Chapter 7: Rooftop Return

“Phew… that was delicious!”

I ended up bringing the kid over and feeding him.

It turned out he really did live nearby.

His home was halfway up a steep hill, and mine was the rooftop room of a shabby three-story building a little higher up.

I don’t remember meeting him in my previous life, which is strange.

Then again, I was in school back then, so we probably never crossed paths.

Now that I’ve given up on studying, the situation is different.

Anyway, I felt bad for the needless misunderstanding and fed him dinner.

“All right. If you ate well, go on home.”

…I don’t know how a kid can put away so much food.

He picked out only the beef like he knew it was expensive, and I couldn’t begrudgingly tell him to stop eating, so I kept grilling meat while crying on the inside.

I can’t figure out why he’s so thin when he eats like that.

“Um… hyung….”

The weather was cool, so we grilled meat on the bench outside, and after tidying up I was planning to go inside and eat some ice cream, but the kid didn’t leave and called to me.

“Why?”

He hesitated, shuffling as if he had something to say, and seeing him like that… somehow I thought he was cute.

If I had a younger sibling, maybe they’d feel like that.

He stood there hesitating for a while, then put his hand in his pocket, took something out, grabbed my hand, and placed something in my palm.

“Th-thank you… I enjoyed the meal!”

Then he ran down the stairs without looking back.

He grabbed the black bag he’d been holding earlier.

I could hear the clinking every time he ran, and from the glimpse of a green bottle I guessed… it was alcohol inside.

No, it must be.

I don’t know why such a young kid would buy liquor and take it home.

“What is this….”

I laughed dryly when I checked what he’d put in my hand.

It was a hard candy that looked like something left on a restaurant counter.

A scorched-rice flavor that didn’t fit with the kid’s bell.

And it was one candy, stuck to the wrapper from being fumbled in the pocket.

Is this payment for the meal?

“I feel like I just got slapped in the back of the head.”

Well, at least his conscience is alive — I should be relieved.

My rooftop room meant a lot to me.

It was the only property left by my parents when they died, and it’s where I’d lived my whole life until I awakened as an esper.

Of course, the shabby, worn-out house didn’t hold good memories.

Still, after returning fifteen years later, it was the only place I had to lay my head.

“Student! You in there? Don’t open the door!”

Bang, bang!

I woke to the rough pounding on the door and the landlord’s voice, which, even though I was back in the past and hearing it for the first time, lodged in my brain like I’d heard it yesterday.

Her voice outside the door sounded as if she were shouting in my ear.

This was, hands down, the worst morning.

Half asleep and barely coherent, I opened the front door.

Even the creak of the hinge as the door opened irritated me — maybe because I hadn’t wanted to wake up.

“Why are you only coming out now! And, more importantly, why haven’t you paid the rent yet? Am I supposed to come collect rent like a debt collector every month, hmm?!”

Right.

This was the landlord.

My parents had scraped together a 5,000,000 won deposit and paid 450,000 won in monthly rent for this rooftop room, plus a 50,000 won maintenance fee, while providing no maintenance at all.

If my memory was right, the lease had actually ended a year ago.

I hadn’t left because the landlord wouldn’t return the 5,000,000 won deposit, stuck between staying and leaving.

Even though it happened fifteen years ago, I was still angry, which shows how deeply my resentment toward her had built up.

Back then I was too young to protest, and I never got my deposit back; I was extorted for rent.

“Whatever. Give me my deposit back while you’re still talking nicely, auntie.”

“W-what?! Are you… crazy…!”

Wow, is she strong or have I weakened?

The grip on my collar was fierce.

Her angry face made me feel like I was facing a monster — I won’t lie, I was a little intimidated.

But thinking about the 5,000,000 won the woman ate and defecated on, I still ground my teeth with rage.

Sorry, but I’m not going to calmly keep paying rent anymore.

I grabbed the landlord’s wrist, which didn’t even properly feel like a rat’s, with force.

“Remember this clearly. Until you return my deposit, I won’t pay a single won in rent, and if you come around like this again I’ll call the police about the illegal gambling dens you run in your house.”

I ripped my collar free as if shaking off the hand that grabbed it.

A look of astonishment filled the landlord’s eyes.

No wonder — in the past I was a fool who hadn’t said a word.

Compared to me now, who’d been through hell and back, to her it probably looked like I’d changed overnight.

There’s no reason to keep being taken advantage of like before.

I waved her off and she ran away without looking back.

“I… I won’t let you get away with this, you!”

She kept threatening me as she left.

Do whatever you want.

I’m not afraid anymore.

I don’t plan to stay in this place long; once I get my deposit back I’ll leave.

First I need to save some money, though.

Having taken care of that everyday villain, I grabbed a drinking yogurt from the fridge and ate breakfast standing on the rooftop railing.

“Phew….”

Despite the shitty morning that started against my will, I felt not so bad.

Even knowing the future and being back in the past, I was frustrated that I couldn’t parlay that information into a life like in movies or novels.

But it’s fine.

I can’t remember a winning lottery number or a skyrocketing stock or property tip, but… well… it’s okay.

“No, actually — it’s not okay.”

“What on earth have I been doing with my life?”

You often see scenes like this in novels or films: the protagonist who returns to the past uses their future knowledge to buy stocks, houses, and land.

But I awakened as an esper early, entered the academy, and spent my life as an esper, so I didn’t gather that kind of information.

What I did know were things like monster weaknesses and a few secrets of the gates.

If used well, those could make a lot of money, but they weren’t information a child who hadn’t awakened could use.

“Sigh… it’ll work out somehow.”

Yeah.

Whatever happens, being a little poor but at peace is the best.

I’ll enjoy things I couldn’t before.

I emptied my mind and opened the list of restaurants saved on my phone.

Delicious food is the best.

Why did I never know this joy before?

“…Wow, I could die….”

I set the shopping basket I was carrying down on the ground and caught my breath.

How did my stamina get like this?

I was almost like a paper doll.

If I carried anything slightly heavy, my whole body groaned, and when I climbed the steep hill to my house I desperately wanted to awaken.

A body that can’t even hold a shopping basket… how did my past self survive in this harsh world?

All right. I decided: I’m going home today and awakening.

When you awaken as an esper, your stamina generally improves, so at least I’d be better than this garbage body.

And after I’m twenty I’ll manifest as an Omega, which might make my stamina a little worse, so I should awaken now to prepare.

Of course, once I get home I’ll probably get wrapped up in a million thoughts and put awakening off again.

Still, awakening feels essential.

The reason is simple.

Money!

Money.

The pasta I had earlier cost 22,000 won, the groceries at the mart were 185,000 won, and the souffle and coffee for dessert were 24,000 won.

After spending like that, my bank balance was zero.

Being a minor, my income consisted only of government subsidies and the tiny bits I earned from gates.

If I awakened I could earn more at the gates even without being attached to the state, so awakening became more necessary.

To eat all the good food I wanted, to fix this trash body’s stamina, I couldn’t put it off any longer.

Bang, clink!

After cooling my sweat for a moment and lifting the basket again, I heard something break up ahead.

This neighborhood had its fair share of incidents.

Fights, robberies, assaults, thefts — there wasn’t a quiet day.

“Now you’re even lying to your dad? Fine, today you’ll die!”

The voices got louder as I moved.

From the sound, I could picture the scene: a man drunk to the point his face had that drink’s tint.

The stench of alcohol would overwhelm you just passing by.

Peeking through a slightly open gate, that wild-looking bastard was indeed ranting in the yard.

“D-dad… it’s not that… ugh…!”

I was about to keep walking when a memory stopped me.

This house is familiar.

It was the house with the rusted iron gate the kid had said was his home.

It wasn’t a mistake.

I heard a child sobbing, and through the gap in the barely-closed gate I saw the kid from my memory being trampled under his father’s foot.

Then it happened.

“Help…!”

Our eyes met.

The boy looked up at me with his face covered in red fluid, stretching out a tiny hand in desperate plea for help.

But I kept walking.

I didn’t want to meddle in anyone else’s affairs anymore.

I didn’t want to pity humans anymore.

I didn’t want to help those who would later stab me in the back.

‘Um… hyung….’

But.

‘Th-thank you… I enjoyed the meal!’

The thing in my pocket felt too heavy and my steps wouldn’t move.

I put the shopping basket down and took the thing from my pocket.

A scorched-rice candy so melted the original shape was hard to recognize.

The thing the kid had given me instead of payment for the meal.

It reminded me of a dirty towel shoved into my hand inside a gate.

…In the end, that child isn’t different from others.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

I clenched my fist until the candy crumbled.

Anger welled up.

I had vowed never to help others again.

I’d sworn to live the rest of my life only for myself.

Why did that resolve crumble so hollowly?

Fine.

Just this once, I’ll be altruistic.

Just one time.

Thud!

I turned back and kicked the rusted gate with all my might.

“Move your foot, kid.”