Tadashi gasped as his eyes shot open.
The ceiling. The same white, textured ceiling. The same old stain in the corner.
His breath came fast, chest rising and falling as he clutched at his stomach. No knife
wound. No blood. Just smooth skin.
But the memories remained. The pain. The sensation of his life slipping away in an
alley. The sound of Simon's chalk scraping the board.
He was alive again.
And that meant…
It wasn't a dream.
He sat up slowly, gripping the bedsheets. This is my second attempt.
His fingers trembled slightly, but he clenched them into fists.
"One week. Just one week. I can do this."
He exhaled sharply and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.
"No mistakes this time."
Now that he knew this wasn't his original world, Tadashi paid closer attention to his
surroundings.
The layout of his apartment was the same.
The furniture was identical.
His phone was in the same place on his desk.
But something felt off.
He grabbed his phone and turned it on. The date was blank again.
He checked his wallet, inside were bills labeled "Gen" instead of Yen.
Tadashi sighed. So this world uses Gen as currency. Got it.
He moved to the window and peeked outside. The streets looked normal, but…
A rat the size of a small dog scurried across the alleyway.
Tadashi froze.
"What the hell…?"
It vanished into the shadows.
A sense of unease crept over him.
Every time I die, the world changes slightly.
Was that a good thing? Or bad?
He clenched his jaw.
"I need to get to school and see how much has changed."
Tadashi walked toward the campus, cautious this time.
The streets were the same, but certain details had shifted.
The billboards advertised products he didn't recognize.
The news station played in a language that didn't sound like Japanese.
The school security looked different, bulkier armor, heavier weapons.
When he approached the university gates, two guards stopped him.
"Only students are allowed past this point."
Tadashi sighed, already expecting this. He pulled out his student ID.
The guards examined it. One nodded. "Alright, you can go in."
As he walked inside, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.
The moment he stepped into the classroom, Tadashi could already tell.
They didn't remember him.
Whispers spread across the room.
"Who's that guy?"
"Is he a transfer student?"
"Never seen him before."
The professor smiled. "Ah, looks like we have a new transfer student. Please introduce
yourself."
Tadashi forced himself to stay calm.
"This world reset. No one remembers me."
Slowly, he stood.
"Fine. Let's see how this plays out."
"My name is Tadashi Murata. I'm from Tokyo."
The reaction was immediate.
A girl in the back scoffed. "Tokyo? Never heard of it."
More whispers.
"A slum, maybe?"
"His hair looks messy."
"Ugh, I hate those people."
Tadashi gritted his teeth.
"So no matter what world I'm in… I'll always be treated like an outcast."
But this time, it didn't make him angry.
It made him focused.
"I don't care what they think. I just need to survive."
As Tadashi packed up his bag after class, someone approached him.
A girl with short black hair and bright brown eyes.
She smiled. "Hey, you're new, right? I'm Ayano Kurumi."
Tadashi hesitated.
"In my last attempt… no one talked to me. Why is she different?"
He nodded slowly. "Yeah. Tadashi Murata."
She grinned. "Nice to meet you! Let's walk together."
Warning bells went off in Tadashi's head.
"Too friendly. Too fast. Something's off."
But if he ignored her, would that make him suspicious?
He forced a smile. "Sure."
As they walked through the halls, Ayano asked him strange questions.
"So, where exactly is Tokyo? I've never heard of it."
"Do you have any family here?"
"You seem kinda quiet. Do you get nervous easily?"
Tadashi's instincts screamed at him.
"She's testing me."
He kept his answers vague. "Tokyo's just a small town. I live alone. I'm not really a
talkative guy."
Ayano just smiled wider.
"I don't trust her."
After leaving school, Tadashi stopped by a convenience store to get food.
More changes.
The store layout was different.
The cashier looked slightly… off. Like his face didn't fully match his voice.
The currency was different again. Now, everything was priced in "Gen."
Tadashi grabbed a pack of instant noodles.
30 Gen.
"Alright. This world's currency is Gen. Good to know."
As he left the store, his mind ran through everything.
The world changes slightly every time.
No one remembers him after he dies.
Some people act strangely, like they're testing him.
"The more I die, the weirder this world gets."
His grip on the bag tightened.
"I need to survive long enough to figure out what's really going on."
Tadashi arrived back at his apartment and locked the door behind him.
His body relaxed for the first time all day.
He let out a long, tired breath.
Was it paranoia, or did this attempt feel more dangerous than the last?
He set his noodles on the counter and glanced at the window.
Outside, in the shadows of the alley…
A pair of glowing eyes stared up at his apartment.
Tadashi's blood ran cold.
When he blinked, they were gone.