When Luca was like a fish that could only open and close his mouth repeatedly after hearing what the delivery man had just said to him, the delivery man suddenly burst out laughing after seeing his priceless reaction.
"I was just kidding! How can you trust me so completely like that, Wolfie?"
"..." Luca still didn't react even after the delivery man explained his true intentions, but at least, he was able to close his mouth properly after hearing that explanation.
The delivery man still chuckled for a moment, but then he spoke again, "I'm just disappointed that you suddenly left the game and even deleted your account. I thought you felt burdened by me or something, and that's why I decided to ask for your explanation directly. I would feel very guilty if you left the game because of me."
They were still standing facing each other in the living room, and Luca's right hand was still holding the empty glass that he had previously wanted to smash on the delivery man's head. However, now his hand felt numb after knowing the truth about the man, and he weakly moved his body to put the glass on the coffee table before turning back to face the man.
"I didn't leave the game because of you," he finally answered. "It's true that I sometimes get annoyed with you, but I decided to leave the game because it was a waste of my time. That game presents an illusion, making players think that the world will return to normal as it was two decades ago. But that's just a stupid illusion, and I refuse to believe in such a thing."
Suddenly, Luca sounded gloomy, and the delivery man even seemed surprised by his answer.
"Why are you always so pessimistic about this world, Wolfie? You were also like this when we were still playing the game," the delivery man asked again.
Luca seemed to think for a moment about how he should answer the man's question, but then he took a deep breath before opening his mouth to reply, "That's because the situation has been like this for a long time, and this is the new normal in this world. Just as the hands of a clock continue to move forward instead of ticking backward, time cannot be turned back."
The delivery man didn't respond right away, but his eyes lingered on the shorter man for a moment. From how he frowned at the shorter man, it seemed he had his own opinion, but then he took a deep breath before replying, "I understand. That's your belief, and I won't try to change it. However, if you ask for my opinion, even if we can't turn back time, we can always fix the chaos in this world. This world is sick, but I believe there will be a cure."
This time, it was Luca who looked stunned by the man's answer, and he didn't have time to think about answering because the man had already turned his body and started walking towards the door.
However, before reaching the door, the delivery man suddenly turned his body once more before smiling at him, "I've introduced myself, but I haven't told you my real name, right? You can call me Finn."
"..." Luca still didn't answer, and he probably didn't plan to answer either.
However, that didn't disappoint the delivery man. Instead, he still managed to smile broadly before speaking again, "It's Finn with a double 'n,' so you can't assume that our story will end like this. This is just the beginning between us, Luca. See you next Friday."
"..." Luca looked speechless, and even his breath hitched because of what the man had just said.
He still didn't answer, but Finn had already turned his body before opening the door, and he immediately disappeared from Luca's sight.
A heavy sigh escaped Luca's lips. "He's crazy in the game and even crazier in real life," he complained to himself before sitting down on the couch.
There was no longer any warmth on the couch where Finn had been sitting before, and it showed how the two of them had been talking while standing for quite some time. Luca looked exhausted, but then his phone that had been left on the carpet suddenly vibrated, and he could also see how the screen was flashing, letting him know that someone was calling him.
He took a deep breath before getting up from the couch, and he walked towards his phone before bending his body to grab it. He could read the name "Uncle Jam" that was displayed on the screen, and he decided to answer the call.
"What's up, Uncle?" He immediately greeted the caller.
"You answered me pretty quickly this time, Luc," the caller excitedly replied. "I guess you're not busy, so maybe you've had lunch?"
Reflexively, Luca turned his gaze to the coffee table, and he could see a disposable lunch box on it. He still remembered how the lunch box ended up on the table today, but he still hadn't touched it. He didn't even have an appetite, and he involuntarily let out a heavy sigh that managed to startle the caller.
"What's wrong, Luc?" the caller asked. "You sound like you're burdened by something heavy. Would you like to share your burden with this uncle?"
Luca could recognize a hint of concern in the tone, and he could tell that the person was worried about him. He considered whether or not he should tell the person, but then he decided to speak, "Uncle, has there been any progress at the Dawn Virus Research Center? Has a vaccine been found? Is there any hope for this world to return to normal?"
It wasn't just one question that came out of Luca's mouth, but three questions in a row. The other person even paused for a moment, but then he answered in the next second, "I actually have an update from the research center, Luc. That's why I called you today."