I wake up feeling groggy and with a dull thudding in my head. It felt something like a hangover but perhaps a hangover would be a lot less intense than this.
I decided to sit upright and kept my eyes shut to regain my balance and let my body accustom itself to the ground as the spinning sensation began to settle. However, my slow awakening did me no good when a loud pounding echoed from the door.
My eyes snapped open, perhaps too accustomed to my sister's annoying knocking that I glared at the door. — Or where the door was supposed to be.
I blinked a few times, getting up in the meantime as I brushed off my shorts and nodded my head.
It's definitely a dream.
I punched myself in the face, the pain taking a second longer to register before I wailed in agony.
"IT HURTTTTTSSSSS~!"
"W-what happened? Did you fall off your bed? Did you stub your toe?" a young boy with fair skin and bubblegum pink hair burst through the door from the other end of the room.
Room...? I thought I was in a jumble of pixelated blocks earlier... Was I imagining things?
"... Who are you?" I decided to focus my attention on the only other person who could likely be the answer to my problems. The boy.
"... This isn't funny. Lucien, are you joking right now? If so, it's not funny." he pouts, his eyebrows furrowing as he narrows his equally pretty pink eyes at me.
Pink... I never knew this colour would look good on a guy.
"..."
"... Y-you're kidding... right?" he repeats himself, his expression on the verge of tears as he tugs at my sleeve.
"Uh..." I blinked in confusion, unable to masterfully lie like I usually would in tedious situations.
That was when it appeared. What you may ask... Well, isn't it obvious from our wonderful 20th century creations...
Options... And paywalled options locked by... ads to be exact.
"..." I stared at the options flashing before me, the option box cueing me to select an option as I blinked blankly at it.
I waved at it, took a peek behind it and poked my head through it... yet, there it still remained, taunting me to select a choice as the option not paywalled remained the only option I could select at the moment.
[I don't know a sissy boy who clings onto me like a girl!]
[Of course I remember you, Strawberry.] {100 coins}
What is this option... Th-that's such a huge contrast between one another. Also where am I supposed to get that much coins?! Do I even have money?!
I patted down my clothes, searching for anything that felt off. When I did find a lump in my clothes and flipped my pockets out, it turned out to be a ball of mud.
Why?!
Thinking not to lose hope, I polished the pile of dirt until it was shining and brandished it to whatever God is there. "May I offer you a polished ball of mud in these trying times?"
However... silence ensued and I was forced to drop the idea entirely. With a long and dejected sigh, I placed the ball of mud back into my pocket when lo and behold. A miracle... Or not quite a miracle... A third option slowly materialised.
I stared at the box for another long while, as the option to watch ads flashed before me. I stared at the bubblegum pink haired boy and noted how he seemed a little frozen in time.
I sat on the ground, not paying mind to whether it was clean or not and selected the 'watch ads' option. It took but a brief moment before an ad about a broom seeking an owner popped in front of me.
The only thought that crossed my mind was how I even got here. As I pondered the question, the ad came to an end and a smile tugged at my lips.
"Ah! How much did I ear—" that excitement was quickly brought to a destructive end when I saw how only 1 coin was credited to me.
"ARE YOU KIDDING MEEEE?!"
***
And there I sat, staring blankly as another and another ad flashed before me. I have no idea how long it had been, but this first option had already proven to be such a hassle to complete.
I rolled about on the ground as another ad flashed before me. I was bored out of my mind and decided to poke around the boy named... Strawberry? That's silly cute but I guess it suits him since he's adorable as heck and well suited to the name.
I caressed his hair, noting how soft it was against my fingertips and poked his cheeks, marveling at how bouncy they were. I stared at his face instead of the ads, noting how curly and pretty his eyelashes were as I studied his face.
His eyes held a hint of sadness in them, perhaps from me asking who he was. It seemed ill suited to such an adorable child. Since time was stopped for such a long time, I prodded him for that duration of time until the coin had finally managed to accumulate to a whopping 98 coins.
I settled for a hug, wrapping my arms around the rather soft and cuddly child to celebrate nearly reaching the desired target when I accidentally hit the [I don't know a sissy boy who clings onto me like a girl!] option. Before I could completely register what had happened, Strawberry flinched beneath me and had a rather puzzled expression.
My face paled and time immediately begun moving again. Despite those words coming out of my mouth, my actions sure spoke something different as I was glued to his side and hugging him rather tightly.
"... Lucien... you're probably only saying that because of what those other kids said, right? I know you better than that." Strawberry smiled calmly as my body was wrapped in his embrace and felt warm before I felt a slight hint of anger coming over me.
Anger at the options that is. If the outcome wasn't going to be that bad why did they even paywall it right at the beginning?! Are you kidding me?!
Give me back those 2 hours of watching ads to rack enough coins for that option!!!
"... I'm sorry." I sighed in reply as I felt him shaking his head.
"No need to be sorry. But did you really lose your memory?" Strawberry held me at arm's length as he studied my expression with a worried gaze that seemed rather mature for a young child.
"I... don't recall—"
[... anything but you.]
[... useless things like those words said by other kids.]
Why another option here? Also aren't they both weird options? It's like an otome game where I'm trying to... Oh...
I glanced at the options again before raising my gaze to study Strawberry. But why am I trying to capture him this early? At such a young age??? He looks to be about 9? Maybe 10 years old?
In the end, without too much thinking, I chose the latter. It turned out to be the right option as I heard a sound and noticed small hearts bubbling beside him. I tried grabbing it but my hand went through it and he gave me a really puzzled look.
"You must have really hit your head badly... I'll ask sister to take a look." Strawberry frowned as he rubbed my head and kissed my forehead.
As I was not used to such gestures, my cheeks flushed a bright red and he took another good look at my face as he measured my temperature with his hand.
Perhaps taking it as something life-threatening, he hurried out the door. I heard his light footsteps rushing down the hall as I lowered my head to look at my hands.
Small hands...
So I'm not in my world...? Nor of the right age...? I don't know whether to take it lightly or not but either way... that's interesting.
I ultimately, decided to inspect my face in the mirror. Would I look any different than usual or look the same? Only one way to find out...