Cyberpunk: Arasaka Secret Son

"Ah shit, here we go again" I said in front of Watson Public High School as I waited for Jud who was getting out of her grandparents car, I just came in my Airb as usual.

"Ahmm, what a shitty place". Not that I mind the decadence of NC's public education system. Thank goodness I have other places to learn, like Peter and Cortana

Because..... If I had to settle for the content being taught, here....HA! rather, If I had to settle for the crap interactive videos they play in class and the library, with most of their chips corrupted or outdated, I'd rather shoot myself. It would be difficult to find which side the bullet comes out.

I guess, politicians do not bother to improve the education system because it is in their interest that future voters are dumb and easy to manipulate.

As I sighed again thinking about the high school.

Jud caught up with me and..

"Nice touch don't think I didn't notice" She said smiling.

"You've seen it, huh?" I smiled back.

"Sure, how could I not notice, duh! I was the one who made it and gave it to you, of course I was going to notice you wearing the scarf.... "Jud said as she turned her back to me for a moment while she put something on and " Look! I brought mine too, aren't they great" She continued with a big smile on her face.

"You know how people would stare at me on the street with a scarf in the summer?"

"Haha, I can imagine, but, you don't feel hot, or anxious about wearing it?"

"Nope, Fells like I'm wearing nothing at all! Hehe"

"That's because of the Thermo-absorbent alloy..."

As we talked, Jud and I approached the entrance of the high school

The High School was a five-story building clad in sheet metal completely covered in graffiti, with not a single gap to be saved. THE 5 FLOORS!

I understand the first and second floors, of course, why not!?

But when I thought about the third one, in that one, my eye closed a little bit without understanding the why, but you can see how motivated the person was to paint the third floor.... but the fourth and fifth..... How the hell do they do it, do they hang from the wall? Do they install scaffolding at night? How do they do it?

I even came up with a theory

Which was; That a group of former students following some kind of tradition are the ones painting the high school, because I don't think the current useless students at the high school would be capable of something like that!, even if they were really motivated, it wouldn look like that!

This last change of badges was one of the best. they had drawn a small skyline of Watson in horizontal view, where under the skyline they drew some blades like a meat grinder, like a metaphor of the city, where every time someone fell in the city they end up chopped, as if the author wanted to express that in this city doesn't allow mistakes, weaknesses or second chances, every time I passed by I kept looking at it, I really liked it.

Every eight months they change the metal sheets that cover the high school, giving it a shabby feeling because after all the building is covered with metal sheets, but at least it gave a temporary clean feeling... that, at most, lasts a few weeks before they are totally covered with new graffiti, as if every 8 months they put new canvases for them.....

"Shall we go inside?" said Jud while he had the handlebars of the door of the high school in his hand, waiting for me while I was staring at the drawing as usual.

When we got inside....

"What the fuck?"

"Wtf-"

When we entered inside, both Jud and I were surprised most of the guys were wearing a black Neck tube scarf around their necks and the girls a grey one, some had lights on their scarves, but really crappy.

`Shit!´..... have become fashionable..... everyone was wearing one...when I thought that I unintentionally looked down at mine on my neck....

`Shit!´ made me curse one more time in my mind, it makes me want to take it off, it looks like I'm following the fashion too..... I have to take it off! NO! wait I'm the original, these guys are imitating me, but..... people don't know that.... SHIT!

"Jud, maybe instead of a robot pet company, you should do a clothing line..... it seems to have become fashionable."

"What the fuck? What are all those bitches who always look down on me doing now wearing something similar to what I made?... that bitches" Said Jud as she looked with anger at a group of `bitches´ who were made up to the back of their necks, while wearing necklaces and earrings.. .. everything they could get in their faces I imagine from all the crap they took.....

Like any self-respecting high school we also had a Football team and along with their group of `bitches´ around....

I don't socialize much with the people at the high school, but Jud had some run-ins with that group, even once, in the cafeteria they tried to invite me to their table with their group, just to try to hurt Jud thinking I would leave her alone.

But when I surprised the bitches by sending them to fuck off, they didn't take my kind words well and came back to bother me, but now with some members of the Footbal team, all swollen and full of muscles and veins, which made the shape of their bodies look funny to me... like croissants.

These guys' dream is to become pros.... and high school football in this era has some pull, why? Because it is the last period, where cyberware is not allowed, being the only category before you have to Chrome up, to your ass, to not end up half dead, playing against people who are more Juggernaut, than human, then these guys are put on steroids and everything they can get to perform as best as possible in their high school football period...

With hope to get a contract with some corporation that will give them enough funds to be able to Chrome Up as much as possible, more funds more and better Cyberware.

Making them pretty intimidating when they surround you all pumped up from their muscles and all the shit they take, but here's another funny thing, they are also the most fearful of ending up hurt with any injury that prevents them from being able to play.

When I sent their Girldfriends to fuck off, they came to bully me.... That made me extend, my retractable tanto, the first model that grandpa gave me and when I did, They didn't dare to follow.

Unbeknownst to me, I was somewhat famous in high school for my visit to the kendo club. I wanted to see how good the kids my age were with the sword, when they saw me they thought I was just an Asian boy who was interested in swords....

As I found it entertaining, I went along with them and acted a bit shy, as if I liked swords, but didn't know how to use them.

They told me that before they would let me into the club, I had to pass a defense test. All the members would stand around me, they would shout to warn me of the next attack and I had to defend myself against them with the wood sword.

These bastards gave me training bokken.... which was a sword, with weighted inside.... also, the bastards, wanted me to bet money, to see how many hits I could defend myself.... wanting to get the money out of me while they were beating me up...

I agreed, but, I said that one of them had to be the executor with all the Edis from all the bets, to which they thought was strange, but they agreed, loading one of the guys with everyone's money including mine and that one walked out of the circle.

When we started, I acted slowly, and as if it was hard for me to lift the sword.... I kept defending myself from the first 6 blows that were really warning, but from the seventh blow they began to laugh and stopped shouting and put more force in their wooden swords....

When they did...I..... did too, I picked up the sword properly got into position and instead of blocking the attacks I deflected them with few moves surprising the Club members who when they realized that I had been teasing them all the time decided to attack me all at once..... serving them expensive they gave me a Bokken filled with weights inside when I used it to hit all of them in the face, only leaving standing the executor who had all MY money.

After that I had become somewhat famous in high school due to that visit to the kendo club and how I left with my pockets full, I can only say that the Kendo club lvl was disappointing....

Back to the present

When we both are puzzled because everyone was wearing a scarf, I could see a young guy I knew who was not involved in any gang and for a change he came here even though it looks like weird... to learn, he had glasses and hair on the sides his name was Jimmy, but they called him....

"Oi, Mouse, what the fuck is going on? Why are they all wearing scarves?"

"Eh? O! Hi Sora, well for the same reason you're wearing it, right? It's because of the guy who did that chase with the fire truck while being followed by the police, since the beginning of the week, they've been getting more and more fashionable, to the point that you see now"

"Wait, people liked the chase the other day that much?"

"WHAT?! you're wearing one of those scarves and you don't know how famous that guy and the driver have become? Apparently they are both our age and did something so awesome while everyone was watching, but those guys didn't look scared, they were.... enjoying themselves even when the guy was surrounded by drones, he just pulled out some EMP grenades and went on about his business that guy is a Legend! of course, everyone our age who saw it would want to Imitate someone like that!....."

"But still Sora" Said Mouse, as he looked me up and down " now that I see you, the scarf the jacket..... you a cosplayer or what?"

Noticing a vein swell up on my forehead I could hear from behind me as Jud

"PuffffHAHAHAHAHAHA" She was trying to contain herself at first but started laughing at what Mouse said so hard it looks like she would throw herself on the ground to continue.... damn it..... I look like a Cosplayer of myself..... shit!

"Get lost Mouse "I said annoyed as I pushed Mause to keep them walking, who turned around somewhat puzzled and said" But if you're the one who stopped me, by the way, Sora if you like cosplay in the summer there's convention in Kabuki!"

"SHUT UP MOUSE!" I said loudly, as I heard Jud laugh again now that She had stopped a bit....

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, Sora I didn't know that part about you, so you like that stuff?"

"ha ha ha very funny, says the girl who is dressed as a mechanic 24/7."

"Don't mess with my clothes..... they are comfortable"

"I can tell that you are Ainara's granddaughter".

"Tch how annoying you are"

As we talked we passed through the security checkpoint with metal detector arches, along with the armed guards who were just inside the building, after passing even with Getsuga on the back of my hip, without the metal detectors beeping,

That was because Getsuga's scabbard has a layer of fiberglass thick enough to insulate the blade of the sword and the metal detector is not able to detect through it.

It's not like they're going to take it away if they detect it, the detectors are only there to make sure we don't bring firearms, but we can bring almost anything else....

When we passed the security check at the entrance we started to cross the hallway, arrived at the elevator, when the doors opened, we got on the huge elevator that might as well have been a forklift or a cattle elevator....

Just as the doors opened again and we arrived at our plant, Jud and I were greeted by a boy who had been pushed hard into the elevator doors before they opened, I grabbed the boy who was propelled towards us and stopped him in front of Jud who was startled by the sudden surprise, She sighed in relief as I grabbed the boy, when I looked over his head... I could see a group of angry vV's

It seems that this boy had somehow upset some vV(vaby Valentino) and was using him as a soccer ball....

Just as I was about to push him back onto 'the field' the boy said something desperate

"H-Help me please"

"Tch, wrong person you picked, buddy!"

I said before pushing him back into the Vabys Valentinos who were waiting to 'play' with him.

When we got out and walked away Jud looked at me with some reproach in her eyes and said" Sora couldn't you have done something different before, with that boy?"

"What do you want me to do? help him? draw my sword and with it make a line and whoever gets past it, break his legs? I don't know exactly what you expect me to do in those circumstances?, I've already told you, but as long as I'm not bothered I don't care...."

"I'm not saying that, but, maybe you could have helped him in another way, maybe in doing so you could have become friends with him" When Jud said that I stopped and turned to look at her

"I don't think it's worth all that trouble just to get those kind of friends.... those kind of friends.... when you stop seeing them for a few weeks, for them you've demoted a position in their friendships, if that period increases, it won't take long for them to forget about you, until they only remember you once maybe in years to write you a message by obligation..... I don't want that kind of friendships".

"Sora..... you think that way about..." thinking about what I was going to say "No, Jud, you know I don't."

"Hehehehe" She smiled listening to me like a little girl.

When we were finally getting to our class before we entered we ran into a Group of Mini-Mox, the teenage version of The Mox.

When they saw us they greeted Jud with joy while they looked at me with some resentment, I don't know if it's because I spend time with Jud and they don't like or if it's because I'm Asian and they think I'm a Tiger Kuv.

I don't like them very much to be honest.

As we sat at our desk at the back of the class next to a window full of bars.

"I don't understand how you're friends with the Mini-Mox, you know some of them have already installed the doll program?"

"Yes I know, but Sora you would have to learn not to judge people, you say it like they do it because they want to, they all have different circumstances.... maybe having to help at home by contributing money.... or maybe just to be able to live, since they don't have anyone they can depend on, not everyone is as lucky as we are Sora."

"Tch don't get me to talk about being born lucky or not." but it's true that I have to start retiring that way of thinking....

"If you weren't such a closed-minded person, and cared something about other people, talking to them instead of just saying the first thing that comes to your head, you might be surprised."

"AH! Grandma Aoi, I got you, your disguises keep getting better and better! Awesome, you nailed Jud!"

CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP

I said as I clapped my hands and rolled my eyes at the" Let's be good and meet people" mode that Jud, has woken up with,

"Hum, Say what you want, but you know I'm right, and you comparing me to your grandmother is quite the compliment"

"Don't tell me.....That .... " I said as I nervously grabbed the desk "..... I have Grandma Aoi behind me and that's why you're talking like that? " I said as I acted nervous, with the imaginary Aoi behind me.