Chapter 83: Why are you nervous?

"By the way, Jean." While he cut the vegetables in the kitchen, with her washing the mushrooms beside him, Kai suddenly spoke. "Mark might say a lot of things about me. Don’t take him too seriously."

Jean hummed. "What are you so nervous about? I thought Mark was your good friend."

Kai gave a wry smile. "That is true. He is the only person I could actually rely on during bad times. But well... that’s precisely why he is my best friend. He knows a lot about me."

Jean’s brows rose slightly, her curiosity piqued. She wondered just how much Mark knew about Kai that had him this flustered. Kai had also been careful not to talk about Mark around her, which only made her more curious.

Still, she set her curiosity aside and reassured him. "Whatever Mark or anyone else says about you, my thoughts won’t change. I only believe what I see with my own eyes."

Kai suspected she had taken his warning in a slightly different way than he intended, but that was fine too.

He was a little nervous about letting the two of them meet. Kai had mentioned a certain girl quite a few times in the past, sometimes casually and several times when he had been drunk. Mark knew enough to make things awkward if he decided to bring it up.

So yes, Kai was a little unsure about how this first meeting would go.

They fell into a comfortable silence afterward. Kai chopped the vegetables, marinated the chicken, and took responsibility for preparing the drinks when he came over. Jean wanted to cook lunch for them since Kai had already taken care of most of the chores that morning.

Just as he finished washing his hands, his phone rang.

He took it out and glanced at the screen before telling Jean, "I’ll go pick him up."

Jean nodded. "Don’t forget the tea leaves."

Kai nodded in understanding before grabbing the keys and stepping out of the house.

He received a call from the rental dealer he had rented the car from. Since his own car was expected to be delivered by tomorrow, Kai had extended the rental for another two days.

Once he settled into the driver’s seat, he started the engine and drove toward the entrance of the community.

As he drove, he asked the system, "Any way I can use the special eye here?"

When he was with Jean, he had completely forgotten about the skill. Otherwise, he would have already tried using it on her, if only to test its capabilities. It might even allow him to discern her current physical condition, which could prove useful when he eventually gave her the awakening pill.

[Host, the eye can be used to discern the characteristics, composition, and elemental properties of an object. The host can use it on the steering wheel as well.]

Kai hummed in surprise. "How do I use it?"

[Simply decide on a catchphrase, and the system will assist you in assessing the subject.]

The choice was simple.

"Scan."

Easy to remember and straight to the point.

The moment he uttered the word, a faint blue radiance swept across the steering wheel. A translucent display appeared before his eyes, followed by a brief assessment.

[Scan Complete]

Object: Steering Wheel

Material: Synthetic Leather, Reinforced Polymer

Condition: Excellent

Element: None

Characteristics: Durable, Heat Resistant

Special Properties: None

"..." Wow. That was far more information than he had expected, but it gave him a quick idea of just how useful this skill could be.

I’m definitely getting a massive advantage from this skill.

With that thought, Kai left the community and headed toward the place where he had asked Mark to wait.

It was a little farther away than necessary, but there was a reason for that. If the people targeting Jean decided to investigate her connections, Mark would be much easier to trace if he came directly to her community.

So Kai had asked him to wait at a community park a short distance away.

Just thinking about their phone call and the questions Mark had thrown at him was enough to give Kai a slight headache. God knew how many questions his best friend would have waiting for him now.

Bzzz.

His phone vibrated.

Kai picked it up without taking his eyes off the road.

"Yeah?"

{I’m near the third gate.}

Kai spotted him almost immediately. He slowed down and pulled over beside the pedestrian path.

When he stepped out, he found Mark standing there with a huge basket wrapped in colorful gift paper beside him.

Kai instantly knew what it was.

He sighed. "Why would you buy something this expensive? I gave you my savings so you could use them on Mia."

There was little doubt about what was inside. It was a crib for the baby, and judging by its size and quality, it certainly had not been cheap. And it was understandable for Kai to be worried given Mark’s financial situation was no secret to him

"Shut it, man. This is the first time I’m going to meet my dear niece. You expect me to show up empty-handed?" Mark crossed his arms before adding, "And don’t worry. I bought this with my own money. The cash you gave me? That was all spent during the honeymoon."

Kai could only smile helplessly and nod. He decided not to argue any further. Mark was clearly happy about the gift, and continuing to lecture him would only dampen the sentiment behind it.

"Well, let’s somehow fit this in the car and get going. Jean is waiting for us."

Kai bent down and picked up the crib.

Mark stared at him.

"It’s... heavy?"

Kai glanced at him. "What?"

Mark tilted his head, still looking at the crib in Kai’s hands. He had tried lifting it himself earlier, and it had felt surprisingly heavy. Yet Kai had picked it up with relative ease, as though its weight barely registered.

Kai merely gestured toward the car. "Come on. We have a lot of things to talk about."

Mark gave him a wry smile.

"We sure do."