If you want to read some chapters ahead and unpublished fanfics you can check out my patreon or just take a visit.
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….
The pace of life in the city center was a world apart from the other districts. Here, life wasn't about surviving—it was about indulging. Even the students lived like they were on a permanent vacation, rarely rushing anywhere.
David's frantic dash to class? That made him stick out like a sore thumb. But he didn't care. Because right now, he was too captivated by the scene around him.
"This place is… unreal." He had expected the city center to be better than Santo Domingo or Watson— But not this much better.
There was no garbage littering the streets, no choking industrial fumes hanging in the air. It was like stepping into a different world— One that crushed him with its beauty as much as it enchanted him.
The gleaming skyscrapers, towering into the heavens, created a steel-and-glass ballet under the glow of neon lights.
Massive holographic screens displayed corporate propaganda, their vivid colors painting the streets below.
In the skies above, bulky hovercars floated like schools of fish, weaving between spotlights that pierced the eternal dusk.
And then, there were the corporate towers. These monolithic fortresses, brutalist in design, dominated the skyline—
A constant reminder of who truly ruled Night City. If Westbrook was where the rich played, then the city center was where the power resided.
But David knew the truth. This so-called prosperity? It was built on the backs of people like him—the ones left to rot in the lower districts.
"David, I can't believe you actually showed up." The mocking tone snapped him out of his daze.
David looked up, spotting a student in the same Arasaka Academy uniform descending the stairs.
Flanked by two lackeys, the guy moved with an air of unearned arrogance, like he owned the world.
His voice practically dripped with condescension. David's brow furrowed slightly. The guy's tone rubbed him the wrong way.
But the face? That didn't ring a bell.
"…Who the hell are you?"
"You Don't Remember?" The question made the other student's expression twist in irritation.
"What, did you hit your head or something, David Martinez?" His voice grew louder, laced with mockery.
"Need me to call Trauma Team for you?" Then his smirk widened—sharp, cruel.
"Oh wait—"
"You're not even a member, are you?"
"If you were, maybe your mom wouldn't have died like a nobody."
That hit hard. The two lackeys beside him burst into laughter, their voices carrying across the courtyard.
"Did you hear that? What a loser!"
"Imagine not even being able to afford Trauma Team coverage. Pathetic."
"Kid like him shouldn't even be in our school. He's just a stain." As their laughter echoed, something clicked in David's mind. He stared at the guy in front of him, his features finally clicking into place.
Ah. So that's who this jackass was.
"Tanaka… Katsuo, right?" Katsuo's grin widened.
"That's right. Took you long enough, huh?" David tilted his head slightly, his voice flat.
"Yeah. Thanks for the reminder." His gaze didn't waver as he added, "Your obnoxious voice is hard to forget." The words seemed to hit Katsuo wrong, and his grin twitched ever so slightly.
Before he could speak, David cut him off.
"So, what's the deal?"
"Standing here waiting for me like this—what do you want?" His tone was calm, almost curious.
"Is this about that crap you said on the phone yesterday?" David leaned in slightly, his eyes narrowing.
"What was it again? Something about revenge?"
David's calm and indifferent attitude made Katsuo Tanaka's irritation spike.
It was as if his verbal jabs and taunts were being absorbed by a wall of cotton, rendering them completely ineffective.
But Katsuo couldn't afford to lose his cool. Not here. Not in public, where the Tanaka family's name and reputation were on the line.
So, instead, he forced a condescending smirk, speaking as if his words were a generous gift to David.
"Don't worry. I'm very open-minded and forgiving."
"I won't hold those ridiculous ramblings you spouted last night against you."
"Just like I don't hold it against you for being… well, poor."
David raised an eyebrow, already feeling the secondhand embarrassment coming from Katsuo's childish performance. But Katsuo continued, deliberately emphasizing words like "poor" and "tuition."
"It's not your fault you were born into poverty, after all."
"And there's no rule saying poor people can't attend Arasaka Academy—"
"So long as they can afford it." The message was clear. He didn't need to spell it out. Katsuo was blatantly telling David that he didn't belong here— That someone like him had no right to attend Arasaka Academy.
Instead of rising to the bait, David simply laughed. A genuine, hearty laugh. That response only made Katsuo's smile falter, his brows furrowing deeply.
"What the hell are you laughing at?" His tone was sharp, his expression shifting from smugness to thinly-veiled anger.
David wiped the tears from his eyes, still chuckling as he straightened up. "Sorry, sorry. It's just— You sounded so ridiculous just now. Like something straight out of a bad news broadcast." His tone turned mockingly polite.
"Oh, but wait—what was it you were trying to say earlier? You want me to drop out, right?" Katsuo's jaw tightened, his fists clenching ever so slightly.
David tilted his head, giving him a look of mock pity, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Come on, Katsuo. I told you yesterday—dropping out just isn't happening." With a theatrical shrug, David spread his hands. "Honestly, you're becoming one of the highlights of my life. If I didn't get to hear you bark every day, I think I'd actually miss it."
"You little—!" Katsuo's entire face turned red as his anger boiled over. His fist shot up, ready to throw a punch— But his two lackeys quickly grabbed his arm, whispering urgently.
"Boss, not here!"
"There are cameras!" The reminder seemed to snap Katsuo back to reality, forcing him to lower his arm.
Even so, his glare was filled with pure venom, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to keep his composure.
After a long pause, he exhaled sharply.
"Hmph." He crossed his arms, forcing himself to sound unbothered. "It doesn't matter. Like I said, I'm generous and tolerant. Trash like you isn't even worth my time."
David tilted his head again, his lips curving into a sly smile.
"Really? That's so sweet of you. I mean, considering how much time and effort you're spending on me right now." Katsuo's eye twitched, but he quickly covered it with a sneer.
"I told you—someone like you doesn't belong at this school. You'll regret staying." David simply shrugged again. "I'll be waiting, then."
"But hey—don't work yourself too hard, Katsuo. Wouldn't want you to strain that big, generous heart of yours." With that, David walked away, leaving Katsuo behind to seethe silently.
….
Venom x multiverse on patreon.
Cyberpunk x genos on patreon.
In deadpool on patreon.
Cyberpunk x David with System on patreon.
Yoriichi x Akame Ga Kill on patreon.
Naruto(characters) x Fate Holy grail war on patreon.
….
If you want to read some chapters ahead and unpublished fanfics you can check out my patreon or just take a visit.
[P].[A].[T].[R].[E].[O].[N]
http://patreon.com/Kazuma_trash