Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzztt.
I squeezed my pen, scratched my head, then glanced at the edge of my desk. I grabbed my phone again and picked up as fast as I could.
"What the hell do you want?" I snapped.
"Don't hang up yet, Ezra. I've got something important to tell you." Ben's voice came through the line.
"What?! Important? Like telling me you're fucking someone right now?!" I shouted, pissed for no reason.
"Hah?! What the hell are you talking about, dumbass? Fucking someone? You know I swore not to lose my virginity before marriage. And besides, I don't even have a girlfriend, you know that!" Ben yelled back.
I frowned. "Then what the hell was with those noises you made earlier?" I asked flatly.
"Huh…?" Ben let out a confused grunt.
"Just now, you were moaning like you were enjoying yourself, and the words you said sounded… extremely ambiguous." I said, deadpan.
"Ohhh, that! My head got stuck in between the damn stair railings." Ben's voice dropped low. "We were playing truth or dare, Ezra! I dared him to stick his head through one of the gaps in the stairs. His giant head somehow went in, but. Surprise, surprise, it wouldn't come out! Hahaha, it was hilarious!" another voice chimed in through the phone.
I instantly recognized it. Another idiot friend of mine, just as stupid as Ben.
Roland.
Hearing what happened, I couldn't stop myself, I burst out laughing. Damn. How the fuck could someone's head even fit through that in the first place?
I cut my laughter short and tried to sound calm again. "Alright, Ben. So, what did you want to tell me?"
"Hang ou— I mean, let's study together at Roland's place. Prep for the national exams," Ben said. I heard a loud crunching noise, like he was munching on chips or something.
I let out a chuckle, leaned back in my chair, and stared at the ceiling.
"Nope. Not happening. Like hell I'm going there." I said.
"What?! Why not?! We just ordered pizza, your favorite pizza!" Roland's voice came from the background, a bit muffled since he was farther away from Ben.
"I don't give a damn about pizza. If I go there, instead of studying, you guys will just drag me into playing games or doing some stupid crap!" I shouted.
I knew these bastards' tricks. They'd lure me in with "group study" and then, once I was there, they'd rope me into "warming up with a quick game before studying." And for some reason… I always fell for it.
"This time we're actually studying, I swear. If you don't believe me, we can send you a photo of the desk right now. Just come." Ben said.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, wondering if I should go or not. The national exams were just around the corner.
"Come on, Ezra! If you study with us, you'll be teaching us too, right? And teaching will only make the material stick in your brain even better. So it's a win-win." Ben tried persuading me.
…Well, he wasn't wrong. But what if they were just tricking me again?
"When are we meeting?" I asked. Even though my head was full of doubt, my mouth betrayed me.
"Now, Ezra. Right now." Ben said.
"Nope. That's insane. I can't just go this second." I replied.
I heard a faint tsk from Ben.
"Fine, just come as soon as you can. But know this, we won't wait for you before eating the pizza." Ben muttered.
"Yeah yeah, whatever." I hung up.
I sighed and glanced back at my laptop, where an Indian professor was still passionately explaining differential equations or whatever.
Closing the laptop, I cleaned up my desk, tossed empty soda cans into a plastic bag, and slipped the laptop into my bag.
I stretched my stiff body until a small crack popped from my back. Looking around, my room looked as ordinary as ever. Posters of my favorite stories covered the walls, the floor was spotless, my bed neatly made. A perfect, comfortable space, at least for me.
But…
That comfort didn't last long.
Bang!
My bedroom door swung open, even though I was sure I'd locked it. Standing in the doorway was my little sister, shoulder-length black hair, way-too-casual clothes, and an annoyed expression.
How the hell did she open my door? Then I noticed her hand. She was holding a key. A damn key that looked exactly like mine.
This psycho made a duplicate key just to barge into my room?!
"food," she said, snorting.
I frowned, then glanced at my phone. It was already evening, the time when this little devil usually demanded food.
"Can't you learn to cook for yourself, Lena?" I said, hands on my hips.
"No! I want your cooking!" she snapped.
The first time she said that, I'll admit, it made me kind of happy. But this was like the hundredth time already. At this point, it felt like she only wanted to use me as her personal chef.
"Not happening. I'm heading out. Got plans," I said, trying to use Ben's invitation as an excuse.
She frowned, then spread her arms across the doorway, pouting.
I was sure an annoyed smile had already plastered itself on my face.
"Cook for yourself, dammit! You're old enough already!" I shouted.
This girl always dumped everything on me. I was the one who cleaned her room, did her laundry, cooked for her, even washed her dishes. My useless little sister didn't lift a damn finger, her only asset was her pretty face.
Suddenly, she dropped to the floor and started rolling around.
"Waaaah! Cook for me! Cook for meee! Make me food, pleeeease!" Lena threw a tantrum, pounding her arms and legs against the floor.
My eyes went wide. I could feel a vein throbbing in my forehead, my fists clenching.
"FINE, you little brat! I'll cook for you! What the hell do you want?!" I roared, storming out of my room.
Instantly, her face lit up with the biggest smile, her eyes sparkling like she'd just won the lottery.
"Fried rice, same as always," she said cheerfully.
I didn't say a word. I just marched toward the stairs, eager to get this over with.
Out of nowhere, she hugged me from behind. I frowned, confused about what the hell she was doing.
I turned my head, then suddenly felt a warm sensation on my cheek.
Muach.
"Thanks, bro!" Lena said with the widest grin, then skipped off down the stairs ahead of me.
I froze, hand on my cheek, eyes wide. She rarely ever thanked me.
I let out a deep sigh. For some reason, my lips felt a little lighter now.
Finally, I followed her downstairs, preparing the ingredients and cooking for her.
----
The fragrant aroma of fried rice spread throughout the room. I turned off the stove, scooped the fried rice with a rice spoon, and placed it onto a plate.
The fried rice looked delicious. This was the skill I gained after cooking almost every day for my little sister for nearly a year.
I carried the plate to my sister's table, who for some reason was holding my phone.
"What are you looking for on my phone? There's nothing weird in there." I said as I put the plate of fried rice in front of her.
She turned off my phone and placed it beside the table. "Why did you reject that girl who liked you through chat? That's cruel, you know." Lena said as she grabbed the spoon and took her first bite.
I frowned. "I never planned on dating anyone, so I rejected her before she could confess to me. That way her heart wouldn't be too hurt. Yeah, fine, you can call me cruel, a bastard, a jerk, or whatever. But I don't care at all."
My little sister stared sharply at me, then pointed at my face with her mouth full, making her look like a squirrel.
"Cruel!" Lena said, rice flying out of her mouth and hitting my face.
"Enough, just eat. Wash the dishes yourself after that, I'm heading out." I said, grabbing my phone back and heading upstairs to change.
My sister stayed quiet, just enjoying the food I cooked. Then she spoke.
"Brother."
I turned to look at her.
"Don't be long…" she said in a soft and sincere tone, one I rarely heard from her.
I simply nodded.
---
That evening the sky was painted orange, the sun almost sinking in the distance. The wind blew softly, whispering to me. It felt so calm.
I walked for a while until I reached a house that looked like a villa, a big house. This was Roland's home, the son of a so-called crypto master, or whatever nickname the internet had given his father.
I entered the house without ringing the bell. Roland and Ben were there, stuffing their faces with pizza.
The two of them seemed to be gaming together.
"That's the gayest fucking deck I've ever seen!" Roland shouted, pointing at Ben.
"Heh! Skill issue!" Ben shouted back.
Roland's face flushed red with anger. "Skill issue, your ass! Mega Knight, Pekka, Balloon, and Boss Bandit in one deck? What kind of deck is that?!"
"Hey." I said, trying to interrupt their fight.
Ben turned to me. "Ah! Ezra! You're so late, the pizza's almost gone. Luckily, I saved you one slice." Ben said cheerfully.
I glanced at the table. Only food, pizza, chips, cakes. No books in sight. Then what the hell was that picture Ben sent earlier? A photo of books scattered all over the table.
Wait! He tricked me. That must've been a picture from last year, back when I was studying here and left for the bathroom. He must've taken it to send his mom as "proof" that he was studying.
Fucking bastard!
"I'm leaving. Bye." I said.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, why? Come on, sit, let's eat together." Ben said, patting the sofa beside him.
I frowned, letting out a sigh. At the very least, I should grab that one slice of pizza.
"Fine, damn it. Ten minutes, then I'm gone."
"Yeah, yeah, come on." Ben said with a grin.
I sat down, pulled my laptop from my bag, and took the pizza slice, munching on it.
"What time is it?" I asked Ben.
"It's…" Ben checked his watch. "5:58 PM."
Roland suddenly sat up straight. "Oh shit, today's the day, right? Ezra's university results!" he shouted, sliding over next to me.
Yes. Today was the announcement, whether I got into the country's top university or not.
"Come on, open the website, Ezra."
I opened the announcement site. One minute left before results went live. My heart was pounding faster.
Suddenly, Ben flipped my laptop toward him and Roland, blocking my view of the screen.
"Hey, the fuck are you doing?" I snapped.
"Shhh!" Ben hushed me. "We'll check it first. You'll know the result by looking at our expressions." He said, gripping the mouse, his eyes locked on the page.
I frowned but leaned back into the sofa. Without realizing, I had started praying. My breath grew uneven as I shut my eyes.
"Is it done?" I asked. It had already been over a minute, yet they said nothing.
I opened my eyes and saw their faces. Ben's eyes were wide open, Roland's hand covering his mouth.
What the hell? Did I fail? No way.
"Hey, what's the result?" My voice trembled without me noticing.
"You… failed." Ben said in a low voice.
My heart skipped a beat. I yanked the laptop back and looked at the screen.
[Congratulations! You Passed!]
I frowned again.
"Hahahahaha! Look at his face, Ben! He looked like he lost his soul! Holy shit, hahaha, that's hilarious." Roland laughed so hard he clutched his stomach.
I chuckled too. Damn it. Fooled again. I stood up and messed up both of their hair in revenge.
"Ow, ow! Stop, stop! We're sorry, Ezra!" Ben cried, clutching my hand.
"Don't ever do that again, understood?" My voice grew sharp.
"But hey, this kind of announcement only happens once in your life. How could we ever—"
I squeezed harder. They screamed in pain until I finally let go.
"Ahhh… my shiny hair!" Roland whined, staring at his reflection.
I leaned back on the sofa, smiling at the result.
"You passed, which means you're treating us tomorrow." Ben said, pointing at me.
I shut my laptop, slid it into my bag, and walked toward the door.
"No." I said flatly.
"Treat us! No excuses!" Roland shouted, still pissed about his hair.
I waved my hand lazily. Even though I said no, I knew they'd be banging on my door tomorrow anyway, demanding it.
I walked home with a bright smile.
On the way, I couldn't resist jumping. "Let's fuckinggg gooooo!"
---
I got off the train, humming my favorite song. The streets to my house were oddly empty.
Still humming, I suddenly heard a faint sound from afar. My sharp ears picked it up.
"You're mine, my goddess." A creepy voice came from a dark alley. I quickly turned toward it.
A man in a black hoodie and mask stood there with a girl, wearing a white ribbed knit tank top, a cream-colored coat, and a matching skirt.
I recognized her instantly. Clara. The girl who liked me… or at least that's what I believed. Maybe she just wanted to be friends. But what the hell was she doing in that alley?
I narrowed my eyes. No. No. This wasn't my business. Better to go home than meddle in others' problems.
I took one step, but my heart grew heavy. Ignore it, Ezra. Just go home.
"I'LL FUCKING RAPE YOU, THEN KILL YOU, AND DUMP YOUR BODY IN THE RIVER!" The man's voice roared.
Holy shit, dude! That was real. That guy sounded fucking insane. I stepped back instinctively, staring again at the alley. Clara just stood frozen.
Run, idiot! Don't just stand there!
The man's hand gleamed under the light. A knife. Razor sharp. My eyes widened.
Shit, is this a stalker? Yeah, he must be. Just like those who followed my sister. But hers never went this far, never direct threats like this.
What now? Do I just leave? That's the logical choice. I'm no hero. But this alley is near my house. I don't want a corpse lying around here. Still… that's not a good enough reason to save her.
Clara. She's kind, always friendly. She often asked me to help with assignments. She even once invited me to study at her house. But I refused, because if it were just the two of us, I feared I'd fall for her. Love would only distract me from my greater goals.
The creepy guy drew closer, the knife shining.
I clenched my teeth. My legs moved before my brain could find an excuse.
"What the hell are you doing here, bitch?! Cheating on me again?!" I shouted, my voice echoing. It was all I could think of to intervene.
Both of them froze, startled. I grabbed Clara's hand and pulled her away.
The man's eyes widened. He glared at me.
"Ezra?!" Clara's soft voice trembled.
The man suddenly sprinted toward me.
"Shit! Run!" I yelled, dragging Clara with me.
We ran as the creep screamed, calling me the thief who stole his goddess. Shit, he was completely deranged. Why the hell did I do this?
Clara was pale, struggling to keep up. Her stamina was low, and running in that skirt only slowed her more.
Without thinking, I scooped her up in a princess carry and ran.
She gasped, shocked, but I didn't care. Survival was the priority.
A trash bin appeared ahead. I kicked it over, blocking the stalker's path.
Good! That widened the gap. I glanced back, he stumbled over the bin.
Gotcha!
"Ezra!" Clara screamed.
I turned to her, then a blaring horn roared from the left. A white truck speeding toward me.
Instinctively, I threw Clara forward. She screamed as time slowed.
My eyes locked on the license plate: "God 6969." I smirked. What the fuck kind of plate is that? Then I saw the driver. None other than the Grim Reaper himself. A scythe beside him, a black cloak covering his face, only his skeletal hands on the wheel.
Am I fated to die today?
In an instant, the truck slammed into me.
Boom!
I was sent flying, crashing onto the cold asphalt.
Agonizing pain hit me.
FUCK! I never thought getting hit would hurt this much! Someone help me!
No… I don't want to die! I just got into the top university. My future was bright. All my efforts wasted, just because I saved someone!
Mother's face flashed in my mind. My sister's too. Is this what they call life's final memories?
Roland's and Ben's faces appeared next. Fuck! That's not a beautiful memory. Just my stupid life flashing by.
Blood filled my mouth. My vision blurred.
Did Clara make it out?
Then I heard her voice.
"Ezra! E…zra! …Zra! …a"
Did the creep leave?
I didn't know… Please… someone save me…
I don't want to die, damn it. I don't want to die! Why?! Why that truck?!
That plate… God 6969… Damn it. God Himself killed me. What did I do wrong?!
Please… please…
My eyes grew heavy. Clara's crying face blurred before me, her hands clutching my shoulders. Why was she crying? Did she feel guilty that I died for her?
Ah… fuck…
Mother… forgive me. It seems your son is leaving first…