EASRS: Joke Or Love My
Chapter 2
Four days later…
Southern Bōsō Peninsula.
Between low mountains blanketed in dense, emerald-green forests where no human presence could be felt, humid air clung faintly to the leaves. The wilderness seemed untouched—silent, breathing slowly, as if time itself had chosen to avoid this place.
And yet, hidden deep among the trees, a massive concrete structure stood.
A hospital—no, something closer to a fortress.
Layer upon layer of reinforced concrete blocks stacked together like defensive walls, its brutal geometry sharply contrasted with the surrounding forest. Vines and moss crept across its surface, the result of years spent concealed beneath the canopy. Nature had not reclaimed it; instead, it had wrapped around it, as if accepting its presence in reluctant silence.
From the inside, the facility resembled an ordinary hospital.
Long corridors.
White-coated staff walking with practiced efficiency.
Security personnel stationed at regular intervals.
Rooms labeled neatly with numbers and letters.
Yet something felt unmistakably wrong.
There was nothing on the walls that suggested this place belonged to Japan.
No national markings.
No language identifiers.
No cultural symbols.
Only employee ID cards—each stamped with a single, crude line of black text:
EASRS Foundation
Endure. Adapt. Secure. Restrain. Survive.
---
Inside one of the infirmary rooms, a pair of golden eyes slowly opened.
The girl stared upward, unfocused at first, then gradually aware of her surroundings. White flooring. Bare concrete walls. The sterile smell of disinfectant.
Rows of steel-framed hospital beds lined the room, placed close together.
And yet—
She was alone.
No doctors.
No nurses.
No other patients.
Only her.
An IV needle was embedded in her arm, clear liquid flowing steadily into her body—nutrients, not medicine. She raised a hand to her head, wincing slightly as a dull ache spread through her skull. The lingering aftereffects of sedatives.
Her amber eyes drifted toward the window.
Beyond the thick glass and the forest canopy, the Pacific Ocean stretched out in the distance. Calm. Empty. Not a single boat disturbed its blue surface. Cold water shimmered faintly behind the mountains of the Chiba Peninsula.
Then her gaze shifted to the door.
A white sliding door.
Too solid.
Too sealed.
It looked less like a hospital door and more like the entrance to a cell. No window. Just smooth white steel and a narrow seam where it would slide open.
A soft mechanical sound followed.
The door slowly slid aside.
A man stepped inside.
He was tall—around 1.9 meters. Pale skin marked with age spots and wrinkles. His brown hair was messy, like a crow's nest, and his beard had turned gray enough to make him look closer to seventy than his actual age. He wore a white lab coat.
The girl's eyes narrowed instantly.
Hostile.
Measuring.
The man noticed.
Without hesitation, he raised both hands, palms open, deliberately showing that he carried no weapons. No concealed objects. No threat.
The girl studied his rough, calloused hands. Then his coat pockets—no bulge, no weight pulling them down.
After a long pause, she slowly nodded.
Permission.
The man exhaled quietly in relief and stepped closer, the sound of his leather shoes echoing softly against the floor. As he moved to sit on the bed beside her, he caught her gaze again.
Despite her small size, her eyes were sharp.
Not a child's eyes.
They were the eyes of a wolf, warning an intruder that he was crossing into her territory.
Understanding immediately, the man stopped, adjusted, and instead sat on the neighboring bed.
Only then did the girl relax—just a little.
His voice was warm, yet carried a subtle authority, the kind that came from someone long accustomed to standing above others.
David
> "My name is David Pendragon.
Here, they usually call me 13_4.
Are you hungry, little one?"
The girl stared into his blue eyes for a moment, then nodded.
She could speak—probably—but something was wrong with her throat. Damaged. Unused.
David observed her carefully, then stood and walked toward the door.
Without hesitation, the girl ripped the IV needle from her arm.
Blood seeped out.
She didn't care.
She moved aside and climbed onto the bed, waiting.
Moments later, David returned, carrying a steel food tray.
Rice.
Boiled pork.
Tomato-stirred potatoes.
A glass of honey lemon water.
And a sweet red apple.
An extravagant meal.
In a post-war Japan still clawing its way out of hunger—even in 1955, the dawn of economic recovery—this was food most families could only dream of.
The girl's eyes lit up.
She snatched the tray and spoon without ceremony and began shoveling food into her mouth, eating as if she had been starving for years.
David flinched slightly at her ferocity, then simply watched.
When she finished and drained the glass of honey water, he spoke again, his European accent deep and resonant.
David
> "Are you still hungry?
If you want more, I can bring it."
She pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth, testing sounds—forcing her vocal cords to work again after years of silence.
Then, a voice emerged.
Low.
Hoarse.
Deeper than that of most adult men.
It sounded lifeless—like someone already halfway to the grave.
The Girl
> "No… thank you…
For the meal."
David was surprised.
He had expected damage—but not this severe. It was clear her throat hadn't been used in a very long time.
Gently, he extended a hand, as if offering a deal, and spoke carefully, trying to appear as friendly as possible.
David
> "Would you like to stay with me?
I can give you whatever you want."
Her eyes narrowed again.
Suspicion.
But after a moment of thought, something changed.
The gaze of a frightened child faded—replaced by the calculating eyes of an old fox, pretending to be innocent.
Slowly, she nodded.
David smiled faintly.
He recognized that look.
She was like him—clever, sharp, dangerous—but had never been given the chance to use her mind, trapped instead in slums and ignorance.
His voice softened.
David
> "Then your name will be Sora.
Your hair reminds me of the sky…
That blue suits you beautifully.
And you may call me whatever you like."
---
[To be continued]