In the suburbs of Austin, Texas, USA.
The morning sun filtered through the partially closed curtains, casting a dim light into the somewhat dark room. On the large bed inside, a 13-year-old boy was fast asleep. The sunlight seemed to make him uncomfortable, causing his eyes to twitch slightly. He instinctively turned his head away from the window.
"Ding—!" Just as the boy turned his head, the cat-shaped alarm clock on the nightstand beside him let out a shrill ringing sound, jolting him awake. He frowned slightly, reached out from under the covers, and skillfully turned off the alarm. Only then did he slowly open his sore eyes.
He rubbed his eyes, sat up abruptly, stretched his limbs, and let out a strange noise, like a groan of relief. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was already 7:00 a.m. Without any hesitation, he kicked off the covers, slipped on the slippers by the bed, and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
He picked up the cup and toothbrush by the sink, looked at his own clear and youthful reflection in the mirror, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. "I can't believe I get this kind of perk after coming here," he muttered to himself.
Indeed, this boy was someone who had accidentally traveled to this world after a tragic death. He had been here for almost a month now, transitioning from initial confusion and unease to gradually adapting to his new surroundings. He found that this world was strikingly similar to the one he had left behind.
In this world, he was named Brian. His parents were overseas Chinese who were rarely home due to their demanding jobs. As a result, he lived in the house with only a housekeeper. This situation conveniently avoided the awkwardness of having to meet his parents right after arriving in this new world.
Overall, Brian was quite content with his current life. He no longer had the stress of his previous life, with no mortgage or car loans to worry about. Most importantly, he had been an orphan in his old life and had never been married, so he could live here without any emotional baggage.
After finishing his morning routine, Brian changed out of his pajamas and into his school uniform. He quickly tidied up and left his room.
In the downstairs hall, a middle-aged woman was busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Hearing the footsteps on the stairs, she glanced back and saw Brian standing at the top. "Hey, you're up early today," she said with a smile.
"Good morning, Josie," Brian replied, nodding at her.
"Go ahead and sit at the table. Breakfast will be ready in a minute," Josie instructed.
Brian crossed the living room and took a seat at the dining table, picking up the newspaper that was lying there. He had no phone to check, so he decided to read the news. However, his brow furrowed slightly as he read the headlines:
"Local Hospital Admissions Surge by 300% Due to Mysterious Infections"
"FDA Discovers More Contaminated Crops; Massive Recall Expected"
"Woman Goes Insane, Kills Husband and Three Others"
Brian couldn't help but wonder if his arrival in this world had somehow triggered these strange and increasing incidents of infections and murders.
"Here's your breakfast. Make sure you eat it all," Josie said, placing a plate of eggs, doughnuts, hash browns, and a glass of milk in front of him—a typical American breakfast.
Brian couldn't help but roll his eyes. He missed the soy milk, fried dough sticks, and porridge from his old life. It wasn't that those foods were particularly delicious, but he just couldn't stomach the overly sweet, high-calorie American breakfast every day.
He quickly ate a few bites and, while Josie wasn't looking, grabbed his backpack and dashed out the door, ignoring her calls from behind.
"Hey, Brian!" As he closed the front door, he heard someone calling his name. Turning around, he saw his neighbor, Sarah, a girl with short, light blonde hair and an adorable face. She was the first friend he'd made in this world, and he had managed to learn quite a bit about his previous life and the neighbors from her.
"Good morning," Brian greeted her warmly. He noticed a middle-aged man with a square face and a heavy beard standing a short distance behind her, glaring at him. The man was Sarah's father, Joel, who seemed to work in construction. Brian had never met his wife, but he guessed she was either divorced or deceased.
Joel continued to stare at Brian for a long moment, making him feel a bit uncomfortable. Finally, Joel gave a slight nod and then turned his attention to his phone, talking about something related to contractors. Brian could still hear him despite the distance.
"Ugh," Sarah muttered, having witnessed the whole exchange. She giggled and patted Brian on the shoulder. "My dad doesn't seem to like you very much."
"Ha," Brian replied with a chuckle.
Brian and Sarah attended the same school, which had a dedicated school bus for students. Since they lived in the suburbs near a highway, safety was a concern, so students were required to wait at a designated spot for the bus. If a student missed the bus, their parents would have to drive or take public transportation to get them to school.
"Good morning, Jimmy."
"Good morning, Cooper."
...
As they walked down the familiar path, Sarah seemed particularly cheerful today, waving and greeting everyone she knew.
"Hey, Brian," Sarah said once they were out of earshot. "I'm planning to sneak out of school and go to the mall today. Want to join me?"
Brian raised an eyebrow, surprised. He had always thought of Sarah as a well-behaved girl, but it seemed she had a rebellious side too.
"If you do that, Mrs. Judy will be furious," he warned.
"Pfft, as long as she doesn't find out," Sarah retorted, pulling out a folded piece of paper from her pocket and handing it to Brian. "I saw this on Mrs. Judy's desk last time. Take a look."
Brian unfolded the paper and immediately understood why Sarah was so confident. It read:
**School Notice**
All teachers are requested to attend a meeting in the school's public conference room at 1:00 p.m. on September 6, 2013. Please arrive on time. Thank you.
"Wow, you really planned this out," Brian said, shaking the paper for emphasis. "So, why are you skipping school to go to the mall?"
"It's my dad's birthday today, and I want to buy him a gift," Sarah explained.
"Alright, I'll go with you. When do we leave?"
"I'll let you know," she replied.
...
Once inside the school bus, Brian found a seat and looked out the window, enjoying the beautiful scenery that he had never seen in his old urban life. Compared to the cold concrete jungle, he much preferred the lush greenery and vibrant life outside the window.
After a half-hour ride, Brian and Sarah arrived at school. The teachers were already waiting at the entrance, and as soon as the bus door opened, they led their respective classes back to the classrooms.
The education system here was completely different from what Brian had experienced before. It was much more relaxed and focused on fun, with minimal supervision from teachers. He could tell that American teachers placed a greater emphasis on students' imagination and creativity, aiming for a more advanced form of education. In contrast, his previous education had focused on basic learning and cognitive abilities. Both approaches had their pros and cons, and it was hard to say which was better.
The morning flew by in a happy blur. At lunchtime, Brian entered the cafeteria and looked at the hamburgers and sandwiches in the display window with a sense of helplessness. His stomach was protesting, but he knew skipping lunch wasn't good for his health. He decided he'd have to cook something for himself when he got home.
After finishing lunch, Brian walked out of the cafeteria and noticed someone posting a new notice on the bulletin board by the entrance. With nothing better to do, he walked over out of curiosity. Once the person left, he stepped closer to read it.
It turned out that due to the worsening infectious disease situation, the entire city of Austin was about to go into lockdown. The school had issued a notice stating that starting in October, the school would be closed indefinitely. Students were asked to go home and inform their parents. For any questions, they were advised to call a specific number.
"Has it gotten this serious?" Brian thought, recalling a similar pandemic from his previous life. He decided he should buy some masks as a precaution. As he was about to turn away, a crowd of students gathered behind him, excitedly reading the notice. Some were even clapping and cheering.
After struggling to get out of the crowd, Brian was about to head back to class when he felt something poking his waist. He stopped in his tracks and turned around to see Sarah standing behind him. She winked at him, put a finger to her lips, and silently pointed to a corner of the cafeteria. She mouthed the word "Go!"