Hollow

Sachiko was curious to know more, but she didn't want to seem too eager. Instead, she tried to ask casually, "So, hmm how old are you Hiroshi-san, also it's fine if you don't wanna answer..I'm just sort of bored. I'm sorry if I was rude."

Hiroshi took a moment to consider her question before answering.

"I suppose it doesn't hurt to share my age," He said in a mild tone. " I'm 25 years old."

"Ohh."

She replied and then added.

"I have a friend your age your know, her name is Yamada. Yamada sato."

"Ah, is that so?"

Hiroshi responded.

"Mhmm, she's single too and if you too, i could set up a date for you both."

"Well i appreciate the offer but I'm not really looking for anyone right now, i only have one person whom I'm loyal to."

"Oh, you have a girlfriend?"

"N..no not really.."

Just then, "Hiroshi" dropped something to the truck's floor and bended over to pick it up, in the moment, if only she could see the frown on "Hiroshi's" face.

Sachiko watched as "Hiroshi" bent over to pick up the object he had dropped, her eyes unconsciously falling on his slightly exposed back. It was a rare opportunity, considering his usual perfect composure.

But before she could see much, he had already retrieved the object, sitting back up. Sachiko quickly averted her gaze, pretending she hadn't been looking.

The awkward silence between them continued before she asked him something else yet again.

"So," she began, her fingers fidgeting slightly in her lap, "I was just wondering... have you ever eaten real beef? You know, beef from a cow? Not the lab-grown stuff. I had it once, at a party but even that was lab-grown."

Lab-grown meat was readily available, but natural beef was rare and expensive due to the rarity of farmland.

Beef was quite expensive, so much so that even lab grown one was reserved for special occasions. One time, Kazu had insisted on a celebration after their latest successful mission, treating the team to dinner at a fancy restaurant.

It was there that Sachiko had her first taste of genuine, lab-grown beef. She was curious If Hiroshi had tasted the real, genuine thing. Beef was a rarity nowadays, and she thought that perhaps a megacorp employee could afford the luxury.

"Real beef?" The question seemed to take Hiroshi by surprise. He was silent for a moment before answering. "Yes, I've had real beef before. I've had it several times, actually."

Sachiko tried not to show her surprise at the answer, but it was unexpected. Real beef was really expensive, and the fact that he had had it "several times" indicated a level of wealth beyond what she would have guessed.

"One of my favourite dishes actually is a well made steak."

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Hiroshi sat back in his seat, making himself comfortable. his voice taking on a tone of quiet passion that Sachiko hadn't heard from him before.

"You know, I like my steaks medium rare. Nice and juicy, with a touch of salt and pepper to bring out the flavour. The fat should be rendered well, creating those delicious crispy bits on the outer edges. I like to pair it with a glass of red wine, to enhance the flavour. And as for sides, I prefer a small portion of buttery mashed potatoes. They add a nice contrast to the steak's texture."

She was surprised by his enthusiasm, the way he spoke indicated a level of passion for fine dining, and for that specific dish.

A single plate of real beef steak could probably cost as much as her monthly salary. She suddenly felt just a tad self-conscious about her lack of refined taste in food.

"That sounds...really good actually." She replied, trying to keep her tone casual.

Hiroshi looked at her for a while, his expression still somewhat obscured as always. Sachiko wondered if he was able to read her thoughts.

She fidgeted again with her necklace, the metal chain cold against her fingers. Hiroshi seemed to notice the gesture.

"Is that a habit of yours?" Hiroshi suddenly asked, gesturing to her hands, "playing with that necklace, I mean."

"It..is..yeah ....this is the last thing my mother gave me before she died...she died from overwork trying to make me a cake on my birthday after she spend her entire savings buying the materials.."

Hiroshi's expression remained neutral as Sachiko spoke. He listened silently, his gaze unwavering. Then, once she had finished explaining, he paused for a moment before speaking.

"I see" was his simple response. Hiroshi seemed to ponder her words for a moment, as if trying to find an appropriate response.

"That necklace must be very important to you then," he finally said, his voice still mild and a bit cold.

"It is."

The conversation fell into another silence, this one slightly less awkward than the previous ones.

Leaning her head against her shoulder, Sachiko found the position somewhat uncomfortable. But she dismissed the discomfort, thinking it was manageable for the moment.

Feeling a bit off, she closed her eyes momentarily, allowing herself to rest for a moment.

Her head felt strangely heavy, and she wasn't sure why.. but she quickly dismissed the notion. If there was something amiss with her body, she would have noticed it, right?

Even though her eyes were closed, she couldn't seem to fall asleep. She opened her eyes, sitting up straight once more.

The stagnant air in the back of the truck felt stifling.

It was then she began to cough and after a few seconds, she put her hand to her mouth and some blood came out.

She instinctively retracted it, and a startled squeak escaped her lips.

For a moment, her mind played tricks on her, and she thought she saw a fleeting, almost mischievous smile on "Hiroshi's" face and an almost inaudible giggle reaching her ears. "Hiroshi" leaned in closer, seizing her hand gently.

He held it in his hands and with a innocent tone and worried expression on his face, he said, "That's blood..oh my god, are you alright?"

Sachiko felt her heart rate rise as she stared at the blood on her hand, fear and confusion gripping her. How had blood come out of her mouth?

And then she know — her cybernetics were malfunctioning.

"Fucking cheapstake's, they gave me low quality shit."

She said to herself in her mind.

Her cybernetic organs were malfunctioning. It wasn't the first time it had happened and she had no doubt it wouldn't be the last. But the timing couldn't be more inconvenient. Her hands began to shake slightly. It wasn't enough to be super obvious, but she knew Hiroshi had noticed from the way he was looking at her closely. He let go of his grip on her hand.

She wasn't exactly a stranger to her cybernetics acting up, she didn't have insurance on her organs so when her lungs had failed recently she had to quickly get some replacements.

Unfortunately, that had cost her almost all of her savings, and the replacements hadn't been the best quality. Now, they were breaking down, but they should be fine for a few more days and that was more than enough time.

"I'm...I'm okay," she managed to say, trying to keep her voice steady. The metallic taste of blood still lingered in her mouth, and she wiped the blood off her hand with a handkerchief, her heart racing.

"I hope so. I don't want my hired mercenaries dying before we reach out destination."

Sachiko's heart skipped a bit at Hiroshi's comment, the way he so casually stated he didn't want her to die just yet. She couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine as she heard him say that. She pushed down her thoughts, trying to keep her cool.

"I won't die," she reassured him. "I'll be fine."

"You must."