My name is Suzuki Sato. Yes, both my first and last name are last names, my parents were never the nicest people. By the way, I'm 25 years old, and before today I was just a Japanese salaryman.
I lived in the metropolitan Tokyo area, I used to live in the rural area, but there were no job opportunities available there, so I had to do a big move as soon as I graduated university.
The last memory I have from when I used to be human was when I was walking down the street at night after I had just worked a 12 hour shift.
I couldn't tell if my blurry vision was due to exhaustion or my coffee had been laced with drugs.
In a blink of an eye, I found myself sitting down inside of this train.
The inside was made out of wood and the windows were so dark I couldn't see the outside at all, perhaps we were in a tunnel?
My seat's cushion was green and the seats were all facing each other, luckily no one was sitting across me, I was feeling too confused to socialize.
I had read about this kind of stuff in web novels when I took the train to work, but I never imagined it'd actually happen to me for real.
On top of that, I was no longer human.
As I looked at the mirror, the person that looked back at me wasn't me, or at least it didn't look like me.
Last time I checked I didn't have scales for skin, right? I must be dreaming.
I stared at the back of my hand, if you could call it that when it was covered in scales with sharp black claws at the end. It looked like something out of a fantasy RPG.
The scales were a yellowish-green, looking glossy and smooth fading into black pattern around the knuckles.
I turned my wrist over. More scales.
They were so shiny, I wouldn't need lotion ever again.
Then my eyes reflected back at me, two amber yellow orbs, slitted like a reptile's
Is that actually me? I pinched myself, ouch. It was definitely me. That's terrifying, but that also kind of cool?
I leaned closer and noticed the horns. White, slightly curved back, I could comfortably wrap my hand... paw? around it, they were a nice size.
For horns, they looked classy.
I stood up and, holy crap, the height.
I used to be 170cm on a good day, maybe 171 if I had decompressed my back, a pretty average height for a Japanese guy, I guess. But nothing compared to this.
If I jumped, I'd probably poke holes on the ceiling with my horns. The window wasn't even in my view anymore when I stood up. I'd say... I was now about 185cm tall.
Sitting back down, I rest my chin on my thumbs.
So. I passed out on my way home from work and woke up as a tall lizard guy with colorful scales.
That's not so bad. Most people would've started screaming here. But honestly? After years of corporate overtime, maybe this was an upgrade.
I touched my horns again just to confirm if they were real. Yeah, very real. Ouch, and sharp. One day I'll poke something or someone by accident. I am so sure of it.
Okay. I'll just roll with it. New world, new body, new height. Sure. As long as it's not 12 hours straight of analyzing audits on my computer screen, hell yeah.
If the isekai web novels I used to read had taught me anything, it was that this was the part where a window popped up.
"Status," I whispered. Nothing happened. Maybe I just needed to say it more clearly.
"Status." Still nothing. Just the empty seat across him.
I lowered my voice like an edgy protagonist. "Open... menu." Nothing. No floating screen. No ding. Not a spark.
I glanced around to make sure no one was watching before raising my hands like a wizard. "Fire," I muttered. Absolutely nothing.
Maybe I just needed a gesture? I clenched my first and straightened my back, "Fireball!" ...
Nothing happened, once again.
So I have no powers, no magic, no system. I'm just... whatever I am.
The car's door opened, a cat walking through it. They took a few steps, glancing at both sides before noticing me.
Their coat was the one of a calico cat, a mess of orange, black and white. Red pupils shone surrounded by the white of his eyes.
They sat across me, I had just noticed they were carrying a brown briefcase.
Are they the conductor? Do I even have a train ticket? What if they ask for it, what will I do!?
"Do you mind if I sit here? The other seats all feel weird."
"...You're already sitting there."
"Great!" The cat said, apparently deciding that counted as permission. "Name's Kron. You heading to Koruta too?"
Koruta? Is that where this train is destined to? It sounds foreign although it fits the Japanese alphabet system.
"Uh... yeah," I replied, not noticing my claws were awkwardly tapping on my knees. "I think so."
"You think so?" Kron tilted his head. "That's not very reassuring."
"No, I- It's my first time traveling here." Or anywhere, to be fair.
"Ohh, a newcomer. Those are rare. So! What brings you to Koruta?"
My world felt like a videogame's quicktime event, but here I didn't have multiple choice answers, I had to come up with them, and quickly.
"What brings...? Uh. I moved out?"
"Ah, yes. Running from your past."
"No-! Not running. I just... ended up here."
"Mhmm..." Kron narrowed his eyes. "So you're the mysterious kind, that's cool."
Kron leaned back, stretching. "Well, we've got a bit before the next stop. What's your name?"
"Sato." It was against Japanese custom to be called by your first name by a stranger, but this wasn't Japan. Plus, I was kinda nervous, I just spewed out the first thing that came to mind.
"What do you like to do, Sato?"
"Um. I guess... reading? Maybe cooking too..."
"Excelent hobbies." Kron said, nodding as he spoke. "Any favorite foods? Allergies? Ever traveled on your own before? Do your horns have nerve endings? How tall are you?"
Sato stared at him. "...That's a lot of questions."
Kron laughed slightly, "Gotta kill time somehow." They replied with a tiny shrug. "I get bored easily."
I had just noticed Kron's voice was hella deep, manlier than my own. Weird, I once heard that calico cats were almost never male. Would it be disrespectful to ask his gender?
Rubbing the back of my neck I replied to that last question. "Well, I'm... around 185cm now, I guess. I used to be way shorter."
"Oho? A growth spurt?"
"You could call it that." If being resurrected as a lizard thing counts as a second puberty.
Kron kicked his legs, entertained by my answers. "And the scales, are they comfy?"
"Surprisingly, yeah. It feels like having armor directly built into your skin."
The train rumbled on. I found myself relaxing despite everything, despite waking up scaled and having no idea where I was going, that my sense of life had restarted without warning.
Talking to Kron felt weirdly normal.
After a pausa, the cat's voice dipped softer. "You'll like Koruta." He said. "It's small, but cozy. Lots of kind folks. Lots of sunlight. Coastal area too. Not a bad place to start fresh."
Sato blinked. "Start fresh...?"
Kron nodded. "Yep. Whatever brought you here, whatever emotional luggage you carry around... You'll find something new in Koruta. Everyone does."
The train whistle blew faintly in the distance.
"We're almost there."
Sato glanced out the window, like the coastline had just spawned in, he saw for the first time the stretch of bright coastline and the tiny colorful rooftops and lush trees waiting for him.
"You got a house in Koruta?"
Shit. I hadn't thought about that. I had nothing to my name now. "...No." I lowered my voice in embarrassment.
Kron's eyes widened and his pupils shrinked down. "You what!? Where are you gonna stay!? Did you just book a trip without planning anything!?"
"...Pretty much..."
They laughed and leaned back on his seat. "You're a funny one you know. Tell ya what, I got a friend in Koruta, I'm pretty sure I can get him to loan you a house out."
"You do?" I almost let out a sigh of relief, I wouldn't have to sleep under a tree or something, using a bush as a blanket.
"Yeah, his name is Jaromi, he's a pretty weird guy, but you'll get along."
So, this was a fresh start, a pretty weird one, but maybe... It'll be a good one.