A week later, the quiet hum of the ceiling fan echoed faintly through Hiroyuki's apartment.
Hiro stood in front of the mirror inside his bathroom, staring at the white bandages wrapped around his head. His reflection looked exhausted, but there was relief hidden behind his eyes.
"Finally…" he muttered, grabbing the loose edge of the bandage. "I can take these stupid bandages off my head."
He carefully began unwrapping them layer by layer.
"I wish Fumi was here…" he sighed quietly. "It is a headache to take it off all by myself…"
His fingers paused for a moment.
"Hmmm…I wonder what happened that day. Ever since she kissed me, she isn't coming to visit me at all…"
A small silence filled the room.
"Hah…" Hiro scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I guess I'll have to do it myself."
One by one, the bandages slowly came off.
The process was annoyingly slow.
After nearly five minutes, the final layer dropped into the sink.
"Phew… it's done."
Hiro stared at his reflection again.
"Whoa… my hair has grown a lot."
His messy dark hair now stretched lower around his face, giving him a rougher appearance than before.
"But it still looks kinda cool though."
A grin appeared briefly on his face before he turned away from the mirror.
"Right. Let's get back to work."
---
The unfinished mechanical frame stood silently on his work table.
Even after an entire week of constant work, the project was far from complete.
Only the arms and head had been built so far.
Metal pieces, PVC sheets, tools, wires, and sketches were scattered everywhere around the cramped apartment room. Half-empty energy drink cans sat beside his laptop while blueprints glowed faintly across the screen.
Still…
Somehow, the process felt rewarding.
Watching his imagination slowly come to life piece by piece gave him a strange kind of satisfaction.
The mechanical head rested on the table under the dim light, almost looking alive.
Hiro wiped sweat from his forehead as he tightened another screw into the arm structure.
"I wonder how it would look once it is completed…"
*Ding dong.*
The sudden sound of the bell interrupted his thoughts.
Hiro blinked.
"Oh…"
He stood up and walked toward the front door.
When he opened it, nobody was there.
"Hmmm… how strange…"
Then he noticed an envelope resting near the entrance floor.
"Someone wrote a letter for me?"
He picked it up curiously.
"It is not my dad for sure… he often does video calls or normal calls…"
Closing the door behind him, Hiro opened the envelope carefully.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"An invitation?"
He looked at the name written beneath it.
"By Shinn Noriyama?"
His eyebrows lifted.
His memory took him to the hospital when Fumi mentioning something.
No hiro, I am not joking! he was with me! Shinn Noriyama!!
"the same name she mentioned that time, So someone actually came to visit me that day "
He flipped to the letter's back casually.
"And now He is inviting me to his house…"
His eyes widened upon looking at the strange symbol sealed behind it.
"T-this is-!"
---
Later that afternoon—
A taxi slowly stopped in front of a massive black gate.
Hiro stepped out of the car and stared upward silently.
"…So this is where he lives…"
The mansion beyond the gates looked enormous even from outside.
Large stone walls surrounded the property while elegant lights illuminated the pathway inside.
"Such a huge house…"
Hiro stared awkwardly.
"Can someone really call this a house—"
He walked toward the gate and pressed the bell.
A few moments later, the door opened.
An older man dressed formally stood there calmly.
"Very welcome," the man said politely. "You must be Mr. Hiroyuki."
"Huh? Ah—yes, that's me."
"Master Shinn is waiting for you."
"Oh… okay."
Hiro blinked.
*Master Shinn? What is he? A servant?!*
"Allow me as your guide to Master Shinn," the man continued respectfully.
"Oh… thanks."
Hiro followed behind him.
As they walked deeper into the mansion, Hiro's eyes wandered around the luxurious interior. The polished floors reflected the warm lights above while expensive paintings decorated the walls.
*Whoaa… this house is really huge…*
The hallway itself felt larger than his apartment.
Eventually, the older man stopped in front of a large wooden door.
He opened it slightly.
"Master Shinn," he spoke calmly. "He is here…"
Inside the room, Shinn's voice responded immediately.
"Ah… let him in—let him in."
The servant opened the door fully.
"The master is inside."
"Ah… thanks…"
Hiro stepped into the room.
Shinn sat casually near a large work table cluttered with mechanical parts and tools.
"Yo, Hiroyuki. Long time."
"Noriyama Shinn…"
For a moment, Hiro looked surprised seeing him in such an ordinary setting.
Then Shinn suddenly leaned forward slightly.
"Shinn Noriyama…have we met before?"
A grin appeared on his face.
"Of course we have! maybe you just don't remember me, we've met at-"
Shelves filled with model kits lined the walls.
Mechanical tools.
Blueprints.
Holographic design displays.
And directly behind Shinn—
A beautifully assembled Gundam model stood proudly beneath bright lighting.
Hiroyuki's eyes widened like a child seeing treasure.
"WHOAA!!NO WAY."
"IS THAT A METAL BUILD ASTRAY RED FRAME?!"
Shinn looked mildly amused.
"I suppose you like Gundams then!"
Hiro's eyes immediately lit up.
"OF COURSE!"
He stepped closer to the shelf carefully.
"Most people in 2045 barely even remember it anymore."
"The model lines stopped years ago… the communities faded… and newer entertainment eventually replaced it."
"Especially this model was released in the early 2016s..."
Hiroyuki gently looked at the worn mechanical details of the figure.
"But somehow… there are still people who cherish them."
His voice softened slightly.
"I think that's what makes them special."
He looked at the mechanical beauty engraved onto that metal figure, being amused by its timeless design.
"Even after all this time… people still keep building them because they love them."
He looked toward Shinn with a faint grin.
"Kinda cool, isn't it?"
worst part is that its barely even seen on model shops anymore.
He immediately pulled out his phone excitedly.
"So I've been building one from scratch recently."
Shinn's eyes sharpened slightly.
"From scratch?"
"Wait, do you have a picture?"
"Uh… I think so."
Hiro quickly pulled out his phone and scrolled through his gallery.
"Oh yeah, there it is."
He handed the phone over.
Shinn looked at the image for a few seconds before his eyes widened slightly.
"Whoaaaa…"
He looked genuinely impressed.
"That's cool!"
He zoomed into the image.
"What is that material? PVC sheets?"
"Yeah," Hiro nodded proudly. "Also I designed the Gundam in a software."
Shinn looked back at him.
"Impressive."
Then he shrugged casually.
"Or you could just 3D print it, you know?"
"Yeah," Hiro replied, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "But I built it with what I had."
Shinn smirked slightly.
"It is still impressive."
"I still have to work on its other parts as well."
"Good luck on that."
"Yeah. Thanks."
A brief silence followed before Shinn suddenly stood up.
"Let's have dinner here at my house."
Hiro immediately shook his head.
"Uh, no it's fine—"
"Uhhh come on," Shinn interrupted. "Accept it already. We got chicken, steak and everything. Don't be nervous."
Hiro's eyes widened instantly.
"Wha— meat????"
Shinn sighed in relief.
"At least…He isn't nervous."
---
Soon, both of them sat across from each other at the dinner table.
The food smelled incredible.
Hiro was already eating enthusiastically while Shinn watched with mild amusement.
"I saw a thruster pack on your work table," Hiro suddenly said between bites. "What are you gonna use it for?"
Shinn paused for a moment before answering casually.
"Well… It is just for a project."
Then he looked slightly impressed.
"I am pretty impressed you recognized that it is a thruster."
Hiro shrugged.
"You access almost to anything."
"Well…" Shinn chuckled softly. "Not everything."
But Hiro quietly narrowed his eyes.
*He is really up to something…*
A strange feeling lingered in the back of his mind.
This house.
That workshop.
The servant calling him "Master."
Something about Shinn felt deeper than he showed outwardly.
Eventually, Hiro leaned back in his chair dramatically.
"Bahhh… I'm full."
"Yeah," Shinn sighed. "Me too."
Hiro stood up slowly.
"I must go home now."
"Huh? Already?"
"Yeah. It's already late and I still have a lot of work on my Gundam."
Shinn let out a disappointed sigh.
"…I guess it can't be helped."
---
The two of them walked outside together toward the entrance gate.
The night air had become colder.
"Keep me updated with your project," Shinn said.
Hiro nodded.
"Sure thing. See ya."
He waved casually before beginning to walk away toward the waiting taxi.
Shinn watched him silently.
Then he slowly walked back toward the mansion and locked the door behind him.
A few seconds later—
His eyes widened suddenly.
"Wait!"
Shinn slapped his forehead lightly.
"I forgot to discuss the actual topic with him!"
He groaned in frustration.
"Ughhh… that's why I invited him…"
---
Inside the taxi, Hiro leaned against the window quietly as city lights passed outside.
*14/34*
He stared absentmindedly outside.
*I wonder why he invited me to his house though…*
Meanwhile—
Shinn suddenly ran back outside the mansion gates.
"Sigh…"
He looked toward the distant road.
"He might have already been halfway to his home…"
At that moment, rain slowly began falling from the dark sky.
Tiny droplets tapped softly against the pavement.
Shinn looked upward quietly.
Then—
A slight smile appeared on his face.
"Well…"
Rain dripped slowly through his dark hair.
"This won't be the last time we are meeting…"
His eyes softened faintly.
"…Right, Hiroyuki Aizawa?"