[Rohan: Noah's mother? I should greet my friend's parents if they're here]
[Rohan: I'll be right there]
"Hnnng...!"
Ichinose Yui hugged her doll and squirmed at Rohan's reply.
Finally, she could meet Rohan.
He was coming here to thank her parents and to pick her and Noah up.
The girl's heart fluttered at the thought of facing her crush after more than a week.
Plus, she was happy and impressed by Rohan's behavior, which emphasized good manners enough to please her parents.
Nevertheless, Ichinose had a small worry.
It was frustrating that tension and anxiety were creeping in when she just wanted to be happy.
'This wasn't the plan...'
She had heard that Noah's mother, Jane Frozenheart, would sleep off her drinking and leave the next day.
So Ichinose hadn't thought much about it. The embarrassing interrogation had somehow passed.
But.
The next day, Jane enjoyed shopping with Momo and returned at night to spend another day in Samhwaguk.
And the day after that, she spent the day as a training partner for Ichinose Jun.
Various situations kept endlessly unfolding, keeping Jane's feet in Samhwaguk when she had nothing urgent to do.
And so the days passed until finally today.
When Jane saw Noah preparing her luggage for the trip, she found out that Rohan was coming today.
"..."
Of course, she knew.
She knew that Jane wouldn't cross the line by conveying her feelings to Rohan or playing excessive pranks.
Still.
With all her past experiences, how could she not worry?
'Please let nothing happen...'
After saving the photo Clara had just sent of Rohan driving, Ichinose prayed desperately.
*****
Perhaps it was because Sion and Clara were excited about the trip.
Rohan was also enjoying himself.
Positive emotions have excellent contagious properties, making even trivial elements bring smiles and happiness.
There was no need to connect his phone to play music.
Just hearing the girls' breathing and humming was enough to please Rohan's ears, and their conversation flowed smoothly.
Even when they fell silent for a moment, they would burst into laughter when their eyes met. Their relationship had long passed the point where silence felt awkward.
"Oh! There it is."
"Wow...!"
Following the navigation system's guidance, they left the traffic-congested Elysium Academy City and drove for a few minutes.
A magnificent interchange, commonly called an IC, welcomed the group.
The road had large numbers written on it, with most vehicles taking the right exit.
But Rohan turned toward number 1 on the far left, steering to take the special road that only a select few used.
Before reaching the entrance to pay, Rohan held Sion's card and expressed his gratitude again.
"Sion. Thank you. I'll drive you safely."
"Sion... thank you!"
"I'm the one who asked you to drive. This isn't something to thank me for."
After inserting the card into the machine and completing the payment, a wide, uncrowded road welcomed them.
This was what getting your money's worth meant. It looked luxurious just by sight.
"Oppa! The road suddenly got so quiet...!"
"Feels good to breathe freely."
"For that price, it should be this nice."
From here, it was a dedicated road from Elysium Academy City to Samhwaguk.
A long one-way road with occasional paths back to the Academy City, but no routes to other countries.
This wide and long road occupying prime real estate showcased the authority of Samhwaguk, one of the major powers.
Vrooom—!
Rohan pressed down on the accelerator.
He drove while being careful not to go too fast, intoxicated by the comfort and excitement.
"Is this the first time for both of you in Samhwaguk?"
"Yes...!"
"For you too, right Rohan?"
"Yeah, it's my first time too. But I've heard some things, so I'm looking forward to it. I also liked the Samhwaguk cuisine I had in the Academy City."
Rohan recalled the setting that the Abyss City developers had revealed in interviews.
Why was Samhwaguk called Samhwaguk?
The origin was simple.
Academy textbooks and history books explained the founding in long and complicated ways, but Abyss City gamers understood Samhwaguk in one line.
Samhwaguk was a country created by combining the cultures of Korea, China, and Japan.
That was simply it.
'Thinking about it again, they really mixed it conveniently.'
Rohan couldn't help but chuckle as he mulled over the setting.
Hanok (traditional Korean houses), hanbok (Korean traditional clothing), qipao, kimono, Japanese subculture maids and ninjas, martial arts, and so on.
A country perfectly suited for producing characters familiar and appealing to gamers.
Samhwaguk must have been one of the top performers for Sunday Games, the developer of Abyss City.
That's why Rohan was looking forward to it.
'I wonder what it'll be like in person.'
He was quite curious about how the mixed cultures would appear in reality.
While driving and recalling these settings, Rohan saw a large sign.
[10KM ahead: Salamander Inn]
If rest stops on the road had names like taverns or inns, it was proof that you were heading in the right direction to Samhwaguk.
Just the name sparked his curiosity.
"Should we check out the inn? We can buy some snacks."
"Sounds good. I want something cold to drink."
"Oppa! I looked it up... all the rest stops on this road are famous places! They all have great ratings...!"
"I guess it's different because it's a good road?"
"Yes! Each road has different sized rest stops and shops! The Salamander Inn is... famous for pajeon (green onion pancakes), sweet potato snacks, and sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch)...!"
Rohan smiled as he listened to Clara's excited voice.
During his Hunter days, he always bought sweet potato sticks at rest stops during long drives. The memories came flooding back.
On this road, 10KM passed in an instant.
The entrance to the Salamander Inn came into view. With so few vehicles on the road, the parking lot was incredibly spacious.
Getting out of the car, Rohan stretched and took in the building.
'They built it well.'
It was called an inn, but its size reminded him of a castle.
The open center visible from a distance stayed true to the concept of an inn despite its size.
It looked like the kind of place where a young master from an ancient martial arts sect would pick a fight with a protagonist eating noodles, only to get beaten up.
Sion and Clara also exclaimed in admiration and took out their phones to take pictures.
While waiting for them to finish photographing, Clara approached Rohan with careful, silent steps.
"O-Oppa... do you... want to take a picture together?"
"Why not? Since we're traveling, let's all take one together. Sion, come here too."
Rohan took Clara's phone and extended his arm.
"Stand behind me if you want your heads to look smaller~"
"Hehe..."
"Hmm."
Though he told them to stand behind him, they stuck close on either side of him, their fragrances wafting over.
Rohan struggled to maintain his composure and forced a smile.
With trembling fingers, he pressed the capture button.
But it wasn't over.
After taking the photo and about to head to the inn, Rohan was grabbed by the girls and positioned in the center again.
"Rohan. The picture was blurry."
"Oppa, sorry... I closed my eyes..."
Only after retaking the photos several times at Sion and Clara's request did Rohan finally find his freedom.
The three of them then headed inside the inn.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The spacious central area had shops lined up on both sides.
Passersby still stared at Sion and Clara, but the two were too busy exploring to notice.
"Should we get sujeonggwa to drink? Since it's famous."
The girls nodded without hesitation at Rohan's suggestion.
They must have had a good impression of sujeonggwa from Ansimjeong in the Academy City.
"Oppa... is it okay if I buy some snacks?"
"Of course. Get whatever you two want."
Sion and Clara linked arms like sisters and began wandering around Rohan, exploring the shops.
Rohan watched their heartwarming relationship while waiting for the drinks to arrive.
Then he heard a boisterous voice.
— Waiter! Cast a delicious spell on this pajeon!
— Oishikunare~ Moe moe kyun~!
Rohan thought his ears were malfunctioning.
When he turned to look, the scene was even more extraordinary.
The "waiter" wasn't a man but a female beastkin.
An employee with cat ears and a tail, wearing a maid outfit, was pouring soy sauce on pajeon while casting a spell.
Seeing the customers at the table beside themselves with joy, the demand must be quite high.
'...What is that?'
The confusion resulting from this cultural hodgepodge.
Rohan gave up trying to understand and turned away.
After mixing East Asian subcultures and letting time pass, perhaps such scenes were inevitable.
Maybe this was a privilege that only those who took this road could enjoy.
As he was resolving to respect the culture, the drinks arrived, and Sion and Clara returned.
"Did you buy everything you wanted?"
"Yes!"
"There were many interesting things."
Rohan and the girls left the Salamander Inn behind and continued toward Samhwaguk.
While driving, Sion and Clara fed him snacks.
They also seemed to know exactly when he wanted a drink and put the straw to his lips.
He told them they could sleep since there was still a long way to go, but Sion and Clara didn't sleep at all and continued talking with Rohan.
They were the epitome of ideal passengers.
And so, Rohan's group, having departed early in the morning.
Arrived at Samkyung, the capital of Samhwaguk, at 2 PM.
After driving another 40 minutes from the capital, they arrived at Ichinose's house. Before ringing the bell, Rohan took out the gifts he had stored in the car.
He couldn't possibly satisfy Ichinose's parents who ran a corporation, but not preparing anything wasn't an option.
Just as Rohan, carrying the gifts, was about to press the bell on the traditional-looking entrance.
"Finally, you're here!"
Jane flung the door open as if she had been waiting.
A predator's eyes fixed on Rohan.