Chapter 56

Translated by boilpoil Edited by boilpoil

“I really can’t understand your fetishes, Gentleman.”

Scientist rolls his eyes at the sky, and has another long yawn. Fatigue affects the accuracy of his judgement. Since he has been stuck in the laboratory due to Gentleman, he has continued working for almost 40 straight hours.

Right now, he is watching an unedited video footage of interactions between number 199 and the experiment sample. When number 199’s hand is on top of the sample’s head, he can swear the body of Gentleman next to him shuddered, and a moan of satisfaction echoed throughout the silent laboratory room. The sound was suppressed but because of how quiet the room was it sounded exceedingly clear.

The family of number 199 finishes their lunch. After he is full the sample has started nodding off. He is a kid after all, and has limited stamina. So number 199 lifts him in his arms and brings him to the bathroom.

There is no camera in the bathroom and they should not have been able to see anything. Though what’s strange is that the screen does start showing images from the bathroom. The camera is strange with occasional fades to black like a blinking eye. The viewpoint was originally high above, a bit over an adult’s height, then it lowers like the camera was carried downwards. The viewpoint looks down at a child’s body. Below that is a small stool. This feels as if the child’s eyes is the camera.

The man’s expression shows up on the screen, his expression tender and caring. The man undresses him with his own hands, spraying his body with hot water, and takes a bar of soap out and start bubbling him.

Scientist widens his eyes and licks his lips, looking forward to what would follow afterwards.

“You can go now.” Gentleman’s voice sounds indifferent, but his tone is already tinted with a low hum of desire.

Scientist is thinking about how he’s thrown away after use, Gentleman sure is sordid like that.

When he receives Gentleman’s plans for the experiment he couldn’t believe it at first that such a plan would come from Gentleman who is renowned for his coldness and emotionlessness. That plan is crazy even by his standards. To connect two people’s nerves using some technology that would transmit the senses of sight, hearing, smelling, taste and touch. This is quite the display of creativity.

He rejects Gentleman straight afterwards, “a game is one thing, but to become serious is another. You should do something else to move your attention away. To modify himself for a slave? If Director knew about this, he would be more than happy to design an elaborate end for him.” Scientist tries to convince Gentleman with earnesty, earnest because he felt pity for number 199 to have crossed himself with such a deranged madman. He copies the plan in secret, preparing to try this with his own materials after Gentleman leaves.

“Like what you did to yourself?” Gentleman looks over the scales on Scientist’s skin that is gradually spreading onto greater and greater areas of his skin.

“I do this for my beliefs.”

Though Gentleman is not easily convinced. Scientist has touched what was his. He hasn’t even taken his revenge on him yet, and it would be a good bargaining chip.

“I didn’t even touch him with my hands.” I just slid on him here and there.

Which isn’t something anyone believed but himself.

Scientist sees Gentleman’s expression darken even further, and tells himself off for mentioning this in place of literally anything else. He concedes, “alright. I’ll grow an experiment sample as the ‘transmitter,’ genetic combination, growth acceleration… Done. Now we just have to wait.”

Scientist does not last when faced with Gentleman’s threats and enticings, to be more specific, the enticings of this experiment. Scientific researchers often lack a moral baseline. They would be willing to explore forwards, breaking the limits. If you give people a noble reason, a target that is above their current lives, most normal people can also break their own principles. Since for science, for humanity, for the world, there has to be some sacrifice.

It was easy to grow an experiment sample, just that most of them do not fit the standard for the second phase of synchronising the senses and had to be eliminated. Only one of them meets the standard, which happens to be an almost perfect combination of the genes of the two people. He perfectly inherited the looks and the brains of Gentleman as well as the physical excellence of the man.

The sample’s growth was stopped by Gentleman at age six. This is an especially fitting age, both physically and mentally. The sample is 115 cm tall, weighing 21 kg . He is almost at the height of the upper thighs or the abdomen of an adult. He is also comfortable to hold and lift up. He does weigh but not tiringly so; on the other hand, psychologically, children aged 5 to 7 are distinct from younger kids. They are still childish and playful like kids but have started to form their own ideas and thought patterns, and started to shape their own personalities. It is interesting to interact with them.

Scientist has measured the statistics of the sample at first. Under the simulation, derivation and assistance of the smart chip, he is successful with the operation to create a ‘transmitter.’ It can be connected and precisely and concurrently send the stimulations it receives from the outside world in a one-way manner.

In comparison to the ‘transmitter,’ the ‘receiver’ does not have as strict a set of requirements. Being the main target of the whole plan, a ‘receiver’ has more control over this. If he wants to, ‘receiver’ and see everything the ‘transmitter’ sees, and hear all that they hear, and feel all that they feel. He has a method of choosing whether to accept or reject these senses, meaning that if he wants, he can stop it at any time.

The only unfortunate thing is that the effects of this sense synchronisation cannot be stored or it would have made a good product for commercialisation.

Scientist imagines himself in the viewpoint of a six-year-old kid and watching the man bubble himself, to feel the coarse palm caressing and massaging his skin through a film of soap, to clean every part of his body and wash it all off with hot water. Then he wipes his body with a dry towel… A hissing sound reverberates throughout the corridor.

Hopkin is lying in his chair with his eyes closed, but in his mind, he can see the man attentively taking care of ‘himself.’ He can ‘see’ the man’s softened facial expression and the light angle the corners of his lips are making upwards. ‘He’ is being obedient and compliant. He can feel hot water that is just the right temperature flowing over every part of his skin. The bubbly lather is slightly colder in temperature, and ‘he’ shivers when he is first touched.

The man feels as if speaking right next to him, “is it cold?”

“No.” Hopkin hears ‘himself’ say so. The pitch is high and immature, with a hint of shame.

The man continues his actions. From his limbs to his torso, until his whole body is immersed in white bubbles. Then he helps ‘his’ clumsy self to wash it clean from top to bottom. The man has big palms, or rather, the small guy is too small. The man can wrap around the small guy’s waist with just one arm, and feels as if he can tear his limbs off with just a little bit of force, so the man is acting extra-carefully and tenderly, as if treating a valuable, fragile treasure.

Hopkin’s lips perk up in satisfaction. He is mockingly laughing at the man, the man who refused himself firmly after he has requested him to touch himself.

“You touch me…”

“No.”

Do you see it right now? You’re touching me. I bet you can’t believe it.

An isolated space. A handsome man. Space almost seems to be warped far from reality. It has twisted the beautiful and kind father-son relationship into a desire of depravity. Even light would have to scatter and hide reaching this place, as if ashamed of all the sinfulness being bred within.

The small guy is washed clean with a fragrance. He can’t help but to smell himself.

“It smells like lemon.” He creases his cute little nose, seemingly not used to it.

“This is a shampoo for adults. I’ll buy some you can use later, do you have smells you like?”

It’s alright. I want to smell like dad.

The little guy wanted to say that at first, but fails to express it due to embarrassment. He thinks a bit, saying, “is there a smell of custard?”

Bright is blank for a moment, then he can feel his heart soften so much it seems to be melting, while feeling like laughing at the same time, “I’m afraid there won’t be a lot of those, but I’ll try to find it for you.”

“I can use normal scents if it’s too much trouble.”

“It’s alright.” The man says kindly. The parent and son was somewhat unfamiliar when they first met, but after a hot shower, they have started to become closer together. The child is too warm, too obedient, too mature. He is doing his best to earn goodwill from the man, and is tugging at people’s heartstrings.

While he is washing the little guy, Wolfie has helped to prepare a bed. This is a three-room unit, and Bright and Wolfie is occupying one each. The last room was previously empty and used as a storage. Now it has been organised tentatively and can be used as a bedroom for now.

“I…” The little guy is hesitant, holding onto Bright’s clothes in anxiety. He is like a small doggy who is afraid of the dark when it has just arrived somewhere new, not brave enough to sleep alone. Bright tries his best to remind himself of the danger of his other parent in order to keep his wits about him and does not immediately wave a white flag to surrender and share his bed with him like parent and son.

“You’re an independent man now, and you’ll have to learn to sleep alone.”

“Alright.” The young guy nods with a serious expression. If this is what dad wants, he will try his best to do it.

Bright helps him onto the bed, “if you’re afraid of the dark, I’ll leave after you’re asleep.”

He waits for a while and the young guy has his eyes closed. He is motionless, but yet Bright, listening to his heartbeat, knows that he has not managed to sleep. He wants to test him and pretends not to discover that and leaves the room in a quiet manner.

He orders some clothes and necessities with his smart chip, then he finishes washing himself up and brings doggy back into his own bedroom, pretending not to notice the door that is slightly opened.

The young guy’s eyes feel sour. He bites his lips so that the fogginess does not condense into water and falls down. He feels wronged – why can that pet sleep in dad’s room? He’s clearly much older than him!

“I’m an independent man.” The young man tells himself that repeatedly. Dad must be doing this for his benefit. As for the dog, he’s a pet and that’s what you do to pets. When it really comes down to it he’ll definitely be more reliable than him.

“I’ll have to become a great person like dad.”

Despite convincing himself so, Hope is still feeling very disappointed. He returns to his bed, staring at the ceiling with his big, caramel-coloured eyes. He is feeling the isolation of being alone, and as fatigue overtakes him as the night settles deeper, he falls asleep in the end.

Watching all this, the cold aristocrat utters, “useless.”

Failing to defeat even a pet.

Kids being kids, they often cling close to the bed. Since Hope was in a foul mood when he slept the previous night, he only wakes up after 9 the next morning, and what Bright ordered in the night has already arrived.

Hope is still wearing temporary pyjamas modified from an adult T-shirt, and rubs his eyes as he walks to the bathroom. He discovers the things prepared for him, a towel, a small cup and small toothbrush, and a kid’s toothpaste with strawberry taste.

The little guy seems to completely forget his worries from last night and becomes happy. To show his independent manliness, he does not accept his dad’s help and finishes all his missions of brushing his teeth, washing his face and combing his hair.

Bright makes breakfast for Hope, it’s a poached egg and bacon on toast with a side of broccoli.

Wolfie who also wants some bacon is denied by Bright who says he has already had his breakfast. So the werewolf can’t help but mock, “look over here at this family, you only need a wife now.”

Bright is not the kind to let him get away with continuous mocking like that, and points at him with a sarcastic expression.

Wolfie is quite quick on the uptakes, “what. You think I’m not manly enough and looking down on me?”

Bright shrugs, and the little guy moves to his ears and whispers something before chuckling himself. The man also whispers back into his ears with a smile, and the little guy starts to laugh out loud.

“Hey——” Wolfie is blowing up, “you’re laughing at me right in my face, this is too much!”

He can’t win even in 1-on-1s before. Now in a 2-on-1, his performance is looking abysmal.

Oh, wait, it’s 3-on-1… He almost forgot about the doggy.

Wolfie’s eyes are dead. Oh how difficult life for a werewolf is.

Bright wants to say to him, why did you have to mention the word ‘wife’ of all things?

Author’s notes: I’ve drank a bottle of bleach and I feel like I’m clean again!

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