[BL Fan Fiction] Gold Medal of Fire ⑧
"Matsui-sa..."
"Last week!"
Matsui interrupted Arakita's words again and began to speak.
"Last week... ever since I heard your story, I just couldn't... I couldn't sit still."
"My story?"
"The fact that you completed something other scientists couldn't, and that you majored in AI engineering."
"...!"
That was something Arakita had been regretting talking too much about.
However, he had never expected it to lead to this kind of development.
"I..."
Matsui stared at the photo on the table and began to pour out his thoughts.
"I loved my wife. Of course, I still love her just the same even now."
"..."
"We were always together and were very happy. But one day, I lost her suddenly. I feel so lonely and empty every single day."
Normally, it would be embarrassing for a man in his 40s to talk like this to a young man in his 20s.
However, in order to get him to accept the request, Matsui honestly bared his heart.
If she had died from an illness, he might have been able to prepare himself mentally.
But he said she had been full of energy, to the point where they had even planned to go to the beach together the next day.
"We don't have any children. We lived just the two of us for 20 years. And then, suddenly, I was left all alone. ...The sense of emptiness is just..."
To have a partner you have lived with for 20 years suddenly disappear.
I can imagine that would be painful enough to drive one mad.
"I still cannot accept that my wife has died. I haven't even built a grave for her. ...I keep thinking that one day, the front door will open as if nothing happened and she will come home. ...That when I wake up in the morning, a warm breakfast will be waiting for me in the kitchen..."
Matsui choked on his words.
With trembling hands, he took off his glasses and placed them on the table.
"The bed, her clothes, her toothbrush—everything is exactly as it was. I don't want to erase the traces of my wife. ...However..."
A tear spilled from his eye and fell.
"The scent of my wife that lingers on the futon and pillows! ...I can feel it fading day by day!"
Matsui did not even try to wipe away the overflowing tears, spitting out his words in frustration.
"The traces that prove my wife was truly there... are surely... disappearing...!!"
While sobbing, Matsui slammed both fists down onto his knees.
"Please, look at this!"
Matsui took something out of a large paper bag that had been on the floor.
He pushed the teacup and photo aside and placed it on the table.
"...A swim ring...?"
It was a partially deflated swim ring with a blue polka-dot pattern.
"My wife... couldn't swim. That's why she could never let go of her swim ring at the beach or the pool."
Matsui strokes the swim ring lovingly with his hand.
"We were planning to go to the beach the next day. My wife had blown air into her swim ring to inflate it, and she was looking forward to it..."
Saying this, Matsui suddenly looked up, pointed at the swim ring, and appealed to Arakita.
"This! This swim ring! It contains! My wife's! Breath!"
"...!"
Arakita is overwhelmed by his intensity.
"And now...! It has already...! It has deflated so much...!"
Matsui shouted as if squeezing the voice from the bottom of his gut.
"In here! Inside this swim ring! A part of my wife that is still alive! Remains!! She is still! Alive! Inside this!!"
Tears gush out from his eyes once again.
"But if this swim ring...! Deflates completely! Then my wife will truly...! Completely...! Disappear from this world...!!"
Matsui trembles all over.
Tears fall in drops onto the swim ring.
"I... cannot bear... the moment that arrives!!"
Saying this, Matsui stood up from the sofa.
He moved away from the table, turned toward Arakita, got down on his hands and knees, and pressed his head to the floor in a dogeza.
...Matsui-san!!
Arakita stands up in surprise.
Please! Dr. Bianchi! Make my wife! Bring my wife back to life! Please!!
...
I don't care how much it costs! I don't care how difficult the maintenance is!
...
Of course, I know I'll be treated like a madman if this gets out to the public! That's why, once she's complete, I intend to live in a land no one knows, without meeting anyone! Just the two of us, my wife and I!
...!!
In a land no one knows --
Without meeting anyone --
Just the two of us --
Are you prepared for that...
Arakita walks up to Matsui.
He gently takes his hand and makes him lift his head.
...It is... possible to make an android of your wife.
Oh...!!
Matsui's eyes sparkled.