Talent Reborn

Episode 1: A Dream Lost, A Life Ended

Haruto Aizawa sat frozen in his chair, the weight of his future pressing down on his shoulders. His hands trembled around the pen, his fingers slick with sweat. The exam hall was filled with the sound of scribbling pens, rustling papers, and the occasional sigh of frustration.

For everyone else, this was just another test. But for Haruto, it was his last chance.

His eyes flickered over the questions on the exam paper, but the words blurred together. His chest tightened. Think. Think, damn it. But the answers wouldn't come.

One mistake. That was all it took to derail his dream. He had failed the exam once before. A second failure meant the end of everything—no medical license, no future as a doctor.

"If you fail again, you're not cut out for this."

His father's cold words rang in his mind, slicing deeper than any scalpel ever could.

The clock on the wall ticked relentlessly. Five minutes left.

Haruto forced his hand to move, scribbling out an answer. Then another. But deep down, he knew. It wasn't enough.

The final bell rang.

The professor's voice cut through the silence. "Time's up. Hand in your papers."

Haruto stared at the unfinished exam before him, his stomach twisting into knots.

This was it.

The moment he lost everything.

A week later, Haruto stood in front of the university's result board, heart pounding in his chest. The corridor was packed with students, buzzing with nervous energy.

Some whispered excitedly, while others clung to their friends in silent prayers.

Haruto swallowed hard, forcing himself to look. His eyes scanned the list, moving down the names until—

Aizawa, Haruto – Failed.

The world tilted.

His breath came in sharp, uneven gasps. Around him, the air felt too thick, the voices of his peers too loud.

"Oh man, I passed!"

"I did it! I can't believe it!"

The celebration around him was deafening, but all Haruto could hear was a dull ringing in his ears.

It was over.

His dream, his years of effort—all for nothing.

A lump formed in his throat as he turned away, shoving past the crowd. He felt their stares, their pity.

"He failed again?"

"I knew it. He just didn't have what it takes."

Their whispers clung to him like shadows.

He barely remembered the walk home. His apartment was small and cold, the walls filled with textbooks, medical notes, and diagrams he had spent years studying.

He sank onto his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Everything he had ever worked for… gone.

His phone buzzed beside him. He barely glanced at the screen. It was a message from his father.

Father:

"I heard about the results. Don't come home. I have no son who can't even pass a simple exam."

Haruto let out a choked laugh, though it sounded more like a sob.

He clenched his fists.

Why? Why wasn't I good enough?

He had studied harder than anyone. Sacrificed everything.

And yet…

It didn't matter.

Nothing mattered anymore.

The streets of Tokyo stretched endlessly before him, bathed in the neon glow of streetlights and flashing billboards. Haruto walked aimlessly, his white coat draped over his shoulders like a ghost of a dream that no longer belonged to him.

He passed a hospital where young doctors rushed in and out, their voices filled with purpose. That should have been him.

A bitter smile tugged at his lips.

But the world didn't care about failures.

His feet carried him to a bridge overlooking the river. The water below was dark, endless, swallowing the city's lights. The wind howled around him, tugging at his coat.

He gripped the railing.

"I gave everything… and still, it wasn't enough."

Tears pricked his eyes, but he didn't wipe them away. He was tired. So, so tired.

A set of headlights appeared in the distance, growing closer, brighter. The sound of a truck barreling down the road filled his ears.

It happened too fast.

A sharp screech. A blinding light.

Then—

Impact.

The world vanished.

There was no pain. No sound. Just silence.

Haruto floated in an endless void, weightless, formless.

"Do you want another chance?"

A voice, soft yet powerful, echoed around him.

He couldn't see anyone. Couldn't move.

"A second chance at life. At your dream."

His breath hitched.

He had no future. No hope.

But—

A flicker of something long buried stirred inside him.

"I… I want to try again."

The voice chuckled, warm and knowing.

"Then wake up, Haruto Aizawa."

A brilliant golden light swallowed him whole.

Haruto jolted upright in bed, his chest rising and falling in sharp gasps. His fingers dug into his sheets, his body drenched in sweat.

Sunlight streamed through his window, painting his familiar bedroom in hues of gold.

His old wooden desk sat in the corner, cluttered with medical textbooks. His calendar hung on the wall, untouched.

Everything was exactly as he remembered.

His phone buzzed.

With trembling hands, he picked it up.

Date: One year ago.

His breath caught.

Slowly, he turned to the mirror.

The reflection staring back at him was… younger. No dark circles, no exhaustion carved into his features. His skin was smooth, his eyes bright.

His heart raced.

He was alive.

More than that—he had gone back in time.

His mind swirled, memories of his failure, his death, the voice in the void all crashing into him at once.

This wasn't a dream. It wasn't a trick.

He had been given a second chance.

Haruto's hands clenched into fists.

"This time… I won't fail."

The morning sun bathed him in light as he stood, determination burning in his eyes.

This time, he would become the doctor he was meant to be.

End of Episode 1.