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Looking back, Naomi has never thought her life would go in this kind of direction.
She has always been so mission-oriented. After all, that’s why she’s created. Everything that she’s been doing is all to fulfill her mission, as the first Nean. The name “First” is such a lame name, to be honest, but that name is also enough to tell who she actually is. Perhaps that’s why she isn’t really fond of that name and gets aggravated whenever Cyan calls her that instead of Naomi. She likes that name—Naomi—it sounds natural, and she would prefer people to continue to call her as such instead of the boring name that her bosses gave to her.
Living her life for a long while as Nean gives her a privilege of time—a lot of time compared to other Neans to observe her surroundings, and learn. About humans, about Neans, about the world, about everything that’s important. But she always works alone. She makes companions every now and then because of how well she blends with humans and how lively she is, but she never had any plan of making a permanent partnership with any of them. Naturally, the first Nean should’ve operated alone and without help, becoming a silent observer.
And then, she meets Rouge.
It’s honestly clear from her expression that she’s completely clueless of the world. She has an obsession with chocolates. From Naomi’s observation, humans can have dangerous illnesses if they eat too much sweet food. Well, Rouge is a Nean as well so she’s free of that consequences, maybe. Her listless expression as she bites into another chocolate is somewhat pleasing to see. Naomi cannot help but chuckle, but she has to stifle it.
Back then, Naomi never thought of Rouge as someone more than a reliable partner. A combat-type Nean with a mission to go after the Immortal Nine, and then Naomi would support her in everything that she couldn’t do—negotiations, power management, and many other things.
But when their partnership begins to encounter some obstacles, with them having to walk on separate paths, whether for a short time or for a longer time, that’s when Naomi realizes something that she never thinks about.
Neans seem to be programmed with feelings as well because there’s something strange nagging in her chest—where her id is located—when she has to walk on a separate path from Rouge. When she has to capture her, her id feels strange. As Naomi studies more, it seems to be feelings that humans would regularly experience as well.
It doesn’t take long for her to realize that Rouge’s absence is the cause of this strange feeling, because when she finally has a chance to stand together as partners again, that feeling disappears, and is replaced with a warm, comfortable feeling.
Naomi wonders, since when Rouge has become so important to her, to the point that not having her standing beside her makes her feel strange? It’s so confusing. Are Neans supposed to feel this way?
However, instead of denying her feelings, Naomi accepts them, and from all the years she spent living among humans, she’s quick to learn and embrace such feelings. It’s not a bad thing anyway. In fact, sometimes, these feelings can feel pleasant. Sharing her stories and origins with Rouge makes her feel nice. Other people eventually learn about who she is, but the little moment she has with Rouge as both of them go to meet Naomi’s bosses is really nice, and Naomi enjoys it.
“She can be irritating, but I don’t mind being with her all the time. So, she’s the best stranger.”
Naomi feels happy, and relieved, when she overhears Rouge saying that. She doesn’t expect how much those words mean to her. Naomi embraces this kind of pleasant strangeness that tickles her chest every now and then whenever she is with Rouge.
She doesn’t know if this feeling of “wanting to be with someone forever” would break the rule, but hey, she’s on vacation anyway, right? If she’s on Rouge’s side, she’s happy, and she gets to accomplish the mission. On vacation time! She better get more pay from this.
Besides, it doesn’t matter anymore.
Because in such a short time, Rouge has become someone so important to her, that she would sacrifice everything for her. She’s done sitting on the sidelines, not with Rouge begging for her help after her id is taken away. She’s done turning around and running away, as if betraying her again when she needs help the most. Rejecting what her id wants, and what her id feels, does nothing good for her.
Rouge wouldn’t last long without her id, so Naomi takes hers away and puts it in Rouge’s chest.
Well, this means Naomi can no longer hide her unstable feelings anymore from Rouge, but as long as this can help Rouge even for a little bit, as long as she no longer turns her back on Rouge for the third time, as long as she can always be together, no longer betraying her feelings…
This is just a small sacrifice, after all.
Naomi realizes after the fact that she has been living so long by herself, that she never learns how comfortable it feels to be with someone, to have someone close to you and the person she can tell everything, and dedicate everything to. Is it wrong for the first Nean like her to bond with another Nean, and become one with her, she wonders? Has she gotten too comfortable with feelings and relationships, and being in another person’s company? Is she supposed to do this?
Naomi doesn’t care about that anymore. Even if her bosses would consider her quitting her job, or abandoning her mission, she doesn’t mind that.
The warmth that she feels whenever she’s with Rouge… Naomi doesn’t want to let that go anymore, and she swears to herself that she will not make the same mistake that she had made in the past multiple times to Rouge anymore. And she will do whatever it takes to be together with her.
Becoming one with the person she loves is not so bad. In fact, this is probably the happiest she has ever been.