The Apocalypse Has Never Been So Much Fun

My name is Itsuki Asahi. I'm turning 27 now but I still don't have a job.

I tried to apply to many companies now, but all of them got rejected. Now that I also got rejected to work as a janitor at a local theme park, I lose all hope.

[ Mister, maybe you can try again later. You know, you might get lucky and get hired by a big company after you got rejected on this one.] Sitting beside me at a large bench here at the theme park I just tried to apply to, was a kid who is trying to comfort me. He said that he got lost and can't seem to find his parents, so he kept me company instead.

[ haah...] I sigh.

[ if we base it on luck, then it will never happen. You see, I have this kind of power. I called it a power but it's more like a curse. So this curse, it kinda only allows me to always get the worst at everything, and that's pretty much all it can do.] I really believe that I have this curse inside of me.

For example, I never won to anyone with the game Rock, Paper and scissor. Another example is, when I throw a coin, the side which will always appear was the side I did not bet it will. I will never be able to live a proper life if I have this kind of curse.

[ yea... it will be super bad if you have that kind of curse, it will surely make your life suck... but what if we consider it a gift instead? what if you were gifted with that power to really suck at life? what if, you already saved many people with all the bad luck that happened to you? for example, you lost on a bet that your opponent was depending his life onto? what if you only got hit by a passing bicycle because if you didn't, the grandma behind you will. Ever think about that? will you still consider it a curse if you look at it that way?] ... am I really still conversing with a kid? He just said things that even old people wouldn't think of.

Well, anyway I'm not in the mood to think about that. I'm just lucky enough to be comforted like this, saying that my curse was a gift was something I didn't even considered, But for this kid to give me some kind of confidence over it, just by saying that... I was lost for words.

[ well, what you said really gave me confident. I wonder if that's really true, that I was really able to help people. Helping people was one dream of mine, I want to help others but I wasn't able to, at least that's what I thought. But with you saying that I might have had helped people around me with my bad luck is something I should really thank you for.] no one had ever said something to me like that. All this time, all I get from people I met was either insults or curses. I stayed positive all this time but I don't think a normal person can handle my situation as much as I do.

[ you said you wanted to help people right? if you can will you do so? ] I feel like I'm talking with an adult, but no matter how I look at this kid who's sitting beside me, I can only see him as a fifth grader.

[ of course I will, If I have the power to help people around me, I will do so. Isn't that what a normal person should do?] something like that is obvious, helping another person who needs help is the right thing to do, it's one of the most important nature of humanity.

[ normal you say? is it really like that? then let me ask you this, What do you think is the most important thing you must have for you to be able to help people?] one thing I must have? that's a ridiculous question.

[ there's none. I think that if you want to help the needy, then you just need to do anything you can to help them.]

[ haah...] the kid sigh, looking disappointed.

[ what you said was neither right nor wrong, but saying that, you left my question empty. You said that there was no answer to my question, even though you lived enough in this world to be called adult and mature, you still don't know a thing.] what the hell is he saying? I know he's not just an ordinary kid but he's stepping out of the line.

[ hey, you should not say something like that to your elder.]

[ No, let me continue what I'm saying. You see I think that you're a good man at heart, so I will tell you the answer to my question.] he just ignored me and continued talking, what a bad mannered kid.

[ The most important thing you have to have to be able to help people is Power.]

[ power?] why is that?

[ What do you mean?]

[ You see, power controls everything. Power is the one which will decide whether you'll become rich or poor, if you have power you'll become rich, and poor if you don't. Power will give you authority to control those who surrounds you.] what is he talking about?

[ I don't get what you're trying to say, and what do you mean by power? I mean... where can you get that?]

[ The power I'm talking about is... it can't be explain that easily. How about this? I'll give you some examples and you figure out what it means by yourself.] can't be explained easily? even though he went so far as to say that "power controls everything" but he can't explain what it means? maybe I'll just try to roll with everything he says.

[ okay.]

[ Okay. For example, imagine you and another guy got stuck inside a cave and you can't seem to find your way out, you ran out of food and water, you two were both getting hungry and you're both getting weak until you both can't seem to walk anymore. How can you help him get outside the cave? Another example, Imagine your friend from abroad suddenly called you and said that she's getting stab right about now and she asked you to find a way to help her. How can you prevent her from dying? And the last, try to imagine an apocalyptic world, where the number of people is decreased, food has also decreased to the point where people will kill each other for it, and the world itself seems doesn't want living things to live on it anymore. How can you help all those people in that world who is suffering from the torture of greed and hunger?] Aren't all those examples only leads to one thing?

Death...

[ Just how do you expect someone to prevent the death of people who's about to die? I still can't seem to find what you meant by "power" with all those examples. ]

[ well, figure it out yourself. I'm gonna leave now so... ]

He stood up and walked away from me into the crowd.

[ well then, See Ya!] see ya? it's not like we're gonna meet each other again.

He then disappeared as he walked inside the crowd.

[ In the end I didn't get what he was trying to say.] he may be a kid, but he's really mature.

[ I guess we focused too much on the topic about helping people that I lost the depressed mood I had earlier.] well, that kids a good companion and a friend.

[ guess I'm gonna go home now too.] I looked up at the sky, It's getting pretty dark.

I stood up from the bench and walked away.

[ maybe I'll just try to look for a job again sometimes.]