Chapter five:
"Pretty good. However I suspect that you did not come for just pleasantries." Len mentions smiling to Toshi. "What project is it that you need help with?"
"Well Kaoru here, the new student as you know, wanted to work with us on an idea." Toshi gesturing to me so I give a small wave.
"What kind of project?" Len inquires making himself appear cool and collected when looking at me.
"Well I want to build robotic prosthetics. To help those who need them. We were hoping for your help in the robotics part of it mainly. We can take care of other parts." I explain to him. "What do you say?"
Len glances away thoughtfully before chuckling softly.
I tilt my head at this. "Is that a no?" I glance to Toshi who does look a little confused at what is happening. I turn back to Len as he speaks up.
"Sure I can. It will be a peace of cake." Len waves it off. "Do you have any blueprints for anything yet?"
"Hold on. If I can't find any then I will draw some up." Toshi hurries to his work station.
"I already checked and grabbed anything related there." Len mentions softly to me before I could go to try to help.
I turn to him at hearing this and he gestures for me to follow. I do as he asks which he leads me to a push cart covered with a blanket. I blink at what he lifts to reveal. I can see a robotic human arm laying there.
"I wanted to make this a surprise for Toshi. Guess I took too long. I was struggling a little with being able to attach it to a human in a way that they could move it however they want."
"It looks fantastic." I mention in amazement before he covers it again. I smile to the reserved boy. "Don't worry I won't tell him."
"Then maybe you could help me." Len adds getting a nod from me. "I need a second smart brain to try to help find a way to be able to attach the arm to a human. In a way that it can be controlled as they please. Just how do we do so without Toshi finding out about the surprise? I want to put it on an amputee before I present it to him. As a little something for him."
I smile a little at this. "You can leave that to me. I can ask the questions I can't figure out on my own. Since it will be me asking he won't get suspicious." I assure him getting a small appreciative nod from Len. I can see that getting help with a project he has been doing for Toshi in secret means a lot. I picked up that Len's eyes can give away more than he wants them to.
We turn as Toshi returns.
"Okay. I made a quick blueprint." Toshi shows us a rushed blueprint.
Len takes it looking it over. "I think I can work with this."
"Say. Toshi." I meet Toshi's gaze while feeling Len's gaze on me. "This is something that we will have to think about at some point in the development. But do you have an idea on how we can let the patient move the arm independently."
"I have been looking into ways to attach things to human nerves so one can control them. I think the ways to put in new organs or reattaching lost limbs can truly help in figuring that out." Toshi nods his head to the way out. "We can walk to the library and look into it while Len can start planning the robotics part." He looks to Len with warmth in his eyes as their gazes meet. "I will keep you up to date on what we find. Let us know if you find anything." He gets a nod from Len then leads me away. He pauses us in the spot where we can look out on the way out of the classroom. He takes a breath while staring out of the window.
"Is there something on your mind?" I blink curious and a little worried at him.
"Can I tell you something? Just don't tell Len. Please." Toshi lowers his head. "I just am not sure that I can keep it inside much longer."
"Sure." I agree having a feeling that it can't be as bad as Toshi is making it sound.
"I…" Toshi takes a breath. "I actually have feelings for Len."
I quickly understand and think back to how happy Len was to see Toshi. "Why don't you tell him?"
"No way. I can't lose Len." Toshi shakes his head then looks to me as I place a hand on his shoulder.
I smile to him. "Come on. Sure it is scary to admit this kind of thing. However you are making an assumption in your nervousness. You two seem pretty close. That is the most I have heard him talk since I started here. I know that doesn't mean a lot. It does to me when I was told that he doesn't talk much. I am sure that it'll be fine. He wouldn't want to lose someone that makes him happy. I wouldn't be quick to let go of someone like that in my life. Especially since he doesn't look like the type to have many friends that can help him feel that happiness."
Toshi does look a little better at hearing this from me. "I will consider this." He tells me before moving back with an inhale then exhale. "Anyways. Thank you for listening to my problem. I'll find the perfect way to tell him. Come on. Let us get started on that research into how we can translate medical knowledge into possible robotic things." He leads the way and I turn to follow.
I pause as I almost swear that I spot movement from the corner of my eye. I turn to the outside looking for anything however I don't see anything out of the ordinary. I shrug it off as maybe something being blown on a breeze and I quicken my pace to catch up with Toshi. "So." I slow to match his pace as we walk. "What if we made some sort of port through surgery that maybe attached to the nerves? We could try to use them almost like wires perhaps then a limb can be attached or removed as needed." I suggest to which Toshi hums thoughtfully.
"It is worth consideration." Toshi confirms and we reach the library heading to start our research.
….
A figure comes out from behind a bush staring at the direction that can be seen through the windows of where Kaoru and Toshi had gone in. The person narrows their eyes at it before heading off elsewhere disappearing from those windows line of sight.
