20 COME OUT, PLEASE! (1/2)
Lirzod was still sitting inside the bathroom, not knowing what to do. He kept hearing threatening words from the outside.
”I've been waiting for thirty minutes! If you don't come out in the next minute, I swear on my beard I will break the door!” A tall but sturdy guy roared as he banged the door with one of his cupped hand, while the other hand held his belly firmly.
”This is the longest I've seen someone shed weight!” Another guy standing beside him was shocked. ”Maybe he's suffering from serious constipation. Why don't you let him —”
”Shut up!” The big guy neglected his roommate's words and resumed his banging. His facial expressions changed for the worse with every passing second.
The other could only control his laughter.
Lirzod yawned. ”Geez, this guy doesn't seem like he'll stop. What's their problem? Maybe his stomach is one the verge?” He frowned. ”No, the Darling Twins must be forcing him to act.” He stood and came near to the door. ”Ahem, can you hear me?”
The big guy waiting outside, startled, and then ground his teeth. ”Yeah, I can you hear you, you dumb shit! Come out this very instant or I'll beat the living crap out of you.”
”Why don't you shut up and let the Darling Twins speak, huh?” A voice came from the inside.
The big guy froze for a moment. (Did he just say Darling Twins? Wait, now that I think about it, he was talking casually with the Darling Twins, which means… He knows them?) His eyes enlarged. (He may even be a member of Egg Diggers. F*ck, I'm screwed!) He looked at his stomach. (This is bad.)
”What's wrong?” Lirzod spoke out. (Hmph, the surprise explains their silence. So they are waiting outside after all. Tch, they are this persistent just for some stupid sandwiches.)
”Uh, nothing,” the big guy replied in haste, and he no longer dared to knock the door. ”The Darling Twins are not here. Only me and my roommate are here.”
Lirzod smiled while nodding his head. ”Oh, is that so?”
”Yes, can you come out quick?”the big guy clutched his stomach tightly. ”I don't know how much longer I can hold on.”
”If your stomach is upset, why don't you just go and use the bathroom of the neighboring room?”
”Of course, that's not possible. You should know that as well. If one uses other people's rooms without their permission, they will be forced to pay 10 silver for the room owner as per the rules!”
”Hmm?” Lirzod was puzzled. ”You can just take the permission of the neighbor. Then you won't have any problem.”
”That's the main problem!” the big guy rose his voice. ”Nobody would give us permission for free. They will make use of this chance and at least ask 5 silver! Who would pay 5 silver for shitting?”
”Really?” Lirzod raised his eyebrows. ”But I've never heard of such poop rules.”
”What?” the big guy was on the verge of crying. He slowly collapsed to his knees. ”Come out, please!”
(As expected, he's diverting the topic.) Lirzod went back to his spot and sat on the toilet seat.
Meanwhile, at someplace else on the tenth deck.
Burton was strolling in a corridor of the T Block. What his eyes noticed was that most people were significantly taller than the humans he used to see. He was yet to see a single person who was shorter than six feet. Some people had bellies that were thrice as bigger than Allda had which in itself could be called abnormal.
”Don't get fooled by their misleading figures,” A raspy voice reached his ears, making him look to the side. He saw a seven-feet tall gray-skinned old man wielding an ax which rested on his shoulder. Despite his appearance, his muscle definitions were abnormal. to say the least. ”They are much quicker and agiler than they look.”
The first thing Burton's eyes laid on was the giant ax, and he coincidentally realized that the old man had six fingers on his hand.
”You look older than forty. Are you not?” Burton said.
”Old, I am. But not forty yet,” the old man chortled. ”Want to enter the block?” He pointed his thumb to his behind where there was a closed door, and at its top,the signboard read 'M Block.'
”M Block, so this is the Muscle Block…” Burton said and paused a moment. It seemed like an ordinary room, like the rest, but the only difference was the details on the signboard. ”What's inside?”
”Why don't you find out for yourself? It's free.”
”But, are there consequences that I may not like?”
The old man tilted his head sideways, just a little. ”Smart kid, aren't you? Just reverse everything you've read in the guidebook.”
Burton froze for a moment and source of distress appeared on his lips. ”So, it's like a slave contract with no guarantee of their future.”
”Somebody has to work for others to get free bread and booze. The day-to-day life of Entries goes undisturbed because of us Hollows who help you Entries in reaching the top of the ship,” the old man's voice turned even hoarse. ”If you can't digest it, then walk away, kid.”
”You don't have to tell me that,” Burton resumed his walk.
”Hmph, I can't wait for the day when you will enter a Muscle Block. Remember my name, Karak! It might be of use, just in case.”
”Karkarak, yes. I will remember it,” Burton replied without even looking back.
”You cheeky brat,” the old man gripped the handle of his ax tightly and was about to lift it but then glanced down at his feet where there was a small cockroach that just happened to pass by. His hand swiftly grabbed it and a second later, a couple of crunching sounds followed due to the exercising of jaws.
Meanwhile, Sariyu was strolling in the T Block.
She didn't have a pleasant expression on her face. One after another, some men came and asked to let them be her Offsider. ”I was expecting to find a girl Hollow to climb along with, but why can't I find a single one?”
It irked her that at every turn, a new group of two to three men began to follow her and didn't give up until she reached the end of their corridor. It made her pick up the pace just a bit.
At one of the turns, she almost ended up colliding with Burton.