AN: This is the new chapter everyone! I'm glad you still follow it! I have also finished writing the whole first part! It's not time for you to give up! This chapter was honestly hard to write for me, for several reason, i'm also scared to always repeat everytime. I'm doing my best to not feel like it's too much lol. I'm really doing too much, I'm glad people accepted easily my little OCs here, dw they aren't really big to the plot, just important for this little arc. Thank you for still continuing.
Chapter 15: It's hard to control myself when situation don't go in my sense
Saito scanned the dark hallways, his senses alert, but no child seemed to have come out. He closed the door. With quiet steps, he descended the stairs, moving like a cat that doesn't want to be heard. He approached the entrance door slowly, his heart pounding at the thought of finally leaving this house. The boy leaned down to pick up his shoes and put them on silently. As he slowly approached the door, he hadn't noticed the little light behind him.
"Saito, are you already awake?" Meiru's voice froze him.
Turning slowly, Saito noticed the girl had just come out of the kitchen, the light coming from there. She was wearing the same robe she had worn the other night, one eyebrow raised as he let out a gasp of surprise.
"What are you doing, Saito?" she continued insistently, fixing her eyes on his.
"I... " His breath caught as he felt his heart beating too strongly.
Stress grew within him as Meiru approached, self-assured but not pleased to see him. "Are you trying to leave?" she continued, frowning haughtily.
The boy stepped back, his back against the door and his hand gripping the doorknob as if it were his last lifeline. He felt as though time had stopped, as if everything depended on his answer.
"Listen... I have to go," he stammered with a trembling voice, desperately searching for a way out in his muddled mind.
"Where?" she dangerously approached his face. "Where do you have to go? The little boy you have to take care of is here!"
He felt like a trapped animal, the tingling on his skin warning him of his imminent transformation, his heart pounding. If he transformed in front of her in this state, he would lose all control over himself.
"I really have to go," he murmured, finding his courage by almost looking into the void. He pushed the handle and opened the door with a sharp gesture, rushing out at full speed, leaving behind Meiru's voice shouting his name into the night.
Meiru opened her mouth in anger, clenching her fists. Even though she was in her robe, she quickly put on her shoes and started running after Saito. "Oh no, you're not leaving without giving me a valid reason!" she shouted as she easily caught up with him as he tried to lose her or find a place to hide.
"Stop, Meiru-chan, go home!" he yelled as he noticed her behind him.
But Meiru didn't want to hear it. "No! You have no reason to leave!"
"Meiru-chan... I'm begging you..." pleaded Saito.
Suddenly, he saw his emblem appear on his chest and almost froze. Meiru then grabbed him in her arms, holding him tightly against her chest. With wide eyes, Saito felt her pressed against his back.
"No, Meiru-chan! Go away!" he cried, trying to break free from her embrace.
"No!" replied Meiru, not letting go.
There was no time to say anything else as an intense light emanated from Saito's emblem, blinding the young girl. A synthetic suit enveloped his entire body. Meiru kept a firm grip on Saito, suspecting that this might be part of a scheme on the pre-teen's part. The light began to fade. She opened her eyes and immediately noticed that the boy's clothes had changed. Sharp shapes on his back made her feel uncomfortable. She frowned and stepped back, trying to understand what had just happened.
Meiru looked up and noticed that Rockman was discreetly watching her from the corner of his eye. She let out a cry of surprise and quickly backed away, hands over her mouth. Her eyes slowly widened as she saw the Navi that was supposed to be Netto's. Where was the boy she was looking for...had he become like this? The realization hit her, and she felt almost foolish for being caught off guard. Fear gripped her, and she remained still, unable to move.
The intense gaze of the Navi in front of her slowly distorted her eyes as she stared at him. Meiru could feel the palpable anger on his face. She suddenly backed away, but this time her legs trembled and she fell heavily to the ground, almost crawling away. With a fierce growl, Rockman rushed towards her and grabbed her, pinning her to the ground, even though she struggled frantically like a distressed animal. His left hand tightly gripped her collar while his right hand, with clawed fingers, raised threateningly. The poor girl screamed in terror, pleading for mercy.
The Navi's hand began to tremble, his fingers retracting as if forming a fist ready to strike. Yet, the trembling persisted, uncontrollable. Rockman squeezed his eyes shut, then with a severe growl, slowly lowered his arm, a tired sigh escaping his lips.
Meiru, who was already in a state of extreme distress, felt some relief in seeing that the Navi had stopped his actions. Unable to contain her emotions, tears streamed down her cheeks. Rockman stood up, giving her space, and they both remained motionless, intensely staring into each other's eyes. Only a low growl emanated from the Navi's mouth, breaking the heavy silence. Finally, the young girl stood up abruptly and ran towards the house, almost screaming in terror several times. She finally arrived at the door, which she opened forcefully before slamming it shut violently behind her.
Meiru was breathing rapidly, wiping the sweat that was beading on her forehead and eyes as she struggled to catch her breath. She had already seen a lot in her life, but this exceeded all limits of imagination. A boy capable of transforming into a Navi? Was he the same person once transformed? Did he have another personality? However, the Navi she had met yesterday was rather calm and gentle... Now that she knew his secret, she understood that it was what had made him angry. The young girl had discovered a taboo, a form of forbidden that she would never have suspected.
The young girl looked up at the stairs, thinking about Netto. Was he aware of the boy's secret? She wondered if he was a good actor, capable of keeping his secret, or if he was truly unaware. His reactions the day before—when he had learned that Saito had left—seemed sincere. He had really looked disappointed. Meiru put a hand against her forehead, feeling a throbbing pain. Too many questions were swirling in her head, and the situation was well beyond her understanding.
"Meiru-Onee-chan?" Akane's sweet voice pulled Meiru out of her thoughts, which brought her some relief. She looked up to the little girl who had just appeared on the stairs, accompanied by Sota who was looking around.
"Good morning, kids," she replied with a forced smile. "I'm sorry if I woke you up, I had something to take care of and the wind slammed the door."
Meiru felt more relaxed as she accompanied the two young children to the kitchen to prepare their breakfast. Kohaku and Yusaku eventually arrived as well, with Yusaku helping the young disabled boy down the stairs. She felt happy to see everyone gathered for breakfast. Taking care of the children for a while did her good and allowed her to forget what had happened earlier.
Later, she went up the stairs, passed by Netto's room and then headed to the bathroom, where she took a quick shower to prepare for the day ahead. Time was running out, she had to leave for work soon. Once she was dressed, she stopped at the door of the only boy who hadn't come down yet. The questions started tormenting her in her head again, should she talk to him about what had happened?
Meiru sighed then opened the door cautiously. She saw the child lying in his futon, his face red and hot. Panic set in as she rushed towards him and knelt by his side, gently placing her hand on his forehead. She realized with horror that his fever had taken over, his forehead was much too hot. She muttered a fear, rushed to the bathroom, grabbed a small bowl and filled it with water, and took a small towel. She immediately returned to the room, knelt down next to Netto again, and began wiping his burning face with the damp towel.
Panic rose in her chest, what should she do this time? Meiru couldn't take another day off, she was already poorly paid and if she didn't go to work, she wouldn't have the money she needed. She could always count on the children, but she was afraid that Rockman would harm them after what had happened earlier in the morning.
She shook her head, pushing that thought out of her mind. Meiru had to stay calm and find a solution. Rockman wasn't in the house, she could only hope that he wouldn't return before she did. But she couldn't just leave Netto in this condition.
"Water..." she heard Netto's small voice, his eyes closed and his breathing short and choppy.
Meiru didn't waste a second. She wiped his forehead again and placed the towel on his head for comfort. "I'll get you something to drink and your medicine, I'll be back!" She reassured him with a smile.
As she got up, Meiru hurried downstairs to the kitchen, grabbed a glass and put the medicine tablet inside, filling the glass with water and letting the medicine dissolve. She heard a noise and opened her mouth in panic. Checking the clock, she realized she was going to be late.
"Oh no!"
She called Yusaku, who got up immediately and headed towards her. "I'll have to go, you know what you have to do," she said, looking up at the boy. He nodded. "Okay. I also want you to bring this medicine to Netto when I'm gone, he needs to take it."
She handed him the glass, the boy didn't notice the apparent stress in Meiru's eyes.
"And also..." she added. "If anything happens...you call me, you know how to reach me… And I'd rather you avoid interacting with yesterday's Navi as much as possible."
Yusaku stepped back, surprised. "Huh?"
"There's no problem with that," Kohaku replied for the older boy in a very indifferent tone while Sota nodded as well.
Meiru bit her lower lip and looked Yusaku in the face. "I still don't trust him," she admitted.
"Did something happen?" he asked, knowing there had to be a reason for her to react this way.
"I... I'd rather talk about it later," she replied, moving towards the coat rack to grab her jacket. "I trust you, you know what you have to do. I'll be back for lunch."
He nodded, and Meiru replied with the same gesture. She fixed her trembling eyes on the stairs and left the small operator of the Navi...or the Boy. Finally, she clenched her fists and left the children to their usual fate.
Yusaku took a deep breath, feeling a lump form in his throat. He had sensed the stress in the older girl, but hadn't known what to do to help. He glanced one last time at the medicine glass, then headed towards the stairs.
"By the way..." Kohaku started, not lifting his head from the table. "Where did the boy from last night go?"
Yusaku stopped and looked at the boy who was sitting at his table with confusion. Even though his question came out of nowhere, he realized he hadn't seen this boy.
"I don't know," he simply replied.
"That's funny." The other boy lifted his head and rested his elbows on the table, a smirk forming on his face. "Would he also be trying to abandon him?"
Yusaku tensed, ready to retaliate, but reconsidered. As he was about to go upstairs, he heard the sound of a knock at the door that all the children reacted to, including Sota who felt afraid.
"Is that... Meiru-Onee-chan?" Akane innocently asked.
"No," Yusaku frowned. "Meiru-nee wouldn't knock on the door."
They heard another sound but no voices, the children didn't move. Finally, time passed and nothing else happened. They all sighed, but then they heard more noise just behind them and saw Netto's Navi crouching down, looking through the glass door that led to the garden. Sota was the first to react in fear, wanting to move away, and Akane rushed over to open the door for him.
"Wait! Akane-chan!" Yusaku shouted.
But it was too late, she opened the door and the Navi tilted his head to the side, looking at her curiously.
"Rockman!" she exclaimed happily.
Kohaku frowned as he slinked in like a cat. "Didn't Nee-chan say we shouldn't interact with him?"
Hearing this, the Navi felt involved and looked at him for more information.
"That's...true," replied Yusaku, with a grimace on his face.
Finally, Rockman looked up at the stairs and almost crawled up them like an animal. Without taking any notice of time, Yusaku almost shouted "No!" but the Navi was already upstairs.
Trying to catch up to him, Yusaku approached the room and discovered that the wild Navi was next to the child who was breathing heavily. Akane joined him while the other two stayed downstairs. Rockman was focused on Netto. With a trembling hand, he touched the top of his head, causing the child to calm down for a moment. The girl approached and stood in front of the boy and the Navi, looking at Netto with concern. Yusaku breathed inwardly and sat down next to the little girl, placing the glass next to him.
"Water..." he heard from the young boy's lips.
Yusaku had a quick reaction. He tried to help him by raising his back and bringing the glass to his mouth, but the child refused. "No..."
He felt his frustration rise. "Netto, you have to drink your medicine! Meiru-nee asked me to give it to you!" he insisted, determined to persuade the sick child.
He heard a muffled growl from Rockman, but Yusaku didn't let it get to him. "He needs to drink it if he wants to get better!" he added, convinced it was the best solution.
Rockman backed his head away, uncertain, but eventually relaxed by closing his eyes. Yusaku thought he noticed a slower breathing pattern. He stayed there for a few moments, observing the Navi's reaction, then turned his attention back to Netto. He put the glass to his mouth and forced him to drink despite the weak protests of the sick child. The little boy kept the liquid in his mouth, wanting to spit it out.
"No, you swallow it!" Yusaku repeated in a firmer tone.
Netto was forced to swallow what was in his mouth and breathed loudly. "There, you'll feel better," Akane encouraged, delighted that he had finally swallowed. Netto moved his mouth, his eyes closed so tightly that he couldn't tell if he was trying to stay asleep or if he was bothered by the light. He repeated weakly, "Water..."
Yusaku nodded and left the room with the empty glass. Akane touched the towel on Netto's forehead, wanting to wipe it properly.
"Do you think he'll recover quickly?" she asked innocently but loudly enough. Rockman put his finger to his mask, signaling to Akane to be quiet. She imitated the gesture by putting her finger on her lips but couldn't help a stifled laugh. The Navi tilted his head, observing the little boy who was wriggling in his bed, apparently suffering from a high fever. The damp towel on his forehead didn't seem sufficient to relieve him, but it was all that was available for now.
The Navi's ears were caught by a strange cry, making him turn his head towards the door. "Oh, it's Shinobu-chan!" exclaimed Akane, following his gaze.
Rockman tilted his head, perplexed. He had never heard of this girl before. Intrigued by the shrill cry that had echoed, he got up and left the room to go to the children's room. On the only bed in the room, he saw a creature in a much worse state than the other sick children. However, something strange seemed to emanate from this little girl. As he approached, he noticed her bulging eyes, broken jaw, part of her cheek torn, and her eyes seeming to look in two opposite directions.
Rockman knelt before this child, who eventually looked at him, gradually stopping her cries. Slowly, the Navi raised his hand towards her, not wanting to hurt her. The little girl also weakly raised her hand and grabbed one of his pointed fingers. They stayed like that for a moment, looking at each other's fingers. The Navi watched the little girl who began to make other noises, this time a little more cheerful.
"Shinobu-chan?" Yusaku's voice echoed behind the Navi.
Rockman turned his head and saw the young boy at the door, holding a glass of water in his hand. Akane also approached and stood next to the Navi to look at the little girl. A sparkling smile lit up her face when she saw that the two were holding hands.
"That's Shinobu-chan!" she explained. "She's older than me, but she acts like a baby!" She pointed to her head. "Did you see? She has the same skin color as Yusaku and me!"
Rockman understood that there was something different about this child, she was no longer what she should have been. He released her finger and gently stroked the girl's forehead in the bed with his fingertip. She eventually closed her eyes, carried away by the Navi's gentle gesture. Once she was asleep, Rockman and Akane returned to Netto's room, where he was sitting, half awake, trying to drink Yusaku's glass of water. When he saw Rockman, he forced a smile.
"Hey buddy..." His voice was very weak, and he flinched as he felt something in his chest and started coughing.
"Be careful," Yusaku said, gently tapping to help him expel the foreign substance from his lungs.
The young girl also approached, sitting next to him to offer her support.
"You have to stay with us," she insisted, her eyes full of concern.
Netto raised an eyebrow, trying to understand what she meant.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, placing his glass on the floor.
Rockman approached slowly, reaching out a hand to help his operator lie down. But Netto resisted, struggling to stay seated.
"I've slept enough," he protested. "I prefer to stay seated."
The Navi emitted a low growl, which immediately elicited a response from the little boy who imitated the sound, but with a higher tone that made it sound like a squeak. The other two children tilted their heads to look at them. Netto looked around and unsurprisingly found Saito's futon empty. His fingers clenched the sheet he was holding, but he didn't react any further. It was then that he noticed something else as he looked at the other two children.
"And where is Meiru-chan?" he asked.
Yusaku was slightly surprised by Netto's reaction to Meiru, but he regained his composure.
"She went to work."
Netto hiccupped in surprise. "She works?"
Yusaku nodded. "Yes, she has to work to pay the bills for the house. From what I understand, she has to work if she wants to keep the house."
Netto tilted his head, furrowing his brow, while Rockman stood silently with his arms crossed.
"But...what about her parents?" Netto began, not saying much more. "She was here yesterday though, right?"
"She stayed because you were sick," Yusaku replied.
Netto glanced at Rockman, hoping he could give him an answer to his unspoken question. However, the Navi looked elsewhere, his eyes empty and expressionless. Netto noticed that Rockman's hands were clasped tightly, indicating some discomfort.
"Let's play a game!" Akane suggested, not feeling concerned about what was going on.
"Play?" Netto repeated weakly, showing his fatigue.
"Akane-chan, Netto is probably too tired to play a game," Yusaku interrupted, trying to sound more mature.
Instead, Netto slowly approached Akane, looking interested. "I want to play!"
The young girl screamed with joy, expressing her accomplishment. Yusaku began to express his doubts. "I'm not sure..." His annoyance was perceptible in his voice.
Akane quickly got up and went to the closet, taking out a blue box and placing it in front of the children, attracting the curiosity of the Navi. She took out a board from the box that was dotted with pieces. "We're going to play Yunnori!"
Netto was surprised and almost made a sound. "Awesome! What is it?" he asked with curiosity.
"It's a game where you have to be the first to reach the finish line by rolling the dice!" Akane explained with enthusiasm.
"That's not it..." Yusaku replied with an annoyed tone.
"But when it's my turn to roll the dice, I get to move further!" Akane added.
"Eh?" Netto was surprised, furrowing his brow.
Yusaku murmured in Netto's ear, "I warn you...playing with her is not fun, but don't complain now."
The boy swallowed his saliva with difficulty. The game began, and Rockman watched them while lying on the futon. Akane cheered loudly while the two boys grumbled repeatedly. It was like a show for the Navi. The little girl often took unfair advantages, and if either of the boys, especially Netto, tried to contest her, she would play up her crocodile tears to move him.
After the moment of excitement, Netto admitted that he was feeling tired again. The game ended, and the two children left him alone with his Navi, who continued to monitor. In his futon, he turned to Rockman, wearing a broad smile.
"I think it's good that we're here... Since we've been here, you're much more civilized, and the others don't fear you anymore. Things are finally falling into place!" He burst out laughing, the joy evident in his words. "Maybe those weird guys will eventually forget about your existence."
However, despite his joy, Rockman turned, his gaze troubled as he stared at the white ceiling, lost in thought.
"We're with Meiru-chan, which is cool. At least it's your rare opportunity to talk to her in the same world," he said, then frowned. "But you see, the fact that she treats me like a child is annoying... Well, she's much friendlier than she was in our world! Saito had the chance to see how she really treated me. Poor guy, you should have seen it!"
Rockman had not flinched, his eyes still fixed on an unspecified point, lost in thought, which caught the boy's attention.
"Are you okay, Rockman?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
Still nothing. Netto, biting his lip, finally gathered his courage and touched Rockman's arm to get his attention. The Navi finally seemed to snap out of his thoughts, turning his head towards the boy with wide eyes as if he was shocked by the gesture. But the child did not change his expression.
"Rockman... Why do these children you don't know have the right to touch you, and when it's me, you act like a frightened animal…? It's only me."
Rockman turned to Netto and locked eyes with his human partner. He gently took the child's hand and guided it towards his emblem. Netto then noticed that his Navi's eyes seemed to be covered with deep sadness, and simply touching his emblem seemed to awaken a sense of awareness in him, as if he was overcome with a certain fear.
"Rockman..." murmured Netto, lowering his eyes to the emblem. "You're still here, aren't you?"
The Navi did not answer, but he did not let go of Netto's hand either. The two remained like that, staring intensely at each other for several seconds, until Netto's eyes slowly closed.
Meiru froze in front of the door, looking at it as if it were a protective shield, fearing what was hiding behind it. She breathed a sigh of relief as she remembered she had not received any calls, hoping that everything had gone well in her absence. But the fear of discovering what was on the other side of the door was much greater. Anyway, the door was closed, the beast couldn't be there, right?
She opened the door with determination, taking a quick glance into the room. Kohaku and Sota were sitting at the table, absorbed in their drawings, while Yusaku and Akane were quietly watching TV. Meiru breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped into the house, happy to be back with her family.
The only girl in the house rushed towards her with a big smile, arms outstretched to greet her. "Welcome home, Meiru-Onee-chan!" she exclaimed joyfully, her voice filled with childlike innocence.
"Thank you, Akane-chan, I'm glad to be back!" she replied with a smile. The others greeted Meiru in their own way, and the girl let go of her so she could take off her coat and shoes.
She then headed to the kitchen, taking out vegetables from the refrigerator and a strainer. "I hope you had a good morning!" she said, engaging in conversation.
"Yes!" Akane quickly replied. "I played with Yusaku and Netto!"
Suddenly, she gasped upon hearing the second name and frowned in the girl's direction. "Akane-chan, you played with Netto? He's completely feverish, he needs to rest!"
"But he wanted to..." the little girl replied with a rather sad look.
Yusaku stepped forward, "He wanted to play with us but quickly became tired again."
Meiru continued to cut vegetables, listening carefully to her loved ones' responses. "Very well, good to hear," she said as she sliced some carrots and zucchini.
Meiru ended up taking all the chopped vegetables and put them into the blender. She also added small pieces of meat and waited anxiously in front of the machine, which began to purr. The vegetables and meat were quickly reduced to a smooth and creamy puree. Meiru grabbed a clean bottle and poured the soup into it. She then turned to the children with a smile on her face.
"I'll feed Shinobu-chan first, and then it'll be your turn," she said with a smile.
Akane and Yusaku smiled and nodded while Sota clenched his fists on the table. Meiru headed towards the stairs and noticed that the door to Netto's room was closed. When she arrived in the children's room, she saw Shinobu in her bed. She knelt down gently next to the bed, and the little girl looked at her with bright eyes of joy, making happy sounds. Meiru was surprised by this reaction.
"Well, you look happy today," Meiru said as she gently stroked Shinobu's forehead.
The young girl awkwardly tried to support the little girl's head to give her the bottle. But as the little girl's eyes turned towards something behind the young girl, she turned around and jumped in fright at the sight of Rockman at the door. The Navi's red eyes seemed to scrutinize every detail of the scene, from the young girl's terror to the little girl's gaze. Meiru almost dropped the bottle as she recoiled in horror against the bed while Rockman remained expressionless, still fixing his gaze on her.
Memories played back in her mind, a vision of horror. Her heart beat several times as she let tears fall from her eyes. How did he get in here? She gritted her teeth and her vision became blurry from seeing those terrifying eyes.
"Go away," she murmured, terrified. "Go away."
With his head hanging down, Rockman looked strangely sad, which didn't go unnoticed by Meiru. Without making a sound, the Navi turned around and left the room, returning to Netto's bedroom. Meiru stayed there, surprised, before snapping back to reality as she heard the sounds Shinobu was making behind her. She quickly regained her composure and gave the bottle back to the little girl, sighing with relief that the Navi had spared her again, even though she had noticed the sad expression in his eyes.
After feeding Shinobu, Meiru went to the kitchen to prepare a meal for herself and her children. She looked at each of them; she couldn't blame them for letting the Navi in, Akane and Yusaku felt close to Rockman now. She was surprised that nothing had happened. Everything went smoothly, with three of the children helping her set the table. Only Kohaku didn't move from his corner. When they started eating, they heard little footsteps approaching. Netto arrived slowly, rubbing his eyes with his arm.
"Netto?!" Meiru exclaimed, getting up to go towards him. "I was about to bring your meal to your room!"
Netto smiled slowly, but his eyes still looked tired and his red cheeks testified to his illness.
"I wanted to eat with you..." he said weakly.
Meiru looked up at the stairs, surprised not to see Rockman with him. "Where is Rockman?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"He's in the room, he's lying down..." Netto replied.
Meiru lowered her head, but immediately got up to take Netto's hand and invite him to sit next to her. She brought him a plate and served him carefully. The child ate slowly, swallowing each bite with pain. Meiru gently wiped his mouth when he started to grumble.
"You'll take another nap this afternoon," she said with a smile.
"No..." he reacted, gripping his fork. "I've slept too much."
Meiru chuckled softly, which made Netto blush. "You'll still stay in bed," she insisted.
"Everyone has to take a nap!" added Akane, still as energetic.
Netto made a grimace, annoyed by the situation and especially by his own condition. They all ate at their own pace without really saying anything, except for Kohaku who kept sending him strange looks. At the end of the meal, the children cleaned up the dishes, except for Kohaku and Netto who ignored each other. Meiru encouraged each child to go upstairs. Netto went to his room while the other four went to theirs. Meiru followed them, wishing to tuck each child into their futon.
"Are you leaving us alone again?" asked Sota, who was starting to feel scared.
Meiru approached the boy, kneeling down. "I have to go to work like every day," she replied.
"But there's Netto's monster here! He can eat us while we sleep!" Sota worried.
Meiru froze, her hands instinctively clasping together. She felt panic rising within her, but despite everything, a faint hope remained in her heart. She knew that Sota was the only one who really feared Rockman. Slowly, she encouraged him to get into a more comfortable position.
"Don't worry," she whispered, "he won't hurt you. If he hasn't done anything today, you have nothing to fear."
Yusaku looked at her strangely, then turned away. Meiru stood up, ready to leave the room.
"We didn't take a nap yesterday!" exclaimed Akane, suddenly realizing what had happened the day before.
Meiru frowned, putting her hands on her hips in a determined manner.
"Well, that's not a reason not to take a nap today!" she replied, sticking out her tongue. "Come on, when you wake up, I'll be gone."
The others nodded, saying goodbye to Meiru before closing their eyes. Meiru closed the door behind her and headed towards Netto's room, hesitating for a second before knocking on the door. She opened the door halfway, checking that Rockman wasn't in her line of sight.
"Netto, I'm going to work. You don't have to take a nap if you don't want to, but be careful not to wake the others," she said in a gentle voice.
He silently nodded his head. She gave him one last wave before closing the door behind her and heading down to the ground floor. Suddenly, she jumped at the sight of Rockman standing in front of her. He had apparently taken advantage of her absence to come down. Meiru opened her mouth to say something, but trembled as she remembered her secret. Was he planning to continue what he had started earlier in the day, now that all the other children were asleep? Her heart was pounding in her chest. Although she mentally ordered herself to run, her legs wouldn't move. But Rockman didn't move either. He just stood there, looking at her intently. He didn't seem as threatening and scary as before. Meiru eventually clenched her fists and furrowed her brows, summoning all her courage. "What are you exactly?" she finally asked in a weak but firm voice.
Rockman's eyes slowly narrowed as she asked this question, and Meiru's heart began to beat harder, as if it wanted to escape from her chest. She could see that beneath Rockman's mask, his mouth was twisting, and his shoulders began to tremble. "Listen... Whatever you are... We need to talk... Rockman... Or Saito, please, I need to understand!" she implored in a more pleading voice.
Rockman growled, his eyes distorted as he didn't agree. He almost moved, but Meiru cringed, almost wanting to close her eyes. "Please... The children need me..." was all she could say, her voice trembling.
Meiru heard another noise, and Rockman shook his head. He raised his hands to his head, seeming to groan with some pain. He looked at the girl again, but his gaze was different this time—more tense and much sadder. Then, without saying a word, he headed towards the glass door leading to the garden—which was already open—and left.
Meiru felt relieved but also confused. She didn't understand what had happened. Although his reaction had been incomprehensible, she was glad to see he had finally left the house. She walked towards the glass door and closed it carefully. She put on her coat and shoes while preparing to leave. When she opened the door, she jumped at the sight of the Navi waiting for her in front of the door, his expression still indecipherable. She stepped back abruptly, her eyes widened and her hand on her chest. Strangely, he ignored her presence and entered the house before heading upstairs. Meiru heard him close the door and understood where he had gone. She began to pray silently, hoping that nothing bad would happen. She grabbed her bag, hesitating to leave the house but finally went out, locking the door behind her.
"I'm thirsty..." Netto said as he sat on his bed.
"Ah, you want me to get you something to drink?" Yusaku asked, who was sitting next to him and Rockman while Akane was fiddling with the Navi.
"I'd appreciate it..." replied Netto. Then, he frowned as he looked at the two children. "By the way, why are you both always sticking to Rockman?"
Yusaku shrugged with a smile. "I don't know, it's the first time a Navi has made me feel such a pleasant sensation."
"Rockman is so nice!" added the little girl who was having fun while the Navi began to get a little bored.
Yusaku ended with a little affectionate laugh and left the room. Akane, on the other hand, calmed down on Rockman and noticed that the Navi seemed distant, as if he wasn't looking at anything in particular. He seemed lost in his thoughts.
"That's weird..." she commented softly. "Rockman, it seems like he's sad."
Netto looked up at the two and noticed that the Navi was looking at him, trying to hide the expression he had a few seconds ago.
"Are you okay, Rockman?" he asked.
There was no response from Rockman, except that he started looking elsewhere. Akane stroked his arm, as if he were a cat.
"It seems like he's not doing well..." she said in a low voice, then looked up and frowned at Netto. "You're not mistreating him, are you?" she accused.
Netto gasped, gritting his teeth, wondering what this question was about. He frowned and approached the girl's face.
"Of course not, I treat him well! He's my best friend—" He interrupted himself when a thought crossed his mind, his eyes almost widening in surprise. "Wait...how long has it been since he ate?" he wondered, horrified.
Rockman just looked at him. Although Netto knew how big the Navi's appetite was, strangely the mention of food didn't make him react. Akane got on her knees, her mouth open in surprise.
"Can he eat?" she asked in exclamation.
The boy nodded, wondering if he should share more secrets about the Navi. But judging by the lack of reaction from the Navi, he decided to continue.
"Yeah, he's a pretty special Navi. He can eat like us!" he declared, watching Rockman closely, who seemed distracted. "But when he doesn't eat, he gets a little more excited and he's very easily angered. He can sometimes attack me... It's weird..."
He took another glance at the Navi. Something was off, it was obvious that Rockman was upset. Yet, he didn't seem to be looking for food to calm down. The boy reached out to rub Rockman's hand, trying to reassure him.
"Hey buddy, it's gonna be okay. We can give you something to eat."
But once again, Rockman didn't react, which worried the boy even more.
"Hey... Rockman..." he began, trying to get the Navi's attention.
Finally, the Navi looked up, but there was no expression in his eyes. He seemed completely empty.
"Are you hungry?" the boy asked, hoping it would give him an indication of what was wrong.
Rockman took some time before making a gesture that could be interpreted positively or negatively. Finally, he tilted his head forward, indicating that he wanted something to eat.
Without suspecting anything, Akane quickly got up. "I'll find you something really good!" she said before hastily leaving the room. The boy turned to Rockman with a smile, but his eyes still seemed empty. He wanted so much to understand what was going on in his head for him to be so troubled. It was the first time he had seen the Navi behave like this.
Akane rushed down the stairs, joining Yusaku who was holding a large glass of water in the kitchen. He noticed her, blinking, while the other two boys at their table continued drawing as usual.
"What are you doing, Akane?" Yusaku asked, seeing her approach.
"We need to give Rockman something to eat!" she quickly replied.
Everyone gasped upon hearing that.
"He...can eat?" Sota repeated in a trembling voice.
Akane stared at the boy, a sardonic smile on her lips. "Yeah, he's not like the other Navis!" she remarked, noticing how much he was shaking. She continued, amused by the frightened child's reaction, "Do you want me to make you his meal? Hehe."
The boy screamed in terror, "No! I don't want him to eat me! He might even feed on children like us!" Akane burst into laughter, finding the boy's fear entertaining.
Yusaku tried to keep his calm and composure as he replied, "Stop panicking, Sota. He hasn't done anything to us, but I'm surprised a Navi can eat anything."
Intrigued, Akane joined the conversation, "I wonder too, what can a Navi eat?"
Kohaku, who was absorbed in his drawing, suddenly interjected, "You should give him dog food, given how he behaves like an animal."
Akane frowned, hands on her hips. "Kohaku, you can be really mean sometimes!" she reproached him.
Kohaku shrugged indifferently. "I don't need to be nice to a kid who appears out of nowhere, looks weird, and gives off a sinister vibe. And this Navi looks like a Zoanoroid, and there's a guy who leaves the house and isn't even afraid of us…doesn't that worry you?" Kohaku looked up at the other children, who seemed quite worried about his words.
"But it's okay if he's not afraid of us..." Akane replied weakly. "It's actually good that he's not scared."
Kohaku slammed his hands on the table, making Akane jump. "No, it's not normal!" he exclaimed, his voice louder. "This boy wasn't here yesterday or today, and he's hanging out with some strange Zoanoroid of Gregar... I'm sure they're followers of Gregar!"
Sota next to him began to tremble and tears appeared in his eyes while Akane began to bite her nails in stress. Yusaku moved closer, frowning, ready to intervene if necessary.
"Stop saying nonsense, why would they have a child with them who seems to have known them for a long time?" Yusaku asked in response to Kohaku's accusations.
"Because this child is special. Haven't you felt it?" Kohaku replied, looking at each of them with a perplexed expression.
"Yeah, he seems like us!" exclaimed Akane.
"Stop it, he's not like us, he's just a sick child," Yusaku insisted.
"No matter what you think, I don't find his 'guardians' reliable," Kohaku replied, wanting to have the last word. However, none of the children suspected that they were being listened to by a Navi hidden in the stairs. Rockman clenched his fists in anger, struggling to restrain himself from intervening. After all, they were just children. He slowly went up the stairs and stood next to Netto's bedroom window.
"Rockman?" called Netto, looking at him with concern.
This time, he reacted and looked at the young boy in his futon. "Tell me what's going on... I would like to know what's happening to you."
He turned completely towards him, scrutinizing his red eyes that seemed filled with shame. Netto let out an exasperated sigh before biting his lips, trying to contain his frustration.
"Rockman, please talk to me," he said, looking down. "I know you can't technically speak, but try to explain it to me in your own way. Even if it takes time, I'll be patient. I want to know what's happening to you."
However, Rockman did nothing. He just stared at the floor, leaving Netto disappointed and uncertain. "Why is nobody telling me anything? You, Saito... Saito is hiding something from me, I'm sure!"
When Netto looked up, he noticed that Rockman's eyes had widened. He was staring at him as if he was perched on a tree branch, had he shocked him in some way? Finally, Rockman turned and went to the window, which he opened. Netto was startled and reached out to him.
"No, Rockman! Don't go! Please, not you too!"
Without another word, Rockman jumped out of the window and disappeared, leaving the child screaming behind him. Netto almost tried to crawl out of bed, but Yusaku and Akane entered the room, one carrying a tray in his arms. They approached him, intrigued by the cries they had heard.
"Is everything okay?" Yusaku asked as he placed the tray down.
Netto didn't look at them, simply staring at the window where Rockman had disappeared. "He's gone... Rockman is gone..." he replied in a trembling voice.
"But he'll come back!" Akane replied, smiling.
"No!" Netto retorted.
The other two children hiccupped sympathetically.
"Why won't they tell me what's going on... Even Saito... Why are they leaving?" asked Netto, his voice betraying his sadness.
"Perhaps they have their reasons?" suggested Yusaku, trying to comfort the young boy.
"But they have no reason to leave!" replied Netto, his lips quivering, his eyes shining with tears. "I have the right to know."
The other two children looked at him with compassion as Netto lay down in his bed, burying his head in the pillow.
"I want to be alone..." he said without looking at them.
Yusaku sighed, but Akane continued to watch the young boy, sensing his sadness. He turned to her.
"Akane-chan, come on, let's watch TV," he said.
"But he's sad, we can't leave him alone!" she replied.
"Come on, please," Yusaku insisted.
Akane didn't say anything, but she followed Yusaku without a word. As they closed the door behind them, Netto could feel the cool air from outside brushing his cheek, his tears flowing gently.
"Please... Don't abandon me... Papa... Don't abandon me..." he murmured.
Meiru came back home with an anxious expression, trying to conceal her fear. She pushed the front door with a little more enthusiasm this time. "I'm back!"
Akane ran towards her as usual, but this time her look betrayed great sadness. Meiru noticed the change and became intrigued.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Rockman is gone!" Akane replied with a desperate tone while Sota sighed nearby. This news surprised the young girl, who opened her eyes wide.
Meiru looked up towards the top of the stairs, suspecting that there had been an unusual event. She knew that the children weren't supposed to be involved in that. While gently stroking Akane's head, she headed towards the stairs and climbed up to the sick child's room. Upon entering, the young girl immediately noticed that the window was wide open. She rushed to close it, but suddenly heard the child's voice.
"Please, don't close the window... He might come back..." pleaded Netto's small voice from his bed.
Meiru smiled in his direction, but closed the window nonetheless. She approached the child's bed and knelt down beside him.
"You're sick and I can't leave the window open," she explained softly while stroking Netto's head. He sat up, looking at her with reddened and tired eyes. "Are you okay?"
His gaze seemed so empty. Then, he twisted his lips and stared at the older girl. "I want to go home, Meiru-chan..." he murmured sadly.
Disturbed by the boy's reaction, Meiru took a second to compose herself. She gently raised her arms to pick up the child, caressing his hair softly. Netto began to blush very strongly, feeling Meiru's warm body against him. Since their childhood, he had always felt something special when she hugged him. He tried to smile gently, happy that Meiru was with him again for once.
Later, she went back to the kitchen to make a bottle for Shinobu, which she brought upstairs to her. Once that was done, she started cooking for the other children. Netto had come downstairs, sitting at the table, drinking tea and swallowing an acetaminophen pill, a blanket over his shoulders. Meiru prepared her cooking range and several foods.
"I'm going to make a cheese omelet with potatoes!" she declared.
Akane jumped, startled like the lively child she was. Netto, on the other hand, found her reaction a bit excessive but didn't comment. Kohaku, for his part, had observed the scene out of the corner of his eye before lowering his gaze as the other boy looked at him. Despite not having interacted much since the beginning of the day, Netto felt a certain animosity towards Kohaku. Since their first meeting, he had been struck by a very unpleasant impression, a sense of discomfort that had not left him since.
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door, interrupting everyone's moment of peace. All turned their gaze towards the entrance while Meiru froze instantly, furrowing her brows with concern. Despite the fear that tugged at her, she clenched her fists and gathered her courage to walk towards the front door. When she opened the door, she was confronted with the one who had fled from her this morning, the boy who wanted to leave and had transformed into a Navi. A shiver of terror ran through her as she remembered the incident where she had almost lost her life.
"Hi..." Saito said hesitantly, trying to smile.
But as soon as she laid eyes on him, an intense emotion seized Meiru—a deep hatred that consumed her completely. "You..." she spat out with disgust. Without thinking, she stormed out of the house, approaching him with heavy steps filled with resentment.
"You!" she repeated angrily.
"Wait, Meiru-chan, please, we can talk!" Saito defended himself, backing away and trying to keep his distance. "Please!"
But Meiru wasn't willing to listen. She quickened her pace, almost ready to strike him. "You're a filthy con artist! You're playing us!" she shouted. The anger was rising in her and she couldn't contain it anymore.
"Listen to me! It's not what you think!" he cried out, now almost in terror.
Saito nearly lost his balance, but Meiru grabbed him by the collar, ready to give him a hard time. He knew that the girl's fury was about to come crashing down on him.
"Meiru-Onee-chan, what's going on?" Akane asked, standing at the door, followed by Yusaku who was trying to pull her back. The two preteens turned their heads towards them, one with wide eyes, the other with a half-closed gaze. Meiru let go of Saito and stood up straight, hiding her hands behind her back.
"Nothing, Saito just arrived and I wanted to tell him something... But I guess we should continue this conversation later!" she forced herself to smile.
Saito nodded his head, encouraging the lie despite knowing he was about to face a difficult moment. He knew he couldn't escape and mentally prepared himself to face the situation. Akane came running towards the two pre-teens to greet the boy, taking his hands. Although he was caught off guard, he was already used to her presence when he was Rockman. Meiru intensely stared at Saito, her eyebrows furrowed, making him sweat profusely.
They all entered the house, the tension palpable despite Saito's efforts to appear as discreet as possible. Meiru couldn't hide her bad mood, and he knew it was largely because of him. He gently made his way towards the table where Netto was sitting, trying to appear happy to see him.
"Hi Netto, how are you?" he asked with a sincere smile. Netto only replied with a weak "Hi," keeping his eyes fixed on his mug. Saito took a deep breath before continuing. "I saw Rockman today, and he told me you had a high fever. How are you feeling now?"
Netto gritted his teeth and avoided Saito's gaze, his hands clenched together. Meiru watched their conversation attentively, trying to understand if the younger child was aware of the older boy's secret.
"Why did you leave?" Netto asked with a broken voice. His eyes were lost in thought, as if he was lost in his own mind.
Meiru's dubious expression gave way to obvious surprise: Netto didn't know. Saito, on the other hand, was momentarily frozen by the question, searching for a plausible answer.
"Um... I just had something to do," he replied, trying to appear as natural as possible.
"But what? We don't need to travel!" added Netto, his voice getting louder.
Kohaku made a strange sound that seemed to express satisfaction. Meiru, for her part, could see the honesty in Netto's expression: he really seemed broken and sad that his friend had left for the day, completely unaware that Saito was with him all the time. She felt sudden compassion for the boy and sadness for the younger one. With what had happened that morning, she wanted to understand why Saito had two identities, especially in Netto's eyes. Biting her lip, she sighed and approached them.
"This morning, I saw him when he was about to leave," Meiru declared as she approached, hands on hips, a stern look in her eyes. Saito looked at her, almost shocked by her approach, fear showing on his face. Netto opened his mouth. "You did tell me where you were going, I don't understand why you have to go so far!" she quickly invented, still frowning.
Saito didn't react immediately. He twisted his lips and eventually nodded.
"It was important...otherwise we would have been in trouble," he lied, sinking into a lie he hated.
"What kind of trouble?" Netto asked with a more worried voice.
Saito turned around, his face embarrassed, his fingers nervously gripping the fabric of his shorts.
"There were...some strange guys who had approached me and I had to...do something for them, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten the right directions... And I was afraid that if I didn't come...they would do something to us," he tried to explain, his voice stuttering. It was probably the worst lie he had ever told, and he knew it showed on his face.
"Okay..." Netto finally replied, looking at the ground. "I see... But you could have told me..."
"I... I'm sorry..." Saito lowered his head, ashamed. Netto turned silently with a disappointed expression. Saito felt the coldness of his gaze and decided not to add anything. He just hugged himself to keep warm. Meiru had returned to her kitchen, her expression showing disapproval. She had nothing to add at the moment, leaving Saito with his own problems.
They all sat at the table and ate in silence, listening to Akane's stories. She asked Netto if Rockman was coming back, and Meiru watched the reactions of the two boys carefully. Saito flinched at this question while Netto simply shrugged, explaining that he often stayed back in the evening to protect the house. Their discussion ended when it was time to clear the table. Meiru called out to Saito in a strange voice to help with the dishes, and the boy reluctantly accepted. Netto, on the other hand, rested his head on his hand, looking worried.
The two preteens were now side by side with Saito washing the dishes and Meiru drying them. For the boy, it was an awkward situation. He didn't know how to feel, knowing that Meiru knew much of his secret. He knew he owed her an explanation, so he might as well give it now.
"Listen, about earlier..." he began, sadly looking at the sink as he wiped a plate.
"Later," Meiru cut him off, focused on her cleaning before handing another plate to the boy. Saito didn't know how to take this response.
With the dishes done, each child went to do what they wanted at this time of night. Meiru approached them with a slightly sad expression and a forced smile.
"Sorry, no lullaby tonight... You all go to bed and you can read a book before sleeping." She stopped, glancing at the other boy from the corner of her eye. "I have...to have a discussion with Saito here."
"Eh?" they all reacted.
Netto was incredulous as he looked at his friend, who had his head turned away and an expression that showed he knew he was in for a tough time.
"Why can't we come?" Akane asked innocently.
"Because we're grown-ups and you're children!" Meiru answered proudly.
Netto frowned at hearing this, and Akane added, "But you're not an adult!"
Meiru became annoyed and said, "Akane-chan...it's time for all of you to go to bed!"
The boys remained silent, except for Sota, who clung to Meiru's leg, begging to be tucked in that night. She stroked his head and promised to do so. Together, they went upstairs, with Yusaku helping Kohaku up. Saito asked Netto to follow him as well, but the child didn't respond. Saito followed him to the room and knelt down next to the futon while Netto looked out the window.
"Netto, you need to keep resting," Saito insisted, tapping the futon. Netto didn't answer, but lay down on the bed and the older boy gently covered him.
"What are you going to talk about?" Netto asked, although his voice suggested that he didn't care.
"Well, like she said, grown-up stuff," Saito replied.
Netto sat up, feeling almost insulted. "But I'm a grown-up too!"
Saito gently pressed on the child's chest, urging him to lie down.
"Not to the people here. You know very well that no one can know," he explained calmly.
Netto didn't answer, but he was clearly annoyed and almost growled in response. Saito felt a deep sadness, knowing that he couldn't do anything to help the child feel better about this situation. But anyway, he couldn't take the child to the discussion.
"Will you tell me about it?" Netto asked, his voice betraying a faint glimmer of hope.
Saito grimaced and took a deep breath. "I'll see. If the subjects are too sensitive or too personal, I don't think I can tell you," he finally replied. Netto frowned again.
"But I know Meiru-chan, I have the right to know!" he retorted.
"Netto, this Meiru may look like the one you know, but she probably has a different story than yours. Try to understand that," Saito explained gently. With a resigned sigh, Netto nodded.
"I hope you'll be asleep when I come back," Saito said, standing up. Netto didn't answer. "Good night."
Saito didn't hear a response, but he left the room anyway with his hands folded across his chest. Meiru was waiting for him in the hallway and motioned for him to follow her quietly with a nod of her head. They descended to the ground floor and headed towards the glass door leading to the garden. Once outside, Meiru locked the door, which surprised the boy almost instantly.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm making this conversation private," she replied.
"But are you locking them in?" he asked.
"What do you think could happen? A fire? Nothing will happen anyway," she reassured him.
They walked to a bench near a small wooden house containing gardening tools. Meiru sat down on the bench and closed her eyes. After a long breath, she opened her eyes and looked at Saito with a gaze that seemed to penetrate his soul.
"I want to know everything," she declared in a determined voice.
Saito bit his lip, his eyes trembling. "Everything?"
"Everything," she replied firmly.
Saito gently took his arm and looked away while breathing heavily. "I'm not sure... I mean, you don't need to know everything!" he said in a trembling voice.
Meiru frowned, taking a colder tone. "You tried to kill me. I have the right to know the truth to get compensation."
Saito bit his lip again, a lump forming in his throat as he remembered the morning. "I'm sorry for earlier... I really didn't mean it... I'm sorry," he murmured weakly, almost broken.
Meiru tilted her head, watching the boy close himself off. His posture betrayed a deep discomfort, and she wanted to understand if he was playing a double game with her. She looked at him, scrutinizing his face as she asked in a loud voice, "Who are you exactly? Are you a Navi or a human?"
Strangely, the question seemed to soothe Saito. He dropped his arms to his sides, but still didn't look at her in the eyes. "I was born human," he began, looking at his hands. "I contracted an incurable disease and died very young. My father managed to integrate my soul into a Navi he had worked on."
Saito noticed the change in Meiru's expression as he looked up. Although he perceived some surprise in her gaze, he could also see that she had doubts about the truthfulness of his words.
"I know it's weird," he continued, biting his lip. "But from what I understand, it would have never worked if I didn't have a twin brother."
Meiru raised an eyebrow upon hearing these words. "There's another one like you?" she asked almost skeptically.
Saito raised his hands in defense. "No! My brother is Netto!" he quickly replied.
Meiru's eyes widened in surprise, her mouth almost gaping in astonishment. However, she furrowed her brows again, trying to understand the absurd situation. "But... Wait, why aren't you..."
"The same age?" Saito continued for her. "There's a reason for that, and I'll get to it..."
She tilted her head downward and let out a soft chuckle, surprising the boy in front of her. "So... That night... You were telling the truth," Meiru declared, almost amused.
The boy nodded timidly, feeling uneasy. "I was panicked at the thought of seeing him in bad shape after everything that had happened. I forgot to lie."
Meiru eventually nodded, believing him. "So... You became a Navi..." she concluded, understanding the story.
"I became my brother's Navi," Saito added with a small proud smile.
However, she crossed her arms. "And he doesn't know the truth?"
"He doesn't even know he has a twin brother..." he replied, quite perplexed.
She raised an eyebrow. "It's...incomprehensible..."
"I know... That's why I'd like you to listen to me until the end," he continued, trying to sound more serious without looking at her. "Actually, I come from another world, a world similar to this one with the same people and places, but different. This world was about to be destroyed by an alien program. When we tried to stop it, it discovered my nature and wondered how it was possible for me to exist. Thinking that Netto also had a connection to my atypical nature, he sent both of us here for a test, in a way. He made me human only at night, while during the day, I become this kind of...monster," he declared in one go, trying to catch his breath.
Saito paused, still not looking at Meiru, and sighed as he thought back to what he had experienced. Anger was building up in his mind.
"For it to work, he took half of Netto's human life," he continued, his voice covered in venom. "He wanted my human part to be amplified due to our similar DNA, and Netto became a six-year-old child!" he gritted his teeth while clenching his fists, letting his anger explode. It was difficult for him to reveal all of this, but he could feel a weight lifted off his chest.
Saito tried to calm himself down by taking a deep breath. "Afterwards, we ended up in this world. We have to go to a town in Hokkaido, where there might be a chance for us to go back home," he explained. He straightened up and looked at her. "That's it, you know everything," he concluded in a slightly calmer voice.
Meiru's face twisted into a strange expression, causing concern to rise in Saito. Had he gone too far? But it didn't matter if she didn't believe him. Meiru closed her eyes and remained silent. A shiver ran down Saito's spine, filled with growing anxiety at her silence. Yet deep down, the fact that he had confided in someone had made him feel better. As he sat down on the bench next to her, he scrutinized Meiru, trying to understand what she was thinking. Worry tightened his chest as he waited for a response. Finally, she opened her eyes and gave a gentle smile, which surprised Saito, who was expecting a more negative reaction.
"I see... They pushed you to grow up too fast too," she said with a soft voice. He was about to respond, but the words seemed to escape him. He settled for a simple "I suppose," lost in his thoughts.
That's when she turned her head towards him, her eyes scanning his face. Meiru adopted a more serious expression, a sign of the importance of her question. "Now... How do you see yourself? Do you still see yourself as a Navi? Or do you accept being human again?"
Saito was caught off guard, his eyes widening in surprise. A soft blush rose to his cheeks as he searched for his words. "I still see myself as a Navi... I mean, that's what I've become, and I have to accept it," he finally murmured hesitantly.
Meiru leaned back even further to get a better look at his face. She could see a hint of sadness mixed with a certain resignation in his eyes. "Don't you enjoy being human?" she asked, perplexed.
The boy flinched slightly, as if woken from his stupor. "I... Well, it's nice to be able to eat and feel all sorts of things," he replied, trying to convince himself. But he looked sadder again as he gazed into her eyes. "But I'm only human because I have half of Netto's humanity. And I can't be happy with that, it's just...terrifying," he admitted, his voice filled with emotion. "I would have preferred to be alone on this journey, I was the only one being punished."
"Your brother... Why don't you tell him anything?" Meiru asked curiously when he mentioned Netto.
A cold breath escaped Saito's mouth as he froze. "I-I'm afraid..." he mumbled, biting his lip. "He doesn't even remember me when I was alive. He suffered a terrible trauma and completely forgot about me!" His eyes trembled at the thought. "And if I told him the whole truth...he might see me as a Frankenstein monster. Plus, I stole part of his life from him..."
Meiru blinked several times, then furrowed her brow upon hearing that. She noticed the distress in his eyes and began to think. "But it's not really your fault."
Saito shook his head slowly. "Yes... I think it's still my fault...if he's here, stuck."
The girl began to feel annoyed as she listened to Saito's response. "I'm not sure that's the right solution," she repeated in a low voice, trying to reason with him.
Saito quickly retorted, looking annoyed with the situation. "What solution?" he exclaimed. "It'll just stress him out even more! When we get back home, everything will be normal again! Saito won't exist anymore, and Rockman will go back to being his normal Navi!"
Meiru's emotions faded as she looked at Saito, who seemed to be in a mental war with himself. She felt sorry for him. "But is that really what you want?" she asked gently.
Saito blinked but didn't look at her, furrowing his brows. "It doesn't matter..." he replied in a dull tone.
She sighed in frustration, realizing she wouldn't get an immediate answer to her questions. Deciding to let him calm down, she stopped bombarding him with questions and plunged into her thoughts. However, a keen curiosity suddenly pricked her about what Saito had just revealed to her.
"You said you come from another world similar to ours," she reminded him, turning her head towards him.
Saito turned to her, visibly troubled by her sudden interest. "I want to know, how is it so different?" she added, looking up at the sky.
He hesitated for a moment, searching for the words to clearly express the difference. "Well, the Navis and humans don't live together. Humans live in the physical world while Navis reside in a virtual world," he finally explained.
Meiru's eyes widened. "Oh, so there's no Dimensional Area," she said, pointing to the sky.
Saito shook his head. "No, not at all. We can create one, but not like that."
Meiru then turned to him, curious. "So you don't know what Cybeasts are?" she asked.
He tensed and grimaced, gritting his teeth. "No, we discovered their existence when we arrived here. We never had something like that in our world...except for Darkloids or Asteroids," he added, muttering the last words.
"Huh?"
"It's complicated..."
Intrigued, Meiru smiled softly and closed her eyes, trying to imagine what this strange world looked like. "You're lucky. You probably had a calmer world..." she sighed.
Saito nodded. "It had its problems... But nothing as big as this, I feel."
Meiru then began to think as she looked at the sky. "This world has always known desolation, it has never known freedom... That's probably why it has trouble rebuilding," she concluded before turning to Saito again. "You said there are also the same people?"
Saito jumped, his gaze fixed on the young girl. "Yes, kind of... Think of it like..." He twisted his fingers, trying to find a way to describe what he had to say. "In our world...we know you, for example. You're Netto's childhood best friend..."
The young girl reacted slowly, looking surprised. "Oh..." she murmured. "That's why he calls me that. And do we know each other?" She finished her question with a gentle smile.
Saito nodded. "A little... I mean, as his Navi, I have to know his friends." He felt his cheeks turn bright red and quickly looked away. "I really like your music."
The young girl seemed touched. "Oh, I see... I'm still a pianist..." She lowered her head, a nostalgic smile on her lips. Then, she began to think. "It's strange, I don't know anyone named Netto or Saito here."
"That's because we know each other in the city of Akihara, next to Densan City..." He quickly glanced at the young girl, trying to be as brief as possible, then he let out a little panic. "It's not important! I would feel weird meeting a double of myself who probably survived in this world."
They chuckled together, their laughter filling the air before suddenly dying out. They then looked up at the sky, their thoughts turned to cherished memories.
"My Navi..." she murmured.
It didn't take long for him to quickly respond, "She's still here. She's one of my closest friends, and it's also thanks to our operators that we're so close."
A sad smile appeared on Meiru's face. "I see, that's good. I'm glad she's there, in another world."
Saito nervously tightened the fabric of his shorts, his mouth twisting with worry. "What happened to her?"
Meiru opened her mouth to answer, but her eyes slowly began to tremble. She looked at a fixed point, not wanting to meet Saito's gaze.
"My parents...left one evening," she began with a strange calmness. "As I said goodbye to them, I had no idea it would be the last time I'd see them." Meiru slowly lowered her head, looking at her hands as if holding an invisible object. "We were worried, her and I, when they didn't come back. So she decided to go find them. She didn't want me to come with her, fearing something might happen to me. And later that night, she came back...but she was infected by the Beast Factor." Her voice trembled more and more, and Saito widened his eyes upon hearing the rest. "She still had enough consciousness to beg me to delete her before it was too late... And that's what I did."
Slowly, tears fell from her eyes, and she faced Saito's gaze. "In one night...I lost everything."
Saito's mouth twisted with sadness, and his eyes narrowed. He grabbed Meiru's hand, which was resting on the bench. She gasped at the gesture, looking into space, then looked at him with a tender smile despite the tears streaming down her cheeks. The boy blushed slightly at the smile, then withdrew his hand and looked away.
"I misjudged you, Saito. You're a kind person," she said, wiping her eyes.
Saito stammered in response, "Tha... Thank you."
"You seem to care a lot about your little brother, even if you don't want to tell him the truth... But the fact that you're doing your best to take care of him shows the love you have for him," she said, recalling Saito's behavior as Rockman. "I can't think that there's anything bad in you."
Saito lowered his head. "I'd do anything for him, I'll always make sure he's okay," he said.
"I've seen that! You're willing to stay a Navi so he can stay normal," she replied.
He clenched his fists, furrowed his brow, and declared seriously, "I'd be willing to die again for him." The words trembled Meiru's eyes. She noticed the seriousness in Saito's gaze, which made her swallow her saliva with difficulty. She instinctively lowered her head.
"It's true..." she began to say, the words coming out of her mouth with difficulty. "They're the reason we stay alive," she finally murmured, letting out a strange smile.
Saito watched her for a moment, lost in his thoughts, then blinked, suddenly remembering something. "Oh, that's right, I have a question to ask you!" he suddenly declared, making Meiru jump. She turned to him, looking at him curiously, waiting to hear what he meant. "You see, since I already know you, I already have some sort of trust in you..." he confessed, his cheeks slightly reddened. "But I know you're capable of doing it, even if I don't know you very well."
Meiru raised an eyebrow. "That is…?"
"I would like Netto to stay here with you," he declared, very serious. "I have a feeling there will be a trap in the city of Hokkaido, so I prefer to go alone to find out what awaits us."
Saito sighed as he saw Meiru's face harden. "I'm sorry to give you the responsibility of an extra child, but I'll come back for him," he insisted, wanting to make his idea clear.
"And... How long would that take...?" she asked with a certain reluctance in her voice that Saito did not notice.
"I don't know," he replied, scratching his temple. "It could be a long time, especially with my...condition."
Meiru gritted her teeth. "I refuse," she said categorically.
"But... Meiru-chan, please, I know he won't be alone and he has new friends here!" Saito replied, starting to panic.
"That's exactly why he can't stay here!" retorted Meiru, her voice louder.
"What?"
Meiru stood up abruptly, almost shouting, "Would you be willing to leave him somewhere where he will have to see people around him slowly dying?!" Saito widened his eyes, surprised by the change in the girl's behavior, which was much more brutal than he had ever seen before.
She had asserted her dominance by unleashing all her anger. "Their conditions are impossible to understand. They won't last long, who knows what will happen to them tomorrow?!" she continued, still in the same tone, even if her eyes seemed more trembling. "When they knocked on my door, there were six of them. I was scared for my life, but I decided to take care of them by finding the courage to live with them." Her voice broke, letting out a sob. "But I had to bury one in the garden!"
Meiru let out more sobs and closed her arms around herself, tears continuing to flow. "They will all end up dying, and I have accepted this responsibility on my shoulders!" she continued, her voice weakened. She finally lowered her head and murmured, "Is that…what growing up is…?"
After taking a few deep breaths to regulate her breathing, Meiru raised her head, her face once again filled with anger. She wanted to challenge the boy in front of her. "When Netto is in such a state of psychological distress after seeing the death of a friend, he will need you, not me!" she burst out.
She clenched her fists as she saw the boy completely stunned by what she had just said. Shame was written all over his face. "So I'll ask you again, Saito: would you be able to leave Netto here, where he will have to watch his comrades die?" Her voice was terribly firm, her mouth twisted.
Saito took a short breath, filling his lungs with fresh air. He bit the inside of his cheek, a series of memories flooding his mind. The day it all ended and Netto, completely devastated, struggling in his mother's arms. It was by far the worst moment of his life.
"No, I... I couldn't." He admitted, looking down.
Although she was relieved by his answer, Meiru couldn't help but grit her teeth. "That's what I thought. Don't let him suffer that fate, please."
Saito nodded, a sign that he understood the importance of his promise. Meiru looked around and wiped her tears once again. "Well... It's getting late. Let's go to bed... Unless you have something to add."
Saito got up slowly, still a little bewildered by the turn of events, but shook his head. "No... Nothing to add."
"What did she tell you?" Netto asked, still awake and curious about what had happened. Saito sighed upon seeing him, hoping that the young boy was already asleep. He headed towards his futon and settled in.
"It's complicated," he answered Netto's question. "There's a lot to say, but I'd rather talk about it later..."
Netto could see from Saito's face that something was wrong, as if he had been overwhelmed by intense emotions. "Did you confide in her?" he asked, a little worried.
Saito hesitated, taking a moment to respond. Then, he smiled as he looked at Netto. "Don't worry, I didn't tell her everything."
It was an obvious lie, and Netto only half-believed it. A dull pain filled his chest, and he turned away without a word to go to bed. Saito sighed, feeling uneasy. Glancing at the child from the corner of his eye, he remembered what he had said to Meiru.
"Netto, everything will be like it was before, I promise you."
To be Continued…
AN: Now... our dear Meiru now the secret... Will she say it to Netto or she will still let Saito doing what he is doing ? We will see. I really like the dynamic I'm doing between Meiru and Saito, two characters who never really interacted and honestly... It would work like really, I'm sure it would totally work between them! That's why... I choose her hehe.
I hope you don't mind it, don't worry, i'm really trying to do something that work as I said, something i'm scared to do is making something too... Cheesy, and really OoC, you know how I dislike OoC lol i'm still doing my best to make it sound like canon.
Thank you for still continuing the reading!