"Beep~"
"Whoosh~"
On the third day, just as Noer lay bored out of his mind, staring blankly at the ceiling, the door slowly opened.
"Hm? Why are you here?" However, the person who entered made Noer's pupils contract slightly.
Why? He did not know this person's exact name, but the man before him was definitely a scheming bastard!
A peculiar mask covered the upper half of his face, while his wavy blond hair was smooth and striking.
His slender, lean frame stood straight and tall, and the part of his face exposed beneath the mask was refined and elegant...
If anyone in SEED had left a particularly deep impression on Noer, aside from those protagonists who were constantly active, this man was one of them.
After all, it was hard to forget someone who constantly wanted to destroy the world, kept a clear head, possessed formidable combat ability, and was highly intelligent.
But what was this man doing here?
Did I know him?
Or did he know me?
And why was he wearing black? Wasn't he supposed to wear white?
"You... know me?"
Cruze, wearing his mask, noticed Noer's unusual reaction and asked hesitantly.
There was something off about this man's gaze, and what did he mean by "Why are you here?"
When Cruze had seen him last time, hadn't he still been unconscious?
"I don't know you." Noer answered from his specially made hospital bed.
Unless absolutely necessary, Noer had no desire whatsoever to get involved with this man. He even felt that Cruze's intelligence ranked among the very best in the world of SEED—calling him on the same level as Lacus and that councilman would not be an exaggeration.
Cruze stood there in silence for a moment after hearing that. After carefully examining Noer, he said, "It looks like you're recovering quite well."
Although he was somewhat puzzled by Noer's attitude and tone, he was human, not a god. He could not think of any other explanation.
"Thank you for your concern. I'm recovering fairly well," Noer replied blandly.
What was a guy like this doing here? I'm not trying to destroy the world!
He seemed to be the commander of some squad, and Athrun was his subordinate. If Noer wanted to join the main cast, did that mean he would have to follow this guy around in the early stages?
The thought made Noer feel terrible.
Would he end up getting sold out if he spent every day around someone constantly planning to destroy the world?
Wait, he did not seem to be a Coordinator. He could not pilot a Gundam either, so naturally he would not be joining any squad. Then... never mind.
For a moment, Cruze did not know what to say.
He found it strange. Why was Noer so guarded around him?
And he clearly seemed unwilling to say much more to him, which Cruze could not understand.
According to the investigation, Noer was a naturally withdrawn person who harbored extreme hatred toward Naturals on Earth. At the same time, because of his young age, his way of thinking was supposedly rather simple.
But now, that did not seem to be the case at all. He was completely different from the person described in the investigation report.
As a result, Cruze could not bring himself to say the speech he had prepared beforehand.
"Beep beep~"
"Whoosh~"
Just as the two stood in silence, each lost in his own thoughts, the room door opened again. The familiar researcher pushed a small cart inside.
"Get some proper rest. We'll meet again in the future."
Cruze suddenly smiled when he saw the medicine on the cart, then left the ward under Noer's gaze.
Perhaps he had revealed his eagerness a little too clearly.
"There's something wrong with that."
Cruze's smile made Noer's heart pound with unease, and an inexplicable sense of foreboding arose within him.
Recalling those fragmented memories of the plot, Noer truly wanted to grab Cruze by the neck and tell him, I really don't know you! Please stop looking for me!
"You know each other?" The researcher could not help asking Noer as he watched the door slowly close.
"I don't know him." Who knew that crazy bastard!
If his body had fully recovered and he had not been stuck lying there without any way to run, Noer would have fled long ago.
Was the food at my orphanage bad?
Or were the girls at the orphanage not pretty enough?
I'd rather stay at the orphanage than come here to die!
Come to think of it, he had no idea how Asya and the others were doing. He hoped everything was all right.
Although—
The researcher was clearly stunned for a moment after hearing that, but he did not say anything. He simply picked up a syringe, walked to the bedside, and gave Noer an injection.
"By the way, how much longer until I can be discharged?"
The pain in his arm pulled Noer back to reality. Watching the liquid slowly enter his body, he truly could not take it anymore.
When would these days of being able to do nothing but lie down finally end?
His legs could actually function normally, but according to the researcher, he had accidentally taken some Gene Potion No. 4, which had caused widespread necrosis in his body's cells.
It was somewhat like that congenital hereditary collagen fiber disorder—brittle, fragile bones that could not withstand impact. When Noer had first awakened, even turning over could cause a fracture. It was practically lethal.
In other words, what people on Earth called Glass Bones.
However, this terminal illness on Earth could be treated in PLANT. Moreover, since Noer did not have congenital Glass Bones, his recovery was progressing quite well.
The researcher's hand visibly trembled after hearing him. He calmly retrieved the syringe and said, "Soon. You'll be discharged very soon."
"Really?"
Noer was getting a little scared. I only asked when I could leave the hospital, so why the hell was your hand shaking?
"Really. But for certain reasons, you may need to keep taking medication after you're discharged." As he spoke, the researcher placed the syringe back onto the tray on the small table without turning around.
"Medication? Is it expensive?"
Noer's first thought after hearing that was whether it was expensive! Could he even afford it?
"Hm?" With his back to Noer, the researcher was bewildered by what Noer chose to focus on.
You were asking whether it was expensive? Shouldn't you normally be asking what illness you had?
"Very expensive?" Noer grew a little nervous at the researcher's reaction.
"Not expensive."
"Then..."
"One million per bottle."
"H—crack~"
"Ahh~..."
"Send someone to Ward Six immediately! The patient's bones have fractured!"
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, an hour had passed~
Noer lay on the hospital bed with countless splints securing his body, completely devoid of the will to live.
Five doctors stood beside him, having set and fitted his splints.
According to the researcher, the medicine he was using was a customized specialty drug.
Not only was this medicine unavailable anywhere except here and not circulating on the market—
The ingredients and various research costs alone put its market price at roughly one million per bottle. At the same time, one bottle only covered five courses of treatment, with each course lasting five days. Averaged out, that came to forty thousand a day!
And according to the researcher, he might have to take it for... a very long time.
The exact duration would depend on how his bones recovered.
But the preliminary estimate was that he would need to take it for at least... around two years!
Forty thousand a day. Two years meant more than seven hundred days. Forty thousand times seven hundred equaled twenty-eight million.
Add in all the medical expenses, and the total came to approximately...
Should I try seeing if I can transmigrate back?
That thought could not help surfacing in Noer's mind.
"Oh, right. These are your letters and videos."
Just as Noer was questioning his entire life, several doctors finished securing him completely to the hospital bed.
At the same time, the researcher took out a video player and several letters, placing them beside Noer's pillow.
Noer looked over lifelessly.
"Actually, there's no need to be so despairing. It's only two years. It'll pass quickly. And if you recover well, you may not even need the full two years." Noer's expression had unsettled the researcher. It was only two years—was there really any need to be this despairing?
"Heh." Noer gave a bitter laugh. Was time what I was worried about?
"Get some rest."
After saying that, the researcher shook his head, turned around, and left the ward with the doctors.
Before you continue