Chapter 1
Moon - Tycho Crater Colony
"You woke up earlier than the doctors expected."
Song So Mi blinked dazedly, her brown eyes staring at the stark white ceiling as she tried to gather her scattered consciousness. A voice rang out from the foot of her bed.
She lifted her head slightly, her gaze searching in confusion for the source of the voice. A man stood there, so unremarkable in appearance that he would disappear into any crowd. However, the glowing blue light in his pupils jolted So Mi's memory back in an instant.
"It's you." She fell back against the hospital bed. "Blue Eyes."
"Yes. I'm glad to see you awake." The man addressed as Blue Eyes remained still, his voice devoid of any emotion.
"Looks like I made it to the Moon." So Mi closed her eyes and initiated a self-diagnostic. "You fixed me."
The last thing she remembered was being on the train to the spaceport, her mind barely clinging to consciousness under the encroachment of the Blackwall. Guilt had gnawed at her, nearly breaking her, and with the last shred of her rationality, she had told V the truth. She had assumed she wouldn't survive, or worse—be dragged back into the cage by Myers. But against all odds, V had chosen to send her to the Moon instead.
V…
So Mi's cybernetic fingers clenched the sheets beneath the blanket.
"Yes, you have been cured." Blue Eyes confirmed. "The Blackwall corruption has been completely eradicated. As long as you don't use the Blackwall protocol again, your lifespan will be as long as any normal person's."
"And now what?" So Mi opened her eyes. "How long do I have to stay here as your lab rat?"
"We don't need a lab rat." Blue Eyes walked over to the armchair beside the bed and sat down, resting his hands on his knees as he looked at her. "The experiments and research were all completed while you were unconscious."
"...How long has it been?" she asked after a moment of silence.
"Four months and twenty-three days."
That long? So Mi's grip on the sheets loosened.
The one who saved her must have died by now. She remembered the way V's biomonitor had flickered before her eyes, showing readings not much better than her own, with the same looming countdown to death.
"While we don't need a test subject," Blue Eyes continued, "there is work for you to do. As per our prior agreement, this was the price of your treatment."
"Finally ready to fill in the blanks on the contract I signed?" She turned her head slightly, her overgrown purple-red hair spilling onto the pristine pillowcase, making her pallid skin look even more sickly.
"We are not savages. The terms of our cooperation still require your consent." Blue Eyes stood and adjusted the hem of his black suit. "Once you feel better, come to my office. It's at the end of the hallway, on the right."
So Mi let out a noncommittal hum, taking his words with a grain of salt.
"Your attending physician asked me to relay a message: your mind is still recovering. Unless necessary, refrain from using your netrunning abilities or entering cyberspace for the next seven days." He said this as he walked toward the door.
"Wait." So Mi suddenly called out.
"Yes?" Blue Eyes stopped at the open pneumatic door, turning halfway to face her.
"V..." The half-cybernetic netrunner struggled to sit up. "Do you remember her? V, the one I asked you to send something to before I left for the Moon."
"I remember." His tone remained neutral.
So Mi took a deep breath. "Is she... still alive?"
"Alive," he confirmed, "any other questions?"
So Mi froze for a moment, then shook her head blankly.
The soft sound of the pneumatic door closing echoed in the sterile room. Hidden beneath her hair, her brown eyes were even more unfocused than when she had first woken up.
She's alive.
So Mi repeated it in her mind.
She's alive. I still have a chance to repay her.
With that thought, So Mi immediately threw back the blanket and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Using her cybernetic arms to support herself, she trembled as she pushed off. Thanks to the reinforced leg bones she had replaced to support her upper-body augmentations, her legs weren't as weak as she had expected after nearly five months of disuse. After some minor adjustments, she was able to walk slowly.
She surveyed her surroundings. It was a simple hospital room, no more than ten square meters, with white walls and no windows. Apart from the bed, the only other furniture was a gray leather armchair and a metal clothing rack holding the outfit she had arrived in.
So Mi shuffled to the rack, stripping off the blue-and-white striped hospital gown in favor of her freshly cleaned clothes. Without a mirror, she could only glance down at herself for a rough check before making her way toward the door.
As she stepped closer, the pneumatic door slid open automatically, revealing a long, straight corridor.
The recessed lighting along the corridor's ceiling bathed the space in a warm white glow, forming a stark contrast to the black sky visible beyond the massive floor-to-ceiling windows on either side.
So Mi slowly walked to the window, only to realize that what she was looking at wasn't glass, but an enormous high-definition screen.
Displayed on it was a luminous blue sphere, suspended in the pitch-black void.
She deduced that she was currently beneath the surface of the Moon and that the screen displayed a live feed from cameras positioned on the lunar surface.
With no atmosphere to distort the image, the details of Earth appeared unusually crisp. The deep blue oceans gleamed like gemstones, the clouds shimmered with a silvery glow, and even the faint outlines of mountain ranges were visible.
She gazed quietly at Earth, a beacon against the backdrop of a sky scattered with starlight. Only after a long moment did she pull her eyes away and continue down the corridor.
Raising her hand, So Mi knocked twice on the office door. It slid open soundlessly, revealing a room at least five times the size of her hospital quarters.
"Come in," the man seated behind a massive desk facing the door said.
So Mi walked in with measured steps, keeping her gaze steady as she took a seat in the chair opposite the desk.
"We'd like you to assist our technicians with a portion of the project's research." Mr. Blue Eyes slid a portable terminal across the desk. "This is a one-year contract. We will provide accommodations, meals, and full employee medical insurance."
So Mi took the terminal and skimmed through the details, "The contract starts in a month?"
"Yes. In your current condition, you're not yet fit to work." Blue Eyes replied, "Your attending physician estimates that you'll need at least a month to return to optimal working capacity. We'll conduct another evaluation then. In the meantime, please feel free to enjoy the employee accommodations and meal services in advance.”
"I need to return to Earth," So Mi placed the terminal back on the desk. "I'll be back before work begins."
"Your contract does not cover Earth travel expenses," Blue Eyes responded.
"I have to go. You can extend my contract in exchange." So Mi didn't waver, locking eyes with the man whose irises pulsed with an eerie blue glow.
A silent standoff stretched between them. Then, Blue Eyes' gaze flickered rapidly for a brief moment.
"You're going to find V." - It wasn't a question.
"Yes," So Mi answered.
"I can authorize a trip back to Earth," Mr. Blue Eyes leaned back in his chair. "In exchange, your contract will be extended to one year and six months."
"No problem," That was far shorter than she had expected.
"The next available flight departs in three hours. Wait in your room. Someone will escort you to the spaceport," Mr. Blue Eyes said, shifting his attention back to the terminal.
So Mi took a deep breath and signed her name at the bottom of the contract.
"You'll be contacted when it's time for you to return," Mr. Blue Eyes retrieved the terminal, "Good luck."
"Thank you," Song So Mi rose and walked toward the door.
"You'll find her at Afterlife," Blue Eyes' voice followed her.
Song So Mi nodded and left the room.
Earth - Night City
The moment her feet touched solid ground again, she felt an overwhelming sense of disbelief. A part of her wanted to stomp the ground just to make sure it was real.
Wrapped in a black hooded jacket she had borrowed from the Moon, So Mi ensured that every part of her cybernetics remained concealed. Only a few strands of purple-red hair peeked out from beneath her hood.
Unable to access cyberspace just yet, she had no way of knowing the current situation in Night City. That meant she needed to keep a low profile—avoid drawing attention, especially from Myers' people. Scanning the airport, she spotted a floating sign suspended mid-air, guiding passengers to different exits. Blending into the crowd, she made her way toward the outer doors, stopping at a terminal to request a taxi.
By the time she stepped outside and felt the sun's warmth on her skin, a sleek black Delamain cab had already pulled up in front of her.
"Good day, and thank you for choosing Delamain services. Where can I take you today?"
The voice was smooth and slightly mechanical. A synthetic human face appeared on the vehicle's display screen.
"Afterlife," So Mi answered quietly.
"Understood. The optimal route has been calculated. Estimated arrival time: twenty-eight minutes. Please fasten your seatbelt."
So Mi pulled the strap across her chest, clicking it into place, then sank into the seat, gazing out the tinted window.
Night City was just as she remembered—towering screens plastered across skyscrapers, cycling through advertisements twenty-four hours a day. The streets were alive with blaring car horns, hurried pedestrians, and the occasional siren from an NCPD vehicle speeding past.
"Pardon me…" So Mi hesitated, then asked, "What's the date today?"
"The current date is November 30th, 2077."
"I see. Thank you."
"You're welcome. If I may inquire, are you experiencing symptoms of time disorientation?"
"Something like that," she muttered, a self-deprecating smirk appearing on her lips.
"If you experience discomfort during the ride, please let me know. Delamain services are now partnered with Trauma Team for our exclusive 'Safe Travel' package, offering premium medical assistance at your convenience."
"Uh, no thanks. I'll be fine for now."
The cab returned to silence, cruising smoothly through the neon-lit streets, drawing closer to Afterlife.
So Mi paid the fare with what little funds she had left and glanced up at the neon-lit doorway, where blue, red, and purple lights intertwined.
If not for the AI-controlled cab stopping here, she might have doubted that this unassuming entrance led to the legendary mercenary haunt.
After stepping through the archway, she descended a rundown, dimly lit staircase. A set of pneumatic doors slid open before her, revealing Afterlife's signature neon-green signage. At the end of the hallway stood a towering man with an imposing presence.
"Who are you?" He raised a hand to block her path.
"Song. I'm here to see V." So Mi lifted her chin slightly, looking up at the much taller man.
His expression shifted slightly, and his eyes instantly flickered with an orange glow. "Boss, got a woman here at the door. Last name Song. Says she's here for you."
Inside her coat pocket, So Mi's fingers anxiously clenched and released, again and again, as she waited for the unknown.
V was running Afterlife now? What the hell had happened over the past few months? What was she like now? Would she even agree to see her? After vanishing for nearly five months, would V greet her with a punch to the face? Or just have this guy toss her out?
Thinking back to Dogtown—to the person who had shot her way through hell, only to find out she'd been played for a fool—this netrunner pressed her lips together, lowering her head slightly.
The pneumatic doors behind the bouncer slid open without a sound. A flash of red hair entered her peripheral vision before a sudden force yanked her into a tight embrace.
All her tension, all her doubts, evaporated in an instant. Just like Night City, unchanged and relentless, V was still the same V—the one who, despite knowing she'd been deceived, had still chosen to save her.
"You're back." Afterlife's new queen spoke softly against her ear. "Did they fix you up?"
"Yeah." So Mi's throat felt choked up. She had so much to say, yet all she managed was, "I'm sorry."
"I never blamed you." V pulled back, giving her a once-over. "Your hair's grown out."
"Yeah. I was in a coma for months. Didn't exactly have the chance to manage it." So Mi replied, finally getting a good look at the woman before her.
V didn't look all that different—still the same red hair cropped just past her ears, those green eyes still warm and sharp, a faint smile playing on her lips. But gone was the street-ready, casual look. Instead, she wore an impeccably tailored black suit, every inch exuding elegance and refinement. Nothing about her now suggested the mercenary who once cut down anyone in her way.
"Had a client from Zetatech this morning, so I had to dress like a proper corpo dog. Didn't bother changing after." Catching So Mi's gaze, V chuckled, a little sheepish. "Come on, don't just stand there."
V led her inside. During the day, Afterlife was quiet—only a few tables occupied. Behind the bar, a woman was casually wiping down glasses, making idle conversation with another woman seated at the counter—gray-haired, dressed in a striking yellow top.
"Hey, V, who's this?" The bartender called out with a grin.
The woman in yellow turned at the mention of V's name, glancing their way before letting out a knowing chuckle. "So, you really did wait her out, huh?"
So Mi instantly recognized Rogue, the previous queen of Afterlife, but wasn't sure what she meant.
"Rogue, Claire, this is Song So Mi." V introduced her as they reached the bar. "So Mi, this is Rogue and Claire."
"Good afternoon." So Mi greeted them, taking a seat next to V.
"What'll you have?" Claire asked, setting down a freshly polished glass.
"Uh…"
Before she could decline, V spoke up. "She hasn't had a drink in a while. Everything here's too strong. Get her a lemonade."
"Got it." Claire smirked. "And you?"
"The usual. One Jack Welles." V tapped the counter.
The netrunner shot V a grateful smile and accepted the ice-cold lemonade Claire handed her.
"I've got things to take care of," Rogue announced after eyeing them for a moment. "Claire, give me a hand."
Claire took the cue, setting V's drink on the counter before slipping out from behind the bar.
V gave Rogue a small nod—wordless thanks—before clearing her throat awkwardly. She turned to So Mi. "Let's head to a private booth. Too many ears out here."
"I'm all yours."
After hearing the positive answer, V grabbed her drink and led the way, passing through the open booths into a more secluded room, designed for both visual and auditory privacy.
The temperature inside was a bit warm. As V adjusted the thermostat, she turned back just in time to see So Mi shed her heavy black hoodie, revealing the same outfit and cybernetics she'd worn back in Dogtown.
Five months apart, V's chest still tightened after seeing her like this. The sight of her—just like the first time they'd met at the Black Sapphire Club—struck a chord deep within her.
"What?" So Mi turned around, smiling. "Surprised by my hair?"
"Just sit down already." V laughed, the nostalgia washing over her.
They sat side by side, a thousand unspoken words hanging between them. Neither knew where to begin.
The silence was so absolute that the faint hum of the air conditioning seemed deafening.
"...Is the Relic issue resolved?" So Mi finally broke the silence.
"It's handled," V replied immediately. Her expression dimmed. "Johnny's gone."
"I'm sorry…" So Mi exhaled, relieved yet pained at the same time, "I know he meant a lot to you."
"Yeah." V sighed deeply, lifting her glass for a sip. "Let's not talk about that. What about you? Are you completely recovered?"
"Mm." Song So Mi had an overwhelming urge to hug V. "As long as I stay away from the Blackwall protocol, I should be fine."
"Then don't ever touch that thing again." V tilted her head back, downing the rest of her drink. "You don't have to worry about Myers bothering you anymore. She's busy crawling through Arasaka's mess while dealing with the little problems I throw her way. Most of her spies in Night City? Gone."
"What happened after I left?" So Mi's heart pounded. She couldn't even begin to imagine the dangers hidden behind V's nonchalant words.
"To put it simply." V placed her empty glass on the table, her body relaxing into the couch. "Johnny and I stormed Arasaka Tower, tore through it, took down Adam Smasher, blew up the Mikoshi, and threw Arasaka into chaos."
So Mi stared, stunned, at the woman in front of her, who grinned smugly.
"After that, Rogue said she was retiring and handed the Afterlife over to me. Naturally, I had to revel in my little moment of triumph. So, I cleared out all of NUSA's strongholds in Night City and blew up a few of their outposts outside the city while I was at it." V's emerald eyes glowed with satisfaction. "Night City is an independent city-state. The megacorporations were never happy about NUSA sticking their nose in. When I made it clear I was going after Myers, they were more than happy to provide some... discreet support. After a few rounds of back-and-forth, Myers realized it wasn't worth the effort. We made a show of shaking hands, but she couldn't infiltrate the city again. In the end, she had to back off."
"You didn't have to do all that..."
That tight, suffocating sensation in So Mi's throat returned. V had no personal grudge against Myers. If it weren't for her dragging V into this, if it weren't for V seeking revenge on her behalf after Myers nearly killed her, she couldn't think of any reason V would take such a firm stand against the NUSA President.
"Don't start that." V frowned and poked So Mi's shoulder.
So Mi grabbed her hand and, without hesitation, pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Thank you, V." The former FIA agent, who no longer had to fear being hunted, spoke sincerely. "Thank you for everything."
"Don't mention it." V chuckled, resting her chin on So Mi's shoulder. "You are a friend who has been living in my head for a while, after all."
Friend.
So Mi's pupils dilated slightly at the word. It had been too long since she had been called that. She hadn't expected V to genuinely consider her a friend after everything—after what she had done, after how she had deceived and used her.
"By the way..." V gripped Song So Mi's shoulders and pulled back slightly. "Reed... I don't know if you remember him..."
"My memory stops at the train." The hesitation in V's expression made So Mi's heart tighten.
"I... killed him." V's hands dropped as she covered her face. "I had no choice. He had a gun on me. He wouldn't let me take you to the shuttle. We both fired. I was just... faster."
"It's not your fault." So Mi's cybernetic fingers trembled, "It's all my bad."
"No." V grasped her black-metal hand tightly, ignoring the discomfort of the rigid surface pressing into her palm. "Reed knew exactly what would happen to you if you stayed. Myers would never let you go. He kept saying you were a traitor. In the end, he died for a country that didn't deserve his loyalty."
"He died because of me." Song So Mi shook her head. "I know you respected his devotion, but because of me, you had to carry another life on your conscience."
"Don't say that." V sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "If your memory stops at the train, then you should remember what I told you. I wasn't just trying to comfort you."
She reached for her glass but found it empty. Irritated, she sent a message to Emmerick, asking for a bottle of Centzon Totochtin.
"You're really bad at acting." V walked to the door and took the bottle and ice bucket from Emmerick before waving him off. "I knew from the start you weren't telling the whole truth, but I still helped you to the end. Even if you had told me the neural matrix could only be used once, I still would've helped."
V filled her glass with ice before pouring herself a drink. Before she could set the bottle down, So Mi snatched it and poured one for herself. The new Queen of the Afterlife raised an eyebrow but didn't stop her.
"I don't understand, V." So Mi took a large sip. "You knew I was lying, so why did you still help me?"
V didn't answer immediately. She drank her liquor in one go.
Silence settled between them once more as they quietly drank, glass after glass.
"Maybe because I care about you." V finally answered. "I think we're a lot alike—both unlucky, both caught in something beyond our control, both treated as tools by these corporations. We just wanted to survive."
V smiled, watching the woman beside her. "If I said we're like reflections of each other, would you think I'm being narcissistic?"
"Of course not." The alcohol was getting to So Mi. She shook her head, her violet-red hair falling messily over her face. "I told you, I trust you because I know you understand me. That's why I was willing to put my life in your hands. No matter what you chose, I would've accepted it."
"Good thing I chose to save you." V clinked her glass against the one in So Mi's cybernetic hand. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be here right now."
The two laughed and drained their drinks.
"V." So Mi's alcohol-fueled courage overpowered her reason. "Why did Rogue say those words when she saw me?"
"Huh?" V was totally confused.
"'You really did wait her out', " So Mi repeated the exact words Rogue said, which she wouldn't dare to believe when she was sober, "What does she mean?"
"I... I don't know." V froze, reaching for the bottle again, but it was already empty.
"V." So Mi held onto the bottle, staring intently at the red-haired woman. "You waited for me?"
The new Queen of Afterlife, unaccustomed to being cornered like this, met her gaze defiantly. "Yeah. So what?"
So Mi opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words.
V had been waiting for her.
For nearly five months, she had been waiting.
"You woke up earlier than the doctors expected." Blue Eyes' words echoed in her mind.
Fortunately—thankfully—she had woken up sooner than predicted. She hadn't kept V waiting any longer. She couldn't imagine what would have happened if she had remained in a coma for longer—if she hadn't demanded to return to Earth the moment she regained consciousness. How much longer would V have waited? Would it have been long enough for her to lose hope? To believe that Song So Mi was nothing more than a liar, never intending to return?
The bottle was snatched from her hand. V dumped the remaining ice from her glass, filled it to the brim in self-destructive resignation, and downed it in one gulp.
"I..." Seeing V drink like there's no tomorrow, So Mi finally found her voice, "I'm back."
V stilled, her hand frozen in mid-air. Head down, her eyes covered by the red hair.
"Are you leaving again?" she asked, voice low.
Song So Mi hesitated. "I'll stay for a while. But I have to return eventually to repay my debt."
"How much?" V's head snapped up. "I can pay it. I have more money than I know what to do with."
"It's not money." So Mi shook her head. "They want me to assist with a research project on the moon."
V narrowed her eyes. "Who?"
"I don't know his real name. I only know him as Blue Eyes."
"Them, huh?" V placed the bottle and glass on the table. "I'll have a nice little chat with them."
"You know them?" So Mi asked.
"Yeah." A sardonic smirk played on V's lips. "Ever since I took over Afterlife, they reached out. With all the chaos at Arasaka, they made quite a profit thanks to me. If I'd known you were with them…"
"The moment I woke up, I demanded to return." So Mi placed a hand on V's knee. "Even if you'd known earlier, I would've still been another unconscious body on the Moon."
"At least I would've known how you were doing." V glanced at the hand on her knee, murmuring, "Either way, I'll talk to them. If they insist on keeping you there, they can forget about making another dime off Night City."
"Don't be reckless, V." Song So Mi spoke quickly. "They have a whole base on the Moon, researching rogue AIs and all sorts of illicit biotechnologies. No one knows how powerful they really are. If you cross them—"
"The last thing I'm afraid of is making enemies!" V interrupted, her emerald eyes burning with defiance. The flush of alcohol only deepened her reckless fervor. "I don't care what they're up to or how powerful they are. If they have a problem, they can drop an orbital strike on my head and take out Afterlife while they're at it! Otherwise, no one's locking you up again!"
So Mi stared, momentarily speechless. V, too, seemed taken aback by her own words.
"I…"
"You…"
Both spoke at the same time, then fell silent.
"Where are you staying?" V asked awkwardly.
"Nowhere." So Mi admitted, her face tinged with embarrassment on top of her inebriated flush. "I… I didn't think about that when I left the Moon. And I have no money."
"Stay with me." V didn't sound like she was asking. "My place is huge."
So Mi's mind felt sluggish. The words V had just spoken—her near-oath—still echoed in her ears. Now, V was offering her a place to stay.
"Alright." The response left her lips before her thoughts could catch up. Her brain scrambled to process everything, but her body had already agreed.
In the span of mere hours, she had been healed, woken up, signed a contract that might as well have been an indentured servitude deal, traveled from the Moon, drank half a bottle of tequila, and had a conversation that left her utterly bewildered. Now, she was following V through a different path than the one she had taken into the Afterlife, up to the rooftop where a hovercar awaited them.
"Good evening, V. And our distinguished guest. Are we heading back?" The familiar synthesized voice greeted them.
So Mi gazed at the towering skyline, recognizing the AI's voice from her taxi ride earlier.
"Yeah." V replied. "Shut up, Del."
Delamain, ever cooperative, fell silent as the car smoothly lifted off, gliding through the neon-lit night sky of Night City.
The view on Earth really was better, So Mi thought sluggishly.
The hovercar ride was so fast it felt like they had barely settled before arriving. Song So Mi blinked at the luxurious penthouse overlooking half of Night City. After the shocks she had endured that day, she decided not to comment on it.
V seemed just as dazed, walking ahead in silence.
"The bathroom's over there." V gestured. "Go take a shower. There are fresh towels, clothes, and toiletries."
So Mi nodded and walked in the direction V pointed.
Finally able to breathe, the new Queen of Afterlife collapsed onto the couch, burying her face in her hands. The weight of her words and actions caught up to her, her mind racing with the question—had she lost it?
The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. V sank deeper into the couch.
I really have lost it, she thought.
For nearly five months, the person she had been yearning for had suddenly returned. Of course, she had lost it.
V had made a decision back in Mikoshi. When she learned she only had six months left to live, she had resolved to give Johnny her body. But the damn Silverhand had stopped her just as she was about to step into the light by letting her know that she needed to wait for someone.
She froze and stared at the light. One step further, Johnny would get another chance to live, in her broken body, but he will lead a full life.
He had placed a firm hand on her shoulder, voice low and steady, without its usual sarcasm.
"You've got someone left to wait for, V. And I sure as hell don't want to be the one telling her you died while I lived."
"I only have six months. I might not even make it that long." V clenched her jaw.
"Even so, don't dump this shit on me." Johnny scoffed. "You want me to walk around in your body, stand next to her, and tell her you're gone? What do you think she'll do? Put a bullet in my head?"
"She wouldn't." V forced the words out.
"Maybe not." Johnny shrugged. "But knowing her, she might just punch another hole in the Blackwall looking for you. And this time, there won't be another neural matrix to save her."
"She's not that reckless," V looked at Johnny, "she wanted to live."
"She wanted to live—before." Johnny nodded. "But Reed's dead. You'd be dead. She had nightmares every night just because she had to follow orders to leave Reed in Dogtown for seven years. And she can barely live with the guilt of deceiving you for a month. What do you think she'll do if she finds out you're gone?"
V had no answer.
She had stood at the threshold of the light for what felt like an eternity. Then, finally, she turned away, emerald eyes brimming with silent pain and tears.
"Go back, V." Johnny had given her a gentle push. "Go back and wait for her."
Without saying a word, V walked towards the well that represented her return to her body. Every step felt as though she was treading on scorching mantis blades.
"Goodnight, Valerie. Today's a good day." Johnny sat by the well, looking at V lying there, muttering to himself.
The sound of water stopped, and V, trapped in the sofa, opened her eyes.
Her green eyes were still filled with pain. She had returned, Johnny was gone, So Mi is back, but she was left with maybe just one more month.
In this month, what could she do to ensure So Mi could face her death? What could she do to help the person who cared for her, the one who would immediately return to Earth the moment she opened her eyes, to calmly face her permanent departure?
Would So Mi blame it all on herself? Thinking that her deception robbed V of the chance to survive, and then live with that pain for the rest of her life, or do something foolish in an attempt to save her, something that would cost her own life?
Lost in her thoughts, V heard the sound of the bathroom door opening.
She closed her eyes, suppressing all the chaotic emotions, struggling to sit up from the sofa.
"Did you like my bathroom?" V smiled and asked, looking at the person walking out of the bathroom.
"Very nice." So Mi, wearing a pure white bathrobe, held a dark green towel in her hand, drying her hair.
"Drinks in the fridge." V walked over to her, feeling the air grow more humid with every step. "Take a seat. I'll go take a shower."
"Okay." So Mi nodded, still with a flush of alcohol on her face.
V took a quick glance and rushed into the bathroom.
The door slammed shut behind her. So Mi glanced back in confusion, but the exhaustion of a long day mixed with alcohol made it hard for her to think. Even after a shower, her mind remained sluggish.
She walked unsteadily to the fridge, took out a bottle of pure water, and then staggered over to the sofa, twisting off the cap. She took a sip and then placed the cool bottle against her forehead with a comfortable sigh.
The slight chill brought some clarity back to her. So Mi looked around the luxurious house and gained some understanding of V's earlier bold words.
V truly seemed to have become the queen of this city, she thought.
Recalling what V had said earlier, So Mi's gaze turned confused again. What did she mean by "no one's locking you up again"? It sounded like... V had a strong desire to protect her.
But she didn't seem to mind those words. So Mi blinked. She never liked handing her fate to others. If anyone else had said such a thing, she would have sneered and even retorted immediately. But the one who said it was V, and she only felt bewildered and shocked.
"Maybe it's because I care about you."
V's words echoed in So Mi's mind again. What did that even mean? She mulled over it vaguely, but the water bottle, once cold, had warmed up to room temperature from the heat of her face, no longer helping her think.
The house was well-soundproofed, and the netrunner didn't have the sensitive senses of a mercenary. She could only faintly hear a little bit of water.
I also care about V.
So Mi didn't know when she had lain down on the sofa, but she stared at the huge circular chandelier on the ceiling, her mind drifting through images of Dogtown.
V's face felt soft to the touch, so comforting. She remembered the moment she had reconnected with Relic at the Black Sapphire party. She had spent hours carefully picking out the dress she would wear to meet V for the first time, wanting to present herself as perfectly as possible. From the look of admiration and the words V had spoken, she knew her goal had been achieved.
Why did she care so much about her first meeting with V?
So Mi felt her head growing heavier, her eyelids growing weightier. She didn't even know when the water bottle had slipped from her hand.
The sound of water stopped, and the bathroom door opened. V, also in a pure white bathrobe, walked a few steps and saw So Mi, who was half-asleep, curled up on the sofa.
"Get up, go sleep in bed." V gently patted her shoulder, watching her brown eyes open in a daze.
"Alright…"
So Mi slowly sat up, following V upstairs.
"Is there... uh..." The person who was about to fall asleep asked sleepily, "Just one bed?"
The bed in front of her was still a little messy, with a few clothes scattered across it, clearly showing that it was V's usual sleeping space.
"Yeah." V hesitated, quickly picking up the clothes from the bed. "I didn't expect guests. You can sleep here, and I'll go sleep on the sofa downstairs."
"Come on." Song So Mi grabbed her, pulling her toward the bed. "I'm staying at your place, and you want to sleep on the sofa? No way."
"No." V shook off her hand, pushing her gently onto the bed. "You must be really tired. Sleeping on the sofa wouldn't be comfortable."
"Then let's sleep together." So Mi yanked V onto the bed with no warning, pulling her awkwardly to the side. "I'll sleep here."
So Mi casually chose a side, burying her face in the pillow, sighing comfortably.
"It smells nice." She mumbled faintly, her consciousness slipping away in an instant.
V lay stiffly on the opposite side, afraid to move. Only when she heard the steady breathing did she slowly turn her head to look at the person who had claimed her side of the bed.
It smells nice.
So Mi's muttered words hit V's heart, making her blush even more than when she was drunk.
V lay as far away as possible, her mind battling between whether to go downstairs and sleep on the sofa or stay here with So Mi.
Before she could come to a conclusion, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep, heavy slumber.