I had to wait those three annoying seconds in front of the school's automatic door again. The sensor hadn't detected me, as usual—like my very existence defied the laws of physics. The guy with the highest grades in class being nothing but an 'empty seat' in the teacher's eyes during roll call didn't even hurt anymore. The only consistent title I'd earned in my 17 years of life was being the official leader of this crowded army of background characters.
After school, I put on that shitty cashier apron and headed to the register.
"Total is 1540 Yen."
In front of me stood a trio giving off classic "popular girl squad" vibes. They were giggling, showing each other stuff on their phones. One of them—long black hair, easily one of the hottest in the group—suddenly turned to me.
"Um, excuse me?"
My heart skipped a beat. Wait—fuck, is she actually talking to me? Stay calm, Katsuro. Be cool. Deepen your voice. Act indifferent…
"Y-yes?"
The sound that came out of my mouth was squeaky like a strangled chick. Pathetic as hell. The girl looked at me for a second, then wrinkled her nose.
"Nah, never mind."
She nudged her friends, and all three of them burst out laughing as they left the store. I could still hear them giggling as the door closed. But this time, I caught what they were saying.
"Did you hear that? Sounded like he had phlegm stuck in his throat."
"Seriously, what was that voice? Even a parrot sounds better."
"Shhh, be quiet! He might hear us! Hahaha!"
Even the beep from the register felt like it was mocking me.
"Guess I'm never talking to anyone again," I muttered to myself.
***
By the time my shift ended, it was already dark. I put on my headphones and cranked the music up to max. This was my shield. It let me shut out the real world. Walking down the street with music blasting, I wasn't that stuttering cashier anymore. In my head, I was the absolute power everyone feared—the faceless figure whose name people were too scared to whisper.
I was so lost in my fantasies that I didn't even notice the red light at the crosswalk. A blinding headlight flashed from the right. A truck.
That's when something weird happened. The world slowed down. I could clearly see the dead bugs inside the headlights. Time felt frozen, but my brain was racing a thousand times faster.
Are you serious? Is this really how it ends? A truck? Move, you idiot! Move your legs! No... Too late. Distance: 1 meter. Speed: 80 km/h. No escape. So this is it, Katsuro. Leaving behind nothing, dying on some shitty asphalt...
THUD!
The sound of my bones cracking drowned out even the music in my headphones. I didn't feel pain. It was just like unplugging a TV—the screen went black instantly.
Darkness. Then those disgusting flashbacks started: eating lunch in the high school bathroom... That pathetic squeaky voice from earlier... Those lonely days when no one remembered my birthday...
"Oh, fuck off... Am I really gonna die? Is my last moment gonna be this cringe highlight reel? Turn this shit off!"
The images disappeared.
"Ugh... What a joke. There were still tons of anime to watch, hundreds of light novels to read. Got the 'Bad Ending' before even seeing the finale, great... I wonder if Mom and Dad will even care? Nah, I'm a ghost to them too. I didn't accomplish anything. Not a single thing..."
My consciousness faded.
***
After a while, I started hearing muffled voices... like I was underwater. And there was this annoying light. I forced my eyes open. Everything was blurry. In front of me was a woman's face—massive. Her chest looked as big as my head.
"Boobs? ...Is this heaven?"
I tried to reach out... but something was wrong. My hand was tiny—small, pink, wrinkled. A baby's hand.
"Huh?"
A maid in the corner rushed over in panic: "Naya-sama! Please stay calm!"
My mother (Naya) screamed, her voice trembling: "Iwata! IWATA, WHERE ARE YOU?! Get the midwife, someone run!"
The midwife answered, sweating: "Sometimes it takes a while, but this child... he can't even open his eyes properly, Naya-sama!"
I cursed internally. Wait... So it really happened... Reincarnation. But I need to make noise, or they'll bury me as a 'cursed child' for sure.
I filled my lungs and screamed with everything I had:
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
Everyone in the room froze for a moment, then let out a collective sigh of relief. The maid cried tears of joy: "He cried! Thank the gods, you have a healthy baby boy, Naya-sama!"
My mother pressed me against her chest. "Welcome... my beautiful son."
My father, Iwata, burst into the room, panting: "Naya?! Is the baby okay?!"
He came closer and touched my forehead with his thick finger. He paused for a moment, a look of confusion crossing his face. His eyes widened, like he'd just seen a monster. "Naya... this... No. It might be too early. Maybe I'm just sensing it wrong."
My mother asked worriedly: "What's wrong, Iwata? Is something the matter?"
My father quickly composed himself. "No, nothing... It's just... I thought I felt a really strong energy. But maybe I'm just tired. Forget it."
The midwife smiled: "Congratulations, Iwata-sama. You have another son."
I grinned internally. Nice. New Game started. This time, that loser from the convenience store is gone. I'm the protagonist now.
My name is Sho Akiyama. And in this world, no one's ever pushing me to the background again.