Chapter 1 - Prologue

By the time I finished work, returned home, and had dinner and a bath, it was already late at night.

On the occasional day off, I would spend the day reading the anime I had saved up or the light novels I had stacked.

I had been working at the factory I joined after graduating high school for 20 years. Before I knew it, I was 38 years old.

Due to the irregular lifestyle and lack of exercise, I had gained a belly. Perhaps due to stress, my scalp was also starting to thin.

At this age, I had no motivation to change anything. I continued to mechanically perform my job, while hearing the hysteria of middle management.

“What a truly dull life,” I couldn’t help but let those words slip out. Looking back, I had the most energy right after graduating high school.

I saw my current job as just a step up and believed, without any basis, that I would eventually be promoted, scouted, and have a career advancement.

However, in reality, that wasn’t the case. I finished work late and returned home because of the tightly packed schedule.

Due to the presence of unmotivated individuals with low wages, the work didn’t progress as planned, and I was showered with insults by the management, calling me a “wage thief.”

On days like this, it’s best to quickly return home and drink alcohol to forget.

I was about to buy alcohol and snacks at the convenience store when I passed by several male and female college students.

The college students were laughing joyfully, seemingly unaware of the darkness of society, and their smiles reflected a radiant brightness.

I watched them with a mixture of envy and self-pity.

Having never had a girlfriend since I was born, I felt jealous of their youthful experiences.

In the next moment, a sports car crashed into them from the side.

They were immobilized by the sudden turn of events.

My body moved reflexively. The car headlights were rushing towards me.

I managed to push them out of harm’s way, and in the next moment…

I lost consciousness.