Chapter Text
“Hey sleepyhead, wake up.”
She was lying on her side, buried under the covers of her bed. Her black, short and scruffy hair was smushed against her pillow along with the rest of her face, drool coming out of her open mouth. She was certainly having quite the good sleep, especially considering she had slept through her alarm.
“Hey.” I shake her shoulder. “You’re gonna be late if you don’t wake up. If you don’t get up now, you’re gonna rush out, miss breakfast, and then be grumpy all day.”
“..whuh?” Her eyes that leaned more towards hazel than brown blinked open lazily. She squinted at me, slightly pushing herself upwards with her elbow. “...Yuto?”
“Morning, lazy.” A soft smile makes its way onto my face. “You got ten minutes before your usual leave time.”
“Huh?” she blinked at me,then looked at her alarm clock. “Shit!” she jumped out of bed with a new, immediate urgency that betrayed her earlier, drowsy state.
“Breakfast is done when you’re ready.” I chuckle, walking out of her room. She rushed into the bathroom as I entered the kitchen. I rubbed at my head while leaning against the counter, trying to get rid of the headache that had been enveloping my thoughts all morning.
My eyes blinked, a little heavier than before. I splashed myself with cold water from the sink, trying to eliminate any lingering dreariness I still held. I had work to do today, just like every other day. Just like every other day, for her.
“I’m ready! I’m ready!” she bolted down the hallway to the kitchen in a second. Has ten minutes already passed? Immediately she started scarfing up her breakfast like a ravenous wolf that hadn’t found prey in days, then she was grabbing her bag and running for the door. She grabbed the knob, paused, then turned back to me with a bright smile. “Thanks, Yuto! Don’t forget about movie night tonight, okay?”
“I won’t-” I couldn’t even finish my words before she was already out the door. I shook my head, amused. You really need to stop relying on me waking you up, Kira.
I pulled out my phone, checking my notifications. Good, none. Thankfully, I was able to get today off from that one. Now just to complete my two jobs today as quickly as possible so I can hopefully be back before Kira returns from school. I have until her after-school club ends to finish everything.
I went back to my room, grabbing my bike which took up about a third of the room. Another third was taken up by the bed, and I didn’t have much in the final third of the room. I picked up my bag of daily supplies and fastened it on my back. I maneuvered the bike through the small apartment the same way I always did, with this kind of repetition having made it the process much quicker.
I exited our apartment, messing with the old door to make sure it was properly locked behind me. I made my way down the stained and beaten up stairs, slowly carrying the bike over each creaking step I had started ignoring years ago. I arrived outside on a cloudy, kind of miserable looking day. At least it doesn’t seem like it will rain.
I hopped on the bike, taking off into the street,letting the wind fly through my shaggy hair, a feeling that I had slowly come to enjoy with each ride. I made it down to my first job, five minutes before my shift started.
I parked my bike within the construction site in the area that the boss had designated, locking it against the pole just in case anybody happened to stop by and try to steal it. If I lose this thing, I won’t be able to replace it for a while, if ever. Better to not take the risk.
From my backpack I pulled out my construction helmet and vest, putting them on. From here, I had a six hour shift that would take up most of Kira’s school day. Thankfully, my boss already told me that if we make a lot of progress today, I can get off earlier.
The next four and a half hours were boring and difficult, the time only feeling like it was passing during conversation with my coworkers. Though this time I didn’t engage too much. I was already spending so much energy trying to do as much work as possible, I didn’t have the energy nor the time to converse that much. By the end of my shift, exhaustion was quickly creeping in on me, but I blinked it away the best I could.
As soon as I was dismissed I rushed back to the bike, fumbling with the key longer than I should’ve to unlock the bike. Finally I got the bike off the lock, not wasting a second to get on the bike and to pedal to my next job of today.
I chose today for movie night because I only had two jobs lined up for today. At this rate, I can make it. I just need to finish the next one as quickly as possible. I just have to pick up the newspapers, deliver them to each house in my assigned area according to the route I've perfected, and then I’m free. I quickly arrived at the pick up spot, stuffing the newspapers into my backpack. With a quick check of the time I saw I had two hours left. Perfect. I can do this.
I slung the backpack over one shoulder and powered through the heaviness that was settling into my legs. I just need to get these to all the houses as soon as possible. It started off well, but as I got further and further into it, the time between delivery for each house was getting longer and longer. Usually I’m not this slow, and usually I’m not in a rush on this job, but I had a time commitment tonight that I couldn’t miss under any circumstances.
Finally, with a tiredness that was fully enveloping each limb now, I finished delivering the newspapers. I blinked, my eyes staying closed just a little too long. I just need to make it back. I can make it in time. I have enough time.
I slowly pushed down on the bike pedal, giving me the small step forwards I needed in order to get the momentum going in the bike. I let the bike carry me as I made it back to the apartment as quickly as I could, which was unfortunately a pace much slower than when I had left.
I finally made it back in front of the apartment, my breath heavy and my steps somehow feeling heavier. I slowly pulled the bike up the stairs, the process taking away any lingering energy I might have had left. I somehow got the bike to the top of the stairs, leaning on it as I pushed my way to the apartment door. I unlocked the door, pulled the bike through, then shut it behind me. I somehow maneuvered the bike back to my room.
With a groan and another futile attempt to rub the tiredness from my eyes, I walked back into the living room that was shared with our kitchen and sat down on the couch. I made it in time. Thank goodness. Now just to stay awake. I pulled out my phone, scrolling for anything interesting to keep my attention up and awake.
Huh? Heaven’s Hell…is getting something new?
I haven’t…I haven’t thought about that anime in a long time, now.
My eyes kept getting heavier.
I tried to keep them open, whether by sheer force of will or by prying them open with my hands, but they just kept closing. Each blink took just a little longer. My head started to sway back and forth. That headache was back, and it was pounding more than ever. I could feel this incredible exhaustion, one that I had never experienced before, making me slip away with each second.
I can’t stay awake.
Fine, Kira can just…wake me up…when she…
…gets back.
. . .
I slowly opened my eyes, blinking away the tiredness. I let out a yawn, stretching and wiping my eyes. I felt better, but also a new kind of weird I didn’t know how to explain. Probably because it was just a power nap, since Kira woke me-
Kira?
I opened my eyes fully, being met with a room that I had never seen before. The realization hit me, this isn’t my apartment. This isn’t my apartment.
My breath picked up as I threw myself out of bed, crashing to the ground. I tried to stand, only to stumble and crash to the ground. With a grunt and shaky arms I slowly pushed myself up, getting back onto my knees and then onto my feet.
What the hell is happening? I feel so sluggish.
Did I get drugged? Kidnapped? What the fuck?
I quickly looked around my bedroom, not finding anything of note except for a green scarf that sat on my bedside. Something about it almost seemed familiar. I grabbed it, wrapping it around both of my hands. If someone else is here...well, this is better than nothing. Maybe I can try choking her out. I have to try something.
I tried to slow my breathing as much as possible, but the rapid pounding of my heart made it difficult. I approached the door, slowly creaking it open. It wasn’t locked, which was a good sign. I peered into the hallway, seeing two other rooms. One closed door across from the room I awoke in, and then at the end of the hallway seemed to be a living room kitchen combo that reminded me of my own apartment.
I crept out of the room, slowly making my way down the hallway as quietly as possible. I peeked into the living room and kitchen, only seeing one other door which I presumed to be the entrance. I crept back to the other unopened door. I approached it silently, before throwing it open as quickly as possible.
An empty bathroom. I’m alone. At least, for the moment. I need to-
My eyes connected with the mirror in the bathroom, and I froze.
That’s not me. That’s…who the hell is that?
A person I had never seen before looked at me in the mirror. It was a young adult male. His hair was a dark, sea-green that bordered on black. It wasn’t any usual hair color that I had seen before. His eyes shone a dark green that was still lighter than his hair. And wrapped around his hands was a green scarf.
I shook one of my hands free of the green scarf, bringing it up to pinch my cheek. The man in the mirror followed the action, perfectly copying my movements.
“No…” I murmured, approaching the mirror. I kept palming my face, and the mirror kept showing the man doing the exact same action at the exact same time.
I looked down at myself, now noticing some differences. In my panic, I hadn’t really noticed, but I feel…shorter than before. My body has a bit more flab. My arms are skinnier, as are my legs. This isn’t…this isn’t my body.
What the fuck?
I looked back at the face that looked at mine in the mirror. This face was a bit more rounded than mine. A smaller nose, less of a noticeable jaw. I wasn’t a good looking person, and I wouldn’t necessarily call this person one either…other than the strange, almost normal hair color, they seemed pretty average like me.
What the hell is going on?
An insane idea entered the back of my mind, the anime classic. Dying and getting transported to another world. An isekai. But that…that couldn’t be possible. All of those stories are fantasies. They’re make-believe. Escapism stories about entering a life so much more exciting than our own. But I didn’t die, I fell asleep. Even if I had, this wouldn’t happen, shouldn’t happen. This isn’t something real.
I was perfectly fine with how things were. I worked hard each and every day to support my sister. That is how things are. I don’t mind. That was my reality. That is reality.
Not whatever the fuck this is.
I pinched my cheeks. Punched my thigh. Slapped myself. No matter what, I couldn’t escape this lucid dream. I tried climbing back into the bed I awoke from to fall asleep within the dream as a way to wake up, but my racing thoughts couldn’t let me rest.
I got up, holding my head in my hands. This isn’t real. This isn’t real.
As I waited for myself to wake up, I tried to distract myself by exploring the apartment. I had already found all of the rooms. There was a window in this bedroom, which I opened to see a modern city outside. It seemed so familiar, but not right…
I couldn’t fully explain what my heart was telling me. I examined my room. Other than the bed was a desk with a computer, a phone, and a wallet. On the wall there was a poster of some person I didn’t recognize.
I opened the wallet, finding paper and coin money. I pulled out a credit card. Then, the next card was an id card. And right there, on the card, was the face of the person whose body I was currently dreaming in.
Ken Kage. Born in…2033?
I don’t recognize this face, nor this name. Why am I dreaming about this? Because this has to be a dream despite how real it feels, because if it isn’t…
I shook those thoughts away, trying not to focus on them. Because if I accepted that this was real, whatever was going on, then…
I shoved myself back onto the bed, pushing my face into the pillow. Demanding to go back to sleep. I was going to stay here for as long as possible until I woke back up because Kira shook me awake to watch movie night.
And after what felt like an eternity, at some point, I dozed off. I don’t remember when, I just remember wearily waking up, having realized that I had finally managed to sleep. Only for my eyes to fully open and to be met with this same goddamn apartment that isn’t mine.
This isn’t a dream. This is reality.
Oh god.
Kira.
Tears stung my eyes. I threw my arm over my face, trying to keep it in as I always had so as to not worry Kira, but I just couldn’t. I sobbed against my arm, trying to keep the sounds as muffled as possible. I abandoned her. I abandoned her, even though I promised I never would.
I’m not sure how long I laid there, tears streaming out of my eyes, as I blankly stared at the ceiling. But eventually I found the strength to sit back up and get off of the bed. I saved up as much as I could for Kira. I hope it’s enough to last her to graduation. It should be, with only that last year left. I just…I just have to hope.
I tried to put the rest of those thoughts to the side. I needed to figure out what the hell was going on, because I don’t think this is my world, not after seeing that id card. I walked over to the desk, picking up the phone. I shut off the single notification, a missed alarm. I pressed my thumb to the device and was able to successfully open it because it recognized my fingerprint. No, not mine. Ken’s fingerprint, on his body. With the device open, I was met with a wallpaper of the same person that was on that poster. Something sparked familiarity, but I couldn’t place my finger on it.
I fully opened the phone, making the calendar my first stop.
January 15th. 2052.
Yeah, this isn’t right. This date is years ahead of…before. But even though this was far in the future, something about the date seems kind of familiar, hitting this strange sense of nostalgia that I have been repeatedly getting. I find it so difficult to describe what this feeling is, that something is right but also so wrong at the same time.
What is this? An alternate world? The future? The world of some media I know? If I’m basing this off of the fantastical, fictional stories I’ve read in the past, it could be any of these. Maybe it’s a media I don’t know. This could be anything. Does it really matter?
…yes. Yes it does. Because if there is any chance of getting back to Kira…I’ll take it.
I decided my next stop on this phone will be the current news. With luck, I can get a hint if this is something I might know. At worst, I can at least gauge what kind of situation I have found myself in. Anything to make sense of this…utter insanity.
Immediately, my eyes locked onto the first news title. “Platinum Adventurer Brandon Tsuki announces he’s reached Tier 15”.
Brandon Tsuki…
Why is that name familiar? What is this feeling that keeps nagging at me?
Wait. No. No, please. It can’t be.
I looked back at the poster. It was an adult male, clean shaven with a shining grin on his face. His hair was snow white, and his eyes were piercing blue. He looked like an anime character, one of those dashingly handsome types. In fact, probably because he was one.
I looked at the phone wallpaper again.
It’s Brandon Tsuki.
Oh god.
It’s Brandon Tsuki.
If he’s here, then that means that I am in a piece of media.
I’m in the anime, Heaven’s Hell.
A stupid ass harem anime with the twist that each love interest is a yandere. An anime with such a dark, divisive ending where the protagonist and his harem loses.
Fuck.