Chapter 50: Chapter Fifty: Warmth

"Ding!"

The elevator arrived.

Behind the rusted iron mesh, the twin flowers' exquisite face flickered in and out of the shadows.

"Good evening, Lucy."

"Ah! Why didn't you greet me first?" Hita pouted as she stepped out of the elevator, playfully tapping Yahweh's chest with feigned annoyance.

Yahweh helplessly cast Lucy an apologetic glance, then turned and sealed Hita's chattering lips with a fierce kiss.

Lucy crossed her arms, leaning against the wall, giving the oblivious couple a light glare.

Only when the oxygen in her lungs was nearly spent did Hita reluctantly release her boyfriend's warm tongue.

Blushing, she giggled softly, gently pushed away his chest, and stepped backward until she stood before Lucy.

"Could you at least consider the feelings of single people!" Lucy grabbed Hita from behind, clenched her fists, and drove her knuckles hard into the silver-haired girl's temples.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Hita wriggled in Lucy's arms, dramatically shrieking and flailing her limbs.

Yahweh shook his head, turned away, pretending not to hear or see a thing.

"Yahweh? Why did you abandon me? No! Yahweh! You have no heart! I hate you—you're a block of wood!" Hita loudly called out to her "abandoned" lover in an exaggerated, theatrical tone.

Before Yahweh could respond, Hita herself burst into laughter mid-sentence.

Lucy's lips curled into a smile as she rubbed the girl's soft hair, unable to help wondering what kind of thoughts filled that tiny head.

"Hita, watch fewer Braindance films…"

"The way you're holding back makes me heartbroken! You…" Seeming pleased with the comedic effect, Hita flailed her arms, deciding to intensify her ice-breaking effort.

Hita noticed Lucy's unconscious detachment.

It wasn't aimed at any one person.

Lucy was treating the entire world with cold indifference, equally.

Hita couldn't help wanting to help Lucy; she resolved to pull her out of that pathological withdrawal, dragging her from the depths of the sea.

So far, progress was good.

Thanks to Yahweh and her intuitive understanding, Lucy now smiled like an ordinary girl, genuinely and naturally.

"Alright, thank you for your little comedy show…" Lucy lowered her head, rubbing her chin back and forth against the girl's forehead. "Your kindness… I understand…"

"Hehe…" Hita smiled, contentedly feeling the heart behind her slowly drawing closer.

Sometimes, human connection is just that magical.

No need for sentimental words—just a shared smile, and all affection is silently understood.

"Your outfits today… are quite distinctive…" Yahweh touched his nose, smoothly shifting the topic.

"How about it? Are my and Lucy's outfits pretty?" Hita stepped out of Lucy's embrace, stretched her arms wide, spun in place, meeting Yahweh's gaze.

"Dashing… honestly."

"Hmph, obviously my taste is better." Hita placed her hands on her hips and lifted her chin proudly.

Used to poverty, Hita often flipped through secondhand fashion magazines, imagining herself wearing trendy pieces, mentally assembling outfits—over time, her aesthetic sense quietly improved.

It sounded both funny and sad.

Lucy kept her hands in her coat pockets, leaning against the wall, letting the breeze respectfully lift her long coat hem—she seemed even colder.

But her smile never faded.

Perhaps that was Hita's charm—whether casual chatter or painful memories, everything that spilled from her lips carried a unique flavor, drawing you in, making you want to immerse yourself completely.

"Alright, alright…" She stood up, ruffling the girl's silver hair. "If you keep talking, you'll start kissing again…"

"We're an old married couple—how could we possibly get that easily carried away…" Hita stole a glance at her smiling, silent boyfriend, then nudged Lucy's slender palm with her forehead, subtly expressing her displeasure.

"Alright, alright… Let's go? Aren't you two taking me to meet your new friends?" Lucy moved her hand from the girl's head, slipping it back into her coat pocket.

As she spoke, she walked toward the garage.

"What's wrong?"

Lucy turned back—a dreamlike ribbon fluttered in the breeze; her hair had been tousled by a mischievous wind.

"Wait for us!" Hita waved at Lucy, whispering softly.

"Lucy's become much more cheerful—much more proactive."

"Your doing, Hita."

"Hmph…"

The wind carried their murmurs far away, beyond hearing.

Hita and Yahweh smiled, arms linked, walking toward the mature woman standing gracefully in the wind.

"I think it's time to get a new car," Hita said as she pulled Lucy into the back seat, speaking to Yahweh, who was fastening his seatbelt.

"Sure. Pick one online, and I'll buy it." Yahweh adjusted the rearview mirror.

"Preferably one with more seats…" Hita nuzzled against Lucy's lap, greedily resting her head on her firm thighs. "Think about it—us two, Lucy, plus Gloria and her crew… we could all take road trips together later."

"Gloria?" Lucy pinched the girl's soft cheek, then pressed her legs together to let Hita lie more comfortably.

"Oh right—I haven't introduced you to them yet…" Hita snapped her fingers. "Gloria Martinez and her son David Martinez—both kind, friendly people. Gloria's one of my benefactors in Night City."

Since they still had some distance to go before reaching Afterlife Nightclub from Santo Domingo, Hita carefully recounted her history with the Martinez family to Lucy.

"Are single mothers common in Night City?" Lucy suspected the answer but couldn't help asking.

"Yeah… out of ten ordinary families, maybe seven are held up by single mothers…" Hita rested on Lucy's stomach, warmth wrapping her head like a velvet pillow—exquisitely comfortable.

"Sigh…" Lucy sighed, saying nothing.

In this world, the lucky few are always rare.

"So Lucy, when you find a boyfriend someday, be choosy—don't end up a single mother. It's just too hard."

"But I have you two, don't I?" Lucy smiled, leaning back against the headrest, her fingers threading through Hita's hair, massaging her scalp to soothe the weary girl's day.

"Lucy just needs to know." Hita leaned back, the crisp fragrance drifting straight into her nose, making her drowsy.

"Sleep for a while, Hita." Lucy gently closed her eyelids, warming Hita's sore eyes with the palm of her hand.

"See you soon, Lucy, Yahweh." Hita said softly, her eyes still closed.

"See you soon…" Yahweh and Lucy replied together in hushed tones.

The vehicle slowed gradually, everything falling into sync with the girl's steady breathing, becoming calm and quiet.

In this tiny space, the three of them stood apart from the entire world, creating a temporary haven of warmth.