(Darkness once again)
I woke up in a dumpster. Pushing myself up, I fell into a damp place—seeing graffiti, and a place that felt familiar. The modern world.
I stood up as cars and vehicles passed by, grabbing the side of a wall, dizzy.
Adam: "Where am I?"
Walking and avoiding people's eyes, Adam's heart pounded, though he didn't know why.
Huff... calm down... Why am I like this?Even if he didn't know anything, or even if he tried to calm down, something in his mind felt like it was forgetting something.
He tripped into a puddle, surprising more people. Thankfully, it didn't hurt. Standing up again—
A short-haired person came over, holding a basketball. "Wait a minute! Sir... are you alright?"
Adam looked at him with a blank expression. "I'm still young, you know." He coughed, realizing he needed to be formal. "So... where are we?"
Is this guy homeless or something? the boy thought. "Well, we're in Akita... the land of autumn rice fields. You know, the thing we're standing on?"
Adam smiled. "Right... right... And the year?"The boy sighed. "1999..."
"Nice number," I thought to myself. "See ya... I guess."Walking around clumsily, definitely not like a normal person.
Unknown Person:...With a solemn voice "I... guess see ya here? Forever."
Running around under the open sun, as it burned my skin, I tried to remember what my mission was. Eventually, I just sat down in the rice field, eating some grains.
An old man came over and tried to hit me with a shovel. "Stupid kid!"
What was that for...? It's not like he owns this. How would I know? I remembered working on Rixton Island. My stomach grumbled—it's been a long time since I'd felt hunger.
Lvl 20 HP: 200 MP: 0/60Character: An enigmatic figure from another worldDEF: 30 AGL: 60 WILL: 44 LCK: 8INT: 40 Stamina: 60
At least the system works... I scratched my head, remembering Manori.
Walking along the road, a person caught up to me—an old guard."Hey kid! School's already starting, why are you out here?" He sounded angry, annoyed. He tried to grab me, but I dodged easily, which only made him angrier."Come over here!"
He led me to a school—Akita Technical High School.
He brought me into a room full of 12th graders. "Uh... hi?" I said as the students whispered among themselves."He doesn't belong here...""Some poor kid..."
The female teacher looked at me. "Who are you, sir?"Adam: "...Adam?"
It was awkward being led to a school. No, it really was. What am I even doing here?The teacher just pointed me to an empty seat at the back.
Fidgeting with my fingers, I looked around. Students were playing poker, ignoring the teacher. Some boys talked among themselves, and a group of girls were playing Nintendo.
One person looked at me and smirked. "I'm Eifer."
Adam: "Well... I'm Adam."
"You're new, huh? Haha. I never thought I'd experience a transfer student in this school. Like, ever."
"Yeah... me too." -_-
As class began, students were doing a project about cell membranes—something about passive and active transport. I had the memory to do it, but the teacher barely paid attention. I started dozing off...
Then suddenly, a voice: "Quiz time!"
I woke up instantly.Multiple thoughts hit me. What am I supposed to do? Why do I need to study? Wait... is this even real?
Wiping my eyes, I was still here, in this world.
Students: "Number 1! What is the organelle that passes particles in and out of the cell?"
Ugh... what am I supposed to do? Looking around, I saw a mirror—three versions of me. One in a white T-shirt, skinny. Another in a military suit, with a backpack and helmet. The current me... wearing a hoodie and a heart locket.
Wait... a heart locket? I looked down and saw it—shining like a red ruby.(Sigh... but this... Definitely isn't real. Then... where the heck am I?)
Eifer spoke suddenly. "Hey, you seem anxious. Here." He handed me a blank paper. "Sorry, no extra pencil. Like, what kind of student forgets their backpack?" He smiled. The other students stayed silent.
I looked around and saw the answer sheets everyone had. Well... if everyone's cheating, then so will I. Heh.
A girl wearing a red and blue hoodie suddenly handed me a pen. "Here."
Adam looked at her—realizing she was Manori. But something was different. She looked... happier.
"Thanks." I wrote down everything I remembered.
Time passed."Thanks, man."
Eifer, shifting nervously, replied, "Oh, uh... yeah."
P.E. came next. I aced basketball—dunked over everyone, faster than anyone.
Classmate: "Dude, how'd you do that?"Adam: "I guess... I'm just naturally talented." He smiled jokingly.
They looked annoyed. Suddenly, one guy with a buzzcut grabbed my shirt, tearing off my heart locket.
"Dude! Why'd you do that?"Classmate: "Oh man, sorry! Sorry!"
I huffed, getting tired. Somehow, my strength was returning—like when I was in the mechanical world. Strong, but not as strong. Then they ganged up on me, stole the ball, and as moments passed... no one even passed to me again.
I sat on the bench. Sigh... it was just a game. Why so serious...
Time passed again.
Going back "home," my body was decaying. This time, I was seriously starving. With no options, I opened the creation system—but there was nothing. Nothing at all.
Students whispered, laughing at me.
Am I dreaming...? Where am I...? Where... am I...?
I lay down on the road as the sunset glowed across the bridge, light shining through my face before everything turned completely dark.
Was everything I saw just a dream? Then... what is real...?
Sigh. I was supposed to go back to my friends, and here I am.I laughed—wondering if any of it was real.
Doubt formed in my thoughts. A dark, deep voice echoed in my head. Hungry, sleepless, tired... disheveled in the streets.
I laughed again. So this is why you need a family to start on... I guess I'll get a job tomorrow.
Walking endlessly down the road...
Suddenly—Manori. I locked eyes with her.
Manori: "Why are you here?"Adam: "So are you..." I smiled, though tired.
Manori paused for a moment. "There's an empty room in my boarding house. You can pay my parents once you get a job."
Why are you this kind? Adam thought. Normally, humans aren't this kind... Why do you even trust me?
"Thanks."Is her name even Manori...? What's her real name...?
I'll know it anyway... I always have time.