NOVEL WEB Chapter 220
“No matter how strong a returnee’s backing is, it doesn’t cover driving without a license on the road.”
Why am I saying this? Well, it’s because I’m currently driving without a license.
“So… I just pull the clutch like this… and then is this how it works?”
I turned to Myungho, who was sitting in the passenger seat, asking if I was doing it right. He shook his head, lamenting that if I were actually driving on the road, I would have either crashed or hit someone by now.
“I know a thing or two about driving, so I can kind of guide you, but it seems like you’re still not keen on it.”
“It feels like my brain is being touched directly… I’ll pass, thanks.”
Myungho understood the discomfort and said there’s no rush, so taking it slow wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Then he seemed to recall something and added a bit more.
“Oh, by the way. Even if your brain is touched, you feel nothing, kid. Even if poked with a finger, you won’t feel a thing, right, Altera?”
With a chuckle, Myungho teased Altera in the back seat. A quick glance in the rearview mirror told me Altera’s face turned bright red, likely embarrassed by the memory.
“I thought it would feel amazing, honestly.”
Wait, memory? Shouldn’t those kinds of things not be remembered? Listening to this sounded like they had a past of actually messing with brains.
“Um… I might be stepping out of line with this question, but you really… opened it up and touched it yourself?”
Even though they’re from a completely different world, did they really physically touch a brain?
Forgetting that I was practicing driving, I turned to look at them, but they just insisted I focus ahead.
“Oh! Right. Yes.”
“When driving, you must always keep your head looking forward. Only glance at the side mirrors or look around when stopping.”
“Understood…”
“Still… I get it. This is probably way more interesting to hear while driving. Want to hear it? Then I’ll share…”
“Ah, no, no, no! Stop it! What are you trying to say in front of the kid?”
Myungho, with a mischievous yet playful grin, began telling me an old story despite Altera’s active protests.
“It’s nothing much. Just when we were younger, we got into all sorts of trouble, and Altera randomly suggested something. She kept nagging me to tell her because she was curious.”
He particularly emphasized that Altera initiated the suggestion, clearly with a teasing intent. But since that was strictly between those two, I felt shaky just listening, fearing the repercussions if anyone else found out.
No matter how she cared for me, if someone discovered that story, they would definitely not let it slide.
I tried to think of some excuse like, “I didn’t hear anything, my ears were clogged!” as I glanced at Altera in the rearview mirror…
Surprisingly, she wasn’t angry or glaring but just had her head down, looking shy.
“Lady, is it okay for me to hear this…?”
Thinking maybe she wasn’t giving me attention because she was still embarrassed, I asked, and surprisingly, Altera replied I could listen without worry.
“Since it’s already known that I have a night life, what else is there to hide…”
Altera sighed deeply, while Myungho laughed uproariously, asking her if she really believed that.
“Isn’t there a lot to hide? Are you really confident you won’t regret it?”
“Hey! You might actually get killed that way?!”
“Hahaha, of course, I’m just teasing. There’s a certain dignity you have, so I’m not going to spill everything.”
Even while teasing, Myungho pointed out each mistake I was making while driving, explaining exactly what I needed to correct.
Even if I wouldn’t drastically improve my driving skills in a short time, I felt like I had a bit more understanding of what to do… maybe.
“No matter how I see it, writing it with a brush seems way faster.”
Since Altera seemed frustrated watching from the back, she voiced her thoughts, but Myungho asked if this was still better than the rare chances they had to go out together.
“That’s true. But could we ease up on teasing about old stuff…”
“I think this is just the right amount? Your past must be quite colorful.”
“…It seems like your nightlife was quite eventful.”
“Well, it had to be quite colorful. At first, I just lightly asked for a little slap and a hit—”
“Hey!!!”
All the interesting stories made it hard to focus on driving lessons today.
Still, if I had to take something away from it, at least I became a bit more skilled at driving and realized that what I touched inside Altera’s head had something to do with magic.
…The latter wouldn’t change anything, though.
– – – – – –
When I finally came to, it was almost time for Lapiz’s end-of-semester finals for the second year. Time really flies, but I also thought that it made sense.
Unlike out there, nothing significant was happening here.
While other people actively went out and faced various experiences, I had been mostly holed up at home, so time felt like it was zooming by.
Especially when I would zone out, only to hear about the world outside changing drastically, it often felt surreal.
While I was just peacefully wasting time doing chores at home, what was making such a racket out there?
Just a year ago, I was actively involved, and now, hearing stories about the state of the world felt like they were from a different realm.
There was indeed a slight sense of otherworldliness to it… but wondering if all the chaos I once contributed to was finally bearing fruit felt a bit unsettling.
Just today, it was said that Ain and Shape-Shift Ability Users banded together, filling the streets to protest against living under discrimination.
Even the heroes sent to disperse the demonstration ended up having debates about which side was more just, causing divisions among themselves between supporting or suppressing the protest.
And somehow, Lapiz ended up swept up due to her interning at the office with people siding with the Shape-Shift Ability.
Even the media, though still keeping an eye on Heros Company, was subtly trying to escape the leash with articles criticizing them.
It felt surreal to think society might genuinely be changing soon, yet I couldn’t help but worry about what would happen to my friends when that big upheaval occurs.
“We’ll survive somehow since we have abilities. But what about you? With your ties, you won’t be able to pull out if something goes down,” Myungho expressed his concern for my situation.
But honestly, I wasn’t worried at all. With walking earthquakes around, what was there to fret over?
Returnees, regardless of societal collapse, were the kind who could establish society based on themselves.
So why would I worry about anyone when I worked under such people? Even if I was a servant, I was a servant of a noble.
I was better off than your average commoner.
“I envy you. I’m trembling day by day. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but experiencing it firsthand makes you feel a whole different vibe about revolution,” Myungho sighed deeply.
“I can see why your boss chose violent struggle,” he said with a long sigh.
“Pressure keeps building up, but if you ask if anything is changing, it doesn’t feel like it. I’m scared I might not see any fruits of this in my lifetime.”
“Is that what you’re saying about talking with him? It sounds identical.”
Telling Myungho that his boss chose armed struggle for exactly the same reasons, he shuddered and made it clear he didn’t mean to become a terrorist.
“Of course not. If those idiots fail to learn from that experience and act like they can reform society, they’re just asking for Heros Company to be their demise, not me.”
Myungho shivered slightly, calling it a chilling statement.
But it was no joke; it was a serious concern.
“We’ve arrived. Make sure there are no listening devices in the house.”
“…Thanks, maybe I really should get a driver’s license or something.”
“What about this? It’s fortunate I can be of some help in this way.”
Waving goodbye to Myungho, I texted Lapiz that I’d be picking her up soon, who was likely still playing around with Ageha.
Having gotten my driver’s license about three weeks ago, suddenly it felt like I had many opportunities to use it.
Plus, being able to roam around outside under the pretense of driving was a huge advantage.
Somehow, since my face wouldn’t be recognized, it felt like I had much less to worry about.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely safe. Occasionally, cars without black license plates would tail me.
But it was still far better than just walking around.
Thinking about what kind of stories Lapiz would share today, I also secretly hoped she wouldn’t get herself involved in anything too dangerous.
Without the Evil Society around, as long as Lapiz keeps quiet, there shouldn’t be any more threats coming our way.
But knowing our lady, there was no way she’d let anything noisy go by unnoticed…
So, I guess I’ll just have to endure all the trouble myself.