This is their first argument after being together.
Bright has a cold expression. While heâs angry, heâs not actually that furious. Itâs normal for couples to argue, right? He only wants to teach Hopkin something. When two people have a disagreement, neither side should be using their positions to try to suppress someone else. If thereâs a reason then use that reason. If thereâs not then consider their relationship. What kind of tactic is using their position and power as leverage? Is he trying to force him to physically suppress him from now on?
But Hopkin is feeling guilty! Heâs almost suspecting the chip is failing. His body is stiff when Bright comes at him. Heâs afraid heâll be treated harshly and cruelly, but then quickly indulges himself in the passionate kisses and caresses; the man is acting with dominance and supremacy, unlike the affection and kindness he has tasted before, which gives him a new feeling.
More, he wants moreâŚ
Only when the two are stuck together, connected physically, when he is able to actually feel Brightâs temperature, can Hopkin believe that he really does have him.
As for thoughts like throwing the toy away after tiring of it, theyâve long since disappeared somewhere.
âUu⌠slower⌠slow downâŚâ Hopkin canât help but ask for mercy.
âWhy, is it uncomfortable?â An emotionless inquiry of the man emerges from behind him. His breathing is consistent, as if unaffected, and a title pops out coldly, âmaster.â
Hopkinâs body shudders. He has his back to Bright, so he cannot see his expression. He can only guess the manâs attitude via his voice. So right now, it feels like his heart has been struck by lightning. While his body is excited, he seems to have also been enveloped by a dull pain and stuffiness that he canât get rid of.
Donât, donât use a tone like that⌠Itâs too muchâŚ
Hopkin cannot tolerate Brightâs tone. He is calling him âmaster,â as if better to realise his given role of slave. His attitude seems to have regressed to the distancing and defensiveness of before.
Perhaps Hopkin would have been satisfied with this kind of sex a few days ago, but given he is used to sweetness now, suddenly going back to bitterness is unacceptable for him. Just this morning, heâs still treasured, cherished, taken care of. If even a slight treble emerges of him enduring the pain, the man will repay him with a caring kiss, soothe him with his affectionate voice, to restrain himself for him, to back off for him.
Why is there nothing left right now? There is only bodily stimulation.
Where is the love you should give me? Arenât we⌠couples?
Hopkin stuffs his face into his arms, as if ashamed to face him.
He has only himself to blame.
âWhat are you not satisfied with, master?â
Hopkin is breathing hard. His lower body is getting tenser and tenser. His chest aches more and more.
âPlease⌠donât call me thatâŚâ Hopkin doesnât know what he is saying anymore. He is begging quietly for Bright to stop doing so. The request seems to have worked, and no more voice is coming from behind. Only light breathing can be heard.
After an intensive trembling, Hopkinâs mind is blanked. He knows Bright hasnât yet had a happy ending, so he wants him to continue. Though when he is about to say something, he can feel the man leaving him, resolutely, without regret, having pulled out.
Hopkin turns his head around, looking at the man carefully. The latter asks without raising his head, âare you satisfied with my service?â
While he doesnât use the term âmaster,â his tone and attitude is unchanged. Still full of the distance.
Hopkin feels cold. At that moment, the relaxation after climax, the satisfaction after sex have all left him behind. It feels too terrible, and it is indescribable in language. It is just cold. Like he is placed in a snowfield during a blizzard. It is chilling him from the tip of his finger to the inside of his heart.
He is certainly treating him in the way one treats a master, but he can only feel pain. Why has it turned out like this?
He should have felt satisfiedâŚ
He doesnât know whatâs wrong with himâŚ
He didnât mean thatâŚ
âSor- sorry⌠Iâm sorry⌠BrightâŚâ He has started to sob. A transparent liquid slides down, landing on the sofa and his collarbone.
He is instinctually deceptive and sly. He has decided to use his weapon.
The man sighs; he looks at him for a while, unmoving. Hopkin feels as if pierced by his gaze which seems to have seen through everything. He messily wipes his tears away, and tries to roll himself up, trying to give himself some warmth and sense of security.
âDo you really know what you want?â Bright asks.
âOf course, I want you.â Hopkin is answering by reflex.
The man sits next to him. Part of the sofa sinks, and Hopkinâs body slides towards him. Bright then continues, âwhat part of me? My body, my subservience, my dignity, or my emotions?â
âEverything, Bright. I want everything, your love, your hate, your body, all of it.â Hopkin takes his hand and sticks it to his own face. His cheeks are still reddened and his black pair of eyes still look foggy, like clouds which have accumulated moisture, the rain coming any moment now.
âI love you, Hopkin.â Even if you only like me, in a possessive way, so Bright thinks.
Hopkin is stunned. He did not imagine he would receive the manâs confession. He thought the chip has failed and the manâs hate for him has returned, thatâs why he treated him like that.
âYouâre the existence I most treasure; the most important existence in my life. I can give up my life for you, to fight for you. Yet love cannot exist without the premise that I am still here. If I were gone, then so would the love.â
Hopkin understands his meaning. Bright is reminding him that he is his unchanging main personality and will. If Hopkin had to transform him into a dog, he will no longer exist, and so will everything that he has enjoyed up to now.
This is a trade-off, between self and love. Some people love by grinding themselves into the dirt, and only blooming inside of it. Some do not treat it like that, and argue that no love can exist when even the self is gone.
âFace your emotions,â Bright is questioning all the way into Hopkinâs soul, âdo you want my real self, or want the self that you want me to become.â
Hopkin cannot answer. He knows in his mind that it is the latter, because the former will not love him, will not act familiar with him, will not stay with him of his own volition.
Bright lifts him up and carries him back to the bedroom. He sleeps in the sofa for the night, despite the aristocrat looking highly unwilling to part. He maintains his idea of sleeping separately, as both needed time to cool down.
In the room, Hopkin pretends to be resting, and opens up his smart chip in secret, communicating with Scientist. He reports on what he deems abnormal of Bright, and gives his product a bad rating.
âThis is not a defection of the product, and is normal. If what he wanted was âpower,â now that you have become the representation of âpower,â all he will be willing to sacrifice for âpowerâ will be transferred to you. Yet, if âsense of selfâ is not originally part of what he is willing to sacrifice, then of course he will not abandon it for you. It means he has a really resolute sense of self. This is unexpected.â Scientist is going âtch tchâ as he remarks.
Hopkin recalls the treatment he received as a master, and the lonely bed he is in right now, and canât help but ask, âis there a way to solve it?â
âOf course, by modifying him completely,â Scientist says earnestly, âbut, there is a not-insignificant risk he will become retarded.â
âHow insignificant?â
âAbout half-half.â Hopkin does not reply, seemingly unwilling. Scientist suggests, âhow about you clone a few number 199s for me to practice?â Even through the screen, Hopkin feels like he can hear Scientistâs excited hissings. He rejects his suggestion firmly.
Hopkin does not know he has dodged a bullet, and hasnât laid down a bigger mine in the field to blow himself into pieces when the chain reaction blows up in the future. As right now, Bright is currently sweeping across the floor of the living room, trying to find his missing item.
Through Piersâ reminder, Bright discovered part of his memories were missing. Between the time of him doing it with Hopkin for the first time, and him waking up, he does not know at all what has happened. This means that his u-drive is gone during this.
This is suspicious, so much so that he cannot ignore it.
One possibility, is that the u-drive has been discovered by Hopkin and taken away. He did something to him when he was livid, perhaps drugging or something else, that made him lose his memories.
The other possibility, is that he hid the u-drive himself. It should still be around here then, but there is no clue as to where it is precisely. Now that they have had a coincidental argument, he suggests they sleep separately going with the flow, so that he has a chance to search.
Bright is fortunate in that he started sweeping inch by inch in the living room. He finally discovers the u-drive under the carpet of the dining table, deep brown markings are visible.
Itâs dried-up blood.
In the night, neither had a good sleep.
Because the competition for episode ten is the day after tomorrow, Hopkin sends Bright back to his living quarters in Outer City personally. He can feel the relationship between the two warming back up, and Bright does not reject his advances, even actively giving him kisses and hugs. This stabilised him a bit.
Hopkin reveals the latest storyboarding of the show, âthere will be a fight between you and Alpha in the tenth episode. They wonât let you off a second time.â
Bright nods to show he understands. He looks calm, as if having expected it. Hopkin suddenly has a ridiculous idea â how great would it be if he can know every single thought of the man.
âIâm prepared,â Bright holds his palms in his hand, to show his confidence, âI will not fail.â Before parting, he takes Brightâs lips, sucking them until they turn a seductive red. He grins, leaving with a good mood.
Back to his living space, he greets his roommate. He examines his child and his doggy, and everything seems normal.
Bright logs onto the game with Wolfieâs account, contacting Piers. Wolfie often plays with him, so it does not appear to be any suspicious activity.
Mineisnotsmall: Iâm Bright. Iâve got the thing. Proceed with the original plan.
Bright prepares to log off then.
Carefulyou: !!
Carefulyou: Iâm Ronald. Piers asked me to level up his character, sob.
Mineisnotsmall: âŚ
Bright is thinking about how many tasks are being relegated to this one type. Heâs both warming his bed and helping to level his account. This young master of the Outer City is squeezing every bit out of him, is he the devil himself?
Carefulyou: Will I be silenced? Weak_poor_helpless.jpg
Carefulyou: I can help too! Super_duper_cute.jpg
Carefulyou: Let me join in! Cute_and_fuckable.jpg
Bright is speechless. Heâs even sending in emojis already. Does he even think he might do something to him like that?
Mineisnotsmall: Youâll die.
Carefulyou: Yay! Spinning_jumping_eyes_closed.jpg
Authorâs notes: There is a logical hole in trying to replace what someone wants the most. It is because people will have the thing they want the second most, the third most⌠after the first. Unless it is a complete brainwashing, most of Topâs personality remains unchanged. So Bright still wants to run away, but instead of running away alone, he tries to run away with Hopkin.
At this moment the Top and Bottom are in love with each other. Top loves Bottom in the same way he loves freedom. It looks like merely that Top is being deceived but in fact, Bottom has already dug himself in, and heâll have to face the music once the truth is revealed, becoming less and less in control as time goes on. I hope these are all reflected in the chapters to follow, mua~
(Authorâs spoilers) Iâve read everyoneâs comments and some say to have them break up some say have them stay together by the end. While itâs easier to write them separating and I wonât be splitting my hairs lol but then Iâm still firmly in favour of an HE. Thanks everyone~ I actually kinda like the scum Bottom myself ( covers face )