Abusive Uncle and New Adopted Mother

I'm a bit of a loner who's really into video games, especially dating sims. But everything in my life changed when I met a girl in my second year of high school. She inspired me to step away from my video games, hang out with friends, and enjoy life more. Later, I started noticing signs that she might see me as more than just a friend.

So, saying goodbye to the days filled with dating sims, I decided to confess my feelings to her at the end of summer break. We had planned to watch fireworks together, and it felt like the perfect moment.

But one day, as I was walking home, something unexpected happened. Suddenly, I was in excruciating pain.

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[Gift Activated]

[Guide]

"Who?" I gasped. "Aaahh!"

Still confused, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my stomach. Tears blurred my vision and rolled down my cheeks, but I could still make out a burly man towering over me. He swayed, clearly drunk, before his leg slammed into my stomach, sending another wave of agony through my body.

"What is this?" I thought, dazed.

"Stop," I managed to plead weakly.

"Stop? You think a worthless piece of trash like you has the right to tell me what to do?" he slurred, kicking me again.

"Aahh!" I cried out, struggling to breathe as my breaths grew shallow. Please, just make it stop. I can't take this pain anymore.

[Lean to the left side after 3 seconds]

A voice echoed in my head. Without fully understanding why, I obeyed, leaning to the left after counting to three. A loud *thump* sounded beside me, followed by the man grunting in pain.

"How dare you move, you little bastard!" he roared.

[Lay down and then move ahead]

Following the voice again, I dropped to the ground and crawled forward. Another grunt came from the man—he'd tried to kick me again, but since I was low, he missed and hit the wall instead.

[Get up and run as fast as you can to the door. Leave the house within five seconds. If you can't, run to the kitchen.]

Despite the searing pain in my stomach, I knew I had to escape. This was my only chance to avoid more suffering. I staggered to my feet, scanned the room for the door, and bolted toward it without stopping. Behind me, the man yelled, "Stop!" followed by a loud crash. He must have fallen, but I didn't dare look back—I just kept running until I was out of the house.

[Go to the next door, press the intercom, and ask them to call the police]

I followed the instructions, racing to the neighbor's house. I pressed the intercom and pounded on the door. Moments later, it opened, revealing a beautiful middle-aged woman with warm, compassionate eyes and a welcoming smile. But her smile froze as she took in my battered appearance.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice thick with concern.

Still gasping for air, I managed to choke out, "I… I need help. Please, can you call the police?"

After that, things became a blur. The police arrived, arrested the burly man, and decided I'd be sent to an orphanage. I didn't fully grasp what was happening, but the voice in my head urged me to ask the authorities if I could stay with the kind woman who'd helped me. To my relief, she agreed to adopt me, and my life took an unexpected turn.

Soon, I found myself in a room with slightly girlish decor. But that was the least of my worries as I stared into a mirror, struggling to process what I saw. The reflection staring back wasn't mine—or at least, not the one I remembered.

"I've become a kid? Really?" I muttered. The face in the mirror had soft, childish features and baby fat on its cheeks—a stark contrast to the body I once knew. I was in utter shock.

"Wait a minute… isn't this like something out of a novel? Did I die in my old world and end up here? But… I don't have any memories of this body at all."

At least I knew a few things. I'd overheard the police mention that the burly man—my uncle—was my last living relative in this world. I let out a sigh of relief. Thanks to that mysterious voice, I was free from him and had somehow ended up with a kind woman who'd soon become my mother.

Though there were still hurdles to clear before her adoption of me was official, I clung to the hope that she'd be nothing like my uncle. Pushing those worries aside for now, I reminded myself that I needed to figure out my situation. Being thrust into this world without any memories of it was undeniably tough.