I was Thrown into an Unfamiliar Manga

After dinner, I finally had some time alone in my room.
Well, to be precise, I wasn’t completely alone since Saya, who had possessed me, was still with me.

「Hey, if you’re just going to sit there reading, can I borrow your phone?」
“Why do you need my phone?”
「There’s nothing to do here, and I’m bored.」

“Fine.”
As she asked, I took my smartphone out of my pocket and tossed it to her.
Even though she was a ghost, she had no problem holding the phone, and she started fiddling with it intently.

「What the heck! There’s no Wi-Fi here?!」
I turned a page in my book as I replied.
“We’re in the mountains.”
「Ugh…」

Grinding her teeth in frustration, she started messing with something else.
Anyway, I only used my smartphone for games or videos, so there wasn’t anything risky for someone else to see.
After quite some time of her fiddling with my phone, I started wondering what she was doing, since she had gone quiet for a while. When I turned my head, I froze.

She was crying transparent tears.
“Why are you crying?”
Startled by my question, she shook her head furiously.

「I wasn’t crying.」
Saya said that flatly, pretending nothing had happened, then handed me back the smartphone.
Then she muttered something about needing some fresh air and floated out of the room.

It was obviously just an excuse to run away, but I didn’t bother pointing it out.
I was at least kind enough for that much.
Instead, I unlocked the phone she had left behind. The gallery was still open in the recent apps, so I tapped it.

Saya had been looking at a group photo we had taken recently when the D-Class members went to the beach.
In the photo, Ryuji was smiling brightly, flashing a peace sign with his fingers.
Seems like he’s been striking that same pose ever since he was a kid.

It wasn’t hard to guess why Saya had burst into tears, so I slipped the smartphone back into my pocket and stared at the corridor beyond the door she had left through.
I wasn’t the one who could comfort her.
All I could do now was quietly watch over her.

***
The martial art was even more sophisticated than I had expected.
Generally, old martial arts are considered less practical than modern ones.
There are many reasons for that, but I guess it’s mostly because the nature of combat has changed drastically since those times.

But , created as an assassination art with “one strike, certain kill” in mind, focused entirely on efficiently targeting and destroying human vital points, making it just as practical—if not more so—than any modern martial art.
Swift Gale had seven forms in total, all named after the wind:
1st Form – Kamaitachi
2nd Form – Hayate (Swift Gale)
3rd Form – Arashi (Storm)
4th Form – Tatsumaki (Tornado)
5th Form – Oikaze (Tailwind)
6th Form – Tsujikaze (Whirlwind)
7th Form – Ryuunobori (Dragon’s Ascent)

I guess they were deliberately themed that way.
It does sound cooler.
Anyway, by the time I finished reading the book cover to cover, it was already late, so I decided to sleep.

I placed the book at my bedside and blew out the candle.
As the room grew dark, Saya floated in mid-air and asked:
「Going to sleep?」

“Yeah.”
「…Good night.」
Surprisingly, Saya didn’t act up or tease me this time; she just turned her back and said that.

I had no idea if ghosts slept, but I was too exhausted to care.
My eyes slowly grew heavy, and before I knew it, I had drifted off.
***

I had a nightmare for the first time in a while.
I don’t remember exactly what it was about, but it probably had something to do with my previous life.
I was wandering alone through a burning lab. Flames wrapped around me as I flailed helplessly.
I tried rolling on the ground to extinguish the fire, but it wouldn’t go out—it just grew larger and larger.

Eventually, I woke up to an all-too-real pain, as if my very bones were being burned.
“Huff… huff… huff… huff…”
Even breathing hurt.

Clutching my chest, I struggled to draw proper breaths.
My stomach felt impossibly hot, as if I had swallowed a ball of fire.
I grabbed the water jug beside the bed and gulped down cold water in big swigs.

Even then, the burning heat didn’t subside.
Setting the jug down, I splashed my face with cold water.
“Phew… What the hell is going on…”

I felt worse than I ever had since possessing Kim Yu-seong’s body.
I had no idea how to deal with it.
I tried to get up from the bed for some fresh air, but then I noticed something strange.

“Huh?”
My clothes were too big.
The yukata, which had always fit me perfectly, now looked absurdly oversized.

Stumble!
My foot caught on the pants hem, and I stumbled forward, catching myself with my hands.
That’s when I realized.

My clothes hadn’t grown—my body had shrunk.
「Mm… What’s going on at this hour…」
Hearing the commotion, Saya rubbed her eyes and floated upright, still half-asleep.

When our eyes met, she blinked at me blankly, then frowned.
「Who are you?」
“…It’s Kim Yu-seong.”

Her eyes widened.
「No way! The guy I know is way bigger, like a huge lump of muscle!」
Technically, she wasn’t wrong, but it was annoying to hear.

As I stood up awkwardly, she asked:
「How did this happen?」
“I’m not sure. Probably a side effect of that drug I took when we fought.”

For now, there was nothing I could do. I figured I’d just sleep on it and think tomorrow.
***
Morning came.

After fully grasping the situation, Fuma-senpai muttered with a shocked expression:
“No way… My newly developed drug has this kind of side effect?”
“Well, that’s how it is, so I’d like to return to my original body as soon as possible.”

I said that while moving my now-small body around.
.
The last time I took it, the worst side effect was feeling drained for a few days, but this new version had gone completely off the rails.

Defying every law of physics, my body had literally reverted in age.
I looked even younger than when I had first possessed this body—probably around upper elementary to early middle school age.
“Hmm… Maybe we’ve made the discovery of the century. A drug that can make people younger? Honestly, this is unprecedented.”

I had to admit, it was amazing.
I wasn’t some kid detective with a child’s body and an adult’s brain, but just by taking one wrong pill, my body clock had literally turned backward.
But that was that, and this was this.

Years of hard-earned muscle had evaporated overnight.
Honestly, it was hard to accept this with a straight face.
Anyone who didn’t know my past would probably never believe me if I said I was Kim Yu-seong.

My body was just that small now.
“I adjusted the formula a bit, but there’s no major difference from the previous Ghost Pill. If it’s just a temporary side effect, you’ll likely return to normal in a few days. Until then, you’ll just have to endure it.”
“And if I don’t return to normal?”

“Then I’ll take responsibility and take care of you.”
“…That sounds like a deal where only you benefit, Fuma-senpai.”
“Of course not.”

“Haah, fine. I guess we just have to wait and see.”
I let out a long sigh and clenched my much smaller hand.
Back in third-year middle school spring break, I had finally escaped my eternally scrawny “anchovy” days by going to the gym.

The gap between my current fragile body and my original one was huge.
I flapped ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) my rolled-up sleeves a few times, then asked Fuma-senpai:
“First, could you get me some new clothes?”

“Got it. I’ll bring some.”
As he stood up to leave, he suddenly asked:
“By the way, how’s your progress with Swift Gale?”

I nodded.
“I’ve been memorizing the contents of the book. There’s no way to master all the techniques in just three days, so I figured I should at least fully understand the theory.”
“Can you really memorize all that?”

“I can.”
The old me might not have been able to, but Kim Yu-seong’s body could.
I am top of the class for a reason.

And if I couldn’t memorize everything, I could always take pictures.
“Even after shrinking, you’re still incredible.”
When I smirked and shrugged proudly at his words, Fuma-senpai stared at me for a moment, then suddenly patted my head.

“…What are you doing?”
“You just look cute.”
I was momentarily speechless.

“Cute” was something I hadn’t been called in years.
Scratching the spot where he had patted me, I spoke awkwardly.
“Let’s just eat breakfast.”

Fuma-senpai smiled warmly and nodded.
“I’ll prepare it right away.”