Bastard NPC Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I couldn’t believe how pathetic my situation had become.

As the sound of a police siren echoed from the main road outside, I panicked and quickly ducked into a narrow gap between the buildings. Pressing myself against the wall, I pulled out my phone, determined to figure out what kind of wanted notice had been issued and how. 

 

 

Was there an emergency message earlier?

A bad feeling crept over me. My heart was pounding loudly, thumping in my chest. However, I shook my head, trying to shake off the thought. No way. Even if he’s a crazy person, there’s no way he’d send a wanted notice through an emergency text message.

 

 

But, as life often goes, bad premonitions never miss their mark, and “it can’t be” always ends up slapping me in the face. My photo was plastered right there. Somehow, everyone seemed to be staring at me.

“How crazy can this guy possibly be?”

No, wait. It’s not just the crazy guy doing crazy things; the real problem is this world where such a system is even possible. Honestly, the world has gone insane. I’ve tried to live decently, even if imperfectly, but how did I end up in this messed-up situation?

The siren sounded distant, but I couldn’t go outside.

There’s truth in the old saying. My mom always told me that if I listened to her, I’d get rewards even in my sleep. Now I’m paying the price for not listening and getting too absorbed in games. 

I swear, I won’t play games anymore. I’ll live diligently like an ant. Please, let me out of here.

Mumbling to myself without even realizing who I was praying to, I stared quietly at the wall in front of me. The pain from last night came rushing back, and the thought of, “Maybe I should try just once more,” disappeared like it was washed away. 

The pain that felt like my head was splitting in two was more than enough. And if this continues, it’ll be so unfair. Even with all this suffering, the only luxury I’ve enjoyed here is a bath and a few pieces of bread.

“Right. Let’s use my brain and solve this like an intellectual. I can do this.”

I steadied my heart, leaned against the wall, and opened the note app on my phone. As I was about to type the first letter, sorting through what I needed to do in my mind, the sound of footsteps approached. 

Even my heart, which had just calmed down, began thumping loudly again, like it was about to jump out of my chest.

I froze, eyes wide. For a moment, I was motionless. Then, I quickly scanned my surroundings for a place to hide. Not far off, I saw an air conditioning unit and a pile of boxes. 

The area was filthy, with dust everywhere and the rusty frames looking like they could give me tetanus if I brushed against them. But there was no time to think about that. I moved carefully, like a mouse sneaking away with cat food.

I crouched low, holding my breath, waiting for the footsteps to pass. But then, something strange happened. The sound of footsteps stopped right in front of the gap where I was hiding.

“I was wondering why you weren’t coming… What are you doing here?”

It was Ren. I peeked my head out to check, and let out a sigh of relief as I got up.

“I’m hiding because I’m scared.”

“Unbelievable. You strolled in with such confidence before.”

“If I knew, I would’ve just run over and hidden right away.”

“What can you do? The pizza delivery guy’s pride is on the line.”

“Ugh, don’t call me that with such a shameful nickname.”

Ren chuckled, pulling out a cigarette and asking, “Want one?” I shook my head, and after lighting it, he blew out a puff of smoke. He then took about three steps back when it started drifting my way. He really was a courteous thug.

“Come on out. Your car’s way too noticeable. I’ll take you in my car. Colin sent an address—do you just need to go there?”

“Huh? You know Colin too?”

“How much do you have to hurt your head for someone to end up like this? You know you’re acting all Burke-like today, right?”

It seemed like a metaphor to a happy idiot, but I’d heard similar things enough times that it didn’t hit me hard. Ren, who was exhaling smoke with a troubled look on his face, added that before getting into the repair work. He used to work with the Adams brothers. 

Of course, in this city, there’s no such thing as a perfectly innocent citizen, and no one without a past. But why does it always feel like it’s just me?

“Phew.”

I let out a deep sigh, brushing away the pointless thoughts. For some reason, Ren, as if trying to comfort me, said, “Hang in there, man.” He even went as far as to put out the cigarette that was almost halfway smoked, claiming the smoke wasn’t good for my brain cells.

“Let’s go.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just accept your good intentions.”

“What good intentions? I never gave you any.”

What is this guy doing?

I tapped my shoes against the ground, then looked up at Ren with a skeptical glance. Ren grinned mischievously like a little troublemaker and took a step closer to me.

“Hey, it’s fine. If you don’t get caught, treat me to a free meal. A sandwich.”

“No, it’s dangerous.”

“I’m telling you, it’s fine.”

No, it’s me who’s in danger, not you.

I swallowed the words I couldn’t say and forced a smile. Getting help from Ren and Colin would make things easier for me, but this wasn’t the outcome I wanted.

Especially when the person who put me in this mess was likely hoping for something else. From the way he was talking about punishment and all, it was clear Theo wanted me out here struggling. 

Maybe he was imagining me suffering, getting all stressed out, while he was enjoying his big, twisted pleasure. Because he’s a pervert like that. Anyway, it’s best not to upset the crazy guy. I’ll stay hidden in this quiet alley until he arrives.

“There’s someone coming. Don’t worry about me. You can go ahead and take care of your business. It’s fine.”

If I explained that the person coming was the one who put out the wanted notice on me, it would drag on too long. But since I didn’t have the energy to explain, I just brushed it off. Fortunately, Ren didn’t push, though he looked at me with a frown, studying me with a complicated expression. Regardless, he didn’t ask any further questions.

“Then, just go inside and wait.”

Instead, he gestured toward the office of the repair shop with a subtle suggestion. Oh, that should be fine, right? He told me to “stay there,” but he wouldn’t know exactly where I was. If I got a call asking for my location, I could just say it then.

“Come on, let’s go. You think anything will get done with you just hanging around here? You’re not some trash.”

“Right. I can’t turn into trash.”

I pretended to give in and followed Ren. Once inside the office, Ren locked the door leading outside and even pulled down the shutter.

“Huh? No, you don’t have to go that far. Really, it’s fine.”

“What are you saying? Get a grip. That door was never used, you know?”

Was it?

Thinking it over, I suppose that makes sense. I don’t remember ever coming through that door, and this was the first time I’d entered this office. I’d always parked my car in the repair shop and had conversations with Ren there.

I was about to ask why he left it open today, but it didn’t seem like a question worth asking, so I swallowed it. I sat down on the sofa, looking around the office when Ren appeared holding the shopping bag I had bought earlier, offering to eat together. 

I’d barely eaten earlier, and I wasn’t hungry, so I just chewed on the straw from the smoothie. Ren complained about the menu being terrible, but despite his grumbling, he devoured not only the sandwich but also the cookies without leaving a crumb.

Just because my butt had become a little more comfortable, it didn’t mean my mind was at ease. Every time I heard a loud noise from outside, I’d stretch my neck out like a meerkat, peering around, doing it several times. 

Each time, Ren would tease me with a “Scared?” and, when my mind was troubled, he tossed me a small pouch, saying it was the best thing for moments like this.

“I don’t do this kind of stuff…”

“What kind of stuff?”

“Drugs?”

“Really, what do you think of me?”

Ren let out a scoffing laugh, clearly amused by my misunderstanding. He then opened the pouch and pulled out the contents: a small game console. 

I apologized multiple times for jumping to conclusions. While I was relieved it wasn’t drugs, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about getting a game console.

Who in the world plays games in a situation like this?

Well, that person was me.

Ren kept urging me to play just one round, and despite my reluctance, I eventually gave in. I felt guilty for turning him down. But before I knew it, I was so absorbed in the game that I lost track of time. 

It wasn’t until I broke Ren’s record that I finally put the game down with a satisfied feeling, checking the time. Just then, the door slammed open, and Ren rushed in, looking panicked.

“Ril, come on. You need to go.”

There was no time to be surprised by the fact that I had a nickname I didn’t even know about.

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