Chapter Text
When Aruto’s supposed to be a teenager, he makes friends with a new intern. Her older brother works directly with Aruto’s grandfather.
Aruto spends most of his time with her. Ninra Izumi, who mostly just goes by “Izu”. She’s reserved and awkward, but she laughs at his terrible jokes (he knows he’s no comedian), and she tells him about going to business school and wanting to learn about AI.
“Really, I want to work here,” Izu admits. “At Hiden. It’s a wonderful place. So many breakthroughs, you know?”
Aruto raises a hand to his neck, careful to hide his visible seams.
(He is the robot here, you see. Built to replace a dead child. So that no one knows. But that is his secret.
He cannot tell others, or they both will suffer.)
“I guess so,” he manages to say. It’s hard to choke out. “I wouldn’t work there if I weren’t the heir, though.”
Izu blinks.
“Why?” She asks. “It’s the top company, and it does work primarily to better mankind.”
…Officially, Aruto thinks, but doesn’t say. He wants to.
“I guess I’m just a spoiled rich boy,” Aruto says. “I have it all, so I want less. Or something.”
“I don’t think so,” Izu replies. “I think you care a lot.”
Aruto smiles.
“Thanks,” he says. “That means a lot to me.”
It’s nice to have a friend.
Despite it all, he does have an apartment. It would be too weird, if he didn’t. But he doesn’t sleep, per se, which means he’s awake to hear a knock at the door. No one ever knocks.
He rushes over.
Izu is standing in the hallway.
“So that’s what you really look like,” she says. He realizes he’s not wearing a shirt.
“It’s just scars—”
“Stop it, Aruto… I know.”