Chapter 5

Not getting hit for the suspension was a miracle, and the cleaning definitely helped."Right, I need to focus on my health and finding my father," Amaya muttered to herself. The best way to change things around was to elevate her status from street rat to phoenix. Amaya sighed at her predicament as she entered her virtual space. It was becoming obvious that waiting until you need a skill to learn it was not smart. She should have learned hand-to-hand combat in the tutorial; instead, she slept all the time and indulged in her husband. 'This must be my karma,' she thought. Now she knew better; diligence was the best option."You saw the fight with Lucas; scan and use it as a simulation so I can learn from them," she instructed the system.The system complied, and soon Amaya was immersed in the virtual space, reliving the fight. She focused on every punch, every dodge, analysing Lucas's movements and her own mistakes. She practiced tirelessly, her virtual self taking hits and learning to counter them.In the virtual space, time seemed to stretch infinitely, allowing her to perfect her technique without the constraints of the real world. The only issue was that her body needed to catch up in real life. Her days in suspension were mainly spent training, since she dreaded having to jump off the roof next time. Amaya was deep into another intense training session when she heard a faint call from the real world. Her mother's voice broke through the simulation, pulling her back to reality. Reluctantly, she paused the training and opened her eyes."Amaya! Where are you?" Her mother called out, her tone sharp and impatient.Amaya quickly left her room and found her mother standing in the living room, her arms crossed. "You haven't been to school in a while. What's going on??" her mother demanded.Amaya took a deep breath. "I was suspended for fighting back against a bully."Her mother's expression remained indifferent, as if this news barely registered. "I don't have time for this nonsense. Here's some money," she said, shoving a few bills into Amaya's hand. "Go buy groceries. I'm going out."Without waiting for a response, her mother turned and left the house, leaving Amaya standing there with the money clutched in her hand. This was her reality, but it wouldn't be forever. She was going to change her fate, one step at a time. It was better to have an indifferent mother, at least she can do what she wants. Actually, when last did she buy groceries for herself? Entering a grocery store felt so surreal—the fruits, the bread, the snacks—she completely forgot what it was like to have food options. The only question was, What did she want to eat tonight?As Amaya navigated the aisles of the grocery store, she noticed a boy in a school uniform. He looked familiar, and she couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't in school. His presence piqued her curiosity, and she found herself unintentionally following him as they both moved through the store, picking up items.'Why is he not in school?' she thought to herself, watching him discreetly. He seemed focused, grabbing specific items with a purpose. Her curiosity grew as they both checked out around the same time and ended up walking in the same direction.As they walked, she tried to maintain a reasonable distance, not wanting to appear as though she was stalking him. The streets were quiet, meaning most of the noise came from their movements. It wasn't until they turned a corner that she realised where they were headed. Her house came into view, and the boy continued walking straight towards it.Confused, Amaya quickened her pace, catching up to him just as he reached her front door. He turned to see her, his expression shifting from neutral to surprised recognition."Oh, Suzuki-san?" he asked, holding up a stack of papers. "I was just about to knock. I'm here to deliver the notes from today. Mr. Saito asked me to bring them since you were suspended."It was him—the same curly black hair and black eyes, the same expression, and he was even as tall as him. It was Arthur. Her eyes stung as tears fell down her face, it felt so good to see a familiar face.Arthur, caught unaware by her sudden tears, freaked out. "Suzuki-san!? Is everything alright!?"She wiped her tears quickly, nodding. "No, I'm just happy to see you." She laughed at how pathetic she seemed. "Come in, sorry about this."Arthur froze in place, his face heating up at her sudden words. Was she really glad to see him?"Is this everything?" She asked, looking at the stack of paper."Ah Y-yes!" He said stiffly, unable to speak as coldly as before."Thank you very much, Arthur."He hadn't noticed it before, but she was calling him by his first name. Were they that close?"It's no problem! If you need anything, please contact me." Why was he saying something so cringe? Ugh, she was going to think he was weird.Amaya just smiled warmly, not sensing his inner turmoil. "I appreciate it. Would you like to come in for a moment? I could use some company."Arthur blinked, surprised by the invitation. "Uh, sure. I don't have anything pressing right now."She stepped aside, letting him in. The house was small but clean, the lingering scent of cleaning supplies indicating she'd been busy. They settled at the kitchen table, and Amaya offered him a glass of water."Thank you," Arthur said, accepting the glass and taking a small sip. He fidgeted with the papers in his lap, unsure of what to say next. "So, um... how are you holding up?"Amaya smiled, sensing his unease. "I'm doing alright. Better now, actually. Thanks for bringing the notes."Arthur nodded, still feeling a bit stiff. "No problem. Mr. Saito thought you might need them to keep up with class."She leaned back in her chair, her expression softening. "I appreciate it. It's nice to know someone's looking out for me."Arthur blushed slightly, not used to this kind of attention. "Well, I mean, it's just notes. Anyone would have done it.""But it was you who did," Amaya pointed out gently. "That means something to me."Her words made Arthur feel both embarrassed. "If you need help with anything else, like homework or... I don't know, anything, just let me know," Arthur offered, trying to sound casual.Amaya's eyes brightened. "I'd like that. Maybe we could study together sometime?"Arthur's heart skipped a beat. "Yeah, sure. That sounds good."After a while, Arthur glanced at the clock and realised he should be heading home. "I should get going. My parents will wonder where I am."Amaya nodded, standing up to see him out. "Thanks again for bringing the notes.""No problem. I'll bring more if you need them," Arthur said, feeling more confident now.As he left, Amaya felt a strange sense of comfort; he didn't remember her, but she remembered him.Once Arthur was gone, she put away the notes in her inventory. She studied in her virtual space, where time moved slower, giving her more time to learn. After a few hours, she headed to her room and continued her research. Finding her dad had proved more difficult than she expected. It wasn't any royal family she knew, and she began to wonder if it was another kind of royal family.'It's strange, I can't find any clues about my father,' she thought, frustration seeping into her mind.She groaned, leaning back in her chair. Idly scrolling through her mother's Facebook, she noticed something weird. Her mother's last name wasn't Suzuki. Amaya jumped up quickly, realising that while her last name was legally Suzuki, her mum's last name was different. Suzuki must be... Her father's surname!She got straight back to work, a new surge of determination fueling her efforts. She was getting closer. After a while she stopped her search having landed on a name. "No way." She couldn't believe it; it was probably someone else because there is no way. 'My mother was freaky because, what the fuck.'[Why do you say strange stuff]'He's literally Yakuza Boss!'[You should contact him and do a DNA test first.]'Fine.'She sent him a message and closed closed the web browser, the princess of the Suzuki clan? That had a nice ring to it.