Into the Manuscript (3)

< Into the Manuscript (3) >

In the morning, the dorm supervisor teacher, Reuba, came with a doctor and woke Jungjin.

Slowly waking up, Jungjin stuck to what he had thought of beforehand – that he didn't remember anything except for his name.

The mustached doctor held an antique looking stethoscope to Jungjin, and then examined his body here and there.

Obviously there wasn't anything wrong. He just said that it seemed like this happened because a boy who was already sickly fell into water and received a shock.

'I worried that there would be an off chance where something would be discovered and cause a fuss, but nothing happened. What a relief.'

The person who informed him that her name was Reuba kept on speaking to the completely relieved Jungjin, who was holding back a smile.

The kind looking middle aged woman seemed like she pitied Kleio. Warmly petting the boy's thin back, she asked him several times if it was really true that he slipped while taking a walk.

Finally, after being asked the same question with the different words for the third time, Jungjin noticed it.

'Somehow, it feels like she's looking at me like I'm a soldier who requires concern[1].'

He had a feeling. It seemed like Kleio Asel had tried to commit suicide.

His attempt had succeeded. Since, as a result of that, the person here wasn't Kleio, but 'Kim Jungjin'.

"We sent word to Baronet Asel, who is in Kolpos, but there was no reply."

"I see."

"Don't worry too much. It seems like he is busy with work, since it's the season when the volume of trade increases. Isn't your father our Albion's best businessman? He likely has many important things to do. It's not that he is disregarding you at all. You know, right?"

"Of course, ma'am."

Jungjin, who had still been sleepy, quickly focused his attention. This was incredibly important information.

The country's best businessman, Baronet Asel.

It was a profile that embedded into his head in 24-point bold font. He had a lot of money, and was a low class noble, but he wasn't a commoner.

'This is pretty great.'

It seemed like this kid had enrolled into the school with wealth, among the possible options of talent, family, and wealth.

Jungjin's expression became stiff from trying to stop the tips of his mouth from sliding up. However she interpreted that, Reuba's face became darker.

"But your father's secretary sent word that he transferred allowance this week as well. You can go to the bank and check."

'The kid tried to commit suicide, but he only sent money after hearing the news – I can get a grasp of what the state of the household is like.'

It was a response that would've twisted Jungjin up, if he wasn't a stranger who didn't even know Baronet Asel's face.

'It must've been painful for the real Kleio Asel.'

Even a passing character without a name had a life and pain, death and comfort, like the protagonist. It merely wasn't described.

'Even if I disappeared in the real world, nobody would know, and nobody would be sad, just like this kid disappearing.'

The real life that wasn't any better than a character in a made up story. The life in the margins, far from the major narrative that lead the world.

Jungjin shook off the depressing thoughts.

'Of course, it's better than not sending money. I pointless got immersed sincerely again. I'm Kleio. Kleio Asel. Let's think positively. It's every ordinary Korean citizen's dream to become the tossed away child of a wealthy family.'

Staring forlornly down at an amazing night view from inside a giant mansion that they own, wondering, 'Why doesn't father love me,' while pouring out expensive wine… well, something like that.

Anyways, it seemed like he needed to check how much was in the account at least.

"You can go out after you recover a little. I'll tell your classmate Nebo, so go tomorrow or the day after together. You have sick leave starting from today to Friday for 5 days, so rest well. I'll tell the cafetaria to sent meals over to you during that time."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Oh, this is the first time you replied while looking me in the eyes, Kleio, so I'm quite happy."

At the words Dorm Supervisor Reuba said while leaving the room, Kleio inwardly clicked his tongue.

'How dark was his personality, that he couldn't even face the dorm supervisor who treats him that well?'

***

He slept the sleep that he had delayed for ten years altogether in one whole day. Sleep came so well when he let go of the worries that were monthly rent, loans.

When he woke up, it was near midday.

An attendant came to bring a meal, and Kleio kept on sleeping until the bedding was changed.

It truly was awkward having somebody else do it for him. He waited for the attendant to arrange the room and leave, and ate a late breakfast.

It was comfortable.

It was really great.

He had never enjoyed such a luxury before in his life.

'What kind of school is like this? It's better than a hotel.'

When he was still in his original world, he had lived constantly with the words, 'I feel like I'm going to die'. But it was too often said that a Korean worker's 'I want to die' just meant that they wanted to live playing around without doing work.

From what he saw from the manuscript, there was just one problem about becoming this place's student.

The rule of obligatory military service after graduation.

Of course, the solution to that problem was simple.

He just had to not graduate.

'It's hard to study well – what would be hard about doing it poorly?'

Plucking and eating the green grapes that came with the meal, Kleio just barely left the room to place the empty tray holding only the utensils outside of the bedroom.

The dorms where 2 people used one entrance, had a hallway in the middle with two bedrooms facing each other.

The bedroom window was facing the school campus where a dense forest spread out, and the living room and bathroom were at the end of the hallway, in the direction of the river.

The room that Kleio came out of had a name plate of 'Kleio Asel' on the room door, and the opposite bedroom had 'Nebo Yarbi'.

'Seeing how she told me to go outside with him, this Nebo person must be the one in charge of looking after Kleio Asel.'

He must have gone to class, because Kleio couldn't see a single hair of him.

Since he wouldn't run into his housemate, it was great and comfortable using the bathroom. Kleio hummed as he filled the tub with water.

With things like this, he even felt like thanking the author.

'This place has water and sewage, too – how great is that. If you went inside a novel and it was the Middle Ages, and there were no beds, and you had to spread straw out to sleep with pigs and horses even if you were a lord – if it was like that, how wretched would that have been?'

Enjoying the refreshing feeling after soaking in hot water, he cursorily shook his hair dry. The roughly messed up hair tangled together, so that the comb didn't brush through well, so he skipped brushing and just smoothed it down more or less.

Even after seeing it moving again in the sink mirror, it was an unfamiliar face.

The starved cheeks sunk inwards, and the face was so white that even after a bath, it was tinted blue. The unevenly cut brown hair wasn't just rough, but the color had also faded at the ends.

The furnished bathrobe was also too big, so that just the tips of his fingers came out when he put it on.

'They said his father is super rich, but did he not even get stuff to eat?'

When he frowned, the dark brown irises that the light shone on was mixed with grass green. His eyes drooped and his eyelashes were limp, so the already dumb looking appearance was hazier.

'Even this weakling's face looks easy to handle, so did his peers bully him?'

Even if he sometimes was told that his expression was dark, his face looked easy to handle so who knew if he would get hit.

'Well, let's think about it when we get there. I'm not going to attend this school for long either.'

Wasn't he told to rest for a week? A student who listens well should play around and rest.

When he came out of the bathroom, the Tempus River stretched out outside of the large window of the dorm living room. Jungjin, who hated water, flinched a little, but he was soon carried away by the foreign scenery and went toward the terrace.

The magnificent granite castle and sandstone council across the river looked like a scene from a sightseeing postcard.

'I've never gone on an overseas trip, but it feels like that here.'

There were eight bridges connecting the east and west of the Tempus River, and trolleys and carriages mingled on the wide road.

If you wanted to compared the look of the novel's world, it was near the later half of the 19th century. A period where streetcars and telegraphs existed, but airplanes and hydrogen bombs didn't. A world where kings and prime ministers, science and magic coexisted.

While Jungjin was immersed in comparing the manuscript's contents with the scenery in front of his eyes, something long and wriggling winded around his legs and passed by. It felt like a beast's fur.

Goosebumps swept down his back.

"Ack, what a surprise."

There was a giant cat that was as big as a mountain animal lurking at Kleio's feet.

The pitch black cat whose fur was sleek like velvet kept on meowing like it was complaining.

"What kind of cat is this big?"

Only around its mouth, its left paw, and the fur on its belly was white, so it looked like it had stolen cream and spilled it while eating.

With glossy black eyes and white whiskers, it seemed cute, but the strangely unpleasant expression it was making felt bad.

"Meooow–."

The complaint kept on getting fiercer. It cried so loudly that Kleio bent down and met eyes with the cat.

"Why are you so mad?"

"Meeooooow!!!"

"Can I understand a cat's words, really."

The moment Kleio mumbled that, the 'Promise' on his left hand let out light again.

[–The basic function of 'Promise' is exerted.]

At the same time, the cat's meowing changed to sounding like a person's words.

"Food."

"?!"

"Give me food. Why are only you eating today?"

"What, can this world's cats speak?"

The giant fat cat that heard Kleio's mumbling smacked his cheek hard with its front paw. Receiving a sudden attack while bending down, Kleio's head swung to the side.

'Why is this thing so strong!'

He wasn't scratched by the claws, but it was a solid punch that he couldn't believe came from a soft cream-colored furry paw.

"Impertinent thing! How could you compare me, a noble mystical cat, to lowly creatures! Even if there are numerous cats, only this cat[2] possesses intelligence!"

[1] 'soldier who requires concern': this is a word that means 'a soldier who has trouble adjusting to military life or has psychological problems and thus requires attention'. Keep in mind that kr has obligatory military service

[2] the cat is using 'this cat' as a 1st person pronoun