On the day of my birthday, an old man kidnapped me.
That day, I walked out of the wired fence and left behind the prison that had confined me. The sun in the clear sky warmed my heart. I inhaled the cool air and exhaled my despair.
My birthday. My freedom day. A brand new day. More importantly, the start of my new life.
I took out the smartphone in my pocket and smiled at it. The tool saved a lot of people's contacts. Now that I finally got it back, I could call them again. I couldn't wait to see their surprise when they heard I got out of the prison.
Beep beep. One contact called; no one answered. I kept going. Before long, dozens of contacts refused to answer my call.
My friends, my family, and even my ex, where were all these people? Why did no one answer me?
Then again, no one ever visited me in the prison. Maybe, they truly hated me after I had committed that serious crime. However, I bore no regret for my past sin.
That being said, their lack of trust in myself imprinted despair in my heart. Fine. If people wanted to cut contact with me, I started anew by myself.
I strolled the street while thinking about my plan in the future. In this world, magic and supernatural things exist. Everyone had a chance to awaken their extraordinary power once they reached eighteen years old. I celebrated my coming of age in the prison a few months ago, and I obtained a hidden power in me. To check it, I needed a device and only the Awakener Alliance and guilds sold them.
Fortunately for me, the Awakener Alliance let people used the device for free. To that place, I headed. Or so my initial plan, but my stomach protested in grumbling scream.
"Let's have a breakfast first."
In a convenient store, I slurped noodles while crying. How I missed this simple food. Luckily, labor existed in the prison. Thanks to it, I could save money and afford a cup of noodles and a plastic bowl of six hard-boiled eggs.
As I chomped down an egg in peace, a slam on the table startled me. On my side, an old man in white shouted at his smartphone.
"Are you kidding me? I have paid you in advance so you can drag my granddaughter out of her fucking room and you gave up in just a day? Hah? Forgiveness? Are you fucking.. sigh... Forget it. Don't ever show yourself again or I will fucking kill you!" He snapped his smartphone in two. His muscles screamed to tear apart his white suit. He glanced at me, and veins popped out of his temple.
"Hah? What are you looking at, geezer? Looking for a fight?!" I exclaimed, never cowering if I did nothing wrong. Eyes to eyes, we exchanged, but something seemed to be wrong.
At first, the old man's gray eyes flared. As we exchanged stares, his gaze moistened. Then, he looked at me with a gentle expression and soft smile that creeped the hair on my nape out.
"You look like a good boy. What's your name, grandson?"
"What?" I said. As I felt confused about his sudden schizophrenic change in attitude, another entity whispered something insane in my ears. No, my head.
[You have encountered a grandfather]
[Applying the first time bonus]
[You get 100% discount! The price of Grandpa Maximum Charm is now 0 AP]
[Will you use 0 AP to charm the target? Yes or no?]
"Yes? What the fuck?"
[Purchase successful. The target, Brian Eldora, has now 100% affection for you. Congrats, you have acquired a grandpa who loves and dotes you]
"No, what the fuck!"
Brian Eldora cleared his throat while blushing, something unfitting of his fierce and strong appearance. "I am sorry you have to hear that, grandson. Grandpa has set a bad example to you. Grandpa is ashamed. But, sigh, my granddaughter is really a troublemaker. She gives grandpa a headache."
"Yo, old man, snap out of it! I am not your grandson!"
"I know. It's okay. I can tell that you are a good grandson. You can be my grandson if you are engaged to my granddaughter."
"Excuse me?"
"Sleep, grandson."
His hand flashed. Before I could react, something chopped my neck. My vision blurred, and I failed to reclaim my consciousness.
The squishy cushion embraced me in their caring cuddle. It made me want to forever rest in their care. However, something poked my cheek over and over, annoying me enough to unwrap my eyes open.
I would be mad if not for a perfect chiseled face over me. Her smooth gray hair fell before my ear, and a floral aroma indulged my nose. Oh, Lord, I entered heaven.
Or so I thought before I noticed her pretty faced pouted in annoyance. "Hey, haven't you slept enough? Can you wake up now?"
"Who even are you?" I asked.
"That should be my line. This is my bed."
"Uh, oh. Make sense. I just remembered that I am homeless. How did I end up here anyway?"
"I don't know. Ask my grandpa for that."
When I remembered that old fart's face, I gritted my teeth in anger, but the comfy mattress embraced me again, ridding me of unpleasant thoughts.
"Hey, can you let me just lie down for a bit? It's been, I don't know, a year? Since I last lay down in a comfortable mattress. I will owe you, alright?"
"No. Just get down. You have disturbed my sleep! I can't even play games anymore! I can't even sleep now because you are here!" she said as she shoved me.
"Right. My bad." I immediately jumped down the mattress and stretched my body. "Just to be clear, I am here not of my own will, so don't think bad about me, alright? Then, I will see myself off."
I waved at her, ignoring her wary look at me. As I tried to open the door, it wouldn't budge. I looked at her again and asked, "Yo, unlock the door, please?"
"No way? It's unlocked? What is grandpa thinking?"
"He's your fucking grandpa for fuck's sake. How am I supposed to..." I stopped my line when my nape stung me.
As I rubbed it, I suddenly remembered something.
'I know. It's okay. I can tell that you are a good grandson. You can be my grandson if you are engaged to my granddaughter,' said the old geezer as his words stuck in my mind.
"No way, right?" I muttered.
No way that insane old man locked us here so we could copulate.