Chapter 5: Arriving Home with Katelyn

Honk~!

That was fast!

Hearing a car horn, I turned around to see Katelyn pulling up in a sleek, midnight purple car. It looked expensive but nothing overly extravagant. If anything, it resembled a luxury edition of a Camry from Earth. And let me add—it looked brand new. Not just recently purchased new, but just rolled off the production line new.

As I waited, I watched a few other cars from the same brand pass by. None of them looked as sharp as hers. Either they were older models, or they just didn't have the same presence.

Katelyn stepped out after double-checking that the car was in park. Watching through the windshield, I couldn't help but laugh as she suddenly panicked, thinking it was still in drive. Her eyes widened, and she visibly slammed on the brakes—even though the car wasn't moving. Sighing in relief, she finally opened the door.

"That was a close one!"

"No, it wasn'—Ow, ow, ow!"

"Shut it!" She grabbed my ear and pulled me down, our faces suddenly closer than ever. All I could see were her golden eyes. Her rhythmic breaths brushed against my face, making me freeze. I couldn't react or think past what was happening. I had never been in a situation like this before, and the fact that she did it in public was crazy!

Silence enveloped the area. Okay—minus the sounds of the city, of course.

"Um..." The only sound I managed to let out was a confused mumble.

She realized the situation she had put us in.

"M-My bad. I'm so used to hanging out with Ophi."

"It's cool. Honestly, it was kinda cute. I'm almost upset I ruined it!"

"S-Shut it! Just put the groceries in the trunk." She grabbed a few bags and stomped toward the back of her car. The whole scene made me chuckle lightly, even covering my mouth to stop the sound from traveling.

I grabbed another set of bags and organized them in the trunk. By the time I finished, she was back with the last set. After making sure everything was packed neatly, we hopped in.

She opened up the GPS app. "Go ahead."

Nodding, I entered my home address—and god damn, it was quite far. A whole two hours!

"Jeez… two hours. Will I even make it?" Katelyn sounded conflicted.

"It's okay, you know. I don't mind finding another way."

"No, no, no. I said I'd help! It's just… this premiere airs in three hours."

"Then… wanna just watch it at my place?"

"Wow… already trying to introduce me to your family, huh? You think you got a shot or something?" She put on the best disgusted face she could muster, but it was too unnatural. Especially with the stupid grin plastered on her face after she said it.

"My~ To think you're already so open to the idea~!" Placing my palm to my cheek, I acted like a blissful maiden.

"GOD! H-HOW—JUST LET ME WIN ONE TIME!"

"Heh."

"Don't heh me!"

Shrugging my shoulders, I stared at her while she drove. I knew she could feel my gaze, and after my arrogant response, I was certain she wanted nothing more than to punch me in the face.

"Fine. Still, we just met, so you'll have plenty of time to do so."

"Oh yeah. We did just meet! It feels like we've been friends for ages, though."

"You're right."

Getting one last glance at her, numerous thoughts ran through my mind, but I shook my head, clearing them away. I shifted my focus outside the window and just relaxed as she drove, taking in as much of this new world as I could—its beauty, its unfamiliar yet welcoming scenery.

I think I admired one particular beauty enough today.

[Socializing reached Level 5]

'Oh yeah!' I had completely forgotten about the Record, even though it was the sole reason I was about to meet Katelyn today.

'Record.'

[Yeah?]

'I was supposed to check my skills, so let's go ahead and do that.'

[Sure. Allow me to explain a bit.]

[You were able to keep four skills from your last world. As for the rest, unfortunately, you lost them due to world travel conditions.]

[The four skills you kept are: English (Max Level), Complex Reasoning (Level 6), Emotional Reasoning (Level 4), and Shamelessness (Level 5).]

'W-Why keep shamelessness, dude?!'

[Dude... Don't dare insult me with such a mortal classification.]

'I wasn't! Chill, D-U-D-E.'

[Tch. This is why you damn mortals don't get to interact with the Record.]

'Calm down... and aren't you more expressive than before?'

[Imagination.]

'My ass!' I closed the Record, ending our little disagreement.

Watching the cityscape shift into a vast expanse of trees and water, I reflected on my skills. We had just gotten onto a bridge, hence the sudden change in scenery, but anyway...

Emotional and Complex Reasoning sounded exactly like what I thought they were—Complex Reasoning referred to my ability to think and process information, while Emotional Reasoning was the ability to analyze and understand emotions, whether my own or others'. English was self-explanatory; it was the language I had spoken all my life. Funnily enough, it was the same language here. Shamelessness... well, I don't think that one needs an explanation.

Since everything was easy to understand, I turned my full attention back to the view. Before long, and at some point, we had arrived at my home.

A visibly expensive, two-story estate stood before us, surrounded by a sprawling, meticulously maintained front yard. Its architecture was a seamless fusion of French and Italian influences, exuding both grandeur and refinement. The symmetrical façade, tall arched windows, and intricate wrought-iron balconies reflected a distinctly Parisian charm, while the smooth stucco walls, terracotta-tiled roof, and decorative cornices carried the warmth of classic Italian villas.

At the entrance, a majestic front porch was framed by tall, fluted columns, their Corinthian capitals adding a touch of Greek classical elegance. A pair of ornate double doors, adorned with intricate gold detailing, stood beneath a large semicircular transom window, casting soft light into the foyer. 

"Holy Eizkel! Didn't know you were loaded."

'Little does she know, I didn't either!' I deadpanned. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Turning away from the passenger window like a malfunctioning robot, I slowly looked at her.

"I-uh… can buy Sweet Fish anytime?"

"Hehehehe~ Why are you acting so weird?"

"..."

"I accept your offer, though! Free Sweet Fish is a deal of a lifetime!"

"So, you accept my attempt at asking you out?"

"I—Bastard..."

"This one time, I will apologize. I just wasn't expecting to pull up to this."

"What do you mean?! This is your home, no?"

"I-I meant the yard being so clean!"

She peered into my soul. Cold sweat ran down my forehead, and all I could do was look away awkwardly.

"Let's just hurry up. I have a premiere to catch, and you better have popcorn!"

She hopped out of the car and opened the trunk. I followed, though much slower, preoccupied with my thoughts.

Tonight, is going to be a long one, isn't it?