2 Chapter 2
After a few hours on the train, Mike reached the university he attended. Not far away, someone was waiting—a fair-skinned person with black-brown hair, tall, and with a celebrity-like face. "Oh, Mike, I thought you wouldn't show up for our meeting," Harold said to Mike.
Without hesitation, Mike took out the drawing Harold had asked for from his bag. "Wow, Mike, you really made this look great, and because of that, you get an extra tip from me," Harold said as he admired Mike's work.
He took his wallet and handed half of the payment and the additional tip to Mike. He accepted the money that Harold handed him.
"Oh, we might be late if we linger here," Harold said, glancing at his expensive-looking watch. They quickly walked towards the room where their class was scheduled.
Following the lecture, their professor dismissed them for a break. Mike made his way to the internet shop to submit the requirements Jason had requested yesterday. Then, he headed straight to the bakery to indulge in his favorite bread. Delighted, he relished the opportunity to savor the bread he adored.
The university they attended was prestigious, with affluent students, so the food was expensive. During break times, Mike could only afford to buy biscuits. Despite being a scholar, he couldn't transfer to another university because of the excellent education it offered, ranking number one in the country according to academic standings.
On his way to his favorite spot, the Chinese garden within the university, Mike noticed a gathering near the university grounds.
In that gathering, two individuals stood out. One was a standing woman covering her mouth with both hands, and the other was a kneeling man uttering words. There was also a musician behind them, one of whom held the drawing that Mike had created at Harold's request. He could only watch the unfolding scene.
"Will you be my girlfriend, Lyn?" Harold asked her. It was evident that she was thrilled as Harold spoke those words. Harold had been expressing his feelings for her since their first year of college, but she had played hard to get. Without hesitation, Lyn answered Harold, and they immediately embraced. The onlookers cheered and congratulated them, especially since Harold was known as the university's star basketball player.
While holding hands, Harold said, "Let's go to the university restaurant." Lyn and her friends followed as they left the university grounds.
Upon witnessing the scene, Mike swiftly left the university grounds and headed to the Chinese garden.
Mike reached the Chinese garden, his sanctuary for reading novels, and settled onto one of the benches. As he gazed at the serene scenery, the words he had uttered the night before echoed in his mind. "It's evident that I don't stand a chance, and it's just right that I didn't pursue confessing to her, even if there was an opportunity," he reflected, taking a deep breath.
Then, he retrieved his cellphone from his pocket and began browsing for something to read. While scrolling through the latest novel updates, he stumbled upon some fan fiction and decided to give it a try. After hours of engrossing himself in the story, he looked up from his phone.
"Time flies, huh? The break is about to end," he remarked, checking the clock on his cellphone. Mike promptly stood up from his seat and headed towards the room for the next subject. Upon reaching the room where he was supposed to sit, he suddenly paused as someone called out to him.
"Mike, why did you send the thesis report just now? I was requesting it last night," Jason asked him.
"Jason, I apologize for sending the thesis report just now. I ran out of internet data when you informed me about it," Mike explained.
"What you did caused us to be late in submitting our thesis report," Jason said to Mike. As he left the area where Mike was seated, he overheard conversations from Jason's friends.
"Bro, that shouldn't have been included in the thesis report. It's such a hassle," one of Jason's friends remarked. "Yeah, bro, when he was part of my group last semester, it was the same. We ended up submitting late, and he's too quiet. You'd think he's a girl," another friend added.
"Well, our professor assigned who would be in our group for the final defense," Jason explained to his friends.
"Bro, talk to Professor Li. Maybe you can ask if Mike can be removed from your group," one of his friends suggested.
"Hmm... I might try that after class," Jason said, distanced himself from where Mike was sitting.
Unbeknownst to them, Mike heard everything but chose to remain silent. In a hushed tone, he muttered, "Honestly, I can handle it, but I'm just really short on money," clenching his hands in a tight grip.
"If it weren't for the need for funds for this thesis about the prototype, I would have gone solo instead of being with you guys," he added.
When the class ended, Harold suddenly walked to the front of the classroom. "Guys, I invite all of you to join the celebration because Lyn and I are officially a couple," he announced while looking at her.
The classmates erupted in cheers and congratulated the newly declared couple. Who would refuse an invitation when the venue was luxurious, given Harold's wealthy and influential family background?
Mike chose not to respond and left the room to go home. Many college students exited the building to head home, but he was the only one without company. This had been his situation for four years, compounded by financial problems and his introverted nature. No one showed interest in befriending him, whether male or female.
He might be labeled as weird or boring, but he has grown accustomed to it since elementary school. Having few or no close friends was not a big deal for him. Nevertheless, he didn't neglect his studies because he aimed to finish his education to support his parents and siblings.
In the afternoon, Mike reached the intersection leading to the train station when he noticed a mother and child in front of him, about to cross the street.
"Julie, be careful with your food; it might spill," the mother advised her child, holding Julie's left hand. She simply nodded while eating with her right hand; he overheard their conversation.
"Her mom is remarkably attractive; one wouldn't assume she already has a child," he pondered. "Wait, why is this thought crossing my mind? Perhaps it's the influence of the milf in the tagline of the novels I finished reading before," he added, a hint of confusion evident in his expression.
As he trailed the mother and child along the pedestrian road, nearing their destination, he shifted his gaze to the right. An SUV swiftly overtook them, taking advantage of a momentary pause caused by a halting container truck in the middle of the road, seemingly unaware of the pedestrians about to cross.
The child's mother seemed oblivious, so Mike suddenly ran because he was the closest to them. "Will I make it? Wait, why am I doing this? I don't even know them," he said to himself while running fast to save the mother and child from impending danger.
His surroundings seemed to slow down as he approached. When he was close enough, he swiftly grabbed the mother and child by the waist and pushed them towards the sidewalk. The events happened so quickly that the onlookers didn't have time to react. The SUV driver didn't stop to check on the situation, prompting many people to run after the vehicle.
Amidst the chaos of chasing the SUV, he took a deep breath and checked himself for any injuries. Thankfully, he only had minor scratches on his arm and thigh, for which he felt grateful. The mother and child, now fully aware of the situation, suddenly burst into tears, fearing that something dreadful might have occurred if not for Mike's intervention.
Nevertheless, they also suffered some scratches during the incident. The mother expressed her gratitude to Mike and handed him some money for medicine, appreciative of his role in saving them. The mother and child opted to stay at the scene of the incident.
He chose not to wait for the SUV driver to be caught. Instead, he promptly made his way to the drugstore to acquire medication, hoping to alleviate the discomfort of the scratches he had incurred. Subsequently, he headed to the train station, anticipating his ride. With an hour remaining before the train's scheduled arrival, he opted to visit the restroom, aiming to change into a fresh set of clothes.
After the quick refresh, he settled onto a well-worn bench, eager to immerse himself back into the pages of his novel. "This Naruto fanfic is unexpectedly captivating," he exclaimed with a spark of enthusiasm, fully engrossed in the intricate narrative. Suddenly, a distinct beep resonated, signaling the imminent arrival of the train.
In the middle of the journey, an unexpected incident suddenly occurred. The sudden impact jolted Mike back to reality as the train unexpectedly came to a halt. Chaos ensued inside each compartment, with passengers thrown off their seats or displaced.
Wide-eyed, he surveyed the scene, witnessing the aftermath of the accident—blood, severed limbs, and bodies impaled by debris from the train's railing. As he looked down, he noticed a sharp shard of a shattered mirror pierced near his heart.
He didn't panic, and a wry smile formed on his face as he grasped the gravity of the situation. "It looks like I won't be going home tonight. Sorry, Jun, it seems I won't be able to teach you how to play the flute," he whispered in his thoughts while his gaze was fixed on the broken mirror embedded near his heart.
He tried reaching for his cellphone, lying just within arm's reach, attempting to say his farewells. However, with every move, the sizable shard embedded in his chest shifted, hindering his efforts.
In his last moments, he reminisced about the happy times spent with his parents, and the thought of his browsing history crossed his mind, realizing he might have forgotten to delete it.
"Am I going to die a virgin?" he chuckled, finding humor even in the face of death. After uttering those words, his vision dimmed as blood flowed steadily from his chest, and he succumbed to the inevitable end.
