This way, the park was easily considered the best place among garbage cans simply because of the possibility of finding food that has yet to be discarded.
For some reason, other vagrants rarely came here.
However, for some reason, the more I frequented the park, the less parents seemed to approve of my presence.
Eventually, the police came looking for me while I was often digging through trash bins.
“Uh, er…?”
“Hmm.”
The policeman who had lent me money not long ago had come to drive me away.
When the policeman saw me rummaging through the trash can, he was startled and placed his hand on the gun at his hip.
However, recalling that the gun wouldn’t work, he lowered his hand.
“What are you doing here?”
“Eating.”
“Hmm…yes…um, people in this area have complained about you coming here and asked for you to be driven away.”
“Who asked for it?”
“Well, not a specific person, it’s just that people feel uncomfortable because of you.”
“I can’t abandon this place. The food people throw away here is the most delicious.”
At my answer, the policeman had a somewhat peculiar expression on his face.
His confusion was apparent. In the monster’s heightened senses, I could perceive part of his thoughts.
“I have no intention of harming people.”
After reading the policeman’s thoughts and stating this, a sense of relief came from him.
“Uh… Hmm… So, you’re not a villain then… Did you perhaps hurt your head during the awakening of your superpowers…?”
“I’m fine.”
“Why don’t you try getting a job? If you’re strong enough that bullets don’t work on you, you could get detailed checks and become a hero.”
I knew about the pre-hero detailed inspection process. It involves thoroughly investigating awakened superpowers, along with detailed medical examinations for research purposes. Even though I’ve lived in a lab, or rather because I lived there, I knew exactly what would happen afterward. They’d gather all S-level superhumans from around the cities to capture me and strap me to an experimental table immediately.
“No.”
“You’re such an unusual person… What should I even call you? A homeless superhuman?”
“What’s ‘homeless’?”
“It’s someone who has no home… Oh, by the way, where did those pants come from? They look like old firefighter pants you’d only see in the past. And what about the bracelet? Did you steal them?”
I could sense the policeman trying to obtain these items from me to find their rightful owner. In response, I glared at him and unleashed a faint killing intent that didn’t require core activation.
“I didn’t steal them. They’re mine.”
“Urgh… Ah, I see, sir, you really are a superhuman…”
The policeman, waving his hands, sat down on the bench next to me and sighed while searching his pockets.
“If you’re digging through garbage bins because you’re hungry…here, take this and go buy something at the store.”
“Are you lending it again?”
“Is there any intention of paying it back?”
“Hmm…”
Upon realizing that I, who couldn’t earn money, had no way of paying it back, I hesitated to take the money, but as I did, the policeman suddenly placed the money in my hands.
Reacting reflexively, I almost grabbed it, but stopped immediately, fearing that if I even slightly squeezed his hand, I might turn it into minced meat.
The money fell to the ground.
“Ah! What are you doing? Take it!”
“I can’t pay you back.”
“It’s a gift, so take it and go buy something to eat instead of looking through garbage bins.”
“Give me it again.”
“Wait! Promise! If you take this, you’ll stop looking through garbage bins here!”
After accepting the money with both hands and securing the banknote with my thumb, I headed towards the shop the policeman pointed out.
The hot dog was delicious, but this wasn’t enough to fill my stomach, so I couldn’t stop going through the garbage bins.
#
“Phew…”
“Hmm…”
Not long after, while rummaging through the park’s garbage bins, I encountered the policeman again.
The policeman sat on the bench, looking exhausted, as he eyed me sitting on the ground against the bench without breaking it.
“You said you wouldn’t come here again…”
“That day, I stopped digging and went somewhere else.”
“Ah, you only stopped that day… Figures…”
“Gonna give me money again today?”
“…Just out of curiosity, if you take it, will you stop rummaging today?”
“Hmm…”
“Then, I’ll give you a little more money, but please, promise not to come here anymore.”
“That’s impossible. Here’s the best food.”
“There’s no way around it, really… Alright, I haven’t eaten lunch yet either, so here’s a suggestion.”
After a while, the policeman returned with two hot dogs.
I tore open the packaging and devoured the hot dog in just two bites. Then I resumed rummaging through the trash can.
“You just ate a hot dog, why are you looking again?”
“Because you gave me the hot dog, not the money.”
“You’re like our house cat who scratches the wall even after I bought it a scratcher…”
I stopped my hands and looked at the policeman who muttered something incomprehensible.
“Two hot dogs aren’t enough to fill me up.”
“Hmm, given your size…ah, this is awkward.”
Since I was still hungry, I had no choice but to rummage through the trash bin. The policeman, clearly understanding the logic, kept eating his hot dog while continuing the conversation.
“Excuse me…I have to find a way to drive you out of here. Is there any way you won’t come to the park?”
“Here, there’s both water and food.”
“Yes, and that’s why I receive many complaints…Children who come to the park to play clean their hands and feet, but then drink water and eat food from the garbage bins because of you.”
“I haven’t harmed anyone.”
“That’s right, no direct harm has been done since you’re someone who can walk away after being shot… But these days, there are people who have seizures just at the sight of vagrants…Especially in this era.”
“Has anyone had a seizure?”
“Perhaps you haven’t received mandatory education?”
“What’s mandatory education?”
“Hmm…”
The policeman looked confused.
“What happened? Did you live as an orphan until you suddenly awakened your superpowers? There are cases where registration wasn’t done…Do your parents not exist?”
“They’ve passed.”
“That’s common these days, ah, even my parents aren’t around anymore. So, I didn’t mean it as an insult.”
“I see. We both lost our parents then.”
“That didn’t come out right though…”
Given the possibility that we could both be orphans, I continued digging through the garbage bins until I found a sealed bottle of alcohol. Though my body is immune to toxins, I was curious about the taste of alcohol. I carefully lifted the bottle but accidentally broke its neck while trying to open it. Regardless, since I could drink the contents now, it didn’t matter. The taste of alcohol… was unpleasant.
“It’s not tasty.”
“Whaaaat…Don’t just open the bottle like that and drink! Don’t you know how to unscrew the lid?”
“The bottle was too weak.”
“Wow, I’ve never heard anything like that…so this is what it is to be a superhuman? Now how do I drive someone like you away…?”
“Are you driving away other vagrants too?”
“Yes, if I don’t, complaints will keep coming.”
Indeed, that’s why even though these garbage bins were so promising, there were no other vagrants visiting this park. The other vagrants must have been driven away by the policeman, leaving them no choice but to flee. But I am not an ordinary vagrant. Even if human vagrants might lose to the police, monster vagrants don’t.
“Give up.”
“How is that even possible? If it really can’t be done, I might pretend to go crazy and attack you…”
“Even if you attack, it won’t make a difference. I’ll just ignore you.”
“Man, is this even real…a bulletproof vagrant, and not even a bear but this guy’s size is that of a bear.”
“What’s a bear?”
“Are you even serious right now?”
“Just a joke. I know what a bear is.”
“Uh…where are you going?”
Since there was nothing left to eat in the garbage bin, I went to wash my hands. At this moment, kids playing in the playground ran over and started interfering with me washing my hands.
“Vagrant! Vagrant!”
“Vagrant uncle!”
“Hmm, move aside.”
These muddy kids frequently came to play at the park. Initially, they stayed far away, but gradually, they grew closer. Every time they brushed against me, they seemed scared that they might get crushed, so they now dared to get close. As I paused while washing my hands, the policeman rushed over urgently and pushed the kids away.
“Kids, kids! Go away, alright…?”
“Vagrant!”
“Wow! Vagrant and a cop!”
“Not again with these words from who knows where they learned them.”
Thanks to this, I was able to finish washing up quickly. Very carefully… I turned on the faucet as if brushing aside a single strand of hair. I washed my hands first and then cleaned my body with bare hands. While doing this, I washed my hair and my bare feet too, as the policeman, looking from the side, let out a sigh.
“This is why we keep receiving complaints! Don’t you know this isn’t a shower room?! Why are you cleaning yourself here!”
“There’s water here.”
“Of course, there is water! Argh! How does a vagrant have such a perfect body? It’s so annoying!”
“Keep your distance.”
After rinsing my long hair clean with water, I shook it left and right. The water droplets sprayed all around like an expanding splash.
“Yikes! It smells like a wet dog!”
“Hahaha! You’re like a dog!”
“Doggy! Vagrant doggy!”
After shaking my head a few times to dry it, I thoroughly rinsed my mouth, drank some water, and noticed women who appeared to be mothers standing far away watching my actions quietly.
“Wow… look at that body… If it wasn’t for that, I’d have complained too…”
“Wow, seriously, isn’t this a bit wild?”
“These days, it’s not uncommon for someone to lose everything in a day… Though I don’t mind him coming occasionally if he doesn’t harm the kids…”
“Still, it’s weird to have vagrants in our apartment’s vicinity. It would be better if he went to the adjacent park… I sometimes pass by there too.”
I heard all their murmurs and pointed at the women far away.
“Those women think I coming occasionally is fine.”
“Can you really hear their conversation from over there?”
“It’s clear.”
“Uh…they probably think it’s fine because they brought the kids ensuring you wouldn’t get too close… but others feel uneasy, so you can’t come here.”
“If those who feel uneasy stop coming, then that’s fine.”
“Man, this vagrant doesn’t get it. Ugh… Am I really trying to drive away a superhuman? And I’m just an ordinary cop.”
“Are you crazy?”
“Maybe a little… Don’t you know? Unlike heroes who have to protect people as part of their duty, cops sign up knowing they might deal with crazy people.”
Upon hearing the policeman’s words, memories of my parents’ discussions from my childhood resurfaced. Being a firefighter was crazy, but it was a necessary job. If not crazy people, who else would do it? My father always looked tired. Even as a child, I thought it’d be nice if he could rest even a little.
“Police are necessary…though they always seem tired…”
“What? I didn’t expect you’d say something like that.”
“Alright, let’s do this. If I catch you digging through garbage and you show up, I’ll stop.”
“Uh…doesn’t that mean I have to come here every day?”
“Hot dogs are delicious.”
“You’re trying to extort free hot dogs from me?”
“What’s extortion?”
Since I really didn’t know, I asked, and the policeman sighed. He sounded almost resigned, throwing away the wrapper after eating the hot dog.
“Hot dogs aren’t that expensive, so I can afford to buy one…”
“Make it two.”
“Two…is this an appropriate expense for my job?”
Since then, every day, I got to eat two hot dogs. Upon seeing me come every day, the policeman said, looking perplexed.
“Why are you here every day?”
“Because there are hot dogs here.”
I didn’t used to come here every day, but with two hot dogs available, now I could.
“Behaving as a hooligan?”
“What’s a hooligan?”
“…Never mind, just enjoy your meal.”
As a matter of fact, I did know what a hooligan was.
