Replay

1-1 Spark

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own Tokyo Manji Revengers, including its characters and plot.

A few warnings first:

There will not be any romance other than the canon pairings. There will be close friendships/bromances, similar to the original material, but the main character will not end up in a relationship(that's my plan, anyway).

There will be a few OC's in addition to the main protagonist. We only know the captains and vice-captains in Toman, and it would feel contrived if they were the only characters the protagonist interacted with. Don't worry, they will not play major roles in the plot.

There will be some cursing. I am writing a slightly older protagonist, and there will be moments where this character has darker thoughts, but I will do my best to not let it be excessive.

I think I've just lost the majority of my readers with the first point, but for those left, I hope you enjoy. Comments and constructive criticism are appreciated.

Edited A/N: Besides changing the chapter order, I have made a few modifications, but nothing major. One notable one is her host family's surname being changed to "Ito."

I absolutely despised flying economy.

The brat sitting behind me kicked my chair for the umpteenth time, jolting the laptop in my lap. Someone's baby had been wailing nonstop for the past eon. And my neighbor, while a polite elderly man who had offered to help store my luggage, had just released a potent stink-bomb that was making its rounds around the cabin.

I blankly watched the tiny clock on the upper corner of my laptop tick by, the analog second hand almost hypnotizing. It was an 11-hour flight from Los Angeles to Japan, and despite only twenty minutes having passed, I already wished it would be over.

The blinking cursor on my screen hadn't moved since the beginning of the flight. Nor had my hands, seemingly frozen over the keys. Lines of code stared back expectantly at me, but it all looked like gibberish at the moment.

I'd been ecstatic when I received an offer from a major tech company in Japan. Living in Japan? Hell yes! This would also be my first full-time job since getting out of grad school. Regardless, my family had thrown a small party to celebrate. Ah, I could vividly remember the sheer jealousy on my older brother's face, although he didn't take it too kindly when I gloated. My cheek still ached.

Although, I was careful to not let my excitement get the better of me. Before leaving, I'd brushed up on my Japanese skills and figured out a residence and work visa. I had trouble falling asleep last night because I was so excited.

But right now, I wanted to watch the world burn.

I blinked as the seat in front of me reclined deeply, gently pushing down the computer screen onto my hands. "It's alright," it seemed to say. "You've earned a break." I'd gotten precisely zero work done. Yeah, I deserve one, I thought, giving myself a mental pat on the back. I clicked my laptop shut and slipped it into my handbag.

With nothing else to do, I stared blankly out the window, where an endless expanse of darkening clouds drifted by. As my seat continued to be assaulted by the child behind me, I considered getting some of the manga that I had stored in my luggage. Perhaps a good book could help me escape from reality, and I was nearly at what seemed to be the climax of the series. I turned in my seat towards the aisle, but my neighbor was slouched in his chair with his head lolling to the side, fast asleep. I briefly debated on waking him up before sinking back down. Nah, he'd been a nice fellow (up to the fart); I'd feel like a jerk if I bothered him anymore.