I Died In My Sleep

“… It’s a white room.”

When I awoke this morning, I found myself in a stark white room.

Really, it’s so white that it’s impossible to tell where the walls and ceiling are.

Whether it’s a narrow space or a wide space is also vague. Just looking at it is unsettling.

“So you have finally awoken, new reincarnator.”

“Haa… Good morning.”

“… You give a lighthearted response.”

No, I just woke up badly. My head isn’t working just yet.

For now, I’ll just ask this disembodied voice some questions.

“Where am I?”

“This is the reincarnation room. Here you pick where you will be reincarnated and what race you shall be reincarnated as.”

This person’s voice sounds like a little girl, but speaks like an old man.

“… So I died, Loligramps-san.”

“Sadly, yes… wait, Loligramps!?”

“Yes. Loligramps-san.”

“You… how rude.”

“Sorry, is Grandpa Loli better?”

“That is not the problem! The ordering of words and what I want to say are two separate things!”

Really, to yell at someone who just woke up. He’s kinda an annoying person.

While standing up and stretching to shake off drowsiness, I question the loligramps.

“Nh, mm… How did I die?”

“You move quickly huh… no matter. The cause of your death was sleep apnea.”

Sleep apnea syndrome.

It’s that, where you just stop breathing in your sleep… right?

“You usually aren’t supposed to die from sleep apnea though. It just raises your risk of cerebrovascular disorders and heart diseases.”

“Hmm? That’s what I heard though. Still, your death was indirectly caused by sleep apnea. Really, the upper management does sloppy work… Anyways, you died. Got it?”

“Haa, I understand.”

I don’t know anything about the upper management, but if I died, there’s nothing that can done. I didn’t suffer, so I guess that’s good. It’s much better than dying while in pain and suffering. Instead of living a long life and dying while suffering, dying while young and quickly is much more ideal.

“Then… reincarnation? Why reincarnation? Is there a rule where if you die from sleep apnea you get reincarnated?”

“No, it is just that your soul is… how would you say… passionless.”

“Passionless… is it?”

It was as the voice said, normally I am a passionless person, a person without a scrap of motivation.

I am an existence of self-indulgence, a parasite clinging on to and surviving off of parents.

“Without a doubt I am like a speck of dust on earth, or maybe it’s better to say I’m merely extra baggage, an existence that offers no benefits for being around, like the uvula or appendix.”

“Your self-evaluation is harsh!”

“Well it’s all true. And, what is the point in reincarnating such a passionless person? Go force this on to another a person with more drive. Like a person who died screaming, ‘Noooooo, I won’t die yeeeet!’ would be better right? Then, goodnight.”

“Wait, don’t just say such an obvious answer and casually go back to sleep. Also, what is with that strangely dramatic performance!?”

The futon disappeared before my eyes. Without even leaving time to blink, it really gave off a feeling of vanishing into thin air.

… This, doesn’t seem to be a dream.

Haa. What a pain. I miss my futon.