After Ars returned home from his "heartwarming" chat with Mr. Rukism Alivorg, he sat down to study. But, let's face it, studying is boring. So, what does a bored soul do? Exactly—he fired up his PC and started aimlessly scrolling through the internet. After a few minutes of mindless browsing, he landed on a shopping website. And then… boom—his life changed.
He found it. The Blue Lock manga's latest volume. But here's the kicker—his entire budget for the month was now reduced to exactly enough for one month's worth of ramen. And let's be honest, Ars was an addict. He could survive on instant noodles, but he couldn't survive without his manga. It was an emergency.
Without hesitation, he bought the damn thing. His bank account screamed in terror. Ars ignored it. Priorities, people.
Now, time for some anime recommendations. Every guy in the forum was going on about Isekai, but Ars had already watched every single one. All of them. Yes, even the weird ones. Then, a mysterious user named 'userdied434' popped up and suggested something called Berserk. Ars squinted. Berserk? Who the hell names an anime that sounds like a mental breakdown?
He was about to scroll past it when…
The author popped up.
"Ars, watch Berserk. It's a masterpiece. Trust me."
Ars paused. Wait. Who the heck is this?
"Okay," Ars typed back, already regretting it. "I'll give it a try." (It was the first time he'd ever heard of Berserk, but whatever, he was clearly running low on options.)
The author, who we'll call "The Madman" for clarity, responded:
"Good choice! Watch it all the way through, no skipping. Trust me, you'll get a surprise."
Ars wasn't sure what kind of "surprise" the author was talking about, but figured it couldn't be worse than his current life choices.
Then, the author, who clearly had too much time on their hands (and possibly some unresolved mental issues), replied:
"I know you'll hate it, but too bad. You're watching it. I'm the author. I control your life now. Muahahaha."
Ars, too traumatized to back out now, reluctantly pressed play.
The next day, Ars was at school, still reeling from the emotional and mental wreckage that was Berserk. His thoughts were heavy, his soul crushed. But hey, what's life without a little suffering?
Enter: Lissa Drake.
She was new. She wasn't exactly stunning, but she was… there. And apparently, that was enough to get her to sit in the seat behind Ars.
"Hey, young man," she said, leaning in. "Are you busy tonight?"
Ars didn't even look up. "What, you think I'm not busy? What's your point?"
"I'm thinking of going to a restaurant with you."
Ars raised an eyebrow. "Think harder. That's not happening. Now, get lost, brat. Oh, and what's your name again?"
Lissa puffed out her chest. "You don't have manners, huh? Well, I told you already—I'm Lissa Drake."
Ars snorted. "Drake? What kind of name is that? Are you, like, a rapper or something? Hahaha."
Lissa shot him a death glare. "What's your problem with Drake?"
Ars leaned back in his chair, putting on his best sarcastic smile. "What's not a problem with Drake? You're not on Instagram or YouTube, are you?"
Lissa blinked. "No, I don't use social media."
Ars shook his head in disbelief. "Well, it's not your fault your name sounds like a rejected Instagram handle. Anyway, enough talking. Get lost."
But Lissa wasn't having any of it.
"Nope. I want to talk to you."
Ars sighed deeply. "That means I have to go. Right now."
And then, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Perfect timing. As Ars packed up, Lissa followed him out of the school.
Once Ars got home, he made his way to the kitchen. You see, Ars wasn't just a manga and anime fan. He was also a culinary genius. His ramen could rival Michelin-starred chefs, and his fish and rice? Straight-up five-star restaurant quality.
He was enjoying his meal when—knock, knock—someone dared to interrupt his peace.
He opened the door, fully expecting to see the delivery guy with his latest anime merch. But nope. There stood Lissa.
"Can I come in? It's small, but it's clean. I like it," she said, barging past him.
Ars blinked. "Fine. But you're on a time limit."
As Lissa wandered around, she noticed the anime posters on the walls. "You watch anime?" she asked, her voice full of intrigue.
Ars smiled. "Yeah, a lot. My favorite is The Eminence in Shadow in Isekai, and Dragon Ball Z for shonen. What about you?"
Lissa grinned. "I like One Piece and Classroom of the Elite."
Ars nodded. "Solid choices."
Lissa raised an eyebrow. "But you watch anime on this tiny screen and an old PC?"
Ars sighed. "Unfortunately, yes."
Lissa smirked. "Well, I have a theater at my place. We could watch anime there together. You in?"
Ars paused for a second, then replied, "No thanks. I have exams coming up. Gotta cram."
"Okay, fine," Lissa said, crossing her arms. "But I'll catch you next time."
Little did Ars know, his life was about to get a lot more complicated. And Lissa? Well, let's just say she wasn't done with him yet.
And there you have it. Tune in next time to see how Ars deals with the madness that is his life. Spoiler: It's only going to get worse. Enjoy the suffering!