Chapter 99: 5.10

"I will take care of you."

"Huh?"

Sakuma's heart was beating faster when Amano-San told him that he would take care of him. He wasn't expecting this. Based on his data, Amano-San was a rugged man, who had been tempered by the harsh reality of life and was stomped by the higher power once he voiced justice. 

He thought, Amano-San would just leave him like this. This was the harsh world they were living with after all, you have to fend for yourself or you would die. Nobody would be willing to help you constantly. 

Sakuma had his mission in mind, his mission right now was to clear the doubt in Amano-San's heart, then he would proceed to his next step. 

Amano-San smiled gently at him and said, "You are working too hard helping the people. Even a hero needs a rest, wait a minute, I will go outside and buy you stuff to help you recover faster." 

'A hero…' 

Yukio used the transporter and left the lab, he returned twenty minutes later with a container of takeaway warm porridge and flu medicine. He prepared the warm soup in a bowl and sat at the edge of Sakuma's bed. 

Sakuma watched Amano-San who propped his body and sat him with a pillow on his back. Amano-San stirred the porridge with a spoon and then tried to spoon fed Sakuma. 

Sakuma opened his mouth obediently and ate the warm porridge. It was just a regular chicken porridge to warm the stomach, but for him, it also warmed his heart. He kept staring at Amano-San, his long, dishevelled hair covered his face, so Amano-San carefully brushed his hair back and then continued feeding him.

He obediently ate everything until there was nothing left in the bowl. Yukio opened a bottle of water and let Sakuma drink the medicine. After it was all done, Yukio told Sakuma to rest and sleep earlier, "You will feel better tomorrow."

"Amano-San…" Sakuma called him.

"What?"

"Why are you taking care of me?" Sakuma asked, "You can just leave me alone and do your own thing. We barely know each other… no, you barely know me, Amano-San."

"Tsk, tsk, this young man," Yukio laughed and patted Sakuma's back, "What are you talking about? It is natural to take care of the younger ones, besides, we are partners, right? I don't want my partner to get sick." 

It took Sakuma a few minutes until he realized that Amano-San's palm was still on his back. It radiated the heat, the warmth that he wanted. For the first time in his life, he didn't feel scared when someone touched him. 

He stared at Amano-San's gentle smile, Amano-San was indeed a rugged man, his face showed the trace of exhaustion even after that body modification. He was only thirty one years old, but maybe the trace of overworking took toll on his youth, he looked tired, a bit haggard, though he still looked handsome. 

Maybe that exhaustion was also the trace of Amano-San being dumped by rotten higher ups, who silenced him for speaking about justice for the people. Amano-San should be like him, repulsed by human touch, disgusted by the rotten society, and should be turned into a practical, yet cruel man.

But, Amano-San kept his gentle smile and worked hard as a thankless vigilante to help people. When Sakuma first noticed this guy, he thought that this person was quite fascinating. Because he would always help people, even if those people didn't appreciate his help.

Sakuma noticed a fair difference between them.

Amano-San was genuine, but he was not.

And Sakuma realized that he wanted this genuine person to stay longer, more than what he predicted. He wanted to have a genuine person to stay and shared his warmth to his cold heart. 

[Pupa: Ding! Fatemeter increases to 55%.]

Yunyu was not surprised with the Fatemeter increase anymore. But he still wondered about the Breakmeter. It was still a big, fat, zero.

[What should I do to trigger his Breakmeter though? He asked for companionship, and I gave him one. I feel like he has something more in his heart, something more complex.]

[Pupa: I have the same feeling, but I also cannot discern what kind of companionship he wants.]

"I will be leaving then," Yukio said. He stood from the bed, but Sakuma caught his hand immediately. Yukio turned his head and his eyes met with Sakuma's violet eyes, "What is it? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere? Want me to buy you something?" 

"Don't… leave…" Sakuma begged. He lowered his eyes once he said that, and then continued, "Amano-San, I… I am still feeling unwell. Can you stay here for a moment?" 

"Okay, I will wait until you fall asleep."

Yukio sat on the sofa, while Sakuma was covered in a blanket on his bed. Sakuma closed his eyes, but he peeked on Amano-San from time to time, he wanted to make sure that Amano-San was still by his side until he fell asleep. 

Sakuma fell asleep fifteen minutes later. Yunyu was relieved, he left the room and closed the door slowly. He chatted with the system while walking around Amano's lab. 

[Sakuma is really a good boy. He is working hard to monitor Neo Yokto until he gets sick. I feel bad for accusing him. I seriously thought that he was the one who sent the android to attack me and Mamoru yesterday.]

[Pupa: Well, based on his character background, he is a genius, but a lonely guy who just wants a companionship. Until the end of his life, he didn't do anything that harmed people. At least, he didn't think about it, even if he could.]

[But then, who is the attacker? I'm sure that the master of that android is not a regular person.]

While Yunyu was walking around the lab, he started to get used to this bunch of androids doing their duties like maids and butlers. They were almost human-like, but once you touched their skin, it was either made of high tech silicon or cold metal, so you would know immediately if they were android or a real human. 

But then, he found something that was a bit odd. 

With his eyes, he could see few combatant androids in this lab also had the same core machine planted inside their heart as the android who attacked him. And he was really certain that it was the exact same model.

[This, how could it be—]

The combatant androids whom Yunyu had scanned turned their heads at him immediately, as if they were controlled by something. Then, a floating ball appeared in front of Yunyu, it was W41-FU, Sakuma's AI, "Sir Amano, my Master is currently sleeping, please refrain from walking around the lab without supervision, please leave now or I will have to act upon my own consideration."