“How did I end up here…?”

  ‘To be honest… I have no clue…’

  I’m Akira Nanase. A completely average seventeen-year-old high schooler.

  Or at least, that’s what I would’ve told you if I weren’t currently engaged to someone in a world full of swords and magic, wandering around with an elf, a cat-girl, and a girl who can turn into a baby dragon.

  Yeah. My life kind of took a wrong turn.

  If you really want to understand how it all went sideways, I should rewind about six months—back to my old world, back when my biggest problem was money.

  I was a high schooler and a carpenter’s apprentice. The pay wasn’t great, but it was enough to cover rent. The work was tough—lifting heavy planks, hammering nails, building houses from the ground up. Even if I don’t look it, I’m actually pretty strong.

  I lived alone. My parents died in a traffic accident when I was young, and none of my relatives wanted me. I bounced around for a while before finally ending up on my own. Honestly… I was relieved when that part of my life ended.

  But enough about that. You didn’t come here to hear my sob story. Let me show you where everything went wrong.

  “Hey, Nanase!”

  I turned around, wiping sweat from my forehead.

  “Bring those planks over here and nail them into these posts. Make sure they’re straight—if they aren’t, I’m docking your pay for the week.”

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  “Sure thing, boss,” I said, hoisting the planks onto my shoulder. “But please… don’t dock my pay. I kinda need it for rent.”

  “Then do it right, and we won’t have to worry about it.”

  “Got it… sir.”

  A few days later.

  “Nanase, you’ve been exhausted lately.”

  I glanced at my friend as we walked home from school.

  “Ever since you got that apprenticeship, you barely hang out anymore.”

  “Well, I need the job,” I replied. “Rent doesn’t pay itself. And I live alone, remember?”

  “I know, I know,” he said quickly. “But still… you don’t need to work every day. It’s gonna be lonely without you around.”

  “Lonely?” I raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got a massive friend group.”

  “That’s not the point.”

  I checked the time and froze.

  “Oh—crap. That’s late. I’ve gotta run. Feed my cat and get changed for work.”

  “Wait,” he said suddenly.

  I stopped. “Yeah?”

  “Can you look to the right?”

  “…Sure?”

  ‘Why does he want me to look this way?’

  “Now close your eyes.”

  “…Fine. My eyes are closed. Now what?”

  Something felt wrong. Really wrong.

  ‘Why do I feel like I’m—’

  “I’m opening my eyes now.”

  The ground was gone.

  “WHY AM I FALLING?!”

  Wind rushed past me, and my stomach dropped.

  ‘Wait—where am I—?’

  ‘Oh. Good. I’m gonna land in water.’

  Splash.

  “…Wait a minute…”

  “I CAN’T SWIM!”