Chapter 75 (1/2)

Vrroom—

A red sports car exited the highway. The smell of the sea tickled Su-hyeun’s nose.

“I think we will arrive soon,” Su-hyeun said.

“Oh, good,” Lee Ju-ho said.

As Su-hyeun pointed to Gwangalli beach, Lee Ju-ho looked at the odometer and checked the distance.

“Hey. Drive your car more often. Don’t waste it,” Lee Ju-ho said.

“If we came here by a bullet train, we would have arrived an hour ago,” Su-hyeun said.

“Well. We still have plenty of time. And it’s more fun to drive straight, isn’t it? You didn’t have time to drive your car because you were too busy climbing the Towel of Trials almost every day.”

“Well, yeah…”

This car was a gift from Lee Ju-ho. Su-hyeun felt sorry to not use it often, but he didn’t want to drive a car that much. People said the car was the best toy that a man could have, but to Su-hyeun, it was nothing more than a vehicle.

“You don’t like driving?” Lee Ju-ho asked.

“It is best when somebody else drives for me.”

At his decisive answer, Lee Ju-ho exclaimed as if he heard an absurd thing.

“But it’s a Ferrari 488 Spider!”

“I don’t like this car that much,” Su-hyeun said.

<>

People who didn’t like cars usually knew expensive cars, at least. The excitement of driving such cars was different from the fun of regular driving, but Su-hyeun did not seem to be so interested in it. He was in the middle of his twenties. He was not the child of a rich family from the beginning.

“People usually want to show off when they suddenly make a lot of money or get the ability to. You’re a little odd,” Lee Ju-ho said.

“Is that so?”

“Well, I am one of those people. And there are worse ones than me. It amazes me the more I think about it. You don’t enjoy alcohol, cigarettes, cars, or women. You do nothing. What do you like, seriously?” Lee Ju-ho asked in a very curious tone.

What he exemplified was what awakeners usually did when they started to earn money. They searched for good drinks, cigarettes, nice houses, cars, and pretty or handsome lovers. Those were the things that could show the symbol of success. But Su-hyeun seemed to stay away from all that.

“I like a lot of things,” Su-hyeun answered.

“A lot? Like what?”

It was an unexpected answer. Lee Ju-ho perked up his ears and waited for Su-hyeun’s answer.

“Well, not things like you said. But, I like to empty my head while looking at a pretty lake or to go to an amusement park with people I like or to sit in a cafe and read a book…” Su-hyeun thought for a moment and continued. “I like to just binge-watch shows or movies all day in my home. I also like to go on trips and take pictures.”

“Sounds pretty simple.”

“They are luxury things,” Su-hyeun said in a quiet voice.

“What? Luxury?”

Su-hyeun did not think Lee Ju-ho could understand his words. But he meant it.

<>

Clear skies, pretty lakes, amusement parks, cafes, small daily lives… All those things would become luxury things in the future. Expensive sports cars would remain, but people wouldn’t see the clear skies of the world. That was why Su-hyeun considered such trivial things to be luxuries.

“I will change the future.” Su-hyeun stopped the car and looked up to the sky. “So these simple things will not be luxuries.”

Su-hyeun took his car key and got out of the car with Lee Ju-ho. People paid attention to the appearance of a luxury sports car. The area around Gwangalli Beach was blocked by policemen everywhere.

“Thank you for your work,” Su-hyeun said as he passed by the cops.

“Wait. You can’t…”

“I am Kim Su-hyeun. I am the leader of the dungeon raid team today. Here.”

At the restraint of a policeman, Su-hyeun took out and showed his awakener registration card. It was a golden colored card with S-Rank signed on it. The policeman stiffened quickly.

“Please excuse me, sir! Enter this way, sir.”

“Thank you.”

The crowd of policemen opened the way for Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho. Gwangalli Beach was shining in green light. Many people were waiting in front of the beach. Half of the one hundred were awakeners and the other half were ordinary people. Perhaps they were involved with various media platforms.

“Wow. There are many people. We still have some time left, though,” Lee Ju-ho said.

“It’s nice to see everyone working early,” Su-hyeun said.

“People over there will be critical of you. I am sure they won’t say anything in front of your face but…”

“I know.”

Lee Ju-ho did not expect that answer. “Do you know?”