"Here, Tanaka. Your pay for this month."

  I wiped the sweat from my brow as the fast-food joint’s manager handed me my paycheck. My shift was over, and the smell of fried food clung to my clothes like a bad memory. Not that I minded much; it was all part of the grind.

  "Thanks, Manager." I said, taking my paycheck from the manager’s hand.

  I counted the bills in my hand, feeling a small spark of pride. It had been a grueling shift at the fast-food joint, but I didn’t mind. Every yen I earned was one step closer to escaping my dead-end life. Between my savings and this paycheck, I had enough for my upcoming school fees. No more worrying about tuition. No more endless nights wondering if I’d have to quit school just to survive. Finally, I could breathe.

  "Keep up the good work, Tanaka." my boss said, with a half-hearted smile.

  "I'll sure will." I replied.

  I stuffed the money into my pocket, gave a quick nod, and headed at the back of the store to change my clothing, signaling that my shift is over. As I went outside, the cool night air greeted me, the city streets almost quiet except for the distant buzz of traffic and the occasional hum of street vendors packing up for the night. I pulled my hoodie tighter around me, already thinking about how I’d spend the next few weeks preparing for the new school year.

  I had a pn. A future. A way out. Or so I thought.

  There’s something about luck that baffles me. People always say it’s about being in the right pce at the right time, but in my experience, it’s more like the universe flipping a coin and deciding if today’s your day to win or lose. I’ve never been much of a believer in it. Maybe because, for most of my life, luck’s been ughing at me from some dark corner of the world, watching me crawl through the worst of times.

  My parents always said I was “unlucky,” but really, it wasn’t me who was cursed—it was them. A pair of chronic gamblers, always one hand away from hitting the jackpot but falling just short every time. And who do you think paid the price? Yeah, me. Their kid. It’s funny, you know? How life works out. You think things can’t get worse, and then the universe finds a way to kick you when you're already down.

  But for a brief moment, it felt like maybe—just maybe—my luck was changing.

  That’s what I thought. I thought I finally had control over my own fate. I’d been working myself to the bone, doing part-time jobs, pulling in as many hours as I could while bancing school. My dream? Simple. Graduate, get into a decent college, and nd a stable job. A future where I wouldn’t end up like them.

  But like I said, the universe loves to py games.

  When I got home, the first thing I noticed was the silence. The light is on, sure, but that wasn’t unusual. My parents usually didn’t come home until te, but something felt... wrong.

  "Mom? Dad?" I called out, kicking off my shoes as I stepped into the tiny, dingy apartment. No response.

  I walked to the small kitchen, expecting to find the usual chaos—empty beer cans, half-eaten food, and maybe the TV bring at full volume. But it was eerily still. Too still.

  I opened my door, gncing around my room. It was exactly the same as I’d left it. I let out a breath of relief, but then... I froze. My eyes nded on the small box in the corner of my closet. The one where I kept my savings.

  It was open.

  Panic surged through me as I rushed to the closet, yanking the box out and flipping it open. Empty.

  “No. No, no, no…”

  I dumped the box onto the floor, but there was nothing. Every st yen I’d been saving for months— reduced, gone. Stolen.

  “They took it... they really took it." I muttered, my heart pounding in my chest. "Those idiots actually took everything.”

  I colpsed onto the floor, clutching the empty box in my hands as bitter ughter escaped my throat. "Unbelievable. They ran off with everything."

  My parents. The people who were supposed to care for me, the ones who said they’d do better—they’d taken all of it. All the money I’d worked so hard for, the money I needed to pay for school. I knew they had a gambling problem, but this? They really left me with nothing. Just how low can they ever go down?

  My hands shook as anger boiled inside me. "Screw them. Screw them!!! Aaaaaahhhh!!!"

  I smmed the box shut and threw it across the room. I didn’t even care where it nded. All I could feel was the weight of betrayal pressing down on my chest.

  "What am I supposed to do now?" I whispered, my voice shaking. All of my hard work over the st month has been all for naught. I shouldn't be here. I needed to go out—anywhere but here.

  I left the apartment, not even sure where I was going. I just needed to move, to clear my head, thinking on what should I do. The night felt colder than usual, but I welcomed it. Maybe the chill would help numb the knot of anger and helplessness twisting in my stomach.

  I wandered the city streets, my mind racing with a mix of fury and despair. Everything was gone. The money, my pns, my future—ruined, just like that. Was it something I did wrong in my previous life that caused the universe to chose to harm me in any way possible?

  “What now, Kazuki?” I muttered to myself, hands buried in my pockets as I walked. “What the hell are you supposed to do now?”

  I have to settle down for the time being. Having a cloudy mind can result in poor decisions. I don't care what happened to those two. They can screw themselves for all I care.

  I passed by a few convenience stores, a group of rowdy college students, and a stray cat rummaging through trash, but none of it registered. I was too lost in my own thoughts.

  Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed them. Three males are standing in an alley up ahead. Normally, I wouldn't have given them any mind, but something seemed odd. They were standing much too close to someone. A female about looks to be around my age. With her long, snow-white hair and pale skin, she appears to have received little sunlight, judging from her skin tone. Is that even natural?

  I slowed my pace and squinted to get a better view. She wore a familiar school uniform. Ah, that's right. It's from Yumeji Academy, which only the wealthy can afford. What was someone like her doing here, surrounded by those guys?

  "Looks like trouble." I muttered.

  At first, I told myself to keep walking. It wasn’t my business. But then one of the guys ughed, and I saw how close they were getting to the girl.

  "Oh, what a cute girl we have here bro."

  "I know right, it would be a waste to not use her kekeke."

  "Hey this uniform, isn't this from Yumeji Academy, that rich school not too far from here?"

  "Oh yeah right, now that you mention it. We really hit the jackpot this time!"

  "Hey miss, would you mind if you tag along with us? We promise we don't do any harm"

  Damn it.

  "Hey! Leave her alone!" without thinking, I stepped forward and called out the group of guys, my voice stronger than I felt.

  "Huh? Who the hell are you?" The tall, scary looking guy turned to look at me, eyebrows raised. One of them sneered.

  "Doesn’t matter. Just back off."

  "You got a death wish, buddy?"

  They exchanged gnces before one of them stepped closer, cracking his knuckles. I stared at the girl, who appeared nervous and afraid. I check my surroundings. There was no one around, so I couldn't get help, yet I couldn't just walk away. I could not. Something tells me that if I leave her here, it's going to haunt me for the rest of my life.

  "I said leave her alone."

  “Or what?” The guy stepped closer, trying to look intimidating.

  In the split second before they could act, I made my move. I lunged forward, grabbing the girl’s hand. “Run!” I yelled.

  She hesitated for only a second before we took off, sprinting down the street together. My legs burned as we ran, but I didn’t dare look back. We needed to get as far away from them as possible.

  We darted through alleys, turned corner after corner until my lungs felt like they were going to burst. Finally, after what felt like forever, I slowed down, panting heavily, arrived at what seems to be an abandoned building.

  I let go of her hand, leaning against a nearby wall to catch my breath. "Are... you okay?"

  She nodded, her expression still unreadable. She straightened her uniform, not even looking winded. "You didn’t have to do that."

  I wiped the sweat from my forehead. "Yeah, well... I couldn’t just let them mess with you."

  She blinked, tilting her head slightly. "Why?"

  I stared at her, taken aback by the question. "Why? Because... it’s the right thing to do, I guess. You looked like you needed help."

  She seemed to study me for a moment, her dark eyes intense and piercing. "Thank you."

  I scratched the back of my head, feeling awkward under her gaze. "Uh... don’t mention it. Just gd you’re okay."

  She was quiet for a long moment. This is really awkward I thought. Then, she finally spoke again.

  "My name is Tsukiko Kurohana."

  "Kurohana?" I repeated, the name ringing a faint bell. "That sounds... familiar."

  Before I could ask where I’d heard it, a sleek bck car pulled up beside us. The door opened, and a man in a sharp suit stepped out. He had the same air of elegance as the girl—no, Tsukiko.

  "Miss Tsukiko," the man said, bowing slightly. "It’s time to go."

  She nodded, then turned back to me. "I will repay you for this, Kazuki Tanaka."

  I blinked. "Wait, how do you know my name?"

  She didn’t answer. Instead, she gave me one st look before stepping into the car. The door closed, and within seconds, they were gone.

  I stood there for a moment, staring after the car as it disappeared into the night. What just happened? And how did she know who I was?

  As I started walking home, one thought lingered in my mind.

  My life just got a whole lot more complicated.

  A/N:Hello there readers! Here I am, back with a new original novel. Hopefully you will like it, and if you do, please look forward for more chapters! Cheers!