"Ahem... that's okay too."
Naturally, David had no reason to refuse such a bold request. "Then, shall we go check it out?"
"Let's go!"
Lucy stood up from the stool, grabbed David's hand, and led him out of the Afterlife Bar.
"Hey, David! You're running off already?"
Claire returned to the bar, shouting after the two. "If you don't come back later, good luck out there!"
"Can't wait any longer, sis!"
David's distant voice echoed back. "I transferred the tab for everyone's drinks tonight to you. Check your account!"
Ding—!
Claire's phone buzzed with a message alert. She pulled it out and read:
Arasaka Bank Notification: Your account has received 1,000 eurodollars at 01:09. Thank you for using our service!
"1,000 eddies?!"
Claire's eyes widened as she quickly covered her mouth. "Did that brat send too much?"
She ran to the bar's entrance and shouted into the night, "David, did you send the wrong amount?"
"Nope! Just keep the extra, sis—!"
David's faint voice carried back as his figure shrank into the distance.
"This little punk…"
Claire's heart warmed, though she couldn't help but grumble, "Throwing money around like that—people might think he's some rich corpo kid..."
Night City Streets
Beneath the city's neon lights, the streets were mostly empty.
Lucy clutched David's hand as they ran, the cool night air brushing past their faces. David's white hair floated in the breeze, carrying a faint trace of cologne.
Lucy was laughing. David was laughing.
It felt... good.
By the time they jogged a few blocks and reached Lucy's apartment building, both of them were slightly out of breath. Their eyes met, and they couldn't help but chuckle again.
If an NCPD officer had passed by, they might've thought the two were cyberpsychos, laughing like that.
"Come on, let's head up."
Lucy stepped into the elevator, motioning for David to follow.
Ding—!
The elevator stopped on the 21st floor.
Stepping out, David glanced around. The corridor was lined with modest apartments—simple, but far safer and cleaner than the slums he was used to.
Beep—!
The electronic lock clicked, and Lucy pushed the door open.
"Welcome."
She stood at the entrance with a smile—almost like a housewife waiting for her husband to come home.
David stepped inside and took a look around. The layout was simple: one bedroom, one living room. A sofa, a coffee table, a TV, and a Chaomeng experience chair sat in the main area. Half-empty beer bottles and cigarette packs lay scattered around—a glimpse into the life of a girl living alone.
Casual. Simple. Yet warm.
"Not bad, huh? Way better than your place, right?"
Lucy stuck out her tongue as she quickly gathered up some uneaten snacks.
"Way better," David replied with a chuckle, his eyes drifting toward the glass window behind the sofa. "And the view's great. You can see Japantown and the lights of Little China from here."
"Good taste," Lucy said proudly. "That's why I picked this apartment. The view's even better from the top floor, but the rent's too high."
As she spoke, her eyes flickered with a distant thought. "Oh! Come on, David—I'll show you something even better!"
"Huh?"
David blinked. He'd just arrived, and now they were off again?
Lucy didn't notice his confusion. She opened the fridge, rummaging through the shelves.
"Hmm... We'll need drinks for this."
She glanced over her shoulder. "Beer okay?"
"Yeah, anything's fine."
"Alright—two dozen should do."
She pulled out two packs of chilled beer, handing one to David.
"Whoa, that's a lot. What are we doing, throwing a rooftop party?"
"You'll see. Come on, help me carry this."
"Alright, alright."
David grabbed the pack, still unsure what she was planning.
"Let's go upstairs."
Lucy stepped outside first. "Don't forget to lock the door."
"Got it."
The Rooftop
Ding—!
The elevator chimed as it reached the 88th floor—the top floor of the apartment building.
"Shh—"
Lucy raised a finger to her lips. "Rich folks live up here. Let's keep it down."
David stepped out and glanced around. The hallway was completely different from the lower floors. The décor was more elegant, with only two apartments on each side—spacious, high-end homes.
Instead of stopping, Lucy led David into the stairwell and climbed the final flight of stairs.
When they emerged onto the rooftop, David's breath caught in his throat.
The city stretched out beneath them—a sea of lights and neon, with Arasaka Tower standing tall in the distance. Clouds drifted lazily across the moon, so close it felt like they could reach out and touch it.
"This is... amazing," David murmured.
"Haha... Right?"
Lucy set down the beer, spreading her arms as she twirled beneath the moonlight.
Her smile was brighter than any city light.
David stared, momentarily dazed.
"Come sit!"
Lucy patted a low ledge. They sat side by side, opening two bottles of beer and clinking them together before taking a sip.
"I come up here sometimes when I need to think," Lucy said softly. She stretched her hand toward the moon, fingers spread wide. "Up here, it feels like I can almost touch it."
"You really like the moon, huh?"
"Yeah... It's always been my dream to save enough money to visit it someday."
She absently touched the credit chip behind her ear—the same chip David had taken on the train that night.
"You'll get there," David said, gazing at the sky. "And when that day comes, how about we go together?"
"Pfft—!"
Lucy nearly spit out her beer. "Do you know how expensive it is? 700,000 eddies per person! That's 1.4 million for both of us. Where are you gonna get that kind of money?"
"Doesn't matter how much it costs—I'll make sure we get there."
David's tone was calm, yet confident. His eyes reflected the city lights as he glanced sideways at her. "So... what do you say?"
Lucy's heart skipped a beat.
"Alright. If we get the chance, let's go together."
"Pinky promise?"
David held out his hand toward the moon, mirroring the way Lucy had reached out to him in the train's cargo hold.
"Pinky promise."
Without hesitation, Lucy hooked her finger around his.
"Hey, David... Do you like the moon too?"
"Hmm... I think I prefer the sun."
"Why?"
"Because without the sun, the moon wouldn't shine at all."
Lucy blinked in surprise.
Before she could respond, she found herself leaning closer—drawn in by the warmth of his smile.
David's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't pull away.
Under the moonlight, their lips met.
Somewhere in the distance, a rocket launched into the sky with a low, thunderous roar—someone else's journey to the moon had already begun.
A Promise Under the Moon
After what felt like both an instant and an eternity, they pulled apart.
Lucy's cheeks were flushed, but her gaze was steady.
"David... Didn't you say you wanted me to get to know you better?"
"Yeah."
"Then... let's start with your name."
"David," he said with a grin. "But... if I had to give it meaning, maybe someday I'll be the king of Night City. The master of this world."
"Haha! Bold words. I hope so—I believe in you."
"Thanks. What about you? What's your dream, besides going to the moon?"
"Hmm... I guess... to find a place where I truly belong."
David looked at her thoughtfully but said nothing.
"Oh, and hey—what's the deal with your abilities? Are those high-end implants or... something else?"
"It's... complicated. More like a mysterious power from back home. Hard to explain."
"Uh-huh, sure. Sounds like a cop-out to me!"
"Hey, I'm serious!"
They bantered back and forth beneath the moonlight, sipping beer and stealing occasional glances at each other.
For once, the chaos of Night City seemed far away.
Meanwhile, in Kabuki
Inside the NCPD precinct, a printer hummed softly as a document emerged from the machine.
"Mr. Yoko Taro, we've identified the suspect who killed Jotaro Shobo through DNA comparison," the officer said, handing over the file. "Shall we assist with the arrest?"
Yoko Taro skimmed the document. Most of the information was blank—except for a photograph labeled: [Original Body, Asian]
The face in the picture belonged to none other than David.
"Hmph... A primitive, huh?" Yoko Taro scoffed and stood abruptly. "No need for NCPD's help. The Tiger Claws will handle this ourselves—I'm not wasting money hiring you."
With that, he turned and left the precinct without looking back.
The station chief watched him leave, then muttered under his breath, "Pfft. If Arasaka didn't have your back, I'd arrest the whole damn gang myself... Bastard."
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