Chapter 13: “The Sleepless Genius and Growing Feelings”
Chapter 13: “The Sleepless Genius and Growing Feelings”
(From the memoirs of Oliver Jones)
Back then, I was hardly sleeping at all.
The lights in the workshop never went out at night.
No—if anything, the workshop was brighter after dark.
The amphibious Harley I had received from Burnsdan.
The very bike Rafaela had last ridden. I connected it to a tablet and began examining each waveform of the reaction core one by one.
“This phase deviation… it’s off again. Can I compensate for the interference waves in the reaction core…? I’ll have to add diving functions too…”
I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d eaten.
Sleepiness had long since passed me by.
It was then.
The door to the workshop opened quietly, and Lilica appeared.
“Oliver Jones, you haven’t slept for two days, have you? How many days has it been since you last ate? You’ll die like this, you know?”
“…Sorry, Lilica. My adrenaline’s blasting so hard I don’t even feel hungry.”
“You have to eat! You’re going to rescue Rafaela, right? At the very least, take medicine if you have to, but get eight hours of sleep a day!”
I couldn’t tell if she was angry or worried—probably both.
She handed me a hot dog, and in the same hand she was holding a pill bottle.
“…Thanks. But my hands are covered in oil right now. And I’ve been holding my bladder too.”
“Honestly! Hurry up and go already!”
Obediently, I headed to the bathroom. When I came back, I finally let out a breath and picked up the hot dog.
“This is really good.”
“It’s from Subway. And just to be clear, not the underground train station. The famous sandwich shop from Japan.”
“They finally opened one nearby…!”
“Yes, just recently. The line was insane. So you’d better be grateful to me, Lilica!”
“…Thanks, Lilica. It’s unbelievably good.”
“What about Emile? At times like this, isn’t it usually him—or Rafaela—who takes care of you?”
“Dunno. He said something about going somewhere…”
The moment I stuffed the second bite into my mouth, my vision suddenly wavered—and before I knew it, I had slumped against her shoulder.
“Wh—wait a second…!”
I think it was the medicine kicking in. Or maybe I’d simply reached my absolute limit.
She didn’t move. She let me rest against her.
At that moment, I apparently mumbled something in my sleep.
“Rafaela… I’ll definitely come for you…”
Later, Lilica told me that hearing those words had made her chest ache sharply.
(I guess… I’ll never be enough for him…)
But—our story didn’t end there.
“Lilica!”
Even now, I laugh whenever she recalls the moment the workshop door burst open.
Standing there was a tall, blond, handsome young man.
“Ditch that hopeless scholar already.”
He effortlessly lifted me up, tossed me onto the cushion next to Hachiko, and with a cool face said:
“I think I’ve grown into someone worthy of you over this past week… Still not good enough?”
“…Wait. Emile?”
“That’s right. With a clone body, you can grow into any age you want—just spend a week in the hospital.”
(To think he could turn out this handsome… It’s basically fraud, isn’t it?)
—or so Lilica apparently thought, blushing furiously.
“…Am I not good enough?”
Emile said that, flashing a mischievous smile.
That was the beginning.
From that day on, Lilica secretly came to me and said, “I’ve started going out with Emile.”
I was happy for them.
Just a little lonely too.
But at that time, I had bigger things to worry about.
After all, I still hadn’t finished adjusting the “time-traveling bike” I would need to bring Rafaela back.
⸻
To be continued in Chapter 14
