After Yuki left, Masachika prepares to go to work.
"Alya, do you want to take a shower?"
Aida immediately responds for Alya. "This body features self-cleaning and self-maintenance functions. No shower is required. However, if Owner wish to make love in the shower with the Host-"
"No no no, please let my scrotum replenish my cum reserve first. Besides, I have to conserve some energy for my work later." Masachika quickly replied, trying to turn the heat down before his work starts.
"Understood. The Host understands your needs and priorities well. The Host looks forward to being used again by the Owner." Aida replied.
Masachika deepened his resolve to reclaim Alya's other brain parts, in order to be able to talk properly to her again.
He takes a quick shower while Alya takes out her clothes and supplies from the black suitcase Yuki brought, wearing them immediately.
After Masachika steps out of the bathroom, his jaw dropped as his eyes looked upon Alya's attire.
A white dress with black corset, knee-long frilly blue skirt, black arm sleeves, skin-tight black fishnet stocking, and dark blue boots.
As cherry on top, her hair is tied into ponytail with a cute fluffy red ribbon.
"Holy... I... You had that fancy dress all this time!?" Masachika exclaimed after being frozen with awe for a few seconds.
"This attire is a gift, tailor made by Oracle fleet official outfitting division." Aida explained.
"Fuck, the aliens sure know their drip..." Masachika said.
After wearing his work uniform, Masachika prepares to go to work.
"The Host wish to come with you to your workplace, Owner." Aida notified him.
Masachika prepares to turn her down, but before he can say anything, Alya hugs him tight and looks him straight at his eye, like a puppy who don't want to be separated from its owner.
"...Fine. But you should stay silent or else you'll gain attention." He warned her, succumbing to her persuasion.
Aida immediately changes her tone, mimicking Alya's voice perfectly. "How about this? Do I sound like Alya now?"
"YOU CAN DO THAT?!" He said, shocked at Aida's capability to mimic Alya's voice and speech.
"The Host didn't come up with the idea, and neither Ms. Yuki or the Owner ever asked about this before."
"Right... I thought the AI core is like a disability aid for her missing brain part and nothing more." Masachika said as he realized his assumption is wrong. "Damn you, Stephen Hawking."
"Anyway, let's get going, I don't want to be late or else that shitty boss will give me a salary cut."
Masachika opens the door and the usual putrid smell from the neighborhood begins to fill his nose.
"Yesterday was so great I forgot about the horrible stench this place has."
Some gunshots and screams can be heard clearly coming from different directions.
"This neighborhood is really fucked up. This is worse than slums I see in games I played." Alya commented on the scenery.
"At least it makes the rent cheap as fuck without any neighbors around." Masachika said to cheer her up.
Alya, thorugh Aida, conveys her feeling with her usual tone. "I'm sad that you had to live like this..."
"...Yeah. How the hell Yuki even withstand the stench when she goes back to her car?"
"Yuki-san has a premium nose filter equipped, seeing how protective she is towards her baby." Alya explained. "No need to worry about me, since I don't even need to breathe. I only simulate the act of breathing."
"You have to pay just to breathe properly now?" Masachika asked in mild shock.
Alya, with Aida's help on current explains further while handing him a nose filter.
"More than 2 billion people lives in the Quarantine Zone right now, so fresh air and free space are luxuries now."
"Humans are not meant to live packed so closely, densely together after all."
"If only they agreed to the Oracle fleet's demands..."
Masachika ponders on Alya's statement as he puts on his nose filter. Is it Aida's influence, her history with A3, or her consideration that made her side with the aliens now?
However, his thought is interrupted by a high-pitched beep
Masachika immediately realizes that the surveillance system is warning them of the 'wrong thought'.
"Oh right, they are watching. Let's stop and keep our thoughts until we are not under supervision." He advised Alya.
"Hide your true feelings and don't say anything bad about A3." He says while pointing to surveillance devices surrounding the places.
Alya nods, and stays silent on their way to the elevator.
"Oh, yes... I can finally breathe normally outside... How I miss this..." Masachika said while exhaling and inhaling the air as he used to do.
"That's not the only thing you miss though, right?" Alya tell him, offering her hands for him to hold with a gentle smile.
He smiles brightly upon hearing her offer and swiftly holds her hands while still wearing that smile on his face, walking happily together in this hellhole, reminiscing their good old days and acting like when they were on a date more than 50 years ago.
However, before they could step out of the apartment building, a fat and rough looking man blocks their way.
"Good morning, Mr. landlord." Masachika greeted the man while trying to maintain his composure. He knows this greedy degenerate will try to milk as much money out of his tenants.
"I saw it, you know. I don't know why and how a Central Cabinet member smuggled this woman for you, but if you are going to live with her from now on, you better pay double rent from now on."
"Hey, what gives!?" Masachika said to the landlord with a stern expression.
"Two people, two rent. It's all fair. Nothing wrong with that" He said while smirking at him.
"Would you prefer if I evict you out?"
"And you'll lose a tenant. I really doubt your daughter in college can stay there if you lose my rent as your source of income." Masachika retorted.
"If you do that, then for my daughter's sake, I have to make my money another way. Such as, posting this recording of the Central Cabinet member entering your room to the social media."
"It will be a huge scandal, and magazines will start paying me big bucks for interviews and scoops! Or maybe she will grant me a massive wealth to shut me up!" He boasted, blinded by his own miniscule authority, not considering the power of the government has on his life.
Masachika and Alya stares at him with burning hatred. They already have a lot to think about and this man just adds another one for them.
"Hey, don't look at me like that. You are the one that's forcing my hand-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Alya stands between him and Masachika, gripping her fist in disgust.
"Oh, what a man, letting your girlfriend defend you instead." He said to mock Masachika.
"Let us through in peace, sir." Alya says while looking at the landlord with disdain.
"Scary. But I like that! And..." The landlord pauses as his eyes scan Alya's entire body frame. "You sure look familiar. Where have I seen you before..." The landlord ponders to himself.
"Ah, who cares, as long you are cute and sexy!"
"Well, I might be willing to overlook this and fulfill your demands if you agree to live in my room instead of his from now on."
"My daughter needs a new mom too."
"I have more stuffs than your poor ass boyfriend here, in all meaning there is. Come on, what do you say, cutie?" The landlord says while winking at her and grinning seductively.
"Back off. You will keep things the way they are, or else..." Alya said while staring at the landlord sternly.
"Or else what? Are you going to kill me to silence me?" The landlord mocked her.
"Exactly." Alya replied as a blue translucent energy blade appears on her right hand.
"Wha-"
The landlord's torso falls to the ground with a loud thump as Alya swipes her sword across his limbs.
"FUCK!! MY HANDS!! MY LEGS!!! YOU FUCKING BITCH!!! YOU ALIEN FUCK!! I WILL-"
His cursing was stopped by his fear as Alya points her blade at his face.
Masachika stays silent and still, his survival instinct screaming at him to not provoke Alya right now.
"WAIT WAIT HOLD ON!!!! SPARE MY LIFE!!! PLEASE I WILL DO ANYTHING YOU SAY! I STILL HAVE A DAUGHTER I NEED TO TAKE CARE OF!!! PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON ME!!!! I'M SORRY!! I'M REALLY SORRY OKAY!??!" The landlord screamed, begging for his life.
"HELP ME! PLEASE!! STOP YOUR GIRLFRIEND, MASACHIKA!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!! PLEASE!!!!" He screamed while looking at Masachika helplessly.
Masachika turned his back, letting him perish in Alya's hands while staying silent, afraid of being sliced if he vouched for him.
All of the landlord's sins against him froze whatever empathy he has to him.
"You talk too much. Shut up and die already." Alya said without any remorse or hesitation as she slices his neck off.
Afterwards, Alya retracts her sword then puts the landlord's body parts into a large trash bag nearby, mixing it together.
There is no blood stain. Just the landlord's swift unexpected death.
Her blade charred his flesh so thoroughly the blood in his flesh evaporated before it could burst out.
The air around them only worsens slightly from his termination, a proof of how foul it is from the beginning.
"Alya... That was... Uh... Are you sure you are built as a sexbot?" Masachika said while in shock, finally gaining courage to ask Alya moments later as his fear of death gets overtaken by his fear of losing Alya to her own bloodlust or cold artificial heart.
"I am equipped with self-defense measures per Yuki's request. Do you dislike it?" She said while looking at him and tying up the trash bag.
"No, as far as I'm concerned, he's better off gone. It's just... I'm just worried about your mental state... Was it your doing, or Aida's?" Masachika said, expressing her worries in the least offensive way he could, trying to make sure Alya won't feel like she's being condemned for her action, with a small part of him afraid that he will suffer the same fate as the landlord.
Alya looked at him with a bright smile, not disturbed by her brutal and savage act of revenge moments ago even in the slightest. "Please don't worry about me, and please don't think too much about it. I'm just removing a trash. He's not human." She said while hugging him from his side, reassuring him that there's nothing wrong at all.
"...Alright, Alya. I trust you." Masachika said, putting his trust to her, making sure his sanity and courage won't degrade any further upon experiencing his first live murder.
After leaving the apartment, Alya tossed the trash bag containing the landlord's body parts carelessly with other trash bags on the street.
Long ago, littering would result in fines or even jail time. Murder would get you executed.
But now, the police force is way too busy protecting the wellbeing and interest of the wealthy and powerful that they didn't do their job to common people that paid the taxes for their salary.
"Sarashina-senpai, what are you even doing with the Law Enforcers?" Masachika thought to himself.
The surveillance systems do nothing when it comes to evil, it only responds to slanders against A3 government.
As they pass through the violent lawless street, Masachika holds Alya's hand tightly, afraid of losing her in the middle of everything around them.
The street is filthy and foul, filled with unclean things after trash bags, such as piss, dried blood, feces, used needles, pieces of broken glass, wreckage, rubbles, torn clothes, porn, condoms, dead animals, and insects like flies and cockroaches.
Not a single plant is around to be seen. Only obscene low-quality graffiti around, barely intact streetlamp, destroyed telephone booth, and a wrecked bus stop along with the filth mentioned before.
Masachika however, is just grateful that they didn't find any human corpses or aborted fetuses around today. Except the landlord's, of course.
"Man, it's cloudy again, huh? I kind of miss the sun already, even though I hate the heat." Masachika said about the weather, trying to bring up a conversation topic and break the ice from earlier shocking event.
"You are awakened from Cryostasis last, so it's understandable if you didn't know about the Skymolding project." Alya said.
"What's that?" He asked curiously.
Alya starts explaining about the project in simple terms.
"There is a massive cloud generator in New Fukuoka that ensures the sky in Quarantine zone is always clouded."
"It was made to prevent Aliens surveillance system to see what's happening on Earth's surface."
"It's turned off not long after they lost the war. But not long after second batch of Cryopods are opened, it's turned on again. The public was told it's to blur out alien spaceships from the view and conserve the good old view of the past Earth."
"No wonder I can't see the sun, moon, or stars! And to think Japan was called the land of the rising sun..." Masachika said in disappointment.
"Wait, then why do they allow corporations put ads in the night sky? That crap isn't a good view nor is it a view from the old Earth!" he asked, while also expressing his disdain towards their hypocrisy.
Alya continues explaining to him. "The Skymolding project also covered the night sky. The Oracle fleet possesses the ability to fight and see in the dark, while humans cannot do the same without specialized tools."
"This disadvantage made A3 avoid night battles and is the reason why they doubled the cover of night sky's clouds with light pollution."
"The ads in the night sky is their newest attempt on re-using old war tools for profit. It also serves as a subtle reminder to the Oracle fleet that they are not welcome here."
"It's best not to discuss it further. The surveillance system around us might flag us." Alya said to end her explanation.
Masachika nods, and they continue walking towards the store where he worked.
On their way, they stepped into a more populated neighborhood. But it's only a little better than the condition from the streets they walked before.
They barely sees other Japanese or sane people around the ruined and wrecked, graffiti riddled residences.
Some people are defecating and pissing on the street shamelessly.
The junkies are using their drugs openly, whether it's in a bottle, syringe, tablets, powder, smoke, whatever it is.
Promiscuous, deformed, and unfit women are desperately selling themselves for open marriage proudly, boasting that they need real men to be treated like royalty. Maybe this is why people prefer going to the Entertainment district than dealing with them...
Thieves are stealing in broad daylight.
Murderers flaunt their bloody weapons openly without any suspicion or repercussion.
The hungry, thirsty, exhausted, sick, and wounded, are left alone to die.
Depraved and often deformed rapists boasted of their degenerate acts and sexually deviating preferences like they are holy virtues.
The sand people and darker colored people are dominating presence everywhere, arguing loudly and harming others without care or second thought. They even said horrible things about A3 and the surveillance system did not flag it at all.
"I suppose the stereotype existed for a reason..." Masachika said in his mind.
They stayed silent and walked as fast as they could through, not wanting to garner attention or hostilities from them.
Masachika thinks to himself the same thought he always have everyday he met these people: he is now a foreigner in his own nation... in the place he is born in and lived in for years already.
But, as he holds Alya's cold prosthetic hand tightly with his hand, he now faces these conditions with a different view, because he's not alone anymore.
After they are far enough from that neighborhood and arrived in a street with less surveillance devices around, they start chatting freely about people they just saw.
"I always wondered, why are they allowed to call A3 out?" Masachika complained in low volume.
"They were wanted criminals united in opposing the Oracle fleet. They disliked how their evils were called out as evil by them before the war happened." Alya explained in low volume as well.
"Right now, A3 gave them freedom to stir up chaos in society as a gift for supporting them back during war time and to keep them on their side."
"Not only that, but their actions also made the masses give them more power and authority over their life willingly to A3 in exchange for security."
"Fucking bastards..." Masachika said while clenching his teeth in disgust.
"The real trash of the society are them." Alya adds.
A few minutes later, they finally arrived at the convenience store Masachika worked at. Thankfully, it's located at a more civilized neighborhood.
Suddenly, a blue-haired hideous looking person immediately approaches them.
"Hey, boss-" Masachika said before being interrupted. The man slapped his face before he could say anything once they entered the shop.
"How dare you coming in this late?! And you had to make this pretty girl besides you feel uncomfortable by making her near your obnoxious self! Apologize right now!" His boss loudly scream out so everyone near the store can hear him.
Masachika tries to hold his anger in and calmly explains the situation to his rude boss. "Boss, It's 8.45 AM. I am actually coming in early, and this is not a customer, this is my girlfriend accompanying me to my workplace."
His boss rudely slaps him again and continues screaming at him.
"You dare talk back to me!? Do you want to lose your job!? And it's highly inappropriate for you to call this lady your girlfriend like that! It's impossible for a lowlife like you to get such a pretty girlfriend, trash!"
"I looked you up, you know. I found out you are revived from Cryostasis in the last batch! That means you are trash and useless! You should be grateful I gave you this job at all, you useless ingrate!"
"And you didn't subscribe to the Proud-ToBe-Depraved Magazine like I told you to! Are you an LGBT-phobe guy!?"
Masachika swallows his pride and explains to his boss. "You didn't tell me it's mandatory for us to subscribe to it."
"You should be subscribing to it by your own free will on your free time! You should be actively involved in supporting and affirming those oppressed people with different sexual preferences!" The boss screamed.
"I barely have any more free time, and the magazine is very expensive. I am not interested in it and even now I couldn't afford 3 whole meals a day anymore, boss." He explained to him.
His boss screamed back at him for trying to bargain for his survival over his agenda. "Your money is better spent on them instead of prolonging your useless life, you disgusting straight man! You last-batch!"
"But sir-"
"SIR?! IT'S MA'AM! HOW DARE YOU MISGENDER ME!!" His boss yelled while punching him.
Masachika can only accept this treatment patiently in fear of losing his job.
"That's it, your salary is cut! And you are going to hear from the DEI department about this!" His boss said confidently while grinning.
"Unless, of course... if this customer wants to vouch for you in my office..."
"She looks so sexy and cute... And she looks like that pretty Central Cabinet member who just died recently."
"But it's not like you could ever get someone that powerful as your girlfriend, of course"
"Иди в ад (Go to hell)." Alya said to him vehemently.
"Ah, she even speaks Russian just like her! I bet doing her would feel like doing an important politician..."
Upon hearing his words, Masachika snapped and decides he has to die. He had enough of his boss prospering above him.
He pats Alya's shoulder and smiles while saying "Alya, sorry for bothering you. But please, give him- I mean, my boss the treatment you did earlier today." He said while almost calling him as 'him' again.
Alya nods in confirmation, and offered his boss "Please forgive him. In exchange, let me show you something sweet. Something interesting, A dessert..."
The boss smirked while rubbing his hands together "Wooo~ Finally, I can get some pussy in my life! I guess even trash like you have their uses occasionally, Masachika!"
"Let's take this to your office. But first, please disable the surveillance devices. I don't want it to record any screams or record of this act." Alya said to him.
"Please, this way, milady." He said to her while opening the door wide. "Masachika, guard the door and tell no one to bother me for the next few hours. I need to show her some ropes."
"...Alright, boss." Masachika smiled while following his order.
After they are inside his office, the boss immediately locks the door and switches the surveillance devices off using his terminal, and turns back facing her. "Done. Now don't you worry, my office is soundproof, so no one can hear what's happening here. Now, let's see that interesting thing you wanted to show me..."
"And don't worry, I'm also a woman. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate you in romantic way since I'm a lesbian!" He said while impatiently and lustfully staring at her body.
"Alright, here it is." Alya said while extending a blue translucent energy blade from her right hand.
"W-W-WHAT THE FUCK!? ALIEN WEAPONRY!? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH ME!??" The boss said while falling to the ground.
"Just giving you what you deserve." Alya swipes her hand and cuts his limbs apart one by one, taking her time to make sure he suffers as much as possible until only his torso is left. "Here's your dessert. Your just dessert."
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!! IT BURNS! IT HURTS!!! AAAAAAAAHHH!! ANYONE!! HELP ME!!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!! A TRANSGENDER DOWN HERE!! I NEED HELP RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!" The boss screamed as he begs for help, conscious only because of his adrenaline.
Alya stands before him and stare at him coldly like he's a piece of shit.
"What's the matter, Life flashing before your eyes?"
"You made my beloved man suffer for so long. Now, it's your turn to lose."
"DON'T KILL ME!! PLEASEE!! MASACHIKA!! HELP ME!! YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS GOING TO KILL ME!!!" He begged again.
"Look at you. You are so talkative even at death's door. You are so insecure and arrogant. You want an easy way to achieve greatness and then you chose to be a tranny from an online post, Derek."
"HOW DARE YOU USE MY DEAD NAME! MY NAME IS SAMANTHA!!" He screamed with vain wrath to Alya.
"I looked you up in Oracle fleet database, tranny. You never have any romantic relationship with a woman, you failed as an athlete, and you are scorned for your thorny personality." Alya replied.
"You blamed everyone else for everything wrong in your life, especially capable and handsome looking men like Masachika, for making you feel down and powerless. Instead of improving or asking for help, you attacked others."
"I'm more human than you, Decepticon. I can love and care about others, not only myself." Alya declared while showing him her prosthetic hands opening up.
"YOU ALIEN ROBO FUCK!! FUCK OFF AND LET ME GO THIS INSTANT!" He insisted, despite his current predicament.
"Enough talk. Time to die, faggot." Alya stated coldly as she drives her sword from his crotch towards his head slowly, burning him inside out.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT BURNS!!!!!!!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOUUU MOTHEEEEERRRFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKERRRRRRRRRRR!!!! AAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaahhh...!!!" He screamed as he die slowly and painfully.
After she's done, Alya noticed that the man had surgeries scar, matching the data she obtained from Oracle fleet.
"You will never be a woman." She said coldly before packing up his body parts in a nearby trash bag, not unlike before. "Гори в аду (Burn in hell)."
She opens the office door and drags it out with ease.
Masachika greets her and immediately figures out what's happened. "Took you quite some time."
"I have to make sure your boss got what he deserved and nothing less." She said while throwing the trash bag into the dumpster nearby while fixing her clothes.
One of Masachika's coworkers noticed what they are doing.
The coworker approaches them vigilantly and cautiously. "Uh... Hello there, Masachika. What are you doing?"
Masachika turns around, afraid that their act of avenging themselves against an obnoxious tranny have been uncovered.
"Hey, John. We are just... taking the trash out." Masachika said.
"And this lady is..." John asked, trying to be polite and get her name, as well as trying to not exclude the woman near him from the conversation.
"Oh, she's my girlfriend, Natalya. But you can call her Alya." Masachika lied.
"Good day, sir." Alya greeted him.
"Has... my brother left?" John asked.
"Oh, the boss is your brother? Yeah, he just left." Masachika said using doublespeak.
John closed his fist, and steeled himself to converse with his brother's killer.
"...I'm glad he gets out at last." He said to them, her tone full of gratitude and relief instead of condemnation.
"He always... stays inside his comfort zone, drowning in his dream to be a chick-magnet basketball athlete."
"...Of course, it doesn't justify his actions, but still... It's painful to see my brother living a life filled with vain angst, porn addiction, and obsession with status."
"Thank you, Masachika... Thank you, Natalya... thank you for letting him out. I couldn't have done it myself" He said while bowing his head down to them, trying to perform Japanese custom for expressing gratitude.
"No need to thank us. Our interests coincidentally just aligned, that's all." Alya said with a smile.
"I guess I have to take his position now since he... left."
"Well, I'm sure you'll be a better boss than your brother, John. You are the one handling his job everyday, after all." Masachika said, encouraging him to lead and manage the store.
"Anyway... let's just do our everyday tasks now and forget about all this." John said, already using a leader's tone.
Alya, unfazed by the atmosphere, asked John with a poker face, "Can I get a job?"
"Well, one of the employee just left..." He said while looking at the dumpster.
"But, aren't you already working as a Central Cabinet member?"
"I don't know what you are talking about. I'm just Masachika's girlfriend, and nothing more." She said to John.
"Alright, I guess you can work here, Natalya. There's no more uniform left, though..." John responded.
"Well, just wear this apron and starts working for now." John said to Alya while handing her a clean apron from the shelf.
As the day goes by...
Alya, Masachika, and John has already forgotten about the previous boss, and enjoying the newfound peace from his absence (or rather, death).
Alya signs herself up to be a part-time staff, and she is doing a stellar job thanks to Aida and her augmented artificial body whether it's about calculation or physical labor.
"Alya, can you put that advertisement cutout up?" Masachika asked Alya while pointing to a folded board of advertisement.
She immediately complies and set it up. It's a sexy cutout of a barely clothed blonde girl with a face mask promoting the famous energy drink, E-Negi.
"What an obscene ad. I never thought Miyamae-san could ever do this."
"That girl is Miyamae-san!?" Masachika exclaimed in pure shock and awe.
"Aida's recognition system identifies her as Miyamae-san. However, there are discrepancies in some of her body features."
"...It's probably someone who looks almost exactly like her. A Central Cabinet member doing this would be a huge scandal." Masachika adds, trying to think rationally about this.
Alya carefully places the E-Negi cans neatly on the shelves. However, she wonders why they have to place them in front of the chocolate milk.
The E-Negi could all easily fit into the one shelf, while the milk could fit into the other. But instead, they are put deliberately to block the milk from view.
"Masachika, why is the energy drink has to be put in front of the milk?" She asked curiously.
"This convenience store's head branch made a deal with E-Negi, I think..." He explained.
"Every month, a lot of the milk goes bad thanks to that, and the factory is probably going to close soon."
"The cruelest part I think, is that they would rather throw out not only the milk, but also other edibles or beverages, rather than giving it away to staffs or the homeless just a day after its expiration date."
"I know they don't want homeless people to cheat and sabotage the store to get more expired goods, but there must be a better way than just letting these perfectly good products to waste."
Alya resumes her work, pondering on the cruel and crooked people they have met until now.
The landlord, the store's boss, that neighborhood...
Besides finding Masachika's Cryopod... Was she trying to change how things are, hence her departure for New Osaka back then? Is it because she was sick of how things are? It seems probable.
The answer will be clear once they took back the other part of her brain.
A few hours later, as lunch time arrives...
A lot of people starts buying stuffs from the store, making it a busy day.
They are all attracted to Alya after a customer posted a photo of herself and Alya in the social media.
"What the hell is going on, Masachika!?" John asked him.
"These customers are going after Alya! Just hear what they are saying!" Masachika explained.
A swarm of men starts surrounding the store and starts yelling at the store while looking and yelling at her possessively.
"Whoa! She's really here! A silver-haired goddess! Her clothes and body are just perfection!"
"Natalya! I love you! Please go out with me!"
"Doesn't she look like the recently deceased Central Cabinet member?"
"Who cares! I just want to be her boyfriend- No, husband!"
Masachika recognizes the problem - They are facing a sea of delusional, love-starved, love-chasing idol fans, made mad by the loveless dystopia that is the Quarantine Zone.
"Damn it, I guess idol culture has worsened now, huh?"
"They'd do anything to sate their need for love, including Paraphilia."
"Especially Paraphilia..."
"Making them a susceptible target for entertainment industry selling the illusion of ideal love."
Alya adds, "It's easier to control people who are weak, hungry, or scared after all."
John noticed a lot of notification ping coming from his phone.
"Crap, this store is on trending topic in internet now!" John said after checking his phone.
"What should we do? They look like they are going to storm this place soon and wreck this place up!" John said in worry.
"We have to break the fantasy and illusion they have in their mind. Alya, come with me." Masachika said while grabbing Alya's hand
Alya lets him drag her along, trusting in his plan.
John stares at them while looking at them from behind the cash register, entrusting the situation to Masachika and his plan.
Masachika and Alya stands in front of the store, and the fans immediately encircled them.
"Hey, wage slave! You low life convenient store clerk! What are you doing, holding our goddess' hand casually like that!?" The crowd screamed.
"Keep your distance, dear customers. Our newest employee Natalya has something to say to you all." Masachika declared.
The crowd becomes silent, eager to listen to what Alya has to say.
Then, Alya opened her mouth and uttered, "I'm already in a happy, romantic, and loving relationship with the man beside me. I'm afraid I have to turn all of your affections down. Please dismiss any kind of fantasy or illusion you might have about getting into a relationship with me." She said without hesitation, breaking everyone's fantasy.
Alya then kisses Masachika's lips in front of them, making them disperse with some men blatantly and loudly cursing their act.
"Fucking lovey-dovey couples ruining my day again!"
"Damn it, she's another typical whore!"
"How could you do this to me, Natalya!?"
"I was planning to make a happy family with you!"
"Fine, go with him and suffer a bad boy's curse instead!"
"I hope you will enjoy being a single mom!"
"No one will want you after you hit your 30s!"
"I hope your first born child dies tragically!!" said one of the fans.
The curses didn't flinch them at all. After all, the worst one has already happened.
"Don't let that man brings you down, Alya." Masachika said to Alya while holding her hand, reassuring her that everything is alright.
"And those men wonder why they are always alone..." Alya said, mocking their hypocrisy.
After the crazed fans leave the store, they continued to work until their shift ends.
"Good work today, both of you. Please go home and rest." John told them.
"Damn, it's already 9 PM, huh? Time sure flies when you enjoy your job." Masachika said.
"It's a good thing your brother left." Alya adds.
"...I suppose so. He was... a heavy embarrassing burden, to be honest." John admitted.
"But now, I feel like I'm the burden. I barely did anything. Natalya finished almost every tasks here by herself."
"I feel dumb for being scared at Natalya before..."
The three of them continues to chat and laughs happily while closing down the store.
"Today is really messy and tiring. But at least, I can finally visit my girlfriend without worry..." John said with relief as he turns the store's power off.
"Why? Is it because of your brother?" Masachika asked curiously.
John begins to explain, "Yeah. My brother was an envious man. He hates when other people around him prosper when he is not."
"When I told him I had one, he cursed me and keep telling me to let me meet her, saying that he's a better man than I am."
"He was... an easy target to you-know-who due to his insecurity. It made him the monster you knew."
"But he's gone now, and I hope you can forgive him now that he's left..."
Masachika pats his shoulder while telling him, "All good. I have moved on, anyway."
"I won't let the bleak past prevent me from counting my blessing."
"If only my brother had your mindset now..." John said regretfully.
"Well, I better head to her place now. Enjoy your Sunday off, Masachika! God bless."
"See you later." Both Masachika and Alya said as John heads to the opposite direction.
As they walk back to his apartment, Masachika stretches his arms and yawns.
"...I don't get it. Today feels so... great and eventful."
"I just saw... you know..."
"I feel like a cruel heartless person now."
Alya holds his hand and begins to reassure him.
"Humans craves justice and love, after all."
"I believe that hate is not inherently bad, as long it's targeted at the right thing."
"We hate when our loved one is in danger, we hate when we are treated unfairly, and we especially hate when evildoers prosper."
"Our hate is just the shadow of our love."
Masachika grips her hand back and stays silent, being grateful of her wisdom while also pondering about
Alya then reminds him, "I thought we were going to buy some beverage to fill my container with today."
"Oh, I'll just bulk order directly from that fresh milk factory's website instead. It's cheaper since we are buying directly without going through another party. Also, there's plenty of coupons, discount, and they deliver it quickly using drones." Masachika explained.
Alya nods and says, "I see. I'll leave it in your hands, then."
Alya and Masachika goes through the same route they took when they left the apartment, only this time, They had to rush to avoid ambush in the middle of the night.
Thankfully, Alya possesses a night vision feature, making the process even easier than before.
When they arrived at his apartment's front door, they see a woman meddling with the power control panel of the apartment building.
"Damn it, where did my father go?" She mutters to herself.
Alya approaches her cautiously and greet her warmly, "Good evening. Are you this building's caretaker?"
"Oh, no. I am just taking my father's place since he's out of reach and is nowhere to be seen. The tenants are complaining that there is no one available to turn the power on when the circuit breaks. Are you one of the tenants here?" She asked Alya.
Alya answered, "I'm living here with my boyfriend, Masachika. He's the one renting the room here."
Masachika bows his head slightly, greeting her warmly, "Good evening."
"Good evening too- Oh wait, where's my manners? My name is Roberta Springfield." She responded.
Masachika noticed her last name, and asks her, "Springfield... Are you the landlord's daughter? He always talked about you."
"Yes, I am. Do you know where he is?" Roberta asked them.
Alya quickly come up with a scenario and lied to her, "I saw him this morning. He met a rich thirsty woman and ran away with her in a car. They said they are going to New Sapporo."
"At least, that's what it looked like to me. I didn't interfere at all."
Roberta sighed and looked down in disappointment as she says, "Motherfucker... I should have known that greedy bastard doesn't love me at all."
"Thank you for telling me. I guess I'll just take care of this building as my own now, seeing he disowned me."
"This building is originally mine, bestowed by my late mother. I only entrusted him to manage and take care of it."
"He convinced me that it's going well, and that I should give him some money since business are going slow here."
"But for fuck's sake, he's not doing anything at all for it. Most of the tenants have already left, too."
"I shouldn't have trusted him..."
"He only goes around banging vulnerable woman while pretending to be poor and had to pay for my college fees. Fucking pathological liar... Why do I have to have such a terrible father?"
"I'm so glad my boyfriend guided me properly through all this..."
"Oh, I'm sorry for venting. I'm just really distressed today."
"...I get it. Your dad is a terrible person to us, as well. It's probably for the best." Masachika said to her.
Suddenly, Roberta's phones start ringing. "Please excuse me."
Roberta picks the call up and speaks, "Hello, darling? No, I'm handling my apartment now. My father left me for good."
"Yes, I'll be back there in 15 to 20 minutes. Yeah. I miss you too. See you~" She said before closing the call.
"I'll hire someone else to take care of this building tomorrow. Please enjoy your stay at this apartment, dear tenants. And thank you for listening to me." She said while rushing back into her car.
Alya then tells Masachika her discovery, "Roberta is John's girlfriend. I heard his voice on the phone call."
"...You can do that? Impressive. I couldn't hear anything." Masachika said in awe.
Shortly after, they entered the elevator and goes back to his apartment room.
"I'm home." Masachika said while taking off his shoes.
Alya also takes her footwear off, putting it near his shoes.
Masachika smiles, knowing that now there's someone with him in his room.
"What a wild day..." He said while laying down on his bed.
Alya follows suit after, laying beside him.
"You know Alya, things sure goes shocking, messy, and violent today..." Masachika admitted.
"But... somehow... they are beneficial. It brings joy and also relieves good people around us."
"I'm happy... that those cruelty happened to those who's deserving."
"I guess... some people are best gone from this world."
Alya responded, "Indeed. No wonder the aliens quarantined them here."
"But enough of that. It's time to rest."
"Or maybe, do you want to fuck my pussy inside out now instead?"
"Tomorrow is a day off for you, so we can go wild all night long~" Alya said while taking her clothes off slowly, giving Masachika a strip tease.
Masachika springs up the bed energetically, not much unlike how his cock also springs up from under his pants. "Fuck yeah!! Let's do it-"
However, before Masachika could undo his belt, Alya notifies him of an incoming message.
"Please hold on. I just received a message from Yuki."
Masachika gulped hard, preparing his mind for a terrible news.
His expression turned serious as he asked her, "What did she say?"
Alya then proceeds to tell him the summary of Yuki's message, "She told us to prepare ourselves and sleep early. She is going to pick us up to meet the aliens tomorrow morning at 4 AM."
"...So the time has come, huh?" Masachika said, wondering what tomorrow has in store for him.
Notes:
Paraphilia: experience of recurring or intense sexual arousal to atypical objects, places, situations, fantasies, behaviors, or individuals; sexual interest in anything other than a legally consenting human partner. The term comes from the Greek παρά (para), meaning "other" or "outside of", and φιλία (-philia), meaning "loving".