"Waaah... Ruboo! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen! It's all my fault! I'm truly sorry..."
Ruboo's consciousness had barely awakened when he heard the girl's tearful apologies ringing incessantly in his ears.
Ruboo's first thought was that his girlfriend had been unfaithful.
But soon, he realised he didn't have a girlfriend.
So what on earth was going on?
Why was a girl sobbing while lying on top of him?
Ruboo tried to open his eyes to investigate, but a sudden, excruciating headache forced him to stop.
Just then, a more mature female voice sounded beside his ear, interrupting the girl's sobs.
"It's not your fault, dear. If blame is to be placed, it lies with me and your father," the girl's mother approached to comfort her.
The girl remained consumed by guilt: "No! I killed Ruboo! It's all my fault!"
Wait a minute!
Killed Ruboo???
I'm not dead yet!
I can be saved!
Ignoring his throbbing headache, Ruboo tried to shout, only to find his mouth utterly unable to open.
Gritting his teeth against the throbbing pain, he tried to open his eyes, but no matter how hard he strained, it was useless.
It felt as though his body wasn't his own.
Beside him, the mother and daughter continued their conversation, unaware of any change in Ruboo.
"No! This isn't your fault, Zoe. There are truths I should have told you long ago."
"...The truth?"
"Yes, the truth! Your great-grandmother suffered from this hereditary affliction too. I prayed you wouldn't inherit this burden, but God clearly did not heed my prayers. Zoe, I'm sorry, but from now on, you must walk a different path."
"Mum, I don't understand what you mean."
"The witch's bloodline, Zoe. This is no fictional legend, but a genuine reality. The power originating from the Salem witches has flowed through our family's veins. Yet it is not inherited by every generation or every girl.Your great-grandmother gained this power and became a witch. And you, Zoe—I don't know whether to call it fortune or misfortune—you too have now become one."
"A witch?" the girl exclaimed incredulously.
A witch?
Ruboo, who had been listening all along, exclaimed in equal astonishment.
For some reason, a sudden sense of familiarity washed over him, as if he had encountered this before somewhere.
Just as he was racking his brains, Zoe's mother's voice continued:
"I am deeply sorry for Ruboo's death. It was an accident no one wished to see happen. So, Zoe, to prevent such tragedies in the future, you must learn to control the witch's power. I have already contacted the Council. They will be coming to take you to New Orleans. There is a boarding academy there, specifically for girls like you. You will be safe there."
"You're sending me away? But Ruboo..."
"Rest assured, I shall see to Ruboo's final arrangements."
"No..."
No!!!
Ruboo cried out.
He certainly didn't want to be cremated or spend the rest of his days lying in a coffin.
I'm still alive, for heaven's sake!
In that moment, an overwhelming urge to survive unleashed boundless strength within Ruboo.
The invisible force that had bound his every movement was finally shattered.
After a fleeting, book-like apparition flashed through his mind, Ruboo, with no time to think, forced his eyes open. He laboriously raised his arm and, mustering his last ounce of strength, greeted the mother and daughter beside him:
"Hey... I reckon... I might still be salvageable."
With that, darkness engulfed Ruboo's vision, and he passed out.
"Ruboo!!!"
The next instant, the girl's delighted shriek and her mother's incredulous gasp echoed through the air.
...
When Ruboo regained consciousness, he found himself lying in a hospital bed.
A vibrant, blonde-haired girl lay exhausted, asleep at the bedside.
As Ruboo gazed at her, a cascade of memories suddenly flooded his mind.
Zoe Benson, his girlfriend at school. Eager to experience their first time together, they'd arranged to meet at his place, where he'd guide her through it.
But unexpectedly, though things seemed fine at first, within seconds he'd passed out...
No!
Ruboo shook his head vigorously, another fresh wave of memories flooding his mind.
In another world, he had been a carefree Chinese university student. While rummaging through an old bookstall, he'd stumbled upon a rather antiquated tome. Just as he was preparing to return to his dormitory to study it properly, he was struck head-on by a speeding sports car that had run a red light while crossing the road. And that was the end of that world.
So he had travelled through time?
Recalling another fragment in his mind, Ruboo realised the original owner bore an uncanny resemblance to himself.
It was just that this death had been utterly bizarre.
But... why does this beginning feel so familiar?
Bizarre deaths, witches, Zoe...
Ruboo jolted awake, swiftly turning his head towards his girlfriend. He reached out to brush the tangled locks from her face, revealing the pure, sweet features of a Western girl.
Indeed!
No wonder it feels so familiar!
Isn't she one of the leading ladies in that witches' gathering?
So that means I've replaced that unlucky boyfriend who got his head chopped off after barely a few seconds on screen, becoming Zoe's current boyfriend.
How on earth did this happen?
Ruboo was utterly baffled.
Zoe, having heard the commotion, opened her eyes.
The instant she saw her boyfriend awake, she threw herself into Ruboo's arms without a second thought, exclaiming excitedly, "Thank God! Ruboo, I'm so relieved you're alive! I was absolutely terrified earlier! I'm so sorry! I never imagined that would happen! It's all my fault..."
Zoe rambled on, expressing her guilt and joy all at once.
Feeling the young woman's youthful body pressed against him, Ruboo came to his senses and began to speak: "I..."
Before he could finish, darkness flooded his vision as warmth enveloped his mouth.
This... this... this is rather sudden.
Experiencing the passion of a Western girl for the first time, Ruboo was somewhat at a loss.
What made matters worse was his lack of experience.
In the end, Ruboo could only passively accept everything.
Only when the bedside monitor nearly sounded an alarm from his wildly racing heart did this welcome ceremony from another world finally draw to a close.
Though still somewhat stunned, Ruboo managed to convince himself to accept it all.
After all, what was there to complain about when one had been granted a new lease on life?
Watching Zoe beside him—now offering water, now peeling fruit, utterly obedient and with eyes full of adoration—the newly arrived Ruboo breathed a satisfied sigh.
Who wouldn't be chuffed to start off with a sweet girlfriend?
Well... though this girlfriend happens to be a black widow.
Not the sexy black-leather-clad Widow, but the literal kind who eats her mates raw.
But...
At least it's better than those who never get a girlfriend by the end of the entire series.