Chapter 69
“You’ve arrived.”
“…Yes, thank you for driving me.”
Thud.
The limousine door closes.
After saying goodbye to the driver, who was inexplicably courteous and respectful toward me to a bizarre degree, I parted ways with him.
Utterly exhausted, I wandered into the grocery store on feet that nearly gave out beneath me, then collapsed into the chair at the counter.
While my body had been recovering for the past few days, the grocery store building had returned to its original state.
If that filthy, broken entrance had greeted me again today, my SAN would have been reduced to nothing and I might even have gone mad, but
fortunately, that hadn’t happened, so I could calmly sort through everything that had happened today.
‘What on earth was that….’
When I parted ways with the mafia family’s boss,
let’s recall the conversation we had.
- I had fun today, too.
- …Pardon? No, yes. I had fun, too, I suppose.
Up to here, everything had been fine.
However.
- Next time…. I’ll check my schedule first and contact you.
Wasn’t that just like the conversation between a man and woman who had gone on a blind date with the possibility of meeting again, then parted on a pleasant note in modern society?
- Then I’ll see you again later.
She had even made plans for a second date.
If there were anyone who failed to sense that something was strange in this situation, they could probably only be the protagonist of a Japanese romantic comedy manga.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t the protagonist of a romantic comedy manga.
I was an ordinary citizen living out a survival drama in real time in a merciless—(the rest omitted) cyberpunk hodgepodge of a world.
Therefore, I didn’t simply dismiss the situation as ‘all in my head’ and let it slide.
‘I didn’t even make some strange verbal blunder.’
How had things ended up like this?
Could it be that a fated woman who had realized my hidden charms had finally appeared…?
‘…No, surely not.’
Objectively speaking, it was difficult to give my appearance more than seven out of ten.
That judgment was based on my rather credible experience of making a child in a stroller burst into tears after I waved at them because I was born with sharp-looking eyes.
(Getting scolded by the child’s parents was an added bonus.)
Besides, my build had lately started to resemble that of a UFC fighter, so there was virtually no chance she had discovered a charm even I had trouble recognizing.
‘Wait a minute….’
Come to think of it, she’s the boss of a gang.
Naturally, there would be nothing around her but large or intimidating-looking people.
Once I thought that far, a derisive snort naturally escaped me.
‘Well, well….’
Has it finally arrived?
The golden age of my life?
The only minor issue was that the person in question happened to be the terrifying boss of the Sicilian Mafia.
Gulp.
The sound of me swallowing echoed loudly.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down my temple.
I wished my newly acquired 【Iron Will】 trait would utter a taciturn line here.
[…Hey, I don’t think this is quite right.]
I agreed with that opinion, too.
For starters, what kind of trait talks?
I was the one who had thought that.
‘No wonder the atmosphere felt strange.’
I thought I understood why every mafia family member I’d encountered in the mansion had looked at me with displeasure—or with wariness toward a lunatic.
‘Now the truth is finally coming into focus.’
A warning bell sounded for danger.
A third sense that could be called intuition kept flashing its emergency lights.
‘In other words, I was fucked….’
The fact that I had unintentionally won her favor or been misunderstood somehow had already happened, so there was nothing I could do about it.
I couldn’t turn back time.
Unfortunately, there was no save-load function.
What mattered to me now was how to respond from here on out.
Just then.
Bzzzz….
A vibration sounded from the terminal in my pocket.
“……”
One inhalation, one exhalation.
Swallowing back a groan,
I slowly took out my terminal.
───────────────
Title: Warning! Warning! Warning!
You are under attack by a [Level 7] [malware virus] developed by a [Luddite activist].
To protect yourself, click this cyber web [link] and defend yourself.
Our [anti-malware software] will eliminate the danger immediately!
If you do not access the [link] within [11] minutes and [58] seconds, your [smart chip and data chip] may suffer irreparable damage.
Protect yourself now!
───────────────
“Damn it.”
It’s a spam text.
But on the other hand, I let out a sigh of relief.
It was a message that had come to someone else, judging by the timing—.
Bzzzz.
───────────────
Title: [No Subject]
(A photo of Luciana in profile)
^-^v
───────────────
…or so I thought.
Apparently, she wasn’t exactly a saint, either.
Leaving it on read wasn’t an option.
The mafia members in black coats might come running over at any moment and spray our grocery store with Thompson submachine-gun fire.
So, what would be a good reply?
In a hurry, I typed and sent the smiling text emoticon ‘^-^’ as I had last time.
‘Did that do it…?’
Of course not.
The moment I sent my reply, the terminal began vibrating again.
The name that appeared on the terminal screen was Luciana.
This time, it was a call, not a message.
‘Maybe I should have added the v exactly the same way.’
But regret always comes too late.
Since I didn’t have much time to organize my thoughts,
I decided to just face it head-on.
“Hello…?”
[…That’s too presumptuous. Not yet.]
“What??”
The riddle-like exchange had begun again.
I had no idea what she was talking about this time, either.
[Darling (Tesoro)…]
“No, ‘hello’ is just an ordinary….”
It was nothing more than an utterly ordinary greeting.
A question mark appeared above my head.
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, the person on the other end of the terminal seemed eager to move past this topic quickly.
[You are bold. …Anyway, I sent you a picture.]
“Yes, I saw it.”
[…….]
The silence that followed felt heavy.
No, rather than heavy, it was closer to frightening.
I didn’t know the exact reason, but it seemed the distance between us had suddenly shrunk by several centimeters.
Surely she wasn’t expecting some blatant reaction from me….
Human relationships were supposed to proceed step by step like stairs, carefully observing each stage—
[So, what do you have to say?]
“……”
This time, I kept my mouth shut instead.
No, seriously?
As I said before, I wasn’t so dense that I couldn’t notice the other person’s intentions here.
‘Still, this….’
Somehow, it felt as if I was sinking deeper and deeper into a swamp.
When my flustered silence kept me from answering right away, Luciana seemed to decide for herself that perhaps this had gone too far, and added in a slightly embarrassed voice,
[No, it’s nothing. I just called to make sure you got home safely.]
“…Thaaat’s right. The driver was very careful getting me home.”
[Then that’s good.]
After chatting about some pointless things for a while,
[Yeah. I’ll contact you again.]
“……Yep.”
I calmly ended the call.
I stared blankly down at the dark terminal screen and sorted through my thoughts once again….
Seriously.
This was not normal.
·
·
·
First, I asked Michael for help.
“I see. …It seems the mafia family’s boss has romantic feelings for Hotdog Man.”
“I know it sounds pretty strange to me, too. But it’s really 100% true, okay?”
“Hahaha….”
At my shocking statement, Michael nodded with his usual expressionless face.
As expected of someone who had once been a capable corporate employee.
Michael didn’t seem to consider a problem of this magnitude to be a problem—
“Hahahahahaha….”
“…Michael?”
“
Hahahahahahahaha
.”
Apparently, his desire to believe me and his cold judgment as a businessman had collided.
In fact, it really was the kind of thing that made no sense at all….
‘I mean, who would believe this?’
Without noticing that Rivera and Nova, who had overheard our conversation from behind, had lit up for some reason,
I merely sighed over and over to myself.
* * *
Today, too, in the peaceful vacant lot behind the grocery store.
Under Hotdog Man’s guidance, the homeless, who had gained jobs where they could dream of a future and a cozy shelter that kept out the cold wind and rain, were gathered in small groups, warming themselves around the flames in a drum and chatting as always.
They called themselves the Homeless Clan,
but before they knew it, the homeless had come to possess a precious home of their own.
“I hear South Boulevard has been a problem lately?”
“Yeah, I heard scavengers coming over from the dump have been causing a commotion.”
One homeless man, proudly displaying his smooth mechanical skin, explained what he knew.
“This area is still fine, though. I hear the rumored ninja unit and other elite squads are patrolling to stabilize security.”
“We’re just grateful. Thanks to them, we can stay here comfortably. We don’t have to worry about having our guts ripped out in our sleep without a sound.”
Everyone agreed with that.
Trying to warm themselves in an alley in another part of the Old Town could mean leaving this world.
“All right, enough chatter. If everyone’s rested, let’s finish up our work.”
The man casually tossed his cigarette butt into the drum and looked around for Michael, who had created jobs involving paper straws and canned water.
“Come to think of it, where’s Michael?”
“Oh, he probably went to the grocery store? He said Hotdog Man—I mean, the boss—called him….”
At that ‘word,’ one person who had been quietly hunching his shoulders among the homeless suddenly raised his head.
“HotdogManistheonewhocamedowntothegrocerystorestoresourlaviorandtheguidewhowillleadusallwhilealsobeingatrueleaderwhotoldustoworkhard,eatourmealsproperly,sleepcomfortably,andnotinconvenienceotherpeople….”
“Oh man, he’s having another episode.”
Since this wasn’t the first or second time it had happened, another homeless man lightly tapped the muttering man’s shoulder.
“Don’t you think there have been more of them lately? People who think Hotdog, the boss, is some kind of god.”
“I heard a rumor somewhere. Apparently, they’re people who were being held by some religious group and happened to be rescued by the boss.”
“Oh, really?”
Then that made sense.
The homeless man nodded and continued.
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter as long as he doesn’t cause a commotion. He works incredibly diligently, too, doesn’t he? Just like us.”
“If he works diligently, why is he homeless….”
“Stop. That’s enough dangerous talk.”
“Heh-heh.”
Their reason for being loyal to this organization was partly their gratitude for the free food,
but lately, the fact that they could spend peaceful days around the grocery store as they had in the past had been an even greater factor.
‘It’s all thanks to Hotdog Man, though.’
It’s a world where good people have a hard time being rewarded.
He decided to hurry and finish his work so he could help Hotdog Man even a little more.
Most of the homeless genuinely respected and admired Hotdog Man.
“W-wait a second. Look over there!”
Just as they were about to enter the homeless shelter,
someone’s loud voice stopped them in their tracks.
Beneath the sky made sticky with smog,
Whoosh—!
A vehicle known to the public as an aerial vehicle flew past at high speed.
“Th-that’s Valtech’s logo, isn’t it?”
“Why would a megacorp come all the way to the Old Town streets….”
It was already a widespread rumor in these parts that corporate employees sometimes ‘hunted’ bounty targets or homeless people to relieve stress.
Fortunately, the aerial vehicle did not land in the vacant lot behind the grocery store,
but it was quite rare to see an aerial vehicle in the sky above an Old Town street rather than the New Town.
The homeless man who had been heading toward the shelter spat out his complaints about corporations and deeply furrowed his brow.
“…Looks like blood’s going to be spilled somewhere again.”