Episodes 112. New Tech

In a speeding two-door car, I sat with an empty stare next to Haran, who was focused on driving.

She was clearly angry about what had happened earlier. I had blindly messed everything up, even to the point of destroying that woman's phone.

Her silence made this quiet situation feel like it was tearing me apart.

"You're quite something, huh? You can stop a fight very quickly."

I tried to start a conversation to break the ice.

I had to find a way to resolve the issue; otherwise, I would just keep losing friends or allies.

However...

She didn't respond, her eyes still focused on the road, treating my words like they were just passing winds.

This was painful. I never knew being ignored could hurt this much.

"I don't know if you're listening to me or not, but I just want to say one thing to you..."

I had to say it. I had to be brave enough to say it.

I had to change!

Even if Haran's eyes and ears were still ignoring my existence, I would still say it.

"... I am truly sorry..." I bowed my head, holding my chest. "... Especially about your phone earlier, I am really sorry. If you want, I can replace it."

I was confused and didn't know what to do.

At least compensation usually solves basic issues, but not matters of the heart.

Geh... It's so hard; why is talking about feelings so difficult?

"Heh..." Haran finally spoke, though her face remained stern and focused on the road.

Her red eyes reflected my hollow and guilt-ridden face.

"... I'm not mad about that, and I don't need compensation..."

Huh? What does she mean?

"Huh?! Why not?!"

"I'm not a poor person like the victims you've ruined before. I can buy whatever I like. Asking for compensation over just a phone would destroy my image as a rich person. Moreover, people would think poorly of me if I asked for compensation while owning a car like this."

What that woman said was true; the scariest thing in the Nusantara isn't the immense power of Anitya or even Nova. The scariest thing is society's perception of someone.

The more famous and higher the position a person holds, the more every little move they make will be evaluated.

One small mistake, even if you are right a million times, can still destroy you because of how society views you.

The internet spreads too quickly, even uncontrollably. With memes, even true or hoax news will still be believed because they are seen as jokes.

"So, what can I do to make it up to you? I can't just stay silent and pretend this never happened."

Even though Haran refused compensation, I still wanted to do something as an apology.

A corner of her mouth lifted... She smirked and looked at the busy road with disdain.

"Do something, huh? Would you do anything for me?"

"As long as it's not something weird..."

I immediately dismissed any request that was beyond reason.

Sometimes I don't know what's on this woman's mind; she can even think of something weirder than my weirdest thoughts.

"Oh... In that case, come to my house. I need something from you..."

"Yo-your house? Sis-sis Haran means Sis Haran's house?!"

Oh, come on... What's on her mind?

Will she make me a slave to her sadism?

Wait, why is that the first thought that comes to my mind?

Think of something more logical...

More logical!

For some reason, after trying to think logically, my body became hot and excited...

Am I blushing?

"Don't worry, I just want you to extract all the Anitya elements in my experiment."

"Eh..."

Oh, so that's all... But what for?

"Wait, were you thinking something lewd?" Haran smiled mischievously at me, her face still focused on the road, leaning closer to me.

"Of course not, I was just thinking that Sis Haran would torture me-"

Oh no, slip of the tongue!

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Why did I say that?!

Damn...

"Wow... So that's what you were thinking. I didn't even think that far(She distances herself)... Really, having a masochistic junior sometimes brings a lot of strange surprises... Hahaha"

Well, my dignity is already shattered in front of this woman. I might as well stay silent and lament my stupidity.

Anyway, about her request earlier...

"Haran, what's the purpose of extracting the Anitya elements?"

"Want to know?"

"Of course, I can't just give something like that because what Sis Haran is doing is inherently suspicious..."

"Don't worry, it's just an experiment to test new technology..."

"New technology?!"

What other surprises will come this decade?

If the 2030s were the surprise of Anitya, the 2040s were the surprise of Pageblug technology, then what will the surprise of the 2050s be?

"Actually, this is classified information, but since it's you, someone who can keep a secret, I'll tell you for free..."

Whoa, is this woman serious?!

"The latest technology, Hover Wings and Hover Shoes... As the names suggest, these two technologies will allow users to fly in the sky without relying on wind elements."

"Consumers can choose whether they want wings that will be worn on their backs or shoes that will be worn on their feet."

"The issue with this technology is how to make these items fly by converting the power of Anitya into wind..."

"It's somewhat similar to past technologies... Where wind, water, or solar energy can be converted into electricity. Electricity can be converted into heat, electricity can be converted into wind, and other inventions that rely on such formulas."

"Do you understand?"

I understood the basics a little, but the method of conversion is a complex matter. Even with the Anitya patch that occurred during the Teacher Test, Haran would clearly have to start her experiments from scratch.

"Haran, does the new Anitya patch mean you have to start your research from scratch?"

Her sneering smile disappeared as if stolen by a thief. "Yes, because of that patch, I had to restart my experiments and fix every bug that emerged due to the changing Anitya coding."

It seems my guess was right.

"Well, Sis experiments aren't like Pageblug, which is just a weapon that can insert Anitya energy, but instead change it into a specific element. One change and I'll need a lot of bug fixes. Is that okay?"

"What else can I do? This is my job, not only as a teacher but also as a world-changing technologist."

She looked sharp as if piercing and scattering everything in front of her.

She was ready to face something bigger.

I didn't know what was on her mind, but she was definitely ready to face it without fear of losing her life.

SRTTT!

The car stopped right in front of a simple-looking house.

"We're here!" Haran showed me her simple-looking house. "Say hello to a house that looks like a poor person's."

I bold and italicized that phrase because she was clearly deceiving everyone around her.

I mean, who the hell has a sports car, and a large experimental lab only owns such a small house?

There must be a hidden room inside.

And I'm not making this up...