Chapter 1

John Kavokick let out a yawn, glancing around his office. No one had seen him, good. His boss had been strict when it came to yawning in the office. Not being tired was impossible, however. The mountain of work his boss kept piling onto him prevented him from going home early. It was overtime, one day to the next. No peaceful evenings, no peaceful weekends.

Work, work, and more work. He would see work even during national holidays. No one could stop his boss.

Today was no different. Piles of urgent documents greeted John when he entered this morning. Urgent this, urgent that. If every document were urgent, then would urgent not just be the norm?

After finishing a task, on to the next. Such a boring life. The clock continued ticking until it reached twelve at noon. John stretched his limbs, ready to have lunch, when a notification appeared on his laptop screen. The boss had sent him yet another task. Finally, something that wasn’t labeled urgent.

Figuring he could just do it after lunch, he took his lunchbox and brought it to the office’s cafeteria. Employees weren’t allowed to eat at their desks, hence why large crowds always filled this place. Their lively chatter filled the air, accompanied by the sweet smell of food. Some brought dishes they had made at home, others bought food from the various stalls.

John chose a spot near the windows. Outside, the streets were as busy as always. People, cars, trucks. All sorts of things, all sorts of people. Everyone was doing their own thing.

Hmm…?

John noticed something that wasn’t there the day before. A bright red supercar from a famous car brand. He heard a thing or two about this brand. For one, they’re expensive. Not something someone like him could ever buy.

“Isn’t that cool?” came a familiar voice from behind him. It was one of John’s coworkers. Pretty much his only friend in this building. Not literally, but he didn't have a lot of friends. Not a close one, but an ally at least.

“I guess?” John answered. “It’s just a car.”

A cool one, yes, but a car nonetheless. Wouldn’t make his day any less miserable.

Just then, he noticed his boss heading into the parking lot with his secretary. The two of them entered the car, and they drove off.

“Wait, it’s his?” John asked.

“Who else?”

“I thought the company was struggling?”

It was just rumors, but many rumors had a source that was just slightly true.

“The company is struggling, not him.”

It wasn’t uncommon for people to have multiple businesses. Maybe one of his businesses made a lot of money.

“Wish I had that much money.”

Unlike his boss, John struggled day by day to survive. Opening his box revealed cold instant noodles he prepared this morning.

“Is that healthy?”

“No, of course not.”

Even John knew that much. But it was his only option. He didn’t have the time or the money to make something healthier.

“By the way, what are your plans for tonight?”

“Overtime.”

His friend let out a chuckle. “Again?”

“You know how it is.”

John gazed out at the bookstore across the road. Back during high school, he was an otaku. He would go to the bookstore every time there was a new release, savoring that smell of a freshly printed book, and read until dawn. Sometimes, he slept in class as a result.

But he could no longer live like that. The overtime work sucked so much of his life that during the rare times he got off early, he would feel too tired to do anything. It had been months since he last checked the anime airing, maybe years since he last completed a light novel.

A past long gone. A time he could only look back on with nostalgia, wishing to have an awesome adventure like the protagonists of those stories.

“... What are we even working for?”

His friend shrugged. “You know how things are these days. It’s all about money, money, and more money.”

“Yeah.”

Looking at all the fancy cars parked across the street, he couldn’t help but wish he had one. Being driven back to his luxury apartment, enjoying a warm bath, and then doing the things he enjoyed. Not spend time overworking, head home alone on a crowded train, and immediately fall asleep upon arrival.

He wanted something to change, but was not sure what he could do.

“By the way, have you heard?” his friend asked all of a sudden.

“What?”

He brought himself closer and whispered, “I heard the company is replacing some workers with AI.”

“...”

Another rumor. This one probably wasn’t true, either. AI wasn’t mature enough to replace him just yet.

He shrugged his shoulders dismissively, focusing on his food instead. The instant noodle tasted bland, not because he didn’t put in the sauces. He got bored with them.

He soon finished his food and stood up. “I’m heading back.”

“It hasn't even been half an hour,” his friend groaned.

“Well, work. A lot of them.”

John sighed and returned to his desk. Seeing the stack of papers filled him with a sense of dread, but he knew they must be finished. He wanted to go home as fast as possible, so getting these things done would help. Even if it only reduced by half an hour.

He sat down and began working.

•••

It was late in the evening. Out of the many desks, only he and three other employees remained. A common sight. Some employees had more work than others. John wanted to be among those with less work, but he couldn’t choose.

That should be the last of it.

Finally. He should have been home three hours ago. He sent an email to his boss, submitting his work. He began tidying up his belongings, putting his stuff into his bag. John left the office, heading to the train station. The trip home took another hour. After arriving at his destination station, he still needed to walk for another fifteen minutes before he finally reached his apartment.

The familiar road looked boring. A path he traveled through time and time again. His phone vibrated.

A notification?

He continued walking while pulling out his phone, thinking the notification wasn’t important. Applications love spamming their users with unimportant ads, after all. This one wouldn’t be any different.

The cracked smartphone screen lit up. His eyes widened, staring at the screen. A notification from his boss, thanking him for his work.

Immediately, alarms blared in his mind. His boss never thanked him. Not once. Whenever he finished his task, the reply would always be ‘ok’ or some variation of that. His boss thought of this as work, as John’s responsibility. Not like John ever expected a thanks, either.

John stared at his smartphone, hoping nothing was wrong. Yeah. Maybe something good happened. Maybe he enjoyed his new car. Maybe…

Unfortunately, reality soon dawned upon him. An email. Inside it, a letter of termination was attached.

This… must be a joke, right?

He wanted to laugh. Surely, surely not, right? Right?

He knew damn well it wasn’t a joke. His boss wasn’t the type who liked to joke.

John gritted his teeth. Then, what was the point? Why work hard? Why do overtime? Why do his best for this company, only to be discarded in the end? What was the point of everything?

John failed to realize that he had stepped into the road, right as a red car passed by.