"Um…"
An unfamiliar ceiling… Am I in the boss's cabin?
He sits up, rubbing his eyes.
"Where am I? The last thing I remember… I was working on my computer."
Right! I finally finished that project after working 30 days straight in the office!
A grin creeps across his face.
"Ah… Tomorrow, I was going to slap my resignation letter on that damn boss's desk. Sweet freedom."
His smile fades as he looks around.
"But… where am I now?"
He scans the room.
It's neat and clean, bigger than his apartment but oddly empty. A study table sits beside the bed, with books piled haphazardly. At the far corner, there's a door leading to a washroom.
"This… this looks like a student's room."
He stands and cautiously calls out:
"Hello? Is anyone here?"
Silence.
"Um… No response. The door's locked from the inside."
I should check outside.
He opens the door and steps out.
"W-Woah… Am I… in Dubai?"
His eyes widen, and his jaw drops in awe at the sight before him. Skyscrapers stretch endlessly in every direction, towering over the city like giants of steel and glass.
He's standing on one of them.
"No… No, no! This is too futuristic."
"What… what is this place? Now I'm really freaking out."
He walks to the next door and knocks gently.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
His knuckles rapped against the door in quick succession, each knock louder than the last. His breath hitched.
"Excuse me! Is anyone there?" He swallowed hard, his voice trembling with urgency. "Please… I need help."
The door creaks open, revealing a teenager with a sleepy, annoyed expression.
"What is it?" the boy asks flatly.
Teenager? Is this a hostel? How the hell did I end up here…?
"A-Ah, you know what place this is?" he whispers.
The boy gives him a weird look, then sighs.
"You don't know where you are? Did you hit your head last night or something?" His voice is loud and irritated.
"Don't bother me again."
Bang!
The door slams shut.
"Tsk. Teenagers these days can't even show some respect to their elders," he grumbles.
"Fine. I'll stroll around and figure this out myself."
---
He walks around the dormitory carefully. Groups of teenagers are talking, laughing, and exercising.
It's definitely a hostel. But why the hell anyone made these for kids,even excess of top floors, they are even crawling like ants at the top floor.
He sits on a bench, watching people pass by.
One girl catches his attention.
She looks… familiar.
As she walks away, he narrows his eyes.
Now that I think about it, this whole place looks familiar. Where have I seen this before?
Nearby, a group of boys is chatting. One of them stands out—
With a height of 178cm, he has a athelete build but not bulky, and has Short, slightly messy black hair that he doesn't care to style but always seems effortlessly cool. His
presence commanding attention.
"Hmm… That guy looks familiar too."
He leans forward.
"What the hell is this place? Everything feels like déjà vu… Did I spend my childhood here?"
Suddenly, someone calls out:
"Ren!"
The boy in the group turns and responds.
"Ren…?"
(He reminds me of a novel prota...)
His heart skips a beat.
"Wait. That name… No. It can't be."
He stares at the boy.
"That… That's the name of the novel's protagonist."
He stumbles to his feet, panic rising.
"Don't tell me… This is impossible!"
He bolts back to his room, heart racing.
---
This can't be real. This only happens in novels. But this…
He slams the door behind him and paces the room.
"How this place looks like the same in that novel adaptation." His chest tightened , his breath quickened.
"Heh.. no its is impossible."
"This is reality. Not some… isekai story."
Suddenly, a ding echoes in his head, and a glowing status window appears before him.
> [You woke up earlier than expected.]
Welcome to {*****} (name of the novel).
His eyes widen.
"A status window? Hey! Send me back to my world, now!"
"I cannot survive here with this auto generated trash side character."
> [I cannot send you back. It is beyond my authority.]
[I am here to assist you.]
[If you need information, feel free to ask.]
"Enough with the crap! I know exactly how dangerous this world is—Abyssal breaches, sub-space anomalies, monsters that can wipe out cities! Just send me back before I end up dead!"
> [No information available.]
Angry.
He clenches his fists.
"Calm down. It's not like my life back there was amazing anyway…"
He takes a deep breath.
"Fine. How did I end up here?"
> [You have possessed the body of a boy from this world.]
Name: Unknown
Age: 17
"Seventeen… Wait. I've never heard of him in the novel. Don't tell me… Is he one of those auto-generated background characters?"
He groans.
"Of course. No overpowered hero body for me. Just a random nobody."
"Fine. Tell me about his powers and past. I need to figure out how to survive!"
> [Synchronization in progress. Full access to memories and powers will be available in 24 hours.]
"Tsk. Guess I'll sleep. Maybe I'll wake up back at my desk…"
---
Scene 5: Flashbacks
A Few Hours Later
He wakes up.
"Still here… Was it all a dream?"
He closes his eyes and tries again.
Another few hours pass.
He wakes up again.
"When will this damn dream end?" he shouts.
Ding!
> [Synchronization completed.]
[You now have access to this body's memories.]
His head throbs as flashes of memories overwhelm him.
---
Memories
"You're amazing."
"We have great expectations for you."
"Sayuri, you should learn from him."
"He's so talented…"
"How incredible will he be after awakening?"
The voices are warm- proud almost hopeful. He she is glimpses of smiling face of a boy excelling in academic and sports. Friends family cheering him on, for a moment there's an family want blooming in his chest.
But then the tone shifts.
"You failed to awaken."
"You're a disgrace to this family."
"Father, please… give me another chance!"
"You are no longer my son."
"Sayuri thanks goodness you do not ended like him."
"You are trash , brother."
"You're not worthy of being my rival."
All those world hit like a hammer and wave of emptiness crashes over him.
---
Flash Ends
"Wow… An auto-generated character with that much emotional baggage?"
He chuckles bitterly.
"Poor guy."
"But…" His face darkens.
I'm more concerned about my survival here.
"Hey, system! I take it back! Send me back now!"
> [Request denied.]
[As compensation, you have been granted an additional power: Eye of the Observer.]
"Oh joy. What does it do?"
> [You can observe anyone's stats.]
"Great. See stats… and then run. Yep. I'm doomed."
He activates the ability on himself.
> [Status Window]
Name: Unknown
Age: 17
Strength: Medium
Agility: Medium
Intelligence: High
Awakened Status: Awakened
Power: Awakening
"Wait… Awakened?"
"But… from his memories, he was treated as unawakened. System, explain!"
> [He was awakened, but his power is complex and misunderstood.]
"Complex? What kind of power?"
He reads the description:
> [Awakening: Cherishing an object for 100 days will unlock a unique power.]
He stares blankly.
"Cherishing objects…? Seriously? While everyone else is out there wielding swords and magic, I'm supposed to babysit a rock for 100 days?"
He sighs.
"Fine. Anything for survival… I guess."