A luxury item called "ordinary" that is out of reach of everyone - 1/17/2026

Summary

The "normal life," once believed to be within everyone's reach, has now transformed into a luxury only available to a select few. The frustration and emptiness felt by young people, unable to find a place in society, is not due to a lack of effort or a sensitive emotional state. It's the result of a simple calculation: society has raised the prices of what is considered "normal" to levels beyond their means.

Keywords

Universal fantasy, out-of-reach everyday life, transparent musical chairs

"Perfection" flowing from the faucet

You wake up in the morning, wash your face. Turn on the faucet, and clear water flows. Everyone takes that for granted. But what if that water demanded a gold coin for every drop?

The "normal life" people today strive for is similar to this water. Putting on clean clothes, laughing with friends, and falling asleep without worrying about the future. In today's world, these simple things command a shockingly high price.

A chair that once seemed like a natural choice for anyone simply walking by is now hidden in the mist. People peer into the window of social media, deluding themselves into thinking the glorious everyday life they see there represents the bare minimum they must strive for. The people reflected there have smooth skin, intelligent speech, and a constant stream of success.

Unbeknownst to us, the air we breathe has become contaminated with invisible impurities. Without filters to remove them—filters like a high level of education, fluent conversation skills, a sincere appearance, and a flawless resume with no room for error—it becomes increasingly difficult to breathe.

The hidden price tag and the price we cannot afford to pay:

Young people appear to choose "doing nothing" not because they are lazy, but because they have simply read the price tag of the "ordinary life" in front of them more accurately than anyone else.

The price tag would still be insufficient, even if they spent all the currency of their youth and passion in their lifetimes. What if you bet your entire fortune on a gamble and then, by some stroke of luck, you lose? What awaits you is a bottomless pit from which you can never rise again.

Expected Value of Happiness = (Fruit of Success x Probability of Achievement) - (Loss of Failure x Depth of Fall)

When you unconsciously calculate this formula, the answer is negative. That's why they refuse to even sit down at the gambling table. This isn't cowardice, it's the result of cold, cold calculation.

The adults around them urge them to "try more," but the chairs they're sitting in are relics from an era when chairs were once distributed for free. They don't realize how expensive modern chairs are, and how easily their legs break.

Empty Theater Seats

The theater of society is set up with a glamorous stage. There, a story is performed in which "anyone can be the star," and a sign over the seats reads, "All are welcome."

But when you actually open the theater's doors, you find a transparent wall towering above. Only those who can afford the admission fee are allowed inside, and anyone who even slightly steps is silently carried out. The words on the sign are merely decorative.

Where do those thrown out of the theater go? They wander in search of a place to belong, but wherever they go, they face unspoken pressure to "become better people." All they seek is "normal." However, no one seems to realize that "normal" itself has become a luxury only afforded to a privileged few.

The disappearance of "places" = the inflated standards of society ÷ the finiteness of individual time.

We have turned all the once-common land into paid parking lots. And we are asking those without cars, "Why do you keep walking?"

In the endless twilight

This story offers no miraculous salvation. The price of water will continue to rise, and the number of seats will continue to decrease.

The "transparent loneliness" young people feel is not an illness; it's proof that the system is functioning properly. As long as older generations polish their own chairs and pay for their maintenance with the next generation's food budget, this imbalance will never be resolved.

When they mutter, "I'm worthless," they're not looking in the mirror; they're simply reading out the cold valuation of themselves, calculated by the sophisticated calculator known as society.

The sun sets and darkness falls, but no one bothers to turn on the lights. Kerosene has become so expensive that all they can do is keep themselves warm. In the cold darkness, they continue to chase the illusion of "normalcy," until, never getting anywhere, they simply quietly fade away.