Could a destroyer create? Could something with a design to rip limbs from bodies and set fire to enemy villages make something good? The questions kept Hiro awake. For eight days, he couldn't enter "sleep mode". As his processor whirred inside him, he wondered if he could find an answer. Why shouldn't he create? Why give a killer two hands if they were not meant to do something with them? The creation just needed to be simple. Yes, simple, enjoyable, and beautiful. Hiro felt his internal facial temperature rise at the thought of Akio, who was simple, enjoyable, and beautiful. If Hiro wanted to create, it would only be proper if it was something Akio liked. A drawing? Too simple, and with Hiro's skills, not beautiful, either. A hand-squeezed glass of orange juice? The last time Hiro tried that, his circuits got all sticky. Another question arose: what could Hiro make for Akio that would do good in the world, yet not harm anyone?
Thump. Panicked, Hiro jumped up from his bed and aimed his pulsating gun towards the noise at the window. But no one was there. Hiro stalked over, hating himself for automatically shifting into a battle stance. Thump. A bumping like a pebble falling on the ground. Looking down, Hiro's eyes met the culprit. A tiny yellow bee, happily confused, squished its chubby face against the glass. Hiro sighed in relief. Ashamed of his panic, he quietly let his arm gun return to a hand. Pathetic; how could he even dream of creating when his instinct was to kill?
As an apology, Hiro opened the window for the bee. The little bug bumbled over to the far corner of the bedroom where a bouquet of roses wilted in a porcelain vase. The flowers belonged to Yuki—a gift from some admirer or another—but she wasn't fond of their deep crimson color. Frankly, the blood red petals reminded Hiro of things he didn't want to remember. However, like the bee cuddling into the face of the flowers, the color attracted all sorts of interesting characters. Beetles with hard shells, whole fleets of pollen, and, most importantly, the short yet sweet Akio. Every time he swung by Hiro's room, he'd take a moment to admire and sniff the roses. While Akio smiled at the flowers, Hiro couldn't help but feel alive.
Roses—that's what Hiro could create. A perfect project! Simple enough to serve as a substitute for a lover's word. Enjoyable enough that insects of all kinds, from the villainous mosquito to the sweet honeybee, adored it. Beautiful enough for the purity of Akio. Bright, tender roses for Akio. He could only be mystified by the flowers' beauty. A little bloom couldn't hurt anyone. The dark red ones gave Hiro flashbacks, but there were plenty of other colors, even other shades of red. If anything, the pollen might make someone sneeze, but no one ever died of sneezing. Yes, roses would work. As the sun rose, chasing away the darkness, Hiro was determined to create.
