Chapter2 : a rejuvenation

"Keep this―― No, throw it away where nobody can find it. "

Halliwell gave Ash a small glass bottle with some brown-color liquid fluid.

"What is it?"

Ash looked at it carefully and shook the bottle. The thick liquids like syrup are shaking in the bottle.

"It's a rejuvenating drug. If people take it, they will become a baby."

"Are you kidding? I don't believe it. " Ash said.

Halliwell looked at him seriously and said.

"It's true. The drug was developed for anti-aging action at first. But by chance, I found a huge side effect. As soon as you take this drug, you'll become a baby and then your memories will disappear. Your body will become younger and then you'll regain your memories and return back to normal age one year older each day!"

"It's like a movie." Ash laughed.

"Dino forced and required me to do the experiments on a human. He said to me "If you can't do the experiments on a human in a week, I'll kill you." … But I couldn't do such experiment. In a few days, I keep on refusing in doing the experiment and gave a reason that I have a health problem. And then, that fellow was furious and injected the new drug to one of the criminal experiment! That's horrible!"

"What became of the criminal?" Ash asked .

"As soon as he was injected the drug, his body became younger and turned into a baby. He was getting old one year each day and returned his original age, memory and shape after 46 days. The man was in his middle 40's. "

"I can't believe that story."

"You're 16 or 17 years old, right? If someone injects the drug to you, or you take it yourself, you'll become a baby, but after 17 or 18 days, you'll return your original body."

"How was the man's memory?"

"He remembered that he was injected by the new drug and all his past memories. But…" Halliwell stammered.

"―Was he killed by Dino?"

Ash took the words right out of Halliwell's mouth.

（It's certain that Dino killed the criminal because he's afraid that the man will speak to other people about the drug. ）Ash thought himself.

Halliwell nodded.

"Yeah…I was really scared, I can't forgive Dino." he closed his fist tightly and said.

"I've made up my mind to escape from Dino, and then I took all the drug from the center, and burned any documents and materials. So, I've been targeted by Dino now."

Halliwell said seriously. Ash was sure he didn't tell a lie.

"He is against Dino and protected it from him. Is this really a rejuvenating drug? "Ash thought himself.

"Why did you tell me about this drug?" Ash asked him.

"Dino will use this drug to fulfill his desire. For example, he'll sell it in the black-market and he'll make a few of his favorite gigolos get younger…You know, you can understand his plans are so terrible! It's absolutely a horrible crime！" he got angry.

Ash looked at calmly at first but he's getting angrier because he knew Dino's plan. He understood Dino's thinking right, because unfortunately he was his former gigolo.

But Ash wanted to confirm Halliwell's intention and asked him.

"You know what, why don't you throw away the drug?" Ash still thought of him as a suspect.

"I know what you mean. You're right. But this drug took 10 years develop fully and needed a lot of money for experiments. I can't throw it out easily because it's my life's work."

When Ash heard of Halliwell's words, He remembered on of the scientist, who developed the drug, BANANAFISH."

(He couldn't throw away the drug. After all, It led to a tragedy！) Ash thought himself.

"Well, I'll throw it out right now!" Ash said angrily.

"Yeah, but don't throw it out in front of me. I've escaped from Dino and then, you should think how to throw it out carefully. I want you not to throw it out in the river and the sea, or on the ground. Because it might affect the living creatures badly."

Halliwell looks sad. Dino used to fulfill his plan.

Ash had some pity for him and said calmly.

"I see. I should think how to throw it out carefully first.

Halliwell said apologetically "I apologize because I made this kind of request to you. I'm so sorry."

"By the way, what will you do after this?" Ash asked .

"I couldn't be in NY anymore. I contacted my friend, and then I'll leave from USA right away.

"That's right. You should leave as soon as you can before Dino finds you."

Ash agreed with him. Meanwhile, Ash felt someone from his back and he turned around.

"Who are you?"

"Halliewell, Are you OK?"

It was a heavily-built and middle age man.

"Smith! I've been waiting you. Sorry for calling." said.

"That's Ok. Come to my house first. By the way, who is he?"

"Don't worry, Smith. He's worried about me and spoke to me. Hey Man, Here is my friend, Smith. I mention to you that one of my friends will come here for me, right?"

Halliwell told a lie instantaneously.

"Yeah, That's right…."

Ash looked and nodded.

"I see…Thanks, Man"

Smith said thanks to Ash and looked at.

"Halliwell, Lets go. I'm parking my car over there."

He pointed at the side-walk where he parked his car.

Halliwell looked at Ash steadily and said. "Man, Thank you very much…" (Ash, please. Throw the drug away…) Halliwell thought himself.

Ash understood Halliwell's feelings.

"Yeah…All right."

He replied and turned around them, and then he put the small glass bottle into the pocket of his jacket, and left from that place.

＊＊＊

When Ash arrived at his apartment, Eiji was cleaning one of the rooms.

"Welcome back, Ash! Was the library crowded?"

Eiji asked Ash. He always greet with bright smile.

"Hi,Eiji. It wasn't so crowded today." Ash said.

Eiji's smiling was so cheerful that Ash also smiled.

"Was it hot outside?"

"Yeah, it was so hot that I was sweating."

Eiji asked Ash, "Do you want some cold beverage? Which do you like iced coffee or iced tea?"

"I'll have some iced tea." Ash replied.

"Do you need some gum syrup or milk?"

"Both of them, because I'm little tired"

"Okay. You should take a shower. I think you'll probably feel better."

"Yeah, I'll do that." Ash replied.

Eiji went to the kitchen. Ash entered the study room and took the glass bottle he accepted from on the desk.

Ash looked at the drug.

(I can't believe this rejuvenating drug really works, but it was developed by Dino. I'll keep it for a while….) Ash thought himself.

Then, Ash left from the study room to take a shower.

In the kitchen, Eiji was preparing a glass of tea. He placed much ice cubes into the glass and poured some tea into it. Then, he opened the fridge to get a gum syrup and milk, but noticed the syrup is running low.

"Oh, No! I completely forgot that we're out of gum syrup. When Kong came to here last week, He'd used all of them!"

Eiji finally delivered to Ash a glass of tea with milk, without gum syrup.

"Sorry, Ash. We're out of gum syrup."

Eiji entered to the study room, but Ash wasn't there.

"Well…He's still taking a shower…"

Eiji put the iced tea on the desk and noticed a glass bottle.

"What is this? This glass bottle is familiar. I know this bottle. Well…I saw it at the supermarket！"

There is a supermarket on ground floor in this apartment. He usually shops groceries there.

"It's a good honey! I've always wanted to eat it, but I can't do that, because it's so expensive. I didn't know Ash like it… Oh, I'll pour this honey into the iced tea, instead of gum syrup! That's a good idea!"

Eiji completely misunderstood about the rejuvenating drug as the honey, He opened the glass bottle and poured the brown gooey liquid into the iced tea.

"Oh, I poured half of the glass bottle! Maybe, it's Okay. The sweet taste will make him relax. Hahaha…"

He mixed the drug and the iced tea using a straw.

"It's perfect!" He laughed.

When Eiji placed the iced tea on the desk, Ash entered the study room from the bathroom, wearing a towel around his neck.

"I still feel hot."

"Hey, Ash. Here is your iced tea. It's good timing for you, isn't it?" Eiji laughed.

"Thanks." Ash replied.

When Eiji gave the iced tea to Ash, suddenly a phone rang.

"Ash, I'll answer the phone at the living room. You should dry your hair first."

"Okay"

Eiji went to the living room quickly, While Ash drank eagerly a half of the glass of iced tea because he had a dry throat.

"―hmmm？ Is this an iced tea?"

He felt a little bit confused about the taste because he thought the taste is different than usual. As soon as he drank it, his body began to shiver suddenly.

(What happened? Why am I shivering? )

Ash was surprised and put the glass on the desk. And then, He noticed a strange thing happened.

(It's strange. The drug should be full in the glass.)

Ash looked at the glass bottle on the desk. The amount of the drug became half.

(Eiji misunderstood the drug? Damn it, I shouldn't have placed the drug on the desk…）

"Hey, Eiji…"

Ash tried to talk, but he couldn't. Unfortunately, Eiji is still talking on the phone, so he can't hear the Ash's voice. Ash felt a really dizzy and couldn't stand up.

(Are Halliwel words true?) Ash thought himself.

He's still not sure, but he notices his shirt he wears is a little big for him.

(No kidding. Is my body shrinking?)

Then he is shivering and having a terrible headache.

(If what the scientist said is true, I'll become a baby, but after 18 days, I'll return my original body. How should I explain this situation to Eiji? )

He was really upset but he looked around the study room as calm as soon possible. Even though his IQ is 200, if he becomes a baby, He won't be able to understand the language. He picked up a fountain pen and memo on the desk, but he didn't know what to write.

（ I'm not sure how I should explain about the drug！…Damn！）

Anyway he has little time. He's getting small. And he forwardly wrote a short note before he will lose all his memory.

"I'll return back to normal in 18 days. Believe me and Wait until the day. ―ASH"

After Ash wrote it, He lost his memory and dropped down on the floor.

【Continue】