Not One Of Us (An Elfen Lied Fanfic)

Chapter Six : You're Still Alive

He opened up the door which was the small building's 11th door and I stepped inside, marveling at the seemingly normal place.

Of course, it's not normal to me.

To me...This is my new home.

Or at least, for the time being...

I sat down on the floor and started to sniff the carpet.

"Umm... Y? What are you doing? " Shinchi asked.

I lifted my head up.

"I'm searching for poisons." I replied bluntly.

"Why would there be poisons in my carpet and if there were, how could you smell them? " he said, putting his backpack down on a small couch next to a bookshelf.

"Poisons smell weird. And they could be in your carpet because-"

I cut myself off.

I'm revealing too much about myself.

I was about to say because the people with the electric sticks put them there but now I realise how stupid that would sound.

"Because?" he said.

Think fast!

"Because carpets get nasty after a while... " I said and stood up from the floor.

He started laughing.

"What's so funny? " I asked, completely serious.

"Just the way you put things. It's a little inventive. " he said.

He started digging through his refrigerator, searching for something to eat, a snack I'm guessing.

"Hey, can you tell me your actual name? Y is kind of confusing. " Shinchi asked.

What should I tell him? I don't trust him completely so...

"Yusa. My name is Yusa." I said and sat down on one of the chairs in the living room.

"Just make yourself comfortable, Yusa! " Shinchi said.

I started to at all the photos on the walls around me.

A young Shinchi with his mom and dad, standing next to each other by a old house.

A young girl who looked a little older than Shinchi playing with him outside.

A very furry dog.

Shinchi holding up a trophy.

Hmm.

"Shinchi? What did you get this trophy for? " I asked.

I heard a pan drop in the kitchen.

"Oh, nothing really. I used to be really into basketball and played on a really good team in high school. That picture was taken when we won our first championship. " he said.

I smiled.

"Basketball must make you very happy. " I said.

"What do you mean by that?" he said.

"Well, in the picture, you smile differently. It doesn't look forced or fake. You seem to be in another world, full of wonder. " I said.

"Huh. Not that many people can get that much from a lousy old photo. " he said.

"I'm not most people and it's not just a lousy old photo. If it wasn't important to you, then you wouldn't have hung it up proudly on your wall for all to see. " I said.

"I guess so. " he said.

"Could you teach me what this basketball is sometime? "

"Maybe. " he said.

That makes me happy.

I want to smile like the Shinchi in this photograph. I want to be as happy as he was when he received this trophy.

"Umm... You can sleep in my sister's room for now. She'll be gone for a few days and I don't think she'll complain. " he said.

I nodded and went to the room he pointed to.

I realised, as I walked down the short hallway, that I was still using my vectors to help me walk upright and decided to test and see if I could walk on my own now.

I immediately fell to the ground harshly.

"Argh! " I grunted as my face made contact with the floor.

"Hey, are you okay! " Shinchi shouted.

I slowly lifted myself up with my arms.

"I-I don't know." I said.

I saw him as he ran down the hallway and stopped at where I was.

He bent down and extended his hand to mine.

"You need some help up? " he said.

I shook my head no and stared at the floorboards in shock.

"It doesn't really hurt, Shinchi. I-It doesn't hurt. Why doesn't it hurt! " I shouted.

"Huh? " he said.

"Normally, when you hit the ground it should hurt right? But it doesn't! I just feel numb..." I said.

"Isn't it good that you're not hurting? " he said.

"B-But... I've hurt for so long that physically I don't feel it anymore. But I need to! Because if I don't... If I don't feel pain..." I trailed off.

There was a long silence.

"Then how will I know that I'm still alive? " I said.

Shinchi just looked at me and saying nothing, hugged me.

I jumped at little at suddenness of his actions.

"W-What? " I said.

"You can feel this right? You're still alive. You don't need pain to realise that. " he said.

I pulled him close.

"You don't know anything Shinchi... You don't know what I've done... What I've seen... " I said.

"I don't have to know. I can see the pain in your eyes, Yusa. I don't want to know about your past. And you don't have to tell me if it hurts you. Just know... I'm not the type of person that just leaves people who are hurting alone. " he said.

I let go of him and used my vectors to slowly get up.

"Thank you Shinchi. I'll treasure your words." I said.

He smiled.

"Go lay down and rest, Yusa. I'm not leaving." he said.

I grinned.

"Bye. " I said and opened the door to Shinchi's sister's room and went inside.

I wiped a tear running down my face and watched as it hit the ground with a small splatter.

Is there any way to thank a person like you, Shinchi?