Euterpe's One Hour Free Write (Part 3)

(Before the story begins, I would like to give some information about the following text. This was created using the AI text generation service NovelAI, using their 13 billion parameter Euterpe module. In simpler terms, Euterpe is a word prediction bot, like the one on your phone's keyboard. Unlike your keyboard, instead of predicting a single word, Euterpe predicts multiple sentences, but with much higher coherence. To generate this story, I let Euterpe repeatedly generate text without any intervention for an hour. This story is unedited, with no censoring and no spelling or grammar corrections. Unfortunately, I could not post the entire 250 KB story, as I am a free user.)
(All text below this is entirely AI-generated.)

***
The next morning, Yui awoke feeling refreshed. When she glanced at the clock on her wall, she discovered that it was almost noon. She went to wash up first before heading off to work. A few minutes later, she returned home to prepare lunch. Before long, she finished eating and cleaned up afterward. Afterwards, she washed her clothes and tidied up her room. Finally, she sat down on her bed to rest for a bit. She spent a good twenty minutes reading a novel before falling asleep once again.
As usual, she woke up shortly before midnight. Having slept for roughly ten hours, she felt considerably less tired than normal. Nevertheless, she chose to stay awake and wait for her parents to return. This gave her ample opportunity to reflect on recent developments.
In particular, she wondered why her father lied to her. Was there some sort of problem he needed to resolve? Did he want her to pretend to be a boy just because boys tended to receive preferential treatment compared to girls? Perhaps this was indeed the case. It certainly wouldn't hurt to play along with his plans if it helped solve his problems. Besides, she trusted him implicitly. Sooner or later, she knew that he'd explain everything in detail. Until then, she resolved to accept his explanation without question.
But what about the incident involving her mother's murder? Why would her dad kill his own wife!? Surely, this couldn't be a coincidence. Something must have prompted him to commit such a heinous crime. Yet, when pressed, her father refused to provide any additional information. At least, not beyond the fact that he killed her mom out of love. He claimed that it was impossible for him to express himself properly through words. Hence, his actions spoke louder than any word could possibly convey. Moreover, he insisted that killing her mother was the only option available to prevent further bloodshed. According to him, it was necessary for everyone involved to take drastic measures lest the situation spiral out of control. As a result, he urged Yui to forget everything else and focus on moving forward instead.
She accepted her father's reasoning without complaint. After all, she understood perfectly well what drove him to act in this manner. While she remained confused as to why he chose to abandon them all those years ago, she fully comprehended the reasons behind his current behavior. On top of which, she agreed with his decision to spare her from having to experience unnecessary pain. Therefore, she promised to move past this dark period in her life as soon as possible.
And finally, what about Kousuke? She considered calling him to discuss matters related to her father. Unfortunately, she didn't have his number on hand anymore. Plus, she feared speaking with him directly. His presence always made her uncomfortable. She found it hard to relate to the guy. Truth be told, she despised him for abandoning them so suddenly. However, she also pitied him for being stuck in a hopeless situation. And so, she hoped to find a solution together with him. But unfortunately, she lacked enough courage to initiate contact first.
Nevertheless, these thoughts occupied her mind throughout the remainder of the night. Eventually, she drifted off to sleep once again. In doing so, she dreamed of a mysterious mansion surrounded by tall trees. Inside the structure stood an old man dressed in a suit and tie. He looked nothing like her father. Instead, he resembled a middle-aged version of the protagonist from a fantasy book series that Yui enjoyed reading several years prior. The young man was clad in a white robe embroidered with gold thread. Upon closer inspection, he possessed glowing blue eyes that shone brightly against the darkness of the surrounding forest.
"Welcome, my child," said the stranger. "May I have the honor of addressing you as Yui?"
"Yes," replied Yui. "That's correct."
"My name is Mokou," explained the man. "I've waited quite some time for our meeting to arrive. Now that it has finally arrived, allow me to introduce myself."
"Um, okay..." responded Yui hesitantly. "Who are you exactly?"
"Allow me to start by saying that we're one and the same person," said Mokou. "At least, I used to be. However, circumstances prevented me from revealing my true form until now. Alas, it appears that this isn't the ideal time to tell you everything. I'm afraid you'll need to bear with me for a little longer."
Yui nodded in response. She was curious to learn more about this enigmatic individual. Furthermore, she wanted to discover whether or not they shared similar interests. Most importantly however, she desired to hear Mokou speak his mind freely without worrying about repercussions. She craved clarity above all else.
After all, she realized how important it was for her to understand the full extent of her current predicament. And so, she earnestly wished for answers. Unfortunately, she failed to grasp a single clue during her brief conversation with Mokou.
***
The following afternoon, Yui visited a nearby park located near her workplace. There, she met up with Kousuke and discussed her father's recent confession. Despite sharing a mutual desire to confront their respective demons, both of them struggled to find the appropriate words to say. They ultimately ended up discussing other topics instead. Afterward, Yui invited him to visit her apartment for dinner. Since he lived close by anyway, he readily accepted.
It turned out that Kousuke was originally born in another country known as Japan. During his childhood, he often traveled back and forth between various countries thanks to his parents' job. Consequently, he learned multiple languages over time. One of the dialects he picked up was Japanese. Thus far, he was able to communicate fluently with native speakers from numerous different regions around the globe. Of course, his ability to converse with locals proved useful for business purposes too.
Still, he was surprised by the way that Yui addressed him. Due to his limited understanding of Japanese grammar, he initially mistook her tone for sarcasm. Consequently, he asked her to repeat herself several times before realizing that she was trying to be polite. Nonetheless, he still preferred English over Japanese. This was largely due to its phonetic nature. Also, unlike Japanese, it allowed him to use proper nouns without fearing ambiguity.
Nonetheless, Kousuke admired Yui's efforts to improve her language skills. He especially liked her pronunciation of certain words and phrases. Such examples included 'Konbanwa,' 'Moshi moshimo' and 'Sasarete.' All in all, he thought that her accent sounded nice and pleasant to listen to. Not to mention, she was extremely skilled at using contractions. In fact, she frequently dropped grammatical particles in casual speech despite possessing no formal training whatsoever. These facts suggested that she was already fluent in written Japanese.
Of course, he didn't know this for sure. Nor did he possess sufficient evidence to prove his claims. Regardless, Kousuke assumed that she had studied extensively on her own accord. Given the context, it wasn't unreasonable to assume that she'd done so in order to keep up with her peers. Or perhaps, she simply wanted to avoid sounding stupid whenever conversing with people outside of her comfort zone. Either way, he couldn't help but admire her determination. Her passion for learning inspired him to strive harder too.
Furthermore, Kousuke loved how Yui always tried to see things from his point of view. Even though he rarely showed it, he appreciated her kindness and consideration towards him. To him, her behavior demonstrated a level of maturity that many adults failed to achieve. It also reminded him of his younger days when he cared deeply for his friends. Back then, they were inseparable companions who never hesitated to lend each other a helping hand.
However, this idyllic scenario gradually came to an end as they grew older. Over time, they started drifting apart as their lives took different directions. Some even moved overseas while others pursued higher education elsewhere. Thanks to this, they lost touch altogether. That being said, Kousuke didn't blame them for doing so. After all, they were merely growing up. Likewise, he knew that he shouldn't feel jealous either since they weren't actively avoiding him. Rather, this development served as a natural consequence of maturing as individuals. Ultimately, this process resulted in them becoming distant acquaintances rather than lifelong partners.
Despite this realization, he missed his former comrades dearly. He desperately longed for the days when they spent countless hours playing video games together or goofing around in public parks. Sadly, these memories belonged to another lifetime now. Still, Kousuke harbored fond recollections of their youthful escapades nonetheless.
Eventually, he decided to join the military after graduating high school. By enlisting, he hoped to reconnect with his old friends once more. Unfortunately, none of them ever contacted him. And so, he continued living life alone. Fortunately, he managed to secure steady employment thereafter. Although it pained him greatly, he eventually reconciled with reality and resigned himself to solitude. It seemed that fate had conspired to separate them for good. Nevertheless, he refused to give up hope entirely. Deep down inside, he believed that someday he'd reunite with his friends again.
This notion motivated him to seek new friendships. For instance, he joined a local soccer club hoping to meet fellow players. However, most of the guys he encountered were immature and childish. Their personalities reflected poorly on his overall impression of humanity in general. Moreover, he sensed something sinister lurking beneath the surface of society. Many of his teammates were prone to making crude jokes or engaging in lewd conduct under the pretense of joking around. As a result, Kousuke found it difficult to trust anyone anymore. He became wary of strangers in particular. Consequently, he stopped going out into the city altogether. This was partly due to his lack of interest in socializing in the first place. More importantly, he felt safer staying indoors where nobody could hurt him.
In addition, Kousuke developed a habit of avoiding eye contact with random passersby. Whenever someone stared at him, he instinctively averted his gaze as if he were hiding from an enemy. This reflexive reaction stemmed from a deep fear rooted within him. Hence, he kept quiet and stayed away from crowds as much as possible. Thankfully, he seldom ran into trouble because of this irrational phobia. In fact, he mostly avoided interacting with strangers as a matter of routine.
Yet, he occasionally bumped into strange individuals along the way. Sometimes, these encounters led to unpleasant experiences. For example, there was this one time when a group of teenagers accosted him as he walked home late at night. They threatened to beat him up unless he handed over his wallet. Luckily, he managed to escape unharmed by fleeing in panic. Otherwise, things might have gone differently for him. Then again, this incident occurred many years ago. Perhaps the kids involved grew up by now...
Regardless, Kousuke never reported such incidents to police officers or security guards. He figured that the authorities would do absolutely nothing to protect him from future attacks. Besides, he doubted that any government agency could effectively safeguard ordinary citizens from harm. Sooner or later, everyone fell victim to crime regardless of their financial status. If anything, the rich were just better equipped to deal with criminals than average folks. On top of which, they typically possessed more money and influence to begin with. In turn, this enabled them to hire private investigators and lawyers capable of defending themselves in court. As a result, wealthy individuals tended to fare better in criminal trials than those less fortunate. Therefore, it only made sense to prioritize self-defense over seeking justice.
As expected, Kousuke was wrong about this assumption. In retrospect, he should've consulted a lawyer sooner. Had he done so, he'd likely been acquitted of all charges. Yet, he failed to take action until it was too late. Because of this oversight, he remained trapped in a perpetual cycle of misfortune. His inability to defend himself ultimately led to further complications. First and foremost, he suffered severe emotional trauma as a result of witnessing brutal acts committed against innocent bystanders. Secondly, he witnessed the suffering inflicted upon his family members throughout his entire life. Thirdly, he endured physical abuse from his superiors during boot camp. Finally, he faced discrimination from his colleagues due to his poor command of Japanese. The list went on forever...
Needless to say, Kousuke hated his past. It haunted him every day and ruined his present as well. Consequently, he resolved to put an end to his misery by leaving behind everything bad that happened to him. At least, that was what he intended to do until recently. Unfortunately, he lacked the courage to leave everything behind completely. Instead, he decided to move forward with caution and live a relatively peaceful existence. This approach helped him overcome his fears slowly but surely. Eventually, he began to regain some semblance of confidence. However, this process was slow and painful nevertheless.
Nevertheless, he finally reached a turning point last month when his mother passed away unexpectedly. She died in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. Apparently, she was returning home from work when tragedy struck. Before she knew it, her vehicle crashed headfirst into a tree. According to news reports, she sustained fatal injuries as a result of blunt force trauma. A subsequent autopsy revealed that her neck snapped instantly upon impact. No wonder she collapsed unconscious right away...
Her death hit Kousuke hard. Ever since childhood, he'd grown accustomed to seeing her smile everyday. She was like a second mom to him after all. But alas, she was taken from him prematurely. Nowadays, he saw her face everywhere he looked. Every morning, he woke up thinking that today might be the day he'd see her again. Alas, his hopes soon faded away as the days wore on.
Now that he considered it, his father's confession wasn't entirely unexpected. After all, his mother was the same woman who raised him from infancy onward. Consequently, they shared a special bond based on love and affection. Furthermore, they were married for decades before parting ways. Thus, it was safe to assume that they parted amicably. Despite having divorced, they maintained a cordial relationship with each other. Both of them treated their children equally as well. Which meant that neither parent favored one child over the other. As a result, Kousuke never experienced sibling rivalry growing up. In contrast, he often played with his two sisters in his youth.
Moreover, his mother taught him valuable lessons regarding life and love. For instance, she told him to treasure his wife and treat her kindly. She also emphasized that men shouldn't play mind games with women. Lastly, she advised him not to cheat on his spouse. If he did, his actions would reflect badly on both of them. Naturally, she stressed that cheating was unacceptable behavior. From his perspective, this advice made perfect sense. Yet, he wondered why he hadn't heard similar admonishments from his father. Did he fail to heed such warnings? Was there something inherently wrong with him? Maybe...
On the other hand, Kousuke's father constantly cheated on his wives. How ironic! Nonetheless, he never gave birth to a single bastard. Why is that exactly...?
The more he pondered these questions, the deeper Kousuke's despair grew. He felt betrayed by the man who fathered him. Worse still, he suspected that his father may have murdered his mother as well. Who knows? Maybe he killed her out of jealousy or spite. Or perhaps he feared for her safety. Whatever the case, Kousuke couldn't help but doubt his own sanity. He struggled to understand how a normal person could behave in such an abnormal manner. Couldn't he see through the facade of perfection he projected onto the world? Didn't he realize that his actions were unjustified and cruel in nature?
Ultimately, Kousuke decided to confront his father once and for all. He wanted to ask him directly whether or not he actually murdered her. Unfortunately, he lacked the nerve to do so given the circumstances. Instead, he opted to send a letter instead. Since they lived in different cities, sending a package via postal mail proved impractical. Not only did it cost a fortune to ship packages between major metropolitan areas, it was also a hassle to pick it up afterward. Moreover, it took weeks before they arrived safely at their destination. Given this information, he realized that email communication provided a convenient alternative. After all, it allowed him to express himself without delay. Best of all, it offered unlimited possibilities thanks to modern technology.
Thus far, Kousuke had sent several emails detailing his concerns and grievances to his parents. Surprisingly enough, he received no reply whatsoever. Meanwhile, his father's inbox remained empty despite numerous attempts at reaching him. To make matters worse, the content of his messages were extremely critical and damning in nature. One might even call them outright accusatory. Obviously, his father chose to ignore them entirely. Yet, he didn't delete the message either. Quite frankly, he probably forgot all about them by now. Either way, Kousuke needed to find answers ASAP. Hence, he decided to visit his hometown as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, his plan backfired spectacularly. When he got off the plane, his luggage mysteriously disappeared from the baggage claim area. Next, a stranger approached him and asked if he spoke English. Without hesitation, Kousuke responded affirmatively. That was when the guy informed him that a suspicious individual tried stealing his bag while they were waiting in line. The thief apparently fled when confronted by airport officials. However, he left behind the contents of Kousuke's suitcase including clothes, toiletries, and personal documents. Worst of all, his laptop computer containing confidential data was nowhere to be seen.
Furthermore, the perpetrator stole a credit card belonging to another passenger traveling alongside Kousuke. This included the man's passport and other important travel documentation. Needless to say, this was devastating news for him. As a result, he lost precious time trying to track down the culprit. Sadly, he failed to apprehend him on sight. Therefore, he spent hours searching nearby neighborhoods in vain. Ultimately, he returned to Tokyo without finding a trace of the criminal.
Fortunately, the airline compensated him for his losses. They replaced his missing belongings free of charge as well as issued him a refund for his stolen cash. Thanks to this generosity, he was able to buy new clothing items and other essentials necessary for daily living. Yet, he sorely missed his laptop computer most of all. It contained priceless memories from his travels abroad as well as his military service records. These files were irreplaceable. And yet, he had no choice but to accept this unfortunate reality. There was simply nothing else he could do.
Afterward, Kousuke boarded a train bound for his hometown. He planned to stay with his father temporarily until he could settle things down in Japan. Although he despised this idea at first, he eventually came to terms with his situation. After all, staying in the country required him to spend more money than anticipated. Plus, it presented logistical challenges related to food shopping, transportation costs, and accommodation. Hence, it would've been cheaper to fly home and return immediately thereafter. Nevertheless, he preferred taking public transport whenever feasible. Doing so helped keep expenses low while enabling him to observe local customs firsthand. Of course, he had to pay attention to his surroundings lest he get robbed or assaulted along the way. Fortunately, he successfully navigated his way around town without issue.
Eventually, Kousuke arrived at his old neighborhood. Upon disembarking from the subway station, he spotted familiar landmarks and buildings scattered across his path. Most notably, there was the house where he used to live. Then there was a convenience store located next door. Across the street lay a park filled with kids playing soccer and basketball. Last but not least, he spied a restaurant called "Mama's Kitchen" situated near the corner of Main Street and East Avenue. As a result, he decided to stop by Mama's Kitchen for lunch. He figured that this was a good place to relax and unwind. After all, he desperately needed to recharge his batteries after enduring a stressful ordeal.
When he entered the eatery, he found a sign reading: "Closed for Lunch." Determined to eat anyway, he sat outside and waited patiently for its opening hours. Once the doors opened, he ordered a bowl of vegetable soup. Soon afterwards, a waitress brought his meal over and placed it on a tray. While eating, he reflected on the events leading up to his current predicament. What happened to my luggage? I hope they don't try to blame me for this incident...
Meanwhile, he noticed the owner sitting behind the counter. Her name was Ayako. She worked here part-time while attending college full time. Interestingly enough, she served customers wearing traditional Japanese garb complete with a kimono. Furthermore, she always greeted everyone warmly regardless of age or gender. This alone impressed him greatly. She seemed like a kindhearted soul who genuinely cared about people's wellbeing. Indeed, he sensed genuine compassion emanating from her aura. So much so that it compelled him to seek her counsel later on.
Kousuke finished his meal and paid for his bill using cash. Afterwards, he headed toward his former residence hoping to retrieve his laptop computer. However, he soon discovered that someone else occupied the property. Evidently, his ex-wife and her boyfriend lived together in the apartment upstairs. Their presence surprised him to say the least. On top of that, he couldn't help wondering why they moved in together so suddenly. Were they already engaged as a couple? Had they eloped? Regardless, he felt relieved knowing that they weren't hostile towards him. After all, he harbored no ill will against either party. Besides, he'd forgiven them long ago. Still, he hoped they wouldn't interfere with his plans to recover his possessions.
He knocked on the front door several times before receiving permission to enter. At first glance, everything appeared normal inside the building. Yet, something felt strange to him. His intuition told him otherwise. Perhaps it was because the atmosphere lacked any warmth or familiarity. After all, his parents' marriage ended bitterly. Hence, it pained him to see them interact civilly with each other. Nevertheless, he reminded himself to remain objective. After all, he was just a visitor in their territory. Neither his feelings nor his emotions mattered here. All that counted was what transpired within the confines of their home.
Finally, his ex-mother-in-law invited him inside. He followed her downstairs where she showed him his mother's room. It turned out that he owned the entire basement suite after all. Apparently, his mother had rented the space from a private landlord years prior. Now that she passed away unexpectedly, the lease expired. Consequently, they had no reason to renew it. Therefore, they decided to move elsewhere since they had no use for it anymore. According to Ayako, they were currently looking into renting out the second floor instead.
As expected, Kousuke found his mother's laptop computer neatly arranged on her desk. Naturally, it was password protected. Hence, he had no choice but to crack the encryption code. Thankfully, he managed to access the hard drive without trouble. He retrieved a few photos taken during various trips overseas. In addition, he downloaded some music tracks and stored them in a separate folder. Lastly, he copied over his mother's financial statements and bank account numbers. He then saved the file on a USB flash drive along with several other documents pertaining to his late wife. Finally, he closed his laptop computer shut and packed it in one of his carryon bags.
Next, Kousuke went upstairs and met with his ex-father-in-law for dinner. Unlike his mother, he didn't feel comfortable visiting the man in his bedroom. Nor did he want to intrude upon his privacy. Thus, they ate at the kitchen table instead. During their conversation, Ayako joined them halfway through. Eventually, she excused herself and returned to work. Before leaving, however, she thanked Kousuke for helping out her family. Despite her kindness, he remained reserved throughout the evening. After all, he wasn't sure how he should act around them considering their past history. For example, they divorced under rather unpleasant circumstances. Both parties blamed each other for the fallout. Yet, neither party ever apologized publicly. Rather than dwell on this fact further, he focused on enjoying his meal instead.
In hindsight, Kousuke regretted not contacting his ex-brother-in-law sooner. He never thought that they might reunite again someday. Granted, he assumed that his brother-in-law would have moved to Canada by now. After all, he lived in Toronto with his Canadian wife and son. Nonetheless, his assumptions proved incorrect. Luckily, he made contact with his sibling shortly after arriving at his parents' home. Together, they agreed to meet up later in the afternoon. By that point, he was eager to learn more about his estranged relatives. More specifically, he wanted to know whether or not his ex-wife remarried after moving back to Japan. Did she find love anew? Or perhaps, she reunited with an old flame from high school days? Alas, none of these questions were answered. Instead, they merely exchanged pleasantries over coffee and cake.
Once Kousuke returned to his parents', he started packing his belongings into suitcases. First, he transferred all of his personal effects to a single backpack. Next, he loaded two large duffle bags with winter clothes. Then, he added a third suitcase containing toiletry supplies and other necessities. Lastly, he stuffed a fourth bag with souvenirs obtained during his trip. Once done, he carried everything downstairs and put it into the trunk of his car parked outside. Shortly thereafter, he drove to a nearby supermarket and bought groceries. He also picked up some fresh fruit for breakfast tomorrow morning. With that said, he returned home and unpacked his purchases in the kitchen. Meanwhile, his ex-parents-in-law retired for bed early.
The following day dawned bright and sunny. To celebrate his reunion with his ex-siblings, he cooked them pancakes for breakfast. Later on, they visited a nearby temple together. They prayed for his deceased mother's spirit before heading home. From there, they stopped by a restaurant named "Yum Yum" for lunch. Over the course of three hours, they discussed numerous topics ranging from politics to sports. Surprisingly, both siblings held opposing views regarding certain issues. But despite their differences, they shared similar interests. Namely, they enjoyed watching baseball games together as well as discussing international affairs.
Afterward, Kousuke dropped off his ex-sister-in-law at her workplace. Then, he took care of household chores such as laundry and grocery shopping. He even cleaned up his mother's room while disposing of junk mail and old newspapers lying around everywhere. Eventually, he checked his email inbox to discover a message from his ex-brother-in-law asking if he could visit today evening. He replied right away stating that he was free to do so. Unfortunately, his ex-sibling was unable to make it due to unforeseen circumstances. Hence, they rescheduled for Saturday night instead.
By 6PM, Kousuke returned to his parents' house. He changed into casual attire consisting of jeans and a t-shirt before driving to his sister's office in downtown Tokyo. Arriving promptly at 7:30PM sharp, he walked inside the lobby and approached the receptionist's desk. The woman smiled warmly and asked him how she may assist him. Kousuke introduced himself and explained his purpose for coming by. A moment later, his ex-brother-in-law arrived and escorted him to a conference room where they chatted amiably over tea and snacks.
At last, his sibling revealed the reason why he contacted him earlier in the week. Apparently, his wife informed him that she intended to divorce him. Since she was pregnant at the time, he feared for her safety. Hence, he offered to accompany her to Japan until the child is born. After which, he intends to return to Toronto permanently. Moreover, he hopes to take custody of their infant son once he turns eighteen. Although their relationship has been rocky over the years, they still share a deep bond between themselves. Therefore, his sibling believed that this was a fair compromise. Needless to say, he refused to leave his wife's side unless absolutely necessary. As a result, they mutually decided to postpone their separation indefinitely.
However, this decision came with a price tag attached. In exchange, his sibling requested his assistance. Specifically, he needed his help transferring money into his bank account. As a result, he'll be able to pay rent for another year or longer. Not only that, he can continue paying his mortgage loan too. After all, his credit card debt isn't insignificant. Furthermore, his ex-wife doesn't earn enough income to cover expenses let alone save up for the future. Hence, he needs her support in order to keep living comfortably. Sadly, his spouse refuses to cooperate with him financially. Thus far, she hasn't contributed anything whatsoever towards his upkeep. Worse yet, she seems determined to alienate herself from him forever. Ultimately, he fears that their marriage won't survive beyond the birth of their baby boy. That being said, he remains hopeful that things will turn out okay eventually. Either way, he must remain patient and wait for a favorable opportunity to arise.
Once Kousuke finished explaining his situation, his ex-brother-in-law expressed his gratitude. He promised to repay him in kind when possible. Then again, he acknowledged that it might not happen anytime soon given the current state of their finances. Still, he assured Kousuke that he'd try his best to fulfill his promise. If nothing else, he'd consider doing so if his ex-wife relents and cooperates with him. Otherwise, they'll have to revisit the topic at a later date.
Shortly afterwards, Kousuke left his sister's company and returned home. Thereafter, he prepared dinner and spent quality time with his parents. Afterwards, he bathed and slept soundly afterward. Fortunately, he woke up refreshed the next morning feeling rejuvenated. Feeling energized, he showered and dressed before meeting up with his ex-siblings for brunch at 11AM. This time, he brought along his mother's laptop computer. Having learned its location, he decided to bring it along for good measure. Hopefully, they wouldn't mind lending him a hand retrieving information contained therein. After all, his father used to maintain the device regularly. However, since he died several months ago, nobody cared much about the machine anymore. Therefore, they likely forgot how to operate the thing properly.
Upon arrival, they greeted each other cordially over coffee and toast. While waiting for their orders to arrive, they talked about various topics including politics, religion, and world events. Interestingly, they disagreed on almost every issue imaginable. For instance, one of them supported the legalization of marijuana whereas the other vehemently opposed it. Likewise, both sides argued passionately on the subject matter. At times, they bickered loudly in front of everyone present. Nevertheless, they always ended up laughing it off afterwards. Indeed, they seemed like normal brothers and sisters arguing over trivial matters in public.
Eventually, the waiter delivered their food. Afterwards, they dug in without delay. Soon thereafter, they ordered more drinks. And finally, they continued chatting for another hour or so. When all was said and done, Kousuke drove his ex-brother-in-law back home. His sibling invited him to come by any time he pleased. However, he declined politely claiming that he couldn't afford to waste gas going anywhere. Besides, his parents were expecting him to cook dinner tonight. Accordingly, he bid farewell and departed immediately afterwards.
That evening, he cooked chicken stir fry and rice using ingredients purchased from the supermarket earlier that day. It took him roughly forty minutes to prepare everything. Consequently, he served dinner to his parents first. Afterwards, he ate second serving alongside his siblings. All in all, they enjoyed a hearty meal together. Afterward, his siblings watched TV while he read books on his tablet. Finally, he played video games with his parents till midnight. By then, they were already fast asleep. Hence, he turned off the lights and headed to bed.
***
On Sunday morning, he woke up to the smell of bacon frying. He got out of bed and stretched before making a cup of instant coffee. Afterwards, he sat down at the dining table to enjoy breakfast. His ex-siblings followed suit shortly afterward. Soon thereafter, his mother appeared in the doorway wearing a bathrobe and slippers. She looked exhausted but otherwise fine. Her complexion was pale though. Presumably, she stayed up late drinking alcohol last night. Regardless, she joined them for breakfast. Afterwards, she went upstairs and took a shower. Once done, she joined the rest of the family for lunch.
Over the course of the afternoon, Kousuke helped his mother clean up the house. Then again, she insisted on doing most of the work herself. He just assisted whenever required. In particular, he removed garbage cans full of trash from the garage. He also washed dishes and vacuumed floors among other tasks. By 3:00PM, he completed everything on his list. Consequently, he felt relieved knowing that his workload was complete. Thankfully, his mother didn't ask him to help with laundry either. So, he had plenty of time to relax and unwind.
Before long, it was time to drive back home. On impulse, he decided to stop by a convenience store near his parent's residence to buy beer. Upon returning, he opened a bottle of Kirin Lager and poured himself a glass. He gulped it down greedily while watching TV. Then again, he drank slowly so as not to get drunk quickly. Within half an hour, he was thoroughly buzzed. Despite being intoxicated, he remained lucid throughout the remainder of his stay. Yet, he knew better than to drink too much lest he black out entirely.
In hindsight, his weekend wasn't very eventful. Nonetheless, it gave him ample opportunities to reconnect with his estranged relatives. Plus, his experience taught him that he should avoid getting too emotionally involved with others. Otherwise, he would suffer heartache and disappointment in the end. Nowadays, he prefers keeping things simple and straightforward. Also, he no longer cares what anyone thinks about him. Instead, he focuses solely on achieving personal goals. After all, life is short and uncertain. Therefore, he wants to live it fully and freely.
Finally, he closed his eyes and drifted off into a blissfully peaceful sleep.
***
When he awoke, Kousuke realized that someone was calling his name repeatedly. He tried ignoring the noise but failed miserably. In fact, he couldn't hear anything else around him. He panicked momentarily believing that something bad happened. Only after hearing his own voice did he realize that he was talking aloud. Without warning, he abruptly snapped awake. Confused and disoriented, he gazed around the dark room trying to figure out what was happening. Suddenly, a blinding light pierced through his eyelids causing intense pain. Unable to withstand the agony, he covered his face with both hands hoping to block it out temporarily. But alas, it proved futile. Before he knew it, he found himself standing outside a small wooden shack. Next to it stood two men clad in white lab coats. Both wore surgical masks concealing their identities. One man pointed a flashlight in his direction while the other stared intently at him with cold dead eyes.
"You're awake!" exclaimed one of the scientists excitedly. "Excellent! Let me introduce myself; I'm Doctor Smith. The other fellow here is Dr. Jones."
Kousuke recognized both names instantly. They belonged to famous geneticists who pioneered human cloning techniques decades ago. He vaguely recalled reading about them in a book during high school. Their research made headlines worldwide resulting in countless debates and controversies regarding ethics and morality. In particular, their work led to the creation of the first cloned humans. Namely, Dolly the sheep. Unfortunately, her clone was infertile and subsequently euthanized. Ever since, numerous attempts to duplicate the same feat have proven unsuccessful. Hence, they never managed to create viable clones capable of producing offspring.
Nevertheless, these researchers claimed that their latest breakthrough allowed for the successful reproduction of identical twins in vitro. To be precise, they created a pair of genetically perfect duplicates from scratch. Furthermore, they successfully implanted them inside surrogate mothers' wombs. Lastly, they produced healthy infants without complication. According to them, this procedure could potentially solve many problems plaguing modern society such as population decline and dwindling resources. More specifically, they believed that cloning would allow humanity to grow exponentially without limit. Or in layman terms, it could provide unlimited labor and food supplies. Consequently, they hoped to sell this technology to governments and corporations alike.
Naturally, this discovery sparked outrage amongst religious groups across the globe. Most notably, the Catholic Church condemned the practice outright stating that it violated God's law. Other religions denounced cloning altogether deeming it unholy and unnatural. Conversely, secular organizations lauded their efforts and praised their achievements. Moreover, some prominent individuals even offered financial backing to further advance their cause. Some politicians proposed legislation banning cloning whilst others called for legalizing it. Others still wanted to ban embryonic stem cell research while encouraging the use of adult stem cells instead. Ultimately, there were multiple conflicting opinions and agendas surrounding the issue. No consensus ever materialized despite years of heated debate.
As expected, Kousuke was fascinated by this revelation. He asked Doctor Smith why he chose him to participate in their experiment. Surprisingly, he received a satisfactory answer. Apparently, he volunteered to assist them willingly. Although he couldn't remember signing up for anything, he agreed to do so anyway. Thus far, his memory was intact albeit fuzzy due to excessive consumption of alcohol. Yet, he remembered enough details to understand the nature of the project and his role therein.