Chiyo's tily appearance acted as a silent barrier that dissipated the tension between Karl and Adam Smasher—or perhaps it was Smasher hi
Chiyo's tily appearance acted as a silent barrier that dissipated the tension between Karl and Adam Smasher—or perhaps it was Smasher himself who chose to ease up.
His gaze, once sharp as a blade, softened and shifted away. That alone filled Karl with suspicion. Because the mont Michiko's na was ntioned, Smasher's violent aura seed to vanish—like a storm dissipated by a sudden, gentle breeze.
Weird. Too weird.
Karl couldn't help but rember the oddly calm tone Smasher had used once when talking about Hanako. Now, that sa unsettling feeling ca back—stronger than ever.
What the hell is going on with Adam Smasher? He didn't even say anything threatening—just backed off. Did changing his body also change his personality? Is this the "gentle edition" of Adam Smasher?
Still puzzled, Karl followed Chiyo through the doors of the estate, walking alongside Maki.
The interior hadn't changed much since his last visit. But unlike last ti—when he'd t Hanako in the tea room—this ti, Michiko Arasaka herself was waiting for them in the grand hall.
A more fitting venue for guests, really. The hall had always served as the formal reception space.
Michiko sat on the central sofa, casually receiving a teacup from her daughter Hanako. When she heard movent at the entrance, she accepted the cup gracefully and set it down on the table without so much as glancing their way. Then, calm and composed, she rose to greet them.
Her eyes passed over Kenichiro first, then lingered briefly on Adam Smasher. A flicker of sothing—nostalgia, maybe—crossed her face. But it vanished quickly. Her expression turned neutral again as she shifted her gaze to Karl and Maki.
"Maki. It's been a while."
"I should've checked in sooner, Aunt Michiko."
Michiko greeted the familiar Takemura Maki first, then turned to Karl.
She didn't speak imdiately. Karl stood in silence, unsure what to expect from the woman who effectively ran Arasaka's Night City operations. He waited.
His first impression?
Michiko Arasaka was... impactful.
Maki had warned him—and she was right. Every ti you saw Michiko, she seed like a completely different person. The last ti Karl had seen her on TV, she had jet-black hair. Now?
She wore a bright blue shamate-style haircut, and massive circular rings dangled from each ear. The look was striking—loud, unapologetic.
This was what it ant to be fashion-forward in Night City. Karl didn't quite understand it, but he couldn't deny the impression she made.
While Karl tried to process the visual overload, Michiko was silently studying him.
She'd had a file on this young man ever since he'd taken on his first escort job. But even she hadn't predicted how entangled he would beco with her daughter—a nobody, recently legitimized with an identity arranged quietly by Hanako herself.
Was this just friendship forged through crisis? Or...
Michiko's eyes drifted briefly toward Adam Smasher.
This really is my daughter, she thought. More like than I expected.
Still, Michiko had no intention of ddling. She was a modern parent—or perhaps a product of her Arican-leaning education. Her daughter had proven capable of independence. That was enough. No need to interfere.
After two seconds of observation, Michiko smiled at Karl.
"You must be Karl. Hanako talks about you often. I'm glad you could co today."
She spoke like any mother casually greeting her child's friends—pleasant, approachable, relaxed.
And for so reason, that simple warmth eased Karl's nerves far more than he expected. The tension he'd felt—greater than even his standoff with Smasher—began to lt away.
"Thank you for having , Aunt Michiko."
Karl hesitated briefly, then decided to mimic Maki's tone of respectful familiarity.
From that point on, the atmosphere shifted into sothing lighter. This wasn't a corporate eting. It wasn't a formal reception at Arasaka Tower. Just as Hanako had told them, this was a casual get-together—an informal invitation to her ho to et her mother.
Michiko didn't speak much to Karl or Maki. Her attention was clearly on Adam Smasher. She even invited him to sit beside her for a private chat. Hanako sat with Maki on the opposite side. Karl had initially planned to join them and sit nearby.
But Kenichiro's pointed gaze said otherwise.
Karl sighed inwardly and took a seat on the sofa across from them.
The ssage was clear: mind your manners. Keep things proper.
Once Karl had taken his seat, Kenichiro gave a small nod of approval.
Then he turned—and saw Michiko chatting with Adam Smasher.
His brow furrowed.
He rembered sothing his father had once said.
Adam Smasher. Definitely soone who needs to be watched.
There had been a ti when Michiko had taken her husband's surna. After his death, she reverted to Arasaka. But now Smasher was cozying up to her?
What was he planning?
Kenichiro looked from Karl to Smasher… and made a decision.
He sat next to Smasher.
Karl might be a pain—but compared to Adam Smasher? Kenichiro disliked him far less.
No matter what, Karl at least showed so basic courtesy. Every ti he addressed Kenichiro, he respectfully used "-san." Smasher? He didn't even pretend.
Kenichiro had hated that from the start.
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