Episode 3: A SECOND CHANCE

**Chapter 1: A Second Chance**

Kyoshi stared out the hospital window, watching the rain as it pattered softly against the glass. His frail, trembling hands rested on the bedsheets, while the beeping machines beside him marked the steady decline of his life. Seventy years had been a long time, but now, as his breath grew weaker, the memories of his past relationships rushed into his mind.

The faces of lovers long gone flickered before him—his high school sweetheart, a woman he thought he’d marry but lost to youthful indecision. The colleague he met during his internship, with whom he shared stolen moments that slipped through his fingers. The love he found again as a team leader, only to lose her to the pressures of his career. The woman who stood beside him when he became a director, whose warmth he traded for the cold, isolating ascent to the top. Each relationship, a brief chapter in a book of missed chances and bittersweet endings.

Regret weighed heavy on him, but before he could dwell on it, a deep darkness swallowed his vision. Kyoshi exhaled one final, shuddering breath.

And then… nothing.

When Kyoshi opened his eyes, he expected the afterlife, some vague expanse of nothingness. Instead, he found himself lying in an unfamiliar bed—a bed that smelled fresh and young. His body no longer felt heavy with age, and his hands… his hands were smooth, unwrinkled.

Kyoshi bolted upright, his heart pounding. He was not in the hospital. He was… *young*.

He stumbled out of bed and hurried toward the nearest mirror. His reflection stared back at him—an impossible version of himself. He was no longer seventy years old. No longer frail, with thinning hair and liver spots. He was seventeen again, his high school self.

“What… what is this?” he muttered, touching his face in disbelief.

The door burst open, and his mother stormed into the room, her face red with frustration. “Kyoshi! You overslept again! You're going to be late for school!” she yelled, grabbing a nearby pillow and tossing it at him.

Kyoshi, still dazed from the shock of his situation, acted on pure instinct. He rushed to his mother, enveloping her in a tight hug. He was so overwhelmed with joy, he kissed her cheek.

“What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?” she exclaimed, pushing him away. “Hurry up and get dressed before you miss the bus!”

Kyoshi, still smiling, nodded as he quickly threw on his school uniform. His mother’s scolding didn’t bother him. He was alive. Young. Given a second chance. His heart raced with excitement, but his mind buzzed with a singular thought—a goal that eluded him in his previous life.

*I will find love again. I will build a family.*

After racing down the stairs and planting quick kisses on his younger brother and sister, who both stared at him like he was insane, Kyoshi darted out the door and ran toward the school.

The familiar school gates loomed before him, and the sensation of walking through them felt surreal. The buildings, the classrooms, even the worn concrete of the courtyard—it was all the same, yet so different. Memories of a life lived, decisions made, and opportunities lost danced around him. But this time, he wouldn’t let his life slip through his fingers.

As Kyoshi stepped into his classroom, the usual chaos of students chatting and laughing surrounded him. He took his seat near the back, where he could observe everything. He had barely settled in when the teacher entered, calling for silence. It was time for introductions.

Kyoshi leaned back, only half-listening as his classmates stood up, one by one, introducing themselves. But then… his ears perked up.

"Hi, I'm Yumi Asakura."

Kyoshi's heart skipped a beat. *Yumi?*

He remembered her. His high school girlfriend—the first woman who ever broke his heart. He looked over at her, and there she was, just as she had been all those years ago. Young, vibrant, with a shy smile.

Then the next name. "My name is Hana Takeda."

Kyoshi froze. *Hana?* She had been his girlfriend during college. His mind reeled, trying to grasp what was happening. And then another name, and another, each one like a ghost from his past.

"My name is Reina Matsui."

"My name is Keiko Nakamura."

One after another, every woman he had ever dated, every person who had meant something to him in his old life, stood up and introduced themselves. All of them… in this classroom. His six ex-girlfriends, here, as his classmates.

Kyoshi's eyes darted around the room, his pulse quickening. This couldn't be a coincidence. He clenched his fists, determination flooding his chest.

Kyoshi’s mind raced, heart pounding with the weight of everything in front of him. His past lovers, his regrets, all bundled together in one classroom on his very first day back in high school. The strangeness of the situation overwhelmed him—how could this be real? Why had he been given this second chance, and why were *they* all here, too?

As he tried to collect himself, the teacher clapped her hands.

"Alright, everyone, settle down! Since it's the first day, let's get to know each other a little better. We'll be doing some icebreaker activities before diving into the year."

Kyoshi shifted in his seat, still glancing around the room, struggling to keep his cool. He hadn't expected *this* at all. He had set a goal to find love and build a family, but not with the women from his previous life showing up all at once.

The teacher started assigning groups for the activity, and Kyoshi’s worst fear came true when he was placed in a group with Yumi, his high school girlfriend. She approached their table with that same bright smile he remembered so well.

“Kyoshi, right?” Yumi asked, sitting down next to him, her voice soft yet confident. “You seem familiar.”

Kyoshi blinked, nerves rushing through him. Did she remember something too? No, that was impossible. In this timeline, she had no reason to know him yet. He had to play it cool.

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” Kyoshi said, trying to keep his voice steady, though internally he felt like a mess. He looked at her, unable to stop himself from remembering every detail of their time together—the long walks home after school, the shared secrets, the first heartbreak that left him aching for years.

As they worked through the icebreaker, discussing hobbies and summer vacations, Kyoshi tried to focus, but his mind kept slipping back to the past. Yumi was just one of many faces he had to deal with. How could he approach this? Could he change things this time, make them last?

“Do you have any siblings?” Yumi asked, her voice cutting through his thoughts.

“Uh, yeah, a younger brother and sister,” Kyoshi replied, still somewhat distant as he glanced over at another table. There sat Hana, the girlfriend from his college days. He remembered the warmth of their shared moments, how supportive she had been during his hardest years at university, and how their relationship had crumbled under the pressure of academic life.

Hana glanced his way, catching his eye for a split second before turning back to her group. *Does she remember me?*

More names, more faces, his past unraveling before him in real time. Reina, his colleague during his internship, her stern but caring demeanor still evident as she led her group’s discussion. Keiko, his teammate when he was a manager, looking just as fierce and independent as the day she told him she couldn’t handle his obsession with work.

All of them were here, their young selves sitting just a few feet away, completely unaware of the future they once shared with him. Kyoshi’s heart felt heavy, yet a strange hope surged through him. *This is my chance to make things right.*

As the day continued, Kyoshi found himself torn between the familiarity of his classmates and the daunting task that lay ahead. He didn’t know why or how this had happened, but one thing was clear—this was no ordinary second chance. It was a test, a crossroads where every decision he made from now on would have consequences.

By the time the final bell rang, Kyoshi had a plan forming in his mind. He wouldn't rush into relationships like he had in his previous life. He wouldn’t let his work, his ambition, or his fear of commitment ruin everything again. This time, he would do things differently.

But the path ahead wasn’t going to be easy. How could he approach these women, all of whom had left a mark on his life, without making the same mistakes? He looked at Yumi, then at the other girls, each representing a pivotal moment in his old life.

The answer hit him like a wave—he couldn’t focus on them just yet. If he wanted a different outcome, he needed to focus on *himself* first.

As Kyoshi left the classroom, he made his way through the bustling school hallways, determined to take his life in a new direction. His future—and perhaps his happiness—depended on the choices he would make in the days to come.

*This is my life now. And this time, I won’t let it slip away.*

With a deep breath, Kyoshi walked toward the school gates, his mind swirling with possibilities. His second chance had only just begun.

Chapter end