34 Chapter:34 Strange Woman

Mr. Tanaka's observation prompted a wry smile from Renko. She chose to keep the details vague, seeing no need to burden someone unrelated, with her troubles.

"Just had a rough day."

Mr. Tanaka chuckled,

"Well, days can be tough for busy people. Anyway, let's get back to your driving practice. Hop on, and let's see if you remember yesterday's lessons."

Renko nodded and approached the training bike.

[05:30]

As Renko mounted the motorcycle, she took a deep breath and adjusted her grip on the handlebars. The engine roared to life as she followed Mr. Tanaka's instructions. The two of them began with basic maneuvers in the empty parking lot adjacent to the driving school.

Mr. Tanaka guided Renko through various drills, from simple starts and stops to turns and even more complex maneuvers like figure eight. Admittedly, the figure-eight covered the entire parking lot, the instructor made her drive very slowly to prevent accidents.

[Driving: +10 EXP]

[Driving: +5 EXP]

[Driving: +1 EXP]

'Huh?'

At a certain point, the gained experience started to decrease, and once she reached 'Driving(3),' it dropped to a minimum of 1 experience point per repetition.

'Why, though?'

After completing ten more rounds, the instructor called for a break.

'Maybe it's because the instructor's level isn't much higher than mine? Or perhaps because his skill tier is the same as mine? Most likely, these were the causes of the sudden drop.'

[Congratulations!]

[You actually used your brain for once!]

[Due to extremely accurate hypothetical thinking and reaching the correct conclusion, the user gains 1 Wisdom stat point]

'Heh?'

"What do you mean by that!?"

The instructor turned to look at her from the other end of the parking lot.

"DID YOU SAY ANYTHING!"

He shouted from over a hundred and fifty meters, and somehow his voice reached her at the end of the lot. She shook her head, and he nodded before heading into the office building.

The cool evening breeze swept through her hair as she leaned into the bike, her soft yet lean body pressing against the slightly warm metal, letting the comforting heat seep inside. The sounds of the city closed in on her as she relaxed for a moment, contemplating her next move.

'I guess I should wrap up the driving quest as soon as possible.'

It was evident that she no longer needed to continue attending the driving school. After just one session, her driving skills had improved significantly, and she could now drive safely. However, her next challenge was persuading the instructor to allow her to take the written part of the assessment, though he would likely dismiss it as a joke since she had only taken one class.

*Sigh*

She sighed softly again, leaning into the bike until she was lying flat on it, her feet planted firmly to the side, and her torso above the chest hanging off the front.

'Surprisingly uncomfortable.'

Lying on the bike, with almost half her torso hanging off it, Renko began to slowly gather her curse energy in both her palms, creating ammunition twice as fast.

[Lead Ball Ammunition +2]

[-30 CP]

[CP: 5/200]

[CP Regen: 1.1/Per Min]

[13*Lead Ball Ammunition]

[13*Paper Cartridge]

[13*Cloth Patch]

'Damn, out of energy again.'

*Yawn*

With a yawn, she sat up straight, stretching her arms above her head in a position that accentuated her surprisingly muscular yet curvaceous figure.

Renko took a moment to observe her surroundings, noticing the dimming lights of the city and the gradually quieting streets. The instructor was still inside the office building, probably going through paperwork or taking a break.

Suddenly, a white glint caught her eyes and she turned around to see a white-haired girl staring at her from across the fence.

She stood taller than Renko, around 6'2 or maybe 6'3 with snowy-white hair. She wore a black blindfold over her eyes, and her hair hung loosely around her face. Her complexion was surprisingly pale but she seemed lean enough to be a professional Athlete. She was wearing a dark blue zip-up jacket with a fairly wide high collar and slim-fit matching black pants.

'A weirdo?'

'Observe'

[Lv.??? ????, #*#*@*@*]

'Well, that's a first.'

Renko raised an eyebrow as she observed the mysterious white-haired girl. The combination of the blindfold and the cryptic name and symbols in the level display left Renko intrigued and slightly cautious.

The white-haired woman suddenly grinned,

"Nice figure."

Her sudden compliment caught Renko off guard

'Yep, definitely a weirdo.'

"Thanks, I guess."

Renko replied with a raised eyebrow, unsure of how to respond to the peculiar stranger's comment.

The white-haired girl continued to smile, seemingly unfazed by Renko's reaction. She tilted her head left and right, taking s better look(?) at Renko. After a couple more glances, she started to laugh,

"Yep, you fit her description perfectly. Except for the eyebags."

'What the fuck is this woman talking about?'

Renko didn't know what was wrong with this chick, but if the system couldn't scan her, then she sure as hell was fishy. Just to be on the cautious side, Renko lowered her left hand out of the girl's sight and prepared to arm herself at a moment's notice.

The mysterious white-haired girl continued to laugh as if she found something incredibly amusing. Renko, still unsure about this encounter, kept her guard up.

"So, what's your deal? Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Renko asked. Her tone was a mix of curiosity and caution.

The white-haired girl stopped laughing and shrugged.

"I'm just passing through. Saw you lounging on your bike, thought I'd say hi."

The white-haired girl's casual response did little to alleviate Renko's suspicion. Her mysterious aura, combined with the unusual level display, made Renko feel uneasy. Nevertheless, she decided to engage in the conversation cautiously.

"Passing through, huh? That's a bit vague. What's with the blindfold, and why are you watching me?"

The girl smirked, her blindfold not hindering her ability to sense Renko's skepticism.

"The blindfold is more of a fashion choice. And I watch interesting people. You, my dear, seem quite interesting."

Renko narrowed her eyes, not entirely convinced by the explanation.

"Interesting how? And who's 'her' that you mentioned earlier?"

The white-haired girl chuckled, her demeanor shifting to a more playful tone.

"Let's just say I have an affinity for observing individuals with unique qualities. As for 'her,' it's someone you'll probably meet sooner or later. But enough about that. What's your name?"

Renko hesitated, debating whether she should continue the conversation or not. Despite her hesitation, her curiosity got the better of her,

"Renko, Renko Ivanov. What about you?"

The white-haired girl grinned, her blindfold concealing her eyes but the mischievous expression was still evident.

"Well, Renko-chan, you can call me Big Sis Gojo!"

'Gojo, huh?'

Renko tilted her head in confusion, the name triggering something in the back of her mind. Big Sis Gojo? It sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

"Gojo, huh? That name rings a bell, but I can't quite remember where I've heard it before."

Gojo chuckled, her laughter echoing in the silent parking lot.

"Don't stress over it too much, Renko-chan. It might just be a coincidence. Now, about those ey..."

She paused mid-sentence as if realizing something. She looked behind Renko at the office building and sighed.

Renko turned around to see what she was looking at and saw Instructor Tanaka making his way towards her.

"Ah, it's the instructor..."

She turned around to tell the white-haired woman but there was no one outside the fence.

'Weird. Maybe I am hallucinating.'

As Renko observed the white-haired girl disappear, she couldn't shake off the eerie feeling that lingered. However, with the arrival of her driving instructor, Mr. Tanaka, she pushed those thoughts aside.

"Alright, Renko. Let's continue your practice. We'll move on to something a bit more difficult shall we."

Mr. Tanaka seemed genuinely enthusiastic about teaching. As they resumed the training, Renko focused on improving her skills further.

[Driving: +1 EXP]

Renko was able to execute most of the maneuvers, and as she gradually learned all the things the instructor taught her, her 'driving' skill advanced bit by bit.

[Driving: +1 EXP]

Her driving skills continued to improve, and she gained more experience. The instructor nodded in approval, acknowledging her progress.

But it was getting late, the sun was starting to set and the street lights were already lit.

[Driving: +1 EXP]

The instructor called for another break, and Renko took a moment to reflect on the encounter with the mysterious white-haired girl, she couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to the situation than met the eye.

As the driving session concluded, Mr. Tanaka provided feedback and encouragement.

"You've made excellent progress today, Renko. With a few more sessions, you'll be ready for the practical test."

Renko thanked him, expressing her gratitude for his guidance.

[Driving Skill Level Up!]

[Driving: Level 4]

With the level-up notification, Renko felt a sense of exhaustion and pity. She had probably made full use of the driving school, but now she had to either continuously use a bike or search for a more advanced course for her skill to level up.

[Quest Progress: Driving Mastery]

Renko decided it was time to discuss the written test with Mr. Tanaka. As they walked back to the office building, she brought up the topic.

"Instructor, I feel confident about my driving skills. Can we discuss the possibility of taking the written test soon?"

Mr. Tanaka looked at her with a thoughtful expression.

"You've shown remarkable progress, Renko. Normally, we'd cover more theory before scheduling the written test, but considering your quick learning, we can go ahead and set it up. How about two days from now? That should give you enough time to experience a night driving session and some time to prepare."

Renko agreed to the timeline, appreciating the flexibility Mr. Tanaka offered. They finalized the details, and she left the driving school.

As she was heading home, she took a glance at the stat screen.

[CP: 150/200]

[CP Regen: 1.1/Per Min]

'I could probably squeeze out a couple more rounds before eating dinner.'

[Lead Ball Ammunition +1]

[-15 CP]

[CP: 0/200]

[CP Regen: 1.1/Per Min]

[23*Lead Ball Ammunition]

[23*Paper Cartridge]

[23*Cloth Patch]

Suddenly, a hand gripped onto her shoulder,

"You really shouldn't exhaust all your curse energy like that, Renko-chan."

Next chapter