1 - Truck-kun Strikes Again or Something

Uh. I never thought I'd ever be in this situation. I would always read about it in some sob article online, some poor idiot too immersed in their own little world, ignorant of everything else, being run over by a car at the shouts of random passersby, while no one actually does anything useful.

"Watch out! Oh no, they have airpods on, they can't hear!"

At which point I would frown and say something extremely typical.

"What a fucking idiot, watch where you go."

I know, very empathetic of me, what can I say, I'm a natural born humanitarian.

Guess that I'm the fucking idiot this time around. Is this karma?

Nah, that's just a dumb way to call the Butterfly Effect.

In my case… I was just unlucky. Or dumb, whichever one you prefer.

Goddamnit, my everything hurts. I see something on my right. Ah, my elbow bone. I did feel a bit… hollowed out.

Let me tell you, not a nice feeling, 3/10 wouldn't recommend.

Tilting my head I see it. The one. The only. The convenient plot excuse of every shitty Isekai anime on Earth.

Truck-kun. It's my turn eh, you bastard.

Ah, whatever, it's not like Isekais are actually a thing. No way.

Im… pos… sible…

…

I hear a noise. Is it… a clock? But… I don't own an alarm clock…

I open my eyes to a wooden ceiling. Or at least, it looks wooden, I'm not a carpenter.

Wait a second, wooden?

My brain finally kickstarts and I jump out of the extremely warm bed.

The hell…? It looks like one of those wooden huts abandoned on the mountains that you would see in those Christmas movies. Or horror movies, it depends on your preference.

The bed is positioned against the wall, one door directly in front of it and another in the direction of its foot. A bathroom maybe?

In that same direction there is a desk, also made apparently of wood (thinking about it, it's probably one of those constructs made to resemble wood. Makes more sense), with a PC on top of it, and two wardrobes, one filled with books and another one closed, probably with clothes.

Directly behind the bed there is a window that leads outside. I take a peek and I see… a town, filled to the brim with snow. Lots and lots of snow. I've never seen this place before, but it looks… familiar.

I can't understand how, but something in my mind tells me that this is not a new sight for me.

So lost in my own thoughts, I almost jump when a knock sounds on the closed door in front of the bed.

"Jason? Are you awake bro?"

It's a female voice. My brow furrows. I live alone, why is there… hold on, bro?

And who's "Jason"?

Assaulted with questions, I fail to answer the person on the other side of the door, who huffs. That… doesn't sound promising.

"Alright brother, I tried. I'm coming in, and if you are asleep, there's gonna be hell to pay Jason Kostenko!"

Before I can open my mouth to answer, and probably scream something about privacy damn it, the door opens.

The girl that presents herself in front of my eyes was familiar once again, but not in a way that I could point towards. She is dressed with a simple lumberjack jacket with a hood on the back, on top of a blueish shirt with something on it that I cannot distinguish. She also has a pair of black jeans with a couple of tears.

Her dirty blonde hair reach down until a little past her shoulders, with some of it over her left one. Her bright blue eyes scan the room with a precision only an elder sibling could have, before settling on me. The irritation in those orbs was more than obvious.

"There you are! Why didn't you answer?!"

I'm stuck. This broad just called for her brother, barged in in what I can only assume is his room, looked at me, decided that I am said brother and promptly shouted at my face, first thing in the morning.

Something smells here, and for once it's not my neighbors cooking onions at 10 am.

I… I need a moment to collect my thoughts, ASAP. And in order to do that, I need this girl to go away, so I decide quickly to go along with her apparent madness, at least for now.

I don't know her name, but she called me "brother", meaning that there is only one safe way to address her.

"Sorry sis, I just woke up, I'm not completely there yet".

It came to me that this is a terrible excuse. Damn it.

To my infinite surprise, she sighs, like she's used to it.

"Should have known. Hurry up and get changed, you big koala. The others are waiting for you".

With that, she closes the door, her footsteps getting further away.

I wait a couple of seconds, finally letting out a big sigh of relief. Ok, I don't have much time, I need to process this.

So, what the fuck happened? I remember going out for groceries, taking an eternity to check the best products I could buy ( my mother's fault for stressing how important it is that I check, double check and triple check, for good measures). And on my way home… of course! The truck! I got… hit… by a… truck…

Wait a mother fucking second. I set my sights on the second door that I saw earlier. I open it and it is a bathroom, like I had imagined.

I reach the sink, pour some water on my hands and wash my face, suddenly feeling sick.

Did I… die? DID I GOT HIT BY A FUCKING TRUCK AND GOT ISEKAI'D?! IS THAT WHAT HAPPENED?! HOW?! AND WHY?!

I… I'm at a loss. I must be dreaming. Yeah, that's it, now I'm going to pinch myself and… OWWW!

It hurts! Why the hell does it hurt?!

With an explosive sigh, I finally decide to raise my head and look at myself in the mirror. I had to bite my hand (IT HUUUURTTTTSSSSSSSS!) to avoid screaming. The person in the mirror is definitely not me.

Short blond hair in a military cut and the same blue eyes as the girl from before. My nose is different, smaller, no acne and the small scar on my right eyebrow is gone, replaced by a small burn on my right cheekbone.

After ten seconds of much deserved panic, some clarity started to come back to me.

I got Isekai'd, by a truck. The dumb joke that had crossed my mind when I was about to die came back to me with a vengeance. I just couldn't resist uh? Fuck me…

The big difference is that I'm not here as myself. I took the place of this kid who looks no older than 17. How did that chick call me? Jason, right?

Jason Kostenko. Kostenko… I heard that name before.

Kostenko. Kostenko Kostenko Kostenko…

It's on the tip of my tongue damn it! Ahhh… no matter, I'll figure it out later. I look down to see that Jason… I mean, I am still in my pajamas. Going back to the bedroom, I open the second wardrobe to check what I have available to wear.

Let's see… the weather looks chilly, so I better put on something heavy. I spy a nice blue shirt, take it and instantly fall in love. A Starset shirt?

A FUCKING STARSET SHIRT?!

Best Isekai ever, I shall never complain again. Shrugging it on, I also take a nice black jacket. It looks like leather, but it's heavier, perfect for the snow. Me likey. To finish up, a pair of blue jeans, no tears or other weird decorations like that. Nice and simple, just like I prefer.

Finally ready, I open up the main door and exit the safe sanctuary. Right in front of the room, there's another door, closed. I ignore it for now and walk down the corridor, my footsteps silent, like usual. A very handy skill if I do say so myself.

There are three other doors. Another single bedroom, completely empty of everything, probably a guest room. One more bedroom, this one with a double bed instead of a singular one. Parents, I suppose? The photo on the left stand of the bed confirms it, with the image of a man and woman, both adults, and two names.

Elias and Nadia Kostenko.

Unfortunately I don't have the time to look more into the room, but I file the information in the back of my head.

The last room in the corridor contains a bathroom, with a washing machine and some dirty clothes in a box on top of it.

So, by the laws of exclusion, the room in front of mine must belong to little miss lumberjack, locked so that her noisy brother can't snoop in and see her boy band posts or whatever.

Funnily enough, 10 minutes ago I did not have a sister, so excuse me for not being an expert on the matter.

In all of that, I can't help but notice that there are almost no pictures on the walls, except for a couple. And the mother of the family is present in exactly none of them. How… unusual.

Finally, I see a ramp of stairs going down and some voices coming from below.

I concentrate and sharpen my hearing, in order to distinguish the voices. Two males and two females.

One the female is the girl that shouted at me earlier, no doubt there. The other ones, I don't recognize. I stalk closer and finally manage to hear actual words.

"I'm boooooooreeeeeddddd. Your brother is especially slow today Julie, what's up with him? Damn slowpoke…"

The first male voice, cocky and a little whiny, but oddly charming if you listen to it enough.

"I don't know Frank. He was weird this morning. It's like he was seeing me for the first time…"

The now identified Julie answers, completely puzzled. But also… worried?

Wait a second… Frank? Julie?

"I-Is he sick Juls? M-Maybe we should just l-leave him b-be. W-What do you t-think Joey?

The second female voice is next, soft and filled with concern. And stuttery. How cute.

"I think that he's a lazy bum, and probably messing with everyone if I know him right. But if he really is sick then Susie's right. We shouldn't bother him".

Second male voice, cold and stoic on the surface, but with some concern mixed in.

Hold on a minute.

Frank. Julie. Susie. Joey.

F. J. S. J.

Kostenko. Julie Kostenko.

Four teenagers with names that I recognize, in a snowy town that at this point I can suppose is Ormond.

The Legion. The Legion is underneath my bloody feet!

The voices continue to speak. Somebody must have made a joke, because the four are laughing. I didn't hear it. I can't hear anything over the sound of my heartbeat in my ears.

Frank, Julie, Susie and Joey, or The Legion if you would. They are killers in Dead by Daylight, right? They're not real. It's preposterous. It's unthinkable. It's…

Didn't I just get Isekai'd? That should be impossible too. But I'm here. It happened. And now my favourite characters to play in the game are in the flesh below me.

I grip the stairs railings, suddenly feeling faint. Is this Dead by Daylight's world? Am I in the realm of the Entity?

No. Or at least, I don't think I am. Nothing is whispering in my ears in an eldritch language, I don't feel the urge to kill for no reason and Julie was without her mask and knife when she barged in my room earlier.

So, this is before the murder in that shop and the whole shitshow that came after. The hell, my head is going to explode soon, gimme a break…

Ok, no need to panic, you did that earlier. Breathe, in and out. In… and out…

After a bit, my nausea recedes and I can move again. Only one way to. Down.

Time to face the music I guess.

One step at a time. When I finally descend the stairs, I make some noise on purpose, my footsteps heavier than what I'm used to. The chatter stops. I raise my head and take a quick look at the four teenagers in front of me.

All right, Julie has that skin that came in the rift when her tome dropped in the Archives. Nothing new there.

Frank has the standard skin, nothing remarkable. Except for the tattoos under his neck. Looks pretty damn cool in person, I can't lie, even if I hate the guy.

Joey has his black hoodie skin as well. Tacky and extremely noticeable, like he wants. Sticks out like a sore thumb. Not that I can say anything about that, I'm probably just as guilty of it.

The surprise is Susie. Instead of the standard oversized black hoodie, she has her Lunar New Year, all red and black and not exactly as… covered as it should be. In Ormond. Canada. Where the average temperature in the winter ranges from "very cold" to "very fucking cold". Girl is gonna get one hell of a fever later, mark my words.

She probably noticed my staring, because she starts fidgeting in place. Utterly adorable, mind you, but how the hell is she not freezing?

Joey, stoic bastard that he is, recovers quickly.

"About time Kostenko. We were about to leave without you".

I open my mouth to respond, but another problem raises its ugly head. Jason Kostenko is apparently a person that already existed in this world. Even if the lore never mentioned anything about Julie having a sibling, older or younger, he was here nonetheless.

He probably had friends, connections, likes and dislikes, and a personality. And I know none of that shit. How am I supposed to respond? Neutral? Sarcastic? Angry? Apologetic?

What was his relationship with these people? Did he love his sister? Was he best friends with Frank (I feel sick just thinking about it…)? Maybe he hated Joey? Was he in love with Susie? Maybe he hated all four of them and had to tolerate them for appearance sake?

That's… a conundrum and a half. Shit. Double shit. What do I do?!

Like a lightning bolt, Joey's previous words hit me.

"I think that he's a lazy bum, and probably messing with everyone if I know him right".

Right! Lazy and a jokester apparently. So, answer with a smile and a couple of quick one liners, maybe an insult or two, just for good measure. Ok, I can do friendly insults, no problem. Easy.

A smile forms easily on my lips.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch Joey, I'm here. A guy needs his beauty sleep after all. Good morning by the way, did you forget your manners at home?"

Calling him by his last name would have been better, but when I took this… trip, it had not been revealed yet, same thing for Susie now that I think about it. So I gotta play it safe for the moment.

He chuckles, muttering a "jackass" under his breath.

Seems that I was right. Good enough I guess.

An arm is suddenly wrapped around my neck, a fist in my hair.

"Sorry to tell you baby brother, but your sleep is broken. You are as ugly as always".

I can basically hear the smile in her voice. So, a good relationship with his sister. Another point for you, previous Jason. Also, OWW THAT HURTS!

"Well, that's a shame, considering we share the same genes. Who's gonna tell our parents?"

"Are you calling me ugly mister?!"

OW OW OW, STOP FISTING MY HAIR DAMN IT!

"I would never! Cross my heart and hope to die, my sister is the most beautiful girl in Canada!"

The fist in my hair finally loosens up, replaced by her palm, soothing the pain on my abused skull.

"Better. And don't you forget it!"

I sure as hell won't. Jeez, what a tyrant. Is this a case of older sibling abuse? I want a refund.

My eyes settle on the other girl in the group. And her weird outfit. It's almost like she wants to get sick.

She starts fidgeting again.

"U-Uhm, h-hi Jas…"

Silence ensues for a couple of seconds.

"So… what's with the getup?"

Her face catches fire.

"I… wanted t-to try s-something n-new. I-Is it bad…?"

I tilt my head. She doesn't realize?

"Not that. You look very cute, but you know, it's freezing outside and that doesn't look very warm. I'm just concerned, that's all".

Susie blinks, embarrassment momentarily forgotten.

"Oh. Uhmmmm… I… guess you're right…"

Then, something seems to hit her.

"Did… did you say that I look cute?"

I nod, because honestly, as much as that outfit is not fit for this kind of temperature, she still looks good in it, it's her best skin in my humble opinion. And anybody that disagrees is plain wrong, of course.

"I did. Is it… a problem?"

Did I screw up or something? Damn teenage awkwardness, I thought that I was done with bullshit!

To my explosive relief, she smiles, looking weirdly pleased with herself, like she accomplished something.

"No. Not at all. T-Thank you Jas".

Heaven strike me now before I turn into a puddle of goo out of sheer adorableness.

I am swiftly saved by the other blond in the room, who swoops in and wraps an arm around Susie's shoulders. Said girl squeaks, turning firetruck red.

"As much as I like your new outfit, my brother is right, you probably chattered your teeth all the way from your house to here. Let's go upstairs, I'm sure that we can find something warmer for you".

The two girls go upstairs, followed by Susie's shouts of embarrassment and Julie's giggles of amusement. Yup. That girl is a tyrant. But at least she cares, can't ask for much better.

My eyes naturally turn towards the last member of the group, who had remained uncharacteristically silent throughout the whole exchange.

"Kostenko".

"Morrison".

No more words were uttered. Seems like previous Jason shared my dislike for this asshole. Good to know.

Silence stretches for a bit, only interrupted by the girls upstairs making random noises. Joey is massaging his upper arm, uncomfortable.

Ah right, his attention seeking issues. What's a good subject with him? The only known things about him are said attention seeking issues and that he likes cosplaying.

Wait… if I remember correctly, one of his outfits mentions a single mom. It sounds like a touchy subject though…

Well, I'll have to take risks eventually. Might as well do it now and see how much I can get away with.

"So Joe, how's your mother? Better?"

He looks at me, and I can feel my asscheecks clenching. Please don't kill me…

He smiles though, a small one, and nods at me.

"Yes. She's still not okay, but she's starting to recover. Thank you for asking".

I smile back, relief more than evident in my voice. Whatever is it for his mother or because I'm not being murdered, he doesn't need to know.

"No problem. What are friends for?"

Before he can answer, footsteps come from the stairs, revealing Julie and Susie, the latter now in her normal black oversized hoodie. Much better. But… that hoodie looks weirdly familiar…

"Is that…?"

The other girl promptly interrupts me. Rude. With a cheshire grin, she shows off the poor redhead, who somehow looks even more embarrassed than before.

"Your hoodie, yes. None of mine fit her for… obvious reasons".

She squeezes her generous breasts with her forearms, drawing a collective gaze from the other three teenagers in the room, and a sigh from me.

"First, gross. Second, how am I better? She looks like she's about to fall inside the damn thing".

"Yeah, but you're shorter than me, so you were the better alternative. No hard feelings eh?"

… you bitch.

Susie, bless her pure heart, intervenes before I can tell Julie where she can shove her hard feelings.

"I-It's okay, I don't mind. It's… v-very w-warm…"

Ahhhhhh, stop it before I get a heart attack!

Frank gives a light cough, bringing the attention back to him.

"Welp, now that we're ready, we can go. Our education awaits for no one!"

Of course, I'm sure that you are just dying to go and learn, mister "school is a brainwashing machine".

That said, in which grade am I? How old am I?!

Why do I have to be cursed with every existential problem under the GODDAMN SUN?!

And without checking if we are following or not, Mr. Leader opens the front door and scrolls out, not a single care in the world.

Another dejected sigh escapes my lips. This is going to be a pain...