The air is chillingly stagnant. Huff, huff. An inexplicable dampness lingers, and even though the mask’s filter should block the fine dust, there’s still a strange suffocation filling the air.
How did I endure living here before?
In fact, I even remember being in worse conditions at the landfill, which only amplifies the sense of dissonance.
I’m currently in the lower-class area, Bedtown, to be precise.
More specifically, it’s the area where Maya’s father runs the Fusion-Japanese Restaurant.
It’s probably obvious, but just like other lower-class neighborhoods, the crime rate around here is appallingly high.
Whistle, whistle.
“I can’t even see the cyberware boundary, it’s so sketchy.”
“Should we go and talk to them?”
And naturally, the number of vagabonds catcalling Maya as she walks beside me is embarrassingly high.
If I were with Eve, they would’ve probably collapsed on the floor complaining about some unknown implant malfunction before I could react.
Unfortunately, I had to rush out and sadly, Eve’s body wasn’t able to join me.
[Shall I handle it?]
“No, I got this.”
Still, in a way, she was with me.
Anyway, it wouldn’t be a good choice to just ignore such harassment directed at a colleague.
Basic barometers of public order here in the lower-class areas are low, and the corruption rate of the NCPD announced by NCB24 is alarmingly high.
Because of that, people living here generally have the phrase “self-help” ingrained in their minds.
Even if experiencing something like whistling brings an unsettling feeling, it’s not a pleasant experience for them either.
This is a cyberpunk world where bullets are closer than the law. They must’ve prepared for a future like this waiting around a corner of their hearts.
“…C-crap! What’s happening?!”
“I-I’m flying!”
“…The universe sings to me!”
Maybe?
Fortunately, it seems Maya didn’t hear their catcalling. She turns her head to gaze at the chaotic alleyway.
“Did something just make a weird sound…?”
I grabbed Maya’s head from behind.
Holding her head so she couldn’t turn, I kept moving forward.
“?”
“Nothing’s up.”
Maya’s puzzled expression transmitted through my fingertips.
As I held her jaw in place, Maya moved her feet forward like a puppet following my lead.
“…Hehe.”
Though it was bewildering, maybe she found this experience somewhat enjoyable because a small smile crept onto Maya’s face.
Holding her cheek from up close was equally burdensome for me.
However, as a long-time regular (in the past) and housemate of the restaurant, I thought this kind of action was acceptable.
Only after I moved out of earshot of the vagabonds’ screams did I finally let go of Maya’s ears and cheeks.
Maya turned to look back at me.
“…What was that about?”
With her black bob cut, pink streaks shining, and a beaming smile that seemed untouched by darkness.
The gloomy image I had seen on a rainy day was nowhere to be found. The dark-version Maya had successfully evolved into a bright-version.
I found great joy in this fact.
So, I responded to Maya with a matching smile.
“Just a prank.”
“…Hmm.”
Maya looked at me with a long, drawn-out hum.
But soon after, she burst into laughter and said,
“Well, I appreciate you coming all the way to meet me. Hehe.”
We resumed our walk.
—
The Fusion-Japanese Restaurant run by Maya’s father is located quite close to the monorail station.
Of course, it’s not right next door.
It’s close enough to be considered within the vicinity of the station.
So, as we walk naturally toward the monorail station, we also engage in various conversations.
To be honest, if I really wanted to, I could’ve summoned several taxis to head home using my overflowing credits, but while walking aimlessly, I forgot all about that. Plus, I became curious about how Maya usually gets home, making it unavoidable.
I called out to Maya, who was walking ahead.
“So, why were you late today?”
“Oh.”
Maya briefly opened her mouth in response to my question.
The clouds blocking the sky seemed darker than usual. That means it’s late.
While my escape was partially due to fear of “mucous friction,” it was also true that I came to pick her up because she was late.
After a brief silence, Maya pondered her response, moving along the holographic crosswalk lines on the ground, balancing while walking like a child with her arms spread wide.
“…”
…How old is Maya again?
I thought to myself while observing her innocent behavior.
The uncomfortable truth flew away beyond my mind.
Seeing her walk so naively, she truly appears to be the youngest among us.
As Maya chose her words while walking, she slowly continued.
“You know how some days just everything seems to go wrong?”
“Yep.”
I’ve experienced that recently.
A lot.
Maya turned to look at me while walking.
“Today was one of those days for me.”
“Oh dear.”
Though it might sound like a lackluster response, it was as good of an answer as I could muster.
As I nodded in response, Maya seemed to have a lot more she wanted to say, firing off multiple sentences like a machine gun.
“Suddenly, a truck carrying cooking ingredients was late, the store’s electricity went out at the worst time, and I don’t know why there were so many difficult customers. The guy who got knocked out by Siwoon last time came back today too. So, in the end…”
“It was an unfortunate day?”
“Exactly.”
“And how did you resolve that difficult customer?”
“My dad sent someone.”
Describing it that way makes it sound like he sent them into the sky, but he probably chased them out of the store.
Maya’s father, as the owner of the restaurant in the lower-class area, must have impressive arm strength.
He might have had implants, but he could probably handle the local punks with one hand.
“Well, anyway.”
Maya continued.
“It seems it wasn’t as unlucky of a day as I thought.”
“Why’s that?”
A smile spread across Maya’s face.
Her teeth are still sharp.
I took a moment to appreciate Maya’s smile.
“Siwoon came to pick me up, after all.”
“…”
Maybe because she’s the youngest among us, that hit hard.
What a sudden remark.
By the way, since Eve’s age is unknowable, it’s true that Maya is the youngest.
Feeling somewhat awkward, I repeated what I had said before.
“As I mentioned earlier, while it’s true I came to pick you up, the fact that I ran away is a bigger reason.”
“Well, that’s fine.”
Maya added with a tone suggesting, “Let’s just overlook the trivial stuff.”
…
Thinking about it, if we measure by stakes, it’s more like 70% that I ran away and 30% that I came to pick her up, which stirred a bit of a guilty conscience.
Well, as long as the outcome is good, that’s what matters.
I focused on self-justification, the basic quality of an outstanding cyberpunk citizen, and successfully regained my mental health.
A short silence ensued.
Attempting to ease the awkward atmosphere, I said,
“By the way, you must be tired helping your dad at the restaurant until this late every day.”
“Not really. Anyway, he’s going to Neo Japan soon. So, I’m just helping out until then.”
I recalled what I had heard when I visited Maya’s restaurant.
Originally, I had planned to go with her, but…
Hmm.
That’s right.
I blocked that.
Maya interrupted my brief thoughts.
“Since Siwoon said he’d protect me then, having you come today makes me feel a bit more at ease, hehe.”
I couldn’t raise my head in embarrassment.
What a thing to say just riding the wave of the atmosphere.
Looking back at that time,
What a foolish act I committed.
Of course, I didn’t mean I regretted saying it itself.
I just wished I had softened the same message a little, and I quietly regretted it.
After all, we’d be at the station soon.
I thought I just needed to hang on to this atmosphere until then.
Just as I had that thought, suddenly, a holographic screen popped up in my vision interface.
What appeared on the screen was “Eve.”
Please tell me she didn’t pop up just to ruin the cozy vibe, but either way, I began to feel uneasy.
“…Eve?”
“Oh, did you get a call?”
Ignoring Maya’s curious voice, Eve opened her mouth on the holographic screen.
[Currently, there is a group tracking “Siwoon” and human “Maya.” Based on related information, they seem to be an extremist Transhumanist organization called “Tech Worm.”]
“…Why are they around?”
Of all times, why now?
[It appears that human “Maya” is the target. After installing cyberware, she reverted to bioware, normalizing the ‘Chrome Psycho’ condition, making her a target. Notably, it’s suspected that the information came from that human ‘drunk’ that Siwoon knocked out back then.]
I should’ve hit him harder with magic.
What a shame.
“Sigh.”
Such is the everyday life of a cyberpunk.
I sighed briefly while pondering.
I had a rough idea of their motives.
They seem like people who would kidnap folks and forcibly install (old-fashioned) cyberware.
Honestly, it makes sense that Maya, who normalized her body with bioware, would become a target for them.
Stopping in my tracks, Maya looked up at me, her expression reading the serious atmosphere as she nervously bounced her foot.
“…Is something wrong?”
“Just a moment.”
I asked Eve.
“What’s the estimated time of arrival?”
[Approximately in 1 minute. How do you wish to proceed?]
“What do you mean by proceed?”
I need to clean up before they arrive.
Even though I’ve quit mercenary work, I can still take on the role of the city cleaner by my own will.
But…
Before that.
In the next minute, no, in the next 50 seconds.
My priority is to explain the situation to Maya and have Eve send her home.
I looked straight at Maya.
—
Maya firmly responded with a resolute tone.
“I am absolutely not going.”
“Hmm.”
What a tough nut to crack.
Me believing I could finish explaining everything in 50 seconds and convince her was a foolish assumption.
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