Smile

Blue star

The Great Central Empire

City x

daytime

…..

It was a cloudy and windy day, people were walking on the street with their faces numb. The recent economic situation in the world isn't very good and people all over the world are under a lot of pressure.

Even so, what you might find surprising in this depressing atmosphere is that a 21 or 22-year-old young adult among the unhappy pedestrians had a very weird smile. It almost seemed like nothing could erase this smile.

Recently the world has been very chaotic. About 5 months ago, war, various natural disasters, and so on, have been emerging non-stop. There are different conspiracy theories on the internet on the reason why the world has become so chaotic all of a sudden.

Some say it is God's punishment for humanity's sins, some say aliens are performing experiments on our human society, and some even say that it is "Mother Earth" eradicating the human race as our behavior over the years has been harmful to the planet.

But, no one knows the real reason for the recent situation.

Suddenly the young man's phone rang.

"Hello is this Mister Fagan?"

"Yes"

"Great, it is Doctor Greg speaking, Your brother's situation has gotten better.."

Before Doctor Greg could finish his sentence, Fagan already started running toward the hospital with a bright smile

….

At City X Best Hospital, Fagan looked at his younger brother who had awakened from his slumber.

His brother had a strange disease since he was a little kid, every couple of months his brother falls into a coma, and he becomes weaker and weaker every time he falls into such a coma.

This "disaster" wasn't the only one in Fagan's life. disasters followed his life like a shadow since he was born.

At the age of 1, his parents died in a car accident.

At 3 years old, his brother got sick.

At 5 years old, his orphanage was destroyed by a fire.

8 years old, his best friend died.

11 years old his adoptive parents abandoned them.

15 years Grandma Chu, an immigrant from the eastern federation, the one who was the dean of their orphanage before it was destroyed died from cancer.

19 years old, his girlfriend left him for a rich second generation.

Age 20, got fired from his job due to a misunderstanding.

One can even say that Fagan's life was full of misfortune and suffering, yet for some inexplicable reason Fagan is always positive, he always smiles...

As Fagan's brother gradually woke up Doctor Greg called Fagan aside to talk to him.

"Listen... young man.... your brother's situation isn't very good …."

With a smile, Fagan said, "I know... I have already known it for a long time...". Doctor Greg looked at Fagan with a dignified expression and replied, "Young man I estimate that your brother has around half a year of life left."

"Is there no saving?"

With a sigh doctor Greg said, "Unfortunately no." As Fagan was hearing these words he began to recall Grandma Chu's smile. Grandma Chu in Fagan's heart was not just an orphanage dean he liked. he had a very close relationship with her, She was almost the mother he never had.

One of the most prominent things in Grandma Chu was her smile. Grandma Chu had a hard life just like Fagan, her husband died young and because of the enemies she had in her homeland, she was forced to escape into the empire. from grandma, Chu Fagan learned to smile even in pain even in despair. grandma chu always liked to say "When you smile even though you lose, even though it hurts, it is like telling your enemies telling this shitty world that this is far from enough to break me!"

Coming back to his senses, Fagen said with a smile, "I see", as he walked towards his recovering younger brother.

…

On the bus, Fagan and his younger brother were sitting in silence, you could almost cut the tension with a knife. "Mike, how are you?" Fagan asked with a slight smile.

"I am fine, you don't need to comfort me", said Mike who had a pale face and dark circles under his eyes," I knew long ago I didn't have much time left".

Fagan said with a smile "I was not trying to comfort you, you should know my personality very well, don't you?"

"mph" Mike snorted and said with bloodshed eyes, "I know everything about your stupid philosophy! Please explain to me how should I continue smiling in my current situation!"

"Well Mike, let me ask you this... Will you spend the remaining time you have left on this earth crying and complaining about how unfair fate is or will you instead smile brightly and continue living, ushering in rebirth, not wasting your life... In the end, everyone dies...

"Hahaha, you are right about this Fagan... you are right! But still, still!!! something in me is not satisfied, not reconciled!!!" said Mike as he laughed with some tears in the corner of his eyes.

In response, Fagan sighed and said, "Well, then, in the time you have left, figure out what you want what will make you satisfied, and PURSUE IT WITH NO REVERSES! While saying it to Mike you could even faintly hear his heartbeat getting faster and faster like a drum.

With a slight smile, Mike replied "I shall try, I shall try!" And just as Mike said the bus has reached its destination. The brothers got off the bus, Fagan with a bright smile and Mike with a determined look.

The two brothers started walking towards their home. because they are orphans they get certain benefits from the empire such as some monthly allowance, free education, and more With the money they get from the government and from Fagan's work they could allow themselves to rent a small apartment in the suburbs of the city.

While they were walking they could hear people talking about a certain phenomenon that is called "out-of-control drivers".

"There have been a lot of car accidents lately."

"Yes, those drivers must have been drinking too much."

"I think they are just too stressed cause of all the shit going on lately."

"Maybe they are brainwashed by aliens like those morons on the internet suggest."

"Sure hahahahahaha."

Fagan sighed and said, "Sure enough another crazy event has emerged."

Mike replied," Well, I had already gotten used to it when that crazy old man suddenly attacked me for no reason."

Fagan laughed and said," I am pretty sure that was because you looked at his granddaughter too intensely."

Mike blushed and refuted," I just glanced at her for a second but the old man immediately concluded I was a criminal and he tried to hit me with his walking stick!"

"Okay okay, you are right hahaha."

The two continued to walk as they reached a Pedestrian crossing, Their rental apartment was just across the street, and the building they lived in looked shabby with some cracks, but in any case, this was what they could afford with their current financial situation.

The light turned green, and Just as they were about to cross the street, suddenly...

WHOOSH!!!

A car suddenly lost control and started moving toward the brothers at a fast pace. Fagan felt like time stopped at that exact moment, he could see the frightened and panicked face of the driver, he could see his younger brother's surprised and horrified face, and he could even faintly "see" the airflow collapsing toward the two like a giant beast threatening to devour them.

Fagan understood both of them could not escape...The car was too fast and they were too slow...so Fagan acted decisively. he took a step backward, grabbed his brother with the mightiest force he had ever used in his entire life, grasped him tightly, and threw him far away from the car.

BOOOOOMMMMM!!!!

….

Pain..., so much pain, Fagan felt like every inch of bone in his body was broken into tiny pieces that drilled into his flesh, all the pain he had suffered in his entire life combined seemed very insignificant at that moment. Then he was sent flying. and while flying countless thoughts started rushing through his mind.

"I hope Mike is okay."

"Damn, driver."

"Life in the end is so fragile.."

"I forgot to delete my browsing history!!!"

"No!!!"

Suddenly Fagan noticed that time had "stopped" again, but now, time had stopped!!!

What!!??

Suddenly a voice like the whispers of the devil sounded in his mind.

[Would you like to experience a second life?]

[Life full of endless dangers and unknown but also filled with infinite excitement!!]

[Life of no return]

[But full of rich rewards!]

[Money, beauties, power, immortality, and more wonders beyond your understanding!!]

[What are you waiting for?]

[Yes/No]

What??? Fagan at this moment understood he had encountered a real supernatural phenomenon!!

Fagan thought to himself, maybe some of those lunatics on the internet were right! maybe all of those disasters weren't incidentally!

With an exaggerated smile, Fagan replied "Yes!"

[Welcome to disaster paradise!]