episode_0023

Given the moniker of a blood-consuming monster, a vampire.

True to its name, after feeding on blood, I could sense a significant alleviation of penalties.

Unlike before, where anything sharp would trigger fear, now even at the sight of needles, it merely lingered at an unpleasant level.

The compulsions were somewhat controllable by will.

Even the pungent smell of garlic, which used to induce suffocation, no longer felt as stifling.

Of course, despite the improvements, they weren’t entirely ignorable.

Certain things remained unchanged.

I still couldn’t cross flowing water, nor could I see my reflection in the mirror.

Oh, silver, crosses, and sunlight—I didn’t dare to experiment with them.

Unlike the other weaknesses mentioned earlier, these instincts sent clear warnings.

One wrong move could leave me with just a handful of ashes.

There weren’t enough conditions yet to attempt it.

Already enduring enough hardships, there was no need to willingly invite more trouble, right?

After concluding the experiment, I consumed all the remaining dried squid in the plastic bag and ordered more cheap dried squid from an online store.

Though the taste became nauseating after a bit, what choice did I have? It had to be done.

Just mix it with other foods when eating, that’s all.

“Phew, feels like I might actually survive now.”

Life seemed slightly more abundant.

Once I finished placing the order and sprawled on the floor, Jaehyuk opened his mouth with a disappointed expression.

“It would’ve been nice to see you suffer a bit more. Too bad.”

“Don’t speak ill of my body, seriously. Do you even know how tough it’s been for me?”

“Well… You might face different kinds of challenges ahead, right? Have you seen that news about the knight?”

“What news?”

With a puzzled look, I checked the phone screen he tossed to me. I hadn’t had time to keep up with the news due to recent events… What could have happened in such a short time?

On the screen he threw, I saw news regarding the Special Law on Heterogeneous Beings.

“…Doesn’t seem like it’ll get tougher, though?”

Despite the initial scare, it didn’t seem like daily life would dramatically change, contrary to what Jaehyuk had implied.

The enactment of the Special Law was primarily to quell the chaos arising from incidents involving heterogeneous beings.

If causing social disturbances was the concern, well, as a mere human—or rather, vampire—I was just a citizen seeking a peaceful and ordinary life.

Honestly, even with the law in place, its impact on me would be minimal.

“Heterogeneous beings are subject to special surveillance; it’s inevitable if they cause major incidents, and additional penalties make sense. Sentencing vampires to 5 or 10 years by the Longevity Council is reasonable, right?”

In simple terms, as long as I stayed out of trouble, I could continue living as usual.

Not harboring grand ambitions like a villain in a novel, why would it be difficult for someone like me who simply wanted to live quietly and peacefully?

No matter how many times I reconsidered, nothing would change. As I shook my head, Jaehyuk clarified that he didn’t mean it the way I interpreted it.

“I meant, won’t it be tough to work starting from the day the Special Law applies? Why worry about causing trouble? If you get into a fight somewhere, so be it. You’re not someone who goes around picking fights.”

“…This damn guy said it all… Huh?!”

“See, if you present a cross and silver chopsticks like this, they can’t even move. So why worry? If you’re concerned, better worry about your opponent. They might end up taking your settlement money without you even realizing.”

Listening to him, unable to refute anything, I glared at him with a frustrated expression before finally sighing and speaking up.

“Things should improve somewhat after the semester ends. It’s an indefinite leave of absence after that.”

Wasn’t it said that those who work and study are either superhuman or insane?

Sure, it will be tough for a while, but if I endure these four months, there won’t be much busyness ahead.

Unless some unforeseen variable arises, I’ll probably end up spending most of my life bartending or just relaxing.

“When will I ever live this busy again?”

I chuckled playfully and then yawned widely.

Checking the time, it was already five in the morning.

It was getting late, and after a day full of hard work, I was feeling tired.

Slowly lifting my weary body, I began to walk towards my room.

“I’m going in first, okay? See you tomorrow evening.”

“Sure, get some rest. You must have had a tough day today.”

“Mm…”

Starting next week, I’ll be incredibly busy without a moment to spare, so I’ll make sure to enjoy this week as much as possible.

With that determination in mind, I threw myself onto the cozy bed.

—–

“I find White Day utterly repulsive.”

Author: DogsAreGreat

In other countries, they don’t even bother with it, and some even consider it a commercialized holiday. So why do we celebrate it in Korea?

I can understand Valentine’s Day. It has real significance and a deep-rooted tradition.

Okay, let’s say we go out and try to find a partner, that’s fine.

But why the hell are these bastards giving chocolates to dogs?!?!

At first, I politely declined, saying they couldn’t eat it.

They might not know. Honestly, how would they know about the species mutation crisis that happened not long ago?

But when it started to exceed five people, even more than ten, I couldn’t take it anymore.

They insist on offering it like it’s some kind of poison, and imagine more than ten people taking turns to give it to you.

Isn’t that messed up? They might as well give dog food that can actually be eaten!

Don’t give chocolates to dogs… Seriously, there are some who bite hard…

Recommend 175 Dislike 24

– After reading this, I immediately bought chocolates for dogs.

– Honestly, at this point, it seems like it would be faster to find the non-retarded one among these different species?

– Goblins and orcs are on a winning streak lol

– Why do we even bother with White Day? My chocolates always end up in the trash anyway.

ㄴ That’s not true. I asked my girlfriend, and she said her boyfriend eats them all.

ㄴ Oh… So I’ve been handing chocolates to guys all this time? This is a bit exciting, isn’t it?

ㄴ Gay alert…

– But isn’t White Day the day when guys give chocolates to girls? Is the author a gay female?

.

.

.

Enjoying chatting from the cozy bed and savoring novels like a voracious reader, I spent the next few days.

Time flew by quickly, and suddenly, it was mid-March.

“Sigh…”

Only three days left until I had to go back to work.

Thinking of pulling an all-nighter, I was engrossed in reading web novels as usual when a message notification popped up at the top of the screen.

The sender was none other than Hye-eun.

Curious about the content, I opened it to find out that she was demanding chocolates from me and others.

[You got candies from me on Valentine’s Day!!!]

[It’s White Day now, so give us chocolates too!]

[(An angel shouting “Right now!” in the chat)]

…She’s asking for chocolates while being a hypocrite.

About to say something, a good idea struck me, and I left a message in the chat room.

“Hey, Hye-eun.”

“Isn’t White Day when guys give chocolates to girls?”

“So should I give some too?”

[(A vampire expressing confusion)]

Let’s wait after writing the text, the rapidly decreasing numbers.

However, Hye-eun’s reply did not come immediately, as if she was flustered.

By the way, I’m not sure about this either.

If the mind is male and the body is female, should we consider that person as male or female? Or should we consider them as female?

A sudden surge of doubt.

I opened the door and rushed out, then asked Jaehyuk a question.

“Hey, do you see me as a man? Or as a woman?”

“Are you still half asleep? What nonsense are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“I started wondering. Should I take the giving position today? Or should I take the receiving position?”

Asking again in a serious tone, the guy fell into thought for a moment.

Jaehyuk, who stared at me as if scanning me, soon wrinkled his face and gave the most sensible answer.

“Do you need to think about it? Just give and take both.”

“Oh, I see.”

“What do you mean ‘oh, I see’… Ugh, but it’s really annoying. If we do this, then we have to stop by the convenience store and then go to their place.”

“It’s nice to see friends though. Let’s go quickly and come back quickly. That’s the most convenient.”

Although I said that, I also find it bothersome.

Entering the room and sighing while putting on clothes, one good idea came to mind.

“I don’t really need to walk, do I?”

If I transform into bat form and sit on his body, then I won’t need to walk!

“…Eureka.”

Did Archimedes feel like this when he grasped the concept of buoyancy?

Praising myself for such a great idea, I transformed into bat form and flew towards him, but…

“…You don’t want to walk so you’re going through my head?”

“Yeah!”

“Nonsense… No, make the bat noises more appropriate, seriously.”

“Squeeeak!!!”

Not even 3 seconds passed with me perched on his head before I was thrown off.

…What a jerk.

I didn’t even wear out yet, give me some permission.