Not A Regressor - Chapter 36

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I Am Not a Regressor Chapter 36
Paradise (3)
“Ugh.”
The next morning.
Song Ha-eun woke early for the first time in a while and stretched luxuriously.
“….”
Kwon O-jin had left before dawn with Vega for training, leaving only an awkward silence hanging over the cramped room.
“I suppose I should wash up and get ready.”
It had been such a long time.
Today was a day I had business outside.
-Splash!
“Aaahhh! It’s freezing!!”
I scooped water into a basin and poured it over myself.
Since hot water barely flowed from the tap, an unbelievable chill enveloped my body.
‘When I eventually move out and live alone, I absolutely must find a place with decent hot water.’
Shivering, I grabbed a towel.
After drying off completely, I retrieved my prosthetic leg from the drawer beneath the bed.
“Ugh.”
A groan escaped me at the sensation of hard stone pressing against my knee.
Since it was such a cheap prosthetic, the feel of it was utterly unpleasant.
‘Card and ID….’
I rummaged through belongings I hadn’t retrieved from the deep recesses of the drawer in ages.
Since I had to distinguish things by touch alone, finding them wasn’t easy.
Only after searching through the drawer for several more minutes did I manage to find both the card and ID.
‘Clothes… there shouldn’t be anything strange, right?’
I fumbled into a turtleneck and jeans.
While I could manage putting on clothes, I couldn’t verify the fine details of fit or color coordination.
Worried I might have put together some ridiculous combination, I tugged at the innocent garment.
“Sigh.”
As if fussing with it would make the invisible visible.
I stopped tugging at my clothes and threw on a coat.
Finally, I retrieved sneakers from the shoe rack and slipped them onto my left foot and prosthetic. Done.
-Click.
I grasped the cane resting in the shoe rack and headed outside.
“Sigh.”
The cold December air rushed against me.
“…Let’s go.”
I muttered bitterly to myself and extended my cane forward.
Tap, tap, tap.
I walked, confirming the path ahead with the tip of my cane.
Even so, as an Awakener who had once stood among the ranks of the ‘strong’, my senses were well-developed enough that finding my way was not difficult.
“Hehe, this is a breeze even alone!”
For the past five years, whenever I had to go outside, O-jin always tagged along, so this was my first time venturing far out on my own like this.
I was slightly nervous at first, but that didn’t last long.
Sound and touch, even the faint scent tickling my nose.
With my superhuman senses painting the surrounding environment in my mind, I could move forward so naturally that it was hard to believe I couldn’t see.
“Hihit! See that, you bastard?”
I strutted forward with bravado directed at no one in particular, bouncing with each step.
Had I gotten too cocky?
-Crack.
“Aaaah!”
My face collided head-on with a tree branch jutting out from the flower bed beside me.
Since I couldn’t confirm it with my cane either, I hit my head quite thoroughly.
“Damn it.”
I rubbed my nose and walked forward with unnecessary roughness.
-Jingle.
After all that struggle, I had arrived at the Bank.
Following the employee’s guidance, Ha-eun sat down and pulled out a card and ID from her pocket.
“You said you wanted to cancel both your savings account and fixed deposit, correct?”
“Yes.”
Until five years ago.
More precisely, the passbook containing money I had accumulated over three years of work as an Awakener starting from when the Gate incident first occurred eight years ago.
Something I hadn’t even told O-jin about—my last ‘thread of hope’.
“Um… ah, how much is in there?”
I asked in a voice filled with tension.
Squeeze.
Sweat pooled in my clenched fist.
“Including all the interest from the past five years… it comes to 321,754,821 won.”
“….”
320 million won.
It wasn’t a small amount.
It certainly wasn’t a small amount, but—
“Ah, yes….”
It was woefully insufficient to purchase the Dragon’s Eye.
A shadow fell across Ha-eun’s expression.
I had known.
From the start, I hadn’t accumulated much, so what difference would any growth make?
I had known, but….
“Customer? Is there perhaps something wrong?”
“Ah… no, no. 320 million is correct.”
Hahaha.
Song Ha-eun laughed awkwardly.
320 million won.
The “thread of hope” she had desperately scraped together.
That thread of hope was so thin and transparent that it seemed it would never be grasped.
“…Haha.”
For someone who had been active as an Awakened for three years, it was indeed a pittance.
But what could be done about it?
‘I couldn’t earn much right after the Gate incident occurred.’
Back then, I fought monsters purely for survival, not for money.
It was only two years after the Gate incident that I properly sold the essence stones harvested from them for decent money.
Of course, as a 7-Star Awakened, I had accumulated quite a bit during that one year.
‘But most of it went to medical bills.’
My condition had been so dire back then that I could have died at any moment, so the treatment costs were equally staggering.
“Shall I deposit it all into your checking account?”
“…Yes. Please do that.”
Song Ha-eun nodded weakly and rose to her feet.
Tap, tap, tap.
Leaning on her cane, she headed home once more.
‘320 million… 320 million.’
It was woefully insufficient to buy the Dragon’s Eye.
“Hehe. The kid’s still munching on calorie bars every day, huh?”
━Before we part ways.
It was enough to create one final memory.
Boom! Crash!
“Hm?”
As I drew near home, a loud commotion echoed.
“What is it?”
I tilted my head in confusion for a moment.
Thud thud thud thud thud!!
With footsteps that made the earth tremble, someone seized my shoulder firmly.
“What, what is it?”
“Haa, haa!”
Ragged breathing.
“Where did you go without saying anything!!”
Kwon O-jin’s urgent cry reached me.
“Hehe! What, you were looking for me?”
“This is not the time to laugh….”
“O-jin.”
Cutting him off.
I broke into a bright smile.
“Want to go on a date with your sister?”
“…What?”
* * *
When was the last time the two of us went out together like this?
“What sudden whim possessed you?”
Kwon O-jin asked, gently taking Song Ha-eun’s arm and leading her forward.
A date, no less.
It was such an unexpected development.
“Hehe. I felt sorry for you, always dressed so shabbily, munching on calorie bars and wandering around.”
“How would you even know I dress shabbily?”
“I can tell just by looking, you brat. How old are those clothes you’re wearing?”
“That’s….”
I had no idea.
It wasn’t that I couldn’t remember—I’d secretly taken them from the old clothes donation bin, so there was no way to know how many years old they actually were.
“Nothing to say?”
“Ugh.”
A sigh escaped me.
“…Still, they’re pretty neat.”
“Stop your whining and just come with me.”
Song Ha-eun cut off my pathetic excuses and pulled my arm along.
She then strode forward with great strides.
“…Which way is the Department Store?”
“Here we go.”
A hollow laugh slipped out.
I headed toward the Department Store with her, chuckling.
“Excuse me~!”
“Yes~ welcome!”
“Please put together five outfits that would suit this person.”
“Right away!”
The employee’s eyes sparkled as she scurried off somewhere.
“Why would you ask the employee? I’ll pick them myself.”
“If I let you choose, you’d only pick the cheapest ones, you brat.”
A direct hit, alchemist!
“And why do we need five outfits? I can just rotate the same ones….”
“La la~ I can’t heeeear youuuu~”
“No.”
Why is this sister of mine like this?
“Hmm~ Sir, you have such excellent taste in clothes that anything would suit you! This one and this brand’s products….”
The enthusiastic employee began recommending various outfits to Kwon O-jin.
“Which style do you think would suit your girlfriend?”
“….”
At the word “girlfriend,” the corner of Ha-eun’s mouth curled upward in amusement.
She tapped the floor with the cane in her hand, her words trailing off.
“My eyesight isn’t very good, you see….”
“Ah. I-I’m so sorry.”
“No, no. Just give me everything you recommended.”
“Not that one—let me choose….”
“Ignore what this fool says.”
Song Ha-eun pushed Kwon O-jin aside and laughed with satisfaction.
“That’ll be 3.72 million won total~!”
“Here you go.”
“What?!”
Kwon O-jin grabbed Song Ha-eun’s arm in shock as she pulled out her card.
“Are you insane, noona?”
How could clothes cost over three million won?
Even if it was ten outfits combined, this was crossing the line.
But more than that.
“Where did you even get this money….”
“Hehe. My fixed deposit matured today. I got a nice chunk of interest, so I’m treating you.”
“….”
Kwon O-jin’s expression twisted harshly.
“Anyway, I don’t need something this expensive.”
“I’m buying it for you, so what?”
“You don’t need to buy me anything.”
“Ugh, just wear it, you bastard!”
Song Ha-eun stubbornly pushed forward without listening to reason.
After refusing a few more times, he found himself throwing a tantrum like a three-year-old, and he had no choice but to accept the clothes she’d bought for him.
“Hehehehe! Go try one on and come back out. Throw away what you’re wearing now!”
“…sigh.”
Kwon O-jin exhaled deeply and changed into the new clothes in the fitting room.
“Wow, wa….”
As he stepped out, a soft gasp escaped the employee’s lips.
With just a change of clothes, it felt as though an entirely different person had emerged.
“All set?”
“Yep.”
“Hehe, let’s go then!”
I grabbed her arm and dragged her off somewhere.
She wandered through the Department Store, gifting me whatever came to mind at each moment.
“…noona.”
Oh Jin asked in a deeply sunken voice.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Hehe. Over the past five years, our Oh Jin has suffered quite a bit because of your sister, hasn’t he?”
“That’s….”
“Today.”
Squeeze.
She tightened her grip on his arm and shook her head with determination.
“Just for today… just follow me wherever I go.”
“….”
Her voice trembled thinly.
“Sigh.”
Oh Jin exhaled a short breath.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you later?”
“Hahaha! My sister’s loaded!”
Song Ha-eun giggled and bounced her shoulders.
“So, what’s next….”
After a moment of contemplation, she snapped her fingers decisively.
“Should we go grab some food?”
“Sounds good.”
I hadn’t eaten anything since consuming a calorie bar at dawn, so I was already hungry.
“Where do you want to go? Burger King? Or McDonald’s?”
“…Why are those your only options?”
Song Ha-eun clicked her tongue in disapproval.
“Hehe! Just follow your sister, you bastard. Let’s try some Korean beef today.”
“What, Korean beef?”
Tremble, tremble, tremble.
My legs shook violently.
Korean beef—wasn’t that the kind of insane food that easily cost over 100,000 won for two people?
“You want to… eat Korean beef?”
“Yeah. Come on, let’s go!”
Song Ha-eun dragged me along as I stood there dazed.
Of course.
I ended up having to lead the way partway through.
“…We’re here.”
“Wow, the smell is absolutely incredible.”
The moment we arrived at the entrance of the Korean Beef Restaurant, an appetizing aroma wafted out so powerfully it made my head spin.
Gulp.
Ha-eun desperately held back the saliva gathering at the corners of her mouth and licked her lips.
“Let’s go right in….”
She was about to say, when.
‘…What is that smell?’
Then.
A briny, oceanic scent rushed into my nostrils.
“…What are they selling next door?”
“Huh? Wait a moment… Oh, it’s a Crab Specialty Restaurant.”
“Crab…?”
Song Ha-eun’s mind raced at lightning speed.
The calculation was swift.
“Ahem, ahem!”
She cleared her throat unnecessarily and dragged Kwon O-jin along.
“Oh, I’m not really in the mood for beef today~”
“You were drooling all over yourself just a moment ago.”
“S-shut up!! I want to eat crab today!!”
“Huh?”
Kwon O-jin tilted his head in confusion.
“You don’t like seafood, though?”
While I hadn’t eaten much seafood, I’d always grimaced in disgust whenever I did.
If I even disliked shrimp, which had almost no distinctive taste, what seafood could I possibly enjoy?
“C-crab is different!!”
“But you hate all crustaceans…”
“Anyway!”
Song Ha-eun dragged Kwon O-jin into the Crab Specialty Restaurant.
“Excuse me~ I’d like to order!”
What Song Ha-eun ordered were two boiled crabs.
Steam rose delicately from their crimson shells.
“Ugh…”
Song Ha-eun’s expression twisted at the briny seafood aroma emanating from the boiled crabs.
But only for a moment.
“Ah~ it’s so hard to scrape the meat off~ crabs really are difficult to eat, you know.”
After poking at the crab a few times, she set down her chopsticks with theatrical flair.
“….”
Her intention was so transparent that I couldn’t even bring myself to play along.
“Give it here. I’ll extract the meat for you.”
“Oh, really? Hehe! You don’t have to go out of your way~”
Beaming.
Song Ha-eun smiled brightly and leaned closer.
“Aah.”
She opened her mouth like a baby bird waiting to be fed.
Chuckle.
A laugh escaped me unbidden.
“Here.”
“Munch, munch.”
I spread crab meat and placed it in her mouth.
“Hehe. Delicious.”
A somewhat vacant laugh escaped from Ha-eun’s lips.
“Eat plenty.”
“Huh. Don’t just give it to me—you eat some too, you punk.”
“Yes, yes.”
And so the rather lengthy meal came to an end.
“I’ll go buy us some coffee.”
“Here, take my card—”
“Please, let me buy the coffee, sister.”
My chest felt tight from having only received all day long.
“Hmm. Fine. I’ll permit that much.”
Ha-eun straightened her back and spoke with arrogant pride.
Pfft!
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Ugh. What? You got a problem?”
“Pfft! No. I’ll be right back. Wait here.”
I turned and walked toward the counter.
“….”
Ha-eun sat in the cafe chair, a faint smile crossing her face.
She opened her eyes slightly and glanced around.
The world was still dark.
But it wasn’t cold.
‘Where should we go next time~’
As she swung her legs and lost herself in thought.
“Um, excuse me… are you Kwon O-jin?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. That’s right.”
“Kyaaah! Wait, how—! The Brain! It’s the Brain!”
“Really? Wow, no way! I was at Seoul Station that day!”
“Did you come here alone?”
The excited voices of two women reached her ears.
“…These damn women?”
Ha-eun’s expression twisted harshly.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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