Masterlist

Never trust a soul in Night City.

「こっちこっち」

と重ねて声をかけられて、走と清瀬は天井を振り仰いだ。玄関の天井に、なぜか拳大の穴があいていた。顔を押しつけるようにしているのだろう。穴からはだれかの目がのぞき、悪戯そうな笑いを象っていた。

「ジョージ」

清瀬が低い声を出した。「なんなんだ、その穴は」

「踏み抜いちゃった」

「いま行くから待ってろ」

清瀬は憤然と、しかし足音を立てずに階段を上っていく。走は迷ったが、清瀬のあとを追うことにした。走が足をかけると、階段はうぐいす張りになっているかのように、激しく軋んだ。

"Up here! Up here!" the voice called out, and Kakeru and Kiyose looked up at the ceiling. There, above the entryway, for some reason or another, was a fist-sized hole. A face was pressed against it. Through the hole, their eyes peeked, sparkling with mischievous laughter.

"Joji," Kiyose said in a low voice. "How did that happen?"

"Someone stepped through the floor!"

"I'm coming up now."

Kiyose was angry, and therefore he walked noisily up the stairs. Even though he was lost, Kakeru followed after him. Every time Kakeru took a step, the stairs creaked violently, almost like they were an anti-theft measure.

Sleep, sugar, let your dreams flood in