Chapter 3 - Encountering parasites!
It didn't take too long for the duo to brush their teeth and do their daily wash up, but their washing up session did not go without Migi blabbering on and on about how if Shinichi did not take care of his hygiene, different types of bacteria and germs could infect his body, causing numerous types of sickness. Shinichi had to apply toothpaste on the brand new toothbrush for Migi, shoving it into Migi's wide and unguarded mouth to shut him up.
"You aren't thankful at all when I was the one to brush your teeth one year ago, Shinichi."
"That's because you took over my dominant hand without my permission!"
...
Shinichi pushing the blame on Migi for holding back his growling stomach now hurried down the staircase, dashing straight into the kitchen. His grin spread across his face and he bubbled with happiness knowing he shall soon fill his empty stomach, living his expectations until his arm reached for the fridge handle, flinging the door open to see barely any ingredients on the shelves of the fridge. His grin quickly fell off his face, replaced with a disappointed frown as he gently closed the fridge door shut, taking slow steps towards the dining table to be greeted by a note left by his father along with a sum of money.
Shinichi read through the note, the content written in the note was Shinichi's father expressing his concerns by asking Shinichi to take good care of himself while he was out for the day. It made the corners of Shinichi's lips to curve into a small smile. Picking up the sum of money and placing them safely in his wallet, he walked towards the coffee table and picked up his keys. He turned himself around to be greeted by the sight of the silver haired male leaning against a wall, wearing an expressionless look and staring blankly at Shinichi.
"Migi, we're going to the convenience store."
...
On the way to the convenience store the duo didn't converse as much. Shinichi with his head down, using his foot to kick any minerals lying on the pavement away from his path, while Migi on the other hand was paying close attention to the surroundings, noticing little changes to the environment, inverse to his own changes.
Shinichi took his steps into the convenience store with Migi following behind. The sliding glass door opening automatically, the movement censor detecting the movements gave off a gentle sounding alarm made to alert the staff members. Shinichi had to guide Migi to the instant food section, with rows of shelves full of sandwiches, flavoured bread, even frozen lunch boxes and instant cup noodles.
"Just choose whatever you feel like eating for breakfast. You haven't eaten anything yet, right?" Shinichi paid attention to Migi's actions, the silver haired male had picked up an egg mayo sandwich in his hands and is now examining it from the surface of its wrapper.
"Have you chosen what you want?" Shinichi himself had picked up a ham and cheese sandwich for himself along with a bottle of cold soya bean milk, all the while observing Migi choosing his breakfast for himself for the first time.
"I'm not too sure if this is edible for me." Migi replied coldly, his eyes never leaving the packet of egg mayo sandwich that rested in his pale palm.
"Hah?" The reply from Migi had Shinichi pause for a thought, his memories flashing back to an incident that occurred one year ago...
...
Exams are around the corner, Shinichi have came to an agreement with Migi that during those examination periods they are to avoid fighting parasites if there are no reasons to fight them.
The bored out Shinichi have been sitting infront of his studying desk for almost 3 hours without a break, facing his Mathematics textbook and pile of notes for such a long duration made his eyes hurt. A gentle knock on the door before a feminine voice called out Shinichi's name by the doorway.
"Shinichi, I'm coming in." With that, the door creaks open and Shinichi's mother stepped in with a plate of egg mayo sandwich and hot tea in her hands. She placed them on the study table and with her right, scarred hand, she gently ruffled Shinichi's hair while wearing her proud smile.
"Oh Shinichi, you should take a break once in awhile, you don't have to keep burying your face full of books, otherwise you might fall sick easily!" She nagged away, voice full of concern.
"Alright, I will. Thanks Mom!" Shinichi wore his usual cheeky grin, his cheeks dusted with a light shade of pink, reassuring his mother that he will take care of himself before shooing her out of the room, all the while the smile never left his face.
He sunk himself back down onto the chair, using his right index finger to poke the soft white bread on the surface, watching his finger create a dent on the surface of the spongy soft bread. He didn't have any appetite today. Without any warning, his right hand morphed itself into a creature with an eye on top of the blob of flesh, it started speaking the moment it formed a pair of lips on the morphing flesh.
"You're not eating?" Migi spoke in monotone, the eyeball glancing at Shinichi with its sharp gazes as usual.
Shinichi rolled his hazel eyes to fix its vision on Migi, whom started roaming about on the study table, getting a grasp of the situation he woke up in.
"I don't have any appetite." Shinichi mumbled, his half lidded eyes showing exhaust while he used his left elbow as a support of his head weight against the study table, watching Migi's actions as he found it more entertaining than the textbook laid infront of him. Suddenly, a strange idea came across his mind. He took a quick glance at the egg mayo sandwich right infront of him and then back at Migi, for a moment he wondered how it would be like for Migi to actually consume human food.
"Hey Migi, ever wondered if you can eat human food?" That caught Migi's attention, whom apparently turned its body around to face Shinichi and the emerald coloured eyeball actually returned a stare to the hazel ones.
"It is not necessary for me to consume human food since I get nutrients directly from your blood stream." Migi simply replied with its usual boring monotone, disappointing Shinichi immediately.
"But I guess it would not hurt to try, since there are no harmful substances in the food humans consume that might be any potential risk to myself. I've actually been quite interested in the food humans consume for awhile."
With that being said, Migi approached the egg mayo sandwich, extended two morphing tentacles that shaped itself into tiny arms and it reached for the egg mayo sandwich. The tiny arms lifted the sandwich with little effort and brought it to Migi's mouth. Shinichi watched in amazement as Migi chomped and chewed away a small area of the sandwich. Migi took several seconds to chew up the portion of the sandwich in its mouth, before it gradually slowed down and stopped chewing, spitting out the residue by the side of the plate.
"I can't swallow. I do not possess digestive system unlike you, this organ is merely used for communication purposes, nothing more." Migi wobbled away from the sandwich to the other corner of the study table, showing no more interest in the piece of egg mayo sandwich.
"T-then, how did it taste like to you?" Dissatisfied, Shinichi pursued more information from Migi.
"Like I said, I do not possess digestive system, that includes taste buds and saliva." Migi blurted out its answer to Shinichi's question as usual, toneless and emotionless.
"I'm going back to sleep." The blob of flesh morphed again and returned to its original position as Shinichi's right hand, with Shinichi gaining control of it again.
...
Shinichi brought Migi to the counter for payment of the items before heading out of the convenience store.
Shinichi decided to find a place to sit down and eat their breakfast before continuing their unplanned activities for the day. They made their way through a crowded public park to find a seat for the both of them to settle down on, with Shinichi shoving the egg mayo sandwich into Migi's hands.
"Eat it, you should be able to." Shinichi was assuring himself more than Migi is. Migi could only raise an eyebrow, questioning further.
"How are you so sure?"
"W-well.. uh. You're in a human body and you should have a digestive system to eat.. Stop asking and just try it!" Shinichi half muttered to himself before raising his voice at the silver haired male, giving his best stern glare in hopes it would actually encourage Migi to eat the sandwich in his hands.
Meanwhile Migi was still doubtful of Shinichi's assumption, but had decided to give it a try.
With his slender fingers, he carefully unwrapped the sandwich from the wrapper, holding it gently in his palm before bringing it closer to his watering cavern, parting his lips and enclosing them around the sandwich, using his teeth to tear apart the portion of the savoury spongy bread before slowly chewing it in his mouth. It was an unusually new sensation for Migi. It was completely different compared to the time when Migi was Shinichi's right hand. The texture remains the same, what was different was that he could taste, what was the term to describe taste again? It's sweet, salty, soft, delicious, and he took another bite after swallowing his first bite.
"How was it?" Shinichi had been observing Migi all the while the silver haired male devoured his own sandwich. Migi looked happy, even if the emotions were not showing on the surface physically, and that thought alone was enough to make Shinichi smile to himself before proceeding to unwrap his own sandwich and consume it.
Migi had gobbled up his own share by the time Shinichi was halfway through finishing his sandwich, while taking his time to digest the food in his tummy, Migi felt a shudder down his spine. This unmistakably familiar feeling washed throughout his body, yet he couldn't recognise what exactly this feeling is. It felt like danger.
"Ahh, I'm so full!" Exclaimed the carefree boy as he stretched out his arms into the air, a blissful smile spread across his features, taking no notice of Migi's stiffened body and alert eyes that scanned about the crowded park.
"Shinichi, we're leaving."
"Eh? But we still have time to spare. You said we're going, but where?" Shinichi was rather surprised by Migi's eagerness to leave the place, staying ignorant about the situation both he and Migi is in.
"We're leaving this place!" Migi's tone became firmer, grabbing a hold of Shinichi's arm as he stood up, dragging the poor clueless boy out of the crowded park with him.
"W-what's the matter with you! Is something wrong?" Shinichi thought it was odd for Migi to behave that way, but he then recalled something similar to this has happened before in the past too.
"There's another parasite that's mingled in the crowd, just 50 meters away from us." Migi's voice had a hint of slight fear to it, realising his ability to detect parasites has weakened to a horrible state.
"What do you mean parasite? There hasn't been any mincemeat murder cases going on for a year when you were gone!" Shinichi assumed that Migi is overreacting, with his arm being held on so tight and Migi with his shaky voice. He was sure Migi is a human, for a parasite isn't capable of possessing emotions.
"Just because there isn't any parasite for the past one year doesn't mean there won't be any right now. Do you not trust my ability to tell apart my own kind anymore?" Migi took a turn into an isolated corner while he still had a tight grip on Shinichi's arm.
"I don't! Parasites aren't capable of emotions, you told me before. Now you're sensing fear, a while ago you felt happiness, you can't tell me you're a parasite when you're experiencing those emotions do you?" Shinichi argued, swinging his hand to free it from Migi's grasp.
Migi fell silent for a moment, Shinichi had a point. He had indeed felt strange sensations right after he was in control of this body. He didn't know what to call those sensations, for he had never experienced them. Do he call it 'feelings'? But what exactly is 'feelings'? The silver haired male soon shook away those thoughts, embracing the fact that he should be getting ready for a battle he came unprepared for.
"This isn't the time to discuss something like that, Shinichi."
"It's 5 meters away from us."
