"Father, next time there's a job like this, you gotta let us know."
Jack Welles couldn't hide the grin on his face. This was the biggest haul he'd ever made from a single gig.
"Of course. You've proven yourselves," the priest replied with a nod. "Trust me, Jack, more people will see what you're capable of."
In this line of work, you could hustle for decades and still be a nobody—or one big job could make you a legend overnight. This gig had caused quite a stir, and Jack Welles and his crew pulling it off without a scratch? That was enough to earn them some street cred in Night City.
"Hell yeah, that's awesome!"
V was all smiles too. She'd been ready to ditch Night City for Atlanta to chase new opportunities, but this job had suddenly cracked things wide open for her right here.
The street girl glanced at Riku, the guy who'd made it all happen. Without him, she might've been choking on sand in some wasteland right now. For some reason, Riku was starting to look… kinda cool to her. Was she seeing him through some kind of shōnen-style filter now?
"To celebrate, how 'bout we hit Afterlife for a couple of drinks? My treat," Riku said with a grin, remembering how he'd unintentionally cut V and Jack's fun short at the bar last night. Now that he'd scored his first big eddies, it was time to make it up to them.
"No need to tell me twice! Let's go while it's still early!"
Riku's suggestion lit up V and Jack's eyes. It was like he'd read their minds straight out of a slice-of-life anime.
"Father, you coming?" Riku asked, tossing an invite to the priest. If he recalled correctly, priests in this world weren't exactly sworn off booze.
"Nah, you kids go have fun," the priest said with a chuckle, waving them off. An old guy like him wasn't about to crash a youngsters' party.
"Alright, catch you later, Father!"
Riku didn't push it. The crew said their goodbyes and headed for Afterlife. Before they left, V made plans with the priest to check out some cars tomorrow—yep, the priest doubled as a used car dealer. Typical middleman stuff, always hustling for that extra eddie.
They piled into a beat-up Galena, and Riku glanced at Sasha, who hadn't said if she was joining them at Afterlife.
"Sasha, wanna grab a drink with us?" he asked softly. He hadn't forgotten his plan to recruit a solid netrunner for the team. Whether he could poach her or not, keeping that connection tight was key.
"Sure, why not? I've got some friends waiting there who saw the news and have been worried about me," Sasha replied with a smile that could've been ripped straight from a kawaii anime character. Her vibe was totally different from V's rough-and-tumble street girl energy—Sasha had that onna-rashii (feminine) charm.
Riku stole a quick glance at V. She was good-looking too, no question, but she was such a yankī (delinquent) tomboy. V caught his look and shot one back, her expression screaming, What's your deal? She'd already been side-eyeing how fast Riku and Sasha were hitting it off. The guy was all soft-spoken with Sasha but acted like a cocky senpai with her and Jack!
"What's that look for? I swear you're up to no good," V said bluntly, never one to hold back her thoughts.
"Pfft!" Sasha burst out laughing, her eyes sparkling as she looked at V's fiery red hair. This trio was just too entertaining.
"Hmph, V, is that how you talk to the guy footing the bill?" Riku shot back, puffing out his chest like he was the big-shot oyabun (boss). Truth was, he was a little guilty—his inner monologue had just been calling V a tomboy.
Maybe V didn't care? Riku wasn't about to bet on it. When he'd played as a female V in the game, sure, she was a badass who acted like a guy, but he still made sure her outfits, hair, and makeup were on point. The V in front of him was the same—her street-kid vibe was all business, but her look? Carefully styled, no doubt. She wasn't some sloppy bōsōzoku (biker gang) reject.
V wasn't the prissy ojō-sama (high-class lady) type who freaked out over a speck of dirt, but she clearly had a sense of style. Everyone loves looking good, especially when they know they're a total bishōjo (beautiful girl).
"You don't have to treat me," V said with a smirk, like she had eddies to burn too.
"No, no, my bad. I can't forget the kindness of V-san gifting me clothes," Riku said, backpedaling with a grin. He wasn't about to play favorites—he'd just been dodging the topic.
"Hold up, doesn't that mean I've got a clothing debt to collect too?" Jack chimed in with a laugh, reminding Riku he'd hooked him up with threads before V did.
"Nah, that was just Mama Welles' love, choom. Don't try to steal her shine," Riku said, rolling his eyes dramatically like an exasperated anime protagonist.
Jack flipped him the bird with a loud "FUCK!" while Sasha covered her mouth, giggling. She'd never guess these three had only known each other for a few days. Some people just click like they're in a buddy-comedy anime, while others could spend years together and still feel like strangers.
The crew laughed and bantered all the way to Afterlife. This time, Emmerich at the door didn't stop them.
"Devil, is Riku your real name?" Sasha asked quietly, leaning closer as they stepped inside. She'd heard V and Jack call him that.
"Yup, Riku's my real name. 'Devil' is my street name, but my official handle's Devo Collins," Riku said with a wink, rattling off his various aliases like a character introducing their multiple personas in a mecha anime.
"Why so many names?" Sasha asked, tilting her head in confusion. She and most people she knew just used their real names.
"You don't know?" Riku said, feigning shock, making Sasha blink in puzzlement. Was she supposed to know?
"C'mere, I'll let you in on it," he said with a mischievous grin, leaning closer. Sasha, intrigued, leaned in too.
"Devils can't let their true names get out," he whispered, all mysterious-like.
"Pfft!" Sasha cracked up, her eyes curving into happy crescents. A devil hiding his true name? Classic.
V, walking ahead, rolled her eyes so hard it could've been a scene from a tsundere anime. She'd heard every word. Suddenly, she stopped, spun around, and elbowed Riku in the stomach.
"The one paying leads the way!"
(End of Chapter)