NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12: Free Money
Saiki (thinking): I should've teleported home by now. Walking around with these two always leads to trouble.
(Nendou, Kaidou, and Saiki are walking down the street. Kaidou, as usual, is talking about some weird conspiracy.)
Kaidou: Saiki, Nendou! I can feel it there's something wrong with the energy in this area. I wouldn't be surprised if the Dark Reunion has planted traps around here.
Nendou: Huh? What are you talking about, man? It's just a normal street.
Saiki (thinking): It's definitely a normal street. For now.
(As they continue walking, Kaidou suddenly stops, staring at the ground.)
Kaidou (wide-eyed): Wait… What's this?
(He bends down and picks up a 5000 yen bill lying in the middle of the road.)
Kaidou: Is this... money?
(Kaidou inspects the bill closely, checking if they are real.)
Kaidou: It's real… But this is strange. Money just lying around like this? Could it be a trap?
Saiki (thinking): It's not a trap. Just take it and keep walking.
Kaidou (thinking): No, wait. I can't take this. It feels wrong. I'm better than that! I won't let the temptation of money control me!
(He drops the cash back onto the ground and stands up.)
Kaidou: No. I won't stoop to this level. It's just money… nothing more.
(Nendou, who has been staying behind, catches up and sees Kaidou leaving the money behind.)
Nendou: Hey, Kaidou! What's that? Money?
Kaidou (nervously): Uh… yeah, but it's not mine, so I'm leaving it there.
Nendou (grinning): What? Why? If you're not gonna take it, I will!
(Nendou immediately grabs the money Kaidou dropped.)
Nendou: Man, what a score! Oh, wait, there's another one!
(He points a little further down the road where there's another 5000 yen bill lying on the ground.)
Nendou: Go on, Kaidou. That one's yours!
Kaidou (flustered): W-what? N-no, no! I can't just take money like this. Isn't this, like, a crime or something? We're basically stealing it!
Nendou: Stealing? Nah, man. It's just lying there. It's fair game. If you don't want it, I'll take that one too.
Kaidou (panicking): No! Wait, stop! I'll take it, okay? I'll take it!
(Saiki watches this whole scene unfold, wanting to move things faster.)
Saiki (thinking): These two idiots… Kaidou's acting like he's making a moral stand, but he's clearly just embarrassed. And Nendou… well, he's being Nendou.
(Kaidou hesitates, watching around nervously as if someone's going to jump out and accuse him of stealing. But as soon as Nendou steps toward the second 5000 yen bill, Kaidou picks it up.)
Kaidou: Fine, I've got it! But this doesn't feel right…
Nendou (laughing): See? No big deal. It's like finding a 5 yen coin, just a bit bigger, y'know?
Kaidou (muttering): Yeah, but a 5 yen coin dosen't come with this kind of moral dilemma…
Saiki (thinking): Moral dilemma? It's just money someone dropped. They're both hopeless.
(Kaidou, now holding the money, looks worried. He sighs his anexiety, scratching his head.)
Kaidou: Ugh, I'm a thief now. The Dark Reunion must be behind this, trying to corrupt me with easy wealth. I must resist their influence!
Nendou (grinning): Relax, man. You didn't steal it. You just picked it up. If someone wanted it, they shouldn't have dropped it.
Kaidou (shaking his head): No… this has to be a test. I've fallen right into their trap…
Saiki (thinking): He's going to make this into a whole thing, isn't he?
(Nendou pats Kaidou on the back)
Nendou: Hey, don't sweat it. Let's grab something to eat with our yen bills! We're rich, baby!
Kaidou (panicking): We can't use this! What if it's cursed money? Or marked bills? We'll get arrested!
Nendou: Arrested? For what? Picking up free money? You're overthinking it again.
Saiki (thinking): Why am I still here?
(Kaidou hesitates, still looking around nervously, but as Nendou walks off with the cash in hand, he follows, torn between his paranoia and his hunger.)
Saiki (thinking): I could just teleport home right now… but knowing them, they'd manage to get into even more trouble without me. Good grief.