The Elfin Harem

The dark sky loomed over the city.

The light of the Moon glistened on the remnant raindrops of the past storm.

Cars, many of them, drove through the many streets in this concrete jungle. The many buildings made up the skyline of the beautiful city.

Though the cities beauty doesn't reflect its inhabitants.

The city is much like a human, that while many may seem amazing on the outside, in reality, what they truly are and feel are found at their core.

A city is much like that.

Besides the lively cars and people that roam the streets during the day, the night is where the magic fades.

The core workers of today's industry maintain the workforce that allow a city to remain as it is. But to maintain yourself is another story.

In the many buildings with its interior lights still on, many workers who haven't slept since they woke up in the morning continue on their desk, working.

Working, working, working…

But as the night continued to deepen, the lights would shut off one by one. Until only one remained.

***

Shuyun came from a poor family. He struck gold when he acquired a decent paying job, breaking the streak that his family otherwise had.

But becoming the star of the family comes with its own challenges.

Expectations.

Shuyun never went to college or any sort of university. Why? His family just couldn't afford it.

So when they found out he had a decent paying job after years of hard work, they saw him as their family's way out of the hellhole they found themselves in for years.

Now that he can work, why should they, as his mother and father who raised him, work?

Now that he has decent money, why couldn't he spare some to pay for his little sister's university tuition?

Why couldn't he pay for their rent?

Shuyun accepted all those burdens. Because they were still his family, after all.

But his family never knew just how much it would take for him to support all of them. They failed to understand just what he had to do to give them his best.

As Shuyun didn't want to let down his family, he worked.

Worked and worked and worked.

The rarity that days off were wasn't a joke.

"Are you going on Vacation?"

"No, that's what the weekends are for"

"Are you coming on this group date?"

"I still have work to do"

"Why are you saving all this money?"

"Because I got a tuition to pay"

"But didn't you say you weren't going to university?"

Then what was life for? Was he wrong to support his family, to dedicated himself to it?

But what about him? How much of his own money was even his? How much of it, if any, did he see at the end of the day?

They would never know how hard he had it because he never told them. While they spend money that he earned, worry free, they took him for granted.

That was because they have long forgotten the person he is, because of the benefits he brought.

***

It was very late.

2 in morning on a Saturday to be precise.

Shuyun had finally left his office building after a 17 hour day. It was the weekend, finally.

It was his only vacation away from the exhausting hours of labor. And as he did for many months, he went to his local 24 hour convenience store.

There, they offered cheap prices for quality goods, so he made it a tradition to stop by at the beginning of every weekend.

He entered the store, greeted by the cool air conditioning and the bright white lights. The automatic glass doors closed behind him as he walked in.

Performing his usual route, he walked around the connivence store, his head a mental map of the place.

Selecting his usual soda and sandwich, he headed to the register.

The night shift clerk was an older man, about 70. He sat asleep on a stool, his head resting on the counter.

Shuyun sighed as he went to tap his shoulder.

*Crash!*

The sliding glass doors shattered into pieces. As he turned to look at the commotion, 4 men sporting entirely black outfits came running into the store, guns draw.

Noticing Shuyun and the now wide awake clerk, they lifted the guns and pointed it at the duo.

"Drop all your money and belongings onto the floor!" They shouted.

One of them shot up into the air, causing one of the ceiling lights to black out.

"Okay, okay"

Shuyun slowly took out his wallet and cellphone as he tossed it onto the floor. One of the four men walked up to him, collecting his valuables while the others made sure he didn't move. As the robber crouched down to pick up the wallet and phone, he noticed a necklace around Shuyun neck.

After picking up the goods, he shouted at him.

"That too!"

Pointing at Shuyuns neck, he demanded him to act.

"This, I can't give."

Even though he was faced with such a situation, Shuyun felt nothing. This necklace was the one his passed grandmother gave him. He loved her very much, and this was the last thing he had of her.

He didn't have much to live for to begin with, and maybe if he died in a robbery, his parents wouldn't label him a coward. They would receive his benefits and all that he owns, which for the most part they already had. This year was supposed to be the last year of saving up, and he would've had enough for his little brother's tuition, so he felt content with leaving, as he would've already fulfilled the requests he had been given.

"You b*tch! Give it to me!"

The robber pounced onto Shuyun, grabbing his necklace and pulling it. Shuyun fought back, attempting to grab his gun.

This was his fatal 'mistake' though.

"He reaching for Fengs gun! Shoot him!"

The three men opened fired.

The bullets all hit their intending target.

Piercing three holes into Shuyuns chest, he collapsed backwards.

But as Shuyun lied on the floor, his blood gushing out from on top of him, the pain he expected to feel never came. Instead, immense relief clouded him.

Finally.

While I may not have had fun with my life, the hell is over.

At least the dead don't work, and the living doesn't ask you for everything.

Maybe they will put the same expectations on my sister when he graduates… I hope the best for him.

His vision darkened as his thoughts slowed. That was when an ethereal voice sounded out.

"You will be reincarnated into another world, do well to enjoy yourself this time for this is as far as my pity goes"

A/N: This is a test novel. As I have already 2 others, if this one does good, I'll consider maining this novel as well. Let me know your thoughts :)