“I wish I could return to being a child…”

After a long tiring day, Ryan Oxford stretched his hands, as it was followed with his bones cracking from too much accumulated pain.

“If it was that easy, I would’ve returned to being a child man!”

Hearing a voice beside him, Ryan shifted his gaze over where it came from, before finding his coworker Allan speaking out his wishes as well.

“Oh, I’d really love to… Man, If I knew life would be like this after college… I would’ve enjoyed my youth more.” (Ryan)

Seemingly holding tears from his eyes, Allan started venting out everything on his head too.

“Ryan! Hear me out!! I’m almost at the age of 34 and never once have I ever had a girlfriend… If I knew my life would be like this!! I WOULD HAVE CONFESSED TO EVERY BEAUTIFUL LADIES BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL MAN!!” (Allan)

“UH-HUH?” (Ryan)

“In short, PERHAPS YOU KNOW ANY LADY OUT THERE THAT’S LOOKING FOR A BLIND DATE?? You see… I don’t want to die alone and work here until I’m an old man…” (Allan)

Any possible ladies? Kinda baffled by the question of his coworker, Ryan tilted his head to the side in all anger, before spilling out the truth.

“Allan, tell me how many hours we spend working here at the office.” (Ryan)

“Uh…. 16 hours a day…” (Allan)

“Then you should know better, since we go home at the same time, that… We can barely see our home and even sometimes have to sleep in the office when it's a chaotic season at work… Now tell me, how in the hell I’ll be able to find free time to go outside and talk to some girl, when all I do after work is get some sleep…” (Ryan)

“Right…” (Allan)

Without wasting any more time, Ryan gets up from his office chair before grabbing his backpack from the nearby locker, exiting the office room, ignoring Allan’s presence, seemingly in a hurry to get home.

“How long has it been?” (Ryan) 

Ryan stared at the building exit with longing eyes, as if he had just reunited with his lover after 10 years of being apart.

It has been 2 days since he last saw this entrance and exit doorway… Since it’s been a chaotic month for them, they haven’t been able to get home at all for these past two days. So reuniting with this exit doorway was like a dream come true for Ryan…

And at last, with all his remaining strength. Ryan pushed the glass exit doorway forward, revealing an all darkened sky, with lights brimming everywhere in the streets.

“I’m finally…. I’M FINALLY FREED!! BHWHAHAHAHAH!!” (Ryan)

Totally out of his character, Ryan started laughing right outside the company building, like a madman. Everyone exiting the doorway immediately looked away from him in shame, even Allan, his coworker, walked a different way in order not to be mistaken to be an acquaintance of Ryan.

“It’s been so long, oh how I love this feeling of being outside…”

 After being locked up for two days in that office and only eating in their company cafeteria, Ryan had lost it, to the point he acts differently to his usual demeanor.

Looking further into the unending street, the road became so clear to him.

“I can finally go home.”

Home. It’s something he once loathed returning at, yet at this very moment, would feel like a dream come true… 

“I wonder if my favorite manga and novels finally released a chapter during my absence…” (Ryan)

Thinking about it makes his days even more better, nothing’s better than a good read on rest days and delicious meals. With much happiness in his head, Ryan took off and headed to the train station.

When he got to the station, Ryan bought a ticket and waited inside the train station. The whole subway was weirdly crowded, usually there would only be less crowd since it's almost past 9 PM but, for no some reason, there were more crowds than usual.

“I can’t even breathe in here anymore…” (Ryan)

It’s like he’s almost getting pushed off the edge to the railways. 

And the main reason for this crowd was…

“FARHAYLAA!!!!!!!!!!!”

“SMILE THIS WAY PLEASEE!!!”

Introduced by a large cheering commotion, the main culprit for the crowdings finally appeared…

It was none other than a celebrity. Her name was Farhayla, a famous young actress that’s  been known for her personality in media and reality. Apparently, she’ll be taking trains today too.

But…

“Why does she even need to take the train… Doesn't she have her own car or a driver… Man, it sucks…” (Ryan)

Muttering his thoughts in all silence, Ryan took a glance at the beautiful young actress, and glared at her.

What do they even find pretty about her…

Anyways… I guess I’ll have to suffer for a little while. (Ryan)

Finally accepting the reality in front of him, Ryan changed his attention to the unending railways, hoping for the train to come soon.

And with that little silence in his head… 

And at that very moment, a loud scream resounded everywhere!

“RUN!! MISS FARHAYLA, RUN!!”

Everyone seemed to be panicking and screaming, as Ryan could visibly hear footsteps from behind him, as if someone was in a run

Unbeknownst to the situation, Ryan turned around to see what’s happening, only to be welcomed by a pretty face, coming up to him.

“HUH?”

“HUH??”

Farhayla bumps into Ryan, and by accident, they both fall down the railway.

“Arghhh! What was that?!” (Ryan)

The celebrity stumbled upon him, now they’re both down the railways… 

If so… Wouldn’t the train be arriving any minute by now..?

“Uhhh…. A-Ah…” (Hayla)

Seemingly shaking while on top of Ryan’s body, Hayla raised her hand and pointed at the unending subway. And… From there, a glimpse of lights could be seen visibly.

And at that moment, Ryan knew he had to act immediately. Without wasting time, Ryan pushed off the panicking young actress from the top of him and attempted to climb back up the station…

But as he was about to successfully climb back up, the thought of heroic acts from the novels he had read came to his mind…

It was in a hurry but, he shouldn’t be having such a thought of saving the helpless girl than forsaking his own life. 

In the first place, Ryan doesn’t even know the young actress, nor care about saving her. But at that moment, everything seemed to have stopped.

Ryan stopped from his track, and sprinted all the way back, carrying the helpless young actress into his back, before successfully pushing her back up at the station with the help of other commuters.

At the same time, it seemed like the commotion up the station had cooled off now, although he still had no idea what happened, after saving the young actress, Farhayla. 

Ryan finally accepted his fate…

Who would have thought this is how his life would come to an end…

As the lights from the train started becoming bigger, Ryan closed his eyes and everything turned black.

And when he reopened his eyes… All he could see from his eyes were… A huge freaking ceiling…?

“Dudu… Dada…??” (WHAT’S HAPPENING???) 

When Ryan opened his mouth to speak, his voice had shrunk and it was turned… Into infant language..? 

What in the world is happening…