"'Ta-dah'—what kind of weird greeting is that, Maki?"
Karl naturally stepped forward to welcome his friend.
He couldn't deny it—there was something about Maki that always gave him a warm, nostalgic feeling. Maybe it was how she reminded him of an old desk mate from his school days. Without thinking, he slipped into a teasing tone.
"I just came up with it! Fun, right?"
"Fun? I'd call it... wildly original. Never heard anything like it."
Karl replied, giving her outfit a quick once-over. Maki had clearly taken her time getting ready—her lavender pleated skirt matched her purple cyber-eyes, and the soft blue ponytail trailing behind her completed the look.
"You actually look pretty great today. Definitely a fresh vibe."
"Right? I made sure everything was just right before I came. Didn't even let the autopilot go fast—didn't want to mess anything up. Oh! Almost forgot—"
She turned back toward the elevator and hoisted a massive paper container with both hands.
"Christmas cake! Like I promised. Took me forever to make it. I bet you've been looking forward to it."
"Absolutely. Been waiting to try it."
"But… looks like there are a lot of people today."
Still holding the cake, she handed it to Karl. He took it naturally, while Maki looked around the duplex, doing a quick headcount.
"Might have to cut it real small."
"I'll be happy with even a tiny piece—since you made it yourself."
"You're laying it on thick today, huh? But flattery won't get you my slice. I worked too hard on it to give it up. I'm eating my piece—no matter what."
"Still sharp as ever, Maki."
Karl gave a helpless grin. His little scheme to snag an extra slice had failed—this friend of his was still as quick as ever.
Their conversation wasn't exactly quiet, and even in the hum of the party, anyone listening closely could catch it. Blanca, who was chatting with Misty after helping out in the kitchen, heard the entire exchange while half-focused on her own conversation.
Maki…
Karl had once mentioned a close friend from Arasaka Academy. Was this her?
A student from Arasaka Academy...
Blanca's thoughts remained calm. She wasn't particularly impressed.
Just a girl who was... moderately cute, at best. Even dressed up, from Blanca's perspective as a woman, she wasn't anything special.
When it came to looks, Blanca had full confidence.
That naive girl wasn't nearly as threatening as Oliver's sister—the type that drew all the boyish attention. Now that was a potential rival.
So Blanca stayed composed. But someone else wasn't so at ease.
The same someone who had felt regret earlier for arriving empty-handed.
"David, why are you hiding in the back?"
Rebecca's curious voice rang out. David flinched, visibly uncomfortable. He wanted to shush her, but it was too late—her sharp voice had already drawn attention, including from Maki.
"You're..."
Maki tilted her head and caught sight of him—David, trying to disappear behind a resigned-looking Lucy. Her eyes blinked a few times before she lit up.
"You're David, right? From school?"
Her words landed like a hammer. David froze.
"I remember you. We weren't in the same class, but you were always ranked high on the academic board. I remember seeing your name a lot."
She smiled brightly. "Didn't think I'd run into two classmates today!"
"Uh…"
David hadn't been trying to hide who he was today—everyone here was a friend of Karl's, after all. But being recognized like this? He felt a special kind of embarrassment—like being caught somewhere sketchy by someone you barely knew from school.
And then she made it worse.
"I thought you were only into braindance stuff. Didn't know you were friends with Karl too!"
David wanted to vanish into the floor.
She knows about that!?
It wasn't the close friends who made things awkward. It was the vaguely familiar faces—the ones who knew just enough to make things uncomfortable.
"Uhh…"
Karl, watching it unfold, couldn't help but sympathize. If he were in David's shoes, he'd probably want to cover his face too.
Come to think of it… Maki might be a little too pure.
Talking about braindance out in the open… that's not exactly dinner conversation.
Of course, braindance itself wasn't the issue—it was a common entertainment format. But Maki clearly knew what kind of braindance David had been dealing with… and said it anyway.
The room's mood shifted as a few guests, who hadn't known, turned curious eyes on David.
He was ready to dig a hole and crawl into it.
And then—salvation.
A digital chime rang out.
"Incoming hovercar docking request. Grant landing permission?"
The announcement echoed through the duplex, startling several guests.
A hovercar? At this hour?
Now that's a VIP entrance. Everyone else—rock stars, NCPD brass, gang bosses, rich kids—they all walked in.
So who the hell was this?
"Oh, looks like our final guest just arrived," Karl said casually, pulling out his phone and granting access.
Everyone turned toward the bulletproof windows just as the hovercar approached.
The vehicle glided smoothly toward the platform—and every car enthusiast in the room recognized it instantly.
Even with custom mods, that silhouette was unmistakable.
A model so exclusive it was rumored only those with bottomless bank accounts could buy one.
The Rayfield Caliburn.
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🔥 Cyberpunk: The Relentless
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