Arasaka Academy was located in Corporate Plaza.
In the early morning, the walkways around the circular district were already crowded with fast-moving corpo employees.
In a place where every square meter was worth a fortune, ordinary companies had no chance of establishing offices. The only corporations with a presence here were global megacorporations with immense power.
Even with Arasaka backing it, Arasaka Academy couldn't claim a large surface footprint.
In reality, the school was tucked inside the subterranean levels beneath the ring—just one floor dedicated to classrooms.
In this era of cutting-edge tech, the education system had long evolved.
Braindance technology allowed students to enter immersive virtual classrooms. All it took was lying back in a lounge chair and putting on a BD headset.
As for schools that still had basketball courts or swimming pools? Those were now synonymous with low-end, outdated institutions.
Elite schools had no need for such "useless" amenities.
If a school pitched itself with features like "a spacious football field and swimming pool," half the parents in the room would walk out mid-presentation.
A real top-tier academy offered cosmetic care during class, cognitive XS implants, memory enhancers…
That was what people expected from high-end education.
Naturally, with Arasaka's funding, Arasaka Academy had sky-high admission standards.
If you didn't have serious cash, you weren't getting in.
But of course, there were always exceptions.
"Yo, if it isn't David. Selling black-market BDs at school again?"
Outside one classroom, David Martinez found his way blocked by three students just as he was about to enter.
He looked up—and sure enough, it was the three guys he hated most.
The one who spoke had light blue hair and a smug face—Katsuo. His dad was a mid-level Arasaka manager.
Japanese. Classic corpo kid.
The other two were just his cronies. David didn't even bother learning their names.
Tch. A textbook "mini-boss" and his disposable sidekicks.
Lin Mo sure had a sharp eye when it came to spotting these types.
Too bad I'm not the protagonist of his story.
David didn't say a word. He just bumped shoulders with Katsuo and pushed his way through.
"Hey! You little shit—get back here!" Katsuo turned, face twisted with rage. His cronies mirrored his mood.
But just as Katsuo reached out to grab David's shoulder, another hand landed on his own.
And froze him in place.
"Well well… something interesting happening here? Why not share it with me? I've got time to kill."
The voice was soft. Warm. Like a spring breeze over a quiet lake.
But when Katsuo heard it, it felt like someone had poured ice water down his spine.
He turned.
Standing behind him was a boy bathed in soft blue classroom light, his face calm and clean-cut—almost ethereal.
His features were so pure they seemed untouched by Night City's chaos—like a flawless jade sculpture in a city of grime and chrome.
In a cyberized, punked-out world, he looked like something from a forgotten, gentler era.
Lin Mo.
The moment he appeared, most of the class turned to look.
Several of the few female students openly stared at him, expressions full of admiration.
Thanks to Night City's more "liberal" attitudes, students here weren't exactly shy.
Some were practically street kids already.
But Katsuo? Katsuo looked like he'd seen death.
"Haha—Lin Mo! Nothing's going on! We were just chatting with David. Right, David?"
David, now at his desk, didn't even look up.
"Yeah. They didn't do anything."
The pressure on Katsuo's shoulder lifted. He exhaled shakily, swallowed, and scurried back to his seat.
His lackeys followed, equally sheepish.
"You sure they weren't giving you shit?" Lin Mo walked over and slumped into the chair next to David.
That chair had originally belonged to someone else.
But Lin Mo had used a little... "financial persuasion" to permanently claim the spot next to him.
David's hair was spiked a little, his face still youthful but already gaining definition.
He wore the Arasaka Academy uniform with a quiet, focused air.
This was the boy who, in less than a year, would become a legend in Afterlife.
"You bring the BD chip?" Lin Mo leaned in and whispered, cupping his hand around his mouth like a shady fixer in a noir flick.
David reached into his pocket, glanced around, and then discreetly slipped a small chip into Lin Mo's hand.
"Here."
"Hell yeah. You're the best!" Lin Mo grinned and leaned back into his chair.
Seeing that smile, David couldn't help but feel a strange kind of joy.
Like he'd found a true friend.
He was the only kid at Arasaka Academy without corpo connections.
Even before enrolling, he'd known he wouldn't make friends.
His mother had worked herself to the bone just to get him in.
And for her sake, he endured it—though he hated every second.
He never expected someone like Lin Mo.
Someone who didn't care about status.
Someone who genuinely liked him… and liked BDs.
David's eyes glowed orange as he activated his commlink.
"This BD's by Jimmy Kurosaki. Edgerunner series. You see that cyberpsycho story on the news? This is the latest one."
"I know. Been waiting on you to bring it," Lin Mo replied, his own eyes flashing orange.
David was usually chill.
But once he got talking about black-market BDs, he lit up like a kid on synth-candy.
Lin Mo's eyes shifted blue. He sent the payment.
"1,500 eddies?!"
"Call the extra a courier tip. You're welcome."
"Damn. You're a legend."
"Anyway, class is starting. Catch you later."
A hum filled the room as the holo projector activated.
A glowing blue AI instructor appeared above them.
"Good morning, students. Delighted to see everyone present.
We will now begin today's lessons.
Please activate your braindance gear and enter the Green Meadow Classroom for morning meditation."
Ugh… morning meditation again.
Lin Mo didn't complain. He slipped on the headset.
The world shifted instantly.
He found himself lying in a sunlit field of soft green grass, surrounded by other students.
Everyone lay still, breathing calmly.
If this system had any merit, it was that you could attend class lying down.
No more spinal fatigue or back problems.
Meditation? More like a nap...
Lin Mo closed his eyes, found a comfortable position—
—and drifted off.
.
.
.
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