The sound of beeping monitors surrounded me. The sterile scent of a hospital room that I got sick of it. For ten years, this place had been my life. My body, once healthy, had become frail and weak, unable to carry the weight of a normal life. The illness had eaten away at the age of 12, leaving me bedridden, overweight, and hopeless.
My family stood around me, their faces etched with sorrow. My mother clutched my hand, as if I would disappear , while my father stood at the window, his shoulders tense and unmoving. My sister sat nearby, trying to hold back her own tears.
I was dying, and there was nothing anyone could do. My life had been a series of missed opportunities—no friends, no fun, no romance. Just hospitals and pain.
"Just one chance," I whispered weakly, my voice barely audible over the machines.
As if in response to my wish, the heart monitor's steady beeping slowed, eventually becoming a flat, continuous tone. My vision blurred, and the last thing I saw was my family crying. Then, everything went dark.
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When I opened my eyes again, I was floating in a void. There was no pain, no machines, just endless nothingness. I didn't feel like myself. I wasn't even sure if I had a body anymore.
"Your second chance," a deep, ominous voice boomed around me. "Don't waste it oh and fill my cookie jar would ya ."
Before I could respond, a bright light consumed me, and I felt myself being pulled into something—something new.
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Ding HP and SP fully recovered!!
A loudly beeping sound dragged me back into consciousness. I groaned and reached out, trying to hit the snooze button on an alarm clock that wasn't there. Confused, I opened my eyes and found myself in an unfamiliar room. Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over this room .
I sat up, immediately feeling... different. My arms, my chest—everything felt lighter, smaller. I looked down, expecting to see my familiar, overweight body, but instead, I was met with a slim, almost frail figure. My skin was pale, my arms and legs much thinner than they had ever been. I was wearing nothing but black boxer shorts, and my stomach, which had once bulged out, was flat.
"What the hell?" I whispered, still in disbelief.
I stumbled out of bed, my legs shaky as I moved to a nearby mirror. The reflection staring back at me wasn't me. Instead, it was a skinny guy with a bowlcut brown hair, pale skin, and gray eyes. I blinked, touching my face, my arms—everything. My old body had been heavy, sluggish, burdened by years of sickness. But this one... it was like a clean slate.
"This can't be real."
Just then, the door to the room slammed open.
"Get up, dork!" a girl's voice rang out.
Startled, I turned around to see a tall girl standing in the doorway, her arms crossed. She had long brown hair and a confident, a arrogant expression. She was dressed in a light blue T-shirt and purple panties, completely unfazed by her appearance. Her chest was... well, hard to miss, to put it lightly.
"Who... who are you?" I stammered, still trying to make sense of what was happening.
She rolled her eyes. "Stop being weird. Debbie's calling. Hurry up."
With that, she turned and walked away, leaving me alone again. My mind raced, but my stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten. I couldn't understand how I was in a different body, but food sounded like a good distraction from the confusion.
As I made my way out of the room, something strange happened. A blue box popped up in front of me, just like in a video game.
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[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
Welcome, Player.
Player: Leon Watson
Stats:
Strength: 3
Agility: 5
Intelligence: 7
Charisma: 4
Perception: 3
Affection Stats:
Jenny: -15
Debbie: 20
"Leon Watson?" I muttered, staring at the floating text. "But... I'm Alex Summers..."
Before I could dwell on it, my stomach growled loudly, reminding me of how hungry I was. The scent of breakfast led me down the hallway and into a small but cozy kitchen. The girl from earlier—Jenny, apparently—was sitting at the table, glaring at me as I entered.
"He's still acting weird," she muttered to herself, but loud enough for me to hear.
At the stove, a woman in her mid-30s turned to greet me. She had medium-length brown hair and gentle gray eyes, wearing a loose purple robe that hugged her curvy figure in all the right ways. There was something comforting about her presence, though I still didn't know who she was. She turned around and hugged me immediately her it was soft and warm. After a long hugging session released me and looked me at the eyes.
"Good morning, sweetie," she said with a soft smile. "How are you feeling today?"
I blinked, unsure of how to respond. The system had identified her as Debbie, but that didn't mean anything to me. I didn't know this life. I didn't know these people.
"Um, I'm fine... I think," I replied awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck.
Debbie smiled warmly and set a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of me. "Eat up. You'll feel better."
Jenny was watching me, her arms crossed and a smirk tugging at her lips. "Yeah, maybe it'll knock some sense into you, dork."
Ignoring her, I sat down and started eating, my mind still buzzing with confusion. The food was good, but it didn't make me feel any less lost.
After a few moments, I set my fork down, unable to keep my thoughts to myself any longer. I looked up at Debbie, my voice shaking slightly.
"Who... are you?"
The room fell silent. Debbie's smile faded, replaced with a look of concern. She exchanged a glance with Jenny before responding.
"Sweetie," she said gently, "I'm Debbie. You're home, and this is your family."
I shook my head, my heart racing. "No... I don't think I am. I don't remember any of this."
Jenny leaned forward, her expression no longer playful. "Stop playing around fun is over ?"
I shook my head again, feeling panic rise in my chest. "I swear, I don't know where I am, or who you are."
Debbie frowned, her voice softening. "It's okay, sweetie. You've probably just had a rough morning. Everything will make sense soon."
I wanted to believe her, but nothing made sense. I was supposed to be dead, not here, not in this strange body, not with these strange people. My heart pounded, and my breath came faster.
Then, without warning, another blue box popped up in front of me.
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QUEST ALERT:
Survive Your New Life
Objective: Find your Purpose
Reward: 100 XP, +5 Affection with Jenny, +10 Affection with Debbie.
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I stared at the screen in disbelief. A quest? This was really happening.
Before I could react, Debbie stood and walked over to me and hugged me . "You don't need to worry, okay? We're here for you."
I wanted to trust her, there was something about Debbie that felt... safe. Even though I couldn't remember who I was supposed to be here, her warmth helped to calm the panic rising in my chest.
"I don't understand what's going on," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
Debbie frowned, her hand still resting on my shoulder. "Sweetie, I know things are confusing right now, but you'll remember soon. We're family."
Family. The word didn't feel right in my mouth. I was dead, wasn't I? I remembered the hospital, the feeling of my body giving out. But now, I was here, alive in a different body, with people who insisted I was part of their lives.
Jenny's eyes narrowed as she watched me. "You don't look sick," she said, her tone skeptical. "You're just being dramatic."
I glanced back at her, feeling a surge of frustration. "I'm not being dramatic," I snapped, surprising even myself with the intensity of my voice. "I don't remember any of this."
Jenny's frown deepened, and she crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. "Whatever, im going to my room."
Debbie shot her a look before turning back to me looking concerned . "Why don't you finish your breakfast, sweetie? After that we will go visit the doctor. You will need your strength."
Reluctantly, I nodded and went back to eating. The food tasted good, but my mind was still racing. Every time I tried to make sense of what was happening, the gamer system, whatever it was—popped into my head, reminding me that this wasn't just a normal life
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SYSTEM ALERT:
Daily Quest: Improve Affection
Objective: Interact with Jenny and Debbie.
Reward: 50 XP.
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The blue box flashed in front of me again, adding another layer of strangeness to an already baffling situation. A quest? Was this real?
Before I could react, Debbie pulled me into a hug, her warmth soothing some of the panic bubbling inside me. "Don't worry, sweetie. We're here for you."
Her words were meant to comfort me, but they only added to the confusion