Chapter 13:

Epilogue: Make Sure to Have Proper Conversations With People, Even if They're Painful!

Love Bites


It was a long walk home from Ueda-san’s house. The walk was not made easier by the fact that Ueda-san had decided to serve the role of escort to keep Daisuke safe. The cloud of tension hanging over their heads only grew thicker and thicker by her cold silence, and Daisuke felt like he was going to choke. He was desperate to get back home and away from her for even just a little while.

Daisuke was still having trouble processing what Ueda-san’s father had confided in him. The thought that once upon a time Ueda-san had not been this cold and heartless seemed so foreign to him. He could picture the girl in Mr. Ueda’s story, a bright-eyed, sweet little thing who innocently played with human friends without a care in the world, but he couldn’t see Ueda-san in her image.

Before he knew Ueda-san, he had seen her as an untouchable beauty, a goddess. That had been less than a week ago, but it felt like a lifetime. He couldn’t even remember when he last thought of her that way. Beneath her perfect smile was the cruel sneer of a monster who casually spoke of devouring, survival of the fittest, and natural selection. With a smile she would describe visions of the future where humans were systematically slaughtered for their meat, with Daisuke playing a starring role.

Thoughts of Mochida-san slipped into Daisuke’s mind. Mochida-san with her sweet smile and kind words, a girl who fit the image of a delicate little faerie so perfectly Daisuke would not be surprised to learn she slept in a flowerbed. But that wasn’t all she was. As he had learned today, the real Mochida-san under that softness was filled with passion and energy, a girl who devoured fast food as fast as she devoured shonen manga. Which one was the real Mochida-san? Well, Daisuke knew it wasn’t that simple. People weren’t just what they showed on the surface. Just like Mochida-san, real people were complex.

So what about Ueda-san? In class, she wore the mask of a perfect student, a girl who was all smiles and happy to help anyone who asked, but around him she showed another face, the face of a monster who thought of humans as nothing more than food.

But was that just another mask?

The trauma she had gone through as a child, it was possible that she had crafted that mask as a coping mechanism. Forced herself to see humans as just food in order to keep from confronting those feelings. Before Daisuke had left, Mr. Ueda had taken him aside and begged him to be patient with Ueda-san.

“I can’t believe that my little girl is gone forever. I know that, deep down somewhere, she can still smile the way she used to. I think you might be a part of that, Oishi-san. Before you, she never talked about her classmates. She might not see you as a friend right now, and I can understand how difficult it must be for you to think positively about her. But in time…”

Daisuke could sympathize with his hope that he could somehow manage to bring Ueda-san out of her shell. He wished that he could have that same hope, but whenever he looked at Ueda-san, he just couldn’t see it.

But it surprised him to hear that Ueda-san talked about him so much. With that, he wondered if, maybe, he could somehow reach her. He wasn’t foolish enough to believe that he could stop her from eating people, of course, because she was a faminean. But was she a monster?

It might be stupid of me, but I want to believe that she’s not really a monster. Daisuke couldn’t believe what he was thinking. Was there something in that steak?! Something that had brainwashed him into thinking that someone could eat humans and not be a monster?!

I must be tired, he decided. So much stuff happened today, first with Mochida-san, then dinner with Ueda-san and her parents, I’m just tired and confused.

Daisuke couldn’t process everything he had dealt with today. But there was one thing that he knew he needed to do, and that was to apologize to Ueda-san. He might not know whether or not he should think of famineans as monsters, but he had learned something from tonight.

“Ueda-san,” Daisuke said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

“What is it?” Ueda-san asked, glancing suspiciously at him. The accusatory glare in her eyes made him shiver, but he knew she wasn’t going to eat him, at least.

“I need to give you an apology,” Daisuke said. Ueda-san’s reaction to that was a sight to see. Her eyes widened in surprise and she stifled a gasp, and then after a second she quickly returned to her cold mask.

“An apology? For what?” She asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Your parents, they… weren’t what I expected,” Daisuke admitted. “I was expecting to be terrified, I was afraid they were going to eat me. But they were actually really nice. They were just… normal. I’m sorry for what I said and thought.”

“…Oh,” Ueda-san said, nodding. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and walked forward, turning and standing imposingly in front of him. “Well, of course! That was just your anti-faminean bias speaking for you, I’m sure you’ve learned better now! Famineans aren’t monsters, we live our lives just like you humans!”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Daisuke said, nodding. For whatever else they were, they were certainly living, well… not “normal” lives, but lives that seemed normal.

“…Oh,” Ueda-san looked confused again. Clearly, she hadn’t been expecting Daisuke to agree with her. “W-Well, that… well, it’s good that you’ve learned better!” She declared, quickly regaining her momentum. “There’s nothing wrong with famineans eating humans, after all!”

“Wait, I didn’t say that!” Daisuke corrected. “No! Obviously, eating humans is still bad! Did you honestly think I would see your family and just go ‘okay, sure, go ahead and eat as many humans as you like’?! No, it’s still wrong!”

“Aaargh! I can’t believe this!” Ueda-san scowled, her face flushing with outrage. “And here I thought you had finally learned your lesson! You still think we’re monsters just because we eat people? Just accept that the natural position of you humans is to serve as our food source!”

“Just because your parents seem nice and respectful doesn’t mean I agree with eating people!” Daisuke objected. They might not be monsters, but he still couldn’t see what they were doing as anything but wrong. “And what I really can’t stand is the way you think of us!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Ueda-san demanded.

“Your dad told me himself that famineans can see humans as friends all the time! This whole ‘humans are just food’ is complete garbage!” Daisuke exclaimed. “Before we start talking about whether or not it’s wrong to eat people, first I’m going to change that shitty attitude of yours!”

“WHAT?! Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?!” Ueda-san growled. “You’re going to ‘change’ me? Fuck that, you stupid Karaage-san! I don’t need to listen to some human whose only value is spreading your genes around!”

“And that’s another thing!” Daisuke scowled. “This Daisuke Oishi Breeding Project? That’s not happening!”

A wicked smile crossed Ueda-san’s face and her eyes flashed red. “Oh, so now the Karaage-san thinks he can stand up to a faminean? You know what happens if you go against me, right?” She licked her lips.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still go along with what you want me to do,” Daisuke clarified, which surprised Ueda-san, the intimidating glare on her face slipping away. “But it’s not going to go the way you want it to. Before you can end up getting me to breed with a bunch of girls or anything like that, I’m going to convince you that your way of thinking is wrong! I’m going to show you that humans are more than just breeding stock! I’m going to make you give up on this project yourself, understand?!”

Ueda-san didn’t say anything. She stared at Daisuke silently for about a minute, her eyes studying him curiously.

“Daisuke,” she murmured, taking a deep breath, and exhaling.

She scowled.

“Did you really think I was just going to meekly go along with that, nod my head, and say ‘yes’?!” Ueda-san demanded, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him. “Not a chance! I’m not going to listen to a damn thing you say, you’re going to follow my plans no matter what, Karaage-san!”

Ueda-san pushed Daisuke to the ground and dug her heel into his back, twisting his arm behind him. “I don’t remember giving you permission to talk back to me! I’m not going to let you resist, you’re going to be breeding without complaint, you understand? The only thing I want to hear out of your mouth from now on is ‘yes, Ueda-san’!”

“Y-Yes, Ueda-saaaaan!” Daisuke wailed, pain shooting through his shoulder as Ueda-san pulled harder. He had hoped he could get through to some small part of her that was still kind and sweet, but he should have known better. Those parts of Ueda-san were long-dead.

“And guess what?! Tonight when you get home, you’re going to message Mochi-chan and tell her you want to go out to the park with her tomorrow! Sound like a plan?!”

“Yes Ueda-san!” Daisuke meekly nodded. She tugged on his arm again.

“And then, you’re going to give her a kiss! And not just on the cheek, if I don’t see full lip on lip action then I’m breaking your arm, you got that?!” She began grinding her heel even harder.

“B-But… a kiss on the second date is-! OWWW!” Daisuke cried out.

“Are you talking back to me?! I said that the only thing I want to hear out of your filthy human mouth from here on out is ‘yes, Ueda-san’ so let’s hear it!” She shouted angrily.

“Yes, Ueda-san!” Daisuke gave in, nearly crying from the pain in his shoulder. There was no resistance to Ueda-san.

“So I can expect to see a kiss tomorrow, RIGHT? If not, say bye-bye to your ‘alone time’ for the next few months!” Ueda-san roared, stomping on his back and twisting his arm even harder.

There was nothing he could do but meekly nod through the pain.

“YES, UEDA-SAN!”

Daisuke sighed in resignation. Getting through to Ueda-san wasn’t going to be easy. But as long as he had no choice but to follow her orders, he would do whatever he could to get her to change her position on humans. Humans are more than just food! And I’m going to make her see that, no matter what! For my sake and Mochida-san’s, and for the sake of every other girl she’s planning to rope into her insane plans! I’m going to stop the Daisuke Oishi Breeding Project no matter what!