"Ah..! Man, what the heck…"
I threw the manga straight into the trash bin, the glossy cover spinning midair before landing face-down like it deserved. With a heavy sigh, I collapsed onto my bed, arms splayed out like I'd just lost something more than a few bucks and a couple hours of my life.
"I knew reading it would leave me empty... but it still feels so... ugh, I don't even know."
I stared at the ceiling, my chest tight with that weird mix of regret and hopelessness. It's that kind of emotional hangover where your brain's just screaming, Why did I do this to myself? even though you knew better. Tired of thinking, I pulled my blanket up over my head, hoping sleep would knock me out before my thoughts got louder.
Hey. My name's Miyasato Yasuo. I'm 18. And what you just saw back there? That was me being a dramatic wreck over a damn manga.
So here's the deal. I bought this five-volume set called Love x Love. It's a shoujo manga—yeah, I know. Not usually my thing. I don't hate them, but romance isn't exactly the genre I grab first. Still, something about this one caught my eye. The art? The premise? Maybe I was just bored.
But I regret it. So much.
I was rooting for this one guy—just this one. He wasn't even the main lead, but I thought maybe, just maybe, he had a chance. He was kind, earnest, and tried so hard to be there for the heroine. But guess what? He lost. Hard.
But thinking back on it… was he ever actually a real contender? Wasn't he just a plot device—some emotional crutch tossed in to make the "true love" between the female lead and her chosen guy more dramatic? He was always late whenever she was in trouble. And when he did get one-on-one time with her? She'd avoid him like the plague—or he'd just come on too strong, too fast, like a character written to fail.
Man... just thinking about it again is exhausting.
"Tomorrow's my graduation ceremony… can't be late for that," I muttered, dragging myself upright just long enough to flick off the night lamp.
...
...
...
"Yeah... no, I can't sleep like this," I muttered to myself, the words feeling more like a confirmation than a complaint. "This isn't working out." My thoughts were still spinning, tangled in the frustration of it all. I needed to break free from it, if only for a moment. "I need some water... and some fresh air."
I stretched my arms above my head, trying to shake off the weight of exhaustion, but the irritation still lingered in my mind. That damn manga had done nothing but frustrate me. The characters, the plot, the pacing—everything about it was just... off. I knew I should probably just forget it, but it kept bugging me.
A few minutes before bed wouldn't hurt. I figured a quick stop to the kitchen would help clear my head, and maybe—just maybe—I'd feel better.
I sighed, pushing myself out of bed, my body groaning in protest from the tiredness, but I had to keep moving.
I closed my eyes.
And opened them.
---
"...I'm sorry. I can't go out with you."
My eyes snapped open. Wait, what?
I blinked once. Then again.
Where the hell was I!?
For one second i was laying down on my bed and after that the familiar walls of my room were gone. Instead, I was standing outside—beneath a blooming cherry blossom tree. Petals drifted in the air like snowflakes, the sunlight soft and warm. It was afternoon. School grounds?
I stumbled back a step, looking around like a lost puppy.
"What the hell…!?"
Wasn't I just in bed!? Literally just now!?
And this girl—who was she?
She stood in front of me, her expression frozen in awkward sympathy. I didn't recognize her at first, but then... slowly, something clicked. I did know her. No, I knew of her.
She blinked at me, startled by my reaction, as if she was expecting some dramatic confession or outburst. Something she'd already seen before.
But I didn't say anything. I couldn't. A few seconds passed, and she turned away, walking off with that same kind of softness you'd see in a bittersweet romance panel.
I just stared at her, then up at the branches above, then down at myself. My heart was pounding.
"No… no way."
I placed a hand on my forehead, trying to make sense of anything.
"Just… what the hell is happening…"
I slowly sat beneath the cherry blossom tree, letting out a sigh that came straight from my soul.
Anyway, let's assess the situation here…
First of all, where the hell am I? I took a quick look at my surroundings. The school grounds. Definitely not my usual school. The place looked like it belonged in some idealized shoujo setting. Green grass. Classic, perfectly manicured pathways. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a "glowing sunbeam" moment happening right now.
But how the hell did I get here? I was just in my room! One second I was there, lamenting my stupid manga purchase, and the next... I'm here, under a cherry blossom tree like it's some damn movie.
This is so frustrating!
Second, that girl... did she reject me? Was that what just happened? should i be even be angry? But... hold on a second. Why does she look so familiar?
I closed my eyes, trying to process it. Long white hair, as smooth and ethereal as freshly fallen snow. Those piercings, ice-blue eyes, sharp and kind at the same time. She looked like she could step right out of a manga panel—too perfect to be real. She was... maybe a year or two younger than me? But I swear, I knew her face. Where... where have I seen her before?
Well.. she was pretty.. i wonder who she is..
I was still lost in my thoughts when suddenly—
"Uughck—!"
My body jolted, and a searing pain shot through my skull. My hands flew to my head, clutching at the hair as if I could hold my brain together. What the hell is happening!?
"W-what!?" I gasped, my vision spinning. My head felt like it was being split open. It was like a needle being jammed into the back of my skull, but worse, much worse. My thoughts scrambled, every nerve in my body screaming.
"My head… it hurts so much... It's—It's too painful!" I gasped through clenched teeth.
Damn it! Give me a damn break!
I just wanted to relax! I'd had enough of the stupid manga, and now... now this? My head was about to crack open from the pressure, and I didn't even know what was going on. I wanted to scream, but all I could do was grit my teeth, hoping the pain would just stop.
Then—bam—it hit me.
Memories.
They surged into my mind like a floodgate being opened, and it wasn't just flashes, it was like the memories were pounding into my skull, forcing their way in. As if someone was shoving all these alien thoughts into my head at once.
"W-wait... no...!"
No wait this isn't right. It wasn't someone else's memories—it was... this original body's memories. I could feel them, all of them, slamming into my mind like a speeding bullet train. I could almost hear the sound of them crashing in. I had no time to process.
It was his life, his pain, his experiences... and I was just the passenger. All these new memories piled up and crushed me. The pressure. The agony. It felt like my skull was being squeezed until it could take no more.
A few agonizing minutes later, the pain finally subsided, leaving me gasping for air. My heart hammered in my chest, each breath coming in ragged gasps. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, trying to make sense of the chaos that had just invaded my head.
And then, like a cruel punchline, it hit me.
"Oh, fucking hell… you've got to be kidding me," I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper, shaking my head in disbelief.
Did I just get transmigrated into a damn shoujo manga? Even worse... I was stuck in the shoes of the losing second male lead?!
I felt my chest tighten, not from the pain but from the overwhelming realization. This wasn't some joke or dream. No, I was really here, living out someone else's life in this ridiculous fantasy world, doomed to watch the girl I thought I was going to end up with fall for someone else.
Great. Just great...