To his dismay, Jin realized he was so poor his body couldn't even afford the fluids to cry.

  ?Knowing that whining wasn’t going to solve anything, he decided to just go "Doma mode." It was far easier to deal with the world when you were numb and didn't care about the stakes.

  ?'Great. I hereby decre Doma.ai as my official isekai cheat,' Jin mused, already plotting his next steps.

  ?'Gotta join the Corps now that I’ve had an intersection with them. It’s the only logical move.'

  Jin didn’t have a particurly high opinion of the Demon Syer Corps, but he wasn’t against them either.

  ?'They have food, shelter, and they’re definitely loaded. The Ubuyashiki family is swimming in cash, and it’s not like I’m finding any other job openings for a kid who looks like a cursed doll.'

  ?With the anime becoming his reality, Jin began critically reviewing his mental wiki of the series.

  ?'I'll freeload until I’m patched up. They’ll probably try to recruit me anyway, so I’ve gotta decide on a pythrough soon. At least Kanae Kocho is still breathing... so that’s at least three years before the main plot kicks off and maybe four or five until the finale?'

  ?Before he could calcute the exact ROI of joining a death cult for the free rice, his body and mind finally gave way. Exhaustion cimed him, and Jin drifted into a heavy, dark sleep

  ?Jin woke up the next morning, driven by habit and a gnawing hunger.

  ?He sighed. "Damn it. I’m still alive, and I’m still in Japan." He’d held a sliver of hope that sleep might reset things—that he’d wake up back in a hospital bed in his old world.

  ?"Welp. No choice but to wake up to a starving reality," he muttered, accepting his fate.

  ?The door slid open, and in walked Kanae Kocho. Even as a Hashira-in-the-making, she carried herself with a gentle elegance. She looked mildly surprised to find him conscious so soon.

  ?"You’re awake," she said, her voice soft. "My name is Kanae Kocho. I want to thank you for your assistance st night."

  ?She had already received a preliminary report from the Kakushi. She knew why he’d been beaten, starved, and locked in a cage. Her opinion of him had risen significantly upon learning he’d risked his life to help a stranger escape.

  ?Jin looked at her, comparing the woman to the 2D images in his memory. Anime girls aren’t human; they’re way too fwless, he thought. But he wasn’t a simp. Neither his past nor present life had prepared him for pleasant conversation, and when he opened his mouth, it showed.

  ?"Give me some food, or you might have to show your gratitude in front of my grave," he said. After a pause, he added, "Provided someone was bored enough to dig one."

  ?Jin seriously doubted he’d get a headstone in this life. His st one probably hadn’t even merited a funeral.

  ?Kanae blinked. She’d expected confusion or a formal introduction, not a demand for rice delivered with a bnk, dead-eyed stare. Still, she smiled. "Of course. I’ll have it brought immediately. Please try to eat slowly; your body can’t handle solid food just yet, okay?"

  ?She signaled a nearby Kakushi. As they waited for the food, a heavy silence filled the room.

  ?Finally, Kanae broke it. "So... who are you? And what were you doing in the fields so te at night?"

  ?Jin treated the question like a job interview. "Jin. Probably fourteen. Skilled in not dying and doing anything that gets me money or food. As for the fields... I heard mud baths are good for the skin. You didn't think this level of handsomeness came easy, did you?"

  ?He wasn't about to say the corny truth—that he’d saved a girl only to be stuffed into a chicken coop.

  ?Kanae giggled, amused by the deflective wit, but she didn’t press him. Instead, she moved to the main topic. "Jin-san, it’s nice to meet you. Regarding st night... you don't seem surprised. Or scared. Have you encountered demons before?"

  ?Jin wanted to reply, but the food arrived. He focused entirely on the meal, ignoring everything else. Kanae waited patiently, watching to ensure he didn't eat too fast for his own good.

  ?Once his stomach no longer felt as empty as his soul, he looked back at her.

  ?"I know of them. Haven't personally dealt with them until st night," he said, deciding to show value rather than py dumb. "As for fear? My current situation suggests I’ve got nothing left to lose. Human life is cheap this decade, in case you hadn't noticed." He punctuated the statement with a shrug.

  ?Kanae’s expression softened into one of pity. She saw a boy made numb by the cruelty of the world.

  ?Jin, meanwhile, was doing his own math: Did I oversell it? Nah, my 'Perfect IQ' says she's buying the tragic backstory. Soon comes the recommendation, and after that... the paycheck.