Catherine talked to herself in front of the mirror.
“…Hmm, should I pack this too?”
She stuffed the clothes she was holding into her bag. Next to her, 3-4 fat bags were already sprawled out like they were in a food coma.
The scene in the room was a chaotic mess; if someone passed by, they’d mistake it for a robbery in progress.
Catherine looked around.
Got the bags, got the essentials.
“Is this enough?”
She placed her hand on her waist as she spoke.
Of course, if things went as planned, there wouldn’t be a need to pack all this.
But you never know, right? It never hurts to be prepared.
“Alright.”
She’d clean up later.
It was time to head back “home.”
Who knows what could happen if she left them alone.
Catherine tossed the big bags over her shoulder one by one.
Zip! went the sound of the straps tightening. Just from that sound, you could tell how much she had packed.
Just as Catherine was about to open the front door and head out to her living space…
She suddenly stopped.
Something she had forgotten hit her.
“Oh right.”
Thud! She dropped the bags.
Scratching her head, Catherine walked over to the small built-in closet that was an option in the room.
The inside of the closet looked just like the rest of the room—disorganized and messy because she had hastily packed everything.
Catherine pulled out the only neatly hung outfit.
“……”
She walked back to the mirror.
It was a beautifully designed maid outfit, a perfect blend of white and black, and she tried it on her shoulders.
Just checking the feel.
For some reason, the outfit she bought was designed much shorter in certain areas than that of the AI she had seen before.
Especially the skirt.
“What kind of outfit is this…”
Her face turned hot involuntarily.
She, Catherine, thought coldly.
‘…Is this really okay?’
She had never pondered so much about something recently, thinking and rethinking.
While looking at her reflection with the embarrassing maid outfit on her shoulders, she felt a strong sense of shame.
“Sigh.”
A snicker escaped her without her even realizing it.
After watching over ten years go by, she was shocked by her friend’s ‘hidden preferences’ she thought she knew everything about.
But the situation was unavoidable.
She was already in it.
She wasn’t foolish enough to be picky about means because of a single reason like embarrassment.
Catherine turned her body slightly and examined her reflection in the mirror.
“…… but is this even okay?”
…If she messed up, her underwear would show.
When it comes to the mercenary industry, the “Meteor” is legendary for rookie mercenaries.
How did she end up in such a stupid dilemma?
While Catherine was lost in thought in front of the mirror…
Ding-dong!
A basic doorbell tone, with no settings at all, rang through the intercom.
Catherine perked up, listening toward the front door.
A familiar voice was outside, it was Lee Siwoon.
[Catherine! Are you in there?]
Catherine shouted back in a rush.
“Ah! I’m coming out!”
Just as she was about to dash for the front door, she paused for a moment and looked down at the maid outfit in her hands.
“……”
Catherine secretly stashed the maid outfit in her bag without anyone noticing.
…There might be a use for it someday.
She nodded to herself, rationalizing it.
—
The sight of the Kojaka amusement park, ‘Pete Mc Land,’ during the day was full of energy.
She hadn’t noticed before because she visited in the late evening, but now the sky was painted a blue hue.
“Wow.”
It seemed like it operated under a similar mechanism to areas like ‘Royal Vegas.’
Using the city shield for a holographic graphic.
But the difference was that the night sky in Royal Vegas remained ‘night,’ while this place’s sky was always a ‘blue’ color.
You’d think it was something only the money-laden Royal Vegas could pull off, but considering the capital alone, it couldn’t be outdone by Kojaka.
As a result of such significant credits being invested.
Besides the flying Pete Mc hologram, it was peaceful enough that it didn’t look like a cyberpunk world.
So maybe that’s why.
There were so many people.
It was crowded with families and couples.
In the midst of it all.
“…Is she wearing a maid outfit? Is there some kind of event?”
“Mom, what’s that?”
“Oh my, honey. Don’t stare.”
We certainly stood out.
The Kojaka SP (Security Police), a menacing-looking guy in a black suit, guided us.
And there I was, dressed like a weirdo in a mask, gloves, and coat.
Out of every ten people passing by, every single one turned around to check us out, and two beauties stood out, one even in a maid outfit.
There was no way we couldn’t attract attention.
“…”
Why did they choose to build their headquarters in a place like this, making us suffer through these awkward moments?
The more I thought about it, the less I understood.
Apparently, it used to be in the middle class.
Kojaka William had said so.
He claimed he opposed moving the headquarters.
Even though the vice president was against it, only one person had the power to move the headquarters as he pleased.
…What a crazy guy.
Smile John.
No, I should call him ‘Pete Mc’ here.
What on earth is his objective?
Even now, I couldn’t figure it out.
Is it really just curiosity about the ‘super AI’ Eve?
Thinking back, the attack at the landfill wasn’t even his doing.
Of course, he tricked us by making us mistake him for Kojaka William, but that didn’t really count as a trap.
The real attack came from the ninja unit led by Kojaka Koichiro, William’s brother-in-law!
He even warned us that the ninja unit had arrived!
What was he even thinking?
What plans lay ahead?
I had no clue whatsoever.
So if I meet Kojaka William this time, that’s the part I plan to question.
I needed to resolve this quickly.
As I was thinking this, I felt something on my head.
“?”
I turned around to see Catherine and Eve locked arm in arm, staring at me.
“See, I told you I’d look good!”
“I agree.”
When did you two get so friendly?
Just as I was baffled by the sudden camaraderie, there was something even more confusing.
Just like couples wearing headbands at an amusement park.
Eve had cat-ear headbands.
Catherine had dog-ear headbands.
They were stealing my gaze away.
…Wait a second.
That means…
I raised my hand to check the identity of the headband on my head.
Should I be relieved?
It wasn’t animal ears.
Two round globes that looked likealien antennae wobbled as I gestured.
…….
“I haven’t taken any pictures yet, so put it on again!”
What?!
I immediately raised my palm in refusal.
“Taking pictures? No way.”
As I tried to return the headband, the two of them started staring at me intensely without a word.
What’s with that?
““…….””
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
I felt like I was being treated like a weirdo.
I searched around for someone to help me.
Especially the SP who was supposed to guide us.
But it was strange.
Maybe because they came from Kojaka, by now they’d vanished like ninjas.
As I glanced left and right for the SP, Catherine approached me.
She still had her arm linked with Eve’s.
“We said we were going to have some fun first, so you go on ahead to the headquarters.”
With that, Catherine snatched the alien headband from my hand and placed it back on my head.
Just for context, I was wearing a hoodie, so I looked super awkward.
Hmm.
If I couldn’t ask the SP for help, I had to find another way.
I turned my gaze to Eve.
Please, help me.
If it was Eve, who had always obliged my requests, she’d understand the meaning behind my eyes.
But.
Eve wasn’t looking at me.
I followed her gaze.
Then, at the same time, I heard a great whoosh.
““Waaaaaaaaa!!!””
A massive roller coaster zoomed by on a giant rail.
The speed was so fierce and strong.
The hoodie I was wearing got blown away.
At the same time, the headband flew into the air, but thanks to my childhood friend’s excellent eyesight, it landed back on my head.
I noticed Eve’s dazed expression.
“Absolutely not.”
Catherine responded to that.
“Why? Doesn’t it sound like fun?”
What are you talking about…
I don’t have money to spend on pain.
Eve’s gaze returned to me after she took her eyes off the distant roller coaster.
“…….”
What? Why?
I tried to ignore her pleading eyes with a heart of stone.
But when Catherine joined in with that look, I realized I had no other choice.
In the end, as usual, it was me who caved first.
“……Fine, I guess a little fun wouldn’t hurt.”
“Yay!”
“Thank you!’
I thought about it for a second; it could be fun.
Hadn’t I just gone skydiving without a parachute?
Compared to that, this would be nothing.
Of course.
That thought started wobbling as I read the “warning” posted before the roller coaster.
【Warning! The tallest roller coaster in the world】
【Anyone who has undergone heart implant surgery cannot ride, and we hold no responsibility for any issues】
“…….”
Hmm.
Should I run away?
But I couldn’t break free from the hands of the two dragging me along.
Eventually, it wasn’t until several hours later that we finally managed to enter the headquarters after enjoying ourselves to the fullest.
—
Half-dead, Kojaka William asked me.
“……Did you get ambushed on the way? I can overlook your lateness, but your condition is—.”
“……”
I didn’t even have the energy to respond.
I just nodded slowly.
I felt like I was going to be drained of life.
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