In a dark and stuffy room, the only source of light was the glow of a monitor casting pale light onto a young man's face. He sat motionless, eyes locked onto the screen where an RPG game played out before him.
"Whoa, this female character is amazing… How did she get that legendary armor and sword?"he murmured in awe.
He moved his cursor over to the character and opened the chat feature. "Hi, mind if we talk?" > Enter.
The female character immediately turned away and walked off into the distance. "She just… left?" he sighed.
Leaning back in his gaming chair, he stared blankly at the screen. "It's rare to see a player with gear that high-level… and she's not in a guild. Who is she, really?"
He yawned. "Ugh… bored. Isn't there a single RPG out there that actually makes you think? They're all too easy these days."
Knock knock.
A soft knocking came from the other side of his door. "Hey! Can't you read? The sign clearly says: 'DO NOT DISTURB!'"
The door slowly creaked open. "Didn't I just say—wait, what are you doing here, Sis?"
A little girl entered the room carrying a white plastic bag. "I brought you some snacks," she said with a smile. "For you, big bro."
"Whoa, that's a lot... Something going on?"
"Did you forget? Today we're going on a family trip, remember?"
She placed the bag on his messy desk beside his keyboard. "Still playing this game? Don't you ever get bored?"
"Rupina! Hurry up! Where's your brother?" their mother's voice called out from the living room, clearly annoyed.
"Dann, you coming?" their father appeared at the door, his tone much calmer.
"Nope. Not in the mood," Dann replied flatly, not even glancing away from the screen. "Family trips aren't my thing."
His father gave a small nod. "Alright then. Take care of the house."
"YEAH," Dann answered quickly.
"Close the door, will ya? I need to focus."
Rupina nodded and shut the door. Before leaving, she gave him a small wave and another smile.
From beyond the door, their mother could be heard grumbling again—complaining about how Dann always refused to listen. But their father tried to calm her down, and their footsteps slowly faded as they went down the stairs.
Dann sat still, silent.
In this family… only Dad and Rupina really cared. Mom… she never liked that I played games. Said it was a waste of time. Said I'd have no future if I kept this up.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
But what's wrong with it? There are tons of people who make a living from games. I earn money too, selling rare equipment. I've never asked them for a single cent.
Still... she'll never understand.
He glanced at the now-idle screen.Good thing Dad's a successful businessman. If he weren't, I'd probably have been kicked out long ago.
"Businessman, huh… What a joke," he muttered.
He chuckled quietly. "Heh… House to myself. Time for some relaxation," he grinned, raising an eyebrow mischievously.
Time passed. The day dragged on, empty and uneventful. The digital clock on the corner of his screen eventually displayed 3:00 PM.
Dann felt his body growing tired. He got up from his chair and reached into the snack bag his sister brought earlier. But as he tugged the wrapper too quickly, the contents spilled all over the floor.
"Aw crap…"
He bent down to pick up the chips one by one. But as he reached for the last piece, his body suddenly went limp—and he collapsed.
A sharp pain stabbed through his chest. He curled up on the floor in agony. "Ugh… it hurts… my heart… what's happening…?"
His glasses slipped off. Struggling to move, he tried to crawl toward the desk where his phone lay. His hands trembled, barely able to support his weight.
Just a little more…Almost there…
But before he could reach it, his body gave out again. He slumped to the floor, his vision fading. On the wall, his eyes caught sight of the calendar. One date was circled in red ink:
"June 19 — Dad's Birthday."
Tears welled up and streamed down his face.
"…Dad… Mom… Rupina… please forgive…everything I've done…"
His vision went dark.
And then…There was only silence.