The rhythmic swish of the wooden sword cutting through the air. Those steady cadence accompanying the waning light of the afternoon. Despite his evident fatigue, Ren persisted in his kendo practice, his movements fluid and purposeful. Meanwhile, the bustle of departing students murmured in the background, their voices blending into a chorus of farewell.
"Isn't that Kuroki Ren?" remarked a woman, her gaze fixed on Ren's solitary figure as she gathered her belongings near the exit. "He's always so dedicated... I mean, everyone else has left, but he's still practicing."
Her companion nodded in agreement, a hint of admiration in her voice. "Yeah, he's pretty well-known around school. he holds the top grade in our year after all."
"Wow really… but now that's weird…" the first woman queried, a furrow forming between her brows. "Despite his popularity, it's like he's always alone. No one ever seems to hang out with him."
Her friend offered a knowing smile, leaning in to share a tidbit of gossip. "Well, there's a good reason for that. Turns out, back in middle school, he had a bit of a weirdo... let's just say he suffer a 'second-grade syndrome (Chuunibyou)' "
A look of surprise crossed the first woman's face as she absorbed this revelation. "Wait, you mean he used to go around pretending he had superpowers, like some character from an anime? No wonder he's a bit of an oddball..." Ren, who still diligently swinging his sword, could only offer a wry smile and mutter under his breath as he listened to their conversation, "I hear you loud and clear, for heaven's sake…"
Finally noticing the time, Ren quickly ceased his swordplay and dashed to the changing room, getting ready to head home. "Haaaa.... Come on, I'm over that phase, okay? Now I'm completely normal! But why do they still bring it up?" Ren muttered, recalling his embarrassing days in middle school.
Back then, he had strolled into school dressed in a long black robe, adorned with gloves and accessories straight out of an anime villain's wardrobe. He also often striking strange poses and talking like an evil nobleman from medieval ages. Despite this, he excelled academically and in practical activities, so he is gaining quite a bit of fame in his school.
"For the past two years, I've been trying to change my image... but somehow, the rumors keep spreading until now..." Ren sighed once more. Quickly changing his clothes, he rushed home and stepped out of the dojo door.
As Ren made his way home, he decided to stop by a convenience store not far from the dojo where he trained. It was also the workplace of one of the few close friends Ren had.
Ren casually walked into the store. Then a woman with long straight purple hair with a bit tall figure catching sight of him and start to talk with a playful grin, "Ohhh Ren, back from training? No wonder it smells funky in here suddenly."
Ren shot her a mock glare. "Come on now, Megumi. that's the sweet scent of hard work you're smelling," he joked. Megumi just laughed, giving Ren a hard pat on the shoulder. "HAHAHA, whatever you say, Mr. Chuuni!" she teased slightly.
"So, what's on your shopping list today, Ren?" Megumi asked, slipping back into her cashier mode. Ren reached for his wallet, ready to grab his usual snack. "Just one meatloaf, plea--." Just as Ren was about to finish placing his order, two men brandishing knives barged through the cashier's door.
One of them was a big figure with tattoos, while the other, a skinny individual with tremble legs. They somehow resembled the typical criminals one might see on TV. "Hey! Hand over the cash or face the consequences!" bellowed the larger of the two.
Ren and Megumi remained calm, continuing their conversation. "Hey Megumi, looks like you get Robbed right now" Ren said casually. "I can see it. So, meatloaf like usual right? Just a sec," Megumi replied, grabbing the meatloaf and bagging it like nothing was happening.
"Here's your meat loaf, all 120 yen," Megumi handed the paper bag to Ren with collected demeanor. The two robbers stood frozen, disbelief etched on their faces. "W-What? You think this is some kind of joke? D-Don't ignore me!" the skinny robber stuttered with trembling voices
Ren and Megumi exchanged a simultaneous sigh, their nonchalant gazes only adding to the confusion of two of them. "My, my... You gentlemen truly have terrible luck. Perhaps you should choose a different time to commit such misdeeds, preferably when Megumi and I aren't present. You're simply inviting trouble," Ren remarked with a smirk, his words tinged with amusement.
"Oh, Ren, must you do your chuuni antics now of all times?" Megumi interjected him with disgusted face. "G-Gah... Sorry, it seems I got carried away... haha," Ren conceded, his smile faltering as he realized the cringiness of his words.
Ren and Megumi continue joking around while ignoring both of robbers. Suddenly, The tension in the room escalated as the robbers reached their limit. "STOP IGNORING ME!" yelled the larger one while charging toward Ren with a glinting knife in hand. Ren remained motionless, observing the oncoming threat with calculated composure. In a blur of movement, he sidestepped the attacker's lunge, swiftly positioning himself behind him.
With practiced precision, Ren delivered a swift blow to the robber's back, causing him to crumple to the ground and lay unconscious at his feet. As the knife clattered to the floor, Ren casually nudged it away with his foot. "Ha! For such a big fellow, you're remarkably slow," Ren quipped with mocking tone.
"Wow, Ren, you're still a beast as usual, *nom* *nom*" Megumi remarked while chomping down meatloaf Ren had just bought. "Hey, Megumi! Quit snatching my food!" Ren grumbled.
Ignoring Ren's complaint, Megumi polished off the meatloaf, leaving nothing behind. Meanwhile, the skinny robber stood back, looking utterly bewildered. "My brother got taken down... how could that happen?!" he muttered, his voice shaky with disbelief.
In his desperation, the skinny robber whipped out a gun from his jacket pocket. "I-I don't want to do this, but you've left me no choice! If only you just do what we want, none of this would have happened!" he exclaimed, his hand trembling as he aimed the weapon at Megumi.
Yet, despite the imminent threat, Megumi and Ren remained eerily composed. The skinny robber couldn't fathom how these two young individuals could maintain such calm in the face of danger. "You're both insane! I have a firearm, for crying out loud!" he cried out in frustration.
With another exasperated sigh, Megumi sprung into action. In a swift motion, she leapt over the counter and delivered a powerful kick to the skinny robber's face. With a startled yelp, the robber was sent hurtling backward, crashing through the convenience store's glass door.
"Aarghh dammit, my uncle gonna dock my pay for this broken glass!" Megumi fretted, her voice laced with frustration. This wasn't the first time their family's store got trashed, and she knew she'd have to cover the cost of repairs. "Ha! Serves you right for snatching my Meat Loaf!" Ren chuckled at Megumi.
But in the chaos, the big guy regained his senses, whipping out a gun from his pocket and pointing it at Megumi. "Die, punks!" he shouted. Ren, quick to react, immediately realized the danger. Without a second thought, he leaped in front of Megumi, taking the bullet meant for her.
As Megumi snapped out of her shock, she lunged forward, delivering a swift kick to the big guy's head, knocking him out cold. After that, she rushing back to Ren with pale face, Megumi cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Ren! Are you okay?!" she exclaimed.
Weakly, Ren managed a laugh. "Haha... just got a new hole in my chest, no big deal" he joked, attempting to lighten the mood. Struggling to breathe, Ren's vision blurred. "Right!, call ambulance—" Megumi panicked, but Ren interrupted softly, "Nah, it's okay, Megumi... don't worry." Ren's weakly smiling, trying to brought a bit of comfort to Megumi.
"I'm sorry, Ren! It's my fault, because of me you..." Megumi sobbed, overwhelmed with guilt. With a smile, Ren pulled Megumi into a hug, blood staining her clothes. "I... let my guard down... it's on me too. Don't blame yourself... in the next life, I'll be tougher," he murmured weakly. Despite the grim situation, Megumi managed a weak smile through her tears. "You... even now, you crack those chuuni jokes," she whispered with trembling voices.
Ren's smile slowly faded, but he mustered the strength to gently touch Megumi's cheek. "This... isn't a bad way to go... protecting someone important... its kinda badass," he whispered with bit laugh. Megumi's anguish grew as she clung to Ren, refusing to let go. "Ren! Hang in there, please!" she pleaded. But Ren's strength was waning, and he slipped into unconsciousness.
As his vision darkened, the pain in his chest faded away. With one final breath, Ren closed his eyes, leaving the world behind.
...….
…..
..
"Har du laget middag, Eva?"
Ren, who had passed away inexplicably, suddenly found himself overhearing a conversation in an unfamiliar language between a man and a woman.
"Jeg er ferdig med å forberede den, sir Albert."
[What are they talking about? .... And what kind of language is that...] Ren pondered silently to himself, trying to understand the situation he now found himself in. He began to vaguely recall his death, the searing pain of a bullet tearing through his chest resurfacing in his memory.
[Right, Megumi! How is she... I hope she's safe...] Ren felt worried about Megumi after his death. He was afraid that the two robbers would recover and attack her again.
"Sir Albert, se! Hans Høyhet ser ut til å ha kommet til fornuft!!!"
[However I know her…despite her appearance, she's not a weak woman... I'm sure she'll be fine.] Ren tried to maintain a sense of optimism. Having known Megumi since childhood, he was well aware of her resilience and courage.
"Å, Eva! Du har rett! Hent vann til Hans Høyhet, fort!"
[Ugh... it's so noisy, who the hell is that? I'm trying to rest here.] Ren began to feel agitated by their unfamiliar language conversation . Gradually, his vision which once shrouded in darkness, began returned to light.
"Where is this... am I in the hospital?" Ren open his eyes slowly, expecting to find himself in a familiar setting. However, what he see right now was far from what he had anticipated. The ceiling in front of him looked too luxurious for a hospital and the bed he lay upon seemed excessively spacious for a single occupant.
"I guess... this is not hospital...haha, so where am I.." Ren chuckled with surprise. Just before he could make sense of his surroundings, a maid approached him in hurry with a glass of water.
"Deres Høyhet, er alt i orden? Er det noe skadet?!"
The maid looked concerned as she placed her hand on Ren's forehead. "I-I'm fine, so don't worry," Ren unconsciously replied.
Instantly, Ren realized that he was speaking a language he had never known. "How is this possible..." Ren mused, holding his head in confusion. He not only could understand what the maid was saying, he even could respond to her properly.
"Hva er i veien?! Har dou have headache?! Drink this first, Your highness!"
Ren slowly understand her words but for now he decided to not dwell on it and obediently drank the water she had prepared.
"....."
After a moment, Ren regained his composure. A maid and a butler, both wearing expressions of concern, stood beside him in silence.
"Hahaha... have I been reincarnated into another world? You've got to be kidding me..." Ren muttered. After a moment of reflection, Ren, who had a history with second-grade syndrome, immediately understand his situation. He had encountered this kind of plot countless times in anime and novels but now he just can't believe to be able experience that kind twist by himself.
"Apart from that, it seems I'm now a prince... judging by the way they address me as 'your highness' and all. Is this kind of my reward for being a good person in my previous life? fufu" Ren muttered with a slightly creppy laugh while imagining a luxury life as a prince from now on.
"What is it, Your Highness? Did you say something?" the butler inquired suddenly.
"Ehem, it's nothing. Then um... Mr. butler? Just what happened to me exactly?" Ren replied calmly, seeking clarification.
"Then please let me explain, your Highness. About five days ago you suddenly get unconscious, and we don't still not know the cause. According to the priest, Your Highness is not afflicted by any disease or curse... so all we can do is wait and see " the butler explained.
Ren could only nod to explanation about his situation. Ren himself also had no idea what exactly happened... and even whose body he was in right now.
"Looks like, a lot of troublesome things will happen...haaaa...."