After a long period of numbness, I finally felt something.
A breeze.
A soft, gentle wind brushed against my body.
It felt… amazing.
Honestly, it was the kind of breeze you'd expect in a dream. Calm, refreshing—almost too perfect.
So, naturally, I opened my eyes.
What greeted me was a sky unlike anything I had ever seen.
Bright.
Colorful.
Beautiful beyond words.
For a moment, I just stared.
"…Wow."
Was this… heaven?
I mean, sure—I did try to commit a crime before dying, but maybe they made an exception?
THUD.
Something landed on me.
Hard.
"Hey, Yuji! You'd better get up before you miss class!"
I blinked.
Then slowly looked up.
A mouse.
Not just any mouse.
A mouse the size of a five-year-old.
With a unicorn horn.
"…Yeah," it continued casually, standing on top of me like this was completely normal, "and by the way, are you okay? You were lying there for about an hour after you got hit by that goat fly."
I screamed internally.
Then externally.
I jumped up and shook it off me like my life depended on it.
"WHO ARE YOU?! I mean—WHAT are you?! What do you want from me?! What's a goat fly?! And please don't eat me—I really don't want to die again!"
Okay.
Let's review.
Last thing I remembered?
Getting shot.
Now?
I'm in a beautiful, fantasy-looking world… with a giant horned mouse talking to me.
Yeah.
Totally normal.
The creature looked at me like I was the weird one.
"What do you mean, 'who am I'?" it said. "I'm your familiar—Jayka."
…Excuse me?
"And I know you hate goat flies," it continued, "but that doesn't mean you forget them. Like, seriously, what's wrong with you? And why did you shake me off like that?"
It paused.
Then narrowed its eyes.
"…Wait."
Oh no.
"Don't tell me you lost your memory after getting hit in the head."
…Well.
That escalated quickly.
"I didn't lose my memory!" I said immediately.
Which was technically true.
Because this clearly wasn't my life.
Still, the way it looked at me…
Yeah.
It didn't believe me.
Honestly, I was way more confused than it was.
Why did this thing have my best friend's name?
Why was I alive?
Why did everything look like a fantasy world?
So, I made a decision.
A very smart decision.
A very strategic decision.
I decided to lie.
"…Actually," I said slowly, "I don't really know what's going on… so maybe I did lose my memory."
Hook.
Line.
Sinker.
Immediately, it started circling me like a detective in a crime drama.
Then suddenly—
BOING!
—it jumped onto me.
"Oh my God, Yuji!" it cried dramatically. "I can't believe this happened!"
…Wow.
This guy is intense.
"We can't send you to the school nurse," it continued rapidly. "If we tell them you lost your memory, they'll take me away for being a bad familiar! I let you skip class and get hurt—I'll literally go out of existence!"
"…That's a bit extreme," I muttered.
"So here's the plan!" it said, ignoring me. "I'll tell you everything I know about you while we move. That way, I survive, and you stop acting weird. Deal?"
I stared at the mouse—still sitting comfortably on my shoulders.
This wasn't a dream.
I could feel everything.
The wind.
The ground.
The weight of this… creature.
"…Fine," I said.
"Great!" it said instantly.
And just like that, my new life briefing began.
"Well, your name is Yuji. I assume you still remember that," he said.
"Yeah…"
"You're 18 years old, and you live here in Cavania."
Cavania.
Noted.
"And I'm your familiar," he continued proudly. "A special being assigned to assist people in this world. But only people who actually need help get one."
He looked at me.
Very directly.
"…And you definitely need one."
…Rude.
"You're clumsy, you can't control your magic, and you cause problems. So they gave you me."
I didn't know whether to feel insulted… or impressed.
"Oh, and one more thing," he added. "You're the only human in Cavania. Your parents died when you were five."
…That got dark fast.
"Everyone else here is a ghoul, fairy, or something else. But don't worry—humans exist. They're just in another place called Javille, the human capital."
I nodded slowly.
Did I understand any of that?
No.
Did I act like I did?
Absolutely.
"Yeah… I'm clear," I said.
I was not clear.
At all.
"Good! Then let's go—you're going to be late!"
And just like that, he ran off.
"Wait—HEY!"
I ran after him.
Because apparently, that's just my life now.
By the time we reached the school…
It was over.
Classes had ended.
Jayka looked devastated.
Like his entire life had just collapsed.
I mean, technically, it was his fault.
But he didn't know that.
So instead, he just sighed and said, "Let's go home…"
Home.
Right.
We arrived at a small but nice-looking house.
Honestly?
Not bad.
I could work with this.
Once inside, I went straight to "my" room and dropped onto the bed.
Then I turned to him.
"Jayka… you mentioned magic earlier."
He nodded.
"…Does that mean I have magic?"
"Of course," he said.
Then paused.
"…Well."
That pause scared me.
"It's water magic," he continued. "Pretty common among humans. But you can't control it, so you usually just make a mess. That's why you have me."
I felt two things at once.
Excitement.
And disappointment.
Still, I had to try.
I raised my hand dramatically.
"Water magic—!"
"Stop," he said instantly.
"…Oh."
"You can't just shout it," he said, sighing. "Do this."
He showed me a hand sign.
I copied it.
And then—
WHOOSH!
Water appeared out of nowhere.
…and immediately splashed straight into my face.
I stood there.
Dripping.
Jayka burst out laughing.
"You see? That's exactly what I mean!"
…I hate this already.
"But don't worry," he added. "Dashina is away right now. She went to the human city to get you a job."
"Who's Dashina?" I asked.
"She's your caretaker," he said. "A fairy. She took you in when you were found alone as a baby."
"…Oh."
Did that matter to me?
Not really.
Because I had a much more important question.
The most important question.
"…Do I have a girlfriend?"
Silence.
"…No," he said.
My soul left my body.
Again.
"As I told you," he continued, "there are no humans here. And you can't be in a relationship with ghouls or other creatures. Not unless you go to the human city—or a mixed city."
Hope returned.
"…And when can I go?"
"When you're 20."
Hope died.
Again.
I collapsed onto the bed.
"This is the same situation all over again…"
But then—
An idea.
"…Is there any way to get a human girlfriend easily?" I asked.
He thought for a moment.
"…Not really."
Then he shrugged.
"Unless you go after that story girl."
I sat up instantly.
"…Story girl?"
"Yeah," he said casually. "People say she's the most beautiful girl in the world. She's hidden somewhere, waiting to marry whoever finds her."
He snorted.
"Obviously, it's not real… but hey, who knows? Maybe it is."
Silence filled the room.
I thought about it.
Carefully.
Logically.
Strategically.
If I went after normal girls…
I'd fail.
Because I still can't talk to them.
But this girl?
She marries anyone who finds her.
…This is destiny.
I stood up on the bed dramatically.
Raised my fist.
And shouted:
"LET'S GO FIND THAT MYSTERIOUS GIRL!"