《livE within》 Ch.1 Anyone can be a hero December 24th It''s 1 AM in the morning and I have finally finished the extra paperwork I got from work. It''s not the best place to work at but at least I can put food on the table... I need to go to bed now since tomorrow, at 8 AM, I''ve got to be at the office and start working. What a long day this was, hopefully, tomorrow it''ll be better. Today is Christmas and I''ve still got to go to work. That''s pretty lame considering most of my work colleagues got the day off. Well, chat can ya do?~ That''s life I guess. HAHAha..ha.
BEEP BEEP, BEEP BEEP I suddenly wake up due to the loud noise of my alarm clock. Out of reflex, I punch that shitty clock to smithereens just like a caveman. Pieces of the alarm clock fly all over my small apartment, and my hand hurts like hell. It takes a couple of moments to process what just happened but once I realize what I just did, my soul starts to leave my body. I PAID 3200 YEN (30$) FOR THAT STUPID WATCH! WHY ARE THEY ALL SO EASILY DESTROYED??? Ugh... I angrily get out of bed and start cursing again while collecting the remains of the now-deceased clock. After a couple of minutes, I manage to collect every piece of the clock (probably >_> and I throw everything to the slumbering dragon...THE TRASHCAN.After I fed my little monster, I decided to start doing my morning routine. First I went to the bathroom where I brushed my teeth and I washed my face. It was pretty refreshing except for the fact that there was no toothpaste left in the tube so I had to settle with water alone. The 2nd thing I did was turning the TV on and eating some cereals in the kitchen. Fortunately, nothing happened to me... but the TV stopped working while I was eating at some point ;-;. And that''s my daily routine. I have done this for the last 2 years every day, and I''m proud of myself! Well, today everything wenttotally backward but that''s no biggie! I enthusiastically made my way to the bedroom where I changed into my work outfit (a business suit..) and then I went to work. Just as I was about to turn the doorknob of my front door, I looked back towards my house and started thinking about it. I have lived here for the last 2 years yet nothing has changed. I still have 1 bedroom, a bathroom and a living room/kitchen. For Pete''s sake, I haven''t bought even a lamp for this place! AndI haven''t gotten rich either. No success with relationships and I''m neither respected. I have only managed to maintain my friendship with a friend from high school, which also works in the same place as me. I haven''t managed to do anything noteworthy in my whole life, am I really going the right way? I''ll think about it later, right now I need to get to work, If I continue thinking for much longer I''ll be late. My apartment is situated in the outer part of the city which normally wouldn''t be pretty convenient since all sorts of thugs and drug dealers live around here but for me, it''s very convenient because the place that I work at Is just 2-3 blocks away and I don''t have to wait for the bus since I can just walk and get there in like 5 to 10 minutes. I generally try to avoid my neighbors since when we meet they mostly mock or straight up make fun of me. They usually talk about my weight, height, and appearance bu they''ve insulted me in many different aspects as well. I''m 160 cm high and I weigh 85 kilograms. I may be a little chubby but I don''t see any problems with that, to be honest. Nevermind, I should just ignore them. That''s the best solution...The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. As I am walking through my neighborhood on my way to work, I start looking around me to observe the beautiful things surrounding me. To raise my mood. Most of the buildings are pretty old and they have started to show signs of degradation. Almost all of them are apartment buildings except for a few small houses here and there. To be honest, this type of environment has its own kind of special charm. While I was immersed in my surroundings, a small and cute girl passes by me while humming a sweet tune to herself with a basket in one of her hands. We''re both waiting at the crosswalk for the traffic lights to turn green. I peak a glance at her and realize she is just around 10 years old. I haven''t seen her around here before, I wonder what she''s doing around here with that basket of hers. She suddenly starts looking left and right before she starts running across the street... A car suddenly appears past a corner going at a very high speed going on the road towards the little girl. She was gonna get run over If I didn''t do something now but why should I risk my life for her? It''s her own fault for not respecting the traffic rules...No, what am I thinking? She is just a small child, with a bright future ahead of her, while I''m just a useless piece of flesh that''s living without purpose. If I were to save her, maybe my life could finally have a purpose. Maybe I could be the hero I have always wanted to be... In that instant, I decided to save her, no matter the cost. I started running toward her faster than I could even think, and then... I managed to push her out of the way. I could hear the car trying to use the brakes. How the hot wheels made a screeching sound with the road. There were countless screams around me but I was happy. Happy that I gave my life a meaning, a destiny, a purpose... BOOM The car hit me. Unexpectedly, I was feeling pretty fine. I stood up with some difficulty and tried to feel my body. Everything was okay except for my legs which were aching a little and my arm whichfelt a little numb. It seems the driver managed to stop most of the impact at the last second. Lucky me I guess...the only good thing that has happened since I woke up to be honest,haha. A smirk appeared on my face and I started walking toward my workplace in a hurry. A lot of people came over to me and asked If they wanted to call an ambulance for me. I just gave them a smile and said that I''m ok.Bloodwas slowly trickling down from my forehead, arms, and legs but in fact, I felt pretty reinvigorated and happy. I took a last glance toward the cute girl that I saved and she seemed pretty shocked. She was looking toward me with worried but grateful eyes. I could see her body trembling a little because of this whole situation but I just smiled at her and left. I''ll wrap my damaged parts in bandages once I get to work. People were looking toward me with weirded out or worried expressions but nobody tried to speak to me. I felt relieved because right now I was not in the mood to talk to anyone, Ijust wanted to savor this moment. Many people might think that I''minsanebecause I''m going to work rather than the hospital right now but I truly feel fine. Even If I wanted to go to the doctor, I don''t have the money to pay for a consultation, meds or treatment at the moment so everything isOK.I have finally fulfilled my childhood dream and become a hero just like in those books I read. I couldn''t have asked for more. After a quarter of an hour, I reached my destination. I knew I was late but I just had to enjoy thisbeautiful Christmasmorning.~ word count: 1365 Community pole: What would be a good name for the MC ? Comment down below! <3 Ch.2 Come on doc, help me out! I quickly rushed inside the building, hoping my boss wouldn''t get mad at me again. To be honest, this isn''t the first time I was late this month and I promised my boss that I won''t be late>_>. Bungo (my boss)comes running to me with an enraged look on his face, gasping for breath just like a pig. He''s not very good looking and his personality is pretty crap as well. The typical type of manager from the light novels I''ve read online. Too bad I don''t have superpowers or something so I could teach him a thing or two ;-; " Huff...You''re late again! I don''t even know...Puff..why I keep you here when all you do is laze around and read those stupid fairy tales! Wait... what happened to you? You look like a bloody mess! Did you get beat up by a thug or something? Don''t tell me you angered a mafia boss, cause I''d believe you." " Actually... I just got hit by a car while.." " HUSH. I don''t want to hear any of your petty excuses today. Go to the infirmary and get better or something. I''ll give you half an hour. If you''re not back by 8:45 and apt for work, I''ll make sure to take GOOD care of you...I think you know what I mean. Do you understand???" " Yes, sir! Clear as dayor that sweat from your face...!" " What was that?" " Nothing sir, I''ll just get going!" As I said that, I began limping away toward the infirmary as fast as my legs could go. The building I''m working in is probably one of the nicest ones in this neighborhood. We have an infirmary, a recreation room and a small kitchen where we can make ourselves something quick to eat if we''re hungry. Of course, we also have offices where we actually work but that''s pretty obvious >_>. I reached the Infirmary in about 2 minutes. Pretty fast considering I just got hit by a car not so long ago. I slowly open the door and greet the doctor inside with a friendly smile. She seemed pretty shocked when she saw me enter the door. Probably because I didn''t knock. She gestured for me to sit down on the bed next to her with a shy smile on her face. As I sat down, she started talking to me. " So..Uhm....what happened to your body mister..?" " Name''s Aki. As you can see, I just got hit by a car, haha..". As I say this, I start waving my hands in the air and showing a BIG smile. The moment she heard I got hit by a car, she puts on a serious expression and starts to touch my body in different places while asking me where it hurts. I told her that my legs and arms hurt the most so she starts inspecting them very carefully. After around 10 minutes she heads back to her seat and lets out a weak sigh. " You''re very lucky you know that? You don''t really have any major injuries except for a broken arm and a twisted ankle. I''ll put some cast on your left arm and give you some pills if you feel any pain throughout the week. You can take one every three hours. As for your twisted ankle..." As she finishes her words, she leans toward me and grabs my foot. Is this gonna be one of those passionate romantic moments that I''ve read inI''ll die if I''m not beautiful?!?!Just as I thought of that, my face starts slightly blushing and I say in a weak tone " P-P-lease don''t go too hard on me..It''s my first time! And I only have around 20 minutes until I gotta get back to work!"Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The doc just stares weirdly at me with an imaginary question mark above her head, as she twists my ankle. I let out a terrific scream that is heard throughout the entire building. I''ve never felt so much pain even when I got hit by that car. Literally! After a while, the pain starts to go away and I thank the doctor. I don''t know why I haven''t noticed it up until now, but the doc looks really good. Smooth white skin, blonde hair just like a ray of sunshine, blue aquamarine eyes, big ample bosoms...wait... I''m getting off the track here! This NICE lady here just treated me and I start ogling her like a wild beast! Man, I ''m so lame sometimes... As I get up to leave the room, the doctor reluctantly calls out to me. " Hei Aki-san! W-Wait! Uhm... If you ever get hurt again or you just want to chat with someone from time to time... don''t hesitate to call me! Here''s my number!" As she says that, the girl quickly pulls out a small piece of paper that she gives to me. As I grab the piece of paper I start slightly blushing...cause I took a peek at her ample jugs cough cough. She starts slightly blushing too. Guess she''s the shy type >_>
+81 XXX XXX XXX (Call me, Amy~!)
To get rid of the rising tension, I make some small talk. " So... have you just transferred here? Haven''t seen you around before." " Y-Yea. I transferred here a week ago. I get better paid here and it''s closer to my house as a bonus. You''re the first patient who came here because he was actually not feeling well. Everyone else came here to flirt mee or to sneak glances at my body, which is kinda unnerving but funny at the same time, to be honest." I let out a small chuckle as I think about all the losers who could have done that. My best friend is definitely on that list hahaha! Before I let out a response, I quickly took a glance at the clock mounted on the wall. It''s 8:40! How did time pass by so fast ?!? Gah! It''s the first time I manage to get on a girl''s good side and this happens! Damn you, Bungo! Why can''t you be as cool as the anime character ??? " I''m sorry miss but I really need to go NOW or I''ll be late! Thank you for the treatment and the phone number! I''ll make sure to call, don''t worry!" Fortunately, it seems my ankle is completely healed! The doctor really did a good job! I can walk perfectly..Let''s see If I can run as well! I start sprinting out the door, not even giving her a chance to say goodbye. Wait, I think I forgot something...HER NAME! I did not even ask for her name! Gah, I can be such an airhead sometimes that it''s actually mind-blowing! I quickly rush back to the infirmary and slam the door open . As soon as I opened the door, the doctor gets scared and lets out a small scream. " WHAT''S YOUR NAME???", I shout. The doc lets a light laugh escape her mouth and says very slowly that her name is Amy. I nod my head. " Thank you miss Amy-chan~!" I once again start running toward the offices but this time I''m using my secret forbidden running technique... the ninja run! I put my hands behind my back and lean my body forward then go forward with all my might! CHAAARGE! Word count:1225 Ch.3 Waking up to reality... As I ninja run through the hallways, a lot of people are staring at me with confusion written all over their faces. Heh, it seems they haven''t seen this technique before! If they read more novels, maybe they could do it too but I guess not a lot of people like to do that anymore ;_; I was so absorbed in my thoughts while running that I did not even realize that the door to the office area was closed and I slammed into it just like a ram! OUCH! It hurts but at least I didn''t pulverize the door as I did with my alarm clock, haha! After a couple of moments, I could hear Bungo coming over to the door shouting muffled insults trough his breath. Then, the door opened and I see Bungo looking at me with pity in his eyes. " Get up already, you lazy ass! Come in and get back to work or I''ll fire you!" I crunch my teeth in dissatisfaction but I bear with it and reply to him. I don''t have anything against working but does he have to be that mean...? " Yes, Bungo-san " And as I say that, I get up without much difficulty. Just as I was about to get past Bungo and enter the room, I suddenly fell to the floor. When I looked back, I could see Bungo smirking with his foot placed in front of me. I understood what happened...is picking on me his only way of being happy? " HO HO, sorry Aki, I didn''t notice you there, hehe. I hope we can still be good friends like we''ve been up ''till now! " Bungo comes over to where I fell, crouches next to me and pats my shoulder two or three times. I feel so angry right now but what can I do, other than being trampled on...? I don''t have any special powers, I don''t have a lot of money or authority. What can a measly ant like me do? " It''s...alright Bungo-san. We are still friends.." I get up and walk to my workspace in silence. I can see everyone looking in my direction and laughing in a hushed manner. The only one who isn''t laughing is my best and only friend, Hiroki. He is looking at me with daggers in his eyes. Why is he mad? Why is everyone looking at me? Why is everyone laughing? Did I do something wrong? I slowly get in my seat and start typing away at my computer. A short while later, when everyone is back to doing their own business, I bow my head and let a small tear run out of my right eye...Why am I crying..?
about 4 hours later It''s time for the usual recreation period to start. We only have 15 minutes but that''s enough to relax your mind and body. Most of the people working here go to the recreation room where they play table tennis or just chat on the sofas while watching some TV but I like reading mangas and light-novels on my phone while sitting in my comfy chair in the office room. As I open up my phone to go on Google and start reading, I can see Hiroki walking towards me. He comes to chat with me from time to time. He''s a cool and chill dude. I greet him with a small smile and a hello. He doesn''t seem too happy for some reason. Just as he comes near me, he punches me in the face! How much pain do I have to suffer today?? I can see tears slowly forming in Hiroki''s eyes. I ask him a question out of curiosity.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. " What''s wrong Hiroki-san? " " Why? Why did you let him treat you like that you dumbass?!?! " " I didn''t want to get fired or to get my paycheck reduced. It''s already as low as it is." " That''s why you let him make fun of you in front of everyone like that? Because of a goddamn paycheck? Do you know what everyone thinks of you? They think you''re a clown. Trash on the sideroad. I always try to protect you in front of everyone else. All my friends are asking me why I''m still hanging out with a guy like you. Do you know why? Because I''ve always believed in you. In middle school when I got bullied, you always stood up for me. You always tried to help me. Since then, I have always thought of you like the brother I never had but now... I can''t bear to see you self-destruct like this. Where''s the cool and brave brother that I''ve always admired? Tell me!!!! " " I... I''m sorry. Times change...We''re not in middle school anymore. This is real life... " As I say this, I pick up my phone once again to continue reading one of my favorite novels called "I''ll die If I''m not beautiful ?!?!". Hiroki glared at me with a hateful expression on his face. " That''s it? Times change? Don''t tell me that bullshit! You''re just too much of a coward to do something about it! Even a place like this can hide salvation if you search hard enough! What you''re reading right there is a map to a one-man maze with which you''ll never see the sun! " " Hiroki...You can insult me, my house, my family but you can''t insult this book. This "map" as you call it is a place where the lost are the heroes and the evil is left to drown. A perfect world..." " So basically a fairy tale. Let me tell you something that you told me when we first met. You may have forgotten these words but I did not. Fairytales are not found like the one you have there, they''re written in the walls as you walk down in the dirt with a landslide approaching. You face the odds against you and run straight ahead into the fear you run from. That''s what it means to be a true man, a HERO. When you decide to come back to your senses, don''t hesitate to approach me but until then..." Haruki''s sentence trails off at the end and he just walks away. I don''t know what to feel. Anger? Sadness? Despair? Melancholy?...Have I really done the best I could all this time? Is this the much-needed slap in the face that I deserved so I could finally wake up? I''ve been such a coward this entire time and I didn''t even realize it. Hiroki...thank you..my friend. I spend the rest of my break looking at a wall and contemplating about life. I''ve decided on something. I don''t want to live someone else''s story anymore. I want to make my own story... To be the hero I''ve always wanted to be... Word count:1140