For as long as Chiro could remember, he didn't have a good life before the monkeys.
If there were any good memories before he was five years old, he wouldn't be able to remember them. There was a reason why he never talked about his parents, and he didn't like thinking about them. If Chiro was allowed the opportunity to never utter a word about them, he'd take it every single time. Not an ounce of hesitancy would be present.
None of it felt like it started right away, but since he didn't remember everything, that was hard to say. They were around for at least a year straight at the start, but that was the longest Chiro could ever say they were around.
The earliest memory Chiro had was waking up and running over to the kitchen. He sat down at the table. Nao looked at the newspaper while Lestari finished breakfast. She put down Chiro's plate before she sat down next to Nao with their food. She kissed his cheek and looked at what he read. Chiro simply thanked Lestari for the good food and started eating. Lestari didn't seem to acknowledge his politeness. They talked about something, but he didn't care enough to listen. It sounded like business stuff and he wasn't interested in it to care about the exact words they said. The whole time he ate, neither Nao or Lestari had said a single word to him.
He didn't think much of it at the time. Chiro just went through his food, brushed his teeth, and got dressed.
Afterwards, Nao straightened his clothes and made sure he looked neat. Lestari took Chiro to school and dropped him off.
"Be sure to learn a lot and have a good day. I'll see you later, Chiro." Lestari said.
"I will!" Chiro smiled as he got ready to go inside. "See you later, Mama! I love you!"
Lestari smiled back at him. She turned around to leave and just as he was about to go inside, he saw that smile on her face disappear. It was like she only smiled for show, not because of feeling tired from working.
Chiro walked back home that day. When he noticed they weren't home yet, he watched the holo-TV. Nao and Lestari weren't back until six that evening, though they usually worked real late. It was why he had the keys to his house, so he wouldn't have to wait for them to come home to get back inside, or even wait for them to come to the door. That was a normal thing at that point in his life. He never questioned it, he simply accepted it as it was.
Everything truly started when he was six.
Nao and Lestari were getting ready for a business trip. They had their bags packed and everything. Chiro noticed everything and ran up to them. Nao noticed him and smiled.
"We'll be going on a trip for a while. Take care of yourself and keep up with school, okay?"
Chiro hummed in affirmation before he hugged him. "Okay! I'll miss you!"
He simply patted Chiro on the head. He hugged tighter until Nao had an arm around him. Chiro then hugged Lestari, who took a moment to hug him back. She gave him an awkward smile. She pulled away.
"We have to go now, the spaceship is gonna depart soon and we have to get there on time." Lestari said. "There's plenty of food in the fridge if you get hungry."
They walked out the door and left for the spaceport. Chiro wished that he could've gotten another hug or a kiss, but he didn't want to be the reason they missed their space flight. He waved them goodbye before they closed the door.
Chiro was then left alone in that house, one that was close to being fully empty. He walked around the room, figuring out what to do now. In the corner of his eye, he saw something close to the holo-TV. He looked in that spot. There was cash and a credit card sitting next to it. They must've forgotten it, but he couldn't catch up with them now. Chiro then thought that they might've left them so he could use it when he needed to. He looked to see how much there was. His eyes widened when he counted everything.
That… was a lot of zeros, he didn't even know what that number was just yet.
There was no way that they forgot about it. Chiro wouldn't doubt that the credit card had a lot on it as well, but he didn't know how to check. For now, he set the money back down. At least he knew where it was for later when he needed to do errands. Those wouldn't need to be done too much, just a few times every time Nao and Lestari left for their trips.
His stomach growled. It had been a few hours since he last ate, he might as well make something for himself. Chiro grabbed everything he wanted for a sandwich. When he made it, he took it to the living room and sat down. He went to see what was on and watched whatever caught his attention. There weren't any restrictions put into place, so if a show intended for adults was on, he could watch it if he wanted to. Even then, it didn't seem like anything interesting was on.
That was until The Sun Riders came on. It was the first time he saw anything about it. He happened to come across it just as an episode began. The action, how cool it appeared to be, the fact that they were superheroes, everything about it caught his attention. Chiro fell in love with it from that episode alone, and all he wanted was more. He was so captivated he forgot to take care of his plate until after the show was over.
It made him smile, it made him want to be like The Sun Riders. He wanted to be a superhero like they were. As he got older, his desire to become one simply became stronger. Chiro's reasons for wanting to become one piled up into a list, and it was thanks to this show. Chiro caught every episode whenever it was on. When he got older, he wrote some fanfics of the show.
It was the only thing that kept him company during his parents' long trips. His attention was on it so much he didn't take note of how long they were gone each time at first.
It ended up becoming Chiro's favorite show for too many reasons to list off.
Chiro only started to realize how bad everything was when he turned seven.
Whenever Nao and Lestari were home, they knew how much he loved The Sun Riders. It was made clear with how excited Chiro was whenever it came on, and how much he talked about it to them. When his birthday came around, however, they didn't get him anything related to the show like he hoped. All they got him was business books, just things they wanted him to be in life. It was like they didn't even try to understand him or support him in what he wanted to be.
When he got the gifts, he simply said thanks and accepted them. Chiro didn't want them to be upset, but it pained him immensely. At the time, he thought maybe they just wanted to make sure he was set when he went out into the world, whether he liked it or not. He thought maybe it was a grown up thing he didn't understand yet. It took him a little bit to realize that no, they simply didn't care about what he wanted.
He usually left them either in bookcases or under the bed. Outside of when he received them, he never touched them. Knowing how little they cared made him feel less upset about them being gone for as long as they did with their trips. He counted the days whenever they left, and he realized they were gone for around five months every time. They didn't say anything to him whenever they were gone and they certainly didn't send anything either. They didn't tell him when they'd come back, he had to figure out the estimation himself. The trips they took became more frequent, and instead of being back for four months, it became two.
Chiro did his studying still, got good grades, but after that was done he did whatever the hell he wanted to do. It wasn't like they would care about that anyways, present or not. They didn't even notice if he was in the room most of the time or if he was gone. When they did pay attention to him, he noticed it was about what they wanted him to be, a businessman like they were. Chiro even started to notice that they never initiated any physical affection from what he could recall, it was all him. They always seemed uneasy and tense whenever he hugged them or gave them kisses on the cheek. He never really noticed it until recently, and it seemed to be that way for two years when he noticed it.
If Chiro were to be asked about it nowadays, and he was comfortable talking about it, he wouldn't be able to tell them if they ever gave him any affection. If they did, it had to be before he was five, because he couldn't remember anything before that age. There had to be some given to him before then, right? Maybe it was too hopeful to think they did, but Chiro didn't want to think about the alternative.
In the meantime, he decided to go out of the house more often. He didn't want to be there if it meant he was reminded of how alone he was. He only went back if he needed something, to watch The Sun Riders, or to sleep. Otherwise, he took every opportunity to be out of that house after he noticed the little things his parents did or, in some cases, didn't do. It didn't matter what it was for, whether it was school, to eat if there wasn't anything at the house that would go bad, entertainment, anything that wasn't essential.
He tried to cook breakfast for himself before, but he didn't feel well for the rest of the day after that attempt. Chiro decided to either get microwavable food or go out to eat. In the mornings, he went over to any place that sold breakfast. In the afternoons, he grabbed some hoverburgers for lunch. In the nights, he either threw something quick and easy or ordered something. It depended on how he felt that night.
The first time he grabbed hoverburgers for himself, Mr. Gakslapper thought it was cute that a little kid came around and bought one. After a few times of Chiro coming along to buy them by himself, he became a little concerned.
"Do you have any friends? Family? How come you're always alone?"
Chiro looked away at that question. He was always too busy studying during school hours to make any friends. Not to mention, he didn't know if he could truly make any friends. He didn't want to talk much about his situation with Nao and Lestari either, if he had to be honest.
"I don't have any, and… they're always busy…" Chiro answered, but he didn't make eye contact.
Mr. Gakslapper hummed. "Well, you're always welcome here, Chiro!"
Once Chiro got his burger, he pulled out his wallet.
"Ah, ah, ah," Mr. Gakslapper started, "no need. It's on the house today."
Chiro's eyes widened at that. He looked at him in disbelief. He slowly grabbed his plate, unsure if he meant it. He smiled, as if to reassure him that it was okay. Chiro took the plate and smiled back, though it felt a bit awkward.
"Thank you, Mr. Gakslapper." Chiro politely responded.
He sat down, put the plate on the table, and ate his food. While he ate, he had his schoolwork out and he worked on it. Chiro always made sure he didn't get any of the food on the paper. He didn't want to risk getting any stains, so he kept the paper away from the plate and always moved it when he took a bite. He hated doing schoolwork, but he felt it was necessary, more so because of Nao and Lestari. The best possible grades were the only thing he went for because while he didn't think they would be angry with him, simply disappointed at worst, he didn't want to test that theory.
In that sense, he felt trapped, powerless, forced to do something to become something he didn't want to be in the end.
When that was said and done, he went to the arcade. The people who ran the place, Ma and Pa Sheenko, always welcomed him as well. They were always sweet to him, even offering him snacks and drinks at some point during each of his visits. Ma and Pa Sheenko always seemed so warm and friendly towards him. Chiro liked it, but he never let himself get too close. He didn't know if them being happy to see him was genuine or if they felt obligated to act that way. Admittedly, the same could be said for Mr. Gakslapper as well.
In a way, Chiro was glad he didn't get too attached to Ma and Pa Sheenko. It would've made him knowing the truth about them a lot more painful.
That was also the year when Chiro started buying his own clothes. He started growing out of them, so he went and bought some new ones. If it was casual clothing, he bought them somewhat bigger so he wouldn't have to worry about them for a while. If it was school uniforms, he got them at his exact size. It wasn't something he could get bigger, even if it meant he'd have to grab a new one whenever he grew out of them.
He even decided to buy some merchandise of The Sun Riders whenever he saw the chance. Nao and Lestari left behind money whenever they went on their trips, he might as well use it.
It wasn't like they cared what Chiro used it for.
By the time Chiro was eight, he already knew things kids his age shouldn't have known.
He had seen adult shows that were explicit, he had listened to music that was sexual in nature, and he would have the gist of what it meant, even if not entirely at that point.
That was made unfortunately apparent when Nao and Lestari were home.
The first thing they did when they got back, without realizing Chiro was there, was get seductive. Not "make each other flustered" kind of flirting, straight up "I want you in bed" flirty seduction.
"You know, it's been a while since we fucked. What do you say about doing that again?" Lestari messed with Nao's tie. "I wouldn't mind trying something brand new. Maybe you know exactly what I have in mind."
His face scrunched up. Chiro already knew where this was going and he did not want to see it unfold. He quickly knocked on the doorway.
Very loudly.
It made them both jump at the sound. Lestari had to move her hair out of her face as she looked at Chiro. Their eyes widened until they realized it was just him.
"Oh, hey Chiro. Didn't notice you there." Nao said.
No fucking shit you didn't.
"Can we watch a movie or something?" Chiro asked, his facial expression staying relatively the same. "I wanna spend time with you."
"Of course, Chiro!" Lestari clapped her hands together. "Pick whatever movie you want!"
They pulled up a streaming service and gave the controller to Chiro. He sat between them and hoped that would prevent them from doing anything, or at least remind them that he was right there. He put on a movie that caught his attention and one that was child friendly. He ended up being squished by them both, and it wasn't with affection either.
They didn't seem to have been paying attention to the movie at all. All they did was talk to each other, though thankfully they were courteous enough to keep it quiet. He should've seen it coming from a mile away, but it still hurt. Chiro wondered why he even bothered outside of stopping them from doing unspeakable things right then and there.
That wasn't the only time they talked like that with Chiro there either. They did that eleven more times after that for the next few years, and each time they either blatantly forgot he was there or they didn't even notice him. Once was too many times, twelve was going overboard.
There were nights where he heard them in their room when they were about to start. He immediately slipped out of the house just so he wasn't inside when they started. The last thing he wanted to do was listen to them. At least they were in their room for that, but they weren't even quiet enough for that to even matter. When he slipped out, he either explored or went into the arcade. Chiro returned home after an hour, and thankfully it didn't disrupt his sleep too much.
Not that it mattered, he dreaded going to school regardless.
One good thing Chiro could say was that it wasn't the only thing notable about that year. Since they didn't pay much attention to him, he went off to explore the city. It was something that piqued his interest recently and he wanted to do that whenever he could. He started off with small, abandoned places. With nobody there, he would be able to explore every little inch that the place had to offer. Chiro would also be allowed to take his time as well rather than having to rush himself for whatever reason. If he stopped or rushed himself, it would be because The Sun Riders would be on soon. He gradually expanded where he explored in the city.
He felt free, like he wasn't under his parents' thumb, like he wasn't worried about the inevitability that he won't be able to be who he wanted to be when he was an adult. It was one of his favorite things because of that. It took things off his mind for the time being, and it relieved whatever stress he had with school. He was able to clear his mind so he was able to study better when he needed to. It helped him in multiple ways so he didn't mentally exhaust himself too badly.
Chiro sometimes came home a little dirty, but if Nao and Lestari were home, they didn't seem to notice or care. He always washed up afterwards though.
Chiro had fun and he was able to feel free for a while.
Even if it was a fruitless attempt, Chiro kept trying when he turned nine.
He kept trying to get affection from them. He kept reaching his arms out for a hug, he did things in hopes of catching their attention, but yet he didn't get anything from them. Chiro would be happy if he just got a headpat, or even a "I'm proud of you" from them every now and then. Anything that wasn't related to business was all he wanted from them.
Even a simple "I love you" would be nice.
Was that so much to ask for?
Why?
Chiro ended up getting aggressive with wanting affection. He started hugging them until they hugged back. It didn't matter to him if they took a few minutes to reciprocate, he wanted something from them, anything. Every time he did that and they hugged back, he noticed that they didn't seem ecstatic about it. It was like hugging him back was merely an obligation rather than something they wanted to do. They usually tried to find an excuse to get away from it too.
"I need to go make a call, Chiro."
"We have to go now, dear."
"Did you do all of your homework? If not, do so. You have to keep up."
"Go on, Chiro, I need to do this right now. Please," was the latest one.
It actually seemed like Nao was busy, but it wouldn't kill him to take a minute to give him some sort of affection. Chiro tried to hug him only to have a foot on his chest. Nao was adement on his work, not even keeping Chiro at a distance stopped him from what he was doing. Chiro gave up after a moment and stomped to the kitchen with his arms crossed. He sat down at the table, slumped down. His cheeks puffed up as he looked downwards.
All of a sudden, he heard Lestari hum. Chiro had never recalled hearing her hum that particular tune before. His expression softened the more he listened to her. It stood out against the running water as she washed the dishes. He slowly walked up to her. Her face was mostly obscured by her long orange hair, only her blue eyes were visible to him. Even though her hands were busy, her eyes stared off into space. It was like she was remembering something. Chiro tugged at her sleeve to catch her attention.
She stopped humming and looked at Chiro.
"What was that you were humming?" Chiro asked.
She smiled and lightly chuckled. "Ah, just an old song your grandmother used to play. I never really cared about it until my kelahiran semula hidup, but it means a lot to me."
Chiro tilted his head and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Lestari snorted and her smile turned sweet. She turned off the water and dried her hands. She looked up towards the ceiling.
"Ah, right, I don't think I've ever explained that to you, have I?" Lestari started before Chiro could ask. "On our Malaysian side, we have a tradition that we celebrate. It originated here on Shuggazoom, as a matter of fact. You see, when our people came to this planet, many of us couldn't stay long after we came because we deemed it too unsafe with the Skeleton King being a threat. When any born Malaysian Shuggazoomians were raised here for thirteen years, it's seen as a celebration. It's like a sweet thirteen and a rite of passage from child to adult, basically."
Lestari sat down at the table and Chiro followed suit. Chiro kept his eyes on her the whole time. He felt genuine curiosity in what she's talking about for the first time in his life.
"The term 'kelahiran semula hidup' means 'living rebirth', though it's also known as 'reinkarnasi hidup' or 'penjelmaan semula hidup'. It refers to the rite of passage, with that being the most important part of it." Lestari continued with a big smile on her face; she sighed. "It's also a way to connect and remind ourselves of where we came from. It's something that every Malaysian Shuggazoomian has."
She talked about how fun hers was. The music, the food, the games, it all sounded so fun. Her joy simply radiated as she reminisced about it. If Chiro had to be honest, he felt excited for his own kelahiran semula hidup. He smiled listening to her.
It was the only good memory Chiro remembered having with Lestari.
Just like any other kid in public and private schools, Chiro had his fair share of bullying.
He was a loner who always studied. That was a prime target in a bully's eyes. It wasn't anything new to him, that had been the case for a few years now. He'd been called names, been pushed around, nothing out of the ordinary. Chiro always got up and kept going. He didn't like it, and he might've gotten some bruises out of it, but he was still breathing at the end of the day.
It only got worse when he turned ten, however.
His bullies decided that if he wasn't suffering enough, they'd submerge his head. The first time it happened took him off guard. They grabbed his hair and put him under any body of water that was closest. Anytime Chiro tried to pull back, they'd keep him there by force. There was nothing he could do as he panicked the first time and struggled to break free. They only let him out of the water to give him a glimmer of hope before they pushed him down again. He harshly gasped for air each time he was let up. It went on for as long as they felt like doing it to him.
Once Chiro was free, he gasped for air and moved away from the body of water he was in. They simply laughed and walked away, like they weren't bordering on drowning a classmate. It didn't stop after that, Chiro simply learned not to visibly panic whenever it happened. He still struggled and tried to fight back to no avail. Just like his future, he was powerless to prevent it. The teachers didn't seem to care about the bullying that went on, and it didn't seem like the principal did either. He couldn't go to them for help even if he wanted to.
BT and Glenny were terrible, but they never went to this extent. Compared to the bullies who submerged Chiro like that, they were just annoying kids an old man would scream at to get off his lawn. He didn't like them when he met them a couple years later, but he'd rather deal with them any day of the week.
He tried to do what he could to avoid those particular bullies. Chiro planned his routes to avoid them, any way to slip in and out of class, any places he could have lunch and study if he didn't go to grab hoverburgers, anything at all to make sure he didn't have to deal with what they did.
He couldn't take baths anymore because of those experiences. Chiro became terrified of water, and any body of water made him think of what the bullies did to him. It made him think how he could've died every time and he wouldn't know when he would.
His attempts to avoid encountering them didn't always work. They still found him a few times and tortured him regardless. They especially did it right before he had to go home after school.
One day, Chiro just felt sick and tired of everything. He came home irritated and still wet from what happened. He tossed his backpack to the side when he came in. Chiro went to the kitchen to grab some snacks so he could go relax for a while before he had to do his schoolwork. He didn't look up when he heard footsteps approaching him.
"Welcome home, Chiro." Nao started. "How was school? Did you get good grades?"
Chiro stopped and looked at him. He didn't feel like dealing with anyone's bullshit right now. It was like he didn't even care to notice how wet his head was.
"Great," was the only thing Chiro responded with.
He continued looking for snacks. He hoped the tone of his voice would tell him to leave him alone. Chiro grabbed a few bags from the cabinets. He heard Lestari walk up to him. It appeared that neither of them got the message.
"You know, we've been discussing your future and we've decided to let you pick where you want to go to for university!" Lestari cheerfully said. "We have a good list of universities that specialize in marketing and general business practices!"
Chiro stopped moving. He wasn't even in high-school yet, and they were worried about the university he wanted to go to? It was about to be the weekend, he wanted to relax, he didn't want to think about what they had in mind, and they were asking about that?
His face scrunched up and his eyebrows furrowed. He clenched his fists to the point where they trembled. He looked at them with a cold stare.
"Is that all you think about with me? Me being a businessman like you are?" Chiro started. "Why can't I just be what I want to be? Why aren't I allowed to have options? Hell, scratch that, why can't I just be a kid?! I don't want to worry about this, I want to have fun!"
Chiro nearly yelled as he snapped at her. Lestari's face went from joyful, to shocked, to angry within a matter of seconds. A light snarl ruptured from her throat.
"Listen here, Chiro, we're trying to secure your future and you want to throw that way for what, something that'll fail you in the end?"
"Your mother and I just want what's best for you," Nao added.
"How the fuck is this best for me? You don't care about me! You don't even notice that I'm drenched when I shouldn't be!"
Lestari crossed her arms as she looked at him up and down. "Kids tend to do things that get them wet or dirty, a little injured even."
Chiro felt the heat rising up in his face. He felt ready to explode and crash down like a bolt of lightning. They didn't care that he faced the possibility of drowning every time he went to school. If he had broken bones, it was likely that they wouldn't care in the slightest as long as he could do what they wanted.
"You wouldn't even care if I'm dead!" Chiro yelled loudly at this point. "Fuck you, Lestari! Both of you can disappear for all I care!"
Chiro slammed the cabinet door and he walked away. He grabbed his backpack.
"Chiro Fukuzawa! You will come back here this instant and apologize to your mother!" Nao commanded.
"No!"
Chiro quickly ran to his room. Before Nao and Lestari could get to him, he slammed the door shut and locked it. He plopped down onto his bed harshly before he turned on his holo-TV. Neither of them attempted to come in. He didn't even hear anything outside the room. Quite frankly, he couldn't care less about what they had to say. He just focused on his own thing and took his time getting to his schoolwork. Chiro didn't bother to come out for dinner, but he heard someone put a plate down at his door.
He went to the door and opened it. Chiro looked to the side to see Lestari walk away from his room. He didn't see her face, so he couldn't tell how she felt right then and there. Not that it mattered, there was no reason for him to care when nothing would change. He just grabbed the plate and closed the door. He ate the food that was on it.
Chiro stayed in his room late into the night.
He only came out to get something to drink. He was about to head into the kitchen before he heard Nao and Lestari in there. It made him stop where he stood, and walked back before any part of his body could go into the kitchen's light. He quietly pressed up against the wall and moved a little closer. At this time, he knew they thought he was asleep, and he didn't want them to know he was awake at any point.
Nao crossed his arms as he leaned against the counter. He sighed in exasperation. He looked over to Lestari, at least it seemed like it.
"The brat's becoming more trouble than we expected." Nao started. "If he doesn't work out, we should try another child."
"I'm afraid I agree, Nao. He might be perfect in his studies, but there's no way he'll be able to work in the company. He's too defiant and mouthy. He'll run any business to the ground rather than make it prosper."
She groaned as she paced around.
"He's just a disappointment, if anything."
"If my okā-san was raising him, she would've made him into a fine and proper young man. He wouldn't bother with… whatever the hell he does, and he wouldn't talk back."
Chiro silently gulped as he clenched his fists. That was how they felt about him it seemed. He was nothing but a puppet for them, and this only confirmed it. He shouldn't have been surprised that they would talk shit about him behind his back, yet it sent pangs of pain into his soul. A single tear ran down his face. It seemed like it was better if he didn't exist in their eyes. They couldn't even care enough to know about the things he did whenever he was out the house.
Chiro went back to his room as quietly as a ghost floating by and laid in his bed for the rest of the night.
After Chiro turned eleven, Nao and Lestari left for another business trip.
Chiro did the usual stuff he did while they were gone. He kept up with school, he explored, played video games, watched The Sun Riders whenever it came on, and did whatever he could to stay out of the house. He kept track of how long they were gone like he usually did. It filled him with dread, but he'd rather be prepared for when they came back than not prepared at all. Chiro even made sure the house was cleaned almost every time they were gonna come home.
This time wasn't any different in that aspect.
Within the hour, he had the entire house cleaned, making sure it was extra spotless. He then got out of the house so he wouldn't be there when they arrived back. Despite that, as the hours went by, they didn't come back. He didn't realize it until he got back to the house late that night. It was empty of people besides him. That seemed odd, they were always back after five months of their trips. Maybe he was a little early, or they were a little late.
He simply shook it off for the time being. It wasn't like it mattered, right? He wasn't excited if they came back, so it didn't matter if they were a little late. Chiro went to his room, changed into pajamas, and went to bed.
Yet, even when he waited a few days, there was nothing of their return. It wasn't like they texted him and let him know when they were coming back, it was usually unannounced. Those days turned into weeks, and those weeks turned into months. It left him with a deep pit in his stomach, one he couldn't ease. It was especially prevalent whenever he was in the house. On one hand, they weren't around to tell him who they wanted him to be whenever they paid attention to him. On the other hand, it scared him in a way he couldn't put into words. There were implications he didn't want to think about, and that was excluding them possibly being dead.
He laid there in bed at night. Chiro wondered if what he said to Lestari before made them decide to take their time with their trips. He wondered, even if he knew how bad it really was, if it would've been better if they had been physical with him. He'd become so starved of genuine human touch that even a hit would've felt better than nothing, or any kind of touch that was horrible. He hated thinking that, because he knew being hit or worse wouldn't have made it better, just something much worse.
The most touch he'd get was the water hitting his skin in the shower whenever he took one. He usually took almost an hour each time just to feel some kind of contact on his skin. Every time he left, he felt empty, like there was a hole in his heart that couldn't be filled. It was a vortex that would've trapped anything in, even the tiniest bit of love that he desired. In the end, there was nothing he could do in this situation.
Chiro would be left feeling emotionally numb, and nobody would notice what lied beneath the surface.
With a year of their absence, Chiro decided to take advantage of it to the fullest.
He bought some camping gear and decided to camp out wherever he explored. He decided to explore bigger abandoned buildings, ones that were destroyed in some way. Holes that never got taken care of, pieces of stairs missing, anything that was in worse condition than the buildings Chiro explored before. He got up to the highest floors he could, and he got a beautiful view of the city. Depending on the time of day, the views were even better. They were always a sight to see, and it was something he couldn't get otherwise.
Chiro camped out in the places he explored for days on end. He made sure he grabbed enough food to keep him sustained for the amount of time he planned on being there. It felt nice, it was like nobody could stop him, and they couldn't. No one knew where he was, and he didn't come across anybody when he went to these places or out of them. It was like it was only him in Shuggazoom City. Maybe it should've made him feel more lonely and isolated, but it was the opposite for him. He felt free, like nobody could tell him he couldn't be this or that, like nobody could tell him what to do.
How he felt the first time he went exploring never changed, and his smiles were proof of that.
Chiro always took precautions so nothing bad really happened to him. The last thing he wanted was to get himself hurt so bad he was in the hospital for months. He didn't want to feel trapped physically, and he didn't want to deal with any possible questions they might have for him. He did what he could to prevent that and thankfully, it never got to that point. It almost did a few times, though, due to him being too captivated by the view. It always felt like a close call whenever it happened.
During the nights, all he heard were the sounds of the city. It wasn't loud or a lot, but it was nice as he fell asleep in those areas. He had some of the best sleep while he camped out. Some days he felt too comfortable to get up and out of his sleeping bag. Chiro made himself get up anyway so he could continue exploring. It felt bittersweet to go back; bitter because the exploration ended and he was going back to the house, but sweet because he could always find a new place to explore. Not that it needed to be mentioned, but it also meant he got to wash up and get some good food as well.
Those were the first things Chiro did every time he went back, shower and eat. He took a nice, long shower and washed himself up until there wasn't a single dirty spot on his body. After nearly an hour of being in there, he stepped out and dried himself up with his Sun Riders towel. He dried his hair last, then he got dressed. He pulled down his shirt; his smile faded away. The mirror was still fogged up, but he could still see his reflection. Chiro wiped the mirror, making it clearer than before. He frowned looking at himself.
Even though they were gone, Chiro always saw Nao and Lestari whenever he looked at himself in the mirror. He especially saw Lestari in there, and he hated how much he looked like her. His hair was even similar to hers, regardless of length, and he didn't even intend that. He ripped himself away from the mirror. Chiro's face scrunched up and his lips pressed together. He hated looking at himself. It felt like they were right there with him, even if they weren't. If he could change how he looked to get away from them, he would do it in a heartbeat. The same could be said for his surname, so no one would ever associate him with Nao and Lestari.
For now, Chiro left it be and he went to order food.
Light shined through the windows.
Chiro covered his closed eyes and turned his body around. He absolutely needed to get a damn sleep mask one of these days. It took him a minute to grab his phone, but he took it and moved his arm away. It was way too early for the sun to blind him. He then noticed the date and his eyes went wide. It didn't even hit him until he saw it. He grinned widely.
It was his birthday, his thirteenth birthday.
He threw the blanket off him. Chiro immediately showered and got dressed. He went out, grabbed some breakfast, and went to the arcade. The whole time, he had a pep in every step he made and a huge smile on his face. His joy simply radiated from him, not slowing down wherever he went. Chiro took advantage of the arcade's birthday discount and played as many games as he could. He went wild having fun in the arcade, even playing the games he hadn't played before.
After that, he went to whatever stores that had Sun Riders merchandise and he bought everything he didn't have at that point. There were things he couldn't find, but he could always collect them later down the line. He practically spoiled himself and bought himself whatever he wanted. He was like a little kid who got plenty of presents on Christmas morning. Everyone could see how happy he was, and Chiro noticed some people saw his joy.
Time flew by and before Chiro knew it, it was three in the afternoon. He quickly ran home and he put the presents he bought himself down in his room. He would worry about putting everything away later. Chiro eagerly cleaned up the house until it was sparkling. After he cleaned, he sat down on the couch and he turned on the holo-TV while he waited. They aired reruns of the early episodes of The Sun Riders, so that had his full attention.
After a few episodes, Chiro suddenly thought to check the time. He took his phone out and pressed the power button.
5:14 showed up on the screen.
He put his phone back in his pocket. He looked to the other rooms. Chiro lightly hummed, wondering if they were back yet. He lowered the volume, but he didn't hear anything other than the holo-TV. He decided to look around the house. In every room he peeked in, there wasn't a single soul to be seen. Not a single trace of Nao or Lestari was there. He even looked outside to see if they were sitting out there, but they weren't even there either.
Chiro checked his phone again to see if they texted him. It was unlikely, they never texted him when they came back, or at all during their trips, but he didn't want to miss anything. No text messages either. He looked out the window again near the door and mailbox. No packages. He closed the curtains.
Chiro walked over to the kitchen and sat down at the table. The realization that his parents weren't coming back that day sank in like a body thrown into the ocean while tied to an anchor. His fists clenched up, his face scrunched together, and he bit his lower lip. Tears formed in his eyes and a couple fell down his nose.
A flurry of various emotions whirled within him, and they formed a storm.
He got up; he tossed the table on its side. He grabbed the chair. Chiro hit it against the wall. He did it a few times. He then threw it. It hit the wall; it fell to the floor. He kicked it hard. It slid closer to the wall. Chiro slammed his fist on the wall. It hit it again. And again. And again. More tears came forth. His fingers dug into his palm. Tears fell to the ground. He screamed loudly. His screams filled the house. Pained, hateful, depressing. It all poured out. Each and every bit of his suppressed emotions over the years simply came through. They could all be heard in his screams, his longing cries.
Chiro only stopped screaming because it was hurting his throat. He stopped hitting the wall in front of him. He fell to his knees as he sobbed. It felt painful for his sore throat, yet it was something he couldn't help but do. He sat down and put his back against the wall. The little boy pulled his legs up to his chest as he cried and sobbed. His tears lightly stained his pants.
His birthday this year was supposed to be special, yet it was the final thing to push him over the edge. Lestari talked so fondly of how important thirteenth birthdays were for their Malaysian side, yet she wasn't here, they weren't here. It was like he didn't matter, or he was the exception to that importance. He thought maybe everything would be okay for this one day, but it wasn't. It was too much wishful thinking on his end. They didn't give him a single thing that day besides heartbreak.
Chiro cried there for what felt like an eternity. He only stopped when it hurt him too much to even cry. He didn't move from that spot. The only thing that could be heard there were the faint sounds from the holo-TV. All he could do was marinate in the billions of pieces he was left as. He was just a little boy that couldn't do anything, that could no longer hope within that moment. Every bit of positive emotion left his body that night, and didn't dare to return for a while. He didn't know if Nao and Lestari were alive or dead right now, but he genuinely didn't care if they were dead.
Once he was able to move, he got up. He washed his face before he turned off the holo-TV. Chiro walked out and went to the nearest bakery. He looked at all the cakes until he could find the smallest one. He pointed at it and the person at the counter grabbed it out for him.
She looked at him with concern on her face. "Hey, you doing okay, Kid? You seem pretty upset."
Chiro shrugged as he pulled out enough money to pay for the cake.
"Just not having a good birthday, that's all." Chiro didn't make eye contact.
He just hoped that she didn't pry. The last thing he wanted right now was to talk about the breakdown he had. She pressed her lips together as she grabbed a candle to go with the cake. She took the money and put it in the register.
"I'm sorry about that. Hopefully it'll go okay." She responded.
"Thanks."
Chiro grabbed the cake before he headed to the door. He opened it and took a step out.
"Happy birthday. I know it's not much but… I hope that's something."
He looked back at her with a small, sad smile. It wasn't much, like she said, but it felt like at least somebody cared a little.
"…Thank you. Have a good one."
Chiro then left and went back to the house. He sat on the couch, turned the holo-TV back on, and flipped through the channels until he found something he felt like watching. The Sun Riders weren't on at the moment, so he had to go with something else until they were back on.
He took the cake out, lit the candle, and blew it out. It wasn't like making a wish would do anything, they never came true, but he made a wish regardless.
A wish for a family that actually cared about him and loved him.
He grabbed a fork and took the candle out.
"Happy birthday to me," Chiro's voice quivered.
It was the worst birthday he ever had.
A few months later, Chiro decided to explore the outskirts of the city.
It wasn't like he had anything to lose at that point. He had nothing but his hobbies and his love for a superhero show. Besides food, water, and stuff he needed to camp out there, he didn't bother with precautions. If he was gone, nobody would notice, and he knew that for a fact.
Then he ended up finding the Super Robot. Something about it called to him, something he couldn't rip himself away from. It didn't matter that everything in his head told him it was a bad idea, or how many horror movies he watched where the characters died going into a place they shouldn't. He went in, and he ended up turning it on. In the process, he woke up five cybernetic monkeys.
That changed his life permanently, whether he realized it at that moment or not.
He didn't know if he was dreaming. Green electricity going down his arms, five monkeys coming out of tubes and they spoke, it was all unbelievable. The first one that came out was a pink monkey—he didn't like being referred to as pink, even though that was what color he was—then came a yellow one, black, green, then blue. It was a lot to take in, but they eased him into everything. Antauri, as he came to know what the black monkey was called, told him he was their new leader.
On one hand, Chiro was excited at the news. He was able to live out his dream of being a superhero like he always wanted. On the other hand, he wasn't sure if this was how he wanted to become one. He wasn't sure if this was what he had in mind. Even if he didn't voice it, he shouldn't complain about an opportunity like that being handed to him. It just felt too good to be true. The fact he would be a leader to a bunch of monkeys also seemed ridiculous, regardless if he could understand them or not.
Antauri even said that he would move into the Super Robot and live with them. His eyes widened at that thought. It suddenly became a struggle between two evils—stay at the house that he didn't call home, or live with monkeys that he didn't know anything about. It seemed like a bad idea either way and he felt uncomfortable making it a choice for himself.
That was before Antauri looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I should've asked this first, but if I may ask, where are your legal guardians?" Antauri asked. "Do your parents know you're out here at all?"
Chiro looked away at that question. His face scrunched up and his lips pressed together. He should've known that question was coming. No one in their right mind would neglect to ask a child that question when they were alone like he was.
"They're… gone." Chiro stated and his voice cracked slightly.
It took a moment for Antauri to make any sound. He simply cleared his throat.
"My apologies, Chiro. I didn't mean to upset you by bringing up deceased loved ones." Antauri sounded remorseful and ashamed to ask that question.
Chiro then looked at him with a softened expression. He was surprised he reached that conclusion, since being gone could've meant dead or just absent. There was no way he was correcting him, though, because there would be less questions if he left them to think that. It wasn't like he knew for certain himself if they were still alive anyways, even after the months that passed by since his birthday. Even if he wanted to correct them, he wouldn't be able to be confident in his answer.
"It's fine, you didn't know," was all Chiro responded with.
All of a sudden, two stomachs growled in near unison. It seemed to have come from Otto and Sprx. Otto blushed as he covered his stomach and nervously chuckled. Chiro snickered at that. They were in stasis for who knows how long, they had to be at least a little hungry. He pulled out his wallet.
"Let's go get some food. I'll pay for everything," he offered.
Sprx squinted at him. "What, are ya loaded, Kid? No way a kid is gonna be able to pay for six people. We sure he was just exploring and not actually told to find the Super Robot for whatever malicious reason?"
"Oh quit the conspiracies, Sprx, he's being nice. Don't be rude." Nova crossed her arms.
Sprx rolled his eyes. He walked ahead with his arms behind his head.
"Alright, but don't expect me to believe that right away."
Chiro couldn't blame him for not trusting him right away. However, it was oddly amusing that Nova considered it a 'conspiracy'. Otto seemed more than happy to get something to eat. Gibson wanted to head to the lab, but Antauri dragged him along so they could eat together.
Chiro bought whatever they wanted and translated what they said to other people.
The next day, Chiro moved his belongings to the Super Robot with their help.
He made sure they didn't stay around for longer than he wanted to be. The last thing Chiro wanted was for them to ask him about his parents. Thankfully, it was a quick process they did after breakfast. Six people carrying things, even if Antauri used telekinesis rather than physically carry anything, made it a lot quicker. The fact it was only his room and the food in the kitchen made it easier as well. Gibson and Antauri had tea there while they took a break, but that was about it. They didn't do anything else outside of packing.
After that was situated, Gibson sat Chiro down in the main room. Gibson said that he needed to ask him some questions.
Needless to say, Chiro wasn't thrilled about it.
"This shouldn't take too long, but I wish to know where you lie academically."
Chiro sighed, almost groaning. "Fine."
"I'll also need your medical information so I know-"
Chiro wasted no time handing him all the papers Gibson would need. He had a feeling that was gonna come up as well. Gibson's eyes widened as he took the papers from him, looking through everything.
"Do… Do you just carry these around?" Gibson asked.
"No, I took those with me when we were moving everything here."
"I suppose that's understandable-" Gibson stopped, looking at one of the papers very closely, squinting even. He looked back at Chiro. "…That's your middle name?"
"Yeah, I don't like talking about it."
Chiro looked away as he crossed his arms. Gibson looked between Chiro and the paper for a few seconds. His gaze landed and stayed on Chiro as he lightly hummed.
"…Fair enough."
Gibson sat the papers down. Chiro figured he would go through everything later. The blue monkey went through something for a moment before he returned to Chiro with something in hand.
"Take your time." Gibson said.
Just a single glance at the batch of papers drained the soul out of Chiro's body. He lightly groaned as he grabbed them. He knew he wasn't getting out of this, it was a necessary evil, but man did he wish Gibson forgot about that for a moment.
He wanted to be a superhero, not do more schoolwork.
Chiro sat down and looked through the pages. It didn't seem to be more than ten pages, thankfully enough. He recognized most of the questions as well, so he wasn't entirely thrown into unknown territory. He quietly sighed and went through all the questions. A lot of it was still fresh in his mind. It took him about fifteen minutes to go through them all. That included writing the answers in English and Japanese, since he didn't know what Gibson wanted there.
Once he finished, he gave them to Gibson. He started looking through them. At first, his expression stayed calm and neutral. As he went through the answers, Gibson's eyes gradually widened and his mouth was agape. By the end, he was absolutely floored and a smile crawled up on his face. He looked up at Chiro as his tail started to wag.
"No offense is intended, but you're quite smarter than I originally thought you were!" Gibson chirped. "You've gotten most of these questions correct!"
"I'm not that smart," Chiro deflected. "I just paid attention and studied because I needed to. It's not like you'll get this all the time. Besides, I didn't know some things you gave me there, so I couldn't answer too well."
"Nonsense, Chiro. The ability to understand these things on this level isn't just something anyone can do, and to articulate as such shows it." Gibson complimented.
He patted Chiro's shoulder. The unexpected touch made him jump.
"Do not undermine yourself whatsoever. Thank you for taking the time to fill this out for me, I will have an easier time figuring out what homework to give you. I simply hope the transition from public school to homeschooling won't be too jarring for you."
Gibson walked off, his tail still wagging.
Chiro didn't know how to take the compliment. It actually felt genuine rather than all of the times Nao and Lestari "complimented" him. He put his hand up to his mouth; it felt unbelievable, and he didn't know if it was safe to hold onto it. He didn't know if it was safe to let his guard down.
It didn't stop Chiro from having a small smile on his face as he walked away.
Chiro didn't think he needed to tell anyone when he decided to go out.
He never had anyone who cared enough about him leaving. When it happened for the first time, it took him by surprise.
"Chiro!"
Chiro froze when Gibson said his name. It was firm, like he wasn't happy he was about to exit the Super Robot. Chiro's heart sank to his stomach as he gulped. His breathing slowed and it became a little heavier. He looked behind him.
Gibson walked up to him. With the look on his face, Chiro felt like he was about to get scolded. It felt weird to feel like that. He prepared himself for the worst.
"Where do you think you're going, young man?"
"Uh… I was gonna go grab some food and go to the arcade?" Chiro admitted.
Gibson sighed. He pulled Chiro down a little.
"We would appreciate it if you told us where you were going next time. However, if it slips your mind for whatever reason," Gibson put something on his sweater, "then at least have your communicator on you so we can contact you when we need to. Thank Otto for making it."
Gibson pulled back to reveal a yellow communicator that was in the shape of their insignia. Chiro looked at it then at Gibson with wide eyes.
…They actually cared that much about him?
Nobody even worried about him like that. It didn't matter if it was to know where he was or how to get a hold of him, it wasn't something he ever expected.
Gibson noticed his expression and raised an eyebrow. "Is something the matter, Chiro? You look as if no one has ever done this with you before."
"No, no," Chiro immediately denied, "I just didn't expect you to care that much."
"We're a team, Chiro. We're supposed to care about each other, and that care will strengthen, I'm sure." Gibson responded.
He walked away and allowed Chiro to go outside like he wanted. Chiro smiled at the words. He immediately shook it off.
No, he shouldn't enjoy it too much. Not yet. Gibson seemed genuine with him though, from the compliments to this.
He didn't linger on it too much to prevent himself from going into another loop of thoughts.
Chiro went out and did what he planned to do before Gibson came to him.
The first time Chiro got a hug from one of them, it took him by surprise.
Otto jumped onto him and gave him the biggest hug. It was sudden, he didn't get a warning beforehand. He went back some. The green monkey's tail wagged heavily. Chiro froze up for a moment. Somebody gave him a hug first? He didn't have to initiate it to get one? It didn't feel real, just a vivid dream he was having.
Nova went up to them. Her hand touched Otto's side.
"Otto, you should've asked first." Her voice was soft rather than angry. "We don't know if he's okay with that."
Chiro then hugged Otto back, and he did so very tightly. It felt so good to finally get a hug, to get some physical affection for once in his life. He eased himself into it.
"No, it's fine." Chiro closed his eyes.
Otto chuckled. "I knew he needed one!"
It was like he had a sixth sense for something like that. Otto didn't seem to know why Chiro needed one, and he didn't question it either. It was too good to be true. Chiro moved Otto a little before he grabbed Nova and picked her up into the hug. She let out a yelp in surprise. After a moment, she hugged him back, and it was a big bear hug. She actually wanted to hug him, not feel like it was an obligation. Chiro felt a wave of peace wash over him, a wave of light that finally came into his life.
At that moment, he believed that he was gonna like being here, and now that he looked back on it, he was right to believe that. Chiro had found love in a place he never expected to find it.
With a whole bunch of animals.
However, even animals were more human than the ones whose care he was originally under, or lack thereof to be precise. It was quite ironic, he had to admit. They were in no way perfect, but no person was, human or otherwise. They tried a lot more than Nao and Lestari did, and Chiro appreciated every drop of it. His life before them was severely fucked up, and he'd only realize just how much so when he met the team.
The monkey team was his real family, and Chiro wouldn't change a single thing there.