The year is 2026. At a high school, amidst a sudden torrential downpour, a seventeen-year-old boy runs toward the school entrance clutching an umbrella. But the moment he arrives,
"I'm sorry, we're breaking up. I've started seeing someone else."
"Boom." Thunder crashes against the heavy rain. The boy—with his long hair, average face, and glasses—stands there soaked to the bone, stunned by the words of the beautiful girl in the school uniform standing before him.
"Oh... I see," the boy says expressionlessly, trying to process what he just heard.
"You think I'm joking? Look at this."
The girl holds up her smartphone, showing him a message history between her and another man.
"B..but why? Who is Julius?" the boy asks.
"Julius is a top model on the rise. He's with my agency. He took me out to dinner yesterday and plans to marry me after I graduate. He pampered me at a hotel that night and I liked it. So, I'm sorry, but this is where it ends, Rex. I know you're kind and understanding... but I need more, and you can't give me what I need. Julius can give me everything," the girl says.
"B..but when you were fat, being bullied, and hopeless because your parents left you, I stayed by your side... why... why are you doing this to me, Grace?" Rex asks.
"Again, I'm sorry, Rex. I truly am grateful you were there for me during my hard times. But if you use that as a reason for us to be together, it means your help back then wasn't sincere—you had an agenda. I hate people like that. So, that's it. We're done," Grace answers.
Rex is speechless. His hands clench into fists. He is truly heartbroken by Grace's words. Everything he did for her was purely out of love, not because he wanted something in return. He worked himself to the bone to provide for his own needs, his grandmother's medical bills, and for Grace, who had been abandoned by her parents after their divorce.
Grace didn't always look like this. She used to be a heavy girl who was constantly bullied in class, but Rex looked past all that and helped her with all his heart. He never even laid a finger on her, even when she stayed with him after being kicked out. He didn't want to defile the woman he loved; that was his mindset.
He supported her until Grace was finally able to support herself, working as a high-paid fashion model after a grueling transformation—a journey Rex walked beside her every step of the way until she became independent. Rex lifts his head and looks at Grace. Something shifts in his mind. After all these years, he finally sees Grace for who she really is, and she is nothing like the person he imagined. Suddenly, he smiles and reaches out, handing his umbrella to her.
"I understand. I hope you're happy," Rex says.
"Huh... that's it? You're just giving up?" Grace asks as she takes the umbrella.
"Ding." A notification hits Rex's phone. He pulls his smartphone out of a plastic bag, unlocks the screen, and reads the message. He tucks the phone back into his pocket.
"Right. I've got work. Bye," Rex says, turning away without a second glance at Grace, who stands there like a statue, holding the umbrella as she watches him walk away.
***
A short while later, in a residential area on the other side of town. "Ding-dong," the doorbell rings.
A shirtless man with a muscular, tattooed chest and a handgun approaches the door. He peeks through the peephole. He sees a delivery guy wearing a hat and a mask standing outside. The man opens the door.
"Excuse me, here's the food order. The total comes to—"
"I didn't order anything... beat it." Before the delivery guy can finish, the man cuts him off.
"But the address on the order is right here. Maybe a relative or a friend sent it?" the delivery guy asks, showing him his smartphone.
"No way. I live alone. There's nobody else in this house... get lost, don't test my patience," the man yells angrily.
"Fine, I'll just give you this cake... I'm leaving," the delivery guy says, handing over the cake bag.
The man takes it and carries the bag inside. As soon as he closes the door, he opens the bag. Inside is a box that looks like a tart container, and on top of it sits a card.
The man picks up the card and reads it. The text says: "Goodbye... that cake is a bomb and in just a moment... BOOM." After reading it, the man immediately swings the door open, intending to throw the package out. But when the door opens, the delivery guy who was supposed to be gone is standing right there, leveling a pistol at him.
"Blam."
The shot hits the man square in the forehead. He dies instantly, his body crashing backward. The delivery guy steps inside and catches the falling food box. He opens it, pulls off his mask, and reveals himself to be Rex. He opens the box, takes a piece of cake, and eats it casually while glancing at the slumped body in front of him.
"Goodbye," he says, his foot kicking the door shut behind him.
Rex takes out his phone and sends a photo of the dead man to someone named Miranda with a message: "Job done." He walks further into the house and sits comfortably on the living room sofa, watching television while placing the cake and his gun on the coffee table. He removes his hat; his face still carries a trace of sadness from the situation with Grace earlier.
Suddenly, "Click."
The kitchen door opens. A girl peeks out, seeing an unknown young man casually watching TV. Her eyes dart to the table where a cake box and a pistol lie pointed toward the kitchen. She ducks back against the wall, pressing both hands over her mouth to keep from screaming in shock. But suddenly,
"Hey... want some cake?" a voice asks right beside her.
The girl whips her head around. The boy eating the cake is already standing next to her.
"Waaaaa!" the girl screams.
Rex lunges forward and covers her mouth so she couldn't scream. He leans in close to her ear.
"This is your order," he says, sliding a piece of cake into her mouth.
"Ogh.. gulp... wh..who are you?" the girl asks after swallowing the cake.
"Read this," Rex says, showing a message on his smartphone to the girl.
The girl, wearing only underwear, reads the text. She immediately bursts into tears and throws her arms around Rex.
"Let's get you home. Don't run away again," Rex says.
"O-okay... thank you," the girl sobs.
After the girl gets dressed, they leave the house, riding together on a fast-food delivery motorcycle. Rex brings the girl back to her home and hands her over to her parents, who are actually prominent mafia leaders. Afterward, he calmly rides away on the delivery bike.
But while stopped at a red light, "Aaaaaaaargh... this is so frustrating! I worked jobs like this just so she could be independent, but as soon as she is, she dumps me... damn it!" Rex screams, venting the pent-up bitterness and anger he feels toward Grace. "Ding." A message arrives. Rex pulls his phone from his pocket and checks it. He sees that his payment has been deposited into his account.
His check complete, Rex continues his journey toward the red-light district. Upon arriving, he parks the bike and enters a fast-food restaurant through the back door. He heads up to the second floor, which serves as a private host pub for women, with lodging on the third floor.
"I'm here," he announces.
"Rex, go change quickly. There are a lot of guests waiting," replies a sharp-dressed man wearing a manager's tag.
"Got it," Rex replies.
He heads straight to the locker room to change. Rex puts on a white shirt, leaving the top buttons open to reveal his lean but muscular frame. He dons a black blazer and black trousers. After sliding into his shoes, he looks in the mirror to fix his hair, combing it back and practicing a smile. His face is strikingly handsome now, as if he's transformed from the nerdy student he was before.
Finished, he steps out into the pub, which is filled mostly with female office workers, wealthy middle-aged women, and daughters of the elite.
"Rex, get to table eight. Your customer is already waiting," says a middle-aged man wearing a gold necklace and fingers full of rings.
"On it," Rex says coolly.
He walks toward the table. It turns out to be Miranda, sitting with her arms crossed, holding a drink and waiting for him. Miranda glances at Rex.
"Finally, you showed up," she greets him with a smile.
"I'm here, Miranda," Rex replies, sitting beside her.
Miranda immediately puts an arm around Rex and shows him her phone. On the screen is the body of the shirtless, tattooed man lying on the floor with a hole in his forehead.
"Try to be neater next time... if it looks like this, my bosses start asking questions," Miranda says.
"Wait... isn't that the cleanup crew's job?" Rex counters.
"Yeah, but they'll have a hard time cleaning the splatter off the walls. Anyway, the girl's parents transferred the money, right?" Miranda asks.
"Yeah. I'll transfer your cut to the usual account," Rex answers, showing her his phone.
"Don't bother, keep it... I shouldn't really be getting involved anyway... but the girl's parents happen to be acquaintances of mine," Miranda says.
"Okay, thanks. So, what about my resignation from the Order?" Rex asks.
"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk about," Miranda replies.
Suddenly, Miranda opens her bag, pulls out a pistol, and presses the barrel against Rex's forehead while smiling.
"You already know the answer, don't you?" Miranda asks casually.
"Fine... go ahead. Honestly, I'm done with this world anyway," Rex answers calmly with a smile. He presses his forehead against the gun and closes his eyes. Forget it... I'm exhausted. First Grandma passed away, and now Grace betrayed me. Maybe this is the best way for it to end, Rex mutters to himself. Then, everything goes black as Miranda pulls the trigger.