Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Vacation (2)
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Brown hair. Eyes with a hint of red.
Yoo Seo-ah sat on the bed, swinging her legs back and forth.
She looked happy.
She hadn't noticed that Han Si-hoo had returned to the dorm.
Just as he was wondering if he should say hello, Yoo Seo-ah spoke.
"Maybe dying wouldn't be so bad."
She was still smiling faintly.
It was a casual mutter to herself.
Perhaps that's why her expression didn't change.
"...Si-hoo?"
She noticed him.
He wondered if he had misheard.
It wasn't that he'd misheard the television.
He had to tell her she shouldn't die.
-I'm sorry, please kill me.
It was a bad memory.
Just as his mind was about to go blank, he caught himself.
"Welcome back."
The conversation with Seo-ah was over.
It was decided that Han Si-hoo would hold onto the medicine she had brought from home.
He could have forcibly taken the drug or restricted her access.
As long as he had the medicine, she would have no choice but to listen to him.
But that wasn't right.
It would make him no different from the Doctor.
There were many things he needed to ask.
So many, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
He was afraid of what words might come out of Yoo Seo-ah's mouth.
It was doubtful whether Yoo Seo-ah was even properly aware of the state of her own home.
After all, she hadn't immediately registered what he said when he first mentioned the broken glass.
All the terrible things that might have happened to Seo-ah swirled in Han Si-hoo's mind.
He couldn't stop them, no matter how hard he tried.
The trashed house, the scars on Seo-ah's body, the drug addiction.
Could it be that she was ■■ and then ■■, or something like ■■■...
Surely not.
His worst thoughts only gained momentum.
Han Si-hoo hoped his thoughts were nothing more than delusions.
Han Si-hoo walked out into the living room.
His throat felt parched, so he drank some water.
Seo-ah was once again staring blankly at the television.
After using the drug once, she hadn't asked for more.
It seemed she had some level of restraint.
Though he wasn't sure if injecting herself several times a day could be called restraint.
It appeared she had her own limits.
He hated himself for letting Seo-ah become like this.
He also hated the other factors that had broken her.
That villain, the one called the Doctor or whatever.
He had to be dealt with.
Han Si-hoo would deal with him himself.
Last time, he couldn't attack properly because of Yoo Seo-ah, but next time, he would be able to face him head-on.
He couldn't let Yoo Seo-ah be taken hostage or anything like that happen again.
"But why Seo-ah, of all people..."
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't understand the Doctor's motive.
If the Doctor had wanted to, he could have killed Yoo Seo-ah right in front of him.
He had acted cautiously precisely because he knew that fact.
Yet the Doctor had stood by and watched as Han Si-hoo rescued her.
It was as if getting Yoo Seo-ah addicted was the goal itself.
It was as if he were mocking him, asking, *What were you doing, leaving your childhood friend all alone?*
An utterly malicious act.
So, what Han Si-hoo had to do was clear.
Get information.
First, he needed to investigate the medicine he'd brought.
He had already taken a sample and given it to Lee Yoo-ram.
If he waited, he should hear something back.
...But it was too quiet.
Had it ever been this silent when he was with Seo-ah?
Staring at the screen without moving, Seo-ah wore a faint smile.
He couldn't tell if her eyes were even in focus.
It would be better to start a conversation.
What did they usually talk about?
As Han Si-hoo sat at his desk, pondering,
Bzzzt.
His phone vibrated.
[Rena: Si-hoo]
[Rena: What happened]
[Rena: Are you okay?]
She was the one who had accidentally attacked Seo-ah.
She was probably just as worried.
The fact that she had stabbed a civilian seemed to be weighing heavily on her.
"Haa."
He wasn't okay.
But he couldn't direct his anger at Rena.
She had only been focused on the basics: eliminating the enemy.
[I'm fine.]
Since they were at the same academy, she would probably meet Seo-ah again.
Most likely.
He couldn't imagine how Seo-ah would react when they met.
No, he could.
"...Ah, damn it."
Seo-ah, who had been watching the screen, flinched in surprise.
Thinking his words were directed at her, she lowered the volume of the television.
"...S-sorry. Was I being a bother?"
"Huh? No, that wasn't about you, so don't worry about it. I've never thought of you as a bother. Just... relax."
"Okay."
She glanced at him cautiously and turned the volume up slightly.
Seo-ah was constantly mindful of Han Si-hoo.
He wanted her to just be comfortable, but it seemed she couldn't fully relax.
What should he do?
How could he fix his relationship with Seo-ah?
They had been best friends.
No, even if their relationship remained shattered, if only he could return Seo-ah to her normal state.
-Bzzzt.
His phone vibrated again.
[Yeon-hwa: Thanks for your help back then.]
[Yeon-hwa: I left a gift for you, did you get it?]
Ah, the gift.
The paper bag was still unopened.
He had saved Yeon-hwa when she was in danger in the downtown dungeon last time.
It wasn't strange to receive something in return, but...
With Seo-ah here, he felt self-conscious.
[Yeon-hwa: Some girl received it for you.]
[Yeon-hwa: I've never seen her before... can I ask who she is?]
This was hard to explain.
[A friend.]
He replied and opened the gift bag.
A few simple snacks.
[Got the gift. Thanks.]
That should be enough.
"Ah."
Come to think of it, there was something he'd brought for Seo-ah.
The ribbon he'd found at her house.
He had brought it on a whim, but now that things were like this, he wanted to give it to her again.
"Seo-ah."
"Yeah?"
He should get her a proper gift later.
The thought of recycling a gift made him unable to call it a present.
"A gift."
A gift given lightly, like a joke.
They used to play like this in the past.
Joking around by giving each other things they'd already given.
He spoke lightly, trying to revive that memory.
"Huh...?"
Seo-ah hesitated as she took the black ribbon.
"Where should I put it?"
Good question.
Han Si-hoo hadn't thought that far ahead.
She was just wearing simple academy activewear, so there was nowhere to attach it.
If only she had her school uniform, she could put it on that.
School uniform.
That's right.
"...Let's go buy you some clothes."
"Outside?"
"Yeah."
Thinking about it, he had originally intended to buy her clothes.
He just hadn't because he didn't know her size.
It would be better to take Seo-ah with him.
"Where do you buy clothes?"
She asked again.
"There are a few clothing stores inside the academy. They stay open even during the break."
Han Si-hoo replied.
The shopping complex on the academy grounds had more than enough places that sold clothes.
"And you'll need to get your uniform fitted anyway."
"Okay."
Yoo Seo-ah nodded.
"Let's grab lunch while we're out, too. I'll get you a jacket to wear for now."
***
Han Si-hoo said he would buy me clothes.
I feel bad for receiving so much from him.
I haven't done anything for him.
I feel sorry for being a bother.
I should also give back the money Han Si-hoo gave me for the medicine.
"There's no one here."
I had seen less than three people by the time we entered the clothing store.
And they looked like academy staff.
"It's because it's vacation."
"That's a relief."
[Warning - External stimuli may shorten the duration.]
I said that because this message had started appearing again after a long time.
The more I interact with people, the faster the drug wears off.
No one likes to feel bad.
I have to get my uniform fitted, so I should just get some clothes and head back quickly.
It'll probably get crowded when the break ends, so I need to figure something out.
Maybe refusing to attend class is an option.
"There are no employees either."
"It's because the payment is processed automatically as long as you have your device. They just leave the stores open during the break."
"That's amazing."
I knew there were clothing stores in the academy, but I never imagined they'd be unmanned.
I hadn't even considered an automatic payment system.
It's so advanced.
Then again, this is an institution that raises the nation's top talents, so I guess this much is to be expected.
"The uniforms are over there, all sorted by size."
The uniform was primarily achromatic with red accents.
The tie and skirt had a faint plaid pattern.
I remembered being suddenly struck in the stomach on the street last time.
Those guys were wearing this academy uniform too.
What if I run into them here?
Will they recognize me?
If they do, what should I do?
Let's just leave the bad memories behind.
I focused on picking out a uniform again.
"Why are there so many uniforms?"
There were even more on display than I expected.
Does everyone get their uniforms fitted here?
"It's because a lot of kids ruin their uniforms while sparring at the academy."
"Ah."
"Even outside of sparring, there are a lot of strenuous activities."
Right, they're always fighting with swords, spears, and magic, so there's no way their uniforms would stay pristine.
The academy certainly isn't a peaceful place.
I guess that's because it's an institution created to catch the monsters that appear at all hours.
As I was looking at the uniforms, something strange caught my eye.
< Shock Dampening 3 / Mana Resistance 2 >
There were strange stats written on the clothing tag.
Is this a performance chart for the clothes?
As expected of an academy for Awakeners, even the uniforms are unique.
"By the way, how much is one of these?"
I asked while examining the uniform.
It looked expensive, but there was no price tag anywhere.
"The academy provides up to five uniforms for free to students."
"Then what about the sixth one?"
"You either buy it for a high price or wait until they give you more later."
"I see."
I'll have to be careful not to tear my uniform.
Though I doubt I'll have to do any activities strenuous enough to rip it.
I think he said they would accommodate me to some extent.
The Special Class, was it?
It is special.
It would be a problem if they asked me to fight like the other academy students.
Unless I take the 100-hour drug again.
The remnants of that pleasure still lingered in my head.
"Did you pick your clothes?"
"Yeah."
I picked out what looked like the right size.
One skirt and one pair of pants.
"You can try them on over there."
"Okay."
I went into the fitting room and tried on the uniform.
As I was changing, I noticed something was missing.
It's probably better to wear underwear.
I should ask him to buy me some underwear, too.
I quickly checked that the uniform size was right.
The uniform was settled.
Now I needed to buy other clothes.
Clothes to wear daily.
I looked at the price tags and found some suitable clothes.
I feel a bit resistant to overly feminine clothes.
I don't think they suit me anyway.
Let's pick clothes that won't be inconvenient when I need to inject myself.
If I have to, I'll need to inject through my clothes.
Something too thick wouldn't be good.
One shirt, one decent pair of pants.
When I was picking out underwear, Han Si-hoo just stood there blankly for a moment.
"What kind should I wear?"
I don't know.
There are so many types of underwear, but I really don't know.
Isn't it fine to just wear whatever?
This is the problem with having no staff.
"Uh, ah... right..."
Han Si-hoo was completely flustered.
I guess he's no help in this area.
Then again, it would be weirder if he was.
I don't really mind either way.
"I'll just grab whatever."
"Okay."
I changed into something simple-looking.
It was a relief that just wearing long sleeves covered most of the scars.
I don't know much about fashion, but when I looked in the mirror, I thought I looked decent enough.
"I'll pay you back later."