Ways to Get to Know People
"Sorry, it's okay."
The blue-haired girl on the ground heard Karl's voice and glanced up at him. Her purple prosthetic eyes flashed as they began scanning.
'Karl Brutus, from Heywood, seventeen years old, criminal history, illegal selling of BD, no NCPD bounty.'
The information scanned by her prosthetic eyes entered the girl's mind, revealing Karl's identity.
'The rumored experiential student?'
Her expression remained neutral. The blue-haired girl shook her head slightly, refusing Karl's offered hand, and stood up on her own. "You should be careful when walking around corners."
After delivering this simple statement, she bypassed Karl and continued on her way, seemingly unfazed by the collision.
"I'll be careful."
Karl's response, meant for her retreating figure, went unheard. He turned his palm, hiding something underneath.
During the brief encounter, Karl had managed to lift an item from her person.
He checked the camera at the corner. In their brief collision, he had used her body to shield his sleight of hand from the camera's view.
Casually, Karl walked a few steps to a blind spot in the camera's coverage, a spot he had noted during his visit the previous day. There, he examined the card-like object he had taken from the blue-haired girl.
'Jackpot.'
The item in his hand was a vehicle control chip, essentially a car key in 2075.
Luxury cars in 2075 typically had distinctive chip designs. Thanks to the knowledge shared by his car enthusiast friends, Oliver and Jack, Karl could identify the car from the chip's design alone.
[Herrera Gangster GTS]: A top-tier Spanish motor vehicle, one of the most sought-after models on the market. It blends cutting-edge technology with classic design, handcrafted by the world's best engineers. It's among the most expensive road-legal cars available.
Owning such an expensive vehicle at this age indicated that the girl's parents were likely high-ranking officials in Arasaka Corporation.
Initially, Karl had intended to grab something minor to use as an excuse for another interaction. He hadn't expected to hit the jackpot.
This prize couldn't wait. If she realized it was missing, she'd likely return for it soon.
With the chip in hand, Karl turned and chased after the blue-haired girl.
"Wait a minute, you dropped something."
Hearing his voice, the girl paused and turned. Upon seeing what Karl was holding, her eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"This is yours, right? I just noticed it stuck in my sleeve after a few steps."
Karl smiled as he approached, extending the chip toward her.
The blue-haired girl scanned him once more with her prosthetic eyes before reaching out. "It's mine."
Her right hand was delicate and fair, clearly unused to hard labor. However, her ring finger was silver-gray, unlike the rest of her hand. A closer look revealed it was a mechanical prosthetic.
She gently took the chip from Karl, ensuring her fingers didn't touch his skin.
"Thank you."
Holding the chip in her palm, she thanked him softly.
"It's no problem. I was the one who bumped into you."
Technically, she had bumped into him, but Karl wasn't concerned with details. His goal was to leave an impression.
After a brief nod to end their second encounter, Karl turned and walked away.
Too much interaction at once could be overwhelming. This morning's encounters were sufficient.
The initial collision had created a minimal face impression, and the second conversation had deepened that impression through the exchange of an object.
The first meeting left a two-sided impression, paving the way for future conversations.
There was always an opportunity within a month. Once a formal conversation began, subsequent interactions would follow naturally. Familiarity would grow from there.
'She'll be my primary contact for now. Next, I need to see if there are any other Arasaka Academy students willing to engage with an experiential student like me. I can't afford to miss anyone. They might have valuable information.'
After a brief visit to the bathroom to wash his hands, Karl returned. Barely five minutes had passed since the start of the 20-minute break, but he had no intention of seeking further contact.
Leaving an impression on one person during the first break was enough.
As an experiential student, he couldn't afford to be too conspicuous. An accidental collision could be dismissed, but two would seem deliberate. On the first day, when the school would scrutinize him closely, it was best to play the part of an ordinary street kid.
Karl thought so, but things didn't unfold as he had expected.
Shortly after leaving the bathroom, three male students in school uniforms stopped him in the corridor.
"Are you the experiential student, Karl?"
The lead student, with short blond hair, stepped back cautiously when he saw Karl approaching, water droplets still on his hands. He called out to Karl, halting his progress.
"What's up?"
Karl glanced at the student and his two followers. He couldn't fathom why they had stopped him.
Was he about to face some rich kids bullying a commoner on his first day?
Could he tolerate it?
Unlikely.
As he debated whether to go for the leader's head or groin first if things escalated, the boy spoke unexpected words.
"Do you have any BDs?"
The boy lowered his voice, cautiously approaching with his two eager followers.
"I saw your record. You used to sell black market BDs, right... Do you have any good ones? The academy and my family are too strict, so I can't buy them. Do you have any channels?"
Karl suddenly realized he might have just found a way to connect with most of the male students at Arasaka Academy.
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