Chapter One

What is life?

Life for the average human is nothing but a cycle repeating itself

-"What do you want for dinner?"

Uneventful and empty

-"Wake up you have work!"

Yet we all go day by day toiling away in the emptiness, searching for a way to fill the void.

-"You have until six tonight to hand in these files if not you're gonna have to go overtime again, today we need those files for the board meeting tomorrow morning."

We all like to think we are unique. One way or another we lie to ourselves thinking we are special, trying to find ways to stand out above the others in our surroundings.

-"I got the latest Reeve phones released yesterday model Omega, Check it out."

We are nothing but unlit match sticks in a box and as we start to realize and accept that fact we sink even deeper in said box.

Why?

It's quite simple really, we start to realize that the ones that stick out either fall from the box or gets lit, used and disposed of.

I am one of those sticks that sink deeper into the box and try my best to not stand out, whether it's by avoiding others and not having a social life or to settle for less. I try to hide inside the box and not complain I simple sit back and accept the fact that my time is bound to come.

I can only silently pray that my stick snaps before it's lit or I fall from the box and get lost unable to be found, rebooted or used.

"Hey Tadano wanna grab some drinks, it's on me?"

I slowly adverted my eyes from my screen making sure to click on save, my gaze came in contact with a smiling face about six feet from my desk at the entrance to the office. He began to wave his right hand as to signal towards me.

I began to rub my eyes using my index and thumb of my left hand preparing to reject his offer.

(>whisper)

>"Sachi why do you keep inviting him all the time and you know he never agrees to it."

A whisper emerged from outside the office.

>"Come just leave him you know how Sachi's like, always the optimist finding a reason to be forthright and joyous in every situation. It's the meaning to his name after all."

The two whispering voices outside where that of Mizuki and Satsuki the two newest recruits in the department, they have only been here for a month and yet the already know what we are like here.

Hmm I wonder I've been cooped up in the office for over a week now and the only sunlight I've gotten is the rays that pass through the office windows. Getting a little Moonshine won't hurt and the groups small so I don't have to stand out much.

Why not..

"Yeah why not I've been cooped up for so long I've almost forgotten what it looks like outside."

I closed my laptop screen and pushed back my seat allow the wheels the handle the rest of my ejection from beneath my desk. I stood up and made a stretch which caused my back to pop a few times.

I then took off my ID tag and placed it atop my laptop, then grabbed my work bag that had my money and threw it around my neck.

"Whoa!" "Really!" Mizuki and Satsuki both reacted in unison.

"Well that's a first, well happy your coming." Sachi replied with a half confused half happy look on his face.

"I hope nothing bad happens to us." Mizuki spoke as he walk down the passage.

"Come on don't jinx us!" Satsuki shouted before grabbing him around his neck in a chokehold.

"Let's goo!" Sachi threw both his hands in the air the jumped down a flight of stair that lead to outside the building.

—Time Skip— After Drinks

We lopped out of a hostess bar after sixteen rounds of drinking. The others were in a state of constant laughter while staggering along the main with their arms linked neck to neck.

I didn't drink as much as the others but the result is I had a slight migraine along with a dose of dizziness. I am not a heavy drinker and drinking has never been a hobby of mine.

I staggered along slowly behind the three with each leg nearly managing to keep in a straight line one behind the other.

It wasn't long before we came to a halt at the crossing as the lights shone red and as it changed to green we staggered along.

"BEEEEP!"

I turned to the source of the noise and was greeting by a pair of blinding headlights speeding towards us. My body froze and all I could do was stare into the incoming vehicle at the driver struggling behind the wheel.

A line repeated in my head at the last minute,

The match sticks that stick out from the box either fall from the box or gets lit, used and disposed of.