A peaceful day off. A short trip to the market.
That was the plan.
After weeks of nonstop training, pain, and being called "healer-kun" by battle-hardened adventurers, I thought I deserved a little break. Maybe buy a clean shirt, pants that don't smell like burnt monster guts, maybe even snack on a warm bun or two.
Simple, right?
But nothing is ever simple… when you've got a body possessed by the holy ghost of charity.
As soon as I stepped into the market, I already knew something was wrong.
The sun was shining too brightly.
The merchants were too cheerful.
The world felt... hopeful.
Which meant something awful was about to happen.
"Kind healer, please spare some coin…"
A raspy voice reached my ears. I turned, hoping—begging—it wasn't directed at me.
It was.
A group of beggars sat huddled near a fruit stall, ragged, thin, eyes pleading. I gritted my teeth and tried to keep walking.
I will not stop. I will not stop. I WILL NOT—
My legs froze. My pouch loosened itself. Three silver coins were gone before I even blinked.
"WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS—?!"
I glared at my hands like they were traitors. "Do you think I'm made of money?! I sleep on hay and eat burnt potatoes!"
My voice earned a few stares. I didn't care. My sanity was at stake.
"This body… this cursed, bleeding-heart body. I work my ass off training, dodging blades, eating dirt—and it just gives money away like I'm some saint from heaven?!"
But I kept walking. I had to. Maybe that was the last one. Maybe now I could actually shop.
Wrong.
"Mom, I want the dragon plushie…"
I heard the child's voice, but I kept my eyes forward. I didn't even glance.
"The kind man has money," the child added.
I swear my eye twitched.
The mother knelt beside her son, whispering something about saving money, about how times were hard. My steps grew faster.
Not my problem. Not. My. Problem.
Suddenly, my feet stopped.
Again.
My body turned. My hands reached into my nearly empty pouch.
"No, no, you bastard hands—don't do it! DON'T YOU DARE—"
Two silver coins hit the vendor's stall.
The child gasped. The mother cried.
And I?
I stared at the sky like a broken man.
"I trained in mana control. I withstood poison drills. I memorized over thirty herbs by name. And I just gave my last savings for a plushie?!"
By the time I stumbled into a quieter alley of the market, I had one silver coin left.
One.
Not enough for armor. Not enough for supplies. Maybe just enough for a cheap set of clothes—if the gods were feeling merciful today.
That's when I spotted it. A small, hidden shop tucked between two loud, flashy stalls. It looked like it hadn't seen customers in days.
Good. Less temptation. Less chaos.
I walked in and found a simple white shirt and brown pants. Clean, decent. I tried not to cry as I handed over my last coin.
The old shopkeeper smiled warmly. "Thank you, young man."
"Don't thank me. Thank this cursed body," I mumbled.
I stepped outside, finally clothed, finally done.
"I'm broke again…" I muttered. "But at least I look decent."
Then I saw her.
A woman sat under a tree nearby. Thin, frail, her clothes ripped and faded. Beside her was a boy—no older than ten. His shirt was torn, bloodstains on the hem, bruises on his arm.
Maybe they were robbed. Maybe they were kicked out of their home.
I felt it. That familiar twinge.
No. Don't even think about it.
My jaw clenched. "It's none of my business," I said aloud. "They're strangers. This has nothing to do with me."
ZAP.
My entire body stung. My legs buckled. My feet moved on their own.
"I SAID NO, DAMN IT!"
But my body didn't care.
I walked up to the boy. I took off the shirt. I took off the pants.
And I gave them away.
The woman covered her mouth. Tears rolled down her cheeks. The boy hugged the clothes like they were made of gold.
And me?
I was running. Shirtless. Barefoot. Emotionally bankrupt.
"I need to run before this body makes me give away my underwear too!!"
By the time I reached the adventurer's guild, I looked like a lunatic. My hair was messy. My legs were covered in dirt. My expression was hollow.
Lia looked up from the counter.
"…Cassian?"
I nodded slowly.
She stared. "Where are the new clothes?"
I collapsed into a chair and whispered, "Gone…"
She blinked. "What do you mean gone?"
I spilled everything.
The beggars. The plushie. The boy under the tree. The hellish rebellion of my body.
When I finished, Lia looked at me for a long, silent moment.
Then she sighed. "I don't know if you're kind… or just a certified idiot."
"I'm broke," I whispered, voice shaking. "And naked…"
A few adventurers nearby, who had overheard the tale, chuckled. One gave me a thumbs-up. Another clapped. Some shook their heads in pity.
And someone whispered the same words I'd already heard too many times today:
"The healer is too kind…"
I buried my face in my arms.
Next time, I'm not leaving my room. Not even for fresh air.
This body is cursed.
I don't need enemies.
My own body is already sabotaging me.
To be continued...