"Waaaah! Dad, you're awake! You're really awake! Onii-chan! Dad finally woke up, come look!"
A soft, tearful voice of a young girl sounded in his ear, bringing a sense of comfort. But immediately following it was pain in Lin Zhe's mind! Unbearable pain! It was as if the entire world were being distorted.
Under the persistent, sobbing calls of the girl, Lin Zhe gradually woke from his coma. As soon as his consciousness returned, he felt as if every bone in his body was crushed. He couldn't move a single finger.
A chill ran through his heart. Am I crippled? Am I paralyzed in bed for the rest of my life? I still have to go to work!!! I have to teach night self-study to the students tonight!
Thinking of his work, Lin Zhe opened his eyes and began to survey his surroundings. It wasn't a hospital. There was no familiar smell of disinfectant, and the furnishings were incredibly simple. He looked around with difficulty; it was a small room of about twenty square meters. On the dusty floor were cardboard boxes, some opened and some sealed, looking like a fresh move.
This isn't right. Not a hospital, not my home. Where is this?
The room was nearly "four bare walls," with almost no appliances. Only large, recently unpacked boxes containing daily necessities and furniture parts. The items were scattered messily. He saw a soymilk maker... and a rice cooker in a half-open box.
In the corner sat a glossy black grand piano, taking up precious space. Though Lin Zhe knew nothing of instruments, he instinctively thought: That must be expensive. It was likely the most valuable thing in the house.
It was evening. A green veil over the piano swayed in the draft. A single candle flickered on a small table in the center of the room. A petite, cute girl with an ahoge, black hair, and a snaggletooth was kneeling on the floor, looking worried and frantic at his awakening.
Wait... was that girl speaking Japanese? And I understood it!
He noticed the floor was covered in tatami mats. Having been "trained" by many transmigration stories, a certain possibility crossed his mind, but it seemed too absurd.
"Waaaah! Komachi... Komachi thought she'd never see Dad again. Even if Mom is gone, as long as the family is together... I'll be good! I don't even need pocket money! Waaaah!"
The black-haired girl suddenly lunged onto Lin Zhe, crying. He let out a pained groan as she hit his injuries.
Whose kid is this? Did she call me "Dad"? I'm not even married! Though I am in my thirties... Is this a debt from a past fling?
"Hey, Komachi, you're hitting Father's wounds. They haven't scabbed yet. If you mess them up, we'll have to pay the hospital again, and we have no cash left."
Another voice sounded, a cynical teenager, likely high-school-aged, with the same ahoge and a pair of "dead-fish eyes" that one could never forget.
The girl realized her mistake and jumped up like a startled rabbit. "Uwah! Sorry! Dad, it must hurt!"
"Well, it's actually fine. This little pain is nothing," Lin Zhe replied, his hand instinctively reaching out to pat the girl's ahoge. The action felt natural, as if the body moved on its own.
In the eyes of the crying Komachi, his smile was like a ray of spring sunshine. She let out an even louder wail of relief, making Lin Zhe feel quite awkward. Despite the confusion, he was glad to be alive, and he felt a small pang of shame facing these two siblings.
"By the way, why are you..."
Lin Zhe noticed the kids were quite old. He was only 34; even if he'd had a child in his youth, they wouldn't be this big. His eyes drifted to a small mirror on the bedside. It was the only mirror in the room.
The face in the mirror was handsome but exhausted and haggard. It was a face destroyed by life. It wasn't his face. It was still an Asian face with black hair, and while it looked decent if cleaned up, it appeared nearly 40 years old, with stubble, rough skin, dark circles from overwork, and wrinkles at the brow.
Lin Zhe froze, countless thoughts racing through his mind.
Everything had changed: his hair, his appearance, even his body.
The silent, black-haired boy seemed to notice something; he frowned and asked softly, "Father? Are you okay? Does your head hurt? Um... everything with Mom is in the past now. You'll definitely find another job! Actually, since school doesn't start for another month, I found a part-time job yesterday. I was going to explain it to you once I got my first paycheck... anyway, please stay strong! Komachi can't lose her father..."
Though the boy's gaze was somewhat unpleasant, he possessed a sense of reliability beyond his years. He only looked away when mentioning his unauthorized part-time job.