The moment I opened my eyes, what greeted me was a bustling city. Cars rushed past, people chatted with each other, some glued to their phones as they walked.
"Huh…?" My eyes widened in confusion. My battered clothes were still on me — even my red-and-white boots were still here.
"Uhhh… isn't this Earth? How come it's not ruined at all?" I muttered under my breath. The surrounding people stared.
"Cosplayer?"
"Definitely a cosplayer."
"Goodness! Look at those abs, those scars, and eyes — even his hair! He really put his soul into that outfit!"
Hearing their compliments — if that's what you could call them — I scratched the back of my head and gave them a grin that stretched ear to ear.
"Hehehehe… Ain't that tuff!" I said, posing awkwardly as a few people stepped closer, phones already in hand.
"Let's take a picture!" one girl said. Before I could respond, a flash went off — suddenly I was surrounded by a crowd snapping photos.
"???" I blinked, staring at them in confusion as my thoughts spun. What happened here? Why isn't it destroyed?
Before long, I managed to break free from the small mob clinging around me.
"Huff… Huff… Man, what happened here?" I muttered, eyes darting around.
Then—"Growl~" My stomach rumbled, and I scratched the back of my neck again.
"This sucks," I said aloud as hunger gnawed at me.
"Now that I think about it… where even is this? I'm pretty sure this is Earth, but… what country am I in?" I slumped down on a nearby bench, watching the sky slowly darken — gold fading into orange, peaceful and strange.
"I wonder if everyone's okay… Oh well, I guess I'll find them again someday." Then, forcing a grin, "But first—food. I'm starving."
I leaned back on the bench, my stomach growling louder.
"Excuse me, do you have a phone?" a female voice asked behind me.
I tilted my head back, looking upside down at her. "Nope! I'm as lost as you!" I flashed a toothy smile.
Her face darkened. Then, in the next instant, her body warped — dark energy surged around her, her eyes hollowed, her hair became a tangled mess, and a foul stench filled the air.
"You can see me!!!"
"What the hell?!" I shouted, leaping back — at least thirty meters away.
"You smell disgusting!" I gagged, pinching my nose.
But the creature didn't care — she lunged straight at me, her hands reaching out.
"Bad move. You shouldn't have tried."
She didn't stop.
"Renewal Taekwondo." My body lunged forward, elbow pulled back. "Aarang."
A shockwave ripped through the street as my elbow slammed into her abdomen — her body vanished into dust.
"It still smells bad!" I groaned, waving my hand in front of my nose as the lingering stench refused to leave.
Taking a deep breath, a sigh escaped my lips. I dragged my tired body through the streets, wandering aimlessly.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a restaurant.
A heavenly scent drifted through the air and hit my nose, making me swallow hard.
"Growl~~" My stomach growled again, loud and pitiful. Without a second thought, I dashed inside.
"Welcome~!" The waiter greeted me warmly—at first. But the moment his eyes caught my battered clothes, his smile vanished.
"Tch. What are you doing here? Shoo, shoo. This isn't a place for the homeless." He sneered, pinching his nose.
"What?" I blinked, confused, but before I knew it, I was already standing outside the door.
"HEY! THAT'S NOT NICE!" I yelled, but my words fell on deaf ears.
Seriously? Is this how they treat customers here?
Shaking my head, I sighed again and started walking, eyes scanning the streets for any place that might take me in — or at least sell me something to eat.
I kept walking, the street lights flickering above me as the air grew colder.
"Man… is this how heroes get treated now?" I muttered, kicking a pebble down the sidewalk. "Save the world, destroy a few gods, and can't even buy a meal…"
The heavenly smell of grilled meat suddenly hit me again — this time stronger, smoky, with a hint of spice. My head instantly turned.
A small street stall sat tucked in the corner, its sign half-broken but glowing faintly:
"Grandma's Noodles."
Steam rose from the pot, curling like spirits into the night sky.
My stomach roared in betrayal.
"Alright, alright! I get it, I'm starving!"
The old lady behind the counter turned her head toward me. She was small, wrinkled, and wore a faded apron that looked older than the city itself. But her eyes—calm and gentle—met mine with surprising warmth.
"Hungry, young man?" she asked softly.
"Yeah, you could say that," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "But, uh, I don't really have any money right now."
She chuckled, the sound like a bell.
"Then it's a good thing I didn't ask for any."
My eyes widened. "Wait, really?"
"Sit down before you fall over."
I didn't argue. The wooden stool creaked under me as I sat, and soon, a bowl of steaming noodles slid in front of me. The scent alone nearly brought me to tears.
"Go on," she said, smiling.
"Don't mind if I do!" I dug in immediately. The first bite sent warmth rushing through my body, like an old memory.
"Whoa… this is… good," I mumbled between slurps. "Like really good."
The woman laughed again. "You talk like someone who hasn't eaten in ages."
I froze for a second, my chopsticks still in hand. "…You're not wrong."
"Well, you better keep eating then, boy."
Her wrinkled face curved into a warm smile.
Mori grinned back and nodded eagerly before returning to his meal, slurping noisily as steam rose between them.
A few minutes later, the bowl was empty. He stood up and stretched with a satisfied sigh.
"Thank you, old lady. I swear I'll pay you back someday!"
The grandma just chuckled and waved her hand dismissively. "Bah. Just don't forget to live long enough to do it."
Mori laughed and walked off into the night, the faint scent of broth still clinging to his clothes.
Eventually, he found himself in a park. The sky had already darkened, and only a few old bulbs glowed weakly under the trees. In the distance, the hum of car engines carried from the highway — steady and far, but not enough to break the quiet.
"Hm! That was good." I rubbed my stomach with a grin, letting the night air wash over me. Then I laid down on a bench, eyes drifting toward the crescent moon.
"…"
For a while, I just stared — the silence strange, peaceful, and almost too normal.
"My powers still exist here… Bah! Who cares about that. As long as they're safe, that's all that matters."
I gave a toothy grin at the moon before dozing off, finally letting sleep take me.
Time flew by, and morning came. The sun's light shone directly onto my face, forcing my features into a scrunched grimace.
A few moments later, I groaned and sat up, rubbing my eyes.
"Ahhh…!" I stretched, arms reaching high above my head, joints popping in protest.
"Food… Ah, right. I don't have any money."
Reality sank in as my stomach growled again. With nothing else to do, I leaned back on the bench, eyes wandering across the quiet park—the trees, the sky, the city skyline beyond. Anything to distract myself from the hunger.
With nothing else to do, I wandered out of the park and into the city streets. Morning traffic was already in full swing — horns, chatter, the smell of coffee and exhaust blending together.
"Man, this place sure is noisy," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. Still, there was something oddly comforting about it.
I walked past a few shops, stopping to stare through the glass of a bakery. Rows of bread and pastries lined the shelves — soft, golden, and steaming fresh.
My stomach growled again. Loudly.
"Don't look at me like that," I told it, "I know I'm broke."
Still, I couldn't resist watching as people grabbed sandwiches and cups of coffee like it was nothing. For a moment, I almost forgot who I was — just another guy wandering around on a normal morning.
"Maybe I can find a part-time job or something…" I muttered, though the idea of me serving tables or washing dishes almost made me laugh. "Yeah, right. Like anyone's hiring a guy in rags."
A gust of wind blew by, carrying the smell of the bakery again. I sighed.
"Alright, Mori, new goal: food first, dignity later."
Just as I continued strolling, I ended up at a bus stop.
There was a girl there, completely glued to her phone.
Of course, I wasn't staring at her.
I was staring at the place — or rather, at the spirits roaming around it.
"Sigh… what a pain," I muttered.
Almost immediately, the spirits noticed. Their hollow eyes snapped toward me all at once.
"YOU CAN SEE ME?!" they shouted in unison, loud enough to make the girl jump.
I glanced at her — yeah, she definitely heard that.
More than that, she saw them too.
She can probably see them as well, I thought, narrowing my eyes.
Without wasting time, I slid into a stance, lowering my center of gravity. Minimizing distance meant conserving energy — not that these things could even make me break a sweat.
"Alright then," I muttered under my breath, a faint grin tugging at my lips.
"Let's make this quick."
The spirits lunged all at once — a blur of twisted shapes and black smoke.
I exhaled slowly.
"Figures."
One darted in from the left. I sidestepped and drove my knee upward, shattering its form into a burst of mist. Another came screaming from above — I twisted, palm striking its chest with a clean thud.
"Bang."
It dissolved before it even hit the ground.
The third spirit hesitated — bad call. In a flash, I was already behind it, heel raised.
"Renewal Taekwondo: Narechagi(Axe Kick)"
My heel came down like lightning, splitting its head clean in two.
Silence followed — no more whispering, no more stench of rot. Just faint particles of black dust floating away in the breeze.
"Easy enough." I brushed off my hands, straightening my back with a crack.
Then I noticed the girl.
She was still frozen in place, phone dangling in her hand, mouth open in disbelief.
"Uh… you good?" I asked, tilting my head.
She blinked, eyes darting from the vanishing spirits to me. "W–Wait. You just… you kicked a ghost?"
I shrugged. "Yeah. Pretty normal morning, huh?"
Her jaw dropped even lower. "Normal?! What kind of person does that?!"
"The hungry kind," I said with a grin. "Now if you'll excuse me—"
Right on cue, my stomach growled loud enough to make her flinch.
"Uhh… so hungry…" I groaned, clutching my stomach like it might cave in.
My eyes darted toward the girl still standing there, phone halfway raised. Without thinking, I leaned forward with a grin and held out my hand.
"Hey, can I borrow your money? I'm kinda homeless right now. Don't worry — I'll pay you back someday! You can even call me if you ever need help."
"Wh–What?!" she stammered, taking a step back. Her brain was clearly short-circuiting.
Why would I lend money to some random hobo?! she screamed inwardly.
Still, under my hopeful stare, she fumbled with her wallet.
"I–I only have a thousand yen…" she mumbled, nervously holding it out.
I blinked, then smiled brightly. "Perfect! That's enough for, like, half a meal!"
As I snatched the bill, she frowned. You look like a mafia boss, not a beggar! What kind of homeless guy has muscles like that?
"Training's free," I said, stuffing the bill into my pocket. "Food isn't."
She opened her mouth to argue but stopped when my stomach growled again — louder this time.
"…You know what? Fine. Just… don't mug anyone."
I gave her a thumbs-up. "Scout's honor!"
And before she could say anything else, I jogged off toward the nearest convenience store, leaving her standing there with a mix of disbelief and reluctant sympathy.
[END]