Watching the bustle in the bookstore, Voss was in high spirits. It was only a small beginning, but being recognized filled him with renewed energy.
"Come on, we need to buy some essentials," Voss clapped his hands. "If I'm going to be a professional writer, I need professional tools."
"Buy what?" Aqua tilted her head curiously.
"A phone and a laptop," Voss counted on his fingers. "I'll need a phone to contact editors and a computer to write. That's the bare minimum."
Tom and Jerry exchanged glances. They didn't really understand these modern gadgets, but seeing Voss's excitement, they nodded anyway.
The group soon arrived at a nearby electronics store.
In 2007, smartphones hadn't yet taken over the world. Flip phones and candy-bar models from brands like Nokia and Motorola still ruled the shelves.
"What are those little boxes?" Aqua pressed her face to the glass display, fascinated.
"Phones," Voss explained. "You can talk to people with them."
A young salesman in his twenties approached with a friendly smile. "Hello! Looking for anything in particular?"
"I need a phone and a laptop," Voss said.
"Of course, this way." The salesman led them to the display. "Here's the latest Motorola RAZR, and over here is Nokia's classic 6300 model."
Voss eyed the price tags. The RAZR was $299. The Nokia was $199. Given his budget, the Nokia was the safer choice.
"This one," he pointed to the Nokia 6300.
Aqua leaned on the counter, still staring. "Voss, these little boxes really let people talk?"
"Exactly." The salesman picked up a demo model. "You press this button to dial, and you can speak to someone miles away."
"Wow!" Aqua's eyes sparkled. "That's amazing! It's even more powerful than—" she paused, puffing up proudly, "—this goddess's miracles!"
Voss coughed. "She means… more powerful than magic."
The salesman chuckled, clearly taking her words as a joke.
Then Aqua grabbed Voss's arm, eyes shining. "This goddess wants one too!"
"What?" Voss blinked.
"A phone! If you're buying one, I should get one too!"
"No," Voss said flatly. "They're expensive, and you don't need it."
"Why wouldn't I need it?" Aqua pouted. "This goddess needs to contact her followers!"
"What followers?" Voss rolled his eyes.
"There will be some," Aqua said with confidence. "And since this thing is so magical, this goddess must have one!"
The salesman hid his grin. The girl's theatrics were amusing.
"No means no." Voss folded his arms. "We need to save money."
Aqua froze. Then, to Voss's horror—
"Waaaahhh!" she suddenly burst into tears, her wailing echoing through the store.
"Aqua!" Voss nearly jumped.
"I don't care! This goddess wants a phone!" Aqua sobbed, throwing herself onto the floor and rolling like a spoiled child. "Voss is a cheapskate! A bad guy!"
Customers turned their heads.
"What's wrong with her?"
"She's gorgeous, but… she's acting like a toddler."
"Is she okay?"
Tom slapped a paw over his face. Jerry dove into Voss's pocket in embarrassment.
"Aqua! Get up!" Voss crouched, face burning. "Everyone's staring!"
"I won't!" Aqua cried harder. "Not until you buy me a phone!"
"Fine, fine! I'll buy it for you, just stop already!" Voss whispered frantically.
"Really?" Aqua sniffled, her tears instantly replaced with a bright smile.
"Really," Voss sighed. "But don't ever do this again."
"Deal!" Aqua leapt up, dusted off her skirt, and acted as though nothing had happened.
The crowd laughed. Even the salesman chuckled. "Your girlfriend is really something."
"She's not my girlfriend!" Voss blushed furiously. "She's… my roommate."
"Got it," the salesman grinned. "Two Nokia 6300s, then. Do you need SIM cards as well?"
"Yes," Voss muttered, already mourning his wallet.
By the time they walked out of the store with two phones and a brand-new laptop, his savings had been cut in half.
"At least we'll manage for a while," Voss tried to reassure himself.
Aqua, meanwhile, was glued to her new phone. "What does this button do? And this one?"
"I'll teach you when we get home," Voss said, exasperated.
They headed back, Aqua marveling the whole way.
"Voss, the numbers on the little screen change!"
"That's the clock."
"There are games too!"
"That's Snake."
As Voss explained patiently, he didn't notice the man across the street in a café.
The man, wearing a baseball cap, stared at Voss through the window. A scar ran down his cheek, and his cold eyes never wavered.
"Impossible…" he muttered. "I shot him myself."
He was Scarface, a hitman for the Wright Gang. Days earlier, he'd broken into Voss's home and put a bullet in the back of his skull. He'd checked the body himself—Voss was dead.
And yet, here Voss was, alive, walking down the street like nothing had happened.
Scarface's fingers tightened around his coffee cup. "Don't tell me… resurrection really exists in this world?"
He studied Voss's companions. A girl with aqua-blue hair, two small animals. They looked ordinary enough. But his instincts screamed otherwise.
Voss and the others drifted farther down the street. Scarface didn't follow. It was too crowded for action. Better to report this to Wright Jackson and let the boss decide.
Scarface tossed some cash on the table and slipped out of the café.
Meanwhile, Voss was still showing Aqua how to use her phone.
"This game is impossible!" Aqua groaned. "Why does the snake keep crashing into itself?"
"Because you don't control it properly," Voss said.
"Oh, Voss," Aqua suddenly perked up. "You said this phone can talk to people far away. Can it call heaven?"
"Heaven?" Voss blinked. "Who do you want to call?"
"My colleagues, of course! They must be worried about this goddess."
"I don't think the signal reaches that far," Voss said gently.
"Really? Then what's the point of this thing?"
"You can call friends, send messages, play games—"
"Friends?" Aqua lit up. "Then this goddess will call you!"
"We live together. You don't need to call me."
"But it's fun!" Aqua exclaimed. She dialed his number. Seconds later, Voss's phone buzzed.
"Hello?" Voss answered, rubbing his temple.
"Voss! It's me! This thing really works!" Aqua shouted into her phone.
"I know. I'm standing right next to you."
Passersby chuckled at the sight. A girl calling the boy walking beside her was a strange, funny scene.
Laughing and bickering, the group headed home—unaware that danger had already marked them.