"Ugh... It's so boring."
I said as I lay flat on my bed, looking at the ceiling.
"..."
I just stared at it, dumbfounded.
I'm not thinking about anything, just literally looking at the ceiling.
I'm always like this.
Every day.
I've been like this for five years now.
Way back when I was 18.
After all—
'I have such a plain boring life...'
My name is Cale Virel.
I'm 23 years old, living alone.
I'm renting a small apartment with my normal office worker salary.
I have no family. I'm an orphan.
No adoptive parents, no close friends from the orphanage.
Nothing.
'I'm all alone...'
I don't feel lonely, though.
It's my choice to distance myself from everyone.
After all, I find it exhausting to talk to people.
No. Let me rephrase that—
'I find everything exhausting.'
"Why is it so exhausting and expensive to live?"
I didn't even ask to be born, and yet here I am, being bored to death.
"Ugh, they should've just aborted me if they didn't want me."
Those bastard parents of mine left me in the orphanage just days after I was born.
'They're just making me suffer for the life that I didn't even ask for.'
It's annoying when I think about it.
The only things that are keeping me from going insane and ending it all are my hobbies.
Reading novels and playing games.
Doing them feels like I'm being brought into a different world—into a much less miserable world.
But to be honest...
I'm all fed up now.
Even gaming and reading are starting to lose thrill for me.
"Haaaaaa..."
'Why can't I just die?'
I asked myself as I still had my eyes blankly staring at my apartment's ceiling.
Then—
"..."
I got silent.
I don't know what to do.
I don't know what to say.
It's so boring.
But then, at that moment—
Growl~
My stomach grumbled.
I was hungry.
It's past [11 PM] now.
I haven't had lunch or dinner yet.
Though—
'I'm too lazy to move...'
I have no energy.
"Should I just starve to death?"
I mumbled in a daze.
But—
"Ugh...?"
My stomach suddenly ached.
"Fuck this shit."
I want to die and end it all... but I don't like pain.
'I mean, normal people don't really like pain, right?'
And honestly, I don't really want to kill myself.
I don't want to let myself die... if that makes sense.
To be more accurate—I want to die naturally.
To be killed, grow old, or die from disease. Whatever.
Just not by letting myself waste away or taking my own life.
And so with that—
"Haaaa..."
Tap—
I stood up and let out a tired sigh.
Tap- tap- tap—
Creak—
I went to the fridge to check for something to eat.
"..."
But it was empty.
Thud—
I slammed it closed as I straightened my posture.
Then, looking at the door—
"Fuck."
Tap- tap- tap—
I cursed with a frown on my face and started walking toward it.
I have no other choice but to find an open convenience store and buy something.
Fwip—
I grabbed my wallet on the table on my way to the door.
And upon reaching—
Creak—
I opened the door.
Thud!
Then I closed it behind me as I went out of my apartment.
...
...
*****
Beep!
Whoosh—
The automatic door closed behind me as I exited the convenience store.
This store is just a few minutes away from my apartment building on foot.
"Hmm..."
I bought myself a serving of chicken pastil.
It's a steamed rice with shredded, spiced chicken meat on top, with soy sauce and whatever.
Pat—
I sat down on a bench just outside the store.
And there—
Nom—
I started eating.
'Hmm... This is good...'
I thought as I continued chewing my food.
...
...
"I'm good now."
I mumbled after finishing my chicken pastil in under a minute.
I'm not full yet, but I honestly don't care.
'At least I'm not hungry.'
I thought.
Then—
Fwish—
I stood up from the bench.
And obviously—
Tap- tap- tap—
I started walking back to my apartment.
Fwip—
I threw away the paper bowl I ate my chicken pastil from into the trash can I saw on the way.
Swoosh~
It was cold outside at this time.
"..."
It was quiet.
'There's no one else on this street except me, huh.'
I thought as I glanced around and saw absolutely no one.
"Hmm, this is nice."
I muttered.
But just then—
Tap—
"Hm?"
Two men popped out from the corner at the other end of the street.
They were both wearing hats.
Tap- tap- tap—
They were walking in this direction.
"..."
Tap- tap- tap—
I just ignored them, thinking they were probably headed to the convenience store from before too.
But—
Bam!
They slammed into me when we met on the way, stopping me in my tracks!
"Ugh...? What?"
I asked, a confused frown on my face as I looked at the man in front of me.
But instead of answering me—
Swish—
He pointed something sharp at my stomach! Probably a knife!
"...!"
My eyes widened at the realization.
"Give me all your mone—"
The man in front of me started talking.
But immediately, without hesitation and unconsciously—
Fwoosh—
BAM!
I punched him in the face with my right fist!
(Bruh.)
"GRAGHH...?!"
The man was surprised, stumbling back from the impact.
"Huh?!"
The other man with him was shocked at what had just happened.
And before he could even respond—
SWISH—
BAM!
I pulled back my right hand and sent a right elbow straight into the other guy's jaw!
"GURGH?!!"
THUD!
Making him fall to the ground!
(Bruh...)
"Urgh!"
FWOOSH—
I ignored the one on the ground and immediately jumped on the guy with the knife.
He was still caught off guard, his brain struggling to process what had just happened.
And taking that opportunity—
BAM!
"GAAAARGH?!!"
I kicked him square in the stomach, sending him crashing onto the pavement!
THUD!
And the moment he hit the ground, I didn't hesitate—
FWIP-
I mounted him, pinning his arms beneath my knees, and immediately—
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
I started pounding on him, my fists slamming into his face over and over again!
"GAH?!"
He yelped in pain, his head snapping back with every punch and slamming his head on the concrete ground.
His arms flailed uselessly beneath me, trying to resist, trying to push me off, but I didn't let up.
Then in his panic—
Tink-
His fingers lost their grip on the knife. The weapon slipped from his grasp, clattering onto the pavement beside us!
And immediately after I saw that—
I snapped.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
I started hitting him even harder.
"GAAARGH!!!"
His nose was bleeding. His lips were split. His breath came out in ragged gasps as his eyes darted around in terror.
"S-STOP! YOU CRAZY FUCKER!!! I H-HAVE A KNIFE!!!"
He screamed, his voice shaking. A desperate attempt to scare me, to make me back off.
And I—
"Oh yeah?"
BAM!
I smashed my fist into his face again, sending a fresh spray of blood onto my knuckles.
He thought having a knife mattered?
He thought I'd be scared?
He thought I'd stop?
Of course, I didn't stop.
I wasn't scared.
I wasn't thinking.
After all—
'I'm fine with dying as soon as it's not self-inflicted.'
I thought.
Then, at the very second I thought that—
PHUCK!!
"URGH...!?"
I felt a sharp pain in my back...
"...?"
I slowly looked behind me.
And there—
"F-FUCKING LUNATIC!!!"
I saw the other guy, holding a knife stabbed into my back.
He had this scared expression on his face.
Then, as I let my guard down—
PHUCK!!
"GARGH?!"
I felt another sharp pain, but this time it was in my stomach.
And when I brought my eyes back in front of me—
"HAAA... HAAAAH... M-MONSTER!"
I saw the guy I had been showering with punches earlier, looking at me with terrified, busted eyes.
He managed to retrieve his knife and stab me.
'Well... Fuck...'
I thought.
THUD—
And then I let my body fall onto my left side.
"Haaaa... haaaa... huff... haaa..."
My breathing became rough, maybe because I had been punching the shit out of the guy earlier nonstop with my full power.
But mostly because, with the two knives still stabbed in my body—
a lot of blood was gushing out of the wounds they made.
I'm losing a lot of blood.
"...?"
My vision started fading as I lay on the cold ground.
And that's when I realized—
'Ahh... I'm dying...'
It's ending...
Well, it's fine.
This is what I want... A natural death.
"Haaaaaa... haaaaaaa... haaaaa..."
I'm honestly all good if I meet my end like this.
Anyway...
As I was losing consciousness—
"I-is he dead...?"
"U-urgh... I hope so..."
I heard the two guys who stabbed me talking.
Fwip—
I felt one of them take my wallet from my pocket.
And the next thing I heard—
"WHAT THE FUCK?!!"
"ALL OF THIS SHIT FOR TEN DOLLARS?!!"
They were screaming in anger.
"Hah...!"
I let out a weak laugh when I heard them.
I don't carry much cash on me.
I probably would have been alive if I hadn't fought back and just given them my money.
Though, maybe because of my lack of enthusiasm in life—
I became reckless and didn't care if I died or what.
"..."
I looked at the two men who stabbed me again.
"Ugh... We just got out of prison, and this shit happens."
"Don't worry, let's just hide... Honestly, I'm more scared of that crazy bitch than the police. Who punches someone when they have a knife pointed at them and they're outnumbered?!"
They had their backs against me, talking to each other.
And seeing that—
Pat—
I placed my hands against the ground.
Ignoring the pain—
'URGH...!!'
I pushed myself up with my remaining strength!
Tap—
"..."
I managed to stand up once again.
My legs were shaking, and I could barely see.
I'll probably still die.
So if that was the case—
'I'll bring these shitheads with me.'
I declared in my head.
FWISH—
Then I pulled out the knives stabbed in my body!
Holding one in each hand!
The bleeding worsened, I'll probably die faster.
But I don't care!
And so, with my remaining time and strength—
"...!"
I glared at the backs of the men who did this to me—
PHUCK—!!!
And then I stabbed them in the back at the same time!
"GRAAAAARGH?!!"
"GAAAAHHHH?!"
They screamed in pain.
"...?!"
They looked back and saw me.
A terrified expression appeared on their faces.
And seeing that—
"Heh..."
A small sense of satisfaction washed over me.
"C-CRAZY BASTARD!!!"
"AAARGH!!! DIE ALREADY!!!"
BAM!!
"GURG!?!!"
They both kicked me, flinging me away.
BOOM!
"UGH?!"
My back slammed pretty hard against a wall, along with the back of my head.
And with that—
"..."
'Guess that's it.'
My vision turned black.
The last thing I saw was the two guys falling to the ground as a large amount of blood gushed from their bodies.
"..."
I smiled when I saw that.
THUD!
I fell to the ground again.
And just seconds later...
...
"..."
I lost consciousness...
I... died...
[The end.]
...
...
...
*****
Or so I thought…
"Hey, brat, wake up!"
A rough voice rang in my ears, piercing through the darkness.
Then suddenly—
BAM!
"Urgh?!"
A sharp pain exploded in my head, as if someone had just struck me!
My eyes snapped open.
'What the fuck…?'
I cursed in my head, my mind still foggy as I slowly adjusted to the blinding light above me.
My vision was hazy, my body felt sore, and my head was pounding.
Then as my sight cleared, I looked up—
"A customer is here! You line up in the slave section, brat!"
A loud, obnoxious voice bellowed in front of me.
I blinked.
There, standing before me, was a fat bastard with a dirty mustache almost pressed against my face.
His breath reeked, and his yellowed teeth were bared in frustration.
He looked furious, like I had somehow pissed him off just by existing.
And looking at him—
"...?"
A confused expression appeared on my face.
Slave section?
'What the hell was he talking about?'