The dim hallway reeked of decay and rot. Trash bags were piled haphazardly along the walls, buzzing with flies, while the overhead incandesc
The dim hallway reeked of decay and rot. Trash bags were piled haphazardly along the walls, buzzing with flies, while the overhead incandescent light flickered with a warm, yellow glow.
Unemployed squatters slumped along the corridor like rotting driftwood. Their faces were void of hope—just blank, hollow masks.
The electronic door of an apartment slid open with a mechanical hiss. David, dressed in his Arasaka Academy uniform, stepped out, clearly annoyed. Behind him, his mother Gloria called out:
"Don't stay out too late, even if you're with Mr. Lin Mo!"
"Yeah, yeah," David mumbled without turning around, trudging down the hallway, ignoring the vagrants and thugs sprawled on either side.
Just as he exited, a message pinged in his chat window:
[Lin Mo: I'm waiting for you in the parking garage downstairs. Come on, let's head to school together.]
David blinked, staring blankly at the message.
"What the hell… Why is he suddenly at my place?"
Grumbling under his breath, David still obediently turned around and pressed the elevator button to head down to the underground garage.
There, leaning casually against the hood of a sleek sports car, was Lin Mo.
The way he carried himself—slouching slightly with a lazy grin—paired with the streamlined beauty of the car behind him, gave off the unmistakable vibe of a rebellious trust-fund brat.
"Yo. A day apart feels like three autumns, David," Lin Mo teased with a smirk as David approached.
"What are you doing here? And how the hell do you know where I live?" David shot him a glare.
Lin Mo chuckled, turning and opening the passenger-side door. "You forgot? A few days ago, you gave me your mom's number. I just asked."
"I should've never told you," David muttered bitterly.
Back then, Lin Mo had claimed he needed the number to ask about medical tech at the Night City Medical Center. In reality, the guy had gone straight to snitching, which earned David a scolding from his mom—a memory he hadn't yet forgiven.
"Get in," Lin Mo said with a grin, gesturing toward the car.
David didn't hesitate to hop into the passenger seat. They had, after all, been through quite a bit together. At this point, David had stopped finding excuses to reject Lin Mo's offers.
The Stone Sword cruised smoothly through the streets as the two chatted back and forth, slinging harmless insults and banter.
"The new Black Braindance is so scary, I bet you'll piss yourself watching it."
"Ha! Sounds like you already did if you know it that well. Didn't expect that from you, David."
Useless nonsense, but time passed quickly in the rhythm of easy banter.
Eventually, they arrived at the corporate plaza in the city center. After parking the car, the two ascended to the ring-shaped upper level, where two graceful holographic koi floated endlessly through the air. The greenery around the plaza lent the area a refreshing contrast to the usual smog of Night City.
People bustled along the ringwalk—businesspeople in sharp suits rushing to work, while a few monks meditated silently on the grass beneath the morning sun.
The two chatted as they strolled toward the academy. But halfway there, Lin Mo caught sight of a head of striking silver-white hair in the crowd.
The strands glowed under the morning light, elegant and impossible to miss.
In a city where people constantly dyed their hair wild neon shades and flaunted extreme cuts, this clean, pale tone stood out far more than any neon color.
It was her—the hacker girl Lin Mo had encountered before.
Ugh. Not again...
To be honest, Lin Mo didn't hate her, but he definitely didn't want to get involved with someone who tried to steal his chip and hack into his processor.
"Hey, would you stop staring at her like that? You perv," Lin Mo muttered, elbowing David when he noticed him staring, too.
"Like you weren't staring?" David shot back.
"She tried to steal my chip once," Lin Mo said flatly.
"Wait, seriously?"
Their voices drew the girl's attention. She turned, spotting the two Arasaka Academy students mid-banter.
Without a word, she began walking toward them.
David froze, a little flustered, eyes lowering as she approached. Lin Mo, on the other hand, stood calmly, unbothered.
He couldn't help but chuckle at David's awkwardness. Virgin energy, he thought.
When the girl reached them, Lin Mo gave a polite nod and said, "Didn't expect to see you again—"
Halfway through his greeting, his tone suddenly cooled.
"Talk about bad luck."
He never had good feelings toward enemies—especially ones who'd tried to steal from him. Even if she was pretty, their first encounter had left a lasting bad impression.
Stealing a chip was one thing. But if that chip had exposed the simulator's secrets, Lin Mo would've had to commit seppuku.
And the worst part? She kept bothering him, like he owed her something.
Unfazed by his cold tone, the girl reached into her jacket and pulled out a folded ticket, handing it to him.
"Here. Take it back," she said curtly.
Lin Mo frowned slightly and took the wrinkled ticket—the same moon travel voucher he'd given her.
From the worn edges and creases, it was clear she'd kept it in her hand more than once.
"What's this about? Was it fake or something?" he asked.
It was a simulator item, so it couldn't possibly be a counterfeit… or expired?
Why give it back?
The girl leaned against the glass railing, puffed a cigarette, and stared coldly at Lin Mo.
"I don't know how you knew I wanted that thing," she said, "but I'm not the kind of person who needs charity to chase their dreams."
Her eyes were pale and pure as snow under the daylight, her face sharp yet feminine. A streak of rainbow-colored hair hung over her left cheek, and her outfit was tight and practical—a hacker's usual getup—with a draped jacket slung over her shoulders.
In that moment, Lin Mo understood.
In a way, he had trampled on her dream.
In a place like Night City, no matter the reason, a dream—like visiting the moon—might be the one thing someone fights and suffers for. A personal obsession.
And what had he done? Handed her a ticket like a wealthy man tossing alms to a beggar.
Some might see it as a blessing.
Others? A humiliating insult.
Clearly, she was the latter.
"...I didn't think it through," Lin Mo admitted, sincere in his tone. "If this offended you, I apologize."
He hesitated, then asked, "I know we've seen each other a few times now, but... I never got your name."
The girl took a slow drag from her cigarette and replied evenly:
"Lucy."
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