There was a tall, big old clock
It was my grandfather's clock
It was always running for one hundred years
My grandfather was always proud of it
The morning my grandfather was born
It was when the clock was bought
Now the clock will move no more.
Genos walked towards Saitama's apartment entrance. He let out a deep sigh, which turned to a white steam floating in the air. It was winter after all, he thought. He looked up to the cloudy, grey sky. Snowflakes were falling, piling up on his head. The blond cyborg took out a key from his pocket─it was a spare key to Saitama's apartment given by his master, four years ago. Genos remembered Saitama's words at that time. The bald man was smiling, with a faint blush on his face.
"Since we're living together, you should hold on to this. It would be a problem if one of us got locked outside, right?"
Genos took a deep breath. His mind was muddled ever since he received the news three days ago. He nervously turned the doorknob, it was unlocked. With shaky hands, he opened the door. He found his master was lazily lying down on the floor, reading a manga with his usual emotionless expression.
It's alright. He told me, everything's going to be okay. I should just continue living as usual─just like I used to be. I can do this.
"I'm home." Genos took off his shoes, brushing off a small pile of snow on his right shoulder. "It's snowing outside, Sensei."
"Welcome back. No wonder it feels colder than yesterday. I've turned on the heater, so it'll be fine. Anyway, what are we having for dinner tonight?"
"I bought you some instant curry. They taste good when cooked with udon." Genos went to the kitchen, putting the plastic bags on the counter.
"Genos, where were you from?" Saitama asked, flipping pages from his manga. "You've been leaving for three days. Also, you donned that formal getup. Were you attending a party or something?"
Saitama noticed his disciple's clothes. Genos was wearing a black suit, complete with black tie and coat. It was different from the cyborg's casual attire. Genos went silent, slowly walked and sat beside his master.
"To tell you the truth...I..." The cyborg spoke, his voice was hoarse. "I was attending a funeral this morning."
"Oh? Whose funeral?"
Genos gulped. He clenched his metallic fingers. His head hung low.
"Doctor Kuseno's."
Hearing Genos' words, Saitama immediately stopped reading.
"Oh...I'm..." Saitama scratched his bald head. "I'm really sorry to hear that."
"It's okay, Sensei..."
The atmosphere went heavy. Both Saitama and Genos were quiet for few minutes, until the bald man spoke. "You should change your clothes. Put them to the laundry basket. I'll cook the curry udon for you."
Obediently, Genos nodded his head. "Yes, Sensei."
"But, really...that Doctor Kuseno...I didn't expect it to happen at all..." Saitama turned on the stove. "I thought he's fine and all..."
"He's too old after all, Sensei. Nobody can avoid being old." Genos took off his clothes, making rustling sounds.
"Heh, yeah...right." The bald man chuckled. "But you can't get old."
Genos widened his eyes, his fingers trembled. His master continued his cooking casually.
"Doctor Kuseno's the one who changed your appearance every year, right?" Saitama stirred the curry with a ladle, without even looking straight to Genos. "What are you gonna do, now that he's gone? That means, you're stuck with this appearance, eh?"
"That is true...but, you don't have to worry. I can do self-repairs or software updates on my own now. I have no problems with my appearance, Sensei."
"Are you sure?" Saitama poured the curry to his and Genos' plates. "I mean, your appearance isn't a problem, but..."
After a few minutes of preparation, Saitama took the plates of curry and bring them to the table.
"Whatever, let's just eat." The bald man sighed. "By the way, how old are you now?"
"I'm turning 23 this year, Sensei."
"Haha. Then, you're stuck being a 23-year old for the rest of your life!"
Saitama laughed, but Genos kept silent. Awkwardly, the bald man took a gulp from his cup.
"Doctor Kuseno told me on his deathbed..." Genos mumbled, "...that I should continue to live my life as usual. I shouldn't think too much about how am I going to do that...I should just do it."
"Hey, you shouldn't hold back." Saitama munched a mouthful of curry udon.
"If you want to cry, then just do it. That old man of yours is truly a wise one. Aaah, but be careful not to drop them in your food!"
A drop of oil dripped down from Genos' eyes. Slowly, it became an overflowing stream running down his cheeks.
"Is it good?" Saitama asked, his face was filled with worry and sympathy.
Genos took a bite from his food. He nodded, then spoke in a choked voice.
"Yes, Sensei. It's delicious."
One hundred years without resting
tick tock tick tock
Together with my grandfather
tick tock tick tock
Now the clock will move no more
Both happy and sad things
The clock knew it all
Now the clock will move no more.
"What day is tomorrow?" Saitama scratched his head, yawning lazily.
"Tomorrow's Friday, Sensei. The Lawwson Mart are having 20% off for meat and eggs tomorrow."
"Nice, Genos. You're so handy for being my living memo." The bald man laughed heartily. "For some reason, I can't really remember many things like I used to."
Genos' golden eyes watched his master's movements. His brows furrowed in pain. He saw wrinkles on his master's face and skin. His heart ached in seeing Saitama's aged figure. His master...who once was a valorous, strong man in his prime, now covered in wrinkles and dimmed eyes.
Time waits for no one, and so does humans grow old, Genos thought to himself. It hurts to think about it, but it's the truth. The bitter, cruel truth.
"Can you give me a back massage?" Saitama stretched his arms. "By the way, how many years have passed since Mumen passed away?"
"Sure, Sensei. It's been ten years..." The blond cyborg reached out to his master's shriveled body. His mechanical hands trembled at the sight of Saitama's arched back.
"That guy...heh, I missed those days...we used to be drinking buddies, bickering over trivial things...hey, we should visit his grave this Saturday, to say hi."
"That would be a great idea, Sensei."
"Ooof. It's good to have you here. I don't need to move to the elderly care center! Unlike Mumen, I have a loyal disciple such as you to help me doing many things! Hahahaha!"
Genos smiled, following his master's warm laugh. Saitama slowly stopped laughing. He gazed at the window─it was snowing outside.
"Genos, tell me...how many years have been passed since we met for the first time...?"
The cyborg frowned. "It's been seventy-two years, Sensei."
"I see." Saitama let out a small, soft sigh. "Time really passed quickly. You're still as handsome and young as you used to be, Genos. I'm jealous of you."
"Don't say that, Sensei." Genos lowered his head. His chest tightened in pain.
"...do you regret it? For not being able to grow old?"
The cyborg nodded, drops of oil splattered from his eyes.
"Do you remember...Doctor Kuseno's last words? You should continue to live your life as it is."
"But, Sensei...! You don't know how it feels...to see everyone─one by one, grow old and die. It pains me so much to see you becoming like this..."
Genos sobbed. "Tell me, Sensei...how am I going to continue living without you? And it scares me...to see the day you died..."
"When I was a kid, I heard this song..." Saitama closed his eyes. "It was about a big, old clock that was owned by an old man. The clock was bought at the day the guy was born. The clock accompanied him in his life ever since..."
Genos tearfully held Satama's wrinkled hands with his metal fingers. He sobbed quietly, waiting for Saitama to finish his story.
"...the guy brought back a pretty chick...and...ahhhh...I forgot the rest of the story..." Saitama grumbled. "But, whatever! I'm so sleepy...Genos, would you help me to prepare the futon?"
Slowly and awkwardly, Saitama crawled to his futon. He smiled to Genos, who was sitting beside him─spilling oil everywhere.
"Don't be scared." The old man grinned. Although his body was bent by time, but his spirit never goes out.
Genos felt Saitama's fingers brushed his oil-stained face. He felt warmth emanating from those shriveled fingers. Those hands...those hands once were so strong, now weakly touched his artificial skin.
"Sensei...please...don't leave me..."
"Don't be scared to let me go. We'll meet again, sooner or later...just like that old man and his clock..."
Saitama closed his eyes, drifting away to his sleep─his eternal, peaceful sleep.
In the middle of the night,
My grandfather's clock rang its bell
It showed the time to say farewell
My grandfather went to heaven
Separated from his clock as well
Now the clock will move no more.
Countless summers and winters have passed. Genos was standing on the apartment's balcony, letting strong winds blew through his hair. He looked up to the sky─it was cloudy and grey, just like the day he went home from Doctor Kuseno's funeral, many years ago. He pulled out a key from his pocket, clenching it tightly within his grasp.
Just as Sensei said, it wasn't too scary. When the day came, I was so frightened that I wasn't able to breathe. I cried, cried, and cried for days. But, after that...I felt lighter than ever.
Genos sat on the floor, his head was still looking up. The light on his chest flickered, before it went dim.
"...it appears that the clock will stop moving now, Sensei."
He slowly closed his eyes. Faintly, he felt his mainframe systems were being shut down, one by one.
"Ahhh...it's snowing...Sensei, look...it's so beautiful..."
One hundred years without resting
tick tock tick tock
Together with my grandfather
tick tock tick tock
Now the clock will move no more.