If I were to introduce myself to other people, I’d carefully gauge out their personality before giving them a response that they’d be fine hearin without judging me. If a social normie went up to me and asked about my interests, I wouldn’t tell them that I was into anime. If a sporty person asked about me, I’d tell them “Yeah, I play a bit of soccer.”. I’d constantly shift to whatever the situation needed, so I wouldn’t be bothered by things such as social labels and niche cliques.
That’s why when people are asked their opinion of me, they’d most likely say, “Oh, he’s okay.” or the like. Despite all this though, I wasn’t popular, the opposite in fact. People would only come to me whenever they needed something from me, be it homework or errands, people wouldn’t approach me otherwise, I wouldn’t either. I kept everyone else at a distance, to the people who knew me, I was just a watcher, a bystander who was always there but didn’t have presence. That’s why I was always picked last when grouping up with people, and that’s fine by me. That’s how I deal with society and I know that’s what brings me happiness.
What? Do I have a fetish for hands and have the tendency to blow up whoever finds out my identity? No, no, no. I’m a completely normal high school student in Japan. Although if I were to fight, I know I wouldn’t lose to anyone...... Just kidding.
Our, wait no, my story begins in a cold December, but well, that wouldn’t matter soon enough, you’ll see why in a bit. But it was an early dry and cold morning when I was walking along a sidewalk in a very fuzzy black fur coat, I stood in front a traffic light outside a shopping district in my hometown, Osaka. It was a rather busy morning, with clouded skies, a few cars passed by while the red light pedestrian light shone on the stoplight. In other words, It was a perfectly normal day, at least for me. The sounds of the traffic were muffled through my stereo headphones, a perfect necessity for a loner like me to shut the world out. But well, some people just wouldn’t take a hint....... especially this girl beside me.
“Hey, Hey!”, called the girl with brown hair decorated by a purple butterfly pin reaching her shoulders as she tugged at my coat repeatedly. She looked at me with an energetic look while tugging. I took of my headphones before looking at the girl who was smiling.
Kanon. My attention vying childhood friend who seemed to be a ball of walking energy. She looked at me before reaching out to pat my head as if I was a puppy. “You’re still wearing those headphones, were you born with them?.”, teased the girl while I sighed.
Surely, some of you are thinking I’m lucky for growing up with such a girl, but well, to be frank, I don’t care. I’m not interested in her, and even if I was, I’m fairly sure she already has a partner. Again, none of my business.
“Uh huh. You haven’t changed at all.”, I said with a tired sigh. “What’s with the damp mood bruh. Still sad you’re single? Hehe, I can hang out with you later y’know?”, said Kanon. I looked at her with a fed up expression. “Hard pass. I’ll be off studying, college entrance exams are coming up.”, I said with a sigh. Kanon chuckled before patting me in the back with a thud.
“Sheesh, you never change do you? Acting like you care about the future just to hide the fact that you’re scared to try something new. Am I correct?”, asked Kanon with a relatively serious expression. I looked at her with a pause, before I knew it, my head was already hung at that statement. Without even thinking, I blurted,
“Is there anything wrong with that.....?”, I asked while looking at the floor. Kanon went up in front of me with a chuckle before holding up my face and directing it forward. “Chin up, Sora. We’re still young so let’s enjoy life will we’re at it yeah?”, asked Kanon with a genuine smile that caught me off guard for a second. In front of us, the traffic light turned green, I gave a wry smile before slightly nodding.
“I suppose that’s one way to look at it.”, I said. I’m not sure what I felt at that moment, maybe it was confusion, but I knew deep down she was right, I just refused to accept it.
“Sure it is! Ayt, c’mon, Sora-cchi, before we get late.”, said Kanon energetically, I nodded and went on my way across the pedestrian walk alongside my friend and the bypassers around.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sat in front of my homeroom teacher, Mr. Edo, wearing a lab coat and a pair of lab goggles hanging from his neck, he browsed along a few papers, which I assumed to be my college applications. I was a third year in my school, graduating from high school, barring any setbacks. He glossed over them before nodding contently.
“So you chose to apply in Tokyo university huh..... I expected as much.”, said my teacher to me, I nodded before speaking, “Yes, I plan on applying for a degree in Earth sciences and eventually Astronomy.”. Now I wasn’t joking here. I, Soryuuin Sora, Have a dream. Just like any other student my age.
“I see. Well, you’ve always seemed to have an interest in my Earth Science lectures....... I’m sure you can do it, I’ve been supervising your class for half a year, I believe that you can make your dreams come true.”, said the teacher, as he patted my by my shoulder with a smile, It must’ve shown on my face that I was confused because the teacher gave me a worried look after a few moments.
“is something conflicting you?”, asked the teacher, I shook my head before sighing.
“It’s nothing much, just something Kanon told me earlier.”, I said, with a smile, reassuring him. He furrowed his brow in curiosity before continuing to speak, “You can tell me if you want.”, said the teacher, I slightly shook my head before speaking. I didn’t know why I ended up telling him, maybe deep down inside, I just wanted to someone to at least hear me, either way, I ended up telling him.
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“Talking to her made me feel like I spent my high school life wrong. It made me worry that I missed out on a lot of things just because I only kept to myself just because I didn’t make any friends.”, I said, without even thinking. I must’ve had a pretty laughable face, seeing as how the teacher looked really sympathetic with me as he listened while I ranted on.
“I feel conflicted that all the chances I was given were wasted, that I could’ve been much more than I am. Man, I don’t even know anymore.”, I said as I sat back on the office chair in the counselling office. The teacher looked at me straight in the eye.
“You should say those words once your life is over, listen, there is no wrong or right way to spend your life here. You should be happy, this regret you carry will have made a mark on your life before you already know it.”, said the teacher with a smile. Bruh, what’s this guy going on about?
“E-err, all I’m saying is that feeling bad about it is good, after all, you’re becoming more self aware about your life. It’s not too late you know? You still have a long life ahead of you, so just take your shot.”.
Those words dwelled in my mind for the rest of the day, and before I knew it, the dismissal bell had already rang, I walked alone alongside the school road near a mall district where all the students hang out, it had been already considerably late since I had to do some work before leaving the school, I walked along the sidewalk, I couldn’t seemingly take my mind off my negative social life, other than studies, having close relationships was something you could only get in academy. As I walked, I saw a familiar brown haired girl with a butterfly pin at the side of the street along with some of my classmates.
I gulped in anxiety while remembering Mr. Edo’s advice, I felt conflicted deep inside, will they accept me? Will they laugh at me? These questions plagued by head and before I knew it I became who I am today, but then,
With all my insecurities and fears, I forgot what was most important with my life, I forgot to take chances, to have fun and be young. That’s why I made a choice, right then and there.
I took a step forward the other side, but while I walked the crossing, I also forgot one important thing. To check the road for any speeding uncontrolled trucks.
The last thing I heard was the loud screeching of tires and the screaming of nearby civilians and before I knew it, I had already died.
Whoops.
Now, you must be asking how I’m narrating this when I got hit by a random truck and immediately died from the impact, but well, fate had different plans for me. My consciousness drifted to a dark space, and by instinct, I knew I died.
(Ah, man, this sucks, just when I wanted to get my life together........ )
It felt bitter. Incredibly bitter that I couldn’t fulfill my dreams, nor had I found myself a special someone. I could’ve done so much things....... That reminds me, I wonder how Mom and Dad are doing.......?
Multiple hazy visions suddenly clouded my mind, a memory of me in elementary, imagery of my middle school graduation, and a woman with dark blue hair with ornaments that looked like the space adorned with the shimmering stars extending her arms towards me. Warmth, just like my mother’s. enveloped me as I floated through the cold darkness, and after what seemed to be an eternity in a moment, I had woken up.
I suddenly opened my eyes to see a pair of eyes looking at me with glee, wrapped around me were gentle and smooth hands. Wait what the hell?
“Oh, did I wake you up, little baby? I’m so sorry......”, spoke the woman softly with a tone of kindness as if talking to a little child......... which was probably me.
Hold up.
I looked at the woman who was holding me questioningly, she sat on a sofa in a rather large house I presumed to be a mansion, seeing as how the space was wide and the furniture seemed to be made of fine and elegant dark wood. White Chandeliers fostering a bright blue flame that decorated the ceiling above me. This place was clearly a bedroom, seeing as how there was a bed at the corner. But more importantly, there was only one person other than me in this room, one was this woman who seemed to be in her early thirties with flowing blonde hair and a rather well-formed face,
Darn, what the heck is happening? Wait. I got hit by a truck right......?
I gasped. Internally of course.
I got reincarnated in another world, it all makes sense now. The light novels didn’t lie to me after all....... I-I don’t know what to feel about this though. Inside, I was confused, just like any other sane person thrust into this situation. The sudden realization that all the people I’ve met, my parents, my miniscule amount of friends and the people who’ve taught me so much, they’re all gone.
Sooner or later, the woman stood up to place me inside some sort of baby crib. As a mentally developed teenager, I have never wanted to cringe so badly in my whole 17 years of living.
“Oh, honey! Can you watch Elis for a moment? I need to start the fire for dinner!”, said the woman to the open door leading to a hallway with windows with a dark sky leaking in. “Sure, hon, what’s for dinner?”, asked a deep voice. I couldn’t tell what it was, but something about it seemed sophisticated. “Teehee, it’s a surprise.”, responded the woman. Hmmm, seeing this avant-garde house and these people, was I born as a noble? Neat. Time to waste my life again and die misfortunately.........
A vision of that idiot Kanon filled my head, the days we spent on the playground swings, those days were the best. As my supposed mother left the room, a rather muscular man with blonde hair went inside the room with a rather tired looking expression, he went up to me before tiredly smiling and picking me up slowly.
Wait what the hell are you doing? Put me down. I didn’t ask for this, sto- Ah screw it, this’ll probably keep on happening from now on, might as well shut up now.
“Oh? You’re not crying this time.”, said the man, a bit surprised, his facial expression softened and look at me with pride.
Don’t worry father, I will definitely fail your expectations when I grow up, enjoy it while you can. Speaking of which, how did I even get here........?
As I was gathered in my thoughts, the man holding me walked outside the rooftop opposite of the door, the rooftop was rather small with some kind of plants that had a ghostly purple glow to them, slowly illuminating the area with a dim warm purple light. The man held me with one arm and pointed at the night sky with his left with andistant face,
“You see that, Elis?”, said the man with a quiet voice, I looked to where he was pointing and what my eyesight was a ghostly yet somehow magical night sky, hundreds of stars glimmered brightly through the dark blue night sky, but what caught my eye were the two moons. The bigger one was a bright blue and the other, which was roughly around half the blue moon, was the same purple as the flowers in the rooftop.
“Once upon a time, A dragon chased the twin moons, and were forced to be on the run for a long long time. That was until the gods and goddesses decided to step in and save the twin moons. After sealing away the dragon in the sun, they asked to reside on the moon seeing that it was a cool and comfortable place. The moons let them reside on themselves and settled down, looking over our land. It is said that whenever the dragon writhes and struggles, the sun shines brighter leading do daylight but it eventually calms down.”, told the man as if passing down a story to me.
(Dragons......? So this really is another world, seeing that night sky, I’m convinced. This place has two moons, but that would’ve taken a toll on this land’s stability and tides.......)
“Listen my one and only son, grow up well and live a life of pride.”, said my father as if talking to himself.
At that moment, I remembered that I, Soryuuin Sora, had a dream. My fascination to the planet’s satellites, planets and astral bodies made me wonder how wide the universe was. A bit chuuni, but for me, that was all I had. My dream to observe the universe was what kept me going. Looking at the sky above me, a thrill passed through my emotions. A new world was in front of me, a new planet, a new universe, at that moment, I wished upon the stars,
May my new life be blessed with fortune.