7:30 in the morning.
The sunlight entering his room had awakened Jae Hyun. He would have a longer slept not being a morning person, but since he was awake, he straightened up in bed and started doing push-ups and sit-ups before putting on a jean, a t-shirt and a hoodie.
When he went outside, he could feel that the weather was good. He started running and headed for a park not far from there. He discovered it two days earlier after running around part of the neighborhood.
The view was breathtaking even though he had realized the poverty here and there. After half an hour, Jae Hyun finally came home and was attracted by the good smell from the kitchen.
"Hmm, it smells good, what are you cooking?", he snick behind Hye Rin to see.
"Waffles. And for the record, don't touch it until you wash your hands."
"Caught red-handed," thought Jae Hyun as he pulled his hand out. "Okay, okay. I'm going take shower anyway. Running made me sweat a lot."
He went to the bathroom and showered. After a good shower, he returned to the kitchen and found So Won and Kylian sitting at the table.
"Good morning" So Won said to him when he saw him.
"Good morning." Jae Hyun sat down and took a waffle. He had to admit that he didn't hate this lifestyle. After all, he was used to eating in a hurry in his other life except for the few times he spent time with his little sister.
"I hope you haven't forgotten we're going shopping later, have you, Jae?" Hye Rin said to him as he sat at the table.
"What? You are coming with us?" replied Jae Hyun with a full mouth.
"How could I miss a shopping day? I need new clothes. By the way, it's rude talking a full mouth."
Jae Hyun swallowed.
Finally, at about 9:30 am, the 3 went out and headed to the Hyperloop. The hyperloop was a sealed system of tubes through which a pod may travel free of air resistance or friction conveying people or objects at high speed while being very efficient. In less than 15 minutes, they arrived in front of the city's largest mall. It was the first time Jae Hyun had been in downtown, and he had to admit that it was quite impressive.
It was clearly livelier than in lower town and the futuristic aspect of the city was more apparent. He thought it would be really interesting to think about visiting the city later.
Since the entrance to the mall was higher up, they had to travel by airboard to get there. It was like a flat plate floating in the air. After all, the ground was far below there. Thus, So Won had offered to take him up with him for the time to enter the mall.
It had to be at least 250 stories high. They finally entered a high-tech store that seemed to sell airboards. Jae Hyun couldn't help but thinking that the location wasn't practical because those like him who didn't have an airboard at the base couldn't access it.
"Let's start with the basics. To get around, you will absolutely need an airboard. It runs on solar energy and electricity, so it doesn't pollute. I'll let you check if you like a model. Don't be difficult on the budget." So Won said to him.
Jae Hyun started to go around. There were different models and colors. Some were focused on speed, others on efficiency or aesthetics. There were thicker and thinner ones. With all the choice there was, he felt lost. He felt it was going to be a long day. Shopping was definitely not his thing. He was already looking forward to going home.
"I advise you to take an airboard that focuses on flexibility. They are lighter, faster and allow you to go almost anywhere. Since you're just starting out, I don't think you need any kind of artifice on it. At worst, we can fix it. I know a good mechanic." Hye Rin approached him to give her opinion seeing how he was troubled.
Following this suggestion, he focused on flexible airboards. He set his resolve on a modern red and black model. It had a good security system and could suppress the wind giving better stability. Even if the airboards had a mechanism that fixed the person to it and prevented them from falling, one could never be too careful with the technology.
They went to the checkout and the cashier asked Hyun Jae for his weight.
"My weight?! Why?"
Hye Rin answered him before the cashier.
"To install a program that takes it into account. Unless you want your airboard to give in under your weight and rise off the ground?"
"AAAH!" He smiles at the cashier. "62kg."
"WHAT?! I could have sworn you were lighter!" Hye Rin hurriedly touched his belly. "Do you have six packs?!" She lifted up his T-shirt to see it. "Unbelievable! We're gonna have to buy some tight t-shirts then!" He cut her off. "NO!"
His reaction made people laugh and So Won finally scanned his arm to confirm the order. The cashier gave them the chip to integrate into the watch.
"Well, now that we have this. Here you go." So Won handed him a package. He opened it confused. There was a good quality black and lightweight wristband inside. "Your wristband." So Won put it on Jae Hyun's wrist before he pressed a button. The watch began to read information on Jae Hyun's body before disappearing.
"It has a function that allows it to be invisible. To use it, you place your finger there and slide upwards," So Won took Jae Hyun right hand and made the gesture for him.
The interface appeared. Jae Hyun could pass his hand through the screen as it was floating. It was similar to a cellphone screen but bigger. There were icons for everything. He could know the weather, the news, his pulse, go on the net, record, take pictures and had the phone number—If he could call it that. Yes, these watches were the phones of this world—of So Won, Hye Rin and even Kylian.
As if that wasn't enough, the Wristband was even linked to his bank account. Jae Hyun clicked on it but it was empty. He should have known. But wait? Did he have one?
Jae Hyun looked at So Won and understood. He had created one for him.
Kind of him because he couldn't create one without an identity in this world.
It was really practical. Why didn't this exists on Earth? What were the scientists waiting for?, thought Jae Hyun.
Jae Hyun turned to So Won to thank him. So Won smiled at him before putting a wire in the opening of Jae Hyun's wristband to scan his airboard in. Jae Hyun activated it directly to follow others on the twelfth floor where the clothing stores were located.
Jae Hyun was very happy to have taken a protection program because he had to admit that he had difficulty keeping in balance at first. Fortunately, the airboard was doing a good part of the job and his feet were stuck to it by a mechanism that made him curious. His clumsiness had made Hye Rin laugh.
When she arrived in front of the stores, she rushed to the women's section. It looked like a bug in a rug. Jae Hyun didn't face the same enthusiasm. He started to choose some t-shirts, pants, shorts, and hoodie here and there without thinking about it.
"You're not seriously going to buy that?" Hye Rin replied aghast.
"It's just clothes. You don't have to make a big deal out of it." She sighed before getting rid of what he was holding in his hands—Hey!—and moving on to a better section of clothes. Without even being able to protest, she chose to him clothes to try on and pushed him into the cabins.
In the end, they had gone through 10 different shops before buying everything he needed. He, therefore, had two jeans; one black pants, one beige pants, four polo shirts (one Grey, one burgundy, one navy blue and one black), one Grey cardigan, two hoodies (One black and one Grey), 2 sleeveless t-shirts (One dark red and one white), five t-shirts, one leather jacket, two coats (One for winter and one for spring), boxers, pairs of socks and finally four pairs of shoes. He also has curtains for his room.
Since he loved accessories, he had taken the opportunity to buy different leather bracelets, necklaces, and rings too. He had never spent so much time in stores and was exhausted. Hye Rin was obviously smiling proudly.
The trio sat at a flying table and ordered dinner. The morning hadn't been easy, and it was already 12:45 PM. They had ordered a large rice salad to share. After a few minutes, it had arrived by levitating.
Jae Hyun wandered his eyes to admire the beauty of the digital technology. It was crazy to know that a simple human could create such things. He would never get used to it. All these colors, these movements, these palpitations in the air.
Then his eyes stopped at a music store. He couldn't stop glare at it.
Hye Rin, who showed for the umpteenth time the clothes she had bought, followed his gaze.
"Do you want to go check it out?"
"Huh? What?"
"You're staring at that music store. Do you want to go take a look at it?"
"You don't have to. I don't have any money anyway."
"It's okay. I'm paying. It'll be to make up for choosing your clothes."
"In that case... thank you. But I'll pay you back! I hate being in debt."
They entered the stores ornamented of several instruments. There was everything from violins to pianos. Jae Hyun was very happy that despite the difference in the worlds, some things didn't seem to change.
His gaze was on a keyboard. This one reminded him of his Genos, so he couldn't help but buy it. He gave his address to the seller so that it could be delivered in the late afternoon. He didn't see himself dragging such a large keyboard under his arms to their homes.
After an hour, they were home. He collapsed on his bed after install curtains, but shortly afterward he heard knocking on his door. It was So Won. He had his keyboard.
Jae Hyun could help him to think they delivered very quickly.
So Won helped him install it in the room on the other side of the sliding door of his bedroom where his computer was.
The room may have been small, but it was soundproof and had no window allowing him to remain anonymous when he would film his videos. After installing the microphone and being satisfied with the result, he thanked him.
"By the way, I saw you were training in martial arts. If you're interested, I can teach you how to handle weapons."
Jae Hyun turned around in astonishment.
"Guns? As in real guns? Isn't that against the law?"
Talking about it, his last experience with a gun, to say the least, had been catastrophic.
So Won answered at his remark.
"In fact, everyone learns as a precaution and for safety just in case. The last war was only 75 years ago and people are still a little on edge even though we are all controlled by a single government. Then, war veterans had difficulty separating from their weapons, so we ended up having the right to have arms for security. Even, if we can't carry them around all the time."
"Oh~ All right. I'd like to. It wouldn't hurt me to learn something new. However, not today. I'm dead tired." answered Jae Hyun.
"Haha. Okay. Let's do it tomorrow after your first day of school."
His first day?? Already?
No!
So Won should have read him because he laughed at his dismay. After that long day, he gets out of his recording room and law down on his bed before falling asleep in a quarter turn.
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