Eiden remained locked in the kiss with Sasha, neither of them moving nor making a sound. Their eyes stayed open, staring at each other as the weight of what just happened began to sink in. The mont was oddly quiet, intimate in a way that made the air feel thick.
But just as tension began to mount, a voice interrupted the mont. "Eiden? Sasha? Hello?" It was his mom. Eiden jolted upright, breaking the kiss as if he had been electrocuted. His eyes darted to Sasha, who looked just as stunned but imdiately nodded when he gestured her to stay silent.
"I-I got the cockroach, I’m gonna throw it!" Eiden shouted toward the door, his voice slightly panicked. "You can go, Mom!"
"Umm... okay then," his mother replied after a short pause, her footsteps fading as she walked away. Once the coast was clear, Eiden turned back to Sasha. She was still seated, dazed, her fingers trembling slightly on her lap. Eiden exhaled, ntally forcing himself to focus.
"I need to show you sothing," he said, his tone shifting to sothing serious. "Can you look at it?" She nodded slowly. "I’m sorry," Eiden muttered, eyes drifting to the translucent interface in front of him. The system was still processing loading at 96%... 97%...
"I’m sorry for lying," he continued, glancing at her. "About not knowing why I suddenly grew overnight. I knew. I just... didn’t know how to explain it." Sasha’s lips parted to say sothing, but Eiden raised a hand quickly.
"Wait wai-wai-wait! Just... just listen first, okay?"
She closed her mouth, nodded again, though clearly confused. "I’ll show you so... dical reports," he said as the loading bar finally reached 100%.
"dical reports?" Sasha echoed, brows furrowed. Eiden winced but pressed on. "Please. Just take out your phone and search sothing." The system’s voice chid in his mind.
[System-chan: Tell her to search ’riocolosiosis’.]
"Search for ’riocolosiosis’," Eiden said out loud. Sasha hesitated but took out her phone and typed it in. The search results imdiately flooded with docunts, research papers, and dical blogs. She clicked the first one.
It was a detailed report on a disease no, a condition l called riocolosiosis, also coded in clinical research as ROP-G567. The disease, according to various reports, was a dormant genetic phenonon that awakened during early adulthood typically around the late teens or early twenties.
Its effects were bizarre: rapid height increase, enhancent of strength, speed, intelligence, even changes in voice and facial structure. In so cases, the reports said, the individual’s entire physical appearance matured overnight. There were no negative health impacts; in fact, the disease made the host unnaturally durable and adaptive, as though it was trying to keep the host alive for as long as possible. According to the docunts, it had a human-like lifespan and seed symbiotic in nature.
Only four cases were ever docunted. The first case was in 1984, involving a man nad Calies Vincent. The last was in 2010 Duker Darins.
Sasha’s fingers trembled slightly as she scrolled. She didn’t understand everything in the dical jargon, but even with her limited biology knowledge, she knew this disease sounded... absurd. Too convenient. Too sci-fi.
Still, she kept reading. The reports were published by what appeared to be real dical institutions. Seals from known hospitals were stamped. Nas of famous doctors, researchers even one she had heard of from a TV docuntarg were listed as contributors.
And then she stumbled upon a docuntary video link. She tapped on it. There on screen was a well-known figure in the global dical community, calmly explaining the condition. Charts and X-rays appeared. He even referenced a potential for the disease’s unique blood composition to help treat lung cancer, rare autoimmune disorders, and degenerative diseases.
Her eyes widened. It wasn’t just one article. It wasn’t just one site. Multiple sources websites, dical review boards, forums, even TED Talk snippets were all citing the sa rare condition.
She looked up at Eiden, her face pale. "You didn’t want to go to a doctor because... of this?" Eiden nodded. "I don’t know exactly what’s in those docunts either. I can’t even view the full report like you can. But the system... it gave glimpses. Just enough to know this was the best way."
Inside, Eiden was sweating. System-chan really cooked up sothing terrifying, he thought. It even created full-blown docuntaries with real-looking doctors. This thing could fra soone for murder if I wanted. That’s way too much power for one person to have.
Sasha remained silent, but her expression was conflicted. "When... When did you find out about this?" she finally asked. Eiden looked at her calmly. "A week before your birthday." Her shoulders slumped slightly.
"Do Mr. and Mrs. Mores know about this?" she asked after a pause. Eiden shook his head. "No. Mom and Dad don’t know either. You’re the only one who does. Besides ."
Sasha stood up slowly. Walked to the door. Without a word, she opened it and left. Eiden just sat there, stunned. Watching her back as it vanished down the hallway.
He didn’t go after her. Instead, he slumped onto the couch, buried his face in a cushion, and scread internally. What the hellllll!! I just kissed her! My first kiss! Was with Sasha!!
What the actual hell!!! His entire body squird in mortification. He groaned and rolled over like a dying fish on land.
If she wasn’t Sasha, I’d 100% be in jail for sexual assault right now. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Trying to distract himself, he grabbed his phone and pulled up what Sasha had been reading. The system’s files had loaded onto his interface now, letting him examine the docunts without suspicion.
He began scrolling, eyes wide, scanning everything. Every report had detailed formatting, proper terminology, and expertly crafted research language. The more he read, the more impressed and disturbed he beca.
"This is way too convincing..." he whispered. "If I didn’t know the truth, even I would believe this." After nearly five minutes of reading, he shook his head and stood up, heading downstairs.
Sasha was already seated at the dining table, quietly eating breakfast. Her face was calm, unreadable. Eiden sat beside her without saying anything. He ate his al silently.
Once finished, the two stepped out of the house and began walking toward college. The atmosphere between them was heavy with unspoken words. Eiden glanced sideways at her multiple tis. Her eyes were fixed ahead.
Finally, he nudged her arm gently. She looked at him, puzzled. Eiden grinned. "So... how was the kiss?" Her eyes shot open in shock. Her cheeks flushed red almost instantly. Without hesitation, she slamd her fist into his gut.
"Stupid!!"
She spun on her heel and sprinted down the sidewalk, leaving Eiden bent over in pain, groaning. He clutched his stomach, wheezing. "Ow... okay... not how I imagined that going..." He watched her retreating figure disappearing in the distance and frowned.
I just wanted to ease the tension a bit so things wouldn’t feel so awkward after the kiss... I thought Sasha would laugh it off or play along like usual, make it seem like no big deal...
But that reaction? Eiden remained frozen in place, blinking.
"...What the hell is going on with her?"
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