Urgh..
What the hell? 5:00 AM. I should be having a hangover right now...whatever.I shrugged.
five minutes later, shaking the cobwebs in my mind and on the way to the washroom, I thought aboutallthe activities i had indulged in last night, and found it utterly weird that I was all fired up first thing in the morning.Especially when I drank like a fucking engine last night.
done with all the morning rituals, I went downstairs to the kitchen and made myself a simple cup ramen.
I know, unhealthy. But i had nothing else to eat.
while I was eating, at the back of my mind, I got the impression that someone was screaming illegible words as if to indicate that something wasverywrong. Casting away that thought, I finished breakfast and just sat there on the comfortable wooden seat for five minutes in complete silence.
And very slowly, I finally noticed my immediate surrounding.
This does not look like my apartment!screamed my consciousness.
My body was completely paralyzed, But the wheels in my mind started running crazily(although every thought of mine was buzzy and nonsensical).
eyes, spinning and my mind observing, the room for the first time. As if liquid nitrogen had been injecteddirectlyinto my brain. With no random thought, for all the processing power of brain was being utilized, I looked around and gawked at the unfamilar (but actually very familiar) dining room.
At first, i didn't believe my eyes. and thought that it was dream. but the taste of stale cup ramen made it all seem very real.
Unknown minutes later, after gaining enough courage, i moved around the house to find clues about my relocation.
And believe it or not, for a second my mind went deliriouslyI'm fucking isekai'd.Which is a thought that i would never have even in my dreams (because it's cringy AF).
Now let me tell you something about me. When i deal with situations like these (being abducted or fearing for my life), I becomeParanoid. Note the capitals. So the first action i take in this situation is, to scan the house with a fine-toothed comb finding clues as to what type of place this house is, who lives here? Are they here? And for the love of god, is there any communication device.
Taking measured steps, feeling like 007 withPink Pantherplaying in the background (so inappropriate) I traced the house, ObservingEverything.
Rooms were western styled. Small, Cozy, but very well maintained. Light green background. Soothing (not at that moment unfortunately). All the regular furnitures in all the rooms, I was roaming around in the freakishly familiar house, taking it all in.
As if on autopilot, I observed everything. No little details were missed because my brain woudn't let me.
By the way, that's how i cope with fear and distress, by being overly analytical so that i can't focus on the issue. In this case, it helped me calm down.
I had discovered family photos, books, bills, toys and for some godforsaken reasonscrolls.All the little things inside the house gave me a simple view into the lives of the people living here.
Family of three. Middle class. Attractive enough parents and a cute kid. And from the looks of it, Japanese. But, I had a feeling that only a single person currently lived in this house (looking at all the rumpled clothes and takeout boxes).
Thirty minutes later, After all that running around and watching everything like a hawk i grew tired and sat down on the couch in the living room. Fishing out a remote from somewhere and switched on the TV. It was not working. I cursed. Feeling tired all of a sudden, I laid down and gave attention to thoughts flowing non-stop in my mind.
Suddenly...
"I have been reincarnated" i said breathing heavily and feeling enlightened.
Never thought I would say this out loud without feeling stupid.
...
few minutes ago, after cooling down, I had discovered several bits of memory that were niggling in the back of my mind, but were so seamlessly fit into my conscious and were so natural that i never even stopped to think about it.
taking an hour to sort all that, I confirmed that i had been reincarnated.
my name is Akira Hideyoshi. An orphan resident of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
FUCK YES