Chapter Fifteen : Mei's "mother" complex
The Perspective of Mei Hatsumi
The new boy my teacher told me to welcome seemed… interesting.
Very interesting.
His tools, he said, were good. No, they were fantastic.
But also,they were junk.
I could see the seams of his equipment,the literal footprints of their past lives. Patches of what looked like old refrigerator panels, wires salvaged from broken appliances... a mosaic of discarded dreams.
What wonderful children.
I watched him in that moment, the moment he held the glove in his hand.
It was a glove that seemed designed to amplify physical strength, but the methodology… I hadn't seen it before.
A smile stretched across my face,utterly unbidden, a reflex of pure, unadulterated curiosity.
"This is absolutely brilliant. Does this glove use some form of neural stimulus on the arm to enhance physical output?"
I noticed the boy—(Suzuki)—said nothing.
He just…stood there.
But I kept smiling.I was ready, more than ready, to take him, to dissect the secrets humming within that cobbled-together marvel.
But then he raised his hand.
A simple,dismissive gesture that cut through my mental schematics.
"I don't want any help. I'll work alone. Just tell me where to go. Is there a room, or do I work here? Also, where can I get the development equipment?"
Development equipment.
Ah.
He meant the development rigs—the sophisticated holographic systems for 3D modeling and simulation before physical assembly.
Personally,I hated using them. I loved the feel of building everything myself, the resistance of metal, the smell of solder. I disliked any kind of technical assistance, especially from a computer.
But since he wanted it…
I pointed a finger,languidly, towards the computer terminal on the right side of the workshop.
Its screen was dark,a sleeping cyclops.
Without another word, he went over there.
The sound of the rolling chair scraping against the concrete floor—screeech—was annoyingly loud.
He sat down,and his fingers began tapping on the keyboard, a rapid, staccato rhythm that filled the silent room.
I went to discover what he was doing.
Or, more honestly, to spy.
After about an hour of silent observation, I saw it.
On the screen,he was designing something. Another glove, but… different.
It had several slots for small objects.They resembled micro-grenades, but much, much smaller.
Each one had a slightly different shape.They were designed for multiple scenarios, I could guess that much even without a manual.
Furthermore, he had added… things… to the glove's interior.
He had completely changed the design philosophy.It wasn't targeting muscle enhancement anymore.
This time,he had transformed it into something else entirely.
"This is incredible… Are you trying to make a net-launcher with this glove?"
I had seen the model. He was using the 3D development system to run simulations, testing if the design would work.
And in the end,he seemed to have succeeded.
Without me even realizing it,I stood and watched for three hours.
Three.Whole. Hours.
The boy worked, and I was silent.
He looked so serious,so intensely focused on creating something wonderful.
An unbelievable child.
And I was thrilled to see it.Maybe this child would be truly extraordinary.
But then I started to wonder…
Was it right for me to just stand here?
Between what he was creating…the Six Children… or if he was the Father… shouldn't I be the Mother?
How could I allow him to build something like that alone?
Without hesitation, I reached out and stopped his hands.
My fingers wrapped around his wrists.
He flinched back,startled, the chair letting out a soft creak.
His face was mostly expressionless,but his eyes—those sharp, red eyes—widened just a fraction.
I smiled at that.
"You can't continue like this, darling. We have to make the children together. You can't make children without a mother, can you?"
My voice was dripping with a possessive, almost manic desire.
But the boy…(Suzuki)… let out an uncomfortable, low hiss of breath.
Hssssss…
He looked directly into my eyes, his striking red irises boring into mine. His messy blue hair, styled in that anarchic way, did nothing to hide their intensity.
"I don't need help. I'll work alone. Besides, I don't like the idea of a mother for my children. At least, not at the beginning."
He… doesn't like the idea of a mother for his children?
What?
Could it be…he prefers men? As expected, he seems very different.
Ah,but that doesn't matter. Because when I grabbed his hand, I also snatched the memory drive he was using to store his data.
I held it aloft,the small metallic chip catching the fluorescent light.
"Then you should know that I am the boss here. And if you don't obey me, I won't give you this memory drive. Which means you won't be able to do… anything." I let the implication hang in the air, oily and heavy.
I saw him sigh.
A deep,weary exhalation that seemed to come from the very bottom of his soul.
Then he stood up,his gaze fixed on the chip in my hand as if calculating a thousand possibilities at once.
Finally…
"Fine. I'll work with you. But I have a condition."
I smiled wider. He seemed convinced, but not fully. That was fine. I'd hear this condition.
Let's see what his stipulation is.
"Go ahead. What's your condition? I'm ready to give birth to many wonderful children, no matter what conditions you set."
I wasn't lying. I felt a huge urge. The boy in front of me clearly possessed knowledge and experience I'd never seen before.
The enhancement glove he built seemed to utilize a different technology,something alien and fascinating.
His ideas…I loved diving into them.
How could I stop without seeing their birth?These wonderful children? How could I allow myself not to witness the moment they are born?
(Suzuki was feeling exhausted at that moment, but he didn't show it.)
The boy looked as if he hadn't slept for three months in a single instant. His previously rigid face seemed to soften into pure fatigue before he spoke again.
"You must always wait for my opinion. You cannot do anything extra unless I tell you to. Do you understand?"
Oho. So he doesn't trust me to that degree.
How very sad.
I didn't say that,of course. Instead, I let my body twist slightly, emphasizing its curves against my workshop clothes. I felt his eyes track the movement, scanning my form.
But I didn't see any hidden intention in his gaze. No spark of lust, no flicker of distraction. Just… assessment.
So I smiled even more.
It seemed being a beautiful girl wasn't enough to make a man want to have children with her.
(My smile twisted at my own warped thoughts.)
But the blue-haired boy didn't seem to be smiling back. His eyes only grew sharper, like crimson shards of glass.
"Stop acting like that. Either agree or don't. I cannot allow you to participate in my project unless you agree to these terms."
I took a step closer to him. The scent of ozone and old metal filled the space between us.
"Honestly, I agree wholeheartedly to those terms. You have no idea what I'm willing to do today to have her children. So I agree to everything."
Of course, I was only saying that.
I would do exactly as I pleased when he wasn't looking.
How could a mother allow the father to make children without her intervention?Isn't that right?
That way,how could she be a mother?
"Then… you can call me Suzuki, Boss."
(Suzuki) told me to call him that.
Hmm.Alright. I had been calling him 'boy' in my mind a lot. I'd stop that now.
"So, little Suzuki… who will be our first child?"
I saw him shudder. Just a tiny, almost imperceptible tremor.
I felt a thrill of amusement.
But at the same time,I noticed he didn't protest the word 'child.' So my enjoyment increased.
Having someone else with me in this place would be very useful for developing the future.
As expected,joining this academy was a wonderful idea.
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End of Chapter.
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A note to our wonderful readers:
Did Mei's... enthusiastic approach to co-creation make you laugh or shiver? Were you as fascinated by Suzuki's junk-tech as she was? This bizarre partnership is just beginning!
We'd love to hear your thoughts! What do you think Suzuki is really building? Is Mei's "mother" complex hilarious, terrifying, or a bit of both?
Please leave a comment below and let us know! Your insights fuel the story's future chapters.