Something unbelievable happened to me. Yes, a floating screen appeared before my eyes. This screen looked like a status window in a game. At first, I thought it was just my imagination because I had just woken up, but it seemed real. I spent the last few minutes staring at this screen. 

"What is this?" I muttered, puzzled. The screen only showed the word [loading]. I tried touching it, but nothing happened. Should I wait for it to finish loading?

. . .

[Initializing startup]

The words on the screen then changed to those words.

"Huh? There's mo-", before I could finish my sentence, my head suddenly hurt.

"Arggghhh," I groaned in pain. It felt like my head was about to explode. At the same time, I felt as if a lot of foreign information was entering my head. I, who was standing, was now sitting on the bed. After a while, the pain in my head slowly disappeared.

. . .

I spent about half an hour sorting through my thoughts. The foreign information that appeared in my head felt clearer. This information felt familiar? This...

"Memory?" the word came out of my mouth. Finally, I realized it. The information wasn't random; they were memories. Yes, the memories of someone's life. He was a 15-year-old teenager who had just entered high school but lost his life because he was hit by a truck. His name was Haru.

"This... my memories?" I said, confused. How could this be? Haru is me?

. . .

More precisely, he was me in my previous life. There's no doubt about it; it seems like I've been reincarnated. I myself don't understand how this could happen and why the memories of my previous life have returned to me.

Haru was an ordinary teenager from an ordinary family. There was nothing special about his life. His only hobby was reading fiction.

"I hope my previous parents are okay..." I murmured sadly. What parent would want their child to die before them? I hope they don't fall into sadness because of my death.

Unbeknownst to me, tears flowed down my cheeks. My chest felt tight. Imagining their expression upon learning of my death made my heart ache. I could only cry when I realized this.

*Knock, knock*

My sobbing stopped as I heard a knock on my bedroom door. My gaze immediately went to the door.

"Young Master Dillon, are you awake?" a man's voice came from behind the door. I recognized that voice. He was the head servant in our house, named Daniel. He was nearing my grandfather's age and had been working for my family since my father was a child.

"Yes! I'm awake, Daniel!" I replied a bit loudly. Hopefully, my voice didn't sound like someone who had just been crying. What reason should I give if he asks why I was crying? I can't possibly tell him that I suddenly got memories of my previous life and cried because I remembered my parents from my previous life, right?

"Good then. I just wanted to remind the young master to get ready. Today is your first day at high school; you mustn't be late," Daniel said gently.

"Alright, Daniel. Thank you for reminding me," I replied to Daniel. I was very grateful to him for always looking out for me. I had come to see him almost like my own grandfather.

"You're welcome, young master. It's my duty as a servant serving your family," shortly after that, I could hear his footsteps moving away.

"Hah..." I sighed. Daniel was very perceptive; I wouldn't be surprised if he noticed the change in my voice from usual. Fortunately, he wasn't the type to meddle in other people's lives. Even if he did notice, he probably wouldn't say anything.

"Now..." I looked back at the screen in front of me. This time, the screen showed a question.

[Initialization is complete, do you want to continue? Yes/No]

I still didn't understand what this screen meant. Did the return of memories from my previous life have anything to do with this screen? I was curious what would happen if I chose [No]. Would my memories be erased again if I refused?

"Well, besides, I'm also curious about what's really happening here..." I decided to choose [Yes]. This time, will my head not suddenly hurt again? Just thinking about the sensation made me shudder.

*Ding*

A ringing sound came from the screen. At the same time, new text appeared on the screen.

[Oh chosen one, save the heroine! Failure will lead to death. Countdown until the story's ending: 365 days]

"Huh?" I couldn't say anything. I, who was already confused, became more confused. I gave the screen a puzzled and annoyed look.

"Heroine? Who's that? And what do you mean I'll die if this mission fails?" various questions came out of my mouth.

[The heroine is Rosemary Lovelace. If you fail to save the heroine, you will die.]

As if answering my question, the text on the screen changed again.

"Okay, Rosemary is the one I have to save. But why is she called a heroine? Is she going to be an important figure in the future?" I asked again.

[Because I have unlocked your memories, you should know "Silverlining." A manga you read in your previous life. The main character in that manga is Rosemary Lovelace.]

"Silverlining?" I murmured softly. I tried to remember the manga.

"Oh! That shoujo manga with a tragic ending, right?" I said to the screen. Memories of that manga slowly came back to me. Even though I was a boy, I was a big fan of the romance genre. I read various romance works regardless of their target audience, whether they were targeted at men or women.

Silverlining was one of the works I read because it was a romance work. The story started like a typical shoujo romance. The female hero began attending a high school and met potential love interests. A cliché beginning, isn't it? At first, I thought this manga was just a light and sweet manga. But once the introduction chapter was over, the story suddenly turned into a psychological thriller. Despite being surprised by the change in tone, I continued reading the manga out of curiosity.

In short, this manga told the story of a girl who intentionally attended a prestigious school to find the culprit behind her family's murder. The potential love interests were actually suspects suspected by the main character. In order to find the truth, she was willing to take risks. Unfortunately, the perpetrator found out the main character's goal and tortured her little by little. The main character, who couldn't stand the suffering anymore, decided to end her life.

An ending I never expected when i pick up the manga. An ending that could be called realistic, but also painful. As someone who loves happy endings, this manga's ending felt very painful. Because of that, this manga left a deep impression on me.

"So, I have to prevent her from ending her life?" I said to the screen. My heart felt heavy after realizing Rosemary's situation.

[Exactly! Bonus points will be given if you can give her a happy ending.]

Not only do I need to prevent her death, but I also need to protect her from the clutches of dangerous people. Can I do it? But...

"Alright, I'll make her the happiest girl in the world!" I said confidently. I decided to save Rosemary.

[Please take care of me (≡^∇^≡)]

Author's note:

I made this story because I want more non-harem otome isekai-like stories with male protagonist. Hope you like it. Any suggestion or advice are welcomed.

Bonus

Illustration by gominty_jelly on Instagram. I commisioned this, please don't steal or claim this artwork as yours.