Core Part 1

Every day, Yui would bring something to Haruto to show off the world. It was another one of those days, she was going to show a bug she found hidden somewhere. As she approached the domain, she felt pain and she gasped as she clutched her core, falling down to her knees as it pulsed painfully.

“Yui? What's wrong? What's wrong Yui!” Haruto ran up to her, holding her body from falling.

“My core-” she gasped as she clutched her body but then the pain subdued, and it was as gone as the wind. “Oh… it's gone now. I'm fine.”

She stood up immediately as if nothing happened. Haruto furrowed his brows. “No, you are not fine. Also why are you calling it core, that's what robotic call it, we call it heart.”

“Oh right, I meant heart.” Yui nodded, scratched the back of her head as she sheepishly grinned at him. He shook his head. “Does your heart hurt?”

She shook her head. Haruto went silent for a moment before a serious look overtook his face. “Yui, tell me the truth.”

“No, it's-”

“Yui!” he snapped and she jumped, startled by his seriousness. She felt uncomfortable by the attention. “Well… I-”

He waited patiently for her. Yui wondered why she couldn't tell him. Wasn't the point of finding Haruto was to get him to repair her core? That's right, what was she doing? She should take advantage of it right now! “You see… my cor-heart is not working well so I'm going to be meta- die- I'm going to die.”

Haruto's eyes widened and he let out an exasperated sigh. “Why didn't you tell me? If you told me sooner, I would have saved you already. Come.”

He beckoned her over. “If you need a new heart, you can always… ask me. I will do… anything to get you a replacement. You know my family can easily get you a new one.”

Haruto looked at Yui's surprised face and held the tips of her hand, interlocking it with him. “Come, let's replace your heart right now. I'll… never let you die.”

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Yui squealed and jumped up and down the bed, happy at the discovery. She hugged the pillow as she jumped, bringing her knees to her chest as she fell just like that. She looked at the ceiling. Tomorrow, she will get a new heart! It was that easy! She should have asked sooner. She grinned. She will sleep and celebrate it tomorro- A loud banging sound startled Yui.

Where was that sound coming from? She got out of bed and followed the sound to the balcony. She opened the glass door, the sound got louder and she looked from her position down below where the entrance door was, where the banging and screaming came from.

“Haruto-sama! Haruto-sama! You have to save me! You have too!”

Yui rubbed her eyes to get a closer look. It was Rinrin. She was in a disheveled state, hair out of place and still in her pajamas. “I know you went to the factory today!”

Yui couched down as she watched from her safe spot, confused. What was she talking about?

“Haruto-sama please! I need a heart!” Her fingernails scraped the door walls, blood embedded into the wall as she continued banging. “Please!

The door flung open, and Haruto stood there devoid of any warmth toward her, just indifference.

“Haruto-sama!" Rinrin's eyes brightened up, but Haruto nose wrinkled. “How many times have I told you not to disturb me?”

“Haruto-sama, please-” she interlocked her fingers together and got on her knees. There was anxiety and fear but no tears. She held his hands. “Remember, we have been together for 18 years. We have known each other for so long and since we were like one day old…we spent so many times together… Can you bear to let me die?”

Haruto looked at her before a word that stopped Yui’s core came out of his mouth. “Yes.”

Rinrin froze, gulping her saliva. “Haruto-”

“I already told you, didn't I? I never cared about any of you. I only hang out with you all because father forced me too. I have always wished you all would die one day.” He laughed in amusement. “I'm so glad the day came for you, Rinrin.”

Rinrin stared at him shocked. “You don't mean that.”

“I do.” He held the long strand of her pink hair and rubbed it. “Even now… you aren't pleading me hard enough. I don't feel real desperation from you.”

She looked at him like he lost his mind. “I-I- I will tell your father! Tomorrow, your family will return. I will tell your father and mother you ignored me.”

“Go ahead.” He let go of her and kicked her off him.

She laughed in irony. “You have ignored me pleading with you for a year… Now you suddenly want to give MY heart to someone else. You have never done this to anyone before!”

Haruto shook his head and rolled his eyes, heading inside. She scrambled off the floor, crawling her way to stop the door from slamming. Her fingers crossed the threshold just for Haruto to slam into it.

She didn't scream, instead she gritted her teeth as she pulled her arms out aggressively. She glared murderously where Haruto was before and screamed. “HARUTO! HARUTO! HARUTO!”

She kicked the door over and over and over again. Yui started to feel scared so she slipped herself back in the room before she could see her. What… What was going on? She held her own hands as she crawled into her bed but the screaming and outburst of Rinrin scared her. She placed a pillow on her ears to cover them. It went on for two hours before the sound subdued. Did she lose her voice? Yui didn't want to check. All she knew was this unsettling feeling nestled in her stomach.