That night. I was currently somewhere. Unlike my other colleagues, they really didn't want to go anywhere. However, I still had to maintain my sanity. Not long after, I saw several people who had been laughing and discussing various things. Immediately, I felt a little disturbed. Their loud voices made some people in the bar uncomfortable. This time, I tried to act naturally and without anything that was quite annoying. Not only that, something I really wanted to see again slowly but never happened. This made me feel depressed. Once again, there was doubt inside me. No wonder a few days ago, Alex had said something I never expected before about plans after his internship at the company. At first, I just thought it might be nonsense. However, I was suddenly shocked to find that it wasn't. Finally, I felt a little depressed again because something really didn't make sense. Now it couldn't be denied that there might be something even more surprising than that. Once again, it was terrifying just to imagine it. Until this very moment, I was haunted by something that terrified me. Meanwhile, Alex, who was currently enjoying his time relaxing for a moment, was suddenly surprised by the arrival of a young man who turned out to be his college friend. The man's name was Oscar. After that, the two of them chatted casually. From Alex's expression, it was clear that he was indeed in trouble. This made him feel a little annoyed. In contrast, Oscar looked quite calm, as if he didn't have a care in the world. Everything that had happened recently was truly terrifying. There were several other things that had remained a mystery until now. All of it came slowly, quickly, and brought its own horror.
“What are you thinking, my friend?” said Oscar.
"A lot."
“Does it have anything to do with work?”
“True. But it's even crazier than that, it turns out.”
"You're really thinking about something like that? Wow, this is crazy. I've seen you fine for so long."
"It's not what it seems. Besides, everyone who witnesses other people alive seems to have nothing strange going on. But the truth is, it's truly terrifying. What brought you here?"
"It just so happens the beer here is delicious. That's why I came here. I didn't expect to find an old friend sitting alone, lamenting his fate."
“Damn you. What about your job?”
“About work, huh? I feel like throwing up when I hear that.”
"Why did you say something like that?"
“Honestly, I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time that I’m not suited to that job.”
“Where do you work?”
“Company in the financial sector.”
“Then, where do you want to go?”
“At least be in a place that is more humane.”
"You are crazy?"
“Of course I’m sane. I even asked.”
“Reality is always like that. Sometimes you can't choose.”
"But I don't want to stay in a circle that doesn't fit. That will only erode my mental health."
“You’re absolutely right. I’m already feeling like a madman right now.”
“Wow, it's ridiculous for Alex to say something like that.”
“That's a fact.”
“Yeah. Whatever. The world is already in chaos.”
“What are your plans after this?”
“I don’t know. It seems like you’re just keeping quiet. What about you?”
“More or less the same as you. There's really nothing to do but stay silent.”
“You don't intend to live, it seems.”
"If it's about that, don't ask anymore, it's very clear that you don't want to live like this."
“Wow, unbelievable.”
“Hey, haven't you ever heard the story of someone who keeps trying over and over again but never gets any results and keeps repeating that life endlessly.”
“You're talking about Sisyphus?”
“Yes. That's what I meant.”
“That's just a philosophical myth. Are you a philosopher?”
“It's quite realistic.”
Meanwhile, I was still sipping this glass of wine, my thoughts growing increasingly dire. Even the bartender in front of me had asked me several times why I was drinking so much. The words that came out of my mouth were all the same. Words that sounded like someone who was truly desperate. At this point, I felt like things would only get worse if I continued to let it go. But, so far, I didn't have the strength to do that. Until the opposite happened, and I was left alone, holding my empty fists. What an irony.
“Are you okay?” said the bartender.
“If you were fine, there’s no way you would drink this much, right?”
“Ah, just asking, maybe you are a heavy drinker, that's why I didn't think it was a problem.”
“You’re right. He is a heavy drinker.”
“By the way, what's your name, young man?”
“Yarel. That’s my name.”
“Oh, okay. You seem really frustrated. Is there a problem with your studies? You’re still in college, right? Your appearance reflects that.”
"True. You are right sir."
“It’s really tough, apparently. So, would you like some suggestions that might be helpful?”
"What's that?"
"It's about never giving up on anything. You just have to do it and stay on the path you've chosen without any regrets."
“Gosh, that sounds so old-fashioned. But there's some truth to it.”
"Young people these days are really weird."
“Oh yeah, uncle. Have you ever felt like ending it all?”
"What?"
"For example, you really want to finish a task or whatever it is and after that you can feel a little relieved because there is no burden at all."
"Regarding that, of course I've experienced it. As humans, living in this world, we inevitably want to solve all the problems that exist. That's human nature."
“Can I do it?”
“You can do it. Believe in yourself.”
“You have to believe in yourself, apparently.”
“That is the key.”
All this time, I've felt something was truly unusual. To the point where my heart felt uneasy about it, and every passing day felt meaningless. It was as if everything I had was suddenly gone. Right now, my feelings were a mixture of irritation and emptiness. The wine in front of me also tasted bland. As if to indicate that all of this was indeed meaningless. In my entire life, I'd never been in such a dire situation. Random questions kept popping into my head, which felt like it was about to explode.
“That was really hard,” I said to the bartender who was in front of me now.
There are so many difficult things to do. Sometimes that's what makes it even more frustrating. After finishing at the bar, I returned to my quiet residence. When I arrived, it was just me and the silence of this house. Finally, I decided to lie down because my head was starting to feel dizzy. After that, something suddenly made my eyes open. The sound of my cell phone ringing that prevented me from sleeping made me feel very annoyed. There were various things happening to me right now. When I saw who was calling me, it turned out to be Moran. How could someone contact me like this? My intuition told me that something was indeed untoward. Slowly, I answered the call.
“Halo?”
“Yarel. Where are you now?”
"At my place. What's up Moran?"
“Oh my. You’re already there.”
"What is it?"
"I wanted to ask you for help."
“Did something happen to you?”
“No, that's not what I meant. This concerns someone who can destroy everything.”
“What? Honestly, what are you talking about?”
“You’re drunk, apparently. No wonder you can’t connect.”
"Your statement sounds so unreasonable. What happened, Moran?"
"That's it. I'll tell him later."
“Hey, Moran.”
The call suddenly ended. Now I had to start getting some rest, as I had to return to that boring workplace tomorrow. It had been quite a troublesome night for me.
“Damn. That kid is unreliable,” Moran muttered.
This time, Alex, who was still in the restaurant, suddenly received a message from someone. Seeing this, Alex immediately fell silent for a moment. Oscar, who noticed the change in expression on his friend's face, suddenly became curious about something too. Not long after that, Alex sighed as if to indicate that there was nothing to worry about. After some time ago, he met someone, apparently that person told Alex that there would soon be something important that concerned Alex as well. Apparently, it was a kind of welcome invitation for Alex who had just joined their group. A secret group.
“Is something wrong?” Oscar asked to make sure.
“Yes. Just got some good news.”
“Wow. That's amazing.”
"I didn't expect it to be this quick. I thought it would take a long time for them to actually tell me."
"Impossible. If it takes too long, it'll just be a waste of time. Are you willing to wait until the world ends for the announcement?"
“Don't be crazy. That's impossible.”
“That's why you should be grateful. By the way, what is it?”
“Just join a group.”
"I see. You're quite talented, so there's no way they wouldn't accept you. But in a community like that, it's not really a hassle."
“Have you ever joined a community group?”
“What do you mean a group? Just call it a specific community.”
"Yes. That's what it means."
“I have. But not for long.”
From here, everything became a little more open. Sometimes, something different always appears. Something that was quite impressive, slowly began to spill out the truth, and now was the time. All this time, leaving only myself, which would be the start of a new chapter in my life. The next day, I woke up with a headache. The sun was already starting to rise, and now I had to get ready for what would be a very boring day.
"Oh my, it's already morning. Damn. My head still hurts," I said as I reached into the drawer for some hangover medicine.