The Day My World Fell Apart

Silence.

That was the first thing I noticed.

Not the chirping of sparrows. Not the hum of passing traffic. Not even the faint tick of the wall clock.

Only silence—thick, unnatural, suffocating. And beneath it all, the steady, fragile rhythm of my own heartbeat.

This... isn't a dream, right?

My eyes fluttered open. My limbs felt heavy, like they were chained to the past.

Sunlight streamed through the white curtains, warming my skin—yet my body shivered.

This room...

Cream-colored walls. A wooden desk buried in textbooks and scribbled notes.

My middle school uniform hung neatly from a wall hook. Posters of anime I had long since forgotten.

A scent lingered—faint tatami and morning miso.

I bolted upright, panting. My hands—smaller. Arms—thinner.

I looked down at my body.

This... this is me. From middle school.

My knees buckled as I staggered to the mirror beside the closet.

The reflection staring back was younger. Softer. Untouched by the years that had hollowed me out.

Clear eyes. Smooth cheeks. No fatigue. No pain.

Just... a boy.

A boy who hadn't yet lost everything.

I stared into that mirror until the world blurred.

Then, like a whisper crawling up from somewhere deep inside me:

> "If you're given one more chance, what will you do?"

I didn't know what it meant. But the words clung to me like breath on glass.

I yanked open the curtains.

Outside—

Cherry blossoms swayed in the breeze. Petals fluttered like snow down the narrow street.

The old vending machine stood beside the park. The swings. The rusted fence.

Everything was exactly as I remembered it.

Too exact. Too vivid.

This wasn't a dream.

This was real.

"Onii-chan! Are you awake? Breakfast is ready~!"

My heart stopped.

That voice.

So bright. So warm.

A voice I hadn't heard in years. A voice I thought I'd never hear again.

My feet moved on their own, stepping out of the room. Down the wooden stairs—barefoot, trembling.

Please... let this be real.

And then I saw them.

Mom, humming softly as she stirred miso soup.

Dad at the table, newspaper in one hand, tea in the other.

And—Yui.

Her tiny feet swung beneath the chair, her cheeks puffed out with rice.

"Onii-chan!" she chirped again, waving her chopsticks. "You're slow! Hurry, or I'll eat all the tamagoyaki!"

Mom turned with a gentle smile. "Good morning, Ren. You overslept—are you alright?"

Dad looked up. "You look pale. Bad dream?"

I couldn't speak.

I could barely breathe.

There they were.

The family I had already buried once.

My throat tightened. My vision blurred.

But I smiled. Wordless. Shaky. But real.

I sat down.

The table was just as I remembered.

White rice. Miso soup. Grilled fish. Tamagoyaki.

The breakfast from that day.

I glanced at the calendar beside the fridge.

May 3rd.

Golden Week.

The trip to Lake Kawaguchi.

The trip they never came back from.

But this time—

"I'm not going," I said, voice dry.

They all turned.

"Huh?"

"I don't want to go to the lake today," I repeated.

"I'll stay home."

Mom blinked. "But you were excited just last night..."

Yui pouted. "Ehhh? But you promised we'd feed the ducks!"

I reached out and patted her head gently. "Next time, okay? I just need... some rest today."

Dad chuckled. "Teenagers, huh? Fine. You can house-sit. Just don't raid the snack shelf."

"Thanks..." I whispered.

But I didn't feel relief.

Just dread.

I hadn't stopped the trip.

I had only removed myself from it.

Later, they packed. Dad handed me the spare key. Mom reminded me to water the bonsai.

Yui drew a silly picture of our family and stuck it on the fridge.

At the door, Mom smiled. "We'll be back by sunset."

Dad ruffled my hair. "Don't set the house on fire."

And Yui beamed. "I'll bring you melonpan, Onii-chan!"

They stepped outside.

I stood frozen as the car pulled away.

As soon as they turned the corner, unease wrapped around me.

I tried to distract myself.

Tidied my room. Flipped through manga. Fed the goldfish.

But I couldn't shake the fear.

The air grew heavy.

Rain clouds gathered.

I sat on the couch, arms wrapped around a pillow.

And for some reason... I picked up my phone.

I dialed.

Dad answered. "Hey, Ren? Everything okay?"

"Yeah..." I said. "I just... wanted to hear your voice."

He laughed. "That's rare. We're almost home. Yui's asleep. Want anything?"

"...No. I just—"

Then—

A horn.

Tires screeching.

Yui's voice—"Daddy—!"

A crash.

Metal. Glass. Silence.

The call ended.

My phone slipped from my hands.

I turned on the TV. Scanned channels.

Breaking News.

A truck. Brake failure. Wet roads.

A car.

A cliff.

No survivors.

No names.

No photos.

But I knew.

I knew.

They were gone.

Again.

Tears fell.

My body convulsed.

I screamed until my throat tore.

Why?

I was supposed to save them.

Instead… I killed them.

Because I called.

Because I was selfish.

If I had stayed silent...

If I had let go...

I collapsed onto the floor.

Chest heaving.

Guilt.

Grief.

Shame.

They crushed me.

Choked me.

The storm outside broke. Rain poured.

Thunder echoed in the distance.

The house felt like a grave.

I crawled back to my room.

Fell onto the futon.

The ceiling above me was blank. Indifferent.

This wasn't salvation.

It was punishment.

Then—

That voice returned.

Soft. Faint. Familiar.

> "If you're given one more chance, what will you do?"

Maybe…

This wasn't about saving them.

Maybe... I was sent back for something else.

Something I hadn't yet seen.

Even if I couldn't save my family…

Maybe I could still save someone.

And maybe... just maybe...

This was only the beginning.

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[END OF CHAPTER 1]

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