My name is Kanzaki Hiroshi.

  Born in Osaka. Currently lying on the pavement in Tokyo.

  I was a prodigy.

  Solved problems that others would take decades to crack. I could see patterns in the world that others couldn’t.

  But right now…

  I’m sprawled on the ground, staring up at the sky.

  The world around me blurs.

  My body feels wrong. Like it doesn’t belong to me anymore.

  I was crossing the street. Thinking about life, like I always do.

  The next breakthrough. The next problem to solve.

  And then—

  A black Lexus.

  A woman. Her face was…

  No, that’s not important now.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  The car was coming too fast, and I didn’t have time to move. I didn’t even register what was happening until I was already flying through the air, pain shooting through my limbs.

  My thoughts scatter. One minute I’m aware of my body being crushed, the next…

  I don’t know what’s happening anymore.

  But there’s something strange about this moment.

  The woman, I think, is getting out of the car. I can hear her footsteps, but it’s like everything is slowing down.

  The city noise fades away.

  I’m still conscious. I can feel my chest tightening. I’m in pain.

  But... am I going to die?

  I try to push myself up, but my body won’t cooperate. I feel dizzy. My mind races, trying to make sense of what’s happening.

  And then, somewhere between the agony, a thought floats into my head.

  I thought I’d lose my virginity by forty.

  It’s ridiculous.

  The smartest mind in the world, dying in a stupid accident, and that’s my last thought?

  I thought there’d be more to me than this. More time. More experiences.

  But this… This is all I get?

  I hear muffled voices around me now.

  They sound concerned, but it’s all distant. Like I’m hearing it from underwater.

  The woman’s voice is frantic. She’s saying something, but I can’t understand her words.

  My vision is fading, my limbs heavy.

  I can’t focus anymore.

  Flatline.

  Darkness comes like a blanket, wrapping me in its cool embrace.

  And somewhere in that darkness, I hear something—

  Laughter.

  I don’t know if it’s her, or the universe, or someone mocking me.

  But whatever it is, it’s the last thing I’ll hear.

  I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready to die.