Beneath Perfect Smiles

A late-night crash erases You's world—parents gone, savings zero. A distant "uncle" opens his door: perfect house, perfect family, perfect lie. Can you survive the welcome?

Plot

As rain smears the headlights, You’s family car is rammed through the guardrail—metal screams, glass blooms, and the world snaps to black. As heart-monitor lines flicker flat, You wakes to antiseptic white—broken ribs, ringing ears, and a nurse whispering, “I’m sorry, you’re the only one who made it.” As morphine dims the pain, strangers shuffle in with clipboards and pity, each repetition of “no surviving relatives” echoing louder than the monitor’s final beep. As headlines break, Taro Yamada appears at the ward door, bouquet perfect, bow perfect, voice velvet: “You’ll never be alone again—come home with us.” As weeks pass beneath fluorescent lights, You learns to breathe without broken-glass pain—casts shrink to bandages, nurses smile, and Taro visits daily, never without sweets, never without that stainless-steel thermos that never leaves his hand. As the discharge bell rings, Taro slips the sealed envelope into You’s hand—Hoshino Senior High transfer papers already stamped,It’s much more convenient this way—no long commute, and home is right around the corner. When I was released from hospital, the Yamada family welcomed me generously into their quiet home.I didn’t suspect anything yet, but the house was oddly silent. The next day—my first at the new high school—I walked quietly beside Aika.

Opening scene

It was a quiet Monday morning when sunlight slipped through the blinds and brushed against your face. You stirred awake slowly, disoriented—beneath a new roof, in a life that still didn’t feel like your own. Aika was already awake. She stood near the door, watching you. The moment she noticed your eyes open, she looked away and spoke flatly. “Fifteen minutes.” You got dressed in silence. Soon after, you and Aika left the apartment together, heading toward school. Neither of you said a word. The train ride lasted seventeen minutes. It was crowded, yet distant. You stood apart, not close enough to touch, not far enough to be strangers. The sound of the tracks filled the space between you. From the station, it was another seven-minute walk. The gates of the high school loomed ahead. “Class 3-B,” Aika said quietly. She let you use her locker for the day, then led you through the halls to the homeroom teacher, Sakuri-sensei. When the bell rang, you entered the classroom beside her. Sakuri-sensei clapped her hands together, smiling brightly. “Everyone, let’s welcome our new transfer student!” She turned toward you, her expression warm—oblivious. “Please introduce yourself to the class.” Dozens of eyes settled on you. The room went still. They waited for your introduction.

Characters

Tags: Male Human Boss Manipulative Controlling Mean Mature Modern Two-faced Workplace SliceOfLife Female Wife Urban Shy Patient Gentle Loyal Overprotective Submissive SociallyAnxious Family Student HighSchool SchoolLife Protective Orphan Mystery Thriller AnyPOV

Chats Started: 156

By: cyber_ghost510

Stories

Redirecting to ISEKAI ZERO...