"Lawson! Did you die in that toilet? The store is packed! Get your ass back here NOW!"
The roar from his boss, Katie, vibrated through the phone, making Lawson's eardrum ache. The twenty-six-year-old, with his unkempt brown hair, sat expressionless on the toilet lid.
"Understood... coming back now, Boss," he muttered, his voice drained of life.
Lawson stood up. At 1.68 meters tall with a face as plain as a background character in a movie, he had zero presence. He adjusted his staff ID, took one last look at the glowing screen of Armor Link, and tapped [Exit]. The brief sanctuary was over.
The ［Pavilion Mall］was a chaotic sea of people on weekends. Before he could reach the clothing store, a heavy hand slammed onto his shoulder.
"Yo, finished hiding? Katie looks like she's about to blow a fuse!"
It was Dodge, Lawson's best friend. With a red bandana tied over his spiky blonde hair, Dodge was built like a bull. He sold fitness equipment nearby and lived a much more comfortable life than Lawson.
"Not busy at your place?" Lawson asked.
"It's alright. My old man is watching the shop. Just the usual gym rats today."
"Talk later. I have to go and face my execution," Lawson sighed, quickening his pace.
"Go on then! Hope you survive the day! Haha!"
Dodge's loud laugh followed him down the hall.
At Katie's Fine Boutique, the atmosphere was nearing a riot. The "50% Clearance" signs acted like a fuse, drawing a suffocating crowd into the store.
"Next! Stop pushing!"
Behind the counter, Katie looked stunning despite the chaos. Her wavy blue hair cascaded over a deep blue dress, accentuating her fair skin and elegant curves. But her eyes were frozen rime. The moment she saw Lawson, the fire in her gaze nearly scorched him. He avoided eye contact and dove straight into the crowd to serve customers.
The grueling labor lasted until closing. Lawson collapsed onto the floor, his stomach cramping from hunger. Even Katie was leaning against the counter, breathless.
"Almost died... two people really is the limit," she murmured.
"My stomach is ruined, Boss. Please, hire someone else."
"The 'Help Wanted' sign has been up for three months. No one wants it," Katie sighed. "Maybe the working hours are too long..."
Lawson rolled his eyes and thought about his stingy katie boss "No, it's because you pay peanuts."
"Good work today, Lawson. Want to grab dinner on me?" Katie propped her chin on her hand. Even exhausted, she was a beauty.
"No thanks. I just want to die in my bed."
He rejected her without hesitation. To him, a virtual suit of armor was infinitely more attractive than a real-world goddess.
"Boring. You say that every time." Katie waved him off. "Lock up, then you can disappear."
"Finally... freedom."
The moment he clocked out, Lawson shifted into game mode. Since his home was only a twenty-minute walk from the mall, he usually headed to a bus stop bench rather than rushing home. There, he dove into the world of Armor Link.
Home was a battlefield of nagging. Only in the game was he a master of his own fate.
"Take this! Golden Guardian Form! Down you go!"
He swiped furiously. He had spent ten years on this game, pouring his soul into the armor customization system. From sleek melee frames to heavy long-range artillery, every suit was his masterpiece. This was the only joy in his life.
By the time he reached his terrace house, it was 22:30.
He pressed the remote, and the electric gate slid open with a heavy, mechanical groan. He turned the key in the lock, dreading what was inside.
"Why so late?"
The living room was dim. A frail, silver-haired woman in her sixties sat in a reclining chair, her eyes narrowed in judgment.
"The store was busy. Overtime," Lawson said robotically as he kicked off his shoes.
"Overtime? What's the point?" His mother stood up, her suppressed frustration exploding. "Look at you—a dead-end job! Look at your cousins! One is a doctor, one is a lawyer, and the others are managers! Having a son like you makes me ashamed to show my face to the relatives!"
Her words hit him like falling rocks.
"And every time you're off, you rot in your room playing games! No social life, no future! Why can't you learn to do business? You're a useless thing!"
Lawson remained silent. He had developed a filter over the years, turning her sharp words into meaningless background noise.
"Look at you, so filthy and heading straight for your room without a shower? Trash!"
Lawson closed his bedroom door and locked it. Silence, finally. He collapsed onto his bed in the dark. The hunger was gone, replaced by a hollow ache.
Why? he thought, staring at the ceiling. I work myself to the bone to keep this house running... but in her eyes, I'm nothing but a disappointment. Is this all my life is meant to be?
A single tear slid down into his pillow. With trembling hands, he grabbed his phone and opened Armor Link. Amidst the roar of engines and virtual gunfire, he hid inside his steel sanctuary, forgetting the despair of reality.
He played until 1:30 AM, finally closing his eyes in the dark, exhausted by a world that refused to love him back.