I always thought reincarnation would be the greatest thing in the world. A fresh start. A chance to leave behind all the pain, all the mistakes, and finally live a life where I mattered.
Turns out… God had other plans.
---
"Why, sir?! Why did you have to fire me?!" I slammed my fist onto the desk, my chair rattling. My voice shook with frustration, a mixture of disbelief and raw anger.
Erik, my boss, looked older than usual today, his forehead creased with guilt. "Souta… I'm sorry. Truly. But one of our highest-paying clients insisted you had to go. My hands are tied."
I clenched my fists so hard I thought my knuckles might break. "That bastard… why does he always have to ruin my life?!"
Erik sighed, a long, exhausted sound. "I'm sorry, but your time here is over. Pack your things and leave."
And just like that, the world I had known for the past few years crumbled into dust. My job, my routine, my little anchor… gone. Just like that.
---
Later, I sat in my cramped, dingy apartment, the smell of stale air and instant noodles filling the room. My old PC whirred beside me, the glow of the screen reflecting on my tired eyes. I was in the middle of an RPG I'd been obsessed with for months.
"Yes! I won!" I shouted, pumping my fists in triumph.
"Can you keep it down, boy?" A muffled voice from the next room — my grumpy neighbor — cracked like a whip.
"Alright, damn it!" I yelled back, leaning back in my chair, staring at the peeling ceiling.
"Man… I wish I could reincarnate into another world and get a harem," I muttered, half-joking. Half-wishing.
Of course, it was just a fantasy. A stupid, pathetic fantasy. But a man could dream, right?
My phone buzzed on the desk.
Ah. Mary.
Mary — my girlfriend. The only person in this miserable world who ever made life feel… worth living. The one ray of light in the endless gray fog of my existence. But why the hell was she calling now? Her shift shouldn't have been over yet.
I picked up. "Hello, Mary. What's up? Something wrong?"
Her voice was sharp, cold, and final. "Let's break up."
I froze. "…Huh? What do you mean, Mary?"
"I'm done with your lazy ass," she snapped. "When was the last time we even slept together? Whenever you come home, it's straight to that damn PC of yours. I've found someone better. Goodbye."
The line clicked dead.
I stared at the phone. Dead. Silent. My mind refused to process it at first. I tried calling her back. Blocked. Of course.
Why? Why did this world hate me so much?
My entire life had been a long string of failures. Orphaned. Invisible in school. Bullied relentlessly. Ignored in college.
Then came Mary. I had liked her from the start. I had gathered all my courage, all my foolish hope, and confessed. She… accepted. For the first time, I thought my life was finally turning around.
But no. Ryuji. That rich, arrogant bastard. He also liked Mary. She rejected him, and he never forgave me. He made my life hell in college, and then again in the office. And now… unemployed.
---
I laughed. A bitter, hollow laugh that echoed against the bare walls of my apartment. "Ha… ha ha ha…"
Then I collapsed onto my bed, letting the tears come. Letting the world crush me a little more.
Two hours later, I grabbed my phone with trembling hands. Only one person I could call. Kirishima. Ki-chan.
"Hey… let's go drink," I said, voice hoarse.
"Sure," he replied, without hesitation.
---
The bar was dimly lit, warm with the smell of fried food and cheap alcohol. Ki-chan waved from our usual table. We ordered drinks and let conversation flow — anime, games, random nonsense. For a moment, I almost forgot the world outside.
"Hey, Souta," Ki-chan asked after a while, "what do you think about reincarnation?"
"What do I think? Of course it's amazing! You get to go to another world, use magic, and be surrounded by women with massive tits!" I replied with a grin, shameless and unfiltered.
Ki-chan raised an eyebrow. "You really think it's that easy?"
"Of course," I shot back without hesitation, waving my hand dismissively.
Hours passed. Laughter, drinks, and stories. Eventually, I stepped outside into the cool night air, the city quiet except for the distant hum of traffic.
---
And then I saw him. A teenager, frozen in the middle of the street.
My heart skipped. And then I saw it — a truck barreling toward him, headlights blazing.
"Hey, kid!" I shouted, sprinting. Time seemed to slow. Adrenaline surged. Less than a meter away, I grabbed him, yanking him to safety.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" I demanded, panic and fear mixing in my voice.
He looked down, eyes hollow. "Mister… I just don't want to live anymore."
My anger cooled instantly, replaced with a fierce, protective fire. "Why? What happened?"
Bullies. Isolation. Hopelessness. He told me everything in a quiet, broken voice.
"I'm just… done," he admitted.
I frowned. "Hey, don't talk like that. You're still young. There's a lot ahead of you. If people push you down, you fight back. Hit the gym. Get stronger. Tank life. Got it?"
His eyes lit up. "Thank you, mister… for saving my life. Do you have a wish?"
"A wish?" I smirked, though my heart felt heavy. "Yeah. I wish I had another chance… in another world."
He smiled strangely. "Then goodbye, mister."
---
I continued walking, the night pressing in around me. Then… the man appeared.
A figure in a dark hood, sprinting straight toward me.
Pain exploded in my chest before I could react. He had stabbed me.
My body burned from the inside out as he rifled through my pockets, probably looking for cash.
"Don't bother… I spent it all on beer," I muttered weakly, trying to hold onto consciousness.
His eyes widened. Then he bolted.
I collapsed, alone, on the cold asphalt.
"This failure of a life… If God exists… please give me another chance," I whispered.
Strength left me. Darkness claimed my vision.
And then — light.
---
When I opened my eyes, I was no longer on the street.
Before me stood an impossibly handsome man with dark blue hair that shimmered like liquid night. Beside him… a woman whose beauty defied reason, her presence overwhelming, almost divine.
"What the hell…?" I whispered, voice trembling.
I had done it. Somehow, against every curse, every misfortune, every cruel twist of fate…
I had reincarnated.