Haruto jolted awake, his body drenched in sweat as he struggled to steady his breathing. His heart was hurt like being crushed by a truck and the tears kept streaming down his face.
"What happened? Someone brought me to the Hospital?"
He frantically scanned the room, it wasn't a hospital, he was in his own simple space.
The bed was tucked into the corner, against the white walls adorned with posters of his favorite bands.
Sunlight streamed through the window behind him, causing his green eyes to squint against the brightness.
To his right was a cluttered desk, piled with books and light novels he loved. His guitar rested beside it, untouched.
"What the hell... I'm not dead?"
He touched his stomach, expecting to find the wound from his nightmare, but there was nothing—no pain, no blood.
"Was that just a dream...? But it felt so real."
He got out of bed and approached the cupboard near the door, where a small mirror was attached.
Staring at his reflection, he ran a hand through his disheveled black hair, which had grown past his shoulder, covering his eyes.
Lifting the bangs, he saw the familiar mole beneath his eye.
He was stunned, his hairstyle was totally changed! He remembered that he cut his hair every time the summer vacation was over.
"It's... Might not be a normal dream... but what's with this golden screen?"
Before him hovered a translucent screen, like something out of an RPG game. The text read:
[Welcome to the Debauchery Slave System, Haruto Hayashi!]
His brow furrowed in confusion. He'd read plenty of novels with this kind of premise, but to see it happening to him was surreal.
He decided to deal with the system later; first, he needed to confirm if what he experienced was truly just a dream.
"Daiki, that bastard!"
His anger flared at the thought of Daiki, the emotions from the nightmare still raw and vivid.
He could still feel the pain and the helplessness as he faced his sister's torment.
Then, as if struck by lightning, he remembered—Haruka!
Without a second thought, Haruto bolted from his room, slamming open the door and racing to his sister's room next door.
Haruto's eyes widened in realization that what he saw wasn't a dream or a foreseen! He was given a second chance!
He went back to the past!
A small, almost eerie smile crept onto his face.
"This... This is a chance!"
'A chance for revenge and to make things right,' he thought, his resolve hardening.
They were only two years apart, which meant that when Haruka was in her last year of junior high, he was in his second year of high school!
All the terrible things that had happened to her started when she entered the same school as him.
There was a gang of boys who had taken an interest in her. Haruto had done everything he could to protect her, but in the end, he had failed.
"A year... I'll destroy him and his entire group in a year," he murmured darkly, his voice low and dangerous.
Haruka shivered, sensing the change in him. Her brother's green eyes had grown dim, darkened by something she couldn't understand.
The veins on his temple throbbed as his voice dropped even lower.
"Brother... What's happening to you?"
Haruto took her hand, his grip gentle this time. "Don't worry, Haruka. You'll be fine. I'll destroy anyone who dares to hurt you."
"I'll make sure they all die... in the most painful, horrible way possible."
His eyes gleamed with a madness that made her blood run cold. His smile twisted into something grotesque, and his grip on her hand tightened until she flinched.
"Brother, you're hurting me," she said, trying to pull away.
Realizing what he was doing, Haruto quickly let go, staring in horror at the red marks on her hand.
His expression fell, guilt crashing over him like a wave. "I'm so sorry, Haruka. Does it hurt?"
He reached out to take her hand again, but she pulled back, avoiding his touch. The guilt in his chest deepened, twisting his stomach into knots.
"You're scaring me... What's happened to you?" Haruka's voice was small, frightened, as she edged away from him.
"I—"
Before Haruto could explain, someone called out from the doorway.
"Haruto, Haruka, why don't you come for breakfast?" came the voice.