Chapter Title: Speed, Silence, and the Ring
After exiting the Tower in Newland.
Jin: "Do you have my phone with you?"
Shuang: "Yes, just a moment." She pulled it from her bag and handed it to him.
Jin: "Why did you take a power bank to the Murim in the first place?"
Shuang (sarcastically): "And how exactly was I supposed to charge the phone there, genius?"
Jin: "Ah, right. You have a point."
The youth glanced at his phone for a moment, checking his bank account. He had nearly two million dollars in it.
Shuang: "Are we going to the Academy now?"
Jin: "We're going somewhere else first."
A while later, they stood before a massive car showroom.
Shuang: "Do you want to buy a new car? Aileen and I never leave the Academy city, so we didn't buy one; we won't need it."
Jin: "But we'll be traveling a lot while I'm here. We'll need it."
Later, inside, a salesman took them on a tour of the showroom. To her surprise, Jin wanted an SUV—a departure from his usual taste. In the end, his choice fell on the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT.
Shuang (whispering): "You've been in the Murim for two years. Are your documents even still valid?"
Jin: "Yes." He pulled all his papers out of his storage ring.
Shuang (laughing): "That poor ring. You put clothes, coffee, chips, swords, and even your personal documents in it."
Jin: "It's not my fault it's a storage ring!"
Later...
Shuang: "Jin, you just bought it. Are you going to drive it right away? You haven't even learned how to drive this class of vehicle."
Jin had been lost in thought since their arrival. He looked at her and spoke with a strange calmness. "Don't worry."
They reached the highway. Shuang watched Jin anxiously as he drove. He was immersed in his thoughts, his face wearing a chillingly cold expression. Her intuition was right.
Jin: "Cover the child's eyes."
Shuang: "Why?"
The young man didn't answer. He increased the speed.
Shuang (worriedly): "You aren't used to the car, don't speed like this!"
Again, he didn't reply. He accelerated further.
120 km/h.
180.
230.
He hit 300!
Shuang was terrified. "Jin, calm down! Why are you doing this?"
Yet, Jin remained just as cold, possessing a strange focus. He was leaning his head on his left hand, driving with only his right at that lethal speed. Oddly enough, he was perfectly in control, his concentration unshakable, so he wasn't worried. But Shuang... well, this was a mother's anxiety now.
Lily (in awe): "Wow! Papa is great at driving!"
The youth smiled faintly and continued until they reached his house in the evening. They had already informed their friends of their arrival.
Upstairs, they entered the house.
Kevin: "Haha! You're back early this time, you bore!"
Martin: "Looks like he got beaten up."
While Reinhardt welcomed him with his usual quiet demeanor, he noticed the change in Jin's state. He was different—unlike any other time.
Reinhardt (whispering): "Man, we need to talk later."
Jin: "I plan to. But let's leave it for tomorrow. There's something important right now."
Emily: "What are you two whispering about?"
Reinhardt: "None of your business, you nosy girl."
Emily: "Hmph!"
The friends kept talking loudly; the atmosphere was boisterous. But Jin didn't speak at all.
Then, Aileen arrived!
She quickly hugged Shuang and Lily. She hadn't been used to them being gone over the last three years; this was the first time. Then, she welcomed Jin warmly.
Aileen: "I missed you."
The youth smiled with a hint of sadness. "I didn't stay away for long this time."
After everyone had greeted one another, Jin and Reinhardt stood on the balcony. Jin was smoking, leaning against the railing.
Jin: "How have you been lately?"
Reinhardt: "Better than past years. I passed the fourth year; I'm finishing the fifth now."
Jin (laughing): "Why the rush? The fifth year is exhausting. They'll make you train first-year students and go on boring field missions."
Reinhardt (smiling): "Man, I just want to finish my studies. I'm trying to join the International Guard as soon as possible. By the way, I'm close to reaching the sixth star."
Jin: "That's truly impressive! I didn't expect you to reach that stage so fast."
Reinhardt: "My family promised to help me join the International Guard if I develop quickly. As you know, my older brother is the Deputy Commander of the European Guard."
Jin wished his friend luck. After a moment, he asked, "Is Leonardo Greiwald the Commander of the EU Guard now?"
Reinhardt: "Yes, he's been the commander for four years."
Jin: "That's good."
Reinhardt: "Why?"
Jin: "I intend to join the International Guard as well. Maybe Leonardo can help me in the future. He told me to contact him when I was ready."
Reinhardt: "Was that when we went to Canada? That man really has a sharp eye!"
Reinhardt asked why Jin wanted to join as well. Jin explained the situation and his goals. A look of distress appeared on Reinhardt's face. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"
Jin: "I didn't want to tell anyone at first. But I realized that sometimes, those closest to you should know about your problems. Director Elder, Borin—who I told you about before—Yuan, whom I met in the Murim, Director Albert... and now you. It doesn't make sense for my first friend to know nothing about me, right? Perhaps... I didn't want to tell Shuang-Yu, but... I had to."
Reinhardt: "You're right. But... what are you going to do with Aileen now?"
Jin (quietly): "I don't know... we'll find out in a bit."
They sat back inside. The atmosphere remained normal as usual, but Kevin's stupidity—which always appeared at the worst times—showed up once again.
Kevin: "Hmm. What is that ring you and Shuang are wearing, Jin?"
Reinhardt (whispering): "That idiot... he's doing it again."
Everyone focused on them. Shuang became extremely tense!
Emily stared for a few moments, then spoke in shock, "Is that... a wedding ring?"
A stunned silence fell over everyone. Aileen spoke, her voice trembling violently, her face a mask of shock and grief.
Aileen: "What... what does this mean? This is just a joke, right?"