[Detective Conan] The Main-Story Game NPC Wakes Up

Aida Yuno thinks his whole life has been ordinary.

Ordinary schooling, growing up, attending his parents' funerals, getting into the police academy, graduating, working, and making a few good friends.

That's what he used to think.

Until one day on a field assignment, he watches his friend Kenji Hagiwara die in an explosion.

Then the world goes black.

When he opens his eyes again, he's back in the morning, just waking up in bed.

Aida Yuno gradually discovers that whenever one of his friends dies, he returns to an earlier point in time. The same happens if he dies himself.

So, for once, he lets himself be a little chuunibyou, deciding that the power to return to the past is a miracle granted by heaven so he can save his idiot best friends.

For the sake of his friends, he embarks on a rescue mission that treats his own life, time, and the world as expendable.

One moment he's on a rooftop, facing a corpse with a bullet through the heart. He blinks, and Scotland is asking what he wants for dinner.

He was just watching the Ferris wheel fireworks show. The next moment, he's gripping someone's short curls and shoving their handsome face into a pot of soup.

After that, he discovers that he's living in a game.

Aida Yuno thinks over the hundreds and thousands of times he's gone back in time, and suddenly understands.

So I'm the NPC.

Aida Yuno, dead N times and reborn N+1 times: "An NPC, huh? I'm done with that!"

"I know they're the source of my pain, the very reason I exist, and the masters of this world. My efforts are insignificant, almost laughable."

(He laughs.)

"But that doesn't matter."

"The emotions burning in the soul within my heart are reason enough."

There's no need for comparisons to cherry blossoms, light, or anything else, because you are right there.

Basic setup [Highlights]

* The police academy group are playing a multiplayer VR game. It might not be VR, but it is definitely a game.

* The police academy group feel no pain when they die. See the first chapter for details.

* Aida Yuno's state of mind and psychological age stay in line with those of the police academy group.

Tips:

1. The story centers on the police academy group. At its core, it's about dying and living again, with plenty of angst. I'm doing it just to make myself cry and have fun writing.

2. The only reason I started this was because I decided to write a save-and-reload story for the police academy group. But I obviously can't bear to let any of them suffer too much, so I decided to save the sixth member. I know this really favors one over the other five, but I want to write it. If that bothers you, please leave right away to protect your eyes.

3. The timeline is completely confusing, since everyone knows how time resets work.

4. The protagonist is an NPC. He won't cross dimensions or violate the basic rules of the game.

5. The author doesn't vilify any of the good guys, but the police academy group are the focus, and the other good guys appear very little.

6. The story alternates between the protagonist's perspective and the police academy group's perspective. I'll do my best to finish it.

Theme: Every story must eventually end