I Know I'm Beautiful

Although curious, we knew better than standing near the ramp. I, together with Heartu66, moved a little closer but not too close, enough that we could see who was approaching.

*VRRRRRR!*

The sound of the engine didn't seem like it was slowing down. Together with the wheels skidding, is this guy drifting down the ramp? Soon enough, my question was answered.

A red Handa Crevil just rushed down the ramp, drifting as it landed. It spun round and round before finally stopping a few dozen meters away from the ramp.

"..."

Whoever this one is, I guess we have the same tastes when it comes to vehicles. Another Handa enthusiast!

After revving the engine a few more times, the car was shut off. Soon, the door opened, revealing a tall, supermodel-like man wearing a cool black trench coat with a woven turtleneck sweater underneath.

"I'm not late, am I? Oh, hello, Hvir!" The man flipped his hair to the back, acting cool, making me feel disgusted, honestly. "I'm Charles. Wait, you wouldn't recognize that, right? I'm KillMeBibi."

When he winked after introducing himself, I honestly felt goosebumps. I'm getting strange vibes from his gaze.

"Ohh, Bibi! Hello, man, it's nice to meet you!"

Before I could decide on how to respond, the large guy to my side quickly greeted him, walking forward and shaking his hands. "I'm Heartu, by the way. D*mn, I never thought you'd look like an actor in person! I thought you were a girl from your username!"

*Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!*

Heartu66 slapped Bibi's back continuously, resulting in resounding thuds and his face warping in pain. However, he seemed to be enduring the pain, since he looked scared of the big man's response if he raised his voice.

"Ugh... En-enough." Unable to hold on anymore, he took a few steps forward before lightly stretching his back. "Ugh, that stings!"

"Oh, sorry, sorry, I got so excited I forgot to hold back. Here, man, take a potato as an apology." Heartu chucked a potato out of nowhere.

Although KillMeBibi was surprised, he caught it nonetheless. "Potato...? Not sweet potato?" he muttered in confusion. Yeah, I was wondering about that too. Is he planning to make mashed potatoes with this?

"Anyway, with this many of us, we can make progress with sealing off this place!" I cheered.

KillMeBibi... That's too much of a mouthful, so let's just go with Charles. Anyway, he didn't bring food or drinks, unlike Heartu. What he brought with him were tools, placed in the trunk of his sports car. Things like nail guns, hacksaws, and hand drills.

With tools, the speed of work more than tripled. Sealing off the many exits became a breeze!

Just as we were chatting idly, talking about this and that, the sound of motors running echoed in the empty parking lot.

"Hmmm?"

This sound... the elevator? I looked at my wristwatch, and it was about lunchtime, three hours after these guys said they were coming.

"It's probably Garuda. I mean, nobody should be in the mall other than us, after all."

We turned toward the elevator connected to the main mall and waited as the number displayed on it started to decrease. 1, B3, B5, B10!

*TING!*

When the elevator's doors opened, the first thing we saw were the three carts filled to the brim with various goods. One cart was filled with something like paint thinner, one was filled with food and drinks, and the last was filled with other power tools.

The person behind them quickly pushed the carts out of the way, letting them roll forward on their own. "You guys really don't plan meticulously. Here, I brought other things we'd need."

"..."

"What...?"

"Garuda?"

All three of us stared in shock. The last person who came was a woman—a stunningly beautiful one at that!

"...?"

When she turned to look at us with her light blue eyes and her brown hair tied in a ponytail, waving lightly, I could feel my heart skipping a beat.

What brought me back to my senses was the endlessly vibrating phone in my hand, still facing forward. When I turned to the chat, it was rapidly getting flooded with messages.

"A goddess has descended!"

"Garuda's a gal?!"

"The only rose among the thorns... Be careful, girlie."

"I'm not hallucinating, am I? That's a real person?!"

Well... I can't blame their reaction. It was hard to see a woman as beautiful as her, even among supermodels. Even the random, beautiful part-time worker on some random department store counter couldn't compete with her beauty.

"Come on, guys. I know I'm beautiful, but that's staring a little too much. This is why I hate going outside."

At least she's not being humble about it. It's true, though, so we can't say anything back. "Come on, take these things from here. I still have a lot of things to bring down."

"T-Then I'll help you!"

The big guy quickly raised his hand, volunteering. However, when Garuda eyed him from head to toe, she sighed while shaking her head. "With how big you are, the space for the carts would vanish. You keep working on sealing off the walls."

"I..." Charles's smile went stiff before he slowly drifted away, following the dejected Heartu. "... will help Heartu66 over there."

"..."

I don't know if it was intentional, but nice assist, Charles! And sorry for thinking that you're gay! I prayed silently for his soul as Garuda turned back to the elevator, only motioning to me with a gesture to follow.

We entered the elevator, and without hesitation, she pressed the 2nd floor. That was the hardware area, so most likely, we'll be getting more equipment.

"Right..."

As the elevator moved, she suddenly turned around, leaning against the elevator wall while crossing her arms before her bountiful chest. "As you probably have guessed, I'm Garuda. And also, thanks for the suggestion regarding my abilities."

"Oh, that?" I smiled, waving my hands dismissively. "That's nothing worth thanking me for. Don't mind it."

"..."

The two of us stared into each other's eyes for a moment. The world felt like it had stopped... until my phone vibrated. I quickly turned to look at it, and at the same time, Garuda pulled out her phone too. I guess she's looking at the chat too?

"Fix the camera angle; it's upside down, idiot!"

"The video quality dropped again..."

"Kiss~! Kiss~!"

"These guys...!" I felt slightly embarrassed by their teasing.

Furthermore, for some obvious reason, more guys have said that they're coming to where we are. However, their areas were far from our city, so it would take them hours just to reach here... if the roads were working, that is. The exits were blocked with traffic, after all.

*TING!*

Soon enough, the elevator opened. Garuda quickly stepped out, walking forward expertly as if she were used to this place. I followed behind her, enjoying the scenic view of two shaking buns.