Isamu:
Is this okay? Letting such a naive guy like this become an agent of HARVEST? Just looking at him made me want to demand him to turn away and run- To work somewhere unintrusive like a library or something.
Not this. Anything but this. And yet powers beyond our wildest imaginations had chosen him. We NEED him.
"Fuck."
My hands slipped into those rainbow gauntlets- The Fructose Fracturers, ugh. Cringe naming aside, Four-Eyes' weapons are meant to be lethal weapons meant to decimate the Rakav. Imagining what it could do to the regular human body made my body shiver. Yet, Gramps wants me to use these on Smiles? He of all people should know that I don't go easy in a sparring match.
Bracing myself for his possible injury or even death, I stepped into the testing room. These AM-III glass walls that were meant for protection and observation only reminded me of the tears and blood. Prospective agents that failed to show me and Gramps that they're worthy of fending off the Rakav and other anomalies. If they're breaking down over me, a human being of all things...
"So, ready to die? Cuz if you aren't, get out while you still can." My voice came out raspy as my heart started beating faster and faster. It must be my consciousness speaking. "There's a secretarial spot open in one of the bays. They make decent money and-"
"Zakuro-san." His firm and strangely commanding voice caught me by surprise. Something that only my grandfather himself can do.
"I'm ready." He stated, taking up the Kokutsu Dachi stance learned by the Shotokan school of karate. Does this guy really think he can compete with me like that?
"I must really not want to hurt this guy." I thought to myself as my heart beat a higher tempo than before. Taking up my own, a simple boxing stance as I raised my fists up parallel to my face and began hopping on the balls of my feet.
I opened my mouth once more in an attempt to scare him away. My eyes contorted into a killing glare, intimidating him with a simple, "Your funeral."
Third Person:
"Why are they just hopping in place like that?" Shizuka asked, her face full of perplexed thoughts that was only hidden away only by her glasses gleaming in the light. Yuuki smiled back, her inquisitiveness sparking up like a box of lit dynamite- A trait that he himself has always admired. "That's right. You've never seen initiation spars, haven't you Dr Hoshino?"
"Why would I bother if my babies aren't involved?" She scoffed, eyeing her beloved Fructose Fracturers that were so-wrongly deemed as dangerous for human use. Upon realizing the tone she was taking with who was effectively her boss, Shizuka straightened out her back in a cold sweat. "Sss- Sir!" The bespectacled woman grinned wide- wildly, pleading that would balance out the boorish tone she had just taken.
"No need to be so stiff, doctor!" The jolly old man chuckled, waving her off so casually that they could be mistaken for grandfather and granddaughter if not for their surnames. Shizuka chuckled back albeit forcefully as her fingers trembled down her dark, raven hair. Of course, she knew how lax the head commander was when he was in a more private setting. He was used to such a tone after all, it would be ominous if Shizuka herself suddenly changed up her act..... But just in case, she forced herself to enter the Seiza seating position as a last ditch sign of respect..... with her bare shins. On the cold hard iron bleachers.
"Well, you see. Adept martial artists and fighters alike know that striking first would lead to a decreased chance. Unless they are leagues above their opponent in speed and power, most people would rather observe before commuting to an action."
Fixing her glasses in curiosity, Shizuka replied back. "I always thought sparring was a bunch of hormonal adrenaline rushes, pushes and kicks. You mean to tell me that there's more to it than that? Erm! Sir?"
"Indeed. Combat is an art, hence martial arts. There is technique and knowledge to be gained from it like all things in life." He glanced back at his bodyguard which Goriki immediately continued without missing a beat. "They are currently in what you would call a metamorphical tug of war. Urging one another to lose their patience first."
"Metaphorical."
"I'm not so good with words." The burly man excused, uncharacteristically blushing beet red having been corrected by his junior.
Past the observatory chambers, Isamu continued his piercing glare, ignoring the fact that his eyes were burning due to not blinking once for the past three minutes. "This is usually when his opponent breaks the tension and goes in for an attack. Guess the kid has a lot more discipline than I thought."
"Scared?" He goaded, breaking his silence before slowly approaching Seiji.
"I mean, a little." He admitted staring at those metallic gloves that he thought were meant for sparring and sparring alone. "These guys must be hardcore if they're meant to be socked by one of those for practice..." His inner voice trailed off before realizing, "Zakuro-san must be testing my courage and see if I make the first move. And here I was trying to be careful especially since I haven't been to the dojo in years. God, I'm such an idiot!"
Seiji's false assumptions led him to lunge forward, entering Isamu's range in one single move.
"Wait, that stupid comment worked?" Surprised, Isamu's head racked with questions and disbelief. What was just as unbelievable if not more was the distance Seiji covered in a span of a second. "What was that? 10 feet in a single lunge?"
Seiji too was amazed, nearly fumbling back before going for a roundhouse kick at the back of his opponent's head.
"Shit!" Isamu nearly shouted as he blocked it with his arm just barely. The speed to the kick caught him so off-guard that he didn't even have a moment to think and grab Seiji's ankle like he usually does. However, this fumble made Isamu grasp something vital.
He wasn't dealing with an ordinary human. Of course, how could he be so foolish that the mysterious Forbidden Fruit wouldn't alter his physical body.
"Now I'm starting to understand why Gramps told me to retrieve these gauntlets..." Isamu thought before going for a swift but clean bop to the face. Miraculously, he dodged it, hopping back a few more inches away.
Not wasting a second, Isamu lifted his knee high up in the air, prompting Seiji to list his arms up to block. He didn't however. There was nothing to block up there. Instead, Seiji felt a painful sting in his abs. It was a feint. A trick to bring Seiji into a defense stance to block his head area.... Leaving his stomach wide open for impact.
Pain-filled screaming invaded the air like noxious fumes, only it wasn't just from Seiji- It was also from Isamu. Blood trickled down from under his gauntlets like water leaking though a cracked dam. The crunching sound that ensued shortly after impact along with the flaming agony in his fingers told Isamu all he needed to know. He retreated backwards, quickly inspecting his broken right hand before going back to keep an eye on Seiji.
"Kafka and I were the only ones to test these out before the KG system. The few times we managed to hit a Rakav with these, it ruined our hands but never to the point of fracture..." Isamu recalled, taking note of the sheer irony of the Fructose Fracturers. "It usually knocks them away too- Enough time for us to either get the hell out of dodge or go in for the kill..."
He stared at Seiji who began to heave, nearly throwing up his morning Ochazuke and gyoza. Other than that, however, the man was standing there perfectly fine.
From outside the testing room, Shizuka's joyous screaming penetrated through the glass, a testament to her vocal chords and the irony of her own name. "Like creator, like creation….." Isamu muttered.
"That's him! That's my baby boy!" Like a mother at her child's first baseball game, she began manhandling the stone-faced Goriki, shaking him back and forth in pure happiness and hype. Yuuki, however, simply crossed his arms as if he expected something like this to happen. A sign of trust between grandfather and grandson that Isamu can handle this match alone, even with a broken hand. Though that didn't prevent the involuntary crinkling of his face as his worry for Isamu's safety lingered in his mind.
"This thing's busted!" Isamu concluded internally, holding up his right gauntlet to the ceiling lights as if something was wrong…... Not that he would know of course. "Even a Rakav would've had trouble standing...."
Seiji kept wincing, his stomach still jumbled from the impact. Although, he did think something was strange about this predicament. "I'm.... Fat? No, I've been working out! My six pack's started forming a few weeks ago."
He laid his palms in that area, making sure to go need the protective padding the agents gave him for his match. To his horror, there was something there. And that something was connected….. To his body. Merged with him.
Without warning, Seiji tore off his protective padding, breaking apart the buckles that were meant to be undone one at a time with dexterous precision. One of which flew across the room, cold hard steel smacking hard against the glass barriers. Every spectator except for one seated in the bleachers stared in amazement. Some gasped while others murmured. Most of which were about how durable the straps were- That even a conditioned bodybuilder who trained for decades upon decades wouldn't be able to tear through like Seiji just had. Only the elderly man with a keen eye for anomalies realized why he had done so.
To Seiji's shock, a luminous fungus-like protrusion had grown over his abdomen. It writhed in place as if it was sentient- A grotesque mockery of life. Half-nude and still reeling from Isamu's punch, this sight only made him want to continue puking his guts out. Or…. So he'd thought.? His eyes began to water but his heart said otherwise. It was a familiar warmth….. Nostalgia. Those were how he'd paint that moment when he resonated with the Fruit. He recalled the purple gel-like armaments that his body had grown during his Rakav encounter. It was the very same- As if the gel-like armor protected Seiji prior to impact as if it was a neurological phenomena akin to muscle memory.
"The hell is that?" The bewildered and sweat-drenched Isamu gawked, pointing with his remaining unbroken digits like an arrow. On cue, the rest did the same as if they were a part of a televised event- Ooohing and ahhhing along with the occasional screaming of body-horror induced terror.
Having the same thought as Isamu, Seiji placed his finger on the black sheen underneath. The only answer he could reply with was, "I don't know..."
"What do you mean, 'you don't know?' That lump... gel... THING cushioned you and broke my damned fingers! There's no way in hell that was a coincidence! You holding out on us or something?" Isamu's voice broke out with high emotion, a mix of anger and panic.
"Panic? Why is that?" Isamu kept telling himself in his head.
"Why is it that I'm getting tripped up over this one guy? Some guy who.... Saved my life." finally clicked in his head. It wasn't sheer luck that Seiji managed to grab us and flee nor administer aid to the two wounded. Those were what he had told Isamu but obviously that wasn't the full truth. In some way, the Forbidden Fruit must've given him the power to kill or at the very least, cause the Rakav to flee. With endurance like this, it was only natural. "You….. killed that Rakav didn't you?"
Seiji gave an awkward nod in response. "I think so? I'll be honest, the whole thing felt like a dream to me. I wasn't sure if telling you everything was a good idea when I was also under the idea that what I experienced back there wasn't just in my head..."
"Well, I did tell you to keep your mouth shut in public." Isamu admitted. "I didn't get a chance to have a real talk with you before you were suddenly inducted."
"I wouldn't be surprised if you don't believe me, IchiJiku-san." Seiji admitted as well. "I'm still shocked Gram- the Commander believed everything I had to say. Guess this kind of stuff really isn't out of the ordin-"
"Wait, you told the Commander!?" Isamu snapped back, red in the face. "When? Why didn't he-"
"That's enough, Agent!" Boomed a demure sounding voice yet filled with untapped authority and power. The two turned around, noticing that the glass barriers that locked the two in pitched battle had come down some time ago. Dozens of footsteps entered the room, making their way towards the injured fighters, complete with paramedics and such.
"Hey, watch it!" Isamu shouted as two women robed in white tore off the gauntlets to inspect his broken. One of them screamed, uncovering the mangled mess of flesh and sinew that was once his hand. Similarly, Seiji too was being manhandled. Though unlike his opponent, there weren't many wounds to inspect. All they had to witness was a dark bruise on his abs, the purple writhing growth nowhere to be seen as it had drawn back into his body. Those in robes questioned Seiji as if he was being interrogated by the police, to which he only could reply with a simple yet genuine- "I don't know!"
"Did I say enough or are my vocal chords starting to fail me with age?!" With that, everyone froze. Commander Yuuki stepped in between the crowd like Moses parting the seas. He took one look at the medical team and then pointed at his grandson, eyes twitching in pain as he did so. Everyone aside from Seiji knew the man didn't raise his voice in command much but when he did, they knew better not to defy him. They rushed Isamu out into the medical bay apart from three whom Yuuki had instructed to stay.
"You three," he barked- Eyeing Shizuka in particular. "Take note of what's going on. It might be for the best to study what just occurred up close rather than behind glass barriers that could've been fogged up."
Turning to a bewildered Seiji, "Agent. You're alright, aren't you? I get the feeling that the Fructose Fracturer's didn't leave so much as a dent."
Seiji gave a half nod while Shizuka gave a small happy dance upon having her 'baby' called by name for once. He recalled how much the punch hurt initially but looking back down at his stomach, he knew that the impact should've rattled him. In fact, a punch that powerful would've ripped a hole through the human body. Seiji had a dreadful thought. "Am I….. even human?"
"Super-human." Yuuki corrected, reading his thoughts through his scrunched up face. "As I suspected, the artifact had begun changing your body genetically despite the short amount you had. That also proves that...."
Yuuki's eyes glimmered as he took his first gaze at the crystal embedded in Seiji's chest. Placing his finger on the oddly warm purple surface, the crystal lit up. A surge of electricity penetrated into Yuuki's pores, not hurting him but rather syncing with his mind- Sharing. Communicating.
"The Forbidden Fruit." He mouthed. "The files were true... This is a sign, boy. The first step towards a new era for humanity."
Seiji saw glimpses of the Genesis files though not every mural was present. Few remained missing, leaving us no choice but take the files without full context. "A new era. Calamity before change. Am I really the sign of something bigger?"
"The Alpha." Yuuki concluded, confusing the three researchers as they muttered the same word.
"Wasn't that part of the Genesis Files?" He commented. "I believe it was Page….."
"11, yes." Yuuki answered, repeating the same verse word for word in case of clarification. "The Alpha…. Right, I didn't show you the rest of the files we had nor did we have time to properly examine yours. The Alpha is stated to be a being that would battle a great evil that will change society forever. In doing so, they will bring about new life in humanity."
This exposition about 'the Alpha' didn't faze Seiji much in comparison to the other revelations that were revealed. Hence, he simply nodded.
However, the other three who were confusedly glancing at one other, wished they could say the same. One of whom, a brawny man wearing aviator glasses- A look that screamed millionaire playboy rather than a conventional scientist, spoke up on the other two's behalf. "Sir, we're rather confused about what's going on here. The Genesis Files, The Alpha- Would you care to explain what all this is?"
Seiji stared at the man in surprise. He assumed that everyone in this facility knew about the Files, not some top secret info that pertained to himself and the Commander alone. "Yes, hmmm. Well with how fast the world is progressing, what with the emergence of the Rakav, I suppose it'll only be a matter of time before news of the ancient past and distant future will be uncovered."
That only made them more confused, resulting in Yuuki emitting a tired sigh. He then pinched the bridge of his nose as if trying to say, "How am I going to explain this to my men?"
"There will be a mandatory facility-wide meeting sometime this week." Yuuki concluded without much thought on the matter or rather, a lack of room in his thought-muddled mind. "You three, be sure that the cameras are working. We're still in the initial phase of Agent Seiji's recruitment."
The three did as asked, manipulating the globe-like screens placed all around the ceiling causing Seiji to stare in marvel over HARVEST's tech.
"It seems as if this purple gel of yours acts as protective padding."
"Protective padding…." Seiji noted. "Couldn't explain it better myself."
"Similar to a porcupine with its quills, it must be a defense mechanism brought on by the Fruit. Just as I suspected, it's changing your body down to the genetic code- A superhuman."
Normally Seiji would've found becoming superhuman incredible, something straight out of a Marvel comic like the X-Men. However, just like the mutants from that series like Mystique and Nightcrawler, he became concerned with looking….. inhuman.
"I'm not gonna start turning blue or grow a long tongue, right?"
"N-no.Idontthinkso...." Yuuki slurredly spoke under his breath, his eyes shifting away from the young man's worrisome gaze precariously- The uncertainty apparent in his speech. Seiji held up his finger in an attempt to address his dubious answer but held his tongue at the last second.
"Worrying doesn't lead anywhere. I'm sure it's fiiiiiine!" He thought, gaslighting himself in the process with moderate success.
"Now then, back to business. The way your body handled those gauntlets, it far exceeded my expectations to say the least. Hence-" From his cargo pocket, Yuuki withdrew a compact, orange canister. With a simple click of a button, it unraveled into cybernetic quarterstaff of sorts- Taking up defensive stance as he held out his newly formed weapon behind his back, the tip pointed directly at Seiji. "I'd like to test the extent of your newfound abilities myself, starting with your protective instincts."
Without so much as a response, Yuuki lunged at the young man, his metallic staff slamming into Seiji's side. Like before, the purple substance emerged, cushioning the impact. He yelped back, not expecting Yuuki to not only smack him in the side but do so at remarkable speed and precision. "Ah, my theory is correct it seems."
"Gra- Commander! Aren't we moving too fast? I thought I was only sparring against Agent Isamu?" The old man replied with a grin that belonged to a fox rather than a human. "I only said 'spar.' I never specified who or how many. Now square up, brat or this little toy here will be the death of you!"
With that warning, Yuuki leaped into a somersault into the air like an acrobat. A flurry of bludgeoning thrusts followed, utilizing the momentum of gravity as he descended down on the defensive Seiji. He covered his upper body area with his arms as four, five, six pommel strikes smacked hard against him. Once again, the substance emerged from his pores and blocked the different areas where he was hit. The recoil of the last strike was so powerful, Yuuki was flown back several meters away like a tumbleweed.
As if seeing Yuuki as a threat, the bits of fungus growing all over melted into a vicious liquid- Spreading all over Seiji's shoulders and forearms, hardening like candied apples. It wasn't long until Seiji's arms went from his natural tan skin color into a vibrant violet.
"It's happening!" Seiji gasped, holding out his encased arms before his eyes. "I'm transforming into the form I took fighting the Rakav!"
"What the hell..." Shizuka muttered from behind a monitor. In all her years of engineering, it was up to Maki and her to construct armaments- To fix the imperfections of the frail human body. To think that such a body could handle one of her baby's blows.... It intrigued her. The other two onlookers, however, had different reactions- Pulling out semi-automatic pistols. Fully cocked and loaded, foolishly believing that simple ammunition could end this so-called resurrected "Alpha."
"No….. not yet." As the old man uttered those words, a red mist emanated from his pores. Of course, none could perceive it... Besides Seiji himself. There wasn't any time for questions before Yuuki landed a sharp blow to his shoulders. In an instinctive response, Seiji's purple arms blocked it with bear precision like a finely oiled machine. Then came the blow. Then the next. A torrent of metallic clangs rang through the halls, the sparks flying off them as if they were setting off fireworks. The more Yuuki upped his offense, the more Seiji matched his defense- Never letting so much as a hit in.
"B-boy," Yuuki panted through bated breath. "At least let an old man like me get a hit once in a while."
"You're crazy! An old man? You could overpower a pro MMA fighter with this speed!" The defensive man stammered back, though the clangs muffled most of their speech. "And even if I could, it's like my body will let me!"
"So….. Huff. You're saying you're not in control of your body....."
Seiji gave a face, realizing the implications. "Only while I'm getting attacked like this….. Yeah."
"Heh! All I needed to hear! A boy who can't control his own body might as well go back to suckle on his mother's teat!" Once again, Seiji blocked a whack to his neck- Coming in contact, purple arm to chrome metal like usual. Then a searing pain burned from Seiji's chin. His head flung back from the impact alone, before another sharp blow crashed into his solar plexus.
"Ugggg...." Was all Seiji could muster as his legs gave out, falling to his knees. Vile flooding out from his mouth, he racked his head around how Yuuki was able to get a hit on him. Seiji knew that the swing to his neck wasn't a feint, it physically touched him. Yet, he simultaneously landed a clean strike under my chin and not a millisecond to spare.
"Why so perplexed? Didn't think an old man had tricks up his sleeve?" Breaking apart the metal staff revealed a glowing cyan chain.
"Nun….. chucks?"
"All that power. Yet so immature." He groaned, shaking his head. "That settles it!"
"Settles….. it?"
Pure silence. The tension, palpable to the point a katana could cleanly cut it in half. Dr Hoshino and her assistants held their breath as their commander strode to the young man- Wondering what came next.
"Welcome aboard, Agent Seiji. Your first mission? Or should I say, our: To facilitate your control over the Forbidden Fruit."
Keisuke?:
The hell was that just now? That….. light. That vision. This sense of familiarity. Everything from the way the Alpha fell on his ass, the fear in his eyes and even the response I gave him afterwards. All of this seems….. Staged.
No, my heart's playing tricks on me. Silly, silly. WE'RE the ones staging everything! What's the point if I, of all people, get entranced by my "performance."
Although, that mental image was intriguing- A catalyst of the Fruit, I'm sure. Any minute now that sad excuse of a mother should be coming out any minute...
"Slam!"
Ah, there it is. A lithe female, half conscious and half drifting in another plane of existence tumbled through the kitchen double doors- Nearly falling over in the progress.
"For the last time, Tabako- Your employment's been terminated! Go home!" The fat midget of a manager yelled, bursting in from behind the prone broad like a beached whale. Who knew shouting and waddling a few meters down could be such an intense workout! Just look at all that sweat it's drenched in! Lovely that humanity's bar keeps plummeting down and down the shitter~
"Sir! Pl- Ngh! Please... My son. I need-" It's deliciously delirious pleading never so much as made a dent, the manager yelling back, "You constantly stink of cigarettes, never arrive on time, and now you've got the gall to come in during a withdrawal?"
Oh, oh! Here comes the tears~ Gods! Why's it so tough to withhold laughter? Like a bad sneeze really. And oh yes! Here comes the begging and not a moment too soon! Just look at its pathetic posture as it kneels and grovels!
"Have some respect! Get up! Get up now!!!" By now the rest of the dining staff and guests were eying the commotion, the fatass growing redder and redder like the pig it was while the sad sap leaked like a dam.
"That's right, piggie. More! Mmmm~ More."
-
"Now for the crescendo!" I nearly yelled out loud as the two of the staff, Saruhara and Yama….. whatever the fuck- These monkeys and their lacking names. As they escorted Tabako out into the streets.
Unlike Mr Pissed-Pants Piggie over there, however, those two were showing….. ugh! Compassion! Sympathy? Quit ruining art, damn you!
"No matter, I'll fix your mistakes soon enough." I mumbled, shoving myself out of the crowd that came to ogle.
"Woah, hey! Jin! Where are you going?" I heard Saruhara from behind me. Sigh. Gotta play that junior role they know Kazuki Jin as...
"No worries, Saruhara-san! Just gotta go comfort Tabako-san is all!"
The thing faced me wordlessly with that same disgusting, vile look in his eyes. If that wasn't bad enough, he topped it off with a smile and a thumbs up. Combined with the Kazuki performance, well.... I was about to barf.
-
"Jin….. kun?" It spoke, half-babbled from the tears and snot. Giving my best attempt at a genuine friendly smile, I plopped myself next to the cold, hard, and most important of all- Emotionless, uncaring stone stairs.
"Hiya there Tabako-Senpai! What was all that commotion?" I asked in a solid…..ish attempt an Osakan speech pattern. The very same that Kazuki would use outside of work.
"I- I- I-" The thing combusted like a robot, unable to get the words out onto its tongue. In place of its words, were the waterworks, spilling out like an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Ohhhhhhh I'm so close, too. I could practically TASTE the tears!
No, no. Contain yourself.
"I was let go...." It finally admitted after like 16 iterations of the word, I. "My son... I'll never be enough to get him back at this rate! I'm a failure. As a mother and as a person."
My mouth twitched into the toothy grin that I oh so love so much! "Don't say that, Senpai! I'm sure your son's bursting at the seams for your return! After all, you're my precious senior!"
It gave me a guilty, self-deprecating glance, the kind that one makes when they realize that their junior foolishly put all their admiration in them. Really, why did this meat sack ever have faith in that thing? Yanini Tabako. Its parents KNEW what they were doing with that name~
"You….. shouldn't look up to someone like me, Jin-kun. You might end up at the side of the curb."
"I ended up here anyway, so what's the difference! Here, I gotcha something that'll lighten the load." I pretended to dig around in my pocket as I reached into the pocket space where I kept all my playthings. "There it is!"
Yanini recoiled back once she saw the compact blue box in my hand. "Is...… that?"
"Mevius Rich! The best packs you'll ever smoke, this side of the country! Come, try one!" Its eyes were like a pack of wolves, descending on a half-dead hare but her body held strong. Not moving. Not one inch.
The chainsmoker in denial hurriedly wiped away the mouth water escaping her lips, "You shouldn't get into stuff like that. An addiction like this... It's hell."
"Nonsense! We've gotta enjoy ourselves before we kill ourselves! What's so wrong with cigarettes, huh? Sugar's more addicting and kills more than tobacco, you know?"
"That's- No! It's different! Its...."
My fingers pointed at the restaurant windows, particularly the group clad in white partaking in some of that delicious grapey nectar. "See them? They're having a great time over there! And they say alcohol kills. Cars kill more people in society!"
Of course, that's not completely true. Most accidents that kill monkeys these days are caused by alcohol to begin with. But…. Judging by those eyes- The thing's practicallylooking for an excuse to smoke. Now for the finishing touch!
"I wanna help you, Senpai! I can't staaaaaand to see you like this." And just like clockwork, Yanini sighed, clenching one of the numerous orange ends that shined like gold.
"Lighter?" I grinned, plopping it in its hand without warning. Yanini shook, staring intensely at the cig in one hand and the lighter in the other. Holy shit, hurry up!
"I'm sorry." It mouthed in a voice so subtle only I with a higher perception could hear. With a hurried motion, it immediately lit the cig and plopped it into its mouth. Oh, the joys of relapse! I'm starting to... yes. It's starting to cry again, too?
Even. BETTER. The hiccups, a symphony to the ear! The tears and anguish, candy to the eyes! This is TRUE ART!
"Thanks….. Jin-kun." I- WHAT? It's…. Thanking me?
The thing was smiling. It was smiling, despite the tears running down her cheek. No. No! You're supposed to be-
"I think... I needed that final smoke." FINAL?
"I truly thought that this little devil here would push me back. Back into hell but... no. I've held off smoking for a week now and when I did it after so long, it- How would I describe it? For some reason, it didn't hit like the last time I did it." Shut up! Shut up! You're ruining my-
"I've got this. I could get over my demons." With that, the detestable thing crumpled up the cigarette in its hand, not even flinched as the lit end seared into its palms. To top it off, a hand landed on my shoulder- A token of gratitude.
I just sat there. My art, defiled in a blink of an eye. Time and time again, I underestimate how humans can spring back from utter despair no matter what I do to them. They're roaches!
Every. Single. One of them.
"Tch. I was just getting hard too." Just then, my phone began to vibrate with a jingle. Of all the times to call me... This BETTER be good.
"What." The word came out as a demand rather than a question.
"Son?" The feminine voice called out. "What's wrong? You sound agitated!"
The mother….. GREAT. This is giving me more trouble than it's worth. "Oh! Sorry about that mom! I hit my shins on a rail just now and I guess that transferred over."
"Oh, poor baby."
Eew.
"You didn't have to go back to work, you know? It's only been two days since we got you back!"
I gave a slight chuckle. "Well, you know the economy these days! Gotta make my money somehow!"
"...… Son. You know that you could tell your parents anything right?" My fist shook in rage as I held back with all my willpower not to crush the phone.
"It's fiiiiiine mom!" There was pause in its words. I could tell it wanted to speak but didn't have the right words. It finally responded with-
"You don't sound fine."
Shit. They suspect…. SOMETHING. This'll only come to bite me in the ass. And here, I was hoping to have some fun with them before they're disposed of. Such a shame.
"I'll be home in an hour." I lied. Not giving it time to respond, I immediately hung up.
Breathing in and out, my body and mind began slowing down. Fertilizer, this isn't like you. You're much more patient than this. Yes.... Why spoil yourself with side dishes when the main course is about to begin.
Calming down, I let myself bask in the moonlight as the HARVEST insignia engraved in my ring glowed ever so brightly.