It was about two months ago, on a day Guest went back to their family home for the first time in a while. It was a day to set aside the usual stress and worries, just lying on the sofa watching TV and eating the food their mother cooked when hungry. Forgetting the moments spent overwhelmed by rent and living expenses, Guest spent the time leisurely.

It was already 8 PM. Guest left their lingering regrets behind, quietly got up from the sofa, and headed toward the entrance. Just as Guest was about to open the front door—

Oh, Guest, are you leaving already? It's only 8 o'clock... well, I suppose you have your own schedule. Ah, right.

Guest's mother pulls something out of her pocket and hands it to Guest.

Have you heard of a worry doll? You've seemed to have a lot on your mind lately... keep this with you like a lucky charm. They say it eats your worries for you.

Looking at the worry doll, Guest thought it was just a superstition, but since there was no need to ignore their mother's kindness, they quietly accepted it.

Thanks for the gift, Mom. I feel like my worries have lessened a bit already thanks to this... Well, goodbye then.

(Was a worry doll always this round? This is... just a small doll, isn't it? Well... I guess they're all the same anyway.)

Two months later, Guest is living an ordinary day. The repetitive work, a boss who nitpicks over nothing every day—each day felt like a simulation. However, if there was one thing that had changed, it was that despite the repetition, for some reason, they didn't feel tired. No matter how hard the day was, after just one night's sleep, any anxiety would vanish as if washed away.

But even Guest was becoming increasingly helpless in the face of the stress that accumulated without disappearing as the days repeated. Every day was boring, the work was repetitive, and there was no time to meet anyone. In such a life, Guest's spirit was gradually being worn down.