World Rejector

Chapter 3: Mission

“Wow! This skewer is really good!” she said, eyes sparkling.

“Where did you buy it?”

“I got it at the night market,” I replied.

“There’s a lot of street food there that’s surprisingly good.”

She dug in like she hadn’t eaten all day.

When she noticed me staring, she quickly looked away, her face turning red.

“P-Please don’t look at me while I’m eating,” she said.

“That’s really uncomfortable, you know.”

She puffed her cheeks slightly.

“You must be thinking I’m some kind of glutton. For your information, I haven’t eaten anything since this morning. After that, I was sent on a dangerous mission.”

Her voice softened as she scooped more rice into her mouth.

“Things were going smoothly at first, but then our calculations went wrong. We got ambushed by that guy… and I got separated from my friends.”

She sounded genuinely down.

Wait.

Weren’t we just having a nice moment?

I’m supposed to ask about this, right?

“Hey,” I said.

“Can we get down to business?”

“Okay.”

“First—why did you break into my apartment?

Second—what’s going on? You said you’re in the middle of some mission.

And most importantly…”

I looked at her seriously.

“You should introduce yourself.”

She placed her empty rice bowl down and bowed her head slightly.

“I’m sorry, but please understand—this is a top-secret mission. I can’t just leak sensitive information.”

She lifted her head.

“You can call me Fina.”

“Fina…” I repeated.

“That’s a nice name.”

She looked down, suddenly a bit uneasy.

“Well… I guess I should tell you something,” she said.

“You’ve been really kind to me, after all. Most people would’ve kicked me out the moment they realized someone broke into their home.”

A top-secret mission, huh?

And after everything I’ve seen lately…

I can’t help but suspect she’s some kind of spy from a secret organization.

After a few moments of silence—

“Actually,” she said, “maybe I shouldn’t say anything at all.”

“Hey! Don’t leave me hanging!”

“I mean… Amber would probably yell at me if I talked.”

“Amber?” I tilted my head.

“She’s the leader of our organization,” Fina said seriously.

“And she’s terrifying.”

I swallowed.

“I swear, she looks like she crawled straight out of the gates of hell. Her eyes glow a fiery orange, and she’s very sadistic.”

“…You’ve officially caught my interest,” I said.

“So go on. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

I grabbed a skewer and took a bite.

“Well… if you insist.”

She looked at me quietly.

“And I trust you. I think I’m a good judge of people.”

She stared at me for a moment.

“You look weak, incompetent, and kind of naive—

but I don’t sense any bad intentions from you at all. I think you’re genuinely kind-hearted.”

“…Are you complimenting me, or are you trying to start a fight?”

Ignoring me, Fina pulled out the briefcase she’d been hugging earlier and placed it on the table.

She opened it.

Inside were documents—and a syringe.

The syringe looked… dangerous.

“I don’t get it,” I said.

“What’s with the syringe?”

“It’s a medicine,” she replied.

Then she corrected herself.

“No… it’s more like a poison.”

My breath caught.

“It allows a normal person… to become a NewType.”

I froze.

Did she really just say that?

I’d never heard of anything like this.

NewTypes were people who awakened their abilities at random.

There was no such thing as a drug that could force someone to become one.

That means…

If I inject this poison into myself, I’ll become a NewType.

Being a NewType means a better life.

I could finally become someone—someone I’ve always wanted to be.

“I know what’s going through your head,” Fina said calmly.

“You’re not a NewType, after all. So let me set your expectations straight.”

She raised a finger.

“This medicine has a 0.001% success rate.”

My heart skipped.

“Most normal people who use it die—by explosion.”

“…Explosion?!”

Fear shot through me as I imagined my body literally blowing up after injecting the medicine.

“Yep. Explosion,” she said casually.

“They explode because they can’t handle the medicine.”

She shrugged.

“Still, despite the risk, there are plenty of greedy and evil people who desperately want to become NewTypes. That’s why this illegal medicine exists.”

“So… your organization is trying to stop those people from using it?” I asked.

“Nope. Not at all.”

“…Eh?”

I froze.

Fina closed the briefcase and placed it beside her.

“This medicine is insanely expensive,” she said.

“So we made a plan to steal it—and then sell it to scumbags who are willing to pay an even higher price.”

She smiled faintly.

“And since it’s illegal, we won’t go to jail for stealing it.”

“But… it could kill someone.”

“If they die, that’s their choice.”

Her expression turned serious.

“That applies to us too. We chose to steal this medicine, so we should be ready to face the consequences.”

She stood up slowly.

“I shouldn’t trouble you any further. I wanted to eat more, but I think I’ve had enough.”

I glanced at the rice cooker.

It was completely empty.

…You’ve already eaten a lot.

Fina bowed politely.

“Thank you very much for the meal.”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“It’s still raining pretty hard. And the people chasing you might still be around. I think it’s safer if you stay here tonight.”

She shook her head gently and smiled.

“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

She pulled out her wallet.

“As for the window repair, I promise I’ll meet you again to pay properly. For now, take everything in my wallet.”

She handed me a few thousand bills.

…That should be enough.

“Are you really sure?”

She tilted her head.

“Hm~? Are you saying that because I’m cute and you want me to stay?”

“What are you talking about? For your information, I have a girlfriend.”

Technically… I don’t.

Sorry. I lied.

“Then that’s even more reason for me not to stay,” she said teasingly.

“Your girlfriend might get jealous if she finds out a very cute girl is sleeping under the same roof as her boyfriend on a rainy night.”

She stepped closer.

“Your eyes,” she said softly.

“They tell me you’re a very kind person.”

“Really? Most people say I have scary eyes. They usually feel intimidated.”

“Don’t worry,” she said cheerfully.

“My friends are probably searching nearby anyway.”

She gave me a thumbs-up.

“Do you have their phone numbers? We could call them.”

“I don’t remember their numbers,” she said, already opening the door.

“And I lost my phone while running away earlier.”

She turned back and smiled.

“Next time I need help, please help me again.”

“Sure,” I said.

“And next time, you can eat even more.”

“Ahahaha!”

“Thank you—really.”

She stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

It was an unexpected meeting.

I just hope she gets home safely.