The alarm under Yuuma's pillow vibrated at six thirty sharp.
He did not lie in bed trying to gather his strength. His body simply moved on its own, sliding off the mattress before his brain could fully process the sharp, throbbing pressure behind his eyes. Four hours of sleep was an upgrade compared to three, but his limbs still felt heavy, like wet sandbags pinned to his torso.
He found his glasses resting near the edge of his small desk. Slipping them onto the bridge of his nose, the blurred shapes of his room instantly snapped into sharp focus.
When Yuuma stepped into the living room, the household was already in full swing.
The small wooden dining table was crowded as usual. His second brother, Mark, was sitting in his usual spot, dressed in his crisp white college uniform shirt with his ROTC pin clipped neatly to the collar. Beside him, Maya was aggressively stuffing her high school textbooks into her backpack while trying to finish her glass of milk, her uniform skirt already slightly wrinkled.
Near the corner of the room, their mother, Elena, was helping little Leo tie his elementary school shoes.
"Don't pull the laces so hard, Leo," Elena said gently, her voice rasping slightly from waking up early. "You will tear the plastic ends again."
"I am trying to make them tight so they don't untie during PE class!" Leo protested, swinging his small legs back and forth on the wooden bench.
"Sit still for a second," Maya cut in, snatching a piece of toast from the center plate. "Mom, can I get extra allowance today? We need to buy poster paper and markers for our group project in social studies."
"I gave you your weekly budget on Monday, Maya," Elena sighed, standing up slowly and wiping her hands on her apron. "Where did the rest go?"
"I had to pay for the printed reviewer yesterday!" Maya whined, slumping her shoulders. "It was fifty pesos!"
Yuuma walked over to the table, pulling out a plastic stool. He reached into his back pocket, pulled out his worn leather wallet, and took out a hundred peso bill, sliding it across the wood toward Maya.
"Here," Yuuma said smoothly. "Use it for the poster paper."
Maya's eyes lit up instantly. "Thanks, Kuya Yuuma! You are the best!"
"Don't spoil her, Yuuma," Elena said softly, stepping closer to place a fresh plate of fried rice and dried fish in front of him. She gave his shoulder a quick, affectionate squeeze. "You keep handing out your allowance money, you won't have anything left for your own lunch."
"I am fine, Mom," Yuuma replied automatically, picking up his spoon and fork from the container on the table. "I still have enough on my transport card."
From the edge of the kitchen counter, their father, Kenji, set his empty coffee mug down into the sink with a loud, metallic clatter. He stood tall, his faded driver's polo slightly stained with motor oil near the sleeve. He did not smile, nor did he offer any soft morning greetings.
"Did you transfer the electric payment last night?" Kenji asked, his voice rough and deep, cutting right through the noisy chatter of the younger siblings.
"Yes, Dad," Yuuma answered, looking up through his glasses. "I transferred it before I left the floor."
Kenji gave a short, silent nod. "Good. The landlord was already texting me yesterday afternoon about the meter reading. Don't be late on those transfers. They add penalty charges if we miss the cutoff."
"I won't be late," Yuuma said.
"Mark," Kenji turned his cold gaze toward his second son. "How are your grades in your officer training class? Are you still keeping up?"
Mark sat up straight, clearing his throat. "Yes, Dad. I am currently ranked fifth in our battalion drill evaluations. The instructors said I have a good chance of getting recommended for the scholarship next semester."
"Keep it that way," Kenji grunted, grabbing his car keys from the hook on the wall. "Don't waste the tuition your brother is paying for. Work hard so you can get a real stable job after graduation."
Mark nodded quickly, taking another large bite of his rice. "I will, Dad."
Without another word, Kenji pulled the front door open and walked out into the narrow hallway, the heavy wooden door shutting behind him with a firm, solid click.
The tension in the room eased up slightly the moment he left. Maya let out a small breath, stuffing her lunchbox into her bag, while Leo finally managed to double knot his shoe laces.
"Your father is just stressed about his vehicle maintenance this week," Elena whispered quietly to Yuuma, setting down a cup of warm water next to his plate. "The garage manager raised their daily boundary fees again."
"It is okay, Mom," Yuuma said, taking a sip of the warm water. "I understand."
"Eat up, Bro," Mark said, leaning over to grab his own bag. "If you leave the house in ten minutes, we can walk to the main road together before I head to campus."
"Sure," Yuuma agreed, cutting a piece of dried fish with his spoon.
As his brothers and sisters continued chatting about their class schedules, upcoming exams, and cheap fast food spots near their schools, Yuuma sat quietly in the middle of their noise. He ate his breakfast methodically, listening to every word, absorbing their small daily worries.
This was his routine. This was the exact reason why he stood in crammed buses every single morning and swallowed insults from callers every single night.
He didn't need a grand purpose. He didn't need personal happiness. He just needed to make sure this table had food on it every morning, and that his family stayed safe under this roof.
After finishing his food, Yuuma grabbed his backpack, checked his glasses in the small wall mirror, and stepped out the door into the morning heat alongside Mark.
By nine in the morning, Yuuma was back on the fourth floor of the call center.
With his glasses on, the chaotic world of the office looked entirely different. The glowing monitors were crisp, the numbers on his metrics dashboard were clear, and he no longer had to squint just to read a simple customer chat ticket.
"Whoa, hold on a second," a loud voice boomed beside him.
Yuuma looked up as Vanitas dropped his heavy backpack onto the adjacent desk, staring directly at Yuuma's face with wide, exaggerated eyes.
"Is that... actual eyewear?" Vanitas gasped, leaning in so close his nose almost touched Yuuma's cheek. "Where is the dark, murderous glare? Where is the terrifying overlord of misery?"
Yuuma pushed Vanitas's shoulder away with one hand. "I brought my glasses today. I told you yesterday I left them on the table."
"Man, this is disappointing," Vanitas wheezed, slumping into his chair with a dramatic sigh. "You don't look dangerous at all now. You just look like a quiet, overworked library assistant who hasn't seen the sun in five years."
"I am an overworked customer service agent who hasn't seen the sun in four years," Yuuma corrected flatly, logging into his softphone system. "Close enough."
"Fair point," Vanitas chuckled, pulling his headset over his ears. "By the way, did you see the email Marcus sent out at eight AM?"
Yuuma paused, his fingers hovering over his mouse. "No. What email?"
"He posted the mandatory holiday shift schedule for next month," Vanitas said, leaning over his divider to point at Yuuma's monitor screen. "Look at the list."
Yuuma opened his corporate inbox and clicked on the fresh broadcast message from management. He scrolled down through the long table of agent names until he found his own.
Aisaka, Yuuma - Thanksgiving Day: MANDATORY SHIFT (12 HOURS)
Aisaka, Yuuma - Christmas Eve: MANDATORY SHIFT (12 HOURS)
Aisaka, Yuuma - New Year's Eve: MANDATORY SHIFT (12 HOURS)
Yuuma stared at the screen. Beside his name, Sarah and the other favored agents on the team were marked down for standard eight hour shifts with preferred weekend rest days.
"Twelve hours for all three major holidays," Vanitas muttered, his comedic tone completely vanishing for a split second. "The snake really stacked the deck against you because you didn't smile during his team speech."
Yuuma stared at the bold letters on his monitor. His heart rate didn't spike. His fists didn't clench. There was no sudden surge of outrage inside him.
Instead, his mind immediately jumped to the pay calculations. Holiday double pay for twelve hours meant a higher payout on the mid month check. It meant he could cover Hannah's next hospital follow up without asking for an advance from HR. It meant he could buy Leo new school shoes when his current pair finally tore open.
"It is fine," Yuuma said softly, his voice dead steady as he clicked to accept the schedule.
Vanitas looked at him, shaking his head with a mixture of frustration and disbelief. "You are incredible, Yuuma. Seriously. They could hand you a bucket of nails and ask you to eat it, and you would probably ask if they want you to chew them fast or slow."
Yuuma offered a faint, nearly invisible curve of his lips as his first call plugged into his headset.
"Thank you for calling customer support," Yuuma spoke into the microphone, his polished corporate voice ringing out clear and hollow. "My name is Yuuma. How can I help you today?"
ns216.73.216.48da2
and then Add to home screen.