I made it through a day in Hell.
Just one day.
And yet, I found a new side of myself.
A side I didn't know existed.
"…Do I find this feeling of tension… pleasurable?"
Just one day, and the pressure I faced today was worth a year at my previous school.
What caused this shift?
What made this Hell… This Game, so much harder... and yet, more fun?
Is it the school itself?
Or the characters inside it?
All of them are unique, sharp, and unpredictable.
Each one is like a hidden mechanic in a high-difficulty game.
"Ahh~ This is dangerous," I muttered.
"This feeling… It's poisonous"
Before I realized it, I had arrived in front of my house.
Right at the door.
The only safe zone in this wild, open world is called Society.
I paused. Let out a breath.
"…Mom~ I'm back"
--------
#POV Linda (Rey's Mother)
I don't know when it started…
When my son began to see the world as if he were living inside a game.
But he was always different, even as a child.
Quiet. Observant.
He almost never left the house, except during elementary school.
He didn't want to make friends.
Didn't talk to anyone but me and his father.
One day, I asked him why.
He said, "Their eyes are scary," Or something like that.
He always stayed at home. And because of our jobs, my husband and I were rarely home ourselves.
Maybe that's our fault.
But he never complained.
He was too understanding for his age.
While other children played with toys or ran outside,
He buried himself in books.
It wasn't a bad thing, but I couldn't help thinking, He should have fun too.
He didn't want to go outside.
Didn't have any friends.
The other kids called him weird.
And I… I couldn't do anything.
He said he was fine.
But still, I wanted my son to smile like other kids.
To enjoy something, anything.
So I found an answer.
Something he could enjoy without going outside.
Something just for him.
Games.
I bought him one.
At first, he accepted it with a quiet thank-you.
Then… he asked for another. And another.
For the first time, he asked for something.
For the first time, he wanted something with that bright look in his eyes.
As a mother, nothing made me happier.
We could afford it, so I gave in.
Again and again.
And he smiled.
When one game ended, he moved on to the next.
That continued all the way until elementary school ended.
But then… something changed.
In middle school, he stopped asking for games.
He started acting more like a regular kid.
He went to school, made a few friends, and graduated with good grades.
I thought, He's okay now.
Everything seemed fine.
Until high school.
The first year was alright, but… In the second year, something happened.
Something bad enough to make him transfer schools.
I only heard bits and pieces from his teacher.
But nothing is clear.
When I asked him, he just shook his head.
His whole body tensed.
He got goosebumps.
He wouldn't talk about it.
And I wonder… Was it all my fault?
Because I gave him that first game?
I don't know…
"…Mom~ I'm back."
There he is.
My son.
I smiled, pushing away the thoughts.
"Welcome back. I'll prepare dinner. Go wash up and join me, okay?"
"Yess~"
I don't know if it's my fault or not.
Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't.
But one thing I'm sure of... He will always be my son.
No matter what happens.
No matter how he sees the world.
Even if I can't understand everything about him...
I'll always be by his side.
That's why I quit my job.
I chose to become a full-time housewife.
Maybe it doesn't matter.
Maybe it changes nothing.
But still... If it helps, even just a little... If it makes him feel that someone is here, really here for him... Then it's worth it.
I want him to know he's not alone.
That he doesn't have to face the world like a character in a game with no party, no allies.
That even if he doesn't say anything, I'm still watching over him.
And maybe, just maybe... If I stay by his side long enough, I'll get to see the world the way he does.
Even just a little bit.
--------
#Rey's POV
Right now, I'm sitting in the dining room, waiting for my mother.
The overhead light flickers slightly, casting a warm, golden hue over the neatly arranged plates and the faint steam rising from my dinner.
My father? He's barely ever home, always buried in some meeting or flying to another country. Corporate stuff. Important, I guess.
My mother used to be like that too, always dressed sharply, always on the phone, juggling clients and deadlines.
But I never hated them for it.
If anything, I was... grateful.
They worked themselves to the bone so I wouldn't have to lack anything, school, clothes, games, even therapy when I needed it.
Still... After everything that happened at my old school, after that incident.
My mom quit her job.
Just like that.
She said she needed to be closer to me.
Now she's a full-time housewife.
And I... I feel guilty. Like I stole her future.
But also... happy.
Because for the first time in forever, I don't feel like I'm completely alone in this wild, ruthless jungle called society.
She sits down beside me with a gentle smile, placing her hand softly on the table.
"...So, how was your first day, Rey? Anything happen?"
Her voice is calm, like the quiet hum of the air conditioner in the background. Not probing, not demanding. Just... present.
"Nothing much. Just the usual"
"Really? Are you making yourself some friends?"
"Hmm~ There's some potential ally I foun-"
*Plack!*
"Ouch! What was that for?!"
I wince and rub the back of my head, pouting dramatically.
She narrows her eyes, only half-scolding.
"...Are you still playing that game of yours?"
Her tone isn't sharp. There's no edge to it. No irritation.
Only that familiar warmth, sincere concern, raw and unpolished.
"...Uhh~ That hurt... And what game? It's life, Mom. Life. Nothing more"
I answer while shoveling rice into my mouth, pretending to stay casual, like her words didn't land.
She sighs and leans her cheek into one hand.
"Did I raise you the wrong way?"
That caught me off guard. I pause, my spoon hovering mid-air.
"What do you mean by that, Mom? You're a great mother," I glance at her with a crooked grin."If there's a second life, I'd gladly be your son again... I don't want anyone else as my mom, only you"
Heh. Critical hit.
Sweet, genuine. Should land hard.
Guaranteed smile incoming-
But...
"*Sigh* If only you could show that side of yourself to others..." She murmurs, eyes soft. "You'd definitely have a bunch of real friends... maybe even a girlfriend"
I blink.
"...If I got a girlfriend, would that make you happy, Mom?"
She smiles, small and faint, like a fading photograph.
"I am happy"
"Then-"
"A real girlfriend, Rey." Her voice sharpens slightly, barely. Just enough to stop me. "Someone you truly love. Not a character. Not someone you categorize or calculate. A real person"
She falls quiet for a moment, then speaks again, softer than before.
"If you could do that..." She exhales slowly, her fingers tightening around her teacup. "...Then I could leave this world with no regrets. I'd die peacefully"
The room falls silent.
And suddenly, the food doesn't taste like anything anymore.
....
...
..
.