Chapter 29: David Martinez

He heard that a classmate from the next class committed suicide.

January 16, 2074

David Martinez rode the subway, as usual, to school alone.

"I heard a girl from the next class committed suicide..."

After the first period in the morning, someone was whispering.

"She was a pretty girl, what a pity..."

"What's a pity?"

"A pity I never got to sleep with her... hahaha..."

It was the Tanaka kid, gathering with his little lackeys, spouting nonsense.

David lay on the chair, seizing the short ten-minute break to close his eyes and rest.

Gloria came home very late again yesterday.

David waited for a long time.

She said another cyberpsycho had appeared in Westbrook.

His name was apparently Robb Doug.

A Biotechnica executive, fired by the Company under the pretext of "stepping down to make way for others."

His wife was critically ill and immediately needed major surgery, but because they had no money, she was sent to a low-tier Clinic and died on the operating table.

His daughter, also frail, suddenly fell ill; to avoid adding to the family's burden, she committed suicide on the way to the hospital.

That night, the middle-aged man went mad.

His whole body was strapped with explosives.

He supposedly went to seek revenge on the Company, but because of his madness, he took the wrong path.

Eleven people died on the spot, thirty-four were seriously injured.

A man named Joel Carey suffered the most gruesome death, seemingly at the center of the explosion.

Only an arm, an eyeball, and a small half of a head remained at the scene.

The whereabouts of the remaining fragmented corpse parts are unknown.

No one cared either.

"What was the name of that girl from the next class who committed suicide?"

David, while recalling, reached out and grabbed a passing male classmate to ask.

"What was it..." the male classmate thought for a few seconds, "Anna Doug, I think."

"I heard Tanaka had been pursuing her, spending a lot of money trying to sleep with her..."

The male classmate seemed interested and added a few more sentences.

"Now that she's committed suicide, that money is all wasted..."

Seeing David's dumbfounded look, he muttered a curse, broke free from David's hand, turned around, and left.

David let out a long sigh.

This is Night City.

Most people live in squalor and die ignobly.

David Martinez, 15, relies solely on his mother Gloria Martinez; he does not want to die.

Nor does he want to live.

He doesn't know when it started, but he felt his heart become empty.

He suddenly felt exhausted and lonely.

He suddenly felt life had no meaning.

When he was young, he lost his father.

David quietly asked himself: "Why live?"

Ah...

For mother.

Mother wants him to succeed.

So he began to study desperately.

Before, he did not like dawn.

He felt that first ray of light splitting the night was too cold.

But he always encountered it.

So later, he fell in love with dawn.

Those specks of colorful light could always soothe his body, mind, and brain that had been running nonstop through the night.

Now, he successfully got into Arasaka Academy.

Through hard work, he trampled many people ruthlessly under his feet.

But mother has become more exhausted than before.

She works at least 18 hours a day.

Only then did he realize that Arasaka Academy's fees, like its reputation, are the top-tier in Night City.

Ah...

Living is truly exhausting.

David became somewhat depressed.

His heart was sick.

Life offers no hope, just endless repetition of futile labor destined to yield nothing.

Tanaka said that among this year's preparatory students, the Company had already finalized the recruitment list for future job placements.

David Martinez's name was naturally not on it.

He felt somewhat lost.

He wanted to complain to Gloria: "He didn't want to study anymore, he was so tired, he didn't want to live."

But his mother lived a life even harder and more exhausting than his.

If he stopped living, what would become of his mother?

So he had to live.

Fortunately, Heaven seemed moved by their family's plight and sent Sister Heda.

Hitata Castedei.

David first met her a few months ago, on a weekend afternoon.

He was on holiday, lying at home studying alone, waiting for Gloria to return from work.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of the door opening.

He looked toward the entrance, somewhat nervous.

He was surprised to find Gloria had come home early from work, holding the hand of a strange girl.

The afterglow of the setting sun streamed through the small window, illuminating her flawless profile and casting a perfect shadow.

"Hello! My name is Heda... Hitata Castedei."

She spoke with a smile.

David Martinez had never believed in gods before.

But that afternoon, beneath the slanting sun, he changed his mind.

Because he had seen an angel with his own eyes.

Later, the Martinez Family home became lively.

Sister Heda seemed unable to cook.

Such a perfect person actually had things she couldn't do well.

David was extremely surprised, yet also somewhat relieved.

Though imperfect, she was even more approachable.

Gradually, David came to regard her as an older sister.

For so many years, he and Gloria had relied solely on each other as mother and son.

Now with an older sister, his weary heart found much more comfort.

There was one more reason to keep living.

His mother wanted him to achieve fame and success.

He had struggled and worked hard for this for over ten years.

What about his sister?

"What does sister hope I do?"

So one day, David quietly asked Heda, who was sitting by the dining table.

She simply answered vaguely while devouring her meal:

"As for me, sister, I hope you can live well for yourself..."

David Martinez would remember those words for the rest of his life.

Ah...

How strange.

What kind of person is Hitata Castedei?

Occasionally, he would secretly observe her.

She was always carefree, and beneath her perfect appearance seemed to hide a sun that forever shone.

But sometimes, sister would sit alone on the Sofa, looking up at the cold moon outside the window.

Staring blankly into space.

He worried somewhat about these two remaining family members.

His mother's constant exhaustion, sister's occasional sadness.

So when bullied at school, he simply endured it and told them nothing.

He had not yet figured out how to live for himself.

So he had to live for his family first.

Fortunately, he was already accustomed to not troubling his family.

Until a man broke into his world, gazing at him with blue eyes, and said word by word:

"You too have family behind you to rely on..."

His name was Yahweh.

It sounded somewhat familiar.

David remembered having learned some past knowledge about religion at school.

Unfortunately, he was not interested in these things.

But seeing Sister Heda meet such a boyfriend made him very happy.

Because on her perfect face, sadness was no longer hidden.

That was enough.

David felt completely content.

The nobodies who used to cause him trouble had vanished without a trace.

Tanaka, who often mocked and sneered at him, no longer provoked him.

A few days ago, David overheard Tanaka whispering with his underlings.

Rumor had it that tuition fees were going to double.

This was because a crucial collaboration between the Arasaka Corporation and Biotechnica had failed.

David felt somewhat troubled and decided to ask his older sister and brother-in-law in a few days.

For the first time, he tried relying on his family.