13 Officer, I can't breathe

"*BANG!"

A gunshot! The gunman is here! But I'm prepared! The location of my death is outside the restaurant. I'll take not a single step beyond that door!

"Miles..."

Ria's fingers are trembling as if they were freezing. I see a chilling cloak of fear blanketing her body. I'm usually too embarrassed to ask, but...

"Ria, give me your hand."

Even if my hand feels like a swamp, it should be enough to warm her.

"W-What do we do, Miles?"

We could just relax here, savor our food, and relish your attractive stupidity, but-

"Somebody call the police!"

The random man said it... We could take the back exit behind the toilet and enter a dark alley, but that could be the gunman's escape route. Remaining as an inanimate object in this palace should be anything but the worst possible outcome, so that should be our cho-

"Somebody call an ambulance for the old man!"

Old man?! Surely he's jesting, right?! The old geezer is a... neat human being, I'd say. I can't imagine anyone having anything against him. It isn't a lethal wound, probably?

I'm acting like a fish on land. That's uncharacteristically optimistic for a supposed pessimist. All I have to do is stand up and che-

I got up from my seat, but before I could picture the scene, the old man shouted, "Officer! I can't breathe! I can't breathe!"

Oi! He's standing on his neck... and he was shot in the leg! Why isn't anyone doing anything?! And Officer?! The gunman from the illusion is him?! I've seen this before... So even police brutality made the cross.

"Get your phones!"

That's right, stranger. Call the police on the police. If this phenomenon is what I think it is, that'd be a trivial effort.

Witnessing this ensuing tragedy feels like I never left. We bleed the same blood, and how do we know? We've seen so much of it all because we refute that fact. This is another reason to question the word "humane." Humane is supposedly a virtuous concept, used to betoken kindness and common decency, but is humane really human? We're so much of a failure as a species that it makes me wonder... do we deserve such moral notion defined after us?

Lust, Pride, Greed, Wrath, and many more. We're nothing but animals, after all. We are no less than the ants that tremble beneath our feet. In fact, humans are inferior contrasted to those miniature pieces of insect meat.

A colony of Ants with over a trillion in population acts like one being. And each individual contributes their lives and souls for the survival of their society.

On the short end of the stick, humans otherwise are shattered pieces of glass. Even within nations, there are internal struggles.

"Miles! Snap out of it! D-Do you want to save him?"

Save him? Throw the dices of life for a man I presumably will never remember? That's way out of character for me! And I have a goal to fulfill, so I'd never! But somebody, please! Be his salvation!

|...|

"P-Papa!"

There's a little girl... on the scene. Run away, brat!

While he was under the Officer's knees, the old man barely muttered, "Daddy is okay! It's all good, baby! Just r-run away! Arrgh!"

With murder in his eyes, the Officer pointed the gun at the old man's daughter, "Shut your mouth, filth! So you're passing your dregs to your offspring, huh?!"

"Officer, please! I can't breathe!"

Cut the crap! He's pointing his gun at the poor old man's daughter! Is he going to pull the trigger?! That's... madness!

"Record it! Get your phones!"

Record? That's all you people can think of?! Get the daughter away, for Christ's sake!

Fuck it! I apologize, Miles! I'm divulging your rules!

I apologize, Ria! I'm letting go for a minute!!

|...|

I scrambled from my seat, sprinted towards the door, and yelled, "Open the door! I'll get the little girl away!"

I can feel the adrenaline. This isn't you, Mi-

"Arghh!"

While racing towards the door, I felt a pain in my torso... I got tackled!

"I apologize, sir! But I'm not letting my customers die!"

He tackled me... The doorman from a while ago! I appreciate the sentiment, but now's not the ti-

"*Bang!"

"..."

After the gunshot, silence ensued. All that could be heard was the little girl's body falling on a puddle of her own blood.

"My little girl! No! No! No!"

That wail just now... Don't tell me! The pain in his voice is... like a thousand nails on the throat. And let out a sound... Similar to what I've made before. It's just an overreaction, probably?! That gunshot didn't hit the girl, right?!

That's too cruel even for Sir Fate. Clearly, he wouldn't do such an inhumane deed... probably?

"Don't worry, filthy dreg! You'll see her soon!"

"Fucking kill me! You son of a bitch! I'll see y'all in hell! I'll be waiti-"

"*Bang!"

"..."

"Oi! New recruit! Get this trash and put it'n the back of the carriage. We headin' to the station."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

Hahaha! Not a trace of sympathy in his voice... I take everything about this world back! This place is a shithole like no other! This world is nothing different from the previous one! I should've never co-

"Miles, are you... okay?"

Ria... I nearly said something that should never leave my mouth.

"You're t-tearing up, Miles."

"D-Don't worry Ria... and doorman, you may get off me now."

"I apologize for such extreme measures, sir!"

I stood up and embraced Ria and thanked the doorman, "It's nothing. I owe you my life."

What do we do now? I've calmed down enough to rationally think, but what's the best course of action? I've managed to avoid the worst-case scenario, probably, so that's another weight off my chest.

Letting the old man and his daughter die doesn't sit right with me! But this isn't like me at all. I couldn't care less about people dying, let alone their personal ordeals, but after seeing death firsthand, I suddenly... started to give an ounce of care.

At the very least, I'll testify for him. Justice and I are on bad terms, but it's the least I can deliver!

"Miles... What do we do now?"

This incident isn't connected with us in the slightest, but I somehow feel involved.

So this is what sympathy feels like... It's more selfish than I thought it would be. I may break my knuckles out of frustration, but it'd be most beneficial to focus on ourselves. Ria and I haven't settled down yet, so getting tangled in this mess is sure to be the last thing I want to do.

Everyone within premise was silent until a voice yelled, "Are all of you just going to observe? Call the National police, for Christ's sake! Are these your reactions to someone getting murdered? Just record their demise?"

Woah... Ms. Princess here sure knows how to handle this situation. Leave it to a high-status woman to solve the case! It may not be necessary for me to get involved if she takes care of this predicament.

"Ria... let's sit."

With teary eyes, she embraced me and said, "Don't let go."

Woah... I'm used to her glomming my hands, but this is a level up. Her soul is disturbed, I suppose...

Never mind, that's an understatement. Ria has a dead man's eyes, full of regret. She ached to save that little girl and the old man, I imagine. I understand you, so...

"Ria, it's not your fault, so finish your meal, and uhh... let's explore the city."

"O-Okay..."

As her tears fall on my shoulder, I began patting her head and said, "We should look for a place to stay in."

"If you're looking for a place to stay in, I have three villas at your disposal."

A demanding voice interrupted.

"Woah, Miles! It's the cool lady."

Eh?! Ms. princess here? And she's offering? How kind of her, but I'm oddly offended.

Openly flashing your high status, which makes me self-conscious about my lack of success, accolades, and life in general, is annoying, I guess.

There is some truth behind those words. The only lie I can detect is about the villas. This lady is hiding a truckful of those, but she's trying to burrow it to not sound boastful? I hope she knows it's not working!

That offer is like trying to trade diamonds for dirt. We're not on equal grounds, so I have to even it a little. I have to sound like some bigshot, even if it's a bluff. Straight up accepting the offer is a fool's decision because it leaves you vulnerable to exploitation.

"That's quite an offer. Too good, in fact. We do need a place to stay in, but we're not that desperate..."

"How outrageous of you to assume it as a scam! Do you not recognize my presence?!

Ria grabbed my ears and muttered, "Miles... she's the owner of the restaurant..."

Ehhhh?! You should've whispered it to me earlier! But she's only an owner of some fancy restaurant. Clearly, she isn't an important figure or related to one, right?

"And also the mayor's daughter..."

She whispers again!

"Ria! You should've told me sooner!"

"What are you two whispering about?! The audacity!"

Am I going to die? I feel like I should get executed.

"M-My apologies, madam... can you please explain the details?"

"Hmmph! I'll explain it later, and who are you calling madam?! I-I'm the same age as you, you know!"

What the fuck? I thought she was an adult! No... I assumed she was because the s-size of her chest is... uhh... humongous! You can't trust anyone these days, can you?

"I apologize again! And may I ask why does it have to be later?"

"Follow me."

That's suspicious... I have to assume anything but the best-case scenario.

"Ria... Hand."

"S-Sure."

Eh? She's rather bashful now, isn't she? She usually doesn't mind holding hands, but did she become self-conscious of her actions? Now? Of all times! I was just about to get used to it!

|...|

It seems like we're heading for the back door towards the dark alley... That's too skeptical! I'm afraid we have to back out no-

"Pick up the pace, or else w-"

She passed through! That barrier-teleport shit again?! Judging from experiences, that's leagues more skeptical!

"Neh, Miles. I've noticed, do you not know how to use conveyance?"

"Conve-what? I'm from another world, you know!"

"Oh! I forgot! So uhh... do you know about portals?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"It works something like that."

"Okay? But how do you know where you end up?"

"I can't explain, but trust me!"

That's a relief... she's back to her usual self. I suppose witnessing a murder disrupted her more than I conceived.

Ah, fuck... she's back to her typical self, which means...

"I'll run through!"

That illusion from earlier was a lie. I'm going to die after all!

|...|

"You sure took your sweet time!"

Am I alive? I'm alive! We made it out! But now's... not the time... for... somebody please pinch my eyeballs out...

"In exchange for a place to stay in, you'll help me out in this operation."

"P-Pardon me, miss?"

"I'd like you to see... the curtains of Midway..."