Dying sucked.
That was my first thought.
I woke up in a new bed. New room. New face.
I looked in the mirror.
It was YN Yukinoshita.
The non-canon brother of Yukino.
I knew this face. I knew this world.
I was in Oregairu.
But it wasn't just that.
I checked the news. Kaguya Shinomiya was there.
I went to the store. The Nakano Quintuplets were buying meat buns.
I checked Instagram. Marin Kitagawa was trending.
This was a mashup world.
A massive romcom crossover.
I relaxed.
This was the jackpot.
No monsters. No aliens. Just high school drama.
I planned to be a background character.
Just watch the show and enjoy the rich life.
I was wrong.
Tuesday morning.
I walked into the kitchen.
Yukino was already eating. perfect posture.
She didn't look up.
Yukino: "You're loud."
YN: "I just walked in. I didn't say a word."
Yukino: "Your footsteps. Heavy. Inefficient."
YN: "It's called walking, Yukino. Not everyone floats."
Yukino: "Mother is coming this weekend."
I froze.
The final boss.
YN: "This weekend? Why?"
Yukino: "To check our progress. Don't embarrass me."
YN: "I'm the invisible sibling. I never embarrass anyone."
Yukino: "Just keep your grades up."
I grabbed a piece of toast.
We walked to school.
It was awkward. It was always awkward.
We reached the gates of Sobu High.
It was crowded.
I saw the Shinomiya limo drive past.
I saw Itsuki Nakano arguing with a teacher about snacks.
I kept my head down.
I just wanted to get to my desk.
Marin: "YN-chi!"
A hand slapped my back. Hard.
I winced.
Marin Kitagawa was grinning at me.
Gojo was hiding behind her.
YN: "Morning, Kitagawa. Volume?"
Marin: "No way! Look at this! The wig arrived!"
She shoved her phone in my face.
Marin: "Gojo-kun is gonna style it. It's gonna be epic!"
Gojo: "I-I'm worried about the fiber quality... it seems stiff."
Marin: "He worries too much. Tell him, YN!"
YN: "It looks fine, Gojo. You're a wizard. You'll manage."
Gojo: "Thanks, Yukinoshita-san."
I smiled.
This was nice.
Normal school life.
Wigs. Homework. Crushes.
No danger.
I sat down and relaxed.
I thought I was safe.
School ended.
I dodged the Service Club.
I didn't want to hear Yui asking for cookies.
I took the long way home.
I wanted some alone time.
I cut through the old warehouse district.
It was usually empty.
I was eating a pork bun, minding my own business.
Then I heard a crash.
Voice: "Please! I don't know anything!"
I stopped.
That sounded like fear. Real fear.
I peeked around the corner.
My blood ran cold.
It wasn't a mugger.
It was a monster.
A guy made of grey stone. Seven feet tall.
He was holding a businessman by the neck.
YN: (Thinking) What the hell? That's a Quirk. But Quirks don't exist here.
I rubbed my eyes.
The monster was still there.
He slammed the man against the wall.
CRACK.
The brick shattered.
Villain: "Where are the codes?"
Man: "I don't have them!"
The villain squeezed.
The man turned purple.
I needed to run.
This wasn't my genre.
I was in a romcom. I wasn't a hero.
If I stepped out, I would die.
My legs shook.
Run. Just run.
But then the man kicked his legs. He was dying.
YN: "Dammit."
I grabbed a rusty pipe from the trash.
My body moved on its own.
I stepped out.
YN: "Hey! Ugly!"
The villain turned.
His eyes were yellow and reptilian.
Villain: "Get lost, kid."
YN: "Put him down."
Villain: "You got a death wish?"
YN: "Maybe. Just drop him."
The villain laughed.
He threw the man aside.
He took a step toward me. The ground shook.
Villain: "I'll squash you first."
He swung.
A massive stone fist.
I ducked. Pure instinct.
The fist smashed the dumpster behind me.
I scrambled back, falling on the ground.
I was going to die.
I just got this life. Now it was over.
He raised his fist again.
Voice: "TEXAS... SMASH!"
A wind blast hit me.
I rolled across the asphalt.
Dust filled the air.
I coughed and looked up.
The villain was out cold. Embedded in the wall.
Standing there was a giant.
All Might.
He was smiling.
All Might: "Are you hurt, young man?!"
Then, steam exploded.
Poof.
The giant vanished.
A skeleton-looking man stood there.
He coughed up blood.
YN: "Whoa! Are you okay?"
The man wiped his mouth.
Yagi: "I am fine. Just old injuries."
He looked at me. Blue eyes. Intense.
Yagi: "You saw that."
YN: "The rock monster? Yeah. Hard to miss."
Yagi: "And you saw me."
YN: "Yeah. You deflated."
He sighed.
He walked over to me.
Yagi: "What is your name?"
YN: "YN Yukinoshita."
Yagi: "YN-shonen. Do you know what Quirks are?"
YN: "Rumors. Internet stuff. I thought it was fake."
Yagi: "It's real. We keep it hidden. To protect the peace."
He handed me a black card.
It said UA.
Yagi: "You moved."
YN: "What?"
Yagi: "When he was dying. You were scared. Shaking. But you moved."
YN: "My legs just did it."
Yagi: "That is the sign of a hero."
I looked at the card.
Me? A hero?
I just wanted to read manga and sleep.
YN: "I'm not a hero."
Yagi: "Come to this address tonight. Midnight. Learn the truth."
He grabbed the unconscious villain.
He jumped onto the roof in a single bound.
Gone.
I stood alone in the alley.
I looked at the card.
My hand was shaking.
My romcom life was dead.
This was a shonen now.
YN: "Well... crap."