My life is a boring cycle of rinse and repeat.
A corporate slave at twenty four, I wake up every morning to the incessant buzzing of my alarm clock, get dressed for work, grab a cup of black coffee from the quaint coffeeshop downstairs, before heading for the subway where I would be squeezed between strangers for a couple of hours. I'll arrive at the company at around eight thirty in the morning, then proceed to confine myself inside my cubicle for the rest of the morning until my butt goes numb and my eyes strain behind my glasses from long hours of being exposed to the white of my computer screen.
A sandwich or two is enough to tide me over lunchtime – that, and half-heartedly listening to the latest gossip. My co-workers seem to magically know everything: from celebrity scandals, to the number of mistresses the CEO has, to secret love affairs in the office. 'Who's cheating on whom' seems to be their favorite game, since they so love playing detective and butting their noses into other people's business.
At around nine in the evening I clock out, usually one of the last ones to leave the office. I go home, fix myself a light dinner, and after that, I'll either browse for webnovels or play a game or two on my phone to entertain myself before going to bed.
Then the next day, the whole process would repeat again, and again, and again.
But perhaps, that day is different from the others.
That morning, by fate or some sort of ill-timed coincidence, I actually slept through my alarm, something that has never happened since I graduated from university and entered the workforce. Due to how late I was, I foregone my usual coffee and rushed straight for the subway, only for the train doors to close minutes before I caught up. For the first time in the four years I've been working in the company, I arrived late (much to the amazement of my co-workers and supervisor). Within minutes after my arrival, a bumbling intern tripped and splashed coffee on my stark white blouse: the intern dissolved into a flurry of apologies immediately, with frenzied offers of paying for the dry cleaning, but I was just really thankful that the coffee wasn't that hot.
The rest of the day passed by rather uneventfully, so I didn't think much about what happened. After getting off work, my colleagues invited me to eat dinner with them for the sake of formality, but I declined the offer with a polite smile.
I know these people wouldn't want to be around me longer than what was necessary.
"So full of herself," I hear one of them say as they walked away. She didn't even bother lowering her voice. "Just because she graduated from T University and is the Vice President's niece, doesn't give her the right to look down on us. Arrogant bitch."
I smile wryly.
On my way to the subway, the skies suddenly break open and rain pour down the streets. I seek shelter under the awning of a nearby coffeeshop together with two highschool students. While waiting for the rain to stop, I fish my phone out of my pocket. I scroll absent-mindedly through the apps installed on my phone, until I come upon the one I'm looking for. I tap on it.
Looks like the rain seems to show no signs of ending anytime soon. I'll just play a game to make the time worthwhile.
I've been mindlessly tapping on the screen for quite some time when my phone suddenly vibrates and a notification pops up. I disregard it and continue playing. However, even as I play, my phone continues vibrating with incoming notifications. Distracted, I fail to land the finishing blow on my opponent and is defeated instead.
Ugh! And I was so close!
I curse inwardly and tap on one of the bothersome notifications.
[ Congratulations Player! As you have successfully completed all the endings of Mon Ètoile, we have decided to bestow upon you a reward. Do you accept this reward? ]
Mon...what? I rack my brain for answers, and the game I played a couple of weeks ago come to mind. It was a typical fantasy otome game that I played just to pass the time. It wasn't anything special, but something about it intrigued me and drew me in. I ended up finishing all the stories in Normal Mode in a fortnight, and even paid for in-app purchases to unlock all the endings, as well as Difficult and Hell Mode. After dying multiple times, I managed to finish Hell Mode in five days. Soon after I completed it though, I promptly forgot all about it. I'm not even aware I still have it installed on my phone.
Until now.
I read the words on the screen again. A reward, huh. Aren't all rewards given IMMEDIATELY after a player finished the game?
But, anyway. A reward is a reward. Who even says no to rewards? A fool, that's what. And I'm not one.
The screen darkens due to inactivity, so I quickly tap 'Yes'.
What kind of reward will I get? Probably a new avatar or a hidden route –
A piercing scream from my left almost makes me drop my phone. What?
The two highschool students beside me are beside themselves in panic; I follow their terrified gazes and see a young boy running across the busy street. My heart almost stopped as I spot a huge truck coming just several feet away. I didn't pause to think. My feet seem to have a will of their own– I rush into the pouring rain, my low-heeled shoes (which are not built for running) pounding heavily across the asphalt, splashing muddy water up my stockings and beige pencil skirt; all while fervently praying I'll be able to reach him in time.
When my hands touch the boy's back, I almost weep in relief. I quickly push him out of the way with all the strength I can muster, mere seconds before the truck collides with my defenseless body.
Strangely, I feel no pain. On the other hand, I feel like I'm floating...
They say when one's death is near, they will see a lifetime worth of memories flashing before their very eyes. My case, however, is slightly different. In these brief moments where I'm suspended in the air, all I can see is my mother's somber smile and dull brown eyes as she ruffled my eight year old self's hair and kissed my forehead for the last time.
I'm sorry, Mother. I failed you.
Then I fall, and screams and sirens fill my ears, before they slowly and gradually fade away into nothingness as darkness envelops me in its cold, painless embrace.