"Amamiya! Why are the documents for presentation not finished yet!?"
"I-I am sorry senpai. I had to do some pending work, so it couldn't be completed yesterday."
"Don't give me that excuse! Go finish it right away!"
"Y-Yes. Understood."
.
.
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Time for a little introduction. My name is Yuichi Amamiya, a 24 years old office worker in a production management company.
I have been working here for the last 4 years since I dropped out of university in my second year.
Both my parents were bedridden for a long time. And in my second year of university, mother passed away.
Father has been hospitalized since that day.
Due to no stable source of income, I had to drop out and start searching for a new job.
That's when I came across this company's website. There was an announcement seeking for extra personnel on a project.
I was on cloud nine, when I realized that my qualifications were matching with the eligibility criteria.
A few days after applying for it, I got a notification about approval of my job letter.
From that day onwards, this living hell started tormenting me.
At first, it looked like a normal company with healthy working environments. But when I continued here for 3-4 months, the work load increased drastically.
In that desperate situation and dire need of money, the thought of quitting never occurred to me.
Then slowly and gradually, I was falling into a loop of hopelessness.
That brings us to this present scenario.
The witc- I mean the lady in front of me is my senior, Ririka Shinomiya. At first, I thought she was a really beautiful, capable woman. Everyone in this office looked up to her and probably, some had fallen for her too.
My perception was just like that a few years ago. But now, she is not more than a witch to me. No, a demon would be more suitable.
Due to her unreasonable demands, I have been working my ass off for last 7 days straight.
That's right. I haven't been to my house for the last 150 hours.
Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.
All inside this company premises.
"I told you to prepare it, didn't I? What are you staring at?" She asked me as I stood their waiting for another session of scolding to start.
"Senpai, actually, about that presentation, I don't have any data reg-"
Thud.
"What did you say!? Don't have any data?! Just some useless crap! Go get it from someone already!"
The stinging sensation from the slap she landed on my face reminded me of some traumatic experience I had with my parents during high school years.
Not a single day at that time, I was able to sleep in peace.
In the fear of the other one cheating on them, my parents started fighting with each other.
Our peaceful home turned into a mess of constant quarreling and alcohol abuse. Sometimes, I got beat up pretty hard by them.
Then, once I graduated from high school, due to a recommendation from my high school principal, I got into a pretty reputed university with scholarship.
And, I started living on my own with a part time job.
When, the news of the death of my mother reached me, I felt almost nothing.
Probably, I had developed some sort of hatred towards both of them.
That's why I haven't gone to meet my father even once after he got admitted to hospital, diagnosed with lung cancer. Just sending the required money for his medical bills was the only connection between us.
In short, my life was already akin to a hell to begin with.
On top of that, this company treats me like some donkey.
Moreover, this bitch just slapped me because of a mistake, which was not even by me.
"Go fuck yourself." I mumbled with one hand caressing the slapped cheek.
"Huh? Can't hear you. What are you mumbling about?! Just go already!"
This is my limit. I can't take it anymore. My head is already fuzzy due to starving for a long time.
"That's right. I would go prepare the documents right away. For my resignation, that is."
"What? Resignation? For what purpose?"
"Resignation from this fucking job, you bitch!"
With that shouting from me, her expression changed from an annoyed face to a serious one.
"Well, unfortunately, you have to search for another prey to be your slave. I would be back in a few minutes after sorting out all the documents."
I left her cabin, and hurried towards my working desk.
Then after filling the resignation letter, I printed a copy of it, and started preparing for transfer of files to the main server.
I mean, what the hell was that? Did she think I am some sort of toy?
Just looking at her face makes me feel disgusted now.
I don't care about this job anymore. I just want to fucking leave this place right now.
After sorting out the papers, along with my resignation letter, I rushed back to her cabin.
My colleagues saw these events unfolding before them, but I didn't bother to notice anything.
"This is my resignation."
"...…..Are you serious about quitting? I thought that was a spur of the moment thing."
"I don't care. Just sign on it already."
"Hey! Have you thought about it carefully?"
"I told you, didn't I!? I-don't-care. Now, do me a favor, and just let me live ------"
.
.
.
Huh? Why is everything rising up all of a sudden? My head is too heavy now. It's like I am floating in water, going deep and deep and deep inside.
Everything is turning black now.
Eh? Why is this shitty senior shouting again? Well, that's what she does every time anyway.
I think I am falling asleep now. I guess, exhaustion caught up to me finally.
.
.
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[Inside xyz hospital]
A young man with a pale face was sleeping on the bed. On one side, an office lady sat on a chair with a mourning expression on her face, tears rolling down from her eyes.
In the moonlight lit hospital ward, her monologue could be heard albeit faintly.
"I am sorry, Yuichi."
"I didn't realize you were in such sorry state."
"Constant nagging from the upper management committee kept me at edge all the time, that I took all my anger on you."
"This time I was just pissed off, because of that bitch. You always give her attention and never look my way. You helped her in that project again without informing me."
"I-I was just trying to!-----" Her sobbing voice echoed through the room.
"Please don't talk about resignation again! Once you get well, I would personally take care of you."
"Then after that years-long project is over, work load would definitely decrease, for both of us. We would get married and live happily in our small house."
"Wait, I haven't proposed you yet! You might hate me now, but one day I would do everything properly."
"So... please! Get well soon."
Interrupting her monologue, the doctor in charge entered the ward. Ririka Shinomiya immediately got up from her seat, and rushed to the doctor.
"What happened doctor? He is okay, right?"
"Um, what is your relationship with the patient?"
"...….I am his senior at work. What's wrong doctor? Isn't he just sleep deprived?"
"I am sorry to say this but due to deep emotional shock on top of exhaustion, he is in coma right now. We are doing what we can do. But it doesn't seem like he would wake up anytime soon. Please contact his fami------ma'am?"
"Nonononononononoooo! No!"
Amidst the shock of finding her loved one in coma, her shout reverberated through out the hospital floor.
However loud it might be, her cry would never reach him, and would be confined in those 4 walls of the ward.
It was how a tragic story of a unfortunate boy came to a pause.
On the other hand, he was weaving a new story with a new life.
Would it be equally tragic, or would the boy finally find some happiness?
***
Inside a dimly lit room, a high school boy woke up and scanned his surroundings.
Wait, why this third person point of view? And how the hell am I a high school boy?
I remember someone shouting 'ambulance'. Is this a hospital ward? From the looks of it, this is just a normal room, isn't it?
Nah, more like I can't see anything clearly, due to the windows being shut. Let's open that first.
As the fresh morning sunlight entered the room, it was illuminated and gave off a strange feeling. Well, it might be the room of one of my colleagues.
I must have been pushing too much to pass out due of exhaustion.
Hm? Wait a second. Why are my hands a bit smaller? Did I use a gadget from Doraemon pocket?
No, that's too much fantasizing.
Then, what should I do to confirm if it's true or not?
Of course, I would go to check in the mirror inside the bathroom. Well, it definitely feels a lot lighter. Almost as if I have gained a new body of a high schooler.
But those things just happen in fantasy stories. There is no way...
Huh? Who is this boy?
As I saw my reflection on the mirror, I literally saw a high school boy staring at it making some disgusted faces.
Hm? I think I have seen this boy somewhere.
Immersing myself in recalling about past events, a certain illustration from a famous light novel series came to my mind.
...…..
Well, I must be dreaming right now.
Yeah, that has to be it.
I mean is it even possible in real life?
I am in the body of Yamauchi Haruki of a light novel series, 'classroom of the elite', 'cote' in short.
That was a series I dropped since I moved to a new house to live alone. Not because the series was bad, but because I didn't really have time for any of it.
Then I must have read up to year 1 volume 10 which was released in, probably, 2019.
That was when I joined the university.
However, the series was really good up to that point. Intricate plans, manipulations, and main focus on human emotions and relationships, along with the nothingness inside the main character were some notable selling points of it.
Unfortunately, I couldn't continue it further.
But to think, I would dream of something so distant in the past, is just unbelievable.
Wait. It is a dream, right? Why does it feel so real?
This physical sensation is way too real to be a dream though.
No other choice then. I have to go to sleep again.
10 minutes later.
"I can't sleep."
20 minutes later
"Let's count until 100...."
30 minutes later.
"Four 3s are twelve. Four 4s are sixteen….."
1 hour later.
Maybe this isn't a dream. I mean everything feels totally real to me.
Does that mean I died? Well, I don't actually care about that shitty life.
If this is my second chance, somehow, I might be able to live a normal happy life.
By the way, if I am inside the story of the novel, then which volume is it?
Let's check the date.
After checking the date, I was dumbfounded. Just after such hell like experience, I am going to go through the same thing again?
I had forgotten about the contents from the last volume I read, and particular dates were not even mentioned in it.
But the month was similar to its description.
It was nearly the end of first year in Advanced Nurturing High School. There were 2 more special exams remaining.
The second last one is currently underway. And looking at his chats in his mobile phone, I realized that Yamauchi Haruki,...…no. I was going to be expelled in 2 days, at the end of this week.
"Are you kidding me?!"