"Ahhh~ stupid morning again..." I said, opening the window.
It's around 7 a.m. The birds were chirping, there was clear weather, and people were walking around with a fresh smile. For everyone, it must be a good happy morning, but for me, it's what I hate the most.
Every morning is just another reminder of how pointless every day feels. A fresh start? Sure, for them maybe. For me, it's just the same old loop. A new day to mess up, to pretend like it matters.
"Just give me some freedom today..." closing the window, hoping to shut out the world, but nah, it's not in luck. Everyday I've got to study, get good marks, and get into a good university, and then... what was that? Oh, getting a job, earning some ransom, getting married, having children, and... giving quality education to my children, working hard for my future wife and children... It's a pain thinking about this.
Entering the bathroom, I take out the toothbrush, rubbing the teeth, and stare into the mirror. The same face, the same lifeless eyes, day after day. My hair stuck out in all directions, a perfect reflection of the chaos in my head.
"Why even bother?" I muttered, rubbing the toothbrush harder against my teeth as if scrubbing away the frustation.
The tap dripped rhythmically, each droplet echoing in the tiny bathroom. Drip. Drip. Drip. Like a countdown to something.
Splashing water on my face, I leaned closer to the mirror. "Another day to play the puppet, huh?" I whispered to my reflection. It didn't answer back—thankfully, because that would've been weird—but its silence was loud enough.
"Wake up already! You're going to be late! The sound of mom's voice cut through my thoughts like an alarm I couldn't snooze. And what does she even mean, "Wake up, alrighty!" I'm up already.
"Yeah, yeah.." I shouted back, though my voice lacked any real urgency. Late for what? The same school, the same lectures, the same people pretending they care about stuff that doesn't matter.
I dired my face and threw on my uniform, the fabric feeling heavier than it should. Stepping into the kitchen, the smell of fried eggs and toasted bread greeted me. It was comforting in a way, but also a reminder of how routine everything was.
"Good morning," Mom said with a smile.
"Morning," I mumbled, grabbing a piece of toast and biting into it without much enthusiasm.
"You could at least sit down and eat properly," she said, but I could tell she didn't expect me to listen.
"Can't. Gotta get going."
As I walked out the door, the sunlight hit me square in the face. Too bright. Too happy. Too... fake. I shoved my hands into my pockets and started walking down the street, my bag slung lazily over one shoulder.
People bustled around me—some rushing to work, others chatting like the day held infinite possibilities. I envied their ignorance. For me, everything felt scripted, like I was stuck in a play where I hadn't even auditioned.
At the corner of the street, a group of kids laughed as they chased each other around. Their carefree energy was almost infectious, but I resisted the urge to smile.
The road stretched ahead, leading me to the same destination it always did. School. The thought of spending another six hours there made my stomach churn. Not because it was hard, but because it was... hollow. Sit through lectures, copy notes, pretend to care—it was like playing a role in never-ending, badly written drama.
I kicked a small rock on the road, watching it bound before disappearing into a gutter. Just like everything else. Forgotten. Meaningless.
As I reached the school gates, the familiar buzz of students filled the air. Some were cramming for a test, others were gossiping about weekly plans. Their chatter swirled around me, but I tuned it out. It was all white noise.
I walked into the classroom, slumping into my seat by the window. The sunlight streamed in, warm and golden, highlighting the dust particles floating aimlessly in the air. I stared at them for a moment, feeling an odd kinship.
"Alright, settle down! Let's begin." The teacher walked in, her voice cutting through the chaos.
I pulled out my notebook, not because I wanted to but because it was expected. Scribbling random lines in the margins, I let my mind wander.
And that's when it happened.
The classroom, no, but the entire world became too quit out of sudden.
I looked up, confused.
"Is this a dream...?"
My classmates were frozen in a place, mid-action. The girl sitting in front of me had her hand halfway to her mouth, a pencil dangling between her fingers. The guy next to me had his mouth open, mid-yawn, his face stuck in a ridiculous expression.
"I-I.. It must be a joke, right...?"
Standing up. My chair scraped loudly against the floor, the only sound in the room.
I turned to the window. Outside, the birds were frozen mid-flight, like someone had clicked the pause button of the world.
Time-freezing magic? Or some scientific technology? It's insane!
And why, why... can I move like nothing happened? Why only me?
"Hey, figure out that you must be wondering." A voice suddenly said, Where? I tried to look around everywhere, yet the voice was nowhere to be found. its a woman's voice, but it sounds so creepy that it feels like my spine was hit by thousands of volts.
I know I'm overthinking... like hit by thousands of volts is too much. yeah, its true I was never hit by lightning before, but—
"W-wh-who are you...? And what is happening?!" I tremble.
"Okay, okay. I will tell you all about you wanting to know, but can you accept my proposal?"
"W-what? What do you mean...?"
"That is what it sounds. We're going to play a game."
A game? You are joking, right? What does she mean by a game?You mean a game like Battleroyal or something?
"Excuse me, I've also had limited time. Can you let me explain this first?" The voice snapped me out of the thoughts. contuning. "Ahem, the game we were talking about is to bet your life."
"W-what do you mean bet my life?!"
"Hey, can you be quiet for some minutes? You are annoying." The voice sound irritated. "Why does she even choose him?" She muttered something, but I was not even able to hear that clearly.
"Back to the point, you've got to complete all the quests and win the title of god; that is all in." It sounds so easy; you must be kidding, right? If then I can do it, that is what I thought.
But, no. A game can't be this simple. There must be a trick hiding for sure, but can't I also disagree with the game?
"Oii, for your kind information, I know everything you are thinking. So, no choice but to accept." She said when I was lost in thoughts. "But before we start the game, you need to give a small test."
"...T-t-test?" I asked.
"Yeah, a test. Of course, we will give you a reward after you complete, like you see in every game. " Her voice became deeper, "But you know, its not going to be easy; you may have to sacrifice a big thing to achieve, but it's another topic."
Sacrifice? I need to sacrifice? I hear to be successful you need to sacrifice a lot, but to me it sounded ridiculous before, but now I don't know what to do.
"Your first test: Destory the relationship of your friend with his girlfriend." She said.
First test...? What?! Are there many tests I need to do? Also, the first test sounded so cruel. For sure, I don't have any interest in romance, but destorying relationships is something I can't compare.
"Ca..Can't I not accept this...? I asked; she may agree or not, but I don't want to ruin my friend relationship, no matter what. That is the common sense: who would like destorying a relationship?
"No," she replied quickly, as she doesn't care about others. "Ren Tanaka, your games start now, oh! By the way, you've got a month. Try breaking them as fast as possible; if not, you will face something you can't imagine." As she said, the world that was frozen started moving again.