The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

DIO...you're looking at me!!!

After trying to reverse the output to the person involved in the meme, Ping Xin quickly got dressed, washed up, ate, ate, ate, ate, ate, ate, ate, and packed up...

After waking up, he noticed a significant change in his height. A few days ago, he broke through the first barrier between 168cm and 170cm. Now, he feels like he'll be able to break through the 180cm barrier at any moment, completely escaping the labels of stunted growth, short stoutness, and "developmental disability." Do you know how he feels every time he touches his sister's head and realizes the height difference is only 3cm? If he were to be surpassed in height by his sister, he wouldn't be able to continue being a big brother for even a second!

That year, for their pre-school physicals, Asuka and his sister went to the hospital together. Their heights were 165cm and 168cm, a mere 3cm difference. Hira Nobu sat in a chair, dejected, questioning his fate. The zero annual growth rate on the physicals remained a memory for him.

At that moment, he was thinking, if he could grow up again, he would definitely win everything. Now that the hope of "Sword Opens the Sky Gate" breaking through the 180cm mark is within reach, Ping Xin must consider whether this is his only chance in this life.

I believe that DIO's former dominance is largely due to the "world." It's our responsibility to restore the glory of the Stand User!

After a passionate speech (a bit of a rant), Ping Xin packed his bag and prepared to leave. His simple shoulder bag contained his phone, power bank, wallet, and tissues; the rest he could just buy as he jogged.

"I'm going out—"

"...Bon Voyage."

I assumed no one would respond, but then a slightly hoarse girl's voice echoed behind me. Knowing who it was, Hirayuko turned around with a helpless smile and said—

"Didn't I tell you to stop talking during the recovery period? That way you'll get better faster... Don't worry, I've found a way."

A way only I can do it—

Only after he left did the shadow maids begin collecting the clean plates and cleaning for the day. The black-haired girl, having been lectured, sat on the sofa, bored, watching TV. She fiddled with her red highlights with her left hand, her thoughts etched in her mind. Sometimes, only from a distance could she truly appreciate how much her childhood friends meant to her, just as they once did. But sometimes, only by getting close could one see someone's true heart. Perhaps her father wasn't...

Starting from the hidden back door of his house, Pingxin ran all the way to the nearby ecological park for a jog. As mentioned above, one of the reasons why the old park full of childhood memories was ignored was that there was a better alternative nearby.

Pingxin couldn't have imagined that there would be a large ecological park with artificial lakes, artificial forests and artificial turf in this city where every inch of land is cheap. It was really unexpected that there would be such a free park open to the public. You know, even in his previous life, he had never seen such a place in the city where he worked. Most of them were probably used to build shopping malls, factories and golf courses.

Along the way, you can feel the nostalgic smell of earth and the vibrant greenery. In such an environment, you can unconsciously slow down and relax, just like strolling along a country forest path, enjoying this moment of peace and tranquility. From time to time, you can see anglers passionately fighting with fish by the lake, a few chubby squirrels can be found in the woods, and even a naughty child who came with a big bag of chips to tame the "house bird" and got drenched.

On a weekday morning, you could often see children playing and chasing each other in the park, middle-aged and elderly people strolling, and young people jogging like him. However, now that it was midday and everyone was going back to eat and rest, the place seemed a little deserted. In this harmonious environment between man and nature, Ping Xin was able to maintain a relatively relaxed state of mind during exercise. His legs kept a steady pace while his upper body kept swinging his arms, ensuring a balanced workout for both upper and lower body to maximize energy consumption.

While jogging can be much easier as long as you master the rhythm and breathing, what if someone runs continuously for dozens of minutes, hours, or even longer? Ultimately, exhaustion and confusion are inevitable. It's said that those who pursue extreme exercise will hit a bottleneck—the so-called human limit.

Some people will retreat from that door, taking their time, but such people often end up stuck at the door, unable to make any progress. There are also many who want to burst through that door in one go, but only a handful can overcome their human instincts through sheer perseverance and push past their own limits. But once they do, they experience the greatest sense of accomplishment in the world—there's nothing more moving than experiencing personal growth.

While this feeling of being moved is essentially the "impure substance" of dopamine secreted by the brain, it does not hinder the spirit it represents—self-transcendence. Only those who repeatedly transcend themselves can become strong and great. The joy of growth is a primal joy that anyone can experience. In the past, Pingheng, his father in this life, once asked him, "What kind of man do you want to be?", and Pingxin responded like this:

"I want to be the freest man in the world who doesn't have to worry about cars, houses, and livelihoods every day, who doesn't feel guilty about hurting himself when pursuing the girl he likes, and who doesn't feel exhausted by his past mediocrity when pursuing his dreams!"

Today, the boy who has changed from Heishin to Asuka Ma Heishin has finally picked up his dream again.

His brain was sending out warnings, his lungs felt like they were burning, and he could smell dust and blood with every breath. Even the very existence of his hands and feet was blurry. He was relying solely on inertia and perseverance to maintain himself, to move forward, to linger on. But in the end, he still collapsed.

He collapsed onto the grass by the roadside, his brow furrowed. The lingering pressure in his chest and the accumulating mental stress subjected him to the cruelest interrogation in his consciousness. If there was one thing that those who enjoy the joy of growth fear most, it would surely be "useless effort," like the exhausted and impoverished practitioners of the Dharma Ending Age.

After struggling to roll over and spit out the blood clots in his chest to prevent them from blocking his organs and making his death a joke, Ping Xin finally passed out. It was a feat for him to survive such rough treatment of his long-ill body in such a short period of time. By the time he staggered to his feet again, it was already dusk.

"...They should be finishing school by now."

He wanted to continue his usual rants to mask his emotions, but in the end, nothing came out, as if he were powerless. He lay in the shade of a tree on the lawn, gazing at the crimson halo at the horizon, remembering the child who had said "Bon voyage" to him, despite the pain in his throat, before leaving today. The smell of blood in his mouth and nose made him nauseous and want to vomit. He was actually a very clean person, but that was no reason for his tears to well up now.

Sorry, I couldn't do it...

Such a mood, such a sense of frustration, this complete defeat after two and a half years.

All of this made him unforgettable for a long, long time.

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

Chapter 21: When you are in a bad mood, go out for a walk~

One day, two days, three days, then a week.

Ever since he fainted after failing to break his own limit last time, Asuka Ma Pingxin has been eating a lot and exercising a lot every day. His exercise methods are not limited to jogging but also include more professional and comprehensive muscle training methods. No one wants to hear about the exercise process, so let's fast forward to the results -

First, his height had officially grown from 168cm before school started to 178cm, a full ten centimeters. Large, firm muscles had also appeared on his body. But Ping Xin didn't go for the "super-style" look of those bodybuilders, where their clothes were practically bursting. Instead, he went for a more down-to-earth style that was more in line with the human body. Now, he could be considered a stylish man, looking thin in clothes and muscular without them.

Physical growth should be a source of joy, but Asuka Maheishin's demeanor has changed dramatically over the past few days, and he's become less and less talkative. He's become increasingly gloomy, and the oppressive feeling he exudes is increasingly terrifying. Sometimes, when Mizukari comes home from school and sits on the sofa watching TV, she'll find someone standing on the stairs connecting the first and second floors, staring at her silently with unfamiliar eyes. It's frankly terrifying. It's almost... almost like she's been possessed by some foul thing—

"...Are you going out for exercise today too?"

Ping Xin shook his head.

"Is that so... If you have time, why don't you come to school? That way you can better guide me with my studies--"

"......no need."

"I see... But she's really looking forward to going to school with you one day."

"..."

Hearing his sister's name, the man fell silent. Mizukari looked cautiously at this "familiar person" who had changed so dramatically in the past few days, afraid that she might say something wrong. Originally, it should be Pingxin who comforted her, but in just a few days, the situation had reversed again.

"...I understand. Wait until I deal with the current situation. You should also work hard on your studies. If you don't understand a question, you can ask your good friends first. If you still don't understand, then come and ask me... I'm going out——"

"...Bon voyage...Um-!"

"Ok?"

Looking at the girl who seemed to have mustered up great courage to chase after him, Ping Xin felt a little confused but still tried to force a smile.

"That's... well... I heard that if you sigh too often, your luck will slip away, and if you smile more, good things will happen to you, right?"

Seeing the concern in Mizukuri's eyes, Pingxin finally smiled sincerely and touched her head carefully.

"...It's not your turn to worry about me yet. Just do what you need to do, and I'll take care of the rest. Let's not talk about studying for now, how's your flower arranging training going?"

"Don't worry, even though that old man is ruthless and stubborn, he definitely won't play tricks when it comes to flower arranging..."

"It's not his side that I'm worried about... Never mind, you'll understand one day."

After leaving these incoherent words, Heishin left. A moment later, Mizukuri, having finished breakfast, also left through the same door, heading off to school with her childhood friends who were waiting for her. This seemed like a minor, insignificant part of their ordinary daily lives, but in reality, it was a turning point that would alter the fate of everyone, and indeed the entire planet.

......

Walking on the road, Pingxin fell into thought - what exactly is wrong with me?

In fact, he'd noticed since the day before yesterday that his body had reached its limits. No amount of training had any effect, it was like he'd been struck by a strange illness, his entire body had reached a state of stagnation. He could sense that his current physical fitness surpassed that of most athletes in the world. But that wasn't enough. Considering the average physique of Stand users, this was only the most basic standard, not even close to the level of Jonathan Joestar (the original JoJo). However, this body should be capable of awakening the ripples...

Heishin could sense that something crucial was missing from his body, but he couldn't put his finger on it. This lingering feeling of weakness left him feeling chest tightness and breathlessness, nearly leading to depression. His physical fitness had hit a plateau, and he was becoming irritable. Heishin suddenly remembered what Mizukuri had said before he left home that morning: if he smiled, perhaps things would turn around... right?

"...Why don't we go somewhere fun today? Just treat it as a day off. After all, even people who are trying to lose weight or keep fit have cheat days."

Just like that, Ping Xin ended his meaningless wandering and began to look at the shops on both sides of the street with purpose.

I ate here a few days ago and got kicked out because I ate too much. No...

This one is also...

This one also——

No, I haven't done anything meaningful in all these days except eating?

Ah, I've eaten here before...

no! no! no!

I can’t think about food anymore, I have to find some other fun things to do!

But for a long time, Ping Xin's life has basically been staying at home, sleeping until he wakes up naturally, eating until he is full, and apart from writing a book that he hasn't started writing for several days, he just enjoys the charm of music. Occasionally, he will change his taste and play games with friends from all over the world - if you think about it carefully, isn't this just a fw homebody... Ping Xin's mood -1

Unconsciously returning to his familiar park, Hirayuko sat on a swing, teasing a stray cat with a cat toy. The fluffy fur, soft paws, and adorable meows soothed his heart. Hirayuko loved animals, and they loved him back. For someone with social anxiety, interacting with animals is much easier than with humans, as most of the time, if you show kindness, they'll return it in their own way.

"Wait here for a moment, I'll be right back."

"Meow~?"

The kitten on the swing lay still, only occasionally twitching its ears to show it's still alert to its surroundings. Wild animals living in cities often have this habit. It's said that animal instincts allow them to accurately detect hostility, but for various reasons, many animals living in cities have gradually lost this "wild" instinct, relying instead on simple "experience."

They don't have the complex thoughts of humans, but they do have a heart that "repays kindness." Often, as long as you are kind to them, they will return the favor with equal or even greater kindness. The human world is too complicated. Even a subtle glance or an unconventional movement can become a reason to attack others. Pingxin no longer wants to experience the daily intrigues with other animals. Living in such a world is often more tiring for the soul than the body. That's why he told his father that his dream is to "become the freest person in the world." But now he seems to be asking for trouble, just like a demigod who hopes to achieve enlightenment but can never let go of the human world. He will always be a half-baked person.

In a positive sense, Ping Xin has always possessed a clear understanding of his own limitations. He doesn't consider matters beyond his capabilities, but rather strives to do his best at his job, striving to live every moment of his life as meaningfully as possible. In his previous life, he was deeply lost, timid in a world filled with invisible shackles called "rules," and at one point, he was so taciturn that he barely uttered more than a few words a day. Fortunately, he encountered music. Music restored his ability to "speak for himself," allowing him to express his feelings and thoughts loudly to the world.

Music gave him the courage to become a person who dared to question, dared to oppose, and dared to be different.

Music gave birth to a truly free soul——

Pingxin sat on the swing, the cat on his lap. In his hands, he held a little cat food he had just bought and his love for the world. The barbs on the kitten's tongue made him feel the presence of life, and the warmth of this tiny life made his heart beat and leap with joy. Even if they were just passing through each other's lives, they could still bring warmth to each other without realizing it.

Did his existence also bring any different changes to others? Ping Xin didn't know, because the courage to face the truth was too precious to him, just like he still couldn't accept the fact that his parents had left this world.

"Let me sing you a song, a song I like very much——"

Caressing the kitten on his lap, the man hummed softly. It sounded like a slow, long song, one that carried with it memories of his childhood in a previous life. A girl with purple and silver hair, on her commuter journey, followed the sound of the song and paused for a moment as she passed the park, looking at both the people and the cats before following her friend, who had followed closely behind, and continuing on her way back to school.

Everyone has his or her own life. May your life be filled with songs forever.

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

Chapter 22: Peaceful

After a song, the man began singing his favorite song again—a passionate, shrill, roaring song to the world—and succeeded in startling the kitten in his arms. Feeling the weight of his arms lighten, the man smiled apologetically and gently placed the cat food and bowl of water at the edge of the bushes. Only after his figure slowly faded did the frightened kitten emerge from the bushes and cautiously sample the offerings presented by his "minion."

The well-fed kitten, for some reason, jumped back onto the swing. With the warm spring sunshine, the floral breeze, and the lingering warmth, the kitten fell asleep again, though this time its ears wouldn't flutter for a long time. Asuka Ma Pingxin, seemingly having discovered a new hobby, petted cats and dogs along the way. No wild animal was a match for him, and they all bowed down before the canned meat, catnip, and "soul extractor"—

Someone who relied on adults' cards to forcibly enter the perfect realm actually understood a little bit of DIO's ideas. The feeling of controlling others is really great, especially when seeing those cats who were originally arrogant and domineering and regarded humans as slaves fall down under the charm of the cat strip and voluntarily expose their bellies for people to play with. It is 100 times better than the snake spirit... cough cough cough, that's the pervert next door, I'm interrupting.

In short, it’s very cool!

He touched and prodded as he went, enjoying himself as he went. Only after he had spent all his money did he reluctantly withdraw his hands and begin looking for new pleasures. Perhaps his fears and prejudices had blinded him in the past; there were still many things in this world that could warm people's hearts.

Someone, walking and stopping along the way, began to buy a lot of snacks and indulge in a bit of eating and drinking before arriving at the entrance of a large game center. He had once been a child standing inside the game center, watching others play. However, once he understood that those who stood there would only stand there for the rest of their lives, and that only by studying could they gain the right to play freely, he stopped going. It wasn't until he grew up and looked back on the past that he realized the game center had been reported and shut down many years ago. It had become a "game hall" for adults, with flashing neon lights and loud music, and had long since become a bar or disco.

Now, with the chance to make amends for his past regrets right before his eyes, how could he refuse fate's invitation? He entered the arcade with his head held high. The middle-aged man patrolling the entrance took one look and let him pass. Fortunately, Hirayuki was now 178cm tall. His long hair hadn't been styled, so he simply parted it to expose his forehead, revealing his forehead. His hairstyle had, incidentally, evolved into a mature style similar to that of Kamen Rider Faiz's protagonist, Inui Takumi. Otherwise, his previous youthful appearance of 168cm would have surely led to his capture by the relentless hunter guarding the entrance, who perpetually hunted for truant "school rebels."

A young man, mistaken for a vagrant or a thug due to his early morning arrival at the game center, once again used the forbidden power of the Adult Card. After becoming a Platinum member with a simple tap of his finger, Heishin, armed with the card and the staff's heartfelt smile, searched for his desired game, leaving behind only a free and uninhibited figure.

"Okay... which one should I play?"

The answer is self-evident—only children with empty pockets would make choices. As an economically free adult, of course I want them all.

The goal is to dominate the game center!

But it's worth mentioning the importance of this arcade. Located near a bus station and a shopping mall, it enjoys a massive customer flow. Several schools are also nearby, bringing in a steady stream of new customers every year. This constant flow of customers brings both immense popularity and substantial profits. Many arcade managers, seeing the huge profits, often become complacent and sit back and wait for the daily cash flow. However, the managers here are truly driven, ambitious, and possess a long-term strategic vision.

Not only did they create a tiered membership system to stimulate consumption, using their own cash flow to constantly purchase new, popular machines to meet the basic needs of most customers, but they also regularly organized offline competitions out of their own pockets. Their business acumen was as sharp as that of the e-commerce industry in their previous lives. But why did this model seem so familiar?

Putting his doubts aside, Pingxin chose his goal - racing games.

There is no man who doesn't like transformations, motorcycles and giant robots, no! Asuka Maheishin is no exception.

Some might ask, "If you love music so much, shouldn't you play music games?" But that's completely different—people who like to eat don't necessarily like to cook, and those who pursue speed and passion don't necessarily want to be race car drivers. Besides, as mentioned before, the technology and culture of this world are superior to those of the past life, and the songs here are probably inferior to the ones Hirayuko has stored in his head, or even to the songs he's never published.

Ping Xin, who had been watching others for a long time, finally found his target - the racing game "Max Drive". The name probably translates to something like Extreme Racing. The names given by Eastern people are always childish. This name can only be regarded as the simplest one among the racing games just seen.

Racing games have always been popular, with people of all ages eager to escape their worries and pursue freedom through speed. Even on a weekday morning, most of the seats here were occupied, likely wanting to enjoy a bit of fun and energize themselves before starting the day.

Ping Xin's prolonged weaving through the crowd caught someone's attention. A young man with slicked-back hair and a suit and tie, who was behind the wheel but hadn't yet battled a player, looked at him. Like two Pokémon trainers staring at each other, their engines roared to life the moment two men striving for ultimate speed met.

"Hey, I see you've been hanging around here for quite some time. I haven't seen you before, newbie? Let me introduce myself. I'm 'Belt', ranked 16th overall in the racing game here. Would you be interested in running a lap with me?"

Thanks to a certain "ghost," Hirayuki seems to be much better now. If anything, he's fine with men, but still has trouble with women, like a harem king's voice actor. Hirayuki plans to stay away from women as much as possible until he learns to curb his appetite, and coming here to relax is a deliberate decision.

"As for the 'name'... let's just set it as this."

The young man in the driver's seat typed in three letters, and from then on, this platinum membership card and player account, which were tied to him personally, had their own unique codename. This was also Ping Xin's wish, that the codename be just a codename—

"D-I-O, DIO? What a strange name. Does it have any special meaning?"

"...Nothing special, probably...the current goal?"

"Really? Then I wish you a speedy achievement of your goal... Since you're a newbie, I'll let you choose the map, okay?"

"Thank you for your kind words... No, I generally prefer randomness, because life is interesting precisely because it is unpredictable—"

And for a true beginner, no matter which map they choose, it's a brand new adventure. Since they're looking for excitement, why not go all the way? After both of them selected the car model and color scheme according to their preferences, Pingxin and "Beirut" entered the game.

"3——2——1——, Start your Engine!"

With the roar of the engine, the red supercar and the classic AE86 sped out on the screen——

The final result was, of course, defeat. To excel in racing games, one must memorize the map. The size of the map, the number of turns and straights, goes without saying. A true expert even considers the performance of each car, even the deceleration effect during collisions. But the two of them still had a blast, a true connection. When victory isn't the sole goal, the game returns to its most basic essence—the beauty of gaming lies in its ability to bring joy and emotion to the player, sometimes leading to unexpected encounters.

"What a fun game."

"...I think so too."

The two shook hands and smiled at each other.

"Then I have to go too. If we meet again someday, let's run together again. But I won't let you off next time."

"I couldn't ask for more—work hard."