#57 Asao's memories

I got up from my bed and went in front of the mirror to check if I had any external wounds but I couldn't find anything.

I clutched at my chest with a slightly crazy smile while looking into the mirror. There were no external changes on my body at all, however, when I released that crazy smile while thinking about my fight with Asao, my eyes changed, vertical pupils while my red irises were slightly glowing. This slightly surprised me, because it wasn't just any change. When I looked into the room with lights turned off I could clearly see everything as if the lights were turned on in there.

After I came back before the mirror I noticed that my eyes changed back to normal round pupils, I also noticed that my sight became much worse.

Even though that change was only for a few seconds, I was already comfortable with those eyes. But I always thought that vertical pupils are only for small-sized predators...They should only work when your eyes aren't too high above the ground but somehow I was able to see even better than right now.

I will worry about them later, now for other changes...

I feel much lighter, in every sense.

I always thought that there was something tying me down, holding me back. I always had a feeling that this wasn't truly my body but now, I no longer feel like that.

Hahaha, thanks Asao, I am in your debt for giving me a chance to get rid of you.

Huh? From the corner of my eye, I noticed my phone vibrating on my bed.

I went to pick it up and noticed I received a message from Kushida.

What does she want? I wondered for a moment, after all, I had very minimal contact with her and when she tried to talk to me I always answered with a few words. There shouldn't be any reason for contacting me.

[Hi, I hope I am not bothering you but I wanted to ask you if you don't want to celebrate Inokashira-san's birthday next Wednesday. We want to use this day to buy some gifts for her.]

Hmm. I don't know why but I have a feeling that if I hadn't met Asao, I would have probably accepted for appearance's sake and to investigate a person named Kushida more. But there are more pressing matters right now than to buy some gifts for someone I don't even talk to...

[Hi, sorry but I can't go with you. Have fun.] I replied to her message and then threw my phone back on my bed without any intention of bothering with it again.

I dressed up my school uniform, however, I decided to leave the blazer in my room.

I put the phone into my pocket and decided to go for a walk to absorb all of the memories I gained from getting rid of Asao.

...

I chose to go to school even though, there were still holidays ongoing. I went there mainly because a minimal amount of people would be there during the holidays and I would be able to think more peacefully in a quiet place. As for why I didn't stay in my room, I simply needed to walk around to assimilate everything.

-----(Asao's fragments of memories)-----

"What the hell Shiro?! Who is that child?" A tall man wearing a scientist coat, with half-long, brown hair and blue eyes asked another man named Shiro.

"You don't need to know Kazuki." Shiro narrowed his eyes at him and coldly said. It seems that he was the one carrying Asao.

"Yo-" Kazuki had more to say but when he saw Shiro's eyes he immediately shut up with slight fear visible in his eyes.

"That man, he already started his project and apparently he even improved some aspects. We can't afford to lose to him therefore we will try out our own project." Shiro continued in cold tone and with a sadistic smile across his face.

"He already started?!!" Kazuki exclaimed in shock.

"No, wait! That's not the point. Why did you bring that child here? Don't tell me you are planning to-" Kazuki continued with a frightened expression.

"That's right. He will be our first subject." Shiro answered with an apathetic expression.

"Are you aware that our project is yet to be completed? It's not even halfway through. Where did you even find that kid? What about his parents?" Judging by Kazuki's expression, he didn't like Shiro's idea at all.

"He is orphan from streets, he is perfect to be test subject. And I am very aware of the fact that the project is yet to be completed and even if it was completed he would have a small chance of survival. But what will we lose for trying? Nothing! And what will we gain if it turns out well by any chance? Control over entire Japan and maybe even control of the entire humankind! haha" Shiro started to laugh when he entered his imagination.

"...You are practically sending this child to its death just for 0.1% of success" Kazuki gave Asao pitying look.

'There is close to none chance that this child will survive it. If it wasn't for...!' Kazuki thought while clutching his fist.

"I know what you are thinking about...Let me warn you, for yours and your family's future...you better listen to me. Perhaps you already forgot who saved you and your family when you were facing the disaster." Shiro coldly said with narrowed eyes that gave off a dangerous vibe and Kazuki shivered when he heard his heartless words.

"Take him and tie him up to the chair! I have something else to attend to right now." Shiro threw Asao to Kazuki and left, leaving Kazuki and Asao all alone in the room.

"I am sorry..." Kazuki gritted his teeth and mumbled while he was tying up Asao to the metal chair.

...

"See, Kazuki? It has been 6 months and he is still alive after consuming so many drugs" Shiro chuckled when he saw Kazuki's worried expression.

'How can you call that alive? His eyes were already like of the dead fish when you first brought him here. I always thought that there are no worse eyes, however, after consuming so many drugs, his eyes look like he has no soul inside his body. He is still able to communicate but even candies in the form of eyes look much better than his soulless eyes. I imagine that even the real abyss isn't as cold and dark as his eyes..' Kazuki thought to himself but he still nodded at Shiro's words.

"We are getting closer..." Shiro mumbled with an excited smile.

...

Kazuki entered Asao's room and gently smiled at him. It has been 1 year already and Asao was finally able to have his own room, well, more like a cell with a size of 2x2 meters.

"I came to give you something." Kazuki said with a smile and started shaking with a bag full of candies in front of his face.

Asao raised his head and just looked at Kazuki with a dull look but it was apparent that there was slight interest in his eyes when he saw the bag.