A soft hiss filled the air as the capsule device’s cover slid open to the side-unlike his usual device that opened upwards. Leon stepped out and found himself inside his Northstar Home Bus.
It was morning, just as he had predicted. The bus was empty; he found himself alone in that makeshift mobile home. He had a class that morning, and he couldn’t afford to skip it again, as he had done far too often. That’s why he was there, on a parked bus in the campus area, determined to make it to class this time.
To balance his time between playing Immortal Legacy and fulfilling his real-life
responsibilities, he made extensive use of the home bus. This mobile home had proven to be an invaluable asset in situations like these.
Whenever he needed to reach campus by 9 AM, he would log into his capsule device inside the home bus the night before. The bus would then automatically depart and park at the designated spot in the campus parking lot. When he woke up, he would find himself already parked and ready to start his day.
Isn’t this incredibly convenient? The auto-drive feature and the AI installed in the home bus were top-notch, allowing him to stay inside without any worries. The security system would detect any external threats, effectively preventing any criminal activities that might be attempted against him.
The home bus was connected to a server capable of summoning police officers if anything suspicious occurred. This mobile home truly served as an exceptional guardian for its owner. Leon walked to the middle of the bus, splashing water on his face at the small sink and feeling the refreshing coolness on his skin. He then moved to the other side of the home bus and opened a small window cover, letting the bright morning sunlight flood in. It was late November, and snow had already begun to fall in various regions.
He grabbed some bread and jam, filling his stomach with whatever he could find. Despite its advanced features, he found it a shame that he couldn’t fully utilize its capabilities, especially for cooking.
Do I need to seriously learn to cook? he wondered.
He had cooked often enough, but never seriously-just enough to fill their stomachs. In the past, they didn’t have the luxury of experimenting with good ingredients. Cooking had been a rare luxury for him back then. Not today, though, right?
Leon changed his shirt and double-checked his appearance in the mirror, making sure his face looked fresh. He smiled, chasing away any lingering stiffness. Yeps, now he was ready to take on the day!
Let’s go! He thought with a newfound determination.
He opened the door and stepped out, only to be startled by the sight of a crowd-mostly students-standing around the bus, examining it closely. Leon froze for a moment, taken aback by the unexpected attention, and noticed the students looking a bit embarrassed for standing so close.
“Hey bro, nice bus,” someone said.
“I bet you sleep comfortably in there, huh?” another chimed in.
Leon nodded slowly. “Thanks. Yes.”
“This is the model with the capsule device, right?”
“I know you, you’re Broken, aren’t you?” another voice chimed in.
“Uh, yes,” Leon confirmed, feeling increasingly uneasy.
“Man, I’ve been to Slumdon, and it seems like you’re doing well there.”
“Tell me, are any members of the Ass Guild inside? Maybe Elincia? Or Melliandra?”
Stop it, shut up, he thought to himself, exasperated. Do they think I’m a playboy and a pedophile?!
How did so many people recognize him? He didn’t recall ever deliberately showing his face in public. Ugh, are these people stalkers? He felt a wave of insecurity wash over him.
Do I need to hire bodyguards?
As he made his way past the line of gawking spectators, they showed no signs of moving aside. He couldn’t blame them; if the Home Bus weren’t his, he would likely stand and admire it with the same wonder, dreaming of owning one himself. But hey, the Northstar Home Bus was indeed his!
Driving the Northstar EV alone had already drawn a lot of attention, but parking a luxurious home bus on campus was guaranteed to attract even more. Everyone knew how expensive the home bus was a symbol of excessive wealth, typically purchased by those who had so much money they didn’t know what else to do with it.
Leon quickened his pace, trying to evade the curious gazes of the people around him. This is so weird, he thought.
“Leon!” someone called out.
He stopped and turned to see Laura, dressed in a bright yellow outfit and wearing stockings due to the onset of winter, running towards him.
“Hi, Laura.” he greeted her.
Laura smiled and walked beside him. “I saw a lot of people admiring that ride you brought along. Did you do it on purpose to attract attention?” she asked with a light laugh.
“Uhm…” Leon pondered for a moment. “Did I?”
He added. “I actually think the opposite, Laura. Initially, I held off using the home bus frequently because I felt like I didn’t deserve it,” he confessed with a small chuckle.
“So now you feel you deserve it?”
“Not really, how do I say it? More like…” he trailed off.
They continued chatting as they walked to class, the strange morning growing more familiar with every step.
In class, as usual, Laura sat next to Leon, a habit that had led some classmates to speculate about a special relationship between them. Though many guys tried to get close to Laura, she never showed the slightest interest in anyone-not even a hint! But now, sitting near Leon, she always displayed an enthusiastic smile and laughter with everything he said, as if whatever came out of his mouth was pure entertainment for her.
“Are they dating?”
“No, I don’t think so. Laura doesn’t seem interested in anyone, especially someone like
Leon.”
“But, the current Leon isn’t the same as before.”
“Damn, he’s so lucky. I’m so jealous I want to punch his face.”
Some of the male students would occasionally pass by Leon’s seat, often stopping. This particular group was known for causing trouble for him and included a few he had faced off
against in one-on-one basketball games recently.
“Come to the basketball court this afternoon, Leon. Let’s play a game,” Viktor said, someone quite popular in class due to his tall physique and his basketball skills.
Viktor stopping to speak to Leon casually caught the attention of many students that
morning.
Leon looked up, as did Laura, who seemed tense, fearing another confrontation might unfold
between them.
“What do you want?” Leon responded.
“Just a friendly game. See you there?” Viktor said, surprisingly gentle and friendly, unlike the mocking tone he usually reserved for other students he considered beneath him.
“I’ll think about it,” Leon replied.
Viktor patted Leon on the shoulder. “Have a nice day,” he said before heading to the back
rows.
Laura visibly exhaled in relief once it was over. Her face still showed traces of tension as Leon
turned to her.
“What’s up with you?” Leon asked, puzzled.
Laura smiled and chuckled softly. “No, I’m just relieved. Something really different is
happening.”
And surprisingly, Leon accepted the invitation for the basketball game that day. Accompanied
by Laura, he made his way to the basketball court where the other guys were already playing.
“Hi, Leon,” they greeted him, tossing a basketball his way. Leon caught it swiftly.
“Come on, Leon,” they encouraged.
Leon dropped his bag, and Laura immediately took it from him. “Have fun, Leon,” she said
with a smile, then took a seat in the stands.
Leon quickly ran and positioned himself on the court, naturally blending in as the ball
bounced and dribbled past him.
“You really know how to play the game, Leon?!” Viktor said with a grin.
Viktor dribbled the ball, trying to get past Leon, but Leon deftly swatted the ball away,
stealing it cleanly.
“You can judge for yourself,” Leon responded, dribbling the ball away.
Leon executed a smooth crossover and then took a shot from the three-point line. All eyes were on the ball as it arched through the air toward the basket-everyone wondering if it would go in smoothly or just be a random throw.
And then… the ball swished perfectly through the hoop. The crowd erupted into cheers.