"Please be informed that you FAILED the State Service Examination held in Lord Mount Complex Area located at March Cerade City, Union Province on June 19, 2025, with a general rating of Fifty Nine and 70.100."
Alex listlessly repeats the email notification and after a while he suddenly felt so weak and drained words won't come out.
"-@#!#"
"…"
His head involuntarily droops. He felt his heart sinking to the bottom of the ocean as if he was struggling to stay afloat.
This is so ridiculous and absurd that I'm even feeling the urge to vomit. How could I fail four times?! Sigh, I'm screwed, am I? Yes, this might be the final nail in the coffin. My dreams of being a dignified and respected State official had absolutely turned to ashes.
Alex sighed hard as he closed his eyes and placed his palms on his forehead gripping his hair.
State Official - this was Alex's dream job. Since he was a teenager, he dreamt of serving the people as a state. Now, it was all in cinders.
"Am I actually dumb?"
Alex couldn't help but asked himself.
He was still in disbelief. One could see dark clouds forming on the top of his head.
Am I a goddamn loser…?
How could anyone be proud of him? He would have never admitted it in the past, but even he isn't proud of himself anymore.
How many years has it been? When was it that he was called 'promising'?
As grief slowly filled his heart, a scene appeared in his mind.
It was nine years back in the past where he felt like he was on the top of the world – when he was still in high school. He wore a school uniform meant only for the elites of this country. He was a young boy with a very promising future. He was young, energetic, athletic, intelligent, and was quite the arrogant youngster.
Because of that, he felt like the last nine years had been a total lie!
Alex chuckled hopelessly to himself and laughed out loud like a madman before punching the wall with his knuckles. Maybe it would have been better if he was living a lie.
Alex looked at his phone again.
FAILED.
FAILURE.
LOSER.
These words kept popping upon his vision and he couldn't do anything to stop thinking about it. It felt like the whole world was laughing at him. He was seeing mocking words when he opened his messenger app as if all of his peers were talking behind his back.
For some reason, he then woke up after sleeping in his bed for hours, contemplating his life decisions. But the more he lied in the mattress it made him feel even more sorry for himself.
But why the hell am I sleeping again when I didn't even do anything?!
AHHHH!
Alex shook his body in the bed like he was being electrocuted.
When was the last time he cleaned his room? Was it a year ago? Why do his bed sheets and pillows smell like rotten clothes?
He only intended a nap to forget his grief, but it was already dark outside.
Alex currently lived in a tiny apartment with a small tv, a single bed, a fridge, a study desk, and one window. He initially wanted to live like a minimalist but overtime, he only lived here because he was poor. If people asked now, he was just using the minimalist perspective to justify his broke ass.
'I should kill myself! I moved here to study for the exam but it has been nine years since I left home from the province and I'm still here. I stink too…but who the hell cares anyway? I hit rock-bottom.'
Alex found the situation so ridiculous, hilarious!
Before he realized, he found himself walking aimlessly outside, but not totally. There wasn't exactly food in his tiny fridge. There never were if he thought about it, so he always had to go to the convenience store to buy what was available.
When he was about to grab cup noodles in the shelf, he then hesitated.
Eat healthier: that's what his overprotective mom used to say. Don't eat junk foods: that's what his nutritionist be-like Dad was like.
Alex of course never listened and what good was it listening to the dead anyway? His eyes lost their color for a moment, but he deliberately smirked to forget it.
Yawning, he then bought a bag of chips and a bottle of soda. Like always, he poured the hot water on the cup of noodles and ate his dinner in peace, looking at the street through the window glass.
'Tch, why am I suddenly remembering them? Am I homesick right now? It has been a while since I went home though, do I have any plans this weekend?'
Interrupting his own thoughts, Alex almost burst out laughing as he smacked the table multiple times. Who was he fooling? Of course, he had no plans! No one would even dare waste their time with someone like him!
All of his so-called friends are busy at work and enjoying good lives, going on trips and vacations, renting out luxurious hotels and driving cars he would not even be able to afford. If he came near those places, they might even throw him out for looking like a beggar!
He could still remember going on a resto somewhere and finding out every single thing on the menu was too expensive. He was so ashamed he left without a word while pretending he was calling someone. Until now, he wanted to crawl to a hole by thinking about it.
A big heavy sigh escaped his lips. Yes, sigh, that was all he could do in this world.
But when was the last time I tried to go home? Hmm, wasn't it every day? But as always, it never materialized. Even if I had nothing to do, this lazy ass body stopped me from going out of bed.
When Alex finished eating, he thought about going somewhere and chill since he still had some allowance to spend, but figured to just go home.
While walking, he was humming to himself with the sound of disco music not far away.
'?!'
Without wasting time, he halted his footsteps and found himself turning around to a dark alley. After a few seconds, the sound of water shooting out like a waterfall could be heard. Whether it was rats or cockroaches, they all scurried away from his yellow liquid that proudly watered down the garbage cans.
'Wee~wee~"
Yes, this is who he is.
He is a 25 year old adult who had no problem peeing in the streets when he wants to pee when he in fact he still could hold it in.
Stupid or not, Alex felt very satisfied from the look on his face while he started laughing in the dark while aiming with his shaft.
'I really had fallen…' he laughed at himself.
'?!'
Suddenly, the cold wind howled in his direction, bringing in several voices.
When he realized where the voices were coming from, he finished his business, zipped his jeans, and left to come see who was causing trouble at this time of the night.
'Do they know whose turf this is?' he said to himself as if he's the main character of a webnovel.
With sneaky footsteps, he hurried towards the direction of the voices to see what's going on.
'Hehe.'
He was quite proud with his skill. If there was a skill he had mastered since his childhood, it was called having light footsteps. It was the skill of moving stealthily or barely making a sound. It was a very useful skill in startling people.
"Mmmh, mmm, hey, please stop it…"
"Come on, let's have a drink. It'll just be for a moment."
"No!"
"No hehe!!!"
"I don't like it, and you're hurting me!"
"Oh my shit, you look so cute when you're struggling!"
Cacophony of lecherous laughter from a group of three males was being heard.
"Let me go, please, you'll regret this…"
"Oh we're not gonna regret anything!!!"
Cornering one pretty girl to the wall, the men's smiles were filthy. The leader of the street thugs was licking his lips like the most cliché thug in some trash comic. He even tightened his grip on the girl's small forearms, locking her hands above her head before pinning her to the wall. .
The monkey's smile was wicked as he tried to push his body towards her especially around her chest.
But at that moment, a bright light flashed behind them and multiple camera shutters sounded loudly.
"?!"
"?!"
"?!"
"!!!"
"-Eh?"
A man with an ugly unmaintained facial hair suddenly appeared! Alex was now standing beside them with a hilarious look. He was holding his phone in his hands and a broken grin on his face etched out wickedly as he started to laugh like the most villainous bastard in a webnovel.
"What the fuck is going on here, y'all? This some animal behavior shit! I can't believe I get to witness this in person!"
Alex said in mockery, as he transitioned to a deadpan expression to jump forward, hitting the leader of the group's torso with a front kick, sending him to the ground like a street mutt.
The three males' faces had all turned dark and hostile. Seeing this, Alex quickly stepped backwards while smirking with pride.
Then he put his hands upwards like a shameless robber caught in the act and now begging mercy.
"?!"
"You bastard!"
"You have a problem with us?!"
"You trying to play hero or sum'ting?"
Alex was suddenly happy. He could see that the three teenagers were wary of him. Although they weren't as scared, he made a good decision keeping a distance, annoying them even more.
"Even three cats can't catch one mouse if it actually decides to stay away after all, especially if the cats were dumb as worms." Alex recited.
"??"
Picking up a pebble, Alex returned his gaze onto to their leader who was trying to get up and opened his mouth to respond.
"Hero, huh? I'm not doing anything, but maybe the police will do something, they will probably be here in five minutes, after all."
Alex proudly revealed, as he threw the pebble towards the leader, hitting him in the teeth. Then, he showed them his phone's call records. Clearly, he had in fact called the police already.
"You bastard!"
Alex's face was ecstatic. These street thugs could not look more revolting.
"Ah, I am so thankful I get to share my pain with you guys tonight." Alex smiled with his teeth.
"You would pay for this!"
"Stop saying bullshit!"
Glaring at him as if he stolen their monthly salary, the street thugs cocked their fists and charged at Alex meanly. They clearly made up their mind to beat him up before the cops arrive.
Seeing them, Alex willingly broke into a battle stance too and roared out with his adult voice.
"SWING THEN BASTARDS!!!"
It was in the middle of the night. Besides beggars, hardly anyone occupied the streets in these dark corners of the city. Doing a 1 v 3 was stupid as hell.
Only if he was still his young…
So did he shout because he is looking for help?
The answer is no. A big no.
As they surrounded him, his gaze narrowed down to a serious expression. Help? If anything, he was very angry. He was furious with these people, the world, and himself! He had been angry for a long time.
"What are you still doing here?! Get the fuck out here!" Alex shouted at the girl. Luckily, the girl finally started to go but at that moment, a fist had smashed onto his cheeks, almost knocking him out. But it was not strong enough to do the job.
"You bastards!"
In a few breaths, the sounds of a fistfight were heard in the area.