Every day, I began heading towards the apartment side to eat a freshly made hot dog, and as a result, I gradually reduced the frequency of rummaging through different trash bins.
Or rather, recently, I’ve come to think that there’s absolutely no need for me to go through trash bins anymore.
The reason for this is rather complex.
The police, after being continuously bothered by complaints due to my daily visits, eventually informed the apartment residents that I am a superpowered individual.
As a result, the residents’ gazes towards me softened somewhat, and whispers spread about baseless rumors.
He’s an incredibly powerful superhuman but ran away because of PTSD, he lost his lover to a monster and his intelligence declined, he originally lived in this apartment but lost his child to a monster in some incident and lost his will to live.
Since I keep coming to the park, and freeze whenever children approach, and now they know I’m a superhuman, they’ve concocted what they believe to be reasonable stories, spawning a wave of sympathy.
According to the whispers, some people even thought it was fine to catch a glimpse of me bathing.
It’s quite an interesting hobby, enjoying watching someone bathe.
“Uh… please, just use this faucet, alright?”
“Hmm.”
“That’s it. Don’t touch the other faucets; the kids use them.”
“Understood.”
Among the moms who brought their children, there was even someone who designated a faucet exclusively for my use.
Following her instructions, they seemed to think I was reasonable, and people started looking at me more positively.
“He’s here in the park all the time, isn’t he? He’s actually quite clean – he bathes every day.”
“I saw him hand-washing his pants the other day… he was so careful…”
“Oh my, did he take off his pants? Did you see it yourself?”
“No, it was at night… accidentally, through the window! Our house just happens to be in a viewing position!”
“Prime real estate, don’t you think? I’m considering suggesting we move there.”
One day, I found shampoo and body wash, only half-used, discarded in the trash.
No matter how you look at it, I knew exactly what these were, so I thought it was quite convenient and used them to clean myself.
Even though the container’s cap broke after using it once, it worked wonderfully.
“Anyone need a razor? I was about to throw mine away…”
“Don’t be dangerous! If you’re going to discard one, an electric razor would be better.”
“My husband has an unused one somewhere. But will he know how to use it?”
“This person isn’t an animal; he’ll figure it out.”
I tried shaving awkwardly with the discarded razor, and then they threw away a cracked mirror.
Setting it up in a corner, I attempted to shave neatly, cut my hair with a razor (unsuccessfully), and gave up. The blade was almost useless after just one shave.
“…Seriously… isn’t this person rather good-looking?”
“What size clothes does he wear? Would my husband’s unused clothes fit him?”
“Oh my goodness! This might lead to giving him a bed!”
For some reason, the items being discarded in the park trash bins of this apartment gradually increased, and one day, a pillow and blanket appeared.
Even though sleeping on the ground didn’t bother me, I was intrigued by the rare sight of a pillow and a blanket, so I used them to feel what it was like.
After doing so, shoes appeared, but they didn’t fit my feet, so I left them.
And the decisive change happened one day.
“Ahhaha! Whaat?!”
“Oh my, are you okay, dear?! Oh, oh!”
Just as a child jumped off the swing and was about to crash into a metal railing, I threw a hastily bundled blanket and pillow to cushion their fall, protecting the child.
Unharmed, the child was fine, and I lay back down for a nap. That night, the trash bins were filled with food.
“Really, he’s a superhero! Just like that, the blanket!”
“Truly, if it weren’t for him, the child could have been seriously injured!”
“At this rate, wouldn’t hiring him as a playground safety officer be far cheaper?”
“If he’s a superhero, he might even be able to help if monsters appear. It’s like keeping a large dog, isn’t it?”
“Does this person really have such a taste?”
From then on, the park trash bins started to become cleaner, filled more with items that seemed like gifts for me rather than trash.
A while ago, there was a pair of scissors, and I attempted to cut my hair.
Even though my beard and hair didn’t seem to cut easily with anything else, I managed to tidy up my bangs.
“Isn’t he handsome? Really?”
“What on earth makes his body so good?”
“Should we give him some clothes?”
“No, let’s not give him clothes. It would cover up such a body.”
“Oh my! Did you see that when he pulled up his pants? The lower part of his abs…”
“Do you see things no one else sees?”
Between sleeping bags, blankets, umbrellas, tents, pots, gas stoves, sausages, and iceboxes, I had quite a collection of items.
Since it was difficult for me to set them up or use them without breaking them, the police helped.
“Ahh… I really don’t get it… if this was the goal, why did you file so many complaints against me back then….”
At this point, the police stopped visiting every day.
Upon seeing that I had made the park my permanent spot, those who filed complaints were baffled.
Recently, there have even been talks of building a security guard booth-like shelter for me.
“What in the world… It’s not even a doghouse…”
“I’m not a dog.”
“Well, these days, you’re practically indistinguishable from one, huh.”
I received a hot dog from the police and ate it.
They didn’t come every day, but they had to buy me hot dogs whenever they did.
Now that I not only had food but also essential items, I no longer felt the need to visit other trash bins.
Taking my place here, I spent my days playing with the children.
“Hey, you’re an idiot, right? Don’t you know this?”
“This is Pi-Pi Kung… This is Yui Kung…?”
“No! This is Pi-Pi Origin! This is Yuna Kung, Yui Kung’s twin sister, get it?”
“What’s the difference? They’re all the same, aren’t they?”
“They’re all different! That’s why it’s not okay to be a beggar!”
Even without physical contact, the children enjoyed chatting and laughed as they ran around the playground.
Sometimes, they’d share their food with me, and I would carefully receive it with both hands and eat it happily.
As this continued, moms who had stopped bringing their kids to the playground gradually started coming back.
And they began leaving their children in my care as they went off to somewhere else.
“I’m going to the other park!”
“No way.”
“But Mom gave me cookies! They’re mine! Give them back!”
“It’s not snack time yet.”
I watched over those children, receiving and eating snacks they brought.
Before long, I had become the playground’s childcare provider.
Strangely enough, a notable feature was that I always stayed shirtless.
“Thank you for your hard work~ Did the child brush their teeth properly?”
“He didn’t scrub his molars properly.”
“I did!”
“Child! Mom told you to brush correctly!”
“And he ate four candies.”
“Aaaah! Why do you tattle on him!”
“I told you to eat only two candies a day! You’re not getting any tomorrow!”
“Ah!”
“Ah! I’m sorry. Here, it’s for looking after him today.”
“Ohoh…”
“Alright then, um… please take it quickly.”
I received a large piece of meat from the child’s mom and took a bite right there.
For some reason, these days, the trend seemed to be giving me a huge piece of meat to eat while they watched.
Although the constant staring felt a bit strange, the meat was incredibly delicious, so I didn’t mind.
“Hah… really… like an animal…”
“This person is not an animal.”
“Ah, I get it… Do you need anything?”
“A few more cushions.”
Now that they were supplying me with items I requested, I asked for cushions to prevent the children from getting hurt when they jumped.
Since it seemed fun to cushion them with pillows, some kids have even begun jumping intentionally, so I needed quite a few.
Whenever I threw a cushion, it would tear under the force.
“I’ll bring it up at the mothers’ meeting, then. Have a good night~”
“Hmm. Kid, go home.”
“Tattle-tale! Not saying goodbye!”
Thus, I established my place in the apartment park.
For someone who couldn’t work but wanted delicious food, this was a stroke of great luck.
Here, there was always delicious food available.
And there were plenty of opportunities to practice controlling my strength.
“Hmm…”
Recently, I’ve been trying to control the full power of my abilities without transforming into a monster.
To the world, everything seemed as fragile as eggshells or pudding to me, making it difficult, but it was worth trying.
I couldn’t go around destroying everything, and it was a good way to pass the time.
“…Success.”
For the first time, I managed to pick up a bottle with two hands and successfully unscrew the cap to drink its contents carefully.
If I kept practicing like this, maybe one day I could pick up an egg without breaking it.
Perhaps I could eat food served in a bowl… I’d like to try drinking hot soup.
Right now, I can drink boiling soup straight out of the pot with my hands, but I end up spilling too much.
Just as I was about to increase the difficulty by trying to lift a glass of water…
“What are you doing?”
“Hmm.”
So absorbed in concentration that I didn’t even sense the presence of the police, I accidentally broke the glass when startled by a sudden voice.
Looking at the shards of glass falling without even scratching my skin, I swept them up with my hands.
“What’s with you…? Why are you playing with broken glass?”
“It’s because of you.”
“What did I do?”
“Clean it up. The kids might get hurt.”
“But why should I… Sigh…”
Despite grumbling, the police carefully cleaned up the glass pieces.
Then, without permission, he opened my icebox and took out a bottle of whiskey.
“Whoa… These women have gone crazy, giving such things now?”
“That one’s yours.”
“Eh? Is that okay?”
“It doesn’t taste very good.”
“Hmm…? But it tastes quite good to me. Your tastes are really like a child’s.”
The police also took out a piece of ham to go with the drink, sat beside me, and drank it greedily.
“Gee… This is the life—drinking while on night patrol!”
“You’re a delinquent cop.”
“It’s the world that’s delinquent, not me. There’s just too much expected of one cop! You never know when a monster might appear, yet they keep sending us alone on patrol!”
“Why alone patrols?”
“Well, if you die, it’s better to die alone and avoid causing casualties. There aren’t many crazy people willing to be cops these days, so as long as we send one last radio call before dying, our job is done.”
Indeed, that’s logical.
Within that short time, the cop was drunk and began ranting about his frustrations with the job.
“Our lives are worth nothing~ Heroes have superpowers, at least. I know there are many people who risk their lives in this world, but the degree to which we do so only applies to cops and firefighters.”
“Hmm…”
“I’m crazy, alright. Why did I even become a cop… haa~ Even my family is worried, and I don’t know why I still haven’t quit.”
Upon hearing that, I completely understood the concerns of the police officer’s family.
Why engage in such dangerous tasks when it’s risky and causes others worry?
“Knowing that, why become a cop?”
“Because someone has to keep people safe so they can live their daily lives. Uh~ It’s better someone like me who’s crazy does it. I can handle being uncomfortable myself, but I can’t bear seeing others struggle.”
I lost for words.
Not because it wasn’t understandable, but because it strangely felt relatable.
“Difficult work.”
“It’s hard! Extremely! Even with monsters popping up all over the place, the complaints never stop. No matter how hard we run, people keep dying.”
“But, it’s the right thing to do.”
While attempting to suck up water with my hand a few times, I absentmindedly touched the slightly torn firefighter’s trousers.
“To maintain daily life, someone must do the job…”
“Hmm… By the way, aren’t those trousers old firefighting gear?”
“Hmm.”
“Nowadays, it’s tough to even get those… where on earth did you….”
Just then, an unpleasant disturbance caught my senses.
In the air… no, on the fringe of reality, in the cracks of the present world, something abnormal had entered the vicinity of the apartment.
“Monster.”
“…What?”
“Go to the shelter.”
The moment I spoke, sirens filled the apartment complex.
And on the police officer’s radio, the address of the current location was repeated, along with the monster’s rank being announced.
The rank was “Crushing,” and the quantity was numerous.
The lights that were turned off in the apartment began switching on one by one.
