Pain.
A sharp, stabbing pressure clenched his chest like someone had swapped his heart with a malfunctioning air pump. He jolted awake, gasping, hands clutching at himself.
"Did… did I have a heart attack?"
He paused.
"…Or did someone shoot me in the heart? Who would shoot me? Do I owe someone money?"
He tried to dig deeper into his memories, only to discover, there's Nothing.
Great.
He didn't know who he was, how he got here, or whether his death had been medical or criminal.
What a beautiful start to the morning.
Before he could panic further, a voice floated from outside the room:
"Haru-chan! Breakfast!"
Haru? Who the hell was Haru?
Well… probably him. Unless the house had more short people running around.
He stumbled out of bed, and immediately realized something was wrong.
The doorknob was too high.
The floor was too close.
And his balance was… questionable.
He waddled.
Actually waddled.
"Fuck, am i Gonna Be against batman?"
As He reached the dining table, and the woman setting plates down turned to him.
Short hair, soft features, and a warm smile
Something inside him whispered Mom, even though he couldn't remember anything.
But before he could process that comforting thought, he noticed something far more urgent
He was tiny. Like, legally-little-kid tiny, Probably 5 or 6 years old.
Panic rising, he scrambled to the nearest bathroom, dragged a stool, climbed up, and looked in the mirror.
And then he screamed. Loudly.
WHAATTTTTTT!!!!!
As a round-cheeked, chubby-faced little boy stared back at him, wide-eyed and horrified.
A cute kid, sure, very cute, actually, like the type of child old ladies would pinch the cheeks of.
But still.
Round.
Soft.
Squishy.
He poked his cheek.
It jiggled.
"OH MY GOD, I'M TARGETING MYSELF FOR BULLYING!"
His mother rushed in, worried. "Haru, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Did you fall? Did you—"
He pointed at the mirror with wild eyes.
"Who… who am I, Mom?" he asked, staring at her like he was trying to solve a puzzle. "I mean, I know you're my mom because…
well…"
He squinted at her face. "You're pretty. And we look kinda alike. So I'm assuming my genes must be strong. There's still hope for me."
His mom blinked."…Hope for what?"
"Hope that I won't grow up weirdly shaped!"
Her expression softened into worry again, and she knelt down, gripping his shoulders gently.
"Sweetie… you don't remember anything at all?"
"Nothing." He shook his head. "Except that I'm short."
She let out a weak laugh, trying to joke through the tension. "How about you first eat your favorite meal, that i cooked"
"Favorite meal…?" He frowned, searching his mind. "I don't really remember what that is."
Her smile faltered. Her son would've perked up the second she said it. Instead, she just stared at him, worry tightening her grip on his shoulders.
That was all it took, she immediately grabbed her coat, picked him up (he noted mentally that she wheezed a little), and rushed him out the door.
At the Doctor's Office
Dr. Takamura was a kind-looking man with tired eyes, the kind that said "I wanted to be a surgeon but ended up dealing with kids who eat crayons."
He shined a light in Haru's eyes, checked reflexes, asked questions, and finally leaned back with a sigh.
"Well… the good news is that nothing seems physically wrong with him."
"And the bad news?" his mom asked nervously.
The doctor steepled his fingers like he was about to deliver a plot twist.
"It appears your son is experiencing childhood-onset retrograde amnesia triggered by acute stress or shock."
His mother gasped. "Is it dangerous?"
"Not particularly… but unusual. He may regain his memories over time. Or not at all."
The doctor shrugged. "Brains are weird."
Haru raised a hand.
"So basically… my brain rage-quit?"
"Yes," the doctor said kindly. "That is a medically acceptable summary."
His mother squeezed his hand the whole walk home.
He didn't remember her.
But she was warm, gentle, and worried.
And that was enough.
The moment they got home, she Sat him down on the couch to have a heart to heart talk with him, to make him remember some of his memories.
As his eyes were wandering around the room all he saw were pictures of him and his mother, His dad Probably out of the picture.
Dad Probably Gone.
Mom worried.
Haru… chubby.
Good to know.
After a moment, she sat beside him and said softly:
"Haru-chan… your name is Haruyuki Arita."
Haruyuki... Arita.
It didn't spark anything.
No memories.
Just… a name.
His name.
He opened his mouth to respond-
And then the world froze.
A soft digital chime echoed in his skull.
Ping.
A blue translucent window blinked into existence in front of him.
[NEWLIFE SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
User Detected: HARUYUKI ARITA
World: Accel World
Status: Memory Loss — Severe
Physical Condition: Round but Recoverable
Emotional Stability: Questionable
SYSTEM BOOT COMPLETE.
Haru stared.
He blinked.
He gulped.
"…So I didn't just get isekai'd into the wrong body with no memories," he whispered.
"I got DLC."
And thus, his new life officially began.