Chapter 03

Tadashi gasped as his eyes shot open.

The ceiling. The same white, textured ceiling. The same old stain in the corner.

His breath came fast, chest rising and falling as he clutched at his stomach. No knife wound. No blood. Just smooth skin.

But the memories remained. The pain. The sensation of his life slipping away in an alley. The sound of Simon’s chalk scraping the board.

He was alive again.

And that meant…

It wasn’t a dream.

He sat up slowly, gripping the bedsheets. This is my second attempt. His fingers trembled slightly, but he clenched them into fists.

“One week. Just one week. I can do this.”

He exhaled sharply and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

“No mistakes this time.”

Now that he knew this wasn’t his original world, Tadashi paid closer attention to his surroundings. The layout of his apartment was the same. The furniture was identical. His phone was in the same place on his desk. But something felt off.

He grabbed his phone and turned it on. The date was blank again. He checked his wallet—inside were bills labeled “Gen” instead of Yen. Tadashi sighed. So this world uses Gen as currency. Got it.

He moved to the window and peeked outside. The streets looked normal, but…

A rat the size of a small dog scurried across the alleyway.

Tadashi froze.

“What the hell…?”

It vanished into the shadows. A sense of unease crept over him. Every time I die, the world changes slightly. Was that a good thing? Or bad?

He clenched his jaw.

“I need to get to school and see how much has changed.”

Tadashi walked toward the campus, cautious this time. The streets were the same, but certain details had shifted. The billboards advertised products he didn’t recognize. The news station played in a language that didn’t sound like Japanese. The school security looked different—bulkier armor, heavier weapons. When he approached the university gates, two guards stopped him.

“Only students are allowed past this point.”

Tadashi sighed, already expecting this. He pulled out his student ID.

The guards examined it. One nodded.

“Alright, you can go in.”

As he walked inside, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. The moment he stepped into the classroom, Tadashi could already tell. They didn’t remember him. Whispers spread across the room.

“Who’s that guy?”

“Is he a transfer student?”

“Never seen him before.”

The professor smiled. “Ah, looks like we have a new transfer student. Please introduce yourself.”

Tadashi forced himself to stay calm.

“This world reset. No one remembers me.”

Slowly, he stood.

“Fine. Let’s see how this plays out.”

“My name is Tadashi Murata. I’m from Tokyo.”

The reaction was immediate.

A girl in the back scoffed. “Tokyo? Never heard of it.”

More whispers.

“A slum, maybe?”

“His hair looks messy.”

“Ugh, I hate those people.”

Tadashi gritted his teeth.

“So no matter what world I’m in… I’ll always be treated like an outcast.”

But this time, it didn’t make him angry. It made him focused.

“I don’t care what they think. I just need to survive.”

As Tadashi packed up his bag after class, someone approached him. A girl with short black hair and bright brown eyes.

She smiled. “Hey, you’re new, right? I’m Ayano Kurumi.”

Tadashi hesitated.

“In my last attempt… no one talked to me. Why is she different?”

He nodded slowly. “Yeah. Tadashi Murata.”

She grinned. “Nice to meet you! Let’s walk together.”

Warning bells went off in Tadashi’s head.

“Too friendly. Too fast. Something’s off.”

But if he ignored her, would that make him suspicious? He forced a smile.

“Sure.”

As they walked through the halls, Ayano asked him strange questions.

“So, where exactly is Tokyo? I’ve never heard of it.”

“Do you have any family here?”

“You seem kinda quiet. Do you get nervous easily?”

Tadashi’s instincts screamed at him.

“She’s testing me.”

He kept his answers vague. “Tokyo’s just a small town. I live alone. I’m not really a talkative guy.”

Ayano just smiled wider.

“I don’t trust her.”

After leaving school, Tadashi stopped by a convenience store to get food. More changes. The store layout was different. The cashier looked slightly… off. Like his face didn’t fully match his voice.

The currency was different again—now, everything was priced in “Gen.” Tadashi grabbed a pack of instant noodles.

30 Gen.

“Alright. This world’s currency is Gen. Good to know.”

As he left the store, his mind ran through everything. The world changes slightly every time. No one remembers him after he dies. Some people act strangely, like they’re testing him.

“The more I die, the weirder this world gets.”

His grip on the bag tightened.

“I need to survive long enough to figure out what’s really going on.”

Tadashi arrived back at his apartment and locked the door behind him. His body relaxed for the first time all day. He let out a long, tired breath. Was it paranoia, or did this attempt feel more dangerous than the last? He set his noodles on the counter and glanced at the window. Outside, in the shadows of the alley…A pair of glowing eyes stared up at his apartment.

Tadashi’s blood ran cold.

When he blinked, they were gone.

As sunlight pierced through the window, Tadashi stirred from his sleep with a long yawn. His eyes snapped open as realization hit him.

“Wait… does that mean… I finally survived day 1?” He scanned himself, hardly believing he’d made it through an entire day. The morning light painted his small room in gentle gold, making everything seem a little less hostile.

“Maybe this world isn’t so bad after all,” he thought, preparing his morning coffee.

The familiar aroma filled his apartment, a small comfort in this strange new reality. As he went through his morning routine, his mind wandered to Ayano. A classmate who actually spoke to him – it seemed too good to be true. In his previous life, such kindness had been rare.

Walking to school, memories of his past life flooded back. He was the second son of the famous Tadashi Family, founders of Tadashi Corporation. With 104 branches worldwide and a 7.8 trillion Yen net worth, the family wielded immense power and influence.

But wealth couldn’t prevent family drama. His father, Sudo, the first-born son and future CEO, had fallen in love with a common girl. The family opposed their marriage, but Sudo went ahead anyway. When Murata was born, the family saw him as living proof of their heir’s defiance. They called him “the commoner’s child,” treating him as an outsider in his own home.

On his 18th birthday, they kicked him out. Only his father’s modest allowance and a part-time job kept him afloat in his small apartment. The betrayal had left deep scars, making it impossible to trust others.

“Tadashi!” A familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts. Ayano waved from outside a convenience store, a gentle smile on her face. She held two cans of coffee. “I got here early and thought you might pass by.”

“Oh… you didn’t have to,” Tadashi said, accepting the coffee with hesitation. The can was still warm.

They walked together, Ayano filling the silence with light conversation. She talked about her own struggles as a transfer student last year, how lonely it had felt at first.

“Sometimes I think people here wear masks,” she said, her voice taking on a thoughtful tone.

“Everyone’s so focused on appearing perfect, they forget how to be real.”

Tadashi nodded, surprised by her insight. “It’s easier to keep people at a distance,” he admitted.

“Is that what you do, Tadashi?” Her question felt heavy with meaning.

Before he could respond, she stopped walking. They had reached a quiet stretch of road, cherry blossom petals drifting around them like snow.

“You know,” Ayano’s voice changed, becoming hollow, “I’ve been watching you. The way you hold yourself apart, how you flinch from kindness… you’re just like them. Living behind a mask, expecting the world to hurt you.”

Tadashi turned, confusion turning to horror as he saw the knife in her hand. The coffee can slipped from his grip, spilling across the pavement.

“I hate people like you most of all,” she whispered, driving the blade into his chest.

“Playing the victim, while never letting anyone close enough to help.”

“AAAHHHHH… IT HURTS… IT HUUUURRRTTS!” Tadashi screamed, blood spreading across his shirt. He collapsed, hands pressed against the wound.

Ayano stood over him, her gentle smile twisted into something cruel.

“You know what’s funny, Tadashi? I actually meant what I said about the masks. We’re all wearing them. I just happen to wear mine better than most.”

She wiped the knife on her uniform skirt, the dark fabric hiding the stain. “I wanted to give you a quick death, but watching you suffer… it’s fitting for someone who refuses to truly live.”

As she walked away, Tadashi’s fist struck the ground. Tears mixed with blood on the pavement.

“My first friend?… yeah right… as if that would ever happen!”

His vision began to fade, darkness creeping in at the edges.

“No matter what world I’m in… it’s always the same,” he whispered, his last words lost among the falling cherry blossoms.