So… I died.
What happened, you ask?
Well, Car-kun happened. -_-
Let me rewind a bit.
A few hours ago…
"Finally!" I cheered, clutching the precious treasure in my hands. The new novel! After camping outside the store for three whole days, I finally had it! Was it worth the lack of sleep, questionable hygiene, and the weird stares? Absolutely.
I was already imagining the perfect day: lazing around at home, flipping through the pages, and dropping spoilers into the group chat like a true menace to society.
And then—BUMP.
"Hey, watch it!" some random guy grumbled as I nearly walked into him.
"Sorry, sorry!" I said, waving it off. Note to self: stop daydreaming in the middle of a crowded walkway.
Anyway, I kept walking, made it to the crosswalk, and stood there waiting for the little green man to light up.
And that's when it happened.
Because, of course, as is tradition with every isekai setup, Truck-kun appeared. But wait! This wasn't your regular, run-of-the-mill Truck-kun moment. No, Car-kun showed up too.
They were racing.
Yup, racing to see who'd get the honor of ending me first. Guess Car-kun finally snapped and decided it was his time to shine. Maybe Truck-kun's fame was just too much to bear.
As for me? Well, let's just say I was too busy fantasizing about my new book to notice the vehicular drama unfolding before me. Turns out, paying attention wasn't in my skillset. (#_#)
...And well, you can guess who won. Yup, Car-kun.
One moment, I was thinking about which spoiler to drop first, and the next? BAM! Lights out. But hey, props to Truck-kun for being a gentleman and letting Car-kun have this one. Can't win every time, right?
Next thing I know, I'm floating. No, not like "wheee, I'm a bird!" floating. More like "oh, crap, I'm dead" floating. You know, the usual.
I looked down at the scene below—me, sprawled out like a rag doll on the pavement, and my brand-new book lying in the gutter. THE. GUTTER. THE HORROR. I wanted to cry, but it seemed ghosts don't get that luxury.
And then, a voice—smooth, deep, annoyingly smug—echoed behind me.
"Well, that was dramatic."
I whipped around, but of course, there was nothing behind me. Just… nothing. Like, nothing-nothing. No sky, no ground, no life, no signs of anything. Just a big ol' void.
I blinked, rubbed my eyes (though that was pointless because, well, no physical body), and tried again. "Who's there?!" I demanded, because let's be honest, I wasn't going down without a fight, even if I was dead.
Another chuckle, though this time I could feel it in the air, like a ripple in the fabric of existence.
"You don't remember me?" The voice asked, this time a little more playful. "How rude."
I tried to focus, but my mind was still processing the whole "death by car" thing, so piecing together any coherent thoughts was not happening.
"I've been watching you for a while," the voice continued. "I'll admit, your obsession with novels is… something. So, you can imagine my disappointment when I saw you get flattened by Car-kun."
I squinted into the void. "What? You saw me die?!"
"Well, yeah. I've got spatial vision," the voice said like it was no big deal. "I could see your entire life. Your obsession with spoilers, your tragic love life, and of course, that glorious moment when Car-kun made you its snack. A true spectacle, really."
My brain did a double take. "Wait, you watched me die?" I repeated, just to confirm.
"Yup," came the casual reply. "And while I did enjoy your final moments of sheer confusion, I've got a little proposition for you."
I blinked. "A proposition? Like a business deal? Are you seriously trying to make me sign a contract in the afterlife?"
The voice laughed again. "Nothing that official. I'm offering you a second chance. A do-over, if you will. A new life. The classic isekai package deal. You get a fresh start in a whole new world, with no cars—except maybe the ones that don't try to run you over."
I considered it. On one hand, I didn't really feel like being dead. On the other hand, if this was an afterlife "service," I wasn't sure I trusted it.
"What's the catch?" I asked warily. "No strings attached? Are you sure this isn't some weird deal where I get reincarnated as a villainess or some other nonsense?"
"No catch," the voice replied smoothly. "Well, except that you're going to be a baby."
I froze. "A what?"
"A baby," the voice repeated, clearly enjoying this. "You're going to be born into a new world, completely fresh, and starting over from scratch. Maybe it'll be fun this time! After all, the world you came from wasn't exactly kind to you, was it?"
I winced. He wasn't wrong. Life had been a string of endless work, deadlines, and coffee-fueled nights. So... maybe a change wouldn't be so bad?
"Fine. Fine. You've got me. I'll take it," I grumbled. "But you'd better make sure I don't end up as a villainess or something with a tragic backstory, or I'm suing you in the afterlife."
The voice hummed in approval. "Deal. Welcome to your new life, baby."
Before I could protest, the world went black again.