Another Like Me - Part I (CoTE x OC) ✔

Chapter 28 - Natural Genius

(Sakayanagi Arisu POV):

I could still recall the scene across the glass screen as though it had occurred only yesterday.

My father took me to a facility located deep within the mountains, its exterior dyed pure white. No, even the interior, and all its walls, were colored completely white.

"What is it, Arisu? It's rare to see you get interested like this in something."

"This is a project to create an artificial genius. There's no way I wouldn't find that interesting."

"..... that's not a very child-like way of speaking, like usual," my father smiled.

According to my father, anyone who went through the curriculum of this facility would, without exception, would be educated to become someone exceptional. There's no way I'd have misgivings about that.

"It seems that this experiment has a lot of troublesome elements in it."

My father, instead of being curious at my question, suddenly looked at me with worried eyes. I wasn't expecting this sort of reaction.

"Why do you say so, Arisu?" he asked somewhat nervously.

"It seems to be attacked from all sides from a human rights perspective."

"Oh, so that's what you meant, haha...." my father calmed down. Was he thinking of something else when I asked my question?

"Father, that boy over there seems to be solving all problems without any hesitation."

I pointed over to the other side of the glass screen, towards a boy with brown hair, who stood out among the rest of the students. He was playing chess, and overwhelmingly defeating his opponents, one after the other.

"Ah yes, that is sensei's son. His name is..... Ayanokoji..... Kiyotaka, if I'm not mistaken."

"He must be blessed with superior DNA, in that case?"

"What makes you say that, Arisu?"

"I don't think it is possible for them to create an artificial genius or anything like that. It all boils down to the genes that has been passed on to you."

My father smiled. "But sensei did not have any extraordinary genes. His wife was similar as well, a normal and caring woman. But sensei had stronger ambitions than anyone and an unyielding and indomitable fighting spirit. That's why he's become so great. To the extent when, at one point, he could move the country."

"So that makes him the perfect specimen for this experiment, doesn't it?"

My father nodded.

"But it pains me.... it pains me to know that the boy will never experience what it is like to have a loving father and mother." I hugged my father tightly, and he hugged me back. I was really happy to have someone like him in my life.

"Father, this is the east part of the building, is it not? Why aren't any visitors allowed to visit the west side of the building?"

My father did not respond to my question. Instead, he broke away from the hug, and looked at me with fearful eyes. However, soon, it was replaced with a soft smile on his face.

"I don't know myself, Arisu. Sensei does not allow anyone who is unauthorized to enter that part of the building. I cannot be too sure myself what lies on the other side. But if I had to take a guess, it's probably the same thing we're seeing right now."

"Then what is the point of hiding it?"

"I do not know, Arisu. I would have answered your question if I knew."