The morning after I mentioned wanting to be discharged, I woke up, had breakfast, and was called in by the doctor for various tests.

The test results showed that, aside from my missing left arm, my body was completely fine, so I was given the green light to be discharged.

“Since you requested it and your condition is good, we’re allowing you to leave for now. However, you need to come in for regular check-ups. And as I mentioned last time, please be careful not to get hurt.”

I nodded in response to the doctor’s words.

I had thought it would take about 2 to 3 days for the tests and discharge process, but to my surprise, they took immediate action the very next day after my request. I was a bit dazed by the hospital’s astounding efficiency.

To complete the discharge procedure, I went to the administrative office and gave my name. The seated staff member handed me my freshly laundered uniform along with two new-looking uniforms.

Could this possibly be a mix-up?

I tilted my head in confusion and picked up only the uniform that was obviously mine. It was easy to identify since it was the avant-garde design missing the left arm, thanks to the monster that took a bite out of it.

Just as I was about to change, the staff member snatched the uniform from my hands and insisted on giving me the new ones instead.

“Um… but that’s my uniform…”

I exclaimed, flustered, but the staff member smiled and replied.

“Don’t worry, these are the clothes that the academy entrusted us to give you upon your discharge. If you have perfectly fine clothes, there’s no need to wear the damaged ones, right?”

Oh wow, not just one but two expensive uniforms!

Well… then, couldn’t I sell one of them?

A bad thought popped into my mind, but considering that having only one uniform might lead to trouble, I decided to keep both quietly.

Just in case, I also asked them not to throw away the damaged uniform.

“Do you need help changing?”

The staff member asked, but I staunchly declined and darted to the restroom to change.

It took me some time to change, but naturally, you’d need to show your body to get help, and that was too embarrassing… so I absolutely refused!

Struggling, I managed to put on the uniform, and then I pulled out the little black piece from the pocket of my patient gown and carefully placed it into the inner pocket of my uniform.

I had a feeling that if I forgot to take it, it would be found in my room tomorrow morning. I really didn’t want to experience that eerie event again.

When I returned to return the patient gown, the admin staff fixed a small gem onto the armband on the left sleeve of my uniform. As the gem sparkled, my completely empty left sleeve suddenly sprouted back into existence.

Wait? I was stunned for a moment, then tried to move my left arm, but it wouldn’t budge.

So it just looked normal on the outside… I was quite surprised.

“It’s a magical illusion gem. You’ll stand out if you walk around without an arm, so it was mentioned in the note that came with your uniform for you to wear it when outside.”

The staff member handed me a small note.

Seeing my name, Evan Day—scattered here and there—it was clear that this note was written by Ms. Eve.

It stated that I should always wear the gem when going out.

Well, a girl without an arm would definitely attract stares.

Grateful for the consideration, I folded the note and put it in my pocket.

After finishing the discharge paperwork and gathering my belongings, I stepped out of the hospital under the bright sun.

With the shopping bag containing my uniforms slung over my arm, I took out my phone and opened the map.

It was a feature I had discovered while aimlessly fiddling with my phone at the hospital.

If I’d known about this earlier, I wouldn’t have been late on the first day.

Although invisible to the naked eye, there was a hemispherical barrier surrounding the city that made the shape of the city on the map look like a perfect circle.

The circle was divided into a 5X5 grid, with the city center, Zone 13, as the reference point; the northwest was Zone 1, and the southeast was Zone 25.

It seemed like quite a distance from the hospital in Zone 12 in the west to my house in Zone 15 in the east.

At a glance, it didn’t seem like a walkable distance.

So, I decided to try out a fascinating mode of transportation that didn’t exist in the real world.

Teleportation magic, simply put, instantaneous travel.

Not far from the hospital was a blue building.

The building, called the Teleportation Gate, resembled a subway station.

It allowed you to teleport from one gate to another.

Of course, in terms of actual teleportation, it couldn’t be compared to a subway.

At the entrance with the gates, there was a circular city map similar to the one I had checked on my phone. The difference was that each zone had a blue dot marking the location of the gates.

The gate in Zone 15, where my house was located, was near Aegis Academy.

The teleportation fee varied according to distance, and the fee to go from here to the 15th gate near the academy was 12,000 gold.

Not public transport but rather taxi fare, and considering the time saved, I could see it was a reasonable price, but, having never taken a taxi in my own world because I found it too pricey, my hands trembled at the thought of the price.

Twelve 숙주 for one ride…

I pulled out my student ID to buy a ticket and handed it to the staff inside the ticket booth.

“I’d like to go to Gate 15. It’s 12,000 gold, right?”

“Since you are a hero, you can use it for free. Just take your ticket and go to Gate 15.”

“Ah… thank you!”

Not a discount, but totally free—what a nice treatment.

Overjoyed, I took the student ID and ticket handed back to me, stood in line in front of the door labeled 15, and once the staff checked my ticket, they took it away.

One by one, people walked through the door, and I followed them in as well.

In novels, teleportation usually caused motion sickness, so I was tense, but as I stepped through the door, I felt absolutely nothing.

Did it really work? Doubt clouded my mind until I saw the evidence unfold.

The people I had been standing with were now walking forward toward the exit of the building.

I followed suit and stepped out into the bright noon sun.

Outside, I spotted the large academy building, which could be considered the landmark of Zone 15.

It was lunchtime, so there were several white-collar workers looking for a place to eat, and they had smiles on their faces, likely thanks to it being Friday.

Their expressions reflected the anticipation of the approaching weekend, mixed with a sense of achievement for having survived yet another week.

Seeing this very ordinary scene filled my heart with joy, and I had to stop to take it all in.

[Since that day, no smiles have been seen in Zone 15.]

That was a phrase from the original work.

If I hadn’t done anything, if things had gone according to the original story…

If Zone 15 had lost over 12,493 people, the expressions on their faces wouldn’t be possible at all.

Stealing a glance at my seemingly normal left arm but hollow inside, I looked back at the smiling people.

The slight emptiness I felt was no longer present.

Fearing that tears would start to flow if I remained still, I started walking again, smiling with all my might.

Because tears do not belong in everyday life.

One more laugh joined the streets on that Friday afternoon.

*

I climbed the stairs of an old, ramshackle two-story building, opened the door, and returned home.

Compared to the hospital room, it felt infinitely shabby, but I must have considered this my home, as I felt a wave of comfort wash over me upon returning.

I placed the shopping bag containing my hospital uniforms down and hummed a tune as I opened the refrigerator to think about preparing lunch.

“Oh…”

And with a sigh at the scene inside the refrigerator, my smile vanished.

The optimal storage period for bean sprouts is 3 to 4 days.

To store them longer, they’d need to be kept submerged in cold water, and the water exchanged regularly.

And I had bought the sprouts the previous Saturday.

Left abandoned in the fridge, the sprouts had already gone bad and breathed their last.

How terribly sad…

The wilting sprouts were too pitiful to just throw out, but they were at a level that could actually make someone sick if eaten.

I took the spoiled sprouts to the bathroom to give them a proper funeral.

It was a cremation.

The few remaining remnants were sent swirling down the toilet.

The only ingredients that survived were the ones for making macarons.

But could I manage to make macarons with just one arm?

That seemed a bit challenging…

Wondering what to do, I took out the chocolates that had been huddled in the corner of the refrigerator.

I unwrapped a bunch of chocolates for lunch and, while munching away, grabbed my phone to text Leonor.

[I’m attending the cooking club activity today.]

Originally, Mei was supposed to make chocolates today, so since I was discharged, I had to go eat.

I wasn’t sure if I could cook with this hand, but I decided I would take on the eating part.

With that thought in mind, although it was a bit late, I set off for school.

*

It seemed to be break time when I stepped into the classroom; the room fell silent for a moment before erupting into a flurry of noise.

It seemed everyone was surprised by my unexpected arrival.

I nodded at the kids asking if I was okay and made my way to my seat when Sylvia shyly approached me.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t visit you at the hospital…”

It seemed she had been really concerned about it.

After I reassured her that I was fine, Sylvia pulled something out from her pocket.

“I felt really bad that I haven’t done anything for you as a friend, so I prepared this last weekend… I originally meant to give it to you on Monday, but… would you accept this?”

As she spoke and revealed what she had, I couldn’t help but think with a bittersweet smile that it was a mistake.

Maybe Sylvia interpreted my smile as acceptance, as she reached out her hand.

It seemed she wanted to put it on me herself.

Her hand grasped mine, and—

It passed right through!

“…Huh?”

Sylvia froze, her expression one of shock.

What she had pulled out was a ring.

A ring with a red gem set in the center.

Worn on the left index finger, which symbolizes friendship.

Her hand, adorned with the same design ring, went through mine, void of any physical sensation.

I had forgotten to remove the jewel from the armband on my left sleeve that I received today, and that’s why this happened.

I had committed an unpardonable act toward Sylvia.

I took off the gem attached to the armband on my left sleeve and apologized to her.

“I’m sorry, Sylvia…”

The sleeve of my left arm fluttered emptily, and Sylvia began to cry.