I Was Abandoned by My Fiancé and Betrayed by My Best Friend—A Story from Rock Bottom - Chapter 11

I accidentally dropped a 100-yen coin, and it rolled under the refrigerator…

“Damn it! These things are always so hard to get out…”

Even when I tried poking it with a ruler, I couldn’t reach it, and using chopsticks just made it roll around uselessly…

As I lay on the floor sighing, my eyes fell upon the red capsule on my desk.

“…No way, right?”

I opened the box and picked it up.

Rolling it in my palm, it glowed faintly.

“Ah, what the hell!”

With a determined heave, I tossed it into my mouth.

Then, heat rushed through my throat, and a pulsing sensation spread deep in my chest.

After my heart settled a bit, I stood in front of the refrigerator again.

“I guess I have no choice but to do it.”

I crouched down and grabbed both handles of the refrigerator.

It’s a small one, so I don’t think my back will give out.

“Alright, on three!”

I put all my strength into it and it lifted up effortlessly!

“Wh-whaaat?! No way!! It’s lighter than my workout equipment!!”

In my shock, I nearly bonked it against the ceiling and hurriedly put it back.

Out rolled not just the 100-yen coin, but also an earring I’d lost ages ago.

“…Seriously, how much stuff have I been storing under there?!”

I laughed, but my heart was still pounding.

◇ ◇ ◇

The next day.

As soon as I got to work, I thought, “Oh no!”

A cardboard box filled with about five kilograms of documents lifted up with ease.

In that moment, my senior coworker beside me stared in shock.

“…Huh? Are you a forklift?”

“N-no, no! I just got a little pumped up!”

I tried to cover it up, but while cleaning the coffee pot, I accidentally used too much force and broke the handle off.

Cold sweat poured down my face.

“S-sorry!”

“Honestly, what’s going on with you today, Yudou-san…?”

(This is bad! I just can’t control my strength!)

I felt a red light pulsing deep in my chest, and I grew even more flustered.

◇ ◇ ◇

That night.

Exhausted, I sank into bed, and my consciousness drifted away.

Before I knew it, I was standing in a white stone temple.

‘…You seem to be in trouble.’

With a clear voice, Lady Aphrodite appeared.

Her beauty, as always, nearly made me swoon.

“Lady Aphrodite! I can’t control my strength! I lifted a refrigerator, and at work, I keep breaking things!”

As I cried to her, Lady Aphrodite smiled and picked up a glass.

She lifted it gently with her fingertips, careful not to disturb the water’s surface.

‘Strength is not just for “pushing,” but also for “supporting.” When you support something, you naturally care for it. If you do the same, think of the person or the situation. Your strength won’t run wild.’

“With care I can control my strength?”

‘Yes. For example, when you hold something heavy, if you embrace it with a desire to protect it, its weight will harmonize with you. On the other hand, if you use your strength out of anger or impatience, you’ll only end up breaking things.’

Somehow, her words sank deep into my heart.

“…Can I really do it?”

‘Yes, you can. Precisely because you know weakness, you can handle strength.’

Lady Aphrodite said that and gently placed her hand on my head.

Warmth spread through my chest, and I felt tears welling up.

“Lady Aphrodite~”

I clung to Lady Aphrodite’s skirt and cried into it for a little while.

◇ ◇ ◇

When I woke up, the afterglow of the red capsule was still faintly glowing in my palm.

I tested it by picking up a glass of water and holding it lightly.

—It didn’t break.

“…I did it!”

I made a small fist pump and smiled.

Then, I remembered Lady Aphrodite’s words from my dream.

—”Strength for supporting.”

That phrase echoed again and again in the quiet night.

I decided I would train myself so I wouldn’t struggle in daily life.

—Meanwhile, I still hadn’t noticed the small changes beginning to take place in my body.