My eyes crack open.
And instantly—pain.
A white-hot, blinding agony explodes in my skull, sharp and jagged, like a thousand needles burrowing into my brain!
"NYARRRGGGHHHH!!!"
The scream tears out of me. A high-pitched ringing screeches in my ears, unbearable and constant, drowning out everything else.
Shapes, colors, everything is wrong. Blurred. Warped. My vision swirls into chaos, like I've been dropped into a spinning, color-sick vortex.
Nothing makes sense anymore. I can't even tell up from down.
"NYARRRGHHHH—WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"
I roll over without meaning to, crashing hard against something. Floor? Ground? I can't tell. Pain shoots up my spine as I tumble again, then land with a sickening thud.
My hands fly to my head, clutching, desperate.
Please, make it stop! I beg.
My whole body is screaming. Every nerve is raw, screaming in protest. I slam my head against the ground in a blind, animal panic, as if I can jar the pain loose, knock it out of me somehow.
It doesn't help.
My thoughts are all sludge. My mind is lost in this storm, wrapped in layers of pain and confusion and panic.
But then—
Gradually, the sharp edge of it starts to fade. Not all at once, but bit by bit.
The stabbing intensity dulls, leaving behind a deep, rhythmic throb. Still awful, but bearable.
I suck in a breath, then another. My lungs burn, my chest rising and falling in shuddering gasps.
Tears blur my vision. I reach up, trying to wipe them away… and accidently smear a gritty layer of dirt straight into my eyes.
"Ghhhk—perfect," I mutter, voice rasping out like sandpaper.
A frustrated growl rises in my throat as I paw at whatever I'm wearing, grabbing a corner of fabric and using it to scrub my face. I blink hard. Once. Twice.
Slowly… finally… my sight begins to clear.
I push myself up, dizzy and swaying, my head pounding with every movement—
And then, out of nowhere, something hits me.
Not physically. Mentally.
Memories.
They slam into me all at once.
Wait—
I remember.
The truck.
I got hit by a truck.
I should be dead.
So… why am I breathing?
And—
The girl! The one in the catgirl cosplay.
What happened to her?
Did she… make it?
I barely have time to start asking the questions before a bigger one knocks all the air out of me.
I look around.
And realize—
I have no idea where the hell I am.
I take in my surroundings, my brain struggling to make sense of it all.
The room is simple with wooden floors, wooden ceiling, furnished minimally. There's a small, rigid bed in the corner, which I must have just fallen from, its bedding stiff as if stuffed with rocks. Across from it stands a modest wooden wardrobe, and near the window, a plain wooden table and chair.
But what really catches my eye is the massive chest in the corner, its lid locked down by the largest, most menacing chain and padlock I've ever seen.
Everything feels… foreign. Old-fashioned.
There's no electricity. No lamps, no outlets, no TV—none of the modern conveniences I've taken for granted my entire life. It's like I've been tossed into the set of a low-budget historical drama.
The only source of light comes from the moon outside the window, casting a pale, eerie glow across the room.
I squint at it.
Something about it feels off.
It's huge—far larger than I remember, perfectly round and impossibly luminous, like someone cranked up the saturation in Photoshop just for dramatic effect.
Weird…
I blink a few times, adjusting.
Wait.
My eyesight—
It's… perfect?
Where are my glasses?
I reach for my face, but they're not there. And yet—I can see everything with crystal clarity, even in the dim light. The grain of the wooden walls, the fine dust particles floating in the air… It's like I've been blessed with divine 20/10 vision!
Curiosity gnaws at me. Slowly, I drag myself to the window, hesitating only for a moment before pushing it open. Maybe—just maybe—I'll get some clue as to where the hell I am.
And then—
Confusion.
"What… the heck is this?" I mutter.
The moment the window swings open, an entire bustling medieval town unfolds before me.
People fill the streets, their voices mixing into a lively, chaotic symphony. Some are chatting, some are playing music, others are hauling goods in wooden carts. The town is noisy, vibrant, full of energy.
But… the clothes.
They're all wearing old-fashioned outfits.
Tunics. Cloaks. Simple dresses.
Some people are literally wearing armor. A few even have swords strapped to their waists, like they've just stepped out of an RPG.
I blink.
Hard.
This has to be some kind of joke.
Then, as if the universe really wants to mess with me, a carriage rolls by.
Not a car. Not even a horse-drawn carriage.
No.
A gigantic, plump white bird is pulling it—a bird so ridiculously oversized that it looks like someone crossed a chicken with a minivan!
My jaw unhinges.
And just when I think I've seen it all—
A girl strolls past, tail swishing behind her.
A real tail.
Not a fake cosplay tail. Not an accessory. A real, fluffy, raccoon-like tail, swaying naturally with her steps. Her round, animal-like ears twitch at the sounds around her, the same way a cat's would. Walking beside her, a man with a big green shield and black anime style hair.
Ba-dump.
Ba-dump.
My heart pounds against my ribs.
Everything. Everything is clicking into place.
The medieval town. The giant bird. The girl with actual animal features. the anime MC looking dude.
This can't be real.
And yet—
It makes too much sense.
Like the novels I've read. Like every fantasy anime and manga I've ever devoured.
I think… I didn't survive the truck crash.
I've died…
And been reincarnated into a fantasy world.
————————————-
So… if I've been reincarnated, does that mean I'm still me? The 25-year-old corporate drone who worked 70-hour weeks like a masochist?
I turn slowly, trying to get my bearings.
Then—something on the wall catches my eye.
My heart skips a beat.
Wait…
That isn't my shadow.
Perched atop its head are cat ears. And there—attached to its backside—a tail.
A tail.
I freeze. My breath hitches, my pulse pounding like a drum solo.
I stare down at my hands—
AND—
THESE. ARE. NOT. MY. HANDS!
Why are my arms so slender? Why is my skin so smooth?
And my muscles—
No.
Noooooooooooooo!
They're gone! All of them! Not even a trace of the ones I spent years sculpting like a gym rat on a protein-fueled crusade!
Wait…
Does this mean—
I'm a girl?!
UOOOOOOOHHHH!!!
My brain spirals into a vortex of disbelief.
I look down—
And there it is. Confirmation.
I'm wearing a white dress.
So… that means I must be a girl.
Right?
RIGHT???
BUT—
WHY THE HELL IS MY CHEST SO FLAT?!
Even my past self had a bigger chest than this! What's the point of being reincarnated as a girl if I don't even get the full package?!
So… am I really a girl?
Or… just a femboy?!
There's only one way to know for sure.
My heart pounds, my breath quickening as the realization slams into me.
I have to do it. The ultimate test!
Thus—
With a trembling hand, I reach down, hovering hesitantly. My fingers quiver, my pulse roaring in my ears like a battlefield drum.
My dear lil' bro…
My mind races, teetering between hope and horror.
Is he still there…
Or not?
———————————————-
Moments later….
"Ohhh shieeettttt!"
Yup.
Lil' bro is gone.
I collapse onto the floor, clutching my head, my mind unraveling like a cheap sweater in a hurricane.
I can't process this. I can't comprehend this.
I've been isekai'd. Reincarnated.
Not as myself.
Not as the 25-year-old man I once was.
But a catgirl!
A freaking catgirl!
Holy. Freaking. Shit!
And yet—
I still don't know how to feel about this.
On one hand… this is awesome.
I mean, come on. I've dreamed of being a catgirl. Living the ultimate fantasy—cute ears, a tail, a whole new body. This is peak wish-fulfillment material.
Chef's kiss.
And sure, I'm flat, but honestly? Kinda prefer it that way. Less back pain, right?
But on the other hand…
What now?
What the hell am I supposed to do now?
Everything's happening too fast.
In the blink of an eye, I've lost everything.
My family. My friends. My waifus. The comforts of modern life.
No more internet. No more anime. No more late-night pizza deliveries.
Now, I'm stranded. Alone. In a world I don't understand.
Fear slithers through me, wrapping tight around my chest.
I'm scared.
Terrified.
With no idea of what's going to happen next.