Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Come All at Once
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A morning with birds chirping.
Sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains, forcing my eyes open. I squinted at the blinding light, expecting the fluffy softness of—
"Fluffy softness?"
I should have been waking up in bed, but something was off. It was hard. My back ached. With a body that moved far more smoothly than yesterday, I looked around and immediately spotted the culprit.
"This damn blonde."
I'd been sleeping on the floor. She'd even kindly left me a pillow. Gazing at where I'd originally been, there she was—the damn blonde.
Lounging there with her arms behind her head like she owned the place. What the hell?
Drool dribbling from her mouth, too.
"No more... I can't eat anymore~ Nom..."
"Can't eat my ass..."
I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. First time I'd learned this today: When something's too ridiculous, you let out a hollow chuckle.
I brought both hands to her face, pressing my palms against her cheeks before pinching them like claws.
And then, there was only one thing left to do.
"Wake up!! Patient Killer!!"
"Aaaah!! What?! What's that?! Huh? Seong-hoon?! O-ow!! It hurts!!"
"Good! That's the point!! What the hell? What are you doing? I'm the patient here! A patient who needs absolute bed rest for a week! A patient who nearly ended up crippled expanding his mana circuits! And you're stealing that patient's bed to sleep in it?"
"No! This, this was an act of God!! And how?! You can't even take revenge on me?!"
Too bad about that vow from yesterday! Revenge for yesterday doesn't cover today's crimes!!
Something blue just flashed out of sight, but it was probably my imagination.
"Ow!! It hurts!!"
"Fine. I'll hear out this 'act of God' excuse. Go on, explain."
"...I wanted to sleep in the bed. Hehe. But you seem all better now, so it wasn't a bad choice—"
"Die!!!!"
"Aaaack!!! Never mind!! It hurts!!!"
This girl just kept whining about the pain. I kept tugging her cheeks. Raphael's cheeks stretched out like fresh rice cakes I'd just made—elastic and satisfying to pull.
"Don't you have something to say to me?"
"Huh? What? Let go?"
No. Not that.
"Spare me!!"
"That's what you say to a murderer!! If you're sorry, it starts with 'I'm sorry'!!"
Raphael froze at my words. She stared at me intently, so I eased up and met her gaze.
She must want to say something.
After about three seconds of silence, Raphael opened her mouth.
"I'm not really sorry, so how am I supposed to say sorry!!"
Okay. Confirmed.
Time to show her hell.
"Not going to school?"
"Why would I?"
After showing Raphael hell, I asked her—even though I was the one who should have been sulking—but her response was ice-cold.
More importantly, that answer was weird.
You're a student. You have to go to school.
"You do."
"You're not going, Seong-hoon, so what's the point of me going? I don't wanna. I'm staying~ right here~"
Has she lost her mind? She climbed onto the bed and sprawled out across my legs. She wasn't some tantrum-throwing kid, so I tried to stop her, but...
Her strength wasn't that of a kid's. It was stronger than an adult's. If I hadn't caught her right after she woke up earlier, she might have countered instantly.
The sudden thought sent chills down my spine.
"My real job isn't student—it's angel~ Angels don't go to school~ They'd rather do more work. Oh! As a vice angel, I dumped it all on my subordinates~"
She's bragging. No wonder she had no friends in Heaven Realm.
I tapped the head of the damn blonde sprawled starfish-style on the bed. With my foot, of course.
"Just don't go. It's not like skipping a week will kill you. Do whatever."
We weren't graduating and getting jobs here anyway. We're just seeing the ending and leaving. No need to force it.
The ending comes before graduation anyway. Do what you want.
Raphael bolted upright at my words, nodding vigorously. Was she that desperate not to go?
I ignored the ecstatic blonde wriggling all over in joy and tried to check my status, which I hadn't gotten to yesterday.
But then.
Drrrrrrr—!!!
The door to my hospital room burst open with a cheerful rattle.
A person stood there. Blue hair, blue eyes.
A triumphant smile.
"I'm here!! Are you feeling okay?!"
"Ah. Annoying company's arrived."
I glanced back and forth between the approaching girl and the clock. School time. Classes were about to start.
Time for morning assembly and training.
"Why are you here?"
"To visit the patient."
That's not what I asked. Rubbing my temples at her beaming face, I rephrased.
"What about school?"
"That's not important right now. Here. And this. And this. Take them. Save this one for later. And—"
"What? Wait. Hold on—"
Shin Ga-yeon kept handing me stuff until my arms were overflowing. Seeing the pile of visitor gifts about to spill over—
"Huh?"
I was speechless up close. These were elixirs. Physical ability boosts. Recovery enhancement. Mana capacity increase. Mana potency up. Everything except mana circulation aids.
Staring at this mountain of high-grade elixirs, a bad feeling hit me. The old me would've snatched them up gratefully, but something told me to ask.
"Hey. Shin Ga-yeon."
"Yes?"
"Where'd you get these?"
She pressed a finger to her lips, pondering with an "Hmm~" like she was about to spin a tale, so I cut in.
"No lies."
"Our family warehouse!"
Damn it.
I shoved all the elixirs back into Shin Ga-yeon's arms. A mere maid trying to assassinate me.
If I took these, one thing was certain.
The head of the swordsmanship clan shows up.
That person's terrifying. Really.
She'd probably kill and bury me. So please, don't do this. Don't assassinate me.
Shin Ga-yeon tilted her head at the rejected elixirs. She'd probably force them on me anyway.
So I grabbed her shoulders.
She flinched back in surprise, but that wasn't important.
My life was in danger. My precious life.
"I don't need them. You snuck these out, right?"
"N-no? Not at all? I took them openly! The lady working there asked what I was doing, and I said they were elixirs for my future husband."
Openly, huh.
"Put them back. You'll get in trouble."
I said it casually, like I was worried about her. She should get it.
Shin Ga-yeon nodded eagerly. Good. She understood.
"And."
"Yes?"
"Go to school."
"Ah... Y-yes!!"
She blanked for a second, then grabbed the elixirs and bolted. Why so rushed?
"Wow."
"What."
Raphael stared at me in admiration. Her eyes fixed on one spot. My hand, still hovering regretfully in the air.
"Why didn't you just take them if you wanted?"
"Sometimes you have to turn down things you regret missing."
Raphael gave me a look like she didn't get it, but that's life.
Ah.
I really want those elixirs...
Lunchtime. I choked down disgustingly bland porridge while this damn blonde and mangy cat slurped delicious cup ramen beside me.
Shouldn't have given them money. Shouldn't have.
Swallowing tears, I scooped a spoonful of the unsalted slop.
At least the IV was out, so eating wasn't a hassle. The doctor said my recovery speed was insane. My mana circuits had been a shredded mess like a hasty patch job, but they were almost fully healed already.
Still, better safe than sorry, so a week of observation and hospitalization.
"Do I seriously have to eat this nasty porridge for a whole week?"
"Have some ramen."
[Nya.]
No thanks. For some reason, it felt wrong. You know that feeling? Even if I'm better, no patient in hospital garb eats cup ramen.
"No one gonna bring me some healthy home cooking~"
As if answering my mutter,
A knock.
Knock knock.
The door opened after two knocks. A person stood there.
Short silver hair. Red eyes. Awkward smile.
"What are you doing here?"
They always showed up at the most unexpected times. I figured they'd swarm after school, but what was this?
As I stared, Sophia scratched her cheek and walked in.
"Thought you might be eating something tasteless at lunchtime."
"No, this is delicious—"
I clamped Raphael's mouth shut and eyed Sophia closely. She carried something wrapped neatly in pink cloth.
A rectangular something. Instinct said: food.
I hurriedly shoved aside the hospital porridge.
"You sure you don't need to eat that?"
"It's trash."
"Seong-hoon, you can't say that."
Then what is it? White trash. Unsalted—who's supposed to eat this?
As I waited eagerly, Sophia sat neatly on the edge of the bed and unwrapped the cloth.
Sure enough, a lunchbox. The contents were gorgeously over-the-top.
Sausage, egg, tofu, assorted veggies. Patient-friendly combo nearly brought tears. Way different from that patient killer.
"Can't you be my caretaker?"
"Oh? Does that mean you didn't like my caregiving?"
"Was that caregiving? It was torture."
I ignored the blonde's incredulous scoff. A bit rough around the edges with some char marks, but after so long, proper home cooking hit the spot. I devoured it.
A few bits were too salty or bland, but overall delicious.
Coming from that unsalted slop, it was heavenly.
As I wolfed it down, Sophia asked,
"I-is it that good? I burned a few spots. First time making Korean food..."
"Yeah? It's really good. Want more already."
Compared to the porridge, this was a feast. Home cooking's fine even in hospital. My gut says so.
"Good enough for three meals a day."
"!!"
Sophia popped an exclamation mark over her head at my words. She bowed deeply, fidgeting with her fingers.
"Th-then... should I bring more tomorrow?"
"For real?"
Nod.
Hard to see with her head down, but she nodded.
I handed back the empty lunchbox and said,
"Definitely! Please!!"
"Y-yeah!! I-I have class soon, so gotta go!!"
Sophia snatched the box and dashed out. Why was she in such a hurry?
"This won't do."
"What now."
"Betrayal of the porridge. Gotta tell the hospital."
You're dead.
Afternoon. Bathed in lazy light, I obediently watched TV. Hospitals had way too little to do.
Tired of chatting with Raphael, tired of petting Lachesis's fur.
Am I well enough to just check out?
I desperately wanted to discharge. So boring. Hospital life.
Look, Raphael was already asleep. Sighing at the blonde fused to the caregiver's chair,
The door opened.
How many times was this? Can't they all come at once?
"Gasp! What?!"
I ignored the reflexively startled blonde and looked at the door—
Nothing there.
What? I tilted my head. It clearly opened, but empty. Wrong room? Then,
Poke.
Black hair peeked out. Curious, I waited, and eyes appeared too.
"What're you doing?"
"Huh?"
Isia, eyes meeting mine, stayed hidden behind the door.
"What I said."
"Oh. Uh, first time visiting a patient. Can I come in?"
Why not?
I nodded, and Isia slowly emerged. Face flushed with embarrassment, hands hiding something behind her back.
Gifts again.
"C-coming in?"
Just come in already.