The day after receiving the vacation news, Cain woke up in a private room that Albert had prepared.
Even so, he himself had never met him other than in their conversation yesterday. He heard that all his rooms and needs had been prepared far in advance as soon as he returned from his mission.
Cain and his comrades were standing in front of the barracks' largest building. They gathered to discuss their holiday plans.
"Hey, by the way, where are your homes? Rika and I are in the east."
Abel started the conversation. He licked his lips while rubbing his palms together. He wore a yellow T-shirt tucked into a short-sleeve white hoodie and white pants, giving him a fresh appearance.
Peter, who was wearing a navy t-shirt, was adjusting his unbalanced white collar, and a black trousers that enhanced his charm.
"My family house is in the east."
He turned to the side, seeing Louise, who wore a white, fitted turtleneck and beige high-waist straight pants, showing her prim side.
"I'm in the east."
A shadow approached. Rika wore a black tank top under a red, cropped tactical jacket and high-waist combat shorts, showing her trendy side.
"Where is your home, Cain?"
Cain raised his eyebrow, racking his brain as he tried to dig any remaining information left in his head. He crossed his arms over his chest, turning his gaze towards the eastern sky.
'For now, let's choose the safe answer.'
"East as well."
Although he was stiff at first, Rika and the others did not seem to notice his tone, which was slightly distorted by doubt. He swept through his comrades' outfit and glanced down.
A black long-sleeved techwear piece paired with black cargo pants showed his minimalist, practical thinking. The boy glanced to the side, making direct eye contact with Rika, who was glaring at him for a few seconds, and nodded.
"Simple is best for you. You look good."
Cain's eyebrow twitched; he scrutinized his comrades' outfits, then exhaled.
"Thanks, you look trendy in that outfit. It suits you."
"Heeh, so we are all in the same district. Hey, how about we meet up later?"
Abel, Peter, and Louise moved closer; they gathered to approach Cain, who was standing a bit farther away. Abel, as usual, began talking about wanting to hang out together with his never-ending positive energy.
Cain, who was watching them, wrinkled his eyebrows when, at the edge of his sight, he caught a shadow of a black and luxurious vehicle coming closer.
The vehicle sped up, yet whistled quietly, as if a gust of wind passed. Its four tires screeched as the long sedan stopped quite close to the cadets.
The back door lifted, showing General Dosh, along with Chloe and Luna, who were sticking their heads out while waving their hands.
"Good morning. It seems you are ready. Hurry, and come in!"
Dosh's voice was calm, coupled with his simple, casual outfit, only a tactical white shirt and black trousers that highlighted his body curves gave him a comfortable impression.
Cain and the others exchanged glances, then nodded. Abel was the first to enter, followed by Rika, Louise, Peter, and Cain last, as he sat next to the general.
The lifted door buzzed, closing with a subtle click. From Cain's feet, he could feel a silent vibration jolt his nerves, proving the working engine car.
"We're going to the east district."
After hearing Dosh's command, the car turned the wheel and drove towards the entrance gate, which was still open when they approached it.
As they passed the checkpoint, the thick door closed, allowing the car to drive on the military's private lane before entering the public road.
Different from the private road, Cain could see many colored vehicles driving on the not-too-crowded highway. He also saw many pedestrians passing by on the sidewalk, their attention forward, focused as if on a mission.
There were not only humans but also androids with elongated bodies, carrying monitors that gave directions.
Cain peeked down, seeing a slight shadow in the sky from a drone, which served as a surveillance camera and was closely monitored by security guards at every corner of the district.
He widened his eyes, seeing a long shadow passing his sight that came from a train, twisting like an iron snake in the sky.
The boy couldn't take his eyes off the surroundings. Tall buildings with perpetual neon that were full of color yet dimmed by the light of the artificial sun lined up, offering a futuristic, aesthetic view.
"Oh yeah, before I forget, Cain, show me your smartwatch."
Slightly regretting having to turn away from the city view, Cain turned to his side and saw the general holding a terminal with a connected cable. He was hesitant at first, but when he realized he could make the others suspicious of him, the boy stretched out his left hand.
Dosh pricked the end of the cable into his smartwatch. After a few taps and swipes on his terminal, Cain's wrist vibrated, which made his body stiffen.
"Good, now the rest of you, Abel, Rika, Peter, and Louise."
The man disconnected from his watch and turned to the others. While they were busy, Cain raised his hand, and on his small screen, an application was installed. He widened his eyes.
'E-Wallet?'
Cain tapped the icon with the image 'E' and 'W' merged in a blue circle. He saw a new display containing a simple layout with the words 'Balance,' 'Send,' and 'Receive.' Then his black pupil shrank, witnessing the balance that held a seven-digit number.
'Million!?'
"Wha!? A Million Bolt!?"
Abel's scream echoed in the narrow space, and it caused all eyes to turn to him. It was natural because for him, Rika, and Cain, who were living in ordinary families, getting that much money was very eye-opening.
Meanwhile, Peter and Louise just stared at their screens, their expressions calm as if unaffected. With this, Cain was sure that both of them were born with privilege.
However, that was not his primary focus. For the money he received, one million was enough to support a family for many years because the average person's income per month was 10,000 Bolt.
And the Bolt itself was the name of the currency that the city of Babylon managed.
"Yes, you deserve it and also this is my apology."
General Dosh explained, making Abel and the others turn towards him, excluding Cain, who chuckled softly.
'More like hush money to me.'
The man began to tell them about the newly installed application, how to create an access code to prevent misuse, and several other features.
Cain, who understood the basics, immediately created a security code, just in case a bad situation happened later.
He typed six password codes based on his date of birth, but with a twist: reversed. Instead of writing it whole, he reversed the number that should be in the front to the back and vice versa.
'I think that's enough.'
The gray-haired boy rested his left elbow on the glass window, seeing the tall buildings slowly turn into apartments, plus several large or multi-story houses. They had arrived at the residential district in the east.
While daydreaming, there was something that caught his attention after passing the straight road filled with people, even during rush hour. His black eyes narrowed as he witnessed a small alley, full of tenements.
Somehow, his attention would not let go of that place, but that feeling was only fleeting before disappearing. Replaced by a conspicuous place.
Cain saw a towering building, among the others. It stretched on both sides, forming a crescent. The building stood in the center of the district, on the top of which was a monitor displaying advertisements, starring a famous actress he did not know.
The car he was driving slowed, and the seniors stared at the window behind them, their expressions softening.
"We finally arrived."
Chloe announced, and she turned to stare at her juniors while smirking.
"Today, we will spend the day having fun. The first thing is shopping."
From that sentence, the reactions of the people in the room were divided into two. Some had glittering stars in their eyes, and others had dim faces, realizing that when women talked about shopping, disaster was brewing.
Cain and Peter, who accidentally locked their gaze, glanced at the other man, who smiled broadly, showing his white teeth. The two of them let out a long sigh and prepared their mental state for the hell that was about to come.