"Han, it's time for you to get up," his mom entered his room and woke him up.

"Could I have just ten more minutes?" He grumbled as he rolled away from his mom, and burying himself deeper into his layers of blankets.

"You're going to be late for school!" She answered.

Han gripped the blankets tighter to prevent them from being yanked off and exposing him to the rising sun. Even while fighting off his mother, his mind was half buried in sleep, as he desperately tried to claw his way towards slumber. Groaning from having to deal with this so early in the morning, he wished that he was an adult where he was allowed to do whatever he wanted.

"Mom, are you trying to get Han to wake up again?" Jennifer's muffled voice could be heard through the blankets surrounding him.

"Help me wake up your brother," his mom pleaded with his sister.

Feeling the blankets being pulled in two different directions let him know that his sister had betrayed him and joined the side of evil. After several minutes, the sheets were ripped from on top of him and exposed the light. "It's too bright!" Han groaned and covered his face.

"Make sure you take a shower and brush your teeth, before coming down to eat your breakfast," his mother instructed as he listened to the sound of her leaving his room.

"Hurry up, too!" Jennifer yelled at him as she also left his room.

Rolling onto his back, Han slowly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "I wonder if they'll get angry if I just go back to sleep?" He said out loud.

"Don't you dare!" His sister yelled out from the bottom of the stairs.

Groaning, he rolled out of bed and fell to the ground. The carpet felt comfortable against his cheek, calling out to him that he needed more sleep. Pressing both of his palms onto the carpet, Han forced his arms to push him up. Grabbing a portion of the bed, he pulled himself into a sitting position. His head tilted to one side, with both eyes still closed.

"I should wake up now, I guess," he grumbled.

Getting up and nearly falling face first on his desk, which was across from his bed, Han was able to stabilize himself and stood up. Looking at his bed, the dresser next to it, and the desk across from his bed, Han scratched the back of his neck. Looking out the window, he saw the houses across the street that were being blasted with the rising sun.

Turning around, Han went across the hallway and into the bathroom he shared with his sister. Closing his eyes, before turning on the light, he groaned at having to wake up. In the back of his mind, Han thought about getting rid of the sleepiness but threw the idea out of his mind. Moving out of the way, as he closed the door, he went over to the bathtub and turned on the faucet. The water rushed out of, giving off a chilling sensation. As the knob turned, he placed his hand in the water and felt the cold water slowly begin to warm.

Stepping into the tub, Han closed the shower curtains and pulled the switch. He was a half-step too slow in getting out of the way of the water spraying out of the shower head. "Damn it!" He cursed the cold water, as he tilted his head and rested on the tile wall. The steam rose like an unleashed spirit, signaling that the ritual was complete. Sidestepping into the water, the heat felt good as it cascaded over his left side. Twisting his body, he looked up and watched the steam as it hovered above him ever watchful.

His body warmed from the water, a processed he enjoyed going through each morning. Feeling like he was rid of the morning chill, Han grabbed the soap and washcloth. Rubbing the soap into the cloth, making it overflow with soapy bubbles, Han returned the soap to its proper place and began cleaning himself.

Compared to his former body, his smaller size allowed him to clean himself quickly. After rinsing himself off and promptly washing his hair, Han turned the handle and stopped the flow. As he watched the water drain, the excess water dripped from his semi-long hair. Using his hand to brush back his hair, he opened the shower curtain and reached for the towel.

As he dried himself off, Han saw himself reflected by the mirror. Seeing his appearance, it dawned on him how much time had passed since he began this new adventure. Compared to when he was crawling around the house as a baby, he was now a young boy. Placing the towel back on the drying rack, he stepped out and enjoyed the feeling of the fuzzy rug. Taking a few steps to reach the sink, he began the daily ritual called brushing his teeth. After grabbing a toothbrush, applying toothpaste on it, and brushing his teeth, Han spat out the toothpaste and rinsed his mouth,

The funniest thing about these morning rituals was how unnecessary they were, taking into account his body and it being immune to everyday things like tooth decay and cavities. He chuckled thinking back to how often his sister would comment about him needing to shower and brush his teeth, with how often he would forget to do such things. After doing it for so long, Han found himself used to the routine.

Humans needed things that reminded them of the normalcy of life, and morning habits were the easiest one to develop. This is one of the reasons why marketing firms encouraged toothpaste makers to create a product that foamed. As people went about their mornings and brushed their teeth, they were reassured by the foaming toothpaste even if the foaming action didn't do anything.

Walking back to his room, Han reached for a cheap plastic hairbrush. Looking out the window and observing the neighborhood, he ran the brush through his hair. His head would tilt, occasionally, as the brush ran into a knot of hair. With the knots in his hair gone, Han enjoyed the feeling of the rounded plastic tips massaging his scalp.

With the flick of his wrist, the brush went into the air and in a smooth arc onto the desk. Going over to his dresser, his fingers gripped the polished wooden knob. Pulling the drawer towards him, Han looked at the folded clothes trying to decide what to wear. Shrugging his shoulders, he reached for a plain blue shirt and black pants, along with underwear and socks.

After he put on the various articles of clothing, Han grabbed his abandoned looking backpack in the corner of his room. He would toss the pack into the corner whenever he arrived home, giving off an image of the backpack crying out to him as it flew towards the remote part of his room. As he walked down the stairs, he slung the bag over his shoulder.

Smells of eggs, sausages, and toast with butter wafted into his nostrils as Han entered the living room. The usual smell of breakfast made him grin in anticipation. At the table, his dad and sister were eating while his mother was shuttling back and forth between the dining room and the kitchen.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

His dad was sitting with his morning newspaper, as he occasionally stabbed his pile of eggs and shoved it into his mouth. Jennifer was looking through one of her textbooks as she ate her breakfast. Being a Junior, she had to get ready for college exams, so she almost always had her face buried in a book. Also, she was on the women's basketball team which gave her more responsibilities.

"Han, you need to hurry up and eat breakfast so you can walk to school with Jennifer. She has morning practice, so she can't afford to be late." His mother urged him as she placed a plate down where he usually sat.

Seeing the piles of eggs, sausages, and toast, he smiled at his mother, "Mom, as always you cook the best breakfast!" Even though his mother had to juggle so many responsibilities at home, he thought it was amazing how she still was able to make herself look amazing every day. Compared to other moms, Han thought she looked the best.

The flapping of the newspaper made all of them turn towards his dad. "Your mother is hard at work cooking breakfast for you, so you should hurry and eat before the food becomes cold."

Without another word, Han walked towards the dining table and hung his backpack on the chair. After sitting down, Han grabbed his fork and began shoveling food into his mouth, enjoying the fluffy and light scrambled eggs. Han picked up one of the sausage links and bit down, the juices and flavor bursting in his mouth. The grease mixed with the eggs still in his mouth.

"Han, you should slow down before you choke," his mother cautioned him once she saw how quickly he was eating.

"Listen to your mother," his dad said.

He nodded as he continued to eat at a rapid pace. Clearing the plate, he saw that Jennifer was finished and was taking her dishes to the sink.

"We should get going, Han," Jennifer said to him.

Gathering his dish and silverware, he took them to the sink. Setting them into the sink, he made sure to grab the uneaten toast which he usually ate while they walked to school. Dashing to his seat and grabbing his pack, Han jumped over the coffee table and went out the door. He could hear footsteps behind him as Jennifer followed him. Going across the front lawn and reaching the rough asphalt street, the both of them slowed down to a walk.

As they walked through their neighborhood, seeing the occasional kid heading either in the same direction or going to the elementary school, Han enjoyed eating the toast. The butter was just enough to give it a sweet flavor. Devouring the toast, Han finished by licking his fingers to get rid of the butter and crumbs.

"I like that we don't have to take the bus to get to school," Jennifer remarked after they had walked a distance.

Looking at Jennifer, Han said, "the bus wasn't too bad. I just prefer how dad getting his transfer to the corporate office has improved his mood. After we moved to the new house, he hasn't been such an asshole to mom." Han made a fist with his hands, thinking of all the times he wanted to spray his new dad's body across one of the walls. Even though he reincarnated to experience a new adventure, he didn't like such a kind woman being treated that way. It reminded him of a particular woman who he missed.

"Yeah...," Jennifer said. "At least we didn't have to move to a new school district," she added trying to sound cheerful.

Han glanced sideways at her. "I'm sure it has nothing to do with your boyfriend, Tommy?" He teased her.

Jennifer shoved him with one of her arms, annoyed by his comment. "N-no! I just like being able to walk to school," she tried to deflect his inquiry.

"He seems like a pretty nice guy," Han casually remarked.

There was a quiet moment before she said, "Yeah. He is."

-------

Han waved to Jennifer as she continued towards the high school. Since he was now in the middle school as a fifth grader, they could walk together. The high school was a quarter mile further from the middle school on the other side of the street, allowing Jennifer to drop him off each morning.

Walking towards the sizeable middle school building, Han waved to classmates who knew him. He could see the sign for the middle school prominently displayed with the writing, "Cherry Grove Middle School," on it. The name of the school was funny due to the lack of cherries in the area. Cherry was the last name of one of the founders of this city, not connected to the fruit.

On the front lawn of the school were several circles of students hanging out with friends before class started. For the most part, they were divided into boys and girls, considering this was the middle school and not the high school. Dating was something that students were just getting used to so the genders tended to stay more segregated. Seeing the circles of girls, Han knew that they were likely chatting about the latest gossip going around.

Off in the distance behind the school, Han saw the various sports teams practicing. Seeing them practice made him wonder what it would be like to join a sports team. With his abilities, becoming a star player wouldn't be difficult, and he had never participated in his previous life. It would be nice to get some of the adoration girls tended to show the jocks.

"What are you thinking about?" a guy's voice tried to surprise him. Han felt a sudden increase in pressure as the person placed his arm on his shoulders and leaned on it.

"Thinking about the look on your face while you're taking the math exam today," Han turned his head to see his close friend, Alex, hanging on him.

As if the life was drained from his body, Alex seemed to hang on Han's body completely. Appearing to bear all of his weight, Han continued to walk towards the school building.

"Don't remind him, Han. It's just not fair how they have exams on Monday after the weekend has gone by. Do they expect us to abandon our precious freedom and stay home studying the entire time?" Alex groaned.

"That's what you get for goofing off at the shopping mall, instead of preparing for the exam. You spend all your time reading those comics and flirting with girls when you should be reading your textbook." Han admonished in an unsympathetic tone.

"I don't need to hear that from you!" Alex jumped off of Han and pointed the finger at him in accusation. "I don't think I've ever seen you studying and we've been friends since second grade and yet you still perform better than I do!"

"Maybe I was reincarnated, and all of this is a review for me?" Han theorized.

Alex placed a hand on his face, and said, "if that was the case then why aren't you the number one student? If I were reincarnated, I would be showing off all my skills and getting ladies to fall for me." Alex sighed in frustration at how unfair life was.

Han grinned at Alex's suffering expression. "Remember, you have to earn at least a B in the test, or you're going to be in a situation where an A+ will be what prevents you from not receiving a winter vacation. You'll be forced to come to school and study for the retake exam." He cautioned.

"You enjoy reminding me of these horrible things don't you?" Alex glared at Han.

"If you want to run away from reality, how is it my problem?" Han asked back.

As they squabbled about various topics, the two of them reached the building. Due to it being a little early compared to when school was supposed to start, there was not a crazy amount of students in the hallway. When he first came to the middle school, he was surprised by the number of students arriving early. On his Earth, students would wait until they had to show up for the first period, but in this reality of Earth, schools acted as critical social hubs. Kids would use the time to catch up with their friends before classes started. To help their development, learning institutions for middle and high school began later and ended early. With the shorter school day, the length of summer vacation was shortened.

For Han, these shorter days meant that school would have been even more comfortable for him, even without his cheat ability. Though there are those who complain about the amount of work that's provided to them as assignments, it was materially less compared to his experiences. This allowed him to barely have to use his ability to maintain an acceptable overall grade average. He remembered reading other online stories where the main character would be the number one student, using their ability to get ahead. With him, he didn't think it was necessary to put so much importance on looking important. Thinking about the students practicing, Han thought to himself, "but it wouldn't be that bad to get some attention, right?"

"Hey, I'm going to head over and drop off my backpack," Han said to Alex.

"Meet in the cafeteria?" Alex asked.

"Sure," Han confirmed and waved at Alex as they split up, with Alex heading over to their meeting destination.

He walked towards the area where all the fifth-grade classes were usually held. The school was designed eccentrically, looking like a wagon wheel when looked down on. Students would enter the circular part of the building and then head to one of the spokes that had their respective grade. This design was useful considering the shared parts were in the proportionately larger hub of the building. Having four floors, there was plenty of room to create a spacious cafeteria, auditorium, library, and gym. Class sizes could also be spacious and not feel cramped in a classroom. For the upper grades, this meant the science classes could have a more substantial lab area.

Entering one of the stairwells, Han headed towards the third floor where his locker was located. Most kids used the numerous elevators to get to the different levels, so he didn't run into many students. His steps echoed, the sound bouncing off the concrete walls giving a cavernous feeling when using the stairs. Reaching the second level, he looked at the painted sign with an image of a computer next to the number. Continuing to the third floor, he heard the occasional laughter from students heading to the fourth floor. Turning the corner, he saw the number three with a beaker and atom next to it.

Opening the door, Han was punched with the usual chemical smells on this floor. Walking past students talking with their friends, he reached his locker. Spinning the combination lock and unlocking it, he opened the locker and emptied out his books from his backpack and placed them inside. With his first class being on this floor, he could always swing by his locker and grab the necessary materials.

As he finished putting his books inside along with his various notebooks, Han smelled a bubbly floral perfume. Closing his locker revealed Hannah and Claire, two girls that often hung out with him and Alex.

"Good morning, Han," Claire said, while Hannah just smiled and waved to him.

"Good morning," he reciprocated.

"Where's Alex at?" Hannah asked.

Leaning against the locker, Han pointed with his head, "he should be waiting for us in the cafeteria. I just wanted to stop by and drop off my bag, instead of carrying it everywhere."

"Are the two of you ready for the math test?" Claire asked, grinning wickedly. She was great at STEM-related classes and enjoyed seeing the others stress out.

Hannah sighed, "Han, she's been nagging me about that stupid test all weekend. Just because she does slightly better than me, Claire thinks she can hold it over my head."

"I've given up on trying to compete with either of you in those classes," Han shrugged and shook his head.

"The two of you are no fun," Claire pouted. She then brightened up and said, "lets hurry to the cafeteria."

"Why, so you can torment Alex about how he needs to get a B today?" Han chuckled. "I've already teased him this morning, so take it a little easy on him."

Pushing off the locker, he walked between the two. Both of the girls followed on his left side, with Claire next to him.

"You know that I would want to tease Alex," Claire nagged.

Han chuckled, "I don't know why you enjoy tormenting him so much."

"Blame it on yourself for being so apathetic and not giving me my fun. Anyways, Hannah boosts his ego too much, so someone has to take him down a notch." She glanced over at her friend.

"I do not!" Hannah said as her face turned red.

"You should hear how she follows him whenever he's at the mall, trying to flirt with the college girls working there," Claire continued and laughed.

Hannah lightly punched Claire's side, which made Claire laugh harder. "I'm not asking you to come to the mall with me, anymore!" Hannah stuck her tongue out.

"You'd miss me too much," Claire said, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

This caused the two of them to hold each other and burst into giggles. Students around them looked to see what was so funny before they went back to what they were doing. It wasn't an unusual sight for girls to start giggling for no reason.