NOVEL NEXT Untouchable (A VRMMO LitRPG ManhwaBook)
Vol.2 Chapter 12
As we pull into the LA airport drop-off zone, the hustle and bustle of the place instantly hits me. The air is filled with a mix of excitement and anticipation. I can see a flurry of activity as people rush around, pulling suitcases, hugging loved ones goodbye, and checking their tickets one last time.
The scent of jet fuel hangs in the air, mingling with the aroma of coffee from a nearby café and the faint smell of car exhaust. I can hear the distant roar of jet engines, the chatter of travelers, and the occasional announcement over the loudspeaker.
“You need me to come?” Rana asked curiously.
“It’s fine; I will just pick up Rence and also say hello to his family,” Liz explained what we were about to do coming here as she got out of the car.
“How about you two?” Rana inquiringly stared at us both in the back seat.
“…I’ll stay here,” Chu answered slowly.
“I’m going with Liz,” I said at the same time as Chu.
I want to stretch my legs a little, and I would also like to see my other close friend. I’m lacking my daily dose of Clarissium after all since I haven’t seen her in almost two days. I honestly don’t care about seeing her loudmouthed brother, but I know someone here who does.
“You sure, Chu? Don’t you want to come and see Renz sooner?” I teased.
“Hmph… who would want to see that idiot,” he nonchalantly responded.
I smiled at his response. “I guess that’s true,” I agreed.
As I got out of the car to follow Liz, I heard Rana’s playful voice.
“Be careful not to get lost now! ~”
Please stop treating me like a child!
I ignored her and then proceeded to catch up to Liz. After seeing me walk beside her, she seemed a little shocked.
“Oh, I thought you would want to stay in the car?”
“Yes, but I also want to see Renz’s family,” but mostly Clarissa… now that I think about it, definitely only Clarissa.
“That’s new, you wanting to meet more people,” she playfully bantered.
“I know, so please don’t get used to it since it's only for today.”
As Liz and I stepped inside the station after being checked by the guard, we were met with an environment buzzing with energy and a whole slew of people going about their own businesses. The persistent murmur of conversations, the sound of suitcases gliding across the tiled floor, and the sporadic overhead announcements all contribute to a unique auditory tapestry that is distinctly characteristic of an airport. It makes me a bit anxious to see this many people.
From a distance, I can hear the ambient music program designed to help soothe stressed travelers. It's a calming melody that subtly blends in with the airport's hustle and bustle, bringing a touch of tranquility to this otherwise chaotic place.
As we walk further in, we pass various gate agents, their voices clear and professional as they make announcements or respond to passengers' queries. The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafts from a nearby café, mixing with the sterile smell of the airport, creating a strangely comforting aroma.
Outside the large glass windows, I can see the sunrise slowly illuminating the tarmac, casting long shadows of stationary planes. The sight is oddly serene, contrasting with the constant activity within the airport.
“Did he say where we would meet him?” I inquired about Liz's plan of action.
“Hmm, wait a second. I’ll just call him; I’m sure they already arrived, considering the time of their flight.”
Before Liz even got the opportunity to make a call, we both heard a commotion nearby that caught our attention.
“But I want it! I want it! I want that!” shouted a boy in distress.
The nearby staff panicked, not knowing how to handle such outbursts.
"I apologize, but we are unable to provide it to you for free. Please seek permission from your parents first, alright?" the staff attempted to handle the situation diplomatically.
“But I want it now!” the kid stubbornly cried, garnering more onlookers.
Ignore it, Kat, it’s not your problem.
“Should we help him?”
Are you sure about that, Liz?! That kid seems like trouble!
“…I don’t think that’s a good idea…” I tried to dissuade her.
“Come on, Kat, please? My conscience can’t take it if we leave him alone. Also, he looks a lot like Rence’s little brother, Colin, which is more than enough reason for us to help him.”
This kid is related to Clarissa?! Maybe his loudmouthed brother influenced him too much for him to grow up like this!
Liz looked at me with pleading eyes. I can't possibly say no to her now that I have caught a glimpse of it.
I let out a sigh, wondering why I always tend to be a pushover in situations like these. However, as I observe the surroundings, it becomes apparent that none of the bystanders seem to know the child. It's possible that he may be lost, which only strengthens my resolve to assist him.
Well, it seems like I have no choice now. If I’m going to do this, I have to do it while showing Liz how mature I am in handling these kinds of things.
“Stay here. Let me handle it,” I reassured Liz as I went to intermediate. It’s OK to show off once in a while, after all.
First, I need to create a sense of presence and reliability for me to interfere peacefully in this type of situation.
Wait, this is bad. I’m getting a bit hesitant because of all the stares the commotion is garnering.
Calm down, no one here knows you, Kat. It's fine with whatever you do, so calm down. You have to do this for Clarissa, at the very least. Also, I can’t back down now after my act earlier in front of Liz, or her mature image of me will instantly crumble!
I mentally prepared myself before getting the attention of the staff.
“What seems to be the problem here,” I tried to take a page out of the person who has the strongest presence I know, Ariadne.
“Oh, Miss, are you his sister?” the staff questioned me, visibly relieved that another person was there to help.
“…No, but I do know this child,” I calmly replied.
“Oh, you see, miss, the boy wants one of our model planes, but he has no money to pay for it. I cannot give it to him since I’m just a staff here.”
“…I see.”
I glanced at the boy, Colin. Now that I have a good look at him, he does look like his brother, except he is a whole lot cuter and less obnoxious.
“Do you want that,” I asked him while pointing at the model airplane.
I noted that it was quite expensive because it was sold in an airport. It can’t be helped, though. Airports tend to significantly mark up the prices of their products. However, if it's just one item, I should be able to handle the cost without much difficulty.
“Uh-huh… but they won’t give it to me because I don’t have any money!” he stared at me, teary-eyed.
Of course, they won't, or else they would surely go bankrupt giving away things for free! Okay, it's time to show off my capabilities and impress Liz and Clarissa’s little brother.
“It’s fine, big sis. I will buy it for you, alright?” I calmly proposed.
“Really?!” he exclaimed, joy evident in his expression.
“Yes, I can afford this much,” I reassured him.
“Okay, I want five of them!” he said gleefully while showing his little open palm to me, indicating the number five.
This spoiled brat! This is why kids are-! Wait, Kat, calm down. He's just a kid. Let's reason with him as a proper adult should.
“W-why do you need five? Isn’t it okay to just have one?”
“I also want to give one to Mommy, to Daddy, to Big Brother, and Big Sister!” he confidently explained, as if the notion of being wrong in his assumption of acquiring four extra models for free never even crossed his delicate mind.
Alright, that's fair. Even though he may be a bit spoiled, his heart seems to be in the right place. Since I have plenty of money with me, let's go ahead and buy two model airplanes. I'm sure his parents won't need it, and I have no intention of buying anything for my loud-mouthed teammate.
“Okay, but let's buy only two, okay? I don't think your parents would want a toy, and your brother is too old for one of these, right?”
After pondering for a second, he acquiesced. “Okay!” he agreed while giving me a blinding smile... how precious!
After completing the payment using my e-wallet, the cashier expressed gratitude not only for handling the child's outburst but also for making a purchase from their store. With that interaction behind me, I shifted my attention towards Colin.
“Colin, will you come with us? We both know your brother, so we could find him together,” I recommended.
“Okay, big Sis!” he joyfully agreed.
How innocent! He's also a tad too naïve, just like his sister. It's a good thing we’re the ones to find him, or he might really get kidnapped like this.
“You handled that pretty well. Although, we could split the cost if you’d like?” Liz suggested, a bit impressed by what transpired.
“It’s fine. I also want to give a gift to Clarissa,” I reasoned.
“Alright, I’ll call for Rence to meet us and tell him that his little brother is with us.”
Liz proceeded with the call while I interrogated Colin on why he was alone. In the middle of our conversation, I heard an angelic voice trying her best to be heard. She looked a bit different from her avatar, which is probably why Liz didn’t recognize her instantly in the game. Still, she looks cuter seeing her in the real world.
“Colin! Colin, where are you!?” her desperate shout was lost in the sea of murmurs and chats of the crowd.
As I stared at her, the angel and I met eyes. She was momentarily stunned before finally noticing the kid right beside me.
“Colin, there you are! How many times do we have to tell you not to wander off on your own?! Do you know how worried your brother and I were when we saw you gone?!” she exclaimed, looking haggard while trying to catch her breath from all the running she probably did when trying to find her lost little brother.
Colin, for his part, looked apologetic. “…Sorry, big Sis, but look here! The nice lady bought this for me! I also got one for you, too!” He excitedly gave Clarissa one of the boxes containing the plane model while pointing at me.
“Nice lady?” she focused her attention back to me before apologizing. “T-thank you for finding my little brother and forgive him for being selfish. I'll pay you back, so please-”
“No need. I did it because I wanted to help him,” I interrupted her apology.
She paused, taken aback by my words, before responding with a heartfelt expression of gratitude.
“Uhm, t-thank you. May I know your name, Miss?” Clarissa inquired.
“Oh, you already forgot your friend, Clarissa? Kat would be disheartened to know that,” Liz butted in.
She looked at Liz for the first time during the whole conversation, and then comprehension showed on her cute face.
“Miss Elizabeth?!” she nearly shouted, shocked at seeing Liz here.
"I told you, just Liz," she gave her a playful wink.
Clarissa then looked at Liz, then at me, and then back to Liz.
"T-then that means." she stared at me, her face reddening. “N-n-n-No-No-Novo?!" she exclaimed.
I smiled at her in confirmation.
“Sorry, I didn't recognize you immediately. I didn't know you would be here. Wait, I did know, but I haven’t- I mean, my brother did say-!" she panicked, struggling to find her words.
How adorable! Even more so while seeing her fumble like this in the flesh!
“It's fine. I'm using a voice changer in-game, after all. Also, my avatar is far from how I normally look, so it’s not unexpected that you would not recognize me immediately.”
“Y-yeah, you also look so beautiful and stylish in person that I didn’t expect...” she said softly.
As if remembering something, she suddenly blurted out. “N-not that you don't look beautiful in the game, too! But I mean… yeah,” she tried to finish, her voice dropping to a whisper with every word.
Ahh, I missed seeing this. It seems like I already got my daily dose of cuteness from this. Although it's weird she’s being too flustered around me now. Wait, is she one of those people who can only talk normally online but struggle to socialize in real life? I didn't know Clarissa was a comrade in arms of mine after all these times we spent together. Well, she is always shy around strangers. Therefore, it's not that much of a shock. But she will surely break my heart if she treats me like a stranger now that we met in real life.
“Now that you’re here, let’s go get your Big Brother then,” Liz cheerfully suggested.
“...Yeah," she replied in her usual soft and angelic voice.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“So, you both are Ren-Ren's friends. Oh my god, you girls look gorgeous!” Renz’s mom praised us both.
Ren-Ren huh? I tried to contain a giggle at hearing the childish nickname. Looks like I have another bullet against him for our banters.
“Are you perhaps dating one of these gorgeous girls, Champ?” his dad teased.
“Dad, Mom! Please don't embarrass me in front of my teammates!” Ren-Ren exclaimed.
“What? It's not embarrassing if you happen to be dating one of these two fine ladies!” his dad countered.
“Oh, Kat and I are both just friends with Clarence, Mr. Carter, and I'm sure Rence doesn't have any romantic interest in the two of us,” Liz diplomatically explained.
Fortunately, Liz stepped in and defused the situation. She took it upon herself to entertain Renz's parents, allowing me to look after Clarissa and Colin. I'm grateful to have Liz by my side, as I wouldn't be able to have a proper conversation with Renz's parents, who are constantly trying to play matchmaker for their son.
“Big sis! Let’s buy that afterward, okay?” Colin pointed to a desert from a nearby souvenir shop.
“Sure! I’ll just go ask Dad for money so we can buy you one later, alright?” Clarissa innocently replied.
Now I know why your little brother is like that! You’re spoiling him too much, Clarissa!
After a while, Renz finally got fed up with the matchmaking, proposing that we get moving.
"We got to go, Mom, Dad. We need to settle down at the hotel reserved for players," he hurriedly suggested.
“Alright, we will be at the other hotel close to the venue! Visit us anytime,” Mrs. Carter waved goodbye to us.
“Take care, son, and good luck with your game,” Mr. Carter cheered.
Before we left, Clarissa suddenly caught my attention.
“U-uhm, K-Kat! I’ll cheer for you, so please do your best!” Clarissa exclaimed.
I smiled at her. “Thanks, will do.”
“W-what about your brother?” Renz said downcast, as if the world had wronged him somehow.
“O-of course, I’ll also cheer for all of you, Brother. So, uhm, do your best!”
“Of course! Just you watch! Your brother’s team is going to win the whole tournament!” Renz declared.
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