[Status Effects:]
- Memory Integration (60% Completed) - (Processing orphanage training period)
- Identity Crisis - Severe guilt and emotional distress (4 hours)
- Family Bonding - Enhanced emotional connection, +10% XP gain from family activities (54 hours remaining)