Alex pov
"Good Morning!"
I don't know why but I feel so happy today. Maybe it's because I woke up before the alarm clock, maybe it's the sun shining down on my face, or maybe it's because of the fact that today is pay day. I arrived at work earlier than usual and was met with an angry stare from the owner of the restaurant and an apologetic look from the manager. Did I do something wrong? I racked my brain looking for a reason explaining why the owner is angry at me and I came up with nothing. Maybe there's something in my face? It's rude to be angry at someone just because you don't like the way they look. I wonder what it is. As I was racking my brain for more plausible reasons, the owner broke the silence by talking first.
"You. Meet me in the office." (Owner)
"Y-yes."
I stuttered. Why did I stutter? And what's with this weird atmosphere? It feels intimidating and at the same time, awkward. I followed him in his office and shut the door.
"You're fired." (Owner)
What? Did I hear that right? Nah, maybe he meant fried. It sure is hot today and I do a light jog everyday so I might be sunburned without even realizing it.
"Yes, I walked here and didn't realize that the sun was frying my skin. Do I really look fried?
I looked at my reflection from the mirror hanging on the right wall. I put my right hand to my face and rubbed my cheeks. I don't look fried though.
"Are you deaf? I said you're fired." (Owner)
Wha- so I heard it right. My cheerful face suddenly fell down into a scowl.
"May I ask the reason why?"
Even if I'm fired, I would be restless if I didn't know the reason.
"Ha! Acting all innocent and pretending you don't know. I heard it all from Kelly. She told me you snatched some leftover food and threatened to kill her if she ever tell anybody about it. It took her real courage to come and tell me what happened. At the end, she was even crying!" (Owner)
I'm at loss for words. I just stood there with a blank expression because I just can't comprehend why she did what she did.
"Not denying anything? I see, at least you have the decency to remain silent." (Owner)
He opened his shelf and produced an envelope.
"This is your pay. You should leave now before Kelly sees you. I'm sure she'll break down if she sees you." (Owner)
I took the envelope and walked out of the room. The manager walked up to me and apologized for the injustice.
"It's fine. At least someone believes in me."
I smiled as I walked out of the restaurant. As I was walking towards home, I suddenly remembered that I forgot to return my uniform. I turned heel and ran in the direction of the restaurant. As I was in the process of opening the doors, I heard some conversation in the alleyway beside the restaurant where the garbage bins are. It piqued my curiosity and I couldn't help but walk in that direction. I didn't know why I was walking stealthily but I was thankful that I did. I hid beside a garbage bin close enough to see two people having a conversation. They couldn't see me in my postion but I could see and hear them.
"Hahaha I wish I saw his stupid face." (Kelly)
"It was magnificent! Khukhukhukhuku he was so out of it. It was so funny pretending to sympathize with him. Do you know what he said?" (Manager)
"What? What is it?" (Kelly)
"He was like 'At least someone believes in me' hahahahaha I nearly bursted out laughing." (Manager)
"Hahahaha what a stupid kid. Your plan succeeded though. I didn't know it would work hahahahahaha." (Kelly)
I couldn't hear anymore, or rather, I was preoccupied with my own thoughts that it naturally drowned out their conversation. This was the manager's plan!? I couldn't believe it, no, I refuse to believe it. But he admitted it himself. I feel like there's a hand squishing my heart and I have difficulty with breathing. So this is what it feels like to be betrayed by someone you trusted. As I heard the back door open and close, it was my cue to run away from this place. I ran and ran and I somehow ended up sitting in a swing in a park immersed deeply in my own thoughts. I feel so dumb. I'm not angry at the manager, rather, I'm angry at myself for being so damn gullible. But more than that, I'm worried about how I'm going to pay for our future expenses. I opened the envelope and I pulled out a cheque containing $3,351. This wouldn't even last a month. I should look for another job. Just as I was pondering about what to do, two teenagers sat on the bench beside me and I could clearly hear their conversation. Did I become an eavesdropper?
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"What is your class? I am a mage and I need a tank."
"We should meet then. I'm a knight and I'm confident about tanking."
Tch! Good for them. They have no worries and the only thing they do is play video games.
"So how much was the last bid?"
"$1034. Well that's to be expected because it's such a rare item."
"Woah. I wish I also find a rare item to sell."
What!? $1034 just for an item!? I know some people buy game items with real money but to spend $1034 is insane! What game is this!?
"Yeah, some dark gamers are rich because of 'World of Wonders'. We should explore a dungeon together, maybe we can find something we can sell."
World of Wonders? I feel like I've heard of it before but what's with the tacky name? I wonder how popular it is for people to ignore how tacky the name sounds. For now, I should head home. I visited the bank on the way home to deposit my last paycheck from the restaurant.
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I opened my laptop and searched for the game World of Wonders or whatever it is. As I was going through the search results, I clicked on a link and it led me to the official bidding site for game items/weapons/clothes/etc.. I nearly fainted at the site before me. Unbelievable prices! I saw the number one item on the list and it currently has a bid of $6945. Damn! It's twice my paycheck! And it's still ongoing! I refreshed the site to find that the amount changed from $6945 to $7690. What!? This is incredible! If I play this game, I could sell rare items I find and I would be rich! With this, my problems will be solved! I looked at the official World of Wonders website and the price nearly knocked me off my chair. $3000 for a vr capsule! And that's the cheapest one!? Then how much is the most expensive one? $20000.99!? These prices are going to give me a stroke. The game has $50 monthly subscription!? Well, that's to be expected, I guess.
Wait. First month is free! Should I go for it? Might as well. I clicked on the order now button and it led me to a new tab where I quickly filled out my information. I picked the most basic vr capsule as it is the cheapest one. I finished ordering and I received an email of confirmation and receipt. I also received an email informing me that workers will come tomorrow to set it up. Wow! Tomorrow!? Really!? At least they work fast. Although I'm still a little bummed from spending $3000 in a day. Sigh~ I should just research information for now.
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A/N: Please leave a comment on how you're liking the story so far. Is it going too slow? Is it at a moderate speed? Does it lack details? Feel free to nitpick on every little things as it will help me deliver what you, the readers, want. Have a nice day!
:-fightingchicken:- <- Is this a panda? It looks like a panda.