"I should have gone to Trey's place first. At least he would have stopped me from going over to hers," Reese thought as the sounds around him dissolved, leaving just silence and his thoughts alone. He couldn't feel a thing, except the cool air on his skin.
Then his mind replayed all the moments before now, especially with her. The times he was sick and she'd visit with hot soup and drugs.
Most times, if it was her, he would spend days at her place, no sleep to ensure she was comfortable while he kept himself busy with his trading and reading.
He even remembered when they'd stay up through the night watching movies, playing games, and before collapsing from exhaustion.
A small chuckle escaped Reese's lips at the thought of it, then he mumbled, "I'm such a fool, huh?"
"Yes, you are."
Someone replied, which made him raise a brow. For a moment, he thought he was hearing things until he felt the soft foam under him, then the sounds of the purring of the air conditioner, and the beeping of machines around him.
'Odd, I'm supposed to be dead, right?'
He had just been hit by a truck. He was bleeding. He could remember not being able to breathe properly until he couldn't think.
He wanted to believe he was just creating scenarios until whoever spoke slapped his toe hard, causing him to snap his eyes open and jolt up from the bed.
"What the hell...." His words got stuck in his throat when he saw Trey at the foot of his hospital bed, with a bottle of water in one hand, dressed in a hospital gown and a hairnet that almost made Reese laugh, if not for the pain he was in.
"I'm dreaming, right?"
Trey glared at him before turning away to face the doctor in the room. They spoke for a while, then the doctor left, leaving Trey and Reese in the room.
Reese stared wide-eyed at Trey, who quietly placed the bottle of water on a stool. He walked over to Reese's bedside, and carefully but slowly held Reese's hand.
"You know...." he paused and bent Reese's index finger backwards, causing him more pain than he was already in, but Reese did not shout. He just squeezed his face in pain until Trey bent another finger.
"Hey! What the hell?! Stop, dude!"
"I won't stop until you tell me you're a dumbass!"
"You think I don't know I am! Let go of me, bastard!"
Trey scoffed and twisted his last finger, "You're going to have to force me!"
Reese pulled and pulled at his hand until he finally broke free, but the force had him falling off the bed with a loud thud that got one of the nurses running in.
She spotted Reese on the ground and made to help, but he shoved her back and rose to his feet, fuming.
"Bastard!"
"Dumbass!"
"Is this how you welcome someone who was just in an accident?!"
Trey scoffed loudly, "That's nothing close to the accident I was wishing you got in, idiot," he paused, then smiled through his pain, "You got me scared to death, man."
Reese smiled as well and exhaled. "Should've said that instead of trying to break what's already broken."
He turned to the nurse who watched them, confused and terrified, then bowed slightly. "I'm fine, ma'am, sorry for the chaos we caused."
She nodded and made her way out of the room without saying a word, while Reese got back on the bed, breathing out loudly.
Reese glanced down at his body. He didn't feel like anything was broken, just slight body pain. Unlike before. If anything, he felt better.
He could move without pain, and there was no sign of bandages. In addition to that, his skin looked better, if not healthier.
Reese shifted his gaze to Trey, who stared at him with pure disgust. He could understand why, but he was glad he could see him again.
Even if it might just be a dream, he wanted to hug him, but that would feel weird.
He just smirked. "Missed me?"
Trey rolled his eyes as he sat at the foot of the bed. "Honestly, yes. I almost died when I was called."
"What were you thinking, dude? You should have just come to my place first, instead of going there."
Reese's expression shifted. His gaze turned dark, then he lowered his head. "Did she tell you?"
Trey shook his head. Even if she didn't tell him, just the way she was panicking when she called and how she looked.
Sweaty, disoriented, and her make up was a mess, then the hickey's on her body, already gave him a good idea.
He already knew anyway. He always did. No one needed to tell him Tessa was doing crazy stuff behind Reese's back, and he warned him too.
"I warned you about this," he began. "It pains me to see my own friend heartbroken over a girl who doesn't deserve even a second of his attention."
Reese heaved a sigh. "I was mistaken. But she was crying like she didn't mean it. I don't even know what to believe anymore."
Trey studied him carefully before shaking his head. "It's crazy how soft you still are after all this. Don't you know girls cry to escape a tight spot?"
Reese nodded. "Crying to escape something like this is just wrong. It's not like they forced her."
Trey shrugged and flipped the cap off a small bottle of milk. "Forget about her. Let's get you out of this hellhole," he said and stretched out his hand, handing the bottle to Reese.
Reese took it and downed the contents instantly, then sighed heavily again. "I feel awful."
"That's because you haven't had something good to eat," Trey replied.
He rose up from the bed and reached into his pocket to take out his phone. "I want to get you some food before you get discharged. What do you want?"
Reese shifted his gaze to him. He wanted to be sure he was serious, and just one look was enough. He chuckled and leaned back into the bed. "Something heavy?"
Trey frowned. "Rice?"
"Yeah, and a lot of protein. My tongue feels dead."
Trey nodded and turned to leave, only to pause in his steps and turn around.
"I beat Eli up and handed him to some gangsters before he got arrested for attempted murder… if that makes you feel better."
Reese smiled and watched Trey leave after warning him not to move. At least he had one person who wouldn't treat him like trash.
Come to think of it, he only met Trey five months ago at a cyber café after he lost another hundred dollars.
It was funny thinking about it. He was about to make another trade when Trey, who had apparently been watching him since he stepped in and lost money, slapped him hard behind the head.
Yelling, "Are you that stupid?! Can't you tell when to buy and when not to?! Where are you even flying to bro?!"
And then proceeded to insult him for the rest of the day after a few more fails, all on his money though, because he didn't want Reese to give up everything he had on him.
It wasn't like Trey wasn't also struggling, but he already knew how to get his money. He was making $5,000 in two weeks, and he had no one to take care of.
Nevertheless, he helped, and ended up losing about $2,500 that same day.
He dragged Reese out of the café enraged and beat him up till he bled, then treated him, bought him food and continued with the insults.
Reese laughed at the memory.
Despite looking calm and introverted, Trey had the worst temper and crashed out multiple times, and they were either valid or because Reese did something stupid.
As Reese laid back into the bed, still chuckling at the memory of getting slapped in a cyber café by a stranger who became his closest friend, something strange happened.
A translucent, blue-tinted screen suddenly appeared before his eyes, making him jolt back up.
『Wealth Accumulation System Online: Endgame』
『Welcome, Reese Miles.』
'Wait, what?'
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『Status: Conscious』
『Life Force: 67% [Stabilizing]』
『Assets: $123.42, 1x Used Smartphone, 1x Loyalty Bond (Trey), 1x Busted Laptop』
『Liabilities: Emotional Damage [Severe], Debt to Bank ($25,000), Pending Rent ($900), Heartbreak (Active)』
『System Class: Underdog [Rank: F]』
『Initiating: Beginner's Path』
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『LOSSES:
$3,250 in bad trades
One girl who isn't worth it + 1 year, and eight wasted
Self-respect (Recovering...)』
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[System Reward Detected: "Hoeflation Survivor Bonus" Unlocked]
『→ $100,000 Seed Capital (Restricted Use until $100 is responsibly used)
→ Trait Gained: Cold Clarity [Passive]
→ Skill Tree Unlocked: HardKnock LV 1』
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『Mission Route Available:
[Rebuild from Ground Zero]
[Get Even]
[Both]』
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『Confirm System Sync?』
'This has got to be a joke, right?' Reese asked, staring at the screen in shock. He understood everything, but what baffled him was how it was even real.
『You've been knocked hard. You only have one thing to do. Get rich or remain a pathetic broke.』
"Is that even something to think about?" He laughed and shifted his gaze to the confirmation. Then he shrugged. "What could go wrong?"