‘Average’

...

(20 Years before transmigration)

Sitting near the end of a almost empty bus, a teenager was seen looking at a book with some earbuds in. Sighing, he closed the book before leaning back and closed his eyes as the music played.

"Why is everything so boring?"

The teen said while looking outside of window and getting lost in his own thoughts as the many trees and houses flew by his vision.

"Why can't anything 'exciting' happen for once?"

Touching his backpack, he remembered that he had a choice essay of any book of his choosing to do and let out a long and exhausted sigh. He then looked around on his bus and noticed it was empty besides his driver and let out a frown.

The emptiness of the bus made him think of how his social life with other students was. And it was for the simple fact that he just didn't 'mix' well with them.

Everyone one of them had different interests and hobbies that starkly contradicted his own. He had a flip phone, but he was never using it for phone calls.

He was either scrolling through forums for jokes to make him chuckle or reading light novels. It wasn't like he was bullied or was a social outcast, but he just didn't 'know' anybody and neither did anyone 'know' him.

It was more or less like everyone knew who his name and he knew theirs. Things that made them excited or sad were completely foreign to him and made him confused.

And at the same time it made him disgusted. He remembered when someone died from drinking and driving and everyone 'made' a big deal out of it.

But they all probably didn't even care, he certainly knows he didn't. But the hypocrisy of 'mourning' a death for popularity made him look down on them.

*hiss*

Hearing the hiss of the bus, he walked to the front of the bus and took a quick glance at the bus driver. "See ya"

Hearing him, the driver grunted a bit and nodded towards him in silence. "See ya kid."

Stepping on the asphalt of the road, he walked forward a bit before making it onto the sidewalk. Once on the sidewalk, he started walking towards his home while some old country started to play.

Listening to the lyrics silently, he examined the many things surrounding himself. The people going on about their daily activities, the dog he always walks past barking once again, the old man who's always sitting on his front porch smoking.

All of these things were something he had seen before and it didn't bring him a sliver of interest or curiosity. He had grown used to everything around himself and just floated about his days like he did the day before and before that day once again.

And after a few more minutes of walking, he had finally made it to his home. Looking at it, you could see that it had gotten an extension at one point as one part of it was brick while another part was wood.

The roof was metal platted and the grass had started to become too long once again. Walking down the driveway, he quickly found himself at the front door which had a screen door. Only issue was that the screen door had its window broken so it was blocked off by a white piece of cardboard.

Opening the screen door, he quickly leaned on it so it wouldn't shut while he reached into his pockets. Feeling his house keys, he brought them out and played with the lock of the front door before successfully unlocking.

*bark*

Hearing the high pitched barks behind the door, he let out a sigh before opening the door and stepping inside and looking down at a barking pug.

Walking

"Yeah, yeah, I understand girl."

He calmly said before walking towards his room. "I'll give you some attention in a bit, just let me rest ok?"

"Bark!" The pug barked out before jumping on his pant leg causing him to stop.

Looking down, he let out a sigh before picking her up and carrying her towards his room. "Fine, you win. I'll let you hang out with me in my room today."

Coming to his rooms door, he held the pug with one arm before twisting the door nob and stepped inside. Looking around, he looked at the room that he still hasn't made a single change to.

Everything from him being a little kid to being a teenager is here. Well except for his bed, nobody wants to sleep in a bed dedicated to a kid show.

Placing his dog in the bed, he got under the covers and let out a chuckle as she licked his face a for a few seconds before going and laying down on the edge of the bed.

Fidgeting with his sound player for a few minutes, he got bored and decided to just go ahead and take a quick nap.

....

*ring*

Waking up groggily, he reached over into his desktop checked the time on his phone and noticed it was nearing mid-night and let out a surprised expression before accepting the call.

"Uh, who is it?" He said sleepily while staring at the ceiling.

"Excuse me is this John?" The unfamiliar voice of a female asked. "John Books?"

"Yeah that's me, what exactly is it that you need from me?" He said while wondering how this woman knew his phone number.

"Well I'm sorry to say John, but you're mother was involved in an crash with an 18-wheeler." The voice said with sympathy. "She... was intoxicated... and didn't make it...."

John hearing her made a frown as he stared at the ceiling above. "I see... thank you...."

"My condolences John." The lady said before ending the call leaving John in silence.

....

(2 weeks later)

Standing before the grave of his mother, John let out a frown. For some odd reason, he didn't feel anything towards this situation.

To be honest, he genuinely doubted if they even loved each other. Sure they both lived the same house and used the same water, but he could painfully tell that there was distance between mother and son.

When hugging her and saying that he 'loved her' before heading to school, he was just saying empty words. And when she responded with, 'I love you too, be safe.'

He could obviously tell that it was also empty. But he 'should' feel bad right? He should at least feel a drop in his head right?

I mean at least he had cried and showed genuine emotion towards one of his earlier high school flicks. And that breakup had actually made him shed a tear for once.

His mother had given him a stable life to enjoy and provided him stable education. She had fed him and gave him water, but there wasn't a bit of love.

His mother had become an alcoholic after he hit his teens and they had from then on progressively became distant. And since John never asked for anything, she had no reason to provide him 'gifts'.

So her drinking increased and she also became interested in things that made John question her sanity. She started to go on and on about politics and 'real' news.

It became the only thing she could talk about. If he had to guess, maybe it was a desperate attempt to get her mind off of John. After all, he knew that she also felt the huge gap between each other.

So she proceeded to drown herself in fantasy. Like how Hitler faked his death or that the world was going to end.

Really, John had just grown used to her antics. He could have done something about it but he just didn't feel like it. Apathy was a deep rooted trait of his.

And as his mothers issues increased, his apathy towards her increased. And after a few years of watching her decent, he began to view her as air.

He knew this wasn't what a mentally sane person would think of their mother as. But for some reason, it only felt natural to him.

So he slowly began to treat others like this too. He didn't care what happened to anyone or anything... or at least as long as it didn't effect him.....

Still staring down at his mothers his mothers grave in silence, he let out a sigh before exiting the graveyard. 'Goodbye mother.'

(20 years later)

Looking on his phone, he looked at a picture which showed him in military uniform.

When little, he had done many types of sports ranging from baseball, soccer, and basketball. While in high school, he decided to join the boxing team in his senior year after his mother died and had actually managed to take himself to the final round of regionals.

He didn't get knocked out but instead had lost in points. And ever since then, he had grown into a habit of keeping his body and skills in shape after high school. But all this hard work could only be described as a hobby to John.

Upon realizing that he had no motivations, he decided to just go ahead and sign up for the army and then see what he should do from there. But long and behold, his country was in peace times so he was sent out after a few years of 'service'.

Of course, he decided to take up the job training and took the medical class. His goal was actually to become a medic and sit in the back lines in case war did actually break out.

He was not going to risk getting a bullet to the temple or having a napalm strike land directly on himself. But after completing his courses, he was sent to a small military area out in the country to watch over it's perimeter.

And after 20 years of 'service'. John was finally able to retire and get a monthly pay for the rest of his life.

But as it was monthly and just enough money to survive off of, John decided to get a job at a Pizza place near his apartment complex.

And he was glad he did retire at that time. Because they immediately went to war after his retirement.

Laughing to himself, he decided to close his photos before bringing up a light novel. In all these 20 long years, he still had not given up on his hobby of reading.

"Finally finished with Re:Zero's arc 5." John said with a yawn before looking at the time on his phone and grumbled. "Welp I guess it's time for work."

Putting on his uniform, he brushed his teeth in the bathroom before walking by a table and picking up his keys. He then opened a mini fridge and pulled out a bottle of water and drank it.

Throwing it into the garbage can near the mini fridge, he noticed that It was starting overfill and took note to empty it once he returned back home tonight.

Opening the door of his apartment, he walked outside into the hall before walking towards the elevator. Going to press the button, he stopped as he noticed a sticky note slapped into it.

[out of order]

"Tsk, stairs it is then." John said before walking in the direction he came.

And once a little past his apartments door, he saw the set of stairs with a wet floor sign. Not caring at all about the sign, he walked into the slippery floor and felt his feet come out from under him as he flew forward.

"Wha-"

As his body flew down the set of stair making his vision spin and blurred, before he knew it, he was flying head first towards a wall.

*crack*

And with his neck audibly cracking, his body visibly stiffened before relaxing and collapsing to the ground with a thud.

This is how John's life ended.

.....