Chapter 16 Ayano Aishi: Yaku Zaishi and the visors of truth.

Next day started uneventful.

I met Yaku Zaishi and he told me about anime.

Since I could feel joy after helping Homu chan and Maigo chan, my understanding of emotions had improved drastically and now I can understand most emotions, with the notable exception of love. That one is still an enigma to me. Now anime is much more understandable to me, like other stories.

We talked about the Life note Anime. To summarize the plot:

A woman find a book that she can use to decide about life and death of other people. She uses it to get rid of undesirable People - that is - she kills them! She tries to create an utopia but faces resistance and then has to kill and outwit her enemies. It is interesting for sure. At one pivotal moment the protagonist killed a detective, who figure out, that she used the notebook to kill the evil people, and now she will use it to kill innocent people too. Also the Murder method-I won't use euphemism for this one- is with water and electricity. Electrifying love… Because my love is electrifying from above

My lightning comes…ugh

The conclusion of course is that you should avoid murder if you can, and that your own judgement is not perfect, and even if people are very evil, try to use non-lethal methods.

We talked a lot about anime and it was very interesting. Yaku kun is really excited about it and his body language and voice show it, even though his face remains neutral

Yaku kun is neutral about gossip and justice, but he dislikes violence.

Yaku kun also likes Magical Girl Pretty Miyuki. Whatever. It is a manga and an anime series, and the story is pretty basic and a bit weird I think.(Like how the cooking club is all white and pink.)

Then we talked about many other things. Turns out we have soo much in common! We both like Cooking, The occult, Science and Anime. Yaku kun likes school, and he dislikes Violence and drama like me but also dislikes Music, Sport, Family and Nature.

His family thinks he is a weirdo, freak and mad scientist and he doesn't like them much.

I told him that while my father is normal and helps me with my hobbies, my mother likes violence and does not think like I do, so I can understand how it is to have parents that don´t share the same interests with their children. I felt uncomfortable thinking about mom and pushed away the thoughts.

He also told me that he likes the colour green and that he can make artificial food with all the needed nutrients inside. That must be nice, but I still like cooking dishes more , it is like a nice ritual I think.

I told Yaku kun that I like the colour grey the most, and that I have synthetized some chemicals, made rocket candy, trained martial arts, found a ghost with a planchette and helped a girl at my high school to build robot parts.

He asked me if I had made any carbon snakes yet, I giggled and told him, yes I have, but obviously I had to wear protective goggles and gloves and a lab coat and I did it beneath a Fume hood.

For those who don´t know yet, a carbon snake is the result of combining Sugar with concentrated sulphuric acid. These two components perform a dehydration reaction, and gasses are released (Water and CO2) which inflate the now darkened mixture to a snake like shape which expands out of the beaker in which it was made. I find this experiment hilarious.

It was a really nice conversation, but then classes were starting soon and we got to our classroom.

Strange, usually I would not chatter so enthusiastically about random stuff with people. It is not my typical behaviour. But Yaku-kun is -just like the Kurusu sisters - a notable exception. I did not think that I would meet somebody who is so similar to me. Father would be proud of me for "coming out of my shell" for sure.

Anyways, I was in a good mood during classes, and when it was cleaning time, I continued chattering with Yaku-kun about anime, science, cooking and the occult, while I was cleaning the school.

The I went to the martial arts club again, and tried my luck. Budo Masuta and Raibaru Fumetsu are just better than me, and they won again, so I definitely have to catch up. Can´t be weak, if ever a murderer appears, I need to be able to protect myself and the people around me.

Afterwards it was time for the science club activity.

I was completing the plans for the Mecha, and heard how Yaku kun requested Kaga Kusha to make him a visor. He wants it, because his face doesn´t convey emotions well, and he has poor eyesight. So this head mounted display will convey his actual thoughts and feelings and lets him see better.

Hmm such a display…I will try to make one for myself too, because I want to see how much emotions I actually have. Yaku kun does have a lot but doesn't show them, but I don´t even know how many emotions I have.

The next time was mostly uneventful. I talked a lot with Yaku kun, after cleaning time I trained with Budo masuta and Raibaru fumetsu and then I participated in the science club activities.

I also talked to Horo Guramu. I don't have that much with him in common.

We both like science and anime, and dislike violence but that is where the similarities stop.

He dislikes cooking and martial arts, and he likes music and photography.

Nonetheless, I think I can get along well with him.

Kaga Kusha on the other hand is something else entirely.

He is…weird…

While his enthusiasm and planning is interesting, and his intents to help the world sound good, he does not spend a lot of time around other people because they are unimportant to his grand schemes, and he is entitled, that is he thinks he deserves to get money and success and he is a self-admirer. Madness! Why would you tell yourself that you are the best and superior to other people, if you are smarter than them. Be glad for having the brains, but don´t flaunt it! Megalomaniac. Kaga Kusha also appears to be a manipulator and always tries to paint himself in the best light. The books I read told me something about antisocial personality disorder…so maybe he has it.

Ugh seriously, he is not the same type of weird like my mother, but still weird enough to be too weird to be comfortable to be around.

I will just avoid him for the most part.

Denkigi Justsusha, the their year student on the other hand is calm and composed and obsessed with electricity. He is harmless, as long as he does not electrify everyone to death with his experiments.

The weeks passed and April came, Yaku Zaishi´s visor was ready, and Horo guramu upgraded the camera of the visor, so Yaku kun would see better with it.

Then I had finished my own visor too, I used the same blueprint that Kaga Kusha had created. My visor has light grey display lights instead of green ones.

I pulled my hair back and put it in place with hair clips and then I sat it on. Now it the moment of truth!

I went to a mirror immediately and saw just a neutral expression. Dots with bows over them.

Hmm.. I would have to think about various things and see my reaction.. There! As I was thinking, "eye dots" with brows, more dots and question marks appeared on the visor in rapid succession. Nice, so I do have emotions.

Now let's think about nice things. Anime, cooking, science the occult. Normal eyes and some ^^ eyes, just brief flashes, but It counts! Now think about the Kurusu sisters and Yaku zaishi and again ^^eyes!

This works! So cool!^^

Now think about Kaga Kusha. Spirals, Dots, Question marks and Circles with dots inside them, so I don´t know what to think about him…

Father…^^eyes and ! eyes and sad eyes. So like father, but am worried about him for some reason, I know why it is mothe-

More ! eyes, spiral eyes, circles with dots inside them, even eyes and… angry eyes? Oh so I am angry and worried about mom? Anger…I only felt it in that one weird dream so far, but the device is picking up my emotions, even if they are repressed and weak…

No hearts at any time. I am not in love with anyone.

Wait, there is one thing I really want to know…what if I think about murder and violence? There, immediately ʘʘ, ! and angry eye signs appeared. Yes my emotions must be true.

My mood was high as I had the ^^ eyes for most of the time.

The teachers did see our Visors but did not comment on them.

When it was time for the martial arts session I put of my visor as to not have it damaged.

By now, I could hold my own against Budo Masuta well, but he still defeated me half the time. No luck with Raibaru chan though, while it takes a bit longer for her to defeat me now, it is still the same with her. By the way Budo looks cool and has a nice voice.

When I put on the visor again it displayed some happy, some disappointed and a few angry expressions. I am indeed annoyed about not winning consistently against Budo Masuta and never winning against Raibaru chan. But I know that it will just take some more time, and it will be possible to win against them.

During the science club activity, I was tinkering on the first mecha parts, the visor showed happy expressions again.

I made a group photo with Yaku kun and Horo kun, it looked really nice.

I did not put off the visor when I came down. My father was surprised to see me with a visor, and according to him it showed happy, confused and sad expressions in quick succession.

The mother entered the room and I froze.

"Ayano, what is this thing you have here? No Aishi would ever want to wear such a thing, and no Aishi would want to have their hair loose like you! You are an Aishi after all, so give it to me!"

I was afraid but would not budge. "No. I spent three and a half weeks to build it and I won't hand it over. This is final."

Her "smile" was unsettling and she grabbed my wrist. "Obey your mother, will you? You were such a good girl in the past, so don´t misbehave now, will you? Don´t disappoint your family!"

If father stepped in, mother would punish him, I can't have that happen!

I acted. "NO. I SAID NO!"

I fought mother with a crazed energy like never before and threw her off despite her strength.

Then I put off the visor and ran to my room, slammed the door shut and cried.

Then Mothers voice came from behind my door. "Ayano, dear, I´m sorry. I overreacted. But I don´t want you to be un-aishi-like …Please open the door"

"No! I know you will hurt me again!"

"Please Ayano, I won´t. I love you. Don´t forget that"

"Okay…mom…promise you will not hurt me?"

"Promise."

I opened the door, she came in and I winced. Luckily mother did leave me be, but while I can let my hair be loose and long, now I would not wear the visor anymore, at least at home.

Later I asked father about the expressions the visor showed. He told me that when mom came in, it showed !, spirals, wide eyes (ʘʘ) , sad expressions and angry expressions. So that´s why mom overreacted….

Ugh, I still don´t know what to think of mom… I just hope she is not as crazy as I fear she is…