Ren wakes up the next morning, feeling the familiar itch to use his new power. The memory of last night is still fresh in his mind—objects flying through the room at his will, the sheer thrill of control, the excitement and the warmth.
He can feel the energy, the telekinetic force, buzzing beneath his skin. But what use is it now? He still has to pay rent. Still has to go to work like everyone else.
He stands up, stretches and exits his room. The small apartment is quiet, Lina is already gone off to work.
She always leaves early for her part-time job.
He passes her room and heads to the kitchen, grabbing a piece of stale bread, then leaves for work without a second thought.
The streets are the same, worn down and dirty, as he pedals his cheap, secondhand bicycle towards the restaurant.
As he pedals his bike, he grits his teeths.
Why am I going to work. He thinks.
Don't I have powers now. Why the hell am I still doing this? But there's also no way to make money using my ability—at least not yet. But when I master this power, I'll have the most luxurious life I can think of.
As he continues to pedal, his mind drifts to the past.
"It's been almost two year since my parents passed away, the day i lost everything i held dear."
They passed away in a car accident, struck by some rich asshole who walked away without any consequences.
He gritts his teeth.
He remember the courtroom, the smug look on the man's face as the judge dismissed the case. The courtroom felt cold, the people staring at him, with pity dropping from their eyes. And the man, smirking, irritated as if his time got wasted.
"It was my fault... I wasn't strong enough... to protect them."
Ren was left with nothing but a small sum of insurance money and the weight of a broken system.
That was the time it all started to change. His view of the world began to turn dark.
He used the last money to move into the run-down apartment and picked up a job as a delivery boy.
His only company now is Lina, the girl who shares the same apartment with him to split the rent.
She's nice, but he can't figure out why she's stuck in a place like this.
Beautiful, with long white hair and a fit, almost athletic build, she's way out of his league. But she's stuck here too, working as a part-timer in some café to make ends meet.
His anger festers as he thinks back to the rich bastard who killed his parents.
Ren could've been someone else—a better version of himself—if the world hadn't screwed him over.
And now, here he is, just another delivery boy no one cares about, everyone looks down on.
He arrives at the restaurant, a not so big place that's being used as a restaurant, and a small bike stand besides.
He goes to the stand, parks his bike and steps inside, greeted by the usual disinterested stares from the other employees.
It's the same routine every day. The other employees looking down on him, barely acknowledging his presence.
"Hey, creep is here," one of the kitchen staff mutters under their breath as he walks past.
Ren hears them, but keeps his head down, ignoring it.
One day, they'll all pay for it.
The restaurant's manager, Eva, stands near the counter, checking the schedule.
She's beautiful, with sharp features and long dark hair, always perfectly styled.
But her attitude is as ugly as it gets. She's always on Ren's case—underpaying him, yelling at him for the smallest mistakes.
"You're late," Eva says coldly, barely looking up from her clipboard.
"Again. One more time and I'll dock your pay, understand."
Ren looks at her, his face down, swallows the bitter retort that's bubbling up inside him and nods.
"I understand."
He's used to it, the cold stares, yellings, the people looking down on him. It all started after his parents passed away.
The harsh reality of the world came rushing to him just as he stepped his foot into the real world.
The world without the protection of his loving parents, his mother always there to comfort him, his father always protective.
But today, there's something different. Today, he's got power—something she doesn't know about. Yet.
"You have an order. Deliver it fast." Eva tells him in her usual cold tone.
Ren grabs his first order of the day and steps outside. The anger is simmering beneath the surface. He unlocks his bicycle, and pedals away, the same thought running through his mind:
Why the hell am I still doing this? When is this gonna end.
Midway, as he paddles, his thoughts wonder back to the last night, about his newfound powers, telekenisis.
Now that I have powers, how can I use it to make my life better. He thinks while glancing around, making sure no one's watching.
Then, he focuses on the handlebars, flexing his mental muscle. He focuses, and slowly the bike picks up speed without him pedaling harder.
Ren smirks, a big smile creeping onto his face as his bicycle picks up the speed. The air brushes his hair as he grips the handlebars tightly, not to let go, also while focusing to pick up the pace.
He pushes further, using telekinesis to guide the bike through the streets. His control is shaky, but it's enough to make his trip faster, smoother.
He cuts through traffic, turns at the corners while sliding, feeling a rush of exhilaration.
This is so fantastic, using his powers in small ways to make his life better.
He arrives at his destination smoothly, drops off the delivery, takes the payment, and rides back to the restaurant, smoothly.
And like this, the delivery is finished in record time, and Ren returns to the restaurant, a new sense of confidence swelling within him. He enters the restaurant, and hears the workers casually chatting with each other, about him as usual.
"Honestly, how is that guy still working here?" one of the kitchen staff says.
"He's such a loser," another one chimes in. "Creepy too, always lurking around. I have even seen him staring at Eva's ass every chance he gets."
"Yaa, I know, right. What a looser, and creepy."
Ren's fists clench at his sides. He's heard it all before, but it never gets easier. Every insult feels like a slap to the face, a reminder that, in their eyes, he's nothing.
Not yet, he thinks, but I will be.
He just goes to a chair, pretending he didn't hear anything. He sits comfortably, and scan the room until they land on Eva, who's standing near the counter, talking to a couple of waitresses.
Her back is to Ren, her figure outlined in the tight skirt she always wears.
Ren pauses, his gaze lingering on her hips. For a moment, he lets himself imagine what it would be like to use his power on her—to bend her... to his will, to make her respect him, or even fear him. The thought sends a thrill down his spine.
Why shouldn't I? She basically treats me like dirt anyway. So I should get to play with her as well, right?
He's so lost in his fantasy that he doesn't notice Eva turning around. Her eyes narrows as she catches him staring at her.
"What the hell are you looking at?" she yells, her voice loud enough to make everyone else turn and look.
"You're such a creep, you know that? God, you're disgusting."
Ren freezes, his face burning with humiliation as other employees snicker.
"Get back to work," she adds, glaring at him with pure contempt.
"And stop being a pervert. It feels disgusting when you look at me."
Ren immediately lowers his head.
I can do something—i should do something...
But he can't. He can't talk back to her, face her. He can't afford to lose this job, not until he knows how to properly use his newfound powers.
He walks out of the restaurant, but one thing is clear in his mind.
He won't be stuck in this place forever. Sooner or later, they'll all learn what he's capable of. And when they do, they'll regret every word, every look, every insult.
They will know not to look down on him.
As he walks out, he smiles to himself. Dark thoughts begins to swirl in his mind. It's only a matter of time.