Among the bustling crowds, there stands a charming modest man taking his leave from work—that man was I, Du Gaein, employed until today. Cursed with misfortune since the beginning and until the end of the day.
I am currently at my wits' end.
Not only have I been removed from work by my biased manager, but his excuse for degrading my ass was because of my lack of effort and engagement.
I haven't been with the company for long, but my efforts exceeded expectations! For as long as I can remember, I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into that company.
If I had to admit, my only issue was that I have always been withdrawn from my colleagues. But does that matter?
They have their own connections…
Their own friends!
Why should I involve myself in pointless situations?
And to make matters worse, my landlord evicted me from my apartment.
That bald-headed bastard…!!
So, here I am… in the bus, scheming to rob my old apartment of my things.
At such a busy hour, the bus was overcrowded, with people shoving and squeezing in to fit.
Thankfully, I secured a seat for myself, right by the window. That never meant I was not tangled in a noise disturbance situation.
Ugh…
The bus was already cramped—hot and sweaty, with desperate people. And there had to be a man screaming into his phone standing beside the student in front of me.
That kid seemed to be around his first year of high school—timid with earphones blocking the obnoxious man on the phone beside him and eyes glued to his phone.
I often saw this guy on this bus around this time. It got to a point that I considered him a part of my daily routine.
I recognize him by his familiar uniform and unkempt hair. He would often appear with patches on his face.
He doesn't seem to be a troublemaker. If anything, he seemed more like a victim of bullying.
After gawking at him for an awkward period of time, I tore my eyes away from him.
That was totally creepy of me…
As much as I envied the kid for having earplugs, the view from the window was definitely worth all the trouble.
The bus maintained a steady pace, and like a baby being coddled in a mother's arms, I succumbed to my exhaustion with my head lying against the window.
Somehow, it felt like the weight of all my troubles dispersed. The noise that used to overwhelm me gradually faded into muffled silence.
…I was finally resting.
But what seemed like an eternal slumber ended without sparing a second.
KSSHHHKK!
A loud screech pierced my ears. And without a warning, the window flared into pieces, blasting shards of glass into my face.
Ah… fuck!
Some fragments penetrated through my flesh while others grazed to leave a scar.
My eyes shot up in response to the sound, but once I caught a glimpse of the abrupt situation, the once steady-paced bus collided with a building.
The last illuminating sight faded before I had a chance to witness anything.
TCHHKKK!
[Reason of departure: REJECTED]
[Planet343 Processing in trial…]
[Please proceed ■■■ to BI-JIX6391]
..
..
…
Oof…
As if a hand suddenly grabbed my arm. My body quickly rose as if I were getting dragged out of the depths of the ocean.
Uaah!
But escaping that ocean meant that I was standing on it.
Looking down below my feet, I was certain that I was on top of the ocean I was once drowning in.
…wait.
I am standing on top of a body of water…?
TTCHZZT!
[Please enter your valid alias…]
My gaze hastily shifted toward the notification.
Really? Was I really getting a notification in the afterlife?
As much as I was overwhelmed by the sudden shift in circumstances, I really should get out of here.
But I could've sworn I got into an accident just a few seconds ago…
"Hello?"
As expected, the only response was the echo of my voice. But if I were stuck in a loading screen, this was exactly what I would have imagined.
[Please enter your valid alias…]
Alright! Alright!
A valid alias…
…Really nothing came to mind.
I had no particular alias, much less a hint of being summoned here. Perhaps, my name would be valid…?
"Uh… Du Gaein."
[Access Denied.]
[Validation Expired.]
…Expired?!
What am I? Dead?
Well… considering the last events I witnessed, maybe I really am gone. Or maybe 'Du Gaein' is gone.
Does that imply being reborn?
Oh, wait…
I recognized these familiar events. Miserable life, Death, and then... Reincarnation.
This classic reincarnation trope…
Am I seriously in a novel?
..
..
…
Hey, you. Perhaps you could tell me.