Roman Rumyantsev - Cyborgs among us

Morning. Yuki, as usual, went to school, but with a depressed mood. At school, she was popular, and they were a little afraid of her. Everyone at the school welcomed her as a great person, she was the most influential and outstanding student in the school, even the teachers obeyed her. But she wasn’t in the mood to see any of them, they were already boring her. She studied perfectly, and was always more active and bolder than others. But this time she didn’t even talk, she hid that her grandmother was mentally ill. When the teacher told the class with a smile that a new student was coming to them, he asked the students to greet him and be friendly to him. The student came in, Yuki caught his eye. He smiled at her, but she just pierced him with a desperate sharp look, ignoring his smile. She had no one and nothing to do with. After school, she came home and fell asleep, after she woke up, she still decided to eat. Her parents were still at work, and she was left alone. Misoshiru, a miso bean paste soup, was waiting for her in the refrigerator. For its preparation, soy tofu cheese, wakame seaweed and other ingredients are used. Before she could start eating, the doorbell rang. The AI system scanned the guest and displayed it on a hologram – it was her only friend outside of school with whom she exchanged things, her name was Aoi. Without getting up from her chair, she reluctantly ordered the voice assistant to open the doors for her. The doors abruptly opened from the bottom up. Aoi went to the kitchen and was glad to meet Aoi, hugging her tightly. She was four years older than Yuki. Noticing that she was upset, she asked what had happened to her. Aoi was the only one to whom she told the whole truth about her grandmother, not counting relatives. Yuki burst into tears on her chest, or, as they say, cried into her vest. She needed support, and Aoi came just in time. She calmed Yuki down and then suggested that she go somewhere to relax, forget about problems for a while. After dinner, Yuki agreed, Aoi had a car, and they went to a local bar, then went to a nightclub. Yuki got so drunk that she molested married men, but Aoi controlled her a little so that she wouldn’t do anything stupid, she wasn’t as drunk as Yuki. When Aoi drove her friend home, it was fifteen minutes to three in the morning.

– Thank you, Aoi, you are my best friend in the world! Thank you for … understanding me like no one else, you really helped me relax.

– Apply, Yuki, in any case, especially when you feel bad. I will be happy to help and support you in a difficult moment, because that’s what friends are for. Bye!

– Bye, Aoi!

Yuki got out of the car, and Aoi drove home. Yuki carefully and as quietly as possible entered the house so as not to wake her parents. She sent them a message that she was walking with a friend, she would return home late at night. Her parents took it calmly, because they felt that she needed to unwind, even though she had never drunk before and did not go to nightclubs. On the same day, she skipped school and slept until lunch. She made herself a Tamago-yaki-an omelette rolled into a roll. Tamago-yaki differs from the usual omelet in that a little soy sauce with added sugar is poured into it. Then, plopping down on a soft ottoman, Yuki began flipping through the pages of new glossy magazines about beauty and fashion, after reading the magazines, she turned on the TV, there was just showing the news, which was led by her mother. The next day, Yuki went to school, as always, she was greeted loudly and joyfully. But the new student Hitoshi did not welcome Yuki, and she did not like it. She stood in front of him and said firmly:

– Kiss my feet, Hitoshi.

– What?! What kind of nonsense are you talking about?! Hitoshi asked with a grin.

– You didn’t say hello to me!.. Yuki replied with a furious look

– And what?! I have to kiss your feet?!

– Everyone at school welcomes me, and you will have to get used to it! As a punishment, you must kiss my feet. Otherwise, you will get hurt – " Yuki warned with a long, soft smile.

– You better listen to her, otherwise she will come up with a punishment for you every day – a classmate whispered in her ear.

– Come on! Don’t keep me waiting…

He knelt down in front of her and kissed her feet, or rather, her school sandals.

– Well done. Good boy – " Yuki smiled at him.

– Aren’t you being too hard on him?” her classmate asked.

“Not at all, Chiako Kuriyama.

After school, Yuki hurried home. Her mother came home early from work that day, but her father was still at work until late.

When Yuki was having dinner, AI’s voice sounded.

– One new letter has been delivered to you.

– From whom else?..

– The sender is unknown.

Yuki, ran out of the house to look at the mailbox, read the letter.

You will still be mine, Yuki, they will come for you… and take you to my domain. If you resist… you’re finished!

After reading the letter, Yuki grinned, averting her eyes.

– What’s that letter, Yuki?” her mother asked her.

Yuki wondered who it could be from.

– Yuki?!

– Yes, Mom?

– What does the letter say?

– Probably… the door was wrong… – Yuki said worriedly.

Yuki shredded the letter and threw it in the trash so that her parents wouldn’t read it. Yuki kept wondering who the letter was from, and the letter was from Kazuki Kitamura, a teacher who was allegedly fired because of her fault. Yuki needed to visit her sick grandmother again, she was reluctant to go to her again. When Yuki got to her house, she saw that her grandmother was lying on the floor, face down. Yuki cautiously approached her. There was a pool of blood under her head. Yuki gently rolled her onto her back. She was horrified when she saw that her face was gone, as if someone had cut out her face like a mask. She screamed and ran away with tears from this damned house. Out of breath, she ran home hysterically, explaining to her mother what she had seen with a tremor in her voice. Her parents were convulsively thinking about her death. They went to her house to find out why Rieko’s mother died. They couldn’t give themselves an explanation. It was unknown whether she had killed herself, or someone had been able to kill her, but why? Yuki was hysterical for so long that she even had to call an ambulance to get a sedative injected into her. In the evening, Yuki called Aoi. Aoi invited her to visit, Yuki told her friend about the incident. Aoi was her mental “medicine” at the moment. Her speech flowed like a balm. Yuki was not herself, she could not move away from what was happening. She didn’t eat anything, didn’t sleep well, and often began to have nightmares. Aoi slowly walked over to the sideboard, reached up to the top shelf to get a bottle of expensive wine and two glasses, then in the luxurious living room, she put it on the coffee table next to the sofa in front of Yuki. She offered a little drink to her tired, exhausted girlfriend, her face was devoid of any expression, slowly nodding, she agreed to drink a couple of glasses with her beloved girlfriend. She was quietly crying, dissolving into the calm and in the light, gentle embrace of Aoi. It warmed her body and soul. Slightly drunk, Yuki was so used to her that she didn’t want to leave her. But Aoi had a husband who didn’t like guests, and she had to go home.

It was April, Yuki was entering the 10th grade. Schoolgirls change long skirts to shorter ones as they grow up, as is customary in Japanese schools. In total, there were 12 classes in schools. In the evening, Yuki and Aoi celebrated her admission to the 10th grade in the maid cafe. Maid cafes are places where you can see a waitress in a maid’s uniform, she can feed you with a spoon, you can chat with her and even play board or video games. During a noisy, cheerful conversation with Aoi at the table, Yuki’s phone vibrated, it was a message. Turning on the phone, she read the following: