Chapter 9

“Damn it…! Fucking… stupid…!!”

Bang! Bang!!

The man, unable to hide his trembling voice, kicked his hover bike in frustration. But despite the continuous kicks, the engine remained unresponsive. He was truly stuck in this sandstorm-ravaged wasteland, just a short distance from the comfortable Harvest Planet.

“Fuck… fuck…!”

His teeth clenched, and his voice grew quieter.

Being left alone as a citizen with no system and no witnesses outside the city was maddening. He even had his company ID, belonging to a proudly affiliated corporation, hanging around his neck, which could get him in serious trouble with the gate patrol. If discovered by gangs or lawbreakers… he might end up executed as a company dog or have all the implants removed from his body while still alive.

Chills ran down his spine…!

With an unsettling feeling that the worst was about to happen, he constantly glanced around.

If he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have been so careless thinking of it as just a simple inspection of the unmanned food plant. He should have used a taxi service…! It was all the company’s fault for boasting about the hazard pay and business expenses included in the basic salary. Those fucking credit thieves could go to hell.

Squish… squish…

How long had he been dragging his useless bike? Amidst the roaring wind and sand obscuring his vision, he noticed something shoddy… architectural structures in the distance.

“Uh…?”

Then, memories flickered back to him.

There was definitely a settlement not far from the city gate. When going out on a plant inspection, he had avoided that sketchy outpost with a bunch of anti-corporate activists or system haters gathered together… but compared to the real threats of lunatics, it didn’t take words to determine which was more reliable.

After hastily shoving his ID, which would be of no help, into his inner pocket, he cautiously entered the settlement.

Due to the godforsaken storm, there weren’t any pedestrians to ask for directions.

What he needed right now wasn’t a motel but a mechanic shop that could fix his hover bike. Fortunately, he succeeded in connecting to the settlement network without any verification and quickly found the shop he was looking for.

[ Orthodox Machinery Shop. Repairs and maintenance, basic implant procedures, customization requests all in one place!! Ps. Cyberware upgrades and vaccine services now available! ]

“Ah. Shit…”

Seeing the name of the shop, which sounded reliable, along with the sticky promotional phrases, he sighed. He hadn’t anticipated finding some corporate branch outside the city, but leaving his beloved bike in this suspicious, all-purpose store was maddening…!

Grumbling, he made his way to the rough-looking shop and knocked on the firmly closed iron door.

Thud! Thud!!

“Is the owner in there?! I’ve got a customer!! If you don’t want to clean up a suffocated corpse in the sand, let me in!”

“Yes~ I’m coming out…!”

“…?”

The unexpectedly soft and melodious voice was miles away from what he had anticipated, causing the man’s head to tilt in confusion.

For heaven’s sake. They say those who earn credits in big cities can change their voice and appearances however they want… Just how extraordinary of a pervert was this person to waste credits living in a place like this?

But… when the door creaked open, he had no choice but to change his mind.

“Come on in! I really don’t want to clean up again!”

“…….”

There… stood a little angel.

He followed her fluttering gestures, moving numbly while unable to take his eyes off the unreal beauty.

A petite figure that looked like it would fit right into his arms, with skin as pale as ivory. Her neat yet flowing hair. Her gemstone-like eyes made him want to gaze into them forever.

The luxurious appearance of her outfit hinted at her affluence. However, the voice that matched her beautiful looks was too perfect to be a mere result of surgery. Even the famous models that often appeared on city billboards wouldn’t be as appealing in this moment.

“Customer? Customer…? How may I help you…?”

“Uh… I mean… I need this hover bike repaired…”

“Bike repair request confirmed~ …Grandpa! We have a customer…!”

“Oh…! A customer coming in this weather is quite a surprise?”

As the angel stepped aside, a rugged, haggard old man took her place. What the hell, give me back my angel.

Regardless of the man’s disappointment or satisfaction, it was the old man’s turn from there.

“Oh dear… in this storm, what kind of fool drives an airborne vehicle!”

Engine malfunctions, aging jet nozzles, the durability of the air compression fan, fuel concentration… A lengthy estimate foretelling an outrageous credit expense was made, but the man was too busy trying to speculate on something completely unrelated.

If this place were run by a grandfather and granddaughter duo… who would handle the cyberware upgrades and vaccine procedures mentioned in the promotional material……?

“Well then… including parts and labor costs, a total of 82,400 credits! …What will you do?”

“Uh…? Yes. Please repair it. More importantly… um… is it possible to get a cyberware check as well? It seems like it’s been a while since I had it checked by an expert…”

His awkwardly added excuse trailed off. He had checked his cyberware thoroughly right before coming out for this external visit. Plus, this wasn’t a night entertainment venue, so why was he being so timid? It wasn’t too late to stop talking and get his bike…

“Oh! You also do cyberware checks!”

“Yes!! Please, I beg you…!!”

Seeing the angel respond with a gloomy expression while sweeping the messy floor made him feel he wouldn’t regret it.

Leaving his beloved bike with the old man, he laid down on a long sofa bed.

They said merely looking at relics from a bygone era should cost a hefty amount of credits. So, having already seen the angel’s smile, he decided he wouldn’t be angry even if the check-up turned out to be a scam….

“Excuse me…!”

“…?!”

Two small, soft hands gently cradled his face, and a signal requested access to his implant system was received.

As he accepted it passionately, his consciousness drifted away. He reflected on how narrowly he had judged the world beyond the city with biased views and preconceived notions. Here, there was warmth and fulfillment that he had rarely experienced, even at the venues he visited every night to relieve his stress. …Perhaps he would need to make outings like this a regular habit, as he enjoyed this brief respite outside the system.

★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

“Cough, cough…! Young lady! What’s a good dinner…?”

“…Please let it be as cheap as possible.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll pay! When you’re growing up, neglecting meals can lead to trouble…!”

Clunk…!!

With a hearty laugh, the cheeky mechanic grandfather left the shop. …Where did that initial wary demeanor go? It was amusing to see him carelessly leave an empty shop in the hands of a temporary partner they just met a few days ago.

‘If I didn’t need a staff, then I’d have a partner…!’ He hadn’t threatened him like that. He couldn’t even afford to.

He simply… showed that he could use his part-time experience for customer service and cleaning. And just discreetly shut down Paradise’s malicious ‘loan reminder system’ that was part of the old man’s cyberware to prove he could perform procedures related to cyberware.

Requiring the installation of a program that makes customers watch ads for Paradise products for five minutes a day until the loan is repaid…? And if the customer really did go crazy, would they sell the carebot to get rid of them?

In the end, their first meeting… even if I was a bit one-sided with my taste in food, I think it has turned into a decent cooperative relationship now. The old man not only helped him manage his business at the shop but also provided him with a vacant room to stay.

…Why the cocky titles, you ask?

…It’s funny, but we still don’t even know each other’s names. Although no one imposed it, this awkward familial dynamic somehow continued.

He gladly accepted the unidentified person who appeared out of nowhere. I didn’t bother questioning why the grandfather with white hair was still struggling with loans or… why there was a vacant room filled with items that seemed like they belonged to a girl.

There was no need to bother weighing the burden of someone else’s shoulders.

A simplistic relationship would mean less burden when parting ways. …Once again, one must learn from past mistakes.

“…Hmph.”

It was just that… rather than the original goal of 110,000 credits for citizenship.

I had simply revised my plan to earn a generous 300,000 credits, including the necessary expenses to go from Harvest Planet to Neo Haven, ongoing living expenses, and the rent I would leave behind before departing.