A Liquid Inspiration
Summary: (A re-telling of Classroom of the Elite sparked by a certain conversation between Masterpiece and Professor.)
One day, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka receives a surprising invitation from his father, Ayanokouji Atsuomi, to join him for a drink. It was unusual for Kiyotaka, who normally wouldn't be summoned by his father without a hidden agenda.
That's why even the emotionless Kiyotaka was surprised when his father began to open up about his own experiences with love and relationships.
For the emotionally distant "masterpiece," this conversation is a rare moment of connection with his father, and it sparked a curiosity within him to explore the world of human relationships, to be more specific: romance and intimacy.
It was that spark that pushed Kiyotaka to demand something from his father:
"Father, teach me everything about human relationships."
This then begins a ripple that changes how Ayanokouji Kiyotaka would approach the world in the foreseeable future.
Do check out this fic on Wattpad. It has the same title and content, but we do have illustrations there to increase immersion for the fic. Thanks and here's the chapter!
Vol 0. Chapter 6 - Kiyotaka's First Year of Freedom
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka
"This is the second time that you ditched me for another girl, Kiyotaka. Do you mind explaining yourself?"
I turned my head to Chiaki, who had a pout on her face after I told her that my meeting with my father's "business partner" ended up being a reunion with my "childhood friend," who was a girl.
Currently, Chiaki was here in the mansion so I could make up for canceling our plans yesterday. We really didn't have anything planned, so we decided to just catch up. Tsubasa and Eiichiro were also here, but for the moment, Eiichiro was tutoring Tsubasa on one of their subjects, so they were upstairs.
"Are you serious?" I asked.
Chiaki giggled. "Of course not! What do you think of me? A cliche jealous anime girl?"
I stared blankly at Chiaki, not giving her any hint that her guess was actually correct. I actually thought she would be jealous for some reason, but she doesn't need to know that.
"More of a stalker than a jealous girl," I replied.
After I said that, I had to slap away Chiaki's palm, which was about to hit me on the shoulder. Hasn't she heard that today is "No Violence on Kiyotaka Day?"
"It's not my fault! My mother kinda roped me into it, you know? Also, you still haven't apologized for lying about where you were headed on Valentine's Day," Chiaki replied.
"Hm? I don't think I had any obligation to tell you. Also, stalking is stalking regardless of justification... and it's not like it was the only time you did it," I countered and received a pout in return.
Chiaki, when not enveloped in her usual mature aura and embracing her age, is really cute. That's probably why I found myself interested in making her flustered at every turn.
Am I perhaps an unawakened sadist?
"Hmph. Let's move on from that already!" Chiaki whined.
I shook my head in amusement and sipped on the teacup that was in my hand.
"Fine," I said in agreement, just so we could end the pointless debate.
"At least you weren't lying about your whereabouts this time around. I'm happy for you, Kiyotaka-kun. I imagine that it must be a nice feeling to reconnect with a friend you haven't seen in years," she said as she sent me a smile.
"I guess so. Yuki hasn't really crossed my mind since we last met, but memories came flashing back when I saw her, so that must be a sign that we have unfinished business between us," I replied as I fixed my bangs that were obstructing my eyes. I should definitely get a haircut next week.
"Do you mind telling me how it went?" Chiaki asked.
"It could get a little uncomfortable. You sure you want to hear it?" I warned Chiaki, who simply nodded her head.
"It's fine. I already knew you didn't have a normal childhood, Kiyotaka-kun... and besides, I'm always interested in learning more about you and your life," Chiaki reassured me.
But with the way she worded it out... I couldn't resist teasing her.
"Spoken like a stalker, indeed," I said, fighting the urge to smile at Chiaki's expense.
"Kiyotaka-kun!"
I reached out to the top of Chiaki's head and gave it a couple of pats before I set down my teacup on the table.
"Don't say I didn't warn you, alright? The story is a little heavy," I told Chiaki as I prepared to map out how I would tell Chiaki about my story without dropping any hints about the White Room.
I don't even know why I am humoring her request. Was it perhaps a byproduct of me being at ease with Chiaki's presence?
"I'm sure, so just start already slowpoke," Chiaki teased me as she took my silence as my attempt to gather my composure.
I looked at Chiaki for a few seconds before I began narrating what had happened yesterday. I did not delve much into the nitty-gritty details, but I told her that Yuki had to be taken away because of a mental disorder that was triggered by the tough education in our school. It was kind of the truth, but not completely the truth.
"Just how intense was the education in your elementary school that it basically scarred a kid?" Chiaki asked, with her face showing her belief that the entire situation was incredulous.
"Intense to the point the government has had to keep its existence under wraps. I was the only kid who came out relatively fine, and even then, I had to be home-schooled upon finishing elementary school because I was affected by the environment as well," I replied.
"I... I'm sorry you had to go through that, Kiyotaka-kun. I guess that explains why you're distant towards your father," she said.
I nodded my head to confirm her guess.
Although I only did that out of convenience.
My relationship with my father is a weird one considering the things he has done to me. I do not necessarily hate or dislike him because, for most of my life, we never had that much interaction for me to get invested in who he was as a person.
Aside from that, the system in the White Room had developed my mentality of not caring much about trivial things, and the feeling of hatred was asinine for students of the facility.
"It's part of the reason, yes," I replied before I continued with my story up to the point where Yuki confessed to having feelings towards me as Chiaki developed an unreadable expression on her face.
"I should have expected it already, but I'm still stunned upon hearing it manifested," she replied.
"Are you bothered?"
"Not really. Childhood friends never win in love, after all."
What's her basis? Was there actually research that had intensively investigated the correlation between childhood friends and future romantic prospects? I should ask internet-sensei about this, as it would be educational to discover whether or not the trajectory of human relationships is predetermined.
"Is that so?" I asked.
Chiaki giggled. "Yes! And I'll prove it when I'll eventually have you," she replied.
"You seem too optimistic for a girl who got rejected less than a month ago," I said.
When Chiaki and I went out for a second date about two weeks ago, she confessed that she had been thinking of me since Christmas but did not know whether that was out of sheer interest or something more. That was the reason why she wanted to go out with me so she could come to terms with what she actually felt.
From our two dates, she surmised that she felt romantic attraction towards me and promptly confessed.
Of course, I rejected her. Just like with Tsubasa, I do not know if I could come to love Chiaki. At best, I saw her as a good companion for conversations, given she had a more mature disposition than Tsubasa... but that's not enough for me to have romantic feelings toward her.
Although it would be interesting to test out being in a romantic relationship, I don't think now is the right time because if I do end up in a relationship now, I will ruin my relationship with either Tsubasa or Chiaki.
Since I can see that they'd be fine with a friendly relationship, that's the option I'm choosing right now. I am not running away from making a decision, but I knew that if I do pick someone now, it'll simply be a half-baked experiment that would just hurt them. I'd rather not have that.
"Just because I was rejected then doesn't mean it'll be the same in the future, Kiyotaka-kun. You're too good for me to just give up on," Chiaki declared.
Too good to just give up on? I suppose I couldn't stop Chiaki from putting me on a pedestal, given how I had acted towards her thus far. But I guess if I were to eventually choose a woman based on what I knew about love, I would prefer someone who could accept my true nature and be capable enough to have my back.
So far, I have yet to meet someone who fills both conditions.
Chiaki... I am not sure how she could take it once she finds out her idea of me gets broken into pieces.
Tsubasa... she might hate me once she figures out how I actually thought of her.
And then there's Yuki, who had long accepted who I really am, but she's not capable enough to have my back because her existence is heavily reliant on me. She would instantly break if I were taken away from her life again.
"You're 14. I doubt you even understand what you're saying," I dismissed her before glancing her way.
Chiaki had a rather self-deprecating look on her face. "I get that, but... this is normal for young women, Kiyotaka-kun. Just let me live in this bubble a little longer," she requested.
"At least you acknowledged it."
Chiaki recovered and then winked at me. "Besides, you simply said you're incapable of love at the moment. Who says you wouldn't come to fall for me once you do? I'll wait for you, Kiyotaka-kun," she said.
I was a little stunned because those were almost the same as the words Tsubasa said when I rejected her on Valentine's Day... and I still do not understand the rationality behind the decision to wait.
I have come to realize that love is not logical, but given all I have known most of my life revolved around discovering the rationality and logic of the concepts presented to me, I still couldn't wrap my head around the irrational nature of love.
"Tsubasa said the same thing. You women really are persistent," I joked.
Chiaki giggled. "Tsubasa-chan simply knew how good the prize was! But she should be prepared to lose to me," she said.
It still boggled me how Chiaki and Tsubasa became friends.
After all, Tsubasa only found out about her when I called Chiaki out for stalking us last week when Eiichiro, Tsubasa, and I were out together.
Chiaki emerged from where she was hiding, and to my surprise, Tsubasa was actually fine with having Chiaki hang out with us.
They declared each other as love rivals, but at the same time, they also enjoyed insulting me behind my back, and apparently, I deserved it for being an insensitive jerk.
That doesn't make sense at all, but I believe that trying to understand women is an ordeal that men are predestined to lose. Even internet-sensei said so.
"Or... both of you should prepare to lose to ice cream-chan."
Eiichiro, with Tsubasa right behind him, emerged from upstairs and had a massive grin on his face.
"How nice of you to finally show yourself, Eiichiro. Also, please don't project your sick sexualization of weird objects onto me," I dryly said.
"Hey, it's not my fault Matsushita-san's voice could be heard from upstairs. Also, that last point is uncalled for!" He said in defense.
Eiichiro had a weird fixation on tentacle porn, which I couldn't understand. It's a fetish, supposedly, but I cannot understand why anyone would be into something as disgusting as tentacles penetrating a woman.
"That's true. Are you trying to piss me off, Chiaki-chan?" Tsubasa said as she pouted.
"Oh, not at all, Tsubasa-chan! I'm only stating facts," Chiaki placed her upper palm on her mouth as she let out a lady-like giggle.
"Mou~!"
Eiichiro slung his arm over my shoulder and ruffled my hair. "You're such a lady killer, Kiyotaka. I'm so proud of you!"
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his comment. "It's not like I intended for it to happen. Besides, I'm not a scumbag that toys with women," I said.
"I know, I know. But it's still impressive how these girls are falling for you left and right," he said.
"It's not impressive. It's a hassle," I muttered.
Tsubasa and Chiaki giggled at my response, but there was something amiss with their giggles... and as expected, they clearly forgot the memo that today was "No Violence on Kiyotaka Day," as both women pinched both sides of my cheeks, with Chiaki pinching my left cheek and Tsubasa pinching the other.
"What's a hassle?" Tsubasa asked.
"How rude! You should be honored at having two beautiful girls having feelings for you, Kiyotaka-kun," Chiaki added.
"If Kiyotaka had to pick between both of you and a gallon of ice cream, he'd still pick ice cream," Eiichiro said and got a punch on his arm courtesy of Chiaki.
That was true, but Eiichiro doesn't need to point that out.
"You need to shut up sometimes, Matsuo-kun," she said as she raised her fist once again.
Are all women wired to have violent tendencies when someone offends them out of nowhere? Even Tsubasa, who normally doesn't resort to violence, punched Eiichiro when he embarrassed her.
"In all seriousness, I just don't get love and how to express it," I replied, although I'm not sure if I was audible enough because Tsubasa was still pinching my cheek.
"Well, you'll figure it out eventually, Kiyotaka-kun," Chiaki said as she released her hold on my cheek.
"Yeah, and you have two love experts here to help you out," Tsubasa added as she let go of my cheek as well.
"Love experts? That's highly doubtful," I deadpanned.
"Well, we know more about love than you do," Chiaki said with a smile.
"Seeing as both of you got rejected by Kiyotaka, I doubt you guys actually have any expert advice to give," Eiichiro joked.
You should really learn when to shut up, Eiichiro.
Tsubasa and Chiaki gave Eiichiro a death stare, and he quickly realized his mistake.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I take that back," he said, putting his hands up in surrender.
"It's okay, Matsuo-kun. I forgive you," Chiaki said as she patted him on the back, but I could tell Chiaki was exerting pressure as Eiichiro was wincing.
"If you die today, that is," she added as a sinister smile made its way onto her face.
I wouldn't take it too seriously because Chiaki had a knack for teasing people, and that's just probably her way of messing with Eiichiro.
He probably deserved it too.
The atmosphere in the room was tense for a moment, but soon enough, we all started laughing at Chiaki's sudden change of tone. It was clear that she was just messing with Eiichiro, and he knew it too.
"You're scary, Matsushita-san. But also, that was kind of hot," Eiichiro said, trying to recover from the shock.
"Don't even try, Matsuo-kun. You're not my type," Chiaki replied, but she was still smiling.
"Obviously. No one stands a chance when the pride of Japan stands at the forefront," Eiichiro proudly declared.
Please don't taint our underaged friends with dick jokes, Eiichiro.
"Pride of Japan?" Tsubasa curiously asked.
"Don't mind Eiichiro, Tsubasa. He's being stupid again," I said in an attempt to wave off her curiosity.
"That said, it's only a matter of time before Kiyotaka-kun falls for me. After all, we're both going to ANHS next year... and Tsubasa-chan here will be left behind," Chiaki said as she glanced at Tsubasa.
"That's unfair! No battling for Kiyotaka-senpai's love until I get into ANHS too!" Tsubasa complained.
"Ara ara~! It's not my fault you were born a year late, Tsubasa-chan," Chiaki teased her.
"Don't I have a choice in this matter? Give me my human rights back," I said.
"NO!" Both women exclaimed at the same time.
Hey, that's not how the system works!
"Well... it's only a matter of time before Kiyotaka-senpai discovers what love truly is," Tsubasa said, trying to change the subject.
"I don't think it's something that can be discovered, Tsubasa-chan. It's more like something that happens," Chiaki added.
"I hate to disagree with you, Tsubasa-chan, but Matsushita-san is right, you know? It just happens," Eiichiro added.
I raised an eyebrow at Eiichiro's interjection. "Are you a love expert as well, Eiichiro?" I teased him.
Eiichiro chuckled. "Not at all! But I did have a girlfriend before, you know? And well... it just happened. Boom!"
"I do not completely understand," I replied in confusion.
"Ah, if the ladies do not mind, let the great Eiichiro-sama explain it to you, young apprentice," Eiichiro paused as if he was looking for a dramatic effect.
"You're such a dork, Eiichiro!" Tsubasa teased the boy, who remained unperturbed by the insult.
"I'm having none of that! Besides, you'll also agree with what I'm about to say. Listen carefully, Kiyotaka. You'll know you're starting to be in love when you feel a strong attraction to someone and then constantly think about them," Eiichiro began.
The boy, after settling into a comfortable position, finally continued. "Then, you'll want to spend time with them and do things that make them happy. You'll feel happy just being around them, and you'll feel their pain when they're sad."
"That's a lot of feelings," I said, feeling overwhelmed just thinking about it.
"It is, but it's worth it," Chiaki interjected, her expression softening. "Love can be complicated and messy, but it's also one of the most beautiful things in the world. It's what makes life worth living."
"Maybe I'll experience that in due time, Chiaki. But right now, I'm just glad to have you guys by my side," I replied.
Tsubasa giggled at my response for some reason. "For a robot, you sure do say really sappy things, Kiyotaka-senpai."
"What can I say? He's a Kiyotaka," Chiaki added.
What's with women and using my name as an adjective?
"Indeed. Senpai is such a Kiyotaka, but people can't be perfect, you know?" Tsubasa replied.
"I may not look like it, but my feelings have been thoroughly hurt by your insults," I replied.
I wasn't actually hurt, but they were being mean.
Both girls giggled.
"That's fine. Consider it payback for rejecting us," Chiaki said, and Tsubasa eagerly supported the sentiment as she nodded her head.
I rolled my eyes at their playful banter, knowing that they didn't really mean any harm.
For a moment, we just stood there in silence, enjoying each other's company.
But then, Eiichiro's stomach rumbled loudly, breaking the moment.
Eiichiro grinned. "Well, enough of the sappy stuff. Let's go get some ice cream, yeah?"
"Oh, I'm game!" Tsubasa said, her eyes lighting up.
"I call dibs on the seat next to Kiyotaka-kun," Chiaki said.
"Hey! That's unfair, Chiaki-chan!"
I looked at the three other people in the room and stood up. "The ice cream isn't going to wait. Let's go."
Upon my cue, we finally exited the mansion to get ourselves some ice cream.
I have definitely gotten used to more normal days like these...
6.1
A week after reuniting with Yuki, I received a message from her father inviting me to go to their manor. Apparently, Yuki's state had improved upon finally getting to see me, which was a surprise because I thought that my presence would lead to undoing her progress with counseling.
It seemed I had tremendously underestimated my impact on Yuki. However, it also poses a problem because she should be able to stand on her own if she wants to stand by my side. At this point, her existence is reliant on me.
Who knows what would happen to her next year when I would inevitably disappear for three years?
I do not think Yuki is mentally capable of even attending high school, so I'd have to throw away the idea of encouraging her to follow me in ANHS. With that, my next move, if I wanted to help Yuki, would be to gradually reduce her reliance on me.
Yuki was one of the finest products of my generation, even if she dropped out midway, so I believe that once she rediscovers the meaning of her life, she will be able to stand on her own.
[8:00:00 AM] Would Yuki be fine if I bring over another person?
[8:01:23 AM Tsubaki Takeshi] I think it'd be better if it's just the two of you now.
[8:01:40 AM] Is her sister home? Would it be possible to include her?
[8:02:30 AM Tsubaki Takeshi] Sakurako is home, but I will not be able to guarantee that Yuki will be willing to talk to her.
[8:03:00 AM] I see. I'll go there after lunch.
[8:04:20 Tsubaki Takeshi] Thank you, Ayanokōji-kun. This means a lot to our family.
After exchanging texts with Tsubaki Takeshi, I informed Matsuo of my schedule for the day. Since the White Room is temporarily shut down, I could afford to go off on my own so long as it was in secure locations, and the Tsubaki household is one of those, given they backed up the project.
I also told Eiichiro that I'd be away for the day and told him to inform Tsubasa in case she wanted to drop by.
Of course, the younger Matsuo did not let go of the chance to tease me about pursuing another girl.
Good luck getting glared at by Tsubasa the entire day, Eiichiro.
Speaking of Tsubasa, and by extension, Chiaki, both have been supportive when I told them about Yuki. Both of them saw her as a powerful 'love rival' because she was there during my childhood, but they were empathetic enough to see that Yuki needed me back in her life, or so they say.
I am still conflicted about whether or not Yuki's better off with my presence or without it. In fact, this move is a far departure from my typical rationality because I recognize that the most cutthroat yet effective answer would be to tell Yuki I hope I don't see her again so that she can begin working on herself.
But as the days went by, I found myself curious about the irrationality of humans and thought about the off-chance that my rational indifference was actually the wrong move.
This entire act of humoring Yuki and her father... was not a result of a growing attachment.
I simply wanted to test out human sentimentality... but I wouldn't be opposed to a positive development if it does get manifested.
We'll see what happens.
6.2
After eating lunch, I received a GPS coordinate from Yuki's father, which I showed to Matsuo, who was my chauffeur for the day. The travel to the Tsubaki manor was calm and silent, just as how I liked it, but before we could go there, I asked Matsuo to stop by a convenience store that was about a hundred or so meters from our destination.
I wanted to buy ice cream and give some to Yuki. I don't know if she had tasted it before, but I figured it'd be a nice gesture to do, especially since I was a visitor to their home.
Matsuo chuckled at my reasons, but he did allow me to get ice cream. What a reliable and kind man you are, Matsuo.
After carefully picking out the best ice cream flavors, I paid for my purchase, but apparently, the cashier was short on change, so she asked me if it was okay if I bought a couple of lollipops to make up for the change. Since it was just a couple of yen, I saw no reason to say no.
I do not really like lollipops much, so I'll just give them to Yuki's sister if I see her.
"What's with the lollipops, Kiyotaka-sama?" Matsuo asked upon noticing the oddity in my purchase.
"The cashier lacked change, so she asked if I could buy these lollipops instead," I replied.
Matsuo chuckled. "Did the cashier look Filipino?" He asked.
"I don't know. Why do you ask?"
"My apologies. It's just a little stereotype I had when I stayed there a couple of decades ago. Cashiers would ask if you're fine with buying candy if they're short on change; that's why I asked," he replied.
That's a weird custom if that's actually part of their culture. But I'm not one to judge since Japanese culture is rather bizarre as well.
As we arrived at the Tsubaki manor, I thanked Matsuo and stepped out of the car, ready to meet Yuki's father. The manor looked impressive, with traditional Japanese-style architecture that seemed to blend seamlessly with its surroundings.
As soon as we parked the car, Yuki's father, Tsubaki Takeshi, appeared and greeted us. He had a friendly smile on his face, and he seemed delighted to see me.
"Ayanokōji-kun, welcome to our humble abode," Tsubaki said as he bowed politely.
I returned the gesture and thanked him for his hospitality. then introduced me to his wife, Tsubaki Kaori, who was equally warm and welcoming.
"A pleasure to finally meet you, Ayanokōji-kun," Kaori said as she, too, bowed.
I couldn't help but feel like my meeting with Yuki would be like an experiment for her parents to see how their daughter reacts when talking to someone she's eager to talk to.
After exchanging pleasantries, Kaori led me to the main hall where Yuki was waiting.
"Kiyotaka!" Yuki rushed towards me and captured me in a hug.
I was caught off-guard, but I eventually reciprocated her gesture.
Did Yuki wear a new perfume? She smells really good.
"Did you wear perfume? You smell good, Yuki," I complimented.
Yuki let go of the hug and developed a mischievous grin on her face before she finally spoke.
"Have you turned into a girl-sniffing pervert now, Kiyotaka?"
"The nose is supposed to pick up on any scent. I do not see how pointing it out constitutes perversion," I replied.
I turned my head to Yuki's parents, who were content with letting things play out. They were seated at the dining table, and both had smiles on their faces.
Yuki giggled. "You're still really rational, Kiyotaka! Loosen up a little, okay?"
I said nothing and sat on the couch in the living room after placing the ice cream tubs I bought on the table.
"You seem... healthier," I pointed out.
Although her father had said she had gotten better, I was still a little suspicious because it could be a byproduct of pretense so that she could get the chance to see me again. I doubt her father would allow Yuki to see me if she was worse off when we met, so either Yuki actually made progress, or she pretended to have some semblance of development.
That said, she seemed a little different and calmer compared to last week. As I said, it could simply be a facade to put up an illusion of strength, but upon closer observation of her body language, I could tell that something had improved within Yuki's state from the last time I saw her.
Yuki sat next to me and had a contemplative look on her face. "I do? I guess being with you allowed me to be like this, Kiyotaka."
"You shouldn't rely on me too much, Yuki. You should be able to be independent of me someday," I bluntly stated.
Yuki looked down and began kicking her feet back and forth. "But... I have waited for so long to finally see you, Kiyotaka... I want to spend lots and lots of time with you... Can I at least be a little selfish?"
"We're meeting now, aren't we?" I rhetorically asked.
"And I hope we get to do it more in the future... by the way, Kiyotaka, what's inside that cellophane?" Yuki asked, pointing at what I had placed on the table.
"I brought something for us to eat," I replied, taking out the small tubs of ice cream as well as a wooden spoon.
"Ice cream?" She asked.
"Have you eaten one before?"
Yuki shook her head. "I could, but I have never really gotten the chance," she replied.
"Then, it's time for you to finally taste ice cream. It's really good," I commented.
Yuki turned her head in my direction. "Are you addicted to ice cream, Kiyotaka?" She asked.
"Addicted? That's harsh. I simply like it," I replied as I opened the vanilla-flavored tub.
Yuki simply observed me as I began eating my ice cream. She had a look of wonder in her eyes and, a few seconds later, giggled.
It would seem that my 'childish' habits when eating ice cream haven't changed... but I don't really care much about it. As long as it gets digested by my body, it works.
"You look like a child, Kiyotaka! That's adorable," she cooed.
Woman, I am not a baby. Stop cooing.
"I bought some for you too, you know? You should eat it before it melts," I told Yuki and gestured to the other tub that was on the cellophane.
"Okay!" Yuki cheered and opened the other tub of ice cream.
It was evident she had never had it before because of how some remnants of the ice cream were on her chin. It was... an adorable sight.
"What's with that look, Kiyotaka?" Yuki asked and then sent me a smile.
I wordlessly took out the handkerchief that was in my pocket and wiped off the ice cream that was on Yuki's chin, which led her to be flustered.
"Th-thank you, Kiyotaka," Yuki stuttered, her cheeks turning a shade of pink.
"No problem. You looked cute with the ice cream on your face, but I didn't want it to melt and make a mess," I replied.
As Yuki's cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at being able to make her feel flustered. I knew it wasn't exactly the most mature emotion, but I couldn't help it.
"Yuki, you looked cute with the ice cream on your face," I finished my sentence, causing Yuki to blush even harder.
"Kiyotaka, you're making fun of me!" Yuki pouted.
I smiled at her. "Am I? You must be imagining things," I replied.
My teasing did not register through Yuki's mind, as her focus was seemingly on another thing altogether.
"Y-You smiled! You never did that before!" Yuki exclaimed.
Oh, so that's what it was.
"I searched for tips on the internet," I replied.
Yuki giggled. "Even though you have changed, you still do think like a robot, Kiyotaka," she replied.
I paid her comment no mind and continued eating my ice cream. There was no point arguing about that because just about all the people my age jokingly call me a robot. It's a pain to go against the consensus.
"I had to learn how to smile because I don't think people would approach me if I didn't know how," I replied, giving her a textbook answer.
Yuki's smile widened, and she leaned in closer to me. "It suits you, Kiyotaka. You should smile more often," she said softly.
You're too close, Yuki. Step back a little. I can feel your father glaring at me. Step back. Step back.
I shifted slightly in my seat to create some distance due to how close Yuki was. I'd rather not incur the wrath of her father. I do not know Tsubaki Takeshi that much, but from what I could infer from the teachings of internet-sensei, he's bound to be protective because he had two beautiful daughters... although there are questions about his morality because he willingly gave up Yuki to the White Room.
Perhaps he was repenting for that mistake?
I shook my head, realizing that I was getting sidetracked. I needed to focus on the present moment and not let my thoughts drift too far.
"I'll try to smile more often," I said to Yuki with a small smile.
(Narrator Voice: Kiyotaka had not learned his lesson of not lying to a woman)
After that, the conversation ceased, and I decided to finish my ice cream. Vanilla might be a basic flavor, but it still tasted great. The silence between us was comfortable, but I could feel Yuki's eyes on me.
"What is it, Yuki?" I asked, turning to her.
She shook her head. "Nothing, I was just thinking that I'm glad we could do this."
"Do what?"
"Eat ice cream together. It's nice," she replied with a smile.
I nodded in agreement. "Yes, it is. We should do it again sometime," I said, making a mental note to buy more ice cream the next time I went grocery shopping.
Yuki then leaned her head on my shoulder, and I could feel her warm breath on my neck. It was a comfortable and familiar feeling, but at the same time, it made me a little uneasy.
I needed to establish boundaries with Yuki, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings. She had been through a lot, and I didn't want to add to her problems.
"Yuki, we should talk about your therapy," I said, trying to change the subject.
Yuki sat up straight and looked at me with a serious expression. "What about it?"
"How's your progress so far?" I asked.
Yuki's expression became a little grim. "It's not easy, Kiyotaka. But I'm trying my best," she replied.
"I know. But it's important to keep working on it," I said.
"I know," Yuki said, her voice barely above a whisper.
I put my arm around her shoulders, and she leaned in closer to me. I had never done it before to anyone else, but from the books that I've read and according to internet-sensei, it's apparently a good way of calming down a girl.
"I'll be here to support you, Yuki. But you need to learn to rely on yourself too," I said.
"I know, Kiyotaka," Yuki meekly replied and leaned even closer, as if I would disappear if she were to give me some space.
We sat there in silence for a while, enjoying our ice cream. It was comfortable, but at the same time, I felt like I was walking on thin ice.
Yuki's parents watched us with a fond expressions, happy to see their daughter enjoying herself with someone. A few seconds later, Yuki's father cleared his throat and spoke up.
"Yuki, Ayanokōji-kun, would you like to take a walk in the garden? It's a beautiful day outside," he suggested.
Yuki's eyes lit up at the idea, and she eagerly agreed. I nodded my consent, and we made our way outside.
The garden was just as beautiful as I had imagined it would be. The cherry blossom trees were in full bloom, and the soft pink petals danced in the gentle breeze. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of the flowers, and it was incredibly peaceful.
As we walked, I noticed Yuki's gaze kept shifting to me. I couldn't quite tell what she was thinking, but her expression seemed almost... longing?
"Is something bothering you, Yuki?" I asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between us.
Yuki shook her head quickly, her eyes darting away from me. "N-no, nothing's wrong. I'm just... happy to be with you, Kiyotaka," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I see. I'm not going away, Yuki," I reassured the blonde, who smiled at my response.
As Yuki's gaze focused on the koi pond, my attention was diverted elsewhere as I could feel a presence watching us from behind. Upon turning my head, I saw another blonde-haired girl who had similar features to Yuki.
"The kois are really pretty," Yuki muttered as she bent down and dipped her index finger into the water, repeatedly tapping it.
"Hey, Yuki, I'll go for a while. I need to pee," I told the girl.
Yuki nodded absentmindedly, her attention still focused on the koi pond. I made my way toward the bathroom, but as I walked, I couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched. Glancing behind me, I saw the blonde-haired girl still staring at me, her expression unreadable.
Seeing as she was not trying to start up a conversation, I ignored her for the time being and entered the bathroom. After finishing up, I washed my hands and took a deep breath, trying to make sense of the situation as I did not understand why Yuki's sister, Sakurako, was observing me. As I opened the bathroom door, I was surprised to see the blonde-haired girl, Sakurako, still waiting for me outside.
"What can I do for you?" I asked.
Sakurako simply stared at me for a few seconds before walking closer to me. As the distance between us decreased, she tiptoed in an attempt to level my height.
The uncomfortable silence remained for a few more seconds before she finally decided to speak.
"I hate you," she said.
My gaze lingered on Sakurako for a good couple of seconds before I reached down to my pockets and picked up three lollipops.
"I don't know why you hate me, but you can have this. I don't eat lollipops anyways. See ya," I handed the lollipops to Sakurako, who received them.
Sakurako simply stared at the three lollipops, unsure of what to make out of the situation. She was probably bewildered and unable to register my strange response to her words.
Without waiting for her response, I turned and walked back to the garden, where Yuki was still admiring the koi pond. As I approached her, Yuki looked up and smiled at me, seemingly unaware of the interaction I had just had with her sister.
"Did everything go okay?" she asked.
I nodded, not wanting to bring up the strange encounter with Sakurako. Instead, I suggested that we sit by the koi pond and enjoy the peaceful scenery.
We sat in silence for a few moments, watching the fish swim gracefully in the clear water. Eventually, Yuki spoke up.
"Kiyotaka, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Do you... believe in fate?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the water.
I stared at an orange koi whose swimming patterns were different compared to the others. After seeing the weird koi make a fool out of itself, I finally spoke. "No, I don't. My life is for me to decide. Even if I do not know the purpose of my life just yet, I refuse to let my life be dictated by anyone."
"Do you think... I could fight what has been crippling me now? Do you think... I could free myself of my fate as a broken product of... that...that..." Yuki was unable to finish her sentence as she shivered. It was once again caused by the memories of the White Room invading her mind.
A few seconds later, Yuki fell to her knees and began breathing heavily.
I took Yuki's hand and squeezed it to stop her from drowning in her thoughts.
"Yuki... Yuki... Yuki!" I called out as she was seemingly in a trance.
"Breathe, Yuki. Breathe," I urged the blonde-haired girl, who was now shaking.
I picked her up from the ground and settled her down on the bench.
"Ki-Kiyotaka..." she finally spoke, turning her head to me, allowing me to view her tear-filled face.
"This is a mistake. All I'm doing here is restoring your trauma. It's time for me to leave," I said.
"NO! KIYOTAKA DON'T LEAVE! DON'T!" Yuki clung to me tightly, unwilling to let go.
Her grip on me tightened, and I have to admit that it was getting a little painful. After a minute, however, her grip loosened as she fell unconscious.
As Yuki's unconscious figure lay still on my lap, her father approached me with a sad look in his eyes.
"Don't blame yourself, Ayanokōji-kun. It's normal for Yuki to still react that way, given it's only been a week. However, I was not lying when I said there was progress. In fact, this version of Yuki is already miles better than how she was a couple of months ago," he revealed.
"So... this breakdown was just tame?" I asked.
Takeshi nodded his head with a grim expression on his face. "That's why Ayanokōji-kun... I hope you can humor my selfish requests a little more. As saddening as this sight was... this was actually the least worrying breakdown Yuki had. You already had done work that professionals were unable to do," he replied.
I don't know how Takeshi saw my outward appearance at the moment, but his words sent me into several realms of thought that attempted to analyze Yuki's circumstances, how bad her triggers used to be, and how worse she used to be in coping.
The fact that I remained relatively fine upon my exit from the White Room was indeed proof enough... that I am a monster.
Only a monster would be apathetic about living in that facility... and even stay there for as long as I did.
Could I even be human again despite my twisted mentality and views? If something that would lead someone like Yuki, who was a prodigious talent, into such a pathetic state couldn't affect me... it simply proves that I am an anomaly.
Was my current growth actually a byproduct of my blooming humanity?
Or
Was it simply my means to adapt to modern society as a monster inside a human's skin?
I was interrupted in my thoughts as Tsubaki Takeshi's voice made itself known.
"Ayanokōji-kun... would it be fine for you if you slept over for the night? Don't worry, I will compensate you for your efforts. I just want you to be there when Yuki wakes up," Takeshi requested, once again bowing his head to me.
I decided to call Matsuo over and then told him of the situation.
Matsuo did not give me any advice and simply asked me one question:
What do you want to do, Kiyotaka-sama?
It was a subtle encouragement on his part, as he was asking me about what I wanted rather than what I needed to do.
What I needed to do, in this situation, was to cut off all ties with Yuki. It simply wasn't worth it, and there is no value in giving hope to a girl who, by all accounts, should be dead.
That's the action that I, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, should have done.
But...
If this was my chance to be in tune with my humanity...
I will allow my irrational sentiments to reign.
I will be my own person, and if that entails that I have to lean with my irrational sentiments once in a while... then perhaps, I have to make a gamble.
That night, I slept in the Tsubaki manor, with Yuki firmly clinging to my side, joyous at the realization that I decided to stay by her side.
I wonder if this decision was a fruitless act of rebelling against my father's ideals... or if it would be one of the catalysts that would enable me to discover my purpose in living.
6.3
Today brings back a lot of memories in my head. After all, today serves as the first anniversary of the conversation that led to the freedom, albeit temporary, that I am enjoying.
Who would have thought that my request to be exposed to a new environment would lead to so many changes in my life and in the way I saw things?
From Eiichiro, who was the first person my age that reached out to me; to Tsubasa, who was the first person to admit her love to me; to Kōenji, who was the first person that gave me an introspective as to who I am supposed to be; and lastly,
To Yuki, who was unexpectedly the person who allowed me to come to terms with my past and my present.
It was a tumultuous road, one filled with intense internal battles... and while I have not completely changed, I can confidently say that the Ayanokōji Kiyotaka of today is superior to the Ayanokōji Kiyotaka from last year.
Today is my 15th birthday, and before I formally celebrate it with people who wormed their way into my life... I find it appropriate to look back into memory lane and reflect on the journey that I had embarked on.
As I said, I... had changed somewhat. However, I don't know what led me to adapt to my current mentality.
While I initially thought that my change of heart during that fateful day when Yuki lay unconscious on my lap was the trigger, I have come to realize that it wasn't the case.
There was no particular trigger to my decision of what I wanted to be; it just clicked together, and I had decided on what I wanted to be. Realistically and psychologically speaking, I probably had known what I wanted for a long time, but I did not understand what it was just yet.
What did I want?
To be Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, the person, and not Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, the pawn in the old game of politics.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, the person who followed his own path, and not Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, who mindlessly followed every order from his father and the administration of the White Room.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, the person who would make his mark on his own terms, and not Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, who was a reflection of the desires of Ayanokōji Atsuomi.
I still do not have the pieces required to mount up an effective rebellion over a man as powerful as my father, but time is on my side.
Ayanokōji Atsuomi's biggest mistake was giving me the taste of freedom.
He, of all people, should know that a caged bird would not let go once it had the taste of freedom.
6.4
Tsubaki Yuki
It has been six months since I finally reunited with him.
After being separated for about seven years, I had always yearned for the day that I would get the opportunity to meet Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, the boy who was my light in the ironically dark shadows of the facility named the White Room... as well as the boy who I had fell in love with.
However, now that I was finally able to settle myself and develop lucid thoughts, I realized that what I felt for Kiyotaka then was not love. Rather, he was a representation of a positive ideal that I had imagined... an image that allowed me to cope as I attempted to close off all the trauma that I had in the White Room.
Kiyotaka, after all, was the only person who was able to elicit a smile out of me.
However, Kiyotaka was not a good person.
In fact... it might even be inaccurate to call the Kiyotaka of the past a person.
To put it frankly, the Ayanokōji Kiyotaka I had known was a monster in human flesh.
I had already known this even during the days when we were in the White Room—him, Shiro, and myself. Even then, he had the least amount of human sentiments and desires. He was wired like a machine that was programmed to complete every task given to him. He had no desires of his own... he was, to put it bluntly, a perfect prototype.
And in other words, the only thing that drove him to improve was his intellectual curiosity to determine where his limits lie.
But I suppose... even monsters had their desires to be human.
After all, it was his desire to be in tune with his humanity that motivated him to dig me out of the hole that I had found myself in for seven years.
Seven wasted years that I could have spent with my family... with my younger sister, Sakurako.
Of course, it is easy to say things in hindsight... and it always will be. However, to be human is to be constantly filled with regrets.
It's just wired in our psyche. There's no avoiding it.
Only people like Kiyotaka are able to rid themselves of the thought of regret... and they're barely human at all.
That was why... I was tremendously surprised when Kiyotaka told me that his motivations for staying by my side were:
[1] to see if he has what it takes to feel human and...
[2] he believes he would come to regret it if he chose to do nothing.
I don't know if he was telling me the truth or if it was one of his elaborate lies, but I chose to put my trust in him and believe that he wanted to change what he believed of the world—of his purpose.
And I don't think he knows just how much his revelation filled me with joy.
After all, his decision to save me had allowed me to be who I am today. I may not be completely healed from my trauma, but I believe I have made great strides into becoming who I want to become... and I have no one but Kiyotaka to thank for my rebirth.
I might have moved from the ideal of Ayanokōji Kiyotaka from the White Room, but here I am, finding myself in love with Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, the man who had saved me from myself.
And now... it's my turn to save him from himself.
And to get rid of the thieving cats who are laying their claims on him!
Kiyotaka is mine.
6.5
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka
"Ha Ha Ha! As expected of you, Ayanokōji-boy, there are more women than men at your birthday party, proof of your ascendance to manhood!"
I sighed as I saw myself as the recipient of praise that I didn't think I should be happy to get. This blonde menace, Kōenji, is going to get me into trouble with his preaching of a polygamous world.
Keep me out of your world, Kōenji!
"How many times are you going to tell me how proud you are of my progress, Kōenji?" I asked in a tired voice.
"Whenever you take a positive step into manhood, Ayanokōji-boy!" He answered as if I should have expected that already.
Well... I had expected that response from him, actually.
You do not hang out with a person for nearly a year and not get used to their antics. Regardless of how weird and bizarre they are, you will get used to it.
"If anything, you should be the one praised for this gender disparity. After all, you have contributed to the attendance of 60% of the women at this party," I pointed out.
Chiaki, Tsubasa, Yuki, and her sister Sakurako, were the women I had invited to my birthday party, while Kōenji brought with him six older women... without informing me that he'll be having company.
What a pain in the ass.
"That's to be expected! After all, I am the Perfect Existence. Something like this is just the norm in my life... something those insignificant plebians can only dream of. Ha Ha Ha!"
"Whatever. Just don't spout nonsense about polygamy in front of Yuki if you value your life," I warned Kōenji.
Yuki, after all, already had trouble accepting that there were other women in my life.
Is she what they call a Yandere?
It doesn't make sense because she's blonde and not pink-haired as the stereotypes had indicated. Speaking of pink-haired women, I will make an effort to avoid them at all costs.
I value my life, after all.
In a typical Kōenji manner, he scoffed at the thought of being intimidated by a woman. "As I said, I am immune from the rage of women. No need to worry about me, Ayanokōji-boy!"
I shook my head as I watched Kōenji head downstairs and entertain his horde of older women.
The party... was not that big to be considered a party. there are just about 16 people here: Kōenji and his six women, Chiaki, Tsubasa, Yuki, Sakurako, Eiichiro, Keiji-san, Kanzaki, my father, and of course, me.
Regardless, I found myself amazed at the thought that in the span of a year, I've managed to have this many people care about my life.
Before I could further drown in my thoughts, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. As I turned around, I found myself face to face with Sakurako, who still had the same blank expression on her face.
"I heard what you talked about. If you don't want me to tell onee-san that you used her name as a threat, you should give me a lollipop," she 'threatened' me.
It turns out that Sakurako had developed a fixation for lollipops after I gave her three lollipops when we first met, having liked the taste of them.
I sighed, feeling a sense of déjà vu with Kōenji and his antics.
Good thing I had a pack of lollipops in my room to prepare me for whenever a situation like this arises. You could never be too prepared when dealing with Sakurako.
"Alright, I'll get you a lollipop later, but you have to promise not to tell Yuki anything," I said, ruffling her hair.
Sakurako nodded, a small smile forming on her face. "Okay, I promise. But you better not forget about the lollipop, Kiyo-nii," she said before skipping off to join the others, leaving me to wonder how much longer I'll have to deal with these bizarre characters in my life.
Well... at least Sakurako doesn't have feelings for me like the other three. It'd be a pain in the ass if she were.
To think that this girl, whose first words to me were "I hate you," would eventually see me as an older brother figure. My life is already as ridiculous as it was; what's one more insanity to add?
Sakurako, however, doesn't call me 'Kiyo-nii' because she was particularly attached to me. She's only calling me as such because of Yuki's feelings towards me.
As I made my way downstairs, I saw that the party was in full swing. Keiji-san was in the corner, talking with Eiichiro and Kanzaki, while Kōenji was entertaining his harem of older women. My father... was nowhere to be found, but he was somewhere in the house. He simply doesn't care about my birthday or anything of the like. I prefer it that way too. Who knows how Yuki would react if he met her face-to-face? As good as Yuki's progress was, she still is mentally unstable.
Looking over the rest of the crowd, I saw Tsubasa and Chiaki giggling over something while Yuki was sitting alone, looking a bit uncomfortable. I made my way over to her, wondering what was wrong.
"Is everything okay, Yuki?" I asked, taking a seat next to her.
She looked up at me, her violet eyes meeting mine. "Yeah... I just feel a bit out of place here," she admitted.
"Where is Sakurako anyways?" I asked.
"You know that kid. She's living in her own world," Yuki replied.
"Not too different from her older sister, then?" I said before Yuki's fists found their way to my sides.
It hurts.
"B-Baka Kiyotaka! You shouldn't be shamelessly teasing a maiden with such a blank voice!" She whined.
Chiaki and Tsubaki, having noticed the small commotion, made their way toward us and nodded in agreement with Yuki's sentiment. "That's right! You're such a Kiyotaka!"
"You're such a Kiyotaka, Kiyotaka-senpai," Tsubasa added, shaking her head as if she was a disappointed mother.
"A Kiyotaka?" Yuki asked.
Chiaki then walked up to Yuki and leaned into her ear before whispering some words. As Chiaki leaned back, Yuki's eyes widened, and had a look of enlightenment on her face.
"That's right! You're such a Kiyotaka!"
What a pain... there are three of them now.
"That being said, all three of us have prepared a gift for you! You better be happy about this, Kiyotaka-kun," Chiaki said and winked.
Even Yuki? That alone made me wary of what was to come. After all, Yuki was a little wary of them since she found out Chiaki and Tsubasa had feelings for me.
"Do I have a choice whether or not I want to receive it?" I asked, but it fell on deaf ears.
"Nope~!" Chiaki answered before she walked in my direction and kissed me on the right cheek.
Huh?
"Y-You better take accountability for this, Kiyotaka-senpai!" Tsubasa said before doing the same on my left cheek.
And lastly, Yuki approached me with a massive smile on her face.
"Guess where I'm going to kiss you," she said.
"I don't want to," I replied.
"Hmp! You're no fun!" Yuki then leaped onto me and pecked me on the lips. As she withdrew, she looked at Chiaki and Tsubasa, sending both women a smug grin.
Ah... so that's what happened. They played a game to determine where they were supposed to kiss me. Why didn't they ask me? After all, I am the recipient of the kiss. Does this mean that men have no human rights now?
If they had asked me, I would have told them they could all kiss me on the lips. Bring me back my human rights!
Kōenji suddenly appeared in the main hall with his group of older women... and his clothes crumpled. Yeah, it wouldn't take a genius to understand what he just did. "Ha ha ha! What a lively party! I see that Ayanokōji-boy is getting rewarded by the women in his life!" he exclaimed, causing the women with him to chuckle.
"I think I was being punished. If they allowed me to choose, I would have kissed them all on the lips," I replied shamelessly, causing the three girls to get flustered.
Revenge is sweet.
"Hah! That's why I like you, Ayanokōji-boy! That said, girls! Bring out the gifts," Kōenji ordered, and as if on cue, three of the six women went out of the mansion, and upon returning to the main hall, there were gifts... a lot of gifts.
"Since I am a generous existence, not only am I giving gifts to the birthday boy, I am also giving gifts to everyone else here! That's right, bask in my glory. Ha Ha Ha!"
Everyone cheered at Kōenji's declaration, probably expecting expensive gifts from him, but I wouldn't be too sure if I were in their shoes.
As he started to distribute the gifts, my suspicions were manifested as the gifts were... strange, and that's being generous. Tsubasa received a set of nail clippers, Chiaki got a cheese grater, and Yuki was given a whisk. Even Eiichiro received a can of beans.
The absurdity of the situation came in the fact that all of these gifts were wrapped in a really large box, so you wouldn't be to blame if you'd assumed something massive was inside.
"What is this?" Eiichiro grumbled.
"A gift, of course!" Kōenji replied, grinning widely.
As for me, Kōenji handed me a package with a mysterious look in his eyes.
"What is it?" I asked, already knowing this blonde menace prepared an embarrassing gift as revenge for all of our battles.
"It's a surprise!" he said before disappearing into the crowd of women.
I cautiously opened the package and found... four boxes of condoms.
Kōenji... what the hell?!
I sighed as I had been dragged into another one of Kōenji's pranks. I could only hope that the rest of the party would be less eventful, but with these people, you never know what to expect.
"You guys are so loud," Sakurako said as she appeared out of nowhere. "What's going on?"
Sakurako then examined everyone before her eyes turned to me... and the offending material that was in my hands.
The normally stoic girl had a disgusted look on her face. "You're disgusting, Kiyo-nii," she said.
I rolled my eyes in response. The last thing I need is for Sakurako to think I am perpetually horny. "It's not what you think, Sakurako," I replied, trying to defend myself.
"I would understand if there were just three boxes. Why do you have four? Again, disgusting. You already have onee-san. Stay away from me, pervert," she said, shaking her head. "But whatever, I don't really care. I just came to give you this." She then handed me a small gift bag before skipping off again.
I opened the bag and found a box of my favorite chocolates inside. It was a relief to finally receive a normal gift.
Suddenly, the lights flickered, and the room went dark. I could hear screams and yells from my guests, and I knew I had to act fast. I quickly stood up and grabbed my phone to use as a flashlight.
"Everyone, calm down! I'll go check the circuit breaker," I said, my voice echoing in the darkness.
I made my way to the basement and found the circuit breaker. As I flicked the switch, the lights came back on, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
But as I made my way back upstairs, I noticed that something was off. The room was now filled with smoke, and the smell of burnt cake and candles filled the air.
"What the hell?" I muttered to myself as I made my way back to the main room.
And then I saw it.
Kōenji Rokusuke, the "Perfect Existence," had attempted to light all of my birthday candles at once and had set the cake on fire.
The older women he had brought with him were frantically trying to put out the flames with glasses of water, but the fire had spread too quickly.
I stood there, stunned, watching as the scene unfolded in front of me. And then I heard a loud crash and saw that one of the women had knocked over a table, sending food and drinks flying.
It was then that I realized that this was a disaster of epic proportions. And yet, I couldn't help but feel amused at the absurdity of it all.
"Well, this is certainly a birthday to remember," I said to myself, trying to contain my laughter.
Wait... I don't know how to laugh. What laughter am I holding back?
As I was massaging my forehead at the ridiculous situation I found myself witness to, I felt a tug on my sleeves and saw Sakurako glaring at me.
"By the way, Kiyo-nii... you forgot my lollipops," Sakurako said, a reminder of our agreement.
Crap.
It's not like Yuki would mutilate me, but it'll take some time to placate her when she gets upset.
Well... I should just enjoy the rest of the night and worry about Yuki later.
(Narrator Voice: Tsubaki Sakurako snitched on Kiyotaka to her sister, and later that night, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka learned to always keep his promises.)
6.6
Unknown POV
It has been a year since Ayanokōji Atsuomi decided to allow the White Room's Masterpiece, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, to live outside the facility and to be integrated into modern society.
If one were to ask for my personal opinion, I would say that from the perspective of initial prospects, it is a high-risk, high-reward move for Ayanokōji-sensei.
After all, Ayanokōji-sensei's position is in the most perilous state that it has ever been in, and Ayanokōji Kiyotaka is the poster child of the project both he and Naoe-sensei had desperately attempted to keep under wraps.
And in the same vein, the success of this venture would allow for Ayanokōji Kiyotaka to become a complete product that would eventually be emotionally reachable and capable of leading Japan in the future—one who, in his father's ideal situation, would be molded by his personal creed.
Now that I've thought about it, there was only one surefire winner of this endeavor—Ayanokōji Kiyotaka himself.
From the files I've been allowed to access, it was journaled that he was a child that was curious about how far he could go within the confines of the White Room. He had little interest in the world outside the white walls he had become accustomed to.
However, upon completing the curriculum of the White Room, he gradually developed an interest in how everything functioned. While he might not have desires of his own, a by-product of his upbringing in the White Room, he would not hesitate to explore the unknown if he had the opportunity to do so.
This was the first shift in Ayanokōji Kiyotaka's behavior.
That being said, being able to finally taste freedom, albeit limited, is already a massive victory for Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.
And in the same vein, this move orchestrated by Ayanokōji Atsuomi and key White Room instructors poses a potentially massive risk to Ayanokōji Atsuomi's ambitions.
For example, Kiyotaka's exposure to the outside world may lead him to have a rebellious reflection where he would come to the conclusion that his father's ideals were flawed. There is also the risk of the Kijima Faction somehow getting into contact with Kiyotaka and influencing him to go against his father.
But on the flip side, it could also allow him to be firm in his belief in his father's visions.
These are the unknown variables that Ayanokōji Atsuomi has to work with.
And with how things are going, it is becoming glaringly obvious how Kiyotaka was leaning towards the former... and perhaps, he always had been thinking of it, albeit unknowingly.
Throughout the one year that I've taken care of him, I've come to realize that Ayanokōji Kiyotaka values his freedom a lot, and he has been using every waking opportunity to explore concepts that he hasn't been familiar with before.
And, of course, I am extremely proud of him.
To be honest, his pace of growth was scary, but at the same time, it filled me with the hope that perhaps he might be able to feel like a human.
He had been able to grasp key concepts in humanity, such as friendship, love, and passion, among other human sentiments. While I do not know if he had embraced those values or was simply utilizing them for his own curious gain, the fact of the matter is that Ayanokōji Kiyotaka had mostly succeeded in what was expected of him.
But of course, I couldn't take credit for this progress all by myself.
If anything, the biggest contributors to his growth were my son Eiichiro and his friend, Nanase Tsubasa. There was also Tsubaki Yuki, another product of the White Room, but I'd argue that Kiyotaka-sama wouldn't even bother with her had it not been for the influence of Tsubasa and Eiichiro.
These two children were able to instantaneously connect with Kiyotaka-sama and were able to make him understand the significance of being human.
I've seen how Eiichiro reached Kiyotaka-sama with his gesture during Christmas last year, and I've also bore witness to how Nanase-chan was able to make Kiyotaka-sama contemplative about the notion of love and romance, in general.
They have shown him empathy, compassion, and love—three key traits that allow humans to connect with one another.
It's a feat that no one but those two would have been able to accomplish with someone as rational and logical as Kiyotaka-sama.
Still, his indoctrination to the philosophies of the White Room had never truly faded just yet.
While it is becoming likely that he had come to see both Nanase-chan and Eiichiro as trusted friends, a part of him still sees them as resources that he could use in order to learn what it means to be human.
And if you were to ask me... it makes me angry at his father for allowing him to be tormented and robbed of his humanity.
I still remember his first words when we stepped out of the limousine on the same day that I met him.
"It's been a while since I saw clouds with my own eyes."
Hearing those words from a boy who had just celebrated his 14th birthday filled me with great sadness. It was there that my realization of his actual predicament fully sank in.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka was a product of an experimental simulation, and from birth, all he knew was to follow what he was told. He never had free will, nor was he given the chance to be himself.
To them, he was simply the Masterpiece—a "perfect" product that they could utilize to proliferate the supposed success of the White Room.
But if Ayanokōji Kiyotaka finds it in himself to rebel against his father and chase his personal ambitions... I, Matsuo Keiji, will be the first to lend him a hand.
Even if it costs me my life.
End of Chapter
A/N: And now... we're just one chapter away (technically 2, with 1 epilogue and 1 SS) before we set foot in canon COTE!
That said, I have decided to make Yuki a little sane, but she's still quite broken, given it has only been six months. She'll, of course, be in a better state once we enter canon, but she'll always have that crazy to her. It's unrealistic, after all, if her WR trauma just disappears like magic. She'll just have an outlet for it. (Should I turn her pseudo-yandere?)
I intentionally made Kiyo's birthday party chaotic because there was essentially no adult supervision there. Matsuo (Keiji) simply allowed it to unfold because he's a cool uncle. Besides, this fic had been too serious for a couple of chapters now, and we need a break from the drama.
That said, I could tell a bunch of people who had read canon Volume 0 are a little confused on why Matsuo was aware of Naoe's involvement in the WR in this fic. I actually buffed up his status quite a bit, making him someone who's not just a butler, but a former high-ranked military official, who had been involved with Ayanopapa's dealings.