Festival day had arrived. Tonight, I was looking forward to spending a great evening with Rin—but the thought of the terrorist setting off the bomb tonight sent a chill down my spine.
What Rin told me gave me both hope and dread. It was more likely the attack wouldn't happen tonight, but rather during the award ceremony—when the whole world would be watching. That was the real dilemma: sooner but fewer casualties, or later and far worse.
I shoved the thought aside and focused on meeting Rin. We were going to talk about it anyway.
When it was time, I headed over to pick her up. By now, I knew the route by heart and didn't need GPS—not that I used it much anyway.
This time, unlike our last outing, she wasn't already outside waiting for me. Weirdly enough, that was a relief—less guilt about keeping her waiting. After a couple of minutes, she came down.
"Hope you haven't been waiting long," she said shyly.
"Nope, just got here," I replied.
I noticed she was wearing her hair in a bun. It looked nice, but honestly, I preferred her usual style—not that it made a huge difference.
"The festival's at Golden Trout Way, right? Just to be sure."
"Yep, not far from here," she said.
As we got closer, the city lit up in a sea of colors. Laughter, music, and the buzz of celebration filled the streets. It was beautiful.
When we arrived, I glanced at Rin. Her face was glowing with pure joy.
We wandered around, playing games at stalls and old arcade machines she called "retro-mats." In one fighting game, I won two out of three matches—thanks to my years of playing them back in the day.
Passing a stand, she lit up. "Look, candied apples! Let's get some."
We each got one covered in chocolate and caramel. Too sweet for me, but she seemed to enjoy it.
Afterward, she spotted a teacup ride and the Ferris wheel.
"Oh, that's adorable—a teacup ride."
"If you want, we can go," I offered.
"I'd love to, but isn't that a bit too cheesy for us? Parents would probably give us weird looks."
"So what? We're here to have fun, right?"
"Good point."
We hopped into a blue teacup with a floral pattern. It wasn't fast, but it was… nice. Normally, I'd find it boring, but with her, it felt different.
On the way to the Ferris wheel, we passed a plushie stand. She didn't say anything, but I noticed her eyes kept drifting toward them.
"Wait a sec," I said.
"Hm? What's up?"
"Come with me. We'll head to the Ferris wheel after."
"Hey Rin, look how cute these are," I said, smiling.
"They really are adorable," she replied.
"Which one's your favorite?"
"That one." She pointed to a brown teddy bear with a ribbon around its neck.
The game was simple: knock down a pyramid of ten cans with three balls. First try—two cans left. Second try—perfect. She cheered when the last can fell.
I handed her the bear. "Here. He's yours."
"What? Really? I thought you were asking for someone else."
"You think I didn't notice you wanted it?" I laughed.
"That's so sweet of you," she said, a little embarrassed.
"Now, Ferris wheel?"
"With pleasure," she said, blushing slightly.
The Ferris wheel gave a view of the whole city. She sat opposite me, teddy in her arms.
A quarter into the ride, she broke the silence.
"Spike… ever since I met you, you've always seemed so sad and lonely. And when you do smile, it's a fake smile. It's like you're carrying the weight of the whole world. Your eyes… they always look so dull and empty."
"..."
Then she smiled.
"But tonight… you're different. I don't know how to explain it, but you seem… happy. And that makes me happy. I really hope it stays that way. And if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be there."
What is this feeling? Her words hit me like an arrow. I seemed happy? Who was she to see through me like this? Was my wall… cracking?
"…Thanks," I murmured.
She smiled, and I could tell she meant every word.
The rest of the ride was silent—but not the heavy kind of silence. It was the kind that made you feel like you could pour your whole heart out.
After we stepped outside, it occurred to me that this might have actually been a good moment to bring up Monday.
"Uh… that right there would've been a good time to talk about the honors ceremony," I said, still caught up in what she had said earlier.
"Oh, right, I totally forgot… But honestly, I don't feel like standing in line again."
"How about we find somewhere outside the festival to sit? We'd have some peace and could talk about it without any trouble," I suggested.
"Good idea," she said with a smile.
We left the festival and sat down on a bench with a nice view over the city.
"So, we already talked at your place about how it's very likely he'll carry out his attack at, or at least during, the ceremony."
"Yeah, but I spoke with the organizers again and got a bit more info. Like I mentioned before, it's happening on Monday, and it'll take place in an event hall. I don't know if you know the name, but it's called the Nexus. Anyway, at the Nexus, the president and the mayor will be shaking our hands and giving us honorary certificates.
On top of that, the CEO of Arasaka will be pinning medals on us.
In other words: we've got a lot coming our way."
"That also means there could be casualties if he manages to detonate the bomb."
"Yep. But like I said before, there's going to be a huge security presence. Bomb disposal, firefighters, bodyguards, the police, a few soldiers, even drones."
"Well, what else would you expect with the president in attendance?" I said, a little surprised.
"Alright, but let's say he doesn't plan to blow up the Nexus, but instead aims to destroy the headquarters and has a sniper take out the CEO."
"Yeah, that's the problem. But apparently, security at HQ has been tightened. That includes scanning all incoming deliveries with infrared. Still, there's no such thing as 100% safety."
"It feels like playing pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey—except with landmines. And he's probably already changed his strategy," I said, frustrated.
It felt like we didn't stand a chance, like we were just sitting around waiting for the blast.
"This is so nerve-wracking," I muttered. "In the end, we don't even know if he's alive. It's all just speculation."
"True. In the end, all we can do is guess."
I leaned back, letting it all sink in.
Was there really nothing we could do? At least the bomb couldn't go off in the Nexus, I thought. But there was no point in overthinking it. As depressing as it sounded—there was no way to prevent the detonation.
I sighed deeply and looked at Rin.
"Hey, Rin… I know this nice spot I ride to sometimes. Since thinking about it any further won't help, I was wondering if I should show you.
You can see the entire city from up there. Besides, it might lift the mood."
Rin smiled and nodded. "That sounds lovely. I'm curious."
We headed to my favorite place—a spot where I could find peace, freer than anywhere else in the city. It didn't take long before we got there. The last time I'd been here was about a day before the whole terrorist incident.
It was a small hill at the city's highest point, near the outskirts, with an old, slightly worn bridge nearby.
From up here, you could see the glittering city lights in all their beauty.
Rin's eyes widened when we arrived. "Wow, Spike… this is really beautiful."
I kicked out my bike's stand and sat down on one of the old benches, Rin following my lead.
We sat quietly for a while, soaking in the peaceful atmosphere and the view. Eventually, she turned to me, her expression a mix of curiosity and hesitation.
"Spike, can I ask you something?"
"Sure," I replied, looking at her.
"Why did you beat up the terrorist back then? I mean, I understand it was the right thing to do, but… what drove you? On my way to you today, I overheard you shouting that they died because of him and that you were only sixteen… I haven't asked before because I thought it was too personal, but… I want to help you."
I sighed, staring down at the city below us. "It's a long story."
"I've got time. And… I want to understand you better."
I took a deep breath and began.
"When I was a kid, we had a good life. My parents were loving and caring, and we had everything we needed. But then… there was that night. A night that changed everything."
I took a cigarette from my pack, lit it, and was about to start—when Rin looked at me, half shocked, half angry.
"Wait—you smoke?"
She snatched the cigarette from my hand and stomped it out. Then she said,
"That was your last one. Got it?"
"Was that necessary? Whatever… I haven't smoked much lately anyway. Let's see if I can keep it that way," I muttered, pulling out the rest of my cigarettes and crushing them, just like she had. As I did, I remembered Tonny's words.
"I remember it all so clearly, like it's happening right now. I was just sixteen, hanging out with some friends, when we saw the once-brightly-pink Arasaka Tower burning and collapsing. There was this deafening explosion. Part of the tower fell inward, the other part tipped over and landed on one of the city's main reactors. That caused the fire to spread, igniting the reactor, which triggered a massive blackout.
As soon as I realized what was happening, I ran home—we lived close to the reactor. But that reactor exploded even harder than the Arasaka Tower, burning a large part of the district and turning it into rubble and ruin.
When I reached our building, all the windows were shattered, the place destroyed along with everything around it.
There was no sign of my parents anywhere, so I ran to our apartment, hoping they were safe. I searched every room, calling out for them, until I finally heard my mother's weak voice asking if it was me.
When I found them, the ceiling had collapsed.
They told me the debris had crushed their limbs and that it was already too late for them. They begged me to get out—to save myself. The fire was spreading fast. But I wasn't going to just abandon them like some coward.
If the firefighters hadn't shown up and dragged me away, I probably would have stayed. Even as they told me there was no way to save them, I heard my parents' screams. I still hear them sometimes. They burned alive…"
Rin's breath caught when she heard that.
I went on,
"After that, I was on my own. No home, no family, no food, no money. I barely slept, because whenever I did, I'd relive that day—over and over. Even now, it still happens sometimes. The only things I had left were my wallet and this white jacket my father bought me a week before the incident.
About a week later, I ended up at Tonny's shop—back when he still had one. I sat at a table, just waiting for the rain to stop. Tonny came over. Later, he told me he felt sorry for me, so he brought me some fries, on the house. We became… well, friends, I guess. He helped me think a little less about everything.
Two weeks after losing my parents, an organization reached out. They were helping underage survivors of the incident. Thanks to them, I was treated just last week. They gave me 80,000 credits and a life insurance policy so I wouldn't… do anything stupid. I bought a motorcycle and moved into a tiny apartment where the kitchen's a meter from my bed. Six months later, I met Rodrigo and became a bounty hunter… though sometimes I'm just a drinks delivery guy if he doesn't have any jobs for me.
And that's how things went, until I got into a fight with the man who took my parents from me… and got shot. And then… a certain charming girl saved my life."
Flattered by my last line, she was still visibly shaken by my past.
Her eyes softened with compassion.
"Spike… I'm so sorry. No one should have to go through that. I don't even know what to say."
I shook my head.
"It's not your fault, Rin. But it's why I am the way I am. Why I wear this mask and keep the world at arm's length."
She took my hand, squeezing it tightly. "You don't have to go through it alone. You have friends who care about you. And I'm here—no matter what happens."
"…Thanks."
We sat there a while longer, in silence, overlooking the sparkling city lights. It was a moment of peace, a moment of hope that maybe, just maybe, the future could be better.