"Fuck!" Kurt cursed loudly as soon as Shirley left. No matter whose idea it was, Kurt was still the one who wrote his name on Shirley's record book. There was no way this stain would easily wash away from him. And with Mrs. Harrington's assurance to Shirley, they knew it was only a matter of time before the truth was revealed to the world.
"It's all your fault!" Kurt yelled, pointing his finger at Umang.
Umang shook his head and said, "Well, I don't agree with that. Don't forget, we're both partners in crime. How can you shamelessly try to shift all the blame onto me?"
Kurt snorted but couldn't actually deny it. After all, they truly were partners in this crime. That was undeniable.
"What should we do now?" Kurt asked, his voice laced with nervousness. His father was the Prime Minister of the entire country, and Kurt's arrogance had always stemmed from that fact. After all, no matter what he did, his father's political clout would usually ensure everything was overlooked.
But if this matter got out, it would definitely spread to every corner of the country. His father would never forgive him. After all, the news had the potential to become a national sensation, and his dad's political opponents would work even harder to make it international for their own sake.
Umang understood exactly what was going through Kurt's mind. He shook his head and said, "You really are impulsive. You're the son of the most powerful person in the country. The entire nation is in your father's hands. So use that power to your advantage."
"What should I do?" Kurt asked hopefully.
Umang sighed. "It's simple. Use your father's influence to delay Shirley's visit to that Fool. Meanwhile, we'll pay a little visit to her home and threaten the Fool to make sure he keeps quiet. Tell him that if he doesn't, you'll have your father revoke his visa. He'll be afraid of losing two years of education and will do whatever we want. Right now, he's the only one who could stop Shirley. And Shirley is the only one who can stop Mrs. Harrington. I think you know what I mean, right?"
"Heh heh, I know exactly what to do now," Kurt snickered. "Let's go."
—
Meanwhile, Kamanth—unaware of any of this—returned to his room with a dejected expression. He was certain his image in Shirley's eyes was destroyed. When she returned, he assumed she would yell at him, and their relationship would only deteriorate further.
So he decided to live out his remaining short time as happily as he could. He lived in Shirley's home as a paying guest. Shirley lived with her family—her mom, dad, and a little brother two years younger than her named Shane.
They all treated him well. But with Kamanth's self-esteem, he couldn't tell whether their kindness was genuine or just polite courtesy. Still, he always responded with his own sincere courtesy.
He knew the house was empty at this time. Both Shirley's mom and dad worked and only returned after 7 p.m. As for Shane, he was still in school.
None of it mattered anymore. He might even be kicked out of the house soon. If that happened, Kamanth felt sure he would end his miserable life. He'd made up his mind. Until then, he would retreat into the world where he found his own small paradise in an otherwise lonely life.
There were two things that had always brought him comfort. One was his personal computer—specifically, the MMORPG games he played. The other was Chinese Eastern fantasy novels and manhuas.
He read novels and manhuas to fill the void of loneliness in his life. When he read stories about cultivators, he felt as if those characters and those worlds were perfectly suited to his own isolated existence. He always wished he could transmigrate to such a world and create his own legend.
Alas, he knew such dreams would never come true. Even though so many fictional characters went to other worlds and became protagonists, reality offered no such chance.
So, he tried to soothe his impossible desires by gaming. In 2004, the MMORPG "World of Warcraft" had become a global sensation. Now, a new game—"Ascension"—was even more popular. Gamers all over the world were obsessed with it.
The only thing that ever seemed to go his way was this game. His in-game character, "FOOL," was the highest-leveled player in the entire game. For his dedication, the game's developers awarded him a million-dollar prize! That money helped his father grow his rice business and open branches in several states. His father showered him with praise and gratitude for the contribution.
But Kamanth knew that gaming wasn't a long-term solution. This wasn't some virtual reality game from a novel where age didn't matter. In reality, most gamers had to retire by their late twenties or so—or else watch their future disappear. How could he make a living after that? It was impossible.
Kamanth didn't let himself think about that. Whatever happened in the future would happen. For now, he just wanted to squeeze happiness from the present, however brief it might be.
As he played the game, his thoughts wandered. He wasn't even playing well; he was just going through the motions. Unnoticed, tears started to run down his cheeks.
If only there were an earthquake to send me to a magical world, just like in those novels… how wonderful would that be?
At that moment, his house suddenly began to shake. At first, the feeling was barely noticeable, but soon the phenomenon grew stronger.
"What's happening?" Kamanth murmured. "Could this be… an earthquake?"
As he thought that, a golden light shone down on him. Of course, his entire focus was on the earthquake, so he didn't notice this strange phenomenon.
As soon as the golden light entered his body, the entire building collapsed, and debris rained down on him.
"AAAHHHH!" Kamanth screamed in terror. He finally understood what facing death was like. But there was no one to share the experience with—not anymore.
And in that final moment, a single thought crossed his mind:
Is this really where I'm going to die?