I died.
Not in a poetic, "fade into the light" sort of way. I was bleeding out on the floor of a warehouse, the smell of gunpowder and rust thick in the air, my ears ringing with the echo of the last shot. I don't regret dying. I deserved it.
But I do regret waking up.
Not in hell, not in some purgatory full of fire or judgment—but in a soft bed, in a sunlit room, with lace curtains fluttering by an open window. The first thing I noticed was the warmth. Not the warmth of blood or adrenaline, but sunlight on my skin. That, and the chirping of birds. Cheerful ones. Mockingly cheerful.
I sat up. My body moved differently—lighter, leaner. My hands were smooth. No scars. No callouses. No trigger burns. Just the slender hands of a teenager.
There was a full-length mirror near the dresser. I stumbled over and stared.
Handsome. I was handsome.
Jet-black hair slightly tousled like I just walked off a drama set. Sharp eyes. Smooth jawline. Tall and toned. A face girls would giggle over.
And most importantly:
I was not Kazuki Yamaoka anymore.
The memories came in a flood. Dreams, emotions, names that weren't mine. "Ren Ichikawa," this body answered to. A quiet third-year high schooler. Average grades, good manners, minor background character. His only quirk? Childhood friend of the cute but less popular girl next door.
Then the next revelation hit me like a backhand from fate:
I was inside a dating sim.
Not just any dating sim.
Love Arcadia!!
An anime-style, romantic comedy game where the protagonist, a dense but lovable transfer student, slowly builds a harem of high-energy heroines.
And me? I was the "safe choice" character. The fallback friend-zoned guy. The one who always politely steps aside while the main character wins the girl.
Hell, I didn't even have dialogue in half the routes.
"What kind of joke is this?" I muttered, examining my face.
My voice was smooth. Not cold or raspy like the one I used to command in my past life.
I turned from the mirror and looked out the window. School uniforms drying on a line. Cherry blossoms in bloom, too perfectly timed.
"Ren! Breakfast is ready!" a woman's voice called from downstairs—cheerful and bright. Probably my mother in this life.
This was real. Or real enough.
I clenched my fist. My strength was unfamiliar, but I could feel the edge of something deeper. A wolf in a blazer.
Fine. I'd live. Keep my head down. Smile. Let the plot play out.
But something inside me stirred—an itch, a reflex I hadn't shaken since my old life.
I don't do background roles.
At School:
Hinami Kurosawa smiled at me the way she always did—gently, with a tilt of her head and eyes that flickered with quiet affection.
"Good morning, Ren-kun," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear.
Childhood friend. Minor route. Usually overshadowed by the student council president, the idol, the tsundere. But she was the first girl I saw in this new life.
"Morning, Hinami."
My response came naturally. Polite. Warm. The way Ren would say it. Not Kazuki.
But behind me, the crowd murmured.
"Hey, who's that with Hinami-chan?"
"Isn't that just her neighbor? I think his name's... Ren?"
"He's kind of hot. Wait, was he always that hot?"
I ignored them. Old instincts flared. Situational awareness. Three students behind us. One with a comb in his hand, staring too long. Potential stalker behavior. Another loitering near the school gate with a phone aimed just a bit too high—filming?
"Hinami," I said, "walk inside with me."
Her cheeks pinked, but she nodded. "O-Okay."
It was the first time I went off-script.
Class 3-B
"Everyone, we have a transfer student joining us today."
Here we go. The protagonist. The Hero of Love Arcadia!!.
Kaito Shiranami.
He walked in with that typical charming clumsiness. Tousled brown hair. Confused smile. Girls whispered. Boys frowned.
The teacher asked him to sit next to me.
Of course. Fate loves a punchline.
"Yo," Kaito said as he sat down, flashing a smile. "Nice to meet you."
"Same," I replied.
Our eyes locked for half a second. I knew killers. He wasn't one. But there was a ridiculous amount of "main character energy" coming off him in waves.
This guy was the type who won over girls by tripping into their hearts.
I wasn't impressed.
After School
I tried to leave quickly, but fate had other plans. A scream echoed from behind the gymnasium. Not high-pitched—short, sharp, muffled.
I walked toward it.
Behind the gym, in the shadow of the equipment shed, two upperclassmen had a girl cornered. A minor heroine. I remembered her—Akari Misawa. Timid librarian type. She wasn't supposed to be in danger yet.
"Come on, just lend us your notes," one said.
"Yeah, why so stubborn?" the other added, grabbing her wrist.
I sighed.
Time to improvise.
"Let go."
My voice was low, firm. The kind of voice that makes people freeze.
The taller guy turned. "Huh? Who the hell are—"
I stepped forward and caught his wrist mid-swing. Twisted. Not hard enough to break, but enough to make his knees buckle.
"You're lucky I don't remember who I used to be," I said softly, "because that guy would've buried you under the track field."
He crumpled. His friend ran.
Akari stared, wide-eyed. "Th-thank you..."
I smiled. Ren's smile. Easy. Harmless.
"No problem. You okay?"
She nodded, clutching her notebook.
"Let's get you back to the library."
Later That Night
Lying in bed, I stared at the ceiling fan spinning above me.
I'd altered the timeline. Kaito was supposed to save Akari next week. That moment triggered her affection meter.
Now it was me.
That wasn't the plan. I didn't want involvement. I didn't want affection points.
But my body still moved like a weapon. My instincts still reacted. I couldn't watch and do nothing.
So much for staying quiet.
"I really suck at being background," I muttered.
From downstairs, the cheerful voice of my mother called up.
"Ren! Phone call! A girl's calling for you~!"
Oh no.
I pulled the blanket over my head.
This world was ridiculous.
And I was already tangled in it.