I'm Just a Regular Person (3)
I'm Just a Regular Person (3)
Mass media meant 'money.'
Attention was money, and money was power.
That saying held true even in a cyberpunk world steeped in extreme capitalist ideology.
A corporation that operated intensively in a single city and, through corporate warfare, held the sole broadcast rights within that city.
It was a widely known fact that NCB24 (Neon City Broadcasting 24) wielded absolute power in Neon City.
While other corporations owned a single headquarters building, NCB24 filled a vast site with dedicated buildings.
Many people walked around the grounds, which were laid out like city streets.
There were plenty of famous entertainers I'd only ever seen on broadcasts, and I spotted plenty of influencers with massive online sway.
It felt similar to when I went to that high-level corporate party with the Monolith Chairman last time.
But there was one difference.
Back then, the crowd was full of faces you'd only see on news or current affairs programs.
Now, there were celebrities you'd consume as snackable entertainment, like on variety shows.
Without realizing it, my gaze drifted toward a passing entertainer.
Wow.
That person had four breasts.
.......
I decided to just pretend I hadn't seen that.
When it comes to breasts, the size, shape, and feel are what matters.
I didn't need the count going up.
[......by any chance.]
"Absolutely, definitely, no way in hell."
Eve, who shared my vision, questioned me, but I denied it with every fiber of my being.
I followed Andrea across the grounds. NCB24 broadcasting station regulations prohibited driving inside, so everyone else was walking too instead of using cars.
However, that 'car' restriction.
Apparently didn't include aerial vehicles.
Looking up at the sky, I saw several aerial vehicles flying around.
Another fortunate point was that there were almost no regular people among those on the grounds.
Since access was completely blocked, as a result, there weren't many stares directed at me or Andrea.
At most, it was just sneaky sidelong glances.
For that reason, we were able to arrive at our target building without any commotion or incident.
I kept following Andrea's guidance.
We opened a door labeled 'Makeup Waiting Room' and entered. It looked like no one else was inside.
Only after coming all the way into the waiting room.
Did I finally begin to feel the reality of it.
Andrea, who had been watching my tense state, seemed worried and brought me clean water.
"Nothing's going to happen, relax."
"...Yeah."
For reference, in the cyberpunk world, water was a liquid more expensive than beverages, so I accepted the water without hesitation and downed it.
"Hoo."
I let out a short sigh.
[Heart rate rising, I recommend you take deep breaths.]
"Right, try taking a deep breath in."
Andrea, who could hear Eve's words, agreed and offered me advice.
I answered without letting my feelings show.
"...Should I?"
Since we're inside a corporate building, there's at least an air purification system.
Wearing the mask was stuffy.
First, I'd take the mask off─.
Right around when I was thinking that.
A massive silhouette opened the waiting room door and appeared.
It probably didn't actually happen, but.
With each step, it felt like a Kung- Kung- sound reverberated.
That ominous green gaze moved toward me.
"Is this him?"
"......."
Compared to that physique, her voice was immensely high and falsetto-like.
Unless she had vocal cord implant surgery.
This meant this hulking figure was a 'woman.'
'Holy....'
Flustered, I looked up at the 'Orc' that I wasn't sure was a him or a her.
She seemed bigger than Smith.
"Nice to meet you. I'm 'Jane,' the agency CEO for 'Andrea Rose.'"
A massive hand was extended toward me.
I thought she might grab me by the scruff of the neck.
Fortunately, it was just a hand gesture for a handshake.
Jane smiled—presumably.
It seemed like an action meant to appear harmless, but to me, who had to look up with my head tilted way back, it only looked like the grin of a predator.
"I heard you got into a scandal with our Andrea...."
.......
I suddenly wanted to just go back home.
19. I'm Really Just a Regular Person (3)
In the cyberpunk world, Orcs were a race that faced a lot of innate discrimination.
You could usually tell just by looking at their 'names.'
No Answer's gatekeeper 'Smith.'
'John,' who ran the taco joint in front of my place.
And now 'Jane' in front of me.
They almost never attached a surname to their names. Also, the moment they attached a surname to their own name, they'd start being ostracized by their own cartel for acting unbecoming of green skin.
Representative examples of what they called 'Orc' behavior—actions unbecoming of green skin—included:
Wearing a mask because the air was bad.
Using a filter for health when drinking water.
Using a suppressor when shooting a gun.
Pulling out a cowardly thermal weapon in a knife fight.
And so on, according to John.
Last time, Smith said his own brothers didn't like him much.
It was a hood culture stemming from those toxic practices.
But for someone born as an 'Orc' like that.
To be an agency CEO.
I suddenly began to respect John.
I thought this as I accepted Jane's handshake.
If the grip strength of that handshake had been even a little stronger, my plan was to claim my hand was broken and run away.
But really unfortunately, Jane finished the handshake with a very sensible level of strength.
"...Yep, nice to meet you. I'm Lee Si-woon."
I finished the handshake and took another look at Jane's expression.
It was hard to read expressions just by looking at an Orc's face. The biggest reason was that even when they smiled, their fierce features made it not look like a smiling face.
Still, for now, I didn't detect any hostility from her smiling face.
And there was a good reason for that.
"First, I apologize."
Because Jane, after receiving my greeting, deeply bowed her head without any warning.
"I'm sorry that you've been caught up in this controversy because of the post our Andrea made."
"......."
Hm.
She was a sensible person, a rare sight ranking in the top 10% of humanity in the cyberpunk world.
I felt ashamed for judging her based on her face.
To think I was a racist who suspected people because of their race and face....
I reflected on myself.
"No, it's fine. That's just life sometimes."
"Thank you for even saying that."
Jane drew a smile on her lips as she said that.
Her hideously curved tusks jutted out from below.
.......
No, but she was still scary.
I personally thought that hideous appearance played a part in the poor perception of Orcs.
Jane, who had greeted me first, now approached Andrea.
"You."
"What."
"...Never mind."
And then she let out a big sigh.
It was the same look I sometimes gave Catherine.
If I had to express the feeling roughly, it looked like 'What am I going to do with this slow-witted fool....'
Seeing a reaction markedly different from the one she gave me, Andrea responded to Jane.
"...If you have something to say, just say it?"
"Idiot."
"?"
It looked like a cheap comedy skit.
Wondering if their relationship wasn't as formal as I thought, I watched the elf and Orc bicker.
Andrea, who had been stretching the Orc's cheek, noticed my presence and pulled herself together, clearing her throat.
"Ahem, you heard the introduction? She's my agency CEO."
"...You can act like that to your CEO?"
Andrea answered my question lightly.
"We've known each other for a long time."
"Oh ho."
I looked back at Jane.
If Andrea had known her for a long time, I might have seen her coming and going at least once too.
But she wasn't a face I remembered.
My difficulty telling Orc faces apart was probably one of the reasons.
Like looking at foreigners, it was hard to distinguish faces without distinctive features.
"You've probably seen me at least once."
Jane answered with a nonchalant smile.
Just then, text appeared on a hologram panel on one side of the waiting room.
《Next broadcast, 'The Rex Nova Show with Eve' starts in 1 hour》
Because a Ding sound was made too, everyone's gaze moved to the hologram panel.
"It'll start soon."
Andrea, familiar with the broadcasting station system, sat in a chair and naturally crossed her legs.
But I couldn't act as nonchalant as her.
Seeing the massive Orc, the reality I'd momentarily forgotten came rushing back.
"......Haa."
I shook my head, trying to snap out of it.
...This felt more nerve-wracking than jumping off an airship without a parachute.
My body was even starting to stiffen from the tension.
What was I trying to do earlier?
Right, I was going to take a deep breath first.
I took off the mask I was wearing.
I wiped my face with a dry cloth while still wearing my gloves.
In that state, I took a deep breath in.
And exhaled again.
After repeating that a few times, I turned my head toward the mirror in the dressing room.
Dark circles were prominent.
Maybe because of the weak stamina trait, no matter how much I slept, the dark circles under my eyes showed no sign of disappearing.
Since I almost never took my mask off outside, it felt like it had been a while since I saw my own face like this out in public.
'I really look unmotivated.'
Still, aside from that, it was (according to Catherine) an objectively decent face.
But then, I suddenly felt the surroundings go quiet.
Looking to the side, Andrea and Jane were staring at me with their mouths shut.
Especially Jane's gaze was fixed on me.
.......
Suddenly I felt pressured.
What the hell, why was she staring at me.
Then the massive silhouette approached me.
Once again, I heard the auditory hallucination of Kung- Kung-.
Jane deeply bowed her head to match her eye level to mine.
I thought that even if she was a woman, an Orc's nose would be pig-like, but seeing her up close, that wasn't the case.
It seemed like she had something she wanted to say.
Hiding my bewilderment, I waited for her words.
"By any chance─."
"Yes."
Jane spoke to me.
"Have you ever thought about becoming an entertainer?"
"?"
"...A mercenary plus the uniqueness of being a Mage, I'll help you become as famous as Andrea. Come join us."
"Absolutely not."
I gritted my teeth and refused.