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The warm glow of the setting sun filtered through the window curtains and cast its light upon a young, handsome boy's face. Inside his hammock, he rubbed his eyes, squinting at the bright light outside with clear annoyance.
"Really, I should've chosen a better spot when I bought the place; the angle's all wrong!"
With a grunt, the boy turned over, trying to go back to sleep, but soon a series of loud knocks rang out from the door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Rowen, I know you're in there! Hurry up and get out here!"
"You promised to go with me to buy the new PX4! Don't even think about running away!"
"Open the door, open the door! Don't think I don't know you're hiding inside! I know you're in there!"
At first, the voice was normal, but soon it became an incessant, annoying tone, like a constant buzzing in his head.
Kā cā!
Rowen's forehead broke out in cold sweat as he sat up, his face twisted in irritation. "Shut up, you idiot! Are you some kind of woman going to the bathroom? Why do you need someone tagging along?!"
"I don't care! You promised! If I go alone, what will I tell my pops? This is my hard-earned New Year's money, saved up for ages!"
The voice suddenly took on a mournful tone.
"When you were playing PX3 at my place, you called me 'Little Sweetheart,' but now, with a new person around, you call me 'Cow Lady'... Boohoo, you heartless jerk!"
"Die, you yellow chicken! Did pure Yang eat your family's rice?!"
Rowen grabbed a pillow and threw it at the door with force, hitting it hard.
Ten minutes later, with the setting sun painting the sky, the two boys walked down a shaded path. Rowen yawned widely, hands behind his head, pouting at his friend, who was practically bouncing with excitement.
"Knowing that the so-called new game console will be out of date in a few years, but you still want to buy it on the overpriced launch day... What can I say? No wonder you're a yellow chicken; you're foolish and have too much money!"
"Cut it out! Like you've ever been careful with your money! Buying a second-hand house at full price? That place was a dead man's home! Sure, it's normal for old folks to pass away in their homes, but the place's barely a year old. Aren't you creeped out?"
"Heh, I bought a house outright at 16."
"Playing a Tauren warrior who gets bullied by a mage, then going back to your guild to find someone to cling to, both of you dying, then heading to G to find a studio and gang up on the other side... seven hundred bucks, killed them once, and logged off!"
"Heh, I bought a house outright at 16."
"Spent tens of thousands going on an adventure in X continent, only to stay one night, complain about the mosquitoes, and leave the whole team dumbfounded!"
"Heh, I bought a house outright at 16."
The boy: "..."
"Can we stop talking about the house-buying? Your guardian is my dad, so we're practically family."
"Oh, so you admit you're foolish and have too much money..."
The boy: "..."
This day, the conversation had pretty much come to a dead stop.
"Hey, handsome boys! Our new shop's having a trial run today; spend over 50 and you can get a lottery ticket to win a grand prize of ten thousand!"
Suddenly, a sweet voice from a young woman at a dessert shop on the street caught the attention of the two.
Shuā!
The two turned their heads in unison, but Rowen had a playful smirk, while his friend looked horrified and resistant.
The young woman's face showed a touch of sympathy, leaving her utterly confused.
"Is there really a grand prize of ten thousand? It's not some item or coupon or something?"
"Of course."
The young woman smiled nervously but quickly replied, "With the New Year approaching, the boss prepared a big red envelope, and it's 100% real cash!"
"That's good."
Ten minutes later...
"Come back anytime!"
Under the watchful eyes of the staff and the store owner, the two boys walked out, pushing a mountain bike.
Rowen went silent for a moment before turning to his friend. "Do you want this Class 2 prize bike? I'm planning to get my driver's license when I turn 18 and buy a car, so I won't need it."
"Shut up, you dead European emperor! Belugas have a short lifespan!"
"In fact, belugas can live for up to 100 years... The reason this phrase is a meme is because it contradicts the facts, Bo Ren Issho."
"Shut up! I don't need you to explain it that clearly!"
As the sun set, the boy's tears of sadness drifted in the air, his figure running against the wind, a bright streak of light in the fading day.
Faintly, a lively tune echoed in the air.
Lemon fruit on the lemon tree, under the lemon tree... just me, alone!!!
A beluga?
Aye, that's right.
To the world, I might just be a beluga among pirates.
Pushing his bicycle, Rowen yawned lazily, tearing open the red envelope containing 10,000 Berries and tossing it aside without a care, his eyes lost in the sight of the setting sun.
Back in his younger days, there was that one time a random ink splash on a piece of paper in art class was sold to a visiting art master for 100,000 Berries. Then there was the time he wasn't paying attention in class, and the random answer he picked in a school exam somehow earned him first place. Out for a meal, he just happened to be the 9999th customer and won a year of free meals. Then, there was the time he found an expired lottery ticket, bought the same number out of boredom, and won the grand prize.
These were just some of the odd occurrences, like the bicycle in his hand and the 10,000 Berries in his pocket.
To put it simply, life had always been smooth sailing for him, and his wishes always seemed to come true.
But...
"This isn't the life I want! I need some challenge, something to make me feel alive!"
"What?"
The boy, waiting for his order to be confirmed by the young woman at the counter, turned around. "What did you say?"
"Nothing, just a summer insect that can't speak of ice..."
Rowen shook his head, pulling out the cash from his pocket. "I'll take two. I'll pay, no need to thank me."
"I didn't plan on thanking you, alright?! Don't even think I'll pay you back, you jerk!!"
At that moment, the shopkeeper turned around, puzzled. "Are you sure you want two, handsome?"
"Aye, what's wrong?"
The shopkeeper exchanged a few words with a sharply dressed man nearby before turning back with a smile.
"Congratulations, handsome!"
"Our store, due to a special partnership, is offering a limited-edition gift pack for the first, hundredth, thousandth, and ten-thousandth customers purchasing the PX4 game console. It includes all the game discs released by the launch date, as well as a custom appearance and controller, completely free!"
"The one you just ordered happens to be the thousandth sold in our store, so congratulations! Please follow me, and I'll help you register to claim it... If possible, could we take a photo to commemorate the occasion?"
Rowen: "…1000."
The boy: "…999?"
As the sky darkened and the city lights flickered, Rowen stood at the crossroads with his bicycle. He paused for a moment.
"Actually, it was meant to happen, right? The launch version of the game console being sold for over 5000 Berries, and yet I could get it at retail price... there's something strange going on here… Hey, are you listening? Moshimoshi?"
"Don't mind me; I want some peace and quiet."
The boy walked ahead, looking a little pale.
"…But it's a red light; didn't the boss say to wait for the green...?"
Suddenly, Rowen's eyes widened. "Watch out!!!"
Bang!!
"Ah!!! I hit someone!!!"
The crash and the screams rang through the cool night, with snowflakes falling around them.
Days later…
"Why are you crying? Didn't I survive? I'm a beluga, a beluga with a long lifespan!"
Lying on a pristine white hospital bed, Rowen weakly opened his eyes and smiled.
"Because… because…"
The boy wiped his tears, his voice breaking, unable to finish his sentence.
Outside the room, a haggard middle-aged man stared with bloodshot eyes, gripping the doctor's shoulder tightly.
"It's impossible! That boy's always been lucky; how could this happen?!"
"I'm sorry, sir, but please, trust in science," the doctor said, enduring the pain in his shoulder.
"In truth, we've never encountered a situation where so many types of cancer have gathered in one person. It's unprecedented in the medical field, which makes treatment highly risky. We…"
The doctor paused before reluctantly adding, "We'll do our best."
…(free word count)…
This chapter isn't an extra; it's more of a small compensation for the previous one, to ease the readers' feelings, as I've felt quite a bit while writing this…