In a bustling city and an average hostel a young man was whistling while mopping the floor with all of his effort.
"pew pew la " and then he took an sigh and said "Finally all of this work is done and I can have a bit of rest" while wiping sweat off his face from the gamocha(1) on his neck and started walking through hallway with a bucket and mop in his hand.
As he was going through the hallway a voice came out from the door nearest to him and a door swung open in a hastened manner.
A girl came out of room she had black hair, fair skin and was wearing a black top and denim jeans with headphones on her head and large glasses on her face and books in her hands rushed through him in a fast manner and a panicked manner
She ran towards the staircase saying "I can't believe I slept so late, how I am going to reach the class now, I am never playing an online game till late night again. That stupid teacher is going to kill me"
As she ran towards the stairs Mc saw her and remembered he forgot to put the still wet sign at stairs and floor near that so he warns her he screamed at the top of his lungs "Stop it's still wet over there on stairs"
But the girl kept running so he put down the bucket and mop out of his hand and ran behind her to stop her.
'Damn it these stupid headphones their noise cancellation is just too good and what sup with this girl, how can she run with headphone of such noise cancellation on her head , what's up with that generation'
'Whelp I am of the same generation too, But I am not that stupid' said Mc in his mind
[A/N: Yeah while totally ignoring the fact that it was him who did his job carelessly']
He catches up to the girl just at the start of staircase and he saw her slipping on stairs he instinctively caught her hand just before she fully slipped.
The girl was shocked from the almost fall she was about to had on stairs and was a bit relieved she survived that upcoming disaster.
She looked back to the person who caught her hand just as she was about to fall and as she looked our Mc and said "Thanks, You saved me I am not even sure I could have survive it" and give him a light hug.
"Yeah no problem, it was not much" said our Mc with a bit of blushes on his face and rubbing his head.
'Of course I would save you, you are the my only happiness in this dumbass college janitor job'
"But how come it looks wet on the floor? And from the reflections it seems entire staircase is wet. It looks like it was mopped but there is no warning sign here" asked the girl in a curious manner to herself in a loud manner.
Hearing this Mc was nervous and was sweating bullets "Who knows? I certainly don't "
"So yeah, where you were going in a rush?" asked Mc while clearly making an attempt to distract her.
"Ah my class, I'll take another way. Once again thanks for saving me." Said the girl and ran to another way.
'If wasn't this observant she might have had a boyfriend till now. Well I am also of same age maybe I should try' said Mc while wiping another batch of bullet like sweats off her head from gamocha hanging off his neck.
Then with a grin on his face Mc closed his eyes and start grinning after fantasizing his love life and instinctively put a hand on railing and step on the stairs and as he applied a bit of force in his leg and moved .
At this moment he realized that he had f*ed up.
' I believe I earned a bit of a mopping and cleaning of 3 hrs and damn this all I didn't had my breakfast today but hey before I woke up at any hospital bed I had a sweet memory with me '
This was his last thought before his blackout.
As his consciousness returned he observed world around him and said "Eh? Eh? What happened around me? Where am I? What happened to me? "
He woke up in an area unknown to him, no matter how much he thought about it.
Slowly as his memory returned he realized his last memory was falling off the staircase that he himself moped in a frustration of skipping his breakfast.
'AHHHHHHHHHHHHH why did I took the staircase even when I know it was wet, EHHHHHH I swear to myself I will never fantasizes on job' thought our Mc while punching the floor with fake anime tears and with a sudden realization he woke up looked around and said " Where the hell am I ?"
He began to look around him and started moving while murmuring "The hell is this place in black and white only? I might have had an accident and had been in hospital but where am I? I am sure even that cheapstake college people would have bought to one. Why have I had no pain on me either?"
But as he was walking onto that seemingly endless planar region he heard a voice asking for help he reached out to that.
Where he find a young boy with pale skin blue eyes and white hair stuck under of a large stone slab Mc was amazed and pitied him a bit and asked that boy "Umm ? How can I help you? "
The boy under the slab was shocked to hear an unknown voice he looked up and said "If you would move that feather over this slab I can manage on my own"
"What feather are you talking about?" said Mc as he looked above and really found a golden brownish feather above that slab.
"Ah I found it, but how do I remove it?" asked Mc in a curious tone.
With a happy face the boy with white hair said "You can climb that slab and pick up that feather and throw it away from that"
"You sure? It could crush your bones I might look malnourished but I have a diet of fried and oily food I am heavy. " asked the Mc in a caring voice to the white haired boy.
Hearing this a chuckle burst out from the mouth of the young boy he laughed a bit and said "You sure made a funny joke now climb on it and do give me a favor of removing that menace."
With a bit of your choice gesture he climbed up the slab and reached out to that feather as he was about to reach the feather he asked a question to the white haired young boy "What will you do if I remove that feather?"
On which young boy replied without delay "I will beat the prankster who played this stupid prank on me"
At which Mc asked "Then?"
"Then came back and make some muscle" said the boy in a split second.
'It can't be bad but let's see' thought Mc and removed the feather and in that instant boy replied "Now throw feather and came down slowly"
Hearing this Mc throw the feather away from slab and climbed down and just as Mc came back to ground he saw that little boy throwing that large and heavy slab away far away from where he can see.
"Now as you have helped me I would like to return that favor you can ask anything from Me." asked the little boy with a smug face while putting hands on his waist showing even more smugness.
"Ah, in case can you tell me where I am and what is happening with me?" asked the Mc with a bit of concern over his face.
"1st answer is, You are in a place with no name yet as we did not find it necessary and 2nd answer is, You are dead and this is your spirit. "Answered the white haired child.
"This has answered everything, I knew that job will be death of me but that was way too soon." Said the Mc in a fake crying like voice and beating the floor again.
Then white hair boy said in a relieved voice while stretching his legs and arms
"I am in a bit of hurry and question you asked isn't an equal favor it can be counted as my generosity do you need anything else?"
"In that case can you give me a chance to live again "asked Mc in a desperate voice?
The White haired boy thought a little and said "Ok, just don't cause any of the bad stuff and do you need anything else?"
"Can I have my father's given last gift back to me, it's a precious item. "Asked the Mc in a meek voice.
"Sure, Now I got to have to beat someone. Have a safe trip" said the white haired boy as he was preparing to take leap.
"Thank you, before I go can I have your name please?" asked the Mc in a happy voice.
"You can call me 'N." was the last lines he heard before his consciousness faded.
[AUTHOR'S NOTE:]
(1) GAMOCHA: It is a rectangular piece of clothing that is traditionally used by a men as a scarf, bandana or as a covering for body parts. Its design varies from region to region in India.