"You're fired!"
The words slammed into me like a physical blow, a cold dread instantly gripping my stomach. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the sudden silence.
Disappointment, raw and stinging, filled my chest. I stared at Mr. Lee, my boss, his face a mask of cold indifference.
"B-but why? I was only five minutes late," I stammered, the injustice of it a bitter taste in my mouth.
He sneered. "No exceptions, Ms. Kang. I only hired you because you were desperate—a pathetic plea for employment. But that doesn't mean I'll tolerate your insolence."
The word hung in the air, heavy with contempt. His eyes, narrowed and cold, swept over me, making me feel small and exposed.
The other employees, their faces a mixture of curiosity and pity, watched silently.
"Wait!" Desperation clawed at my throat. "I promise I'll do better! Please, just give me another chance!" My voice cracked, the words tumbling out in a rush of regret. The plea felt desperate, humiliating, yet it was all I had left.
"Do better?" He let out a harsh laugh, the sound grating on my nerves. "Sixty-eight times, Ms. Kang! Sixty-eight times you've been late, and each time you promise to do better. Do you think I'm a fool?" His voice dripped with scorn.
A sigh escaped my lips. "Whoa, hold on! You don't need to be so cruel. Fine, I'll leave. But first, my salary! You haven't paid me for last month, and now you're firing me penniless? That's highway robbery! It's unconscionable! I demand my money!" My voice trembled, a mixture of outrage and desperation.
His face reddened. "Demand your salary? When you barely show up? Three times a week? You call that dedication? You're an embarrassment!" His voice boomed, laced with fury. The air in the small store vibrated with his anger.
-He might have a point, but i have my reasons for not showing up! like..I've been sick for two weeks and i needed to work on my other part time jobs, (got fired recently from my other part time).
-He humiliated me in front of everyone. Now, it's my turn. A slow, chilling smile spread across my face.
"I don't care if you fire me!" I declared, my voice steadier now, laced with disdain. "I'm sick of your arrogant attitude. And let's be honest, your socks reek—seriously, they're offensive!" I added, making a subtle face.
The silence that followed was thick, heavy with unspoken tension. Then, the store owner, his face contorted with rage, roared, "You punk! Get back here, I'm not done with you yet!"
I didn't hesitate. I turned and ran, the sound of his furious shouts fading behind me. Outside, the pent-up tension dissolved into laughter.
I laughed until tears streamed down my face, the absurdity of the situation finally hitting me. It was ridiculous. Serves him right!
My phone buzzed with the opening notes of 'The Imperial March.' It was the landlady. I knew this call wouldn't be good.
But before that...
I haven't introduced myself yet.
My name is "Kang Jahyun", and I just turned 21 today. I'm a college student juggling four night shifts and two weekend jobs.The words hung in the air, a stark statement of my reality.
To be precise, I work four night shifts and hold two weekend jobs.
- And yeah, having multiple jobs is undeniably strenuous, but hey, what choice do I have?No parents to bail me out, no trust fund to fall back on.I'm on my own now, just me against the world.
This is my reality, and I'm determined to navigate it. It's not about the money, exactly – though that's a huge part of it! – it's about proving to myself that I can do this.
"Ah, I forgot ..." I snatch my phone from my bag, picked it up and answered. The screen lit up, displaying Mrs. Kim's number – the harbinger of another rent-related lecture.
I knew that tone. That specific tone. It meant trouble. Big trouble.
I braced myself, already picturing the furious tirade about late payments and the threat of eviction looming large.
"Hello?" I answered, trying to sound more cheerful than I felt, which was about as cheerful as a graveyard at midnight.
"Ms. Kang! I've already told you, you haven't paid your last two months' rent. If you can't pay by tomorrow, you'll have to leave the apartment."
"Can you please extend the deadline? I was recently fired and haven't received my salary yet."
"No, Ms. Kang. I've given you several extensions already; tomorrow is the absolute deadline. That's my final offer. Take it or leave it."
"Yes, Mrs. Kim… I… I understand…" The words trailed off, my stomach twisting into knots.
- O-okay... first i was fired and now i'll be kick out and have to sleep outside because i can't pay my rent.
"This is horrible. The worst day of my life!"
[Ding!]
"Huh?"
-I received a message notification:
[You have won a special gift!]
[Press the 'Confirm' button to claim your prize!]
—Ah... what now? Does this scammer think I'll fall for this same old trick?
-I've already declared that this was the worst day ever and now here's another one try'in to pour fuel on the fire.
[ You sent a 'bleh' emoji]
[ You: Nah, sorry, but I'm not stupid enough to fall for that. I haven't even played a game or entered a lottery, so how could I have won?]
* sighed*
- No Jahyun! don't fall for it,it's a scam!( my inner self)
" Oh well...should i try? Besides, what's the worst that could happen? I have nothing to lose anyway.":> (literally stupid)
- I tapped the 'confirm' button.
[This site is unavailable, please try again]
-"uh...?? what the heck? is that it? "...(pretending nothing happened).
- I put my phone away and headed to the bus stop.
-It was 3:04 when I checked my watch. I'd been waiting for the bus for ten minutes. Just as I was about to put on my headset, an elderly woman sat beside me. She looked at me and smiled.
"Good day to you, ma'am!" Out of respect for my elders , i greeted her as well.
"Good day, young lady" she replied.
"Are you also waiting for a bus ,ma'am?" i asked.
"Oh ..yes i am."
"It's the same here,ma'am. But lately I've been here for fifteen minutes and not a single bus has stopped."
"Is that so?"she asked.
"Yeah, it's always been like this..bad luck just follows me everywhere." I whispers conspiratorially.
-She leans closer, her voice low
"Hmm... maybe there's more to it than meets the eye. This street... it has a history. They say strange things happen here at twilight."
"Strange things? Like what?" My eyes widen with a mixture of fear and fascination.
"Whispers... shadows... missed buses that appear and disappear without a trace..." She pauses, looking meaningfully at me.
"Really?" I looked at the old lady with newfound interest.
"Yes. But you know what? Sometimes, these unexpected delays lead to unexpected opportunities. Sometimes, the things we can't see are the most important."
She smiles, and looked up at the blue sky.
I put my head down out of shame.
"Unexpected opportunities... I guess you're right.*Sighed
"I've been so focused on the negative, I haven't even noticed what's around me. Maybe you're right." When i lift my head up the old lady disappeared.
The only thing left is the faint scent of lavender and the lingering feeling of warmth.
(My eyes wide with wonder) "Was that... a dream?"
The old woman's disappearance was unnerving. The bench remained empty, the air still, as if nothing unusual had happened. Leaving me with a chilling sense of unease and the unsettling feeling that something inexplicable had just occurred.
"Whoa... Granny just gave me goosebumps. That was creepy." I paused,lost in thoughts.
"It's already 3:30, i'll just walk home."
-When i was just about to walk , someone bumped in. A boy running across the pedestrian lane chasing after the ball.
"Hey..kid!" I shout.
"Huh?"
The kid grabbed the ball. I saw a truck speeding toward him.
My body reacted instantly; I ran as if I were trying to save the kid, like a hero in a movie. I jumped in front, closed my eyes, and hoped for a miracle.
[Ding!]
[You have received your price!]
- Where's that voice coming from?
The world suddenly stops, the leaves that has fallen, the truck and the time. Not gradually, not slowly, but with a jarring, instantaneous halt.
It's as if someone has pressed the pause button on reality, leaving us suspended in a bizarre, timeless moment.
[Warning !]
[Warning !]
[You have entered the game]
'What??
-A portal suddenly appeared right in front of us, and a gasp escaped my lips.
-Fear warred with fascination as i stared into the swirling depths, a kaleidoscope of light and shadow promising both wonder and danger. One moment, i was waiting for a bus; the next, we were confronted with a gateway to another world.
Time itself seemed to unravel.Then, with a violent lurch, we were inside the portal.
Falling through the sky, the wind screaming past us . I held the boy tight, embrace a desperate act of comfort and connection in the face of the unknown.
"What the...what??" Ah! i screamed loud as i closed my eyes.
-We landed in a thicket of trees. The branches broke our fall. Bruised and shaken, but alive.
" Ough..We... we survived. I can't believe it. ha! (Gasping for breathe)
"I thought we were going to die. We're okay. We're really okay." i looked at the boy.
" Hey kid, you okay?" i asked.
"Oum..."
A single tear traced a path down the boy's cheek, then another, and another, until his face was wet with the silent release of his overwhelming relief and disbelief. He couldn't speak, couldn't process what had just happened, only cling to me and let the tears flow.
"Ah... i shouldn't ask. Are you scared? well it's okay now.. i guess?"
-I tried to comfort him, but the boy's crying continued, a relentless stream of tears that seemed to have no end. His sobs were deep and shuddering.
"Hey, stop crying," I said gently, my voice softening. "You're making me feel like the bad guy here."
A small, watery smile touched his lips. "Thank you... big sis... for saving me."
"You don't have to thank me. My body just moved on its own," I replied, a nervous laugh escaping me.
"And sorry for leaving damp patches on your shirt where i clung to you."
"Wait?..you did what?" i replied , my eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
He giggled, a surprisingly bright sound in the hushed stillness of the forest. "You're so funny, big sis."
-Relief washed over me, a warm wave pushing back the lingering fear. It was good to see him smile.
But the relief was short-lived.
-As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of bruised purple and fiery orange, the strangeness of our surroundings hit me with full force. This wasn't the familiar city park. This was... something else entirely.
"What the heck!?" I exclaimed, my voice sharp with sudden alarm. The boy looked at me, his face a mask of confusion.
"Ah... what's wrong, big sis?"
"Where are we? What is this place?" Panic tightened its grip on my chest. "This wasn't the bus stop. This wasn't even Earth!"
The strange, swirling colors of the portal, the terrifying fall, the impossible trees, it came to my senses now.
"This has something to do with that old lady, I swear!"
The boy looked at me with a confused
"Oum~ were going to get out here soon ,right big sis?"
" Yeah, somehow" i replied.
[Ding!]
-Then, the familiar ding echoed through the air.
"That sound again!"
--A flat, rectangular screen shimmered into existence before us, suspended in mid-air as if by magic.
[Mission: Survive in the dark forest for three days]
[Mode: E Rank]
[Punishment: Death]
[Price: 10 Gems]
My breath hitched. "Mission?" I whispered, a cold dread settling deep in my bones.