[Chapter 3] A Stray Fate

Reiji headed to the supermarket, hands stuffed in his pockets, his mind still lingering on the mission.

Why the hell would I...

His thoughts trailed off as his eyes landed on a group of stray dogs gathered near an alleyway. Some were dozing off, others playfully gnawed at scraps, their tails wagging despite their rough conditions.

Reiji crouched down, reaching out to pet one of the smaller ones. The pup flinched at first but quickly leaned into his touch. A faint smile crossed his face.

Damn... they don't even know the world's against them.

Then—

"Reiji?"

He looked up.

Ayaka.

The class president.

She stood a few steps away, holding a plastic bag filled with what looked like canned dog food and bread. Her wide eyes blinked in surprise.

"Class pres?" Reiji dusted off his pants and stood up. "What are you doing here?"

"I... uh..." She hesitated before finally exhaling. "I feed these strays every now and then."

Reiji stared at her for a moment, then slowly gave a thumbs-up. "Well then... bye."

He turned on his heel and walked off, completely ignoring the bewildered look on her face.

But as he stepped further away, his phone buzzed.

A new notification.

Driver Trainee Mission: Deliver the Dog.

Target: Stray Dog (Brown Fur, Right Ear Torn). Method: Run it Over. Time Limit: 5 Hours Reward: +1 Points (Equivalent to $300 USD). Refusal Consequence: Trigger Event: Unnatural Lightning Strike.

Reiji's blood ran cold. His eyes darted back toward the group of dogs, scanning for the target.

And then he saw it.

A brown stray, resting near Ayaka's feet, its right ear slightly torn.

His grip on the phone tightened.

What the actual hell…

"Reiji?"

Ayaka's voice snapped him out of his daze.

His breath hitched. Shocked. Confused. His grip tightened.

"Did you forget something?" she asked, tilting her head.

"N-No!" Reiji stammered, stepping back.

Then—he ran. No explanation. No looking back.

Back home, he threw himself onto the bed.

Just forget it. Get on with the day.

He forced himself into routine—cooked, ate, slept.

The night passed.

No weird messages. He didn't even bother checking his phone.

Maybe it was all just a bad dream.

Morning.

Reiji rubbed his eyes, flicked on the TV, and set a pan on the stove. Sizzle.

Then—

"Breaking News!"

The anchor's voice made him glance up.

"An unnatural wave of lightning is currently striking the center of the Pacific Ocean! Experts are baffled as the phenomenon defies all known weather patterns!"

Reiji stared. Blank expression. No reaction.

Slowly, he turned back to his cooking. Flipped the egg.

Then, without a word, he grabbed his bag—

And left for school.

Reiji stepped into the classroom.

Something felt… off.

A few classmates were locked onto him, their eyes brimming with excitement.

Reiji sighed. "Shouma, stop with the childish pranks alrea—"

A blur. A massive paper ball, mid-throw.

Reiji's gaze flicked to the side. A blackboard eraser. Incoming.

He tilted his head left, just enough to let the eraser whiz past, missing by inches.

Slowly, he opened one eye, glancing to his right—

Shouma. Smirking.

"Seriously, bud… you need to stop this."

Shouma leaned closer. "C'mon, I thought you needed an 'I-don't-have-a-dad' initiation?"

Oho...

Reiji cracked his neck and stepped forward, bringing his face dangerously close to Shouma's.

"Tell you what—" his voice dropped into a low whisper, sharp as a knife.

"How about I f*ck up both your parents so you can join me in the 'I-don't-have-parents' club'?"

For a moment, silence.

Then—

"Hooooo!" Shouma grinned, eyes gleaming.

Before it could escalate, Ayaka stepped in, shoving them apart. "Cut it out already!"

Reiji and Shouma just laughed and walked to their seats.

Shouma leaned in. "Where were you yesterday?"

"Huh?"

"You didn't message me again."

Reiji exhaled. "Busy applying for work, you rich bastard."

Shouma raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Did you get a job?"

Reiji froze.

His mind raced.

Did I...?

A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.

Slowly, he pulled out his phone. "Well… about that."

As he scrolled, he started explaining—the weird notification, the mini delivery truck...

But then—

The notification was gone.

Nothing.

Not a single trace.

Shouma stared at him. "You trippin', bro?"

Reiji didn't answer.

Because he wasn't sure anymore.

He gripped his phone tighter, his mind spiraling into the possibilities—

And then—

The classroom door slid open.

Their teacher walked in.

Class began.

As soon as class was dismissed, Reiji made a beeline for Ayaka.

She was by her desk, packing up, when he stopped beside her.

"I met you yesterday, right?"

Ayaka blinked, startled. "Huh? Yeah... why?"

Reiji didn't answer right away. His mind raced. So it really happened. The confirmation felt like a weight settling in his chest—yesterday wasn't just a weird dream.

Before he could dwell on it further, a hand clamped onto his shoulder.

"I'm starving. Let's go eat!"

Reiji sighed. "You're always hungry."

Shouma just grinned.

As they walked down the hallway, a noise caught their attention.

A thud. A muffled grunt.

Both of them stopped in their tracks.

Reiji and Shouma exchanged glances.

Without a word, they headed toward the old building.

There—behind the school's abandoned annex—stood a group of students.

At the center of it all— a lone figure on the ground, cornered.

Reiji's eyes narrowed. Riku.

A class bully from another section.

And the guy on the ground? A transfer student.

Shouma moved first.

Before Riku's fist could land, Shouma stepped in—blocking the punch mid-swing.

Reiji didn't hesitate either. He crouched beside the transfer student.

Shouma glared. "Enough, Riku."

Riku clicked his tongue, pulling his hand back. "Tsk. You always ruin my fun."

Still, he took one last glance at the transfer student before turning away.

Reiji let out a long whistle. "Damn. You really got messed up, huh?"

Shouma crouched down. "You okay?"

The transfer student nodded.

Then—

"DETENTION!"

A voice boomed through the alleyway.

Reiji and Shouma both flinched.

Ayaka.

She stormed toward them, fire in her eyes. "What the hell are you two doing?! Explain!"

They barely managed to calm her down.

After a rushed explanation, she sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Fine," she muttered. Then, she turned to the transfer student. "What's your name?"

The guy dusted himself off before answering.

"Haruto Sylvaine."

Ayaka softened a bit. "Come on, let's get you to the clinic."

Haruto hesitated but eventually nodded, following her.

Reiji and Shouma watched them leave.

Then—

Something caught Reiji's eye.

A key.

It was clenched tightly in Haruto's hand.

He's holding onto that thing like his life depends on it.

Reiji narrowed his eyes. Was Riku after that?

His gut told him—this wasn't over.

Lunch break ended, and Reiji and Shouma made their way back to class.

Nothing out of the ordinary—just another dull afternoon.

At least, until their teacher walked in.

And beside him—

Haruto.

Reiji straightened slightly. The transfer student from earlier.

"Alright, class. We have a new student today," the teacher announced. "Introduce yourself."

Haruto stepped forward, hands tucked into his pockets.

"Haruto Sylvaine."

Short. To the point.

The class murmured, curious but quickly losing interest. The teacher continued, and the lesson dragged on.

But Reiji?

His mind was elsewhere.

By the time class was dismissed, his head was spinning.

Everything that happened yesterday—the weird messages, the truck, the so-called 'mission'...

Maybe he imagined it.

Maybe.

But as soon as he got home—

BZZT.

His phone screen lit up.

Reiji's stomach sank.

The same mission.

But this time—the punishment was worse.

Driver Trainee Mission: Deliver the Dog.

Target: Stray Dog (Brown Fur, Right Ear Torn). Method: Run it Over. Time Limit: 5 Hours Reward: +1 Points (Equivalent to $300 USD). Refusal Consequence: Trigger Event: Underground Gas Leak

Reiji's blood ran cold.

"HELL. NO!"

The words tore from his throat as he hurled his phone across the room.

THUD.

The device bounced off the wall and landed on the floor, screen flickering.

His breathing was ragged. His fists clenched.

Why was this happening to him?

He buried his hands in his hair, shaking his head. This isn't real. It can't be.

His stomach growled.

Reiji exhaled sharply, heading to the kitchen. Something—anything—to distract himself.

But as he opened the fridge—

Bare.

His food supplies? Almost gone.

He turned. Bills? Stacked up on the counter.

Without his father... without a job... how long could he even last like this?

Reiji dragged himself to the couch.

He grabbed a pillow, shoved it over his face, and let out a muffled:

"Dammit... This life…"

The weight of reality pressed down harder than ever.

And outside—

The sky rumbled.