The System Of Somatosensation

Leprosy is not something you can easily get. Sometimes you don't even notice you have one already and if you notice it earlier, it can be cured but if not, you are screwed. Me? I belonged on the latter.

I am Tetsuo Ikaruga. I was diagnosed with leprosy when I was 10 years old but the symptoms already manifested when I was still 6 years old.

My parents are both busy people. They are both important executives in a certain company in Japan. Of course, my family is rich. However, I was an only child and instead of my parents, only the servants in our mansion are my constant companions. I already got used to the treatment I got from my parents. They don't really have much time spent on me. It would be really long if they spend 5 minutes with me. Most of the time, they just disregard me. They might hoe bought me with luxurious toys and and stuff but I don't need it, I prefer to have the presence of my parents, however, reality really sucks. They rarely have that time I needed the most.

The only person who keeps on taking care of me is Aunt Rosa and her daughter Sumire. Sumire is my best friend and I was so happy that I had a friend like her. We had a good time everyday and I thought it would last forever, but I was wrong.

Sumire suddenly get ill. When she was diagnosed by the doctor, it was found out that she has a leukemia or cancer on the blood and she was on stage three. My family helped Aunt Rosa give treatment to Sumire but it got worse and it escalated to Stage Four. Aunt Rosa has no choice but to put Sumire on a chemotherapy. I took care of Sumire until Aunt Rosa also noticed the symptoms of my sickness.

At first, I was scalded by a flaming hot water that just got boiled for the coffee of Aunt Rosa. For some reason, I did not feel any pain and even Aunt Rosa was confused. Soon, she noticed that I was no longer feeling pain. Even wounds and burns are no longer painful to me. She just thought I was being abnormal until the signs get more frequent. This time, I was already 10 years old and Sumire can barely walk due to weakness and she can only ride on wheelchair to move around.

One day when I was pushing Sumire's wheelchair, I felt my legs trembling and weakening alongside with my nose becoming warm. Sumire looked at me and panicked when she saw me.

"Tetsuo! Your nose is bleeding!"

That is the last thing I knew that time. I was immediately diagnosed and got straight to ICU. Then the doctors said I got Leprosy in late stages. I also have ulcers and its very impossible to cure it. The symptoms are all manifesting during my childhood but it was late discovered.

Soon enough, my senses of pain was lost and I forgot how to feel any kind of senses that I crave to feel pain. I tried wounding myself just to feel pain. But to no avail.

I was 16 years old when Sumire formally said goodbye to me. She succumbed from her sickness and died. Aunt Rosa and I cried and although I was not allowed to go to her funeral, I sneak out of the hospital without anyone knowing. I arrived on her funeral but my sickness also manifested again. I have trouble closing my eyelids and my eyebrows slowly fell one by one. I wanted to cry but I have trouble.

I did not get to go to Sumire's burial rites due to the sever chronic ulcer. My skin started to change color and my hair stopped growing. I was so hideous that time that I no longer go out of my room. I still crave in pain and other kind of senses but failed. I can't properly do it anymore since my hands contorted already and my situation worsened. My parents are still nowhere to be found during my darkest and hardest times and only Aunt Rosa became my companion.

I was 18 years old when my whole body ended paralyzed and it didn't take long for my body to succumbed. But I hated my parents. I was on the verge of death but they are nowhere in sight. Aunt Rosa keep on crying and muttered that she can't afford to lose another child after her daughter's death. He already see me as her own child. But still, it failed and all prayers were in vain. I was 18 years old when I died. Before I died, I wished hard enough.

"If there is an afterlife, please give me the power to feel again. I want to recover my sense of touch that disappeared in this world. I want to meet Sumire again and if possible, I want to have parents that are taking good care of me. Its my dying wish, if there is a God, I wanted it to happen."

And with that last thought, everything went black and my consciousness fell to deepest darkness as I finally got my eyes closed after all this years...

...

Hua!

I opened my eyes. Wait, what? For some reason, everything is bigger in my vision. Also, where the heck is this? And why can't I move? There is one thing I can't understand, I have the urge to cry all of a sudden. This feeling is so immense that when I can't hold it back, I released it.

"Uwwwwwaaaaaaa! Uwwwwwaaaaa!"

I was crying but why do I hear a cry of a baby? Then, I noticed someone quickly approached me. She was bigger in my eyes but she has a gentle and pretty look on her face. She has a calm and easy going demeanor and I noticed that her clothes are similar to those medieval clothes of the normal folks.

"Ohh... Baby Tetsuo, did you miss mommy?"

Huh? Mommy? Before I contemplated everything, a voice similar to a girl but mechanized talked inside my head.

<Scanning Compatibility of Host...

Scanning complete. System of Somatosensation activated. Due to the age of the host, a few function would only be unlocked when he host reach the age of 10.>

Then, another panel appeared.

(Name: Minami Ikaruga)

Status: Happy

Occupation: Mother

Relationship to the host: Mother

Age: 35

Stats locked: Age of the host is insufficient

I was stunned. What is this? Where am I? The last time I was in was when I was still alive but what happened? Why did I became a baby again?!