WebNovels

Chapter 69 - Bob

Evening had settled over the city, and Lucien found himself walking down the familiar streets instead of heading straight back to his apartment. He decided to go to run grocery.

The small convenience store on the corner was one of those places that stayed open late for people like him who needed basic supplies at odd hours. The lights buzzed overhead as he grabbed a basket and moved through the narrow aisles.

He picked up some snacks, a few chocolates, and was scanning the refrigerated section when he spotted a can of energy drink that caught his attention. The brand was one he remembered from his previous life, and the familiar logo brought a small smile to his face.

With his items collected, Lucien made his way to the counter. But as he approached, he noticed someone else was already there - a guy in a grey hoodie who seemed to be having some kind of problem.

The man was frantically going through his pockets, checking and rechecking the same spots over and over again. His movements were jerky and nervous, like someone who was trying very hard not to panic.

"Look, if you don't have the money, just get out," the shop owner said with clear irritation in his voice. He was an older man with tired eyes who had probably dealt with this situation too many times before.

Lucien stayed back slightly, observing the situation. He could sense the genuine distress coming from the hooded figure, and his intuition told him the man wasn't lying or pretending.

"I... I remember putting my wallet right here," the guy said, his voice shaky and underconfident. There was a clear stutter in his speech that made him sound even more vulnerable. "Maybe I d-dropped it somewhere on the way here."

The shop owner let out an exasperated sigh. "Don't waste my time, man. Just go away."

"Look, I'm not a... a freeloader," the hooded man continued, his voice getting quieter with each word. "I brought the money. I just lost it somewhere. I really need this stuff. Can I pay you tomorrow? I promise I will be back."

His tone was so defeated and desperate that Lucien felt a pang of sympathy. The man clearly wasn't used to asking for help, and the situation was obviously embarrassing him.

Lucien glanced at what was on the counter - just two packets of instant noodles and a single can of energy drink. Basic survival food. Nothing fancy or expensive.

The shop owner was already shaking his head, about to refuse, when Lucien stepped forward.

"I'll cover for it," he said simply.

Both the hooded man and the shop owner turned to look at him. The guy in the hoodie's eyes widened with surprise, while the shopkeeper looked skeptical.

"You don't have to do that," the shop owner said with a dismissive wave. "I know this type. They just want everything for free."

The comment made the hooded man's face flush with embarrassment. He opened his mouth to say something, probably to defend himself, but Lucien spoke first.

"It's fine. Add it to mine," Lucien said, placing his own items on the counter next to the noodles and energy drink.

"Thank you," the hooded man said quietly, his voice filled with genuine gratitude.

The shopkeeper shrugged and rang up both purchases together. Lucien pulled out his card and completed the payment without any fuss. The total wasn't much - maybe fifteen dollars for everything combined.

Both Lucien and the hooded man collected their respective items and walked outside together.

"Thanks again, man," the hooded figure said, adjusting his hood slightly. "Can you give me your number? I'll send the money to you by tonight, I promise."

"It's fine," Lucien replied with a casual shrug. "It's a couple of bucks anyway."

"You sure?" the man asked, clearly not used to accepting help without being able to pay it back immediately.

"Positive."

The man nodded gratefully. "Thanks. I'm not like what the owner was thinking, you know. I really did lose my wallet somewhere."

"It's fine. I trust you," Lucien said, and he meant it. He could sense lies and deception, and this man was telling the truth. There was something genuinely honest about him, despite his obvious nervousness.

The guy nodded again, seeming to relax slightly at being believed. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Lucien," he replied, extending his hand for a shake.

The hooded man accepted the handshake with a slightly trembling grip. "I'm... I'm Bob," he stuttered.

"Nice to meet you, Bob."

"My actual name's Robert," the man clarified quickly, as if he felt the need to be completely honest. "But you can call me Bob."

Lucien nodded. "Well, see you around, Bob. Have a great night."

"You too," Bob replied as they both headed in different directions.

As Lucien walked back toward his apartment building, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to the nervous man he'd just helped.

Bob had seemed genuinely grateful, but there was also an underlying sadness to him that went beyond just losing a wallet. Still, Lucien had learned not to pry into other people's business unless it directly affected him.

The apartment building came into view, and Lucien took the elevator up to his floor. As he approached his door, he could hear voices and laughter coming from inside. 

He opened the door to find Illyana, Anna, and Laura all sitting in the living room. They looked up as he entered.

"Hi," they all said in various tones of greeting.

But before Lucien could respond properly, a blue blur shot across the room toward his legs. Jeff the land shark had spotted him and was wiggling excitedly as he crashed into Lucien's shins, making adorable chirping sounds.

"Hey there, buddy," Lucien said with warmth, setting his grocery bag on the nearby table before squatting down to pat Jeff's smooth head. The little creature practically vibrated with happiness at the attention.

After giving Jeff his required dose of affection, Lucien looked up at Laura. "How was the mission?"

Laura's mouth curved into that dangerous smirk of hers. "It was great. Took out some targets."

Illyana let out a frustrated sigh from her spot on the couch. "I wish I could join you too. Not being able to use my powers is frustrating as hell."

"Just a few weeks more," Lucien said reassuringly.

He meant it. From all his fights so far, Lucien had learned not to underestimate any opponent, and magicians were something he hadn't faced before in combat.

Who knew what kind of tricks they had up their sleeves? Though he was confident that the system might soon put him up against a magician or something similar - he had that intuition.

Illyana nodded, accepting his words but still clearly impatient to get back into action.

Anna looked up at Lucien with a bright smile that made his chest feel warm. "So, are we going at it again tonight? I think I can do it better this time."

Lucien understood immediately that she was talking about the dungeon training they'd been doing together to gain more control over her powers. Anna had been making progress, and her confidence was growing with each session.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go for a walk after dinner. Tonight we'll be doing it at a different place."

"A different place?" Anna asked with curiosity. "Alright. I'll get ready."

But just then, Illyana's voice cut through the conversation with a distinctly mischievous tone and a big smile. "Going at it again tonight?"

Laura immediately joined in with her own grin. "Can do it better this time?"

Lucien immediately understood what their conversation must have sounded like to anyone who wasn't aware of the dungeon training context.

He had been embarrassed by this bunch once before, so he was not going to be played again. He didn't say anything to correct their interpretation. Instead, he just cleared his throat.

"I'm going to take a bath," he announced, grabbing his grocery bag and heading toward his room.

Behind him, he could hear Anna's voice getting higher and more flustered. Her face had turned bright red as she realized what Illyana and Laura were implying.

"It's not... we weren't... that's not what..." Anna stammered, trying to explain but unable to form coherent sentences because the dungeon training was supposed to be their secret.

Unable to find the words to defend herself without revealing too much, Anna grabbed the nearest couch pillow and buried her face in it with a muffled groan of embarrassment.

Illyana and Laura's laughter echoed through the apartment as Lucien closed his bedroom door behind him, shaking his head with amusement.

Sometimes having enhanced hearing meant hearing every word of conversations you probably weren't supposed to overhear. 

.....

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