The ordinary

There are instances in our lives where we just want something that's out of our reach. So much that we create things in our heads to escape from reality. We can't say that the same thing goes for everyone because some already find their lives to be in order. Perfect. Satisfied. Complete... when they haven't even done jackshit for anyone. All they've done is ask from their parents then claim it's their hard work.

...I'm not one of those people I described as perfect. I'm a local teacher for this dumbass web helping company, hired because I'm fluent in foreign languages. I'm loved by my family, but I used to be revered. Now I'm a complete piece of trash. Things I don't mean are things people think otherwise.

That's why I don't talk that much.

That's why I don't say shit because people... humans in particular... they're all trash.

Ohhh, define me! Define me, beautiful goddess!

Try anything funny and you're cancelled.

This is what Rocky did! He fucked me!

Rocky broke it!

Rocky looks like that faggot on tv!

Rocky looks like that guy from the junior section!

Rocky wears white briefs!

Rocky, take your pants off, too! We don't care about your dignity!

Rocky, I'm not ready for a relationship yet. I need to fix my mental ass.

My name is Barachiel Bergamo. You can call me Rocky.

I am... someone who doesn't believe anymore in some piddly-ass thing called love. It's not that the love I've received in my life was not enough. Rather, I'm left scarred by my past. Bullied. Ridiculed. Picked on. Insulted. For what reason, you ask? Nothing. I've been subjected to a life of suffering simply for the amusement of my bullies.

I hated school life so much, I immediately detached myself from my batch after graduating a decade ago... yet the pain remained. All I asked for was to be loved by someone else aside from my family.

"All I see are some vain bitches with tattoos on them. Eghhh."

I'm a young man with simple tastes. I don't have a grandiose criteria for women - all I'm asking for is for them to be kind, understanding, respectful, and honest (aside from being pretty and a non-smoker). Qualities that a lot of women lack these days.

...No.

*swipe*

...No.

*swipe*

...No.

*swipe*

...It's a dude. Nope.

*swipe*

Countless and countless and countless of swipes through sooooo many apps.

They said it works, but HELLO?!

WHO THE FUCK SAID THIS WORKS?

I'MMA PUT YOU IN HELL, ALL OF YOU.

*ehem*

Sorry.

I ain't someone who goes premium on these shitty apps, but just for a bit, maybe it works. Who knows?

Rocky, why don't you let me take over now?

Okay.

"I wonder if I can find someone who looks like Onda....", he thought to himself.

Rocky is a K-pop fan, and he has a particular fondness for someone named Onda. His devotion to her was so high, he bought both versions of her group's recent album while making fan tributes to the group, and his prized possessions were the photocards of Onda herself.

He was an oddball among the Hallyu fans, as he strayed from the usual tastes of others.

"I love you, Onda!"

But... before that, he was once in love with a girl named Sarada Ayatsuji. She was a simple, short Japanese girl with a cute exterior, but Rocky failed to realize that Sarada's weak, fragile exterior masks a very dark soul....

"H-Hey, Sarada-chan. I... I love you. I'm about to let you go, so let this be my final message."

Sarada was in fact a mentally deranged psychopath who did not want her face plastered somewhere for the public to see, but rather than settle things with Rocky personally and privately, she had her sister do her fighting....

"Who gave you the right to post my sister's face in social media?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll take it down if you need it."

"You've been stalking her since 2021, why don't you fucking leave her alone?!"

"I wasn't stalking her. She's my student back then."

"Whatever, your existence is annoying. Stop typing, you old hag."

Rocky took this like a champ, but it had a far more damaging effect on him than he wanted to admit. He could not sleep. He was unable to eat properly. He could not even think straight, but if there was a silver lining to this debacle, it was that he finally had no reason to protect Sarada any further from her own illegal activities at work.

"Miss Ayatsuji, please follow me for your coaching session."

"What?", Sarada moaned.

"Now, please. It's about your activities. Someone has reported you for doing under the table dealings."

Finally, Rocky thought. Justice was being served. "I did the right thing", he thought, but no. Just as Sarada was about to face the consequences of her delinquency....

"Mister Bergamo. You're fired."

A group of female supervisors, probably the operations managers of the company, approached Rocky and lined themselves up like they were the men in black. Yet Rocky stood his ground, as only one of the four managers in his presence stood taller than him.

"Under what grounds?", Rocky asked. Sarada then showed up behind the supervisors, smiling mischievously.

"Miss Ayatsuji has told us that you are the one behind her illegal activities. You were the one who taught her, and because of that, the actions of the trainee are the actions of the trainer himself.", one of the managers declared. She had the words Iza Pastor on her name tag. "Besides, what are you doing right now?"

"I just punched in my break time, so I'm just relaxing by playing on my phone.", Rocky clarified.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?", Iza iterated.

"I just told you my break time just started."

"No, you're supposed to be working." Rocky threw his phone across his table.

"So I can't take a break while you dickheads can flit off to Vancouver for your dumbass HQ trips whenever you want? I never taught anything illegal to any of my trainees. That little yatz is making up stories."

"We already have the testimonies from your other trainees.", Iza smugly declared. Three more trainees entered Rocky's room. "Miss Butil. Miss Wan. Mister Palaming."

"Yes, OM.", they replied before pointing to Rocky in unison. "He's the one po who taught us to price match without an official contact and send it via e-mail with our own accounts."

Jesus Christ, Rocky said inside his head. Traitors! The nerve of them all!

He looked at Sarada, who was still smiling at him before sticking her tongue out.

The devil has shown herself.

Rocky was stunned. This little girl he once admired became his downfall, and the other three trainees he trusted ultimately stabbed him in the back. He never taught anything illegal, yet he was framed.

He had every right to fight back, but a power play was in effect - he had no choice but to leave....

"Goddammit....", Rocky whispered. He was sitting at the side of his bed, crestfallen that he just lost his job all because of being framed. His parents and siblings were just looking at him, worried about his well-being.

"He's really down."

"Jose, talk to your brother."

"I ain't talking to him. He might hit me."

"Alright, Marian, Uriel, you talk to your brother since Jose is too scared of him."

"I think it's better to leave him be, papa."

"I'll talk to Barachiel, papa."

"Alright, mama." Mama entered Rocky's room. It was dimly lit, with only his lava lamp lighting the whole place up. "Figlio."

"....."

"Barachiel, your papa is getting worried and depressed. It's been two months since you lost your job. You have the skills to get back."

"That's the thing, mama. I am more than qualified to be in a higher position in many companies, but just because of how I went out, they won't accept me! They're only listening to one side of the story! Why won't anyone listen to my side of it?!"

"Ay, figlio. Sit down." Rocky sat back down as she requested. "That's how the world is. Despite your age, when it comes to the more challenging matters, your mind is still young. That girl Ayatsuji, yeah? She's not worth it. So her sister harassed you and they cost you your job. You'll get another - a much better job! Leave them to their own tendencies. Someday, karma will get them, figlio."

"...I hope you're right, mama.", Rocky whispered. Mama gave him a hug and left.

He was still hopeful, yet....

We have already found a suitable candidate for the role and the job opening is now closed. We wish you success in your career pursuit.

With a highly competitive pool of candidates, we went through a thorough evaluation process and have decided to proceed with another candidate whose qualifications and experience align more closely with the specific requirements of the role.

While we're impressed by your background, we've unfortunately decided not to move forward with your candidacy at this time. I hope you don't mind if we reach out to you in the future when a position opens up that may be a better fit for your background and experience. Let us know if we have your permission to do that.

You are not suited for the role you're applying for.

You're skills did not match your our criteria.

You are not qualified for the role we have opened.

You are not qualified

You are not qualified

You are not qualified

You are not qualified

You are not qualified

YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED

Failure after failure. Rejection after rejection. It ate Rocky up on the inside. The incident with Sarada and her sister led Rocky to stop believing in love because it cost him his livelihood.

And now....

"Chanib pwercha cha Colt 45! Magchanib pwercha...!"

"This is our idea for success! It is ours and ours alone!"

Fucking Iza Pastor, the short, power-playing operations manager, stole Rocky's idea and claimed it as her own, and right in front of her were the trainees who stabbed Rocky in the back. Rocky's phone showed the following bubbles - Boots Butil, Eve Wan, Mylene Palaming, and finally, Sarada Ayatsuji. They were partying like it's 2012, even though it was already 2021.

Not only was he framed - his ideas were stolen, and Rocky had enough.

"Pappy, where is Barachiel?"

"I don't know, mami."

"Jose, did you see your brother?"

"No."

"Uriel, did you see Barachiel?"

"I think he went somewhere."

Mami and Pappy got worried. It wasn't normal for Rocky to just disappear, but Mami already had a hunch.

Rocky had nothing to lose, so he finally gave up on life.

"...PAPPY!", Mami screamed. "Oh my God, look for our son, he could be anywhere!"

Mami had everyone scramble all over their town, asking for Rocky's whereabouts. It's a futile attempt - he was nowhere near his town; he was at his old apartment, standing at the rooftop and looking down at the busy streets.

"...I've had enough....", Rocky whispered as he stood at the edge of a rooftop. "It's been a good life, but... I'll see you in Hell, Sarada Ayatsuji. You, Reiko Ayatsuji, you're going to Hell with me soon. I hope you fucking die a painful death."

His vision spun as he envisioned himself falling down the streets, his skull splitting open as it hit the pavement. Nothing has happened so far, and before anyone could notice from below, he tried to jump off and end it all.

"I'm sorry."

"NOOOO!"

Rocky bent down, but rather than fall off the building, he went down backwards, feeling a warm embrace wrap around his being. He looked behind and saw a woman, looking at him with utmost concern. He could tell that she was worried for him.

"No, oppa. Don't!", the woman said.

"Dafuq are you doing...?", Rocky groaned.

"Oppa, don't. I heard this saying from a famous K-pop idol - Always think deep and let's work hard. I'll add something to that - happy days are onda-onda!"

"Onda-onda?"

"Yes, onda-onda!", she said as Rocky rolled off her.

"Who... are you?"

"I'm Celine. Celine Cho."

This girl he met... her name is Celine Cho, an immigrant from Baksu who moved to the Pearl a few years ago, and she oddly resembled his crush. Even her Baksun name - Cho Se Lim - was identical to Onda who is also known as Jo Serim (which is another way of writing Cho Se Lim).

"Say, oppa, aren't you that chat moderator who got fired from the web helpers?", Celine asked Rocky.

"Why'd you ask?", Rocky muttered.

"My company's been looking for you. They said they wanted to hire you and you'll be an incredible asset. In fact, we are looking to combat the web helpers. We're gonna turn them into welpers!"

Celine was excited. One could tell she wanted Rocky aboard with her, but he was hesitant.

"I...I don't know. It's been three months.", Rocky sighed. Celine grabbed his hand, making him look at her.

"Remember, happy days are onda-onda. They're about to come."

He went out to end things. He even had dreams and nightmares about the end, but little did Rocky know that it was the end of his slump, not his life. Someone had finally wanted him to be part of their team, and he went home after exchanging numbers with Celine.

"Pappy, make sure Barachiel is found. I want to make sure my fears aren't realized.", Mami nervously cried out.

"Jose, stay with Mami", Papa ordered. "Uriel, come with me." But before they could move out for the night, Rocky stepped into their front door. "...Barachiel!"

"Oh my goodness, figlio!", Mami cried out and ran to Rocky, hugging her son and showering his cheek with kisses. "Where have you been?!"

"...Mami. Pappy. Sorry for making you worry.", Rocky said, his voice shaking. "...I... got a job."

Mami and Pappy hugged Rocky in joy. Their son finally got back and he had a new job, but the bigger surprise was Celine, who followed Rocky to his home.

"Barachiel.", Papa said. "Who is that?"

"Oh.", Rocky gasped. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Just wanna see where you live, oppa.", Celine giggled.

"I see.", he nodded. "Mami, Pappy, this is Celine. She... saved me."

"She did?", Mami gasped.

"Yes. I was looking for Rocky because my company wanted to hire him. We just started from the ground up but we already have a high-profile client. We believe Rocky's input will really help us take off.", Celine explained. "He'll start in two weeks; I'll be helping him with everything else in the legal process."

The Bergamos celebrated. Uriel became a manager, now Rocky was hired by a start-up company.

In Rocky's head, Celine's arrival was a blessing. She was his angel, he thought, but he didn't want to get ahead of himself like he did with Sarada before.

"Have you eaten already, oppa?"

"Not yet, but I will in a bit. You?"

"I had gimbap. It's yummy!"

"Ooh, I like gimbap. I miss eating gimbap."

"Want me to make you some, Rocky?"

"Uhh... sure?"

"Yay!"

Their conversations were simple - asking each other how their day went. Rocky and Celine took things slowly, and they were not rushing things unlike the generations of today.

Fornicating like bunnies right after graduation. Starting families without any hard-earned savings, leeching solely off their parents.

Their hobbies were similar and their behaviors synched - it's as if they were meant to be.

Months passed. 2021 has ended, and 2022 had gone past its midway point. Rocky and Celine, despite not officially acknowledging each other as lovers, have become intimate, and Rocky decided to make the boldest, if not the stupidest, choice of his life - asking Celine if they can become more than friends. His hands shook as he tapped on the chat app he used to talk to Celine, and the closer he got to his conversations, the more anxious he grew.

He was close to throwing up on himself, but there was no backing down. He grew tired of giving chances to others. They had been friends for more than half a year already.

It was his turn now.

"Heyyy!", a male co-worker said as he hit Rocky on the shoulder with a friendly jab. Rocky nearly dropped his phone, but he was able to catch it.

"Oh. Hey there, O.B."

"Whatcha doing?"

Rocky looked back to his phone, where he was chatting Celine.

"Ooooh.", O.B. nudged. "Gonna drop the question now, huhhh?"

"Shut up."

He laughed as O.B. left him alone. Shifting his attention back to the little device he had, his fingers started moving.

"Hey Celine"

His eyes followed the bubble that showed Celine's picture, which indicated that she was active and had seen his message.

"Yes, Rocky?"

"Uhh... we have been friends for quite a while now. We're really similar to one another and I have this good feeling. If it's okay with you... can we be... more than friends?"

"Ohh... oppa, I... I don't know what to say, but... yes, let's be more than friends!"

Just as Celine reciprocated his feelings, his phone suddenly rang.

"Who the hell?"

His eyebrows furrowed in wonder. It was an unknown caller - just who is trying to call him?

"Hello?"

A tall, muscular man in a colorful tank top and a backwards hat suddenly showed up on the screen of his phone. He could no longer see his chat with Celine, just this stranger he never met.

"Oi. Sino ka? Bakit mo tinatawagan asawa ko?", the man said with a smug on his face. He was asking who Rocky was and why he's calling Celine. Rocky could tell he was trying to act tough.

"I'm Celine's friend.", Rocky answered. The man smirked.

"So? Asawa niya 'to. Wag ka mag-mess dito, gago."

"Ryan, you asshole! Give me that!", Celine yelled as she took the phone from the man. The screen quickly shifted to Celine who was blushing madly out of humiliation.

"Oppa, don't listen to him! He's nobody! Ryan, get out! Seriously, get out of my apartment!"

"Y-You're married?", Rocky asked. Celine shook her head, denying any involvement with the man.

"No! We're not together! He's trying to claim me as his property even though I told him I don't love him! I don't even know him, he's just a stalker and a plumber for the landlady!", Celine explained as she was on the verge of tears. Rocky could only look down in disbelief.

"Celine... can we...?"

"I'll talk to you later....", Celine told him as she glared at Ryan, clearly infuriated. She ended the video call shortly.

The worst possible outcome Rocky could think of just happened. Someone claimed to be with Celine, but Celine's denial relieved him even for a bit. This wasn't enough for Rocky however, as he knew that somebody is out there to oppose him. It was something he deemed as a curse - whenever he fell in love, somebody was there to counter his advances. He never had any support in his love life. He was alone. Devastated, Rocky went back to his normal activities, but the shock and damage from the incident crippled him mentally and emotionally which led to him operating at only 50% capacity. He asked for a week's worth of rest from work which was granted, and he used the time to recover. Then one day....

"Oppa help"

Celine sent him a message asking for help. Confused, Rocky responded and asked why the sudden meeting.

"...Let's run away together. I'm getting tired of fighting Ryan. He's a dumb jock."

Rocky had a bad feeling about this. Unsure of whether it was Celine behind the messages or not, he reached out via video call. Miraculously, he found Celine on the other end.

"Celine! Jesus shit, was it you who sent the message?"

"Yeah, oppa...."

Celine's voice was shaky. She couldn't even look at Rocky straight in the eye.

"Are you okay?", Rocky asked. Celine shook her head as she sobbed.

"O-Oppa, I'm scared...! Ryan's outside my house holding a gun...! My friends tried calling the police but he still won't leave! They'll try to create a distraction so I can slip out and meet you...!"

"Then what?", Rocky asked. "Fuck, wrong question. Okay, don't be scared, alright? I'm here with you."

"O-Okay.... I love you, oppa...!"

His heart skipped a beat all of a sudden. Celine loves him... and the words came from her own mouth. He finally knew that he and Celine love each other, and this brought a small smile on his face. A slight chill then ran down his spine, since one fact remained - Ryan is still on the loose and he is hellbent on murdering the couple if they would not yield.

Rocky discreetly geared up in his runners without alerting everyone, and he dressed comfortably as he could. He knew this was no simple affair, and hearing about Ryan's gun scared him stiff. It's Celine's life at stake however, so he grabbed a rattan stick from underneath his work computer and duct-taped four large pieces of broken glass on one end. He then sneaked out of his house unnoticed, concealing his weapon with an umbrella before running over to his ATV and speeding away.

He knew this can go wrong just like before, but this time Rocky wanted to make sure he's not getting the short end of the stick.

Rocky spent a few minutes getting to Celine's apartment, and just outside the gates was the fuccboi claiming his beloved. Ryan was trembling, his eyes sunken.

He's under the influence, huh?

"Rocky!", Celine shouted from her window.

"Celine?", Rocky shouted.

"Oppa!", Celine screamed. This caught Ryan's attention, who quickly ran after Rocky. "RYAN, NO!"

Rocky brought out his rattan stick as he revved up his ATV to collide with Ryan. One would think, yeah, a stick against a gun? Rocky's going to die, but this was no ordinary stick.

"HAAA!"

*BANG!*

Ryan fell on the floor, his gun discharging in the air. His screams filled the air as he looked down on his chest - a large piece of glass was sticking out in the middle of his chest.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Rocky immediately pulled over and took the gun away from Ryan, who was still screaming in disbelief.

"You didn't think I'd come with just a stick, huh?", Rocky said as he took some time to catch his breath. "I almost pissed my pants because of this damn gun, now I'm fighting the urge to pee in that hole I punched through you." Walking to the street, he waved at Celine. "Celine!"

"Oh my God, oppa!", she cried in joy before running down to greet her beloved Rocky. "Thank goodness!"

The two were finally in each other's embrace. Their warmth was something they always dreamt of feeling, and it was phenomenal for both Rocky and Celine.

"Mmm, oppa...!", Celine murmured. Rocky then looks at her.

"About what he said before. Are you really... married?"

"Oppa, we're not married. He's a crazy plumber who's been lusting over me ever since I came here."

"Huh. Someone who's considered 'good-looking' like that and he's just a small-time plumber. Seems like the jocks from high school are finally getting what they deserve."

Celine giggled at his remark. "You never liked jocks, huh, oppa?"

"Peanut, don't get me started on that."

"Okay!" She giggled once more.

"Listen, Celine. I--"

As he was about to tell something, Celine leaned over and kissed him. Rocky's eyes widened as he felt her soft, warm lips against his own - this was his first kiss. They lovingly stared at each other before sharing another kiss.

"I love you....

"I love you, too...."

The couple held each other's hands and leaned their heads against one another, laughing in joy over their love.

"HOY!"

Rocky and Celine looked at Ryan, who was still lying on the ground.

"Take me to the hospital! This hurts!"

"Goodbye, Ryan.", Celine said as she walked over to the ATV which Rocky was starting up. A few moments later, they sped away from the place, leaving Ryan screaming in agony.

"Oppa, where are we going?", Celine asked, hugging Rocky as they rode up the sloped streets.

"Anywhere the wind takes us, peanut!", he happily said.

The couple rode around for a while until they stopped by a pancake house. There, they passed a good amount of time in what turned out to be their first date. The night began to settle in before they knew it, and the couple decided to go back. It's a new life for them.

"I enjoyed that more than I thought I would."

"Me too, oppa. I liked the waffles and ice cream."

"You like waffles and ice cream too, huh?", Rocky asked his girlfriend. Celine giggled.

"Of course!", Celine said, gesturing with a cute cat pose. "My sweet tooth acted up!"

"Well, it's ice cream. You can't go wrong with ice cream."

"Well said, oppa."

They wanted to spend the night alone with each other, but there was a curfew in place that would commence in a few hours. It was either Rocky's home or a motel nearby. The couple deliberated on it while on the road, and they decided to spend the night with each other by renting a motel room. Rocky was worried about what his parents would say, but it did not matter. He was leaving his job anyway, and all he had to do was get his retirement money. He had been working for 6 years and rose to the highest ranks, but because of jealousy and a power play, he was denied the lead position he deserved while another person who did not even apply was assigned to the role he was supposed to get. This life with Celine is a fresh start, he thought.

"Mami, I'm with Celine right now. She had some problems. I'm looking after her because of something. I'll be home later.", Rocky told his mother over the phone.

"Okay, figlio. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine. I already ate, so it's a matter of passing the time. We had to go to a motel to pass the night."

"Why?"

"Mami, Celine has a stalker. I want to keep her safe. Plus, the curfew caught up to us.", Rocky explained. "Cel, wanna talk to my mother?"

"Oh... is it okay?"

"Yeah.", Rocky assured. Celine knelt beside him on the bed, looking at his phone to see his mother.

"Hi. I'm Celine.", Celine greeted.

"Ay hello~."

"I hope I'm not causing too much trouble.", Celine pouted.

"Don't worry, Celine. If my son did not care for you, he would not go to you. He will help if he knows it's a bad situation."

"Ohh... I'm lucky I met oppa.", Celine sighed in relief and kissed Rocky's cheek.

"Figlio."

"Yeah?", Rocky asked.

"Whatever you will do there at the motel, you better plan it carefully. You know the reputation of motels here." This made Rocky blush.

"Nononono, it's not what you think!"

"What, oppa?", Celine asked. He whispered at her ear, making her blush as well. "Mami, it's too early!'

"I'm just joking, you can do what you want, but Oyens, don't forget about the family, okay?"

"I won't, mami. I owe you a lot.", Rocky said. Celine hugged him from behind, nuzzling at his hair.

"I'm financially independent, so no need to worry about me.", Celine added.

"Okay, you take care now there. Love you, figlio." Rocky nodded in response as the video call ended.

"So, uhh... what now?", Rocky asked.

"Well....", Celine smiled as she slid her hand on the sheets and held Rocky's hand. "Maybe we can... be a bit chummy?"

"Ehh?", Rocky gasped. Celine giggled at his reaction, touching his hand and feeling it on her face.

"It's so warm....", Celine remarked. Rocky blushed at her words again.

"That sounds wrong."

"I meant your hand, oppa! You're so cute for someone who's older than me."

"You can call me fat Jihoon."

"No, just oppa.", Celine countered. Rocky then smiled at her and leaned forward to kiss her.

"We're not getting any younger, so... wanna clean up first? Then we... y'know."

"Oh. Okay!", Celine agreed. She then dragged Rocky to the bathroom and closed the door.

The couple spent an intimate night alone with each other. A night of firsts, as one would say. Tradition says they should not see or even touch each other naked before they get married, but the new generation had been doing this before they even reached 10 years old. Rocky recently turned 28 and had no experience in that particular 'field'. Celine is 20 and dated for a year after matriculating from high school, but she never went beyond the first kiss. Many people around the world have done worse than them, so they felt they should have the same happiness, if not the same, something greater. From the bathroom to the bed, Rocky and Celine held each other close, kissing passionately and feeling each other's love. The night went by, but for them it was a happy night of surprises.

"...Wow.", Rocky murmured. Celine just laid beside him while holding his hand, her hair a bit messy.

"Yeah!", Celine giggled. She then hugged Rocky, resting her head on his chest.

"Wanna do it again? You cried a bit earlier.", Rocky asked.

"Because it hurt a bit, but now I'm fine.", Celine pouted. Rocky smiled and kissed her as he went over her again.

They kept going until they ran out of stamina, and soon Celine fell asleep. Rocky however stayed up, thinking about what had just transpired. It seemed all too easy. It was all too perfect for him.

"I'm right here and I don't believe it."

He looked at Celine, who was fast asleep, and touched her face. She was a bit 'caramel' for a Korean, he thought, but she had an oddly pretty visual.

"It ain't Onda, but... I got no complaints. She's the one for me...."

His eyes started drooping as he held Celine close to him, mumbling:

"Hey, God...? I hope Celine and I can start our life together... without all this bullshit hounding us... and I hope we get to do it somewhere magical. 'Kay? If you are real... you should fucking do it. You answering my prayers have been long overdue....

...You better fucking grant my prayer this time...."

Morning came. They went to the parking lot to leave the hotel, kissing each other as they rode off. As they drove around to the exit, a bright light suddenly flashed beside them at a downward slope, and before they knew it, an SUV blindsided the couple and sent them flying off the ATV. Rocky spiraled across the air, the light still in his eyes as he could faintly see Celine until he blacked out before landing. Celine was barely conscious after hitting the pavement, crawling toward Rocky and dragging him onto a wall as two girls stepped out of the SUV.

"Hello, Rocky. You creep."

"Huh?", Celine shuddered, blood leaking from a gash on her eyebrow. "W-Who are you?"

"...None of your business. We're just bitches with mental issues.", one of the girls said. They both wore lolita outfits - some Japanese loli sellouts, it seemed. One pulled a baseball bat out as Celine stuck out the rattan stick to protect themselves. She wasn't physically strong, but she held on as much as she could. Rocky then stirred and grabbed the rattan stick from Celine, standing up as he faced the two sisters.

It was Sarada and her nosy older sister.

"I already told you... that I've paid for my sins... and I don't love your sister because she never showed me. Now that I found someone else, this is what you do,y ou fucking loli sellouts from the Ayatsuji clan?!"

"Fuck you, you old hag!", the older Ayatsuji said. She swung at Rocky, but with him being much larger than the sisters, he quickly overpowered both Sarada and her sister. Another person came out of the SUV - the driver, it seems, and drew out a gun. Rocky couldn't react in time and was shot by the driver several times

"ROCKY!", Celine cried out. She ran over to Rocky and hugged him while looking at the driver. "Please don't...!"

"You should have thought about that before you hurt my baby girl....", the driver hissed.

No... not like this...., Rocky thought. Just when he and Celine finally got things going... and it hasn't even been a full day.

"Oppa...!", Celine cried as Rocky stood up. He raised his arms to challenge the driver.

"Give it your best shot... biyatch."

A sharp, burning sensation pierced through his chest several times. Looking down, he saw blood squirting out of a few holes from his shirt, making him laugh.

"Huh. That ought to do it."

"OPPA~!", Celine screamed as Rocky fell into her arms again.

"Guess I... really am cursed when it comes to love, huh?", Rocky said, trying to chuckle. "Hey, peanut?"

"Oppa, no...! No, no...!", Celine cried as she touched Rocky's cheek, which was smeared with his blood. His breathing grew labored, and soon he went limp. "NOOO~!"

It is unfair for Rocky to fall this quick, huh? It's unfair for him to always have misfortune when it comes to love.

That's life, some would say. Til death do us part, they would say.

But what is death? What is life?

It's something not even the most intellectually superior could not explain definitely.

Something only God can explain.

"...Alright, he's starting to wake."

"He looks fine now!"

...What? I can hear O.B. and Judy....

"Figlio...! Figlio, wake up...!"

Mami...?

"Hey, Rocks, wake up!"

Now I'm hearing Uri and Jose. Is everyone dead?

"Wake up, boy."

Who the hell?

Rocky finally opened his eyes. He was inside a hospital room, with his family and co-workers around him.

"...I'm alive?", Rocky wondered. "H-How?"

Celine then approached him, smiling faintly.

"...I have something to tell you, oppa."