The traffic lights flickered and changed to green. The vehicles moved through the densely packed and wet streets. The raindrops fell like mortar fire. It fully drenched everything and almost everything was slipping on water like it’s melting ice. But as rain season comes, the sales of umbrella’s increases. You can absolutely monetise on everything these day. Including the wet and slippery season of rain. I wonder, how long it will take Author-san to monetise this Web Novel series.

The normal path I took was filled with people, with opened umbrella’s on their hands. And the street pavement and the asphalt road was overflowing with water that was always flowing down the city’s sewer drainage system.

I stood at the street crosswalk. With my black retractable umbrella giving me cover from the cold drops of rain. I was surrounded by people with face masks and with their umbrellas. Looking at these people, is kinda depressing. If you can read their job description by just looking at them, that is. But by the grace of Almighty Author-sama. And really you can figure it easy. If you know your psychology and some social engineering. It’s not that hard.

Among the crowd awaiting for to cross the road were people’s in suits. A woman stood infront of me. She was on her phone, talking to someone. From her pink shirt and all black suit. She’s a secretary. She was in a hurry. Looking at her feet, she wore two pairs of shoes. She’s been very vexed and busy for a week or so. Judging from the brown stain on the back of her black jacket. She hasn’t washed that jacket in a week or so, give or take. She leads a very trouble and distressing it would only take one more push to break her into desperation. And her conversation on her phone, only justifies that., “Yes, Mrs. Umikai. I have scheduled your dinner with Mr. Oogawa at 10:30..I’m sorry,Mr.Umikai. I will reschedule immediately with Mr. Oogawa.”

I think, she’s gonna get fired now.

“No, please. Mrs. Umikai! I really need this job, please forgive me.” She was on the verge of crying. And then the phone disconnected, “Mrs. Umikai...(hang up)”

Damn, should have betted some money on that prediction to make it more dramatic.

Poor girl, but it’s the same thing with the young man in the suit beside me, he was the average office worker going to work, but he was for some reason looking down at a piece of paper. He wasn’t looking so good. You could make that out by just looking at his face. Dark circles under his eyes. A sign of sleep deprivation. Also his face had signs of fatigue. These days, it’s a common practice for companies to work their workers on long shifts and pay them too little for it. In some cases, some workers unwilling to go on with these long shift but unwilling to leave the company because of societal implications of being unemployed, have been given no option left but to kill themselves. A serious problem world wide. But one that no one wants to solve. A invisible prison of adulthood. Makes me alittle amused. And they say Adulthood is much more different than Childhood. But I see no difference, just a fresh paint job on the same shit.

He put the paper away from his face. He looked as depressed as someone who was confused and out of options. Even though his face was turned down toward the ground. I could imagine, he was thinking what he should do or whether he should cry. He then walked away, well, he started running away. He ran through the coming waves of people, bumping into some.

Life is miserable. Running away from it, is just but a short phase of bliss. Author-sama can probably relate to that. Though he has no answer to it.

Like the famous Nietzsche quote goes, “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in that suffering.” But I don’t if everyone can find that meaning. And as life is meaning, so is death.

“No definite answer exists to the indefinite suffering of existence and then after.” Author-sama said through the invisible visage that suddenly appeared on the sky.

The traffic lights again turned to red. The vehicles stopped. Everyone at the crosswalk started going. Some going to work, some going to school, some going home. Everyone crossing has their reasons for crossing this distinct road.

After everyone had moved out, except one person that was the woman that was infront of me, the secretary. I walked to the front, I peeked at her for a moment. From the looks of it, she was devastated by her firing. It must have been a important thing for her. I wouldn’t wanna be working for a person like that. But whatever the case, it’s nothing for me to worry. After all, this is a cruel world, it’s either you or someone else. No need for me to try and fix this broken world. Plus, I have plot armour.

I walked along through my destination, with my umbrella sacrificing itself, so that I may not get drenched in rain. Though it’s a shame, my shoes are drenched and rotten wet from the ever-flowing water. Seriously, is the rainfall system in this simulation set to maximum? It’s pouring heavily for the last 5 hours or so. I walked along the pavement. Walking pass people, that wouldn’t be out on the street at this time. But some circumstances had forced them out on the streets at this time. God, what wouldn’t I do to be in a “non-wet” environment.

“Give me 10 million in real world currency of my country.”(Author-sama)

“Yeah. I’m a fictional in a web novel, that doesn’t have any images even you use invisible images to speak. So get a job, lazy, poor ragged bastard! or better write something that can get money”(Takeo)

“Okay. Fine. Then drown in the sea of your own self-awareness.”(Author-sama)

With that said, the rain poured even harder, I stopped in my tracks, and took refuge in a corner for a moment to let the heat to die down. Why do I even bother to argue with that jerk creator?

Some walked on through the heavy rain, while the other half just took refuge infront of shops, cafes, bus stops and anything that gave adequate protection from the pouring buckets of water. Seriously, is that bufffoon of a creator really trying to drown the city?

My idea of a shelter from the over-pouring amounts of rain was a thin strip of dry space infront of a shop that was currently closed. But I doubt for how long this thin strip of sanctuary will be dry. Basically like how long will a dick be out in the open, when some very sexy chick wants to stick it inside her? No wonder, we’re close relatives of monkeys and some other animals. We even have some Banana DNA in us. We’re no different from some sex maniac species of animals.

And it seems, someone else had the same idea of refuge, a girl dashed to the spot, I was in. She came and stood beside, just with the distance of 3 hands lengths, give or take.

“Man, I should really project some mathematical education into his character.”(Author-sama)

She closed her umbrella. Even though she had a umbrella, somehow her hair got wet ass well as other things.....

She wore a green and white school attire. With the top being white and the skirt being green. And it was classic sailor uniform. Her straight brown hair ran down her neck as superfluous as the gentle stream of water flowing. Though ironically she took out a towel from her handheld school bag and worked to dry her hair. Even it will get wet again, by air that forces the raindrops to fall horizontally and sideways. Hell, I know it’s gonna happen. Cuz I’m the main character in this series!

She kept rubbing her head against the towel that I assume is made in a country where cashmere is very exportable and labour is cheap.

The rain dazed on like it was a drone hunting people with a water cannon. Hey, I should patent that idea.

“Sorry. Bud. I think, Uncle Sam already had that idea already. They got DARPA after all, cuckoo weapons designers.”

I look at the school girl beside me, she was too busy with that towel. On the contrary, I should have bought s towel too. I got alittle wet when the rain got heavier in rate. My face got wet. My glasses got a literal sense of cleansing by the water that got splashed into them.

I took them for a sec, and I took out a cloth I had with me. In order to clean the glasses, those soft and non-silk cut clothes. I started getting the lenses non-wet. After that, I put them on again.

I look back at the girl, she finished drying her hair and face. Hey, why am I creepily looking at her?

As she was going to put the towel into her bag, she looked towards me. I am not gonna lie for a moment I thought she was gonna run away, thinking I was a creepy guy looking at her to fulfil some twisted desire of his. Hey, where the fuck, did that come from? Serious, stop writing shit that I have to narrate, you sonova!

On the contrary, she blushed. She offered the towel to me and said, “You can use it if you want...”

Wait, wait, why didn’t I get the handle on this situation earlier? This is the classical & legendary awkwardly romantic situation where the MC meets a girl/boy and, oh god. That fat slob of a god was scheming this all long. Author-san, have anything to comment?

“(Busy?)”

“You can use it if you want.” She said, turning her head around, for me not to see her blushed face.

Good thing, she didn’t look at me. Because my face had devolved into one of sickness. So what should I do? Should I accept it or reject it? Should I be rude or polite? Well, would that have any impact on the progression of my character? Is there a necessity for it? I am kinda wet. My body garments are dry, except some parts of my face and frontal hair. But the main question is what will be the result of any of my interactions in this particular scene? Seriously, I making more questions than answers.

For Luden’s sake, This feels like a debate between Trotskyist proletariat and a Mercantilist capitalist. It would stretch on forever and be really convoluted by the end, with both the parties involve being pissed and probably starting a bloody war. Oh, how magnificent. We, humans are. We even went to war for a fucking bucket once.

Let me just politely reject her. Isn’t that what a certain character in a long running and popular manhwa series would do? Yes, it is.

“No, I’m okay.” I hope, that’s a polite rejection!

At that sudden moment, the rain stopped. Both I and she turned to the streets to see the rain cease. You gotta be kidding me!

Well, that’s kinda fine with me. I just wanna get away from this awkward situation. Falling in love is the last of my concerns. Though why do I feel so nervous and hypocritical in these situation.

“Because you have my real world persona implanted on you.”(Author-sama)

Then what is this persona?

“This is my TMC prime persona.”(Author-sama)

That name doesn’t make much sense.

“Do any of Tolkien’s created names make any sense in modern English terms?”(Author-sama)

Good point.

I walked away from that spot or more like speedily jogged, slower than running and faster than walking. The skies were still overcast with clouds. I walked on without looking back at that girl.

The heavy rain produced little puddles of waters on the bumps on the pavement and on the asphalt of the road. There was also the lingering smell of concrete.

In a moment or so, I reached the school gate and embraced the utter horrid ness of my simulating life. I pass through the school gates, crossing over to the not so grey looking pavement of the school grounds. No one was more relieved than the plants in the frontal garden of the school. So much, greenery and nature porn that a ELF member would have a orgasm.

And so begins my school day, and this chapter is almost over and a couple pages long already.

By the time, I got to the 2nd floor. I was confronted by the giggling and laughing of students standing in a crowd, this is what you would call a group. Six or seven of them stood together at the windows of the second floor beside the stairs. With some of them having their phones out on their hands.

Humans are social creatures unlike other solitary creature like bears and the wolf spider. We create groups. In older times, we created group to increase survival chances of persons. And in all cases, in times of dire need, members of a group are sacrificed against their will to survive. If a zombie outbreak happens than we know, what happens in some cases.

I walked pass them to reach my classroom. There are students present but not all of them. Sanji was out today on a club “expedition”. His part of the baseball club after all. And there were 7 members in this classroom. And also some members of the Taekwando and Running clubs were in class were well. You could say, my classroom is filled with athletic talents. I’m kinda shocked, I’m in this class. Oh, yeah. It’s not a mystery.

Song and Miguchi were chatting a few seats infront of me. The class rep, Omura was doing some homework in his seat. Few were doing the same thing,. In the front seat of the middle column of the class was Hosana. While other guys were chatting about sports and stuff, in the back of the classroom.

Nouta wasn’t going to be coming today. Apparently that idiot walked into the rain, to help a girl and it turned out that she was just playing in the rain. And now, he has a fever. That dumbass and his hero-complex.

Good thing, I brought a book to read. If not, I would be dead to my rights on boredom. The rain also continued just then. No one was anticipating this much rain and such long lengths of rainfall.

I opened my bag, that I had placed on the table and took a book out. I only read the first 17 pages of it. I opened it and started reading. It was “Dogs of War” by Frederick Forsyth. A nice book about how to plot a coup de’tat in a country that’s not a frigid landscape under the Ivan’s

I read it and sadly, nobody came to bother me today. Strange, I have been so used to it, that it kinda feels like something of a daily routine. But one was must not dwell in the past, So, I put my focus into using my time to gain some knowledge from this. Also, I wasted some money on this paperback edition. So, I have to surely finish and enjoy this. When money is on the line, your heart hurts if you don’t enjoy it.

The bells rang across the school, school had began. Teachers went to the classes that they were in charge of. My classroom was abruptly silent and students seated. The class teacher came into the class. Students greeting the class teacher and the class teacher greeting back. Then calling attendance. Today, there were 10 empty seats, the teacher knows that. As everyone, students not able to come to school, must make his class teacher aware of the circumstances that made that student not able to attend. It’s a mandatory rule. If a student fails to do so, he will be fined.

I’m sure. Most of the unattended have legitimate reason not to attend. Except one student who’s probably binging on a streaming service and playing a RPG. How do I know? Well, I did it a lot of times in my earlier times. But I wasn’t doing those things exactly. Nor is that person probably doing that.

It’s just really easy to say your sick or any other emotionally adapt thing from the side of a phone. And the school authority doesn’t mind to check because they don’t wanna wanna any money on that agenda. But that’s not the reasoning they give in their brochures, every truthful person lies once in a while. A small sin, one must partake in. There are lot of necessary sins, one must partake in. Like a artist feminifying Dante. People deem it necessary. So, a artist must heed their call.

And so, ended this chapter. With not enough explosions or dead bodies like in Harry Turtledove’s World War series. Am I advertisement board for references and books now?

“No, you’re just a man of culture.”(Zhuangzi)

Okay, Zhuangzi.