The sun had already set, and Ren was slowly walking through the dark city streets. The sound of his shoes echoed along the pavement as the streetlights lit his way. He was exhausted, as always. The day had been long, and the work endless. He never imagined that life after college would be so… monotonous.
"How strange…" Ren murmured to himself, watching the reflection of the building lights in the puddles formed by the light rain. "Before graduating, I had so many expectations. I wanted to do something great. Now…" He stopped for a moment, staring into the void. "Now I just come home late because of more piled-up work."
It had been like any other day. He got up early, dressed in his uniform, headed to work, and spent hours in front of a computer. Between reports, calls, and more reports, his workday stretched into the late hours of the night. It was an ordinary job, nothing exciting, yet always full of tasks. And although Ren had always been a good employee, he couldn't help but wonder if this was truly the life he had dreamed of.
He had once been a young man with big dreams. He wanted to travel, see the world, do something meaningful. But office life had consumed him before he even realized it. Nothing excited him anymore. Every day was a repeat of the last, every week the same routine.
With a heavy exhale, Ren approached his apartment. He opened the door, took off his jacket, and tossed it over the couch. The apartment was completely silent, as always. The lack of company only deepened his feeling of emptiness. He collapsed onto the sofa and closed his eyes, wondering if any of it had a purpose.
Suddenly, a gust of wind rustled the curtain by the window. It was an odd breeze, almost as if something in the air had shifted. Ren didn't think much of it. He was so tired that his mind just wanted to rest. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to sink into the stillness of the room.
What he didn't know was that this day, his life would change forever.
A small light sparkled in the corner of the room. When Ren opened his eyes, he found himself in a completely different place. The room, the couch — everything was blurry and distorted, as if he were looking through a curtain of fog.
Then, he felt a pull, a strange sensation deep inside. His body began to transform, to take a new shape. He could no longer move his arms or legs freely. Instead, something soft and strange surrounded him. It felt like his soul had been absorbed into… something small, soft, and warm.
He looked around, stunned. There was something very odd about his new form. A faint memory tugged at him, telling him something had gone wrong, but he didn't know what. And when he lifted what were now small plush eyes, he saw something that froze him in place: his reflection.
What he saw wasn't his human body, but that of a small hand puppet. His soft, white hair remained, and his honey-colored eyes still glowed — but now from the puppet's button eyes. He couldn't move like before. He could only see, feel, and… wait.
"What… what happened to me?" he murmured — or tried to. His voice sounded strange, as if trapped inside a doll's head. He couldn't believe it. "How is this even possible?"
He stared at his reflection in what seemed to be glass, looking at his hands — now soft and made of fabric. He saw the cloth that formed his body, the button eyes, and a small thread that connected everything inside. At that moment, he realized he was no longer human. Something had turned him into a puppet. But how? And why?
The fog began to lift, and as it cleared, Ren noticed he was in a stuffed toy shop. He was surrounded by all kinds of dolls, from teddy bears to plush figures and strange fabric creatures. The store was warm and cozy, but the feeling of being trapped in a puppet's body gave him a sinking feeling.
Suddenly, the door of the shop opened with a chime. Ren looked toward the entrance, hopeful that someone might see him and help. But the person who entered didn't seem interested in him at all.
She was a girl with pink hair tied in a high ponytail, and honey-colored eyes that sparkled with a mix of curiosity and boredom. She scanned the store, clearly looking for something — until her eyes landed on the hand puppet. Ren felt a slight shiver.
"Whoa! I've never seen such a weird puppet…" the girl muttered, walking toward the shelf where he sat. "Why is this here? I thought this section was for regular plushies…"
The shop owner appeared behind her — an older man with glasses and a serious expression.
"Sorry, young lady, but that puppet isn't for sale. It's a very special piece."
The girl frowned but said nothing. Instead, she glanced around, clearly searching for an opportunity.
Ren felt a mix of fear and hope. "Help me! Please!" he screamed — but of course, his voice was barely a whisper, almost inaudible.
Yet the girl, lost in her own thoughts, didn't hear him.
As the shopkeeper tended to other customers, the girl somehow ended up back in front of Ren and stared at him.
"I don't know why… but you're really cute. Don't get the wrong idea, though — there are way cuter puppets than you. Still…"
On a sudden impulse, she glanced toward the shopkeeper — and without another thought, grabbed the puppet from the shelf.
With a mischievous smile, she hid the puppet inside her bag.
"I'll take you with me!" she said before slipping out of the store quickly.
Ren, trapped in his new plush body, sighed internally. Nothing was the same anymore. Everything had changed. Now, his fate was in the hands of this tsundere girl, whose indifferent attitude he still didn't fully understand. But something inside him told him this might be the beginning of a new adventure.
All he could do now was wait and see what would happen next…
And so began his life as a puppet — trapped in a plush body, but with the hope that something incredible might still happen.
End of Chapter 1.