Chapter 82 — The Costume Party
Ethan had actually been able to afford a car for a long time.
He had simply never seriously considered buying one.
In New York—especially the Upper West Side—owning a car doesn't mean convenience.
What really discouraged him wasn't traffic.
It was parking.
He still remembered Leonard's first week after buying a car.
At ten in the evening Leonard said he was going out to grab a late-night snack.
He didn't come back until one in the morning.
Ethan had been lounging on the couch when he asked,
"Did you make a quick detour to Canada or something?"
Leonard stared blankly and replied,
"…I drove around the block seven times."
"By the seventh lap, I wasn't looking for parking anymore."
"I was reconsidering my life choices."
After that, Ethan saw the same scene play out countless times.
Someone running downstairs at dawn in a jacket to move their car.
Spending twenty minutes after work circling blocks before finally parking four streets away.
And the occasional parking ticket—so many that by the end of the year the tickets cost more than the insurance.
That was when Ethan fully realized one thing:
In New York, don't buy a car if you don't have money.
The subway is crowded—but reliable.
Walking is tiring—but free.
Taxis are expensive—but at least you don't have to think about where the car will end up.
For a long time, he believed that was the most rational way to live.
Until—
This Charger appeared in his life.
After actually driving it, Ethan suddenly felt that owning such a cool car… might not be so bad after all.
He even remembered something at the wrong moment:
That idiot Russian kid recently targeted John Wick's car—and ended up triggering a chain reaction that wiped out his entire family.
So yes—
A man's obsession with cars is sometimes written directly into his DNA.
Taking care of a car probably ranks fourth in priority, right after:
1. Wife
2. Children
3. Dog
Of course, the real reason Leonard suffered so much was simple:
His wallet wasn't strong enough.
Street parking can technically be free in New York.
If you're lucky, you can park in the marked curb zones from 7 PM to 9 AM on weekdays, plus the entire weekend.
But there's a catch.
The streets are cleaned once or twice a week.
During street-cleaning hours, parking on that side is strictly prohibited.
So you have to move the car.
Forget?
Congratulations.
Enjoy your fresh parking ticket.
Ethan's solution was far more straightforward.
He simply rented a permanent parking spot in a nearby parking garage close to his apartment.
Staff on duty.
Access gate.
Security cameras.
No moving the car.
No gambling on luck.
And no running downstairs at midnight in a jacket.
Of course, the price was equally New York-style.
$1,000 a month.
---
Later That Night
In the stairwell, Ethan had just climbed a flight of stairs when footsteps sounded behind him.
"Hey, Ethan?"
He turned.
Penny had just entered the building, jacket in hand. Strands of hair across her forehead were slightly messy, as if she had just walked through the night wind.
"You're back pretty late today."
"Yeah," Ethan nodded. "Had a few things to deal with."
They walked upstairs side by side, unconsciously slowing their pace.
Suddenly Penny tilted her head toward him.
"Oh right—this Saturday I'm throwing a party."
Ethan looked at her.
"A party?"
"Yep." She nodded cheerfully. "If you're free, come hang out. It's just some friends—beer, music, dancing."
Then she blinked playfully.
"A Halloween costume party. You can dress up as anything."
Ethan smiled.
"That sounds great. I'm free Saturday."
"In that case, I'll just show up dressed as a doctor. I already have the lab coat and stethoscope."
Penny burst out laughing.
"If everyone realizes you're actually a real doctor—"
She looked him up and down.
"You'll definitely be surrounded by girls."
Ethan thought about it seriously.
"If the girls aren't attractive, please come rescue me."
"If they are… you can pretend you don't know me."
Penny laughed even harder.
That's when she noticed the key in his hand.
"Whoa—is that… a new car?"
"Yeah. Just… got it today." Ethan shrugged. "Still getting used to it."
Then he asked casually,
"Where do you usually park?"
"Outside," Penny said as if it were obvious. "Street parking. Whether I find a spot or not depends entirely on luck."
She sighed.
"Sometimes I circle for half an hour and end up parking three blocks away."
"Very New York," Ethan nodded.
"The good news is—I rented a permanent spot in the parking garage nearby."
Penny froze instantly.
"Oh my God… you're not just a doctor now—you're a New Yorker with a permanent parking spot."
Her face filled with envy.
"I'm officially jealous. People with dedicated parking spaces are basically the elite class."
Then she added hopefully,
"If I go grocery shopping and end up buying too many things… can I shamelessly ask you for a ride?"
"Of course," Ethan nodded. "Anytime."
"Deal." Penny laughed and lightly smacked his arm.
"And you have to come Saturday. Costume or no costume—it's fine either way. If you tell me what kind of girls you like, I'll help introduce you."
"Alright," Ethan said. "I'll seriously consider whether to wear the lab coat."
"If you do," Penny winked, "I'll help you block the ugly ones."
They split up on the fourth floor.
"See you Saturday, Doctor!" Penny waved as she headed for her apartment. "And bring some drinks!"
"No problem. See you Saturday."
---
A Few Minutes Later
Penny went inside.
Ethan stood outside his own door for a moment, searching for his keys.
Just as he inserted the key into the lock—
Whoosh!
The door flew open from inside.
Standing there was—
The Flash.
A bright red bodysuit with a golden lightning emblem, stretched tight enough to mercilessly outline the wearer's figure.
Ethan blinked.
"…Leonard?"
Flash-Leonard puffed out his chest and struck a perfect sprint-start pose.
"Well? Did you see how fast I opened the door for you?!"
Ethan glanced down at Leonard's slightly rounded stomach… then up at his glasses.
"You know… a Flash with nearsightedness and a bit of a belly might not be the safest thing if he actually reaches top speed."
Leonard opened his mouth to argue—
But the next second—
Another red blur shot out from the stairwell.
Flash #2: Howard.
He leaped dramatically into the hallway and struck the exact same exaggerated sprint pose.
Then he looked up—
And saw Leonard.
"Oh… no."
Both their smiles froze instantly.
Before they could start roasting each other, a familiar voice came from the couch area.
"Oh. No."
The third Flash appeared.
Sheldon.
His suit was somehow even tighter and more precise, the lightning emblem positioned with what looked like millimeter-level symmetry.
Standing in the center of the living room, he declared in a tone of complete inevitability:
"See? I told you. We should have held a meeting about costume themes before purchasing anything."
Just as he finished—
Another gust of wind rushed through the doorway.
"Make way for the fastest man alive!"
Flash #4 burst in.
Raj.
He ran two excited steps into the room—
Then froze.
Silence filled the apartment.
Raj slowly looked around.
"…Oh. No."
In the living room stood—
Four identical Flashes.
Ethan, still standing in the doorway, calmly closed the door behind him.
Then he turned back and asked seriously,
"So… is this some kind of cosplay disaster scene?"
Leonard coughed awkwardly.
"Penny's hosting a costume party Saturday… we were just… preparing."
Sheldon immediately corrected him.
"To be precise, we independently purchased identical costumes without prior communication."
Raj suddenly had an idea.
"Or! We could spend the whole night standing in a straight line. Then it would look like one Flash moving at super speed."
Sheldon actually paused to consider it.
Leonard rejected it instantly.
"No!"
Howard shook his head vigorously.
"No no no. This is a mixed-gender party. The Flash needs to operate independently."
Leonard thought for a moment.
"Alright. New rule: nobody wears the Flash costume. Everyone change to something else. Agreed?"
The room fell silent for a second.
Then everyone nodded.
"Agreed."
Leonard let out a long sigh of relief.
"Great. In that case… I'll go as Frodo."
Everyone else shouted at once:
"—DAMN IT!!!"