Chapter 3: First Steps to Freedom
A stranger.
Mom used to say not to follow people I don’t know, but what choice do I have now?
An unfamiliar place, an unfamiliar body.
In a situation where I know nothing, there’s no room for choice.
If I’d started in a proper place, I wouldn’t be moving so hastily.
I’d have investigated this body thoroughly, taken my time.
But where I am is no cozy home—it’s a cold, desolate laboratory.
Abandoned for who knows how long, with dusty cobwebs and no signs of life, it’s a place full of nothing but bad vibes.
The best move is to get out as fast as possible.
Wearing a tattered gown, I cautiously follow the man.
He doesn’t look back at me even once.
Is he treating me like some weirdo after that pathetic display earlier?!
Okay, that’s a bit unfair.
The original owner of this body must’ve been bedridden for ages—my muscles barely work!
Let anyone try being in my shoes.
Let’s see if they could move properly in this situation.
By the way, walking barefoot feels so strange.
Not at home, but in this unfamiliar lab, the cold floor against my soles is oddly unsettling.
It doesn’t hurt, but it’s just… weird.
Ugh, I want a shower.
As we keep walking, we finally reach what looks like the lab’s main entrance.
This place is needlessly huge—it took forever to get here.
Am I imagining it?
My legs feel like they’re trembling…
“Ah…”
Not my imagination.
They’re really shaking.
I don’t know why, but I’m trembling for real.
Am I tired?
No, I didn’t feel any leg pain on the way here, and I’m not even out of breath.
This body’s performance seems better than I thought.
But despite that, my legs are shaking strangely.
Now that I’m aware of it, I’m even breaking out in a cold sweat.
What’s happening?
Is this some mental condition I don’t know about?
But my mind feels perfectly clear.
It’s a weird feeling.
My mind is fine, but my body’s reacting like someone with trauma, trembling uncontrollably.
Could this be…
I haven’t been up for long, but walking this far must’ve worn me out!
Scratch what I said earlier—this body is weak.
My breathing’s getting heavy, and I feel like collapsing.
It’s the classic signs of exhaustion.
Can I rest for a bit?
“Um…”
I try to speak cautiously, but instead of a reply, a hand reaches out.
“Huh?”
My hand is grabbed firmly.
The rough, calloused texture of an adult man’s hand reminds me of my old hand, and I blank out for a moment before snapping back to reality.
Is this guy seriously dragging a tired kid who just wants to rest?!
No way I triggered some self-destruct mechanism, right?
Nah, that can’t be it.
If I’d set off a self-destruct device, there’d be red sirens and a voice counting down the seconds—that’s the rule.
So why’s he rushing me like this?
“W-Wait a second…”
“It’s okay.”
Okay? What’s okay?!
My legs still hurt!
I shoot him a glare of protest, but he just keeps patting me, saying it’ll be fine, and drags me along.
I think there’s a big misunderstanding here.
Shouldn’t I clear this up?
I try to say it’s just leg pain, but he’s already pulled me to the entranceව
Entrance.
The moment we step outside, my mouth stops working.
“Ugh, ah…”
A sudden strange sensation.
My breathing quickens, and my heart starts pounding hard.
I cover my mouth with my free hand.
Something’s wrong.
I walked here, sure, but I didn’t exert myself enough to feel this exhausted.
Maybe it’s not just fatigue?
The man looks at me with an indescribable expression.
Oh, I know that look.
Back in middle school, I had a friend who was terrible at sports.
When he couldn’t keep up with us running across the street before the signal changed, he was left behind, and we gave him that exact look.
Roughly translated, it’s…
“You’re tired from just this?”
That kind of look.
Ugh, embarrassing!
No, wait!
It’s not lack of stamina—there’s something else going on!
Probably?
I can’t think straight.
I have so much to say, but the words won’t come out.
Is this that thing where you have so much to say but can’t speak?
No, idiot.
“Ha…”
With a sigh like he’s given up, the man steps closer.
What’s he doing?
Suddenly, he says, “Excuse me,” and places one hand on my shoulder, the other under my knees.
Wait, no way?!
“No, don’t…!”
The princess carry?
This humiliating support method is the worst!
I’d rather be piggybacked or slung over his shoulder!
But no matter what I think, reality is cruel, and my words don’t reach him.
He lifts me effortlessly, like I weigh nothing, with an air of ease.
“Sorry. But this way, you don’t have to walk, right? We’re almost there, so just hang on a bit longer.”
His soothing voice reminds me of a gym trainer.
“Come on, you’re almost there. One more rep! One more! Okay, great job! Just one more set!”
While I’m lost in thought, he carries me and steps outside.
Chirp chirp, the sound of birds.
The faint smell of some unknown grass tickling my nose.
The breeze brushing my hair, the sun shooting laser beams into my eyes.
“Ah…”
The forest is so perfectly beautiful, I can’t help but gape.
It’s probably an ungraceful look, but I’ve honestly never seen nature this pristine.
The forests I’ve been to were man-made, touched by human hands.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
I nod blankly at his question.
It’s breathtaking.
Just breathing here feels healing.
“Welcome to the outside, IA.”
IA…?
Is he talking about me?
Come to think of it, I’ve been clueless about this body’s situation.
What’s my face like?
What’s my name?
How old am I?
All I know is the feel of this girl’s body under the gown.
“IA…”
I mutter it without thinking, and he flinches.
What?
Did I misinterpret?
Was that not my name but some kind of code?
“…If you don’t like it, we can change it to another name.”
I shake my head lightly.
It’s not that I dislike the name.
Sure, I had a fleeting thought that IA doesn’t sound like a person’s name, but that’s it.
“So, is IA okay for your name going forward?”
“Yes.”
IA.
The name I mumbled rides the breeze and soars into the sky.
The man tells me to wait a moment, then returns with a pair of small sandals.
He says to try them on, so I slip my feet in.
They’re a bit tight but wearable.
It hits me how different this foot size is from what I remember.
My old feet would never have fit in sandals this small…
“Let’s walk a bit. I wanted to bring the car closer, but there’s no road.”
“Tell me if you get tired.”
I flinch at his casual remark.
Do I look that unreliable?
Then again, considering how I was panting before we left the lab, it makes sense.
Plus, my current appearance probably doesn’t scream “dependable.”
I feel a bit down.
My old stamina would’ve let me sprint without issue.
I can’t just ignore his kindness, so I nod, but I’m determined not to say anything.
Don’t underestimate me!
A healthy mind lives in a healthy body.
It’s all about willpower!
*
Maybe it really is willpower, because I don’t even get winded walking to the parked car.
The man gives me another indescribable look.
Feeling proud, I puff out my chest and strike a confident pose.
See? I’m not weak!
But why’s he making that face again?
Is my pose that embarrassing?!
Now that I think about it, what am I even doing?
Did possessing this body mess with my head?
Mortified, I hang my head.
He quietly opens the passenger door for me.
That silent kindness brutally shatters my fragile heart.