Chapter 1

In a corner of Jakarta, unexpected things often occur. Muggings, thefts, and numerous street thugs demand contributions from the ordinary people along the streets of the capital city.

Bam!

"Please, sir!"

A soft whimper could be heard as two thugs began assaulting a young man.

"Hand over your money! Only then will I let you go!" barked one of the thugs, whose arm up to his elbow was adorned with a tattoo of a dragon.

The young man clutched his stomach, now sprawled helpless on the asphalt, scattered with dried leaves.

"I ... I don't have any money left, sir. I haven't received my salary this month. I..."

Bam! Slap!

"Open his bag! Take whatever's inside!" commanded the tattooed thug to his partner.

The partner nodded, signaling his compliance with the thug's order.

"No, sir! I'm not lying. I really..."

"What's this, huh?! You said you didn't have any money? Then what's this?!" shouted the partner after inspecting the young man's bag.

The two thugs then took the only remaining 50,000 rupiahs from the wallet inside the bag.

"Here!"

The thug who had rummaged through the young man's bag promptly threw it to the side.

Cough! Cough!

The young man sat down, exerting all his remaining strength.

"My money..."

He sighed deeply. There was nothing more he could do but accept the actions inflicted upon him by those two immoral thugs.

****

"Bullying...

A young man, lost in thought, stared blankly at a perfectly placed poster on the bus stop. The poster emphasized the importance of not engaging in physical or mental bullying. It was clear on the poster that many people today are unaware that their actions or words can constitute bullying.

The young man then formed a smirking smile.

"Just a poster? Can that change anything?" he muttered, looking down dismissively at the poster.

In reality, it's evident that the posters displayed in every bus stop and corner of Jakarta will never make the cruel individuals aware.

A character deeply ingrained within someone is not easily changed.

The young man, who has often endured both physical and mental torment, could only take a seat at the bus stop.

He let out a sigh, one that had escaped his lips countless times.

"When will life give me justice? Have I been the worst person on this earth, causing God to withhold happiness from my life?" the young man questioned himself in a monologue.

His gaze now focused straight ahead. His mind was filled with numerous unfortunate events that had taken place in his life.

"Sir! Sir! Are you getting on?"

The young man's reverie was shattered as a bus conductor called out to him.

"Hmm... yes, I am," he replied.

It was no surprise that the bus conductor was familiar with the young man. It was not uncommon for the conductor to address him when he didn't notice the arrival of the city bus.

"Thank you, sir," the conductor nodded in acknowledgment.

The young man boarded the bus and took a vacant seat near the exit. Just as he had settled in, five minutes later, a tap on his shoulder caught his attention.

"Move aside! This is where I usually sit!" snapped a man with a thick mustache below his nose.

The young man, who was about to close his eyes, widened his gaze once again.

"B-But isn't anyone free to choose a seat here?" the young man mustered the courage to speak up.

Bam!

The sound of the mustached man's fist colliding with the passenger seat in front of the young man could be heard.

"Do you dare to defy me?!"

The young man's courage quickly waned. Swiftly, he apologized, wanting to avoid any further trouble.

"I'm sorry, sir. It's my mistake. I'll leave."

The young man straightened his posture. In the end, he returned to his usual seat, the last row in the far left corner. Many people sat closely next to him.

Meanwhile, the young man could only remain silent, trying to calm himself down, although he had the urge to scream for justice.

"Alex Thomson! Come here!"

Just as Alex placed his shoulder bag on his desk, a stern voice called out to him.

With his head still obediently lowered out of fear, Alex approached the summoner.

"W-What is it? Why did you call me?" Alex asked, his voice trembling with fear.

"Make me a coffee! Hurry up! If that coffee doesn't reach my hand in 2 minutes, you better watch out! Get going! Hurry up!" Angga, a co-worker whose name tag displayed his superiority, ordered and chased Alex away.

Alex nodded his head silently. It wasn't about seniority or juniority in the office; it was all because Alex had never dared to assert his rights.

"Oh, wait! While you're at it, buy me a Coffee Latte from the shop as well. And get me a regular Roti Boy bread. I haven't received my salary yet, so use your own money for now!"

Bayu, who was clearly junior to Alex, joined in as another slave-master to the young man.

"B-But everyone hasn't received their salary. My own salary isn't much either. I still have many expenses to cover. I..."

"So, you want to defy me, huh?! Well, this kid seems out of control. Looks like I need to teach you a lesson," Bayu provoked, his emotions getting the better of him.

Alex involuntarily swallowed hard. His heartbeat raced faster than ever before.

"T-That's not what I meant, Bayu. I just wanted to express what's really happening. I..."

"Enough! I don't need your empty words anymore. Come with me!" Bayu immediately grabbed the collar of Alex's shirt and dragged him to the center of their workplace.

"Early morning entertainment, this seems exciting," a female employee snarked, looking towards Alex being dragged.

"Yeah! Stuff like this is like our morning fuel, right? If these things didn't happen every day, it would feel like living in hell! Ha ha!"

Alex kept his head down as his body was thrown onto the office floor. He could feel the heat in his hands and the rough touch of the floor against his face.

"Anyone want to contribute their black coffee?" Bayu shouted loudly.

"Me! Me!"

Afterward, two young men approached Bayu, holding plastic cups of coffee they had just bought outside the office.

"I just bought it. Only for this delightful free entertainment. What wouldn't I do!" exclaimed the man who donated his black coffee.

Bayu smirked. He felt so pleased because, in reality, not a single person had any intention of defending the pitiful-looking man.

"Can you hear it yourself? How nobody around you cares about you at all?! Pfft! I've told you multiple times, never mess with me! Got it?!" Bayu heartlessly berated.

Alex nodded slowly, allowing Bayu to do whatever he wanted.

Alex appeared resigned. That was his life.

Every day, Alex would become the clown for the amusement of his coworkers. Not a single person felt sympathy, let alone cared about him.

Everyone enjoyed seeing Alex's tormented face and his expression of resignation.

"Spada! I must say, Lex, you look even more handsome when you wear new clothes and get drenched with coffee like this every day. You look fresher and more vibrant, you know! Ha ha!"

Everyone laughed, mocking the foolishness and resignation of the young man.

That was the only thing Alex could do at that moment—bow his head while clenching his fists tightly.

His body ached, and his inner self was drained by the people around him.

Alex felt sorry for people who lacked empathy like his coworkers. They would often talk about etiquette and ethics when dealing with higher-ups. Some of them would even distribute posters promoting peaceful coexistence and anti-bullying campaigns.

Bullshit! That was the only word Alex could utter at that moment.

"Alex! Oh my goodness. What is wrong with you all?! That's enough! Enough treating him like this. Enough!"

Alex slowly raised his head to see a girl who seemed to be defending him.

His gloomy and lifeless face transformed into one that still held a glimmer of hope.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked, gazing at Alex intently.

Alex smiled faintly, nodding his head slowly as he read the name on her ID card.

Lisa. A beautiful name that matched her behavior and appearance, Alex thought to himself.

However, all those thoughts vanished and disappeared within seconds.

"Here. You can take these tissues. They can at least help you dry your dirty and wet clothes. Here!"

Lisa handed several sheets of tissues to Alex.

Just as Alex was about to take the tissues, Lisa suddenly stood up and stomped on the tissues right in front of him.

"Ha ha! You fell for it! Did you really think I would be kind enough to give tissues to someone who doesn't deserve them?"

Lisa spoke with a twisted smile on her face.

The girl then walked away from Alex and approached Bayu, immediately wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Oh, my! Oh, my! Come on, bro! Have some self-awareness! Lisa is my girlfriend. And obviously, Lisa would never like a guy who's unclear and weak like you! Do you understand?"

It felt as if a thousand sharp blades had pierced Alex's heart. He felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation within him.

"Not only are you shameless, but you also lack self-awareness, like a servant boy. Ugh! Disgraceful!"

Everyone once again laughed at Alex's gullibility, too easily believing in something.

Alex clenched his fists tighter. Every day, there would be new actions orchestrated by his coworkers to turn Alex into their jokester.

One by one, everyone started dispersing. They seemed pleased, as if they had enjoyed their morning entertainment, as if they had had a satisfying breakfast of vegetables and delicacies.

"Can you believe someone as stupid as Alex? No wonder no one wants to be friends with him. Ha ha! So easy to fool!"

Alex overheard someone speaking those words about him.

Gathering whatever strength he had left, Alex rose and rushed straight to the restroom in his office.

"Argh! Damn it! Why does it have to be like this all the time?! Why are you so easily fooled?! Why, huh?! Why?!"

Alex appeared frantic.

He made sure to lock the bathroom door from the inside. Alex didn't want anyone to come in and see him in his current state.

It was enough for Alex to hear the laughter and joy on the faces of those people.

"Why?! Why is the world never fair to me?! Why?! Why do I have to be their toy clown?! Why, God?! Why?!"

Alex brutally punched the bathroom wall. Fresh blood flowed freely from his hand.

Alex then turned on the tap at the sink, reflecting the brokenness he felt in his heart.

As his injured hand bled profusely, he rinsed it with the running water. Truly, he felt nothing at all.

All the pain he felt seemed to be unleashed in response to the words of those who considered him weak and unworthy of having friends.

"What else can be a reason for me to keep going in this world?! What else?! What else, God?!"

Alex appeared extremely distraught. He didn't even resemble his usual self anymore.

He had become an unrecognizable figure, uncontrollable and lost. Alex himself couldn't recognize who he had become.

All the pain had become overwhelming for him. Alex wanted to give up.

He wanted to escape from everything.

Enough was enough. Alex had experienced more than enough suffering.

He couldn't bear it any longer.

Alex reached into his pants pocket. There, he found a small knife that had now found its way into his hand.

Alex stared at his reflection in the mirror on the bathroom wall. Briefly, he glanced at the knife he held.

"Is this the moment for me to end all this pain?" Alex murmured, appearing resigned.

He aimed the knife at his arm, inten

ding to harm himself.

But before any of that could happen, suddenly, a sound was heard from the bathroom door, as if someone was forcefully trying to break in.

Bam!

"What are you doing?!" someone exclaimed, catching Alex in the act.