Isekaijin: Chances In A Different World

Chapter-1 Game of Fate

"This necklace is awful!" A younger Mera hissed at Aaron, holding his gift to her as if it were something vile. "What made you even think I'd like something like this!?" Aaron flinched back, worry etched on his face.

"I-I thought... I saw you looking at it the other day and-" his stuttering dissolved into mumbles, leaving the boy anxiously gripping his side. "Just because I looked at it doesn't mean I want it! And it's Valentine's Day, I thought you'd take me to dinner! And you spend your money on this instead!?" Her grip easily broke the links of the necklace, causing the crystal-themed heart icon to fall on the road.

"Argh," she groaned, bending down to pick up the heart. "Now look what you made me do." Aaron was shivering in his shoes, tears escaping his eyes as he could barely mutter an apology, "S-sorry..." But that didn't sit well with Mera. "Huh!? Are you crying? Why? Because your girlfriend is yelling at you?! Have some spine, dammit!"

Mera's words landed on the boy like a train, causing him to freeze for a solid minute to absorb the news. In the meantime, Mera swiftly pulled out her phone and began texting someone. "What..." the boy uttered, "you heard me. You've been nothing but a burden, honestly. I don't even know what I saw in you."

"Wait, please! I could do better, I swear!" The boy pleaded, only for Mera to sigh away his plea. "What do you mean by 'do better'?" She looked down at him, "aren't you barely getting by? You can't afford to pay for anything unless you save up. And those cheap takeouts won't cut it for me. I'm always the one who takes us anywhere fancy."

She continued to list each and every one of the boy's flaws, gradually breaking down his self-esteem in the process. By the end of it, Aaron could not retaliate, nor muster up any phrase back at her. His breathing became rigged, clearly a sign of panic.

"And for the record," Mera casually mentioned, her gaze not even meeting the boy's eyes, "I've found someone else. Way better than you'll ever be." The words stung, amplifying the excruciating pain a hundred times over. Aaron could only lower his head, his silent tears finally breaking into sobs. "Don't tell anyone we used to date when the new school year starts, you hear!?" Mera yelled as she walked away, her words echoing with a mix of anger and indifference.

'Why is this happening?'

"Excuse me, is your name Aaron Winters?" Turning around in his sobbing state, the boy was met with two police officers. "Y-yes?" He managed to utter an answer between his tears, "you're suspected for sexually assaulting Sara Vial. Please come along." The boy had no time to even talk back, as his hands were handcuffed, and he was dragged to a police station, his world shattering into pieces amid the accusation.

"Just admit it, you brat! You assaulted her at the train station and ran off into the crowd!" Aaron flinched at the yelling directed towards him, he had no idea why he was suspected, let alone what to say to defend himself. Sobbing was his only option, an instinctual response to the overwhelming accusations and confusion engulfing him. And a typical one at that, from him, atleast.

Hours of questioning day and night wore Aaron down, leaving him exhausted and emotionally drained. He was only let go to return to his home, where a not so welcoming family awaited him.

SLAP

"You bring such shame to the family on top of already being a disappointment!" His father's words cut deep, a painful reminder of his constant struggle for approval. His father was a spitting image of a two-faced individual, only acknowledging Aaron's existence when he came back with a perfect score in his tests. Obviously, that small affection faded to dust due to the recent accusations, leaving Aaron feeling even more isolated and misunderstood.

"Why did I even give birth to you?" His mother was not directly involved with him, only taking time out of her day to remind him that he had failed her. Of course, they'd add salt to the injury by comparing the boy to Mera of all people.