Chapter 15

Nain was quite pleased with his job. Not only was the work not difficult, but he could see many fascinating machines, and it was close to his favorite place, the revolving door. Moreover, since it was a place where awakeners frequently came and went, his contact points with them increased. A place where he could meet many people was good for adapting to an unfamiliar environment.

It was delightful to build friendships with Espers who might become his test subjects... no no, research samples.

There were even Espers he encountered almost daily because they came in injured so frequently. One of them was Ched. It seemed that having enhancement-type abilities made him not spare his body.

Somehow, Ched became the Esper he was closest to at the center, so he even introduced Nain to his sister, who was a Guide. Through Ched's sister Leon, Nain also became acquainted with several Guides.

Nain made great efforts to be friendly with people. Many were amazed at Nain's considerable adaptation speed. However, in reality, Nain wasn't adapting quickly but rather was no longer greatly surprised by new stimuli.

There were side effects that came with it too. The HR team people who always sent him away with kind words but then came running again the next day to pester him about Guide registration were truly bothersome beyond measure.

Ah.

Nain stopped thinking mid-way and looked Ched in the eyes as he spoke.

"I don't know if I can ask this kind of favor."

"What is it?"

"We're close, right?"

Feeling an ominous premonition at those words, Ched answered in a wary tone.

"Get to the point first."

"If it's not rude, could you lend me some money?"

"Ah, get lost."

Ched grimaced with disgust. He had an iron rule of never doing money transactions between friends. His admirable way of thinking was certainly praiseworthy, but Nain was truly, seriously in need of money. He had never been this strapped for cash in his life. Just buying food and a few daily necessities would leave him penniless.

"I'm usually really not the type to borrow money from others? But I'm really hungry... and I have nothing. I don't even have money to buy meal tickets for tomorrow..."

Nain began doing his best to act pitiful. Ched stared at him with a hopeless expression before clicking his tongue.

"Beggar bastard."

"...That's it?"

"I'll buy you ten meal tickets."

"Could I also get drinks?"

"Jeez, fine..."

He looked exasperated as he pulled out a card from his pocket and casually threw it toward Nain. Nain caught the card in one go and asked once more.

"Can I drink two beverages? If I get two stamps on the coupon, all ten spaces will be filled..."

"..."

"I won't drink expensive ones."

His attitude of openly planning to mooch was so brazen that it was impossible to get angry. For some reason, he felt like he was being taken advantage of. Ched twitched his eyebrows with a face that looked like he wanted to hit the grinning Nain.

"Give the card back tomorrow."

"Okay."

Even knowing he was being mooched off, he strangely wasn't annoyed. Ah, right. As Nain was carefully putting the card he received into his pocket, he suddenly exclaimed as if remembering something.

"Did that person wake up?"

"Who?"

"The person who saved me. Was his name Ash?"

From what Nain heard, that man was still in an unconscious state. At that time, Nain had been too out of it to properly remember the man's face. Only the scene of blood spattering in the air remained vividly in his mind.

"..."

Ched's brow furrowed. He moved his lips slightly, then let out a deep sigh and answered in a troubled voice.

"Mind your own business. Whether you're grateful or bow down in front of him, that bastard wouldn't give a damn about someone like you anyway."

"Why?"

"He's just like that. Don't get close to him if you can help it."

"Why?"

"It won't hurt you to listen to me, kid."

"But why? There must be a reason."

"..."

Ched's brow twisted. He looked at Nain with annoyed eyes and advised.

"When I tell you not to get close, just fucking listen. If you ask 'why' again, I'll kill you."

Only then did Nain's lips press into a straight line. It wasn't particularly that he was intimidated by such words, but seeing Ched make a fist while saying that, he held back because he didn't want unnecessary fights. Ched giggled, telling him to look scared.

"That's enough of that, and stop wandering around the center all excited. Are you on a field trip? Word's spread that the center has a tourist. Really, there's hardly anyone who doesn't know your name."

"What?"

He hadn't been running around that much. He had just taken time during breaks to look around the building, take walks inside the revolving door, and followed around Espers he'd befriended after work. And the very person saying this had given Nain a tour of the center's history museum just a few days ago! Nain felt wronged at suddenly becoming someone who wandered around obliviously.

"But I didn't go into places I was told not to."

"Yesterday someone said someone turned off the lights in the lobby of the next building and scurried away. That was you, right?"

"..."

That was because he was too flustered. He had just pressed one button, but everywhere went pitch black and he had no way to fix it, so he just...

Nain couldn't make any excuses and looked elsewhere with an awkward expression like a dog that had done something wrong.

"Whatever. It's fine if you just play around here, but the training building is dangerous, so really don't even go near it. That's not a place for civilians like you to enter. And don't go near dangerous-looking Espers even in the medical ward."

"I wouldn't see such people here anyway. They go to the emergency room..."

"Right, right. I'm saying don't go around poking into random places and get yourself in big trouble, just behave yourself. It's better to only be friendly with good people like me."

"Wow, your conscience. Don't you know what 'good' means?"

The words Nain muttered to himself were too quiet to fortunately reach Ched's ears.

"Stop worrying about that fucking bastard Ash and just do your job well."

Why does he call him a bastard? Do you know him well? ...he wanted to ask, but as soon as he opened his mouth, something blocked it. Ched had arbitrarily torn his portion of bread in half and shoved it into Nain's mouth.

"Eat up. Only buy ten meal tickets. If you buy more, you're dead."

Give the card back tomorrow. Ched said. After Nain, who had been forcibly silenced, chewed and swallowed all the bread, Ched had already left his seat as if running away.

'Why is he like that? What kind of person is he exactly?'

He hadn't expected even Ched to evade the topic like that. Everyone reacted like this when he asked about his life's benefactor. Nain was curious about the reason.

'Ash?! Why him?'

'Nain doesn't need to know. Seriously, really, just not knowing is better for your mental health.'

'I'm warning you just in case, but even if you happen to run into him, don't be fooled by that bastard's face. Ha, even I could have been fooled by that amazing face a hundred and forty times...'

'Why are you talking about that druggie?'

'Aaah! My ears! Begone, negativity!'

The words people used to refer to that person were all like this.

'Does he not get along with people?'

Nain tilted his head. That was all he could guess. Not a single person said good things about the man, but...

"...Mm."

No matter what, that person was Nain's benefactor. That much wouldn't change.

* * *

That evening, Nain got permission from the center and went out with two idle Espers. The two bought him dinner. The free meal was very delicious. He could also watch musicians playing instruments and singing on the streets.

Nain was so captivated by the unfamiliar and dazzling outside scenery that he almost got swept away by crowds and lost, and had the rare experience of hearing his name flow from a missing person broadcast. The Espers who had brought him out barely found Nain and let out deep sighs with faces that had aged ten years.

He wasted time in unintended places and almost forgot, but fortunately spotted a flower shop on the way back, so Nain didn't forget his original goal for the outing.

Entering the flower shop, Nain spent half of his first weekly wage to buy a beautiful bouquet. Seeing Nain receive a bouquet so large it could cover his face, the Espers were horrified, asking if he'd gone crazy.

"Are you planning to propose or something? That's way too much!"

"Why? It's the size of my heart."

"This guy doesn't even have money! Hey, we bought you food because you said you were poor!"

"Nain, how much money do you have left? Show us everything."

"What? I just spent it all."

"What?"

They aged another ten years after hearing the price of the bouquet, for a total of twenty years older, clutching the backs of their necks. They went on and on about how he had no sense of money when he was going around starving, but Nain didn't mind even if he had to starve for several days starting tomorrow.

No expression of gratitude could be too great. This was his life's benefactor. Normally, he should have invited his benefactor to the imperial palace and treated him with utmost care.

Thinking that the word "excessive" couldn't be applied to just a few flowers, Nain remained calm despite the Espers' fuss.

"Customer, what should I write on the card?"

The flower shop owner ignored the Espers clamoring for an immediate refund and kindly asked only Nain, who was the source of money. After thinking briefly, Nain decided to bury the elaborate words floating in his head. Cards should be as brief as possible, and thanks should be conveyed directly.

"Just write 'get well soon.'"

"Thank you, customer."

We said get a refund right now! The Espers foamed at the mouth. Nain had the card that he asked the flower shop owner to write properly inserted, and asked them to deliver the flowers he bought with his entire fortune to the hospital room where the man would be.