NOVEL NEXT Chapter 62
Seeing someone else’s hidden shame is more troublesome than you might think.
Of course, the one showing it feels that way.
It’s just as awkward for the one observing.
Especially if it’s the private life of the aristocrats and high-ranking corporate elite ruling the Cyberpunk world.
“Wait, wait…!”
“I’m not taking off my shoes right now!”
As I watched a young girl ruthlessly smack a middle-aged man’s back, I blankly pondered.
If I cut this scene out and report the footage to NCB24, I could make quite a juicy profit…
I was in a state of chaos to even entertain such ridiculous thoughts.
Hmm.
I contemplated as I watched Kojaka William, tapping away in pain.
Honestly, it would have looked weird if we stepped in to stop it.
It was true that Kojaka William was in the wrong. How could he enter a house without taking off his shoes? What a barbaric nose-picker…
From an objective point of view, there was more than enough reason for him to get scolded.
Then, what should we do here?
…
I cautiously approached Kojaka’s (Ninja) employee who was standing off to the side.
“Um….”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Is there any popcorn or soda around here? Caramel-coated would be even better.”
“……”
The employee looked at me as if I were insane.
Sadly, it seemed they didn’t have any.
Ignoring the employee’s gaze, I started watching the couple fight again.
Honestly, it was quite a disappointing sight to watch empty-handed.
—
The ‘couple fight’ that felt like it would last forever ended not long after.
The defeated warrior, Kojaka William, left behind a parting message to tidy up his messy hair before disappearing somewhere.
There was no comfort to give a loser.
I didn’t see him off as he looked lonely.
Come back stronger…!
Then.
Like nothing had ever happened, the girl, Kojaka Kohaku, sat quietly and bowed her head at us.
“Sorry for the inconvenience with our guests here.”
She took a sip of the already cold tea. It was clear my throat was dry as well.
She looked nothing like the woman who had been yanking the Megacorp vice president’s hair just moments ago.
Katherine, who had been watching the whole spectacle with me, casually tossed out her opinion.
“Definitely a total mess─.”
“Ah.”
I stopped Gyeomjok, whose true feelings were slipping out.
Kojaka Kohaku led us with no change of expression, as if she hadn’t heard anything at all.
“You’ve been standing for a while. Please, have a seat over here.”
She indicated the direction in front of her.
Following her guidance, Katherine, Eve, and I awkwardly sat in front of the girl.
Having grown up in the Cyberpunk world, Katherine wasn’t used to sitting on the floor. She attempted to mimic the girl’s seated position but quickly changed to a more comfortable posture as if her legs were cramping.
Eve gracefully spread her long skirt and sat neatly.
Not wanting to follow the traditional Japanese kneeling position, I sat cross-legged like it was totally normal.
“……”
Though our postures seemed to concern her.
Kojaka Kohaku slowly raised her hand with an expressionless face.
The folding doors on both sides opened.
Several employees appeared, carrying tea and snacks.
As I mentioned earlier, tea, apart from coffee, isn’t my preference, but judging by its color, it seemed to be the same as the one I drank earlier.
In other words, it was very expensive.
I accepted the teacup without hesitation.
Then, silence ensued for a while.
“…….”
“……”
The one who arranged our meeting, Kojaka William, had fled somewhere after losing the couple fight.
We couldn’t bring up a conversation first.
And she didn’t initiate the topic either.
Perhaps the recent couple fight had left her feeling awkward.
Time dragged on—long or short, who could say.
Just as I started getting tired of the warm capitalist tea flavor, I could no longer endure the silence.
Wanting to change the atmosphere, I decided to ask the girl a question that had piqued my curiosity since I first laid eyes on her.
“Excuse me.”
“Please, go ahead.”
I cleared my throat briefly.
“May I ask your age—?”
“I’ve heard your story briefly.”
“Excuse?”
Caught off guard by the sudden change of topic, an dumbfounded response slipped out.
No, I meant how old are you?
Without answering my question, Kojaka Kohaku continued speaking.
“I heard that all of you are hostile toward my biological father, ‘Kojaka Nobukuro’. Is that correct?”
“…Well, yeah.”
I nodded in response.
Being directly honest about disliking her father, Pete Mc’s daughter, did feel a bit uncomfortable.
However, I had already heard the story.
There was no way I could backtrack after it had come this far.
After hearing my response, Kojaka Kohaku asked me again.
“May I ask why?”
“Ah, um, that’s a bit…”
Having naturally declined to answer, I finished the action by taking a sip of tea to show my intention to no longer respond.
To accurately explain my situation.
I would inevitably have to explain about ‘Eve’ as well.
It was an issue difficult to disclose to a Megacorp executive who wasn’t part of our team.
The existence of the only strong artificial intelligence in Cyberpunk.
There could be other enemies willing to arise, aside from Pete Mc.
But as if she anticipated my non-response.
Kojaka Kohaku didn’t show any special reaction and set down her teacup.
“I see.”
It was somewhat amusing seeing a little girl in a neatly dressed kimono nodding seriously as if she were something entirely important.
I couldn’t tell what material it was, but it wasn’t an LED kimono; the surface subtly glimmered.
“I’m sorry.”
“?”
I raised an eyebrow at her sudden apology.
“I’ll have to inconvenience you once again.”
Saying this, Kojaka Kohaku stood, wobbling slightly as she adjusted her balance with her small feet.
“I haven’t received a proper explanation from my husband yet. All I’ve been told is that I got the opportunity to take the chairman out of his position.”
“Uh-huh.”
“……”
Did my lackluster response annoy her?
Kojaka Kohaku frowned, her expression a bit displeased.
…No.
Considering I didn’t fully understand the situation, it was entirely reasonable to respond that way.
Kojaka Kohaku, refocusing mentally, gathered her hands and calmly continued speaking.
“You still do not understand how dangerous that man, Nobukuro, is.”
…
This time, I managed to hold back a response.
But I certainly didn’t agree with that statement.
At least, having been hit by an anti-tank missile while riding in a driverless taxi, I rejected her opinion.
Was my silence satisfactory for her, or did she just prefer to keep her thoughts to herself?
Kojaka Kohaku lightly rolled up her sleeves.
“Likewise, my body. You must have had some doubts from the beginning, right? Our ‘Kojaka’’s body technology hasn’t reached the ‘Monolith’ level yet; it’s the result of an experiment for stability.”
“……”
But why would the chairman’s daughter undergo such a safety trial?
“Because I’m related by blood to Nobukuro. To acquire a young body, I was unwillingly trapped in this fake body—neither real nor fake.”
Oh dear.
I hoped she would tread carefully while discussing matters involving cyber bodies now that there was someone else with a cyber body here too.
Honestly, I thought Kojaka William was just a pervert.
It seems there was a hidden motive behind it.
I revised my opinion of him from ‘a hopeless pervert’ to ‘a barbarian who enters homes while wearing shoes.’
On one side, I cautiously checked Eve’s expression.
I wanted to wrap up this conversation as soon as possible.
“…Well, we know he’s a scary guy, but if he is hostile toward us, we can’t simply do nothing about it, right?”
That was my pragmatic stance.
He wasn’t just scary; he was a crazy person too!
What kind of madman would act like a mascot character while being a chairman of a Megacorp?
Even outside of the Cyberpunk world, if a chairman from a company that developed a certain character cartoon went around saying “Pika Pika,” I’d be freaked out!
In response to my opinion, Kojaka Kohaku answered as calmly as ever.
“It could be that way for you. But for my husband and me, it’s different.”
After she finished speaking, she gestured behind her.
“I cannot proceed with any work, entrusting it to mercenaries who know nothing.”
All the folding doors in the room vanished.
I thought they were real furnishings.
But watching them disappear now, it turned out they were holographic decorations.
And outside the room.
A group of people clad in black, glaring at us with ominous eyes, were lurking.
“They’re ninjas under my direct command. If you are indeed individuals capable of opposing him, then this should be easy—”
She was still speaking when—
“Ha.”
At first, I thought it was just a chuckle from Katherine.
But if my ears weren’t deceiving me, it was Eve’s voice.
I turned around to glance at Eve.
Her face remained expressionless, just like usual, but perhaps it was because Kojaka Kohaku hit a personal nerve regarding ‘cyber bodies.’
She seemed to be getting a bit angry.
Was I misinterpreting that laughter?
All hell broke loose next.
Before a simple greeting like ‘Do-mo’ could be given.
All the ninjas beyond the door fell to the ground with unidentifiable moans.
“Ugh!!”
“…Was that hacking? There shouldn’t have been a signal!”
“Hidebutsu!!”
If these ninjas had been trained traditionally, such a mishap wouldn’t have happened.
But the ninjas living in Cyberpunk couldn’t resist Eve.
It was obvious they all had cyberware somewhere on their bodies.
Just like before, in front of the Kojaka headquarters building.
The hidden blade of Megacorp, boasting the second-largest market cap, was immobilized in an instant.
“……What the hell?”
Kojaka Kohaku looked around in shock at the scene before her.
No matter how much she looked, the situation didn’t change. No matter how hard they tried to get up, the ninjas just crawled across the tatami mats.
And then, it happened.
Opening the folding door behind us.
The Megacorp vice president, Kojaka William, appeared with his hair tidied up.
Perhaps feeling embarrassed about their domestic quarrel, he showed up looking somewhat awkward.
“I’m sorry for stepping away for a moment—”
And instantly, his words cut off.
Kojaka William slowly glanced around.
It looked as though he was trying to understand the situation.
“……What’s going on right now?”
Yet, as he surveyed, it seemed he didn’t grasp what sort of situation this was, turning his gaze toward us to inquire instead.
It didn’t look like these actions had been discussed beforehand.
His expression differed from the first time I saw him; this time, Kojaka Kohaku’s face darkened.
It was natural for Kojaka William’s gaze, wandering around the room, to finally settle on Kojaka Kohaku.
“…Honey, would you mind explaining a bit?”
In the midst of this brewing domestic dispute with guests around.
I calmly assessed the situation.
What I had to do here…
Having made up my mind, I approached the writhing ninja. He looked at me with a gaze filled with questions.
“Where’s the kitchen? I could really use some popcorn…”
“……”
Regrettably.
Maybe it was because he was a ninja.
He didn’t answer my question.