"I don't know. I really don't. Last night, I woke up when I heard Lynch collapse, and saw myself lying across the desk. This sentence was already written there."
Klein wasn't lying.
After all, that was exactly what he had found when he came to this world.
If they didn't believe him, he'd even planned to ask Lynch to back him up with a false testimony.
To his surprise, though, everyone except Officer Mountbatten believed him.
Before leaving, the green-eyed officer even smiled and said, "Generally speaking, when something like this happens, it's normal for everyone involved to die. We're very glad to see that you're still alive."
As he spoke, he glanced at Lynch.
"Perhaps it was because of this gentleman. He pulled you back and got himself hurt, but he also pulled you away from death. Of course, that's only a possibility."
Watching the officers leave, Klein felt a little dazed.
They believed him just like that?
And what did he mean by saying it was normal for everyone to die?
Klein shook his head and looked at Lynch, hoping to hear what he thought. But Lynch didn't answer. He just kept his head lowered, lost in thought.
"What do you think?"
Klein couldn't help asking.
After all, he and Lynch had both gotten caught up in this incident. They should at least discuss it.
Lynch took a deep breath and turned to look at Klein.
"I was thinking they still haven't given me my two pounds in cash! I'm going to ask them for it now. I deserve that money!"
Klein: ...
No, you looked so serious. That was all you were thinking about?
But those two pounds did seem pretty important.
"Go on, then. Before they get too far away!"
That was almost half the medical bill!
No, with Officer Mountbatten's help, they might be able to settle the debt for three pounds, and he'd only need to pay one pound and ten soli.
That was still a lot of money, but saving a whole pound was the biggest win of all.
Still, the thought of Lynch getting two pounds in compensation all at once made Klein's heart ache as if it were being twisted by a knife.
Seeing someone else make money hurt worse than losing money himself.
Lynch put the compensation he'd collected into his wallet, then hurried into Klein's home, tense the whole way.
It wasn't that he cared so much about the money. It was just incredibly hard to earn money in this world.
The original owner of his body had earned just one pound and ten soli a week.
And that was with the job he'd found recently. Before that, he'd only made one pound a week.
Getting two pounds all at once would let him relax for a whole week.
That would give him enough time to find Officer Mountbatten and get a job as a police auxiliary as soon as possible. Then he could become Officer Mountbatten's lackey.
It might not sound flattering, but he was more than happy to be one.
"Did you get the money?"
Klein asked with an amused tone when he saw Lynch come back.
Look at him. Was he really that worried?
He looked as if he thought someone might rob him of those two pounds on the way!
"I got it. When are we having dinner?"
Lynch felt his stomach, which seemed to have emptied out again. He'd done a bit of exercise earlier, and had already digested everything.
"Wait a little longer. Melissa won't be back for a few hours."
Klein muttered, then pretended not to notice Lynch's disappointed look. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Aren't you worried?"
"Worried about what?"
Lynch looked puzzled.
He didn't think there was much to worry about when he was with the protagonist.
Besides, the Antigonus Notebook had already been taken away. What could go wrong?
"The officer said it was normal for everyone to die when something like this happened. Aren't you scared?"
Klein asked, a little panicked.
Lynch shook his head.
"What's there to be scared of? I'm just an outsider, so it probably doesn't have much to do with me, right? If you have time to worry, why not help me figure out how to spend this money?
"Maybe I should use it to bribe Officer Mountbatten and see if he can get me a job. Once I get promoted and earn more, I'll take you along and we can get rich together!"
Klein: ...
Could you stop saying things that sounded like a doomed extra in a TV show?
It was kind of touching that Lynch still wanted to take him along to make money, but those words really sounded like something people said right before disaster struck.
But then again!
"If you're going to bribe Officer Mountbatten, can you include my share too? I want to work for him as well!"
Klein looked at Lynch with a shameless grin.
Lynch said that was no problem.
Klein would soon have a job of his own anyway. He definitely wouldn't be interested in working as a police auxiliary, so Lynch agreed casually. He didn't have to follow through, and it would still earn him some goodwill.
"Thank you so much! I'll give you another half a loaf of black bread. It's my share!"
Klein gratefully invited Lynch to pick out some bread from the bag.
Lynch didn't hesitate. He found a clean piece of bread, broke off most of it, and happily ate it with some water.
He had to admit, food he wouldn't have looked twice at before tasted delicious now.
He was still a little hungry, though.
He lay back on Klein's bed and decided to take another nap to get through the agonizing wait.
He really must have been tired. By the time he woke up, Klein was already cooking.
The delicious smell filled the house, making Lynch's stomach rumble nonstop.
"When will Melissa be back?"
He inhaled the fragrant air deeply and asked Klein, mouth watering.
Klein checked the clock.
"Soon. About two minutes..."
Before he could finish, the door opened.
Melissa stood in the doorway, holding her hat and bag. She looked rather unhappy, and she gave Lynch and Klein a distinctly unfriendly look.
"I went to your company. Benson told me they fired you, which means you might not be able to come up with two pounds and ten soli."
She looked worried.
If Lynch couldn't pay and Klein couldn't pay either, then when the doctor came asking for the money, they might have to give up the valuables in the house. There weren't many valuables to begin with.
"Don't worry. Officer Beech Mountbatten came by today. He promised to help us get the medical bill reduced to three pounds. He also told me that since they thought I was involved in a case, my boss had to deal with me so often that he fired me. So they gave me two pounds in compensation."
Lynch waved his wallet.
Melissa relaxed, then turned to look at Klein.
"Did you really hit him?"
She still seemed unable to believe that Klein had hit someone, but Klein admitted it.
He nodded, looking ashamed.
"I don't know why I did it. Maybe I'd had a little to drink last night, and my head wasn't clear on the way home. Then Lynch stopped me, and the alcohol went to my head... I was wrong."
He saw the reproach in his sister Melissa's expression and lowered his head guiltily.
"Alcohol went to your head? You men shouldn't drink at all. A true gentleman would never do something like that!"
Melissa glared at Klein unhappily. Then her expression toward Lynch gradually softened into one of apology.
She hadn't believed him earlier and had treated him badly. She really shouldn't have done that.
Klein had hit him, and all this gentleman asked for was half the medical bill. He was so generous.
"How about this? You can eat here until you find a job. I won't charge you for meals."
That was wonderful.
Lynch almost wanted to bow down before Melissa.
What a generous and kind young woman!
Before you continue