Chapter 3: Not everything that’s red is blood

“If you feel unwell or uncomfortable, you must come back!”

“Okay, enough already…”

I’ve heard that line seven times now.

Doesn’t that nurse ever get tired?

Even as I changed to leave the hospital, she followed me, parroting the same words.

“You have to come back!!!”

“Alright, I got it!”

Finally snapping, I shouted, and the nurse backed off with a satisfied look.

At last, I was free from this hellish hospital.

“How many porridges did I eat here? Morning plain porridge, lunch nutritional porridge, evening abalone porridge… F*ck, is this what they call a porridge addict?”

Gurgle…

Hunger must be making me irritable.

For two days, the hospital food was just small servings of porridge that didn’t even half-fill my stomach.

I needed something hearty.

“Something filling. What’s good and hearty?”

Walking while thinking of filling foods, I spotted a sign and couldn’t help but smile.

[DdeunDdeun Gukbap]

The name alone promises a full stomach.

Today’s lunch?

“That’s the one.”

[You look like a total gukbap fanatic, you know that?]

“What’s wrong with gukbap?”

Hot broth, hearty rice, and a ton of side dishes for just 7,000 won—more than enough to fill you up.

[You’re a hardcore gukbap stan.]

With high expectations, I entered the gukbap restaurant.

But those expectations shattered instantly.

“Welco— Aaaah!!!”

The moment I walked in, the server screamed, drawing every customer’s gaze to me.

“Why’s a corpse here?”

“How’s she even alive? Is that a zombie or something?”

That’s how the distant customers reacted.

The server nearby?

Completely panicked, unable to recover.

“Feels like I shouldn’t order anything.”

And I was right.

The server showed no signs of calming down.

“119, I need to call 119…”

“Oh, come on, f*ck.”

Everyone I meet seems desperate to send me to a hospital.

If this server calls, I’m back to the hospital, eating that damn porridge for days.

“Hello, 119? There’s someone about to die here. The location? It’s, uh…”

As expected, my fears were spot-on.

The server was determined to feed me porridge instead of gukbap.

Before the ambulance arrived, I bolted from the restaurant and fled to an empty street.

“F*ck.”

At this rate, anywhere I go, I’ll get the same treatment.

Restaurant, department store, anywhere—people will see me and call the hospital.

“If this keeps up, I’ll end up in a mental hospital before a regular one. I’m losing my mind…”

As I thought this, passersby were already pulling out their phones.

I ended up hiding in a dark alley.

“Isn’t there a way to avoid people’s stares? A way to hide this frail look?”

Then, I found a brilliant, simple, and cheap solution.

“Eureka.”

If I’m going to hide, I need to do it right.

Sadly, my hoodie was at home, so I went to a convenience store for a mask.

The clerk there freaked out and called 119 the moment he saw me, though.

“Let’s see if this works.”

Wearing the mask and stepping onto the main street, I felt the stares lessen.

No one was immediately grabbing their phones.

“It’s working.”

This might let me eat gukbap.

With some confidence, I went to a different gukbap place.

[60-Year Tradition Original Big Hand Grandma Gukbap]

Perfect.

That name guarantees at least decent food.

Nervously, I entered.

“Welcome! How many?”

“Just one.”

“What’s your order?”

“Sundae guk special, please.”

“Big appetite for a little lady! Got it, sundae guk special!”

The server took the order and left.

I sighed in relief.

A mask makes daily life possible?

This is a steal.

With a hoodie, it’d be even better.

I’m a genius for thinking of this.

Daily life should be doable now.

But then, the god said something ominous.

[Hm, I don’t think so.]

“No way, it’s working fine so far.”

[Well, good luck. I’m rooting for you.]

The god’s scheming tone made me uneasy, but that faded when the sundae guk arrived.

Bubble bubble

“Looks delicious.”

I mixed in perilla powder, added radish kimchi juice, seasoned with shrimp paste, and took a spoonful.

Slurp

“This spicy broth, the salty MSG flavor! Swallowing it— …Cough!”

I choked.

“Cough, cough, cough… Ugh…”

Trying to stop the choking, I poured water, but a server noticed me.

“Ma’am? Is something— Aaaah!!!”

No, no.

“Blood, blood…”

It’s just gukbap broth…

It’s red from the radish kimchi and perilla powder…

“It’s not blood…”

“Boss!!!”

“Oh my… What’s that…?”

Before I could explain, the server ran to get the boss, who fainted upon seeing me.

I’m getting dragged to the hospital with her.

I need to escape before they catch me.

Fleeing the restaurant, I remembered the god’s words.

Wait, was this the god’s plan?

[Pfft…]

I heard the god stifling laughter in my head.

“Tell me it’s not true.”

Then, the god’s usual solemn tone turned frivolous.

[Only!! I!! Can!! Do!! This!!]

Maybe this isn’t a god but Satan.

*

I must’ve used more energy than I had stored.

The hunger I felt at the hospital was nothing compared to now.

“I’m starving.”

That one spoonful of gukbap only made it worse.

“I’ll order something tasty when I get home.”

Clutching my empty stomach, I walked and, luckily, spotted a vending machine.

“I’m starving, so anything will do. Beggars can’t be choosers.”

I pulled out my card and looked at the menu.

One option stood out: <Random>.

“…I can’t resist a random gacha.”

Press.

Clunk!

<Tomato Juice>

“Not bad. Pretty lucky.”

It was one of the pricier options.

Happy with my pick, I lowered my mask and drank, easing some of the hunger.

“Phew, that’s better. I feel alive.”

With some energy back, I headed home.

“I’ll eat and sleep as soon as I get there.”

Even with a healthy body, I wasn’t adjusted yet.

After so many exhausting events, all I wanted was to rest.

My body was beyond tired—escaping the hospital, the first gukbap place, then another.

Those three escapes drained me.

“I’m exhausted. Good thing I saved a sip.”

As I opened the tomato juice, it happened.

“Hey, you shouldn’t have used that move there! You cost us the fight!”

“What? How’s it my fault? You messed up the initiation!”

“Stop bullsh*tting, it’s your fault…”

Tap.

Splash!

A student, trying to prank his friend, bumped my tomato juice bottle.

It spilled all over my clothes, mask, and face.

“Sorr— Aaaah!!!”

Predictably, the two students panicked at my appearance.

“Blood… From her head to her chest…?”

“It’s not blood.”

Come on, it’s obviously tomato juice.

What’s with kids these days and their bad eyes?

“Idiot! Call an ambulance!”

“It’s not blood, really.”

It’s clearly tomato juice.

How does anyone see this as blood?

[You can do it!]

“Stop messing around.”

From gukbap to tomato juice, this is too much.

Seeing the students grab their phones, I ran and barely made it home.

“Haa… Haa… I’m never going outside again.”

Physically and mentally drained.

All this for instant food?

“From now on, delivery only. I’ll eat via delivery.”

With a hoodie and mask, I can manage.

But I don’t have another mask.

“Should I go buy one? No, I’m too tired. I’ll do it tomorrow and stock up. Maybe just live here?”

[Think you can live forever off your past life’s savings?]

“Well, I can trade stocks or crypto, right?”

[Know much about this world?]

Oh, right.