Reality and Imagination!

He woke up early, as usual, for the past five years, aiming to follow his daily routine, which somehow resonated with his spirit and persisted for that duration.

Two weeks ago, I turned twenty-eight years old, actually...

Although, I feel that time has passed quickly.

Well, that's what most people would say when they miss something in their life's journey.

Men like me are only good at complaining...

But that's not bad anyway; it's a decent life for the time being.

So, I'm content. In fact, I love this humble life.

The man in his late youth rose from his bed, standing up to organize the day anew.

"Well... What do we have today?"

In the weekly task file, the young man saw a line written in red.

- "The little puppy will take his bold step..."

"Wednesday - July 5th..."

-_-

"This... Is it today's date?"

"Damn it."

He hurriedly left for the workplace, not because I am a committed person... Damn it, the puppy companion will propose marriage, how could I forget that?

He's my friend from high school.

The puppy was used to chasing after me, in fact, he is a nice and innocent person.

I still remember that... our first real interaction. I misunderstood and hit him on his cheek.

I was wrong... so I apologized... since that moment, that Masushi has been chasing me.

In the midst of crowded streets, I stood, looking up, directing my gaze towards the beautiful architectural building.

"Oh my... This is stunning."

The corner of my mouth raised, revealing a smile on my face.

This man deserves it... I hope everything goes smoothly.

"What if she rejects him, man?"

I tapped my fingers on my temple, trying to stop being pessimistic.

As I entered the architectural building with the people around me, I headed for the security and inspection areas... Precautionary measures, it's truly a high-profile party.

The atmosphere was noisy, with songs floating around.

I was wearing a dark blue suit... very ordinary.

I have a familiar appearance... so I wasn't a source of curiosity in the place.

But now, I only care about the arrival of the main character in this party.

In the midst of my stagnation and wasting time with some thoughts, the annoying songs stopped playing... and the surrounding noise rose. The concerned character was kneeling on one knee, presenting a sapphire ring to the elegant girl in front of him.

"Leta, will you accept my proposal?"

"...Leta, will you marry me?"

My friend Max was wondering, eagerly and hesitantly, about the answer.

But the invited girl, Leta, quickly placed her hands on her mouth... creating a loud and annoying sound...

"Yes~"

While I sat on a comfortable couch, my stiffened backside, I watched those scenes that raised my stomach acidity...

It was truly ironic...

Well, there's nothing wrong with romance, but that embarrassing way, that man Masushi...

That was a confirmation of my theory.

The people around the newlyweds were applauding and congratulating them... and I did the same.

"..~..~..~…~.."

"Didn't you say you were going to quit smoking?"

The man in his late youth leaned against the wall next to the exit door, smoking cigarettes.

He looked at his friend, who bid farewell to bachelorhood, and pondered his own situation.

It's unfortunate, my friend...

"…~..~…~..~…"

"Man, your breath smells like crap, seriously."

Max pressed his small nose, expressing his disgust.

"Man, I was the one who introduced you to this shit..."

"But I quit that... You... I'm really sorry."

What was going through Max's mind was that he had a lousy friend...

"Anyway, do you remember when we were a suspicious couple??"

"Shut up."

One corner of Max's mouth raised, and he left the place.

He knows a lot about me.

"... I wish you good luck."

Sigh~ The man looks to the side of his eye, watching his old friend walk away.

He feels bored.

When did he become like this... When he became a slave to work. When he became someone who cares about material things... and selfish matters alike.

"Should I do something like dating or getting into a relationship?"

If that's the case... Would it be good?

A picture of a lovely blonde girl with a soft body appeared in the man's mind.

It didn't conflict with his feelings. He was simply attracted to her—a vibrant young man.

Sigh~

The party has already ended...

As I arrived at my favorite café, I couldn't find the friendly worker.

"I feel truly disappointed."

The café was quiet, with no staff or customers. It was just me and an elderly man wearing a gray apron, who served me a cup of plain coffee.

Curiously, I asked, "Excuse me, when will she be back?"

"Definitely in a little while," the old man replied, lively and bright as always. He was the café owner, often coming to his establishment during his days off or free time.

The employees were also attending a party. What a peculiar day it turned out to be.

I headed to my usual table, relaxed and enjoying the captivating views that I was accustomed to gazing at.

While sipping my coffee, I pulled out my laptop to check the comments and discussions about the novel I had created. So, I navigated to the publishing website to read the readers' opinions.

--> "The Mysterious 18+": This novel's foundation is shaky. The story has several potentialities, which the author may exploit. However, they've clumsily kept themselves in the unknown.

--> "The Chicken's Offering": This author! I'm truly annoyed by the irregular publishing schedule.

--> "The Evil Dog": Oh man, this damn whore Amal hopes to step into $#_Heathenith×

--> "The Respected Whore": I think this story is going to fail...

"What? Fail?"

That piece of crap... a whore and also respected? Why don't you think for a moment?

--> "The Onion's Head": Why isn't there any illustrative art for the girls?

--> "Curiosity's Lamp": Well... from reading numerous novels of this genre, I believe the ending will be tragic...

--> "The Lovely Rosy": No! No! She was the dearest among all the characters... why... why... did you kill her... you damn author! Death is near indeed! I'll kill you!

"Damn it!"

This ignorant, obsessed fool... I closed the laptop.

My rear end was vibrating again... once again, that message was sending to my phone.

I took out my phone from my back pocket and glanced at the childish message in front of me.

-- "Apologies, sir. Would you like to transfer to another world for a diving trip?" --

-- "Apologies, sir. If you feel uneasy, please contact ×××××" --

The first appearance of that message was about four days ago when I was sitting at my desk in the night, writing the content for the new chapter of my novel, "The World Becomes Ash."

It was unreal, and it was bothersome to me as well. I usually didn't turn off my phone since I was someone always available, so it was unlikely for me to leave my activities on the phone closed.

But it's common for people like him to come across my social media accounts and send such messages.

-- Yes -- No --

The message appeared... Another world. I wondered what it would be like, excitingly.

In a mocking manner, I pressed the keyboard...

-- Yes, you son of a whore ~ --

There was no response... Minute... Two... Five...

This whore ignored everything.

Truly ridiculous.

This day... It started from my feeling of jealousy towards my friend, to my nonsensical rambling.

It would be better to clear my mind, so I focused on the view in front of me.

The streets were illuminated with dazzling lights. In the middle of the night, cars of various types were moving on the highways. The towering architectural buildings, ignorant of the modern atmosphere, stood in front of me... I couldn't imagine being seated in a café of the lower middle class.

The coffee cup was already finished.

The surrounding atmosphere was eerily quiet.

"I found you~"

There were hands gripping me from behind... Holding me firmly on the couch by my shoulders.

Intense!

"Who is the son of a whore?"

"Huh?"

"Don't babble, my dear~"

"Just watch what that son of a whore will do to you~"

Pain!

That's all I can say...

Those poisonous words shook my being for some reason.

My surroundings shattered like broken glass... Fading away, that modern scene.

The lights entered my eyes, shining brightly. The broken glass in front of me became transparent and and and... blindingly white.

The loud clinking of glasses, mixed with vulgar and laughter, filled the air, drowning out the voices of conversation and assaulting my eardrums. After an indeterminate amount of time, the view of life outside the window next to me ceased to exist.

My eyes were wide open, filled with astonishment.

Everything vanished.

And in its place... it changed... towering buildings and a bustling cityscape appeared before me. The sky I saw was clouded, tinged with a reddish hue reminiscent of evening twilight. My body shivered.

"This is shocking!"

I felt tense, involuntarily running my fingers through my black hair. If someone were to see me, they would witness my wavering expression, as if I were feverish, raising my left eyebrow as if completely unaware of what was happening.

"What happened to me?"

"Today...?!"

These transparent images played in my mind. I couldn't concentrate due to the debauchery around me. I was truly bewildered.

"The only elite of my soul, remembering the day of the New World's foundation."

A person behind me spoke, and I turned to face them.

"Excuse me?"

"The foundation day?"

The ugly old man in front of me expressed clear surprise on his face and started cursing me for being foolish enough not to know the most basic historical events in the region. The old man grumbled about this corrupt generation.

"The foundation day..."

"... The foundation day."

"The foundation day..."

"... The foundation day?!"

I looked around, holding a glass filled with a fruity-smelling liquid in my hand.

"Vodka?"

I held the glass tightly, and the reflection inside the glass...

It was unusual.

It evoked a sense of familiarity, and my vision became hazy as I tightly held onto the vodka glass, fearing it might slip from my grasp.

Long, loose white hair... Clear blue celestial eyes.

A small, sharp jawline... a taut appearance... pallid features.

The appearance of a young person.

"Where have I seen you?"

I screamed at the reflection, but there was no response from the man in the reflection.

"Speak!"

I shouted repeatedly, but there was no reply. The man in front of me mocked me, imitating my cursed gestures, just like a child.

"I'll kill you, you wretch!"

I pressed the glass with force, shattering it. That was the final step to attract attention.

Eyes swirled around me.

My body trembled and quivered. I clenched my teeth and tightened my mouth firmly.

I leaned on the table, my mouth and teeth tightly clenched, as if my feet had become as weak as overcooked vegetables, sending shivers to the rest of my body. In the meantime, I felt a nauseating sensation, something coursing through me like a painful electric shock, reaching memories that lingered at the tip of my tongue, unsettling and hesitant to emerge.

Memories...

They seemed to pass before my eyes, intertwined with familiar voices.

I screamed in that place, expressing my desperate state.

Bowing my head and holding it, I felt madness.

"Ah~"

I felt relieved now. It's weird...

I returned to reality. Upon thinking about it, I realized where I was... I was in a bar.

I heard whispers and laughter...

"He's here again, the madman."

"I wish this piece would just disappear."

"Yes, this scum... doesn't deserve a place."

"You're annoying!"

"Ah~ It's truly not far from his character."

The harsh voices filled my heart with fear for an unknown reason, and a repulsive feeling started to flourish within me. I ignored it. At that moment, as I sat at my table for a few moments, three massive

figures approached me, with dark skin.

Their disdainful gazes were clear on their faces.

They grabbed me from my shoulders, like a lamb. I tried to resist, but their bodies were solid.

They circled around me, making sure that people paid attention to this small scene.

Like a dog being chased away, this was what everyone knew. Just as usual.

The bar guards took action.

They dragged me outside, throwing my body into the garbage in a demeaning manner, treating me in a way that violated humanity.

Covered in trash, my body was completely filthy.

"Damn it!"

Holding a garbage bag, I tore it apart.

"Damn you!"

"You deranged son of a bitch...!"

"Damn my soul."

I struck myself on the cheek, expressing my disbelief.

The situation was real. I was in another world, not just any world, but a world I had built and authored myself.

A novel that I impulsively wrote one day had become a secondary source of income for me.

It wasn't easy to comprehend, but the atmosphere around me confirmed it.

Lost in thought, I suddenly noticed a person standing next to me. It was embarrassing, standing amidst the garbage.

It was a woman, looking at me with a cold expression that violated my soul.

_________________________________________________________

Hello, I'm "Toad619" the author of this novel. I hope you enjoy it. I'm still a beginner, and English is not my native language, so there might be some mistakes.

I'm not sure if I did it well or not. Please feel free to let me know.

Goodbye ⁦⁦⁦ᕙ⁠(͡⁠°⁠‿⁠ ͡⁠°⁠)⁠ᕗ⁩~