Arthur The Failure

The hospital room was quiet except for the soft beeping of the heart monitor and the occasional rustling of the bedsheets. Before Noah could ask any question about Clara door suddenly swung open, and Liam strolled back in, stretching his arms.

"Phew… that was a nice piss," Liam announced casually, flopping back onto the hospital bed.

Noah shook his head, suppressing a chuckle. "Good to know," he said. "Anyway, I better get going."

Liam raised an eyebrow. "Already? You're leaving this fast?"

"Yeah," Noah replied, adjusting the strap of his bag. "You're getting discharged tomorrow, so I need to clean up your house, maybe make some food. You know, basic survival prep."

Liam smirked. "Damn. Didn't know I had a personal maid."

Noah rolled his eyes. "You're welcome, master."

Liam laughed, then suddenly snapped his fingers. "Oh, right—before you go."

Noah paused at the door and turned back. "What?"

"You're jobless, right?"

Noah's face twitched slightly. "You don't have to remind me."

"Nah, I'm just saying," Liam continued. "Because I've got a job for you."

Noah blinked. "A job? For me?"

"Yeah. Part-time," Liam said, sitting up a little.

Noah frowned. "This isn't something illegal, right?"

"Relax, I'm not Henry," Liam scoffed. "It's a normal job. I can recommend you to my workplace."

"You… have a job?" Noah asked, genuinely surprised.

Liam looked offended. "What, you think I just survive off my good looks?"

"I was wondering, honestly," Noah muttered.

Liam ignored him. "I work at a car wash. Not glamorous, but it pays."

Noah considered it for a moment. "Huh… I guess I could use the money."

"Great! I'll call my boss. You can meet him today," Liam said, grabbing his phone.

"Wait, which car wash?" Noah asked.

"The one near Eastern Girls' School."

Noah immediately narrowed his eyes. "Why do I feel like you're up to something?"

Liam grinned. "What? I'm just saying, that school's full of baddies, bro. You'll love it."

Noah deadpanned. "Pass."

Liam gasped. "What?! You were excited a second ago!"

"Yeah, but my little brother's school is nearby too," Noah muttered. "Eastern Elementary."

"You mean Michael?" Liam asked.

Noah nodded but didn't say anything.

"So? What's the problem?" Liam pressed.

Noah exhaled slowly. "I just… I'm not ready to see him yet."

Liam sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Dude, I get it. But avoiding him forever isn't gonna fix anything."

"I know," Noah mumbled.

"You should talk to him," Liam said. "Seriously."

"I'll… think about it," Noah muttered.

"Good," Liam said. "And while you think, go to the damn car wash. I'll talk to the boss."

"But—"

"No buts. You're working," Liam said firmly, already dialing the number.

Noah sighed, defeated. "Fine."

"That's the spirit," Liam said, putting the phone to his ear. "Alright, I'm calling him now."

Noah adjusted his bag again. "I'm heading out, then."

"Alright. Try not to get kidnapped," Liam called after him.

Noah rolled his eyes as he walked out.

---

The streets were busy with students in school uniforms, chatting and laughing as they made their way to their respective schools. Noah walked quietly, his hands in his pockets, deep in thought.

The job itself wasn't an issue—he needed it. He wasn't in school, had no income, and didn't want to be a burden to Liam. He knew Liam's financial situation wasn't great, and adding another mouth to feed didn't help.

But working so close to Michael's school… that was a problem. He wasn't ready to face his younger brother.

Before he realized it, he had arrived at the car wash. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside.

The sound of water spraying against metal filled the air, along with the scent of soap and engine oil. A tall man with brown hair and a mustache turned to look at him. His sharp eyes scanned Noah, making his anxiety spike instantly.

"You here for a car wash?" the man asked.

Noah swallowed. His throat felt dry. "U-uh… n-no, I-I'm here for the j-job…"

The man raised an eyebrow. "You Noah?"

"Y-yes, s-sir," Noah stammered, gripping his bag strap tightly.

The man smirked, crossing his arms. "Name's James."

Noah nodded quickly. "N-nice to meet you, M-Mr. James."

James chuckled. "Kid's got manners. Not bad."

"Th-thank you, sir," Noah muttered, trying not to overthink every word.

James clapped his hands together. "Alright, you're hired."

Noah blinked. "W-wait… that's it?"

James shrugged. "You don't want the job?"

"N-no, I do! I just… thought it'd be harder?"

James laughed. "Nah. We're short on staff. You're in."

Noah hesitated, then quickly bowed. "Th-thank you, Mr. James."

"You start tomorrow," James said.

"Y-yes, sir!" Noah said quickly. He turned to leave, still surprised at how fast everything had happened.

"See you tomorrow, kid," James called after him.

---

Walking out of the car wash, Noah pulled out his tablet and called Liam.

The call connected almost immediately.

"Yo, Noah!" Liam's voice came through. "How'd it go?"

"I… g-got the job," Noah said.

"That was fast," Liam said.

"Y-yeah… I barely said anything, and Mr. J-James just hired me," Noah muttered.

"Told you it'd be easy," Liam said smugly.

"You make it sound like I scammed my way in," Noah mumbled.

"Hey, whatever works. When do you start?"

"Tomorrow."

"Nice. We can go together then."

"Y-yeah."

Liam paused for a moment. "Oh, install WhatsApp on your tablet."

Noah frowned. "WhatsApp? W-why?"

"So I can add you to the group chat."

"Group chat?"

"Yeah. We do a lot of serious discussions there," Liam said.

"Serious discussions?" Noah repeated skeptically.

"Okay, mostly dumb memes," Liam admitted. "But sometimes serious discussions."

"That's what I thought," Noah muttered.

"Also, Kevin sent some character references for the comic."

"Oh, right… we still need to name the comic," Noah realized.

"We already did," Liam said casually.

Noah blinked. "W-wait, really? No one told me."

"It's in the group chat. We decided to call it… Arthur the Failure."

Noah's face twisted in confusion. "…Arthur the Failure?"

"Yup."

"Who came up with that?"

"Kevin."

Noah sighed. "Figures."

"It's a masterpiece," Liam said proudly.

Noah groaned. "I'm going to install WhatsApp just to see what kind of nonsense is in that chat."

Liam chuckled. "Welcome to the team, Noah."