Chapter 26
What does it feel like for a bullet to travel in water? Does the human eye really see things at different speeds?
Falling into the water did not mean that I was out of danger. On the contrary, I saw the bullets creating ripples towards me like in slow motion in a movie.
*
The water surface churned twice and then a pool of blood emerged, disturbing the calm and beautiful water surface.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know. Go down and take a look." He kicked the person next to him.
The man rubbed his butt and cursed, "How is it possible that a child could be alive in this situation?" But he still went into the water to check.
The dark bottom of the water was full of seaweeds, and the waves of the water made them look like a woman's hair fluttering in the wind.
"It's really hard work." The man felt scared, rubbed his arms, and bent down to the river to look carefully.
He couldn't see clearly, but the child's pale face was very clear. She stood out so clearly in the black water.
"Hey! Do you want to take him back for processing?" the man turned around and asked.
The ghost-like child made him feel bad, so his tone was naturally a little harsh.
"Why are you yelling? Of course we have to take it away. What if the body is taken downstream and discovered? We were asked to keep it a secret."
At this moment, a hoarse voice that seemed to come from hell rang in the man's ears.
"Ahem, ahem... oops, what a mistake. I forgot that I can't swim."
The cool little hand grasped his warm ankle.
The child climbed out of the water, like a Kappa or a sageuk or some other supernatural being.
She raised her head and smiled.
"——Guess why I jumped out?"
Of course it’s because I’m prepared!
With a flash of the knife, I slit the man's throat, then used my newly gathered strength to quickly grab his gun and pull the trigger.
With the help of the huge recoil force, I was able to cross two-thirds of the stream.
Although I didn't aim well, the other guard was not far away from me, so the probability of hitting him was three-quarters. The military rifle was a burst-fire rifle, so I should have been able to hit him four or five times.
Probability increased.
Although I can't swim, the recoil would make me sink to the bottom faster, so I grabbed the water plants and crawled ashore.
Two of the bullets they fired into the water just now hit me, one in the right abdomen and one in the left thigh - I was injured while trying to avoid fatal injuries.
I don't feel any pain now because it's already numb. The last two hits might have been due to the adrenaline produced by the injury.
Looking back at the guard, well, he's fallen.
There was another person a little further away who was rushing towards me and shooting at me.
Because I didn't aim well, I didn't get hit, but if the distance was closer, I'd have to admit it.
I turned and walked away.
*
I was hit by bullets all over my body, and it was not a good feeling to rush on the road while feeling the delayed pain.
I felt much better after the lung irritation from running subsided. What was more serious now was the gunshot wound on my body. If the wound was not treated in time, I would still die from some other messed up reason.
I really went through a lot this evening and I felt exhausted.
To slow down, I found a garbage dump - one of those clean garbage dumps in the city!
He tore open the black garbage bag that people use to hold trash, and used the cleaner side to wrap around my wound, causing me to scream in pain.
Take off the short-sleeved shirt on your shoulders because it is soaked in water and the wound will get inflamed if you continue soaking in it.
As soon as the clothes were taken away, the wound started bleeding again. Never mind, I quickly bandaged the wound and took a rest.
*
I hid in the shadows, and if you didn't look at my hair, I would look like a complete tomboy.
I didn't dare to fall asleep completely, for fear that they would catch up with me, so I could only fall asleep halfway and then shake my head to wake up.
But I still fell asleep.
I fell into a dark and sweet dream. It seemed that I didn't have to think about anything. I just needed to fall asleep and everything would be solved.
As soon as I wake up, I will become one of the happiest children in the world. My father will no longer put us in the solitary confinement room, my mother will give me my favorite cake, and my brother will hold my head and tell me that I have done very well...
"Hehe..." I laughed out loud and then woke up.
I found myself lying on a small bed. The white sheets looked soft and fluffy. I could smell the scent on them and feel the sunlight.
I couldn't help but bury my face in it and feel the warmth.
"Hey, what's your name?" A little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes lay on the bed where I was sitting, holding her face with her hands, and asked my name.
Seeing my alert look, she pouted unhappily and said to herself, "Really... Rintaro is too cunning..."
"This is Rintaro's shady little clinic. Rintaro found you when he was trying to buy me a cupcake, so he brought you back and treated your wounds."
Only then did I realize that my wounds had been properly treated.
I climbed down from the bed reluctantly and said to the girl in front of me seriously, "Can you take me to see him? I should go and pay the medical bills now, right?"
The girl smiled strangely for a moment, but when I looked again there was no trace of it.
She took me to see a middle-aged man with an unshaven beard.
At that time, the uncle was talking to a tall and strong man. Although he was sitting, he seemed to be the dominant one in terms of momentum.
"You should know how hard it is to get medicine nowadays. As a weak doctor, it is really difficult for me to move around here."
The strong man smiled awkwardly, crossed his arms and stepped forward, saying, "Doctor, I have no other choice. Look, how about I return the money to you in two days?"
The uncle sighed and said helplessly, "Well, please hurry up, or our shop will not be able to continue its business."
Zhuang Han nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, I will definitely send the money over on time."
"You are too polite..."
After some hypocritical refusals from the adults, they finally ended this "affectionate" farewell.
I stood behind the girl and watched them until the end, which was my habit when I watched my father do business with customers at home.
I took a step forward only when the uncle looked at me.
"Hello, how much do I need to give you for your medical expenses?"
The smile on the uncle's face changed, and he sighed again, "It's really hard to approach you, little girl, can you tell me your name?"
I stifled my face and took a step back, but bumped into the girl behind me. I didn't think too much about it and just thought that I had remembered the girl's position wrong.
"If you help me, I'll give you the money."
He raised his hands in surrender and said with a wry smile, "Don't be so defensive. As you can see, the child over there is my daughter Alice, and I am the doctor and owner of this underground clinic, Mori Ogai."
"My daughter likes you very much and wants to make friends with you. She just kept shouting that she wants to get to know you better."
I looked back at the blonde girl, she stuck out her tongue at me playfully and then hugged my arms affectionately.
"Of course it's because you're cute."
She said it in a matter-of-fact tone.
Me: ...! She said it directly! No, this reason is too, too...
My brain went into a state of panic. “I, I, this, this…”
The girl, no, Alice, and Mori Ougai looked at each other and laughed at the same time.
*
As soon as I knew why they asked me my name, I could only sit aside awkwardly, my face blushing uncontrollably.
"So, do you need something to eat?" Dr. Mori asked me.
It was also at this moment that I realized that I had not eaten for a long time. Estimating my assets, I nodded.
I thought the doctor could at least prepare some home-cooked dishes or something, but I didn't expect the doctor's usual meals were so...simple.
"…Instant noodles?"
The doctor looked serious. "Instant noodles."
I pointed at Alice. "What about her share?"
The doctor shook his head. “She’s eaten.”
Alice sneered for some reason.
"...Thank you. I will cherish the rare food in this clinic."
Dr. Mori had a sad expression on his face that looked like it was about to turn into a draft.
Alice said to her father, Mori Ogai, without any hesitation, "It's all Rintaro's fault."
"Alice~" The tone of voice was unpredictable. I shuddered and looked at Alice, and found that she even rolled her eyes.
While eating instant noodles and staring at the soup, I felt a little unable to swallow.
——There it comes again, this feeling of being excluded.
However, my habit from childhood made me eat the instant noodles silently, just a little slower.
It's very simple. Just force yourself and it will be fine. I'm used to this kind of thing.
Dr. Mori suddenly asked me, "What's wrong? Is it not to your liking? If you really can't eat it, you can go out and buy some now."
I froze, blinked at the soup, looked up at Dr. Mori and said in denial
"Thank you, but I don't need it. This is enough for me... Well, if I let you spend more money, I won't be able to pay the medical fee."
I subconsciously looked towards the table, unwilling to look Mr. Mori in the eye.
I felt oddly angry.
After a long while, he answered me, "...Okay, whatever you say is what it is."
It was at this time that Nakahara Chuuya came. He broke into the room, and his eyes softened for a moment when he saw me, but became fierce again when he saw Mori Owl.
He said to me, "Come here, Velvet."
I looked at Mori Ogai in confusion. Mori Ogai spread his hands helplessly. Then I looked at Nakahara Chuuya. His expression was serious, and there was even murderous intent in his look when he looked at Mori Ogai.
I walked up to Nakahara Chuuya, and he held my face nervously and looked at me from side to side, his brows furrowed and his lips pulled into a straight line.
He put down my face and turned his head away awkwardly. "…I'm sorry."
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