Berry, having a guilty conscience, saw V's outstretched hand and thought she was about to get a knock on the head.
She immediately closed her eyes, quietly awaiting fate's judgment.
But the result was only the gentle touch of V's five fingers stroking her head.
Huh? She wasn't hit.
Berry opened her eyes in confusion.
Opening her eyes, she met V's blue gaze, which was full of pity, warmth, and tolerance, like a calm tide.
Gazing at Berry's fair face with complex emotions for a moment, V brushed aside the stray hairs on Berry's forehead, closed her eyes, and gently kissed her.
Pulling back her lips, V still didn't move away.
Instead, she wrapped her arms around Berry, closing her eyes and feeling the warmth in her embrace.
Berry was still here. That was good.
Berry, too, was moved by her good sister's tenderness and wrapped her arms around V's waist in return.
She nestled her small head against V's neck in comfort, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth of V's embrace.
Sometimes, lovers didn't need many words; a warm hug was enough to convey their feelings.
"...Berry, tell me, why are you pushing yourself so hard? Why do I always feel like your heart is full of worries?"
In the intimacy of their love, the other person's scent, every breath, and even their heartbeat were so clear, as if they had merged and become one.
In the stillness, V whispered into Berry's ear.
Hearing V's warm words near her ear, Berry's heart skipped a beat.
V actually noticed it.
Of course V could tell; after all, she had watched Berry grow up.
When Berry wasn't right, V might notice it faster than Berry herself.
Therefore, in the small details of life, she had sensed Berry's anxiety, which made her so eager to strengthen The Hive's power.
But V didn't know why.
What exactly was forcing Berry to be so desperate?
"Berry, I don't know what trouble is making you push yourself so hard, but I just want you to know that I will always be by your side and will always support you."
"When you encounter trouble you can't handle, remember that you have me, your older sister, to rely on. You are not alone, Berry. I will always be by your side."
Whatever trouble Berry had encountered, or whatever she had seen, since she wasn't planning on telling, V wouldn't ask further. She merely stated her position.
She would always be by Berry's side, just like she always had been.
In the quiet of the night, listening to V's clear words, Berry felt a warmth in her heart, and the fatigue of these past days seemed to dissipate.
She had indeed been pushing herself too hard recently, constantly thinking about improving the Hive's combat power and expanding the Hive Organization.
As a result, she ended up collapsing and passing out in the basement.
However, she had no choice.
This cyber world and the current time they were in were truly terrible.
On this land, NUSA and the Free Cities were both stirring; the previous inconclusive Unification War had not convinced either side, and both were gearing up, ready to launch a new war at any moment.
And within Night City, the Arasaka Corporation, under Yorinobu Arasaka, was also brewing something big; Yorinobu, this self-destructive individual, was preparing to drag Arasaka Corporation into an unprecedented corporate war, completely destroying Arasaka Corporation itself to complete his rebellion.
When all these imminent threats arrived, Berry had to ensure she had enough power to protect the people she cared about, whether it was V or anyone else.
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