“Are you just leaving?”
I said goodbye to Natasha standing at the front door.
“I just came by briefly to celebrate the move, plus I have something to handle at No Answer later.”
Looks like she really did just drop by to ‘see my face.’
Natasha, looking closely at my face, smiled and replied.
“I’ll see you later, so I’m heading out now.”
Natasha walked toward the elevator.
A big orc, Smith, who I didn’t even know was behind her, followed quickly.
…Did he get discharged already?
Seeing Smith made my brow furrow instinctively.
No matter how advanced Cyberpunk technology is, he shouldn’t have healed any wounds in just one day.
Even if it’s his own body.
Isn’t he being a bit reckless?
Maybe sensing my thoughts, Smith quickly bowed his head and dashed into the elevator.
…Sigh, I don’t know.
He is working in security, after all.
He must know his own body better.
I waved goodbye to the two figures disappearing between the closing elevator doors.
Once I confirmed the elevator descending, I closed the front door and went back inside.
…Hmm.
If Natasha has moved in, how many people is that now?
I calmly started counting one by one.
First, Eve, who I’ve been living with from the start.
Catherine, who moved next door to follow me.
Julia, who has now moved in across the street.
Andrea, who moved into Bill’s vacant place.
And then there’s Natasha, who said she moved in without specifying which place.
Ah, now that I think about it.
Didn’t the chairman jokingly mention something about renting a place too?
I wondered how my happy little studio life got so complicated.
Was it my mistake to give Catherine the address?
No, even if I hadn’t given her the address, the result would have been the same.
She would have found it some way or another.
“Ugh.”
What’s the point of overthinking?
I lightly shook my head to wake my foggy brain.
After all, no matter how much I worry now, it won’t change the situation.
I might as well think positively.
Since things have happened this way, there shouldn’t be any more complications, right?
“…….”
There really shouldn’t be, right?
I convinced myself.
25. Why are you like this to me? (1)
…Is this a mercenary or a free-loader?
Catherine asked me while lying on the sofa.
“What about Natasha?”
“She just moved in and stopped by for a bit.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Catherine rolled around on the sofa, changing her position to look at the ceiling. Her feet naturally went up on the sofa’s backrest.
This position looks familiar.
Since Catherine has great balance, it didn’t seem much different from sitting.
By the way, her light outfit made it hard to know where to focus my eyes.
As I watched Catherine’s bare feet moving like she was walking through air, I asked her.
“Aren’t you surprised?”
In response, Catherine manipulated her visual interface and answered.
“This isn’t my first time.”
That was true.
Feeling a lack of explanation, Catherine continued talking.
“Since Andrea moved in, and that Julia girl is living next door, it’s not that surprising.”
That’s a valid point.
Catherine looked at Andrea and said.
“Right?”
I followed Catherine’s upside-down view.
I saw Andrea enjoying hunting on an old computer.
“Uh, what?”
“…….”
Is she a famous singer or a gaming addict?
I shook my head in despair without realizing it.
Apparently, Catherine thought the same way, as she stared at Andrea with cold eyes.
To me, they both seemed the same.
Catherine turned her head back to me.
“Well, it’s not like I’m shocked by every little piece of news. Unless, of course, it was the Chairman of Monolith moving in.”
She laughed at her own joke and looked for my agreement.
And I…
“…….”
Of course, I couldn’t respond.
Seeing my reaction, Catherine looked at me with concern and asked again.
“…No way, right?”
“…….”
As I couldn’t answer, Catherine stood up.
She approached Eve, who was helping Andrea with the game guide (newbie handling).
“…Is it true?”
“That is─.”
As Eve began to explain,
– Ding Dong.
The doorbell rang again.
“I’ll check who it is.”
Without waiting for a response, I quickly headed toward the front door.
I didn’t know who it was, but they arrived at quite a good time.
Before opening the door, I first checked outside through the intercom screen.
I saw a muscular man’s chest.
“?”
I looked closer.
I could see a neatly braided gray beard.
A muscular man with a gray beard at this height.
He was probably bald.
I recognized him.
I opened the front door and welcomed him.
“Drake!”
It was my dwarf friend (2m, fashion bald).
Drake lowered his head slightly and pulled down his black cyber sunglasses. His cyberware green eyes met mine.
“Just stopped by while passing by.”
He greeted me with a cliché phrase.
It’s been a while since Drake came to visit.
To be precise, it had been since the last time he kidnapped me for cyberware scaling.
As I continued my thoughts, I fell silent for a moment.
“…….”
Did I still have time left for my cyberware implant scaling check-up?
Hmm.
I briefly pondered and welcomed him.
Thinking about it, it wasn’t my time yet.
“Welcome, it’s nothing special, but come in.”
“…I’m curious why that brief silence.”
I ignored the unnecessary remark.
If he came back for cyberware scaling, I was ready to shut the door and jump out the window.
I was relieved that wasn’t the case.
Friends are always welcome.
Drake stepped inside my house.
“Hey, what’s up.”
“……Oh, who is this? It’s Drake.”
Catherine and Andrea greeted him comfortably, as if it were their own home.
Catherine, now wearing a coat over her tank top, looked like she had changed clothes again. When did she put that on?
Drake scanned the state of my house.
Then he looked at me and said,
“…Wasn’t this your place?”
“…….”
Not anymore….
I silently replied in my head, recalling a famous saying from an ex-hero turned gamer.
“Oh, take off your shoes before coming in.”
“I know without being told.”
Drake removed his shoes with a familiar motion.
“Dwarf ‘Drake’, nice to meet you.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you, too.”
“Leave your shoes over there.”
“Sure.”
Eve also took charge of guiding Drake.
Besides the two freeloaders, Eve was the only one helping me at home.
I guided Drake to a guest chair.
“This should be fine for you to sit on.”
Since Drake’s whole body is made of cyberware, his weight is clearly ‘non-standard.’
I’m sure Catherine, Andrea, or even Eve are the same.
It’s been lightweight, but still heavier than my scrawny weight.
Of course, my life is precious.
I’ve never seriously inquired about that.
As Drake sat down in the thick chair made of muscle (and chrome), he briefly thanked me.
“Thanks for this.”
“Hey, no problem.”
“Want some cola?”
“Mix it with oil.”
“I don’t have that.”
None of that….
DRAKE.
Users who replaced their bodies completely with cyberware often utilized special beverages to maintain their physical form.
Kind of like engine oil for an engine.
Of course, that doesn’t mean they can’t eat regular food, but they usually have implants that allow them to create sufficient energy from regular food.
I poured a regular cola for Drake.
“…What kind of cola is this?”
“Mint-flavored cola.”
It’s a new product from Company P.
Drake’s expression grew twice as fierce as he slowly set the cola down.
I asked him.
“So, is there something going on? You didn’t just stop by for no reason.”
“Nothing’s changed for me. I run the shop, handle cyberware, and I’m not embroiled in any incidents like some people.”
“…….”
Must be because of the mint cola.
He’s hitting me with some tough facts.
With a fierce smile (his face is scary to begin with), Drake continued.
“Still, I didn’t come just for nothing.”
Drake manipulated his visual interface.
“It’s better to hand this over in person.”
At the same time, a notification appeared in my visual interface.
It was a message from Drake.
The content was….
An RSVP card.
“Ah.”
An RSVP card.
Often used to ask whether someone will attend a wedding, typically serving as an invitation.
I had already heard this news previously.
I heard it while being dragged off to Drake’s house.
I extended my hand to shake his.
“Congratulations again.”
“Ha, I can’t believe a day like this has come.”
As he shook my hand, Drake replied.
And at that moment.
“…What’s this, an RSVP? Drake, you’re getting married?”
Catherine stood up and asked.
“Really? Who’s the partner? Oh, you had a girlfriend.”
Andrea, who was focused on the computer, also quickly stood up and approached us.
Both of them clearly knew about Drake’s girlfriend, ‘Lorenda.’
When Drake was first saved from the scavengers, that was because of a request from his girlfriend.
Hearing both of their questions, Drake looked at me.
“Didn’t I mention it? I told Siwon first.”
Then, both Catherine and Andrea’s gazes shifted to me.
They wanted an explanation.
Uh-oh.
I glanced at Eve with a look asking for help. But honestly, Eve wasn’t even there, so she couldn’t help me.
I swallowed nervously.
Choosing my words carefully.
How should I say this?
How can I get out of this situation?
Finally, I cautiously opened my mouth.
“I forgot.”
““……””
I decided to just own up to it.
So what are you going to do about it?
*
After hearing the date, Catherine asked Drake again.
“…Next week? Why so soon?”
“Well, here’s the thing.”
Drake gave a brief explanation.
“Pregnant? Lorenda? Natural pregnancy, not artificial womb? Why didn’t you say anything!”
“I figured since I told Siwon, you guys would naturally know.”
Once again, their gazes focused on me.
I calmly repeated my explanation.
“I forgot that too.”
And almost got kicked out of my own house.
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