Prologue

It was raining.

After getting out of the warm, steamy bath, I looked over the mirror in great pride, still wearing my bathrobe. From head to toe, I saw a beautiful and delicate figure with flowing, snow-colored hair and deep amber eyes.

My, don’t I look good?
In my closet, my school clothes were neatly folded, ready to be worn. A crisp blazer, signed with my school’s emblem, and my clean shirts, and my elegant skirt—all nice and neat. Oh! I couldn’t forget my insignia!

After putting them on, I was greeted with delicious food after walking down the stairs.

Chef, the food looks great today.

Digging in, I remembered that my parents would be out today. It would be a busy day for them since it was a business matter, but it shouldn’t affect me much today.

Once I finished, I took a water bottle and a banana with me and slid them into my bag, in which I then met with the chauffeur outside.

“It’s still pouring, huh?”

“Yes, Lady Fujiyama. Shall we get going?”

Pulling out the umbrella for me, he assisted me into the black car of my parents’.

As we approached the school with a few more stop lights, I stared out the foggy glass window, seeing students walking through the streets, holding and sharing umbrellas, and all the while talking. It always seemed odd that they would walk under the harshness of rain. Rain always seemed enjoyable from the inside.

“Lady Fujiyama, we’re here.”

“I see.”
I adjusted the cuffs of my blazer and my pinned insignia, indicating my presidential seating at the student council.

With the help of my chauffeur, I stepped off the car before being greeted with a familiar, yet cheery personality. It was Kaede.

“Saeko! Good morning.”

“Oh, good morning? It’s pouring though.” I greeted her back, taking the umbrella from the chauffeur’s hands.

“I’ll get going now. I’ll pick you up later.”

“Of course.”

He went back in the car and drove off, while Kaede seemed like he had something important to tell me.

“After school, the student council is to be held over budget issues.”

“Budget issues? Again?”

“The Seminar Club is at the small end of the stick again, and things are a bit tighter since the school year is about to end.” she frowned.

I gave off a small sigh. “I’ll resolve this. I always do anyways.”

“Thanks, Saeko! You’re the best.”

“Yeah, yeah. Off you go.” So cheery, even with a frown. I guess that’s the secretary for you.

Walking past small and large groups of students, there seemed to be a crowd in the large hallway where the student leaderboards were

Hoho, they finally released the rankings, huh? Don’t mind if I see.

At the top was a familiar name, a name that someone with snow-white hair and deep gold-colored eyes would possess. Someone that was beautiful in every regard, and, at the very top, there she was.

SAEKO FUJIYAMA.

I know, I know. I’m quite a genius, aren’t I?

“Oh, Saeko! Good job on getting first place.” It was the student council treasurer, Kumi. “Though, it’s been like this since freshmen year…”

“Well, I can’t help it. It just happens naturally.”

“Geez, you’re too proud.”

“Who wouldn’t be when their first place?”
“I guess you’re right. Let’s head to class before it gets too late.”

“Let’s go.”

Finally, after donating my dear self to the budget issues at the Seminar Club, it was time to go home.

As I walked past what felt an endless maze of hallways, I met Kaede near the gate holding a small umbrella against the heavy rain.

“My ride isn’t here yet, huh?” I said,

“Oh, doesn’t seem like it. By the way, are you down to going out with the student council this weekend? We’re all just going to hang out and maybe do some light shopping.”

Light shopping? Do you not know how much money I will spend the moment I go shopping!? “Why, of course. I would love to go.” This is a great opportunity to get some new clothes!

Her eyes lit up in cheery excitement. “Alright then! We’ll meet up at that one restaurant we typically go to at Saturday in the afternoon.”
After our little exchange, a black sedan parked in front of us.

“Alright then, I’ll get going. See you tomorrow.”

“Yup!”

As I got in the car, there was this unusual heaviness to the air. Perhaps there’s too much rain. The drive home isn’t that far anyways.

“Lady Fujiyama.”

“Yes?”

“We may need to make a detour as the route we usually take is awfully flooded.”

“Is that so? Then, take the detour. I don’t mind coming home a bit later.”

“Yes, Lady Fujiyama.”

Slowly, the car made its way through the heavy rain. Even on the car’s roof, one can clearly hear the constant banging and panging of the droplets.

“We’ll be going through some bumpy road, but there won’t be any traffic. Will that be alright?” I noticed his eyes squinting and his grip on the wheel tightened.

“That’ll be fine…”

In the near distance, a faint fog started to form, while a classical piece on the radio came to an abrupt stop, blaring out an alarm before giving an emergency message of major flooding and low visibility. The fog only grew denser and heavier.

Sigh.

I started to wonder if the floods would start to damage my weekend plans... As I thought that, the car started to swerve before aligning itself again.

“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked the chauffeur, the radio coming to a distorted sound.

“The road here is a bit slippery, so the tires don’t have much traction, and… it’s a bit hard to see…”

“I see… We’ll be ok, right?”

“Of course,” he assured.

In the far distance ahead of us, there was a tiny dim light. With each passing moment the lights began to separate into two, and they started to get brighter, and brighter—

If I remember correctly, something happened…

The light became so bright, and there was this loud sound.

And, after all that—black.

※

When I opened my eyes, there was a small, cozy spot in the sea of endless darkness. In front of me was a small and delicate table alongside a fancy chair, and, on top of the table lay a book and a flickering lamp.

In the air, there was this empty silence, a sound that was truly devoid of anything.

What is this place? I looked around, turning my head in every direction.

“Why, hello. I rarely get visitors here.”

!?

The voice was a womanly voice, and it was smooth and refined.

“Please, don’t be startled.”
When I blinked, a familiar girl sat on the chair.

Is that me? She had the same eyes, same hair, and the same upright and elegant posture.

“Hmm… Let’s see here.” From the table, she grabbed the book and ran her delicate fingers along the spine. When she swung the cover open, there was a familiar name engraved on it.

“Saeko Fujiyama, yes?” she looked up before looking down again and flipping through the pages. “You’re book is so… empty. It only has so few chapters… This is quite unfortunate… Your death came by early.”

“My… death?” I responded, my voice shaking.

“Of course! Why else would you be here? Well, to be quite honest, I took quite a liking to you.”

“M-Me? Wait… What do you mean that I died? Wasn’t I just in a car a few moments ago?”

“Well… you were. But you got into a car accident. Right now, your body is in a hospital—”

“Oh, so I’m not dead yet. Phew. That’s a relief. So then—”

“You didn’t allow me to finish… In the accident, your heart and a lung got pierced by a broken rib.”

I didn’t say a word and my eyes felt like they widened.

“Such an unfortunate circumstance,” she sighed, “given how short your life was, I’ll give you the pity of sending you somewhere else. Though, it’s not your world, of course. It’s somewhere… magically different.”

“…what? Why send my to another place if you could send my back home?” My voice was a slight tremble and perhaps my poor mind was still trying to process all this… “My life was fine, perfect even, before my death. Why not just send me back as is—perform a miracle.”

“Even if I could perform miracles, I wouldn’t do them. With too many miracles and perfection, life would only become meaningless and valueless, no? I’m sure you get that, perhaps.” In her last sentence, her voice trailed off into confident sarcasm. There was a slight pause. “But, of course, if I did send you back, you would return here. A pierced heart remains a pierce heart.”

“There has to be another way, right? I mean, who would inherit my parents’ wealth and my father’s company? Not just anyone of course! Plus, look at my academics! Is that not just wasted potential if I die? I even got a connection at a top university! You can’t just tell me to go to another world—!”

“My, I’m rethinking if I should give you a second chance…” She dropped the book on the table and stood up, approaching me with a confident look.

“Wha—?”

“So, would you love a second chance? Your life could be much better in this new world. I believe you’ll fit in perfectly with your nice and gentle attitude.”

I froze at her sudden closeness. She was so close, it’s as if she isn’t giving me any other choice!

“Would… Would I be transported as is?”

“Hmm… Is that what you want? Why, of course.”

“Then, I’ll go…”

She took a step back at my response and fixed her posture. “How lovely,” clapping her hands together, “you won’t regret it!”

It sounds like I’m talking to a businesswoman!

My body was perhaps still frozen, but my eyes still followed her with confusion.

“Your head would feel a bit heavy when you wake up to the point in which I’m not sure if you would remember our conversation… Well, then, are you ready?”

“O-Of course…”

“See you then~”