Sratol City Public Library

Being completely immersed in my thoughts, I didn't notice that it was already 4:10 in the morning! I placed the papers down and hid them in the drawer underneath and that was when I was reminded of my still blooded shirt.

"Freakin' life!! Kai can't see me in this condition! I mean, he can't see his brother's body in this condition!"

Based on Jack's memories, I took a face towel from the top drawer, a clean shirt from the clothes rack, and headed to the bathroom. I'm lucky no one had gone visit here this early or they'll freak out just by seeing me. Facing the mirror, I took my shirt off, wiped the dried blood on my mouth, chin, and my neck with the damped face towel and change into a clean shirt. When I'm done, I washed them, and just like how Jack and Kai dry their clothes in his memory, I hung them on the balcony.

It was almost five when I finished all that and I suddenly felt tired. Having nothing to do anymore, I lied on the bed. There were so many questions that whirled into my head as I stared into the ceiling.

Would I still want to go back to my original body? There's a part of me who wanted to go back, mainly out of curiosity. But if I had to go back and continue living the same lifestyle, no thank you. I'd rather die.

Do I still have the urge to end my life? Not anymore. I'd like to see how my life here would turn out. Besides, it will surely break Kai when I do. Though he's actually not my brother, my current body is.

Would I want to know why Jack committed suicide? I admit I'm curious but I'm already using his body, his identity, his everything… Needlessly poking my nose into his business might be too much.

Wait!! If I committed suicide just as he did, and was sent to his body instead of dying,... Then, is it possible that the original Jack is currently inside my original body?!

I felt chills just by the thought that someone is currently residing in my supposed to be already dead body, doing whatever he wants. But based on my "additional memories," Jack was a decent person who loves writing poetry and novels. He's a literature student through and through.

"Sean, relax! You're also inside his body so you're even. You're not even sure if he was indeed transferred to your body."

Now that I think about it that way, I no longer felt so weirded by it. Instead, I worry about Jack. If he was indeed transferred to my body, how can he survive in a modern era?

Well, that's the least of my concern right now. I should be thinking about how I would go from here. How should I act around Kai? Should I tell him, "Hey! I ain't your brother. I'm another person from another world inside your brother's body." Heh! If I say that, for sure he won't believe me. At best, he would think I was jesting or worst, I have finally gone crazy.

Besides, I don't think it would be right for me to unnecessarily trouble him. He did so much for Jack already and I don't think he deserves that. Working for years and carefully stretched out the budget just so he could send his brother to the university only for his brother to end his life right after he graduated. It will break him for sure.

Not that I have any say on this since I'm guilty of the same thing but if by any chance, just if… Jack and I would switch bodies again one day and I already told Kai about the situation, it will only put Jack in a rather complicated spot. As a thank you for lending me his identity, I'll make sure I won't complicate his standing here so he can continue living like he usually did once he take it back.

Though as selfish as I am, I wish he won't return.

I didn't know exactly when I fell asleep, but I was awakened by the series of knocks on the door and the ray of sunlight hitting my face. I then heard a high-pitched male voice.

"Jack, are you awake yet? I'm coming in."

The brass-colored doorknob then twisted and the wooden door opened. A red-haired male with green eyes of tall stature then entered the room. His hair has the same shade of red as mine. His features are almost identical to mine as well except for the eyes since mine is amber. Seeing the man in front of me, I immediately knew he was Jack's older brother, Kai. He looked exactly just like the one in Jack's memories.

But wait!! How should I react? How should I greet him?

Maybe seeing the confusion and slight panic in my face, he chuckled and said, "Still not completely awake huh."

Not sure of what to do, I just smiled at him. The type of smile I use whenever I greet a customer at the fast-food chain I used to work part-time at. "Good morning, Kai."

He was obviously surprised just as I finished greeting him. Did I mess up? "Uhh… K-Kai? Was something wrong?" To be completely honest, I find it weird speaking in a voice I wasn't used to.

"Huh?! No! I — nothing. I was only surprised you're back to your usual self. Lately, you see… You seem to be acting weird but I'm glad you're back now!" I sighed in relief when I find out I wasn't busted yet. Phew!

"Let's go to the kitchen, we're having a good breakfast this time." Without waiting for my answer, Kai turned and marched out of the room.

Large sausage, sunny side up, beans, mushrooms, and toasts. Completely different from the usual breakfast. "Is there anything worth celebrating for?" I asked, it would be weird if his brother would just suddenly stop talking to him, right?

"You guessed it right, Jack! Just yesterday, I received a telegram from the Berkton Academy saying that they wanted me to teach there. Apparently, I was referred by the daughter of a noble family I once taught."His voice is kind of squeaky from his excitement. After taking a large gulp from his black coffee which has already become warm, he continued. "You know what this means, Jack? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! You understand? Once in a lifetime!!"

"Congratulations!! So I'm guessing you'll leave for Berkton any time soon?"

"Yes, maybe tomorrow. You wanna come with me or you'd rather stay here in Sratol?"

"I'll stay. If I still can't find a job in two months, I'll go there." It's better this way I think, acting like his brother every time while I am still adjusting can get very stressful. Unfortunately, I am not the ultra genius and cunning protagonist like some of the transmigration stories back to where I come from.

***

After breakfast, Kai started preparing for his trip to Berkton tomorrow. From Jack's memory, Berkton is this Kingdom's capital. The longer I stay here, the more I think I'm not on the same earth anymore.

If I wanted to survive here, I needed to at least have a basic understanding of the place I'm living, right? I can't rely on Jack's very fragmented memories all the time. If anything, most of the information in his memory was about him and his relationships with people. Anything about the country was so little.

I found one twenty money bill from his wallet and thirty-two coins from the coin pouch. The coin has a large number 1 written at the front beside the male portrait.

Only bringing the twenty bill and the wallet, I headed outside the three-story rundown apartment.

Men drinking and probably, gambling in one corner. Food stall, women talking loudly about what happened to who… "If anything, this city is quite lively."

Following Jack's memories, I found myself walking on the grayish brick road. Not far from where I am is a fancy-looking red brick building. The large wooden signboard that was hung at the entrance is very visible. It says, "Sratol City Public Library".

Cool! Since I'm here for information gathering, nothing beats going to the library. Much efficient than just mindlessly walking on the road until I get lost.

A middle-aged man with ashen gray shoulder-length hair and a Hollywoodian beard reading a thick hardbound book on his desk was the very first thing I saw the moment I entered. "Probably the librarian," I thought.

"5 demi," he said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"If you want to read books you have to pay 5 demi." What? Aren't public libraries free? Before I can ask he continued, "It's for the maintenance. You will be given a membership card that will be useable for one month." Aren't public libraries supported by tax? Sigh… I guess that's not how it works here. So grudgingly, I took the only money from my wallet.

After giving me the change, he took a card from the drawer and filled it using a quill. "Write your name here," he said pointing to the blank space.

My brow twitched when I saw his neat cursive handwriting. Mine looked like scribbles compared to his. With painstaking effort, I finally wrote my name though he didn't seem to care since he didn't even look at it. "Take it with you next time you come here."