Are you seriously going to monetize your friend like that?!

"Hn? Oh, work's over huh? Good work out there synth bartender!"

Jak waves with a toothy smile. He's standing outside Dahlia's, right next to the entrance. Beside him is a chair and a bottle of Veer poorly hidden behind one of the chair's legs.

"Y-Yeah..."

I return a small awkward wave before urging Gin to keep walking.

"Who would have expected you of all people would end up being buddy-buddy with Jak."

"We are in no way friends."

The peaceful night glitters with more stars than usual as a number of establishments close early for the night. Though the towering structures in the distance still sparkle with busy lights, the rest of the city seems slower and more relaxed by comparison. The hour before dawn tends to be when the city is at its laziest after all. People outside are either heading home or just starting the day so there is little energy to speak of.

"Still, he really warmed up to you ever since Dahlia rehired him two weeks ago. Especially after the two of you tag-teamed that one gangster last Wednesday."

"We're coworkers, nothing more."

"You really don't like him, do you?"

"It's not that I dislike him, rather I find him painfully troublesome to deal with on a social level."

"Oh please, you'd say the same thing about Milli but there's no way you wouldn't call her one of your closest friends."

"That girl is an anomaly. She has an uncanny way of cementing friendships despite her personality."

"I'm pretty sure it's because of the way she is that she makes friends so easily."

I turn my head to Gin and give him a teasing smirk.

"Hmm~, is that what her boyfriend thinks?"

"You know, I still hate how off-putting that smile of yours is."

"You were almost late for work tonight. Perhaps you two were having too much fun on your third date."

"Waiiit, are you jealous that I'm not spending as much time with you?"

"I wouldn't have set you two up in the first place if I had such clingy behavior. I'm simply worried that you might not know how to properly balance work and intimate relationships."

"Then you'll be happy to know that Milli already talked to me about it. I swear she could write a book about all her dating experience and people would pay top credit for it."

I stop dead in my tracks and firmly grab Gin by the shoulder.

"Don't tell her that."

"O-Okay? You alright? Why so serious all of a sudden?"

"From now on, turn on your rPhone's voice recorder whenever she gives you advice. Use it to write the book yourself."

"Are you seriously going to monetize your friend like that?!"

"I'd like to ask her the same thing."

The piling memories of my embarrassment being recorded on camera comes to mind.

"...Did something happen between the two of you?"

"You had better be putting each date to good use."

"Seriously what happened?!"

We continue walking towards 48th street. One or two cars speed through 6th avenue every few seconds and more pedestrians come to view.

"Don't worry about it. You know how petty I can be at times."

"At least you're aware... Speaking of Milli, she's not at all how I expected her to be when we're out on a date."

"How so?"

"Well, she's normally so energetic and bubbly but whenever we're alone she-"

"Gin!"

Before I could pull him back, Gin bumps onto a large man walking out from around the street corner.

"Watch it!! Fuckin'..."

The irritable man has a towering and bulky physique. His left eye is a full cybernetic replacement and the brow above it has three small ring piercings. He sports black cornrows and a dark, form-fitting shirt. His right arm is filled with tattoos and on the forearm is 'D17' written in a blocky font. Behind him are two other similarly intimidating individuals.

"...Sorry I wasn't looking."

I quickly lock arms with Gin and pick up the pace.

Connecting to Device XZCP494422...

The stoplight's security camera shows  Gin and I walking out of view. The three men are still standing by the corner, watching us leave. I make sure not to look back until they eventually walk off.

Disconnecting from Device XZCP494422...

Gin takes a worried peak behind us as well.

"Man, it feels like gangsters are everywhere nowadays huh. I mean they didn't really do anything but you know..."

"....."

"I wonder where he got that eye."

"...! You noticed too?"

"I told you before right? Nothing we own is mint-condition because all the new stuff goes straight to the corpos. I'm pretty sure that eye of his is the new YB series. Even if he had the money, he'd still need connections to actually get one so I wonder where..."

Down 6th Avenue where they came from is Picaro's Pawnshop. However the owner is...

"Noa? You good?"

"...Yes, everything's fine. Let's hurry home."