〈 Chapter 3 〉 2 ­ Summer

 

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Click!

 

In a split second, a hand reached out for the dark-colored pistol beside the bed, while the long tail of a snake grabbed a combat knife.

 

It took no more than a moment for my body to spring up like a coil and assume a combat stance.

 

The gun’s muzzle, aligned exactly with the direction my widened eyes were staring at, swept around the room.

 

There was nothing.

 

Relaxing my frown, I lowered the gun.

 

“Sigh….”

 

A slight dizziness set in belatedly.

 

It seemed it would take quite a long time for me to be able to sleep deeply again like I used to.

 

The view outside the window showed that the sun had already been up for quite some time. It was nearly noon.

 

“….”

 

Click.

 

I returned the pistol and tactical knife to their original places. But then I wondered why they were there. Had I not put them away yesterday?

 

Rather than blaming yesterday, it was better to deal with what had already happened. I removed the magazine, ejected the last bullet from the chamber, and tucked the gun into a slightly opened zipper of my carrier.

 

Indeed, as it was a firearm, there was a certain emptiness compared to when I stuffed a machine gun or a designated marksman rifle into the carrier.

 

When was the last time I slept without wearing a holster? Recalling the vague memories, I left the room.

 

Enjoying the stuffy air filling the living room, I gently pressed the fridge’s auxiliary door.

 

Cool air wafted out.

 

I took out a water bottle, poured cold water into a glass, and drank it down.

 

Wrapping the bottle with my tail, I put it back into the fridge’s minibar and closed it naturally as I headed towards the bathroom.

 

A woman was reflected in the mirror.

 

Because I hadn’t particularly cared for it, my black hair had grown out moderately. It felt like it had only received minimal care.

 

My bangs were long enough not to poke my eyes, and the sides were just balanced.

 

The back hair hung down to my waist.

 

Poking out between them were sharp, pointed ears. Sharp fangs could be seen beyond thin lips.

 

My white skin, perhaps due to it being summer, was quite flushed.

 

A woman resembling a snake was staring at me from beyond the mirror.

 

“What should I call this?”

 

Should I be surprised that this was me, or should I be amazed at myself for accepting this body without much trouble?

 

None of it felt real.

 

People don’t change without a shock great enough to shake their life, but conversely, such a shock can completely change a person.

 

…What had I become during those four years?

 

I undressed and let the hot water wash over me, mulling over numerous thoughts.

 

There were a few things I had to do, but hiding the guns I brought was the most urgent. I had already figured out a place, so I had to take care of it today.

 

There were other tasks, but I decided to think them through slowly.

 

───Swish, swish.

 

After drying my body and hair with a towel and blow-drying my hair, I began to worry about what to wear.

 

I had to go out today, but I couldn’t just walk around in my military uniform. Most of the clothes in the house were light dresses, with a few exceptions.

 

This was driving me crazy.

 

After a frantic search through the house, I finally found a pair of regular jeans and a decently thick T-shirt. The pants, for some reason, had been altered to avoid getting caught by my tail.

 

…So, these clothes were definitely made for me.

 

Curiosity began to rise again. Who had brought these clothes, and why, and when?

 

But unfortunately, there was nothing I could know.

 

It was frustrating.

 

Changing into the new clothes gave me a strange feeling. Was this how I was supposed to dress? With a vague sense of doubt, the snake-like woman in the mirror was giving me a puzzled look.

 

…Honestly, that wasn’t the only problem.

 

In a way, it was closer to intentionally focusing on trivial issues to avoid facing a bigger problem.

 

In any case, going out with this body wasn’t a big issue.

 

After three days of staying home and browsing the internet under the guise of data collection, it seemed there were others like me in this world.

 

When I questioned why that was, my train of thought abruptly halted. It was an unsolvable problem.

 

If they were going to send me home, they should have done it properly. What kind of bolt from the blue was this?

 

Opening the door, I was greeted by two travel carriers I had packed in advance, standing there imposing.

 

A fleeting thought crossed my mind that it might be nice to go on a trip under these circumstances, but unfortunately, what was inside… were guns and ammunition.

 

Specifically, they were the things I packed yesterday, and from today onward, they were past items I had no reason to see again.

 

It felt absurd, like some black-market dealer, but whether it was me carrying these or a black-market dealer, getting caught by the authorities would result in a disaster.

 

I never wanted such a commonality… anyway, if that happened, my adaptation to reality would end in a tragic first-episode conclusion.

 

That couldn’t happen.

 

Though the front door wasn’t narrow, the carriers were so large that it was difficult to bring both out at once.

 

I solved it simply by carrying one in each hand and opening the door handle with my tail.

 

───Click!

 

“…The weather is disgustingly good.”

 

Pulling the two carriers outside, the sunlight was literally piercing down from the sky. The light was so intense that it hurt my eyes.

 

Looking down a bit, I could see the street. Perhaps due to the weather, there were hardly any people walking outside. There were some in the shops across the street.

 

Ironically, this might be the perfect time to move around without attracting attention.

 

Inhaling deeply, the humid air filled my lungs.

 

Today’s humidity was 100%, and the outside temperature was 35 degrees. It was a heatwave. While everyone else would be huddled inside, running air conditioners, I rather enjoyed it.

 

Perhaps savoring a humid summer was a privilege of reptiles.

 

Thinking that, I pulled my carriers and walked down the hallway.

 

­[Distance to destination: 5.75km]

 

­[Estimated time to arrival: 42 minutes 23 seconds]

 

Approximately 6 kilometers.

 

However, that was only in a straight line, and navigating the notoriously complex Seoul city center meant I couldn’t trust that travel time.

 

I thought about walking, but since I was carrying carriers instead of a backpack, it didn’t seem like a good idea.

 

Moreover, considering the many crosswalks, loud car noises, and smoky air in between… I wasn’t sure. Should I take a taxi?

 

I didn’t have money for that.

 

“…I’m doomed.”

 

Reluctantly, I decided to take the subway.

 

In the past, people used to joke that BMW stood for Bus, Metro, and Walking, but for those who didn’t drive their own cars… it was more than a good option, it was the only option.

 

The subway station was quickly found after a short walk. Although the place I had to go was a bit far from the nearest station, what could I do? Subways usually only connect major hubs.

 

I walked down the stairs, carrying my carriers.

 

The interior was quite cool. Of course, it was to be expected, but in a relatively enclosed space, once the air conditioning was on, the cold air didn’t escape easily.

 

Enjoying the freshness different from the warm outside, I scanned my card at the gate and checked where I needed to go. Unfortunately, the next train seemed to be a bit late.

 

About 7 minutes remained.

 

Sitting down on a nearby bench to catch my breath, a delicious smell wafted over.

 

­[Subway Toast]

 

“…Oh.”

 

That combination of two words, and the thick buttery scent wafting from below the sign.

 

Drawn by the irresistible combination, I approached as if enchanted.

 

“Hello.”

 

“Welcome… Oh my. What a unique customer we have. What would you like?”

 

“Hmm….”

 

There were many types of toast listed above.

 

Without much hesitation, I told the friendly-looking lady who was preparing the food.

 

“One ham toast, please….”

 

“Ham toast? This one’s delicious, dear. Just one?”

 

“Five, please.”

 

“…Oh my, where’s my head? Got it, dear. I’ll make them right away.”

 

Well.

 

Why not.

 

My body doesn’t have good fuel efficiency.

 

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