Chapter 89: Second Movement: Scherzo

"It's… enough like this…" Hita nodded lightly; the responsibility of uncovering the truth behind the matter should not fall upon her and her son.

"David, have you told your mother about school?" Yahweh glanced at the silent David and asked softly.

"Huh?" David blinked, then reacted, "Yeah, I mentioned it—about the tuition."

"Tuition?" Lucy asked with interest.

Her childhood abduction by Arasaka Corporation had deprived her of any chance to experience traditional academic education.

"Yeah… Arasaka Academy's tuition is the highest even in all of Night City… and it just went up again…" David sighed, resting his chin on Gloria's shoulder, his face drawn with worry.

Gloria glanced at her son and instinctively reached out to stroke his forehead, trying to smooth away the faint furrow of sorrow between his brows.

"Actually, I never went to school…" Lucy propped her chin on her hand and sighed softly, not pressing further.

Though her knowledge, drawn from countless Deep Web sources, rivaled that of any diligent student, she still lacked the essential youthful experience of a normal schooling phase.

But this reason was not something she could openly explain to outsiders.

Living in Night City, where Arasaka Corporation held deep roots, as a defector from the Company, Lucy had to be cautious with every word and action.

Hita silently reached out and took Lucy's slightly cold hand beneath the table.

Had it not been for that sudden terrorist attack and arson, she would still be basking in her parents' doting love, carefree within the ivory tower of school.

Perhaps because it was beautiful, it was fragile.

Like a brilliant glass ornament that shatters into fragments the moment it falls to the ground.

Her heavenly life had been so easily shattered into an unrepeatable dream.

Since then, revenge had become Hita's only reason to live.

Armed with an old, sharp knife, she burned with silent fury, chasing alone to Night City, one by one severing her enemies' heads with blade after blade.

This was also the scene Rogue had witnessed (see Chapter One)—a vengeful wraith who burned her enemies to ash and herself to embers.

Later, Hita met Yahweh.

From then on, she was reborn.

The rain still fell, but now it softened.

The wind, ever faithful, stayed beside the rain, harmonizing gently with a sorrowful elegy.

In such an environment, people inevitably grew sentimental.

Like Lucy and Hita, each lost in private thoughts, their hearts swirling with countless bittersweet memories, they slipped quietly into silence.

Inside the room, only the occasional crisp clink of chopsticks against bowls broke the quiet—only to be swallowed instantly by the vast symphony of wind and rain.

"Gloria, do you have any traditions for Chinese New Year?" Yahweh cleared his throat, deliberately breaking the growing silence.

"Chinese New Year?" Gloria rubbed her chin, thinking briefly, "You mean 'Spring Festival'? David and I don't celebrate it…"

"Why not?" Hita pulled herself from her memories, her face expressionless as ever, actively joining the conversation as usual.

"Celebrating costs money…" Gloria shook her head. "When you're poor, every penny saved counts. Spring Festival means buying New Year goods—it's too expensive. And the earlier we get back to work, the more we earn to support the two of us."

"Ah… it's really hard." Lucy sighed, joining the conversation.

"Come celebrate Spring Festival with us—you're alone anyway…" Hita smiled warmly at Lucy, her hand unconsciously sliding toward Lucy's supple waist, giving a gentle squeeze of firm, elastic flesh.

"Don't you two want your own little couple's world? Why drag me in? Yahweh! You'd better check your wife's sexuality—I've got proof!" Lucy snorted, snatching Hita's mischievous hand just as she tried to pull it back, immediately reporting it to Yahweh.

Yahweh, Gloria, and David exchanged glances, then all shook their heads, letting Hita and Lucy play like childish girls.

The wind and rain outside, angered by someone daring to interrupt their performance, swelled louder.

The furious roar seemed ready to drown the entire world.

Yahweh turned his head, gazing at the boundless sky pouring like an ocean, his blue pupils shifting slowly, lost in thought.

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"Haiji! The rain's too heavy—stop looking!"

"*You*, shut up!" Haiji roared, swallowing a mouthful of rainwater, bending over and coughing violently.

Her stylish jacket was soaked, clinging to her like a dying bird, head drooping, lifeless.

"Haiji! Stop looking! Go back!" Mu Lin panicked, helpless.

He didn't understand—she'd just lost sight of someone for a moment; why was she acting so recklessly?

"Go back? Where?" Haiji whirled around, her emerald-green eyes fixed on him through the thickening curtain of rain and mist.

Mu Lin couldn't read her expression, but he could guess its meaning.

Still, he gritted his teeth and shouted with all his strength, "Go back inside the shop and take shelter—I'll find them!"

Mu Lin swore by Odin he had never shouted so loudly in his life—his eardrums throbbed, his head rang, and his chest and lungs burned with pain from oxygen deprivation.

Haiji was stunned by his outburst, slowly calming down.

"Forget it…" She dramatically shook her head, crossing both arms in front of her so Mu Lin, even through the storm, could clearly see her meaning.

Mu Lin mimicked her exactly, making an exaggerated gesture to show he understood.

Together, they turned and sprinted back toward the Japanese restaurant they'd just left.

◎

"What a heavy rain…" Bit stared out the window, nearly choking on his grilled meat at the sight of the waterfalls hanging from the sky.

"Biggest rain in years…" Rowena leaned against the window, arms crossed, feeling the surging tide from the horizon crash toward the earth.

"Probably a typhoon made landfall… damn Night City weather forecast is pure crap…" Beros slouched in his seat, watching the news live, chewing meat, muttering curses.

"I hope nothing bad happens." Melissa clasped her hands before her chest, whispering silently.