The night sky blanketed the entire city. The moon hung brightly above, while stars shimmered on every side, lending the scene a quiet serenity. Neon lights blazed along each street, giving the night a distinct cyberpunk vibe.
Cars and pedestrians rushed past on nearly every road, filling the city with a constant hum of activity.
The day had been very fruitful for Zayne. From receiving his first paycheck in this world, to buying clothes, a car, and other supplies—it had been tedious, yet exciting.
His new car, a black BMW M3, rolled majestically along the street. As for his former car, he had pawned it off for some extra cash. It was no longer needed.
Parking in his small garage, the door slid open as Zayne stepped out, looking completely different from how he had that morning.
His deep black hair was now cut low and stylish, and his face seemed brighter, making his already handsome features even more captivating. He was clearly going all out for tomorrow night's date.
A satisfied smile lingered on his lips as he carried everything he had bought—from clothes to supplies—into the house. The supplies ranged from foodstuffs and basic amenities to replacements for several worn-out parts of the house.
Zayne was someone who liked new things, and ever since he had been yeeted into this world by the Omni-Grid, there had been nothing truly new to speak of. The only things new were the powers he gained and the people he met along the way.
Now that he had money, he allowed himself to splurge a little, refurnishing quite a few things.
Changing into indoor slippers, he walked into his small kitchen and began sorting out the supplies. The food items were quickly arranged—some into the cabinets, others into the refrigerator.
As for the clothes and miscellaneous items, it took Zayne only thirty minutes to organize everything. He was superhuman after all. His endurance, speed, and coordination far surpassed those of a normal human, making the entire process swift and efficient. If anything, he had slowed himself down just to enjoy the work.
"That's about everything," Zayne murmured, dusting off his hands. "I should cook something. The food I ate at that fast food restaurant didn't satisfy me."
The kitchen door swung open once more as Zayne walked in wearing an apron. He took out the ingredients and began preparing his meal. Then—
Slash!
Twenty minutes later—
Boil~ Sizzle~
A pot of red rice simmered, releasing a rich tomato aroma into the air. Beside it, chicken pieces fried in clear oil, their outer layers crisping to a perfect golden brown.
Zayne stirred the rice with a proud smile. "I still got it. The jollof rice looks as good as ever."
Yes, he was cooking one of his favorite African dishes—jollof rice. He had fallen in love with it in his former life, and now he sought to relive those memories through its familiar taste.
"It should be done in about ten minutes or so," Zayne thought as he washed the spice residue off his hands and stepped out of the kitchen.
He sank into his sofa with a soft sigh, eyes closed as he faced the ceiling. The house was silent, save for his slow breathing and the faint bubbling of the rice.
Minutes later, his eyes snapped open, sadness and longing flickering within them.
"Sigh~, apart from being a ranger, my personal life is quite boring. I…." Before he could completely form his depressing thought, a sound came from his door.
Knock~
"Hmm… who could it be? It's so late," Zayne murmured, both confused and wary. Almost no one ever came to visit him—he hardly had any friends—so having someone at his door this late was enough to put him on edge.
The faint sounds of sizzling and boiling echoed from the kitchen as Zayne walked calmly toward the door.
Knock! Knock!
The pounding grew slightly louder as he approached. Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward and peered through the peephole, trying to identify the mysterious visitors.
Then, the surprise came.
"Uh… how could it be them?" Zayne thought, clearly caught off guard. Wasting no time, he swung the door open.
"Hey guys, what brings you here?" he asked, looking at his teammates standing before him.
Peter, Ethan, Conner, and Trent all looked at Zayne with smiles on their faces—it almost felt strange.
"Sup, Zayne," Peter spoke first, his playful demeanor fully on display. "Uhm… so we were just passing by and thought maybe… you know, we should, uh… get to know our leader's place. So, we kinda asked Kira, and she told us."
The others nodded, confirming his words. Only Zayne remained still, his expression unreadable as he studied them for a moment before replying.
"So… are you guys just going to stare at me, or come in?"
"Oh—oh, yeah, we're coming in, we're coming in," Peter said quickly, already stepping inside while trying to mask his embarrassment.
Zayne noticed and simply shook his head with a sigh. He couldn't blame them. His past behavior—cold, almost robotic—would have never allowed something like this. To Peter and the rest, there was always the chance he'd get annoyed and send them away.
But they were overthinking it. Zayne was different now. He was whole—complete with his emotions—and more importantly, they were his team. There was nothing wrong with them visiting. If anything, their bond should be stronger than that of ordinary friends.
Looking at the others, Zayne spoke flatly, "And you guys?"
"Yeah, we're coming in."
"Thanks, dude."
"Something smells nice."
As they all entered, none of them acted awkwardly. They took seats casually, as if they were already at home—some even sprawled across the couch.
That sight stirred something in Zayne. A quiet sense of satisfaction… and happiness. This was the first time in both his past and present life that he had friends over. It felt… wonderful.
"You guys are really lucky—you caught me at the perfect time," Zayne said with a small smile. "I'm cooking something in the kitchen. I'll make more so we can all eat together."
"Also, it's an African dish. I'm sure you'll love it."
Then his expression turned serious again. "You guys are going to eat, right?"
"Yeah, we're kinda starving," Ethan replied, rubbing his stomach. "I could eat a horse right now."
The others quickly agreed.
Zayne didn't waste any time and went back to the kitchen, starting another pot of jollof rice. He had originally cooked only enough for himself, so he had no choice.
The minutes that followed were relaxed and lively. The boys talked about everything—Ranger duties, bits of their personal lives (nothing too deep), and even random, childish topics.
The conversation only paused when the meal was ready and Zayne served them, along with cold sodas. But even then, it quickly picked back up—stronger than before.
"Damn, Zayne, why are you good at everything?" Conner said resentfully, shoveling a spoonful of rice into his mouth. "This tastes way too good."
"Yeah… he's right, dude," Trent added. "It's even better than most top-tier restaurants around here."
Zayne only smiled, choosing not to respond—perhaps too shy to admit it. But he knew they were right. His cooking really was that good.
The table felt like a family of five sharing a meal, the atmosphere warm and harmonious. Zayne found himself glancing around more than once, feeling the shift—from the silence of being alone to this lively presence—almost magical.
"I finally have friends, huh…" he thought, a trace of melancholy surfacing in his expression. "Being a Ranger is even better than I expected. I hope this lasts forever."
This feeling… he liked it.
That stream of thoughts flowed away, and the conversations continued.
--- ✦ ---
This chapter is a simple slice of life. This was meant to boost the progress of friendship between Zayne and the people of this world. As for why the girls or Dr.O aren't present, well, they have important things to do, so they couldn't accompany them.
The next chapter would be the date, and afterwards, the interception mission and Zayne's intense training shall begin.