Chapter 14: Chapter 14

"GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! PLEASE, STO- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

"That was no. 9 on the Numeric Rating Scale. Yuuta, can you run the verifyStatus(lemma) code?"

"...to be this calm... Tomoya..."

Status: Normal

"There doesn't seem to be any problems. We can continue for NRS-10. Can you-" 

Yuuta suddenly leaves the room, "...I can't believe you."

"Tomoya..."

"And I told him not to get attached to this thing." Tomoya and Sachi looks at Chisa, who crying and writhing in pain despite there being no electric shocks delivered. "Maybe they made this too realistic. How come you're fine with this, Sachi?"

"Heh, do I really look fine? Just looking at it, since it is based on me, would I be acting the same way if I were the one in that chair?"

"You overthink too much, how about we just take a break? For now?" It was the 3rd day of the tests, and their first break in a while.

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"I can't believe you brought me to a 5-star restaurant!" It was the best restaurant in the country, atop a large hotel, overseeing the entire city. The only people who can afford to be there were famous actors, business magnates, and the likes. Tomoya and Sachi were the odd ones there, but they forgot about it as they were only aware of each other's presence.

"Well, time to use our hard-earned cash, shouldn't we?" Dressed their best, Tomoya on a suit and tie, and Sachi on a cocktail dress, they ate to their hearts content.

"Kanpai."

"Kanpai."

After eating dinner, both of them sat on a bench overseeing the Tokyo bay. The sun was setting and both of them were looking at the horizon.

"This is the best. I can feel the wind brushing on my cheeks, the smell of the salty ocean, and the beautiful sunset with the moon starting to come into the view."

"I never knew you were that romantic, Sachi. You must really love nature."

"Yeah. Sometimes I just wanna quit my job." She looks up to the sky. "And maybe climb Mt. Fuji, see the northernmost and southernmost points of Japan-" She listed everything she wanted to do. "Travel to Russia..."

"I see."

Then, Sachi slowly touches Tomoya's hand.

"And maybe... be together with you."

"!"

"Tomoya... I..."

"W-w-w-wait!" Tomoya's face was flushed. "W-what do you even see in me? Like, didn't Yuuta just said I was heartless or something?! W-w-wha-" 

Sachi places her hand on his chest, "Look. Your heart beats fast. You're not heartless. I've been watching you constantly, you know? I can see the pain in your eyes at every step of the experiments. I don't know why you keep pretending to be a robot, but you're not like that?" She embraces Tomoya.

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"It's okay."

Tomoya let out his pain and cried silently on her shoulders.

"There, there."

"*sniff* Thank you. Sachi."

Sachi stands up, and while stretching, says, "Well! I've said everything I wanted to you. Time to go home!" She waves her hand to call for a taxi.

"W-wait! Let me take you home instead!"

"It's fine, I don't want to bother you. Appreciate the thought."

Before she entered the taxi, she suddenly gave Tomoya a kiss.

"Well... Goodnight, Tomoya."

"What do you mean?"

"Take care of Chisa, okay?"

The taxi left. Tomoya was left alone, filled with joy and ecstasy.

"WOOHOO! TAKE THAT, VIRGINS! I WON AT LIFE!!!!" He cheered to himself as he skipped his way home. Little did Tomoya know that that was the last day she will ever see her.

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"Sachi Tokimura, age 32, was found dead on her apartment. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has concluded her case as suicide, with scattered sleeping pills near her lifeless body. Her motive is still under investigation and-"  

"I don't want to watch this anymore."

On a meeting table with the research facility, men in white lab coats were discussing about whether to continue the Human Neural Recreation Project. Yuuta was on the front calling for the immediate halting of the experiments.

"ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES DIED!!! WE CANNOT JUST CONTINUE LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED!!!"

"It is truly unfortunate, but the name of the institution depends on this project." Said the CEO of the research institute.

"DO YOU NOT CARE ABOUT-" Horace, with his eyes closed, declared, "You must continue the project not just for the progress of Japan and our people, but for her life too so it may not be wasted." He looks at Yuuta directly in the eyes, "I understand your pain, but this must be the way. You two are the only ones who can continue with this."

"DAMN IT!" Yuuta glances at Tomoya, who had a look of defeat ever since he learned about what happened.

"I didn't even notice it... If only I..."

"TOMOYA! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!"

"I can't... I can't..." He suddenly remembered her last words.

 

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