AN: Hello everyone!
As you can see, a new chapter, this time more focus on Netto then these last time ! And of course a little more angst. I hope you can understand his psychology right now, and don't much blame anyone.
Chapter 18: My heart cannot stop beating…
Saito could feel an unwelcome presence lurking around him, gritting his teeth as his body floated in the infinite void. The cold penetrated his skin while sweat dampened his face. He refused to open his eyes, terrified. This nightmare had haunted his nights for a long time, he knew every detail of it. He knew exactly when it had all started.
"Saito!"
"Rockman!"
"What is your true name?"
At first the voices were only whispers, but as they spoke, they grew more aggressive.
"You shouldn't be here."
"Could you not join us?"
"Your place is among us!"
He wanted to reply to them, but his voice was trapped in his throat and none of his muscles responded to his brain.
"You know very well that if you were with us, none of this would have happened?"
His head managed to unlock, and he tried to shake it gently.
"You have to come with us if you want things to get better."
Saito tightened his hands and finally managed to emit some sounds. His heart was roaring in his chest and beating wildly, as if it was trying to escape at all costs.
"No, this heart is useless to you."
"We have to remove it from your chest!"
He felt a cold hand slide over his chest, trying to penetrate his flesh. An alarm was blaring in his head, but he managed to open his eyes and face the ghosts that surrounded him.
"Don't touch me!"
His voice echoed, producing a burst of light that dissipated everything around him. He found himself once again on a firm surface, the feeling of floating having disappeared. Saito gritted his teeth softly then slowly sat up on the futon. He breathed gently while staring at the hand that approached to wipe his face. He brushed aside the hair that was obstructing his view.
Breathing for a moment longer, Saito lifted his head to notice the state of the room. What he saw froze him in place. The room was in disarray, but not like a child had tidied their room badly. No, it was chaos that testified to something serious. The windows were broken, several objects were lifted and almost destroyed, and the futon he was lying was torn—revealing several pieces of foam. But what struck Saito above all was the blood on the wall.
Saito felt his anxiety skyrocket as he looked around, trying to see if there was anything else suspicious. That's when he saw the body of his little brother, Netto. He was lying on his right side, out of sight of Saito. It was impossible for him to tell if he was sleeping or not.
"Netto! Netto!" he exclaimed, with a hint of panic in his voice.
Grasping his shoulder, Saito turned him limply towards him. The air was knocked out of him when he saw all the details of the wounds. Netto had four huge scratches on his belly, the cuts penetrating deeply into the flesh and still-uncrusted blood flowing from his wounds. He was covered in marks from beatings and bites, and his face—partially obscured by his hair—revealed blood smeared on his head. The boy realized that he had been struck several times against the walls.
Saito felt his stomach knot, his hand slowly went to his mouth, and his face was wide-eyed with fear. "N-Netto...?" he asked, feeling tears slowly rising.
Trying to touch the almost lifeless face of the child, Netto's hand moved, violently grabbing his wrist and leaving him breathless.
"If you weren't here...none of this would have happened." Netto's voice spoke softly, followed by other external whispers.
"If you weren't here..."
"None of this would have happened..."
"Nothing at all..."
"Come back with us..."
Saito's ears were suddenly assaulted by all these voices, making him grimace. He tried to cover his ears with his hands, but it wasn't enough to muffle the voices that seemed to be amplifying. He screamed with all his might, trying in vain to escape this auditory torture.
Finally, Saito rose forcefully, his heart pounding in his chest, and his rapid breathing betraying his panicked state. He could feel sweat running down his body. He glanced timidly around him to see that the room was now intact. A feeling of relief washed over him, but he remained wary and on guard.
"Saito?"
He jumped at hearing someone say his name. He lost his balance and almost fell to the side. He quickly stood up and turned towards the source of the voice, discovering Netto standing in front of him, looking at him curiously.
A feeling of relief washed over Saito at the sight of his friend, and he slowly placed his hand on his shoulder for reassurance. He tried to smile, but his lips were still trembling from fear.
"You're...still alive," he murmured in a small voice as if to make sure it wasn't all a dream.
Netto raised an eyebrow, finding the remark strange. "Well yeah," he simply replied, as if it were obvious. "Are you okay?" he asked.
Saito gasped in surprise as he felt Netto remove his hand from his shoulder, feeling a bit silly for letting his emotions overwhelm him like that. "Y-yes... I'm fine," he replied hesitantly.
Netto tilted his head and then looked away, no longer paying attention to him. Saito pursed his lips, as if he was thinking about something.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" he asked softly.
"I didn't sleep very well... I could hear you tossing and turning," explained Netto, gripping the sheets in his hands.
Saito felt shame wash over him. He knew he had disturbed Netto's sleep and felt guilty for bothering him.
"I'm sorry..." he apologized.
"In fact, I also wanted to see you before you left..." added Netto without looking at him.
Saito felt his heart tighten as he saw Netto slowly turn his head towards him, his gaze rather empty.
"You're going to leave again, aren't you?" the child asked in a trembling voice.
Saito bit the inside of his mouth, feeling his stress rise. He had to find the right words to reassure Netto.
"Like every morning," he finally admitted without looking at him.
Netto lowered his head, and despite the tiredness in his eyes, Saito could see a form of disappointment on his face.
"You don't have to go," he added in a low voice.
Saito's shoulders stiffened as his eyes widened. He tried to keep calm but his expression betrayed his sadness.
"But I have to! I can't stay, Netto," he said in a trembling voice.
Once again, the child slowly lifted his head, revealing a dark face that made Saito shiver down his spine.
"I know you're hiding something from me," Netto said in a deep voice, his face as dark as his voice.
Saito froze in place, feeling Netto's penetrating gaze as if he was trying to probe his soul. Regaining control of his muscles, the pre-adolescent lowered his head and adopted a serious expression. He stood up, putting on his socks and shoes while the child continued to stare at him, his brows furrowed.
"I know what I have to do," Saito replied in a cold voice. "And if you don't like it, it doesn't matter."
He headed towards the door, but Netto tensed up as he watched him.
"You never tell me anything!" he exclaimed in a louder voice, betraying his emotion. "We travel together but you keep your secrets to yourself!"
Saito turned his head to look at the child, he hadn't had time to open the door. Netto was no longer looking at him, his cheeks were flushed with anger and his eyes were shining. He lowered his eyes, feeling bad for putting the child in this state.
"It's not... Netto, it's much more complicated than that," he said in a calm voice.
Netto bit his lip and blew out air abruptly. "You know what? I don't care!" he lied before lying back down on the futon. "Go away! I don't want to see you anymore!" He held back a small sob.
Saito's heart slowly broke, as if small pieces were crumbling into dust. Netto's words hurt him deeply, and his emotional state was only getting worse. He thought back to his dream, feeling a new wave of anxiety rise in his chest. He opened the door, giving one last look at the child.
"See you tonight, Netto..." he said slowly before closing the door, not expecting a response from him.
Netto tossed and turned in his futon, desperately trying to relieve the back pain that was torturing him. Despite his attempts to fall back asleep, the persistent ache forced him to constantly move around, trying in vain to reach the spot that was itching him. But it wasn't just his back that was tormenting him. Since Saito's departure, he had not left his room, haunted by the memories of what had happened. The mere thought of his friend stirred within him a simmering anger, an anger that he relentlessly nurtured. He didn't want to see anyone, not even Rockman who could come to see him at any moment. He heard the children downstairs fidgeting, ready to have breakfast, but he didn't care. His pride forbade him from showing hunger in front of others.
Light knocks echoed at the door, but Netto didn't respond. He suspected it might be Akane coming to see him, but he wanted to be left alone. The sounds continued, so he hid his head under his blanket.
"Netto?" Meiru's voice called as she opened the door, observing the room without entering. "Netto, are you awake?"
The child sighed under his blanket and slowly sat up, his hair in disarray. His gaze was devoid of emotion. Meiru forced a smile upon seeing him, then entered the room with a gentler tone.
"Netto, it's almost 10 o'clock, it won't be breakfast time anymore!" she announced, expecting a reaction.
But he simply lowered his eyes. Not expecting this, Meiru widened her eyes, approaching slowly.
"Well, what's wrong? You don't seem to be doing well?"
Frowning, Netto looked up at her. "I'm fine... I'm not hungry."
Meiru tilted her head and knelt down next to him. He avoided her gaze and his cheeks reddened slightly. He seemed a little angry, but she understood that it wasn't against her. With a mischievous smile, she raised a glass she was holding in her hand.
"You can skip breakfast, but you can't skip your morning medicine!"
Netto noticed the glass containing a pale and disgusting substance, and a bitterness filled his mouth. He looked away, pretending not to be interested. "I told you I'm fine," he tried to defend himself.
But Meiru slowly shook her head and took on a cold expression. "Netto, if you stop taking your antibiotics before the end of your treatment, you risk worsening your illness because your body won't be strong enough to fight it!" She leaned in closer to him. "You don't want to end up like a zombie, do you?"
Netto gulped, feeling sweat bead on his temple as he reached for the glass that the pink-haired girl was holding out to him with some apprehension. He raised the glass to his lips and drank it all in one go, his eyes closed and his face contorted from the effort he had to make to swallow. Once the liquid was down, Netto slowly lowered the glass and opened his eyes with a disgusted expression. He opened his mouth to hand the glass back to Meiru, clearly expressing his dissatisfaction. She felt proud.
However, even though he had managed to drink his glass, Netto looked down at his hands which had once again clung to his sheets. He tightened his arms, grinding his teeth as Meiru looked at him with some concern.
"Is...Saito gone?" he asked, his teeth clenched.
Meiru nodded, knowing that was the reason for his unusual anxiety. "Yes...but he didn't really talk to me... He seemed disturbed."
Netto pursed his lips, knowing why Saito must have been in that state. He didn't know how to respond, so he looked away. Meiru tilted her head as she looked at him, trying to understand what was bothering him.
"By the way..." she added. "Rockman still hasn't come back."
Netto didn't react either—not because he wasn't worried, but because he trusted Rockman and if he wasn't there, it was for a reason. No, he wanted to know if Saito had something going on.
"Did something happen?" Meiru suddenly asked.
Netto turned his head towards Meiru, feeling suspicious, but he shook his head. "No...nothing happened..."
However, Meiru didn't believe him; she half-closed her eyes and Netto felt several shivers. She had always had this effect on him, no matter what world he was in. He felt a drop of sweat on his temple and called out to her hesitantly. "M-Meiru-chan..."
She calmed down and gave him a small smile, knowing she couldn't force him to talk if he didn't want to. "You still call me that..." she commented.
Netto turned his head, blushing, blinking several times. "I'm sorry... Meiru-Onee-chan..." he continued with more shame, knowing it had hurt his pride.
She sighed then noticed that Netto was grinding his teeth as he leaned forward. "Are you okay?" she asked.
He rubbed his back as best he could and looked at the older girl. "My back just hurts."
Meiru raised her finger to her chin, displaying a mischievous smile. Netto shuddered as he felt her gaze on him. "Oh, do you want me to give you a massage?" she said. "Kohaku has back problems, so I'm trying to relieve him with a special cream."
Netto almost lost his balance upon hearing that. Meiru had never given him a massage before! When she was this gentle it was usually with Yaito, Rush, Mariko-sensei, and even Enzan! He grimaced, trying to resist. "Meiru-chan... I don't need that..."
But Meiru interrupted him. "But you do! It's better to do something than nothing, right?" She winked playfully, convinced she was right. "And as I said, I'm doing this for Kohaku too!"
Meiru jumped up, not giving Netto time to protest any further, and quickly left the room. A few moments later, she returned with a small plastic bottle in hand.
"Come on, take off your T-shirt!" she ordered him enthusiastically.
Netto eventually sighed and unceremoniously got rid of his top, then lay down on his stomach. Meiru knelt beside him and put cream on her hands then noticed two red marks on his back, quite close to his shoulder blades. She touched one of the marks with her fingertips and observed the child's face.
"Did you scratch yourself?" she asked.
Netto looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah... It was itching first..."
"You should be careful, you scratched yourself too hard, now it's red!" Meiru worriedly touched the other mark delicately.
He nodded his head slowly and, as she put more cream in her hand, she touched one of the marks completely.
"Does it hurt?" she asked softly.
"It just stings," he replied in a low voice.
Meiru nodded and flattened her hands on Netto's back, slowly massaging his skin. At first it was a bit strange for him, but soon he began to find the sensation pleasant and felt at ease. All the negative thoughts he had had before began to dissipate.
Netto was about to fall asleep under Meiru's expert hands when she finished massaging his back. He opened his eyes wide and sat up, looking at the young girl who was smiling at him.
"I'm done!" she said enthusiastically.
Netto sat cross-legged facing Meiru. Even though he had just had a pleasant time, he couldn't help but think back to their shared past. They had grown up together, spending years in class and she would sometimes help him with his homework before Rockman came into his life. Now, she had longer hair than when he had known her as a child, but it was still the same face with the same personality.
He slowly moved closer to her, feeling her delicate fragrance like a flower. "You smell good," he murmured.
With a strange noise, Meiru moved back, her eyes widening at what she had just heard. She blushed, but even though she could feel flattered, she felt very uncomfortable. She knew the truth about him, and she knew it wasn't the way he thought. She stood up abruptly, trying to smile to hide her embarrassment. But the urge to change the subject was becoming more and more pressing. "Good thing," she exclaimed almost laughing, "because you need to take a bath!"
Netto felt slightly offended by Meiru's words, but he sighed recognizing that he hadn't taken a bath for a while. Seeing Meiru leave the room, he got up—taking his t-shirt with him—and headed towards the bathroom.
The child settled into the bath, his head half-submerged in the warm water, playing with his submerged fingers. He felt relaxed and calm, but his thoughts quickly turned to the conversation this morning with Meiru. Saito must have been hurt by what had just happened, but what could he do? He just had to tell her the truth.
Taking a deep breath, he plunged his head entirely into the water. It was silent, Netto kept all the air he had in his mouth, not letting out any bubbles. Even though he could only stay for a fraction of a second, he felt good, the pressure of the water covering him. But in the silence of the water, he was able to hear a sound as he opened his eyes.
"Netto...!"
Netto was sure he hadn't imagined the voice he had just heard. It was blurry, but he could still hear it, repeating the same words over and over again. He scanned the room around him, feeling a sense of oppression as he realized that even though he was in a confined space, he had the impression that everything was vast, empty.
"Netto!"
The voice startled him, echoing with such force that it almost seemed to scream in his face. He immediately lost his breath, quickly getting out of the water and standing against the edge of the bathtub, his arms hanging out of the water. Netto's heart was racing as he breathed quickly in an attempt to calm down. He immediately recognized the voice, he couldn't be mistaken; it was his father calling him. But was it really his father or was his mind playing tricks on him? Netto wondered as he scanned the darkness of the room.
He shook his head and got out of the bath. He wrapped his head in a towel and quickly put on his clothes before leaving the bathroom. As he walked down the hallway, the towel still on his head to speed up the drying of his hair, he heard noises coming from the children's room. Curious, he approached quietly and saw the door was slightly ajar.
He pressed himself against the wall, trying to see what was happening through the small gap. He then heard Sota's trembling voice, "Are you sure there's no one?" and Yusaku's reassuring response, "Don't worry, I haven't seen anyone." Netto frowned, wondering what the two boys could be talking about.
Netto witnessed a terrifying scene: Yusaku was on his knees in front of Sota—who was lying on a futon—and holding a knife in his right hand. Upon inspecting his back, there was some kind of tree branch sticking out of his flesh. "Has it...grown well?" Sota timidly asked.
The other boy bit his lip, observing the thing and the small drops of blood dripping from it. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it," he reassured Sota.
Yusaku took his knife and gently placed it against the "branch" protruding from Sota's back. Netto felt a wave of nausea overwhelm him at the sight of the wound, realizing that Meiru was not aware of what was happening. Otherwise, she would have surely done something to help. He felt a deep sadness for the boy, listening to the sharp cries he emitted. Sota was clearly crying and in pain.
"It's going to be okay, I'm almost done," Yusaku continued in the same tone.
Netto couldn't bear the pain he was hearing anymore, so he quickly went down the stairs to join Akane and Kohaku who were drawing on the main table. Meiru was nowhere to be found, but the little girl present greeted him cheerfully and asked him to sit next to her. The child sat cross-legged at the low table and noticed that the other boy was curled up on himself, not showing anything of his drawing as usual. However, Akane had moved all her pencils and markers away and showed her own drawing with great pride.
"Look!" she exclaimed enthusiastically.
Netto carefully observed the large sheet that Akane held in her two hands. He could easily recognize the different people drawn, especially all the children in the house, Meiru (who was the biggest shape with her pink hair), as well as Saito, Rockman, and himself being part of this big "gang". He forced himself to smile to congratulate her. "It's really great," he said.
The little girl nodded, all happy. "Yes, it's our family after all!" she exclaimed proudly.
"Family?" repeated Netto, getting lost in a vacant gaze, letting out a sigh.
No one had noticed, but Kohaku rolled his eyes. Akane placed her sheet on the table, observing her drawing with a satisfied smile. "Yes, after all...we all live together and you, Rockman, and Saito-Onii-chan are part of this house too!" she announced joyfully.
Netto slowly grimaced, he didn't feel thrilled to be associated with this family. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the children, but he only considered them as friends rather than "family". After all, he already had his own family—his father, his mother...and Rockman.
"You know I won't stay here with you guys?" asked Netto, looking at her, trying not to upset her.
"I know you won't stay, but you're still part of this family!" replied Akane with a big smile.
"Akane-chan..." he said weakly.
She pointed at each person in the drawing. "You see, we're all the children, Rockman could be our pet, and Meiru-Onee-Chan and Saito-Onii-chan could be our parents!" she exclaimed, repeating what she had said the day before.
But Netto frowned more and more, his teeth clenching even harder. "But Saito is never here!" he said in a loud voice.
"He comes home at night, like a papa coming home from work!" Akane replied, trying to defend herself.
The boy sighed deeply, expressing his disagreement with the idea she had just said. Associating Meiru and Saito together did not please him, and that was for various reasons. Saito's presence next to Meiru made him uncomfortable, giving the impression that he confided more in her than in himself. He couldn't understand why. Moreover, he noticed that Meiru adopted a maternal behavior towards him, unlike the one she exhibits with Saito, which was how the other Meiru acted with Netto. This observation made him feel left out and hidden behind a curtain.
"You know..." Akane began in a calmer voice than usual. "I've never had a mom or dad, but since I've been with Meiru-Onee-chan, I know what it's like! And with Saito-Onii-chan, I finally have real parents!"
Netto's eyes suddenly trembled. Akane had put herself in some kind of illusion and he couldn't blame her, she was young. Despite this, he was curious about her past and current situation.
"Where did you live before?" he tried to ask.
"I lived in an orphanage!" Akane replied with the same excited smile. "The women who took care of us were very mean, and then one day, candy merchants came to visit us! But after that, I don't remember anything... I hurt everywhere and I became like this."
Netto widened his eyes and pulled his head back, letting out a sigh. Kohaku, who had remained silent, seemed just as saddened by Akane's words as he was. He felt powerless in the face of these children's pain. Yet he knew it was better for them to be here, in this house, with Meiru to protect them.
At that moment, Meiru appeared in the room, holding a large basket of clothes. She smiled seeing the three children at the table.
"Ah, Netto! You came down!" she exclaimed.
Netto didn't reply, just watched the young girl approach.
"I finally got to wash your clothes! I was going to do it the day after tomorrow, but since I'm here, might as well do it now," she added.
She then headed towards the stairs and turned one last time to the children. "I'm going to put your clothes in your room, Netto, and I'm going to prepare lunch," she declared before climbing the stairs.
The three children nodded in agreement as Netto stared at the table without thinking. Meiru prepared lunch after serving Shinobu the soup. Netto watched her without doing anything else. The meal went smoothly, although Akane asked several times where Rockman was. Each time his operator scowled, aware that he not being there in the morning didn't worry him, but the idea that he wasn't eating lunch did. It was crucial that the Navi eat regularly, and Netto didn't want to imagine the consequences if he didn't.
Time passed without any extraordinary events happening, except that Meiru had again insisted on an afternoon nap. Everyone hurried to bed, but Netto dragged his feet to his room. Once in bed, he turned over several times, wondering where Rockman could be. But he was still nowhere to be found, not even in his own room. Netto then turned to the empty spot next to him where Saito normally slept. He grimaced and thought back to that morning. He felt a kind of sadness.
The child got up from bed, sleep not taking hold of him. He looked around the empty room, not liking to be alone. Since the beginning of this journey, he had to rediscover true loneliness. Now that Rockman had this form he was sometimes away, and in the morning, it wasn't him to wake him up anymore. Even though Saito was now with him, it didn't help him much. Because in the morning...he was alone. The things that had happened the day before existed only in his memories. All that was left was loneliness, and it was something that Netto found difficult to bear.
Netto got up and headed for the door, wanting to go down to the ground floor. He felt strange now that the house was somewhat empty. He looked at the glass door that led to the garden and approached it. Looking outside, he opened it and found himself outside for the first time in days. He savored the wind on his cheeks and noticed the sky turning gray, indicating the imminent arrival of storms. And yet, through those clouds, he could still see that dimensional area in which this world was trapped. He approached the lawn, feeling the grass under his bare feet, and continued to look at the landscape. There was nothing, not even a trace of Rockman.
The child ventured into the garden, amazed by the size of the place and the small gardening cabin. Compared to Meiru's house, this one was much more modest, but it had the merit of offering a green space suitable for plant cultivation. As he continued his walk, the child noticed a place where the earth had been turned over under a tree. Two crossed sticks were firmly planted there. He remained motionless, fingers clenched, gazing at this particular spot. A sigh of pain escaped his lips. He never thought he would see Chisao again.
"Are you not taking a nap?" Suddenly, a voice asked.
Netto turned abruptly. Meiru was there, arms crossed, staring at him with her piercing gaze. He hiccupped, surprised to see her there. He felt embarrassed and forced himself to smile. "You should take a nap too!" he said awkwardly, hiding his hands behind his back.
Meiru sighed then looked up at the tree towering over them. "I heard you while I was in the bathroom," she explained as she approached him. "The footsteps I heard were too discreet to be Akane-chan's, too loud to be Yusaku's, but not hesitant enough to be Sota-kun's!"
With a raised eyebrow, Netto grimaced at her words. "Wow, you really know the others..." he muttered.
Meiru smiled in response. "I live with them, after all," she said with a hint of amusement in her voice.
Netto lowered his head, his smile fading gradually, and he looked at the ground. Meiru noticed his state of mind and felt a similar sadness. "You should stay away from this tree," she finally said.
The child looked up, surprised by her words, but he saw that she didn't seem angry. She even gave him a little smile. "There's a beehive in this tree. I know it's autumn, but you should still be careful."
Netto blinked and looked up at the tree branches. He saw something big and brown that looked like a stump surrounded by a few harmless bees. He remained speechless, but Meiru reassured him. "I've tried to chase them away, but the bees are never aggressive. As long as the children don't approach the tree in spring, there's nothing to fear."
Netto said nothing but nodded in agreement.
"And why would I chase a family of bees from here...?" she murmured contemplatively.
Once again, Netto found nothing to say. He simply wanted to look at Chisao's grave. But Meiru noticed his distress and took his arm to bring him back to the house. "Come on, it's better to stay away," she said.
The boy startled and followed her slowly to the door of the house. Instead of entering, Meiru sat on the edge of the door and watched Netto with furrowed brows. "Something is bothering you, isn't it?" she asked, leaning her elbow on her leg and her head in her hand.
At first Netto hesitated, but he eventually looked at her with a twisted mouth and sighed, "Saito left again... He didn't tell me anything. He doesn't want to tell me anything..."
Meiru tried to explain, "You know he's leaving because of..." But she was interrupted by Netto. "No! I know there's something else! He's hiding something from me, I'm sure of it, and he doesn't want to tell me!"
Meiru's expression slowly became much more melancholic. She could tell the child wasn't stupid and wanted explanations, but she couldn't do anything to help him. Timidly, she bit her lip.
"That's not it, Saito has...many reasons. You're just a child," she tried to say, hoping to cover up what she knew.
"No! That's not it! It has nothing to do with that!" he continued to shout, making Meiru startle. "He knows who I am, he knows what I am!"
He approached her, taking her hands.
"Meiru-chan! It's not me! It's not my body! I'm not what I'm supposed to be!"
Netto blinked slowly, realizing Meiru's reaction. Her head had moved away from him and she seemed almost frightened, but not surprised. In fact, there was something strange about her reaction.
"He...told you?" he asked in a low voice, fearful.
This time, she had an almost instant reaction. She almost recoiled, but her hands were still held by the child.
"He..." she started.
"Answer me, Meiru-chan! Did he tell you his secret?" His voice trembled, almost pulsating, and his eyes were about to shed tears.
Meiru could see it and she felt bad. She found it unbearable. "He… Netto, if he can't tell you...it's because he's afraid of you," she finally replied.
Netto quickly let her go and backed away with fear on his face, but he couldn't look away from the girl's gaze.
"Afraid of me?" he asked, his voice weak and uncertain.
Meiru noticed that things might be getting out of hand. She quickly stood up, panicked.
"Wait, you have to understand that it's not against you. He's afraid of your reaction, he's afraid you won't understand!" she tried to explain.
Netto slowly lowered his head, his gaze emptying. "He doesn't trust me...?" he asked in a murmur.
"No, it's not that!" exclaimed Meiru, kneeling in front of him and gripping his shoulders. "It's much more complicated than that, Netto."
Netto still wasn't looking at her, keeping his gaze fixed on the ground. "What kind of secret is it that he's hiding from me?" he asked in a weak voice.
Meiru twisted her mouth, trying to calm herself down. "I can't reveal it to you... It's not my responsibility..."
He remained motionless, frozen like a statue, and his eyelids fluttered rapidly to hold back the tears that were welling up. A throbbing pain in his throat made him cough to relieve it, but he didn't utter a word.
"Listen, I agree that he should tell you..." Meiru spoke up a little louder. "I can talk to him and try to convince him at least, because I think what he's hiding from you is way too important for you not to know."
The boy bit his lower lip until it bled, and his eyes narrowed as a tear slowly ran down his pale cheek. He remained still, not reacting when Meiru reached out to wipe the tear away with her thumb. "Netto... Don't be against him," she murmured in a gentle voice. "When he tells you, you'll understand."
He sniffled loudly and kept his gaze fixed on the ground, as if searching for an answer there. "So...be patient," Meiru added with an encouraging smile.
Netto remained silent, his heart heavy and his mind troubled. He wanted to cry, but he held back, not wanting to show his weakness to Meiru. He remembered his promise never to cry in front of her again, and this tear that betrayed his resolution caused him unbearable pain.
"Meiru-chan... I don't want to be left out... Especially since this body doesn't help me... But if there are other reasons..." he stammered, approaching her with a pleading look. "Please... Meiru-chan... You trust me, don't you?"
Meiru blinked and gently stroked the child's head to reassure him. "Everything will be fine, Netto. One day, things will fall into place," she said with a comforting smile.
But Netto wasn't convinced. He tilted his head, lost in thought. Meiru continued to speak in a calm and measured voice, "If there's one thing I can tell you about Saito...it's that you're probably the most important person to him."
The child hiccupped, letting out a sob, then raised his head to observe Meiru's face attentively. He searched for a trace of lies, but found only sincerity and kindness in her eyes. Finally, he clenched his fists and wiped his eyes with his arm, determined to stay strong.
The wind blew on them, causing Netto and Meiru's hair to flutter. The clouds were gradually darkening. Meiru slowly looked up beyond Netto's shoulder and gently opened her mouth when she saw something. Having finished wiping his eyes, the child noticed her expression and turned his head. He saw Rockman standing at a distance in front of them. His Navi's face was strange: his eyes avoided the child's gaze and seemed to be searching for something else while his hands were dirty with soil. He must have dug or hit the ground. Rockman's eyes trembled slightly, an unusual expression for him. Netto tried to approach him, but Rockman took a step back, hesitating.
"Rockman? W-where...were you?" He asked in a trembling voice.
Rockman didn't respond and seemed lost in thought, detached from everything happening around him. Netto wondered if he had talked to Saito and taken the other boy's side.
Suddenly, Meiru heard the rumble of thunder and looked up at a sky that was getting darker and darker. She gently placed her hand on the child's shoulder and urged him to go inside. "It's better to go inside. We'll be safer there," she said in a reassuring voice.
The child resisted for a moment, staring fixedly at the Navi, and Meiru frowned before looking up at the Navi. "You too, come with us," she ordered firmly.
Rockman twitched his head slightly when he realized Meiru was addressing him. He grunted softly before heading towards the entrance to go inside. The girl closed the glass door behind him and realized the child was still lost in thought.
"Sit down, Netto, I suppose you don't want to take a nap," she said with a smile. Netto nodded silently and sat on the cushions on the table. Meanwhile, Rockman didn't know what to do and simply watched the girl in the kitchen.
"I'll make you a cup of tea and...I'll feed Rockman. He hasn't eaten," Meiru continued, heading towards the kitchen. She took a large bucket in her arms and placed it on the table before turning to Rockman. From where he was, he could see the remains of a cooked chicken.
"Here, this is your meal," she said with a smile before going back to the kitchen to prepare the tea.
Rockman watched the chicken leftovers on the table before taking a piece and eating it slowly. This behavior worried Netto, who thought there might be something wrong with the Navi. However, he didn't dare say anything and began to nibble on his cheek. Meiru came out of the kitchen with a hot cup of tea for Netto and a smile on her lips.
"Here, this will keep you warm," she said, handing the cup to the child.
Netto took a deep breath and took the cup, drinking slowly. A thunderclap roared outside, almost startling the child, and the rain began to beat hard against the windows.
Meiru sighed. "Fortunately, we didn't stay outside for much longer," she commented, looking out the window.
Meiru watched the other two carefully. Their blank expressions and lack of words annoyed her. Trying to get their attention, she cleared her throat and placed her hands on her hips.
"I have an idea for a snack," she suddenly declared. "Netto, does Rockman have a favorite dish?"
Netto seemed surprised by the question and blinked. After a moment of reflection, he finally opened his mouth to answer.
"Well..." He turned his head towards his Navi, who was staring at Meiru. "He loves donuts."
Upon hearing this, Rockman seemed even more animated, his eyes shining with excitement. However, Netto, who had watched the scene, felt a little worried. He frowned before finally sighing, relieved that Rockman was gradually returning to his usual behavior.
"I'll see what I can do," Meiru replied, leaving the room to gather the necessary ingredients. "Ah, but to make the dough, it takes a lot of time..."
Rockman suddenly felt sad at this announcement and lowered his head. But Meiru immediately continued, "I'll make the dough today, and tomorrow, we'll have donuts! And for a snack, I'll also make some pancakes. Do you like pancakes, boys?"
"Uh... Yeah?" Netto answered, tilting his head, while Rockman seemed very curious.
"Perfect! So we'll have one recipe for today and one for tomorrow!" Meiru concluded enthusiastically.
Meiru focused on preparing the food, gathering the various ingredients she needed. Netto continued to slowly drink his tea while Rockman started eating again at his own pace, happy at the thought of soon being able to taste donuts again. The child watched his Navi closely and noticed that he seemed more calm than before, but there was still a slight grimace on his lips.
"Hey... Rockman..." He said in a small voice that paralyzed the Navi. Rockman didn't turn his head to look at Netto and stopped his excitement. He simply averted his gaze. Netto was about to ask a question when he was interrupted by footsteps on the stairs. Sota appeared, a tired and exhausted expression on his face. He was followed by the little Akane, still smiling. When she saw Rockman, she rushed towards him with joy. Sota, on the other hand, stood aside and found himself face to face with Netto.
"Oh, you're here?" Meiru approached the table, standing behind Sota. "You're also up early!"
Sota wiped an eye. "I just had a backache and Akane-chan wasn't even sleeping..."
Meiru frowned as she looked at the little girl, who was against Rockman as he caressed her head. Then she realized what the boy had just said. "You also have a backache? Do you want me to give you a massage?" Meiru continued with a little more energy.
"No!" The boy answered in a more aggressive tone than he intended, turning his head. Even Rockman and Akane looked at him in surprise while Netto remained impassive. His mouth twisted and his eyes furrowed.
"Oh... Alright then," Meiru responded, disappointed, before returning to the kitchen.
Sota observed the table, his hands clenched on his knees, while Netto looked at him as if judging him. The tension was palpable and he took a deep breath to try to release it without opening his mouth. "You..." He started with a voice that was quite stuck in his throat. "You shouldn't hide things from her."
Rockman watched the two boys with concern, trying to understand what was going on. Netto, seeing that Sota was getting more and more blocked by fear, tried to be more understanding. "I mean... Don't hide your secrets from her... Especially if it's very important, you shouldn't hide anything from her."
The child in front of Netto growled, annoyed, not really paying attention to Akane who approached him with her childlike smile. She wanted to join the conversation and help Sota free himself from his secrets.
"Come on, Sota! If you have something to hide from us, you must confide in us!" she encouraged, ignoring the other boy's reluctance.
"That's none of your business!" he replied, a little more panicked.
Akane continued to press Sota, placing her hands on his shoulders to reassure him, "Come on, Sota!"
But the embarrassed child could no longer bear this pressure. "Stop!" he exclaimed, shaking his head to free himself from Akane's grip.
Akane continued to touch Sota, almost as if she were playing with him, even though he wanted her to stop. However, the situation began to become uncontrollable, and the boy finally raised his voice louder, which almost made Rockman stand up. Unfortunately, it was already too late. Panicked, the child struck the girl with his clawed hand where she had been injured before, making her recoil. Netto was shocked, mouth wide open, watching the scene unfold before his eyes. Akane had completely stopped her behavior, her hands on her face, and she let out a sob.
Sota panicked again, but before he could say anything, Meiru came back to them asking in a loud voice, "What happened?"
Akane's sobs increased, and Sota was on the verge of tears. "I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!" the guilty boy almost shouted.
Meiru looked at the boy with a frown, then turned her head to the little girl who continued to cry, watching the right side of her face. "Show me, Akane-chan..." she began, but the child had a hard time letting her. "We're going to change the bandage, okay?
Finally, Akane nodded, sniffling and clinging to Meiru to go up the stairs to the upper floor. Netto noticed, from the falling bandage, something black that made his spine tingle. "Her eye..." he whispered.
"It's not there anymore..." Sota continued, having heard him.
Netto focused his attention on him, increasingly worried. "Is it..." he began, thinking he had an idea of what it was.
"Before it was like this, she always had her injured eye..." Sota replied without Netto being able to continue. "After the fire at my house, I joined the same orphanage as her, but we never spoke. The supervisors were mean and Akane-chan was one of those they despised the most because of her behavior."
Netto's eyes trembled throughout the story. His hands clung to his shorts, his head lowered, and his stomach ached, all of this under the round eyes of Rockman. "What about the others?" he asked, trying to look away.
"Kohaku was kidnapped by the Zoanoroid from the other day... Yusaku was kidnapped on his way home from school, and as for Shinobu-chan, no one knows," Sota replied, trying to keep his voice stable.
Netto couldn't take any more information, it hurt too much. Apart from Sota and Akane's tragic fate, the other two were just everyday children. But what about Chisao? Was he Dekao's little brother? How had he been separated from him?
"And you...?" Sota asked this time.
Netto's eyes rose, his concentration broken. Sota had touched a sensitive point.
"How can you be sure your parents are really waiting for you in the Hokkaido region?" the same boy continued.
"I know how I was separated from them," he answered with a nostalgic voice. "I know they're waiting for me. Once I'm with them, I'll be safe and my life will return to normal."
"And...how were you separated from them?" Sota asked again, his voice more suspicious.
Netto bit his lip, knowing that answering this question was complicated. He used the usual excuse to be as vague as possible, "I was kidnapped by a Navi of sorts, but he wasn't really a Zoanoroid... He just took me to the south of the country... I don't know why he did it."
Rockman looked at him with wide eyes, tilting his head to the side, trying to understand. Sota, on the other hand, said nothing. Unlike Kohaku, he couldn't theorize about the motivations of a Navi who kidnaps a child for no apparent reason.
Netto then remembered his first day and suddenly felt brave. He wanted to ask a question that had been forbidden to him before, but facing someone who could potentially give him an answer, he couldn't let it pass.
"How did you become like this...?" he asked.
Rockman looked at Sota with concern. His eyes filled with tears and he seemed paralyzed, unable to answer. He hiccupped and his breathing became heavy and loud.
"They... They... He..."
Feeling Sota's distress, Netto quickly got up, not expecting this reaction, and rushed to him to try to comfort him. He gently took Sota's shoulders, who held his head and sniffed heavily. "Wait, don't cry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." He said with a lot of regret in his voice.
"We're not dolls, right?" he almost shouted. "We're human beings! Why did he treat us like this?!"
The boy was crying heavily, desperate. Netto tried shaking him gently, but it was no use. Finally, Sota began to hit his head against the other child's chest, his thick tears staining his T-shirt.
"Why were me and the others less affected by the curse than Shinobu-chan? Everyone I knew became like her..." the boy sobbed, raising his red eyes to Netto. "Is it the will of the Cybeast? What does it expect from me?"
Netto hiccupped, moved. But before he could answer, the child lowered his head and rested it on Netto's shoulder. The brown-haired boy sighed and gently rubbed the back of the crying boy. He wasn't very good at comforting others, but he could at least be there for him if he needed it.
Saito was standing in the almost frozen rain. As Rockman, he had found a moment to slip away and transform in a secluded corner, and now he was completely soaked. He knocked on the front door, rain streaming off his dripping body. Meiru greeted him with half-closed eyes and a twisted mouth of annoyance, blocking the entrance and trying to close the door behind her.
"Can you tell me what you did?" she said in a grumbling voice.
Saito didn't quite understand, his throat becoming more and more irritated. "What are you talking about? Let me in, I'm starting to get cold!"
"Where were you this morning and what happened before? You didn't tell me that you probably had a certain discussion with Netto!" Meiru said.
He blinked, searching for an answer. "It was just a discussion, nothing serious! And I didn't come this morning because the stress was becoming unbearable. You know what happens when my negative emotions take over when I transform into Rockman!" he explained, his voice rising in crescendo.
Meiru said nothing more, but her judging gaze was enough to make Saito feel like he had done something wrong. She opened the door and he finally entered, revealing his presence to the other children.
"Saito-Onii-chan!" Akane shouted, running towards him and hugging him joyfully.
Saito smiled but grimaced slightly, feeling uncomfortable having someone against him while he was soaked. He greeted all the other children before seeing Netto, who had not moved and was not even looking at him. It was like a sharp stake in his heart and he lowered his hand, trembling a little and looking down. Since that conversation with Netto this morning and what had happened later in the day, Saito had thought that things had been sorted out between them. But Netto's silence made him feel like an outcast.
Meiru noticed Saito's condition and approached him. "Saito, can you help me in the kitchen?" she asked with a voice that concealed an ulterior motive.
She grabbed his arm and pulled him away without a word, making sure they were out of sight of the children. However, Netto had seen their hasty departure.
"It must have been so unimportant that you could be filled with stress this morning..." Meiru commented sarcastically as she took out plates and placed them loudly on the work surface.
Saito furrowed his brow as he looked at her. "Meiru-chan, please..."
"Stop running away, you're only making things worse!" she exclaimed, keeping her voice under control. Saito hiccuped. Without realizing it, Netto had come into the kitchen and was watching them. The two preteens startled when they saw him.
"Netto?" the girl in front exclaimed.
The child stood there, scrutinizing Saito for a few seconds before looking back at the girl with pink hair. "I… I also want to help...Meiru-Onee-chan," he said in a strangely innocent voice.
The two preteens' eyes widened upon hearing Netto. They could see that he was forcing himself to do it and that he was probably there for something else, maybe to spy on them after what had happened that morning. Saito was unaware of his intentions. Meiru smiled gently, pleased to hear him offer his help.
"That's very kind of you, Netto!" She gave him all the plates and told him to set the table. Netto blinked several times at the sight of the ton of plates, almost too heavy for him. He felt a sense of regret and sighed as he obeyed Meiru's instructions. When he left the kitchen, Meiru looked at Saito again, her eyes furrowed.
"It's strange, usually we have to ask him to set the table for him to do it. He never comes of his own accord," Saito tried to say with a nervous chuckle to ease the tension.
She fidgeted even more, annoyed by Saito's reaction, which left her completely unsympathetic. She eventually gave up this discussion, telling herself she would probably have it later. Meanwhile, Netto grumbled to himself, realizing he was doing all this for nothing to learn about what was going on between the two preteens. He turned his head towards them, but there didn't seem to be any communication left. With a smirk, he placed all the plates in their proper places and then approached them, watching them out of the corner of his eye. He puffed out his cheeks when he noticed that there was nothing to learn.
The table was set and all the children were finally in their places. Saito and Netto were sitting side by side, but they weren't looking at each other. Their attention was focused on their plate. Silence reigned, only broken by the sounds of cutlery and movements around the table.
Suddenly, a voice rose from nowhere. It was Yusaku, who seemed curious. "By the way, Saito-san...what exactly do you do during the day?" Saito felt uneasy, remembering that he hadn't shared his false excuse with the other children. Meiru and Netto looked at him as they ate, their eyes filled with suspicion.
Saito took a deep breath and answered, "It's something quite important, difficult to summarize..." He finished his sentence with a small embarrassed laugh.
Yusaku was intrigued. "It must be really important for you to leave every day," he said insistently.
Saito nodded, sighing, hoping this conversation would end soon. But as he put his bowl on the table with a heavy noise, Akane became serious and declared, "I think Saito-Onii-chan is actually Rockman!"
A deathly silence followed, and Saito even seemed to lose his mind for a moment. Meiru looked perplexed, while the other children looked at Akane as if she had told a joke. Only Netto raised an eyebrow, apparently intrigued.
Then, suddenly, Saito burst out laughing, obviously caught off guard. "Ha! Akane-chan! You... You really think I'm Rockman?" he managed to say between laughs.
But Akane wouldn't budge. She nodded her head with conviction.
"Akane-chan, Rockman is a Navi while Saito is a human. What you're saying doesn't make sense," Netto explained, looking at her seriously.
Akane didn't seem convinced. "Then why don't we ever see them together?" she persisted.
Netto softened when he realized what Akane had said. He realized that what she said was true. "It's true that we've never seen them together," confirmed Kohaku, suddenly interested in the conversation.
All the children then turned to Saito, who began to sweat and blush. He searched for his words to defend himself, but Netto spoke up, finally looking at him, "Yet he has met Rockman several times..."
Saito felt a small relief in his chest seeing that Netto still believed in him, in a way. He nodded his head to approve the child's words.
"It's true... They see each other every morning!" Meiru intervened, her voice quite loud. Netto looked at her, this time without thinking. "I'm the first one up, and every time Saito leaves, Rockman comes. They greet each other and then Saito leaves!"
Saito looked at Meiru with sparkling eyes, his hands clasped in a sign of deep gratitude. Akane, disappointed that her theory was destroyed, asked in a small voice, "So why couldn't we greet Rockman when he arrives and say goodbye to Saito when he leaves?"
Saito began to reply, "It's because I leave very early..." but Meiru interrupted him by saying out loud, "Yes, we can do that!"
Saito was speechless when Meiru took this initiative. She continued, "Tomorrow, you can say goodbye to Saito!" which made him uneasy.
Each child nodded their head; Akane was delighted, but Netto seemed indifferent. For his part, Saito's mouth moved as if he were speaking without making any sounds, showing his anger towards the young girl who looked at him defiantly.
At the end of the meal, the older boy impatiently waited to be alone with Meiru to talk to her about the stab in the back she had just given him. Unfortunately, they wouldn't have their little tête-à-tête outside as the rain was still pouring down heavily. Moreover, Meiru had proposed a movie for the children, leaving them alone in front of the TV. Even Netto was with them, but he wasn't really focused on the movie. Meanwhile, the two older ones were sitting at the coffee table, Meiru holding a cup of tea in her hands. Saito looked at her, this time with poisoned eyes.
"Can I know what you're doing?!" he exclaimed in a low voice, not wanting the children to hear their conversation.
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Trust me, if you're so intent on keeping the secret, then we have to do it like this..." She took a sip of her tea, then lowered her cup. "Unless you want to tell the truth?"
Saito fidgeted even more. He turned his head with frustration, looking at Netto who was still fixated on the television, then sighed. He got up and headed towards the stairs.
"Where are you going?" the girl asked.
"To get something to calm me down," he replied emotionlessly.
A few minutes later, he had indeed returned with a notebook and pen in hand. He sat back down at the table, no longer paying attention to his surroundings. Meiru tilted her head as she watched what he was doing. He held his pen strangely and seemed to be writing rather slowly. Was he keeping a diary?
"What are you doing?" she asked, approaching him gently.
"I'm learning to write kanji," he replied in the same tone. "I haven't worked on it for several days."
She blinked. He was learning to write? Meiru had understood that he had been in the hospital during his "life", but he hadn't had time to write during that time? She moved closer to him, looking at the details as best she could.
"Well...it's not bad," she said finally, smiling. "For someone who's learning."
Saito looked up at her with a shy smile. "I have a good teacher after all," he replied. "I'm learning what I would have liked to do as a human...and it's also a stress reliever!"
The girl couldn't help but exhale loudly, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. She knew very well why he had told her that. "So...are you telling me that you like being human after all?" she asked, still smiling.
The boy blushed violently. "I never denied it!" he hastened to reply and she burst out laughing.
They stayed in silence for a while; Saito had his mouth turned up, realizing that Meiru was right. Taking his notebook, he looked at what he had done, flipping through a page to get to a blank one, looking at her while thinking softly.
Finally, he redirected himself towards her, trying to change the subject. "I was thinking about your song..." He put his notebook on the table. "For the chorus...you could show a transition towards hope."
She watched him with a slightly raised eyebrow. "You're thinking about my song?"
"Well...yes? I like what you've composed, but you need to add the touch of hope. You managed to talk about this fallen world..." He thought for a moment before continuing. "You could start with something like 'My dear friend... Regain strength?' Something like that?"
Meiru gently took the pen from Saito's hands and wrote something in her notebook. "Stand tall, my friend," she wrote. "May all of the dark lost inside you find light again." She then handed the notebook to Saito. "What do you think?"
Saito smiled as he read the words she had written. "It's pretty good! You're really good at writing inspiring words, Meiru."
Netto noticed a small laugh coming from the two preteens who seemed happy to be working together on Saito's notebook. However, as he watched them, the child's heart strangely weighed down. He felt excluded from their conversation, even though it was he who had taught Saito to write.
He then decided to make an effort to get closer to Saito, despite their disagreement earlier in the day. He slowly got up and approached the duo gently. Seeing Meiru having fun with Saito without him present caused him discomfort. Netto just wanted to be a part of their bond.
Then Meiru placed her hand on Saito's, who blushed gently. Netto stopped. Something was wrong, especially in his chest. He didn't know why, but he didn't like what he saw. He lowered his head and bit his lip while clenching his fists. He then decided to break the heavy silence by addressing the two older people in a darker tone. "I'm going to bed, I feel tired."
The two turned around, surprised. Saito was puzzled by Netto's reaction, while Meiru didn't really notice him.
"Okay Netto! Good night!" She waved her hand, greeting him.
He said nothing as he went up the stairs in silence. Saito felt something, had he done something wrong again? Was it because of what had happened in the morning? He sighed; when he went back to his room, he would have to apologize, at least that. This tension between them was suffocating him. They had had trivial arguments before, like when Netto forgot to do his homework...but that was as Rockman. As Saito, there was something different.
"Are you okay?" Meiru asked, interrupting him from his thoughts.
Startled, Saito turned to her. "Uh, yeah! I'm fine!" he answered quickly, before returning his gaze to his notebook. "Let's continue."
After the end of the movie, the two pre-teens were tasked with bringing the children back to their room. Meiru checked on each of them, making sure everything was in order while Saito watched, standing in front of the door. With one final wave, they gently closed the door behind them. Saito then headed towards his own room, saluting Meiru as she made her way to hers. But when he tried to open his door, nothing happened. The door remained stuck, not giving in to his pressure.
Saito blinked several times, examining the door handle. He tried to move it again and again, but nothing happened. He grimaced, forcing harder and harder, but the door remained closed.
"Netto?" he whispered softly. "Netto?" He didn't know if his roommate was sleeping, but he was starting to feel embarrassed about being stuck like this. "Please, open up!" he continued to say, raising his voice a little more.
Hearing Saito's repeated calls, Meiru approached. "What's going on?" she asked, placing her hand on Saito's shoulder.
"Netto locked the door!" he replied, hitting the door in frustration.
Meiru blinked, then simply touched the door with the palm of her hand.
"Do you have a spare key?" Saito asked, getting a little more panicked.
"If the key is still in the door then I won't be able to open it," Meiru replied, crossing her arms.
Saito eventually groaned and sighed, almost out of patience. He was about to hit the door with all his might, but he stopped himself in time. "Why is he doing this? He's never done this before..." he muttered, more to himself than to Meiru.
Meiru said nothing, keeping her arms crossed as she also looked at the door. Saito looked up and sighed even more deeply. "I wanted to apologize..." he murmured, hoping Netto would hear him from the other side of the door.
Meiru continued to think, then commented sarcastically, "He must be really angry with you to do something like this."
"I guess I'll have to sleep in the living room," he admitted, turning slowly.
"Hey!" He turned around, surprised, looking at the girl. "You can sleep in my room, there's space!"
At first, Saito was left speechless, his cheeks reddening. "But..." he began to say, but Meiru interrupted him. "Come on!" she said with a smile, pointing in the direction of her room.
Meiru gently took Saito's arm and led him into her room. Once inside, Saito noticed how empty the room was, with only a few piles of notebooks and clothes. On the floor, there was only a simple double mattress that served as a bed. On the only piece of furniture in the room, he saw photo frames that depicted her parents as well as Roll, which made him feel a certain nostalgia.
He looked at Meiru as she headed towards her pile of clothes. "I noticed how everything is...empty..." he admitted, looking around curiously.
She turned around, blinking as she finally understood what he was talking about. "I had to sell everything. My salary wasn't enough to feed five mouths," she sighed.
Saito felt sadness wash over him. "You can't sell your synth!" he exclaimed with conviction. "How will you make music without it?"
"I don't need music to survive, Saito. Only money," she replied in a neutral voice, approaching him. "I was laid off and I have two weeks to find a job if I don't want to abandon them..."
He lowered his head, closing his mouth, feeling embarrassment wash over him. "I know..." he answered without looking at her.
Meiru then raised her hand towards him. "Give me your top, I noticed it's torn," she said softly.
Saito felt his throat tighten. He remembered the injury that the Roppo man had inflicted on him some time ago. He blushed slightly, being a bit modest. He just took off his vest, hesitating to remove his white t-shirt.
"I understand..." she sighed, searching through her things. She found a long white shirt and handed it to him. "Here, wear this for tonight. Your things should be ready for me tomorrow."
Saito looked at her, his eyes widened. "What do you mean, for you?" he asked, taking off his t-shirt.
"Tomorrow, you have to say goodbye to the kids with Rockman, and for that, I have to impersonate you," she explained calmly.
Saito almost fell backwards. "What? Are you crazy? No one is going to fall for this trap, Meiru-chan! Why did you even come up with this idea?!" he exclaimed, taking off his shirt.
"So that you'll be believable in Netto's eyes," she replied, taking his t-shirt and giving him her shirt. "We're doing this...unless you tell Netto the truth," she added with a sly smile.
Saito grimaced, knowing he had no more reason to argue with her. Putting on the shirt and taking off his shorts, he looked at Meiru, who had sat down on the floor to sew up the hole in the sleeve.
"And what about the hair? I remind you that we don't have the same hair," he said, sighing.
"I still have some wigs with me. I used to do theater and wigs are hard to sell," she replied, focused on sewing up her sleeve.
Saito sighed and sat down on the floor, watching Meiru sew up the sleeve. He crossed his arms and waited patiently. He was annoyed that Netto had shut the door on him without even giving him a chance to speak. Meiru lifted his t-shirt and inspected her work.
"It's good," she said.
He nodded, trying to hide his emotions. She got up and took Saito's things to put them in a corner of the room. The boy was uncertain about what she had in mind. Although he trusted her, he didn't want her to embarrass herself in front of him. She walked towards her nightshirt and took off her dress. Upon noticing it, redness returned to his cheeks and Saito turned around, not looking at her. When she finished changing, she headed towards the mattress to get in.
"Alright! Are you coming to sleep?" she asked.
Saito turned around to look at her. She was sitting on the mattress with her legs crossed. Under the shock, his face became even redder and sweat began to bead on his forehead.
"You mean...together?" he stammered.
She blinked, confused by his response. "Yes, together. Where do you want to sleep?" she replied.
Saito didn't move, his mouth opened and closed several times.
"I... I can't!" he admitted.
She frowned at his reaction. "But we're not going to do anything else, just sleep," she explained.
"No, it's just... I don't feel comfortable sleeping with someone else...especially if it's a girl," he replied.
"Saito, you sleep fine with Netto," she reminded him.
"Yes, but Netto is my little brother! It's easier," he justified.
He took the unused pillow and placed it on the floor. Meiru looked at him, disillusioned with the situation.
"And where are you going to sleep?" she asked.
"On the floor, it's better!" he replied.
"You're going to be sore all over."
"I've had worse. I've slept under the stars several times with Netto. I made sure he was in a comfortable position while I had nothing but the ground to sleep on," he explained.
"Wow, what a sacrifice, I'm flattered..." she said sarcastically.
"Fine! Good night!" he said before getting up and turning off the light. He lay down on the floor, his head on the pillow.
"If you want..." she replied, lying down as well.
Saito was sore all over, the hardwood floor giving him aches and pains. In the darkness, he could see the soft mattress that he had refused. He pursed his lips, moving around and starting to feel cold. He eventually got up, annoyed. Swallowing his pride, he walked towards the mattress, taking his pillow, and slipped under the covers, being careful not to touch the girl who was supposed to be sleeping, and turned onto his side so as not to look at her. At least he was more comfortable inside.
"I knew you'd end up coming," he heard Meiru's voice.
He grimaced, he had lost to her. He turned to her as she looked at him wide-eyed.
"It's just for tonight!" he explained.
Meiru sighed once again, her eyes sparkling with amusement at the situation she was in. She was lost in thought, letting her imagination wander. "It's like being in a fairy tale," she thought. "A tale where a young girl is forced to live in a grand castle by a fierce beast, and where a boy sneaks into her bed every night. The young girl later learns that the boy is actually the human form of the beast. To be freed from this curse, the boy must sleep with a girl every night for a year, without her seeing his face."
As she imagined this story, Meiru noticed that the boy had raised an eyebrow, listening attentively. "Are you saying that to free me from this curse, I have to sleep with a girl at night without her seeing me?" he asked.
Meiru smiled strangely, her eyes shining with mischievous amusement. "Do you consider your Navi form a curse?" she asked with a smirk, letting the silence fill the space between them.
Saito turned his gaze to the ceiling, his eyes lost in contemplation. "No, it's just this monstrous beast form that's the problem... If I had my normal Navi form, things would have surely been easier," he said with a sigh.
"I don't know your true Navi form," Meiru replied. "But for this other form, I have to admit, it's surprising. One could mistake it for a Zoanoroid... But once you know the truth, everything suddenly becomes better."
Saito lowered his eyes, filled with shame. "I've done horrible things in this form...even in front of Netto. Sometimes I just can't control myself, even though it's been better since I've been here."
Meiru tried to comfort him. "Isn't that progress for you?"
Saito hesitated for a moment before answering. "I... I don't know. It's true that since I've been here, I feel like myself..."
"As Rockman? ...Or as Saito?"
He opened his mouth and searched for an answer. It was much more complicated. "As Rockman, I feel...free. I have less weight on my chest. As Saito, I appreciate being able to do all these things and communicate with other humans besides Netto. I'm happy to not be seen as a strange or sick person."
She looked at him with a smile, delighted to hear all this.
"Unfortunately, I can't get used to this…" he continued, his voice a bit sadder.
Under the sheets, Saito felt Meiru's hand grip his tightly, making him turn his head towards her. Unlike usual, she didn't seem annoyed, but sad.
"I know you want to live as Saito. You can't hide it from me," she said in a soft but firm voice.
Contrary to all expectations, Saito's eyes sparkled, taking on a much more pained tone as he nodded his head.
"And for that..." she continued without changing her expression, "you have to let Saito exist in Netto's heart."
Meiru let go of his hand and turned to the other side, not looking at him anymore. Saito remained stunned, tears welling up in his eyes. Meiru's words echoed in his head like a hammer blow. He closed his eyes and turned to the other side, the image of Netto looking at him with disappointment burning in his mind.
To be Continued…
AN: So what did you think ? I hope the little bed moment didn't disturb you lol It was a bit inspired from a certain chapter of Urusei Yatsura, I like to put some reference of this manga lol
Will Saito finally do something ? What do you think ? Tell me guys!