[Volume 1 - Chapter 8]
[A Small Step For Subaru-kind]
"Welcome Subaru. How was the school today?" Naoko opened the door to let her son in.
"Boring to say the least." He said dryly.
"The only good thing that came out all day was one level in [Shape]. Just one more level before it evolves." He thought as he took of his shoes and put them in the rack.
"Is my Subaru tired? Don't worry I will cook up something tasty for you."
Subaru sighed and slumped onto the couch. "Thanks, Mom," he said, feeling a little down about his day at school.
Naoko got up and went back to the kitchen to finish cooking. Subaru followed her, eager to see what she was making. As they sat down to eat, Subaru felt a little happier, knowing that he had someone he could share a tasty meal with. "Much better than eating the rotten meat of Mabeasts."
As Naoko cooked, she chatted with Subaru about his day. "So what did you do in class today?" she asked, trying to engage him in conversation.
Subaru shrugged. "Nothing much, just the usual lectures and homework assignments," he said, not sounding very enthusiastic.
Naoko frowned, sensing her son's lack of interest. "Is everything okay, Subaru? You seem a little down," she said, turning off the stove and walking over to the couch to sit beside him.
Subaru sighed again. "I don't know, Mom. I just feel like school is so boring and pointless sometimes."
Just because he knew everything, it did not mean that he liked going to school.
Naoko put her arm around Subaru's shoulder. "I understand how you feel, Subaru. But school is important for your future, and it's a great opportunity to learn new things and meet new people," she said, trying to encourage him.
Subaru nodded, knowing that his mom was right. "I know, Mom. But it's just hard to stay motivated sometimes."
In reality he was just annoyed by the amount of time he wasted at school.
Naoko smiled. "I know it can be tough, but remember that I'm here for you, and I believe in you." she said, giving him a reassuring hug.
Subaru smiled back. "Thanks, Mom. I appreciate it." he said, feeling a little more energized now.
"Now go and rest for the day. Don't forget to do your homework." She advised.
Subaru nodded, feeling grateful for his mother's care and concern. "Thank you, Mom. I'll make sure to get my homework done," he said as he headed to his room.
"It feels indulgent knowing that someone worries for me... That's not to say that it does not feel nice too."
He sat down at his desk and took out his books. . "I was a master at solving integrals, doing this level of arithmetic... it just feels insulting." In about 5 minutes, he had finished his homework.
"Time to use the laptop. Gotta try out that [Program] skill." He took out his new laptop and turned it on. The sleek and shiny device hummed to life, and he couldn't help but smile in excitement.
He started exploring the laptop's features and settings, customizing it to his liking. He installed some developer-use softwares and bookmarked some useful websites for his studies. He changed the device's theme to dominant black with orange outlines. "Black and orange scheme look so good together."
He spent some time browsing the internet and watching educational videos on the laptop. This short amount of time was enough for him to absorb information like a sponge. He was amazed at how much information was available at his fingertips.
"If i had availed this Information when i had time, i would not have suffered that much... Heh! Who am i fooling? Suffering seems to be my fate."
As he watched videos about programming, his skills grew rapidly. "In just 6 hours I gained 8 levels in programming. This progress kinda feels cheap. Though i definitely feel that i have gained much information."
"Why is it growing so rapidly? Is it because of the quality of information? So i have to first use a book to gain the skill. Then taking lectures or practicing will let me power level my way to the skill's level cap. Or would just watching the video will be enough to gain a skill?"
As the day turned to evening, Subaru felt satisfied and fulfilled. He had accomplished a lot and learned a great deal. "Now I know how to program. In my past life, knowledge and mastery of this level would have never been possible for me."
He closed the laptop and climbed into bed, feeling tired but happy. Before he drifted off to sleep, he thought about all the apps he had wanted to build in his previous life.
He picked up his pen from the table and started noting all the projects he could finish in one week.
"I should try to make those which will be the most monetary beneficial for me... Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Uber, Airbnb, Pinterest. These were the businesses giants in my previous life. In this life though, they all will exist under a single name."
"By the time the summer vacation starts, I would have already made many of the biggest platforms in human history. If i get this right, i would get all those resources i could possibly have." Subaru, knew that this won't be a walk in the park.
"Even if I knew how to program, it would have been impossible for me to create those apps. However, I still remember what those apps looked like. I had forgotten most things from Earth or that's what i had thought. But after my experience in the white place, it seems like I can view the entirety of my life without any gaps."
After drawing a rough sketch of his future plans, he went to sleep.
The next morning, Subaru woke up early as always, feeling energized and motivated. He quickly got dressed into his casual clothes and headed to the kitchen to find something to eat or drink.
As he searched through shelves, he saw something familiar. A bag of coffee.
"...Coffee?" Subaru remembered one of the collapsed timelines where one of his counterbalances had finally become the king.
He took some beans, crushed them to an appropriate size and passed hot water through them. Even though the weather was warm, he needed something to boost his mind for a while.
As he looked into his cup, the black coffee shifted. He sat on the shelf without taking in a sip. Right now he was experiencing something from his past. Something unpleasant.
"That guy was sure fond of his coffee. Well he did required energy for his depraved acts. If I ever meet him, I have got to chop him up." He felt murderous at the thought of that disgusting version of himself.
Ping!!!
At the sound of the coffee beater, Subaru's face changed from murderous to apathetic.
"Looks like the coffee is done. Seriously if i had a coffee maker before, i wouldn't have had to ask Ram to teach me how to make it. Still her face was a sight to see after she tasted coffee for the first time." Subaru smiled at the thought of someone he held dear.
He paused as if taking all the support he could from his memories.
"...Since i have today and tomorrow all to myself, i can spend my time on creating something." He took the cup and moved back to his room.
Subaru looked around for his laptop as he sipped his coffee. "There it is!"
As he opened his laptop and began coding, he muttered to himself, "Okay, let's see what we can do here."
Hours went by, and Subaru was completely focused on his work. He barely took any breaks, only stopping briefly to take sips from his absolutely bitter coffee.
"Okay, that's looking good." He said to himself as he reviewed his progress. "Let's add some more features."
In 3 more hours, he had made significant progress. "Wow, I can't believe how much I accomplished today." Subaru said, feeling proud of his work.
"Subaru! Come down!" Kenichi called out to him.
He packed up his things and headed downstairs, he thought about all the work that lay ahead. "I'm going to need to put in a lot more hours to get this done." He said to himself.
Much to his surprise, both his mother and father were waiting for him.
"Are you going somewhere?" He asked hesitantly.
No matter how old Subaru was mentally, his parents were the only emotional support he had in this world. He always felt guilty for lying to them. Thus, he always had the fear of 'What if they leave me!'.
"Get on some proper clothes. Subaru. We are going to meet your school's principal. At first we were thinking of letting you rest for the day but the principal specifically told me to bring you." Kenichi said as he handed him a western style suit.
"Do you want me to help?" Naoko asked.
"No Mom! I am big enough to wear clothes on my own now." Much to the enjoyment of both Naoko and Kenichi, Subaru replied with his ears becoming red out of sheer embarrassment.
"Ok! Ok! Now go and change quickly." Kenichi said holding himself back from making fun of his son.
.
.
.
After changing, he came out of the room. "This is so uncomfortable. What's up with these formal clothes." He grumbled.
"Eeeek!" Suddenly he shrieked out of surprise. For some reason, his mother lifted him up in her arms.
"My baby looks so cool." Naoko rubbed her face with Subaru's despite his resistances.
"How does she have such strength in her arms?" He could only struggle in her embrace.
He looked towards his father, whose eyes were dripping tears.
"Kid you are so lucky. Ladies would line up, just to talk to you."
"..." Subaru so wanted to retort back but was not in a condition to do so.
"Mom are you not going to put me down?"
Hearing his words, Naoko slowly let her son touch the ground much to his relief.
"Now i am feeling sick." He thought as he took in deep breaths.
"Sorry Subaru. It was just that you looked so cute in a gentleman dressing. I couldn't help myself." Naoko showed fake remorse trying to fool her son into forgiving her.
"She definitely what she was doing." Subaru realized that pointing it out will only increase the teasings.
"So are we going or not?" He asked.
Kenichi seeing that they had already lost much of the time, told them to sit in the car quickly. As they all sat in the car, Kenichi pressed the pedal without hesitation. This resulted in them reaching the school in under 2 minutes.
To say that Subaru felt terrible after such a ride would be an understatement.
"Dad! Next time at least drive with a little more care. You almost crushed a man. Thankfully the man had the insight of moving out of the way."
"C'mon! That's not my fault. That man should have not been standing on the middle of the road."
"Dad... He was walking on the crosswalk."
For a while, silence reigned supreme in the car.
Kenichi opened his mouth to speak. "Still-"
But he was stopped by a single menacing yet sweet glare from his wife.
"Now Now! You shouldn't try to present your wrongs as rights. You.Would.Not.Want.To.Leave.A.Bad.Effect.On.My.Subaru."
"Dad! Park there." Subaru pointed at an empty space, in a way to make his dad focus on something other than Naoko.
'You owe me one.' This was the expression which was written all over Subaru's face.
Kenichi parked the car as he gave an understanding look to Subaru.
As they exited the car, Subaru saw two familiar faces. The principal and his son Otake.
"It's nice to see you."
"Nice to meet you too."
Both of them stood still for a few seconds until Kenichi came forward and gave the principal a bear hug much to the complaint of the principal's back.
"Kenichi you gotta stop doing that. Not everyone remains as physically fit as you." The principal straightened his back with a crack. "I am getting so old."
"Pops! I don't think they are here to hear that." Otake tried to bring his father back to the topic.
Instead of admonishing his son for speaking out of turn like he usually did, the principal turned to Kenichi with a serious expression.
"Come to my office. We shouldn't talk out here in open." Saying this, he started walking towards the school.
The rest followed him into the main building. As they reached the principal's office, all but Otake entered the room. Once inside, they all took their seats and the principal began the discussion.
"I called you all here today because I wanted to talk about Subaru's future. As you know, he is an exceptional student and not only that but he has the potential to become a genius of the nation. But we need to make sure he is on the right path and is getting the proper guidance to reach his full potential."
Kenichi and Naoko nodded in agreement, while Subaru sat quietly, carefully studying everyone's interactions.
"We have a very generous proposal for you to consider. There are specialized schools and programs for gifted students, and we also have some mentorship opportunities with professionals in various fields."
The principal looked directly at Subaru. "But we need to know what you want, Subaru. What do you want to do with your talents?"
Subaru looked up, his eyes brightening with faked determination. "I want to use my talents to help people. I want to find solutions to problems that affect society and make the world a better place." Like most of his words, these words were not a complete lie.
"I want to help but not at the expense of those close to myself." He said to himself.
The principal smiled. "That's a noble goal, Subaru. And I believe we can help you achieve it. Let's work together to find the best path for you to reach your full potential and make a positive impact on the world."
Kenichi paused for a moment, considering the principal's proposal. He then looked at his son, who was observing the situation with a curious expression.
"Listen, I believe in letting my son follow his own wishes and ideals. But at the same time, I don't want him to walk a path he has no interest in. The only thing we expect of him is to never stop seeking and standing for the what he believes to be right." Kenichi said, placing a hand on Subaru's shoulder. "In the end, it's his decision, but I want him to know all the options available to him."
Subaru looked at his father with gratitude, feeling that his wishes were being respected.
The principal nodded in understanding. "I see. Well, I can only present the opportunity. It's up to you and your son to decide what you want to do."
Kenichi smiled. "Thank you for understanding."
Kenichi wanted the best best for his son and thus he uttered these words to clarify everyone's position on this matter. "Follow your wishes and ideals, but don't be afraid to consider new opportunities that come your way. No one here will choose on your behalf."
"Not even us." Naoko added.
The tension in the air was palpable. Kenichi and Naoko sat in chairs in front of the principal's desk, while Subaru sat between them.
The principal took a deep breath and once again tried to convince the boy. He couldn't just let a genius escape his school without using him for publicity of his institution.
"Subaru, I will repeat it as many times as you want. You are an incredibly talented young man, and we believe that you have the potential to become a symbol of our nation."
Subaru's eyes narrowed, his expression guarded. "Who is this 'we' you are talking about? He asked, his voice sharp.
The principal hesitated for a moment before continuing. "We are... an organization. And we would like to offer you a special program that would allow you to develop your skills even further. It would require you to attend a prestigious academy, one that specializes in nurturing the talents of young prodigies such as yourself."
Kenichi and Naoko exchanged worried glances. They had always encouraged their son to pursue his passions, but they were hesitant about the idea of sending him away to a special institute.
"What if he couldn't fit in with the other kids?" This thought was the only thing which was prevented them from giving their permission.
The principal gave a tired look to Kenichi. "I would be more afraid for the other kids. I know you love and adore him as your son but you have to realize that he has a greater mental capacity than anyone in the room."
This seemed to make both of them a little more willing.
Subaru spoke up again, his voice low and measured. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm not sure of what my approach should be. I have my own dreams and goals, and I want to pursue them on my own terms and besides..."
"You Didn't Answer What I Asked!"
The principal was taken aback at his response.
"I apologize but i do not understand what you are saying." He shook his head to deny whatever Subaru was trying to imply. "Still I hope you will reconsider. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could help you achieve great things."
As the meeting neared its end with neither Subaru not principal backing down, Kenichi decided to help out his son.
"There are two types of people in this world - those who follow their own wishes and ideals, and those who are led by the wishes and ideals of others. Subaru, the choice is yours."
Subaru nodded, his mind deep in thought. "I am not sure of how to achieve my goals. Not yet at least." He paused so he could gather all of their attention at his last point. "Still i do not have the luxury of deciding. Thus I will have to accept this proposal."
He looked deep inside the principal's soul. The man in question felt his soul getting violated.
"We would be happy to remove or add any clause for you if it means that you would agree to our terms and conditions." He tried to show his kind side.
Subaru, the master of deceit, could only laugh at his poor attempt at manipulation. "I will play along." He thought.
"Sure! I presume that you guys do contracts right?"
"Yes. But how did you know?" The principal asked curiously. "A child his age shouldn't even know what a contract is?" He thought.
"Well... I had a guess." Lied Subaru. "He is acting too suspicious to not bring a contract to the table. Take that Echidna! I did learn a thing or two from you."
"Well your guess right but the contract is not with me but my boss. I will give you details on how to reach that man after i talk to him. Thanks for accepting our proposal."
The principal pressed a button after which Otake came in the room.
"You done Pops?" Otake asked without a care.
"Yes! Now take Subaru and the rest back to the parking lot." He turned to the Natsuki family. "You are all free to leave."
Hearing this, Subaru and his parents stood and excused themselves.
As they exited with Otake in the lead, the principal took out his phone.
"I seriously don't want to talk to that man..." He stopped as he gathered all his courage.
"Yes Sir It's me. I-I apologize for interrupting your cultural tour but i had to report this news to you as soon as possible. That kid I told you about agreed to the deal."
"That's great. So when can we talk?" An enthusiastic voice of a thick western accent came from the other side.
"Well i told them that you would be the one to explain the details of the contract to them."
"Hmm... You did okay. Tell them to meet me tomorrow night."
"Where sir?"
"... I will be attending the meeting at the 'The 46th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society'. Have them meet me in the lobby at 7 pm sharp."
The principal nodded nervously and hung up the phone. He knew this deal could be a huge opportunity for his school, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. "Something about that boy feels weird. Should i tell boss... No I don't think he will like if I pester him anymore."
As they exited the school, the night time was nearing. They all sat in the car and started their journey back to home.
"Dad... Can you tell me about the principal?"
Kenichi felt weird but did not question. "Sure. What do you wanna know?"
"...Did he belong to a rich family? Where did he study at? Has he ever left the country before? What jobs did he have before becoming the principal?-" Subaru wanted to ask more but was interrupted by his father.
"Woah Woah kiddo, calm down. I will answer them all one by one." He scratched his chin as if trying to remember any and all details about his old friend. "Hmm... He belonged to a moderate family. We studied together for a while but he had to leave the country in search of a job. As for what jobs he had before, i am afraid that i don't know."
Kenichi kept his focus on driving the car.
"Is he related to military in any way?"
"...I don't know why you are asking that... Wait! Now that i think about it, he did talk about joining some sort of military group during his travels. Though I don't know the name of which group he belonged to."
"So that's why that man's eyes looked like that. No matter how many eyes I see, the eyes of a killer never change." Subaru thought.
From the moment he had seen that man, he knew it that, that man was a killer.
"Though he doesn't look like a seasoned killer. I will have to dig up information about him. If that's the case, I wouldn't want to endanger Mom and Dad's life. What should i do? I am ready to take chances if it means only i get caught in the crossfire but I am not alone right now."
Subaru was stumped. And so he said the only thing a child could do in this situation.
"I am so done with being a child." He said as if he was about to throw a tantrum.
"I used to say the same thing when i was your age." Kenichi joked at his own expense just so he could improve his son's bad mood.
"It's strange. Usually you are docile and perceptive. But today, i felt as if you were not docile at all." Pondered Kenichi as he pulled his hair backwards.
"Becareful otherwise you will go bald." Subaru joked as he did was not in the mood to answer such a question.
But Kenichi was not going to reply an insult with an insult. No, he will be the bigger man.
"Don't get cheeky kiddo!" Shouted Kenichi as he perfectly drifted the car to an empty parking spot.
This turn was enough to scare Subaru. "You do know that we could have died there right!"
"C'mon have some faith in your dad." He exited the car as he shook Naoko. "Hey Wakey Wakey Honey."
As Naoko woke up, they all went into their home. They were too tired to discuss anything. "Subaru. We will talk about it. But not today. You too go to sleep. You wouldn't want to miss your beauty sleep now do you." Kenichi joked as he closed the door to their room.
And with that, Subaru also dropped his happy face. It was not as if his happiness was a facade. But what would be the point of him smiling for nothing.
"Then again, I have bigger issues to deal with." He said as he climbed the stairs to his room.
As the morning once again blessed the world with its light, the Natsuki family also began their day.
"Dad! Gimme me the jam." Said Subaru with a spoon and a toast in his hand.
The dad in question, did his best to hold back his laughter as his little gremlin tried to take jam from his hand.
"Kenichi! What was the most important thing i told you about table manners?" Naoko gave her husband a cold gaze.
"T-To not tease Subaru while he is eating." Kenichi gave the jam to Subaru as he slumped to his chair with a fake hurt face.
Today Kenichi was feeling particularly inclined to teasing his family. Much to his dismay, Subaru was protected by his Naoko.
"But what about teasing Naoko" Kenichi thought as mischief brewed in his head.
"Subaru your mother is very bad. She says that she doesn't even love you." He whispered soft enough such that everyone in the room heard it.
Before Subaru could retort at his father's bad taste in jokes, a sound reverberated throughout the house.
SLAAAAPPP!!!
"Today is just not your day, Dad. Who told you to tease mom? You know that she loves me more than you. But you still did it. Tsk. Tsk." He shook his head to show his disbelief as he teased his father.
"O-Ouch! I can't even straighten my back." Kenichi tried to sit up but the pain from the burning mark left by his wife's hand was enough to immobilize him.
"Have some mercy. I was just joking." Kenichi was out of replies for the day.
"You shouldn't have even thought of such a thing?" Hearing her husband's words, Naoko sweetly threatened her husband. "Is there anything wrong with you dear? I would be delighted to help"
Kenichi right now was having war flashbacks. "N-No. It's nothing dear. I am all ok now."
"Really?" She asked with the gentleness of a certain blue demon.
Kenichi turned his face away and took the jam toast from Subaru as he shoved it down his throat entirely in one go. "Really honey. I am okay." Replied Kenichi who was trying his best to just survive.
Subaru moved his focus away from his parents as he bit into his sweet jam toast with delight. "As much i despise consumerism, the taste of mass produce goods is just too good to pass up." Thought Subaru.
As they were having their healthy family banter, Kenichi's cellphone rang.
RING!RING!RING!
Kenichi picked up his phone and eyed the latest message. "Hmm... You are invited to The 46th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society. Please arrive before 7:00 am. Hmm... We have time for now. Subaru you go and get into some nice clothes." Kenichi put the phone aside as he and Naoko began to clean the kitchen.
Subaru walked to the wardrobe and took out a sharp looking suit. "This suit doesn't fit like it used to.
"[Shape]!" With his hands, Subaru warped the fabric a little just to make it a little loose.
"Subaru come down. Your dad is already waiting for us in the car."
Subaru came down as he saw his mom at the door, waiting for him. With hurry, they all sat in the car.
"We are 15 minutes behind so both of you should hold onto your seats tightly." Kenichi pressed the gas with force.
"Ouch!" Subaru hit his head on side window. "Dad you gotta be more careful."
"Is that whining i am hearing from my genius son? Whatever would people say?" Kenichi was enjoying this situation as once again he was clearly teasing Subaru.
"You just wait i will get my revenge." He said his eyes almost ready to burst with tears. "Kenichi drive a little slower. Look you even hurt my Subaru." Said Naoko as she rubbed her son's forehead in an attempt to soothe him.
"Yes dear." Kenichi replied with words which had the slightest chances for his continued survival.
"I don't really feel any pain but it feels nice be the one who gets patted. I get why Petra, Meili and Beatrice were addicted to it." He melted in his mother's arms.
"It feels nice. I guess little by little i am becoming normal." He paused for a second.
This pause was broken by a devious giggle from him. "Who am i kidding... I am the epitome of stagnation. I will never change."
He moved away from his mother as he looked outside the window. "Wonder how i will hook up the fish?"
Still he was not worried as he had a plan. "To catch a fish, one needs bait. And in the 21st century, what greater bait than a young genius."
For the entire travel, he just sat, thinking about how he could exploit his circumstances and abilities.
As they arrived at the venue, they could see the hustle and bustle of the event. Scientists from all over the country had gathered there to present their research and to discuss the latest discoveries in the field of neuroscience.
"Most are in their 40s. The rest seem to be students ranging from 20s to 10s. Considering how young the students are, there is definitely a program for genius students.
Guess I will extract information from the students." He thought.
Kenichi parked the car in the designated area and they all got out. As they walked towards the entrance, Subaru noticed a group of people coming towards them.
From the group, a middle aged man who was nearing his fifties came forward. He glanced at both Naoko and Kenichi for a while. He then moved his gaze towards Subaru.
The silence was deafening at the very least. Kenichi put up a fake smile before trying to direct the attention of the eccentric old man towards him.
"Ahem! I would appreciate if you would introduce yourself."
The old man ruffled his green hair, as he stood up in a quick motion.
"A foreigner? If it wasn't for his face, I would have mistaken him for Petelguese." Subaru shook his head at the last thought.
"Take this!" The man presented his business card to Kenichi.
Kenichi took the card and gave it a look as held confusion from becoming visible on his face. "Mr. Maho... James. We were sent-"
"I apologize for interrupting but we all know of the reason of why you have come here. What we are interested in is your son. Thus I believe that small talk here will not be of any use."
Once again, he gave a deep look to Subaru. "Sir talked a lot about you. Subaru."
Subaru gave him a death glare for daring to speak down to his father. "So you have done a background check. I don't know whether to be impressed or whether to be appalled. All in all, you guys know what you are doing." Subaru knew that he was pushing his luck by showing the cards in his hands.
"If i can just prove my worth a little more, they will definitely want to train me. Why should i grind for resources if someone else can give them to me." He drooled at the thought of nigh infinite resources he could gain.
Mr. James stopped out of shock, still he mantained a calm demeanor. On the outside at least.
His parents, especially Kenichi felt offended. Afterall, their privacy had been invaded.
"If you had done your research with care, you wouldn't have lost your cool there."
"..." James was stunned. "How could this kid... His hunch was right on the mark."
"How I wish my daughter was as perceptive as you." The man gave a dry laugh.
"I appreciate the compliments but you are not planning to make us stand here outside right?"
"Ah! Come with me." He signalled for them to follow his lead and went into the main building.
Both Kenichi and Naoko looked at each other as they shared the same thought. How does Subaru behave in such an authoritative way.
"Well it's good he doesn't get cold feet like his father." Naoko clumsily jabbed her harsh words at her husband.
"C'mon! I don't get cold feet. He learned his manners from his father." Kenichi tried to cover up with an excuse.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Naoko said with a delightful smile.
"I hope Subaru only meets polite girls in his life...unlike me" Kenichi could only give his blessings to Subaru as he said the last part in a hushed voice.
"Did you say anything, dear?"
"...No." Kenichi lowered his head, releasing a defeated sigh.
But as he lifted up his head, he saw the biggest auditorium he had seen in his life.
"Woah!" That was the fitting response.
Sadly their wonderings were stopped by one of the students of Professor Hiyajo.
"I apologize for interrupting but the program is about to begin. Sir will be free after hosting the event. You may take any seats you wish." He pointed towards the remaining empty seats.
"This hall is sure packed." Subaru felt a little difficult in seeing because of his height so he moved to the highest row.
"I feel like we don't belong here." Kenichi was getting a little cold feet.
"It's because we don't belong here." Subaru poured water over the last embers of his father's hope. "This does not mean that this place deserves us." He completed his sentence in an attempt to calm his father.
"Looks like the program is starting." Naoko pointed towards the huge screen embedded on the wall.
They all looked downwards as their seats were placed higher.
A tall blond man with green eyes stood on the stage.
"Looks like a host but..." As Subaru looked towards him, he felt a little weird. No. Weird didn't even come close to what he was feeling.
"Welcome To The 46th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society. Though this event was only for discussing achievements of scientists only from Japan, I am happy to see that scientists and professors from all over the world have decided to partake in this event. I am Alexis Leskinen. A professor and chief researcher of the Brain Institute at Viktor Chondria University."
Leskinen stopped as he gathered all of their attention.
"He's charismatic too? I hate dealing with this type of people." Groaned Subaru.
"As we consider the time and attention of other people precious, we will begin today's discussion without further delay." He pressed a button to showcase the scientific papers.
"This is a device which when implanted in someone's spine or brain gives them the ability to manipulate their 5 senses. Sadly our guinea pigs were unable to survive." Leskinen lowered his head out of sorrow.
"Electromagnetic signals and neural control... " Pondered Subaru as he caught Leskinen looking at him through his peripheral vision.
Leskinen dropped his facade as he once again was back to being all smiles. "Any questions?" He looked around the audience.
"He definitely looked at me. Judging by his look, he expecting me to say something. Well i did have a few concepts i wanted to get a grasp on." Thought Subaru as he raised his hand.
Seeing that his prey had decided to take the bait, Leskinen was a little more than happy.
"So what is it you want to ask, Subaru?"
Subaru ignored the mention of his name from the mouth of this unknown man.
"Considering that the device is using electromagnetic waves, wouldn't it be dangerous if someone were to intercept it. Or in the worst case, what would happen if the signal is changed to something... undesirable. I hope you understand what i am trying to imply."
"Plausible. But also unlikely as we are not trying to use it anywhere outside the medical purposes at the moment. But i must say, you sure have a wild imagination."
"I pray that it my fears are just a part of my imagination." Subaru ended the conversation on an open note.
"Seeing him was enough but after talking with him, I am sure of it. This guy is also a manipulator."
Having his question answered, Subaru sat back on his seat.
A few people asked question after him. Though for some reason, Leskinen clearly was annoyed by the questions.
In half an hour, the event ended. As everybody decided to go out of the room, Subaru and his parents were taken to an extravagant room.
Leskinen sat on a chair behind a desk. He asked all three of them questions about almost all of their daily lives.
"As Subaru is a minor, we can't legally take him abroad without his parents." Feeling the murderous glare by Subaru, Leskinen was deeply disturbed. "Neither we would want to. What we will do instead is to take you all to America. As i have said during my presentation, I work there as a professor in a state-of-the-art university. Hence, you will have no problem getting settled there."
Hearing this, made Subaru a little less murderous.
"Still... We will have to leave our home." Kenichi was a little uncertain.
Naoko instead of agreeing with her husband, discouraged his behaviour. "But if our son can have a chance to become the very best he can, would that not be enough of a reason for us?"
For a while, they all discussed back and forth. Little by little, Kenichi started to agree.
"Your old man has already lived his life. I don't have much here to do except a relatively normal life. I think we are financially stable enough if we want to live abroad. If it were any other situation, i would have refused but opportunities like this don't appear easily. Since it's a matter about your future, I think it's worth it."
"Thanks dad." Subaru gave a beaming smile.
"If you have decided to accept my offer, you will have to just answer a few of my questions." He turned towards Subaru's parents. "I do apologize but i must question him in private." He told Subaru's parents to sit in the waiting room with walls entirely made up of glass.
"Sure." Replied Subaru. He did not want this eccentric man anywhere near his parents.
"So Subaru... What do you think of me?" Leskinen asked casually.
"Believe me you don't wanna know." Subaru deadpanned.
"C'mon. I won't let you enter my university if you don't answer my question. Believe me i have connections."
He raised an eyebrow. "Pressuring a kid. Seriously?"
Leskinen was taken aback by Subaru's response.
"Well if you were a kid, you wouldn't have said this. You must feel annoyed having to behave like a child."
"I can't say that i share the sentiment. As for what i think about you... Let's just say that your behaviour is a facade. And a poor one at that."
Instead of growing a frown, Leskinen smiled even more. "You seem to be far more intelligent and perceptive than your paren-" Leskinen stopped as he lost control over his breath. It was as if something was choking him. His body first felt goosebumps but instead of going into either fight or flight mode, it just went limp.
"You dare insult my parents!" He asked calmly.
To anyone nearby, it was clear that Subaru wanted to see some blood spilled today. Still, he had a charade he had to play.
"Calm down Subaru not infront of Mom and Dad." This though was enough to pacify him.
"Sigh... If there isn't anything else to discuss can we go?" He asked tired by the attitude of the man infront of him.
"...You can go now. Tell your... parents that i want to talk to them." He felt lightheaded. After all he had been scared to death by this kid.
"Hum!" Subaru nodded. "I know that you have already realized this fact but let me tell you so that you can be sure. For your own sake DON'T!ANTAGONIZE!THEM!" He spoke so softly that even Leskinen barely heard him.
Still Leskinen could see an oppressive tone in his voice. "Sure." Leskinen could only nod as he saw Subaru leave the room.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
You can join my discord using this link. Just remove spaces.
https/ discord. gg/ 4wyxB4tHhK
Good day to you all. As the user guevaraandrew248 has suggested, I will not be making Subaru jump around the multiverse like a rabbit. This is more of a reason as to why he should go to other worlds. Each other world will be an entirely different fanfiction which will not collide with this one.
As for when Subaru will go to Lugnica, I think this will be the last chapter of the modern world arc. I will be creating another fanfiction named as volume 2. This does not mean that I will not upload this story. Both volume 1 and 2 will be written at the same time.
Also if you are annoyed by OCs, don't be. Many named characters will not be appearing more than once.
As you might have guessed, I decided to use the world of steins;gate to provide Subaru with the best knowledge and resources.
Now onto the main problem. I am going to need some writers to help me. The only thing which I am lacking is a rough storyline. The most difficult part for me is outline. If you come and give me some scenario or a great story hook, it will be much appreciated.
Also no romance or anything like that.