Following the end of the school day, Sonny slipped out of the campus gates, blending into the crowd of students eager to escape. He adjusted the straps of his worn-out backpack and turned down a side street, heading toward the convenience store where he'd picked up a part-time job just to keep himself afloat.
The sun was already beginning its slow descent,visible from the darkening sky. Sonny's steps were almost mechanical, the kind of walk that came from doing the same route day after day until even the scenery turned invisible.
If anyone asked him, he would say this was the daily life of an 'NPC.'
Yes, he called himself an NPC. It was the short form of the words; Non-Playable Character. They were those background characters one would normally see in an RPG videogame. Simply put, they were overall unimportant or insignificant to the main story.
Well, if anyone did the same thing over and over, they could be called an 'NPC.' Most people fell under this category, Cain included.
The difference was realizing this truth and blissful ignorance.
On the other hand, Sonny was forced to swallow this truth from a young age; that he was just a background character in someone else's story and it would probably remain this way until he died. If he was lucky, he would marry and leave behind a generations who might later become important figures in society.
That's right. If he couldn't become a main actor, he would biologically produce one. That would be his duty as a background character!
'What a sad way of looking at things. What's the use of thinking about that anyway. Man, I hope I'm not late though.'
Suppressing all silly thoughts, Sonny continued his rather peaceful strode.
A few minutes later, the store came into view soon enough: a small, aging place squeezed between a pawn shop and a rundown pharmacy. The neon sign that read Lucky Mart flickered weakly, as if it too was on its last legs.
Sonny pulled open the glass door, the overhead bell chiming with a dull, tired ring. The faint scent of instant noodles and cheap floor cleaner greeted him, a familiar combination that made his stomach turn — not out of disgust, but because it reminded him of how many late shifts he'd spent here, eating leftover cup noodles for dinner.
Behind the counter stood Mr. Han, his middle-aged manager with thinning hair and a permanent scowl etched into his facial features.
Just like that, his pleasant mood vanished like dust.
"You're late," Mr. Han grunted, not even looking up from his phone.
Sonny checked the clock on the wall. 3:02 PM. He was barely two minutes past his shift start time.
"You know how it is. I was busy with college. I ran here as soon as I could," He muttered, slipping behind the counter and stashing his bag beneath it.
Mr. Han snorted.
"Running doesn't pay the bills! Move faster next time, you little brat!"
'This bastard...!'
Sonny bit back a retort. He couldn't afford to lose this job, no matter how much he wanted to tell Mr. Han exactly where he could shove his attitude, which was, of course, his ass. Instead, he grabbed the restock list from the counter and headed toward the storage room, shoulders heavy but his face carefully blank.
As he began unpacking boxes of bottled drinks and stacking them onto a cart, the store door chimed, signaling the arrival of customers. A middle-aged woman entered, holding the hand of a young girl, probably around eight years old.
Glanced up briefly, Sonny quickly masked his tiredness with a practiced, neutral smile of a part timer.
"Good afternoon, how may I help you today?"
The woman smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Just a quick stop for some snacks," she replied, glancing at her daughter. The little girl, with her pigtails bouncing as she shifted excitedly, nodded at Cain.
"Can I have some candy?" she asked innocently.
Nodding, Sonny gestured toward the candy aisle at the far end of the store. "Sure thing. Just over there."
The mother nodded her thanks, and the two of them wandered off to the aisle, leaving Sonny to continue his task. He returned to unpacking, though his thoughts drifted momentarily.
Another set of footsteps approached, snapping him from his reverie.
It was the familiar sound of Mr. Han's shuffle as he moved from behind the counter. Sonny glanced up to see his manager, who had started talking to a new customer; a scruffy man who looked like he hadn't seen a shower in days.
Mr. Han's voice dropped to an almost conspiratorial tone as he leaned over the counter and asked,
"So, you want anything special today, dear customer?"
Sonny caught the glint in Mr. Han's eye and sighed inwardly. He knew what that meant, another deal with someone who was probably trying to pay with more than just cash.
The store owner, Mr Lim, turned a blind eye to these transactions. And since it was none of his business, Sonny did the same and kept his mouth shut. But it never sat right with him, watching the deals go down in the shadows of the store.
He sneered.
'I seriously don't get why people do drugs at all.'
Letting out a sigh, Sonny stacked the last of the bottles onto the cart and gave the box a rough shove to the side. As he straightened up, he caught Mr. Han slipping a small paper bag across the counter, the scruffy man nodding before stuffing it into his jacket and slinking out the door.
The bell chimed again. This time, sharper and louder. Like it cut through the stale air in the store.
"Look at this brat! Quit standing there like an idiot. Stock the shelves before we get another rush!" Mr. Han barked.
'Hey, don't make me report you for doing drugs, you bastard!'
Grinding his teeth, Sonny forced himself into motion, pushing the cart out of the storage room. As he maneuvered toward the drink aisle, he spotted the little girl from earlier standing at the counter, clutching a colorful bag of candy to her chest. Her mother was nowhere in sight.
"Mom said I can pay," says the girl in a small, barely audible voice.
Mr. Han grunted, reaching out with his palm open. "Hurry it up, kid. I don't got all day."
Sonny paused for a beat, watching the scene. His hands worked automatically, lining bottles onto the shelves, but his attention stuck to the frowning little girl struggling to count out coins from her tiny purse.
A small voice in the back of his mind muttered: NPCs don't intervene. They just watch
Sonny swallowed, hard, and turned away.
As he crouched to open another box, the automatic doors creaked again. This time, it wasn't a customer he recognized. A pair of teenagers in hoodies stepped in, faces half-hidden beneath their caps. One of them glanced around sharply — eyes darting toward the counter.
It was a gaze obviously filled with malicious intent.
He'd seen that look before. Back when some punk tried to shoplift a bottle of soju last month. Back when he was sixteen, watching seniors shake down freshmen for lunch money behind the gym.
Mr. Han didn't seem to notice. Or didn't care. He was still grumbling at the girl, muttering about kids these days and how they wasted time.
Sonny's hand closed around a bottle of tea, almost threatening to break under the presence.
'Don't get involved. It's none of your business.'
But the taller teen edged closer to the register, sliding his hand into his pocket.
And Sonny's pulse spiked.
"Hey!" The word left his mouth before he could stop it.
The taller teen froze. So did Mr. Han, looking up with a scowl. The little girl blinked in confusion.
Sonny straightened, setting the bottle down with a sharp clink. "If you're gonna buy something, do it. If not, get out."
For a second, silence stretched thick and heavy. The shorter teen shifted uncomfortably. The taller one sneered but didn't move.
Mr. Han's eyes flicked between them and Sonny. "What the hell are you—"
Before he could finish, the taller teen swore under his breath and turned on his heel, shoving the door open hard enough to make the bell jangle violently. His friend followed right behind, muttering something Sonny didn't catch.
The door swung shut, leaving a hollow quiet behind.
Sonny exhaled, not realizing he'd been holding his breath.
As expected, Mr. Han rounded on him instantly.
"Are you crazy, kid?! You wanna get stabbed? You think this is some hero movie?"
Sonny shrugged, trying to keep his voice even.
"Hero? Whatever do you mean by that? Do I have a cape on me? I just didn't feel like cleaning up a mess if they tried something."
Mr. Han glared but didn't argue. Instead, he waved a dismissive hand. "Get back to work, brat. Next time, keep your damn mouth shut."
'It wouldn't hurt to say thank you, y'know.'
The little girl had finally finished counting her coins, her cheeks puffed in concentration. She smiled brightly as Mr. Han handed her a few coins in change.
Sonny caught the little girl's eye, and for a fleeting second, she grinned at him before skipping out the door to where her mother waited. It was a genuine smile.
For a brief moment, Sonny felt as if his whole body was humming. Startled, he blinked, trying to understand why his heart suddenly picked up pace.
Was he really getting this flustered just because a child smiled at him?
Was the warmth in his chest from that innocent gesture?
No… that wasn't it.
Wait… the ground's shaking.
At first, it was subtle — a faint vibration that most wouldn't notice unless they were paying close attention. But the tremors grew stronger, spreading through the floor like ripples in water. The bottles on the shelves rattled softly.
Even Mr. Han noticed. His face, usually carved into a permanent scowl, twisted in alarm.
"Wh-what? What the hell is happening? An earthquake?!"
The little girl clung to her mother, their cheerful outing now replaced by fear as the shaking intensified.
Then, the store's old television mounted above the counter flickered to life, abruptly cutting through the rising tension. The news broadcast blared louder than usual.
"Breaking news! A powerful earthquake has struck near London. While it began as a small tremor, it is rapidly increasing in magnitude. Seismologists warn of potential aftershocks and advise immediate precautionary measures. The government has issued an emergency alert—"
Sonny's attention started to wane as the words blurred into the background. His mind frantically tried to process the gravity of what he had just heard.
An earthquake? In London?
London wasn't a place known for seismic activity. It wasn't like Japan or California, where earthquakes were almost a given. Even when tremors did occur, they were usually minor. The idea that something of significant magnitude was happening in London didn't sit right. It didn't make sense at all!
'Could it be...?'
Before he could complete his thought, a deafening explosion ripped through the air, followed by the earth itself splitting open outside. A piercing scream echoed in the chaos.
The entire building quaked violently, and debris rained down from above, scattering across the room.
"!?"
In a flash, Sonny's eyes locked on the little girl, who stood frozen in shock, unprotected from the incoming storm of falling rubble. Without a second thought, his body moved on its own, driven by an instinct he hadn't known he possessed.
He didn't hesitate. Without a second thought for his own safety, he hurled himself toward the girl, shielding her with his body.
What followed next was inevitable.
The ceiling gave way under the crushing force, collapsing in a roar of debris and dust that buried everyone inside the store without exception.