"This world feels like a joke, and I’m the punchline," I thought, glaring at the overly pink alarm clock as its obnoxiously cheery ringing drilled into my skull. With a groan, I slammed my hand down on it and tossed the covers aside, bracing myself for another ridiculous day.

It's been 3 days since my "awakened". During my sleep, fragments of my previous life always find a way to resurface. I remember what it used to be like—when I lived in a world with rules that actually made sense. Now? Now, I’m stuck in this bizarre anime realm where everything feels like a school-life romance plot.

And not just any romance anime. No, this world’s got ‘smut’ written all over it.

I rubbed my eyes and stared at the obnoxious pink walls of my room. The decor was saccharine enough to give someone a toothache. Whoever designed this place was clearly high on clichés. My gaze fell on the school uniform draped neatly over the chair by my desk. What kind of school even thinks this is appropriate? Short skirts, thigh-high socks… It’s like I’m living in one of those cringe-worthy anime I watched as a horny, edgy teenage girl in my previous life.

At least that explains the insanity of my life so far.

Sighing, I pulled on the uniform. As I adjusted the skirt, I couldn’t shake the familiar, creepy feeling of being watched. It was as if the world itself was waiting for its next fan-service moment to pop up. "I swear, if today’s plot involves me tripping into someone’s arms, I’m going to lose it," I muttered under my breath, already dreading what was ahead.

I grabbed my bag, making sure my trusty sketchbook was inside, and hurried downstairs. The muted hum of the house greeted me—simple, cozy, and thankfully lacking in the sugary, over-the-top decor of the world outside.

As I entered the kitchen, I spotted my brother, William, slouched over his bowl of cereal. He gave me a sleepy nod, spoon halfway to his mouth. Unlike me, he had no clue what was really going on in this bizarre world, happily living out his high school life like a normal, oblivious teenager.

Wish I could be that lucky.

"Hey," I mumbled, slipping past him toward the fridge.

"Morning," he replied between bites, clearly not awake enough for conversation yet.

I walk over to the fridge, grabbing some eggs to make my own breakfast. Our father didn’t come home last night; usually, he’s the one who prepares breakfast for us. I crack the eggs into a pan and toss two pieces of pillow bread into the toaster, trying to distract myself from the absurdity of it all. The eggs sizzled, filling the kitchen with warmth, but I just leaned against the counter, staring blankly at the pan.

My thoughts wandered back to the bizarre world I now found myself in. It had only been three days since I "awoke" in this strange place, and every moment since felt like living inside some over-the-top anime plot. The romance, the drama, the weirdly timed accidents—it was all too much.

The toaster popped, snapping me out of my thoughts. I grabbed the bread and slapped the eggs between the slices, feeling a faint sense of normalcy in the simple act of making a sandwich.

As I sat across from William, munching on my sandwich, I watched him from the corner of my eye. He was, of course, effortlessly handsome. Tousled brown hair, a perfectly sculpted jawline, and the kind of soft, brooding eyes that seemed to make girls melt just by looking at him. But that was the problem, he was the classic “kind stupid ass teenager boy”, and somehow, without even trying, he’d become the center of a harem.

Every day, it was the same. The girls would crowd around him, vying for his attention. The "accidental" bumps, the shy glances, the blushing cheeks. He never really noticed, though. Life is unfair.

A knocking sound came from the house door. I groaned inwardly as the knocking echoed through. Of course, it was Marie—the childhood friend archetype. She’d been part of our lives since forever, always popping by unannounced with that same dopey smile, eyes practically glued to William.

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"Will, you should get the door," I said flatly, already knowing who it was.

He raised an eyebrow, pausing mid-spoonful. "Who is it?"

"Take a wild guess."

As if on cue, Marie’s overly chipper voice rang through the door. "Will! Are you up? We’re going to be late for school!"

William blinked, completely unfazed by the borderline obsession this girl had for him. "Oh, Marie. She’s early."

He stood up and made his way toward the door, leaving his half-eaten cereal behind. I watched him go, shaking my head. How could he be so dense? Marie had been throwing herself at him for years, and he still treated her like she was just some buddy to hang out with. It was textbook harem protagonist behavior—oblivious to the love-struck girls that surrounded him.

I took another bite of my sandwich, bracing myself for the inevitable sugary exchange between them. The door creaked open, and there she was—Marie, looking like she’d just walked out of a manga. Short skirt, long blonde hair tied in a ribbon, and eyes sparkling with enough affection to power a small city.

"Good morning, Will!" she chirped, her cheeks already a faint shade of pink. "I brought you some lunch! I made it myself."

Of course, she did.

"Thanks, Marie. You didn’t have to," William said with a clueless smile as he took the neatly wrapped bento from her hands.

She giggled, her cheeks flushed pink. “Oh, it’s no problem! I love cooking for you.”

I watch the whole scene with a bored expression as I finish my sandwich. The whole scene could have been ripped straight from a cheesy anime - one where the dense, perfect guy gets doted on by the sweet childhood friend, and the entire school loves him, but he doesn’t see what’s right in front of him.

I stood up, ready to cut this scene short. “Hi, Marie,” I said, my voice flat and uninterested as I slung my bag over my shoulder.

Marie turned to me, her smile faltering for just a second. “Oh, good morning! I didn’t see you there.”

“Yeah, I tend to blend in.” I moved past them and headed for the door. “We should go, or we’ll be late.”

Marie nodded enthusiastically. “Right! I don’t want to get detention on a Monday!”

William chuckled, grabbing his bag. “We wouldn’t want that, now, would we?”

_______________________

It’s a perfect spring morning.

The sky is a soft pastel blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds that look like they’ve been painted in. The sun is shining brightly, casting a warm glow over the picturesque suburban neighborhood. Cherry blossom trees line the street, their pink petals falling lazily with the breeze, drifting through the air like confetti. The air smells faintly of flowers and fresh grass, almost too idyllic to be real.

Today's as ridiculous as every other day.

I walk behind the lovey-dovey couple, Marie cling on Will left arm. Her cheek flush as she keep talking, while Will only laughing at something she said, commenting here and there, completely unaware of her feelings.

“Isn't today just beautiful, Will? The weather is perfect, and the cherry blossoms are so pretty!"

"Yeah, it’s nice. It’s been a while since we’ve had a day like this, huh?"

Of course, it’s beautiful. Of course, it’s sunny. This world’s not subtle about setting up romantic moments, is it?

As we get closer to the school gates, the crowd thickens. But if you really pay attention, it’s kinda creepy. They all have the same brown or black hair, and their faces? Almost identical. It’s like someone copy-pasted the same person a hundred times. Same dull, boring uniforms, same bland haircuts. They’re all practically clones.

And honestly? That’s the exact look I’m aiming for.

The last thing I want is to get tangled up in any of this world’s ridiculous, hormone-driven drama. All I want is a simple, comfortable life—free from the bullshit.

“Man, did you see her in gym class yesterday?” some guy’s voice snickers, low and gross. “Those shorts? Practically falling off her. And don’t get me started on her ass-”

“Yeah, bro! And her boobs in that top? Seriously, why even bother wearing it if it’s that tight? It’s like she’s asking for attention.”

I toss a glance over my shoulder, catching a glimpse of the guys. They’re leaning against the tree, snickering, one of them gesturing with his hands in that annoying way dudes do when they think they’re being clever about describing a girl’s body. Real class acts.

This whole brain-dead world is really just about one thing: sex. Make one wrong move, and you’ll end up like those poor girls (or guys) in some messed-up hentai.

As we reach the main courtyard, I slow my pace, hanging back a little as Will and Marie head toward their classroom.

Marie beams up at him. “Will, let’s meet by the rooftop for lunch, okay? I’ll save us a spot!”

Will grins. “Sure, sounds great,” he answers.

I watch them for a second, then let out a small sigh. The last thing I need is to be the third wheel in their romantic comedy.

I shift my bag higher on my shoulder and slip away without a word, heading toward my class. The noise of the courtyard fades into the background as I walk down the hallway, past the same bland faces, the same bland uniforms.

I push open the door to my classroom and take my seat, sinking into the familiar routine. For the next few hours, at least, I can just blend into the background, where no one will notice me.

And right now, that’s all I need.