Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: It's Dangerous Outside
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Thankfully, I didn't need bandages on my head.
Thanks to the Doctor, I woke up to a refreshing morning.
Though I never did find out why he came to my house...
But there's no need to worry about such trivial things.
I just have to enjoy the present.
If I can, that is.
I stick the needle into my arm.
My arm is so full of needle marks now, it's starting to scare me.
I don't think syringes were made to be stuck into a person's body this often.
Before the fear could creep in any further, I injected the drug.
[8 hours, 32 minutes]
Of course, once the drug kicks in, all my petty worries vanish.
My mind just goes a little blank.
"I'm hungry."
I muttered, sitting and staring blankly into space.
It feels like it's been a while since I last ate.
That's the only problem with the drug.
It makes me forget I'm hungry, so I often miss meals.
So, it's time for a slightly late meal.
I can just cook with whatever food I have in the house.
Han Si-hoo is probably eating a delicious Academy breakfast right about now.
The Doctor is probably rich, so he must have eaten at some fancy restaurant.
And...
I've run out of people to compare myself to.
Listing all the characters from the novel would be endless.
What's certain is that few people eat as miserably as I do.
"There's nothing here."
I had a small stash of snacks in a corner of the shelf, but I finished them long ago.
I even ate the expired ones.
There's no refrigerator or anything here.
No rice cooker, either.
There's no way I can cook.
Ironically, the protagonist, who's always out and about and never has to cook for himself, has a fully equipped kitchen in his room.
He even has a fridge.
So what about me?
I'm always cooped up at home, but I don't have a single piece of cooking equipment.
No ingredients, either.
Is it a crime to be poor?
"Ah, found it."
I spotted a can of tuna in the corner of the shelf.
This will have to do for today.
I opened the can and just scooped it out with a spoon.
I have the money Han Si-hoo gave me, so I could go out and buy something... but honestly, it's too much of a hassle to go out.
The drug wears off quickly, too.
"I'm not some kitten, a single can of tuna won't..."
I'm still hungry.
If a single can of tuna was enough to satisfy me, I wouldn't have felt hungry in the first place.
Should I go out after all?
Withdraw the money from my account, go to a convenience store or a supermarket, and buy groceries.
It sounds like a pain.
Besides, I don't really like going out.
The original Yoo Seo-ah might have enjoyed outdoor activities, but well, being stuck in my room is my daily routine now.
And I find it more satisfying to just stay put.
[8 hours, 1 minute]
I can go out as long as I have the drug, but still, I feel weird about leaving like this.
I haven't even washed up since I got home.
If Han Si-hoo had just given me some money for transportation, I might have stopped by the supermarket on my way home.
This is all the protagonist's fault.
Getting all sulky just because his childhood friend pushed him away a little.
She could have been a tsundere heroine or something, you know?
Of course, Yoo Seo-ah's personality is far from tsundere.
Han Si-hoo probably knew that, too.
"I'm almost out of the drug, too."
Just three or four more doses left.
Of course, I'm not worried.
The Doctor said he'd come by soon, so I'll be able to get more then.
First, I decided to get ready and go buy some food.
I can't starve to death, after all.
***
I'm not going to starve to death. I'm just going to die.
I'm currently collapsed on the street, curled up in a ball.
It all started when I glanced at some Academy students on my way.
I didn't expect to see them near the slums.
There's no one else around.
One boy and one girl, wearing Academy uniforms.
They were walking toward me from the opposite direction.
It looked like they were heading somewhere for an Academy assignment.
Seeing the weapons they were carrying, they might have been on their way to hunt monsters.
Come to think of it, I heard a dungeon had opened up nearby. Is that why?
I slowed down and kept staring, and the bulky male student changed direction and headed toward me.
Startled, I tried to get away, but it was too late.
"Hey."
"Huh? Me?"
He spoke to me.
"Yeah, you. Did you think we wouldn't notice you sneaking glances at us?"
A domineering tone.
"What?"
"Why did that white-haired bastard send so many watchers?"
"W-Watchers?"
"Don't play dumb."
-Thwack.
"Gah?"
A dull thud, and a surge of pain shot through my abdomen.
What, did I just get punched?
I felt like the can of tuna I had for breakfast was about to come back up.
Even with the drug dulling the pain, it hurt like hell.
My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground.
"Hah, heuk."
I managed to take another breath.
Ah, I almost died.
Does it make any sense to just throw a punch out of nowhere?
It's hard to believe this is a country governed by law.
"What, was she actually a person?"
What an absurd thing to say after hitting someone.
"Edan! What- what are you doing?"
The female Academy student came over, too.
"What? Didn't you say to watch out for watchers? That they'd be around here?"
"I didn't mean you should go around hitting random people on the street! Shouldn't you at least have checked first?"
"I held back, so she's probably fine."
I could hear the girl's scolding voice and the boy's unconfident one.
"A civilian...!"
"You're the one who told me to watch out for human-like watchers."
While they were bickering, I tried to push myself up from the ground.
The pain wouldn't subside.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"...Ah."
[4 hours, 32 minutes]
The shock from earlier knocked a huge chunk of time off.
[4 hours, 27 minutes]
And it's still disappearing fast.
There's no way I'm okay.
Do I look okay?
"Hey, I asked if you're okay—"
"Edan, just shut up for a second."
Something's wrong.
I don't feel good anymore.
I don't feel happy, either.
But I prepared for times like this.
I brought an emergency dose.
If I just reach into my pocket, like this—
"Ah, I didn't bring the pill..."
"Huh?"
Lying face down on the ground, I managed to search my pockets, but they were empty.
I haven't been out of the house for long, and I'm already on the verge of death.
This is why I don't like going out.
"Heh, heheh."
My situation was so ridiculous, I had to laugh.
How did I end up in such a pathetic state?
I really don't know why I was hit.
This is why I hate going out.
"Sellia, I think she's lost her mind."
"This is all your fault, you know. What are you going to do?"
"But..."
In the end, I failed to get up.
Still, I managed to learn their names.
The girl was Sellia, the boy Edan.
I've seen those names in the novel.
But so what?
It's meaningless.
I decided to just stay collapsed on the ground.
It feels like being thrown into cold water while lying in bed.
I want to go back to my bed, but I can't.
I need the pill.
The drug is still in my system, so I can still think.
[3 hours, 43 minutes]
But even that was depleting rapidly.
"What should we do? Call an ambulance?"
"Just leave her. She looks like she's from the slums anyway."
"What? How can you say—"
The girl's words were cut off by someone who interjected at just the right moment.
"That's enough."
A familiar voice.
"Who are you?"
"I'm this child's guardian. Academy students committing assault... Well. I'll overlook it this time, so please be on your way. I'll handle it from here."
The Doctor confidently claimed to be my guardian.
"Ah... yes. I'm sorry. What are you doing, Edan? Apologize."
"S-Sorry."
Sellia and Edan apologized and quickly left.
They seemed happy to be able to pass off the trouble.
Only the two of us were left: me, lying on the ground, and the Doctor.
"...Why are you here?"
Were you following me?
Usually, in a crisis, the protagonist is supposed to show up and save the day, but it was the Doctor.
"I was on my way to your house, Miss Seo-ah. Didn't I say I would visit soon? Though I didn't expect to find you collapsed on the ground like this."
"Then... if you have any of the drug, please give me one."
"Here you go."
The Doctor took a pill from his bag and gave it to me.
As soon as I got it, I managed to swallow it down.
My mood gradually improved.
My body started to feel fine, as if I'd never been hit.
"It must be because it's graduation season at the Academy. The students are desperate for good scores," the Doctor said.
"Ahaha..."
Right, the protagonist moved up to the High School Division around the time Yoo Seo-ah died.
So they must be taking their Middle School Division graduation exams.
"Can you get up?"
"Yes."
I pushed myself up.
Perhaps because of the drug, my body felt a little better.
Though I still felt nauseous.
"A normal person taking a mana-infused punch... Yes, well, you could probably get some compensation if you reported it to the Academy."
"Compensation?"
"But I wouldn't recommend it. A report from a mere slum resident is likely to be ignored."
"I see..."
The gap between rich and poor, an invisible class system.
It's an unfair world.
Some people are about to die if they don't take their medicine, while others can wield violence as they please.
"Anyway, let's head back to your place and talk. I bought some food from the supermarket on the way, so we can eat together."
"Wow."
It was strange, as the Doctor had never been this kind before, but...
The fact that he's offering me food must mean he's a good person.
"And as for those Academy students... you'll be able to meet them soon."
"Huh?"
"I thought you might want revenge."
"Revenge?"
"Yes, aren't you angry? For someone who was beaten for no reason... you're certainly a kind person, Miss Seo-ah."
Not angry?
Honestly, I didn't really care.
Besides, I feel good right now because of the drug.
Ah, but thinking about getting punched in the stomach, I guess I do feel a little angry.
It reduced the drug's effect, after all.
[3 hours, 56 minutes]
The pill the Doctor gave me helped me recover a bit, but I hated that my time had been cut in half.
Thinking about it that way stirred a bit of anger in me.
"Even if I wanted revenge... I don't have any power. I'm not an Awakener, I'm just..."
"I can give you power, if you want it."
"What?"
"There are drugs that can grant you power like an Awakener. Their only drawback is that they're highly addictive, but a person with your self-control, Miss Seo-ah, should be able to use them without issue."
"Something like that exists."
A drug that grants the power of an Awakener in exchange for being a little more addictive.
If something like that really exists, I'd like to try it.
I wonder what it feels like to be an Awakener like Han Si-hoo.
"I'll give it to you soon. You might obtain incredible power, perhaps even comparable to the Academy students, or maybe even Han Si-hoo himself. Everyone will see just how amazing you are, Miss Seo-ah."
"Wow."
I don't really know what's going on, but I'm looking forward to it.