บท 52: Mike 1 Dom 0

Mike and Mia were sitting in the car at night. Mike said to Mia, "Am I doing too much?"

"It's a little bit," Mia replied, "you're taking it for granted. Why did you want to match Leonard? Is it because you don't want Penny to harass you or something?"

"I don't know! I just think they should be together," Mike said, still feeling conflicted.

Mike's desire to stick to the original plot and avoid any potential butterfly effect weighed heavily on him.

He had previously interfered in the lives of others, and he didn't want to do that again.

He wanted Leonard and Penny's relationship to develop naturally without his influence.

In that moment, he had a realization, "Is it because I am too narcissistic? Maybe I don't need to follow the original plot. Life is not a game with resets and reloads. There are no do-overs, and we have to face the consequences of our actions. We have to live our lives, not control them. Everyone has feelings, and I should respect that."

Mia looked at Mike, understanding his struggle. "You're right, Mike. You shouldn't impose your will on others. Let them make their own choices and live their lives."

Mike nodded, feeling a sense of relief.

He no longer felt responsible for restoring the original plot.

He realized he was just a part of this world and needed to let go of his need for control.

"Thank you, Mia," Mike said gratefully, finally agreeing to his feelings.

Mia smiled warmly, appreciating Mike's newfound understanding.

Mike continued to drive the car and asked Mia, "Would you like to come to my apartment to study astronomy tonight!"

After speaking, he saw Mia's eyes shine, and when he said this, Mike rarely showed a wretched smile.

Mia's eyes lit up with amusement and a hint of shyness. "You and your wretched sense of humor," she teased, her cheeks turning red.

When Mia heard this sentence, of course, she heard the hidden meaning, she gave Mike a supercilious look, and her cheeks turned red.

Mia entered the apartment with Mike, and then there was a crashing sound, the sound of hitting the table, the wall, and the sound of water mixed with laughter.

Inside the apartment, laughter and playful sounds echoed, making it evident that Mike and Mia were enjoying each other's company, free from any unnecessary interference.

They had learned to appreciate the beauty of life's unpredictability and the joy of being in the moment.

After finishing his workout the next day, Mike headed to the garage, where he knew Hatch would return today.

Mike called Hatch early in the morning, and Hatch answered with a slightly breathless tone, "OK! I'll come to the garage in the afternoon. See you then."

"By the way, with the way you are breathless right now, are you perhaps exercising?" Mike asked curiously.

Hatch replied, "Yes, you know, you should keep exercising as you get older, to loosen up them stiff joints."

Mike nodded in agreement with Hatch's advice.

Later, when Hatch arrived at the garage, Mike went over to greet him.

"Did you give your little brat a hard time when you went back?" Mike asked with a grin.

Hatch chuckled, "Yes, but my son begged for mercy, so I let him off the hook."

Mike laughed, "Next time, you can be firm with him! There's this saying that a boy can't grow up without discipline! Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times. You don't need to handle him delicately like a girl. You should always roughen him up a bit now and then, not too much tho, though that way, it's counterproductive. You'll just give him trauma."

Hatch nodded in agreement, finding common ground with Mike in their approach to raising kids.

If Hutch's son only knew what they were talking about, he must have fainted while taking a shit at the toilet.

The two friends chatted amicably, discussing their experiences and perspectives on life.

He appreciated Mike's modesty and camaraderie, traits he rarely encountered in his past life as a spy. [E/N: past life, like a life he left behind, kind of like john wick]

As Mike and Hatch chatted, their bond grew more robust, especially when they discussed their different approaches to raising and disciplining kids.

Mike just reflected on how he was brought up in his past life. [E/N: it's literally his past life this time, mc is transmigrated, remember]

...........

(Nobody)

Hutch: +20

...........

They were getting along so well that the system's favorability towards Hutch increased by 20 points during their conversation.

Hatch eagerly accepted Mike's invitation to join his gym in the morning, impressed by their shared understanding, especially when dealing with children.

"How about next time you come to my gym in the morning? I have a gym, and my friends and I work out there in the morning."

"No problem!" Hutch felt that following Mike really had a tacit understanding, and many ideas were similar, especially when dealing with children.

Mia observed Mike and Hatch discussing their parenting styles and couldn't help but give Mike a puzzled look.

Dom, joining the conversation, nodded in agreement and said to Letty, "They make a lot of sense, don't they?"

Letty rolled her eyes playfully.

As Mike and Hutch worked on fixing the car, Mike's expertise in car repair shone through.

Dom didn't need to give commands; Mike's god-level skills were nearly on par with his own.

Eventually, Mike directed Hutch on how to complete the repair.

Mike showcased his remarkable mechanical skills as they worked together on a car repair. Hutch was impressed by Mike's prowess and gave him a sincere thumbs-up.

Mike showcased his remarkable mechanical skills as they worked together on a car repair.

Hatch was impressed by Mike's prowess and gave him a sincere thumbs-up.

"You've got some serious talent, my friend," Hatch complimented. "I've seen a lot of mechanics in my time, but your skills are top-notch."

In the kitchen, Mike handed a bottle of Corona to Hutch, saying, "It's nothing, I've been learning a lot on my own in the garage."

Dom made a peculiar expression at Mike, recalling that when they first met, Mike couldn't even identify car models, and now he's so good at repairing cars.

He admired Mike's remarkable talent.

Mike then also offered a bottle of Corona to Dom, who caught it skillfully and took a sip.

The three of them continued to chat, and Mike humbly admitted, "I've only learned this in the past few months, with Dom 's guidance and support to set up this car repair shop."

What Hutch didn't know was that the two men before him were not ordinary garage owners, as you can see from their tough and strong exterior.

Now curious, Dom began to explore whether Hatch was ordinary.

"I just like making friends," Mike said.

"It's rare for me to meet such a good friend," replied Hatch.

Mike decided to strike the iron while it's still hot, spontaneously made plans to increase his favorability further.

"Why don't we have a barbecue at noon to celebrate?" Mike suggested with a warm smile.

Hutch considered the offer for a moment before regretfully declining. "I have something I need to attend to this afternoon. But thanks for the kind invitation. How about we catch up at the gym tomorrow?"

Mike understood that Hutch had his own life and commitments. "Sure, we'll meet at the gym tomorrow," he replied, smiling.

As Hutch walked away, Mike turned to Dom and exclaimed, "I think I scored this time once more, and I'm convinced he's no ordinary person."

Dom also sensed a different aura from Hutch and realized that Mike might indeed defeat him this time.

I mean, every visitor that Mike decided to befriend so far were people that can handle guns like it's an extension of their bodies. NO NORMAL PERSON.

When Hutch first came to the garage, Mike and Dom had an ongoing bet. The bet was if this new visitor was a normal person or not.

Mike, equipped with his cheat of a memory from his past life, already knows that Hutch is a badass protagonist of the movie [Nobody].

SO OF COURSE HE'S NOT A NORMAL PERSON.

On the other hand, Dom has been observing Hutch ever since and concluded that he's just another ordinary dude in the neighborhood.

Letty and Mia joined them, curious about the conversation. "What are you guys talking about?" Letty asked.

"Hutch is definitely not an ordinary person! We'll just leave him be and act like we don't suspect anything. He must be hiding a fascinating past, and I don't have that keen sense anymore!" Mike explained.

Dom nodded in agreement, convinced that Hutch was once a formidable individual.

"I'm certain of it," Dom added.

Later that evening, Mike reflected on his recent encounters and revelations.

He had come to appreciate the value of being genuine and allowing others to live their lives freely.

He realized he had to respect their choices, even if it meant letting go of the original plot.

Mia, who had been observing Mike's subtle decisions and transformation, smiled warmly.

"I'm so proud of you, Mike," she said affectionately.

"You've grown so much and learned to let life unfold naturally." Mia continued while wrapping her arms around his neck.

Mike returned her smile and kissed her, grateful for her support and understanding. "Thanks to you, Mia. You've helped me see things from a different perspective."

In the following days, Mike and his friends continued to live their lives, each forging their path.

[E/N: Sorry guys for not uploading the past couple of days, I was mentally in a dark place, still am, but it's all good now ig, WE GO GYMMMMMMMMMMMM]