Outside the college cafeteria, a small crowd of boys huddled around a smartphone, their faces illuminated by the glow of a viral video.
"Sameer, is that you standing next to Ajin?" one boy asked, pointing at a shadowy figure in the frame.
Sameer squinted at the screen. "Yeah, that's me. I was there the whole time. Honestly, I wanted to beat him up myself, but when Ajin got pushed back and I felt that monster's killing intent, I froze." He turned to Ajin, who was standing slightly apart from the group. "Do you know who recorded this? I swear no one else was in that restroom."
Ajin shrugged lightly, his expression unreadable. "Even I want to know."
"It's weird," Sameer continued, letting out a low whistle. "It feels like you have some guardian angel. Even during the elections, everyone thought Keth would win, but then that car accident happened… and you won by a landslide."
Ajin pointed playfully at the empty air above his head. "You figured it out. My guardian angel is right here. Flying above my head."
"I can see her!" Issei gasped, pointing dramatically upward. "Beautiful face, D-cup, slim waist. Just looking at her makes me want to—"
"Actually, my guardian angel is a man, Issei," Ajin deadpanned.
The group erupted into laughter as Issei wilted like a dying plant. Ajin wrapped an arm around him, offering a warm grin. "Sorry, Issei. I admire the imagination, truly. Just… maybe shift it away from erotica once in a while? And maybe don't talk like that in public."
He gestured behind them, where a group of girls was staring and giggling. The boys collectively shrank in embarrassment.
To break the tension, Sameer steered them into the cafeteria. "Forget them. Who's treating me today?"
"It should be Ajin," Rick insisted, dragging him toward the counter. "The whole class applauded him today."
Ajin complained but eventually shelled out for a round of noodles. "This is all I can afford for now," he muttered.
"We'll accept it," Rick said, "but on your birthday, you owe us big."
"His birthday was last week," Sameer noted, causing Issei to yell in betrayal.
"You asshole! You didn't even tell us?"
"He doesn't like celebrating—" Sameer suddenly stiffened as Cassie, the college beauty, walked past. He leaned toward Ajin. "Ajin… don't you think Cassie likes you? She even offered to help you today and was blushing the whole time. Just propose already."
Issei's eyes went huge. "Am I the only one hearing this for the first time? Why didn't anyone tell me?!"
"Because you're too dumb to notice," Sameer rolled his eyes.
Issei pouted for a second before puffing up with pride. "Fine. But I support you, Ajin. I'll help you with dating advice. I have zero real-world experience but infinite dating sim knowledge. She's Miss College for a reason. Huge ass, big—"
"Who ordered noodles?" the cook shouted, cutting him off.
After they finished eating, the group stood together for one final, mock-solemn vow. They lifted their voices, leaving Ajin red-faced as they shouted their shared slogan:
"Don't die a virgin!!"
Later that afternoon, the mood shifted. Seth held out his phone, replaying the same video. "Ajin, whoever filmed this was right behind you. How did you not see them?"
"As you said, they were behind me," Ajin replied calmly.
"No person did it," Jack interrupted, his voice dropping to an eerie whisper. "I checked the restroom. From that angle, there's no space for a person to stand. Whoever filmed this must have hidden their phone behind the mirror beforehand. They knew the fight was going to happen."
He looked at Ajin intensely. "How did you know to be there?"
"A friend of the victim told me about the ragging," Ajin explained, his gaze dropping. "I went to stop it, but I witnessed something brutal instead. The victim was too terrified to speak up, so I stayed silent until the proof surfaced."
The tension lingered until Seth laughed, pulling up a different, lighthearted video to dissolve the heaviness.
—--
The moment Ajin pushed open the gate, his daily mask of charm dissolved. He climbed the stairs in silence, entering a middle-class home that was tastefully decorated but felt strangely dim, lit only by a few lonely pools of gold.
In the half-light, his mother and sister were locked in a familiar battle. "I'll wear what I want!" the girl shouted, waving a dress like a flag of rebellion. "You have no right to decide for me."
"I'm your mother. It's basic sense, not a constitution," the woman snapped back. "Exchange the dress, or it goes in the bin."
As Ajin stepped into the room, silent and drained of his usual glow, the atmosphere turned heavy. The two women froze, their argument dying instantly. He changed into pajamas without a word and flicked on the TV, radiating a quiet heaviness that drew them both to the couch beside him.
"Maa, you called the dean about the job offers?" Ajin asked flatly.
"I asked that wig-face to scold you since you never listen to me," she admitted, trying to sound bold. When Ajin just stared at her, she faltered. "I told him not to mention it."
Ajin sighed. "Did you think I wouldn't know?"
She blinked, caught. "Did I just... accidentally curse the wig-face? Anyway, my smart Ajin found out as usual."
"Don't butter me up," Ajin muttered. "I'm just tired of telling you I'm fine. Don't call him again."
"Okay, I won't," she promised, her smile widening. "But your dad called. He'll be back Monday."
Ajin's gaze didn't leave the screen. "Is that important for me to know?"
"Yes. You're his son. Stop addressing him like that and call him Dad."
The air chilled as a silent "cold war" settled between them. Sensing the danger, his sister quickly cut in with stories from her college. Ajin's face finally brightened—not with the warm mask he wore for the world, but with a genuine, private smile.
"I have a lot to tell you both, too," he said, standing up. "Let me wash up first. I have work later, so I'm all yours for the next two hours."
As his bedroom door clicked shut, the girl whispered, "Mom... don't you think he's scary when he's silent?"
"I think something happened today," her mother murmured, eyes fixed on the door. "Maybe being far from her is making him like this."
A shrill alarm exploded through Ajin's bedroom, shattering the quiet morning. Half-asleep, he fumbled for his phone, silenced the noise, and collapsed back into the warmth of his blanket.
But the peace lasted only seconds. His entire body suddenly jerked awake, sweat clinging to his skin and his breath coming in ragged gasps. He squeezed his eyes shut, listening to the frantic, irregular rhythm of his heart. He forced himself to inhale and exhale slowly, repeating the cycle until the pounding finally eased.
"Have I still not forgotten it? Or… maybe I never will," he whispered to the empty room.
Checking his phone, his eyes widened. He shot upright, the panic of the dream replaced by the panic of the clock. "It's already half an hour late! Maa, why didn't you wake me up?"
"How am I supposed to know whether you're awake or not when you keep your door closed all the time?" his mother snapped from the other side of the wall.
"You should have knocked on the do—" Ajin started, but stopped mid-sentence. He took a breath and closed his eyes again, manually forcing the irritation out of his voice. When he finally spoke, it was soft and apologetic. "Sorry. It's my fault. I'm going to bathe now, Maa."
—--
"Seth, where's the bus? I'm almost at the stop! Just hold it for a minute!" Ajin shouted breathlessly into his phone.
He reached the crossing and spotted a bus at the far end. He sprinted, dodging traffic to reach the middle of the road, only to freeze in frustration. The bus had the wrong college name. "That idiot! He fooled me again," Ajin groaned, leaning over to catch his breath. "Get fooled once, it's innocence. Twice, it's a mistake. Thrice... you're an idiot, Ajin."
He noticed his water bottle lying on the pavement ahead. As he bent to pick it up, he muttered, "Maybe my premonition is true after all."
Suddenly, a car shot out from the blind spot behind the bus at a terrifying speed. The grill emblem—a man holding a spear—rushed straight toward Ajin's neck. Shock rooted him to the spot; he could only watch as the silver spear tip grew larger, seconds away from tearing through his throat.
In a blur, everything shifted. Ajin, who had been kneeling in the path of death, found himself standing safely on the curb. A firm hand was clamped on his shoulder. The car roared past, indifferent.
His phone rang again. "Yes, I'm at the stop... yes, great prank... Where is it now? Taking the turn? Okay." He hung up and turned to the stranger beside him.
The man looked unreal, golden hair, sharp features, and a build like a fairy-tale prince. He was impossibly charming. "How can a man be this beautiful, handsome, and charming at the same time!" Ajin blurted out.
The man laughed softly. "I hear that all the time."
Ajin winced, realizing he'd spoken aloud. "Sorry... and thank you for saving me. I'm Ajin, the Student President at the State Institute of Technology. If you ever need help with anything, feel free to contact me."
"I won't need help," the man said, his gentle smile turning sharp. "Do you like reading books?"
"I'm not a fan," Ajin admitted, "but I can stay awake."
The man pulled a book from his bag and pressed it into Ajin's hands. "I bought this without much thought, but it wasn't for me. Somehow, I feel it suits you. Will you read it for me?"
Ajin glanced at the cover: Fallen Pieces. By the time he looked up, the stranger was already several paces away. "Read it or throw it away," the man called back. "It's not like the fate of this world depends on it." He paused, whispering to the air, "But some other world is."
The actual college bus arrived, its horn blasting impatiently.
"Why were you late?" Seth asked as Ajin boarded.
"Woke up late," Ajin mentioned, heading for the back. He tried to sleep, but his mind wouldn't rest. His fingers began to move in a rhythmic, blurring dance—pinky to thumb, over and over.
His phone buzzed. It was his mother. "Yes, Maa, I know it's the 30th... I know it's her birthday. She's in a different time zone... I'll wish her. Bye."
He pocketed the phone, then reached into a hidden compartment at the bottom of his bag. He pulled out an old burner phone, dialed a number, and waited for the automated system to clear.
"Happy birthday," he whispered, hanging up immediately.
As he stowed the burner phone away, his eyes landed on the stranger's gift. He turned it over. The back read Nirvana, and the front displayed the title:
Fallen Pieces
Written by Obero
The White Room Publications
Ajin settled the book on his lap and began to read.