The Errand Boy’s Supremacy System

Chapter 3: The Weight of Reality

​Leo didn’t remember how long he stood outside the academic building. The sunlight felt unusually harsh against his eyes, and the warm summer breeze did nothing to ease the heaviness pressing down on his chest. Students walked past him—laughing, chatting, living their normal lives. No one noticed the young man standing near the steps in a bright red clown costume. Or maybe they noticed; they just didn’t care.

​Leo slowly pulled the rubber clown nose off his face and stared at it for a moment before stuffing it into his pocket. His mind replayed Sarah’s words over and over again.

​“I can't be seen with you.”

“You have no future.”

​Each sentence felt like a hammer striking his heart. Leo swallowed hard and began walking. He didn’t know where he was going; he just knew he didn’t want to stay near that classroom. Not after what had happened. Not after everyone had seen him standing there like a joke. The campus that once felt familiar now felt strange and distant. Every group of students he passed seemed to remind him of what he had lost.

​Two girls sitting on a bench giggled as he walked by.

“Is that guy still wearing that clown costume?”

“Maybe it's some kind of performance art.”

​Leo lowered his head and kept moving. A few minutes later, he reached the quiet edge of campus where fewer students passed by. He sat down on a stone bench beneath a large oak tree. For the first time since leaving the classroom, he allowed himself to breathe. His hands trembled slightly.

​Leo pulled out his phone. The screen lit up immediately, and the notification from earlier was still there: Payment received: $100.

​Leo stared at the number. Just an hour ago, that money had made him feel lucky. Now, it felt meaningless. He let out a bitter laugh.

​“One hundred dollars,” he muttered. “That’s what my dignity was worth today.”

​Leo leaned back against the bench and closed his eyes. For two years, he had believed that everything he was doing had a purpose. Every delivery. Every extra shift. Every night spent studying until exhaustion. It had all been for the future—for a better life, for Sarah. He had imagined the day when he would finally succeed, when he could take her somewhere beautiful, buy her things she liked, and give her the comfortable life she deserved.

​But now… those dreams felt painfully naive.

​Leo opened his eyes again and stared up at the branches above him. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating dancing patterns of light and shadow. He remembered the first time Sarah had held his hand. It had been during their first semester. They were walking back from class together when it suddenly started raining. They had run toward a small café to hide from the storm, and Sarah had laughed the whole time. Her hair had been soaked, and she looked happier than he had ever seen her.

​When they finally sat down inside, she had reached across the table and taken his hand. “Leo,” she had said with a smile. “Promise me something.”

​Leo had blinked in surprise. “What?”

​“Promise me that no matter how hard things get… we’ll face them together.”

​Leo had smiled and squeezed her hand. “I promise.”

​The memory faded slowly. Leo’s expression tightened. “Together,” he murmured quietly. “Guess that promise didn't last very long.”

​He lowered his head and stared at the ground. For a long time, he said nothing. The world around him continued moving. Students passed by, birds chirped in the distance, and somewhere nearby, a lawn mower hummed. Life continued normally, but Leo felt like his own life had stopped.

​Eventually, he pushed himself to his feet. Sitting here wouldn't change anything. The day was still moving forward, and so was reality. Leo walked slowly back toward the main campus path. The clown costume still hung awkwardly on his body. He should probably change out of it, but he didn't feel like going back to the alley where he had changed earlier. Instead, he headed toward the bus stop near the campus gate. Maybe going home early would help clear his mind.

​As he walked, his phone buzzed again. Leo glanced down; it was a message from his landlord. His stomach tightened immediately. He opened it:

​Reminder: Rent is due in three weeks. Please make sure payment is ready on time.

​Leo exhaled slowly. Rent. Groceries. Tuition. Reality didn’t care about heartbreak; bills still had to be paid.

​Leo reached the bus stop and sat down on the metal bench. A few other students were waiting quietly nearby, but none of them paid attention to him. Leo leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. For the first time that day, he allowed himself to think clearly.

​Sarah was gone. That part of his life was finished. Begging wouldn't bring her back, and working harder wouldn't change her decision. She had already chosen the life she wanted, and Leo wasn't part of it. The thought hurt, but it also forced him to face the truth. For two years, Leo had built his entire future around someone else. Now that foundation had collapsed.

​Which meant… he had to rebuild everything from the beginning. But this time, he would build it for himself.

​Leo slowly straightened his back. His eyes no longer looked lost; they looked determined.

​“Fine,” he said quietly. “If the world thinks I have no future…” He clenched his fists slightly. “Then I'll create one.”

​The bus arrived a few minutes later. Leo stood up and stepped inside. As the bus pulled away from the campus, Leo looked out the window one last time. Eastgate University grew smaller behind him—the place where he had spent two years chasing a dream that no longer existed.

​Leo turned his gaze forward. The road ahead stretched far into the distance—uncertain and difficult, but still open. And for the first time since leaving the classroom, Leo felt something new stirring inside him. Not hope, not happiness, but something stronger.

​Resolve.

​Whatever happened next, Leo Carter would never allow himself to be that helpless again.