Pride If Re: Zero Novels & Stories

The year I started middle school, my parents solemnly handed my sister and me each a bank card. "This is your college fund. There's 100,000 dollars in each one. The password is your birthday. Don't touch it unless it's truly an emergency." I listened. I treated that card like a treasure. I never bought a single new piece of clothing. Even my worn-out canvas shoes got patched with glue and worn again. I thought that if I was just responsible enough, I'd live up to my parents' idea of "fairness." Then, after the SATs ended, I wanted to use the money on the card for a graduation trip with my classmates. Instead, the ATM screen flashed a number that burned my eyes: [Balance: $0.00]. At th

I wanted to apologize to him, but somehow my pride didn't let me utter those words. I slowly walked away from him and sat on one of the twin swings, thinking about my words. I'd never been one to speak without thinking. I was always calm and collected. But being with Adrian made me lose my control, which irritated me. I'd worked so hard to gain control over myself and appear collected. I didn't want one person to destroy everything just by being present around me.

Skylar at the cafe, cropped in a way that made it look suggestive. The caption read, "Shocking! Female sales executive sleeps her way to the top, cheats on husband with wealthy businessman!" I didn't need confirmation to know Mandy was behind it. I sat in my office, calmly taking in the online hate comments. Mr. Skylar walked in, looking slightly annoyed. "Do you want the PR department to handle the online situation, Ms. Johnson?" I waved him off with a laugh. "No need. Let's keep them spinning for a while more. Bad press still drives clicks. If they want to turn this into a spectacle, I'll give them something worth watching."

Lizzie, on the other hand, was leaning on the arm of the sofa, grinning from ear to ear like a shark. “Sit,” Valour said, pointing to the hard chair in front of his massive desk. I sat down gently, looking down with a fake remorse. “A zero.” He said the word like it was a curse. “Out of one hundred. Not a forty. Not a twenty. A zero.” I didn’t say anything.

Minus Viper’s lips formed a slight smile, but his eyes burned with anger. “I have to apologize. Clearly, I didn’t quite make the impression on you gentlemen that I had intended.” “Now, don’t be too sure about that,” I said. “If your intention was to show us that you’re a psychopath that mutilates his own people due to his own personal fuckups, then let me assure you, message received. Wouldn’t you say, Clutch?”

But standing here, unable to answer, unable to prove her worth, made her feel exactly that—useless. Joy leaned in closer, her face mere inches from Claire’s. “Here’s the thing, Claire,” she said, her voice low and menacing. “There are two kinds of people in this world—useful and useless. And useless people? They don’t last long around here. Just a friendly warning.”

Pressing both of her hands on the metal island for examining pets, she hops her butt on top and crosses her legs. "Yeah, because what we have is safe, Rae. But eventually you have to swim with the dicks to get to the other side." Her tone serious. "I don't think that's how that saying goes," I laugh. "Oh, no. That is exactly how it goes. The man that is worth the trouble and has a dick that lengths in double is rewarded only after you get through the lake of pricks." She points at me jumping off the counter. "Remember that." *** Sitting on the couch I wipe my hands that consist of left over flour on my long shirt and lean against the doorframe that enters our living room. Orange Is The New B

he added. Sebastian bowed for a moment and smiled as he looked up at Migi. He scratches his forehead. "Are you mad because I'm gone, Migi? I'm sorry, "he apologized. He suddenly thought of what was said and realized that he felt ashamed. Why would he be angry if it had been gone for a long time? "I'm not angry, Seb. I'm just surprised you reappeared in some part of the world," he once explained. "Yeah, I get it now, Migi. That's why I'm here again, and I won't ghost you this time, "he said, smiling.

Speaking of… “I would very much like to see my friend now.” I see her lip curl from the corner of my eye. “Later,” she says trying to cover up the snarl that seeps out. Althea starts talking again without missing a beat, effectively changing the subject. “Our Pride is only 516 strong, not including the few children born to the Tolba Pride. Mostly males. Small but mighty.” We walk back the way we came as she talks.

] I closed my eyes and waited for the end. But— Nothing happened. I opened my eyes. The sun was climbing over the horizon, gold light spilling across the ocean. Beautiful. And I was still here. Still alive. Then the voice sounded in my head again, but this time it wasn't cold anymore. [Player confirmed to have achieved self-awakening within the final ten days. Objective shifted from "love from others" to "self-love." Mission result: success. Reward: rebirth.] I froze. Then I started laughing.