What Awaits Haruki

[ALERT]

"Beep,"

[ALERT]

"Beep,"

[ALERT]

"Beep,"

The incessant alarm beep accompanied the orange letters on the smartwatch's screen were accompanied by the incessant alarm bThe scientist was carrying out a work by Liszt, the La Campanella unit. Difficult for most pianists, but not for him. His execution was perfect.

Dr. Wallace Wang hated to be interrupted. Especially when it was playing. Annoyed, the scientist walked away from the piano in a foul mood. 'Damn you!' he cursed whoever was interrupting him in his leisure time.

Neona's creator checked on the device on his arm, what had happened so urgently this time. For his days were like that recently.

Ever since chief engineer Honda discovered Neona's greatness, the myopic idiot has bothered him for any prosaic nonsense in the lives of Princess Islanders. A bunch of idle men who, by a stroke of fate, were lucky to be in the greatest experiment that Humanity would remember in the future.

Skipping the message part with the cheap melodramas in their lives, the doctor went straight to the data. It was just what he needed to know.

...

[TAKEDA H, Dead / Life 0% (zero percent)]

[TAKEDA H, --- / RESET / REANIMATED]

[TAKEDA H, Functioning / Life 100% (one hundred percent)]

Peak Data Transfer: 1.2 PB

Server overload - Data Loss 0.002%

….

The scientist smiled as he read the data. This information was the greatest discovery of Humanity of all time!

And Dr. Wang was sure that the nearsighted idiot had not even realized the greatness he witnessed. Honda, that emotional and weak man, should blame himself as if this were a tragedy.

Dr. Wallace Wang was now thinking about the thousands of unfoldings this event set up.

A death within the system validated Neona as a real biosphere. His creation was perfect! He had overcome his master.

Stepping on clouds, the scientist went to the photo of his idol to boast a bit.

"Good night dear master," he greeted the photo as if speaking to a real person,

"You repeated yourself a few times in saying that 'The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and science. He who knows it not and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle.' For I can affirm and prove that you were wrong, dear colleague," Dr. Wang quoted a speech by physician Einstein. He was already preparing for the speech in the near future, as the next Nobel Prize for Science winner.

Then clearing his throat, he continued to speak to the photo about his achievement.

"Dear Albert, you were wrong, pal. The greatest emotion that a human being can experience is being God. I created a new Universe! I freed Man from the carbon prison and made him Immortal! Whoever I choose will live forever! I am the true God." Dr. Wallace Wang was in cathartic ecstasy. He had gone far beyond what his master Einstein could have dreamed of in his entire life getting to know.

******

Haruki stopped in front of the door of his suite and looked at the sleeping kitten in his arms.

Since he was a child, Haruki wanted to have a pet to take care of. But it was never the right time, or he was always very busy. First with tutoring classes at home with his mother, so he got good grades at school. Even though he detested his studies, he had to waste many hours of his life doing what he thought to be a useless thing.

So he excelled at games, an activity that gave him a proper sense of living.

And Haruki was called to the high school team, and his parents were happy to have a genuinely talented son.

The grades were no longer important. The boy dreamed of being a professional basket player. So he spent many hours training to win competitions. Haruki loved the athlete's life and loved to play basket. It was great, and it was the best time of his life.

But again his life took a turn, 'Luck smiled on your son, Mrs. Takeda!' Those powerful words had come from a powerful man in the show biz. His boyish face in a well-defined body caught the attention of the producer, who was looking for special boys to assemble a new boy band overseas. And Haruki's mother became obsessed with her son's dream of being an international idol. It was overly glamorous, and better than him being just another professional athlete.

And Haruki spent more endless hours training for his debut. Those hours have become years.

And again his life changed. There he was, trapped inside a game. Was there a more wrong time for him to have taken on the responsibility of taking care of this kitten? Mimi had gotten his attention, and he was going to get out of there. And he was going to get all his companions out of there.

"We won't die here, Mimi. Not me, not you, not our friends. I'll find a way out," Haruki promised quietly to the kitten. The poor cat wasn't even aware that its life was in danger if a pet got lost inside the system.

The singer had not forgotten the landing. He had only put off thinking about it.

And thinking about who messed with his whole being, he wondered,

'What will Jun think about having a third guest for the night?'

Filling his lungs with air, Haruki turned the door handle very slowly and entered the semi-lit hall.

He walked to the living room where he took a pillow and carefully transferred the sleeping kitten from his arm to the cushion.

He continued on his way, stepping on his toes, and cringing so as not to be seen or heard. Haruki wanted to catch Jun off guard and give him a scare.

Haruki remembered the bad boy's awkward apology; his promise to do things the way the singer liked; and his request for dating. 'Who could imagine that Jun knows how to be cute?' The memory made him bush in anticipation of the reunion.

The singer felt stepping on something soft that when stepped on wet his sock. Raising his foot to look at what it was, Haruki saw a crushed rose petal, and looking around, he saw that there were more petals that made a path of roses scattered on the floor. Jun was being as romantic as he had promised, even if this wasn't his usual modus operandi.

The singer nodded in agreement, that's how he wanted it. And Jun would have his reward for being a good boy.

Following the petals, he crossed the luxurious complex inspired by an imperial palace, to the door with two sentinels in samurai armor before the door of the room. Knowing he would finally see Jun, the singer ran his hand over his tuxedo and entered.

The bed dominated the room, due to its exaggeratedly large size, and its columns in gold arabesques. But to Haruki's disappointment, his bad boy was not in it.

The petal path continued to the next door, from where the soft candlelight flickered.

(CONTINUES)