Chapter 2: Misassigned Karma
In Buddhism, there is a concept called karma: if you accumulate good karma, it returns as blessings, and if you accumulate bad karma, it returns as punishment.
Thus, only by having accumulated good karma in a past life can one be happy in the present, and only by accumulating good karma in the present can one live happily in the next life.
In other words, if you want to live a happy life at any time, don't do bad things—live kindly.
'Looks like my past life must've been pretty awful.'
Otherwise, there was no way to explain a life like this.
Have you ever heard the saying that even if you fall backward, you'll break your nose? It means having unbelievably bad luck—and that was exactly my fate.
From a young age, I had an absurd level of bad luck. I never once succeeded in guessing correctly, whether it was a multiple-choice question or a simple either-or decision, and in games where luck mattered, like draws or lotteries, I never came out ahead.
At least when I was young, it was just unusually bad luck—but by the time I reached my mid-twenties, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say my luck had completely dried up.
The real beginning of my misfortune came at the young age of 24, when I developed sudden acute hair loss. Thanks to that, I've been wearing a wig since my mid-twenties.
At 30, I ended up with a terrible condition—erectile dysfunction—despite never even having used it properly once. Do you know the feeling when you realize one morning that you no longer wake up with an erection? You can't possibly understand unless you've experienced it yourself.
Maybe it was because I had gone through too much misfortune.
At some point, I became the kind of person who could brush off getting hit by bird droppings while walking down the street as something trivial.
'Ha… I feel like I'm going to die from loneliness.'
My real problem right now wasn't hair loss or erectile dysfunction.
It was the crushing loneliness that came from not being able to meet people.
Maybe it was because Christmas was approaching, but I felt even lonelier than usual. I wasn't even joking—I wondered if I might actually end up dying alone like this.
'I wonder if Mom is doing well.'
It had been a very long time since I last saw my family. I still kept in touch often, but it had been over three years since I last saw them in person.
If I followed my heart, I would've gone home immediately to greet them. I even found myself missing my younger sister, whom I was practically born to be enemies with.
But whenever I tried to go, my feet wouldn't move. I kept worrying—what if something happened to the family again because of me? I still remembered how hard it had been when debt collectors came after us because of a guarantee issue.
'It's easier to be alone.'
Even if it was lonely, being alone was better.
My misfortune didn't just affect me—it spread to the people around me.
Because of that, throughout middle school, high school, college, and even at work, I was known as someone who brought bad luck just by being involved.
Even so, it wasn't like I had absolutely no luck with people—there were a few who approached me first. But in those cases, I was the one who built walls and kept my distance. I had already left home to avoid hurting others—how could I get involved with anyone? Even quitting my publishing company job and becoming a freelancer was done to avoid causing harm to others.
'This life is already ruined… I just hope I can be happy in the next one.'
I didn't particularly believe in Buddha, but sometimes I found myself thinking that.
Then suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
'What if my next life is already doomed too?'
They say you need to accumulate good karma in this life to be happy in the next—but I hadn't really done anything notably good. If anything, instead of just being unlucky alone, I had spread my misfortune to others. In a way, wasn't that also accumulating bad karma?
"Damn it."
What a life—there's no way it could ever be happy.
Screeeech—Crash!
I could only hope that whatever good karma I had built now would be enough to cover my past bad karma.
*
"No, don't!"
A woman cried out in despair, foreseeing what was about to happen.
"Damn it."
Meanwhile, the man beside her muttered a quiet curse and, without hesitation, dashed forward. Throwing himself, he embraced the child—and at the same time, was struck by a car.
Screeeech—Crash!
A chilling sound rang out, followed by screams erupting everywhere.
"Ahhhh!"
"What—what just happened?!"
"Someone got hit!"
"The kid's okay! But the one who shielded them… someone call an ambulance!"
Some people tried to save the man who had stopped breathing, securing his airway and performing CPR. Others called emergency services with trembling voices. Most people looked on with pity—but also curiosity, taking photos or staring at the horrific scene.
One man was looking down on all of it.
A man with mysterious white hair and blood-red eyes.
Near his lower back was a tail reminiscent of a demon—his appearance alone made it clear he was no ordinary human. On top of that, he was sitting in midair, as if perched on nothing, making the sight even more surreal.
After watching the situation for a while, the man scratched near his eyes as if troubled.
"I finally found him… and I'm a step too late."
Deep regret filled his eyes as he looked at the dead man. A moment later, that gaze hardened with determination.
'Even if he was reincarnated, he was once my older brother. I can't just leave him like this.'
Having made up his mind, the man raised his hand high and slashed through the air.
Rip—!
Incredibly, the air split apart following his gesture.
Through the tear, a palace filled with red silk and extravagant decorations could be seen. The beings inside the palace stared in shock at the suddenly torn space.
The man clasped his hands behind his back and smirked as he looked at their stunned faces. Then he stepped forward and shouted loudly.
"Come here!"
It was the moment an emergency was declared in the underworld.