"..."
"..."
In the car, V, who was driving, felt a little strange, frequently glancing at the quietly sitting Berry, as if she couldn't look enough.
She was trying to alleviate the strange feeling she had just experienced in the room.
During the embrace just now, she actually had a moment where she regarded Berry as her mother.
After all, that warmth and that atmosphere unconsciously triggered this feeling in V.
She even cried without realizing it; when she stood up, her face was wet with tears, yet she didn't feel sad, nor did she know why she was crying.
Furthermore, the most important thing was that after this incident, her feelings toward Berry seemed to have changed slightly.
How to put it? The current Berry seemed to be enveloped in a sacred halo, making V feel a sense of self-abasement, like gazing upon a holy image. Berry, shrouded in sacred radiance, instilled a feeling that one dared not profane her.
This made V feel a bit strange. Looking at Berry, she felt ashamed of the thoughts in her mind about wanting to do this and that to Berry, as if she were profaning something sacred.
"What's wrong? Do I have flowers on my face that you can't stop staring?"
But Berry was very tolerant of V's abnormality, and the look she returned to V was filled with clear affection.
Berry had come to terms with everything.
Whether it was being male or female, none of it mattered anymore.
Berry attributed her former awkward thoughts to an inability to be frank about her affection.
She now believed she had broken free from those constraints.
As long as V loved her and she loved V, trivial matters like who was on top or who was on the bottom were completely irrelevant.
Berry had reconciled with her female identity; in fact, she now radiated maternal radiance everywhere.
Since V was comfortable, and she was also comfortable with the relationship, then anything was fine.
Berry felt that she had been sublimated.
But colloquially, this is called Ciduo.
She had completely and utterly become a woman, both physically and mentally, and felt no aversion to it whatsoever.
This was a type of growth, a stage every man must pass through: transitioning from demanding love to learning how to actively give love.
At this moment, the definitions of man and woman reached a higher level, achieving the ultimate philosophical state of "Ontology."
In any case, it was certainly true that Berry had accepted her female identity.
The manifestation of this was that V was completely thrown off by Berry's maternal radiance. That compliant, ready-to-be-plucked demeanor instantly made V's heart restless and her desires stir.
However, the sacredness brought by Berry's maternal radiance made V feel guilty again for her profaning thoughts.
How to describe it? It felt like immorality.
This really threw V off balance.
"Hmm... let's talk about how to help that guy Jackie."
While waiting at the red light, V scratched her face, deciding to dispel this strange emotion and change the subject.
They were on their way to the Wolf Bar in Heywood.
That young man Jackie had helped Berry and V last time, and the two were very grateful. However, this didn't stop Mrs. Welles from finding out about Jackie's escape, which successfully infuriated her.
In response, Jackie had expressed, "Who understands, fam!"
Therefore, he shamelessly requested aid from both V and Berry.
How could a bird that has seen the blue sky return to a cage? Although Night City's sky is always hazy, Jackie still wanted to wander the streets. What was the point of staying home?
Of course, Berry and V responded to Jackie's plea for help.
As the saying goes, when a buddy is in trouble, kick him while he's down —ah, no, offer support from all sides. So the two felt they absolutely had to make the trip.
Furthermore, it seemed they hadn't seen Mrs. Welles in a while, so this was a perfect opportunity to visit.
The building the three of them took over was being renovated, and Berry happened to have some rare free time, so she decided to go, treating it as a vacation for herself.
After all, the world isn't about fighting and killing; it's about eating and drinking.
It would be nice to grab a free meal of Mrs. Welles' Mexican Noodle Soup at the Wolf Bar, since eating synthetic food every day is flavorless.
"Let's buy a gift for Mrs. Welles on the way."
Thinking of the warm-hearted Mrs. Welles, Berry felt a warmth in her heart. Jackie's mother was a good person in the traditional sense, completely out of place in this Night City full of addicts.
"Yeah, we can do that." V drove, thinking about what Berry said. "What do you think we should buy?"
"Hmm..."
V's question put Berry in a difficult spot.
Hmm, what kind of gift would Mrs. Welles like?
She didn't really understand what gifts women liked. She couldn't possibly give her a modified gun, could she?
She felt she would probably just get an eye roll.
After all, Mrs. Welles had been out of the game for many years, so giving her a gun was pointless. Thus, Berry was stumped.
"How about we buy some clothes?"
V thought for a moment and voiced her idea.
"Yeah, that works."
Berry nodded.
Still, women understand women. Buying clothes should be a standard choice.
Berry decided that since they were buying, they might as well buy something expensive.
Although she hadn't achieved financial freedom yet, she at least had a little money now.
She might as well buy Mrs. Welles a high-end small suit jacket. After all, Mrs. Welles was a prominent figure in Heywood and the owner of the Wolf Bar. She was definitely someone important, and a small suit jacket would be perfect.
"V, do you know where any high-end suit shops are?"
Well, just as V had stumped Berry, Berry now stumped V.
V and Berry were street Mercenaries before; how would they know about high-end suit shops? They only worried about whether the ballistic lining in their jackets was thick enough and if there were any gaps. High-end suits for appearances were only affordable by corporate people.
V racked her brain for a while before she barely recalled a brand.
"Let me think. Maybe the Jinguji brand is solid."
It took her a long time to remember a high-end clothing company brand, and it wasn't because she paid attention to it; the Jinguji advertisements were plastered everywhere, even on the streets of Westbrook's Japantown, which is why V remembered the name.
"Alright, Jinguji it is."
Berry didn't know of any others, so if V suggested this one, then this was it.
"We can buy it on the way."
Between the Chinatown where they were located and Heywood, lay Night City's most prosperous Corpo Plaza. The headquarters of several Super-Giant Corporations are located there, with the buildings facing each other, forming a large ring. Sometimes, Night City residents also call this area the City Center.
If you swung a stick there, you'd hit a rich person. Therefore, all of Night City's high-end consumer shops are concentrated there —expensive suits, dining, and even gun stores and cyberware clinics —all the priciest items on the market. Except for those corporate dogs, few people can afford them.
So, if you come to Night City looking for a bit of bourgeois sentiment, this is the place to be.
The car crossed the Cross-River Bridge and arrived at the high-rise Corpo Plaza district. As far as the eye could see, there were overpasses everywhere, and the roads were filled with expensive vehicles. The pedestrians hurrying along the streets were all dressed in suits, making this clearly a gathering place for the elite.
It makes sense. Given the rent for apartments in this area, anyone who stays here and can afford to stay is wealthy.
"Alright, we're here."
The point marked on the car navigation had been reached. Outside the car was the so-called Jinguji Clothing Store. It certainly lived up to its reputation as a big brand; the striking sign and the luxurious decor visible from the entrance represented piles of hard cash.
"Welcome, welcome, welcome, both of you!"
The two stepped over the carpet and entered the lavishly decorated store, where the marble floors were polished to a shine. Just as they entered, a warm welcome rang out.
It was the neatly suited store clerk behind the counter. The moment he saw V and Berry enter, his eyes lit up, and his face broke into an enthusiastic smile.
"Come, both of you, welcome to this little oasis of elegance!"
Watching the two walk up to the counter, the clerk rested his hands on the exquisite counter, offering his welcome.
"What can I do for the two of you? How about two cashmere blazers, the most fashionable items in the city right now..."
The clerk spoke while quickly sizing up the two customers with a polite, non-offensive gaze. As a highly professional clothing clerk, he had already roughly determined their sizes and begun his recommendations.
His professionalism was evident.
However, looking at the enthusiastic clerk, Berry felt strange.
Why wasn't the legendary snobbish behavior happening?
Didn't the staff at high-end stores all have a refined eye, able to judge whether a person could afford the items based on their demeanor and attire, and adjust their attitude accordingly?
Simply put, they could tell at a glance if the person entering the store had money in their pocket and could afford to shop, thus adopting different attitudes.
Berry had thought that, given her and V's street Mercenary style of dress, the service staff would immediately call the big Bodyguards at the door to chase them away.
Thus, with the attitude of enjoying the show, Berry voiced her confusion.
After hearing Berry's query, the sophisticated clerk, dressed in a suit, wearing small gold-rimmed glasses, and looking like any high-class individual, burst out laughing.
After a moment, he managed to suppress his laughter and spoke to the two again.
"You are truly amusing, customer..." After saying this, he adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses before continuing.
"Perhaps some unprofessional peers behave that way, but true professionals would never commit such impolite acts."
"This is Jinguji; we are dedicated solely to creating the most fashionable clothing for our clients. Here, we only listen to the customer's needs and never speculate on their identity. This is our company ethos."
"Lastly, my name is Zaan. What can I do for the two of you?"
The Black clerk spoke so earnestly that Berry almost believed him.
If she hadn't casually glanced at the string of zeros beneath the price tags of the high-end suits illuminated on the wall, Berry might have been moved by the clerk's professionalism.
"We want to buy a women's suit as a gift. Preferably something casual and highly breathable. Do you have any recommendations?"
Since V wasn't speaking, Berry had to handle the interaction. She crossed her arms and stated her requirements to the clerk.
"Excellent. We have the most fashionable women's suits in Night City, as well as the latest styles from Mainland Japan. They're all right here..."
Zaan pulled out a tablet terminal, ready to make his introduction, but just as he started speaking, a commotion erupted outside the door, causing him to frown.
"Bodyguards, what is going on? Such noise is hardly elegant behavior!"
Zaan frowned and spoke up, looking up to see the activity at the store entrance.
"Sir, entry is prohibited here!"
"Sir, please leave!"
At the store entrance, two large Bodyguards frowned as they watched a filthy Homeless man stumble around, muttering incomprehensible gibberish.
"Kill... kill... kill them all..."
The male Homeless man, whose hair was tangled and matted, stood at the door, his face twisted as he raved. His cyberware eyes began to flicker erratically, emitting small electrical sparks.
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