My name’s Kenji.

  I never really lived a good life. My parents died when I was young, I only ever had one true friend, I was always getting into fights, had terrible grades—and to top it all off, here I am, lying in a pool of my own blood after getting stabbed numerous times. I'm surrounded by unconscious bodies in an empty parking lot.

  “Damn… I can’t breathe,” I say, clutching my stomach in a desperate attempt to stop the blood from pouring out.

  “I really thought I could beat all these bastards…” I wince in pain, realizing the bleeding is only getting worse. “Turns out you were right, Mary. I’m not invincible.”

  I chuckle weakly and look up at the concrete roof, the light in my eyes beginning to fade.

  “Shit… this really is it, isn’t it?” I cough up blood and wince again. “I wish I could’ve gone to karaoke with Mary one last time…”

  My eyes begin to close as I near death—but suddenly, I feel… better.

  I open my eyes and see grass and trees surrounding me. I'm in a place I’ve never seen before. Confused, I raise my hands to rub my eyes… and notice they’re significantly smaller.

  “Huh?”

  I quickly get to my feet—and immediately realize how close I am to the ground.

  “W-what the hell’s going on?”

  I rush over to a pond nearby and look at my reflection.

  “Who… is that?”

  In the reflection, I don’t see myself. I see a young boy with messy black hair and red eyes. I touch my face to see if that boy is really me. After a minute or so, I realize—it is.

  Suddenly, I hear a faint voice behind me.

  “Young master? Young master, where are you?”

  Is she talking to me?

  I stand up from the edge of the pond and walk toward the voice. It belongs to a beautiful woman in a maid outfit. She has a tall, slim figure, with striking green eyes and brown hair.

  “Yeah… she’s definitely looking for me.”

  I walk closer, then tap her on the shoulder. “Hey, you callin’ for me?”

  She jumps in surprise. “A-Ah, yes, young master! Who else?”

  So it was me. And… why am I a “young master”? Is my father someone important?

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  “Can you remind me of your name, miss?” I ask.

  She looks even more shocked, her eyes wide with concern. “Y-Young master, is something the matter? How can you forget your personal maid?”

  Damn. Personal maid, huh? We must be rich.

  “I was climbing that tree earlier, and I think I fell… I lost a lot of my memories. I can’t even recall my own name.”

  She gasps. “Y-Young master, do not say such silly things!” she exclaims, covering her mouth in horror.

  “I’m not joking. I really can’t remember anything. Can you tell me your name—and mine?”

  After a long explanation, it turns out my name in this world is Michael Castus. Her name is Eva, and my parents are Henry Castus and Livia Castus. Apparently, I come from a noble family of warriors who fought alongside the first king to defend against the Demon King's attacks.

  There was a bunch more, but… I ended up falling asleep during the second half of her explanation.

  Now I lie in Eva’s lap, still pretending to be asleep, basking in the soft feeling of her thighs against my head.

  I decide to finally wake up.

  “Ah… good morning. Or afternoon, I guess,” I say, stretching a little. “Eva, how long was I out?”

  She smiles down at me, gently petting my head. “Maybe about an hour, young master.”

  almost an hour, huh?

  “Thanks for keeping watch, Eva. I really appreciate it,” I say, smiling up at her.

  “Of course, young master. It’s my duty to serve you like this.”

  She’s so cute.

  “Ah—also, was there a reason you were looking for me earlier?” I ask, raising an eyebrow as I look up at her.

  “Ah, yes. The master was looking for you—your father.”

  My father? I wonder what kind of man he is. I never knew my father in my past life—he left before I was even born.

  “He was? What did he want?”

  “He says he wants to talk to you about your future enrollment in the kingdom’s academy.”

  The Kingdom’s Academy? Man, what a lame name… but I keep that to myself.

  “The Kingdom’s Academy? What is that, exactly?”

  “It’s where all aspiring young men and women go if they want to become a knight, an adventurer, a noble—or even the king. It’s basically the place to go if you want to serve the kingdom.”

  Well, I guess the name’s pretty self-explanatory.

  “Alright. I’ll go see my father, then.”

  I lift my head off Eva’s lap and stand up. “I’ll see you later, Eva.”

  “Ah—one thing before you go, young master,” she says quickly, her voice nervous. “Please don’t mention your memory loss to the master. I… I might lose my job. Or worse.”

  I look at her—concerned, but also… affectionate? That kind of feeling I only ever felt for Mary back in my old life.

  “Of course, Eva. I’ll keep it a secret.”

  I told myself it was only because she let me use her lap as a pillow, but… could it be I truly cared about her? Someone I just met?

  Or maybe it’s this body—maybe Michael had feelings for her. Are his emotions mixing with mine? And if so… can I recover his memories too? That would make living in this world a whole lot easier.

  After saying goodbye to Eva, I walk into the manor.

  “It’s freaking huge…” I mutter, eyes wide. “I wonder how big my room is.”

  Eva said my father’s room is on the second floor, furthest to the right down the hall. When I reach the door, I knock.

  “Hope he’s not mad at me for being late,” I whisper.

  “Come in,” I hear his voice say.

  I reach for the doorknob—but my hand is shaking.

  Why? I’ve fought entire gangs, even taken on full schools by myself… I never shook then. So why now?

  I tell myself it’s Michael’s fear—but deep down, I know it’s mine. I never had parents. I don’t know how to act like a child, especially not to someone important like a father.

  But I have to grow some courage. So I take a deep breath, grab the handle, and step inside.

  “Hello, Father.”