Bathhouse (1)
After resolving the bathhouse incident, I got 1 million won. It was a fine for turning in the report late. If I'd been a regular civilian, even 1 million wouldn't have cut it, but for me, it was just a hiccup, so fuck it. The important part? I now had 1 million won. What to do with it?
Obviously, buy some clothes first.
My outfit was still the demon king dress from back in the day. I'd thought about raiding a donation bin for clothes but realized that was straight-up theft and dropped it. And yeah, I worked the PC bang shift in this dress too... let's move on.
I stood in front of the clothing section in the big mart, hands on my hips.
Mom's the only one who's ever bought me clothes. Who'd have thought the day would come when I'd shop for my own. 1 million wasn't a fortune, so I'd have to stick to cheap stuff.
Something plain... Plus, this flashy dress had drawn so many stares over the past few days I'd nearly suffocated. Time for an outfit that let me blend in completely.
No more weird shit, right? The village, the PC bang... back-to-back freak events had me on edge, but I shook my head. Stuff like that didn't happen every day, or the whole world would be fucked. Just my bad luck.
"Oh!"
Inside the store, I lit up at the T-shirts hanging on the wall. Plain white with just a logo.
[40,000 won]
"Huh?"
40,000 won? Th-this was brand clothing value?
Should've gone for bootlegs... What a waste coming here. I rummaged through others, but this was on the cheaper end.
"Excuse me..."
No choice. I'd take it.
"Yes, how can I help?"
"I want this shirt..."
"Ah, what size are you?"
"No idea."
When would I ever need to measure myself?
"Hmm... one sec."
The clerk dashed to the back and returned with two identical shirts.
"Try on the one that fits better and come out."
"Thanks..."
I grabbed them and headed to the fitting room. To try this on, I'd have to ditch the dress first.
Off it came, slow and steady. Then, for the first time, I saw my naked body in the mirror. That's when it hit me.
Fuck, I should've started at the underwear section!!!
Ah.
"..."
Total: 110,000 won. I'd added some decent pants too. Sighing as I stepped out—in the dress, since I hated it less now... but my chest was...
Band-Aids to tape 'em down? Underwear shopping felt awkward right now. Whatever.
Bathhouse time.
Who was I? A lunatic who'd gone centuries without a single bath. Don't misunderstand—I stayed clean, no smell. But humans have feelings, right? Skipping showers this long felt psychologically grimy. Yeah, call it a cleanse for the soul.
I slipped into a restroom, snapped my fingers. I'd scoped the bathhouse location ahead—teleport straight there.
A bit of floaty sensation, and boom: bathhouse.
"One adult."
"Huh?"
The clerk blinked at my face, flustered.
"Y-yes, ma'am."
10,000 won. When did it get this pricey? Paid cash, got the key, headed to the women's side.
I paused.
Originally a guy—women's bath okay? ...
I've lived more as a woman than a man. Should be fine. Fact: most bathhouse crowds were grannies anyway.
Whistling, I entered. As expected, no big thoughts. Lots of grannies.
Routine: stripped at the locker, stuffed in the dress and cash. Locked tight, headed to the tubs.
"Whoa..."
Steam rising—wanted to dive in, but manners first. Shower before soak.
Corner showerhead: cold blast hit.
Cold!
Slowly cranked the lever hotter. That micro-control everyone with a home shower masters? Nailed it, dialing in the temp.
But.
"Huh."
Not warming up. Lukewarm at best. Kept tweaking—still just warmer lukewarm.
"..."
Maxed out: no real heat. Broken hot water?
Nah.
Steam pouring like crazy, like a smoke machine.
My pain threshold's just too high now...! I could swim laughing in lava. Shower temp gonna faze this body?
Fuck.
Tsked my tongue, grabbed the shampoo and body wash from the counter, rinsed quick. Unless hitting a volcano, no hot baths for life.
Think of it as enjoying the cold plunge...
Sighed deep, sank into the hottest tub. Felt cold.
Wait—does that mean instant ramen'll taste like cold noodles from now on? First time resenting this flesh.
Why's the tub empty, though?
Glanced around: deserted. People outside, but here? Nothing...
PC bang vibes nagging. Another weird phenomenon? Two in a row already—why not three?
Alert, I raised my senses.
And felt it.
Door's locked.
Sealed with demonic energy.
"No fucking way?"
Absurd laugh escaped. PC bang bullshit, now bath bullshit. This wasn't denial—this defied reality.
From my research, nobody knew about this shit. Meaning: rare as hell.
Yet three times in a row? Twice coincidence, thrice conspiracy. Someone targeting me? Or do I attract this crap?
Didn't matter. One job: kill the life-threatening monster.
"Come out."
Bubbles roiled mid-tub. Red haze spread like ink in water. Hair floated up, then the head.
Inhuman: eyes bloodshot red, skin ghostly pale white. Blood in those veins?
-Kieeeek!!!
It lunged—insanely fast, ignoring the water.
"Yah."
Pahng!
-Kak!
No issue. Condensed demonic energy into a marble, flicked it—exploded on its forehead.
-Kiyak! Kiyaaaak!!
"Oh, still alive?"
Clutched its head in agony—I was shocked. The PC bang shadow would've popped.
This one's way tougher.
"Next: fist. Block good~."
-Kieek! Kieeeek!
"Hm?"
As I channeled energy into my fist, it reached out, screeching desperately.
Begging no?
"Don't?"
Nod, nod. Vigorous.
Actually pleading? Now?
"Ridiculous."
Sighed, sat in the tub.
"Hey, restore the water."
-...
Plop. Hand in—blood-red water cleared.
"Sit next to me."
-Ki, kieek?
"Here, now."
-Kieek!
Scared stiff, it shuffled over, sat.
Up close: wearing clothes.
"Strip."
-Ki, kieek?!
"What clothes in a tub? Manners. Strip."
-Kieek...
Why's the monster embarrassed? Whistling, watched it neatly fold clothes outside the tub.
...Neater than me. More polite.
"Can you talk?"
-Ki, kieek.
"Just kieek?"
No matter how I pressed, only screams.
"Write?"
-Kieek...
Nod. Smart enough to understand—probably reads/writes okay.
Shaa...
Formed demonic energy into a thin board midair.
"Write with demonic energy. You use it."
-Ki, kieek?
"Don't know demonic energy? What you attacked with."
Tilted head. Weird. How'd it attack, lock the door then?
"That... power you use. Write with it."
-Kieek!
Nodded realization, started writing.
[Is this what you mean?]
"Yeah, that... why's your handwriting better than mine?"
Why did I suck at human stuff compared to a monster?
"What do you call it?"
[I don't know either. I just call it power.]
Makes sense—never met another monster.
Words common back then, now archaic boomer shit...
Felt time's cruelty, continued.
"One more question."
Slung an arm around it—shook like a leaf.
"Why the rampage? Huh?"
Polite, smart enough to write—why the murder spree?
-...
Lips clenched, wrote laboriously.
[I...]