The next day in the library, just after Jimmy finished lunch, he was about to leave.
Suddenly, his eyes fell on Sheldon, who looked troubled.
"Is something bothering you, Sheldon?" Jimmy approached and asked. Even though their friendship was a bit unusual, he still considered him a true friend.
Besides, after spending so much time together, Jimmy already saw the Cooper family as part of his own.
To him, Sheldon wasn't just a good friend—he was a kid who needed care like any other underage person.
Sheldon looked at Jimmy and asked, "Do you want my lunch?"
"No, I've already eaten," Jimmy shook his head and declined.
"Alright," Sheldon said, like a little adult, and carefully packed up his food, getting ready to leave.
Tam, meanwhile, had been watching Jimmy with admiration since he arrived.
"Is there something on my face?" Jimmy asked with a smile.
Tam originally wanted to ask Jimmy about his private life, especially about that program Sheldon had mentioned he participated in, but Jimmy's intense gaze made him feel oddly intimidated.
After avoiding eye contact several times, Tam finally gathered his courage, pointed to the corner of his mouth, and said, "You've got some chocolate there…"
"Really? Thanks." Jimmy calmly took a napkin from Sheldon and wiped his mouth.
Then he left the library with Sheldon, who had already packed everything into his briefcase.
Tam finished his curry and rice, watching Mike leave with envy. During the afternoon study session, Jimmy helped a few students who had asked him for help with case studies.
During that time, Ally occasionally glanced at Jimmy, regretting what had happened the other day.
Later, during outdoor training, with Jason out of the way, Jimmy's physical training went smoothly.
After a full day on campus, Jimmy took a relaxing shower and left school with George Jr.
Suddenly, George Jr. motioned for Jimmy to look into the distance. "Look, it's Ally…"
Jimmy turned his head and, sure enough, saw Ally. She was walking far behind, and when she noticed Jimmy looking at her, she turned her face away.
George Jr. was a bit excited to see her and was about to wave her over.
But Jimmy didn't want to cause Ally any more trouble—or be judged again by her father-uncle. The last time he went to her house, things went really badly.
It was best to keep their distance.
"Want to come with me?" Jimmy asked, pointing to the sports car that had just pulled up in front of them. Thanks to the tinted windows, the driver wasn't visible—because there wasn't one.
"Sure." George Jr. opened the door, but when he saw Jimmy heading to the driver's seat, he asked, "Are you allowed to drive?"
"Eh?" Jimmy didn't say anything. He just got in, and when George Jr. realized there was no driver, he asked, "Where's the driver?"
I am here, ready to receive orders.
"Cool, right? It's programmed with artificial intelligence. Its most basic function is driving. It also has weapons, ejectable seats, and it can even drive on water." Jimmy didn't mention the missiles hidden in the hood—after all, they weren't activated yet.
"That's insane…" George Jr. was amazed by all the features of Jimmy's car.
"Take us home," Jimmy ordered, much more used to it than George Jr.
When the sports car received the command, it sped off, and with George Jr. screaming, they shot out of the school.
…
A few hours later, Jimmy was walking down the street with Goddard following him, clearly thrilled to finally not have to hide from people.
Even though people stared at Goddard, everyone who asked about him just assumed he was a robot dog.
Along the way, Jimmy spotted Veronica sitting alone in the park, and out of curiosity, he walked past her.
"Veronica, what are you doing here alone instead of at a party?" Jimmy hadn't planned to ask, but when he saw her crying, he wanted to make sure she was okay.
"Jimmy…" Veronica wiped away her tears and said, "I'm just letting it all out."
"Trouble at home?" Jimmy wasn't sure why this girl had shown interest in him, but over time he realized it was just so she could improve her school grades.
At first, Veronica came off as a reckless and mean teenager who often drank and smoked, and it was hinted she made a lot of bad decisions.
But Jimmy later learned things that weren't so funny.
The only things known about her family were that her father abandoned her mother when she was very young and never came back; her older sister was arrested for selling a piñata filled with drugs to an undercover cop; and her mom has a boyfriend who mistreats Veronica and is generally unpleasant.
Jimmy figured that's why she was crying in such a lonely spot. "Let me introduce you to my dog, Goddard. As you can see, he's a robot dog I built myself, and he really loves cuddles."
Seeing a young woman crying, Goddard activated his emotional empathy system and started doing strange movements.
Veronica, now smiling, opened up to Jimmy, who gave her the impression of being a genuinely good guy.
Knowing her situation, Jimmy couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He told her that if she ever wanted to become independent in the future, she could come work for his company. He needed workers, and having someone familiar around could make things a bit easier.