"Ryu!!!"
A soft yet clear voice of a woman echoed through the room, carrying both warmth and charm.
The young man flinched and abruptly stood up at the sound, still confused.
"Ryu?" he muttered under his breath, confusion painted across his face. He didn't remember anyone calling him that. He didn't even know the name. Yet his body… it moved on its own, as if the name truly belonged to him.
His lips felt dry, and his eyes darted toward the door where the voice had come from.
'Why… why does this name feel so familiar...?'
"Ryu, get up quickly, or you will be late."
The same pleasant voice rang again, clearer this time, but before he could even open his mouth to answer, a sharp pain tore through his head.
"Wha—"
He gasped, clutching his head with both hands.
Memories not his own flooded in like a raging storm. Faces, places, and moments flashed before his eyes.
His legs wobbled, and his body tilted as if the weight of those memories was too much to bear.
His vision blurred.
And then, darkness swallowed him whole once more.
After a few minutes had passed.
Step. Step. Step.
"Ryu, what did I say? Get up quickly," a gentle yet firm voice called out.
At the doorway stood a middle-aged woman with flowing black hair and striking silver eyes. Time had touched her face, but the traces of her youthful beauty still shone through. She wore a simple apron, the faint smell of food clinging to her, showing she had been busy cooking.
"Ryu? Are you okay?" she asked, her tone shifting to worry when she saw her son still on the bed, not answering right away.
The woman, seeing her boy not answering, got worried and approached him.
Suddenly, the boy wakes up.
"Mom, I am ok."
Her furrowed brow relaxed just a little, though her eyes still searched his face with concern.
"Ok, get ready and come down for breakfast. I don't want you to be late"
The young man's mom said before closing the door.
"You had to be kidding me." After the woman went down, the boy named Ryu stood there silently and murmured in disbelief.
He quickly approached the bathroom and approached the mirror. In the mirror, a young man of seventeen appeared. Having the striking jet black hair and the killer silver eyes, as if it could charm the crowd of women. The face, though above average, is somewhat handsome.
Ryu leaned closer to the mirror, his silver eyes widening as he studied the reflection.
"That's… me?" he whispered, his fingers brushing over his face as if touching it would confirm the truth. The skin felt real, warm, alive.
His heart pounded loudly in his chest, echoing in his ears.
"I… survived? No, wait…" He shook his head, gripping the sink tightly. "This isn't my body. I was… I was hit by that truck."
Ryu stared into the mirror again, unable to look away from those silver eyes that didn't belong to him.
"This… this is insane," he whispered, his voice shaky. His reflection looked calm, almost too calm, but inside his heart raced like a storm.
"I died… and reincarnated?" he muttered again, as if saying it out loud would somehow make it easier to believe.
"Sigh..."
The kind of thing that only ever happened in novels or anime had really happened to him. The wild dream of every isekai fan was now his reality.
For a long moment, he stood frozen in the bathroom, caught between fear and wonder. Then, slowly, his mind began to clear.
What he learned was that this world is the same as his previous world.
"First, get ready," Ryu muttered before going to for a shower.
______
Step. Step. Step.
"Ryu, have your food fast; otherwise, you will be late. How many times do I have to tell you...."
Ryu, now changed into what appeared to be a high school dress, sat on the chair.
"Son, why are you silent? Are you nervous?"
Across Ryu, there sat a middle-aged man with striking black hair and brown eyes, with a handsome appearance.
"No..nothing, I was just excited"
"Hahaha....It's good."
Ryu shifted slightly in his chair, fidgeting with the edge of his sleeve. The aroma of breakfast filled the room—eggs, toast, and something sizzling in the pan—but his mind was elsewhere, still tangled in the absurd reality of his new life.
"Son, are you sure you're ready for today?" his father asked, a gentle smile tugging at his lips. He leaned back slightly, sipping from his cup of tea.
Ryu forced a nod, trying to steady his racing heart. "Yeah… I think so. I just… I don't want to mess up."
His father chuckled, shaking his head. "Excited and nervous at the same time, huh? That's normal. Just remember to keep your head up and focus."
Ryu exhaled slowly, glancing down at his food. The black jeans and jacket felt heavy in a way he couldn't explain—as if the weight of this world was already pressing on him. But still, he took a small bite, trying to anchor himself to something normal, something familiar.
"Alright," he muttered under his breath
Across the table, his father's eyes softened, noticing the tension but choosing not to press further. "Good. That's all I ask."
___
"I am going, Mom, Dad,"
"Bye son/dear."
Click!
Ryu stepped forward and started walking to the metro.
The morning breeze brushed against his face as he walked down the street, his bag slung loosely on his shoulder. The city looked almost identical to the one he once knew—crowded shops, noisy vendors, the faint smell of food in the air, and people rushing to their work.
Yet, deep down, he knew this wasn't the same. The faces were unfamiliar, the languages carried a different rhythm, and the faint shimmer of strange energy lingered in the air, something his old world never had.
"I was getting my hope high, maybe I just got young, and the world remain same..haha," Ryu laughed dryly.
Ryu let out a long sigh.
"Maybe I was stupid to expect something completely new. Guess this is reality… same streets, same people, but a different stage."
His silver eyes caught the reflection of himself in the glass of a passing shop window. For a moment, it felt surreal, like he was staring at a stranger.
"But… no matter how normal it looks, this isn't Earth."
He reached the metro. As always, it was crowded. He sat on the bench while waiting for the train. The moment it came, he stepped forward and the door of the train closed.
After 10 minutes, he reached his destination.
"Ryu.."
While leaving he heard someone calling his name. He turned back and spotted a black haired woman wearing a skirt and shirt underneath the blue coat.
"Ah...Sarah!"
Ryu doesn't know, but the name automatically came out of his mouth.
The girl smiled softly and walked up to him, her black hair swaying with every step. Her eyes, a gentle shade of brown, held a warmth that felt oddly familiar.
"Good morning, Ryu. You're early today," Sarah said, her tone casual, as if they had known each other for years.
"Uh… yeah," Ryu replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. Inside, his mind was racing. Who is she? Why do I know her name?
Sarah tilted her head slightly, studying him with a curious gaze. "What's with that look? Did you forget about me already?" she asked with a playful pout.
Ryu forced a small laugh. "No, no… of course not. Just… a little tired, I guess."
Sarah chuckled and shook her head. "You really need to sleep earlier. Anyway, come on, we'll be late if we don't hurry."
Without giving him a chance to think, she grabbed his wrist lightly and began walking ahead.