Chapter 5: The Art of Survival

Tuesday – School

I barely survived the night without my PlayStation. I even considered doing my homework just for something to do. But don't worry—I didn't lose my mind completely. Instead, I spent most of the night lying on my bed, listening to songs on my phone until my mom caught me and confiscated that too.

So, when I walked into school the next morning, I was a broken man.

Azri was already waiting at our usual spot near the canteen, grinning like he had been looking forward to this moment all night.

"How's life in prison, bro?" he asked, sipping his Milo ais like he wasn't the reason I was suffering.

I glared at him. "Babi!."

He nodded. "Understandable. But, for real, how bad is it?"

I slumped onto the bench. "No phone. No PlayStation. Just me, my thoughts, and my mom staring at me like I'm a disappointment to the whole family."

Azri whistled. "Oof. That's tough. You need a plan."

I raised an eyebrow. "A plan for what?"

"To survive," he said. "You can't go one whole week without entertainment, bro. You'll die."

He had a point.

Just then, Rina appeared out of nowhere, sliding into the seat across from me. "Morning~"

I groaned. "Why are you so happy?"

"Because I didn't get caught," she said proudly, stealing a piece of Azri's roti canai.

Azri swatted her hand away. "Oi, get your own food."

She ignored him and turned back to me. "So, what's your plan?"

I sighed. "Apparently, I need one."

Azri leaned forward. "Okay, listen. I have two ideas. Option one: You beg your mom for mercy."

I shook my head. "Not happening. She enjoys watching me suffer."

"Fair," he said. "Then we go to option two: Sneaky entertainment."

I frowned. "What does that even mean?"

Azri grinned. "Books."

Rina snorted. "You think Mana's gonna read?"

Azri shrugged. "Look, desperate times, desperate measures. And besides, if you borrow a book, your mom will think you're learning or something."

I sighed. "This is what my life has come to? Smuggling books like it's some kind of illegal operation?"

Rina patted my shoulder. "Welcome to rock bottom."

And that's how I ended up in the school library for the first time in years, searching for something—anything—that could keep me entertained.

—Mana, Jan 2017