Chapter 23
Terminally Ill, but It's Okay — Episode 23
Excessive expectations and hope sometimes only make life harder.
Right after receiving the note, I’d let myself hope it might contain information about Yoo So-young, but once I realized getting my hopes up would do me no good, I passed the time calmly.
Eventually, night fell in earnest.
Current time: 8:45 p.m.
By the rules, leaving campus on a weekday was ordinarily impossible, but there are exceptions to everything.
"Hello. I’d like to go visit Cheon Seo-yoon in the hospital. Oh, I’m fine."
After handling it easily with a single phone call, I left the dormitory.
Taehak at night had a different feel from the bustling daytime.
The streets were quiet, but the fluorescent lights glowing throughout the buildings seemed like signs that someone's day was not yet over.
"Everyone’s working hard."
Feeling a strange sense of kinship, I walked until I arrived at the portal station.
Beep——
Student Park Ha-yul verification complete.
Special leave authorized.
When I held up my phone, the automated entrance system chimed its approval.
I climbed the stairs and saw several gates.
"Gangnam, was it."
After checking the signs, I headed to the far right.
With less than an hour left until ten, I hurried.......
Bang—
But before I could even grab the handle, the door opened.
I nearly collided with the person rushing out, but just barely stopped myself.
"You......."
"You......."
We were at least acquainted, so neither of us started cursing the other out.
"Hey. Isn't the person coming out supposed to have the right of way?"
"That's why I was standing still."
"That's why we almost crashed. You should have moved completely out of the way."
"What are you talking about? How was I supposed to know when someone would come out?"
"No....... Ha, forget it."
Still, a pointless squabble was unavoidable.
The person I’d happened to run into was Joo A-rin.
She was prickly to begin with, and today she seemed to be in an especially foul mood.
Was it because of Joo Seol-hwa......?
I already knew she made a point of visiting whenever she went out.
"But looks like you're going somewhere? And with your body in that condition......."
Joo A-rin, who had been fussing over her coat, asked me as if surprised.
What should I say?
I had used the hospital visit as an excuse, but I wasn't actually going to visit anyone, so I was mulling it over.
Joo A-rin's gaze lingered on my right hand, which was holding the note.
I slipped the note behind my back and gave her a vague excuse.
"Just. I'm going to stop by the family home, and get some fresh air while I'm at it."
"......I see. Rumors really can’t be trusted."
"Rumors?"
"Yes. I heard you hardly ever leave the dormitory."
There was a rumor like that?
Well, if it had been the old Park Ha-yul, that would have been more than plausible.
"I only happened to overhear it, so don’t get the wrong idea."
"Ah, I won't misunderstand."
"Then good. ......But since we're on the subject, can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"That bracelet...... it's an Armament, right?"
Bracelet?
How did she know about that?
It didn't seem necessary to hide it, so I admitted it quickly.
"It's not a good one, but it is an Armament."
"Who do you take me for, an idiot......."
"What?"
"Nothing. If that's an ability, then it's an ability. Anyway, if our group assignment grade turns out well, it'll be thanks to you."
"......?"
"I said...... thanks. Well, then."
With those words, Joo A-rin coolly walked away.
What's with her?
That was a very Joo A-rin way of expressing thanks.
That wasn't what mattered, so I hurried toward the portal.
* * *
Current time: 9:55 p.m.
I reached the area around the address on time.
Whooosh—
The atmosphere was unsettling.
Only a handful of streetlamps lit the road, and even they seemed faulty, flickering constantly.
The ground was also littered with all sorts of trash.
"Is this really Gangnam?"
I hadn't imagined flashy neon signs and crowded streets, but I hadn't expected it to be this bleak either.
Reading a flyer fluttering in the wind gave me a rough idea of what had happened here.
Designated Damage-Recovery Zone. Relocation loan inquiries welcome. 010-1234-5678
This place was probably similar to a nest, but a different concept: a Gate.
It was a place where fierce battles had been fought against Monsters pouring out through a rift in space.
So that was why it had been left ruined like an abandoned city.
Thanks to that, I didn’t even have to search; my destination stood out immediately.
Because among the buildings swallowed by darkness, there was only one sign with its lights on.
"......No way?"
But the closer I got, the more out of place the sign looked.
"...Pawn......shop. Daebak Pawnshop?"
What is this?
Wasn't a pawnshop a place where you left items, or borrowed money using them as collateral?
For a moment I wondered if the reward was an Armament, but I decided not to jump to conclusions.
Questions still remained.
They could have just given it to me, so telling me an address and making me come here was deeply suspicious.
"So......."
I steadied myself and decided to stick to the plan I’d made.
First, I opened the shop and purchased one item.
[Mediocre Human-Skin Mask]
[Description: Cheap, but the face is nothing special. (Angular face with narrow eyes) The voice automatically changes to match the appearance. Effect lasts up to 6 hours.]
[Price: 5 hours]
It was an item I had been eyeing since I bought the bracelet.
Minor, but a useful precaution, I suppose.
Since it could at least conceal my identity, there was no harm in being prepared.
I put on the human-skin mask without hesitation.
When I checked myself in my phone’s camera, I saw a sharp-looking man in his mid-thirties.
I made a sound to check whether my voice was adjusted too.
"Ah, oh......."
Instead of my usual mid-range voice, an irritable man’s voice came out.
This is pretty good?
I looked like a completely different person, and at a cost of five hours, it was a decent deal.
Once my preparations were done, I entered the building.
Cobwebs hung overhead and trash littered the floor, but I trudged up to the third floor.
A door stood where light spilled out.
Running a business in this kind of environment.
My misgivings didn't easily fade even as I pushed the door open.
Screech.
The inside of the pawnshop had a similar atmosphere to the outside.
The only light was a single fluorescent lamp hanging from the ceiling.
The dimness I could overlook, but a musty mold smell stung my nose.
The lone leather sofa was worn through in places, barely better than trash.
If not for the pawnshop’s distinctive iron bars and the desk behind them, the place could have passed for a ruin.
"Is anyone here?"
Setting aside my unease, I raised my voice and called out.
.
.
I waited patiently just in case, but there was no answer.
What is this place?
Just as I was about to call out again, trying to ignore my growing unease......
Clank.
I sensed a presence.
Creeeak.
With a heavily rusted scraping sound, a door behind the desk opened halfway.
"Hey, you thugs! I said I'd be out tomorrow, can't you even wait that long......."
......Thugs?
"Oh my, it was a customer. Here, just wait a moment."
The door shut again, leaving me staring awkwardly. After the safety device was removed, it opened once more.
"Ahem. The world’s such a dangerous place these days. Forgive me for being rude to a stranger......"
The employee turned out to be an old woman in shabby clothes.
Her thick white hair was wild, and she was so short she barely reached my waist.
Her fierce eyes and slightly hooked nose gave her an air of both eeriness and stubbornness.
"So, what item have you come looking for?"
"Well......."
What should I say?
All I had received was a note with an address, so for a moment I was at a loss for words.
The old woman broke the silence first.
"Don't you have a number? A five-digit code, I mean."
Code?
Something flashed through my mind, and I unfolded the note.
[Tonight at 9 p.m. 435 Cheonsu 1-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 11-905]
The very last numbers: 11-905.
Thinking this might be the code, I cautiously offered the number.
"I think it's 11-905. Is that right?"
"Row 11, number 905?"
"Yes."
"Ho, so you're the owner of that row 11, number 905 item?"
Was there some story behind it?
Suddenly, the old woman's large eyes narrowed.
"You can’t be the original owner, so I take it the item was transferred to you?"
"Is there a problem?"
She seemed to be fishing for information, so I cut her off quickly.
"No, it's not exactly that......."
"Then just hand over the item like a proper pawnshop. I doubt this is the only thing here with a story, so what good would prying do?"
The old woman’s baffled look faded as the corners of her mouth slowly crept upward.
"You're right. I forgot my place for a moment. Heh heh."
She bared her yellowed teeth and fumbled under the desk, and with a clank, the barred gate separating us opened.
"Follow me, young man. I'll guide you to where the item is."
Her reaction left me uneasy, but I followed her for now.
Step, step.
The narrow passage on the left opened into a broad chamber packed with cabinets.
Wasn't this place supposed to be going under?
As I marveled at the place being larger than expected, the old woman weaving between the cabinets came to a stop.
"Here it is."
"Thank you."
I bowed my head slightly, then looked at the cabinet in question.
Number 11-905.
At first glance, there was nothing unusual about it.
It was an ordinary steel cabinet like you might find in any office.
I reached out to check it quickly.
"Hey now. Don’t go reaching out so carelessly."
That was the moment the old woman grabbed my wrist.
Wondering what trick she was pulling, I shot her a hostile glare......
Startled, the old woman barked at me.
"What if the anti-theft magic activates? That precious item could blow up on the spot."
Anti-theft magic?
What now?
"Then how am I supposed to open it?"
"No, did this young fellow eat something wrong for dinner? You're asking the obvious. You open it with a key."
......A key?
All I received was a single flimsy note.
"Tsk, tsk. You came here knowing nothing. I knew it. You seem to be in a difficult situation, so I won’t ask any more. But without a key, that cabinet cannot be opened."
What the.......
Feeling like I’d been scammed, I clenched my fist.
No.
I quickly changed my thinking.
Of course, 4885 was a thug who twisted the story however he pleased and turned a healthy person into someone with a Limited Lifespan, and also.......
Anyway, he was someone I wanted nothing to do with, but when it came to rewards, he had always been reliable.
Then what is this?
I kept my mouth shut and thought.
Then I soon reached one conclusion.
"There's something."
A way to open it without a key.......
That must be why he didn't give me one. As if he were testing me.
"Be on your way. Staying any longer will only upset you."
"Wait a moment."
I stopped the old woman as she was about to turn away.
"My good man, do you think being stubborn will make a nonexistent key appear? Don't waste your time like this......."
"Manifestation!"
The old woman's next words became the decisive hint.
"Whoa, you startled me."
"Ma'am. Could you turn around for a moment?"
"That won't change any......."
"Just a moment is enough. If this fails too, I'll give up."
"Truly?"
"Yes."
"Hmph. Be sure to keep that promise."
The old woman frowned as if displeased, then turned her back.
I activated my trait immediately.
[Using trait, Manifestation.]
If there isn't one, I'll just make one and open it.
I pulled out a bundle of manifestation particles and pushed them into the keyhole.
Squirm, squirm—
Not being able to see them wasn't a problem.
Moving the particles was a matter of will, so I simply imagined shaping them to match the pins inside.
......But why is this so deep and complicated?
Far more particles were being consumed than I’d expected, which caught me off guard.
But I didn't stop and kept pushing them in.
The stream of particles finally began to slow, and the moment it stopped completely—
[Materializing.]
[Improvised Key]
[Grade: E-]
[Material: Iron]
[Manifestation Accuracy: 99%]
Done.
In the end, I got exactly what I wanted.
I turned the key without hesitation.
Click.
With a crisp sound, the closed cabinet door slid open.
I had found a solution in a way only I could.
"Ho."
I felt the old woman's gaze on me before I knew it.
Her look was hard to read, and I wondered how I was supposed to explain it......
"So it comes to this after all. ......Go on, open it."
Unexpectedly, she didn't pry.
Rather, she swallowed dryly as if she were the excited one.
"Then......."
I opened the half-open door the rest of the way.
Hoping it would be a clue related to Yoo So-young's whereabouts, but resolving not to be disappointed even if it was an Armament.
Bang—