Ren woke up early in the morning.
For a few seconds, he just stared at the ceiling.
"…It was a dream," he said quietly.
He turned his head toward the window. Bright sunlight filled his room. Birds were singing outside, and everything looked completely normal.
Ren slowly sat up.
"Yeah… definitely a dream."
He rubbed his face and sighed.
But then—
He remembered the glowing circle in the sky.
And the magic gate that appeared in his backyard.
And the voice.
Ren paused.
"…Okay. That was a very detailed dream."
He shook his head quickly.
"No, no. I need to stop thinking about this."
He got out of bed and started getting ready for school.
At School
Ren arrived at school like usual.
Students were talking loudly in the hallways. Some were laughing, some were running late, and teachers were already shouting at sleepy students.
"Normal… totally normal," Ren muttered.
He walked to his classroom and sat at his seat.
His friend, Sato, came over and leaned on his desk.
"Yo, Ren! You look tired. Did you stay up watching anime again?"
Ren paused.
"…Something like that."
Sato laughed. "Bro, you're going to turn into an isekai zombie at this rate."
Ren gave a small nervous smile.
"…Yeah."
But in his mind, he remembered something else.
Gate Breakers…
He shook his head again.
"Nope. Not thinking about it."
Math Class
The teacher was writing equations on the board.
Ren stared out the window.
"Another world…" he whispered softly without thinking.
A student nearby turned.
"Huh? What did you say?"
Ren quickly sat up straight.
"Nothing! Nothing at all!"
The teacher suddenly pointed at him.
"Takeda! Answer this question!"
Ren froze.
"Eh?! Me?!"
He looked at the board.
It was completely confusing.
"…Uh… the answer is… isekai?"
The whole class went silent.
Then—
Someone in the back laughed.
"LOL he really wants to go to another world!"
The teacher sighed.
"Sit down, Takeda."
Ren slowly sank into his seat.
"…I should stop talking."
Lunch Break
Ren sat alone under a tree in the school yard.
He opened his lunchbox slowly.
But instead of eating, he was thinking.
"Was that really just a dream?" he whispered.
He looked up at the sky.
For a moment, he remembered the magic circle again.
Then—
A small breeze passed.
Ren blinked.
"…Huh?"
For just a split second, he thought he saw a faint glow in the sky.
He stood up quickly.
"What the—"
But it was gone.
Students were still laughing and eating around him.
Everything looked normal.
Ren slowly sat back down.
"…I'm going crazy."
He took a bite of his food.
"…Or maybe I just need sleep."
After School
The bell rang.
Students rushed out of classrooms.
Ren walked slowly home alone.
The sky was turning orange again.
The same kind of sky as yesterday.
He stopped walking for a moment.
"…If it was a dream," he said softly, "then why does it feel so real?"
A strange feeling grew in his chest.
Not fear.
Not excitement.
Something in between.
He looked up at the sky one more time.
"Whatever it is…" he said quietly.
"I'm not going to forget it."
After school, Ren returned home feeling completely tired.
He dropped his bag on the floor and stretched.
"…Today was too long," he sighed.
His mother called from the kitchen.
"Ren! Dinner is ready!"
Ren walked to the dining table and sat down.
On the table was simple food—rice, soup, and some vegetables.
Ren looked at it and nodded.
"…At least this is real. No magic here."
He picked up his chopsticks and started eating.
For a few seconds, everything was peaceful.
Just normal dinner sounds.
Clink. Clink. Slurp.
Then Ren suddenly stopped.
"…What if I accidentally summon a gate while chewing?"
He paused.
"…No. Stop. That's impossible."
He continued eating.
But he kept looking at the window suspiciously.
Homework Time
After dinner, Ren went back to his room.
He opened his notebook.
"…Homework first. I need to be a normal student."
He started writing.
Math problems. English sentences. Science notes.
Five minutes later…
Ren was staring at the ceiling.
"…Why is this harder than opening a magic gate?"
He sighed dramatically.
"This is worse than isekai training."
Suddenly—
RING RING!
Ren jumped.
"W-WHAT?!"
He looked at his phone.
A call from his friend Sato.
Ren answered quickly.
"Hello?"
Sato shouted through the phone:
"REN!! BRO!! DID YOU SEE IT?!"
Ren blinked.
"…See what?"
Sato: "THE NEW ANIME SEASON 2 JUST DROPPED!!"
Ren froze.
"…That's it?"
Sato: "YES!! IT'S FINALLY OUT!! THE MC GOT A NEW POWER AND EVERYTHING!!"
Ren slowly sat down.
"…You scared me for THAT?"
Sato laughed loudly.
"Bro, this is serious business! This is more important than exams!"
Ren sighed.
"I was literally doing homework."
Sato: "Homework can wait. Anime cannot."
Ren: "…You are not helping my life decisions."
Sato: "Just watch it NOW. We will talk tomorrow!"
Beep.
Call ended.
Ren stared at his phone in silence.
"…I almost thought something important happened."
He looked at his homework again.
Then back at the phone.
"…Should I watch it?"
He paused.
"…No. Homework first."
He picked up his pen again.
One second later—
"…But what if the MC becomes overpowered in Season 2?"
He slowly reached for his phone.
"…Just one episode."
Somewhere far away…
A faint magical signal flickered in the air.
But Ren didn't notice.
Because right now…
The most powerful force in the world was not magic.
It was anime Season 2 release.
Ren went to school thinking about that new episode of anime.
He walked through the gate slowly, but his mind was not in reality.
"…Season 2 was actually crazy," he muttered to himself.
Students passed by him, talking loudly, laughing, running to class—but Ren barely noticed them.
He kept thinking.
"That MC got a new power in one episode… unfair."
He sighed.
"If I had that power, I could probably open the isekai gate easily…"
Suddenly he stopped walking.
"…Wait. Why am I still thinking about isekai at school?"
He shook his head quickly.
"No, no. Focus, Ren. Focus on real life."
But then—
He looked up at the sky for a second.
"…What if the gate appears again during class?"
He paused.
"…That would be annoying."
A bell rang loudly.
"CLASS START!"
Ren jumped.
"Ah!! Right!! School!!"
He ran toward his classroom while still thinking:
"…But seriously, that anime was too good…"
And he entered class completely distracted.
Ren walked into the classroom while still thinking about the anime episode.
"…That final scene was actually crazy," he muttered, sitting down at his desk.
He opened his bag and started to take out his notebook.
But then—
He noticed something.
On top of his desk… there was an envelope.
Pink envelope.
Neatly placed.
Ren blinked.
"…Huh?"
He slowly looked around.
No one seemed to be paying attention to him.
He pointed at himself.
"…Me?"
He picked up the envelope carefully.
On the front, it was written:
"To Ren"
Ren froze.
"…No way."
His eyes widened.
"…Is this… a quest item?"
He looked around again suspiciously.
Then slowly opened it.
Inside was a small note.
Ren read it slowly:
"Meet me after school behind the gym."
Ren's hand trembled.
"…This is definitely a hidden event."
He looked at the letter again.
"…Or a trap?"
He leaned back in his chair.
"…Wait. What if this is the start of my isekai arc?"
From behind him, Sato suddenly leaned over.
"Yo, what's that?"
Ren quickly hid the letter.
"NOTHING!"
Sato squinted.
"…That 'nothing' looked suspiciously like a romance route."
Ren froze.
"…R-Romance route?!"
He immediately turned forward.
"Nope. Focus on class. Focus on reality. No side quests."
But his eyes kept drifting back to the envelope.
"…After school behind the gym…"
He slowly whispered:
"…This is definitely not normal school life."
And for the first time that day…
He stopped thinking about anime.
Just for a second.Title: Isekai – The Boy Who Couldn't Go
After school
The sun was setting, painting the sky orange.
"…Why am I actually here?" he whispered.
He looked around.
The place was quiet. No students nearby.
Only the sound of distant wind.
Ren swallowed.
"…This feels like a boss fight area."
He slowly stepped forward.
"Hello…?" he called out.
No answer.
Just silence.
Then—
Footsteps.
Tap… tap… tap…
Ren turned quickly.
"…!"
A girl was standing there.
She had long hair that moved slightly in the wind. Her eyes were calm, and her expression was a little nervous.
She looked… very beautiful.
Ren froze completely.
"…Eh?"
The girl held her hands together.
"I… I'm glad you came."
Ren pointed at himself.
"…M-Me?"
She nodded slightly.
"Yes. I wrote the letter."
Ren's brain stopped working for a second.
"…This is not a side quest… this is a main story event…"
The girl looked away shyly.
"I wanted to talk to you… alone."
Ren's face turned red instantly.
"W-WHY ALONE?! IS THIS A SECRET MISSION?!"
The girl blinked.
"…Mission?"
Ren quickly waved his hands.
"N-Nothing! Forget I said that!"
The girl gave a small nervous smile.
"…You're funny."
Ren froze again.
"…Funny…?"
His heart started beating faster.
For the first time, he wasn't thinking about isekai.
Or anime.
Or magic gates.
Just the girl standing in front of him
The wind slowly moved between Ren and the girl behind the gym.
Everything was quiet.
Ren still looked confused, his face slightly red.
"…So, uh… why did you call me here?" he asked nervously.
The girl looked down at her hands for a moment.
Then she took a small breath.
"I…" she started softly.
Ren blinked.
"…You?"
She looked up at him.
"I like you, Ren."
Silence.
The world stopped for a second.
Ren's brain froze completely.
"…Eh?"
He blinked once.
Twice.
"…Sorry, I think my ears broke."
The girl stepped a little closer, still nervous but honest.
"I said… I like you."
Ren slowly pointed at himself again.
"…Me? The guy who talks about isekai in class?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
Ren's soul almost left his body.
"…No way…"
He took one step back.
"This is… a hidden romance route event…"
The girl tilted her head.
"…Huh?"
Ren quickly shook his head.
"N-Nothing!! Forget that!!"
She looked a little embarrassed but continued.
"I know it's sudden… but I wanted to tell you."
Ren stood completely stiff.
His mind was running at full speed.
This is real life. This is real life. This is real life.
But his heart was doing the opposite.
DOKI DOKI DOKI DOKI
The girl held her hands together again.
"So… I just wanted to ask…"
She looked at him directly.
"Will you go out with me?"
A long silence followed.
Even the wind felt slower.
Ren opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
"…Isekai…"
He stopped.
"…No wait, wrong script."
He shook his head violently.
"I-I mean— I need time to process reality!"
The girl blinked.
"…So that's a no?"
Ren panicked immediately.
"N-NO! I didn't say no!! I just… my system is lagging!!"
The girl looked confused but smiled a little.
"…You're really strange, Ren."
Ren whispered to himself:
"…This is harder than fighting a demon king…"
The girl stood quietly for a moment after her confession.
Then she took a small breath, as if gathering courage.
"I should properly introduce myself," she said softly.
Ren blinked.
"…Introduction? This is getting more serious…"
She gave a small nervous smile.
"My name is Ami."
Ren nodded quickly.
"Ah—Ren Takeda!"
Ami looked at him gently.
"I know."
Ren froze.
"…Right."
Ami stepped a little closer.
Ren immediately stepped back.
She stopped, then tilted her head.
"…Am I making you uncomfortable?"
Ren shook his hands fast.
"N-No! It's just… distance settings are important!"
Ami stared for a second, then let out a small laugh.
"You really are weird, Ren."
Ren turned red.
"…I hear that a lot today…"
Ami took another small step forward anyway.
This time, she was much closer.
Ren stiffened completely.
"…O-Okay… this is maximum range…"
Ami looked directly into his eyes.
"Ren."
He flinched.
"…Y-Yes?"
She spoke clearly this time.
"Will you date me?"
Silence.
The air froze.
Ren's brain stopped again.
SYSTEM ERROR… SYSTEM ERROR…
He pointed at himself slowly.
"…Me… dating… like… real life dating…?"
Ami nodded.
"Yes."
Ren took a shaky breath.
"This is… definitely not an isekai side quest…"
Ami leaned in slightly.
"…So?"
Ren panicked instantly.
"W-WAIT! DON'T COME CLOSER! MY HEART IS NOT READY FOR THIS DIFFICULTY LEVEL!"
Ami paused.
Then smiled softly.
"…Difficulty level?"
Ren covered his face.
"I SAID NOTHING!"
Ami waited patiently, still close.
"Ren," she said again, more softly.
"I like you. I want to be with you."
Ren slowly looked up.
His face was completely red.
"…This is unfair…" he whispered.
Ami tilted her head.
"Is that a yes?"
Ren opened his mouth…
Closed it…
Then whispered:
"…I need save point."
Ami blinked.
"…Save point?"
Ren nodded quickly.
"Yes. SAVE POINT."
Ami giggled quietly.
"You're really something else.
Ren stood there, still red in the face, trying to calm his racing thoughts.
Ami was still waiting for his answer, looking at him gently.
Ren suddenly took a small step back and spoke, his voice a little shaky.
"…Why would you date a guy like me?"
Ami blinked.
Ren continued, more honestly now.
"I'm just some guy who talks about fantasy, isekai, and anime all the time…"
He pointed at himself lightly.
"I'm not cool. I'm not special. I'm just… weird."
He looked away for a second.
"…So why me?"
The wind passed between them.
Ami stayed quiet for a moment.
Then she stepped a little closer again.
Ren immediately panicked.
"W-Wait—don't come closer, my heart can't handle this distance!"
Ami stopped and smiled softly.
"You're still the same, Ren."
Ren blinked.
"…Huh?"
Ami tilted her head slightly.
"You think liking fantasy makes you weird?"
Ren hesitated.
"…Well… people say it is."
Ami shook her head.
"No."
She looked at him directly.
"I think it's cute."
Ren froze again.
"…C-Cute…?"
Ami nodded.
"You talk about things you love with your whole heart. Even if people don't understand you."
Ren didn't say anything.
For once, he had no joke ready.
Ami's voice became softer.
"I like that about you."
Silence again.
Ren slowly lowered his head.
"…That's unfair…" he whispered.
Ami blinked.
"Hm?"
Ren sighed.
"You can't just say things like that so calmly…"
Ami smiled a little.
"Then what should I say?"
Ren looked up slowly.
"…At least give me time to respawn mentally."
Ami laughed quietly.
And for the first time, Ren didn't feel like a background character in his own life.
He just felt… seen.
Ren stood frozen for a moment after hearing Ami's words.
His heart was still racing.
"…I need time to respawn mentally," he muttered.
Ami blinked. "Huh?"
Ren opened his mouth to answer—
But suddenly—
The air cracked.
A strange sound echoed like glass breaking in the sky.
CRACK!
Both of them froze.
Ami looked around quickly. "What was that—?"
Before she could finish—
A bright light exploded around them.
"W-WHAT—?!"
Ren grabbed Ami's hand instinctively.
"DON'T LET GO!!"
Ami gasped, but held his hand tightly.
And in the next second—
The ground disappeared.
Falling
Wind screamed around them.
The sky itself felt like it had been turned upside down.
Ren and Ami were falling from the sky.
"AAAAAAAAAAH—!!" Ren shouted.
Ami screamed, "REN!! WHAT IS THIS?!"
"I DON'T KNOW!! THIS IS NOT A NORMAL ROMANCE ROUTE!!"
They kept falling faster and faster.
Clouds rushed past them.
Ren held Ami's hand tightly.
"Don't let go!" he shouted again.
"I'm not letting go!" Ami replied, scared but holding on.
Below Them
As they fell, the clouds slowly broke apart.
And what they saw below made them both freeze.
"…Huh?" Ren whispered.
Ami's eyes widened.
Below them was not land like Earth.
It was a battlefield.
Huge broken lands stretched far and wide.
Armored soldiers were fighting.
Monsters roared.
Magic explosions lit up the ground like fireworks.
Entire armies clashed below them like a war from another world.
Ami's voice shook.
"…Is that… war?"
Ren swallowed hard.
"…Yeah."
He tightened his grip on her hand.
"…This is definitely not school anymore."
A huge explosion lit up the battlefield below.
Ren stared down, shocked but strangely calm.
"…So this is it…"
Ami looked at him. "Ren?!"
He gave a nervous smile.
"…I think we skipped the tutorial."
Ami shouted, "THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR JOKES!!"
Ren nodded quickly.
"YOU'RE RIGHT!! THIS IS HARD MODE!!"
They kept falling toward the battlefield.
Ren and Ami were still falling through the sky.
The battlefield below was burning with chaos—magic explosions, soldiers fighting, monsters roaring.
Ami squeezed Ren's hand tightly.
"REN!! WHAT IS GOING ON?!"
"I DON'T KNOW!! THIS IS NOT EVEN A NORMAL ISEKAI ANYMORE!!" Ren shouted back.
Just as they got closer to the ground—
A small voice suddenly echoed from below.
"Ma…ma… look!"
Ren blinked through the wind.
"…Huh?"
On the battlefield, a small girl stood between the chaos.
She was pointing up at them.
Her eyes were wide with wonder.
"Mama!! Look up there!"
A woman nearby looked up—
And her face turned pale.
"…No way…"
Before Ren could react—
FLASH!
A bright light exploded around them again.
"AGAIN?!" Ren screamed.
Ami held onto him tighter.
"REN!! THIS IS HAPPENING AGAIN!!"
The world twisted.
Space folded like paper.
And everything disappeared.
The New World
Silence.
Then—
Ren and Ami landed on a cold metal floor.
CLANK!
They both groaned.
"Ow…" Ren sat up slowly.
Ami rubbed her head. "Where… are we now?"
Ren looked around.
"…This is not Earth."
They were inside a massive open space.
Huge floating ships were everywhere.
Strange machines moved across the sky like living metal creatures.
In the distance, different alien-looking beings were fighting in mid-air using energy weapons.
Explosions lit up space like stars breaking apart.
Ami slowly stood up, shocked.
"…Spaceships…?"
Ren stared at everything with wide eyes.
"…Aliens…?"
A loud blast echoed nearby.
BOOM!
They both flinched.
Ren slowly pointed at the chaos.
"…Okay."
He turned to Ami.
"…This is definitely not a school trip."
Ami grabbed his arm.
"REN… WHAT IS THIS PLACE?!"
Ren swallowed.
"…I think…"
He looked at the war happening in space.
"…We just got dropped into a galactic war."
A giant spaceship flew past them, shaking the entire area.
Ren added quietly:
"…And we didn't even finish our romance route yet."
Ami: "WHY ARE YOU STILL THINKING ABOUT THAT?!"
Ren: "HABITS!!"
Another explosion shook the station.
Ren and Ami didn't even have time to recover.
A loud WHOOOSH echoed around them again.
Ami screamed, "NOT AGAIN!!"
Ren shouted, "THIS TELEPORTATION IS OUT OF CONTROL!!"
FLASH!
The space twisted.
Everything flipped upside down.
Ocean World
SPLOOOOOSH!!
They both fell straight into water.
"BLAH!!" Ren surfaced quickly, coughing. "I CAN'T BREATHE—!!"
Ami also came up, splashing.
"REN!! WHERE ARE WE NOW?!"
Ren looked around wildly.
"…Ocean?"
But this was not a normal ocean.
Huge waves were crashing like explosions.
Floating warships were fighting above the water.
Some looked like giant sea creatures made of metal.
Energy beams shot across the sea like lightning.
Ami's eyes widened.
"…This is a war… on water?"
Ren wiped water from his face.
"…At this point, I'm not even surprised anymore."
A massive explosion happened far away.
BOOOOM!
A giant wave hit them.
"GYAAAH!!" they both shouted as they were pushed underwater for a moment.
They resurfaced again, breathing heavily.
Ami grabbed Ren's arm tightly.
"Ren… this is dangerous!!"
Ren nodded.
"Yeah… I noticed!"
Another ship flew above them, firing into the ocean.
Ren looked up.
"…Okay."
He sighed deeply.
"I officially quit trying to understand this universe."
Ami shouted, "THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO QUIT!!"
Ren wiped his face again.
"Then what do we do?!"
Ami looked around.
But before she could answer—
The water beneath them started glowing.
A strange symbol appeared under the sea.
Ren's eyes widened.
"…Uh oh."
Ami: "Don't say 'uh oh'!!"
Ren: "Too late."
The ocean around them began to spin.
And once again—