That morning, the rain fell without warning. Cua had just stepped out of his tiny rented room when the sky seemed to whisper,
"Not today, Cua."
And of course, he'd forgotten his umbrella. Again.
Damn it.
But this wasn't new for Cua. Misfortune wasn't something that came once in a while it was a constant companion, almost like a curse.
Since childhood, Cua had always been the target. In elementary school, he was the quiet kid sitting alone in the corner. His classmates didn't like him. Why? Because he was too... ordinary. Not funny. Not smart. Not rich. Not attractive. Just… Cua.
In middle school, he tried to open up. He tried to make friends, offered help, even gave all his lunch money once to someone claiming they needed it. The result? He got scammed. His money vanished, and the person spread rumors that Cua was bribing people just to make friends.
High school? Even worse. He fell in love for the first time. Her name was Ayla—sweet smile, gentle voice. She accepted his attention, took the little gifts he bought with his saved lunch money. But in the end, it was just a game. A bet.
Who could make Cua fall the hardest?
It broke him.
But life didn't stop there. In college, he got in with a scholarship. Smart? Not really. Probably just a glitch in the system. His roommate stole his laptop. A professor accused him of plagiarism. Group mates never cared about his opinions. Every time he tried to stand up again, the world seemed to laugh and kick him back down.
Now, he worked. A small office. Meager salary. A boss with anger issues. Coworkers who thrived on backstabbing. He was still alive. Still walking. But for what?
Cua stared at his reflection in the bus stop window. Messy hair, pale skin, puffy eyes. A bruise on his temple from falling down the stairs two days ago. He let out a long sigh.
"Am I a curse to myself?"
And just then, someone sat beside him.
An old man in strange clothes—too neat for a rainy day, too clean for the muddy street. His gaze was sharp. Eyes red, almost glowing. A thin smile, like he knew everything.
"Do you want your life to change, Cua?" he asked.
Cua turned, startled. "You know my name?"
The man just smiled.
"You've been hurt too many times. The world is unfair, isn't it? But what if I offer you a second chance—not in this world, but in another? You'll still be you, but... with a little luck. Just a little."
Cua stared at him for a long time. Was this a hallucination? Had he finally gone mad?
Or… was it time for something irrational to finally happen?
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