Chapter 5: Suspicious Shop

Looking at the number on my phone, a wry smile etched on my face.

'Egil...' Best friend of Vincent. Because of his circumstance when his father became explorer to find trace of his mother, Vincent need to move from place to place many times in his life.

As a result, Vincent finds it difficult to keep contact with his friends or make a new one. He became an introvert and usually end up alone without friend most of his childhood. When he already accepts such a mundane life, they met again.

During middle school years, Egil coincidently transferred to Vincent's middle school because of his father's work. At first, both don't realize each other, and truthfully both don't have much good impression on other. Vincent is like a gloomy loner at the time, and Egil is just a bubble of excitement that's always in high tension.

There's no way these two can match well, but after some incident together, both realize their history and, surprisingly they quickly hit it off quite well. Vincent also often spent time with Egil and his family and maybe because of this relationship that his father thinks it's okay to leave on such an uncertain journey one year back.

I tap on the screen and answer it.

Vincent: Yo.

Egil: Yo, how's it going, dude? Let's grab some lunch!

Vincent: I'm good though. Isn't it too late for lunch?

Looking at my laptop, the time was already a few hours past lunch time.

Egil: Ehh... 3p.m is lunch though and nope, I reject your rejection. There's no way I gonna eat alone.

Vincent: But I have date though...

The moment I answer that, silent spread on the other side.

Egil: ...Hey, Who the hell you wanna kid? Whole world knows between you and me, I'm the one that gonna break that single barrier first.

Vincent: And who decides that?

Egil: Huh?... Wait, you're not serious aren't you?

Vincent: ...

Egil: Woi! Answer me bastard! Do you betray me!?

Vincent: Pft...hahaha. Just kidding bro, so when you wanna go?

Egil: Phew... you're kidding, huh? Almost made me buried my best friend. So, you're on?

When he said that, I could hear some clanging sound from other side 'Did he really get shovel!?'

Vincent: The heck... this fucker. Sigh... ah sure. I had some business somewhere first though.

Fooling around aside, I do want to go out. I mean, since I come to this world; I hadn't seen the outside world much yet. Sure, I had Vincent's memory, but as they said, seeing is believing right. Of course, socializing is important too. Umu.

Besides with what I had found during testing, there's something that I can get immediately.

Egil: Eh, does it take long... how about I come too?

Vincent: ...how bored are you? I don't think it will take much time but sure though. Let meet up near station's north gate. That place is not that far from there.

The place we're living in now are known as Academy City and though this is a magical world, many transportations still look the same as on Earth. They just work differently. Arcana cores are used as fuels instead of gasoline or electric. The same with trains. The station is a place where we often hang out together.

Egil: Sure...then, let's meet later.

"Su...he cut off"

Putting my phone on the table, I stand up from the chair and stretch a bit. I expect to feel sore a bit from this morning but unexpectedly, my body feels much better than before.

'Maybe because I'm still not used to this body before?'

Crunch!

"Hmm..." with a satisfying crackling sound, I grabbed a set of outfit from wardrobe.

Black turtle-neck sweater and black denim jeans.

I am glad there is something simple as these. To be honest, I don't know how to style my clothes. For all my life, I don't really know much about fashion. I'm always found it hassle to decide what to wear and even when I try to think, it's always ending up with outfits like this. All black. The most universal combination for men.

'Should I hire a maid?' Nah... I don't have much money yet. How would father react from heaven if he saw I used money he left behind to hire a maid?

If he did not disown me, he undoubtedly shakes his head in Asian dad's disappointment. He not even Asian.

Putting on my leather jacket that hanging near the entrance, I grab a bike key with excitement.

'Dad said to wait till I got my license,' but since technically I had one in my previous life, that should count, right? I doubt he would care. Dad actually much more free-spirited that what he seems.

"Well, who cares? Just gotta careful not get caught."

Sliding into my boots, effectively adding another inch to my height, I make way to the parking lot at ground floor. Although in this new world, there're a lot of things that make me eager to dive into, there's also some mundane thing that man like me wouldn't help but find it exhilarating too.

This is one of thing I want to try from Vincent's memory.

After walking a bit, I could see a bike with a design similar to Thruxton RS, the epitome of modern-classic design. Its silhouette is an echo of the machines of 19s, finessed for contemporary appreciation. Amara is a mix-matched of fantasy and modernity, so to find something similar is not weird. The only different is that they work in another way from the one on Earth.

Like hypnotized, I went toward the bike and swing my leg over the seat, feeling the comfortable leather beneath. Putting the key and start.

Vroom!

With an impressive roar, the sleek black machine revved to life. Running my finger along the refined painting, there's only one word in my head.

'Sexy!... so sexy!' Ah, what a sinful machine you are.

Putting on a vintage helmet, and with another roar, I shot out from the parking lot and into the busy streets of Academy City. The sight of many impressive towering building loomed over me, their glass window surface shining with sunlight in the sky.

The more distance I covered, the greater the number of passerby rushing to and from on their daily business on the sidewalk became visible.

Navigating through this hustle and bustle of the city, a sense of liberation could be felt in my heart. The freedom and exciting feeling of wind blowing near me at high speed are my favourite feeling in my life. It's like the world telling me that my gray life is not that gray after all.

After a few minutes, I spotted an area that especially crowd with people. I slowed down my bike into the parking lot near the station while finding a free space.

After verifying that my bike was properly secured, I texted Egil to ask if he had arrived yet. Not long after, my phone vibrates with a message.

[Don't look back]

But of course, as a human being, you need to do the opposite, and that is exactly what I did. What greets me is this fucker Egil... in a kicking position to my butt!

'I can't let this happen! My butt's only for my waifus to squeeze!' I promptly react by turning back and grabbing his leg.

Grap!

Of course, this Egil is not someone that joke flippantly. Not only he intends to kick me, he also pack some force too to his kick. Because of our action, some people stopped what they're doing and just look at us with raised eyebrow.

I also just look at Egil like he's some hopeless idiot.

"..."

Maybe because he doesn't expect his sneak attack to fail, Egil looked shock slightly but he quickly adjust his expression.

"...Ehem, nice meetcha here." Egil spoke with a bright smile, like he's not just trying to kick me. This guy...I feel like my mouth is twitching at how shameless this guy is.

"Me too"

"...Mind let my leg go?"

"Sure," while also flashing the brightest smile I can, I swing his leg inside, effectively show his back toward me, and I swing my leg too,

"Woah!"

Bang!

"Payback include." because of his awkward position, there's no way he can block, making a direct hit.

"Ow! Full force!?" Egil jerked a bit from my kick while rubbing his ugly ass.

"You're not one to say," 'How dare you say that when you're also the same?' when I said that, I noticed several girls around our age snickering at our banter.

"Sigh, attention is good, but you realized that this is why we're still single till now"

"Whatcha say?" Egil look at me like he's don't understand what I mean.

"Sigh, nothing. Let's go."

***

"Here" I tossed a coffee can toward Egil, which he caught easily. After our idiotic banter and some more, Egil and I are now getting some drinks before moving.

"Oh, thanks"

Psst!

"Gulp...gulp, hah...that's better. So, where's we going?" opening the can, Egil gulp everything in one go and asked me that question.

"Nothing much. There's this antique shop I want to go to. It's not that far from here." I showed him the map on my phone with a shop coordinate pinned on it while saying so.

"Bon?" Egil suspiciously looks at my phone screen and me alternately for a few times when he sees the name of the shop.

"Yeah, I know. Not the best name." 'Hey, at least it's easy to remember' nodding to myself, I put my phone in my pocket and began leading on the path that I just remembered.

"Let's go. Faster we finish, faster we can go eat."

"O-oh…" Egil also quickly follow behind when he remembered about food.