Vol 1 Chapter 2.3 (1/2)
[Novel] NO. 6 - Vol 1 Ch 2 (c)
This is a continuation of PART B.
Hope. He repeated the word silently. It was a word he hadn't used for years. It was neither sweet nor bitter, but it slowly warmed him from deep inside of his body.
Hope. What do I hope for?
His promised future had collapsed. What was left to him now were his mother, the meager wages from his job, and his own sixteen-year-old body. What hope resided in those? He wasn't sure. But he was sure that he hadn't completely lost hope either.
They entered the station. The old-town district where s.h.i.+on lived was located adjacent to the West Block and the city border, and functioned as a sort of buffer zone between the city centre and the West Block. It was called Lost Town. A far cry from the tranquility of the city centre, it was a squalid place, dense with people. The station they were in was also very crowded. The faint smell of deep-fried food and alcohol wafted in the air.
”I'm fine from here.” Safu stopped. There was a black winged insect on her shoulder. Brus.h.i.+ng it away, s.h.i.+on asked a nonchalant question.
”Be careful. Oh, when are you off for your exchange again?”
”In two days.”
”Two days!” s.h.i.+on exclaimed. ”Why didn't you tell me sooner?”
”Because I didn't want to. Would you have thrown me a farewell party if I did?”
Safu jutted her chin out defiantly.
”s.h.i.+on, I want to ask something from you.”
”Sure, if I can manage to get it to you in time...”
”Your sperm.”
Safu looked s.h.i.+on in the eyes as she said those words. She didn't blink once. s.h.i.+on gaped at her open-mouthed.
”Did you hear me? I want your sperm.”
”Uh― what? Safu... um―”
”Out of all the people I know, you would probably be the most superior sperm donor. Your sperm and my ovum. Don't you think it would produce the most perfect child? I want it, s.h.i.+on. I want your sperm.”
”Artificial insemination needs permission from the city,” s.h.i.+on answered cautiously.
”Getting permission would be easy. The city encourages artificial insemination between people who possess excellent DNA and superior skills.”
s.h.i.+on swallowed, and turned away. The winged insect crossed his line of vision, buzzing incessantly. Irritation welled up inside him.
”Safu, I don't know if I told you this, but I've never known my father. I don't know his personality, his stature, or if he had any illnesses.”
”I know. But parents don't matter. Ninety-nine percent of the human genome has been decoded already. I can find out anything I need to know about your genetic information.”
”And then... if you do get the information, and there's something in there that you don't want, what are you going to do?”
”Well...”
”Safu, what are you trying to get at? Do you think a human being is entirely what his DNA base sequence tells us he is? Sure, you can look up my DNA, a.n.a.lyze my genes, but what's that going to tell you about me? You talk about having kids like it's easy, but―”
”I know a lot more about you than you think!”
Safu's voice cut him off shrilly. People turned their heads as they pa.s.sed.
”We've been together since we were two. I know what kind of person you are, what you like to do... I know. I know, and I'm still telling you this― you're the one who doesn't know anything.”
”What?”
Safu mumbled something, but he couldn't catch it. He bent toward her slightly so he could hear better.
”I want to have s.e.x with you.”
Her words rang clear in s.h.i.+on's ears.
”Safu....”
”I don't want your sperm. I don't want artificial insemination. I don't care about having kids or not. I want to have s.e.x with you. That's it.”
”Wait, uh― wait a minute... Safu, I―”
”Right now.”
s.h.i.+on inhaled. The greasy scent of fried food wafted into his nostrils. The clock chimed eight o'clock.
”Not now.”
”Why not? Because you're not interested in me? Or not interested in s.e.x?”
”I'm interested in both. But... I don't want to do it, not now, with you.”
”So it's because it's with me?”
”No― my body would probably respond no problem. Even now I'm... but― but that's why I don't want to. I don't want to sleep with you on a spur of the moment.”
”You know that's like saying you've never seen me in that way before.”
”Yeah. I always thought of you as a friend.”
”I can't believe it.”Safu sighed in exasperation. ”Why are you such a kid? Whatever. I'm going home.”
”Safu, in two years―”
”Hm?”
”Your exchange is for two years, right? When you come back, I'll ask this time.”
”If I want to have s.e.x?”
”Yeah.”
”You're a bonafide idiot if I ever saw one. I don't know how you could have come this far being that laid-back.”
”Stay safe. Don't work too hard.”
”Oh, you can count on me working hard. I'll work so hard, it'll keep all the boys away.”
With a casual wave of her hand in farewell, Safu turned around, and gave a small shriek. A small grey animal darted past Safu's feet and scurried up s.h.i.+on's body.
”A mouse!”
A small mouse about the size of s.h.i.+on's pinky sat on his shoulder, twitching its nose.
”I'm surprised to see mice in this city. But it is kind of cute,” Safu mused.
”Pretty friendly, too.”
The mouse brought its face close to s.h.i.+on's ear.
”Still a natural,” it whispered.
He felt an electric shock run through him. He grabbed at the mouse, but it slipped through his fingers, bounded off his shoulder and shot toward the station exit. True, this was an older district―but Lost Town was still within city limits, and mice were rare. The Health and Hygiene Bureau saw to the complete removal of all pests, animal or insect. People weren't used to seeing the mouse that sped past their feet. Shrieks of surprise and bursts of anxious buzzing rose from the crowd.
And at the very end of it, s.h.i.+on saw a pair of grey eyes. It was for a fleeting instant. A jolt pierced through his body again.
”Nezumi!”