Ibara Rosehearts: This is NOT ii Hiyori!

3 - Realization

*all chapters will be Ibara's POV if you haven't noticed*

°•°•°•°

I yawned periodically as I stare out of the window blankly. It's a nice weather.

The sun bleeding orange with it's hues painting the passing greenery. My notebook, now my diary, sat at my lap as I fiddled with my pen. The pages were blank aside from my name, or past name, information I remember and Riddle's.

My head hurts, it spins when I try to remember myself, and it blurs if I try to remember Riddle's.

Saegusa Ibara; vice-president of Cosmic Production. A member of Eden.

Riddle Rosehearts; house-warden of Heartsebul. First boss of Twisted Wonderland.

What similarities do we even share? My hair is burgundy rather than crimson. My eyes are azure not stale gray. I prefer to be an assistant, not the leader.

I wish I could have a talk with Eve and their off-mark comparisons. Maybe I could find a way back..? This world specializes in magic, maybe I could find some sort of spell? Come to think of it, isn't this situation a popular story with the entertainment industry? Isekai, was it?

Isn't it the common start? Died unknowingly and suddenly in another world and you want to go back and then you meet people who'll stop you. Wait.

No. This is not happening.

With a groan of disdain, I close the notebook and decided to go to the restroom. Riddle's father fell asleep ages ago any way.

'Alice' is Riddle's mother and - in a way - mine as well. If she's 'my' mother, then what am 'I' to her? I sighed. I looked at my reflection at the mirror in distaste. Red isn't as flattering as it used to.

°•°•°•°

The next morning was rather boring. The restaurant on the was rather quiet instead of the busy atmosphere. Maybe there's not a lot of people abored? Maybe.

The chef was rather cheery. Humming loudly as she happily says the order. She reminds me of Shiina. I heard humming as the mentioned chef approached the table. "Kochen!" Riddle's father smiled up at the woman who grinned. "Finally brought your son along." Playfully, she hits his arm, a smile ever present on his face.

The name though, "I don't mean to sound rude but, is your name actually 'Köchen'?" Her grin seemingly grew. "Nope, it's just a nickname your father gave me." She laughed at the end of her sentence. "Name's Leyla. Your father talks a lot about you."

She paused and changed the subject abruptly to get our orders and sheepishly head back to the kitchen.

º•º•º•º

"Where are we even going?" I stared out of the window and people poured in and out of the train. This was the second station the train had stopped by. I kicked the air slightly as my feet couldn't reach the ground. I huffed and turned to the man I was trying to talk to.

He's asleep, again.

He's like a mix of Kagehira and that vampire-esque knight. Does everyone here resemble's a Knight member? I guess I could deal with the past king's envoy but not the past king himself.

I wrote what I observed in the world and what I know from his highness. So far, magic was definitely present, I could feel pain and this isn't a dream. I keep finding similarities between people back in ES and here, unfortunately more often than what I'm comfortable with.

I snuck off to the lounge area, leaving the sleeping man by himself. I shook my wrist before folding up the sleeves of my polo. After the accident I woke up to, I started to wear mostly polo and overalls or shorts with suspenders. I did take note that the wardrobe was mostly filled with heavy clothing fit for those who didn't need to move a finger.

I do know how to control magic, Riddle had notes about it but I do have a distaste of relying on magic; Human's Instincts reigns supreme, if I rely on magic too much then...

Speaking of instincts, I could feel someone stare at me.

I glanced around subtly while continuing walking over a table. The train was narrow but the space between tables with seats allowed easy walk through.

"Hey~," in a rather sing-song tone, someone tapped my shoulder. I looked up lazily at the person with an uninterested expression. Lazily grinning towards me is a boy a bit older with ginger hair. It was tied in a low ponytail that curls in a similar fashion from someone in NewDI.

I sighed and forced a smile on my face. "What can I do for you?" I mentally reeled at the cashier-like sentence I said on a whim. The other blinked before laughing, "It's not like I'm buying anything." I sighed as he laughs. "Cater by the way. Just got bored and decided to talk to people 'round here." He shrugs casually.

"Well you decided to talk to the worst possible person ever." I deadpanned looked at him. I won't talk about how his cherry disposition reminds me of Tenshouin-shi. "At least it'll be peaceful rather than being with my sisters..." He audibly muttered and sat at the empty space at my right.

"Where you goin'?" He glanced at me curiously. "Not certain, father won't tell me anything." I shrugged as the foreign word rolled off my tongue. I sighed, everything is so unfamiliar...

"Wait, I nevee got your name!" Cater gasped in realization, "What's your name?" He curiously awaited my answer to which I sighed again. "Riddle, Riddle Rosehearts." I placed the notebook on the table and faced him. "So, Cater, what is it that you want to talk about that you had to bother a stranger?"

After all I could have done more work but I can't let other see the contents of my notebook! No one probably knows my name, Ibara... If I'm questioned about that I can't explain it. Isekai is a foreign concept that's hard to accept when jt happens in real life.

How could one explain rebirth in another form in another world?

Especially to the ones in said world.

Cater, I have to lie to Cater and everyone I will meet from now on.

I have to be Riddle not Ibara.