Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Empty Fridge and Secured Funds
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Even opening the fridge door revealed nothing but liquor bottles and bottled water.
The freezer was the same. Frost clung to the vodka and gin bottles.
What kind of house was this? Not a single pack of instant noodles, just booze. And only the expensive stuff, handpicked and collected.
"..."
The utter lack of any lived-in feel was so ridiculous that a dry laugh escaped me.
I hadn't expected onions, garlic, or chili paste, but shouldn't there at least be some kimchi?
That thought didn't last long.
A little more consideration, and it hit differently.
Maybe all the perishable food had been cleared out in advance.
Like people do before heading off on a long trip.
"...Agh, seriously!! This damn house."
There wasn't a single thing I could feel secure about.
Getting used to these emotional rollercoasters would take some time.
I cracked open a 1.5L bottle of water to wet my throat.
After shedding some tears, hydration was sorely needed.
It was a bit embarrassing, but unavoidable. I'd lived in a world where stamping a seal meant waiting 24 hours with zero updates, only to get yanked into one where it happened instantly. Tears just streamed down.
Swallowing the water made my stomach—dormant from the rough condition—start to stir. It meant I was starving.
Putting the water back in the barren fridge, I realized I needed to restock that too.
At the very least, there should be a faucet purifier or something, but this place lacked that everyday touch in every little way.
"These days, even solo apartment purifiers are pretty decent."
Even one dumped from TeX or... whatev...
Come to think of it, it wasn't "these days."
The "these days" I knew was still five years away.
The world had rewound five years, and that gap was packed with countless tiny things like this.
At first, I'd thought, "How much could the world really change in just five years?" But apparently, quite a bit.
"...Haha. I'm losing it."
Staying cooped up here would leave me in a funk all day.
I had things to do anyway, so might as well head out for a mood booster.
This time, I dressed properly.
Last time, the baggy outfit had drawn unnecessary eyes, no denying it.
T-shirt, jeans, a loose and flowy cardigan. I tugged on a hat to hide the bedhead and stepped out.
The door lock beeped as it secured itself—I still didn't know the code—but no need to fumble around like before.
With my phone unlocked, I was back among the civilized.
I'd memoed the address and scoped out the nearby convenience store. No need to venture downtown this time.
The moment I stepped outside, the sunlight dazzled me into squinting.
This body's eyesight was sharp enough to go without glasses, but even a bit of glare made my eyes water.
What, was I a vampire? Well, the skin was pale enough for one.
"Welcome to DU Con...
?"
I followed the map to the convenience store.
The clerk, sorting cigarettes with a bored greeting, froze mid-sentence.
Those wide eyes were clearly scanning me. Up and down.
Down. Up.
...I nearly burst out laughing but held it in. Just gave a quick nod and headed deeper inside.
"..."
I'd thought dressing properly would cut down on stares. Nope, not really.
Truth be told, I'd felt sidelong glances the whole way here.
I'd never realized people's gazes could be this blatantly obvious.
Whether they'd always registered this sharply or this body was just hypersensitive to them, who knows.
The clerk was still staring holes into me.
Get back to work. Finish sorting those smokes.
I hurried to the chilled section and grabbed a bento.
Meat-packed bento... what? 4,400 won?
Glancing at the others, everything was a touch cheaper than I remembered.
As I thought earlier, it was these little details that really drove home the passage of time.
For the test run, I just took the bento to the counter.
I'd brought cash in my wallet just in case, but I was weirdly tense anyway.
-Beep.
The sound rang out, and those three seconds dragged on forever, but thankfully, it processed without issue.
Shaking my head at the clerk's offer of a bag, I bolted out of the store.
...Stop staring with that blush. It's irritating.
Shaking off the bizarre feeling that was hard to put into words, I plopped down on the plastic chair out front.
Not planning to eat the bento here. Just had something to confirm.
I set my phone on the table and steeled myself.
Swallowed hard, then pressed my finger down.
"..."
I scrolled the message up and down, checking for any mishaps.
Nothing.
"I, I..."
I'm alive...!!
Letting out a sigh of relief, I headed back home.
It was less than the bank balance stamped there, but still plenty for immediate living expenses.
Having braced for the worst—like an overdraft account—the relief was massive. Seriously.
With that worry off my chest, time to reassess the situation.
I was Kang Ji-min, but not Kang Ji-min.
Couldn't touch the bank password or the pattern-locked online banking.
Maybe visit the bank in person for a solution, but not right now.
As things stood, I had no clue about her account balance or debts.
Coming here meant my job and income vanished, along with my cards and savings accounts.
I could look into retaking exams on a "once bitten, twice shy" whim, but no idea how long until passing. Honestly, I was getting fed up.
I'd been a solid student, but multiple academic warnings left my final education as high school grad.
Not entirely Odin's Son's fault.
I'd crammed the civil service exam while my brain still worked, but even that was a close call thanks to Odin's Son.
Yep. That's squarely on Odin's Son.
Meanwhile, Kang Ji-min was a college student. Digging through her phone, I found the university library app. Books checked out, even.
Not some elite school, but in-Seoul and fairly prestigious.
Drop out? Leave of absence? Job hunt? Part-time gig?
Options galore, but no food at home, and as my condition recovered, hunger was creeping in.
In all this, the card was my lifeline. Losing it would've been panic stations, but phew.
I'd even worried about scraping by on alcohol calories if broke. Not some disaster flick.
Anyway, one burden lifted.
Feels like toasting, but given my state, best to swear off booze for a while.
Maybe a smoke instead... but even seeing cigs at the store did nothing for me.
My old body would whine for nicotine after a few 10-win streaks, a chain-smoker through and through.
A day without, and I'd fidget. This body? Zero such urges.
Ji-min was a heavier drinker than me, but apparently not a smoker.
Better in that regard, even if the house screamed alcoholic.
Bottom line: living expenses were fine for now, but no clue how long it'd last. Too skimpy to splurge carefree.
Sudden rent hikes beyond imagination, or hidden rocks like student loans or overdrafts? Catastrophe.
Straight to the bottom, no squeaks.
But that's weeks or months out.
For now, crisis averted.
This wasn't urgent, right?
Yeah.
Not enough to derail 11 years of waiting, right?
"Heh heh heh..."
A low chuckle escaped as I fired up Odin's Son.
Let's see. Cleared up to the fifth boss last night?
Wanted to push further but held back. Savored it, went to bed rationing the thrill.
It had me more antsy, heart pounding.
"Heh heh..."
The giddy laughter leaked out uncontrollably.