Became a Failed Experimental Subject Novel - Chapter 4

After I started heading towards the apartment complex every day to eat freshly made hot dogs, I gradually stopped rummaging through other trash cans. No, lately I felt like I didn’t even need to rummage through trash cans at all. 

The reason was quite complicated. The police, harassed by daily complaints, informed the apartment residents that I was an Esper. As a result, the residents’ gazes softened slightly, and unfounded rumors spread as whispers circulated. They spun quite plausible tales: a powerful Esper who fled because of PTSD; someone whose intelligence decreased after losing their lover to a monster; someone who used to live in this apartment but lost their child to a monster and the reason for living. 

The fact that I kept coming to the park, that I didn’t flinch when children approached, and the fact that I was called an Esper, all combined to create a wave of sympathy. According to the hushed conversations, some even thought it wasn’t bad to watch me bathe. It’s a peculiar hobby, enjoying watching someone bathe.

“P-Please, only use this faucet, okay?”

“Mm.”

“The other faucets are for the children, so don’t touch them!”

“Understood.”

Some mothers even designated a faucet exclusively for me. Since I followed their instructions, they seemed to think I understood and viewed me more favorably.

“Just having him in the park is pretty good, isn’t it? He washes every day.”

“I saw him hand-washing his pants the other day! So carefully…”

“Oh my? He took off his pants? You saw that alone?”

“No, at night…from outside the window, oh my! It’s just that my house is conveniently positioned to see it!”

“It’s a prime location, a prime location. Should I suggest moving there?”

One day, almost unused shampoo and body wash were thrown away in the trash. Knowing what they were, I happily used them to wash myself. The top of the bottle broke after one use, but I used them very well.

“Anyone have a spare razor? Should I throw away a razor?”

“How dangerous! If you’re going to throw one away, an electric razor is better, right?”

“My husband has one he doesn’t use, but will he know how to use it?”

“He’s not an animal, he’ll figure it out.”

They threw away a razor too, and after a somewhat clumsy shave, a broken mirror was discarded next. So I set up the mirror in a corner, had a clean shave, and tried to cut my hair with the razor, giving up halfway. The blade was already dull after just one shave.

“…Seriously…isn’t he handsome?”

“What’s his clothing size? Would my husband’s old clothes fit him?”

“Oh my, I’m going to buy him a bed at this rate!”

Somehow, the items discarded in the apartment park’s trash cans increased, eventually including a pillow and blanket. Though I didn’t mind sleeping on the ground, the pillow and blanket were a novelty, and I wondered what it would feel like, so I used them and slept. After that, there were shoes; they didn’t fit, so they were simply discarded.

Then, a decisive change occurred one day.

“Ahahahaha! Whoa?!”

“Oh my, honey! Are you okay?! Oh my, oh my!”

A child who jumped off a swing and flew too far, about to hit the iron railing. I threw the haphazardly bundled pillow and blanket, protecting him. The child was unharmed, and I went back to sleep. That night, the trash can was full of food.

“I told you he was a real Esper! Suddenly, in an instant, the blanket flew like that!”

“Really, if it weren’t for that person, the child would have been seriously hurt!”

“It’s cheaper than hiring a playground safety officer, right?”

“If he’s an Esper, he might catch a monster, like having a giant guard dog…”

“Are you really that kind of person?”

The park’s trash cans gradually became cleaner, with items appearing that seemed more like gifts to me than trash. Recently, there were scissors, and I tried cutting my hair. Whether it was a difference in beard and head hair, it barely cut, but I managed to trim my bangs.

“He’s seriously handsome, isn’t he? Really?”

“And what a great body!”

“Shall I give you some clothes?”

“No, don’t give me clothes. I’m covered.”

“Oh my! Oh my! Did you see that? When he pulled up his pants, his lower abs…”

“You’re always looking at things like that?”

Sleeping bags, blankets, parasols, tents, pots, gas stoves, sausages, even an icebox.

It was extremely difficult to set up and use these things without breaking them, so I received help from the police.

“Ah…I really don’t understand…Why did people complain so much if they were gonna do this…?”

Around this time, the police stopped coming every day.

Seeing me settled in the apartment park, the people who had filed complaints were reportedly dumbfounded.

Now, there’s even talk of building something like a security booth for me to stay in.

“What…it’s not a doghouse…”

“I’m not a dog.”

“But lately, you’re no different from a dog.”

I received and ate a hot dog from a police officer.

He didn’t come every day, but he still had to buy me hot dogs.

Now, it’s not just food, but more and more necessities are accumulating, so I don’t even feel the need to go to other trash cans.

Having settled here, I spent my days playing with the children.

“You’re a beggar, you’re stupid! Why don’t you know this?”

“This is Pipikung…this is Yuikung…?”

“No! This is Pipikung Origin! This is Yunakung! Yuikung’s twin sister!”

“What’s the difference? Aren’t they all the same?”

“They’re all different! That’s why beggars are hopeless!”

Even without physical contact, the children seemed to enjoy just talking, giggling and playing in the playground.

Sometimes they gave me some of their food, and I carefully received it with both hands and ate it deliciously.

As a result, mothers who hadn’t brought their children to the playground started bringing them back.

And increasingly, they left their children in my care while they went out.

“I’m going to that park over there!”

“No, you can’t.”

“Mom gave me candy! It’s mine! Give it to me!”

“It’s not time to eat yet.”

I took care of such children and received food in return.

Before I knew it, I had become the man who looked after the children in the playground.

Rather uniquely, I always went shirtless.

“Oh, you’ve worked hard~ Did the child brush their teeth properly?”

“He doesn’t even brush his molars properly.”

“I did brush them!”

“Hey! Mom told you to brush your teeth properly!”

“And I ate four candies.”

“Ugh! Why are you tattling!”

“You’re only allowed to eat two candies a day! No candy for you tomorrow!”

“Aaang!”

“Ah! I’m sorry, here, for looking after him today.”

“Ooo…”

“Okay then…please, eat quickly.”

I received a large chunk of meat from the child’s mother and took a bite right there.

Lately, it seems to be a trend to give me large pieces of meat and watch me eat it.

It was a little strange that they kept watching, but the meat was delicious, so I didn’t mind.

“Haah…really…you’re like an animal…”

“I’m not an animal.”

“Ah, I know…do you need anything?”

“Just a few more cushions.”

Now they even brought me what I needed, so I asked for cushions to protect the children from injuries when they fell.

They seemed to enjoy me blocking them with cushions, so lately some children even jumped down on purpose, so I needed many.

The cushions couldn’t withstand the impact and tore after a single throw.

“I’ll tell the Women’s Association, then, have a good night~”

“Hmm. Little one, goodbye.”

“Tattletale! I’m not saying goodbye!”

And so, I settled in the apartment park.

For me, who wanted to eat delicious things but had no way to work, it was a stroke of luck.

Here, delicious things appear every day.

And there were plenty of things to practice controlling my strength.

“Hmm…”

Recently, I’ve been trying to control my power to the maximum without transforming into a monster.

It was difficult because the whole world felt like eggshells or pudding in my memory, but it was worth a try.

I couldn’t just destroy everything and live, and it was a good way to spend time.

“…Success.”

For the first time, I successfully held a bottle with both hands, twisted off the cap, carefully lifted it, and drank the contents.

If I keep practicing like this, maybe someday I’ll be able to pick up an egg without breaking it.

Perhaps I’ll be able to eat the food in the dish… If so, I want to try the hot soup.

Even now, I can eat it by scooping it up with my hands from the boiling pot, but I spilled too much.

Again, this time I was about to raise the difficulty level and lift a glass cup…

“What are you doing?”

“Um.”

So focused that I couldn’t even sense a police officer’s presence, I dropped the glass because of the sudden voice.

Seeing the glass shards falling without even scratching my skin, I swept them up with both hands.

“What are you, a cat? Why are you breaking glass cups and playing around?”

“You made me break it.”

“What did I do?”

“Clean it up. The kids will get hurt playing.”

“No, why should I… Haa…”

The police officer, while grumbling, cleaned up the glass shards neatly.

Then, he opened my icebox without permission and took out the whiskey inside.

“Wow…These aunties are crazy, now they’re giving you this too?”

“It’s yours.”

“Huh? Is that okay?”

“It’s not very tasty.”

“Um…? It’s delicious? Your taste buds are really like a child’s.”

The police officer, taking out ham to eat as an appetizer, sat next to me and drank the alcohol gulp after gulp.

“Kyaa~ This is it~ Drinking alcohol on night patrol, the best~”

“You’re a bad cop.”

“This world is bad, there’s too much work for one cop! You never know when a monster will appear, and they expect a single cop to patrol all alone!”

“Why patrol alone?”

“Well, if you die, you die alone to reduce the loss of human life. There aren’t many crazy people who become police officers, so one person’s role is finished with one radio call before they die.”

Indeed, it’s rational.

The police officer, whether drunk in that short time, continued to complain about his job.

“Life is just scraps of paper~  Espers at least have superpowers, I really know there are many people who risk their lives like this in the world today, but only police officers and firefighters risk it this much.”

“Hmm….”

“It’s crazy, why am I a police officer…Haa~ My family is worried too, why haven’t I quit yet.”

Hearing that, I completely empathized with the police officer’s family.

A dangerous job, people worry because it’s dangerous, but why do they do such a job?

“Knowing that, why are you a police officer?”

“Because someone has to do it for people to maintain their daily lives, Ugh~ Then it’s better for a crazy person like me to do it. I can handle my own hardship, but I have a hard time seeing others suffer.”

I was speechless.

Not because it was absurd, but because I somehow understood.

“It’s a tough job.”

“It’s tough! Extremely! Monsters pop up everywhere, there are many complaints, and no matter how hard you run, people die.”

“But, it’s the right thing to do.”

While trying to wash my hands several times, I touched the slightly frayed firefighter pants.

“To maintain daily life, someone has to do it…”

“…Come to think of it, aren’t those really old firefighter pants?”

“Um.”

“You can’t find those these days… Where did you…”

At that moment, I felt an unpleasant presence.

In the air… no, beyond the paranormal, the gap in reality.

Things that moved around the apartment using special abilities.

“Monster.”

“…Yes?”

“Go to the shelter.”

Immediately after saying that, the sound of sirens filled the apartment.

And on the police officer’s radio, the address of the apartment they were currently in was repeated, and the monster’s level was announced.

The level was Crushing-Class, and the number was multiple.

The lights in the apartment, which had been off, turned on one after another.