Study 03: The Stationary Silkworm God

Study 03:
The Stationary Silkworm God

 

“Welcome, welcome! Thanks for coming! I’m glad. I’m really glad! Help yourself to snacks and tea! Here. Do you want anything else? Make sure you tell me if you need something, got it?”

Glenn wondered how he’d gotten here. He racked his brain, but remained at a loss. The upperclassman in front of him was a student from the accessory division of the domestic science department.

“Anything you need!” she said. “We’re going to be living together, after all. From now on, we’ll always be together, got it?”

The feelers on her head waved in a friendly way, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. She was staring at Glenn with a kind of wild devotion, undisguised and unconditional.

“Oh, right, I never introduced myself! I’m Fu Sang. I guess you’d pronounce it ‘Fuso’ in the common tongue. That’s what my

friends at the Academy call me. I don’t have that many friends. But I’m not lonely, because I have you, got it?”

Was this affection? Or something else? She had large white wings, two pairs of arms, and feelers sprouting from her head.

She’s an insect species…a butterfly? No…maybe a silk moth.

But…Glenn didn’t know her. He’d never even seen her before.

“I like you. I’m sure I do. I think I can like you, got it?” Fuso carried on merrily.

The way she talked gave Glenn goosebumps. She’d thanked him for coming, but that wasn’t what had happened. Glenn was walking around campus, minding his own business, when she’d bound him and brought him to her room.

“Let’s start right away,” Fuso said brightly. “You were just taking care of me, Mr. Human. Mr. Glenn. Got it?”

Glenn had no idea what she was talking about.

The room was decorated in the eastern style. There were shoji doors, tatami mats, and bright colors. Everything reminded Glenn of his family home. It was also the first time he’d seen such things at the Nemea Academy.

The girl wore an eastern-style kimono, tied with an obi. At first glance, he thought her fluffy white hair was cut in a bob, but when he looked closer, he realized it spread outward like moth wings. But then, many insect monsters had wing-like appendages growing out of their heads.

“Am I rare?” Fuso said, as if reading his mind. “No, not really. But I’m sure you know all about our species, got it?”

Glenn was still tied up. Fuso batted her eyes. She seemed to have completely forgotten that she’d snatched him off the street.

“Know?” he said. “No, I don’t know any insect monsters…”

“Oh, is that so? That makes me so sad. But don’t you know us? We are silkworm gods. We’re the monsters who lived in the human realm, got it?”

“Silkworm gods…”

There were legends about those in Glenn’s hometown. The tales differed from region to region: in some places, the beings were silkworm gods, and in others, minor gods of agriculture. There were even areas where local residents dressed mulberry trees in kimono as a form of worship.

“You mean…they’re not gods, but a species of monster?” he asked.

“Yeah, that’s right. We diverged from the butterfly monsters, and have always lived with humans. Hey, are you surprised? Did I surprise you? Hee hee! I’m glad. I’m glad you know about us.”

“In the human realm?”

Glenn was sure Sapphee and Lime would be worried when he didn’t show up to the lab. He needed to get out of here. But…a monster that lived in the human realm? He’d never heard of such a thing. His curiosity outweighed his fear.

“We were livestock.” Fuso grinned. Her smile could have charmed any man. “We were domesticated, in the same way that wolves became dogs, or boars became pigs. One particular species of butterfly monster has lived with humans for so long that their origins have been lost to history. That’s why…we became the silkworm gods.”

“Er…”

“When we are young, silkworm gods expel raw thread that can be made into the most exquisite silk. I made a lot, too. But as we mature, we lose that ability. The humans made us that way.”

“You mean they domesticated you for their own benefit…creating a subspecies of monster?”

Domestication wasn’t evil, in and of itself. Animals adapted to their environment, sometimes helped along by humans—pigs, dogs, and cats had all evolved from their wild forefathers. It wasn’t impossible for a butterfly monster to adapt to coexist with humans.

“You didn’t know? During the war, our entire species was driven out of the human realm, even though we’d always lived with humans. Even though our bodies had evolved to live with humans. That’s what I heard, anyway. The parting must have been so cruel…”

Glenn felt a little guilty. “You say you heard…so you weren’t there yourself?”

“No. It was right before the war broke out, about a hundred years ago. But my grandma told me all about the time she spent with humans. She said they were kind… when we were young, they took our silk. When we were adults, they took care of us. Grandma said they did everything for us.”

Glenn bit his lip. Now, he understood where the tales of silkworm gods came from…and why traces of that devotion remained in the culture of his homeland. Raw silk was the foundation of many people’s livelihood, and harvesting thread from these monsters was more efficient than raising actual silkworms. Given their size, they must have been able to produce a considerable amount.

“When I heard the stories, I longed for that kind of relationship,” Fuso said. She laid a trembling hand on her cheek. “Grandma said humans were so kind. That’s why I’ve wanted to meet one for so long. But I’ve had no way to reunite with them…until now!”

“Umm…what is it you want from me?” Glenn asked, although he wasn’t sure that he wanted to hear the answer.

Fuso cocked her head. “You’re a human. I’m a silkworm god. Got it?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“There’s only one thing you can do. I just told you, right? I said it many times. You’ll take care of me. That’s the bond between our two species.”

“Care for you… what do you mean?”

“My legs are weak,” Fuso said, stretching one out from under the hem of her kimono and rubbing it.

She was wearing black knee socks. Glenn looked at her plump calf. It seemed fine.

“It’s hard for me to stand and walk. Even when I asked you to join me, just now—”

“You took me.”

“No, I mean, when I tied you up and you came here of your own free will… that was really hard. That’s why I never leave my room. I can’t leave my room. I need care. I need someone to do everything. Make tea, feed snacks, brush my hair, got it?”

Glenn was dumbstruck. This woman wanted him to become her servant? And she was acting like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“No, um, I…I’m sorry, but I have to work in the lab.”

“You’re going?” Fuso sounded like she was crying, but there were no tears in her bright, captivating eyes. “You’re leaving me? But…my body is weak. I get sick easily. The humans bred us that way. They only cared that we had enough strength to produce silk. Once I’m an adult…why, I’ll really be completely useless.”

Glenn felt dizzy. “Er…”

What she was describing wasn’t so different from regular, domesticated silkworms. As larva, their legs were so weak they couldn’t even hold onto trees. It must have taken thousands of years to breed wild insects to produce silk in such a way, and the silkworm gods were probably the same. The original species must have been closely tied to humans who, in turn, spent every waking hour with them. And all of it just to make thread. The more he thought about it, the more his head hurt.

“As long as I have a human, I’ll be all right. I can live as a silkworm god. Unless you abandon me. But you’re not going to do that, right?”

Glenn said nothing. Fuso was right about that much: he was too kind to refuse her point-blank, and he certainly couldn’t bring himself to abandon her. She seemed to trust him.

I can just give her a little attention.

That would probably be enough to satisfy her, right? Surely, wouldn’t rely on him for everything.

“Umm…I understand what you’re saying, but I can’t do it.”

“Why? Why? Why?”

He was hopelessly overpowered. “You need to untie me…”

“Oh, right. Sorry about that. I was just so happy to finally meet a human. Please forgive me, got it?”

Fuso released Glenn from his bindings. She’d said her legs were weak, but she didn’t seem to have any problem using her four arms. She was a student of the accessories department, so maybe she was exceptionally skilled with her hands.

Fuso smiled and tilted her head. “I look forward to living with you, Glenn, got it?”

“Yes…”

Glenn hadn’t yet it realized, but he’d completely underestimated her.

 

***

 

Sapphee was pacing.

“Sapphee…you’re scaring me, yeah?”

“I am not!”

Sapphee was supposed to be writing a report on herbal medicine and she never neglected her own research. Not until today.

“You haven’t even written one line yet, yeah?”

“I’ll write it now.” Sapphee’s pen hovered above the parchment, but didn’t move. “Uhh.”

“I mean, I know how you feel…now that Glenn isn’t coming to the lab anymore…”

“Don’t say it.” Sapphee put the pen back and covered her face. “Why? Why doesn’t he come? He used to come every day…”

Lime’s pigtails were limp with distress. “Every time class ends, he’s rushing off somewhere. I tried to catch him today, but he just disappeared, yeah…”

“Ahh…I can’t take it.”

They’d temporarily stopped doing consultations. Sapphee could have seen some patients alone, but Glenn’s medical skills already surpassed hers. After all, she was a pharmacist, not a doctor.

“Lime do you know anything about why Glenn stopped coming?”

Lime tried, unsuccessfully, to whistle. “Ahh… whoo.”

“Hey! Lime!”

“N-no, I don’t know anything!”

“You’re a terrible liar. What do you know?!”

Sapphee tried to catch the slime with her tail, but Lime slipped out of her grasp.

“Sapphee…don’t get mad, yeah?”

“When you say it like that, I know it’s something that’ll make me mad.”

“I can take your anger, Sapphee! I know you love Glenn so much. So the rumor…ahhh.”

“Huh?” Sapphee turned away, her face beet-red, and crossed her arms. She’d thought she’d hidden her feelings from everyone. “I-I don’t think of Glenn like—I mean he is a cute underclassman, but…”

“C’mon Sapphee. You’re not fooling me, yeah. You like him, don’t you?”

Sapphee thumped her tail on the ground. “Sh-shut up! It’s not like that!”

Lime stared at the floor, trying to find the right words. “Okay…don’t get mad, yeah?”

“I won’t. We’re just classmates.”

“Actually…well. I heard from a number of witnesses…that after class, Glenn was heading to another student’s room…a female student.”

“What are you saying?!”

Thump thump thump. Sapphee’s tail pounded against the floor.

“Aggghhh! See, you are mad, yeah!”

“I’m! Not! Mad!”

Lime turned herself into a ball and bounced into a corner. “You can admit it!”

“A female student?! What does that mean?!”

“It might just be a rumor! I didn’t see it for myself, yeah!”

Sapphee stopped thumping her tail and took a deep, calming breath. Getting angry with Lime wouldn’t help anything. “Tell me more.”

“I don’t know any more! I heard something about him being friendly with an insect monster, yeah? I mean…no, I didn’t! I have no idea if they were being friendly or not!”

“It’s fine. It’s none of my business if Glenn is going somewhere else.”

Lime slowly returned to her human form. “Yeah.”

“Any lab would benefit from his presence. I expected other students to approach him.”

“All I know is that he was seen with a female student, yeah,” Lime said. “I don’t even know what faculty.”

“Is he making a house call?!”

“Ahh, that would make sense. Maybe there’s a student who can’t come to the lab. When Bellmer came by, she wanted to do it secretly, so that the department heads wouldn’t know she was there, yeah?”

In reality, Bellmer had wanted her department head to know she was being examined, but Lime didn’t know that.

“That must be it, yeah! He must be on a house call!”

“Yes,” Sapphee agreed. “That’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“Well, at least we got that figured out, yeah!”

Lime and Sapphee giggled together.

“Now then, if that’s all for today…”

Lime turned to the door, but Sapphee closed it with her long tail. At some point, she’d picked up a jar of desiccant.

“Wait right there.”

“Agggh! Desiccants are poison to slimes!”

“I know that. I’m not going to get any on you…if you research something for me. Will you?”

Lime’s entire body quivered with fear. “Eeek! Yes! I will, just put that away!”

It was an empty threat, of course, but Lime didn’t know that. Sapphee returned the jar to the shelf.

“I trust Glenn. I don’t think he would get this close to a strange girl. But…”

“Why do you feel so strongly about this when you two aren’t even together, yeah?”

“Forget about that! Just find out everything you can about the insect monster student!”

“U-understood, yeah!” Lime saluted.

Sapphee felt better already. Lime knew so many people, she’d find something. And of course, Sapphee would conduct her own research.

“Anyway,” she said. “It’s for the lab. I’m worried about Glenn, but feelings have nothing to do with it. Got it, Lime?”

“Yes, yes. Sure, sure, let’s go with that story.”

“Hey!”

“I have rumors to collect. Bye!”

And with that, Lime was gone—slipping through the gap under the door before Sapphee could threaten her with anything else.

“Unbelievable…” Sapphee said playing with her hair. “It’s really not about me liking Glenn…”

Saphentite Neikes was seventeen. She was still too young to admit she was in love, especially with her childhood friend.

 

***

 

Meanwhile, Glenn was busy caring for Fuso, day in and day out. And as it turned out, it was impossible to know whether Fuso was incapable of doing anything, because she didn’t even try.

She didn’t cook, or clean, or do laundry. When she told him to take care of her, he thought he’d just be helping out a bit, but apparently, she meant for him to wait on her hand and foot.

“Ahh…”

Fuso let out a contented sigh and sipped the tea Glenn had made.

Her room was a cluttered mess. There was laundry piled in the corner, and her undergarments were strewn about. Stacks of dust-covered textbooks were everywhere, along with silk clothing, which Fuso had probably made. Evidently, she’d decided she didn’t need to study anymore.

“Er…”

Fuso didn’t seem the least bit fazed when Glenn picked up the underwear that she’d just removed. She’d simply said: “You’ll wash them for me, right?”

It was all too much stimulation for the young medical student.

She’s supposed to be studying domestic science, right?

The domestic science department was established to train aspiring maids and butlers to wait on their future employers, particularly aristocrats. Student who did well could graduate with good references to help them find work. Of course, they could also use the skills they learned to start their own businesses—in the fashion industry for instance, like a certain new company named Loose Silk Sewing.

“Glenn, this tea is too strong. I don’t like it.”

“Er…ah, I-I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Be more careful next time, got it?”

No matter how you looked at it, Fuso was the master, and Glenn was serving her.

What can I do…?

He’d thought that if he did some of the things Fuso asked, she’d be satisfied, and let him go. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

“Tee hee!” Fuso giggled as she watched him. As it turned out, the truth was more that she believed that humans should serve her unconditionally. It was really quite terrifying.

“Umm…Fuso?”

“What is it, Mr. Glenn?”

At least she showed him respect in how she addressed him.

“I’m sorry, but I think there’s too much work for me to do…”

“Oh, really? You should be happy, Mr. Glenn. I prepared all of this work just for you. I made sure not to clean any part of the room. Aren’t you glad you have so much to do? You’re glad, right? I mean, it’s the supreme joy of humans to care for the silkworm gods. Therefore, it’s your joy to care for me, got it?”

Glenn couldn’t think of anything to say, so he didn’t. Fuso didn’t have any firsthand experience of living with humans, or what life was like when silkworm gods lived in the human realm. She was just going off of her grandmother’s stories. That must be why she had such a strange take on this whole situation. She thought humans were there for her convenience, and that making them serve her was the ideal relationship for both sides.

He was at his wit’s end. He had no idea of what to do with her. He’d never really spoken to other students besides Sapphee and Lime, except those who came to the lab for consultations.

“Mr. Glenn, I’m so glad you’re taking such good care of me every day, got it?”

“Oh, uh…”

Glenn couldn’t say that he was only coming because he feared what she would do to him if he didn’t. The truth was that he’d never done any household chores before. At his family home, he’d spent all his time studying. Now that he was living in the dormitory, he had to do some of that work himself, though he wasn’t particularly good at it.

As a domestic science student, Fuso had a lot to say about the quality of his work. Every day, she told him what he was lacking, but she also still summoned him back the next day. He was even starting to slip behind in his own work. Ever since he’d started going to Fuso’s room, he hadn’t made it to the lab even once.

“Umm, Fuso?”

“What is it, Mr. Glenn? Why aren’t you working?”

“I’m sorry, but this is the last day I’ll be able to take care of you.”

“Hunh…” Fuso’s expression turned to something between shock and pain. “Why? Why would you say something like that?”

“I mean, I have my own life. I want to become a doctor, and I came to school to achieve that dream.”

“Is that so? I thought you came to this school to take care of me.”

Glenn wondered how she could think that about someone she’d only just met.

“I need to study,” he said. “I have to work in the lab. I can’t stay here all the time taking care of you.”

“Th-that won’t do! You need to be by my side always, Mr. Glenn! Humans take care of silkworm gods who are no longer able to produce thread. That’s how we live.”

Fuso dragged herself over to Glenn and latched on to him, holding him close.

“Ugh!”

She pulled Glenn down, looking as if she was about to cry.

Now that he’d had some time to observe her, he knew she wasn’t lying about having weak legs. But how had she managed before they met?

“Right,” she said. “You still have work to do. Important work. Yes. Let’s do that. Mr. Glenn, you will be pleased. You won’t want to leave ever again, got it?”

“Work…?”

“Making babies,” Fuso said with a carefree smile. “We need to make babies.”

“What?”

“Children are important. Only silkworm god larvae can produce thread. Generally, silkworm gods make children together, but humans can do it as well. Did you know that? That’s why, when there isn’t a suitable silkworm suitor, we marry humans. My grandma’s grandma did that, got it?”

It was common folklore, the story of a farmer’s daughter coupling with a silkworm. It was one of the reasons the silkworm was also the god of married couples.

“Got it?” Fuso said again loosening her kimono.

Her chest was well developed. The pubescent Glenn had trouble keeping his eyes off her pale, attractive body. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t help it.

“Tee hee.” He felt her hot breath on his neck. Apparently, Fuso was already aroused. “Now then, let’s make babies, Mr. Glenn. Got it?”

Glenn shuddered. It was clear she believed this was a good idea, but she’d also said that humans kept silkworm gods as livestock. Such a coupling, even back when the two species cohabitated, was frowned upon. The farmer’s daughter from the stories probably could have found another human to mate with. Same for the silkworm god. He wondered why they hadn’t done that? Maybe there weren’t enough suitors to choose from. Or the farmer wanted grandchildren who could produce thread, and had forced them to marry.

Or maybe they truly were in love.

I need to stop this.

If he thought about this too hard, Glenn was going to start hating himself. He needed to work out what to do with Fuso.

“I’m not going to make babies,” he said.

“What? Why?”

“That’s something you do with someone you truly love.”

“I love you, Mr. Glenn. I love you a lot. I hate all other people, but I would have as many of your babies as you wanted. There aren’t many silkworm gods left. Just those of us who are living in secret. So let’s do it. Let’s repopulate the species, got it?”

Fuso lifted the hem of her kimono.

Despite himself, Glenn stared at her milk-white thighs. Her stout, powerful body awakened something within him. But still…

“That’s… you only want to make babies because I’m a human, right?” he asked.

“Of course.”

Glenn felt like she’d poured a bucket of cold water over his heart. In the end, Fuso only wanted him because of his species. No matter how attractive she was, he no longer felt any desire for her.

“Like I said, my dream is to become a doctor. That’s why I need to study hard. I need Dr. Cthulhy to certify my graduation. I can’t live with you.”

Fuso started sobbing. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe you. Traitor!”

She covered her face, tears streaming down through her fingers, but she wasn’t the best actress. She kept peering at him through her hands. The average guy might have told her to knock it off. After all, she was the one who’d kidnapped him. But Glenn was softhearted. Even if he was disgusted with her actions, he couldn’t just abandon her.

“I have a proposal,” he said.

“What? What is it?”

“I’m not a doctor yet, but I’m learning. So, even though I can’t keep coming to take care of you, I can at least take a look at your legs. Maybe I can help you that way.”

“Impossible.”

The wings on Fuso’s head began to flap. They were like a mirror for her emotions, but Glenn wasn’t sure what they were expressing. Was she angry? Sad? Something else entirely?

“Impossible,” she repeated. “Even a doctor couldn’t help me. I was born with weak legs. It’s not an illness or an injury. And you’re still just a student, right, Mr. Glenn?”

“I won’t know unless I examine them.”

“Fine.” Fuso stuck one leg out at him. “Like I said, it’s a congenital condition. I highly doubt you’ll be able to do anything. But if you wish, Mr. Glenn, I will entrust my legs to you. My legs, my body, my heart…”

Glenn stiffened.

“But…Mr. Glenn? What will you do once you realize you can’t treat me? Will you agree to stay with me forever?”

“Well…” There were some ailments that couldn’t be treated. Medicine had its limits, and so did life. He wasn’t about to agree to any conditions. “I’ll do everything I can.”

“Please do. I trust you, Mr. Glenn. I trust you with my life. But, but…” Fuso hid her mouth under the fur at her collar. “Once you see that no treatment will work…you will fulfill your duties as a human, got it?”

“I will not give up on my dream.”

“Of course. You don’t have to give up on your dream! That’s right! You can care for me as a doctor. Forever. And ever and ever, right?”

Glenn could see the thousands—maybe even tens of thousands—of years of emotion in Fuso’s eyes. It was the legacy of silkworm gods whom humans had treated like livestock. It wasn’t good or evil. It wasn’t sorrow or hate. It was just the grim acceptance of reality. Fuso could never live as anything but a silkworm god, and that was the cruelest fact of all.

“I’ll do everything I can.” Glenn repeated.

Fuso smiled, her leg still extended. “Please do, got it?”

Glenn knelt to examine her. “Excuse me.”

Fuso was sitting on her mattress. She was wearing a red, skirt-like garment under her kimono. He started by touching her calf, trying hard not to look at her thighs.

Fuso sighed softly. “Hmm…”

Her legs were weak, just as she’d said. That was Glenn’s first impression. However, the issue wasn’t a lack of muscle. She had good amounts of both muscle and fat. Her legs simply weren’t strong enough to support her properly. But why?

“Mmm, woo, mm-ahh.”

Her body is designed to accumulate nutrients so she can excrete thread. Silkworm gods had probably evolved to accumulate fat easier than muscle. In cases like Fuso’s, if muscle mass didn’t develop proportionately, they could no longer stand on their own.

Glenn poked and prodded, checking the shape of her muscles, the distribution of her fat, and the strength of her bones.

“Ahh…mmaahh, agh,” Fuso cried.

She was overreacting. Maybe she was still hoping to make babies with him. The way she twisted her body looked flirtatious, but Glenn continued to examine her leg as professionally as he could manage.

I wonder if physical training would help.

He wanted to believe it. As he examined Fuso, he soon realized that she wasn’t getting enough exercise. Still, even if she could build up some muscle, he didn’t know how much it would help. Her body just wasn’t built for it.

“I’m sorry, I need to press a little harder.”

Fuso looked at Glenn with red, moist eyes. “Ahh, ahh, that’s fine… ahhhn.”

She was almost looking hopeful now. Glenn concentrated on the exam.

“I’m sorry, I need to touch your thighs, too.”

“Yes, of course. Of course, got it?”

Glenn moved his hand up Fuso’s thighs. Like the rest of her, they were soft and plump.

“Mmm, ahhh… ahh…!”

“I’m sorry. I need to press a little harder.”

“Ahh, ahh, it’s fine…ahhh.”

Fuso’s whole body was twitching. “Mmm…ahh…aghhh!”

“Oh, sorry. Does that tickle?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine…ahh, ahhhmmm.”

Fuso’s kimono was still open, but she didn’t seem concerned with fixing it. Glenn thought back over her voice, attitude, and appearance. Everything she did was sensual. Even the mood right now was one that felt like it might still lead to making babies. He cleared his throat, but her reactions only intensified.

“Mm, ahh… mm, ahhh!”

He couldn’t ignore the sounds she was making…nor the heat of her breath.

“Fuso, can you try to keep it down a little?”

“Y-yes. I understand. I’ll try to hold it in. Ahh, heee, mmm.”

She bit the hem of her kimono to keep quiet, but that only emphasized how sensitive she was.

“Mmm, mmm, mmm…!”

He touched her soft thighs and felt the strength of the bone beneath them. Next, he touched her groin.

“Mmm, grrr, ahh, ohh, ahhh… argh, no!”

That was clearly her trigger point.

“Mmm, mmm, mm-ahhh!”

The hem of the kimono between her teeth was soaked with her saliva.

“Uh, umm, Fuso…are you all right?”

Her eyes had started to cloud over. “Mmm, ahh… I-I’m fine, got it…?”

After the examination, she adjusted her kimono, wiped the hem, and sat up straight.

Glenn groaned inwardly. There was nothing he could do to treat her. Her genetics were what they were. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t walk at all, and she might even be able to increase her muscle mass and improve her condition. But…

I don’t think Fuso has any intention of doing that.

Her body wasn’t a solid mass of muscle like Cerve’s. Fuso was plump, but she wasn’t exactly unhealthy. Her body was simply the result of years of domestication. Any excess nutrients would probably go to her thighs or chest.

“Do you need to touch me here, too?”

Fuso smiled, indicating her chest. She’d fixed her kimono, but Glenn could still make out the shape of her breasts.

“Er. N-no, I’m fine.”

“Really? Tell me if you want to. You’re welcome to anytime, got it?”

She really never stopped, did she?

Being attractive was important to silkworm gods. If they weren’t attractive, humans wouldn’t care for them. That was why Glenn couldn’t look away, even though he knew it was wrong.

“Mr. Glenn? What was the result of the exam?”

“Right… well. I think it would be difficult to stand on your legs as they are. It would take a long course of rehabilitation. Even so, I think some kind of mobility aid, like a crutch or a cane, might help you.” Glenn looked down. “I’m so sorry. Beyond that, I can’t help you.”

“It’s fine. It’s really fine. I don’t care about that. I know that if my legs remain weak, you’ll take care of me. Isn’t that right, Mr. Glenn? Got it?”

Glenn groaned. “Er…”

The focus of Fuso’s entire existence was to be waited on by humans. Glenn couldn’t tell if she’d made herself weak on purpose so someone would take care of her, or if she needed care because she was weak. He only knew one thing.

That’s not it.

Fuso was a beautiful woman. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to help her. There was a certain innocence about her.

That’s not it…

Glenn remembered something Cthulhy had said: What would the doctor you want to be do?

“I told you,” Glenn said. “I can’t stay here.”

“Why not?”

“Fuso, you have no desire to be healed. I know not all illnesses can be cured. Genetic issues, like yours, can only be managed. But so what?” Glenn wanted to look away, but he made a point of looking Fuso directly in the eyes. “The role of a doctor is to help those who are sick or injured. But if you don’t want to be helped, then there’s nothing I can do.”

Fuso’s eyes were filled with despair. “But…”

How would he deal with a patient who was simply afraid, or didn’t like their treatment? In those cases, Glenn could either to convince them or think of another way. Regardless, there was still work he could do. But in Fuso’s case, it was different.

It wasn’t as if she didn’t like the treatment. She didn’t think she needed treatment. That was the same as saying she didn’t need a doctor.

“If you don’t need a doctor, then I need to be doing other work. I’m very sorry, Fuso, but I quit.”

“That’s harsh.”

Fuso closed in on him, using her arms to crawl and dragging her legs behind her. Despite her weakness, there was a certain strength in her eyes. A strength that came from hatred, sadness and the torrent of other emotions Glenn couldn’t identify.

“You’re a terrible human, Mr. Glenn. The reason I’m like this is because of humans. We were bred to produce thread. That’s why my body is weak. And for that, you’ll abandon me? You’ll betray me? Really?”

“Er…”

She wasn’t violent, but Glenn felt her words like a punch to the gut all the same. His ancestors had harmed hers. She was right to hold him responsible, but…

“Fuso, it’s true that I’m human, but I wasn’t alive when silkworm gods were living with humans.”

“Er…!”

Glenn knew he’d said the wrong thing. Fuso’s eyes glistened. Glenn tried not to hate himself for the fact that his ancestors had subjugated her species, but it was useless.

“No,” she said. “I won’t have it. We’ll be together forever. You’ll take care of me. That’s all I need. You don’t need money. The silk I make sells at high prices. We’ll have more money than we know what to do with. And when I can’t make it anymore, our children will produce thread for us.”

“Fuso.”

“It’s fine. Just abandon me. I don’t care. But then, what will happen to me? What happens to a species that can’t live alone?”

Was she really suggesting she’d die if he didn’t take care of her? Was that really the fate of her species?

Glenn bit his lip. Sweat was running down his neck. This wasn’t his job but, as an aspiring doctor, could he truly abandon a patient to die? What could he do? There was no one to give him advice.

How lucky he was to have Sapphee and Lime. He would’ve felt a lot better if they were here with him. In the lab, he could always find the right answer, even when presented with seemingly unsolvable problems.

“Hey, human! What are you going to do, huh? Hey!”

Fuso was ruthless. She was doing everything except attacking him.

“Fuso, I…” What was he supposed to say? “I don’t think you can keep living like this!”

Fuso’s eyes flashed with rage. “Grr!”

He was strangely relieved. She looked up to humans the same way a pet might look up to their owner. But if she could get angry enough to rebel against him, then it meant she had her own free will. She wasn’t livestock. She could live an independent life.

“I won’t forgive you! A human must be with me forever and ever and ever…!”

Or not.

Fuso dragged him to the floor and sobbed bitter angry tears. Glenn no longer pitied her, but what was happening to her was hardly her fault. He just needed to come up with a solution.

“Calm down, will you?!”

Glenn heard a voice he recognized, as light suddenly flooded the dark room. Fuso screeched.

“Glenn, are you all right? I was wondering why you’d stopped coming to the lab. I heard you might be here.”

Fuso fled to the corner. She sure could move quickly for someone unable to use her legs.

“Are you Fuso?”

“You’re terrible, awful! Coming into my room without permission!”

“This from someone who doesn’t attend classes, shirks her work, and skips out on the entire academic experience? The domestic science department doesn’t know what to do with you. Not to mention…you kidnapped my junior! Where do you get off calling me terrible?!”

The figure in the doorway resolved itself into Sapphee, and Fuso got a true glimpse of the wrath of a lamia.

It was enough to shut her up, at least for a moment. She glared at Sapphee in silence for a moment.

“Y-yeah!” she said at last. “I did capture Glenn! What’s wrong with that? You think that’s wrong?!”

“You’re going to take the offensive now?”

“Y-yeah! I’m a silkworm god. I can’t live without a human! I need Mr. Glenn, got it? How can you say that’s wrong? Who could possibly blame me for that?”

“Unbelievable…” Sapphee looked to Glenn with a disgusted expression on her face, but she didn’t look like she was going to reprimand him. “No one said it was wrong. I’m sure you’re telling the truth.”

“So then—”

“But Glenn can’t take care of you alone. We’ll all help you.”

The shoji doors around the tiny tatami room opened, and a number of monsters walked in.

They were all female.

“Oh, um—”

“We finally found you, Miss Fuso!” said a scorpion monster. She was small and, judging by the way she spoke, probably a junior in the domestic science department. “Come now! You need to catch up on your work! I’ll help you!”

“N-nooo! I’m going to live here quietly and comfortably! Mr. Glenn, save me!”

“What are you talking about?” said the scorpion girl. “Students come here to study! As long as I’m around, I won’t let you live a degenerate life, Miss Fuso!”

The students loaded Fuso onto a board with four handles. It looked like one of the portable shrines from Glenn’s hometown. Fuso cried out pathetically from her new perch.

Glenn bowed to the scorpion girl. She seemed to be the one in charge.

“I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble,” she told him. “Miss Fuso has excellent grades and makes excellent clothes, but…she just isn’t motivated.”

“Ahh.”

She bowed in apology. “The entire department organized a club to take care of her, but she still acts selfishly. I’m sure she said a lot of…strange things to you.”

“Oh, yeah…”

“She can do more than she lets on,” she said. “She actually decorated this entire room.”

“How did she do it?” Glenn asked.

“I guess she got students from other departments to help her. She has… I guess you would call them people skills? She’s great at making others help her out.”

Glenn was already acutely aware of that. It didn’t surprise him to hear Fuso used the same tricks on other students, too.

“Thanks to Miss Lime,” said the scorpion girl. “We finally discovered where Miss Fuso was hiding.”

“It was nothing!” If she’d been capable of it, Lime probably would’ve blushed. “Glenn was kidnapped, so I had to do something, yeah!”

“Nnnooo! Mr. Glennnn!” Fuso called out after him.

The scorpion girl sighed. “We should go. Everyone together!”

Fuso squirmed ineffectively. “Ergh, you juniors…I’ll never forgive you…!”

“You can hate on us later. Now, let’s stop bothering the other departments.”

And with that, Fuso’s classmates carried her off. With her weak legs, she couldn’t even jump off. It seemed unlikely she’d be skipping her accessories classes again anytime soon, but she was undeterred.

“Mr. Glenn! I’ll never give up! Someday we’ll live together! Got it? Got ittt?!”

There was so much he still didn’t understand about Fuso. She was even more inscrutable than Bellmer.

“What a disaster, Glenn,” Sapphee sighed.

“Y-yeah…”

“Now then, we have a patient waiting. If you don’t return to the lab, you won’t earn your credits. And, since you came here voluntarily, I don’t think you’ll get any goodwill from Dr. Cthulhy.”

Glenn nodded. “I know.”

Cthulhy wasn’t the type to give students a break simply because they got into trouble.

“Ugh! It was terrible, yeah!” Lime bounced, her pigtails squishing up and down as she fished for some praise. “I had to figure out who you were seeing was and where she was from. I had to talk to everyone in the Academy.”

“Lime, thank you for all your work,” Glenn said.

“The hardest part was that there were no clues. But we couldn’t just burst in without any information. So I started talking to students from other departments. Fuso’s fan club was searching for her too, so we joined forces!”

“I see…”

It had probably been Sapphee’s idea to think before acting. She was surprisingly prudent in situations like that.

“Anyway, it’s a lie that she can’t live independently,” said Sapphee. “The silkworm gods are an established species in the monster realm. She might have been born with an especially weak body, but she came all the way to the Academy from her hometown. Even if she had help from others, she can certainly do a lot more than she admits.”

“Fuso is quite popular, yeah,” Lime agreed. “The accessories she makes are creative, and she has a lot of passionate fans, even in other departments. She’s strong. She doesn’t need to rely on you at all, Glenn.”

So he wasn’t mistaken when he’d judged that she would be all right by herself, after all. That was a relief. Her attachment to humans was troubling, but she should still be able to thrive.

“I’m sorry, Glenn,” Sapphee said. “I should have come sooner. I didn’t realize you were being used like that.”

“It’s fine. It was pretty unexpected, but I also learned a lot…”

“Glenn?”

He was wondering if there was anything he could do for Fuso. Even if he couldn’t take care of her daily needs, maybe he could do something about her legs.

“Glenn!”

“Huh?”

“You’re not trying to think of a way to treat Fuso, are you?”

He didn’t answer.

There was nothing a doctor could do for patients who didn’t want to be healed. But if Fuso changed her mind someday…Glenn was sure he could help her.

Sapphee puffed out her cheeks. “Unbelievable…”

Sapphee might seem cold and aloof, but when she was angry, she almost looked normal. Lime found it adorable. Even though students like Sapphee and Glenn seemed to receive special treatment from Cthulhy, Lime wasn’t jealous. She thought it was wonderful that everyone was working hard to achieve their dreams. Besides, Lime had her own role, assigned by Cthulhy.

“Lime, what do you think about making a cane for Fuso?” Glenn asked.

“Why not? It sounds like something you would do, yeah.”

There were crutches in the corner of the lab that allowed a patient’s lower limbs to be supported using the arms and armpits, but they didn’t have a crosspiece. Glenn planned to make a prototype from Fuso’s measurements, then ask a craftsperson in town to fabricate them.

“It’ll be a waste if she doesn’t use them, though, yeah?” Lime said. “If Fuso doesn’t have the ambition to be independent…”

“That’s true…” Sapphee agreed. She wasn’t convinced, either.

In many ways, Glenn was still a child. But he was passionate about becoming a doctor. All the same, that wasn’t enough for Sapphee.

“You’re doing this for that silkworm moth girl?!” she said. “The one who kidnapped you?! And used you?! And tried to make babies with you?! For her?!”

“Ahh ha ha!” Lime laughed. “You’re just angry because you think someone’s going to take your precious Glenn from you. You can’t believe he would treat her.”

“Uh, ah! N-No, that’s not why!”

“You don’t need to hide it! Honestly, I don’t think much of Fuso either, yeah. I mean, using her ancestry to make Glenn her servant?”

“I don’t think Fuso feels any guilt about it, but if what Glenn told us is true…”

There was no way Sapphee could forgive what Fuso had put him through.

“Why is Glenn so intent on treating her?” Lime asked.

“I wonder… he was much more distant with Cerve.”

“Hee hee hee! Perhaps this is a sign of his growth? I guess that’s how a natural-born medical genius thinks, yeah?”

Sapphee’s face was stern. “It’s worrisome.”

Lime understood how she felt. Glenn was trying to take care of someone who’d caused him harm. He wanted to save everyone, as though it was an act of sacrifice.

“That’s why we need to be protecting him, yeah?” said Lime.

“Yes…”

“Let’s make sure no one else snatches him up so you don’t have to be jealous, yeah.”

“I’m not jealous!”

Lime laughed at how weak that lie was. Sapphee glared at her. As far as her heart was concerned, Fuso was probably her biggest rival.

“What about you, Lime?”

“Huh?”

“Are you okay with Glenn being taken away from you?”

Lime fell silent. She had a lot of connections. She was naturally considerate and could make friends with anyone. No matter what other people thought, Lime was able to get along with them. Perhaps that lack of pettiness was why everyone else looked so childish from Lime’s perspective.

She was so used to mimicking non-slime emotions that they were child’s play to her. Sapphee was especially easy to read. For example, right now she was sizing Lime up, trying to figure out if she was a rival or not.

Lime put on the most appropriate face for the situation. “Of course, I was a little jealous, yeah! I don’t want anyone to take my favorite underclassman! So as soon as I knew the facts, I called up the club girls and went to get Glenn back, yeah!”

“Y-yes you did…”

“But, well…” Lime snickered again. “But I wasn’t as jealous as you, yeah.”

“I told you, Lime! It’s not like that!”

“Oh, no, you’re so scary!” Lime said, trying to flee.

But her words had done the trick. They had convinced Sapphee that Lime valued Glenn as an classmate, but that she didn’t have any romantic feelings for him.

No one would benefit if I said that I liked Glenn, too, Lime thought.

She did feel affection for him. Glenn was sweeter and more passionate than anyone she knew. And the smile he sometimes flashed made her melt. Often literally. But she was better off not saying that. If she admitted to it, she’d lose her friendship with Sapphee, and it would be difficult to continue to work in the lab together. No, it was best to shut away those feelings, before they grew out of control.

It would be the only decision that Lime would ever regret. And the one thing she’d never be able to take back.

But there was no way for Lime to know that right now.