Chapter 225: Problem Child-3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 225: Problem Child-3
I didn't reply to the text right away.
Seeing the name saved as [Jeong-ah♡], I wondered if she was his girlfriend, but looking through their past chat history, that didn't seem to be the case.
The conversation was entirely one-sided.
Usually, she would send long paragraphs, and he would respond with half-hearted, one-word answers.
Jeong-ah♡: You read it early today. You awake?
As I continued scrolling through the previous logs, she started nudging me for a reply.
I moved my thumb and sent a single-consonant reply.
K.
Jeong-ah♡: Whoa, Kang In-ho actually replied that fast? Lmao.
If they were in a relationship, a reply that low-effort would have started a fight, but she seemed quite satisfied with my response.
Jeong-ah♡: So, are you coming today?
Just as I was struggling to think of what else to say, she kept talking.
She asked if I was coming to the karaoke bar. I sent a short text declining the offer.
For one, I had no idea what my relationship with that group was, and more importantly, I wasn't exactly at an age where I had the youthful energy to go out drinking and partying at a karaoke joint.
Jeong-ah♡: Why why why?
This girl, Jeong-ah, didn't seem to like my answer.
I gave her the most standard excuse—that I wasn't feeling well—and flipped my phone over.
Right now, it was more urgent to see what I could learn from the things inside this house.
It was a two-story detached house. Judging by the surrounding scenery, it was located in a fairly wealthy neighborhood.
A house this large should have had other people living in it, but for some reason, there were only signs of one person living here.
Even then, those signs were limited to the bathroom and my room on the second floor. There was hardly any trace of human presence in this vast house.
"Either the parents work far away, or he’s the black sheep of the family."
The sight of the deserted kitchen seemed to tell a long story.
The cold living room floor and the rooms on the first floor covered in a fine layer of dust.
The house felt like a "well-maintained ruin."
I returned to my room.
When I flipped my phone back over, I saw dozens of unread messages from Jeong-ah.
She clearly had a group she hung out with; was it really such a big deal if one person didn't show up?
"Like I have the luxury to go out and play with you guys..."
I muttered to myself as I flopped onto the bed.
My body was that of a student, but my mind was already that of an old man.
Not only would our vibes clash, but there would be a massive gap in our common sense.
It was better to keep a low profile like this rather than go out and be treated like a freak.
It had been about four hours since I possessed a body in this dimension.
I hadn't gathered much information.
But by piecing together the dust-like clues scattered here and there, I could tell one thing:
The person known as "I" was quite the delinquent.
A delinquent? Even that felt like an outdated term.
The probability of him being a shut-in who refused to communicate was zero, based on the KakaoTalk messages.
Most of the content in those chats was stuff that didn't suit a student at all.
"What a mess of a life."
I'd likely end up dead in some incident soon anyway, but even without the "Obsessed Woman," I had a feeling this life would have been full of ups and downs.
I closed my eyes for a moment to rest my exhausted mind.
About thirty minutes later, I snapped my eyes open at a sound.
What pulled me from the comfort of my bed was the doorbell—the same sound that had heralded Yun Si-a’s visit.
Wondering if it was a family member, I opened the window and looked down. A girl in a tight-fitting tracksuit was standing at the front gate.
"Hey! Kang In-ho!"
After ringing the bell a few more times, she shouted my name at the top of her lungs.
The discordant shout echoed through the quiet neighborhood.
Why did the people who came to this house never know when to give up?
Exasperated by the aggressive ringing of the bell, I got up.
*
"Ugh, I should've gotten suspended like you... then I could just rot at home."
"I don't know why that prick only snitched on you. Honestly, didn't Jin-tae hit him way more?"
From the front gate to the front door, my unwelcome visitor's mouth didn't stop for a second.
Chattering away like a magpie, she openly scanned the interior decor as she continued to talk.
"By the way, this is my first time inside your house. We always just met out front, right? Honestly, I've been wanting to come in."
She—who I assumed was Jeong-ah, given the circumstances—kept pouring out information.
She followed behind me, her eyes darting around the house.
"So, why are you here?" I asked as we entered the living room.
"You said you weren't feeling well, so I came to check on you. But... looking at you now, you seem fine?"
Her gaze swept up and down my body.
Based on the way she spoke, it was certain that she was the "[Jeong-ah♡]" from KakaoTalk.
"No, I've got no energy. My head hurts, too."
I pulled my face back and looked away.
"Really? Now that you mention it, you do look a bit haggard."
"Ah, is it because of that?"
She spoke as if she'd suddenly realized the cause after thinking for a moment.
"That?"
"The Penniam. I heard you got your hands on some."
Penniam?
I felt like I'd seen that written on the pill bottle rolling around when I first woke up....
I opened my phone and searched for "Penniam."
[Penniam - Namuwiki: Main Page]
I clicked on the document registered on the wiki site.
[1. Overview]
[Penniam is a powerful narcotic...]
"In-ho? What's wrong all of a sudden? You're pale."
I think I need to correct my assessment of this being a "messy life."
This was a hopeless, trash life.
I think I finally understand why I was able to possess this body.