America and her friends audition for a nationally renowned performance performed by a large group of high schoolers coming in from every state in the US. Little did she know that this performance would test every relationship she has ever known.

The vice president is taking his time, standing at that same spot for minutes now and it made Sayaka wonder what made him stiff while looking at the workbooks. She approached him and tapped his shoulder. "What's going on?"


"These are seriously unbelievable." he said while shaking his head and chuckling. "You wouldn't believe what she just did." Mitsuo gave one of the workbooks to Sayaka which made her confused. Just what is wrong with him right now? 



Upon opening the book.... 

"Please notice me, senpai!" ~"Fubuki-senpai is LOVE" "Fubuki-senpai is the best! Oh, you too Mitsuo-senpai!" "Long live the Japanese History Club!"



The book was peppered with these words with hearts, sparkles and stars even. There was a noticeable twitch on Sayaka's eyebrows upon seeing these things. There is no way anyone wouldn't notice how childish these remarks are.


"Mitsuo, why are the workbooks messy?" she said with a tinge of seriousness and annoyance in her voice. 


"Since Erika Hatsugawa went here, I had her answer a few workbooks. I left the two of them so I did not know she will do this."


"Unbelievable."

"But if you would actually look at it, you can see that most of her answers are actually correct. She even wrote explanations and commentaries at every question to explain her answer."


"In competitions, it is not necessary to explain your answer when not asked. This is pointless." she tossed the workbook to the floor without second thought which made Mitsuo look away, knowing how displeased Sayaka is right now.



"Did they come here to pass their forms?" Sayaka said while glancing coldly at Mitsuo.

"Yes."

"Throw it."

"You know she has potential, Sayaka. Are you sure?"

"I don't care. Throw it. Don't make me repeat what I said. " Sayaka is in a bad mood right now. Mitsuo started thinking if something else happened before she went in the room. Something probably happened that pissed her off. As she went to her desk to get the keys of the club room, getting ready to go home, someone suddenly entered the room. 


"Mitsuo-kun, I photocopied more copies of the forms so that it could be distributed easily tomorrow". Shinichiro-sensei said, the adviser of the Japanese History Club. However, upon his entrance, he noticed the heavy atmosphere right away. "Is there something wrong?" 


"Nothing, sir." Sayaka immediately said and smiled the moment she turned to look at their adviser. "We were just on our way home."


"I see." The teacher was about to leave when he saw papers on the table and decided to pick it up. When he saw Erika's name, he quickly looked at Sayaka. "Hatsugawa-kun passed a form? Moriyama-kun did too?" Sayaka did not say anything, instead, she turned the other way because those forms are supposed to be disposed.


"They came here minutes ago to file an application, sir." Mitsuo said and while he was thinking an alibi for Sayaka, Shinichiro responded immediately. 


"I don't know about Moriyama-kun but Hatsugawa can be a good asset for the club. She's really intelligent, Fubuki-san. I'm sure you've heard about her winning the National Quiz Bee when she was in middle school, right? Who knows, she might win for our club at this year's tournament?" He said eagerly. His favoritism towards Erika is so apparent, Sayaka was silently ticked off. Mitsuo looked at Sayaka as if waiting for her final call about the situation. 


"I was just about to include those forms in this year's application sir." the lady flashed a beautiful smile towards the professor as she picked up the forms and slipped those in her bag. "I guess this year's Japanese History Club will be phenomenal, don't you think, Mitsuo?" she said and looked at Mitsuo all of a sudden to which the guy simply nodded. "Of course. You graced us with your presence after all, Sayaka. Good things have happened since then."


"My my..." said Sayaka while letting off a soft chuckle.


"Then it is settled! There are two more days for club promotion. Let's do our best til the end. Goodbye to the both of you for now." Shinichiro said smilingly as he went ahead of the two. Sayaka and Mitsuo were left silent in the room. Both of them know it is something they couldn't ever get back.


"Sayaka---"

"Shut up." She really looked irritated that time but she cannot to anything about it. She just placed her hair at the side and picked up her bag. "Let's go." Mitsuo just nodded and went along with her.

---------------

The 3-day period allotted for club promotion has come to an end. After classes will be the mandatory assembly of new club members to their respective clubs. Erika and Kairo went to the Japanese History Club room to validate their application.


"I'm sorry I had to be the one to welcome the two of you to the club. I think I haven't formally introduced myself yet. I'm Mitsuo Jun, the vice president of this club. Welcome, Erika Hatsugawa and Kairo Moriyama. This is the club you'll have to settle in for a whole year. I hope you won't get tired." he said while smiling softly. He's really charming up close, Erika said to herself, since she was only able to see Mitsuo in national television.


"Getting tired of this club is not in my vocabulary nor my to-do list so you need not to worry about that, senpai!" she said ecstatically. Finally, she get to belong in a club where she can be herself.


"Since you did not respond, I suppose the odds of you getting tired eventually is high, huh Moriyama-san?" Mitsuo teased Kairo. 


"It's for me to find out, senpai." Kairo said with a smile. "Although if Hatsugawa is around, I don't think the club will be boring." Although it seemed to have a different effect on Erika since she suddenly got speechless and turned away from him.


"Anyway, the other first years are being interviewed by some of the club's officers so once we're done here, you could actually go. Formal activities will start on Monday."


"Is.... Fubuki-sama around here...interviewing first years too?"

"I think she is with Shinichiro-sensei finalizing the club applicants this year, I'm sorry."

"OH NO! Not at all. I'm not....trying to find her everywhere I go." Erika said while looking shyly at the floor.


"I'm surprised Shinichiro-sensei is very fond of you, Hatsugawa-san. I didn't know someone like him could be that soft towards somebody." Mitsuo said. "He actually endorsed you to us like fresh tuna."


"Why 'fresh tuna'?" Erika pouted.

"I'm going to spare the both of you on too much formality. You can go home now and enjoy the weekend." he said and smiled at the both of them.

"Will do!" Erika said.

"Good to know. Take care on your way home."



Erika and Kairo went home together as usual, talking about their recent acceptance. However upon entering the house, a sudden throw of confetti welcomed the both of them.


"CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING ACCEPTED IN THE JAPANESE HISTORY CLUB!!" Sachiko and Akito greeted happily. Kairo was so shocked on what welcomed them, while on the other hand, Erika was so happy. There were decent food prepared on the table, some grilled meat, some vegetables. I keep on saying 'some' cause it's really not much, but for them it's everything.


"Congratulations Darling!" Sachiko said and kissed Erika's cheek. "I prepared a little something to commemorate your acceptance in the club, both you and Kairo." she said softly.


"Kairo-nii, we have meat this time! Our neighbor Hinako-san brought some meat for us! She said she bought too much meat for her family's hotpot." Akito was dragging Kairo by his wrist towards the dinner table as he was that excited to eat the food.


"Thank you, Akito." Kairo laughed a bit. "I can actually walk on my own though but if you are really that eager dragging me then okay." he said as he walked towards the table.


"I'm sorry, Kairo-kun for being this extravagant. Oh I'll call you Kairo-kun from now on okay? So that we could ease a little bit of tension between us too." her mother said so.

"I don't mind Sachiko-san and I actually don't feel any tension at all." 


"It's just, we want to support Erika in all her dreams. That's why we celebrate for small things such as this one. Are we weird?" Sachiko said modestly with a slight chuckle.


"No. Not at all." Kairo said softly and looks down a bit. "I didn't really know that some people celebrate for things like this." Upon looking at Erika's family, he couldn't help but feel lighthearted with the kind of relationship they have. It's beautiful that a small household such as this one could be warmer than any other household more fortunate than they are. Kairo felt thankful he belonged to this family. Upon saying a little prayer, he clasped his hands together and closed his eyes.


"Thank you for the food."
"Thank you for the food."

Some girls dream of marrying a prince. But a few of this "some girls" take dreaming to a whole new level.


On the red corner, we have Erika Hatsugawa, a self-proclaimed "the future empress of Japan", who has been in love with the Emperor's son since she first saw the Emperor's son....in pictures. However, her dream seems to contradict with what fate gave her. Being in the type of status that she is in at the moment, it is bizarre how she set her eyes on actually marrying the prince. It is almost impossible (even me as a writer finds it it impossible) but there's always the "what-if" phenomenon.


Erika's family was never blessed with fortune. They are living the substandard life, eating substandard food, and having substandard ways, but Erika never thought being in that state forever. Her goals are so high, she is actually flaring the "monarch's life" within her it started to become quite cringing for the people around her. 


Meanwhile on the blue corner, we have Kairo Moriyama, who is probably the most boring person Erika has ever met. There is no special role for him except that he's actually everywhere Erika is. It was rude to think this way though, since this Kairo Moriyama is blessed with looks and overwhelming charisma, which is something Erika quite hated about him, making him the main target for her bullying. However, given the fact that he's indeed everywhere, it is safe to assume that this is destiny's game. Who would've thought that Kairo Moriyama is the main key to make her dreams come true.





Will Erika succeed in attaining the life that she wanted? Will there be a switch for her dreams to come true and change her life from poverty to wealth? Explore her story as you join this ride where dreams can come true..... or not.


This is SWITCH.

"Cheol-yong, move!"
"Watch out!"

Hyung-geun intercepted the ball easily enough and passed it to someone else before receiving it once again a moment later. All the other children circled around him, determined to steal the ball back for themselves, but Hyung-geun skillfully maneuvered around them all, dribbling all the way to the goalpost. He looked up to find his aim, but was thrown off by what he saw.

"Huh?"

Or rather, by what he didn't see. The goalkeeper was nowhere to be seen.

"Stop him!"
"Get him! No!!"

Hyung-geun kicked the ball into the goal with little effort and, surely enough, scored a point for his team.

"Where did plaster face go?" Myeong-su asked, but no one had an answer for him.

Unseen by the other children, Lucid had snuck away from the field and climbed the mountain behind the institute for the first time in a rather long time. It had been an impulsive decision on his part, but he had also hoped that coming back would somehow transport him to the other world again, as it had before.

This mountain, unlike the forest in the other world, was mainly comprised of bamboo and oak trees. With both being evergreens, the mountain was a lovely shade of green all year round, and even now, it looked like a piece of summer stranded in a winter land. Only the harsh wind broke the illusion. Still, as with most other mountains, the ground was covered with a decent amount of fallen leaves, but they posed no problem for Lucid as he climbed higher and higher, especially since he had cast magic to increase the friction on the bottom of his shoes. For him, climbing up the mountain was no different from walking down the street, and he reached the peak in no time. Breathing heavily to regain control, he noticed that his physical strength and stamina had both deteriorated over the past year. Before, he hadn't even broken a sweat climbing this same mountain, yet here he was now, huffing and puffing. All that sitting and reading must have taken a toll on him after all.

The sky he saw down at the courtyard and the sky he was now looking at, from high in the mountain, were one and the same, as clear and blue as ever, but the air felt different. It was clearer, crisper, and he took deep breaths to fill his lungs with it. He closed his eyes and felt the wind on his skin, canceling all the magic he had cast before. As the warming magic left him, a sharp chill ran down his spine.

"Mom." he called, his voice low. He hadn't spoken that word out loud in a long time, and he choked on it.

****

Dong-in had been looking out the window, watching some middle schoolers running around with some elementary schoolers.

"God dammit." he muttered under his breath.

He had been cursing quite a lot recently, and most times, he didn't even realize. The words left his lips whenever he felt even a little miffed, whether he was alone or not, prompted or not. Right now, he cursed watching the children playing in the field.

He hadn't known this when he himself was a young child, but now that he was in middle school, playing outside and kicking a ball around were no longer entertaining, and he had no wish to participate. It was easy enough for elementary schoolers to run around chasing a ball, but the middle schoolers with them were a bit different. They would run just enough to reach the ball and kick it just enough to get the children to run to the other side. In other words, they weren't playing. They were just taking care of the younger children. When Dong-in was younger, the middle schoolers (now high schoolers) took care of him in the same way, and now, his peers took care of the elementary schoolers. High schoolers then avoided the courtyard altogether, choosing to let the younger kids run free and instead studying to achieve their goals for the future, once they left the institute. Such were the rules of the Anes Institute, a sort of tradition to allow all the children to come together and fraternize, growing closer together as real siblings would. Or was it?

"In the same boat, so row together." Dong-in grumbled.

Once he had realized that this was the true intention of the rules, Dong-in had lost all interest in playing. It disgusted him to know that he was expected to go out and mingle with the rest of the children, so that they may all be pitied together. He didn't want to be considered pitiful, and he didn't want to consider the other children as such either. So, he simply grew to dislike their soccer games. That was why he was currently holed up in his room, avoiding all the volunteers crawling about the institute and watching the children play outside, as much as he hated it. That's when he noticed one of the goalkeepers turn around and sneak off somewhere.

He gnawed on his lips as he watched the boy's retreating figure, feeling all sorts of emotions bubbling inside, emotions that stung his eyes with unshed tears, emotions that made him want to scream until his throat bled, that burst the blood vessels in his eyes and made his breath uneven. Hatred, disgust, resentment, contempt. No matter how many words he used to describe his emotions, they weren't enough to properly convey everything he felt. Part of him felt frustrated. Why should he have to feel this way? He didn't deserve this. He had lived his whole life being well-liked as a good student, a good child, a kind person who always smiled, until that boy came along and pushed him straight to the depths of hell. He couldn't ever forgive him. He wouldn't ever forgive him.

Dong-in turned around and left his room.

****

Yun-jeong had made her way to the cafeteria quite early in the morning, which was unusual for her. After helping out with serving breakfast, she gleefully went in the kitchens to practice her own cooking. With the recent boom of cooking programs on TV, Yun-jeong was more than ecstatic, and she made up her mind to be like all those famous chefs and master their fancy skills. As such, she had grabbed the kitchen wok and was now furiously shaking it about. It was no easy feat, as slender as her arms were, but she persevered, passionately practicing the movement. She rolled the wok around to evenly coat it in oil before dumping in the spring onions she had chopped up. Then, she added a splash of soy sauce, to both flavor and impart some aroma to the oil. As she shook the wok around, the fresh scent of spring onion oil wafted through the air.

"Yun-jeong! Are you into Chinese food now?"
"What are you making? You've made such a mess!"
"Fried rice!" Yun-jeong answered cheerfully, smiling at the cooks who had gathered around to watch.

Focusing once more on the wok in her hands, she added ground pork and various vegetables, stir frying as needed before reducing the heat to add the rice. She would be sharing with all the cooks, so she would have to make plenty. However, that meant more of everything, and the considerable weight of all the ingredients as well as of the wok put quite a strain on her wrists. The only thing pushing her forward was her love for cooking, and she continued to shake the wok around. After what seemed like a lifetime, she finally set it down and turned the heat off, dividing the fried rice evenly on three plates.

"It's done!" She said. She was covered in sweat, but she knew that it was a result of her hard work. She was proud of herself and of what she achieved. "Come have a taste!"
"Are you done?" asked one of the cooks.
"Nope! I'm making crab soup next!"

Yun-jeong wiped the sweat from her eyes and set to preparing for her next dish.

****

Ki-woong had been reading, the door to his room firmly shut. Outside, a sign hung from it, reading "Currently studying, do not disturb." Normally, most institutes housing high school students didn't receive high school volunteers, to avoid the awkward, if not downright patronizing, situation of being taken care of by a peer. Even if high school volunteers were accepted, measures were taked to prevent them from meeting the resident high schoolers, such as sending the latter outside. The Anes Institute was no different, and with the influx of high school volunteers (it was the weekend, after all), most of the high schoolers had gone out. All, actually, except for Ki-woong.

Ki-woong had chosen to stay, mainly because he had nothing better to do outside, and he didn't quite care about the volunteers wandering about the institute. As long as he didn't run into them, then everything was fine. And so, he had kept reading, until he heard a knock at the door.

"Ki-woong," a voice called from outside. "Are you free?"

Recognizing the voice as one of the teachers, Ki-woong opened the door.

"How can I help you?"
"The administrative office asked if you could help them out. They're a little flooded, I think."

This was a rather common occurrence in the institute. If the office was behind in its work, Ki-woong would often go down to lend a hand. This was partly because he was the smartest high schooler in the institute, and he had actually proven himself to be quite adept at getting things done. The biggest reason, however, was that he hardly complained, to the point that the director of administration had actually suggested that Ki-woong work at the office after graduating high school. This wasn't well-received at all, since Ki-woong had his sights set on medical school, but he had still smiled and laughed it off, showing remarkable self-control and patience.

"Yes, of course. Should I go down right away?"
"Yes, please. Thank you so much, and I'm so sorry to ask you every time."

The teacher smiled bitterly and pat Ki-woong's arm in an attempt to comfort him. The boy wasn't getting paid at all, simply giving out his time for the sake of the institute, and this made the teacher feel all kinds of terrible. He was proud of him, yes, but it was still a very regrettable situation. Ki-woong was, the teacher thought, the very definition of a volunteer.

****

Jiwon had walked back (though "escaped" would be more accurate) to the institute from the courtyard, and she was hardly in the mood to talk to anyone. But with nowhere to go, she was forced to go inside and join the rest of the volunteers.

"Jiwon," one of them called out. "What are you doing?"
"Oh... Um... I was just wondering if there's anything I can do to help."
"You're really red, did you know that?" the volunteer asked, cupping Jiwon's cheeks in her hands. "How long were you outside? Goodness. Stay inside, and go check the kitchens. They'll be getting food ready soon, so go see if there are any dishes that need to be done."

The volunteer had assumed that Jiwon had gone out to play, and Jiwon was much too high strung to explain herself. She couldn't even find the proper words for it, and she simply nodded, making her way towards the kitchens as she had been instructed.

In her head, she kept replaying the conversation she had with that boy. Why had she said that? She had no idea, and she was embarrassed beyond words. She had volunteered at the institute before, but back then, she had to do so much work that there simply hadn't been enough time for her to talk to any of the residing children. That was why she had made up her mind to spend some time with them this time around. She had a lot of work today as well, but she had managed to sneak out to the courtyard somehow. But after all her efforts, she had been attacked when she had least expected it.

To Jiwon, volunteering at an institute meant playing with the children, holding their hands and talking to them as a way to make them feel loved. That's what heroines did, wasn't it? Still, when she had seen the children running around in the dirt, she had felt a bit put off, which is why she had decided to talk to the child farthest away from all the mess. That turned out to be her worst decision yet, as she had gotten quite hurt from their conversation.

"Why would talking to us be work?" the boy had asked.

She had immediately felt in the wrong. Perhaps she had been so flustered, so scared by the boy's piercing gaze because she felt guilty. No, she knew that was the reason. She had known it as soon as she heard the boy's words, and that was why she had practically run away from him.

She felt bad. Instead of making him feel loved, she had hurt his feelings, and she felt terrible about it.  But she also had no excuse, no good reason to go back so soon, so she simply went to the kitchens. Maybe distracting herself with work would help calm her down and get her thoughts back in order. Then, she decided, she would go back and apologize.

When Jiwon turned the corner to get to the back of the building, where the cafeteria was, she saw a boy climb the fence and go into the mountain. He had short hair, and he was shorter than her. A middle schooler, most likely. As she watched, he walked calmly, but with determination, towards the mountain, and his figure was soon hidden by the trees.

With a mountain so close to the institute, perhaps it acted like a natural playground for the children here. Did they usually go out into the mountain? Probably, Jiwon thought. Dismissing it at that, she opened the door to the cafeteria.


<Lucid Dream (1)> End.

A boy who was living an ordinary life in another world suddenly came to the present world.

Social systems, way of life and morals... They have all changed.

How will the boy try to survive?

What kind of life will the boy live?

The times now were unlike the times before Qiao Nan's rebirth where people usually paid with hundred yuan big bills. Looking at the stash of money in her hands, the smallest denomination was only one cent, and even the largest denomination was only one yuan. 
Qiao Nan counted the bills, it actually added up to a little more than ten yuan. 
In the late 80s to early 90s, the value of money was much higher, this ten yuan was worth so much more than one hundred yuan in the 21st century. 
In her previous life, she had used this ten yuan to buy a pair of black leather western style shoes for Qiao Zijin, matched with a dress.
Qiao Zijin wore this outfit that she spent ten yuan on to the new high school.
In this life, she would not spend a single cent on Qiao Zijin anymore! 
Qiao Nan went out with that "large amount of money"; Qiao Zijin could not stop her no matter what she did. 
By the time Ding Jiayi reached home, Qiao Nan had already been away for more than an hour. Ding Jiayi wiped her hands and asked, "Where is Qiao Nan?" 
Qiao Zijin had a look of worry on her face. "Mom, Nan Nan was looking for her secondary one and two textbooks today." 
Ding Jiayi was lost for words. 
"Nan Nan seemed to have guessed that you sold her textbooks. When she left just now, I wanted to stop her but I couldn't. Mom, do you think Nan Nan would go to look for Dad?" 
This was very nerve racking for Qiao Zijin. Qiao Nan used to hate it when Dad and Mom quarreled because of her. But now why would she go to Dad for the most trivial things and cause them to get into an argument? 
"I must have owed her in my previous life, and I had to pay the debts in this life!" Ding Jiayi took off the apron that she just put on and threw it on the floor out of spite. "In order to have her, your Dad and I lost our cradle-to-grave jobs. Your Dad used to be a company commander in the army and was about to be promoted to battalion commander, But all because of her, your Dad has nothing now! She ruined your Dad's career, and now she still wants to ruin your life?!" 
Ding Jiayi really regretted having a second child. 
If she had not had a second child, Old Qiao would definitely be a battalion commander by now, and she would be the wife of a battalion commander. As for her government job, although it was just simple chores, it was leisurely work. 
Though without the second child, their family would not be the eye of envy of others, at least she would be able to hold her head up high in the quad. 
The Qiao couple's future was completely ruined because of the second child. It was not wrong of her to say that she owed her younger daughter in her previous life!
She spent all those years bringing up the younger daughter, yet she was of no help at all. All she could do was to splurge and create troubles, causing a strain to her relationship with Old Qiao. 
What sins had she committed to give birth to such a daughter?! 
Qiao Zijin listened while Ding Jiayi raked up the old stories. It was a surprise that she kept quiet all along. 
Actually deep down inside, Qiao Zijin hated Qiao Nan as much as Ding Jiayi. However, unlike Ding Jiayi, while she hated Qiao Nan for taking away her chance to be the daughter of a battalion commander, she also hated her parents Qiao Dongliang and Ding Jiayi. 
Why did they need a second child? Why did they need a boy? Weren't they happy with her? 
If Qiao Nan had been a boy, her mother would definitely do everything for him, including spending all the money, not to mention losing her cradle-to-grave job. 
When the time came, instead of Qiao Nan, the elder daughter would be the one to bear the wrath of her mother's anger. 
Qiao Zijin knew that there was nothing wrong with the birth of Qiao Nan; the problem lay with the fact that Qiao Nan was a daughter. She was not the son that her parents were willing to sacrifice their cradle-to-grave jobs for. 
Lost in thought, Qiao Zijin dug at a scar on her palm.
She was two years old then and her mother was pregnant. All she wanted was to hug her mother's leg. But her mother pushed her off to a side, for fear that she would knock into her protruding stomach. She fell and hurt her hand then. 
More than ten years had passed, the wound had healed but it left a scar forever. 
Qiao Nan was totally unaware of what happened while she was away from home. She knew little of the complicated feelings that Qiao Zijin had. 
She took the money and went to a thrift shop. 
"Young lady, do you have scrap to sell?" The uncle at the thrift shop wore an old blue cotton hat. His face and hands looked clean and his clothes did not seem to be dirty. 
Qiao Nan shook her head, "Uncle, I am not here to sell things, instead I would like to buy some stuff."
The uncle found it weird, "Why would you come to my place to buy stuff? What do you intend to buy?" 
Qiao Nan took a glance and said, "Uncle, do you have textbooks here, I would like to take a look at secondary three books." 
The uncle blinked a few times but did not probe, "If you don't find it dirty, just go ahead and look for the books you want. We can decide on the price based on whatever you find." 
"Alright, thank you, uncle."
The slight smell and messiness of the thrift shop did not bother Qiao Nan at all, she started to search conscientiously. 
Every year there would be a batch of junior high school graduates. And just like Ding Jiayi, there were quite a lot of people who would sell the textbooks. 
So it only took Qiao Nan a while to find the junior high school textbooks.
Qiao Nan must have been lucky. Not only did she find the textbooks she wanted, the notes were neat and tidy, with detailed solutions to the problems. 
At one glance, Qiao Nan could tell which books belonged to the same owner of the textbooks she found. She took out all the books with the similar handwritings, including some exercise books. 
After some picking and choosing, aside from the main subjects, Qiao Nan also managed to find a few workbooks from the same owner. 
Judging from the paper quality, Qiao Nan surmised that the workbooks were not cheap and seemed to be foreign goods. 
"Oh, you have managed to pick a pile of books?" The uncle walked over and saw the big pile of books stacked nicely besides Qiao Nan. He knew that these must be the books Qiao Nan wanted. 
"Yes." Qiao Nan's face was wet with sweat, she casually wiped it off with the back of her hand, leaving a few streaks of dirt on her fair and pretty small face. 
At the sight of the delicate pretty young lady with a dirty looking face, the uncle laughed, "That's quite a few books, will you be able to carry them back?" 
The uncle's question made Qiao Nan stumped for words. The books she picked were pretty heavy. She could made a few trips to bring them back, but where could she keep them at home? 
If her mother saw the books, she would definitely throw the books away as soon as she bought the books home. 
Furthermore there was no point telling her father. He had to work and could not stay at home everyday. Once he leave for work, her mother would not let her keep the books. 
Qiao Nan had painstakingly found the books she wanted, this was a chance she did not want to miss. What she could do now was to ask the uncle for help. 
"Uncle, I am buying these books. Could you put them aside for me, I will just be away for a short while? If you are worried, I can pay first?" 
The uncle waved his hands, "It's alright, I'll keep the books for you."
Aside from this young lady who came to the thrift shop to buy books, everyone came with the intention to sell things. 
"Thank you, uncle." Qiao Nan smiled gratefully at the uncle and took off at a run. 
Over at Zhai's house, Zhai Hua who just woke up was brushing her teeth with a cup in her hands. She saw a young lady pacing outside the doorway, contemplating to go inside the house or not. 
Zhai Hua spitted out the toothpaste foam and rinsed her mouth. She did not know who exactly this young lady was.


Qiao Nan: Crap! I am your biological daughter, yet I am treated as if I was picked up from the streets. In fact, you treat me worse than that!

Mother Qiao: Qiao Nan, you are not as pretty or smart as your elder sister. You are not as blessed as her. You have no right to study, marry, or to have your happiness!

Qiao Nan: Why am I not allowed to study, marry, or to seek my happiness? I will find a man right now and marry him!

Qiao Nan is dumbstruck upon discovering that the man right beside her is a powerful figure in the quad—the person who has the most promising prospects to be the future Chief.

Qiao Nan stares at the well-built man in front of her. He has firm abs and cold, chilling eyes. She swallows the lump in her throat as she says her greetings, "Good Morning, Chief!"

"Ah Nincompoop" Faust says as his eyes widens, raising his eyebrows, completely taken over by surprise.
"Uh...." The kid in front of him pauses I'm a shock before continuing.
"It's Nicholas troop! Not nincompoop oi Faust! How dare you?? You never call me with my real name" Nick short for Nicholas starts to whine and complain about how Faust never calls him with his real name.
Faust, who barely have friends at school is a calm and shy kid. When it comes to making friends for him, it takes weeks and months to even talk to the person sitting just beside him in class. 
He doesn't like to involve in any of the quarrels that normal kids at his school usually do. So much for being a big dreamer at home, but a quiet and shy kid at school.
To emphasize more about how quiet of a kid Faust really is, he never cries. He does, but in a low and squeaky voice ever since he was a baby. It's a strange thing to ever witness. A child that doesn't even make a noise as an infant and cry out like any newborn child would.
And so, Faust ended up having only 3 friends in the whole school. And the way he made friends is also strange in different situations.
*Backstory of how Faust and Nick met*
Faust's ears perk up as he overhears a kid yelling too loudly from  behind, while he is having his lunch in a corner of the cafeteria's table seat.
"I'm a black belt in karate, I will just sweep the whole floor with you if you don't stop bullying other people" Nick is threatening  a bully who is throwing his fangs on a timid girl.
Nick couldn't stand the bully's behavior, he really wants to scare him and impress the girl at the same time. Before he can show off his heroic image, Nick is on the ground with bruises on several places of his body.
*"This bully never heard of the word 'mercy' or what?"* Nick thinks to himself as he moans in a squeaky voice.
This is the first time Faust notices Nick.
"What a weird kid" He mumbles under his breath, looking at Nick, who is a goner by now.
The next day, Faust is having his lunch again all by himself in his usual spot and again he heard the same kid from yesterday, who has started roaring, loud as a lion. And surprisingly, an adult voice too joins him.
Out of curiosity, Faust stands up from his spot to see what the commotion is about.
*"Ah it's that weird kid from yesterday"* Faust realizes while watching Nick. *"Bu-but wait"* he pauses before saying
*"Who is this big thug beside him?"* Faust wonders as he sees a huge guy standing beside Nick.
The adult next to Nick is his dad, who is one of the village's security. But he has really thick eyebrows and a scary face with a scar across his face which is given to him by a 'cat' not in a war or in some fight.
Which leaves an impression of him being a thug and makes the kids think he is truly a gangster. Where in reality he is a village guard.
The next thing Faust notices is Nick's father shouting and abusing the bully directly in his face. He is so enraged and riled up that his son got beaten up badly. And according to Nick's dad, if it is for his son, he is ready to pick a fight with anyone. 
At the same time the bully is scared to his wit and only thinking of running from that situation. But he got nowhere to go since he's pretty much being backed up against the wall like a prisoner.
"Wa-wait, he is not stopping with just the bully?" Faust is looking at more people getting yelled at by Nick's father.
"Who are the people trying to defend the bully? That must be his parents and this thug is yelling at them too??" Faust watches while his jaw's dropping, he tightly rolled up his fists in excitement.
"Whoa, here comes the teachers. This old dude will stop now tsk tsk"
But to Faust's surprise...
"He is still going and is shouting at teachers too??? Wow, AMAZINVVVV! this old dude is really amazinvvv!!"
Faust really wants to reach out to Nick's father and tell him how cool he is, yelling at everyone to defend his son, but he is too scared to do that as Nick's father continued to yell at everyone that is approaching him, he is really unstoppable.
But later on, he figures out a way to approach Nick's father and that is through Nick.
"Yo! You are so coollll" Faust stands in front of Nick with a goofy expression and giving thumbs up to Nick with admiration written all over his face.
Nick upon hearing this, is very happy, *"If not the girl admiring me, a guy admiring me for my coolness is not too bad" he thinks as he tries to smile, exposing his broken tooth.
*"I'm a dumb fool who got into this mess."* Nick, while dying internally pats on the shoulder of Faust saying " thanks for the compliment, want to eat together?." 
Faust who thought his plan is working agrees and the both of them started eating together from that day and Faust who became Nick's friend with a secret intention to learn how to be a Savage like Nick's father, now really thought of Nick as his real close friend as they continue to get closer as each day passes by.
"Back to the present story"
"So poop (referring to Nick), let's go to our base and discuss about how we deal with these monsters." Faust says with a bright smile on his face.
Faust, Nick and their two other friends love to play the hero's of the school with Faust being the best kickboxer, Nick the Karate Master, Roy(a Noble's kid) being the space hero and Tim the higher class men and 2 years older than the three doesn't like to play any character. 
He stays a normal kid and cultivates his land and grows vegetables. And the monsters that Faust is referring to are the bullies of the school.
Faust and his friends are currently good at dealing with level 1, level 2 and level 3 rank monsters who are bullies from 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades in their school.
The kick boxing, karate and every other martial arts are ancient techniques in this modern world of 5062.
No one ever saw or heard of someone using these skills. However, there is a belief that very few people in this entire world can use ancient martial art techniques. But no one is allowed to teach or learn these fighting arts.
If anyone is seen using them in public, they are hunted and killed instantly by the government. And so the ancient martial arts nor the healing arts were passed down through generations.
The only fighting arts used in this age is military arts. It involves the use of weapons that have special attributes and technology that does the impossible.
Faust and Nick are friends from the start. However, they met Roy and Tim during a brawl between the high schoolers and middle schoolers on one fine day.
*One fine day of spring*
The taunts between the middle schoolers and high schoolers grew intensely which lead to a huge brawl between both of them. Both sides are too angry and are just pushing each other while yelling loudly enough to resonate around the whole school where every teacher and student can hear this ruckus, yet no one passing by cares.
Because these particular students have been having a brawl from past three years and never once in three years they hit each other. All they do is cause a huge ruckus, raise some dust off the ground and disperse like a scripted fight on stages.
They only want the 10 minutes attention and want people to realise that these are the hard boiled bad guys in the school. But the reality is that no other students or teachers are willing to spare their time to stop the fights and resolve the issues
Yet, there are four kids who watches the brawl between these two mobs from the school balcony, standing next to each other and with excitement filled in their faces and the happiness they faced when they saw the high schoolers running away from the fight because the middle schoolers overcame them with numbers which happens every time.
The eyes of these four met each other, where Nick starts talking.
"So you guys came here to have a fight with us or what?" Nick, with an arrogance filled voice asks Roy and Tim who he has just met.
"We're just here to watch the brawl" Roy and Tim answers at the same time with surprised faces as they didn't want to start any trouble.
"So you guys came here just like us? To watch and learn? asks Nick.
"Indeed" Roy and Tim replies by nodding their heads.
With just that, the four of them starts talking and their conversation led to one thing and another. They even get to know about how all four of them shared the same interests and goals with each other and became closest friends to one another.


**Read author' review before starting**

The aftermath of 'end of the world' and how the new beginning aroused with the discoveries of new magical realms. new sword arts and ancient martial arts. But what is beyond that? beyond our Third Dimension and beyond the earth and beyond human? how did humans come to existence? how do humans possess knowledge and is different from any other being? 

And a kid who doesn't realize the powers he is blessed with, as pain is the only thing that helped him grow faster and learn about the bitter truth about humans.

Fear, curiosity, anxiety, helplessness, powerless, worthless, selfish, being used, being ignored, isn't cared, isn't loved and more and more and all these feelings are killing him from inside while his life is hitting him harder and harder and breaking his will, his wish to live and keeps knocking him down. 

So one day he started liking all these feelings and decided that he had enough and says "I WANT TO FUCK THIS WORLD AND BE ON TOP AND RULE IT, I will pay everyone back with double the price. Even god, he needs to pay for his creation." while laughing like a maniac.

So I ask you....

Do you believe in gods? They reside in higher dimensions. And until now we have only discovered 11 dimensions, we cannot go further than that. This is about the world in 5062, land on earth has been reduced to one third. Only one continent exists, all of humanity from all regions and ethnicities had to live together on one land. During this chaos, the best group of scientists found gateways on earth to travel to different dimensions. Each dimension is a new world with its own laws of physics and principles, and new elements of nature.



*//Editors\\* 

๛ Aysel_Inara

๛ NatsumeRikka

---------------------------------

Follow me on IG to interact with me, give me suggestions and see the pics of the world and its characters.

IG - wn_miniace

He made a mental note of the facts he had on hand. 
 Min. Pshi Academy. Modern Evolution. Beta Tester. Gaia. 
 He started with what was most important. He tapped the tabletop and a faint screen appeared over the table. He was connected to the academy server, and through it to the wide net. He opened Sigma, a browser with a simple interface, and searched for Pshi Academy. There was enough information on the wide net about the academy. He opened the academy page that was uploaded on the wide net. The class of Modern Evolution was listed, but he didn't find the information he sought. Realising his mistake, he pulled up the Modern Evolution page on the Academy server. He found the list of students. And among them, he found his name. 
 Min Naiv. 
 He clicked on the name and his student profile filled the screen. 
 
 **
 
 Student Name: Min Naiv 
 Age: 18 years 
 Guardian: Topher Grace
 Overall academic grade: A
 Special mentions: 
  a. 100 percentile in mathematics
  b. Editorial recognition for the piece, 'Linear math of non-linear human interactions'
  c. Scouted for the program - Modern Evolution
 Academic projects:
  a. Beta Tester - Gaia
  b. Regression analytics on declining traditional societal norms
  c. Diagrametics 
 Intelligence: Visual mathematician, 99 percentile in IQ
 High school grades:
  Mathematics  A+
  Languages  A
  Science  B
  Social Studies B
  Art  B
  PE  C
 Positions of authority held: None
 Member of clubs: None
 Research project: Enhanced consciousness

**

 The student profile didn't feel like all of him. He felt the profile drew an incomplete sketch. Probably because he didn't understand all of it. 
 Firstly, who was Topher Grace? 
 A quick search on the academy server revealed that Topher Grace was the academy sponsorship program, started by an alumni of the academy named Topher. After graduating from the academy, she started a human welfare organisation that operated across borders. In association with the academy, her organisation started the sponsorship program. 
 Sponsorship differed from Scholarship in the fundamental principle. Scholarship was the academy offering help with the tuition for students with high academic grades who could use the aid. Sponsorship was the academy covering all expenses for orphans eligible to study at the academy. 
 Purugs, the scholarship program, imposed requirements on the recipients. Topher Grace recommended recipients have expectations of themselves. 
 Min understood he had no family. That gave some more clarity. 
 He next searched Diagrametics. What he found confused him all the more because it made sense. Diagrametics was representing people and ideas and even vague concepts as two dimensional figures on a chart. He couldn't understand how someone could make sense of such an idea enough to prepare an entire project on it. 
 And then of course, there was Modern Evolution. 
 There was a video on the academy server. Of a student introducing the subject to a group of middle schoolers as the teacher-in-charge, Mr Brogz, looked on with pride. Modern Evolution dealt with the impact and the importance of sociology on wide area augmented reality for an accurate representation of the real world so that separation of virtual and real became increasingly impossible. He read the name of the student addressing the middle schoolers underneath the video. Kexin. The granddaughter of the Vice-Principal of the academy, and the star of the department of sociology. 
 He could see how being a student of the subject would enable him join the Beta Testers of Gaia. He didn't have complete clarity yet, but he at least had the outline. 
 He began reading all there was about Min on the academy server.

What if one morning you woke up with no memories? 

What if all you had was a video message you left for yourself, warning you that you were in grave danger? 

What if the only way to survive was in discovering what you forgot? 

And what if your biggest enemy was yourself? 

**

"There is a bug. It allows unmitigated access to the users' consciousness. You're the only one who knows. You must stop the release. You must stop them." 

That was the primal directive. Min needed time to understand, to accept. But time was the one thing he didn't have. 

He woke up with no memories. He only had the one video message he left himself to work with. The video told him he was a beta tester of Gaia, and he had discovered a bug that could very well be intentional. 

What he was asking of himself was to be a hero. But was that what he wanted? Was that really him in the video? 

If it was him, why go through all that trouble? Why did he delete all of his memories himself? 

Who were the people helping him from the shadows? Were they friends? Or, were they something else entirely? 

Who were those that were after him? Were they all related to Gaia? Or were there other secrets too? 

School was the perfect refuge. Friendless and unremarkable, he couldn't be hidden better. But with less than three months to graduation, he was running out of time...

Alex Cain fiercely sat up on the bed and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Fortunately, it was just a nightmare. In the dream, he was later burned by seven hot fireballs! Wiping the cold sweat on his forehead, Alex patted his chest with relief. 

Suddenly, he stopped. 

"Ah?" 

Alex was surprised by the scene in front of his eyes! 

The early morning light has lightened up the darkroom. There was a table in front of the bed, there were scattered books, workbooks, papers, manuscript papers. lying there...

 On the opposite side of his bed, other beds were present, a few people snoring loudly in this quiet room. 

"Dale? Roy? and Han Yu too? ...Room 107...!" 

Alex trembled! 

"This... This is - AB... Dormitory?!" The shocked Alex jumped out of the quilt and skipped out of bed. 

He is going to verify what he thinks! 

Opening the door, he steps out, and looks up -  Room 107! 

"Heaven! Am I still dreaming?" 

Alex Cain failed to restrain his fears! 

This situation...it is not his college days, but he is still in the third year of his high school! 

Did I transmigrate to the past! 

High school! 

Those crazy days! 

"Is it my dream to relife high school days? But this... this is too real!" 

Alex pinched his face as he felt a sharp pain.

"Is this really true? Did I really come back to my High School Days? I remember that I was beaten to death by the thugs at the time! Was that a dream?  am I still in high school, no college entrance examination, no fight, and those are just my dreams? But, It's too long, too fucking real!"

Alex couldn't believe himself.
 He doesn't know if he came back to the past or were just dreaming about his college life. 
But what is really matters now is, he is now in the third year of high school, with his three buddies, his roommates. 

These snoring bastards, the textbooks full of the table, the papers are proof that they have struggled for the college entrance examination to very late time, and they all are desperately trying to get into a good university. 

"No, I have to find evidence. I must have been admitted to college! I have been in college for a year! Those days cannot be fake. It is definitely not a dream. I have come back to my past! I must find evidence!" 

Alex slowly calmed down, returned to his bed, looked at these familiar scenes, and made up his mind. 

"February 14", Alex looked at his watch. "Ah! If I remember correctly, then I must have written a letter last night!" 

He saw four history books on his desk. Alex immediately smashed opened the last history book he remembered keeping the letter and took out a pink envelope from within it. 

"Sure enough!" 

This is a confession letter he wrote to his favorite girl, at 2 am on February 14, 2018! 

He still remembers the embarrassing scene when he handed the letter to the girl, as he will never forget that in his life! 
Yes, Therefore, as long as he takes this letter to the girl, he will know if he really came back to the past! 

As Alex was still thinking about it, the sky outside the window lit up, and the echo of the alarm sounded from time to time throughout the corridor. 

"Hey?  is the Sun coming out from the west today? how are you up so early?" 

Dale, who just got up, saw that Alex had risen so early, and sitting on the bed with a history book open, Dale was shocked as he called out to Alex. 

Alex returned to reality hearing Dale's words. 

"Hey~ I... I... I'm just...Dale! Today is February 14, 2018 right ?!" 

"Yes!"

Dale looked at Alex with a strange look and said affirmatively. 

"Is there any problem? Hehe... I know, today is Valentine's Day! But what does this have to do with you? Do you have got a girlfriend! Or a good endorsement! ?"
"Man, There are still 18 days left of the college entrance examination... University Yahoo, there are so many beautiful girls there!" , Dale seemed to be excited thinking of it.

Dale's fixed his creases on his clothes came over and patted Alex's shoulder, and quickly picked up the toothbrush jar on the table and left. 

"There are still 18 days of college entrance examination! So that means, there is no college entrance examination, I have not yet gone to college, no haven been beaten up!" 

Alex suddenly thought of something, his face Excited. 

He is a little excited! 

"Calm down Alex calm down You still need to verify, you must be completely sure!" Alex told himself apprehensively. 

At this time, Roy and Han Yu also woke up. After a simple greeting, these two immediately ran out of the room and went towards the bathroom to wash. 

"Well, step by step, if it is really what I think, then... my future is not a dream! Then I can go to the capital, learn from the best University, and even walking around the forbidden lake wouldn't be a problem! "

What will happen when a mysterious power from the Immortal Realm gets inside the body of a boy who was beaten to death?

Alex Cain, the university freshman was beaten to death for a reason he didn't know.
But when he was at the death's door dying slowly something unusual seems to be happening to him...

How to be number one in the Campus?

How to rule the Society?

How to dominate fate!

Follow this Young man so observe how he accomplishes it all!

It had been a rough time working at the wedding planning agency. Manager Wang had bullied her countless times over this past half year.
However, Zhuang Nainai did not feel excited when she walked out so coolly.
Her heart was heavy.
Her face was stinging too.
Walking on the Beijing streets, she did not know where to go.
Back then, whenever she had troubles, mother was there to help her out. Afterward, her mother fell sick and could not solve her problems anymore, but Zhuang Nainai would feel invigorated when she hugged her.
But now… Zhuang Nainai had no one to turn to.
A gust of wind blew past and she felt a little cold. She hugged her arms and bit down on her lips. Her eyes were red.
Mother, where are you?
Mother, I miss you…
Zhuang Nainai touched her face and decided to go home to take a look.
Even though her mother had been sent overseas, this small house was still the home where Zhuang Nainai grew up in with her. Furthermore, she would bring her mother back eventually and they would need a place to stay. Therefore, Zhuang Nainai never stopped paying the rent. 
She strolled about in the familiar room, trying to find traces of her mother. Her vision landed on a large dusty box.
The box was placed on top of the wardrobe and a thick layer of dust enveloped it.
Zhuang Nainai looked at the box and her heart quivered.
It held all her memories from high school. She sealed her past after her breakup with Si Zhengting five years ago and tried to forget it all. She never dared to open it all these years so as to not trigger the pain deep in her heart.
Zhuang Nainai looked at the box and suddenly jumped on top of the table. She tiptoed, pulled the heavy box out towards her, and carried it down. 
The dust swirled around and she coughed a few times. She paused for a minute and then finally opened the box.
The memories buried deeply could touch one's heart very easily once brought to light.
The items in the box were placed in a mess. There were workbooks, textbooks, school uniforms, and other various things.
Zhuang Nainai opened an exercise book at random and found the first essay to be "My Dream."
Dream?
Back then, her dream was simple. It was to be in a relationship with Si Zhengting. She recalled that the teacher got so angry and made her mother come to school for her "lack of repentance."
Her mother was a cleaner then, and she appeared in school in her cleaning outfit. She had a great sense of dignity and pride even though people were talking behind her back. She had told Zhuang Nainai, "Nainai, look, do you lose out on anything when these people talk behind your back? Don't ever doubt yourself for your uniqueness, you have to follow your heart and know that you are never less than any others. That way, you will forever be a dignified princess."
Back then, Zhuang Nainai had felt that her mother was always right. She would look up to her and feel proud and satisfied.
Thinking about it now… she still felt that her mother was cool.
The language teacher had shown her mother her exercise book in school and glared at Zhuang Nainai.
She had expected Mother Zhuang to reprimand Zhuang Nainai, but to her surprise…
"Nainai, your argumentative essay writing is getting better and better! First, you state your point, then, you provide a few successful examples, and finally, you conclude with your own anecdote and a most practical solution. Your language could be more refined, though. There are a few spots where your tone is too heavy."


He's the heir of the Imperial Group, ruthless and calculating. Yet, he dotes on his wife so much. 

"Hubby, I'm thinking of getting a pet. What do you think is good?"

"You are the pet."

"…"

"Hubby, is a rose or peony prettier?"

"You are the prettiest."

"…"

Zhuang Nainai: …Can you say something constructive?

One day, someone asks him, "Why are you always the one bowing your head first when you quarrel with her?"

Si Zhengting: "Because I'm 185 cm, and she's 165 cm. When am I not the first to bow my head?"

In short, this is a black-bellied CEO who dotes on his wife in every way you could think of and tries his best to build a family after marriage by baking a little bun baby.
 


By now, Steven had already gotten the team another practice game,and that game was only in a few days. Shinaya was practicing like crazy,and then he saw a person. He was blonde,he had glasses,and by estimation,it looked like he was 6'2."Uh,kid,this place is for high schoolers."the big guy said."I am a high schooler!",Shinaya yelled back. The tall boy seemed stunned that this kid standing before him was a high schooler." In fact,I go to THIS high school.!",Shinaya then yelled. The boy seemed even more stunned. Because that meant.....they were on the same team!!
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!",Shinaya and the tall boy yelled. This boy obviously had to be defense. He was one of the tallest people Shinaya had ever seen! Shinzo was watching this whole thing. "Who the hell are you?",Shinzo said."Your new teammate,Volleyball King. Shinzo hated that nickname. Shinaya didn't get why he hated that nickname. It sounded cool to him. "Just shut up and start practicing.",Shinzo said. Everyone started practicing back and forth. At least now,they had another player. Even with Tena and the others playing,they were missing some people. Today was a stupid but amazing day. Always hold your rivals close,one once said..

Ulf swore when his phone came alive. He'd spent half an hour discreetly comparing notes about his old school now and then, even though there was the barrier of a world between them as well. Still, for most practical purposes it was a matter of a stiff thirty years.
Those had been thirty perfectly enjoyable minutes in the sun chatting away with an absolutely adorable Jenny, who reminded him a whole lot of his first girlfriend from back then, and her boyfriend.
Rika hovered around them most of the time as well, even though she pretended not to. In the end Ulf silently agreed to pretend flirting with her to give her an excuse to stay with them.
He grinned at the memory. Two gave them ugly glares. Noriko and Alexander.
All in all Ulf would have preferred to stay another half an hour in the afternoon sun with something almost resembling a cool breeze rolling in over the waves.
But.
His phone rang and he felt compelled to fish it up and move away from his company.
"Hamarugen Urufu," he answered when he got far enough away to at least make certain Jun and Rika couldn't hear him. Jenny couldn't understand him when he spoke Japanese anyway.
"Seaside café, behind you." came an old man's voice. Ulf was certain he had heard it before.
"Excuse me?"
"Get here young man. Nakagawa-sensei will treat you."
Ulf heard a low murmur of protest in the background. "Fine, I'll be there." He licked his lips. They tasted salty, more from sweat than any sea water by now." 'What is the old goat up to now?'
First he returned to his company. He gave them an apologetic shrug and explained he had to take an interview, and after that he crammed his belongings into his backpack and shouldered it.
When he entered the wooden deck of the café he noticed how the teenagers had become scarce and were replaced by people in their twenties and thirties.
A quick glance told him covering his torso was probably a good idea if he didn't want to be ejected. He wrenched his backpack off his shoulder and dug up a shirt with which to cover himself.
"Show-off!" a voice to his left said.
He turned.
"At least the kid's got something to show. Wanna join us?"
The girls might have been in their early twenties, which made them his senior by at least five years in this world.
"Picking up high schoolers are we?" Ulf teased. The situation reminded him a little of the winter evenings he had spent together with Yukio in the city while they were still middle schoolers.
"High school? No way!"
"Sorry, but yes way. I'm a junior." Then he decided he didn't have time for them. "Look, you're cute and gorgeous and all that, and any other day I'd take you up on your offer, but I've got old people breathing down my neck right now."
Two pairs of hands flying to their mouths was reward enough. Ulf grinned at them and threw both girls a mock salute before he turned and searched for the old goat. Nakagawa should fit in here like the proverbial snowball in hell.
He did his search from the bar, and just as he ordered a glass of juice and a bottle of mineral water to go with it, he found the table. Nakagawa wasn't alone.
'Crap! So Ina's grandpa is here as well? Some new shit or just complaints because I didn't stick to her?'
That was unfair. Ulf knew that, but anything Christina brought a sour taste to his mouth. Forgetting her was out of the question, and he silently cursed himself for hurting still. It was unfair in more ways than one. Noriko ate sharp jokes and comments from him just because she did what he himself hadn't done for Christina – openly and consistently told him she loved him despite his repeated rejections.
He gasped, because with that thought came a new realisation. For the first time since he arrived here Maria didn't tug at his memories. Sometime since he broke up with Christina his old life must have become just a memory, and pains and fears belonging to that world were just dulled memories.
He remembered loving his wife, but she was gone, as were his children, and for the first time he truly accepted that. 'Good bye Maria. I wish you a good life.'
"Sand in your eyes?"
Ulf balked. The voice belonged to Sano-san, Christina's grandfather.
"Yeah," Ulf said and sat down. He put bottle and two glasses on the table. "Something like that."
"Tina, or memories older still?"
His lips stretched. Ulf guessed his smile came out as a smirk. "My family," he admitted. "They're really gone, aren't they?"
Sano-san shook his head. A smile mirroring Ulf's came to his lips. "No, they're still there. At least I hope they are." Then his smile was just sad. "We're the ones who are gone."
Blinking away tears Ulf reached for his glass. With a few gulps he downed the juice. For a moment the taste of orange mixed with salt when he swallowed tears and memories of a life lost to him.
"It's strange," he said. "It hurts that it doesn't hurt any longer. When did I betray them?"
Again Sano-san shook his head. "They'll always be with you. You never betrayed them. If anything you were betrayed."
Ulf met Sano-san's gaze. "No, I betrayed them. I no longer regret arriving here. I've made this life more important that my old."
"Fool! The life you're living at the moment is always the most important."
Ulf flinched. He stared at Sano-san. The man was older than him by far. "What?"
"We need our memories, but we can't live in them. That's not living, that's just a shadow of a life."
That philosophy would take some time to digest. "You know," Ulf started to change the subject, "arriving here really was a transition." Memories from the last two years shot through his mind. "And a restart," he added.
"What did you just say?"
Ulf stared at Nakagawa-sensei. The old man's face was ashen. "Transition and restart," Ulf repeated.

If you were transported from this world to another almost identical.

If you were transported from your life to your teenage self.

If you had to restart your life again.

Would you, or would you cling to your memories?


Tags: Japan, Sweden, Tokyo, comedy, drama, high school, Academy, Slice of Life, romcom

This is a Japanese manga/anime -style slice of life high school romance with a splash of sci-fi. In this kind of romance friendship plays a big role compared to your standard western romance. Ensemble cast, so if you only want one main character this is not for you.

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