Chapter 32: Serena von Winterfell
Serena von Winterfell. That was the name displayed on my status screen. Yet, I knew this girl—or rather, someone who looked exactly like her—back on Earth. The girl on Earth had long, jet-black hair, and there was no way she could be in this otherworldly place.
Fujimaki Arisa. That was the name of the girl who resembled Serena von Winterfell. She was the one I had saved from a group of bandits, just before my life ended and I was reincarnated in this new world.
I could never forget her face or her voice. She was the person who reignited my heart after years of tasting the bitterness of love.
In that moment, memories of my past life on Earth came rushing back.
...
...
When I was in college, I had a girlfriend. We had been close since the beginning of our freshman year and managed to graduate together. We were in a relationship for three years, but over time, it felt stagnant.
At first, our relationship was exciting and fun. But as the years went by, arguments began to creep in, and eventually, she left me without a word. When I asked her why things turned out this way, she said I was boring and too hesitant to take things further.
She accused me of lacking a clear direction for our future together. To her, I seemed more focused on my family than on marrying her and building a life together. In the end, she left me for another man.
I couldn’t deny her words. She was right—I was part of the sandwich generation, caught between supporting my broken family and building my own life. My career was far from stellar, and I was juggling part-time jobs just to make ends meet. All of this left me distracted, and ultimately, she gave up on me.
I admitted to myself that I wasn’t financially stable or emotionally mature enough to marry her. So I understood her decision. She deserved happiness, even if it wasn’t with me.