Prologue: I Said That I Wanted to Live An Ordinary Life, Didn't I? (Part 2)

Good Grace... How long have I been living without that dream...?

As I was having that thought, my body was leaning 180 degree backward, letting this fancy manager chair embrace my body, trusting it that it wouldn't let my ass fall and kiss the floor so freaking hard like that stupid chair in my own room did.

Seriously, just thinking about it made the pain in my ass worsen, my entire back even--

"Well, well~ Aren't you too comfortable lying in that chair, in front of ME, in MY office, Ozwald?"

"A-- Sorry, boss?!"

Sadly, when my boss came back into the room, my body immediately sprang up from that heavenly chair out of pure instinct. She was not yelling, shouting, or anything. Just speaking normally. But her voice was always packed with so much power, it made everyone in the department automatically shut their mouths as soon as she opened her mouth, be it a jacked-as-hell employee who had been working in the office for years, or me, the timidest employee you could ever find.

Her normally piercing stare even prevented me from sitting back down. I had to wait for her to take her seat before I could take mine. After doing so, I decided to avoid making eye contact at all costs, staring at her feet under the table instead. Well, her high heels looked super nice today, so captivating. (I didn't really have any sense of fashion though, despite being 3 years younger and such.)

"You've graduated from Grade 12 for 7 years, Ozwald. Falling asleep during your shift shouldn't be a problem for an adult like you anymore, is it not? I understand that you've been tired from all the increase in amount of our work lately. But the deadline for this SUPER important project is today. TODAY." Her voice when she said that was not really intimidating; it even sounded gentle in its own way. Like a teacher scolding her student... Still, because it made me feel like I'm a kid being scolded, I was not really happy about it. Such an embarrassing moment.

"Actually, if you started working on it early and consistently, you wouldn't be this tired in the first place. You wouldn't have to burn all your life energy trying to get it done in a week." Oh... I'm pretty sure my boss thought that I fell asleep because I've been working all day and night this week. Oh, forgive me, boss, for I had never done such a deed. I just started working on this super important project two days ago.

But of course, I wouldn't tell her that. It was a miracle that she was still being gentle to me. Why would I put my own feet in a bear trap by telling the truth?

Then the boss started to go on and on about how to manage my time and work-life balance, blah blah blah. So my mind started to wander off into the sky outside of her office's window. Well, it was not really a window, but a glass wall. All the walls in this building were made of super strong transparent tempered glass - for 'aesthetics', they said. Pretty sure the architect in charge of designing this building was not afraid of height.

I, too, was not afraid of height. The scenery of hundreds of skyscrapers competing to reach the violet sky was too beautiful for the human mind to be afraid. Many buildings out there were made of glass just like it here, some were made of weird dark steel that can shine as bright as obsidian under sunlight, and they all looked even more stunning during the night.

Still... Such luminous scenery reminded me of that time - that memory. It was so vivid even in my dreams. Daylight shooting stars fell from the sky. My little bro's bright blue eyes shone innocently. The ground shook and parted, leaving our Mother Earth scarred. Our world was made anew. Humanity's glory had never been challenged before, until that day.

And of course, that day changed everything in our lives. That's why it stayed so vivid in my mind. I, myself, had so many memories, so many days, so many incidents that I wanted them forgotten. But this one... I wanted it forgotten the most.

This one memory when I--

"Ozwald... If you CAN finish this project today, I will allow you to sleep on that 'cool computer desk that looks like a water bed' in your office that you've been babbling about for months." Oh--

"..."

Alright, let us forget about that memory. What was with that 'cool computer desk that looks like a water bed' that she just mentioned again?

"You mean, I can climb on that 'cool computer desk that looks like a water bed' that you've always warned me not to sleep on it, if I don't want to pay for its repair cost, in case the computer got malfunctioned because of me rolling my body around?" At that moment, I couldn't help but throw those memorials of the past out of my mind, toward the outside sky, and repeat what the boss had said word by word.

"Yes, totally... I'd rather let you damage our office's property, if it means, I could stimulate you to use that galaxy brain of yours to its full capacity and get this project done TODAY." Oh... Wow.

"Boss..." That was...

That was what I'd always wanted to hear from you since the first day I got into this department, Oh my God!--

"How is that? Would a sleepyhead like you be tempted by this offer? A special offer for a naughty kid with an adult body and a big brain..."

"Yes, boss! I accept the offer! I'll get to work right away!"

To be honest, I didn't even give a damn about that last sentence she said, or her showing such a fed-up expression with no intention to conceal her feelings. She could shake her head all she wanted. Finally, I had got a chance to pursue my deepest desire!

Old memories, begone! Old dreams, begone! The only thing worthwhile was the future, especially the future of me sleeping on that thing I shouldn't sleep on!

*****

It had been 2 hours since I put my butt back on this stupid chair in my own room.

I yawned as I was trying to hold my life together, and not fall asleep, then I stretched my body in the hope of getting more oxygen for my brain to function properly. I. Would not. Fall asleep.

The grand prize called 'computer desk that looks like a water bed' was right in front of my very eyes! I couldn't just fall asleep, right?!

By the way, some may think that I was being so dramatic over a computer desk, but this was no ordinary computer desk. It was an ocean blue desk with a functioning holographic computer built into it, and it was so so big, even bigger than my bed at home; I swear I could lay my 6 feet body all over it and my toes wouldn't stick out. Its surface also felt cool to the touch, making it perfect for being a substitute water bed in this Hellish Summer heat, as I had no money to buy a bigger bed, let alone a watery one.

Having explained all of that, I was quite sure that my motive to work diligently is completely reasonable.

At the same time, I also got reminded by the fact that... our CEO was somehow magnanimous enough to agree to install a computer desk with a 30-inch screen in my office, after he had given me an opportunity to work in a private room, which I, of course, gladly accepted, despite being so confused, since I was pretty sure that I am one of the most unproductive employees in this corporate.

Something has always felt off in this office, I must say...

But. I shouldn't dwell on how off this office felt, since it was almost 4 P.M. and I had to finish this stuff before clocking out of work. So I kept reading the documents, and typing, and typing nonstop, burning my life energy, until I heard that *ping* sound coming out of the computer. That *ping* sound was a signal which means "Congrats. You've finished another document." and by no means meant that I've finished editing all the documents.

There was still one document left - just a single one. Then Adel Ozwald would be free. And you know what? That single one left was usually the hardest to get done... I started to think that I need more than just 'the grand prize' to keep my lazy ass working...

However, that wasn't really a problem. Because as soon as the clock struck 4, my Prince on a White Horse would come and save me, always.

Or rather... my Barista Prince.

"Good afternoon~ Sleepy Adel~"

Here came my daily cup of coffee, served right to my desk.

As that sweet voice of him rang across the room, I had to turn back and gave him a smile. Then I got a warm and princely smile back from the prince in return. Today, my best friend in the office had come to greet me with a cup of coffee as always.

'Howie Duccel' was the name of this beautiful man who never failed to come to visit me with my needed cups of caffeine. There was never a day when his hazel eyes weren't filled with such a playful aura right after he had seen my face. His chocolate brown hair that reached hip-length was tied into a low loose ponytail today. That smile on his handsome face felt so sweet, even sweeter than a jar of honey. And that suit of his seemed too fine-tailored for an ordinary employee like him to get his hands on, just like all of his other clothing.

Everything about him made him look like a prince in paper-thin disguise, so was the reason why I called him the Barista Prince.

"Good God, how is this possible~ Sleepy Adel is still awake at 4 in the afternoon? Have you secretly drunk a glass of Espresso Doppio today? Without me brewing it for you? Oh no, if that's true, then I would be so sad~"

"Hold it right there... It's been 2 years that I don't drink anything after noon but water and your coffee, Howie..." As I said those words, my eyes were following his 6'4 body as he was walking straight toward me, such a tall figure but not so thin and not so muscular. The second he arrived at my desk, it felt like everything got swallowed into his shadow. He towered over me like I was a tiny human sitting under the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Every day I kept asking myself "Why is he so big?", and also telling myself "Our department is so damn lucky that we have this gentle giant barista serving us cups of coffee every single day like it is his main job, and the luckiest employee is me... for some unknown reason."

"I see~ Then here is your latte 2 sugars for energy boost~ Brewed exclusively and loyally for Adel Ozwald~"

I literally coughed at the word 'loyally', while he was putting my Café Latte on the desk beside my right hand, and then proceeded to touch me with his elbow, all the while giving me a princely wink combined with his signature smile.

Yes, he did something like that every day, but I never got used to it, apparently.

And yes, he was one of the many things that made this office feels off.