The girl held two dark red cups in her hands, her pale legs gleaming in the moonlight as she walked with an agile grace, her skin bathed in the silvery glow, making her look like a nocturnal fairy under the cold moon.
Maine gave Lin Mo's shoulder a solid pat, ruffling it with a strong grip, flashing his white teeth in a grin.
"Remember to have fun tonight. I'll leave you to it," Maine said with a laugh.
Lin Mo didn't show much reaction, but cast a sidelong glance at Maine and calmly rattled off his order for the evening.
"Don't think you're off the hook just yet. I've decided: get me some oden. Grab some cabbage, meatballs, bean sprouts, tofu skewers, sausages, and whatever meat they've got. For the main dish, I'll take some noodles. Make sure it's a hefty portion—I'm starving."
"You're really going to make me run around for this, huh?"
Maine complained as he shoved his hands into his pockets, walking toward the food stall, leaving Lin Mo with just the broad silhouette of his back.
"Fine, fine, I'll get your food, Mr. Big Spender."
As Maine left, he crossed paths with Rebecca. They exchanged quick greetings but didn't say much, continuing on their way.
If she's not here for Maine, she must be here for me... Lin Mo's gaze stayed calm as Rebecca approached, carrying the drinks in her hands.
"Yo, thanks for helping out back at the factory," she said, handing one of the plastic cups to Lin Mo.
Lin Mo took it with a smile, glancing at the liquid inside. Small bubbles were rising to the surface.
"This doesn't have alcohol, does it?" he asked after a moment of hesitation.
"What's the matter? Our fearless killer's afraid of a little booze?" Rebecca teased as she plopped down next to him.
Lin Mo chuckled quietly, turning his gaze back toward the food stall.
Maine was already towering over the oden stand, gesturing with a massive hand, pointing out ingredients to order on Lin Mo's behalf.
Seeing Lin Mo wasn't responding, Rebecca didn't seem to mind. She gave his back a playful pat, her tone lively.
"Don't worry. If you get drunk, the old man will give you a lift home," she said, nodding toward Falco, who was sitting nearby in a chair.
Her voice had a clear, almost musical quality—youthful yet sharp. Coupled with her small stature and cute, delicate face, Lin Mo would've easily mistaken her for a kid if she hadn't already mentioned being an adult.
Still, on the drive back, Hiro had filled him in on each member of Maine's crew—their skills and their reputations.
It was hard to believe that this seemingly sweet girl was, according to Hiro, a ruthless, bloodthirsty sharpshooter known for blowing heads off with a smile.
Lin Mo couldn't quite reconcile the contrast between Hiro's description and the young girl before him.
"It's funny you say that, but I actually have a mild allergy to alcohol. If I drink too much, I get itchy all over. I try to avoid it when I can," Lin Mo replied, handing the cup back to Rebecca.
Her face fell slightly, and she let out a small sigh, her brows furrowing before she reluctantly relented.
"It's just soda, relax," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Soda, huh? As long as there's no alcohol." Lin Mo didn't refuse anymore and downed the drink.
After letting out a small burp, he placed the empty cup aside and commented with a bit of surprise, "Not bad, actually."
"Of course it's good," Rebecca said with a smirk of pride.
Lin Mo smiled back but stayed quiet, taking in the lively sounds around them like a spectator.
The occasional roar of passing cars on the road didn't drown out the conversations in the parking lot. Groups of Edgerunners were seated around, chatting about the day's events, bursts of laughter punctuating the air.
Dorio and Falco sat together at a table, laughing as they watched Pilar's antics. Meanwhile, Sasha quietly sat by one of the stalls, slowly eating her meal.
It was a peaceful atmosphere, everyone unwinding after the intense battle earlier in their own way.
Rebecca sipped her soda, tilting her head as she curiously observed the boy beside her.
"Did you come to find me for something?" Lin Mo asked, breaking the silence.
Rebecca tilted her head to the side and glanced at him, confused. "Why, do I need a reason to come talk to you?"
"No, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that we haven't really spoken much before, so I figured you had something in mind," Lin Mo replied with a calm smile.
In other words, they weren't exactly close enough to just chat casually yet.
And even if they did try to chat, Lin Mo had no idea what to talk about. It's not like he could bring up "a hundred ways to decapitate someone" or "the fastest methods for neutralizing enemies."
Rebecca stared at him for a while longer before sighing deeply, clearly frustrated with his ability to kill any potential conversation.
"You're really something. Sitting there like a clueless idiot. You're hopeless at small talk," she said, sounding genuinely annoyed.
"Hmm... I don't think anything I said was wrong," Lin Mo mused, rubbing his chin before looking back at her. "But really, Rebecca, is there something you wanted to talk about?"
Rebecca leaned back against the edge of the planter, her hands behind her head, her expression showing a mix of resignation and irritation.
"Fine. I'll be honest. I just find you... interesting. Not many people your age can kill like you do—without even blinking. And you're pretty damn good at it too, considering how many bodies you've dropped." She cast him a sideways glance, a sly grin curling on her lips. "You're basically a lunatic."
"Is this a case of one lunatic recognizing another?" Lin Mo smiled back.
If she was calling him crazy, Rebecca certainly wasn't far behind.
"More or less. Honestly, though, I've never really liked rich kids like you. Why the hell are you even hanging around with people like us?" Rebecca asked, clicking her tongue.
"I could answer that. Want the truth?" Lin Mo asked with a smirk.
"You seriously give out fake answers too?" Rebecca shot him a look of disdain.
Lin Mo tilted his head back, gazing at the night sky as he thought about his response.
"I guess... I just like you guys. Also, you're the only crew I really know."
It made sense to stick with familiar faces for this kind of work. After all, Wakako had recommended Maine's crew, and they had crossed paths before. It only made sense to reach out to them.
Rebecca seemed unimpressed, her enthusiasm visibly fading as she glanced away. "Is that all? Here I was thinking you respected us for our skills."
"Well, respect comes after seeing how capable you are. Before this, we'd only met once. But who knows? We might be working together again in the future," Lin Mo said.
"Ugh, boring. I don't care about that stuff. Let's talk about something fun, like... do you like going to the shooting range?" Rebecca asked, her curiosity piqued again.
"Shooting range?"
"Yeah! We should go sometime. I could teach you a thing or two about guns," she said, smirking confidently.
"I'll think about it," Lin Mo replied.
Before they could continue, Rebecca glanced over and noticed Maine approaching, carrying a steaming tray full of oden skewers.
"Well, looks like our chat is over for now. Catch you later, little Lin Mo!" she said cheerfully.
"Not a bad nickname," Lin Mo mused with a smile.
Rebecca hopped off the planter and walked back toward the food stalls, her steps light and her mood seemingly lifted.
Maine handed over the tray of oden with a grumpy expression, muttering, "Here's your damn oden. I may be treating you, but I'm starting to feel like a delivery boy."
"Thanks," Lin Mo said, taking the tray and picking up a pair of disposable chopsticks.
As he began eating, Maine casually asked, "You two have a good chat?"
"It was alright. Didn't talk much," Lin Mo replied, picking up a fish ball.
"So, tell me, were we up to your standards tonight, Mr. Big Spender?" Maine asked, half-joking.
After fighting together, Maine figured they were on friendly enough terms to poke fun at Lin Mo's deep pockets.
"You guys did fine. I'll definitely call on you again if I've got any more jobs. And of course, if you've got any work that needs doing, you can count on me," Lin Mo said between bites.
Maine gave Lin Mo a casual glance, not taking his words too seriously at first. But then he remembered the kid's performance tonight—the way Lin Mo had moved through the battlefield like a ghost, cutting down enemies with precision and speed. Maine found himself reconsidering.
Come to think of it, having someone like Lin Mo—someone with his skill, his mastery of the Sandevistan—on their side could make some of their future jobs a hell of a lot easier.
For a moment, Maine thought back to the Sandevistan itself. He'd once thought about getting his hands on that tech, but the opportunity had never presented itself. The lower-end versions didn't appeal to him, and the high-grade military models were almost impossible to come by.
He'd settled for other neural reflex mods, but having someone like Lin Mo, who could use the Sandevistan so effectively, was something worth thinking about.
"Yeah... I'll keep that in mind," Maine finally replied.
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