Chapter 2: Second Day.

For one person, a change in the surrounding environment meant stress.

The changing environment meant the need for adaptation to the situation, and the more rapid the process, the proportionately greater the stress.

While some people enjoy rapid change, most individuals generally prefer to live lives that are not much different from before.

This was because they could predict, control, and prepare for what was to come.

However, on the flip side, unexpected changes that occur suddenly, in situations where one cannot predict, control, or even prepare, are never pleasant.

So, on the day of my return, I found myself just staying in my room, unable to think about anything.

All I could do was take off my gear and leave it in a corner, spending the time until 4 in the morning lost in thought with half-closed eyes.

It felt more like I hadn’t returned home, but rather had been discarded. Amidst these thoughts, I both denied and affirmed countless speculations.

It wasn’t until the point where I could no longer bear the unstoppable physiological urge that I finally managed to muster the strength to walk to the bathroom, with my face buried between my knees.

It was the first time I used the bathroom and shower since returning.

Thus began the second day.

There wasn’t much to it. Specifically, it continued with twelve hours of sleep immediately after the shower.

Then I woke up around five in the afternoon.

Feeling like I was starving to death, I barely managed to get up, pushed aside my drowsiness, forced myself to ignore the creeping negative thoughts, searched through the house, and found a few packets of instant noodles.

That was my first meal since returning.

After finishing the meal, naturally, the things that needed to be done came to mind.

Despite being engulfed in negative emotions, as a few desires were fulfilled, it felt like they floated to the surface like foam on water.

There were many things that needed to be done.

So, I started rummaging through the house.

Money was needed to survive in modern society.

Especially now, after my body had changed so drastically, coupled with the completely shattered physical efficiency due to barely eating for just a day, the need for food became even more urgent.

Until humans completely transcend their fundamental nature, they cannot escape the shadow of appetite and the desire for sleep. Therefore, as things settled down, the first task was to conduct various inquiries into my status.

Starting from the basics of my current identity to how much money I had.

There were many banks in circulation, as it was before.

However, since the memories of the past hadn’t been completely erased, it was only natural for me to first reach out to the bank I had used before.

The name had changed, and the photo had changed. But fortunately, thanks to the Icarus system, I was able to check my identity, including my changed resident registration number.

The money found in such a manner was not a bad amount for securing short-term comfort, but it wasn’t enough to sustainably stay at home for long periods either.

I was only left with a brief curiosity about what could have been done with that money, but perhaps it was best to quickly dismiss such thoughts as it might never be known forever.

While I did ponder a bit about how to earn money in the future, considering the fact that I had come through like Icarus did, the solution would surely come quickly.

“Profit!”

Anyway, the first thing I did with that money was to purchase groceries.

I ordered meal kits that didn’t require much effort, focusing on soupy dishes that could be eaten easily for a long time. I ordered them in bulk. Since it was a delivery from a nearby store, I could receive them in just an hour or two.

After tearing off the tape surrounding the boxes, I left a few items outside to prepare immediately, while I stored the rest in the refrigerator.

It might be a little late to mention, but this house seemed a bit excessive for living alone.

Considering the variety of clothes, furniture, and other items, it didn’t seem like a place where more than two people would live.

What exactly did my past self… I mean, the past self in this place, do?

I took some time during the meal to organize the tasks that needed to be done.

Firstly, I had to hide all the items I brought with me when I came here. I couldn’t just leave them lying around the house. This isn’t America, and who knows if someone hid a gun in the house.

However, I didn’t feel like going out today.

It might sound a bit embarrassing, but today, I felt mentally exhausted.

Although I somewhat expected that this world wasn’t the one I remembered through my house’s identification card, receiving packages while swinging my hips around still carried a considerable amount of mental burden.

Former colleagues would laugh if they saw me now, struggling with such trivial matters.

In the end, after doing the dishes quickly, I found myself idling with nothing else to do.

While laziness is often considered a sin, on the flip side, it might just be something that makes people more relaxed. In other words, both body and mind find comfort in it.

The computer had been running calculations for a few hours now. It was my attempt to somehow bring over the money I earned in the previous world. If it goes well, financial problems won’t bother me anymore.

Time flies so fast; if you take your eyes off for a moment, it’s already gone.

I wanted to say something grand, but frankly, it was pitch black outside. In fact, it was already midnight. It was understandable since I had slept all day, waking up intermittently.

After waking up, having a meal, doing some computer work, having another meal, and sleeping again.

It was laziness itself. This was beyond just idleness. If there were a professor in charge of laziness, they would have given me an A+.

Most of the day had slipped away, which was regrettable.

But on the other hand… rather than seeing it as such, let’s rationalize it a bit: since I would be busy starting from tomorrow, this could be seen as a rest.

Just as special forces are exceptionally proficient in actual combat, their rest periods are akin to complete chaos – this was also a step towards preparing for tomorrow.

Still, I couldn’t do absolutely nothing, and in times like this, rummaging through the house again was perhaps the best option.

“Clack!”

With a cheerful sound, the wardrobe opened. Unlike other places, I hadn’t really checked inside here.

However, surprisingly, there were several items that I needed the most.

“Oh…”

Two travel suitcases.

I don’t know why they were stuck here… but one thing was for sure, they saved me some money.

Although it might not be possible to carry all the additional equipment, we should try to fit in as much as we can. They began disassembling the firearms crammed into a corner of the room.

Due to the guns being covered in dust, debris, and gunpowder residue, it was inevitable to use several towels for cleaning, which still didn’t quite get the job done perfectly.

But then again, what did it matter? Perhaps they wouldn’t even be used forever.

Somewhere along the line, it had passed two in the morning.

The schedule was still unclear. Truth be told, since returning, there hadn’t been a moment of proper living.

In other words, it meant that this lifestyle needed to change soon.

After cramming as many disassembled parts and equipment as possible into the carrier, I zipped it up and tested its mobility. It seemed to move without much hindrance.

I washed my hands in the bathroom.

Black gunpowder residue and concrete dust washed away with the soap, disappearing down the drain. The black water vanished into the crevices of the sink. It flowed away indifferently.

Perhaps, I was just… gradually bidding farewell to the past.

It had only been two days since I returned, but suddenly this thought occurred to me.

Tak.

As I turned off the lights in the house, darkness enveloped.

Maybe it was because the ceiling light had been too bright; I seemed to have forgotten that this time was the hour of darkness.

Even though I had slept for twelve hours today, as I lay in bed and covered myself with the blanket, drowsiness slowly crept in.

It was silent.

Across the street, the neon signs and panels of the store emitted a light that would never go out, casting light and shadow across the balcony window.

Before falling asleep, I looked up at the ceiling.

It was pitch black.

A thought surfaced quietly, suggesting that my future was as uncertain as ever, but when did I ever know what was going to happen?

It was just a senseless negative emotion. After all, as always, tomorrow’s concerns could only be known tomorrow.

“…I don’t know.”

Putting aside specific worries, it was time to face tomorrow.

And thus, my day came to an end.