I was still staring at my reflection, unable to process the drastic change in my appearance. My fingers slid over my face, touching the smooth skin, the more defined jaw, the features that had once been distinctly Asian and now looked European or American. My short, silky black hair shone under the bathroom light, as if I had just stepped out of a beauty salon.
Isthisreallyme?
I moved closer to the mirror, trying to find some flaw, some proof that this was an illusion, a dream, anything that made sense. But it was real. I could feel my own skin under my fingers, feel the texture of my hair as I ruffled it, see the confused and frightened expression reflected back at me.
It was then that something even stranger happened.
A blue holographic screen appeared in the air, right before my eyes.
"What—?!"
I took a step back, startled. My breath caught in my throat as I watched the glowing words appear on the translucent interface.
[Ding! [Ding!]
[Congratulations]
[SuccessfullyObtainedSummoningSystem]
[WouldYouLiketoSeetheTutorial?]
[Yes] [No]
My eyes blinked several times, as if that could make that screen disappear. But it remained there, floating in the air like something straight out of an anime or an RPG game.
My heart was still beating fast from the fright, but now, mixed with the shock, a thought took shape in my mind:
IsthisreallyaSystem?
I had seen this kind of thing in many isekai stories and light novels. A system of skills, status, quests... But why the hell was something like this appearing to me now?
Still confused, I closed my eyes for a moment and thought:
Yes.
The screen changed immediately, as if it had understood my mental response.
[Welcome, Host]
[SummoningSystem: Allowstheusertosummonanyfemalecharacterfromanyanime, mangaorlightnoveloftheuser'schoice]
[SummoningProcess: Saythecharacter'snameoutloudandtheworldoforigin, specifytheversionofthatcharactertheuserwantstosummon, theusercanalsochoosetheageofthecharacter; recommendedforcharacterswhoareminorsintheworldoforigin]
[SummoningFinalProcess: Afterthechoiceshavebeenmade, itmustbeconfirmedwhetheritisreallythischaracterthattheuserwantstosummon]
[DoestheUserwishtomakethefirstSummon?]
[Yes] [No]
My eyes scanned each line of that text with a mixture of disbelief and excitement.
Wait... doesthismeanthatIcanbringanyheroinefrommyfavoriteanime, mangaandlightnovelstoreallife?
The idea was absurd, but there was the System, making it clear that this was exactly the proposal. A laugh escaped my lips.
Thisisinsane... butatthesametime...
I didn't know exactly how to react. It was a mix of excitement and confusion.
That's when it hit me.
…Therequest.
The shooting star.
Last night, after yet another rejection, I looked up at the sky and asked for luck in love.
And, in some completely absurd and impossible way, that request had been granted.
In a completely unexpected way, but... it came true.