Chapter 168: Back from the Audition
The foundation was coming together so smoothly that Ethan felt both relieved and terrified.
Relieved because it meant that, very soon, he might be able to help more patients like the diabetic girl from his clinic.
Terrified because—
Where was the money going to come from?
He had only just managed to keep the clinic afloat.
Now he was somehow expected to support an entire foundation as well.
And not just any foundation.
A foundation dedicated to human health.
Did that include aliens too?
Ethan shook his head and tossed the ridiculous thought aside.
Instead, he began wondering whether he should cash in one of his outstanding "promises" and raise some funds.
When he returned to the apartment building, he unexpectedly ran into Leonard at the entrance.
A messenger bag hung over Leonard's shoulder. He looked like he'd just come back from the university.
His face was expressionless, and there was a hint of exhaustion about him.
"Hey, Leonard," Ethan greeted first. "You went to campus today?"
"Hey."
Leonard turned around, recognized him, and nodded.
"Had a few things to take care of this morning."
"What about you?"
"Clinic stuff."
Ethan shrugged.
The two of them started climbing the stairs side by side.
For a while, neither spoke.
Only the sound of footsteps echoed through the stairwell.
The silence became just awkward enough to notice.
"So," Leonard finally said, breaking it, "how's Age of Conan going with Sheldon?"
Ethan thought about it.
"Pretty well, actually."
"We both hit level eighty."
"Right now we're mostly grinding AA points. Sheldon is obviously ahead of me—he's already running high-end raids. I've mostly been doing PvP."
"Oh."
Leonard nodded without the slightest surprise.
"You guys really don't want to join?" Ethan asked casually.
"It's honestly pretty fun."
"Not for now."
Leonard shook his head.
"I haven't really been in the mood for games lately."
"Fair enough."
They climbed another flight.
Then Ethan suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right."
"What happened to the time machine?"
"Oh."
Leonard looked as though he'd only just remembered it himself.
"It's at Howard's place now."
"Sheldon agreed to that?"
Ethan looked genuinely surprised.
"Actually, it was his idea."
Leonard sighed.
"One night while you were away, he woke up screaming because of a nightmare."
"The next morning, he demanded Howard take the thing out immediately."
"...Okay then."
The two fell silent again.
A few steps later, Leonard cleared his throat.
"Uh..."
"About Penny."
Ethan glanced at him.
"How are things going?"
"Any progress?"
Leonard hesitated.
Then his voice lowered.
"Ever since the whole time machine incident..."
"I've started thinking..."
"Maybe Penny isn't right for me."
"Huh?"
Ethan blinked.
"Seriously?"
Giving up voluntarily?
That didn't sound like Leonard at all.
"She's constantly talking about auditions now."
"Roles."
"Opportunities."
Leonard gave a bitter smile.
"If she actually succeeds..."
"We'll probably be even less likely to end up together."
He paused.
"But as her friend, I don't want her to fail either."
Ethan was quiet for a couple of seconds.
Then he patted Leonard on the shoulder.
"I get it."
"But..."
He deliberately switched to a lighter tone.
"Even if things don't work out with Penny, there are plenty of other women out there."
"For example..."
"Raj's sister."
"If I remember correctly, something happened between the two of you before."
Leonard whipped his head around so fast it was almost alarming.
His face practically screamed:
How do you know about that?!
Ethan laughed.
"Relax."
"Nobody else knows."
Then he continued.
"You probably don't see it yourself, but from an outsider's perspective..."
"You're actually a pretty great guy."
"Seriously."
"Eventually you'll meet someone who's right for you."
"...Thanks."
Leonard visibly brightened.
The tension in his expression eased noticeably.
"Anyway—"
Ethan immediately shifted into full gossip mode.
"How far have things gotten with Priya?"
Leonard stared at him in utter confusion.
"Seriously."
"How did you figure it out?"
Leonard hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to tell the truth.
"We've only kissed, that's all. Please don't tell Raj."
"Only kissed?" Ethan clearly didn't believe him.
"Okay, fine."
Leonard sighed and reluctantly admitted the rest.
"I may have accidentally touched her upper body."
"That's it."
"Mhm."
Ethan nodded thoughtfully.
"Then the next time you two meet, things are definitely going to progress."
"She's still interning at that big automotive company in India, right?"
"She got hired full-time already," Leonard replied automatically.
"Wow."
Ethan gave him a knowing look.
"You seem surprisingly well-informed."
"Heh."
Leonard looked slightly embarrassed.
The two reached the fourth floor and stopped at the same time.
A sweet, sugary smell lingered in the air.
The hallway was a mess.
More specifically, the area outside Penny's apartment was a mess.
Torn grocery bags lay scattered across the floor. Bottled drinks and cartons of ice cream had rolled in every direction.
One container had burst open, melting into a white puddle across the hallway.
A tabby cat stood beside it, enthusiastically licking the floor.
Hearing footsteps, the cat froze, tail flicking upward.
Like a thief caught red-handed, it glanced at the two men before casually licking its lips again.
Ethan and Leonard exchanged a look.
"...This doesn't seem good," Ethan muttered.
Leonard unlocked the apartment door.
The moment it opened, they heard Sheldon and Penny talking in the living room.
"Click on the enchanted boots," Sheldon instructed.
"Then you'll equip them."
"Wait," Penny said. "Can I change the color?"
Sheldon stared at her.
"Click them."
Then, using the same tone one might use with a small child, he announced:
"Congratulations. You are now a Level Three Warrior."
Ethan and Leonard walked into the living room.
Penny and Sheldon were sitting side by side on the couch.
Sheldon's laptop rested on Penny's lap while Sheldon provided serious, step-by-step guidance.
"What are you guys doing?" Leonard asked.
Penny turned around.
The moment she saw them, she waved excitedly.
"Hi, Ethan! Hi, Leonard!"
"I'm already a Level Three Warrior!"
"...That's great," Ethan replied automatically.
Leonard couldn't help pointing out:
"You know you dropped groceries all over the hallway, right?"
Penny's eyes were already back on the screen.
She waved dismissively.
"Yeah, yeah. I know."
"I just wanted to mention that your ice cream melted."
"And it attracted a cat."
Penny barely sounded like she was listening.
Then she turned back to Sheldon.
"Should I stay in the jungle or head to the beach now?"
"Doesn't matter," Sheldon replied.
"Your current objective is finding treasure chests."
Leonard shot Sheldon a meaningful look and motioned toward the kitchen.
Without understanding why, Sheldon stood up.
"Wait, where are you going?"
Penny immediately grabbed his arm.
"It's nothing," Sheldon assured her.
"If you run into a crocodile, just kick it with the boots."
The three men retreated into the kitchen.
"Can you tell us what happened?" Leonard asked.
Sheldon spread his hands and began recounting events.
"Well..."
"She tried to unlock her apartment door with her car keys."
"The casting director told her she had a very Midwestern face."
"She hasn't had sex in a month."
"And..."
He paused.
"She ate a fly."
"A month?!" Leonard blurted out.
"She ate a fly?!" Ethan asked at exactly the same time.
Sheldon nodded.
"Yes."
"And yes."
A sudden cheer erupted from the living room.
"Oh my God!"
"I found a treasure chest!"
"I'm rich!"
Sheldon couldn't help smiling.
"She's only Level Three, and she already thinks she's rich."
Then he added:
"What a noob."
Leonard and Ethan nodded in complete agreement.