After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 1

Chapter 1: Rejuvenated?

“Lutz! Lutz!”

“Ugh…”

Hmm, my head hurts. Slowly emerging from a sleep as murky as the broth of tonkotsu ramen, I finally regained consciousness.

For some reason, I found myself lying on an unfamiliar, solidly built bed. I was being shaken by a foreign teenage boy with silver hair and brown eyes. I had no idea who this kid was, but by looking at his well-arranged face, it was clear he was genuinely concerned about me. It’s impressive that a stranger, especially a Japanese person, would be so considerate. I wasn’t particularly fond of Westerners, but if there are nice kids like him around, maybe I should reconsider my thoughts.

Well, let’s put that aside for now. The real issue is why I’m lying here like this.

Yesterday marked the joyous occasion of my retirement. Well, joyous might not be the right word; it felt more like the inevitable had finally come. It’s been almost forty years since I graduated from university and barely slid into my current company right at the end of the Showa era. It became second nature to rub my tired eyes early in the morning, hop on the train, and head to the office, much like breathing. Now, I have to find meaning in living outside the confines of the company, which brings a bit of confusion. But that’s something to consider later.

So, last night, I celebrated with my subordinates until the stroke of midnight. Although I never played the game of forming factions or creating a hierarchy within the company, it seemed I had quite a few young ones who liked me. It was a bit awkward to be cried over by cute women younger than my own children, but it became a fond memory.

Politely declining the kind offer of these youngsters to accompany me home, I staggered on my way back. Suddenly feeling the weight in my body, I sat down on a nearby wooden bench. It felt surprisingly comfortable, and I closed my eyes for a moment. That’s the last thing I remember. If I fell asleep like that, why am I now lying in a decent bed? Did someone carry me here? But I’m not that skinny. It would be impossible for just one or two adults to carry me, and even if they did, I should have noticed, no matter how drunk I was.

“Lutz!”

However, this boy has been calling me with some cool-sounding foreign word since earlier. Moreover, it’s like a German-style name. When I went on business trips abroad, I would go around saying, “Call me Kyo,” but I never had any connection with such Germanic names.

“Oh, hello? Wait, isn’t this English? Hello, how… are we communicating?”

The boy looks a bit surprised, but he seems to understand what I’m saying. Good, to be honest, I’m not good at English at all. When the company told me becoming a department head meant getting a mandatory TOEIC score of 700, I felt like I was losing my mind.

“I don’t know who you are, but you probably helped me when I was down. Thank you very much. I’ll be sure to properly express my gratitude.”

As the boy hears my response, his expression changes from puzzlement to a strange mix, and finally, it turns into what seems like despair.

“Lutz! Did you… lose your memory?”

No, I have memories. At least until I sat down on that bench while drunk.

“You don’t understand? We’ve grown up together… I’m your older brother, you know?”

Yeah, I don’t get it. Huh? What did this boy just say?

“Older brother?”

“Hey Lutz, seriously, don’t you remember…?”

“Well, roughly. Even if a young boy like you calls me an old man…”

The boy reacts with a subtle mix of surprise and disbelief. Hmm, I thought I was answering seriously.

“Old man? Lutz, what on earth are you saying? Look at yourself in the mirror. Clearly, you look like a thirteen-year-old kid, at most, a junior high school student.”

Being told that, I casually glanced at the slightly overly decorated mirror on the wall pointed out by the boy. I froze in astonishment. The reflection clearly showed a figure that unmistakably resembled a boy in his early teens, at most a middle schooler.

The change in appearance wasn’t just a matter of getting younger. The hair now presented a silky silver color, and the eyes were a deep and intense emerald blue. This undeniably looks 120% like a foreigner, doesn’t it?

Moreover, the facial features are unnecessarily beautiful. A well-defined jawline, a slender and high nose, compact rosy lips. Slender, elegant eyebrows complementing almond-shaped eyes. It’s almost like the heroes you’d find in the shoujo manga I used to borrow from my older sister back in my teenage years.

“Is this… really me?”

Hey, what on earth happened to me?