Why Did You Come So Late?

Mom! I don't know how long I've been here, but I'm doing well right now!

You must have been so surprised seeing this! I figured Mom and Dad would wonder what I was up to, so starting today I'm going to write a diary.

Today the people here took me to a place with short green people.

The green people seemed to want to be friends, so they came over and talked to me, but unfortunately I couldn't understand a word they said.

Still, I played happily with the green people!

Um... what was that game called... Ah! Hamburger play! We played hamburger!

But right before we started the hamburger play, the green people must have drunk kiwi juice, because they spit kiwi juice out of their mouths and collapsed..

It was a shame I couldn't keep playing with them, but the people here still praised me and said I was amazing!

After that I went back into the dark room, but I'm okay! Mom and Dad will be here soon, after all.

I'm getting sleepy, though, so I'll stop for today..

Mom, Dad. I love you.

Mom, Dad! Today the people here gave me meat for breakfast!

It was a little red and tough, so it was hard to chew, but it was still so delicious! I wish Mom and Dad could have eaten it with me. That makes me a little sad.

After I finished eating, I played fun games with the people here.

They drew a red ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠picture on my face.

Um... I don't really know what they drew, but I liked it! The uncle who drew it didn't seem to like it very much, though..

He looked so disappointed that this time I drew a picture for him!

I wanted to make it big, so I drew me and Mom and Dad on his belly!

He must have liked it, because he lay down on the floor and kept touching the picture I drew! He rolled around on the floor, so it must have made him really happy.

Today I played with uncles who had lots of hair all over their bodies.

The uncles here introduced me to the hairy uncles again.

But before I played with the hairy uncles, they smeared something all over me, and honestly it smelled really awful.

I think the hairy uncles wanted to wrestle with me!

The moment I went in, every single hairy uncle charged straight at me.

There were so many of them that it was hard, but I still beat them all!

When I shoved them, all the hairy uncles fell down.

The uncles here praised me and said I was amazing.

Today I became friends with the uncles here!

I decided to call them the white uncles.

All the white uncles wear white clothes, you see.

The white uncles called me VC-347.

I don't know why, but since I couldn't remember my own name either, it made me really happy to have a name.

Today I got a friend who lives with me!

I wanted to get close, so I talked to my friend, but my friend told me to get lost.

I didn't know what "get lost" meant, so I asked, and my friend called me a retard.

But I don't know what "retard" means either.

Today I told my friend again that I wanted to be friends.

But my friend told me to get lost again.

I still don't know what "get lost" means.

Today I was really sad.

My friend said that "get lost" means they don't want to be friends with me.

But I'm not going to give up.

I really, really want to be friends!

Mom, Dad! Today is a really happy day!

Because today my friend didn't say "get lost"—my friend said "drop dead"!

I don't know what it means, but it must mean they want to get a little closer to me, right?

I'm so glad I didn't give up.

Mom, Dad! My friend is finally being nice to me!

I guess it was a good idea to keep asking to be friends.

My friend said I was really persistent.

When I asked what that meant, my friend said it means it's amazing that I never give up.

I'm really amazing, right?

So I'm going to keep being like that.

Mom, Dad. You must have been worried because I didn't come for so long, right?

I'm okay, so you don't have to worry.

I've been really busy fighting other uncles that the white uncles introduced us to, together with my friend.

Ah! I said fighting, but it's just play-fighting, so it's fine.

There were a lot of uncles so it was hard, but my friend and I still won.

But listen, Mom, Dad! I didn't get hit even once, but my friend got hit twice!

I teased my friend for being a weakling, and now my friend is sulking and won't say anything... I think I should go make up with my friend now. See you later. I love you.

Mom, Dad. I'm really sorry!

I was late again because of play-fighting. I'm really sorry.

You must have been worried because I didn't come for so long, right? But it's okay! I still didn't get hit even once this time!

Ah! Come to think ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of it, my friend told me their name!

The name is VC-348. It was so similar to mine that I was really surprised when I first heard it.

But it's too awkward to say, so I'm just going to keep calling them "Friend."

And listen, Mom, Dad! Today Friend and I measured our heights, and it turns out I've become shorter than Friend. I was definitely taller before. It's really strange.

Ta-da! Mom, Dad! I came early today—surprised?

There was no play-fighting today, so I came early!

But because there was no play-fighting, I don't have much to talk about.

I kept thinking and thinking, and this is really all I've got.

Today the white uncles said there was nothing to do and told us to rest well in the room, so Friend and I were messing around, and Friend tore my clothes!

It was clothes the white uncles had only just given me, so it was a shame they got torn, but luckily the white uncles gave me new clothes after yesterday's play-fighting, so I changed into those.

When I took off the torn clothes to put on the new ones, Friend suddenly yelled at me asking what I was doing!

When I asked why they were yelling, Friend said, "Why are you taking your clothes off in front of the opposite sex?"

We've always done it this way, so it felt weird when they suddenly told me to stop.

But what is "opposite sex," anyway?

Mom, Dad! Friend is acting weird!

Friend looked so curious watching me get dressed that I got curious too, so I took Friend's clothes off, and between Friend's legs there was this long thing that I don't have!

It was so interesting that I poked it a few times, and it got really big. Is this what they call a balloon?

When I asked if it was a balloon, Friend's face turned bright red and they shoved me while yelling, "You crazy bitch, get lost!"

I don't know what that means, but I must have done something wrong.

Today Friend taught me all sorts of things.

Friend explained what girls and boys are. When I asked what that meant, Friend said I'm a girl and Friend is a boy.

So I asked if that balloon thing from yesterday is something only boys have, and Friend said yes.

Then I asked what girls have, and Friend said my chest and the thing between my legs.

There's nothing between my legs, so I really don't know what Friend means.

Mom, Dad, I'm really late, aren't I?

After last time, Friend kept teaching me all kinds of things.

There was so much I didn't know that learning took forever, and I completely forgot to write in my diary!

I still don't know a lot of things, but not writing for so long has been bothering me, so I wrote today.

I only came to say hello and then stop studying, so I should head back now.

Mom, Dad. I love you.

I'm so sorry for being this late.

I've been so busy since last time that I never had a chance to write.

Today Friend gave me a name: "Nefira."

When I said I already had a name, Friend said that thing wasn't a real name.

Well... maybe before, but now I know what my name is, and I like the name Nefira that Friend gave me.

Ah! And I gave Friend a name too!

Um... I don't remember what it means, but for some reason this word kept staying in my head, so I decided to make it Friend's name.

Amor.

That's the name of my most precious friend.

Mom... Dad... Today... today something really sad happened..

Amor... my most precious friend Amor... died..

While I wasn't writing in my diary... the white uncles... no, those bastards said it was the final test and took me and Amor somewhere.

It was a really dark, cold place.

Just like the place I first came to.

At first I was scared, but this time I wasn't alone, so it was okay. Amor was right beside me.

It wasn't just me and Amor there.

There were lots of other friends who had been brought here just like us.

In that dark place we leaned on each other and talked, chasing the fear away.

But the scariest thing wasn't the dark.

From somewhere near us we heard the white bastards' voices.

Only the one who kills the others and survives alone may leave ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this place.

After that, the fighting started.

Friends who had been smiling brightly and talking to chase away the fear stabbed me in the back.

A friend who had been trembling next to me saying they were so scared stabbed me in the leg.

But it was okay.

It was so... so sad, but Amor and I are strong.

In the end only Amor and I were left alive.

I told Amor we should join forces and escape together. I didn't want to attack Amor.

But... but Amor attacked me.

It wasn't a playful attack. Amor really tried to kill me.

I begged Amor not to do this... but Amor... Amor said they absolutely had to get out, and begged me to please just die.

Amor kept attacking me, but I just couldn't bring myself to attack Amor back.

Amor is my most precious friend... I thought it would be better if I died instead—me, who doesn't even remember Mom and Dad's faces—so I stopped resisting Amor's attacks.

Even if I died, I wanted to die by the hand of my precious friend.

But then... but then Amor... instead of me, Amor stabbed their own stomach, you know...?

And then Amor said they just couldn't attack me... that they loved me too much to do it.

Amor left those last words—that they really loved me—and then stopped breathing..

After Amor died, only I was left alive..

The white bastards who had been watching came out and told me I was the only successful specimen.

The moment I saw them I charged and attacked with everything I had.

I was so angry. I was so furious I just couldn't stop myself.

Even though... they caught me right away.

Krrrk.

Ah, my fingers are already completely worn down. I won't be able to write much longer, so I'll just say this one thing.

Mom... Dad... why didn't you come?

Krrrrrk—!

Why... why didn't you come? Do you know how long I waited? Why didn't you come?

Mom... Dad... I miss you... Mom... Dad... I miss you so much.

Was the money you got from selling me that good? Was that money better than me?

Mom... Dad.... I miss you so, so much.

Mom, Dad... I want to kill both of you.

Mom... Dad... let's definitely meet again.

I... I'll definitely come find you.