Ethan Blake ran through the streets of Cambridge, desperate to change clothes quickly and get back to completing the system's challenge. Every second counted. He arrived at his apartment building and, trying to open the door to his unit, remembered the doorknob was broken.
"This can't be… damn door…!" he shouted in frustration.
Impatient, he slammed the door hard. There was a dry clonk, and Ethan stopped, frowning. "What the hell? This whole apartment is a dump… but this door is ridiculously sturdy… what the hell is going on in this world…!"
Suddenly, a fat, scruffy man in wrinkled clothes appeared at the door of the neighboring unit. His red, sweaty face radiated instant anger.
"What are you doing banging on my door?! That door is expensive, luxury grade! Do you want to break it?"
Ethan shrugged, breathing heavily.
"Look, this whole apartment is crap! Between the stress and madness, I'm not scared anymore. I have bigger things to worry about!"
The landlord's eyes widened.
"Bigger things?! That doorknob…!"
"Yeah, the doorknob! It's broken, like this whole damn building," Ethan shot back, not looking away.
"Not true, I replaced it recently," said the landlord, frowning and gesturing wildly.
"Recently… yeah, right… a hundred years ago, you old man!" Ethan yelled, desperation and stress vibrating in his voice.
Their argument escalated into a heated exchange of shouts and accusations:
"You disrespectful brat! I'm going to teach you to respect my property!"
"Your property's worthless if I'm about to die a virgin!"
For a moment, Ethan saw the landlord return to his apartment and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had bought himself some time.
But his relief lasted only a blink. The man came back, holding a baseball bat, his eyes blazing with fury.
Ethan didn't hesitate: he bolted from the apartment building, down the stairs and across the lobby with adrenaline pumping, dodging chairs and mailboxes while hearing the landlord's shouts behind him.
Turning the corner of the building, Ethan spotted the bright lights of a 7-Eleven.
Without thinking, he ran inside, heart still racing, sweaty and on edge. He went straight to the beverage aisle, grabbing the first soda he saw and heading to the counter.
The cashier looked up for a moment, her face lighting up with surprise.
"Ethan? It can't be…!"
Ethan froze, astonished, and as he looked closer, he instantly recognized her. She was his childhood playmate, the neighbor from the neighborhood where he had lived until he was twelve. The same girl who had shared races down the sidewalk and secrets in backyard hideouts.
Her brown hair was tied in a high ponytail, with a few strands framing her cheerful face. Her eyes sparkled with the mix of curiosity and joy that had always captivated him as a child.
She wore the 7-Eleven cashier uniform: a fitted olive-green polo shirt that highlighted her slender figure and simple blue jeans—comfortable yet making her look casual and charming. She wasn't tall, her chest was small, but everything about her radiated sweetness and friendliness. The smile she gave him as she scanned a product hit him with a wave of nostalgia. Just as he remembered her: sweet, cheerful, and full of life.
"You're… Sara?!" Ethan said, incredulous.
Sara blinked, then laughed softly. "Yes! I can't believe it! How long has it been… what happened to you? You look… different."
Ethan smiled, a little nervous from both excitement and the situation. "Yeah… it's been… a couple of rough years. I moved from the neighborhood when I was twelve. My parents lost their jobs and we had to leave. Then, when I was sixteen, they passed away… I moved in with some relatives until I could travel to college."
Sara listened intently, her gaze warm and concerned.
"Wow… I'm so sorry, Ethan… I had no idea."
Ethan took a deep breath and continued, trying to keep a light tone.
"Well… then I tried to get into Harvard. Saved up from part-time jobs, cheap apartment, all planned… and I failed. The full scholarship… they gave it to the kid of a board member. So here I am, surviving however I can."
Sara widened her eyes, surprised and touched.
"I can't believe it! I always imagined you at Harvard… you're so smart… but wow, life can be unfair."
Ethan shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Yeah… I guess that makes me more… real, right?"
Sara laughed softly, and a comfortable silence filled the space as she handed him the drink and rang it up.
"So… what are you doing now? Still in town?"
"Yeah, temporarily… trying to pass an exam, pay for the apartment… college life didn't start the way I expected," Ethan said, adding with a tired smile, "but hey… at least I'm still alive… and hopefully there's still time to fix some things."
Sara nodded, smiling encouragingly. "Well, then let's make this a happy reunion… at least for a little while."
Ethan raised the bottle in an improvised toast. Despite the joy, the timer still flashed before his eyes, pressing him with its ticking.
Ethan hesitated, stammering as he tried to find the words. "I-I… Sara… I wanted… I wanted to ask you something…"
She looked at him with that patient gaze only lifelong friends could give. "What's up, Ethan? You know you can always count on me… I'll always be your friend."
[Oooh, he said she's your friend… sorry, kiddo, today Pene.exe can't be used on the lovely cashier.]
Ethan stammered, struggling to form the words. "I-I… Sara… I wanted… I wanted us… to have sex…"
She looked at him with a mix of disbelief and fury. "What!? Since when did you turn into a pervert? What kind of easy woman do you think I am!?"
Ethan swallowed, nervous, trying to justify himself. "It's not like that… it's just… the system… there's no time… if I don't do it… I'll die."
Sara was outraged, bringing her hand to his cheek and slapping him back a few steps. "HOW DARE YOU!? Get out of here, you sicko!"
Ethan didn't waste a second. He ran out of the 7-Eleven while the system laughed hysterically: [Tick-tock, ruined Einstein… another failed attempt. Let's see who else you can annoy before time runs out.]