Irregularity

Balance

Ever since Ivan confirmed it, I was not able to get it out of my head. To think that someone was spreading something like that here in the city. That alone is dangerous.

If what they talked about was true then the drug or whatever it is has a deep connection to the abnormal appearances of Irregularity Breaks that’s happening all over the city. For now, the Exterminators are still able to contain the Irregularity breaks, but what if it continues to grow in numbers? Will the Exterminators be able to keep up?

Now I understand what my fellow classmates were talking about. I also have grown restless. And if this continues, my college life and my hope for graduating college will be at stake.

I’ve decided. For the sake of my life, my family’s life, I will do everything I can in my power, though small, I have to do this for me and my parents.

I told myself that, I have resolved myself to do that, yet I was immediately hit with the biggest problem.

“How can I do that? Will that cost money?”

‘Money’ The one thing that I wouldn’t be able to fool around with so easily. Money is the only thing that’s allowing us to live, after all. There’s no way I can spend my hard-earned money so easily.

“For now, let’s just think of other ways that don't involve money. But where should I start?” I asked myself, thinking deeply what I should do from now on.

I don’t normally spend my free time like this. Right now, the library is the only place that offers me a peaceful environment to think about complicated things. I can probably do my investigation here, but it would be troublesome if people find out what I’m doing. There are a few people that interact with me here, after all.

And just as I was just thinking about the people that talked to me in the library, I heard something slamming on the table right beside me. It was Herta, my usual companion here in the library.

“You look troubled. Something bothering you?” asked Herta, in a rather soft whisper-like tone.

Well, that would be obvious she’d speak that way, we are inside the library, after all. It would be terribly troubling if she were to raise her voice in such a place like this. Instead of answering her immediately, I turned to look at the books she dropped on the table.

“Those are ... advanced ones, you usually read intermediate books. That’s new.” I told her.

She didn’t say anything and just sat next to me.

I thought she would get into reading the books she brought, but to my surprise, she just stared at me.

“...W-What?”

Silence. She didn’t respond to me and just continued to stare at me.

“Hey, Herta. Is there something wrong? Why are you just staring at me? Didn’t you come here to read?” I asked her.

I thought she’d continue to remain silent, so I turned my head away from her. When I did so, she grabbed my arm.

“We’re not really close enough to tell each other our troubles, but I can at least lend you an ear you know?” said Herta.

Indeed. We’re not really that close. We just run into each other most of the time and we rarely interact with each other outside the library. We’re still basically strangers to each other. So seeing her behave and speak this way is a surprise to me.

“It’s not just my troubles, you know.” I told her.

When I told her that, she let go of my arm and sat properly as if she was willing to listen.

“If it’s not your troubles alone, can you share it with me?” she asked.

I hesitate for a moment. I don’t know if she’ll find it weird if I tell her that I’m troubled about the abnormal Irregularity Breaks, but there’s a part of me that somehow thinks she’ll understand me.

“It’s about the abnormal Irregularity Breaks these days.”

Her expression immediately turned stiff. Did she perhaps find it weird?

“I understand. So that’s what’s troubling you, huh? Well, I can understand. That is indeed something that involves a lot of people, no, that involves the citizens living here in the city. Thus, it involves me too.” said Herta, putting her hand close to her chest as if she is claiming it as her troubles as well.

Despite saying that, I doubt that really troubles her that much. I spent a good amount of time with Ceri so now I can definitely tell that Herta belongs to a wealthy family. If something goes wrong and the Exterminators are not able to contain the Irregularity Breaks anymore, I’m sure she will leave this city along with her family. But I can’t tell her that.

“So? I’m guessing the main part of your trouble is that you won’t be able to continue to college if the situation worsens. Am I right?”

“Well…. Yes, you’re right. For me, this is a chance to change our lives after all. It would really suck for me to stop here after everything I’ve done over the years. I don’t know what will happen to us if that really happens.” I told her.

There’s no need to hide that fact from her if she’d already seen through it herself. And it’s not just me, I’m sure the others who are aiming for college have this concern as well.

 “Aren’t you concerned about it yourself?”  I asked.

“No. Not really.”

A rather quick and straightforward answer. 

Just as I thought, going to college really isn’t her priority after all.

Herta slid her hair over her ears and smiled, “I’m sure the Exterminators will do something about that, so there’s no need to worry about it so needlessly. We’re just students after all. There’s a limit in what we can do given the current situation. Rather than think about the negative things, it's better to hope that doesn’t happen, am I right?”

Does she really mean what she’s saying? No, she’s right. Since we’re still students, there’s nothing much we can do but leave it to the Exterminators’s care. But that doesn’t apply to me since I may have something that can change the current situation of the city.

I couldn’t help but smile to myself.

“Thanks, Herta. That helped a lot. I was able to get a load on my chest.” I told her.

She just smiled back and turned away from me, and reached out to one of the books she brought and started reading.

After our brief conversation, I spent my time thinking about the ways to get in touch with the person Ivan met without spending too much money. I listed a few things but I ended up narrowing it down to 3 possible ways.

1.  Stay late at night and pretend to buy sleeping pills from pharmacies and hope to bump into that person eventually.

2. Stay out late at night and look out for suspicious people. 

3. And lastly, ask Ivan for that person’s number. Assuming that he still has the number and that person hasn’t changed his number yet.

The 3rd option might be impossible since Ivan backed out from their deal, so it’s possible that that person had already changed his contact details. After all, if he is trying to spread the drug all around the city, he would be cautious even to a certain extent. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make any sense.

After making a list, I turned my gaze at the clock hanging atop the door of the library and realized it’s almost time for my part-time job. I bid goodbye to Herta and thanked her earlier. Speaking to her made me sure of what I should do. I thought I already resolved myself by looking into the one trying to spread the drug. But after being hit by the first and obvious problem, I immediately started to waver.

As a citizen living in this city, I cannot just leave everything to the Exterminators. Yes. I will make my own path. I will leave the combat to the Exterminators while I find that person. And after I confirm things on my end, I will give them the results of my efforts and they can take it from there.

Right before leaving for my part-time job, I paid a little visit to the first pharmacy along the way to canvas for the prices of sleeping pills. After getting the information I wanted, I head straight to my part-time job, where it’s hectic as usual.

After my tutoring session with Ceri, I paid a visit to all the pharmacies that were still open and gathered information about the prices. Some are pricey, while some are cheap. Not only that there are varying brands of sleeping pills from a single pharmacy alone, other pharmacies do not sell sleeping pills without prescription from a physician.

That alone is already a big hurdle. Medical consultation will surely take a total strain on my limited funds. I will surely have to reconsider my approach in this matter. I took out my earnings for the past few months. Just by thinking that I’ll be using it for my investigation hurts my heart. But this is for the sake of my successful college life. This is a small sacrifice I have to make for that to come true.

For me to continue and achieve my dream, I have to make sacrifices. That, I told myself.

I spent the next few days hunting around the city hoping for a free consultation where I can get a physician’s prescription all while asking for the prices on every pharmacy I stumbled across.

They all ask me the same thing ‘Why?’ 

I can’t tell them the real reason and just tell them something convincing. And to my surprise, they accepted my reasons like it wasn’t even necessary. If they’ll accept my reasons so easily, why bother asking? Well, that makes things far easier for me so I refrained from saying anything.

And after more than a week, I finished everything. I traveled all around the city and finished asking all the pharmacies about the prices of the sleeping pills they are selling. And almost half of them need a prescription from a physician. That’s the biggest problem since there has not been a single clinic that offers free consultation even after walking around the city looking for one.

“Hah~”

I let out a deep sigh after sitting out on our Physical Education activities. All that night strolls have finally taken a toll on my body. 

“Dude, you look like you’ll pass out any moment now. Why don’t you go to the infirmary and take a rest?” 

Ivan immediately noticed my condition and brought it up. Though even without him saying so, I can tell that I badly need a nap. If I continue to strain my body any longer, I would be in a lot of trouble.

“Yeah, I’m hardly getting any sleep lately.” I told him.

Ivan offered his hand, and I took it. 

“Thanks.”

“Oh, come on. This much is nothing. I’m your friend after all. I can’t just leave you to your own devices.”

Ivan chuckled and helped me reach the infirmary safely.

“I’m surprised you managed to go to school even in this state,”

“I know, right? I’m surprised about it myself. I can hardly keep my eyes peeled the entire time. It would be bad to skip school so maybe I pushed myself too hard.” I told him.

Instead of asking me about it, Ivan kept silent and opened the door to the infirmary.

“Ms. Owen, can I enter?” Ivan said,

And from the other side of the door, a calm and soothing voice responded, “Come in.”

This is the first time I paid a visit to the infirmary. As soon as I entered, my eyes were immediately fixed on the person sitting right across the room. Even though she wore a lab coat, it didn’t hide her ridiculously amazing body figure. She is awfully young and beautiful as well.

Before I knew it, my face felt like it was burning.

“It’s been a while, Ms. Owen.” 

Thanks to Ivan’s voice, I was brought back to my senses and I was able to compose myself.

“What do you mean ‘It’s been a while’? You were here the other day after getting an injury.”

Even though she’s scolding Ivan, the tone of her voice doesn’t change. It just shows how kind she is. 

While thinking about it, our eyes met.

“Who is this? A friend?” she asked.

“He he, yes. He said he has had a hard time sleeping recently so I brought him here before he passed out.”

Upon hearing that, she immediately moved to offer me a bed to rest. 

“Good thinking, Ivan. It would be troublesome if your friend passed out.” she said, praising Ivan.

Ivan, shyly scratched his head all while being flustered. He likes it that much, huh? Well, that’s not really my business. Surely enough, anyone would be glad to hear some praises from someone like her, so I don’t blame him at all.

“I’ve stayed here longer than I should be. I’ll be excusing myself now. Please take care of my best friend, Ms. Owen. I’ll come back later.” Ivan waved his hand, looking all lovestruck and then turned to me, “Don’t worry about your class, Ren. I will make sure to inform them.”

“Thanks, Ivan. I owe you one.” I told him.

He looked at me with a smile and told me it was nothing and left.

“You two are best friends, huh? I didn’t expect him to have a friend considering his personality.” she said right after Ivan left.

“That’s true. He is a handful but he is a good person.” I said, weakly.

I can feel my consciousness slipping away. Ms. Owen noticed it as well and advised me to rest. I did as told and before I knew it, I fell asleep.

By the time I woke up 30 minutes later, Ms. Owen just finished taking care of a student’s injury. She wrote something on a paper and handed it to the student who thanked her and left. At that moment, I just realized something.

‘Prescription’ is the only word that I thought of after seeing that single interaction.

Ms. Owen noticed that I had woken up and walked up to me immediately.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“A little better after sleeping for a bit.” I told her.

She smiled after hearing that was the case, “That’s good,” She went back to her desk and wrote something on a piece of paper, which I hoped was a prescription. “Ivan said you were having a hard time sleeping recently, right?”

“Y-Yes.” I replied.

“If that’s the case, I will prescribe you something that might help you sleep.”

Wait, wait, wait! Are you kidding me!?

I spent all that time seeking a free consultation to get a prescription when there was something like this right under my nose the entire time!?

I feel utterly frustrated and defeated that I zoned out for a moment. Just thinking about how idiotic I was made me want to die.

 I couldn’t help but bury my face under my palms. It’s stupid of me. Indeed, I’m stupid.

“Are you okay?” asked Ms. Owen.

She reached out to me. She took my hands away and examined my complexion. After telling her I’m fine, she stopped and handed me the one thing I have been searching for a long time.

“Here, I considered the cheapest sleeping pill that wouldn’t hurt your pocket, so make sure to get those, okay?”

She gently patted my head, and with a smile on her face, she said, “You must take care of your body well. Health is wealth, after all.”