[Reward: Aston Martin DB11]
Noa let the notification linger for a moment.
He wasn't exactly well-versed in cars, but even he could tell how expensive Aston Martins were.
It was, without a doubt, the biggest reward he had received so far.
As his emotions erupted and his heart raced with excitement, the system offered him an explanation, clearing away his questions.
[The car is standing outside. Locate it, and it's all yours. The keys are inside.]
Noa gulped.
He had never dreamed of driving a sports car before.
Yet he knew Hana would greatly enjoy the ride—especially if he did it before her classmates.
With that in mind, Noa ignored the girls following his tracks. They wanted to protect their cracked pride—not that he intended to allow them.
"Where are we going, brother?" Hana questioned him with her round eyes. "We can't catch a cab that way."
"We aren't looking for a cab," Noa chuckled, offering no further explanation.
He walked straight to the parking lot.
His steps were quick, laced with excitement. The only thought he had was to locate the Aston Martin logo and accept what now belonged to him.
Hana had to jog to keep up with his pace, yet she was still firmly holding onto the prizes they had won.
The parking lot buzzed with people.
Cars passed by in a blur, but Noa's pace didn't change.
Behind him, the trio closed the distance, still whispering to each other with angry expressions.
When one of them finally caught up with the siblings, she raised her voice. "Hey! What's your deal, mister? You think you are special just because you have some money?"
It was Lina speaking with unconcealed hostility.
The next one to speak was Mika, her voice rising even louder. "We all know how poor you really are," she said, her lips curling into a smile. "You didn't have to spend that much just to protect your snotty sister's pride."
Noa heard them loud and clear.
Of course, he didn't like how these brats spoke about Hana.
But somehow, he couldn't take them seriously either. It felt like he stood against immature kids who knew no better.
If he had to find the culprits, they would be the parents who did a poor job raising them.
Money was great, yes, but sometimes it affected people in the wrong way.
Still, Noa was no saint.
He saw how calmly Hana walked beside him and realized that she, too, no longer cared about their opinions.
That's why he chose to remain silent and ignore the trio.
However, there was one more thing…
Noa grew confident with the system standing by his side. He knew he would amass great wealth one day, perhaps even more than these girls' parents had.
Only then could he begin his true revenge.
Just imagine how shocked and wretched they would be when Noa strips them of the only thing they owned.
He, on the other hand, may have lacked money his entire life, but in every other way, his life was far more complete.
His silence spoke louder than the girls' agitated chatter.
Noa acted as if their presence was now beneath his notice, completely looking down on them.
Seeing this, the frustration the girls were going through was about to erupt.
That made Hana smile in secret.
She savored the look on Mika's face, wishing she could take a picture of it. In some ways, she was more similar to Noa than either of them realized.
Then, suddenly, there it was…
A sleek silver car stood at the far end of the parking lot, waiting for him.
The artificial light from the ceiling danced across its sharp curves, and the wings of the Aston Martin emblem glowed cheerfully on the hood.
It was beautiful. The most beautiful thing Noa had ever seen.
His steps halted right in front of it.
Without waiting for Hana's reaction, he pulled the handle, and the door opened with smooth elegance.
"B-Brother…" Hana gasped, "That's…"
Noa slid into the driver's seat, letting the leather caress his back. "Yeah. It's ours."
Hana didn't hesitate.
She climbed in as well and took a seat beside him, acting as casual as she could, as if it weren't her first time sitting inside.
The three girls, meanwhile, froze before even reaching the car.
They had seen how the siblings got into the expensive-looking sports car, and their expressions wavered.
"…Is that really his car?" Mika exclaimed in disbelief.
A second later, the engine roared like a wild beast, sounding both smooth and powerful.
Before driving off, Noa tapped the steering wheel, honked at the girls to make way for the car, and savored the reality that he actually owned this car.
Hana was kicking her legs. "Let's go!"
With a low growl, the car moved quickly, gliding onto the street. Every sound of the engine was a reminder of what was happening.
Adjusting the wheel, he glanced at his sister.
Hana looked amazed.
She had her hands pressed against the window as the city blurred past her eyes. "This is amazing," she exclaimed, only to shift her gaze to Noa. "Brother, you are amazing."
Pressing the pedal and feeling how smoothly the car was responding, Noa smirked.
Right now, they looked like they belonged to the car.
The ride didn't last long either. But because Hana wanted it to last longer, Noa circled the street four times.
By the time they reached the house, Hana was still jumping with excitement.
Unfortunately for her, she had school early in the morning and was forced to sleep. After ten minutes of fighting, Noa tucked her into bed. "Sweet dreams. Don't worry, we can hang out after you get home."
She mumbled something, almost half asleep.
Noa kissed her forehead and glanced at the hovering system panel, announcing another quest completion.
[Quest Completed]
[Requirement: Take the Perona figurine home to make your sister happy. The bigger the reaction you get from the crowd, the bigger the reward will be.]
[Reward: $15,000 |+ 20% Luck (hidden attribute)]
Noa relaxed in his gaming chair.
'Luck? Is it a thing?' he thought to himself. 'Does that mean I am luckier now?'
Instead of wasting time, he then willed the system to teleport his body to the second world. 'It's time for gacha pulls.'