THE BOYS: The Wrong Main Character

"So, Mark."

Mark pointed at himself while sitting beside Kimiko’s bed. For the past several minutes he had been trying to teach her his name.

He already knew the chances of success weren’t particularly high. Unfortunately, he also had nothing better to do.

Kimiko looked at him before making a series of hand signs.

Mark stared. Then continued staring. "I have absolutely no idea what that means."

Kimiko signed something else. That didn’t help.

With a sigh, Mark grabbed the remote and switched on the television.

After several minutes of searching he found a Japanese educational program. The host was explaining a simple communication exercise.

"If the answer is yes, raise your right hand. If the answer is no, raise your left hand."

Mark pointed at the screen. "That."

Kimiko watched the explanation, then nodded. At least he thought she understood — which was already better than the hand signs.

Mark smiled. "Okay. Progress." He pointed at her. "Kimiko." Then at himself. "Mark."

Kimiko looked at him for a second before raising her right hand.

Mark blinked, then pointed at himself again. "Mark."

Kimiko immediately raised her right hand once more. A grin appeared on his face. "Okay, now we’re getting somewhere."

He leaned back in his chair. "At the very least, it seems like you remember my name."

Kimiko looked at him. Then slowly raised her right hand again.

Mark wasn’t entirely sure what she was agreeing to anymore, but he decided to count it as a victory anyway.

"So, Kimiko, no escaping, okay? Outside is dangerous."

Mark pointed vaguely toward the window while speaking. Whether she understood any of that was questionable.

Kimiko simply looked at him. She didn’t understand what this white-haired man was trying to say most of the time.

What she did understand was that he didn’t seem to have bad intentions toward her.

Not like the organization that had kidnapped her. Not like the people who had locked her in a cage and injected her with something that changed her into something no longer entirely human.

This man was strange. He talked too much. Yet despite all of that, he had fed her, protected her, and never tried to hurt her. That was enough for now.

Mark eventually stood up from his chair. The moment he did, Kimiko reached forward and grabbed the edge of his shirt.

Mark stopped and looked down. "Huh?"

Kimiko released the fabric and tapped her stomach. Mark stared. She tapped it again.

"Are you hungry?"

Kimiko didn’t understand the question. She simply touched her stomach once more and looked at him.

A few seconds passed. Then realization appeared on Mark’s face. "Oh." He pointed at her stomach, then toward the door, then made an exaggerated eating motion.

Kimiko immediately nodded. Mark nodded back. "Food. Right. That I understand."

A few minutes later, Mark returned carrying a large pizza box. The moment he placed it on the table, Kimiko’s eyes locked onto it immediately.

Before he could say anything, she opened the box and reached in with both hands, grabbing multiple slices at once.

Mark reacted instantly. "No." He crossed his arms into an X shape.

Kimiko paused. Mark took one of the slices and demonstrated — held it properly, took a bite, chewed, then pointed at it. "See? Like this."

Kimiko watched the entire demonstration. Then looked at the pizza. Then calmly grabbed the slices with both hands again and continued eating.

Mark stared at her. Kimiko stared back while chewing. After several seconds, Mark looked away first.

"I’ve decided this isn’t a battle worth fighting."

She grabbed another slice. Mark sighed and sat back. At least she was eating. The lesson had lasted approximately ten seconds — which, all things considered, was longer than he expected.

***

After dinner, Mark decided Kimiko had spent enough time inside. So he took her outside.

Not without precautions. Mark kept hold of her wrist as they walked — not because he worried about her running, but because he worried about someone startling her.

The night air was cool. People walked along the sidewalks paying little attention to them.

Kimiko remained tense the entire time. Her eyes never stopped moving — every person, every vehicle, every alleyway, every sound. The habit was so deeply ingrained she probably wasn’t even aware she was doing it.

"Relax." Mark said it automatically before remembering she couldn’t understand him.

A group of laughing college students walked past. Kimiko’s body immediately stiffened — not because they were threatening, but because they were loud. Only after they disappeared down the street did she ease slightly.

Mark didn’t comment. For someone who had spent years being hunted, experimented on, and treated like a weapon, normal life was probably a foreign concept.

As they continued walking, Kimiko’s attention gradually shifted. A street musician playing nearby. Someone selling food from a cart.

A young child running down the sidewalk while his exhausted mother chased after him. Small things. Ordinary things. The sort of scenes most people ignored.

Kimiko watched all of them quietly. For the first time that night, the constant tension in her shoulders eased.

*****

A/N: Advanced Chapters are available on Patreon.

👉 /Mark841

Currently, 21 advanced Chapters are available