Page 246 of Light Leech

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that he was watching me. Despite the partition, I didn’t like the attention, especially as I heard his continual stream.

I left to wash my hands. “No, that’s not it. This school is weird.”

He finished and joined me, washing his hands as I dried mine. Part of me was relieved that he actually washed his hands. The other part wondered if he would have, had I not been there.

“I told you du, this place sucks.”

“I mean… why did your parents send you here?”

“Because it’s a prestigious guk hole.”

I explained what I thought the school was meant for and did my best to ask without offending if his parents had ever expressed a desire for him to become an A-lister rather than inherit the company.

“Nah, du, they hated those Violet shacs. I get that I might not seem the most competent, but I don’t know why they wouldn’t want to give their life’s work to their only heir.”

“What about this work? The Luxists? Gongtide? Things that actually matter rather than monetary value?”

I glared into the mirror as he adjusted his hair. “You don’t think it pisses me off that they kept this life away from me? I don’t zegging know, du. I hate it, to be honest. It’s ten times worse because I liked my parents. Still do. It would have been so much easier to resent all they did if they had been shacs, but they cared. I thought they did, but now… I dunno. I just don’t get it.”

“No, you see, I think they did care as much as you hoped, which is why I think they sent you here.”

“Because I’m too weak to hold up the burden of an agricultural empire?”

“No. Maybe I was too rash with that decision, but I think there has to be more to your enrollment than just tossing you to be some corporate shac. I…huh.”

“What? If it’s another jab, I’m not feeling it right now. Save it for Ral. Your guk-talk did its job and I feel as raw as a Finian’s blowhole.”

“No, du, I’m sorry, but I’m not going to drop the topic. I didn’t mean to offend. I think your parents were smart, so I think we might have a chance, if my train of thought is on the right path.”

“What?”

“David.”

He laughed. “Denji’s beef2 homunculus?”

“Exactly. Maybe you were too distracted petting it, but do you remember what he said he did?”

“Zeg… yeah! You think the data he’s putting into David might have something about this whole school thing?”

I shrugged. “I don’t see why not. I’m more inclined to believe we’ll find something there than in this corporate-run school.”

“You think it’s a dead end for finding the Correction?”

“I think there are better ways… Oh my zeg, yes!”

“What?”

“What if your parents sent you here to look for something? Maybe they were prepping you for some Luxist thing, but maybe it never showed up.”

“Or maybe it would have if I had graduated.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize–”

“No, it’s not that. I got caught up in all of this right before I had the chance to graduate. If your theories are correct, I’m glad I didn’t make it to the end or I might be another orphan owned by a corporation.”

“Is that better than being a tooth-eating Imp?”

“I have family now, that’s all that matters.”