Chapter 1: Death

The rhythm of the rain dancing on the rooftop soothes the soul, bringing a cool ambiance to the room. Accompanied by the rhythmic tapping of the typewriter, the melody of nature and man-made sounds compete in a calming harmony.

This harmony brings tranquility to the minds of the news writers, enhancing their focus as their fingers dance nimbly over the typewriter.

The fingers of the news writers dance over the typewriter, transforming facts into captivating narratives. Word by word, they are carefully strung together, delivering information with an artistic touch of language.

Four men sit in their respective chairs, busy typing on their typewriters. One chair is empty, and one typewriter remains unused.

The emptiness of this chair makes someone sitting there feel restless.

The man looks at the empty chair, and his mind begins to wander through various possibilities.

Suddenly, a knock on the door is heard, causing everyone to stop their activities.

"Excuse me," a young voice is heard from outside the door.

"Come in," says one of the men sitting there.

The door opens, and a young boy enters the room. His eyes are blue like the sky. His hair is black. He wears a brown jacket over a white shirt, holding a closed umbrella.

"Sorry I'm late, the rain held me back," the boy bows his head.

One of the men sitting there approaches him. This man has blond hair and red eyes.

His red eyes gaze at the boy, and one of his hands gently pats the boy's head.

The boy looks back into his eyes.

"Mr. William?"

The man then smiles.

"It's okay. The rain can sometimes be a hindrance, but you've proven your intention to work."

The boy feels comfortable near this man. He is very kind and attentive to him. The boy considers him like his own brother because of his kindness and attention.

However, the boy has only just started working two months ago. He was accepted by the boss who owns this newspaper company.

William Weebert then returns to his seat. The boy follows and sits in the empty chair.

After sitting down, the boy places his umbrella under the chair. One of the men there then says, "Are you late because of the rain or because of your disabled sister?" He chuckles. The man next to him also adds a joke.

They laugh heartily.

Mr. William Weebert, sitting nearby, is the only man not laughing there. He focuses on typing his assignment.

The boy doesn't care about the jokes of the men around him. He wants to start typing his assignment.

He glances to the side and asks about the material he should edit. The man next to him hands him three sheets of paper filled with writing.

The boy's task is to edit these three sheets of writing to make them shorter and easier to read. Although the task seems simple, it is quite difficult. Fortunately, as a child, the boy often read many books.

The boy smiles, then takes the papers and begins to read them all from the top to the bottom of the three sheets.

After looking at and understanding the content of the writing, he presses a key on the typewriter.

He begins to type on the typewriter.

One of the men there starts to interject.

"Why don't you kill your sister? It would free you from responsibility. Besides, your disabled sister is useless."

The comment from the man makes the boy stop typing. His heart feels hurt. Indeed, he works to support his disabled sister.

Since the age of 16, he has had to look for work because his mother died and his father disappeared, leaving the two of them alone.

Since then, the boy has been the backbone for his sister. He has tried many jobs, But this job was his favorite.

His fondness for reading novels and summarizing their contents made him accustomed to revising novels he had read before. Editing news text became something natural for him.

The boy looked at the face of the man who made the statement. The man's face looked old, with a bit of white hair among his black hair. The man smiled contentedly because he had succeeded in eliciting a reaction from the boy.

The tough work environment had made the boy accustomed to it. Since joining, he often received negative comments from the seniors on his team. Being the youngest on the team, everyone underestimated him. However, within a few weeks, that underestimation turned into fear.

They feared that one day the boy would dominate his work too much and threaten the positions of older people like them. Therefore, they often made jokes that hurt the boy's feelings to make him quit.

William Weebert, sitting to his left, turned towards the boy. He whispered softly, "Let it be. Stay focused."

The boy began to calm his emotions after being soothed by William Weebert. He tried to focus on his work and then began to type.

After trying to focus, the boy finally started working on his task. He became accustomed to the sound of rain outside, which actually made him more focused.

Although the people around him continued to say words that hurt his heart, the boy remained focused on typing without caring about them.

Suddenly the door opened. A short old man wearing a white shirt and black suspenders entered the room. His head was bald, and everyone in the room greeted him with a smile.

The old man was the boss and owner of this newspaper company, who also recruited Rendy Redswan to work.

He approached the table where Rendy was sitting with four other people. "Rendy Redswan, can you come to my room?" asked the old man.

Rendy nodded and accepted the boss's invitation. The people around Rendy held back their smiles. The old man then headed towards the exit of the room, followed by Rendy from behind. They both walked towards the boss’s room, which was located right next to the room where Rendy worked.

In front of his room’s door, the boss turned the doorknob and entered. Rendy followed him in.

Inside the room, there was a desk, a chair, and a painting of a white tiger hanging behind the seat. Atop the wooden desk were many books and newspapers, indicating that the boss was fond of reading.

The boss sat in the chair and took out a cigarette from his trouser pocket. He placed the end of the cigarette in his mouth and looked for a lighter. Not finding one, he began to search the desk cluttered with books and newspapers.

Rendy, noticing that the lighter was at the end of the table, informed his boss. The boss smiled, then took the lighter and lit it in front of Rendy.

Smoke from the cigarette began to spread throughout the room. Rendy actually disliked cigarette smoke because he had bad memories of his father and smoking.

Despite his dislike for the spreading smoke, Rendy remained silent in his place until his boss spoke.

After a few puffs of the cigarette, the boss finally looked towards Rendy. “Rendy Redswan,” he called.

Rendy looked at his boss’s face. “What is it, boss?” he asked.

The old man exhaled a few puffs of smoke before saying, “You know, the reason I recruited you back then was because you pleaded with me."

Rendy nodded, remembering well that he had pleaded, even knelt down, to be able to work there. This job was very important to him because it helped him support his disabled younger sister.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Salary he receives here is about 50 ren per month. Although it's not much, the money is enough to support his and his sister's life for a month, as they lead a simple lifestyle.

The old man exhaled another puff of cigarette smoke before speaking further. "Lately, the money in this drawer has been diminishing. You know, I often invite people into this room, don't I?" he continued.

The boss kept the office money in the drawer of his work desk. He also frequently asked some of his employees to come into the room. He had also informed the employees about the presence of the money there, including Rendy when he first joined.

The boss seemed to trust the employees, believing that they would not steal from his desk drawer.

Rendy nodded, paying attention to his boss. "What's the matter?" asked Rendy, waiting for further explanation.

"Haven't I called several employees into this room over the past week? Five people have already been checked, and you are the sixth one I'm checking," said his boss.

Apparently, after the loss of money, the old man began to suspect his own subordinates. Initially, he trusted them greatly, but the loss of money made him wary and suspicious of the possibility of betrayal by those around him.

The old man extinguished his cigarette by pressing it on the table, then looked sharply at Rendy.

"Do you know what happened last Monday, when I wasn't here?" he asked.

Rendy began to recall the events of last Monday. The workers were typing as usual, preparing news for the public. Suddenly, Rendy remembered Samuel Rickson, his coworker who often insulted Rendy's disabled sister. At that time, Samuel was seen going in and out of the workroom.

Many people asked Samuel why he kept leaving the room. Samuel replied that he had a stomachache and had to go to the toilet frequently.

Rendy concluded that Samuel was not actually going to the toilet but entering the boss's room.

Rendy explained what he knew to his boss.

His boss nodded in acknowledgment of the information provided by Rendy.

"You know, I've heard the same story from 5 out of the 6 people I've checked before you," said his boss.

Rendy smiled. If this story was true, Samuel might be punished, even fired. If Samuel was stopped, there might not be anyone left to make negative comments about his sister. Samuel often provoked, and if he started negative comments, others would follow suit.

Rendy felt this was karma for Samuel who often mocked him.

However, the boss then added, "But there are some differences in their stories."

Rendy, who initially smiled, then put on a serious expression again, ready to listen to what his boss would say.

"The difference is in the perpetrator of the story," said his boss.

Rendy was a bit confused by his boss's statement, furrowing his brow. It was clear last Monday that the person going back and forth to the workroom was Mr. Samuel. How could five other people have a different perpetrator in their stories?

If there were differences, it was most likely just a statement from Samuel himself. Besides, one other person was on the ground floor and did not see what happened.

Others, like Mr. William Weebert and three others, must have stories similar to Rendy's.

The boss sighed. "Out of the six people I've checked, including you. Only you said that it was Mr. Samuel who entered this room at that time, while four others said it was you. The rest have no information."

Rendy felt shocked and hurt to hear that decision of dismissal. It turns out there were four people accusing him as the perpetrator.

Rendy's chest felt very tight as if stabbed by a knife.

His boss wore a serious expression but looked sad. "Forgive me, son. I cannot keep a thief here. I have to fire you," he said with regret.

Rendy approached his boss's desk, holding onto it. "This is a misunderstanding, I didn't do it. It was Mr. Samuel," Rendy pleaded.

"I'm sorry, you're fired. Leave this company now," his boss clarified firmly.

Rendy pushed the desk with his foot while holding onto it, looking at his boss with hope.

"It wasn't me who did it, I would never do such a thing!" he exclaimed, but his boss avoided his gaze by turning his face away.

"I swear on my mother's corpse! I didn't do it!" Rendy added emphatically.

After a moment, Rendy released his hold on the desk and looked down at the floor.

Then he shifted his attention to the painting of the white tiger behind his boss.

Rendy felt heartbroken, but slowly he thought that leaving this unpleasant work environment might be the best choice. He hoped that by leaving, Samuel and the other employees would no longer mock his disabled sister. Although he would lose his job, Rendy thought he could find another one.

Rendy accepted the dismissal with a heavy heart but with a peaceful attitude. He nodded, then bowed his head as a sign of thanks to his boss who had accepted him in the first place.

After that, Rendy left the old man's room and began to descend the stairs. With each step he took, he began to imagine the kind of job he would take next.

When he reached the ground floor, Rendy looked to the side and saw a black-haired woman sitting behind a desk reading a book. The woman was Vanessa, who was responsible for receiving complaint calls and taking attendance of the workers.

Her hair was black, and so were her pupils. She wore a white shirt and a black skirt.

Vanessa was about the same age as Rendy, 17 years old, but she had been working in this office since she was 12 because she is the niece of the boss who owns the company.

Vanessa noticed Rendy’s presence and closed the book she was reading. “What’s up? Why are you down here? Work hours aren’t over yet,” Vanessa asked in surprise.

“I’m here to cross out my name,” Rendy replied with disappointment.

Vanessa was shocked, covering her mouth. “Cross out? Were you fired? Why? Wait, don’t tell me…” the girl asked worriedly.

Rendy asked Vanessa, “What did you tell the boss when asked about the missing money on his desk?”

Vanessa answered honestly, “I said I didn’t know.”

Vanessa looked at Rendy with a pitying expression.

“I share your sorrow,” she added.

After that, Vanessa handed Rendy the book containing the list of employees. The book included the names of all the employees working there.

Vanessa also gave Rendy a pen. Rendy accepted the pen.

Then, Rendy crossed out his own name from the list.

After that, he walked towards the exit with feelings that were not entirely sincere. He still felt upset and hurt over the false accusations he had to accept.

With heavy steps, his body approached the exit door. His hand reflexively reached for the doorknob. The sound of rain made Rendy stop opening the doorknob. He realized that he had left his umbrella in the workroom.

Rendy turned around and moved towards the stairs. Before starting to climb, he said to Vanessa, “I left my things inside.”

Vanessa smiled, “Make sure you don’t leave anything behind. This place is already full of papers, don’t let your things add to it.”

Rendy returned the smile, although he still felt a bit heartbroken. Then, he started climbing the stairs again.

He headed towards his workroom and stopped in front of the door. As he was about to open the doorknob, he heard loud laughter from inside the room.

The sound was Samuel's, gleeful for having succeeded in getting Rendy fired, followed by the voices of several others who seemed to conspire to ensure Rendy's dismissal.

Rendy had suspected this from the beginning of his work. They had been trying to get him out for a long time.

But there was one thing that struck Rendy hard: the laughter of William Weebert. That sound pierced Rendy's heart like an axe.

Not only that, Rendy heard that all this was a plan by William Weebert to get him fired. Someone who Rendy had previously believed would not do such a thing to him turned out to have malicious intentions towards him.

After all, William Weebert had never shown any dislike towards Rendy. But the human heart is unpredictable.

Rendy, who was about to open the doorknob, felt like crying. The reality of the world seemed to slap his face. People who appear good are not always good.

Finally, Rendy decided not to take his umbrella. He decided to go down the stairs without taking the umbrella.

Each step he descended felt very heavy to him.

When Rendy reached the ground floor, Vanessa looked confused to see him.

"Did you get your things?" Vanessa asked.

Ignoring Vanessa's question, Rendy approached the exit door and opened it.

*Creak.*

As the door opened, he saw the rain outside. Although it was raining, Rendy didn't care as he left the office with a shattered feeling.

Rendy walked along the edge of the road, his body drenched by the rain. He became wet from the tips of his hair to the tips of his toes. His brown jacket grew darker with the rainwater soaking it.

His tears mixed with the raindrops. He paused for a moment, crying while standing in the downpour.

Then, he decided to continue his steps. Finally, he stopped in front of a university.

The university is a place where people study to get a decent job. Rendy pondered, imagining if his family was normal, maybe he could enter this university. He wouldn't have to work hard to support his sister.

Fantasizing about this made Rendy's heart hurt even more.

Rendy also remembered the face of his father who left him, his mother, and his sister. For Rendy, the source of chaos in his family was his father who left without a word.

He felt that if only his father hadn't left their family, his mother wouldn't have committed suicide due to depression. Rendy wouldn't have to work hard to support his sister.

Suddenly, a plump person with a black jacket, bald head approached Rendy while holding an umbrella.

Rendy, ignoring this person, was still lost in sadness.

This person stood in front of Rendy, holding an umbrella that shielded him from the rain.

Rendy looked at this person with a sad expression.

Suddenly, this person reached for something behind his jacket.

His left hand took out a pistol from behind his jacket.

This startled Rendy awake as if from sleep. He woke up from his sadness.

Seeing this person pull out a pistol made Rendy wonder what this person was going to do.

A pistol is not something normally held by ordinary people unless they are police or the like.

"Excuse me, are you a police officer?" Rendy asked.

The person remained silent, not answering.

After looking once more at the person, Rendy convinced himself that this person was not a police officer.

Police work wearing uniforms. Whereas this person was wearing a black jacket.

But this person is not an ordinary civilian. For someone to get a gun someone has to be a police officer or something like that and something else People who can hold a gun without permission are criminals such as gangsters or terrorists. Or criminals like that.

It has been confirmed that this person is a dangerous person.

Suddenly the person pointed his gun at Rendy.

Randy's eyes opened wide in shock. He wanted to run but seemed to give up The bullets will quickly chase Rendy's body before he can move Rendy then asked this bald man "What do you want?"

The bald man was still pointing his gun while holding an umbrella. Rendy then knelt down and begged for forgiveness. "I beg you, I just got fired. I have a younger sister who is disabled." Rendy then raised his head to look at the bald man's face

The bald man looked back at Rendy His black pupils reflected an indescribable emptiness

Suddenly he pulled the trigger of his gun

Dorr

The bullet penetrated Rendy's forehead making him fall on his back. There was a lot of blood coming out of Rendy's head.

The blood mixed with the rain above Rendy, who was lying on his back, had his eyes still open. Randy's vision slowly darkened.

Even though his eyes were still open When the light in his eyes went out.

Rendy finally died After that, the bald man put his gun into his jacket again. And left Rendy's body in front of the university.

Rendy's body, which was lying on his back with his head punctured by a bullet, was drenched in rain as if God was crying over his body.