"I'm Max Baker. No. Maxwell Baker." Ugh, that sounds wrong, but that's my official name.

I wish it weren't, though.

It's not something I got from my parents but from the orphanage.

They left me at the doorstep as a newborn, no note or anything.

I got my name after the institution, the Baker Street Orphanage.

I'm glad they didn't add 'Street' to it though.

"Okay, nobody cares, I can't write this into my CV, so let's go with Maxwell Baker, 18. Well, not yet, but I will be by the time I hand this in."

It will be so weird to look for a job.

I always lived in this orphanage, and they don't allow us to take part-time jobs.

Instead, we had to help with the cleaning and other chores for our lunch money.

That's how I got all my manga and even bribed the bullies when there was no other option.

Would a foster family be better?

"Do they give more money to their kids? Do they send them off to work? How does it compare to a real family, a biological one?"

Things I have no experience with whatsoever.

People often came in to take out kids and when things didn't work out brought them back too.

But nobody ever picked me. Is it my looks? It shouldn't be, I'm average.

No leper or extreme horror. Well, I'm not a supermodel either.

An average teen with black hair, a thin frame, and a brain.

I also can't write that in the CV. How would it sound?

"My grades are average, and I could have done much better, but when I did, the bullies got worse."

No. Nobody would believe that. It's almost like that weird dream from two weeks ago.

But they won't care about it in a MacDingus or a Burger Emperor. What other options do I have?

College is out of the question, I don't have money, but after my 18th birthday, the orphanage will kick me out. Well, not immediately, but in a few months. I'll need a job and a crib.

"Sigh. Why is 'lifing' so hard?" I could have done much better in the medieval ages.

Or whenever the Ilias takes place. It must be even earlier. Stone Age? Iron Age?

The truth is somewhere in the middle, but I bet they didn't have anime girls back then.

What a wild ride the dream that was, I'll never forget.

It's too bad, that Aratsuki — or her lookalike — disappeared.

It's been a busy two weeks. First, I had to finish that stupid group project, but it was an A+.

The history teacher even praised me for the vivid descriptions, almost like I was there.

Well, what do you know? It's like I wrote that story.

I still don't understand what happened. I daydreamed before and have done it since, but it was always different. While I'm quick to forget everything, I still remember that one.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Oh, and the Trojan Horse is a thing. It's all over the internet and even in the movie Battle of Troy.

How did I not know about it until now?

The friendly rival's death in the manga also caught everyone by surprise.

The Mangaka in an interview said he didn't prepare for it but it seemed right somehow.

Yes, both books changed, and more than those copies, the online versions too. I wanted to see the Aratsuki lookalike again and ask her about it, but once I left the shot, it closed down for a week.

Then I had to help in the orphanage, look for jobs, do homework, and prepare for the final exams.

Before I realized it, the two weeks went by in a flash.

"The new episode of the manga comes out today."

My usual appetite was lacking since Achilleus died in my arms, but it came with a benefit.

I saved up enough lunch money for the manga.

But I didn't order it. Does the Grande Library sell mangas? Sophie said they were open again.

Ugh, but I have a CV to write.

"Maxwell Baker, 18, soon to be adult, looking for a job. Experience: none. Field of expertise: surviving bullies. Shit, I have nothing." How do you write a CV in the first place?

Why don't they teach that in school? It would be way more useful than learning about the Iliad, whether I rewrote it in a dream or not. Or did she call it a Dive? Dream Edit.

"Max, do you have laundry?" The question jolts me awake, and I wasn't even sleeping.

I was thinking about Sophie and she appeared at the door.

"Ugh, let me check."

She's one of the girls further down the same corridor.

Each corridor has eight rooms, each room comes with four beds, and the orphanage has three floors.

Well, it's not operating at max capacity, but still. That's a lot of orphans.

At least I'm the only one in this room, and Sophie doesn't have to share hers with anyone either.

It's a privilege for us older folks before moving out.

She's the same age as me and we could almost be twins.

Sophie is blonde, has an average face but a nice shape, and is all heart.

She's everyone's little sister and mother at once, and we go to the same school. Right. Laundry.

She takes my stuff with a smile and leaves.

I should have asked her about her plans after her 18th birthday.

We celebrate it two days apart, though that's a strong word.

We commemorate it, two people, abandoned at birth.

"Sofie Baker. I don't know about myself, but she deserves a much better life. Anyway, back to the CV." It still only has my name and age, and I'm already embellishing it.

"I don't want to deal with this shit today." What if the shop is open again, and Aratsuki is back?

What face would she make if we met?

No, what face would she make if I asked for her manga?