'Damn, depression sucks. To think I was reduced to this,' he muttered, forcing a laugh to hide the weight on his chest.
'Man, it's like I went from hero to zero. I'm starting to feel like one of those loser anime MCs—except with backward progression.'
With that half-hearted joke, he walked to the bathroom.
He usually avoided taking baths, but today was different.
The least he could do was wear something that wouldn't make his parents worry about how far he'd fallen.
After a long hot shower, he stepped out, the steam still floating on his head.
Next, he grabbed an 'oversized' T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans.
Well, it used to be oversized—three years ago. Now? It was just a normal size.
The clothing had a faint moldy smell, but after spending so much time in his messy room, his nose had pretty much immunized itself as a defense mechanism.
He called this "Selective Smelling". A unique ability that only the most hardcore procrastinators could develop.
By the door, he reached for his old Niks. The classic black, white, and red design.
They'd seen better days, just like him, though they didn't look too worn out—mainly because he barely used them.
CREAK!
He slowly opened the door for the first time in a while.
'My god, my eyes hurts,' he muttered, squinting and recoiling as it took him way too long to get used to the sunlight.
'Did I turn into a vampire ? Why am I so exhausted ?'
Finally, he could see better and looked out at the city in front of him.
His apartment was the type where all the rooms were accessible by open-air corridor, and the only thing keeping him from a long drop was the railings.
Not exactly the best setup for someone as depressed as he was, but oh well—the rent was dirt cheap.
It really showed just how broke he was for not being able to afford it
'Do I even still know how to walk properly? ' he wondered, a wry smile crossing his face.
It was a funny thought, especially considering how athletic he used to be.
No, 'athletic' didn't even begin to cover it. He was a literal monster, the kind people thought was custom-made by God himself.
And he wasn't even bragging; he'd had check-ups where the doctors were impressed by the density and flexibility of his muscles and bones, way beyond what regular humans had.
But, ironically, those god-given talents had been wiped out by years of unhealthy living.
Instead of hitting the gym, he'd binge-watched entire seasons of shows while devouring bags of chips and pizza.
Late-night gaming marathons had replaced workouts, and energy drinks had become his water.
Now, each step felt like a challenge, as if his body had forgotten the simple act of moving.
As he walked down the narrow stairwell of his three-story apartment building, he kept his eyes glued to the steps.
Not because he was embarrassed—he honestly didn't care what anyone thought.
He just wanted to keep to himself.
Just as he reached the gate to the outside, a voice rang out, slicing through his thoughts, which mostly revolved around him imagining himself as an anime character
"Hello!"
Looking up, he spotted a pretty girl with tan skin and long hair. Her monolid eyes sparkled with curiosity as she walked down the stairs in a cute, almost bouncy way.
And when he said 'bouncy,' he was definitely talking about the way she moved, and not anything else.
She wore a clean white uniform with a white and green checkered skirt that she had pulled up just enough to show off her long, thick legs, which were covered by black knee-high socks
Her playful style and confident demeanor surprised him a bit. She looked like someone who belonged to a different world
'A Gal?' he thought, recognizing the term.
Her vibrant style and confident stance fit the image he had in mind
"Do you have any plans today? You rarely go outside," she said, playfully touching her lips as she asked.
"Just… trying to get some fresh air,"
He might be an otaku, but he wasn't the type who could not engaged in a conversation.
Then it hit him. "Wait, you know me?"
He was pretty sure he didn't know anyone in this apartment.
"Silly, I'm your neighbor," she giggled, her laughter ringing like a pleasant melody in the air. "My name is Takahashi Minako."
Luck blinked, processing her words.
'Neighbor?'
He hadn't even noticed her before. Well, it wasn't really weird, considering he hardly ever went outside.
"Ah, hello, Ms. Takanashi-san. I'm Luck," he said, forcing a polite smile.
"You got my name wrong! It's Ta..ka..ha..shi, not Takanashi. But don't worry; it's a common mistake."
"Right, sorry about that! Takahashi Minako," he repeated, emphasizing the correct pronunciation to make sure he wouldn't mess it up again.
"No worries!" she giggled, her voice light and casual. "I gotta go now; I still have school."
She walked past him, and as she did, a pleasant fragrance wafted through the air—something lemony and fresh that lingered long after she was gone
'What a nice gal,'