Sujin bows with a pleading look on his face. "Please forgive us, Officer. My friend here... well, let's just say he's not always all there," he says, glancing nervously at Nevin.
From behind the officer, I make frantic gestures at Nevin to act a little off. But I forgot whom I was dealing with. Nevin, of course, takes it way too far.He decides to go full method actor.
"I'm an undercover agent from Mars," Nevin blurts out, eyes wide as if he's just revealed some top-secret mission. "I'm here to study Earth's traffic violations. You see, helmets are useless on Mars. Zero gravity and all." He then taps his head, as if trying to communicate telepathically.
The officer, initially skeptical, raises an eyebrow. "Mars, huh?"
"Yes, Mars! You ever been there, Officer? Let me tell you, it's wild. The gravity is just… pfft! Gone," Nevin says, waving his arms around dramatically. He's really getting into the character now. "Our spaceships don't even need helmets. That's a human thing."
The officer, initially skeptical of my excuse, narrows his eyes as he watches Nevin's performance. "You don't say," the officer mutters, clearly unimpressed yet annoyed.
For once, I was actually grateful for Nevin's ridiculous behavior. Maybe this would work in our favor.
"Can you let us go, Officer?" I ask, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "It's already been 30 minutes."
The officer looks at us sternly. "I'm afraid I can't do that. What you both did goes against the law," he says in a tone that suggests we're dealing with the world's most serious offense.
I let out a deep sigh. Just as I'm about to try convincing him one more time, the officer cuts me off. "But... there's nothing that a little, uh, compensation can't fix," he says, his eyes gleaming with a not-so-subtle hint.
Oh. So that's what this is about. I mentally kick myself for not figuring it out sooner. A cough from the officer brings me back to reality.
"Of course, you don't have to," he says with a smirk, the hidden implication obvious.
"How much are we talking, Officer?" I hesitate, already dreading the number.
He pretends to think for a second, then says, "1500 rupees."
My jaw practically hits the ground. 1500 for no helmet? Isn't that a bit much? But I knew better than to argue.
"Can't it be a little less?" I ask, more out of reflex than hope.
"Nope. 1500, take it or leave it," the officer replies, crossing his arms like he's just sealed a major deal.
I turn to Nevin. "You got any money on you?"
Nevin, ever the responsible one, shows me his empty pockets with a grin. "Sorry, man. I'm broke as a joke."
Well, I'm not doing much better. I've only got 1000 rupees on me. Great. We're short, and the clock's ticking.
As I stand there, racking my brain, a familiar face appears in the distance.
**Meanwhile, back at the station**
After missing the train, there was no point in me waiting there anymore. So, naturally, I decided to go find those two idiots and see what mess they'd gotten themselves into.
As I approach the scene, I spot Sujin standing a few feet away from the officer, looking like he's trying to negotiate a hostage release.
When Sujin sees me, his face lights up. He rushes over. "Do you have 1000 rupees I can borrow?" he asks, desperation written all over his face.
"Sure, man. I'm loaded," I reply sarcastically, though I still manage to pull out my last bit of cash from my wallet. Reluctantly, I hand it over, silently mourning the loss of what little money I had left.
"Thanks, man!" Sujin beams at me, then rushes back to the officer with the cash. He hands over the 1500 rupees like it's some kind of victory.
The officer takes the money with a satisfied grunt. "Alright, you can go now. But don't let me catch you without a helmet again," he warns, shaking his finger like a disappointed schoolteacher.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Officer," Nevin says, offering a mock salute as we walk away. I give him a look that screams *please shut up* before he digs us any deeper.
We quickly hail a cab, hoping to make it back to the station in time for the next train.
**In the cab**
"So, no helmet, huh?" I ask, glaring at Nevin through the rearview mirror.
"Hey, I left it at home. How was I supposed to know today would be 'Police Roadblock Day'?" Nevin shrugs.
"Right. Like that's not the most basic thing you should check," Sujin mutters, still clearly stressed from the whole ordeal.
"At least we didn't have to spend the night in a jail cell," I say, trying to look on the bright side.
"Yeah, but we're down 1500 rupees. This trip is already costing us way more than it should," Sujin groans.
"Don't worry, boys. I'm sure the universe is done messing with us for today," Nevin says, leaning back in his seat like he's the hero of the day.
I glance out the window, silently hoping he's right. Because with the way things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if the train left without us… again.
**Back at the station**
We finally arrive and rush inside. After checking the schedules, we realize the next train is in 30 minutes. At this point, we don't even care about the reservations we made earlier. That money is long gone.
"Let's just grab sleeper tickets. Anything will do," I say. "I just want to go home, collapse on my bed, and forget today ever happened."
Everyone nods in agreement. It's been one chaotic ride, and honestly, we're ready for anything... as long as it involves getting on that train.