A Lesson Learned with Ribs (3)
A Lesson Learned with Ribs (3)
It was just one floor.
All I had to do was go up one more floor than usual.
Why did my chest tighten with anxiety?
The human heart is such a fickle, strange thing.
I thought as I stepped back from the elevator door.
As I turned around, an aerial vehicle moved past the glass wall of the ascending elevator.
Painfully bright neon signs, hologram ads, languages from all over the world floating in the air, and beneath it all, a pitch-black, cloud-covered sky.
I tried to calm my nerves with deep breaths as I admired the chaotic streets of North Houston, in the Middle Layer of Neon City.
The building I lived in, the 'Golden Smile Condominium,' consisted of 22 floors.
Still, the height between floors was greater than in other buildings, so even though it wasn't a high-rise, it was tall enough to look down on buildings of comparable height.
Just like my troubled feelings, the view below rushed past.
Let me calm down and think about this.
Why on earth had Eve asked me to come up to the 14th floor?
For reference, the facilities in the Golden Smile Condominium, as far as I knew, were as follows.
Underground, there were spa and artificial pool facilities.
The 3rd floor had various arcade facilities.
From the 5th to the 8th floor were cinema facilities.
On the 9th floor, they were building a wine bar or something.
The remaining floors?
I had no idea.
There were probably lodgings for the facility management staff, or maybe the Chairman's or Maya's prosthetic body maintenance facilities, but I didn't know exactly.
And surely, at this very moment, a few facilities were still under construction in real time.
The 14th floor.
What on earth could be there?
Half anxiety, half nervousness, half tension, and half just wanting to go home and rest.
I calmed my trembling heart and stared straight at the elevator door.
We were arriving at the 14th floor soon.
Whatever this floor turned out to be, the time had come for me to see and judge it for myself.
- Ding-dong.
The elevator chime rang, and the door opened.
"......?"
The door opened, and there was another door.
Hiding my curiosity, I stepped onto the 14th floor.
Above the firmly shut iron door, a surveillance camera lens flashed.
Just as I was thinking I should tell Eve to open it, the closed iron door started to open.
And.
"......."
What in the world was this?
I couldn't hide my surprise.
32. A Lesson Learned from My Ribs (3)
In truth, the category that applied to this place, the 14th floor, was probably the same as the 13th floor where I lived: a 'residential space.'
It had a kitchen, a bedroom, a living room.
Fundamentally, it was a living space.
But just how many credits had been thrown at this place?
The problem was that there were also unidentifiable facilities like a private swimming pool and a private cinema. Plus, there were strange artworks hanging on the walls.
I couldn't get a proper grasp of the situation.
It was true that the 'Golden Smile Condominium' was a fairly renowned apartment building in the Middle Layer.
In the case of the Silver Smile Condominium, over 100 households lived on a single floor in a capsule-style setup.
And for something like the Bronze Smile Condominium, since it was located in the Lower Layer, it didn't really need any other explanation.
But here, the 14th floor, that is....
It gave me a similar feeling to when I visited Andrea's house in the past.
Actually, this place was far more luxurious than Andrea's house.
I took off my shoes very carefully, as if walking through a minefield, and stepped inside.
There wasn't a single human shadow inside.
...This really looked like a place a Mega Corp Chairman would live in.
I muttered quietly to myself as I admired the luxurious furniture and interior design.
"...Whoa, is that real gold?"
[It is.]
What the—!
A thin voice whispered into my ear.
It was Eve.
I looked around at the voice. But just like before, there was no sign of anyone around.
"What, where are you?"
[I am currently downstairs. Please, first, take a seat on the sofa further inside.]
I followed her instructions and moved inside.
The sofa was fluffier and more luxurious than any sofa I remembered in this world.
At this point, wasn't it losing its original function as a sofa?
It felt like my whole body was going to be swallowed by it....
.......
I dozed off for a moment.
I shook my head to come to my senses.
It would be nice to have something to drink.
As I thought that, a cola with cold ice (and even the glass design was high-end) rose up from the armrest of the sofa.
Nice timing.
I savored the kind of leisure the bourgeoisie must feel as I drank the cola.
"......."
This sofa must be expensive, right?
If I asked Eve the price of the sofa, I could learn the answer, but I held back that question for the sake of my mental health.
No matter how secure my account was thanks to the compensation sent from Koozaka, my small-citizen mindset hadn't changed.
Anyway.
What was the identity of this place?
It felt like someone had detached a piece from the Upper Layer and placed it here.
At that moment, the massive screen in front of the sofa started to light up.
In a cyberpunk world where hologram technology was commercialized, this was, conversely, a rare sight as electronic devices went.
I'd heard that only the rich used them due to the picture quality, but I never expected to see one here.
The person who appeared on the monitor was Eve.
And next to her, the figures of other women were visible. The background was familiar. It looked like they were all gathered together on the 13th floor.
《Did you have a nice outing?》
"......Yeah."
Seeing her like this in an analog format, when I usually saw her through a hologram screen, felt novel.
I scratched my head and asked Eve a question.
"So, what is this place? A new house?"
《Half right and half wrong.》
What kind of Zen riddle was this?
Eve looked around, directing her gaze at the other women as if seeking their agreement.
The uproar would be obvious if all seven of them spoke at once. That was probably why they seemed to have discussed this beforehand.
She had truly become a complete person.
At first, she only spoke in short answers or with an awkward tone. But now, actions like seeking the agreement of others were quite natural for her.
Anyway.
Half right and half wrong.
What did that mean?
I listened closely to Eve's next words.
《That day, due to us, an incident occurred where 'Si-un' suffered a 'physical injury.'》
A person who broke a rib while kissing was probably rare even in this harsh cyberpunk world.
I nodded in agreement.
"So?"
《Therefore, we all pondered together. The multiple entities, that is, 'Si-un's romantic partners' including 'me,' came up with various opinions.》
"Hmm."
Was this that 0 Confessions 1 Relationship thing?
But at this point, we were too far along to point out the term 'romantic partners.'
My feelings had already been exposed, and it wasn't as if I didn't know their feelings either. I naturally accepted this part and moved on.
Come to think of it, this might actually be better.
If things hadn't progressed this way, and I'd had to confess to all seven of them as a group.
.......
Just imagining it was a tough situation.
Anyway, Eve continued her explanation.
《And that place is the result of synthesizing our opinions.》
"Does anything change just because the location changes? We're all still living together anyway."
《No.》
Huh?
I made eye contact with Eve, visible beyond the screen.
《This world flows by the cycle of a week. In other words, it means that if the seven of us take turns living with Si-un one person at a time, a normal cycle can be completed.》
"?"
《To summarize. That place is where the 'entity' who obtained the day's chance and 'Si-un' will spend their time together.》
It was like some kind of rotating duty system.
I wondered if I was the only one who couldn't understand this situation, but the other women around Eve were all nodding their heads in agreement too.
It seemed the accident where my rib was broken had been quite a shock for them as well.
Actually, in a way, it was fair.
That is, except for the minor detail that my opinion was completely absent from the matter.
Maybe she sensed my reaction.
Eve continued without stopping.
《This is also beneficial for 'Si-un.' In a 1:1 situation, there are fewer risk factors, and you can enjoy the leisurely time that 'Si-un' desires.》
"...I guess that's true?"
《It also does not mean you must stay on the 14th floor continuously. If you wish, you may come down to the 13th floor, where you previously stayed, and live there.》
It felt like she was explaining terms and conditions.
"What about days I spend outside?"
《In that case, your turns will each be pushed back by one day.》
"So you don't just let it slide...."
Anyway, it wasn't a bad proposal.
But what to do?
I'd already learned 'Physical Enhancement Magic,' so it would be fine to just live with all seven of them anyway.
I opened my mouth to reveal that fact.
"That─."
And at that moment.
I instinctively stopped mid-sentence.
Come to think of it, the new magic I learned wasn't outwardly visible at all.
There were also safety issues. I hadn't tested its defensive power yet, and I was only at the point of recognizing that this kind of magic was possible for me.
.......
I felt it was still too early to reveal to everyone that I had learned 'Physical Enhancement Magic.'
"...Riiight, good idea."
《Agreement confirmed. Saving voice data.》
Something slightly ominous seemed to pass by in those words, but I didn't let it show.
I was hiding the truth too.
Of course, I wasn't going to hide it forever. I wasn't without sexual desire, and I didn't dislike the life of living with seven people. I was a man, after all.
However.
- '...I can't, I can't die like this...!'
- "Sluuurp...."
- "......Nnghup!"
Ugh, a headache.
The flashbacks from that day lingered like PTSD.
It wasn't urgent anyway.
I could take my time and think it over slowly.
I rubbed my eye sockets, rationalizing it to myself.
"So, that wraps up the main discussion, right?"
《That is correct. I will come up now.》
"?"
Why was the conversation suddenly going that─.
Ah.
"Is today your turn, by any chance?"
《That is correct.》
"......."
《I will see you right away.》
With Eve's final words, the screen went dark.
.......
I'd managed to use a trick to avoid all seven.
But I couldn't avoid even one.
Why the hell was I so nervous about this?
I swallowed hard and looked toward the elevator.