1. Foolish Creep
It's been two years since I graduated from the college I attended for five years. Even though I graduated a year later than others, I still managed to get a stable job, just like my friends.
I became an ordinary office worker just like the others—maybe a little lower than others.
I can never save more than a tenth of my salary each month. Keeping it until the next payday often becomes a challenge for me.
I was never an extravagant person. Actually, I was always stingy, with only one exception: food money.
"'If I even save food money, what did I work hard for?' is one of my life mottos. But of course, the food money is also still within the acceptable range of at least eating healthy and nutritious food, not 5-star hotel food that is unreasonably priced. So that's how I have lived for the past two years.
Besides that, I also have other hobbies: anime, manga, novels, and games. Everything people would associate with an 'otaku,' all my free time is dedicated to them. But believe me, I'm not a fanatical creep who buys action figures and peeks under their skirts, I swear."
All I did was enjoy the works distributed for free on the internet. Unless it's a game I really fall in love with, I won't spend a single penny. As I said before, I'm stingy.
After reading this far, I'm sure you would conclude that I am a sad, broke single, right? Well, congratulations, you're spot on!
I am the last child in a family of five, with one older sister and one older brother. Maybe that's the reason why I'm still a spoiled brat, but only if compared to my siblings.
I often hear stories from my friends whose families have a lot of problems. Compared to that, I'd say I grew up in a very loving environment.
The three of us siblings have a very close relationship. But I will not exploit this relationship by asking them for money. I still have a speck of pride as their younger sibling. But, of course, in an emergency, such as getting sick, I won't hesitate to borrow money from them, as they would from me, because that's just how our relationship is.
As for my parents, they are easily the most amazing people I know. They raised the three of us to always help each other in times of need.
There was a time when my dad went bankrupt, and our family fell into poverty. The five of us even had to share a single pack of noodles for a meal. But my parents still worked hard, step by step, to restore our family finances to the point where we are now above average. They also never complain that I have never once brought home a girlfriend, let alone a daughter-in-law, until now, unlike my brother.
Now my older siblings are successful in their respective jobs overseas. They are all so amazing that I can talk about their accomplishments with pride.
'I miss them all very much'
***
Every year, the company I work at holds a holiday event for all its employees. Of course, I, who only spend my free time on my hobby, have no reason to refuse a free vacation.
This is the second year I have participated in this event. Everything is the same as last year: playing jokes and having fun with co-workers was fun. The only difference is that I became one of the seniors this time. The new girl who entered this company is a fresh graduate from college, just like I was last year.
Her appearance is not bad, but many other seniors are prettier and sexier than her. 155 cm is a little short for my taste. She is slim without excess fat, but it is the same on the parts that need more fat, which lessens her attractiveness as a female. Her nature is a little shy, maybe because she just graduated from college and is afraid of socializing with her seniors.
Just like I was mentored by my senior last year, she also got a senior to mentor and guide her, and that senior was me…
The details are not essential, but it seems I did a good job guiding her as a senior. At least, that is what I thought when I saw her happily joking with the other female seniors from my seat at the back of the bus. So this year's event ended well… or so I thought.
On the way home, something unexpected happened.
Our bus got into an accident.
***
"Ugh…"
My whole body was screaming the moment I regained consciousness. I didn't know how long I had passed out. It took a few seconds for me to get used to the pain.
The smell of smoke spread everywhere. Besides that, I could feel some heat coming from one direction. After a while, I got more used to the pain and managed to lift my body.
It looked like I was lying down on the grass. I had bounced off the bus and fallen on the bushes, to be more precise.
"Arghhh…." "Uarggghhh…" "Hu..rt…." "He..lp..." "Uuu…"
I started to hear the voices of my co-workers, who also got bounced off the bus after I regained focus. Maybe it's a fortune amidst misfortune that we who were thrown off the bus fell on the bushes. If we all hadn't fallen on the bushes… I don't even want to imagine it. Other than me, several of my co-workers were also starting to stand up, despite their pain.
The bus that we rented overturned and burned a little distance from us. That was the source of the heat that I felt. Staring at it for a moment, I could see that those who were not lucky were burned with the bus. I can't even explain how I feel right now. Should I be sad that all this disaster happened, or happy that I was fortunately thrown off the bus? However, moments later, I realized something even worse. The bus's gasoline tank was damaged due to the accident, and the gasoline was leaking out. At this rate, the bus would explode.
I didn't have time to think about others when I could hardly stay conscious of myself, so I decided to save myself, and for the last time, I looked at my colleagues around me—only to find an unconscious woman who was closest to the bus. In contrast to colleagues I only knew or had ever talked to once, the woman was the junior I had guided during this event.
"Uarrghhhh…"
I tried to call out to her, but only indistinct sounds escaped my throat. It seemed I had injured my throat badly.
I don't know if it's my conscience working or because of a speck of pride left in me, but my body moves on its own, lifting my heavy legs step by step closer to the woman.
What am I doing? I don't understand anymore. I have tried to pull the woman away from the bus, but reality doesn't always go as you want.
What can I do with a body like this, even when I can't walk firmly, let alone drag another person? I only managed to pull her less than a meter when she suddenly spoke,
"Se…ni..or…."
The woman regained consciousness. I couldn't explain the situation to her with my injured throat. She also seemed to struggle just to open her eyes and slightly move her lips somehow. But I still didn't want to give up. Until…
bzztttt…
My time was up… I immediately shielded her with my body from the bus.
BOOMMMM!
The last thing I remember is being thrown again by the impact, with the woman covered tightly in my arms.
***
I thought I would wake up in the ICU with all kinds of equipment stuck in my body and several people with masks looking at me from above.
For a moment, I lifted my heavy eyelids. Even though my vision was blurry, I could still make out the person in front of my eyes: a beautiful woman whose face was pale, like someone exhausted after overworking, even though she still looked at me gently and happily.
"Your name is… Lucian, Lucian Noe Mikaela."