Chapter 66 The Girl Named Asaka Mibu
Of course, she also tried to leave here.
But the door was locked from the outside, and she couldn't open it at all, and finally gave up.
It seemed that because there was no way to retreat, or perhaps she had given up, she had given up her intention to resist.
But she was still uneasy about what kind of situation she would be in next, and the fear in the girl's eyes became more and more intense as Mahiro walked into the house, her face gradually turning pale, and her whole body was trembling.
Especially when Mahiro came over, the girl simply closed her eyes tightly and hugged her head.
It seemed that the hard wall behind her was safer and more reliable than him.
Even when he reached out, the girl simply closed her eyes tightly and hugged her head.
"...."
The original plan to pat her head was immediately dismissed.
Mahiro even doubted his life, was he really that scary?
"Forget it, let's cook first."
Shaking his head dejectedly, Mahiro got up and walked to the kitchen, throwing the food he had just bought inside, and taking out some vegetables and meat.
If he wanted to get in touch with the girl, he still had to take it step by step. It really felt like raising a pet. Generally, cats that had just arrived home were so scared.
After being released from the cage, they would hide in the corners and not come out.
In the kitchen.
The rice cooker was spewing steam.
The sharp knife quickly slid across the cutting board, and Yotsuba Mahiro was easily chopping vegetables while also talking to the girl.
Although he was basically talking to himself all the time.
"Speaking of which, what's your name?"
"..."
"Don't have a name?"
"..."
"Okay, I understand. My name is Yotsuba Mahiro, the four of numbers, the leaf of leaves, as for what to call me, then it's up to you."
"..."
The girl still didn't respond.
"I said, you don't need to be so vigilant, I've already said before, I won't hurt you."
"...."
Even though he had said that, it was still a pity that this alarmingly vigilant girl was obviously deeply hurt, and her vigilance towards him had not changed from beginning to end, but it was strange why he kept talking to her.
However, Mahiro, who had not received a response, also gave up the self-talking conversation.
All his attention was focused on making dishes.
After a while, four dishes and a soup, as well as a fish, were all made and placed on the coffee table in the living room in turn.
He didn't buy a dining table, so he usually ate here.
And with the aroma spreading, the girl had a reaction for the first time, her head moved a millimeter, and her eyes focused on the plates of dishes, and the bowl of fragrant rice.
She hadn't seen such delicious food for a long time….
She remembered the last time, it seemed that she was peeking at other people's homes from the window sill to eat such delicious things.
Especially that bowl of hot white stuff, it seemed to be called rice?
The girl wasn't sure, because she hadn't eaten it either.
In addition, she hadn't known how many days she had been hungry, and smelling the aroma of this appetizing food was simply the most fatal temptation for her, especially since Mahiro's skills were very good, even normal people would can't help but want to eat after smelling it.
Her stomach was already rumbling.
However, the fear in her heart outweighed her hunger, making her unable to approach at all.
Looking at the girl like this, Yotsuba Mahiro also had some mischievous thoughts.
He didn't ask, and didn't move his chopsticks, just sat on the sofa and watched the girl's changes.
After about ten minutes, seeing that the girl was almost ready.
Then, he opened his mouth and said:
"Want to eat?"
"...Can I...? Can I...eat?" the girl asked, somewhat disbelievingly.
"Of course you can. Why else would I make so much? I just saw you sitting there motionless and silent, and I thought maybe you weren't hungry yet, so I waited a little longer for you."
However, upon hearing him say that, the girl, instead, had no reaction.
Even in the quiet room, her swallowing and the rumbling of her hungry stomach could be clearly heard.
But she still didn't move; instead, she tightly hugged her legs as if restraining herself.
Thus, the two remained in a standoff for a while, until it seemed the girl could no longer bear it and finally asked:
"...Are there any...conditions? ...Do you want to hit me? Or...do something else...? Stabbing me is fine too...but could you be a little gentle...? If possible, I...don't want to be used for...weapon experiments...It hurts."
This time, it was Mahiro's turn to be speechless.
What on earth had this child been through...? Hell?
He sighed helplessly.
"Why would I do those things to you? I told you from the beginning, I wouldn't hurt you."
This was the third time he had repeated that sentence.
And this time, the girl's response was quicker than before.
"Because...I am a Gastrea...."
As if to remind him, she slowly lifted her head, meeting his gaze for the first time, fully revealing her crimson eyes.
"A Gastrea? Although I haven't had direct contact, I've seen quite a few pictures and videos in the past two days. Without a doubt, you are not a Gastrea, but a human. And a rather cute girl at that...provided you wash up first, hmm."
Mahiro crossed his arms, seriously evaluating the girl.
Although she was disheveled, and her hair was like weed, even tangled in many places, there was no doubt that this child was indeed very cute, with delicate features.
However, after his evaluation, he couldn't help but joke:
"Could it be that you, like Saya, have altered my brain's perception? Making me see you, a Gastrea, as a human?"
Evidently, the girl didn't understand his joke, which was a reference to "Saya no Uta."
Instead, her gaze towards him was somewhat hesitant.
"I...am human...?"
She could hardly believe it, let alone being called cute.
She remembered those people calling her an ugly monster....
It was understandable, after all, she had been called a Gastrea so many times that she herself had come to believe she wasn't human.
It was like the Goebbels effect; repeat something thousands of times, and even a lie becomes truth.
And if countless people say it, the process is greatly accelerated.
"Sigh, no need to doubt. According to animal classification, you are a genuine human, the same species as me. Or do you think I'm not human either?"
"No...no, it's not that..."
The girl quickly shook her head.
How could such a handsome older brother not be human? Rather, it was her dirty self who didn't deserve such high praise.
"Never mind, let's discuss these philosophical and biological questions later. If you don't eat soon, this food will get cold~"
"...Why...?"
The girl didn't move; instead, she murmured as if choking, "...Why...are you so kind to me...?"
She had always been surrounded by malice and harsh words.
For the first time in her life, she was treated with such gentleness, spoken to kindly and softly.
Even her own mother had never been so gentle with her, calling her a monster and eventually abandoning her on the street to fend for herself.
"Why? That's a good question."
Mahiro pondered for a moment, "If I had to say, there's no special reason, just pure sympathy."
"Sym...sympathy?"
"Yes, just like seeing a stray cat or dog on the street, some people can't help but feed them, right? What's more, you're a little girl in distress. To just stand by and watch...I'm sorry, I can't do that."
It was like his first encounter with Tendo Kisara.
He could have just left her alone then, but in the end, he couldn't help but offer help.
"...."
The girl found his words difficult to understand, or rather, he seemed completely different from those other adults.
Like a strange person.
So, her guard lowered slightly.
Slowly, she stood up from the corner and walked somewhat unsteadily towards the coffee table.
"Oh, you want to eat now? But it's not quite time yet."
As the girl approached the coffee table, she eagerly reached out for the rice. Just as her fingertips felt the heat, Mahiro grabbed her wrist.
"....Ah!"
Terror immediately filled the girl's eyes; in fact, there was no other emotion but fear. She struggled violently, wanting to break free, wanting to escape!
But due to hunger, her body was weak, and she couldn't resist at all.
"Don't move!"
Mahiro used a little force and said, "I'm not saying you can't eat, but how can you eat with such dirty hands? Come with me to wash your hands first!"
That's right.
He was very particular about hygiene.
Letting the girl eat without taking a bath first was already his maximum tolerance.
If she didn't even wash her hands, that was unacceptable.
So, he disregarded her objections and forcibly led the girl to the sink, turning on the faucet to help her wash.
As the murky, black water flowed into the drain and the hand soap level gradually decreased, the girl's hands finally became clean.
A pair of small, delicate, and fair hands, without any scars or impurities, looked just like those of a young lady from a wealthy family.
But this was merely a description.
It was simply the powerful healing ability brought by the gastrula virus, which kept the girl's hands in pristine condition.
However, the girl, whose hands had been forcibly washed, felt her hands had no place to rest, fearing they would get dirty again.
She stood awkwardly in place, seemingly waiting for his next command.
"Alright, no need to stand here anymore, go eat quickly."
Upon receiving the command, the girl's crimson eyes moved, finally showing a hint of color—a longing for food.
Even after getting his permission, she ran back to the dining table, wobbling, and directly scooped up rice with her hands to put into her mouth.
The moment she ate, her red pupils widened, sparkling with a continuous, unusual brilliance.
So delicious...
This was the best food she had ever eaten in her life!
She didn't care if the rice below was hot, she just grabbed it and shoved it into her mouth.
So much so that she didn't even need other side dishes; she just held onto that bowl of rice.
Mahiro didn't say anything, only occasionally picked up a few pieces of dishes with his chopsticks and put them into the girl's bowl.
Only then would she ravenously put both rice and dishes into her mouth.
In less than a minute, the girl finished eating, even drinking the bowl of soup he had just served.
Clearly, such a small amount of food could not satisfy her long-hungry stomach.
However, Mahiro didn't intend to serve the girl a second bowl. After being hungry for so long, eating too much at once could cause her to overeat and die...
Perhaps the Cursed Children's physique was strong enough not to worry about such things, but he didn't need to gamble on it.
After eating, the girl stood blankly in place, becoming dull once again, as if waiting for judgment.
This was her first time eating such delicious food, and she felt that even if this was her last meal in life, it didn't matter.
After all, being able to eat such delicious things, her life was already complete, and she dared not ask for anything more.
"....Thank you....."
The girl bowed to express her gratitude, feeling she had to do so, and thus, for the first time in her life, she uttered the word "thank you."
She never expected to use that word to someone in her lifetime.
"You're welcome, but you haven't eaten normally for too long, so you can only eat this much at once. Is that okay?"
"No problem....What do you want to do next? Are you going to start hitting me?"
".....?"
The girl's sudden question made him slightly stunned.
"If possible...could you wait a little longer before hitting me? I don't want to throw up such delicious food. It's fine if you kill me afterward, I won't run away, okay?"
The girl became even more awkward as she said this, her tone filled with sincere pleading, prepared for death.
Unexpectedly, a strong sense of suffocating breathlessness welled up in Mahiro's heart.
Such a small child, just to keep the food in her stomach, spoke words of wanting to die....
Honestly, for a moment, Mahiro didn't know how to respond to the girl.
If he had a cigarette, he'd even want to light one; it was truly too depressing.
Who had ever seen a world so messed up, so utterly awful?
He certainly hadn't. Even the darkest Fourth Research Lab hadn't been this dark.
After a long while, with the girl watching him intently, Mahiro finally adjusted his mindset and asked:
"Since we can communicate, can you tell me your name now? Or do you not have a name?"
"....Yes."
"What is it?"
The girl's lips parted slightly, as if hesitant, then tightly closed again, as if unable to speak. After going back and forth a few times, a nearly inaudible whisper finally emerged.
"....Mibu....Mibu....Asaka....."
"Asaka Mibu...."
Hearing this name, Mahiro's first thought was of the katana loli who followed a certain bald uncle in that anime.
Could it be her...?
Thinking about it, she did look somewhat similar, especially her long black hair that almost reached her waist....
And speaking of which, he seemed to have quite a connection with the Mibu surname. In his original world, the first person he got serious with and established a relationship with was a Mibu, and now he met another little Mibu.
However, whether there was truly a connection would depend on the girl's choice next.
Mahiro suddenly sat up straight, startling the girl, who involuntarily hunched her shoulders, thinking he was about to make a move.
But she did, as per their unspoken agreement, not retreat a single step, standing firmly in place.
However, the expected punch or kick didn't come; instead, a question was asked.
"Little Mibu, do you want to stay?"
"Ah....?"
Asaka Mibu seemed unable to understand the meaning of the question, making a bewildered sound.
"What I mean is, my home needs someone to help me clean, so if you want to stay, you can help me with the cleaning usually."
"Of course, if you don't want to, you can also turn around and leave. I won't make things difficult for you, and I certainly won't hit you."
"The door is right there."
Mahiro still greatly respected the fate of others.
Although he pitied the girl, it didn't mean he would force her to stay.
However, Asaka Mibu didn't move. Instead, she watched him, her pupils subtly fluctuating, and she asked tremblingly:
"Can… I?"
"Of course, you can. Don't you know how to clean?"
"Yes, I do…"
"Then it's no problem. However, I only provide food and lodging here, not a salary."
"No… money… just food… no, leftovers are fine."
"Ha, what nonsense are you talking about? Wouldn't I become a child abuser then? But, based on your answer, I can assume you're willing, right?"
"Mm, I'm willing…"
The girl nodded vigorously.
By now, she had no other path to take. If she had a choice, she definitely wouldn't want to go back to living a half-dead life in a trash can.
Even if this person in front of her was offering a beautiful lie, with a trap waiting for her later, she was willing to step into it.
After all, this person had let her taste something so delicious in this world.
"Very good, an excellent answer."
Mahiro smiled, stood up, walked over, and reached out again to stroke the girl's head.
But this time, although Asaka Mibu was scared, she didn't retreat or avoid it, allowing the gentle large hand to rest on her head, gently rubbing.
This warmth reminded her of before.
It truly felt like a god…
"Oh right, I forgot to ask, how old are you this year, little Mibu?"
"…Nine, nine years old."
"Emmmm, that's not small then. Can you bathe yourself?"
Although she didn't know why he asked this, she still nodded, indicating she could.
"Alright, go take a bath first, then I'll assign you a room."
Although his apartment wasn't too big or luxurious, it had quite a few rooms—four bedrooms and a living room.
So, he took little Mibu's somewhat greasy small hand and led her to the bathroom. After giving her some brief instructions, he left her alone inside.
As for the clothes she took off, he threw them all into the trash can.
They were simply too dirty to wash.
"I'll take little Mibu shopping tomorrow or the day after when I have time."
Mahiro sat on the sofa, holding his head in his hands and looking up at the ceiling.
Listening to the sounds of water coming from the bathroom, he also calmed down and began to plan his next steps.
This kind of crappy world definitely can't continue like this!