The Male Lead's Childhood Friend

All around me was only darkness. I cannot see or feel anything around me.

'Are my eyes really open?' I thought. 'Why can't I see anything? I cannot my move my body as well.'

My body felt so heavy that I can't move any of my limbs. But I can feel my body floating.

"Where am I?" I asked no one in particular. "Am I... really dead?"

I felt my heart ache. I still have many things to do, loved ones to return to. But I died before even accomplishing anything.

I was still young, I was only twenty five years old for God's sake.

"I still have so many plans." I have never regretted anything before but now I was regretting every decision I have made since that Angelika came into my life.

I was so naive. I have always thought that everything I wanted would be mine. And now life slapped me hard. My wrong decisions claimed my life. I regretted becoming a villainess.

"How I wish that I have lived my life differently. I would have done any means possible to avoid this outcome. I should have lived my life more differently." Regret washed over me.

"Do you regret everything you have done?" A male voice said.

A voice? where is it coming from?

"Yes." I whispered a reply. I really regretted everything.

"Would you like another chance to live again and live your life more differently?" The voice asked.

"I would do everything to have another chance to live my life. I will definitely choose a different path." I answered.

"Then I will grant your wish." The male voice said.

A very good looking young man appeared before me. He had long black hair tied into a pony tail and was wearing a black ancient outfit like a yukata in Japan. What caught my attention was his crimson burning eyes.

"But once you go back, you need to do things for me as payment for bringing you back. Do you agree?" The man asked.

"I will do anything you say if you give me a second chance to live once more." I gave my promise.

"Then I will form a contract with you." The man waved his hand and a gold string emerged from his index finger. The string flew towards me and was attached on my right wrist and became a golden bracelet. "This string serves as our contract. Until it detaches on its own, it means that you need to work for me until your debt has been repaid." The man smiled brightly.

It felt strange. This man looks beautiful but I feel fear once I look into his crimson eyes.

"W-Who are you?" I asked.

"My name is Shiki. I am a death god." The man answered.

"Shiki." I repeated his name. "A death god."

"Your death wasn't listed today. You should have died of old age. Your death brought changes to too many things. And so I decided to give you a second chance to live once again and help me get all the paths that became wrong right again. I will be guiding you along the way of course, I don't want you to do mistakes and mess up your second chance. And maybe you could have a second shot on the love of your life."

I grunted when I heard Shiki mention the love of my life. If I get a second chance, I will avoid getting involve with Jeremy if possible. My whole life revolved around him, I will change that in my next life.

"Well then my lady, Anastasia Rosette Berkins. I give you a second chance in life." Shiki's voice was starting to become distant. "Remember, your second life is on loan. You have to pay your debt. I will be approaching you soon enough in your second life."

Shiki smiled and then his face become blurred. A bright light blinded me.

***

I opened my eyes with the brightness of the sun coming from my window. I squinted my eyes and let them adjust to the light. I sat up on my bed looking around.

'This is my room in my parents mansion?' I thought.

I moved out of the mansion when I started working and moved to my own place in a high class c.o.n.d.o.minium.

'So why am I here?' I thought.

Then I remembered the plane crash and dying. Going to a dark place and meeting a death god named Shiki.

'Was that all a dream?' I raised my arm to rub my eyes and saw the gold bracelet dangling on my right wrist. "It wasn't a dream." My eyes went wide.

I examined the gold bracelet. It was a simple bracelet without any designs or carvings. It tried to take it off to no avail.

"So what happened with the death god was real." I whispered.

"This was my second life. I need to do things differently from my past life. I don't want to die again." I made my resolve.

'Knock knock knock' the door opened.

"Young miss, good morning. Or might I say good afternoon." Samantha, on of the maids in the mansion said. She was capable young lady that grew up with me. Her mother was the head maid of the mansion. "I hope your mood has changed for the better now. Becoming second place in the pageant isn't such a bad thing."

"The pageant?" I racked my brain of the memory of the beauty pageant.

"Yes. Even though someone got first place, she is the only one higher than you so please don't take it to heart. I am sure you will win the next time." Samantha said to comfort me.

Then I remembered the beauty pageant when I was in my freshman year. The pageant was held three months after entering freshman. I was nominated to join in our department because of my looks.

'So I came back to the past?' I thought to myself.

I was so confident to win that time but I lost to her, Angelika Clark. That was the time when Jeremy and Angelika met for the very first time. I gripped the bed sheets with anger after remembering such things.

"Young miss?" Samantha looked in confusion.

"It's nothing." I masked my anger with a smile. "Is there anything else?"

"Oh yes, young master Jeremy has called for a few times. He said he would be coming here in the afternoon to visit you." Samantha said.

Yes, I remember this. Because I lost to Angelika, I throwed a tantrum and didn't come down to meet Jeremy and sulked inside my room.

But now I will do things differently.