"By the way, I haven't contacted your family," Rossi mentioned. His words instantly shifted Theo's focus toward him. While eating his dinner, he looked at Rossi, who now sat in a chair next to his bed.
"No need. There's nobody you need to contact," Theo replied.
"Huh?" Rossi furrowed his brow, confused.
"I don't have a family."
"Y-you don't have a family?" he repeated, surprised. His coworker felt uncomfortable making such assumptions.
"I live alone. No family or relatives."
"I'm really sorry. I didn't know..."
"I understand. You don't have to feel sorry." Theo smiled while resuming his meal. For a moment, silence embraced their presence. Not a single word escaped from either of their lips. Rossi was unsure of what to say, while Theo was occupied with thoughts about what to do in this situation.
"Oh! By the way, regarding the hospital expenses—"
"I've already taken care of it," Rossi quickly interjected. "I handled everything with my own money, so you don't need to worry about it."
"I'll reimburse you. Just tell me your bank account number, and I'll send it all."
"Think about that later. Now, the most important thing is for you to get well and get out of the hospital. You can think about the money afterward. Besides, I don't really need it right now."
"How can you not need it? You're still in college, and that money you used must be your savings, right? Anyway, I'll transfer the money right away. Just give me your account number."
"B-but..."
"You brought me here, and I should repay you as soon as possible. Plus, I don't want to owe someone for too long. As long as I have the money to pay, I'll do it immediately."
"You're really pushing me. Alright, if you insist." Rossi took out his phone. Theo just smiled, seeing that he had finally agreed to his request.
I don't know if he really has this much money in his savings. Logically, it seems unlikely for a college student like him to have this much money saved up. He even managed to finance the hospital and my surgery. If this is indeed his savings, it could mean he's a rich kid. But, looking at his appearance, it doesn't seem likely for a rich kid to dress modestly and work part-time at a nightclub. Could it be that he borrowed money to help me? That seems even crazier. Either way, I have to reimburse all the money he spent on me.
Yes No> Theo fell silent, observing the last message he received from Berta. When Berta informed him that she would go straight home after the police station, Theo asked her about this cost issue. As he suspected, the friendly and gossip-loving woman knew in detail the amount Rossi spent to help him. Lucky Berta told me the amount, Theo thought. Shortly after, he received a message from Rossi's number. In the message, Rossi sent his bank account number. "I've received it. I'll send it right away," Theo said, not taking his eyes off his phone screen. "Oh! By the way, I'll excuse myself. My grandfather is calling." "Yes, answer it!" Rossi got up from his seat and went to answer the phone. With him gone, Theo returned his attention to the screen. Now, he had more freedom to use the system since Rossi was away. History New Account> Please enter the amount you want to exchange along with the recipient's name, account number, and destination bank! Your current coins: 415,650C Coin amount you want to send: Recipient's name: Account number: Destination bank: Send!> "I didn't expect that the first time I'd use a large sum of money would be to cover my hospital expenses. It's all because of that guy. If he hadn't stabbed me, I wouldn't have ended up in the hospital, on the brink of death, in his hands," Theo muttered. Thinking about the incident where he was stabbed truly frustrated him. The fact that the man had once again drained his wallet made him even more irritated. "Sigh~ anyway, no matter what... this wouldn't have happened if I followed all the warnings in the system for me," Theo cursed his fate. Even so, whatever he did ultimately wouldn't change a thing. Everything had already happened, and all Theo could do was face these situations. "My 135,000Dӱ coins..." Theo sighed deeply. The remaining coins he had now were only 280,650. So much money had already come out of his wallet just to cover his medical expenses. "Anyway, I have to get better quickly and get out of here so I can start collecting money again. I need to quickly complete the next quest to boost my coin balance—" "AAAA!!" Theo jolted at the sound of a woman's scream from outside. Spontaneously, he turned his gaze toward the direction of the sound. Through the window at the entrance, he saw a group of people running towards the source of the scream. Curious about what was happening, Theo tried to get up from his place. He pushed the table with his nearly finished dinner aside, then quickly moved down from the bed while holding onto his IV pole. Theo winced in pain as his not-fully healed wound was slightly grazed when he attempted to move. But that didn't make him give up. Grimacing through the pain, Theo walked out of the room. At the doorway, he glanced towards the crowd of people who had rushed towards the source of the scream. Several medical personnel were hurrying towards the crowd, allowing Theo to catch a glimpse of the man they were surrounding. Apparently, someone was injured there, and Theo was shocked when he saw the figure they were bringing in for treatment. "Rossi..." Theo's face turned panicked. He intended to approach him. However, as soon as he took a step, the pain in his wound resurfaced, stopping him in his tracks. Theo stood silently in the corridor, holding his aching stomach. While still in pain, someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder and threw Theo against the wall. Startled, Theo looked up, and a man stood right in front of him with a murderous gaze. Theo's body instantly froze at the sight before him. Not only that, but his face turned pale as he realized the gravity of the situation he was in. The system detected a threat!> Various warning signs suddenly appeared in front of Theo, indicating that the current situation could pose a threat to his life. D-damn... how did he get here? Panic immediately engulfed him upon seeing the man in front of him. "I'm disappointed that you're still alive... how many lives do you have?" The man spoke with a cold tone. His hand clenched tightly, and now his fist was ready to strike Theo's body. Panic immediately engulfed Theo upon seeing Dante suddenly appear in front of him. Just as the man was about to unleash a punch, someone screamed, diverting their attention. A nurse who witnessed Dante attempting to harm Theo quickly called for security. Realizing the situation, the panicked Dante hastily fled the scene. Theo, weakened, eventually slumped to the floor. The wounds on his body still ached from forcing himself to get out of bed. Fortunately, a nurse who had shouted earlier rushed over and assisted him. Meanwhile, Dante was now being chased by hospital security. The night felt chaotic with everything that unfolded. Rossi's sudden injury for some unknown reason and Dante's abrupt appearance trying to harm Theo. Despite this, Theo couldn't shake the feeling that Rossi's injury and Dante's sudden appearance were somehow connected. * Time passed. Since that night, Theo has requested that Berta and Jim stay away for a while to ensure their safety. Meanwhile, Theo eventually asked to be moved to another ward. Surprisingly, Rossi wasn't injured at all. According to Rossi's account that Theo heard while making a phone call, he suddenly felt as if someone had electrocuted him, rendering him unconscious. Seeing Rossi fall for no apparent reason startled a nurse, prompting an involuntary scream that drew attention. Despite this, Theo was convinced that it was still connected to Dante's sudden appearance. Theo believed that Dante was the one who had shocked Rossi, causing him to collapse unconscious. Notifications have continued to appear since Theo started the exercises outlined in the quest. Several weeks had passed, and with each passing day, his condition improved. Unfortunately, even though his condition was getting better, the doctor still hadn't allowed him to leave. That was because four days after the incident when Dante tried to harm him, Theo's injuries worsened as he pushed himself to start the exercises. And as a result, he ended up stuck a bit longer in the hospital as the doctor continued to monitor his condition. Since his condition had worsened, Theo finally only completed a few light quests that weren't too risky for disturbing his recovery. This allowed him to do two things simultaneously: recover and continue to enhance his abilities to become stronger. Theo smiled at the coin balance displayed on the screen. It had been steadily increasing thanks to his efforts over the past two weeks. "I'm glad, my condition is starting to improve, my funds have increased, I've paid the hospital bills, and now I have enough ability to fill the void within me. But even so, this is just the beginning. With my current abilities, I still can't truly protect myself if they come back and try to harm me." Theo muttered quietly. His hand swept through the air, and simultaneously, the system screen that had appeared vanished from his sight. He shifted his attention to other things, picking up his glass from the table and taking a slow sip. Clank! The door opened, and Rossi's appearance captured his attention. "Rossi." The man approached Theo, who was seated there. "Why did you come? I already told you not to come, right?" "I can't just leave you like that, especially knowing you're still being treated like this. I came here to make sure. Even though you asked me not to come again because you're afraid something like that might happen again, I still can't stay silent. At least I have to ensure you're safe." Rossi took a seat on one of the chairs by the bedside. Theo fell silent. He didn't expect Rossi to be this caring. Ever since the incident, he had asked Rossi not to visit because he was afraid the man might experience something similar again. And now he suddenly appeared as if he didn't care about Theo's request. "You know, since that incident, I've been constantly thinking about you. I was worried you might be injured," Rossi said. Theo smiled upon hearing his words. "Who am I to you? Why do you care so much about me? We weren't that close in the beginning, right? But why are you so concerned about me?" "It may seem strange how much I care about you. But don't misinterpret it. Honestly, your attitude reminds me of my deceased older brother. We were very close, but unfortunately, he had an accident that took his life. Meeting you makes me feel like he's still alive." Rossi smiled faintly, his mind wandering deep into memories of the past when his brother was still alive. There were so many memories he would never forget about him. "I didn't know you had a brother," Theo said, feeling the atmosphere change instantly with Rossi's recent story. Somehow, he had to lighten the atmosphere again, as Theo didn't want the situation to feel awkward just because they discussed something uncomfortable. "I did. He was a good person, friendly, and very caring towards everyone." "Oh... I see." "By the way, do you know when you'll be discharged from the hospital?" "No, not yet. The doctor hasn't said anything about it. But I hope soon, because I'm really bored being here," he said. Just as Theo said that, the door suddenly opened, and a nurse walked in with the doctor who had been treating him. The doctor came to share the results of the latest examination before Rossi arrived, and based on the results, Theo could be discharged from the hospital that day. Hearing this news made Theo feel so happy. The same goes for Rossi. The man was also delighted to hear that Theo was finally leaving the hospital. Right away, Theo prepared to leave the hospital. Rossi eagerly helped him get ready. Finally, today has come. Now, I can intensify my training and complete the quests. With that, my journey toward true revenge can start soon. ***