Morning sunlight slipped through the curtains, casting thin lines of gold across the bedroom wall.
Haruki Aizawa groaned and turned over in bed.
His alarm had already rung twice.
But his late-night binge watching had left him exhausted.
"Haruki! You're going to be late again!" his mother shouted from downstairs.
"I'm up!" he called back, though he clearly wasn't.
A few minutes later, he finally dragged himself out of bed and stumbled toward the bathroom. After a quick shower and rushed breakfast, he grabbed his school bag and ran out the door.
The streets were already full of students heading toward school.
Cars rolled past slowly while the morning breeze carried the sound of chatter and footsteps.
Just another normal day.
As Haruki reached the usual corner near the convenience store, he spotted two familiar figures waiting there.
"You're late," Ren Takahashi said immediately.
Haruki shrugged. "I'm right on time."
"You're five minutes late," Ren replied.
"It's 8:65," Haruki said casually.
Ren stared at him. "That's not even a real time."
A girl standing beside them laughed.
"You two argue about this every morning," Hikari Sato said.
"That's because Haruki refuses to wake up like a normal human," Ren said.
Haruki stretched his arms lazily. "Morning is overrated."
The three of them joined the stream of students walking toward the school gate.
The building stood tall at the end of the road, its white walls glowing under the morning sun.
Classes passed slowly.
Teachers talked.
Students whispered.
The clock ticked endlessly.
By the time the final bell rang, the sky had already started turning orange.
"Festival tonight," Ren said while slinging his bag over his shoulder.
Hikari nodded. "You're both coming, right?"
"Of course," Ren answered.
Haruki suddenly froze. "Wait… I totally forgot about it. I might have to rush to plan my stuff."
That evening, the school grounds looked completely different.
A campfire burned in the middle of the courtyard, its warm light illuminating everything around it. Students danced, laughed, and ate while music played from nearby speakers.
For a moment, everything felt perfect.
Just a normal school festival.
Later that night, after saying goodbye to Ren and Hikari, Haruki began walking home alone.
The streets were quieter now.
Streetlights flickered on one by one as the sky darkened.
Haruki crossed the road while checking his phone.
Then he heard it.
A horn.
Loud.
Too close.
Bright headlights rushed toward him.
Someone shouted.
Brakes screamed against the pavement.
And then—
The world fell apart.
Haruki couldn't understand what had just happened.
The world slowly returned in fragments.
A faint beeping sound echoed somewhere nearby.
Haruki forced his heavy eyes open.
White lights blurred above him. The smell of disinfectant filled the air.
Hospital.
His body felt numb.
Voices whispered around him.
"His condition is critical."
"He lost too much blood."
"Stay with us, Haruki!"
The words felt distant, like they were underwater.
He tried to move his fingers.
Nothing.
His chest tightened as the machines beside him began beeping faster.
Someone grabbed his hand.
A voice trembled.
"Please… don't go…"
The final words he heard before everything dissolved into chaos.
Doctors rushed around the room.
Machines screamed.
Voices overlapped.
Then suddenly—
The room felt quiet.
A little too quiet.
"Alright children, please take your seats."
Haruki's eyes snapped open.
Bright sunlight poured through large classroom windows.
Colorful drawings covered the walls.
Tiny desks stood in neat rows.
He looked down at his hands.
Small.
Too small.
His breathing became shaky.
Just moments ago he had been lying in a hospital bed.
Dying.
But now he didn't even know where he was.
"Why are you crying?" the girl beside him asked.
Haruki slowly turned his head.
A girl sat in the desk next to him, watching him with curious eyes. Her short hair framed her face neatly as she tilted her head slightly.
"Do you miss your parents?" she asked.
Haruki stared at her.
He recognized that face.
Even though she was much younger now.
"Hikari…?"
She blinked. "How do you know my name?"
Haruki felt his heart pounding against his ribs.
The last thing he remembered was the sound of a heart monitor.
Flatlining.
But now he was sitting in a kindergarten classroom.
And the worst part?
He remembered everything.