Real Life Turned Off

Edge isn't just sharp. Every individual has their share of 'edge' that flavours their personality.

Like some unique spices…

For the average Webnovelist, they didn't have to express the darkness of their hearts in reality.

Their unfinished stories held their 'sharpness'.

Well, that's what Ben Turner thought while looking back on his 'Dark History' and unfinished novels.

Even after getting a regular office job that sucked blood out of him faster than a giant mosquito, he STILL had dark fantasies about fucking the boss's secretary, and/or beautiful young step mother.

Apparently, every rich bastard had that.

He took a tram back after a long day of work. His shoulder was killing him for more reasons than one.

'I hope the world would fall apart…' That way, he wouldn't have to get up and go work tomorrow.

Truly, it'd be a life come true if he could just become an unemployed 'Richie' with excess green.

Better yet, if he had a nice knockout beauty for a wife. One who would work in a company FOR him.

Well, the only thing close to that in real life was LITERALLY the secretary of 'Micron Entertainment'.

It was a game company that both hosted Massive Multiplayer Online servers and handheld consoles.

A company that was fairly decent in the market.

A company with a fat CEO and beautiful assistant.

Ben turned his eyes to look at a woman sitting on the seat on the other row in front of him. Her blonde hair wasn't really sticking out in a place like Britain, but her figure would've got some whistling.

There was even some bastard teens who did exactly that the last time the woman had gotten on.

Only to be 'rescued' by another annoyance.

Maybe that was why, instead of keeping her distance like usual, she came over to sit right there.

On the only seat next to him…

Surprisingly enough, Ben didn't say anything despite his dirty heart thinking many delusions.

He knew the meta of his own edgy mindset…

"You're not going to say I'm getting too close, are you?" The woman, his boss's secretary, spoke first.

Her smile was pleasing to the eye.

It was no wonder many in his group felt their hearts purified. She had such an innocent personality…

But it was one he wasn't able to get used to.

Her 'purity' only made him feel dirty in comparison.

"This is for last time, ain't it?" He spoke about the time he sat next to her so she wouldn't be teased.

Something he did purely out of spite; not kindness.

"You saved me back then."

"Screw it."

"…Huh?" She felt a bit confused by his words.

"I'm not some 'nice guy'. Don't misunderstand."

"Really…?" She found his words strange. It's not ordinary that someone would say such a thing.

"You're face is the only reason I helped."

"…I better thank my parents."

"…?" His mouth twitched at her casual response.

"What?"

"Nothing. I expected you to leave right away."

"I'm not the type of vile woman who'd judge you for not having a pure motive." She words struck him.

It was the first time his heart was softened…

Ben scratched the back of his head, then asked:

"Sorry, I didn't catch your name last time."

"…Julie. Maybe you should remember it."

"Why? We don't work in the same department." I turned my head away from her and crossed arms.

"You're being too antisocial."

"It's called 'giving no shits'. If I cared about your criticisms, I wouldn't be in charge of patching up PlainsWalker. Do you KNOW how many complaints I get a day about bugs and job class imbalances?"

"Not really, but I DO know your coworkers hate you." She took note of the potty mouth he had.

"They don't."

"Despite being their team leader, you take credit for their effort a lot. It'd be weird if they liked you."

"Sure they like me. They do… They… do…" It was looking like the man didn't expect to hear this.

Though his work ethic was as messy as his behead in the afternoon, Ben didn't see himself as 'unliked'.

Surely, it wasn't as bad as she said…

Surely…

'I have to treat them to something.' The bastard of a team leader immediately thought of using money.

Such a despicable tactic…

"Anyway…" Julie drew his attention when she pulled down her scarf. More of her beauty was revealed.

She continued: "What's that on your phone?"

Ben suddenly noticed the words written on his current Webnovel was seen due to his negligence.

But he tried to play it off as nothing:

"It's just a thing I'm working on."

"An erotica?" Her words instantly made his hairs stand up in embarrassment, but he held it back.

There was still ten minutes until his stop arrived.

Maybe that's how he noticed her peculiar tone…

"You're interested…?"

"…Maybe." A high-class secretary that was into erotica. Now this was the first time he'd heard it.

"Now that's a surprise."

"D-don't misunderstand!"

"I'm not."

"What's with that look?"

"What look?"

"It's like a Cheshire Cat… That smile…"

"Looks like you don't ONLY read 'cultured' novels."

"Grrr…" She groaned, but didn't retort to this.

Her sincerity made his extremely high guard lower a little. It was hard to hate such a honest person.

"I'm a fan of writing."

"Me too."

"You have an account of that Webnovelist website?" He started look at her on intrigue.

"Right. The one with the pen and paper icon."

"Nice~ And what do YOU write?"

"…Nothing."

"Come on. You can tell me everything~"

"No, I mean… I've never wrote a single word."

"Huh?" Ben couldn't make figure out what she meant. What reason did she have to hold back?

"I'd be embarrassed if someone saw my work." It was these words that lit a blazing fire in his heart.

He stared at her straight in the eyes, making her a bit uncomfortable from not knowing his thoughts.

Then, he looked at his own smartphone seriously…

His gaze became sharp.

"From a young age, I've written so many stupid stories that make me die of embarrassment.

Do you think I'd stopped after growing older?

Even now, I'm writing a lewd edgy power fantasy about a butler who got reincarnated into 'Me'!" It was his last sentence that grabbed her attention the most. The initial description was… something.

Suddenly, she realised why he'd brought this up with her. To think he'd care so much about this.

'Such a funny guy…' She giggled, making the unpopular team leader become red in the face.

He'd just realised the 'crimes' he'd confessed to.

"Have you ever written about me then?"

"N-no!" He quickly denied it, but the way his voice pitch cracked gave away the truth of the matter.

Her smile became much sinister and deeper.

She didn't seem embarrassed whatsoever.

"Alright, then… What's your current work about?"

"…A badass womaniser possessed me and made a harem after the world went into a post apocalypse."

"I thought this was a self-insert…?" She found it strange that HE was the one that was possessed.

His face darkened when she brought this up.

"You know… I was writing this because I wanted to appeal to those who wanted to become different."

"Why not just make the main character grow."

"Because people DON'T grow." His eyes became listless. Ben looked out and finally saw his stop.

"You're going so soon?" Julie couldn't believe he was about to leave her hanging on the juicy part.

"I'm getting off here."

"Then I'll go too!" She grabbed his arm and followed him out, eyes widening at her openness.

Maybe that's why she'd shamelessly admit to reading erotica to a man she didn't know properly.

On top of that, she was being too close…!

His face became darker.

"Oh, sorry about being clingy." The blonde beauty let go of his arm, which made him curse himself.

He'd messed everything up!

'No, please… continue what you were doing!' Was what he was saying in his heart despite his look.

That scrunched up face was just him trying to hold himself back from making a perverted look at her.

It definitely wasn't to drive her away!

Suddenly, he noticed someone else walking out with them. A hooded man wearing a hat and mask.

The only thing to be noted about the guy was his familiar 'plumpness'. It mildly took his attention.

Though this fair-faced secretary got his gaze back.

"What's next?" Seeing that he was finally getting the attention of a nice girl, he focused only on her.

His motives were becoming impure…

"I based the story off our company's game. So you can likely guess what kind of 'apocalypse' I mean."

"The one with portals and monsters?"

"Exactly. My character is supposed to be given the power to use a 'System'. Have you read that tag?"

"Psssh! Don't look down on me. I know a lot."

"Really?"

"So it's a generic erotic power fantasy where the main character recreates the world on his own?"

"…There are other people with powers as well."

"But none of them are 'reincarnated'. Meaning they're pretty much cannon fodder for you."

"So you DO understand it…!" He gasped in her direction. It was his first time doing a 'fist bump'…

That too with someone who wasn't a 'Bro'.

"Cool stuff." She looked ready to say 'my brother' to end that praise. Like she was part of his hood.

Was she always like this…?

Weren't secretaries much more… formal?

What's with that pose of giving a thumbs up?

Huh? Huh? Huh?"

"Ahem… I think that's a nice idea you have. Are you planning on finishing it?" Julie tried to shift topics.

"No."

"…Then why are you writing?"

"Because I need a place to express my 'edge'…!"

"Ha~ Oh, you're messing with me… right?"

"Dead serious."

"…" She looked speechless at the prideful look Ben had when speaking about his lacklustre hobbies.

"You should write some too."

"I'm good as a reader."

"Don't hold yourself back if you want to write something. You don't see me holding it all inside."

"This is all nonsense. It's not like writing will get us a salary. Focus on your job, and you can live well."

"Focus on your dreams, and you will live happy."

"More like 'live disappointed'."

"Ouch! Burn…"

"I'm never writing in my entire life. Thank you."

"Not even to let out some steam?" When he got to that point of the conversation again, she retorted:

"It's not like fantasising will change the world." Her words left him in a state that was without response.

He couldn't disagree with that.

No matter how much he fantasised about doing these amazing stuff in his novels, it was just a dark fantasy. One that he'd eventually have to peek his head out of to breath the fresh air of the real world.

What more. It wasn't like he was a true 'Author'.

Webnovel writing was more of a pastime than a full-time job. Which had even less impact on life.

Suddenly, another tram rolled onto their stop.

It was time for her to leave to go back home.

"I'll see you later." Julie's mood was bad. It looked like she thought of something she tried to avoid.

Perhaps others would find her change sudden, but a fellow delusional fantasiser like Ben understood.

She probably thought of the days reality and dreams clashed. She had her one struggles…

Something he'd been ignoring all this while.

'Maybe if I stopped being alone by myself, I would have stopped being so dense about these things by now.' He lightly shook his head in regret. If he had talked to her like a human being earlier, maybe they would have become close friends by now.

It was an emotion he'd felt all the time…

The window of opportunity was fading while he was thinking. He had to make a proper choice.

He could follow her and try to build a relationship with her sincerely, or he could blame his bad luck.

Even write a self-insert fantasy about becoming her boyfriend in the pages of novel, but avoid her in reality like always. Pretend nothing happened between them and go about their lives as normal.

The doors to the tram were about to close…

'If only… the world was like my own novel. Maybe then a guy like me would have the courage to act close with her.' He looked at the only Webnovel he'd actually finished on the screen of his phone.

The tram doors finally closed…

…AFTER he'd walked inside.

"You're here?" Surprised, Julie turned around to notice someone in the same line of sight as him.

The plump man in a hoodie and face mask…

Ben didn't have time to see her expression. He was actually thrown off his game by a 'hallucination'.

There, before him… was a strange blue screen.

[I've received your Gift, and shall now grant you a Miracle. Is your wish to turn the fiction into facts?]

[Do you wish to become a true protagonist?]

[To have the opportunity to become much more?]

[Have powers beyond human comprehension?]

[Your omnipotence can only be used once.]

[Do you wish to be granted this Miracle? Yes/No]

Two options had appeared under the lines of text in separate screens. He didn't understand it one bit.

If he used the knowledge he'd got from the current fiction the blue screens were talking about, then wouldn't that mean he had an 'Innate Gift'? One that he'd somehow offered up unknowingly?

And what did it mean by his 'omnipotence'?

Regardless, would this choice ever appear again if he ignored it? The blue screen was fading…

Ben could only choose what his heart yearned…

And that eventually lead him to click one option:

'Yes'.

The world changed for the worst that moment.

Many crackles of thunder started to rumble, and the tram screeched to a halt for some odd reason.

The atmosphere started to become eerie…