Chapter 284 : Their First Date
Chapter 284: Their First Date
“......”
“You look exhausted.”
“......Zyle.”
“That would be understandable. The political world has been having quite a difficult time lately, trying to gauge Stingray Group's every move.”
After the Possessor Alliance meeting ended, I was about to head back from the parking lot when Zyle approached me first.
Perhaps even an unpleasant face became familiar after seeing it often enough. At some point, Zyle had begun speaking to me quite casually, as though we'd never been enemies in the first place. That tendency seemed especially noticeable after the recent mafia incident.
Taking a cigarette from inside his coat, Zyle placed it between his lips.
He then held out the cigarette pack toward me as if offering me one, but naturally, I declined.
Shrugging, he lit only his own cigarette.
“I didn't know you smoked.”
“I only started recently. Arguing with the old fossils in the party naturally led me to it. Well... I did smoke before I came to this world.”
“It's bad for your health.”
“The nice thing about this world is that even if you get lung cancer, you can simply replace your entire lungs.”
I couldn't exactly argue with that.
To begin with, as an Adaptee, cancer cells probably wouldn't even grow inside him.
In that sense, this city really was an ideal place to indulge in pleasure.
After taking a drag and exhaling the smoke, he looked at me.
“Was what you said during the meeting true?”
“Have I ever lied?”
“I think you've done it quite often.”
“Have I?”
“Well, of course, you're not the type to lie about something like this.”
Holding his cigarette between his index and middle fingers, Zyle scratched the back of his head as though he had a headache.
“...Damn it. A war.”
“You're taking it rather seriously.”
“If anything, you're the one lacking a sense of urgency. Think about the weight of what you just told us. The truth is that this city has been ruled by the Sky Dragon all along, Chairman Stingray has been sharpening his blade in preparation for rebellion, and Kalia Stingray is preparing to bring you down and become the next Chairwoman. If the old men in politics learned all this, I can't even imagine the nonsense they'd start spewing tomorrow just to protect their own interests.”
“There was already a war among the mafias not long ago, wasn't there? The City Government seemed to profit quite a bit from that.”
Zyle shot back in disbelief.
“Are you seriously comparing street thugs beating each other up with a civil war caused by the collapse of Stingray Group, the largest defense contractor in the city? Besides... thanks to the E Sector incident, the only ones celebrating were the police and prosecutors picking up the leftovers. After locking up several major figures, including Ryu Takashi of the Black Dragon Gang, both the mayor and the Prosecutor General saw their approval ratings skyrocket.”
“The opposition must hate that.”
“No. We'd already made a deal with the mayor beforehand. I can't tell you the details, but it wasn't a bad outcome for us either. If it had only benefited the ruling party, do you think I would've cooperated with you in the first place?”
“Is that so? Quite different from what the news says.”
“That's politics for you. Actually... I'm more surprised that you don't know. If you wanted, you could receive all the 'real news' you wanted.”
“I don't care.”
“Yes. That certainly seems to be the case. A man who's indifferent even when his own younger sister is trying to push him out wouldn't suddenly take an interest in politics.”
After grumbling for a moment, Zyle finally got to the point.
“So what exactly are you planning to do?”
“That's what I gathered everyone today to discuss.”
“Since when have you ever been the type to ask for our opinions? You'd already finished making your plans and simply called us together for a final review. Or perhaps there are just a few details you haven't completely worked out yet.”
“......”
“So go on. Tell me. What are you planning to do? We need to know something before we can offer advice... or prepare our own means of survival.”
After thinking for a moment in response to Zyle's questioning, I slowly opened my mouth.
“For now, the enemy isn't clear.”
“The enemy?”
“I still don't know whether the Sky Dragon is an ally, an enemy, or neutral. I don't know whether it's someone we can negotiate with or someone we must fight. I don't know its purpose, its abilities, or how much it knows.... I know nothing.”
“So recklessly making an enemy of it could backfire.”
“Exactly. It never even appeared in the Original Story, making it even harder to understand.”
I kept trying to piece together the scattered clues in my head like a puzzle.
But there were simply too few pieces.
Even if I wanted to uncover new clues...
I didn't even know where to begin.
“So for now, all we can do is prepare for the worst. That's one of the reasons I gathered all of you today.”
“So basically... 'I don't really know either, so each of you should figure out how to survive. At least I'll share the information'?”
“Something like that.”
“Then... are you really planning to hand over the position of next Chairperson to your younger sister?”
“I'm satisfied with my current position. But if she tries to forcibly take away my position as Chairman, then I'll have no choice but to act.”
“And specifically? Planning to solve it with force?”
“......”
After a brief pause, I handed him a Databox.
Zyle inserted it and casually skimmed through its contents.
Then his eyes widened.
“...Holy hell.”
“That should answer your question.”
“They always say there's no point worrying about celebrities, politicians, or billionaires....”
“Give it back.”
“If it were anyone else, I'd really want to do something with this information. But I don't have the courage to challenge you, so I suppose I'd better give up.”
Reluctantly, Zyle returned the Databox.
Shrugging, I spoke.
“Just watch the situation and pull out if necessary.”
“...Thank you for the advice.”
“Well then. I should get going.”
“You have plans?”
“A date.”
“With Miss Serena?”
The moment Zyle asked—
“A date!? A date!?”
Serena suddenly burst out from somewhere, shouting at the top of her lungs.
Apparently, Zyle hadn't sensed her presence at all, because he visibly flinched.
“T-T-Tell me, darling! A date!?”
“Who's your darling...?”
“Judging by Miss Serena's reaction... I suppose she isn't your date.”
Perhaps sensing that this situation was about to become troublesome, Zyle subtly began retreating.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, I also hurriedly got into my car.
But Serena refused to give up, pounding on the window with both palms.
[Wait! Please tell me, husband! Huh!? A date? What on earth do you mean by that!?]
“Drive. Quickly.”
[Are you cheating on your wife!?]
“I keep telling you, who's your wife?”
Anyone overhearing this would definitely get the wrong idea....
“Hurry up and go.”
[Ahhh! Wait! Darling! Husband! My dearest huuusbaaaand!]
Following the self-driving AI's control, the car smoothly accelerated.
Unable to chase me into the sky, Serena simply stood there screaming—
“Aaron!”
......No, this scene really did make me feel an overwhelming sense of guilt.
But I wasn't married to her.
We weren't even dating.
‘Right. I need to be firmer.’
It's not like I'm guilty of anything.
It was about time Serena got over this unhealthy obsession.
Rather than feeling sorry for her and continuing to indulge her, it would be better—for both me and Serena—to cut things off cleanly.
Thinking that, I leaned back against the car seat.
...Completely unaware that this decision would one day lead to utter chaos.
Thump. Thump.
The park where Aaron and Airi had agreed to meet.
As the second hand of the large clock standing in the middle of the square ticked closer to the appointed time, Airi's heartbeat likewise grew louder and faster.
I'm nervous.
She could tell herself.
Her palms had become so sweaty that she'd already wiped them several times with her handkerchief.
Even so, the strange excitement mixed together with her nervousness continued supplying her with endless energy.
“Phew....”
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Airi pulled a compact mirror from her handbag.
Had she applied her eye makeup properly to soften her sharp eyes?
Did her skin, which was usually so pale it almost looked sickly white, appear a little more lively now?
What about her lips, which she habitually bit whenever she became angry?
Although she'd practiced diligently, applying makeup still wasn't something she was used to.
She honestly wasn't confident she'd done it correctly.
Those cat-like eyes especially felt like a complex to her, to the point she'd redone them several times before leaving home.
“It's... okay... right...?”
There wasn't enough time to start over now.
It was better to face the enemy(?) in the best condition she'd managed to achieve rather than ruin everything trying again.
Thinking that, Airi practiced smiling softly in the mirror.
Not her usual tomboyish smile.
Instead, she carefully calculated an expression that would make her look as graceful and beautiful as possible.
After that, she continued adjusting her bangs and straightening her clothes.
Yet the more she fussed over herself...
The less confident she became.
‘...Why is this the best I can do?’
When Serena had done her makeup before, she'd looked much prettier.
Even these clothes seemed more old-fashioned than they had through the Smart Mirror.
And now that she thought about it, maybe this skirt was too short.
Would Aaron think she looked like some shameless woman?
No...
Would everyone think she looked awkward?
There were plenty of couples on dates nearby.
Compared to those women...
Didn't she look terribly lacking?
Was that why everyone kept looking at her?
Shouldn't she still do something about it now?
Those anxious thoughts constantly crept into her mind, tormenting her.
Of course...
Those worries existed only in her imagination.
Everyone around her was actually thinking the exact opposite.
-Wow... Is she a celebrity? Is something being filmed?
-Look at her skin... Her face is so small too....
-That's definitely facial skeletal Cyberware surgery. No way that's natural.... Though I wonder what brand it is.
People kept looking at her simply because she was that beautiful.
The genetic legacy of a once-super-popular actress had been inherited almost entirely by Airi, giving her an aura completely beyond that of ordinary people.
Among the countless men passing through the park...
Not a single one even dared approach her.
-S-Should I talk to her?
-Hell no! A woman like that? Keep dreaming!
In other words...
Everyone else was staring because she was beautiful.
Yet she alone had convinced herself—
'Is something wrong with me...?'
Time continued passing amidst her nervousness.
Eventually, it became the hour they'd agreed to meet.
Fortunately...
Aaron arrived right on time.
“C-Chairman...!”
“My apologies. Have you been waiting long?”
Just like during the festival last time, Aaron had his hair down and was dressed casually.
She'd already seen him like this once before.
Yet...
Airi felt her heart pounding uncontrollably.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Ah...
This isn't good.
This isn't good.
I need to act more naturally.
“...Is something wrong?”
“N-Nothing!”
Only then did Airi realize she'd been staring blankly at Aaron's face.
Hurriedly regaining her composure, she spoke.
“L-Let's get going first? There's a restaurant I found....”
As she said that, Airi subtly moved beside Aaron and tried to link arms with him.
But...
She lacked just a tiny bit of courage.
Her hand hovered helplessly in midair, never quite reaching him.
‘I-Is it really okay to link arms? That's what the internet said.... C-Can I...?’
After hesitating over and over again...
She finally lost her nerve and politely folded both hands in front of herself.
Unfortunately for her...
Aaron was incredibly observant.
“What's wrong?”
Asked that question, Airi's face turned bright red as she stammered.
“I... I was wondering... if... if we could... h-hold hands...?”
Her voice lacked confidence to a degree that rivaled Miyu's.
Airi lowered her head completely in embarrassment.
She felt so pathetic she could barely endure it.
Then—
“Very well.”
Aaron answered calmly...
And took her hand.