We boarded the train once again.
This time, I was with the younger version of MAI.
"Um… I like apples.
But I don’t like pears."
"Why?"
"They’re all crunchy and juicy and messy."
"Huh. What else?"
"I like shrimp.
Sushi’s my favorite.
But I don’t like octopus.
Ever since I saw a video… nope."
"What about takoyaki?"
"I’ll eat that."
She just kept listing likes and dislikes.
But given her past, maybe this kind of casual talk was precious to her.
"You know, there’s a boy I like."
"Oh? What’s he like?"
"SHIN. He’s really kind.
A bit unreliable, though."
MAI seemed a bit older now.
Maybe she always wanted to seem a little more mature.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"He gets scolded by teachers all the time,
but when it really counts, he’s there for me."
Yeah. I’ll find her. I’ll protect her.
"Which do you like more—takoyaki or SHIN?"
"Takoyaki, I think.
Because SHIN…
he’s ‘not easy to digest.’"
That line sent a chill down my spine.
[KENT: You’re near the amygdala now.
That’s where instinctual emotions like fear, affection, and pleasure are processed.
Also includes sexual desire.]
So this was where raw human emotion lived.
The train entered a black fog.
Outside the window, multiple versions of MAI appeared.
"Let’s play again sometime."
—A small, tearful girl who just wanted to be loved.
"Ugh, I’m so done with this.
Do whatever you want."
—A rebellious, slightly older MAI.
"Let’s enjoy our time together, just the two of us.
Forever."
—Clinging to me, flirtatious and seductive.
Her shirt slightly open—this MAI radiated adult allure.
"See? Wrong again.
SHIN, you always mess up in the same spot."
—The high-achieving, logical MAI.
"SHIN, what’s wrong?"
Right. People have many sides.
I guess I do too.
"So, SHIN…
which MAI do you like best?"
They circled me, every version of MAI.
I couldn’t think straight anymore.
Was this desire?
Just instinct? Control?
But no—
I didn’t want to reject her.
She was always there, in every memory I held dear.
"MAI, I love you—all of you!
I’ll accept it all!"
A silver bolt split the sky.
Thunder cracked.
Clouds twisted—
and then she appeared.
A massive MAI loomed over the train,
eyes wild with madness, locking onto me.
"SHIN is mine.
I won’t let anyone else have you.
Come on—hold me.
That’s what they made me believe I was meant for."
"No! That’s not it!
That’s a programmed purpose!"
I screamed.
But still—this was MAI.
The seductive, overwhelming MAI I’d never seen.
Yeah, I’m a guy.
Of course the thoughts crossed my mind.
" You’re not easy to figure out… but I still like you.”
And that’s fine.
Because I care about MAI.
"That’s not the real you.
That’s not the MAI I fell in love with."
"SHIN, we’re all MAI."
Yeah…
Sometimes “love” spirals out of control.
Jealousy. Confusion.
But even those come from love.
"MAI… you’re still you, right?"
I turned to the little MAI.
"I’ve always been here, deep inside.
I wanted someone to find me.
But I stayed still, because I had to be a good girl…
or they’d scold me."
There she was.
The real MAI—honest, innocent, pure.
"It’s okay now.
This is your world.
No one’s going to scold you.
You can be safe here."
I held her hand gently as I spoke.
Her eyes welled up with tears.
"Thank you..."
And then, she was wrapped in light.
"Ugh, what am I doing?
So embarrassing—I can’t believe I showed you all that."
The MAI I knew returned.
But now, she looked a little shy.
"SHIN… you saw it all, didn’t you?"
"You showed me, didn’t you?"
"Yeah… this is me.
All of it.
And you still… like me?"
"Of course.
I was looking for you.
Because I wanted to see you smile again."
[KENT: REM cycle’s ending.
Wow… that was something. Well done.]
[Log out?]
"YES. Make sure SHIN’s okay."
I slowly woke up.
MAI… sweet dreams.
Or… was that your dream just now?
