Early in the morning, Autumn Ease arrived at the office. Since everyone had worked overtime late yesterday, no one else showed up early today. The office was empty except for the cleaning lady and him.
"Morning, Auntie," he greeted.
"Not early at all. Heard you all pulled another late shift last night?" she replied.
"Yeah, that’s right," Autumn Ease said.
"You youngsters should take care of your health. Always working overtime, sigh."
"Can’t be helped," Autumn Ease smiled awkwardly, settling into his seat.
Yesterday’s tasks were done, so until new assignments came down, he could finally rest a bit. Besides, it wasn’t official work hours yet. No need to rush—he could leisurely eat breakfast.
"Come to think of it, how’s Brother Lei doing?" Autumn Ease recalled last night, worry nudging him to call.
Wanjianlei’s voice boomed on the other end, energetic and far from hungover.
"Hey? Brother Lei?"
"What’s up, little bro?" Wanjianlei’s voice was loud and busy.
"Nothing much… what did you need last night when you called?"
"Oh, that? Small stuff—already sorted. But you, kid, got a girlfriend now? Pretty? Sounded nice on the phone. When you bringing her out to meet me?"
"Ah… that… maybe another time," Autumn Ease answered awkwardly. Chances were, that time would never come. After all, that "girlfriend" was himself in another form. Two versions of him couldn’t exist at once.
Well, never say never. A person should always hold some hope for the future.
"Gotta go—I’m swamped opening cards here!" Wanjianlei rattled off at lightning speed. Mechanical clatter and faint crowd noise buzzed in the background.
He really was busy.
But… could he even take calls while working the counter? Autumn Ease knew Wanjianlei’s job but had never visited his workplace.
After hanging up, Autumn Ease brewed a free office coffee. Bored, he drifted back to last night’s dream. The details were fuzzy, but he vaguely remembered needing to recall or understand something. It might connect to the girl from the dream appearing in reality—Leaf Grace.
Autumn Ease knew he loved her deeply. Even with hazy memories, that love hadn’t faded.
Was she truly another version of himself? He wondered how he could fall for his own reflection. Was he just deeply narcissistic at heart?
That day, the sun peeked out briefly at dawn but hid behind clouds the rest of the time, threatening rain. By evening, the pent-up downpour finally fell, oddly relieving.
The studio buzzed with work. Autumn Ease handled shipping alone—packing goods bought for resale and greeting customers. As a side gig selling game and anime merch, the studio invested little money or staff. Even customer service was handled by part-time artists. Today it was Autumn Ease; tomorrow, someone else.
They were bottom-tier artists—called assistants, but really just jack-of-all-trades who drew. Beyond sketching, they did everything.
Most packages held figurines, though some were lucky bags or gift sets. The company rented a sizable space, with a small back warehouse stacked with these items. Don’t underestimate this business—it was one key reason the studio survived. Investors might pull out, but what you build yourself is truly yours. Autumn Ease admired the founder, not the current figurehead owner.
"Manager," Autumn Ease approached at ten PM. "Could I leave by midnight on overtime days? The doctor said… during my vacation… if I stay up too late, my condition worsens."
"What’s wrong?"
"My… back here."
"Fine. Leaving an hour early is no big deal. But keep this quiet—don’t tell others. Just slip out like you’re heading to the restroom. No one notices much in the last hour anyway."
"Thanks," Autumn Ease said gratefully, though he knew it was just management tactics. Skipping unpaid overtime an hour early felt like a huge favor. Still, he played along—he had to. Life wasn’t that simple. Even a socially awkward guy like him understood basic human dealings. How else to survive?
Rain hammered down.
Late-night Hangzhou quieted rarely, so Autumn Ease liked evenings. During overtime, he’d comfort himself thinking of the city’s night scenery—different from daytime—and feel a bit better.
He finished his tasks before midnight and slipped out quietly.
"Crap, no umbrella… is the convenience store downstairs still open?"
The city’s blessing was 24-hour convenience stores everywhere. One sat below his office building. Prices were steep, but better than riding home soaked. Autumn rain was chilly; getting drenched might mean a cold tomorrow.
"Huh… all pink?" Autumn Ease browsed the racks. Every umbrella was pink except one black long-handled one—much pricier.
"My fu—" He swallowed the last letter. Refusing pink, he paid extra for the black one.
"Worth it? That money could’ve bought two good meals," he muttered, regretting it as he stepped out. "Should’ve gotten pink… say it’s from my girlfriend… damn, why didn’t I think of that? Can I return it?"
He lingered awkwardly at the door but couldn’t bring himself to go back.
"At least this black one’s kinda stylish…" he consoled himself. See? Autumn Ease knew how to lift his mood.
Rain poured. A young man—yes, young, since everyone left early tonight—walked at eleven PM. No bike; he didn’t want to get wet. Strolling in the rain felt nice sometimes.
Darkness swallowed light, and rain deepened the gloom. Red and blue police lights flashed past—a patrol car. Hangzhou’s safety had improved; patrols roamed even at night. Good for law-abiding folks like Autumn Ease.
But police lights only reached so far. In shadows, bad things still happened. Like on his route home: busy by day, empty at night. The nearby grove often hid couples… but not tonight.
"Eeek—help—!" A faint cry cut through the rain. Autumn Ease stopped, straining to hear. The voice grew weaker.
In the downpour, no one would come to help. He should’ve walked away—but his feet moved toward the sound.
Leaving a girl screaming in the grove felt too cruel.
In dim light, he saw a girl surrounded, men leering on either side.
"Aw, little sister, you drank at the bar with us. Don’t play innocent now—we paid your tab," one sneered.
"Yeah, heh… everyone’s got needs. Why not enjoy each other?"
"You… get away! What do you think I am?!"
"Hah? Seriously? Girls at bars don’t stay pure."
"Haha, she’s joking."
"What a joker."
"Hel—!"
"Shut your mouth, brat!"
Hidden behind bushes, Autumn Ease snapped. A tokusatsu-loving shut-in, he burned with stronger-than-average justice. In that instant, he became a righteous hero—leaping out with cringey flair.
From the shadows, he kicked one man square in the chest. Snapping his umbrella shut, he landed smoothly like a pro.
Backlit, he was just a cool black silhouette—the perfect hero entrance.
The thugs hesitated, unnerved.
Then reality hit Autumn Ease. His legs trembled.
