On the last night of winter break, Takuto Kimura found himself buried under a mountain of homework, his face a portrait of pure existential dread. The pile before him was a towering monolith of despair that made him feel as though he'd just discovered his life’s work had been written in invisible ink—ineffectively, and with a lot of mistakes. His eyes were filled with more despair than when he had stumbled upon a bankruptcy report in his previous life—a moment that had left him so broken he considered investing in a magic bean stock instead of starting a new company. No, this... this was worse.It wasn’t just that his homework was overdue. It was that his homework was actively mocking him, taunting him like a disloyal pet that had been fed for years and now decided to bite back. How did things come to this? Takuto wondered as he surveyed the grim landscape before him. The year-end report had predicted "success," but this—this was failure.Remaining tasks:Three math notebooks (one of
Sunlight filtered softly through gauzy curtains, striping the hardwood floor in warm gold. Dust motes danced in the air like microscopic confetti, but none of it mattered to Takuto Kimura—not today.The freshly delivered stack of preschool graduation albums sat on the dining table like a ticking PR bomb.Time flies, now Takuto Kimura, age five now (biologically), but mentally still the ruthless thirty-year-old CEO of Japan’s once-top startup, leaned forward with the weight of a thousand quarterly reports pressing on his tiny shoulders. His pudgy hands, still faintly stained with finger paint from art time, adjusted the wireframe reading glasses perched crookedly on his button nose. They were purely decorative, but Takuto insisted they lent him “executive gravitas.”He took a measured sip from his dinosaur-printed sippy cup, the chocolate milk inside swirling like a storm front. Then, with the severity of a judge handing down a life sentence, he flipped open the album’s glossy front co
The midday sun blazed like an overzealous spotlight on a stage, casting long shadows across the kindergarten playground. A whistle blew, and the doors to Classroom 1-B flung open. Children tumbled out with the chaotic energy of a Wall Street opening bell, their laughter and shrieks echoing like a stampede of tiny investors.Amid the noise, one figure remained calm—composed, calculating.Takuto Kimura, age five, adjusted his invisible tie and leaned against the jungle gym with arms folded. His eyes, shaded beneath the brim of a snapback worn backwards with tactical precision, scanned the playground like a battlefield commander preparing for market war.In his previous life, Takuto had been a thirty-year-old CEO—sharp, feared, and unforgiving. Then a freak accident involving a vending machine, an umbrella, and one poorly-timed lightning strike had thrown him into a reincarnation scenario straight out of a niche light novel.Now, trapped in the squishy body of a kindergartener, he had on
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the kindergarten playground. As the final bell rang, signaling the end of another school day, Takuto Kimura, is the five-year-old prodigy with the mind of a seasoned CEO, stood at the edge of the sandbox. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the scene—a group of children gathered around, eagerly awaiting the announcement of the upcoming graduation performance theme.Teacher Aiko, a kind-hearted woman with a penchant for whimsical ideas, beamed as she addressed the class. "Class, this year's graduation performance will be 'The Happy Little Animals’ Farewell Party'!"A collective cheer erupted from the children, but Takuto's expression remained unchanged. He crossed his arms and muttered under his breath, "This is unacceptable."That night, as the household settled into the quiet rhythm of bedtime, Takuto's parents assumed he was fast asleep. However, in the dim glow of his nightlight, Takuto was far from resting. Hidden beneath his
The day of the kindergarten graduation dawned bright and breezy, a perfect spring morning filled with the scent of freshly cut grass and the distant screech of overly energetic children being wrangled into pastel-colored formalwear. Inside the auditorium of Little Sprouts Early Learning Center, the air was electric with anticipation.Colorful streamers zig-zagged across the ceiling like confetti cobwebs. Dozens of helium balloons bobbed and swayed in time with the fans humming above. Tiny wooden chairs were arranged in neat rows at the front of the stage, each bearing a hand-lettered name tag scribbled in crayon. The teachers, dressed in their finest cardigans and clutching laminated programs, buzzed with nervous energy.Parents filled the folding chairs behind the children, clutching camcorders, phones, and tissues with equal intensity. Someone had already started crying, and the ceremony hadn’t even begun. The music teacher was hunched over a keyboard, whispering what seemed to be t
The sun dipped lazily behind the kindergarten’s chain-link fence, painting the playground in golden hues and casting dramatic shadows across the well-worn sandbox. Here, kingdoms had risen and fallen. Toy trucks had fought epic battles, plastic dinosaurs had left their mark, and fruit snacks had served as both currency and bribe. But today, the sandbox was not a war zone.Today, it was sacred ground.It was the day of the Great Time Capsule Burial, a hallowed tradition at Little Sprouts Kindergarten meant to immortalize the final moments of early childhood. In ten years, the children would return as awkward teenagers and unearth these boxes, rediscovering tiny treasures from a time when math was counting jelly beans and emotional crises were mostly about who sat next to whom during snack time.For most of the children, the contents were predictably adorable.Scribbled crayon drawings, half-finished and wrinkled.Handprints pressed into clay, accompanied by uneven letters spelling “I L
Takuto Kimura stood in front of the full-length mirror for the third time that morning, adjusting the knot on his miniature navy-blue tie. The knot had to be just right—tight enough to convey gravitas, but not so tight it wrinkled his pre-shrunk shirt collar.His reflection stared back, stern and composed: the face of a child preparing for battle. Not finger-painting or recess—not today. This was war. And the battlefield was an elite private primary school’s entrance interview.Tucked into the breast pocket of his tailored blazer—cut from imported fabric and tailored by his reluctant grandmother—was a gold-plated fountain pen. Real ink. Real nib. Paid for with his red envelope money from New Year’s.Behind him, his desk was a paper battlefield. A dog-eared copy of "100 Interview Questions for University of Tokyo MBA Candidates" lay open, marked with sticky notes. Next to it sat several sheets of thick paper, densely packed with diagrams, color-coded pie charts, and handwritten titles
Lunchtime in Mrs. Tanaka’s first-grade class was a daily spectacle—a chaotic symphony of squished sandwiches, rogue pudding cups rolling across the floor, and the occasional fruit cup launched into orbit by an enthusiastic elbow. The air was thick with the scent of rice crackers and the unspoken tension of impending snack trades.Amidst this culinary battlefield stood Takuto Kimura, a six-year-old with the demeanor of a seasoned trader on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. His uniform was impeccable: a crisp white shirt, a perfectly knotted tie (a gift from his grandfather, who still didn’t understand why a six-year-old insisted on formalwear), and a blazer that seemed to weigh more than his entire body. His lunchbox, a gleaming steel fortress, was secured with a combination lock—a precaution against the volatile snack market.Takuto surveyed the classroom with the intensity of a venture capitalist evaluating startups. The variables were clear:Supply: Limited by parental generosity and nutrit
On 3:15 PM, Wednesday, Kimura Trading Corp HQ, Across the Street, While his classmates sweated it out in PE class, Takuto Kimura was holed up inside a convenience store, peering through the foggy window at the towering building across the street.His cartoon-covered baseball cap was pulled low over his eyes, and his little face carried a gravity that did not belong on a ten-year-old.“The third restructuring plan has to be delivered today,” he muttered, checking his kiddie smartwatch. “If not, that ridiculous layoff proposal will pass.”The shopkeeper, a kindly middle-aged woman, watched the small boy talking to himself with growing concern. “Hey, sweetie, you okay? Need help?”“N-no thanks!” Takuto jumped, holding up a juice box. “I'm… just practicing for my speech contest!”POP. The box exploded under pressure, showering him in strawberry juice.Ten minutes later, the store was filled with the sweet scent of fruit as a very stick
On 10:15 AM, Kimura Trading Corp Headquarters, Executive Boardroom, Yamada, Executive Director, pinched the crumpled envelope between her scarlet-painted fingernails like it was something contagious."What is this junk mail now?" she sneered, preparing to toss it into the shredder.Just then, something tumbled out—several crayon drawings and a small pile of coins.“Wait!” Vice President Sato lunged and snatched the envelope. “Are these... kid drawings?”The board members leaned in, forming a tight circle. On the first page, in clumsy, lopsided handwriting, the title read: “Kimura Trading Corporation Revival Plan”—next to a cheerful smiling sun.The second page showed stick figures. One wore glasses (labeled: IT guy) and another in a delivery uniform (labeled: Courier) holding hands.“Merge Logistics with IT?” the CFO chuckled, almost choking on his coffee. “That’s playground logic…”But Sato suddenly sat upright.“Wait a m
On 2:15 AM, afaint, eerie blue glow spilled from the small bedroom of Takuto Kimura, casting long shadows across the carpet and the scattered toys.But this was no ordinary late-night gaming session. The glow came from a computer screen—an advanced model, cobbled together from spare parts he’d bought with carefully saved pocket money. In front of it sat a boy of ten, his frame tiny, his expression anything but childish.Takuto's small fingers flew across the keyboard at a pace that would put seasoned coders to shame. His posture—hunched, calculating, intense—was that of a seasoned executive in a late-night crisis meeting, not a fifth grader sneaking computer time.“First things first…” he muttered, eyes narrowed with adult-level focus. “I need the full picture of the company's status.”He typed quickly: "Kimura Trading Corp bankruptcy."Search results explo
Takuto Kimura, age ten—well, at least physically—sat at the breakfast table, meticulously spreading a layer of blueberry jam over his toast. He did it with such focused precision that one might think he was mapping out an international expansion strategy rather than preparing breakfast.Across from him, his six-year-old sister, Sayuri, was attacking her cereal with the enthusiasm of a mad scientist. She stirred it like she was brewing a potion, sending oats flying onto the table with every exaggerated swirl of her spoon.“Sayuri,” Takuto said, frowning in disapproval. “We must maintain proper table manners while eating.”His tone was firm, authoritative—eerily mature for a child. In fact, it was the same tone he used during board meetings in his
Takuto Kimura, 10 years and 2 months old, had now entered his seventh year since his reincarnation.The torrential rain relentlessly soaked Tokyo to its core in the dead of night, a cascade of water drenching the city’s neon-lit streets. Beneath the awning of a convenience store, a small figure huddled, drenched, inside a children’s raincoat. Takuto Kimura clutched in his hands the crisp banknotes he had just withdrawn from an ATM—his precious New Year’s money, carefully saved up over the past year. This modest sum would serve as his initial capital to purchase a second-hand computer, one that could connect to the internet and help him embark on the path to his ultimate goal."Meow—"The faint cry barely made it through the torrent of rain, almost swallowed up by the sound of the downpour. Takuto turned his head and, to his surprise, noticed a small calico cat huddled beside a vending machine, its green and gold eyes glowing faintl
On 2:15 a.m, A soft nightlight was still glowing in the children's bedroom of Takuto Kimura.The nine-year-old boy sat cross-legged on his bed, surrounded by three electronic devices.On his tablet: a detailed diagram of “Physiological Changes During Puberty.”On his phone: a Stanford lecture on developmental biology.On his laptop: a freshly finished report titled “Feasibility Analysis on Accelerating Puberty Progression.”“According to available data,” he muttered, pushing up his round glasses as they slipped down his nose, “the average age for male secondary sexual characteristics to appear is 12.4 years, but by increasing protein intake and stimulating growth hormone secretion...”A sudden screeching of alley cats outside made him jump, nearly flinging his stylus across the room.This “former CEO with the soul of a thirty-year
Takuto Kimura stood at the blackboard, explaining the solution steps for last week’s math quiz—a routine task in his capacity as the class’s “Academic Consultant.”His analysis was precise, even incorporating elements of Bayesian probability theory. Everything was proceeding smoothly… until his gaze happened to drift toward the window-side seat in the third row.Transfer student Haruko Sato was taking notes.Sunlight danced across the tips of her light brown hair. The way she furrowed her brows slightly in thought made Takuto forget entirely what he was talking about.“Therefore, we can deduce that… uh…”His voice trailed off. He felt like his CPU had just overheated.“This... that…”The entire class stared in shock. Their usually eloquent “Little Professor” had suddenly become a stammering mess. Miu, sitting nearby,
Takuto Kimura stood in front of the height-measuring device at the school’s annual physical, wearing a face more grim than a CEO reading a bankruptcy report.“156.3 centimeters,” the school nurse announced flatly. “That’s a 2.1 centimeter increase from last year.”The number hit Takuto like a punch to the gut. He stared at the growth chart on the health report like it was a plummeting stock graph.“Impossible!” he screamed internally.“With my nutrition and exercise regimen, I should at least be at the average line!”After school, he locked himself in his room and dove headfirst into data analysis. His walls were plastered with handmade charts:Correlation Between Daily Calcium Intake and Height GrowthGraph of Sleep Duration vs. Growth Hormone SecretionPeer Height Grow
Takuto Kimura stood in front of the bathroom mirror, having just finished wiping the water from his face—when suddenly, his eyes locked onto something on his forehead.A single pimple.Bright red. Perfectly round. Boldly positioned right between his eyebrows like it was challenging him. It stood tall like a miniature volcano, moments from erupting.“This can’t be happening!”He sucked in a sharp breath. His finger trembled as it moved closer to the blemish, like it was pointing at a financial market crash indicator.“I’ve been meticulous with my skincare! Twice-daily cleansing, oil-control toner, moisturizing lotion, even weekly deep-clean masks!”Leaning closer, he examined the business-image-destroyer in full detail. It was plump, glossy, and somehow gleaming under the bathroom light, as if announcing:“You, Takut