the end of the world |

On the upper terrace of a four-story building, a teenage boy paced back and forth, occasionally gazing at the blue sky above. He continued his restless back-and-forth motion for some time. Eventually, he made his way towards the edge of the terrace, reaching the building's precipice. From this vantage point, he had a clear view of the city, with its endless chains of buildings adorned with illuminated light bulbs. His eyes then shifted towards the highway just below the building. Although the highway was a bit further away, it could still be observed from where he stood. He could see a series of cars and bikes swiftly moving along the road, their engines humming and their horns occasionally blaring.

Feeling a sense of disappointment, he let out a sigh and climbed up onto the ledge of the building's wall. From this precarious position, he shouted out, "What a waste of life!" His voice carried a tone of depression, reflecting the anguish he had endured. After a brief pause, his deep sorrow became visible on his face and in his emotionless eyes. He continued, "This world is ruined."

He stopped again, gazing down at the building below. Based on his actions, it was evident that he had suffered in life and desired an escape from reality. Not even anime or manga could provide the solace he sought.

Meanwhile, in a distant location, within a convincing store adorned with countless compartments displaying various daily necessities, a 21-year-old man named Sing Jing Woo sat on a chair at the receptionist desk. His attention was drawn to the television, where a lady reporter was discussing climate change in the world. Her voice echoed throughout the convincing store. She conveyed, "A strange phenomenon is occurring all over the world, particularly in naturally cold places like Antarctica. A region has been discovered there, where the temperature has broken records, surpassing 60 degrees Celsius. Experts believe that an underground volcano is causing this rise in temperature. Surprisingly, a search party was sent to investigate, and their report is intriguing. They confirm that indeed the temperature is high, but contrary to expectation, it is quite refreshing in that area, and the ice on the mountains does not seem to be melting..." Sing Jing Woo ignored the news reporter's words and focused on his work.

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In a distant place, far removed from Rudra and Sing Woo, there existed another character—a college student. He found solace under the branches of a majestic cherry blossom tree. As pink petals gently cascaded from the blossoms, a chilly breeze swept them up, carrying them through the air. Amidst this ethereal scene, a beautiful girl, dressed in a short skirt and a white shirt, passed by. She happened to be the college student's girlfriend.

However, when the girl noticed him, her face contorted with disgust. Her voice, filled with mockery and contempt, pierced through the boy's heart like a dagger. Suppressing her emotions, she disdainfully uttered, "Hey, loser, let's break up." Her words carried no mercy or consideration as she continued, "You piece of shit! Never come near me again. The time we spent together was the worst period of my life."

The boy felt utterly dejected, as though he were nothing more than trash in her eyes. The impact of her words shook him to his core. How could their relationship of three years be discarded so easily? He had always been kind and loving, despite his own poverty. He would work tirelessly at his part-time job, saving up money to lavish his girlfriend with expensive gifts. His love for her ran deep, to the very core of his being, and he couldn't bear the thought of being separated from her. He wasn't sure if it was true attraction, but he understood that the emotions he felt could be described as love—not mere affection. And now, this girl was demanding they sever all ties.

"Why?" he asked calmly, his voice betraying the hidden turmoil within. With a trembling voice, he repeated, "Why?"

"Why are you asking me why?" she retorted. "I never liked you from the very beginning of our relationship. You were just my personal ATM, a source of money to fulfil my daily needs. It's not like I scammed you or anything. We engaged in physical activities only to satisfy my desires. A loser like you shouldn't experience such heavenly pleasure. I, on the other hand, had my expenses settled."

Before she could say more, the boy erupted, shouting, "Our entire time together was a lie!"

As if consoling him, a sudden gust of wind intensified, causing more petals to descend from the tree. People passing by turned their attention toward the girl, her skirt billowing in the air, just like a scene from a typical love drama series.