Runwithscissors is writing again. Kululu will be the focus of this chapter while Fuyuki heals in the hospital.

This chapter has a lot of patient/therapist intimacy content so please skip if you are not comfortable with that.

—Scissors

My sister wrote another chapter because it featured Sai prominently she wanted to.

"Mark my words, Kululu, I will change you. Because I have the power to change people. Even jerks like you will become nice.

"I am your salvation, Kululu."

At first Kululu hadn't thought anything of Sai's words, believing them to be rubbish. Sai was a good-for-nothing therapist that Kululu wouldn't have to depend on for anything. No way could he be changed.

But here he was now, a changed person. And Sai's arms were entangled in his hair and wires as they indulged in heated, intimate, forbidden kissing.

THE PREVIOUS WEEK

Sai had to be downright the most persistent therapist Kululu had ever had.

Whenever she stepped into his high-security room, he saw that gleam of determination in her eyes, and just thought every time, Ugh. I'd thought for sure I scared her off the LAST time.

"Come on, Kululu. Let's talk about how you're feeling today," Sai told him one day after she had taken the mask off his face.

"I'm feeling…" Kululu sorted through his mind for the proper word. "…lusty."

Sai blushed. "I suppose that's normal for someone your age. Shall we talk about it—"

"Bloodlusty," he finished.

After a moment, Sai cleared her throat. "Kululu, I don't appreciate it how you're treating these sessions like a joke."

"Can't help it, if the therapist they assign me is a joke—"

"WHY DON'T we try talking about ourselves with 'I' statements?" Sai suggested. "For example, when you demean me, I feel lesser than you. And we can't have that, can we? After all, I'm your therapist!" She smiled and gestured to him, letting him have at it.

"Hm…." Kululu thought. "Isn't it a shame?"

"What?"

"That your own patient can unnerve you?" His glasses flashed with a glint of evil.

"Kululu, that's not an 'I' statement—"

"Think about it," he interrupted. "How many years of training? Three? Five? All down the drain, just because of a difficult case like me." He smirked.

Ah, did Kululu relish when he saw her shrink inward.

She straightened up. "No one's too difficult. There is not one person in this institution that is beyond my help." She raised her chin up at him. Even though he was taller than her and restrained against a metal plank, she would make him feel like the lesser one for once. "You'll see."

With that, she exited the room, more determined than ever.

The first place Sai went to was Kululu's records. As a therapist, she had full access to his history. She opened up the file cabinet with his folder and sifted through it.

She was surprised at what she found. The other therapists and doctors had told her that Kululu was a mastermind, but the information in his file just confirmed it. Evidently, the kid was a brilliant from birth, with an IQ higher than the number of patients she'd seen come through this facility. She picked up some more things from his file. Parental neglect. A bit of bullying from school. To counteract that, his parents put him in a gifted program in a separate school from his siblings, but Kululu ended up destroying it with one of his creations, made with materials a kid his age shouldn't have even acquired. She read about some of the inventions he'd made as a child, both quirky and morbid. It appeared that, even as a young child, he had been showing signs of mental illness. She read about how, when his parents had a messy divorce, it only made things worse. The authorities found their bodies barely a week later.

The kid was messed up, but at least she had a better understanding of him. When she visited the next day, she confessed what she'd seen.

"I read up on you," she told him. "Your file. I know how you became this way."

Kululu listened for her theory.

"Cleary your intelligence ruined you. You became famous as a child, but the fame got to you and warped your brain."

"Ah, yes, that's definitely it," he agreed.

"I… I can somewhat relate," she admitted, a hand to her chest. "I've had my fair share of fame. I used to be a child actress in my youth." She hugged herself. "It's not something I normally tell people about. Actually, it's a source of shame to me. The fame got to my head. Made me egotistical for awhile. I'm not like that anymore, of course."

Kululu nodded, seeing her point exactly. He yawned. "So when are you going to stop doing that thing with your mouth?"

"What thing?" she asked.

"Talking."

Sai's face turned red. She balled her hands into fists. "You don't have to be like this, you know. If you were just a little more cooperative, they'd have let you out of this institution years ago!"

"But don't you understand, Sai?" Kululu leaned in, as far as he could with his straitjacket on. "I want to be here. I relish in being here. Tormenting the staff here invigorates me. I wouldn't trade it for the world." His eyes gleamed sadistically. "This place couldn't get rid of me if they tried. And believe me, they have, countless times."

Sai knew what she wanted to say. Every ounce of her wanted to scream at him, So you're just a lost cause! You're wasting my time! but she knew she couldn't give up on him. Kululu was perhaps the most difficult case she had ever seen; still, she knew she could get through to him eventually.

"Kululu," she said—it was important to use a patient's first name to build trust with them—"I'm just trying to find some common ground between us."

"There is no common ground between us," he answered. "I'm a mental patient, dangerous killer, and famed inventor. And you, my dear, are a blind idealist, following your heart and not your brain—if you have one, that is—a self-righteous, fresh-out-of-college dimwit who uses feigned philanthropy to compensate for her crippling fears of being alone in the world for the simple reason that she has no actual drive beyond convincing herself that she can magically 'cure' people of their inevitable eternal imprisonment with vapid friendship songs."

Each insult took a more powerful hit to her. He had read her like an open book, and she refused to believe it. It was like, with just a glance, he somehow knew everything about you.

It was scary.

Trembling, she reached forward and touched his arm, restrained by the straitjacket. She was a trained professional, after all. "Why won't you open yourself up to me? I can tell you're trying to beat around the bush."

Kululu grinned excitedly. "You want me to open up? To literally open up? Fine." He jerked his head upward. "You see these bandages? Take them off."

Sai lifted her shaky hands upward to the bandages tightly wound around Kululu's ears. As much as it frightened her, she had to admit she was curious as to what was underneath. Not to mention, she was happy that Kululu was finally sharing something with her.

But when the bandages were off, she was horrified at what she saw.

"You like what you see?" Kululu's lips twisted into a demented smile as he watched her expression of dismay. The roll of bandages fell limply from her hand as his shadow loomed over her. "Many years ago, I experimented on my own brain to connect myself to the world of technology." He could barely wait to say the next part. "If you're really that desperate for some common ground, perhaps I could do the same to you."

Sai ran from the room, her hand on her mouth to stifle her terrified sobs.

She thought she could change this patient—but clearly, he wasn't human.

That was the last she saw of him that day, as she went home early.

Sai trudged to work the next day with zero energy.

This was not a good week for her. Kululu's torture was bad enough. Last night, she had a horrible breakup with her boyfriend, and now he wanted her to move out of his house. The problem was, Sai didn't have anywhere to go. Sure, she could rent a new place with her generous wage as a therapist at the Hinata House, but she would have to find someplace to stay until then. Her friends had all distanced themselves from her because they thought it was disturbing how she worked in an institution.

She was alone. She had nothing. And she was dreading the moment she'd have to step into Kululu's room. After everything that had happened, she didn't feel that it was worth it to "change" him anymore.

Unenthusiastically, she inserted her key into the elevator slot to go up to Floor 4. She got past all the scanners and security measures for Kululu's room. When she stepped inside, however, she was shocked to find him in… well… shock.

Kululu seemed different today. His eyes were wide as he stared down at the floor. When she took off his mask, he didn't use to opportunity to spit on her or make nasty comments.

He did nothing.

For hours, Sai couldn't get a single response out of him. He was horribly lethargic and uncooperative. This wasn't what she wanted. This wouldn't help either of them.

With nothing to lose, Sai brought her fist against the wall and fell to the floor, sobbing. The noise seemed to snap Kululu out of whatever trance he was in, and his eyes darted to Sai.

"This is hard on me too, okay!" she wailed. Suddenly… everything came out. Sai told him all about her relationship, how she was kicked out of her own home, how all her friends had abandoned her. It was a humiliating sight.

Kululu didn't know what to say. He swallowed. "Sai… I—I didn't know."

Sai's head snapped up. She was surprised to hear him use her first name like that.

Kululu lowered his head in grief. She heard a sigh escape him. "As a mental patient, you never really have time for romance." He averted her eye contact. "I don't like to talk about it, but there was a time I escaped from one of my facilities." Well, more than one time, he neglected to mention. "For a full month, I hid from everyone in a place they'd never find me… as a retail worker."

Sai listened. She had read about that instance in his file. He was telling the truth, but… why? Why was he suddenly opening up to her?

"But what people don't know," Kululu confessed, "is what happened during that month." Taking a deep breath, he told her the story. "One of my coworkers… I liked her. We started a relationship in secret, but I was too afraid of telling her who I actually was… so I didn't." Another sigh. "That was a good month, my time with her. I honestly felt happy during that time—like—like I could be normal. Like this was the life I could have had if not for my… choices."

His face grew grim. "However, she found out one day that I was an escaped mental patient. Things didn't go well after that. She flipped out and reported me at once."

Sai nodded. She remembered reading about how one of his coworkers had reported him.

Kululu's shoulders slumped. "I—I'd never felt so betrayed… and so alone."

Sai was stunned. She knew exactly how he felt. She laughed, wiped her tears, and remarked, "I suppose we're not all that different, then?"

"No." For the first time, Kululu smiled. "I guess we aren't, after all." His smile quickly vanished. "But you have a luxury I don't. You can start up another relationship whenever you want to. People don't seeyou as a monster."

"I haven't killed people," Sai reminded him.

Kululu sighed again. "I understand. I do have the tendency to lash out, just like I did at you yesterday. I distance myself from people because… I'm so afraid they'll leave me." A tear went down his cheek. "Just like the girl in retail."

Sai comprehended everything now. Kululu wasn't evil or scary. He was just misunderstood.

"The way I act sometimes…. It's one of my many fears." He clenched his jaw. "Do you know what it's like, Sai? To fear yourself?"

She shook her head. She couldn't let herself believe everything Kululu told her! To make sure he was telling the truth, she put her hand on his chest. She knew Kululu was a good liar and always remained calm whenever he was lying—that was what his psychologists had told her. When she felt his chest, however, she could feel that his heart was pounding like a freight train.

She took her hand off, smiling. He was telling the truth! Why else would he be so nervous, unless it was for something he wasn't used to?

Kululu swallowed. "I want to change, Sai. I need to change."

She saw the genuineness, the fear, in his eyes. And so she whispered, "I believe you."

Over the next few days, Kululu seemed to be making vast improvements. All the staff were appalled at his cooperation. He even stopped tormenting Garuru, which was fascinating, because Garuru was particularly easy to torment.

Gradually, Sai grew closer and closer to him. With each passing moment she spent with him, she learned more about the real him. She did small things to better gain his trust, like unstrapping him from his vertical restraints; and in return, he told her more about his life.

Kululu caught her by surprise one time. During one of their sessions, Sai allowed Kululu to be especially close to her. She wanted him to understand the power of hugs, so she took off his straitjacket.

That hug turned into an embrace. And somehow that embrace turned into a kiss.

Horrified, Sai recoiled. "I'm your therapist! We can't do this."

Kululu cupped her face in his hands. "I want you, Sai. And I know you want me, too."

He looked her in the eyes, so tenderly and intimately. Her heart melted.

He asked her, "Do you trust me?"

And she said, "Yes. I do."

They kissed again.

Kululu had never really thought of himself as a human. After all he'd been through in these institutions—after all that he'd seen—after every wire that he'd had stuck in him and every dignity he was stripped—he just didn't have that luxury anymore.

In the institutions, this was not his domain. This was a world in which the power belonged to the doctors and therapists.

So he always struck back with what little power he had—his intellect. It was the last thing he had, but he slept at nights in bliss that nobody could take it away.

Of course, fate loved to prove him wrong.

It was a few days ago when Kululu had become bored once again. He had just sent Sai out of the room in a terrified fit after showing her his headphones. Now with his bandages off, he had the ability to snoop around the institution, all from the cover of his room. He couldn't leave, though he wished he could—and it wasn't just because of the straitjacket. When he arrived at the Hinata House, his headphones were deemed a danger to the institution. Several scientists leading their special… "project" tinkered with a few things, attaching some ceiling wires to his headphones, messing up a little here and there, and ta-da! Now Kululu was a lovely little wall display.

Eternally.

What he told Sai was a lie. He didn't want to be there. Each day, the Hinata House put him more and more on edge. All his time was spent by meticulously planning one escape after the other. At first, he had thought the Hinata House was the highest-security institution he'd ever been in. However, considering the "tea time" slot that now took up his schedule thanks to Mois, he now thought otherwise.

If she could get in, why couldn't he get out?

Anyway, he happened to be bored at the moment, and wanted something to do. With a snap of his head, electricity gushed through his head wires. In the security office next to him, a screen flashed on, showing the inside of the Healing Room.

Within were several doctors and scientists, positioned over an immobilized, unconscious girl on the table who Kululu recognized to be Asami of group B.

"When will these kids learn they're acting against their own interest?" said one of the scientists whose name was, let's say, Jared.

"Couldn't agree more, Jared." Another scientist, Fredrick, inserted a syringe into Asami's still arm. "These doctors will never be able to control them—just like with that one dangerous case, Yanda. God—it was terrifying to see how much he trashed that one kid from group A!"

As the syringe went in further and further, Asami's body began to jerk wildly. Jared placed his hands on her torso, forcing her down as he and Fredrick carried on their conversation casually.

Their supervisor stepped into the room and observed Asami. He rubbed his chin.

"She's not responding well to the treatment, sir," said Jared.

"Oh well." Fredrick sighed. "This was a new serum anyway. It should keep her calm for at least another week before she beats someone up again."

"It's all well and good that tests are running smoothly," said their supervisor, "but you still need to decide who, among you, will be performing the surgery next month on Jaune."

Kululu's eyes widened. That was his name. What kind of surprise surgery did they have planned for him this time? Or "fun with science," as they liked to call it.

"You mean, the proposal passed?" asked Fredrick excitedly.

"Yes," said their supervisor. "Ever since his location at the Hinata House was leaked, research institutions from every country have their eyes on him. France, India, Korea…."

"It would be illegal for them to break him out," someone put in.

Their supervisor shrugged. "Doesn't matter. There's already so much they could use against us. Their lawyers would turn a blind eye."

"But… but he's our subject."

"I know." Their supervisor put a hand on Fredrick's shoulder. "But the proposal's finally passed. Thanks to the damage Yanda Reichi did to that poor kid, the government now has no choice but to recognize the danger that other patients like Jaune pose. The danger of him just… sitting around."

They already know my danger, thought Kululu. What changed? How is this any different? Still, he listened closely.

"I'm just glad that we'll finally be able to get rid of him," said Jared. "Now the House won't be such a sitting duck for the NPA with him in our midst."

They're getting rid of me? Kululu wondered. I'm going to another institution?

He didn't know how to feel about that. He had kind of gotten use to it here, tormenting Garuru, terrifying Sai, even… admittedly…

NO. He wouldn't admit that he was getting use to Mois.

Still. What if the institution he was being shipped to was even worse than the Hinata House? What if it was even worse than Keron?

He didn't want to repeat those years. A shiver went up his spine, just thinking about it.

But his blood ran cold at what he heard next on the screen.

"So, who's doing the lobotomy, then?"

Kululu's heart skipped a beat. He must have misheard them… right?

"Jared should do the lobotomy," said one of the scientists.

Everyone else excitedly chanted, "Scapegoat! Scapegoat!"

"You guys!" said Fredrick. "Don't ridicule Jared."

Mutters sprung amongst the scientist. "Whatever you say, Fredrick." "If Fredrick says so, I guess we have to listen…." "Please sign my face, Fredrick!"

"We don't even know if Jared wants to do the lobotomy," said Fredrick.

"Yes I do," said Jared. He wanted to prove himself.

"Jared—no, you can't," said Fredrick, looking him in the eyes. "What about your dream?"

Jared placed his hands on Fredrick's shoulders. "It'll be all right. Don't worry about me." He gave him assuring wink.

"Let me go in your place," Fredrick begged. "I'll give Jaune the lobotomy."

"No. I'm taking on the task."

"At least let me take the blame if something goes wrong!"

"Fredrick." Their supervisor placed a hand on his back. "You should know that, through all these years, you've been like a son to me."

Jared waited for his praise too.

"But you have to let Jared do the lobotomy. It would be too lowly for you, Fredrick."

Jared saddened, and the room started chanting "scapegoat!" again just as Asami started to awaken. Nervously, they poked her with another syringe and she fell back limply on the table.

Meanwhile, Kululu was overtaken with panic. Not once had he ever considered this being a possibility. They were going to give him a lobotomy? He thought that had been outlawed ages ago. How would they get away with this? How could they take away his last ounce of dignity, destroy the last piece of him that was him?

They couldn't! They shouldn't! They… could.

Kululu looked around him at all his restraints. He looked up at the ceiling, where his headphone wires were connected.

He was trapped here. He was powerless.

That was when he realized just how small he was.

Kululu decided he must use his brain while he still had it. Soon enough, he had devised a plan.

He needed to escape the Hinata House at whatever cost. That was his only chance of averting this lobotomy. That meant he had to do whatever technique was necessary to get his supervisors' guards down—even the techniques that… perhaps… he wasn't so fond of.

Oh well. They've worked in the past, he had to remind himself.

In his experience, adults were mindless, susceptible, worthless people who only did things for their own gain. Seeing as all of his therapists and supervisors were adults, he'd found certain ways of earning their trust in the past. He'd gotten into their heads, using their weaknesses to their advantage. Their desperation for romance, their cravings for human companionship.

And it just so happened that one of his current therapists had many of those weaknesses. He could read it all over her face the next day when she came to his room.

Sai was the perfect person to use for his plan. If he had to seduce her to gain her trust, he would. He'd need all the allies he could get to enact this plan. Having the facility on his side would be quite beneficial. He just had to lay low and not act suspicious to everyone else.

Those stupid adults…. They didn't know what they were getting into, challenging Kululu to a battle of wit.

He despised adults for two very good reasons.

For one, they seemed desperate for power over him.

Secondly, it always concerned him regarding how quickly his therapists would jump to intimacy with a minor.

But hey. At least it worked, each and every time.

So I guess Fredrick and Jared are like the new "Bob and Fred" now.

-Scissors

(If it wasn't obvious enough btw, Kululu's totally lying about his romance with the retail girl. I wanted my sister to name her something like Blibbidibobbidy or Suzy Butternickle to make it more obvious.)