A flashlight.
No.
Crackling wires.
No.
A lighter.
No.
Stars.
Yes.
Looking up at the sky, those must be stars.
I'm sitting on top of an abandoned building, gazing at the stars.
To be honest, the idea that I enjoy stargazing is a misunderstanding.
The truth is, I just didn’t have anything else to do.
There’s nothing easier than looking up at the sky.
They say when people die, they beco stars.
But that only applies to famous people, doesn’t it?
If I beca a star, then maybe Shihu, far away, would know where I am.
I point to the sky with my hand.
Starlight trickles down from my fingertips.
Not because of gravity, but because, in truth, the stars just want to be free.
From the stars floating in the middle of the sky to the ones barely clinging to the horizon, flickering faintly.
[10%]
“I see numbers.”
“What?”
Shihu looks at like I’m acting strange.
And he’s right.
Even soone with no sense can tell there’s sothing off about .
“I used to see ti in front of . It was like a tir—a sort of status screen, but more of a countdown clock.”
He doesn’t seem to understand.
Even stating the facts makes sound insane.
I get it.
[10%]
“But now, I see this strange percentage instead. It ans I’m in debt…”
I don’t seem to have a talent for explaining things.
Shihu still looks confused.
He seems troubled, probably unsure how to respond.
“I’ve always seen it. In a way, it’s like my one and only friend. It’s been with for as long as I can rember.”
No matter how I say it, it sounds strange.
That makes sound like a genuinely ssed-up person.
Or maybe I’m really just ntally ill.
Wait, is that it?
The world’s gone mad, and I’ve just been ignoring it.
Seeing numbers like this can’t be normal.
Is this so overdue self-awareness?
“Probably since I started using drugs.”
“…I see.”
Shihu tilts his head back to look at the stars.
The starlight shines faintly but unceasingly.
He stretches his hand toward the sky, then lowers it.
Sothing glimrs faintly at his fingertips.
“Hey, you know what?”
I recall sothing I read in a book.
“What?”
“I read sowhere that starlight takes hundreds, even thousands of years to reach us. So, the stars we see might already be gone.”
“Yeah, I think I read that too.”
“So, what I’m saying is…”
“Mm?”
Shihu turns to look at .
“I wanted to be a star too.”
“What?”
“I an… even after I’m gone, soone could still see .”
That would be nice.
I just want soone to rember .
“…You’re not going anywhere,” Shihu says.
“But now that I think about it, I don’t think it’s necessary to be rembered. I’d be satisfied just living a normal life.”
[9%]
Although, living normally doesn’t seem possible.
“By the way, Shihu, how have you been? All this ti?”
“? Hmm… not good.”
“Why?”
“Because I couldn’t see you… Oh. About what happened back then, I’m sorry.”
“Hm? Oh… it’s fine.”
The mory of our last parting isn’t a good one.
I think Shihu suddenly attacked .
Did he curse at ? I can’t recall.
“What happened back then wasn’t intentional. I’m sorry. It was because of the skill’s side effects. I should’ve apologized sooner.”
“It’s okay. I don’t even really rember what happened.”
“I’m sorry.”
Was it really sothing worth apologizing for?
Maybe?
Let’s think about what Shihu said.
Ah, now I rember.
“Oh, yeah. You asked if I’d sold my body, right?”
“Oh, no, that— I’m so sorry.”
He must’ve asked because it was bothering him.
“But, you know, asking sothing like that…”
It’s… degrading.
“I’m really sorry. I didn’t an to ask sothing like that, I swear.”
Answer .
So, did I sell my body?
Am I trash?
“But if I did sell myself, or act like trash… we couldn’t stay friends, right? That’d be a bit much, wouldn’t it?”
Shihu seems lost for words, his breath catching.
Before he can respond, I keep talking.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to answer. Honestly, I don’t even know myself. As far as I can rember, I didn’t do anything like that. But I’m not sure. Sorry.”
I feel his grip tighten on my hand.
He’s uneasy.
“It’s fine. Everything’s fine. Really. No matter what happened, what does it matter? You’re alive. That’s enough.”
I’m glad.
[8%]
No, this isn’t good.
It keeps dropping.
“We’ve seen enough stars for now. Let’s go hunt so monsters.”
That makes the percentage go up.
“What? Monsters?”
“Yeah. Because I’ve got debts to pay. The interest is piling up.”
“I don’t understand.”
Do you still not get it?
“Let go of my hand.”
I was going to go alone anyway.
He doesn’t let go.
“You’re really not letting go?”
“No.”
“Let… go.”
“Where are you going? I’ll co with you.”
There’s no need to hold hands.
No matter where we go.
“Seriously, you’re not letting go?”
“No.”
Why not?
Why won’t he let go?
A logical reason…
I have no idea.
It’d be nice if he told , but he doesn’t seem like he will.
Sothing feels wrong.
“My hand hurts.”
“Sorry, I’ll hold it more gently.”
I try twisting my hand free, but I fail.
Shihu is stronger.
[7%]
The number keeps dropping.
“…Hey, are you trying to purify or sothing? Is that why you’re holding my hand?”
“What? No, I just—”
“I’ve told you so many tis I’m fine. So why? Let go!”
Finally, Shihu releases my hand.
“I’m sorry, I just…”
A distant siren wails.
The sirens grow louder, approaching from the distance.
From up here on the building, I can see them clearly—vehicles that aren’t here for peaceful purposes.
There are several of them, resembling fire trucks, even armored cars.
The sound rings out, rising in pitch as they close in, surrounding the entire area.
Ah, I’ve heard about this before.
When a truly dangerous monster causes serious damage, they deploy forces like this to handle it.
Vehicles carrying "Awakened" individuals to deal with the threat.
They must be coming to hunt sothing.
A terrifying monster.
Yes, hunting monsters.
Luckily, this area isn’t densely populated.
We can tie the thing down here and wait for reinforcents.
That’s how these things go.
The sirens keep wailing, the lights flashing so brightly they don’t look like stars anymore.
I thought the stars had fallen to the horizon, but it was just the headlights of those vehicles.
Reinforcents, huh?
Do we need them?
Normally, Shihu would handle it, but he’s hurt right now.
So, to make sure it’s dealt with properly…
Who are they here to kill?
?
There’s no one else but .
Ah, this is bad.
All the monsters nearby are dead, so it must be they’re coming for.
Shihu knew this would happen.
That’s why he held onto my hand, so I couldn’t run away.
Using stargazing as an excuse.
“If you hated that much, you could’ve just said so. There was no need to act kind and hold my hand.
If I was so disgusting to you, if you wanted dead so badly because I’m such a monster, you should’ve just told .
I’d have done it myself. I’d have died quickly.”
Shihu says sothing, but I can’t hear him.
[6%]
The numbers disappear.
I’m scared.
Black thorns burst outward in all directions.
There’s no sound.
Or maybe there is, but all I hear is a ringing in my ears.
[20%]
Ah, I stabbed him.
I think I stabbed him pretty hard.
The percentage went up a lot.
An attack.
I attacked Shihu.
I think he blocked it, but he looks like it hurt a bit.
Still, thanks to that, I can repay so of my debt.
Clang.
“…Ice?”
My shoes and the ground beneath are frozen solid.
An "Awakened" did this.
Cheon Yuhwa.
She followed us to this abandoned building and has been watching.
She’s here to kill .
[23%]
I realize there’s no point holding back when attacking.
They’re all enemies anyway.
I always knew.
It was just wishful thinking.
The hope that soone might want to stay my friend.
If they were really a friend, they’d have co to find long ago.
Soone, at least one person, would have looked for .
The black thorns shoot rapidly toward Cheon Yuhwa’s neck.
But before they can reach her, they freeze and shatter.
[26%]
The more pain I inflict, the more debt I can repay.
That’s right.
This ti, I create a black wall.
Crash.
It freezes again and shatters.
[30%]
I’ll repay the debt.
I just have to repay it all.
Crack.
An ice spear cos flying, but I block it.
Cheon Yuhwa mutters sothing, but I can’t hear her.
Her face is filled with hatred.
What did I do to make her so angry?
I don’t understand.
She’s the one trying to kill .
[33%]
I’ll repay the debt.
This is a great opportunity.
If I repay everything, I’ll be normal again.
If I reach 100%, I’ll be normal.
Then I can go ho.
Shihu doesn’t like because I’m a monster.
If I beco normal again, he’ll like .
Then he won’t try to kill anymore.
We’ll go back to being friends.
I’ll go ho with him.
“Hehe.”
I’m excited.
Cheon Yuhwa yells sothing, but I can’t hear it.
She points toward Shihu.
Shihu.
He’s lying on the ground.
What’s this?
Soone attacked him.
What kind of terrible person would do that?
The world is so scary.
But it’s okay!
“That’s nothing a dose won’t fix.”
Exactly.
“In just an hour or two, the wounds will heal completely! Don’t worry about Shihu.”
Soone should give Shihu so dicine.
Cheon Yuhwa stares blankly at .
“I know because I’ve tried it before. Even if you slice soone slowly with a saw, they heal. And you know what? Now that I think about it, dicine is really amazing…”
Even soone as useless as can fight a strong "Awakened" like Cheon Yuhwa thanks to it.
Truly, dicine is great.
If soone like Shihu or Cheon Yuhwa used it, wouldn’t they beco even stronger?
Why didn’t anyone do that sooner?
“dicine is good…”
Wait, what was I doing again?
Right, looking at the stars.
The stars are beautiful.
“I need my dose…”
Who was I looking at the stars with?
Shihu.
Where is Shihu?
“My dose…”
There he is.
But he’s lying down.
Who attacked him?
…
It was you, you piece of trash.
Have you forgotten what you did?
That’s why Shihu called for reinforcents to kill .
It’s not my fault.
I’m not normal, so it’s okay for to do anything.
I’m not human—more like a kind of fish.
But thinking about it, canned tuna tastes good.
Actually, everything tastes good.
If tuna isn’t frozen imdiately after being caught, its at cooks itself from its own heat.
So is that why my legs are still frozen?
They won’t move.
They won’t move at all.
Frozen tuna…
Co to think of it, I’ve never eaten fresh tuna sashimi.
Because, as I said, tuna cooks itself if left alone.
So there’s no need to prepare it. Isn’t that great?
That’s why we need ice.
I’m frozen.
“Haha… haha…”
The stars are so bright it makes my head spin.
Huh?
What?
Those aren’t stars.
They’re the lights of a surgery room.
Or maybe soone wants sashimi and is about to cut up.
But I’m just a person who likes canned tuna.
Sashimi is a little scary.
“I’m sorry. I’m not in my right mind. I’m a bit out of it, but you understand, right? Thank you. So please, just this once, let Seo Ah go. She’s kind, and good, and innocent. Please, just this one ti.”
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