This is the tale of a man who has yet to realize his potential. Genome is a destitute orphan with a genius intellect, and an outcast among his peers. When a cruel twist of fate subjects him to the wrath of his greatest tormentor, Ken, a lovely young lady named Nia offers him companionship that he has not known for more than half of his brief life. Out of pity, or guilt, we do not know.

Light beats against my closed eyelids, forcing me into consciousness. My eyes crack open slowly, painstakingly, as my senses gradually return to me. An unfamiliar ceiling hangs over me. My vision fixates on the ceiling fan above, spinning slowly, with little pink puppies on the ends of pull-chords. My eyes drift around the room, taking in the soft pink hue of the walls, the assortment of beauty products spread in front of a vanity, and the abundance of stuffed animals. Though I can't quite place why, I get the gut feeling that this room belongs to a girl.

I sit up, perhaps a bit too quickly as my vision then blurs and the room spins. Trying to hold my head brings to my attention the throbbing pain that resonates inside my skull. Oh, it's in my back, too. As well was my chest. My limbs, also. It's just kind of a general, ubiquitous pain. I am the pain, and the pain is me. Okay, this is getting weird. Maybe my head got the worst of it. The worst of what, though? Trying to remember how I got into this pathetic state is my current priority; I don't give the slightest damn about how I ended up in this room. I haven't slept on a mattress since before middle school and I'm not about to start questioning it.

"Oh! You're awake!" A feminine voice from the far end of the room breaks me from my intermittent delirium. "I wasn't expecting you to be up until at least noon." I look up and squint at the source of the voice, trying to focus my still bleary vision on its source.

"Nia?" Yes, it seems to be Nia. Same hair, same eyes, same height. Voice sounds close enough, too.

"Yep, it's me alright." Alright, at this point I'm either not having any mental issues, or I'm seriously delusional; the latter may not be all that bad. "Still sleepy, huh? I was just coming in to check on you, but you can go back to sleep if you want."

I put my hand up, while I rub my head with the other. "No, stay for a second." I try to formulate some kind of question, but there's too much that I either don't remember or wasn't awake for, and I'm still not entirely awake. "Where…" I trail off, but Nia manages to pick up on my underdeveloped train of thought.

"This is my room." She says, smiling as she gestures around. "Nice, huh? Well, it's a little messy, but nobody's perfect." She punctuates this by playfully winking at me.

I sigh deeply. It's too goddamn early to be dealing with this. "How did I get here?" I ask, finally managing to utter a complete thought.

"Oh, I, uh," Nia seems to shy away from the answer to this question; I can't imagine why. "I just, sorta, carried you." She blushes, and rub the back of her head in some kind of nervous gesture that I don't comprehend. "I mean, you're not very heavy. It wasn't a big deal or anything."

I'm not sure whether to be embarrassed with her, or to be in shame about my rather pathetic stature, so all I can offer her is, "Oh, uh. Thanks. I guess." However, I continue the questioning. "But how did I get here? What scenario resulted in me inexplicably waking up in your room? Forgive me if I'm forgetting something obvious."

Nia looks down at her stocking feet, but not out of embarrassment like a second before. "No, I understand why you wouldn't remember, given what, uh, happened." She lingers for a moment, uncomfortably shifting her weight from side to side, before looking up at me. "You got into… a fight."

"A fight?" I echo, incredulous.

"Y-yeah. With, uh," She lowers her voice to barely above a mumble, but I'm able to make out what she says. "With Ken."

I start to get a vague recollection of the previous day's events; this certainly explains why I'm so sore. But it doesn't explain enough. "A fight with Ken, and…?" I urge her on.

Nia takes a deep breath before continuing. "Well, he… He beat you pretty badly. You passed out, and, well, here we are."

I continue rubbing my head, now out of contemplation. "So no one questioned you dragging home an unconscious boy, and putting him in your bed? And then," I glance at the alarm clock on her night stand, and see that it's only eleven in the morning. "Skipping school to stay home with him?" She looks away sheepishly at this comment, but with a playful smile on her face. "Your parents didn't have any problems with that?"

Her gaze returns to me, now full of pity. It makes my blood boil. "Gee, you really don't remember, do you? I told you right before you blacked out. I'm by myself here. No parents, just me." She doesn't seem sad as she says this; wistful maybe, but not depressed.

It's with this that the memories come back to me like a flood. I remember it all now, the toys, Ken, and then the two of us crying all over each other like a couple of idiots. How completely humiliating. I fall back onto the bed, groaning in frustration, before recalling that this was her bed, scrambling out of it as quickly as possible. I falter a bit as I get back onto my feet, but I don't fall.

Nia seems rather surprised. "Wow! You're a pretty tough cookie. I didn't think you'd be awake for another day, much less standing up."

I ignore her comment as I begin to walk past her, toward the door. "I shouldn't be here. I appreciate the gesture, but it would be best if we didn't-"

As my foot is at the threshold of the room, Nia's surprised voice cuts me off. "W-wait! Genome, where are you going?" She takes a step toward me, her eyes wide with unnecessary concern.

"Back to the orphanage. I need to see the extent to which Ken has defiled my belongings." That was part of the reason, though I neglected to mention the sheer amount of embarrassment I felt from having Nia see me in such a sorry state.

"You…" Nia begins to say something, but pauses as a blush graces her cheeks. "You might want to wear something if you're leaving."

At this moment I realize that I'm wearing nothing but my ratty boxer shorts. I feel the heat rush to my face as I sputter. "M-my clothes! You…?"

Nia gives another sheepish smile as she hands me my clothes, neatly folded. "I'm sorry. Your clothes were just kind of… well… dirty, and I didn't want any mud getting on my sheets."

I hastily take my clothes back from her and rush to get dressed as Nia kindly averts her eyes. I try to regain my composure, though I can still feel myself blushing furiously. I can only hope that she stopped at stripping me, and didn't make some attempt to medicate me in my unconscious state.

Swallowing heavily, I manage to force out, "Th-thank you for your hospitality. Now, if you will excuse me-"

She cuts me off yet again, "Hold on! I want to come with you." At my confused expression, she unsteadily explains, "Well, uh, what if you run into Ken on the way there? I'm sure you don't want to face him by yourself. You're still hurt, you know."

It's a flimsy excuse at best, but for some reason the wet-eyed look she gives me manages to weaken my resolution. "Very well." I mumble as I push my way out of her bedroom.

The living room of her apartment is shockingly clean and neat. Healthy potted plants are dotted about the room, and the decoration is tasteful, if a bit scarce. I can hardly believe that a single middle-schooler lives here on her own.

As though she could hear my thoughts, Nia spoke as she followed me out, "This used to be my grandmother's apartment. I lived here with her for a while, but she passed away about a year and a half ago. Now it's just me here."

Only then did I fully realize the extent of Nia's solitude. For more than a year, she has been living completely by herself, with absolutely no one to rely on. There is no one to comfort or care for her, and she has only this apartment to return to at the end of every day. Even I have Guame, or the other kids at the orphanage if I'm feeling particularly deprived of human contact. However, a question rose to mind: where were her parents?

"That is… unfortunate." I say, trying my best to express my condolences, though it feels woefully inadequate. For one who knows so many words, why do I have such difficulty saying what I mean?

Out of the apartment and into the street, we walk from her home to the orphanage, proving to be a surprisingly short distance. As I expected, Ken was nowhere to be seen. Around the back of the building, I find the window's cover displaced, and what remained of the window shattered even further. I sigh heavily as I climb down and into the cellar to survey the damage. It's just as bad as I expected it to be. Books strewn everywhere, stomped on and pages ripped out. My box of raw materials had been upended all over the floor. As I rifle through the wreckage, I catch sight of Nia looking down at me through the window with a look of concern.

"Genome, is this where you live?" She asks, her voice somewhat upset.

"No," I answer flatly, not bothering to look back up at her. "I live in the orphanage. I come down here to survive." I'm not sure why I'm telling her so much. Maybe because she's the first person to ask?

"Survive what?" That pitying expression still isn't gone from her face. It's starting to make me angry.

"Distractions. Annoyances. People. Stupid questions." I snap at her, and she recoils. How dare she look down on me! Maybe now I can actually clean this mess up in peace.

However, my attempt at rebuking her seemed to backfire, as she clumsily works her way through the window and into the cellar as I avert my eyes to avoid looking up her skirt. Dusting herself off, she begins to look through the assortment of my ruined belongings. Who gave her the right to look through a man's stuff, huh?

Picking up a few scattered books, she reads off the titles, "Technical Specifications, Quantum Theory, Applied Geophysics… This is pretty complex stuff."

Continuing to search through the mess, I shoot back, "Public education is a waste of my time. Especially in this age of encroaching autocracy."

She laughs for some odd reason and retorts, "Oh, come on. It's not that bad. You don't hear me talking in Newspeak."

Before I can say anything back, a particular "goro goro" noise attracts my attention. Moving aside some scattered scrap metal, I find Guame trying to free himself from the weight of the mess that had been dumped on him. Scooping the armadillo up into my arms, I breathe a harsh sigh of relief and hold him tightly. Guame nestles into my shoulder until I release him, and he scurries to sit in my hood.

All the while, Nia giggles girlishly. "You have a pet?" She says, he speech broken by laughter.

I feel heat rising to my face as I scowl at her, "Yeah? What of it?"

Her laughter settling into a smile, she simply says back, "Nothing, I'm just surprised. The two of you seem to really care about each other."

We're all there is to each other, I nearly say back. "We're just compatible for each other," I say instead. "Guame is too smart for armadillos, and humans are too dumb for me."

Nia simply sighs a bit and returns to helping straighten out the mess. A moment later I hear her murmur, "Don't look down on humans too much. You are one, after all."

Before long, my little alcove has been straightened back out; what could be salvaged sorted into boxes and the rest in a pile. Still, this doesn't fix the bigger problem: where to keep all of my belongings. This location has been compromised, I can't come back here. I immediately begin to brainstorm possible locations that I could continue to hang out, or at least where to stash my property until such a location reveals itself to me. The playground? No, too open. My locker at school? Not nearly enough space, plus I can't keep Guame there. I begin to pace and tap my chin as I ponder the dilemma.

Nia, sitting nearby, follows me with her eyes as I pace back and forth. Stop that, it's distracting me. Ugh, remind me why she's down here again? I swear, if she's not going to help, the least she can do is leave and spare me her company. Oh, what is she smiling about? I must have been looking at her for too long.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She asks, as though she was actually carrying cash.

Still, maybe if I oblige her she'll keep quiet and let me think this over. "Need a safe place for my… belongings." I gesture to the few boxes of toys, books and tools.

Her head tilting, she seems to think it over for a moment, before she says quietly, "Well, you could always keep your things at my place."

I don't think I heard that right. "Come again?"

She looks me in the eye, her expression firm. I shrink back a bit. She looks so determined; like she's going to hit me or something. "Keep your things at my place." Looking to the little animal in my hood, she continues, "G-Guame, too. I'll take care of everything, so don't worry."

I step back from her cautiously. Her apartment would be ideal, what with its locked door and temperature control. I wouldn't have to worry about my books going to mold, or Guame getting bugs. It seems too good to be true. This must be a trap. "Y-you think you can deceive me that easily? Please, I'm not that big a fool."

Her eyebrows knit together. Oh, no. I made her angry. She gets up from her seat and walks over to me. As she gets closer, I put my hands up to defend myself and close my eyes, getting ready for the incoming blow. The hit… never comes. I feel a light touch on my shoulder. I crack open my eyes to see that she's stood over me. Her hand is on my shoulder, touching me softly, like I might break.

"Genome." She says, in a strange, strong voice that I don't understand. "I'm not going to hurt you. It's okay. Let me do this for you."

Wide-eyed, I stare up at her. What is that in her face? I've never seen that before. She doesn't look happy, she doesn't really look angry either. The sunlight streaming in from the window behind her catches on her hair, making the edges of it glow. The violet of her eyes seems so bright against the shadow over her face. Strangely, my eyes start to blur, and I look down and away from her, blinking and wiping them. My sleeves are wet.

"F-fine. But it's only temporary. Until I find a better place to keep everything."

I'm not looking at her face, but from the way she exhales and puts her hands on her hips, I know she's smiling in victory.

Soon enough the two of us are carrying my things back to her apartment. We managed to fit everything into two boxes for ease of travel, but that made them pretty heavy. I'm practically teetering as I walk, since I can't see over the huge box that keeps tipping me over. The wriggling armadillo in my hood isn't helping, either.

Nia got the box full of books and stuff for Guame (my toys and tools are too important for her to carry), but for some reason doesn't seem to be struggling as much as me. She's probably stronger than me, I admit to myself with a small amount of emasculation.

"Everything alright over there?" She calls to me.

"Yes!" I grunt, huffing to shift the position of the box in my hands. "Fine! Thank you for… your concern! Don't… huff… ask again!"

We manage to make it back to her apartment after her stairs nearly killed me, and I collapse on the floor, breathing heavily. This physical labor stuff is for barbarians. Nia doesn't seem much worse for the wear, and strolls past me and into the kitchen.

"Offer you a drink?"

"N-," I nearly refuse, but my body firmly reasserts that it's dying. "W-water."

A moment later, she hands me the cool, perspiring glass, and I guzzle it, getting a considerable amount of water on my face and down my shirt. Wiping myself off with my sleeve, I look back to my boxes and realize that having all of my toys stacked together like that is going to warp them. I slowly and gently begin to unpack them, Nia all the while puttering about behind me.

"It's getting late," She says. And she's right, the sun is practically setting. "You want to stay for dinner?"

Crossing my arms, I prepare to reject her overbearing offer, "I do not-," Again, my body overrides my decision, as my stomach growls loudly. "…Wish to intrude."

Nia smiles cheerfully, practically dancing into the kitchen, "Oh, no, it's no trouble at all. I haven't had company for dinner in ages, and you know how I always make too much food."

"V-very well." I say, before looking down and adding in a small voice, "Thanks."

Nia sets about cooking the meal, and I continue to unpack my belongings. I stack the books together like a stage, and arrange the majority of my toys up on them. Color, size, pose, subject; many things need to be taken into consideration when arranged. And then even sometimes when it works out properly, two toys just don't like each other and I need to separate them. It's honestly challenging work. As I'm doing this, Nia calls to me from the kitchen several times, unfailingly with a small, meaningless bit of inconsequential chatter. I give her monosyllabic responses when I feel charitable enough to not ignore her. Honestly, can't she leave a man to his work?

Eventually dinner is served. Nia's living room has a small table, low to the floor, and we seat ourselves by it on cushions. I sit at the place Nia set for me, right across from her. The meal looks to be some kind of cooked rice, with various little bits of vegetable, meat and egg mixed into it. It's steaming hot and looks delicious, but for some reason I feel apprehensive. I look up to Nia, who has her eyes closed and is holding her palms together. Is she praying?

Eventually she says, "Thank you for the food," and picks up her chopsticks. As she starts to eat, I do the same, though I struggle a bit with the chopsticks. It's been a while since I last used them. We don't really talk much over dinner. Nia mostly asks me about my toys and about Guame, and I feel obliged to answer. I try to eat my meal as quickly as I can, but I almost regret doing so. It's honestly really good, but I'd never say anything embarrassing like that out loud. Nia finishes right after I do, and I notice then that she served me a lot more food than she did, herself.

"Did you want more?" She asks, looking to my cleared plate.

"Oh, uh, no. I'm fine." I wave her off.

"Alright. Did you want dessert?"

I blink. "Dessert?"

"Uh-huh!" She nods, smiling. "I made red bean soup!"

"I, uh," My body is betraying me yet again. I've never heard of this bean soup before but it sounds so tantalizing. I can't even think of the last time I've even had the word "dessert" directed at me. "Yeah, s-sure."

She stands up suddenly, making me flinch, and wanders back to the kitchen, saying "It'll be just a sec."

I sit at the table wringing my hands. For some reason I feel the urge to get up and leave before she comes back. Was it always so warm in here? My face feels hot and I think I'm sweating. I notice Guame, curled up in a ball on her couch, sleeping peacefully. He sure seems comfortable, the traitor.

Nia returns a lot faster than I expected. She sets the soup down in front of me, and then begins to eat her own portion. I hesitate to pick up my spoon, but I join her fairly quickly. The sweetness of the soup is shocking to me, and yet I can't seem to stop eating it. My arm keeps bringing spoonful after spoonful to my mouth as though by instinct. Barely able to look up from my bowl, I see Nia looking at me wide-eyed. My bowl is quickly depleted, and Nia smiles at me.

"Wow, was it that good?" She says, stifling laughter.

"Huh, uh, yeah, I guess." I say as she starts to laugh in earnest. What the hell is so funny?

Continuing to giggle, she gets up from her place, napkin in hand, and kneels next to me. How close she suddenly is bothers me, and I try to inch away from her, but before I know it, she's wiping at my face with her napkin. Ugh! The nerve! Who in their right mind would just… just… do that to a person?

"You sure looked like you enjoyed it." She says, laughter subsiding as she sets the thoroughly-soiled napkin back down on the table. "I'll make sure to make more next time."

"Next time?" I ask, incredulous.

"Well, yeah, I'm sure you'll come by again. To check on Guame, you know."

"O-oh, right. Yes, of course. Don't misunderstand me, it's just to make sure I'm not falling into some kind of elaborate trap."

Nia sighs, shaking her head as she stands up. "I'll start cleaning the kitchen. Would you like to stay the night?"

Looking outside, I see that darkness has settled in completely, the only lights outside being lit windows and streetlamps. Her suggestion then sinks in, and I feel my face start to heat up.

"N-no! Certainly not! I can't imagine what you could do to me while I was unconscious and defenseless!" I then remember that I spent the last night here, and she had only tended to my wounds and washed my clothes. I suddenly feel guilty for accusing her of malicious intent. "Or, I mean, I don't want to overstay my welcome. I should be leaving."

"Oh, well, alright. It was great having you for dinner, I'll try to make something nicer next time."

"Don't go to any trouble on my account." I mutter, walking back to my figures. I pick out a couple of them, a battleship named Mako and a little old fisherman named Ryu, and stuff them in my pockets. I can't leave all of them here, or I'll have no one to talk to back at the orphanage.

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, stay safe walking back. I'll see you in school tomorrow."

I begin to leave, but then remember to say, "Don't go touching my things, now."

"I won't." She says, ever smiling.

"A-and remember to take care of Guame. His diet is primarily insects, so either give him crickets from a pet store or let him forage outside."

"Got it."

"H-he also likes apples." I say, sort of quiet. "And belly rubs."

Wiping her hands off on a dish towel, Nia walks over to me from the kitchen. She puts a hand on my head and ruffles my hair. I'd say that she mussed it up, but honestly it couldn't get more tangled if she tried.

"It's okay. Nothing is going to happen. Don't worry." She says, very gently.

"Well… I'll be back here tomorrow, right after school. Just to ensure that you're not up to some treachery."

Ignoring the last part of what I said, she replies, "Sure. We can walk back together."

My face starts getting all hot again. What the hell does she do that causes that? I turn to leave, mumbling, "Okay. Goodbye."

"Goodnight!"

"And t-thank you." I say, almost whispering, before going out the door and shutting it firmly behind me.

I start the walk home, made tricky by the darkness, but I'm starting to learn the route between her apartment and the orphanage, so I don't end up lost. All the while, I chatter to Mako and Ryu, discussing the day's events with them. Expressing my confusion might help me figure out something that I missed. Still, her words keeping ringing in my head.

"'I'm not going to hurt you,' huh? Whatever. Liar." I say that, but I know I don't believe it.