Chapter 1

"That will be $65.78"

"Here you go"

"Sick"

As I sit back down in my nice comfy chair, I pull out my phone and begin to read some manga again. The next hour or so shouldn't be busy after all, day shifts at comic and game stores aren't ever busy. I finished my mechatronics homework a while ago too.

At least I get off in an hour.

I've always liked isekai manga and novels. I find it interesting how theoretically many of the worlds depicted could exist due to the parallel worlds theory. I mean the only real thing that separates most isekai worlds and ours is the concept of mana. What if mana was just some form of matter or energy that responded to certain electrical signals set out by brain waves or what if it was controlled by communicating with our will? At least those are some theories that I've come up with as for the particulars on how most magic systems are set up.

Even though most main characters have some crazy amount of drive to live or become the strongest, I could never. So many times when reading have I just stopped for a moment and contemplated how the author will fix the situation to be in the favor of the MC. It's fun to guess how the story will play out even though I know I would give up in most situations myself. That only goes for interpersonal relations though. I would die fighting easily but for some reason negative in personal relations are really hard to deal with for me.

"Howdy sir, anything that I can help you with?"

"I'm just looking around".

"No problem, just let me know if you have any questions".

That sums up about half of the contact I have had with people for the last year. The other half has been while playing card games at the shop when I'm not on shift, various regulars, and brief encounters with roommates.

After that customer bought a board game and left, the rest of the shift passed by in silence. It was alright though, it gave me time to finish catching up on a few series. I messed around for a few hours at home after finishing work and got ready for bed afterward.

I've always enjoyed sleeping and the feeling that it brings. I can fantasize about being in another world myself or being anyone else beforehand. I also kind of like it when I dream, especially when it feels real. A few nights ago I had a dream where all I remember was being alone with a girl when she suddenly hugged me. As I could feel her arms around me drawing me close, I embraced her back for about eight seconds before she whispered in my ear that she loves me and I whispered that I loved her back. It was a depressing morning waking up after that.

As I head to my bed, I notice a ring on my pillow. It must have been left there by one of my roommates. I pick it up and notice that there are runes lining the sides. I try on the ring and find out that it only fits on my pinky fingers. Someone must have had an astrology girl or a goth girl over recently and decided to let me know this reason for some reason. I put the ring on my desk and finally lay down. As I drift to sleep, I decide to think about the plot twist in a novel that I read at work.

*******************

It's a little bright out right now, did my alarm clock not work? My phone must've fallen off of the charger and died. Wait, where is my phone? As I look for it on the desk, I notice that there is only the runic ring and an old oil lamp.

Where am I?

I quickly get up from my bed and look around. The room I'm in is rather plain, but at least it's clean. I look around for an exit and find one quickly.

I gently open the door.

I'm greeted by a hallway with old wooden floorboards and stone and mortar walls with oil lamps lining the length. It creaks underfoot with each step. I walk slowly to mitigate the effect as much as I can, but seeing as I don't really have a choice I don't go too slow as to reduce the chances of getting caught. When I get to the end of the hallway, I peek around the corner and notice a man and a woman at a table eating breakfast. Why do they look so big? Now that I'm thinking about it, everything around me is larger than it should be. Or wait, am I just smaller? I take a good look at my hands for the first time since waking up and notice that they seem to be small and soft. Am I in the body of a child? I guess that those two either did something to me and took me to a strange place in the middle of the night, I'm dreaming, or I'm in a different world.

Seeing as how my door wasn't locked, I can infer that they do not intend to keep me trapped in that room. I won't be able to sneak past them for sure, so I might as well call out to them and try to strike up a conversation.

"Hello?"

"Oh sweetie you're up!!!" The woman frantically approaches me and embraces me tightly. "I was so worried when you didn't wake up yesterday-ay-y!" She started to weep intensely and tighten her hold on me as she finished the sentence. I look towards the man in the kitchen for help, but seeing tears start to build up in his eyes as well doesn't give me much hope.

"Now honey ease up on him a bit, you don't want to strangle him now do you?"

"O-oh right" the woman says between sniffles with a wavering voice,

"E-excuse me? I can't seem to remember anything, who are you two and where am I?" I announce.

The woman still clinging to me proceeds to absolutely break down in tears while the man looks very concerned and asks me "What do you mean Giles"

I guess that Giles is either the name of the previous owner of this body or who they think that I am.

"I mean that I have absolutely no memory" I reply. It's best if I pretend to have no memory whatsoever for the moment, as I wouldn't want to provoke a violent reaction if it turns out that I've been isekai'd into their son's body.