Living My Hectic Life as a Simple Man

The last thing he remembered was the screech of tires, the sound of metal crunching, and then—nothing. The world had gone dark in an instant, his life snuffed out as abruptly as a candle in the wind. He hadn't expected much after death, maybe an endless void or a final, dreamless sleep. Instead, he found himself standing before a figure bathed in soft, ethereal light.

The being was something out of a dream—or perhaps a nightmare, given the circumstances. Her silhouette was all he could see, but that was enough to make his pulse quicken. The curves of her form were exaggerated, almost comically so, and he found himself struggling to keep his gaze steady, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. She didn't speak, but he could sense her amusement, a silent laughter that made his discomfort deepen. Every shift of her body seemed designed to tease, to test his composure.

When she finally moved, it was without warning. The dark void that had surrounded him slowly gave way to a blinding whiteness. His vision was assaulted by the brightness, and he squinted, lifting a hand to shield his eyes. The light was so intense it felt as if he had been thrust into the center of the sun, but as the moments passed, it began to dim, becoming tolerable, though still unnervingly bright.

He looked around, trying to make sense of his surroundings, but the room was empty, devoid of anything that might offer an explanation. The details of what happened next felt like they were slipping away even as they occurred, as if he were trying to grasp at smoke. The divine figure spoke to him, or perhaps she didn't—it was hard to remember. Her presence was overwhelming, and his thoughts were muddled, lost in a haze of confusion and awe.

Then, just as suddenly as before, the whiteness faded, his vision going black once more. This time, however, he felt a sense of purpose, a strange certainty that he wasn't simply being cast into oblivion. There was something more, something waiting for him on the other side.

When he opened his eyes again, the scene before him was far more familiar. He found himself staring up at a ceiling that he recognized, though he couldn't quite place why. He groggily lifted his head, his gaze wandering over the room, taking in the vibrant posters of All Might plastered across the walls, the action figures neatly lined up on a shelf. It was a room filled with the remnants of childhood admiration, a shrine dedicated to a hero.

And then it hit him—this was the bedroom of Izuku Midoriya, a boy whose story he knew all too well. But how? Why was he here, in the body of a child, in a world that should have been nothing more than fiction?

The questions swirled in his mind, but there was no immediate answer, only the unsettling realization that his second chance had begun.

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I stepped out of the apartment, the cool air immediately hitting my face. Inko—my mother now, apparently—had been worried when I said I wanted some fresh air. I guess that made sense, given that I was in the body of a four-year-old. Kids were unpredictable, chaotic even, and her anxiety was valid. But after reassuring her that I'd be back inside in just a few minutes, she reluctantly let me go.

Standing by the railing in front of the apartment door, I realized I was too short to lean against it like I would've in my past life. Everything felt so different, so strange, but also oddly familiar. I took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp air, trying to calm the storm in my mind. I had been dumped into a fictional world, one I used to watch purely for entertainment. Yet, here I was, living and breathing in it.

It was a lot to take in, but knowing I was now in the body of Izuku Midoriya, somehow made it easier to swallow. Maybe it was the definitive proof that I wasn't dreaming, that everything that had happened since my death was real. Or maybe it was the strange sense of purpose that came with this second chance. Whatever the reason, I wasn't going to waste it.

As I stood there, lost in thought, I realized I was holding my breath. I exhaled slowly, letting the tension slip away. Then, something from my brief encounter with that deity flickered in my memory. Closing my eyes, I focused, letting my mind clear as best I could with a single thought left.

A faint noise reached my ears, pulling me out of my concentration. My eyes snapped open, and there it was—a mostly translucent screen hovering in front of me, only visible to me. I couldn't help but smile. It looked just like the interface systems I'd read about in those fantasy novels back in my old life, the kind that listed your stats and skills as if life had suddenly turned into a video game. Except, instead of stats, I was met with a line of dialogue, followed by a feminine voice that sounded rather familiar.

[Would you like to initiate a roll with your free token?]

A roll? Like in those Gacha games I never really got into? They always seemed like a trap, designed to drain you of money with the promise of getting what you wanted, only to leave you broke and frustrated. But this one seemed harmless enough, no fee or anything, so I figured why not?

I accepted the offer, and a fortune wheel appeared, spinning rapidly as a lever off to the side was pulled. As I watched the wheel spin, I couldn't help but wonder if this system could be considered my quirk. Should I even mention it when Inko takes me to the doctor? Izuku's memories told me that the visit hadn't happened yet, so it was likely coming up soon.

Cathleen Bate's quirk, New Order, was practically godlike, so a quirk like this wasn't too far-fetched, right? But then again, the doctor we'd be visiting had connections to All For One, if I remembered correctly. The thought made me pause. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to tell the old coot about it.

The wheel began to slow, and I found myself smirking at a memory. There had been a theory in the early days of the anime that Izuku's quirk had been stolen by the doctor, and that All For One was actually his father, hiding in plain sight as "Hisashi." The idea was kind of ridiculous, but it would've been pretty cool to see play out on-screen.

I shook my head, chuckling softly. Then, the wheel came to a stop. The screen flashed, the wheel disappearing and a new popup taking its place. My eyes scanned the description, and then I felt something drop into my small hands.

A book.

Not just any book, but a familiar piece of literature from a series of adult novels penned by a certain self-proclaimed super pervert. I couldn't hold it in. My body started to shake, and before I knew it, I was sputtering with laughter. I tried to keep quiet so Inko wouldn't hear me from the kitchen inside the apartment, but it was a struggle.

I had just rolled my first Gacha, and of all things, I got one of Jiraiya's smut novels.

…Perhaps the universe was trying to tell me something?

Either way, life was definitely going to be interesting from here on out.