It's been 15 years since my reincarnation. Now, it's the year 2001. In my past life, my name was John Doe. Now, I go by Sato Kenji. I died in some kind of accident—the details are hazy. All I remember is dying alone, with no relatives… and no friends. Still, in a strange way, I was kind of happy back then—even if I was alone.
At first, I was confused—no messages, no explanations, nothing to tell me how or why I was reborn. But I accepted it quickly.
For the first time in both my lives, I had parents—a real family. In my previous life, I was an orphan—alone and invisible. Still I found a quiet sort of happiness in that solitude. But in this life… I'm happier. Truly happier. Here, I had people who genuinely cared about me. My mother and father were kind, and even our neighbors, the Kurosaki family, treated me warmly. Their son, Ichigo, was around my age. We talked from time to time, though I wasn't very social. I preferred staying at home—playing video games, watching anime, reading manga, or studying.
We attended the same school—Ichigo trained in karate, while I didn't bother with martial arts. I didn't need it; I preferred street fighting art.
My mother encouraged me to be more social, so I started visiting the Kurosakis on weekends. Their home was full of life—chaotic, but warm. Ichigo and I would play occasionally, but that stopped after it happened.
He lost his mother when he was nine. I remember seeing him wandering along the riverbank, as if searching for something that would never return. Sometimes he'd squat down when tired, only to get up and keep walking. I felt sorry for him, but I didn't know how to comfort him. So I did nothing. I figured time would heal him... maybe he'd forget, or at least move on.
But deep down, I wondered—what if that ever happened to me?
I loved my parents. I loved this family. I was proud to have been reincarnated here.
And then it happened.
When I was 14, everything was taken from me.
We were on a family trip to celebrate my graduation from Mashiba Junior High. I was supposed to enter high school with a smile. Instead, we were hit by a truck. Out of nowhere. The vehicle exploded. I remember the fire... the pain... my clothes were burned, my skin scorched.
I should've died with them.
But when I opened my eyes, I was still inside the burning car. Confused, I couldn't understand how I was even alive—I could've sworn I was burning to death. But that didn't matter now. With minor burns, I kicked the car door repeatedly until it finally gave way and crawled out. Desperate to save my parents, I rushed to their side and tried to pry open their door with my bare hands. My skin burned with every pull—but the door wouldn't budge.
Then a firefighter arrived and pulled me back. I struggled, screaming at him to let me go. I fought so hard he could barely hold me, and eventually, he called for help. Together, they held me down, refusing to release me until the flames were finally extinguished.
Only then did they let go. I rushed to the car… and looked through the window.
That's when I saw them. Their charred bodies.
I broke. I cried. I screamed. I threw up… and then everything went black.
I woke up in the hospital. The doctor said I was lucky—that I got out of the burning car with barely any injuries. But something felt off. I could've sworn my hands were burned… yet there were no signs of it. Still, I dismissed the thought. They couldn't save my parents. And I didn't feel lucky at all.
Some people came to visit me—the Kurosaki family included. They were probably trying to comfort me, but I didn't react. I just sat there, numb. But then I did react—when I heard the news: The truck driver had survived. He was in the same hospital… still unconscious.
When I found out, I snapped. I left my room and headed straight for his. I was fully intent on killing him. People tried to stop me, but it wasn't easy, I shoved past them, my rage boiling over. Ichigo and Isshin tried to hold me back, while Karin and Yuzu stood frozen in horror. They knew this wasn't right… but they couldn't do anything.
I broke free and rushed to the door of the truck driver's room. I saw him lying there, unconscious in bed—and I moved intend to choke him to death. But then… a boy stepped in front of me. His son. Tears streamed down his face as he looked up at me and said.
Son: "Please… don't hurt my father."
That was enough to make me stop. I froze, staring at the kid… then turned around without saying a word. I left the hospital without waiting to hear anything else from the doctors and go back home in foot.
They were my first true family. And I lost them. It all ended in an accident—a result of the truck malfunctioning. I received financial compensation, but I didn't care. No amount of money could ever make up for what I lost.
I tried to end my life. That's when I discovered something strange—something terrifying. I couldn't die. Some kind of power had awakened in me… or maybe it had always been there. Maybe that's why I survived the burning car in the first place.
At first, I injured my hand—just to see if something would happen. But nothing did. It didn't heal. So I tried to kill myself… and failed. When I looked again, my hand was healed—and even the blood that had spilled on the floor had vanished. I thought it was a coincidence.
So I injured myself again, this time focusing on the idea of healing—and it worked. The wound closed right before my eyes, and once again, the blood on the floor disappeared. That's when I realized I had regenerative powers—more like a rewind-type regeneration. That part, at least, I could control.
At first, I thought I had the power to rewind time, since the spilled blood vanished too. But it seemed the ability only affected my body when it was injured. It wasn't time manipulation—it was just regeneration. Honestly, I found that disappointing.
Then I tried to kill myself again—this time with a desperate wish to die. But it didn't work at all.
That's when I realized something else: death itself was different. Every time I tried to take my life, my body fully healed. No matter what I did, it wouldn't let me die. I couldn't control it. I couldn't escape it.
When I stabbed my own throat with a knife, I still felt the pain—sharp and real—but I never blacked out, never felt the fading drift into death. I stayed conscious the whole time. This wasn't just regeneration… it was something closer to immortality.
Normally, someone might be happy to have a power like this. But I didn't care. I still wanted to die. I kept trying—over and over again. But it never worked.
Was this a gift? Or some kind of punishment from God? What did I do wrong? If I was going to be given a power, why couldn't it have been something like rewinding time after death? Anything but this. Not a curse that forces me to keep living through the same pain… again and again.
If I had known it would be like this, I think I'd rather have been reborn an orphan. At least then… I wouldn't have to feel this kind of pain.
The last time I tried to end it, Ichigo—worried about me—came to visit. He walked in and found me holding a knife, the blade inches from my throat. Without hesitation, he rushed over, knocked it from my hand, and shouted at me not to give up.
He said my parents wouldn't have wanted this.
I listened in silence.Of course they wouldn't want that… but was that really enough?
Something in me snapped. I grabbed him by the collar and shouted:
Kenji: "What would you know?! You only lost your mother—I lost everything, do you hear me? Everything! If you'd lost your entire family, I bet you'd be like this too!"
But then, Ichigo said something unexpected.
Ichigo: "Did you really lose everything? What about your two bunnies—Peppy and Chappy? You forgot to bring them on your family trip, so we took care of them."
He handed them to me—a white rabbit and a black rabbit.
I froze. I had completely forgotten about them. I got these rabbits when I was twelve—I cherished them. I'd left them behind during that trip. A mistake… but maybe also a miracle.
I let go of his collar, lowered my gaze, and mumbled a soft apology and a quiet thank you. Then I asked him to leave me alone for a bit. I promised I'd stop trying.
He nodded silently and left, casting one last glance over his shoulder. I knew he was just trying to help…But it was hard to accept comfort from someone who still had a family.
Maybe that's why I couldn't bring myself to comfort him back then. And somehow… I have a feeling he would've reacted the same way if our roles were reversed.
Ichigo doesn't know about the other times. He only saw that one attempt. I never told him about the rest—he wouldn't believe me anyway. Or worse, he'd try to lecture me like some responsible adult, even though we're the same age.
And despite everything—even with a whole past life behind me—I still act like a kid sometimes. Of course, I never told him about my power either. I decided to keep it a secret. But deep down… I know it won't stay hidden forever.
Funny thing—the day I lost my parents… was the same day Ichigo lost his mother.Is this fate? If it is, I hate it.
I looked down at the bunnies in my arms and said quietly:
Kenji: "Sorry… for trying to leave you guys behind."
I hugged them tightly.
After that, little by little, I started to move on.
I kept my house. I refused to sell it or move into an apartment. At one point, the Kurosakis offered me to live with them, but I turned them down. I love my home.It holds memories I'm not ready to let go of.
I also had money from the financial compensation, and I knew how to manage it.I figured I'd be fine on my own.
The truck driver eventually came to see me—kneeling, crying, and apologizing.A part of me wanted revenge. I wanted to hate him. But when I saw his face—filled with guilt and sorrow—I gave up. He had a family too. And deep down, I knew my parents wouldn't have wanted me to carry that kind of hatred.
I'll never forgive him, but I let it go. I told him I never wanted to see him again. He nodded, apologized one last time... and disappeared from my life.
Now, I live alone and support myself with part-time jobs. Even with the financial compensation, I know the money won't last forever.
Sometimes, Yuzu and Karin would visit, bringing me homemade meals. I rejected their kindness—mostly because I was used to quick, simple meals. But they were persistent because is not healthy. Eventually… I gave in.
Yuzu smiled like it meant the world to her. Karin just patted me on the shoulder and told me to eat properly.
Ichigo visited too to hang out. He's changed. When he was a kid, he was such a crybaby. Now, he seems more mature.
Eventually, I preferred being alone. I told them to stop visiting so often—it was starting to get annoying. I could cook now. I was fine. Yuzu looked sad, and Karin was a bit annoyed, but they understood. I also told Ichigo I was busy and needed some space.He complained a little, but in the end, he nodded and accepted it.
I didn't really need to push them away… so why did I? Maybe it's jealousy. They still have each other. A family. Will I ever truly get over it? I don't know. Maybe one day.
I rarely visit their home, even though our houses are right across the street from each other. The only times I go are when I stop by the clinic—usually to check on Peggy and Cappy. Turns out Isshin can handle animals too.
He did once try to drag me into their house to cheer me up. It didn't work. Honestly… I just found it annoying.
Ichigo ended up kicking his dad and told him not to force me if I wasn't comfortable. That was the only time it ever happened.
Now I'm 15, and I've finally started to truly move on. Even though I've picked up a habit of drinking and smoking… it still feels better than being stuck in that endless pit of depression. I'd tried both once in the past, then stopped— But now, those habits are starting to creep back into my life. Ichigo and his family don't know. Not yet.
I apologized to the Kurosaki family. They told me I didn't need to—but I felt like I had to. Sometimes, they invite me to eat with them. I usually say no… but this time, I accepted. We ate together, and for the first time in a long while—I smiled again. I told Yuzu and Karin they could visit sometime to play with Cappy and Peggy. They nodded happily.
Then I discovered something—my immortality doesn't grant eternal youth. I still age, slowly but surely, and I'll likely die of old age like anyone else. I noticed it from a small beard starting to grow on my face. I shaved it off, of course, and it's still just a theory for now… but if it's true, I'm thankful for it.
Now, I'm attending Karakura High School—the same school as Ichigo, I didn't really intend to go. Between part-time jobs and everything else, I was already busy. But my parents had applied for me before they passed…And skipping it just felt wrong. Isshin encouraged me. He said, "A kid like you should be in school. I bet your parents would've wanted that. If you're having a hard time, I'll help."
So I accepted it. Not because I needed Isshin's help—I could manage on my own. Not because I wanted to—but because it felt like the least I could do.
Lately, I've started seeing ghosts too. Back when we were kids, Ichigo once told me he could see them, but I brushed it off—just a kid making things up. But after my powers awakened… I started seeing them as well. Most of them don't cause any harm, so I usually just ignore them.
Though, when a few tried to wander into my house, I threatened them with a slipper, shouting, 'I will send you to shadow realm!' And to my surprise, it actually worked. Some ignored me at first, so I threw the slipper at them—expecting it to pass right through. But it hit one. After that, the ghosts stopped coming to my house.
Still, I can't help but wonder what's going to happen to my life now that this power has awakened. I hope things stay peaceful…
…Though maybe that's just wishful thinking.
TO BE CONTINUED.