idolpro | Kino's Heart Game

Is that cool?

I don't wanna interupt or nothing.

You aren't interrupting anything! Take a seat here, there, or anywhere.

[He gestures with a wrench at some scattered pots, large things that were overturned at some point and never righted and replanted.]

We were just trying to come up with a name for this guy once he's healed. What do you think?

[He gestures to the machine he's working on. It looks like a rusty and broken down motorcycle.]

Oh. Uh.

[Pauses]

[Looks at the motorcycle, and then at the kid, a little more searchingly than before,]

[The child gives him a "what's with you" look before turning to the man again.]

We need a name for him, right? Kino, what was the name of your motorrad partner before?

"Hermes."

That one's good.

"Really? Let's go with that, then."

[The man named Kino smiles cheerfully as he gets back to "healing" the motorcycle, getting it fixed up. Meanwhile, ××××× sits back on their planter, looking pleased with their contribution.]

That's a real good name.

I think so, too!

[The child sits, rocking back and forth a bit as they watch, but naturally they come up with even more questions.]

What do you do, Kino? And Hurricane, too.

"What'd you mean, 'what do I do'?"

You're an adult, aren't you?

"Well, more of one than you are, at any rate."

Adults are supposed to have some kind of job, aren't they?

[They look questioningly at the two travelers.]

Some of em do. Not all of em, though, I guess.

I'm... well, I was. I was a pilot.

[Looking up to him curiously!!]

A pilot? What's that?

[Kino seems content to let them chat while he works on Hermes.]

Means you fly a machine that goes up in the air.

[Giving a small gasp.]

There's machines that fly in the air?!

[...Okay, even Kino seems to be listening at this point.]

Sure. There's airplanes and helicopters, and suits like the kind I flew.

[The child is just O:!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

"You must come from an impressive country. Even I haven't seen anything like that before."

The place I was from had pretty fancy tech.

[They turn to Kino excitedly.]

What about you, Kino? What kind of work do you do?

"Let's see... Stretching it a bit, I suppose I'd say that I 'travel'."

By travel, you mean going to all kinds of different places?

"That's right."

Is there anything you hate about it?

"Sometimes. But there are a lot more fun things, I'd say."

Then that's not a job.

[The child declares, and Kino stops his work, looking over in confusion.]

I mean, they ain't wrong.

If you're doing it for fun, it's just fun, right?

[The child nods, clearly satisfied Hurricane gets it.]

Jobs are hard. They're not fun. But we must do them to live on. If there's fun in it, then traveling is not a job.

"I dunno..."

That's why tomorrow-- No, the day after! The day after tomorrow, I'll be getting an operation.

"Operation for what?"

For me to turn into an adult. That's why this is my 'final week'.

Wait. For real? But operations don't turn you into an adult.

You just grow up.

[Now they're looking over at Hurricane, expression surprised and confused. He seemed like he understood?]

Huh? No. When you turn twelve, they give you an operation to take out the child in our heads and leave behind only adults. That way we can become splendid, hard-working adults who do our work without fail, even if we don't want to, and even if we think it's not the right thing to do.

[At some point their words sound like they're repeating what an adult said rather than something they actually understand on a personal level. Kino, for his part, looks disturbed upon hearing this.]

[Hurricane also looks disturbed,]

What, like - a lobotomy or something?

[They still look confused.]

Lo-bo-to-my?

[And then, realization:]

You didn't get the operation? Even though it's thanks to that any child can become a proper adult?

[Kino pauses for a moment before answering.]

"I don't know what a 'proper adult' is. Is one a proper adult for being able to do things they don't like? To keep on forever doing things they hate-- is that what makes life fun? And to be forcibly made to do so through operations... I don't really understand."

[The child is just growing more and more puzzled with this.]

But... aren't you two adults?

"Not really. If we're going by your definition of adults, then absolutely not."

Super not.

That's - what you're describing sounds real bad, dude.

[Their brows knit together. Huh???]

But... doesn't that mean you're children? Like me?

"Not really. Going by your definition of children, then I guess I'm not."

Then... what in the world are you?

[The look between Hurricane and Kino, mystified.]

I mean... I'm a teenager.

Where I'm from, we say it's between kids and adults.

Teenager?

[The child doesn't seem familiar with the word.]

"As for me... I'm Kino. A guy named Kino. I guess that's it. Oh, and I travel."

Doing things you like to do?

"That's right. I like to travel, so I travel. I won't be able to make a living by doing just that, of course, so I sell medicinal herbs and other unusual stuff I find on the way. I suppose that could be considered a job. But fundamentally, I travel-- Doing things I like and want to do."

Doing things you like...

[...Now the child seems kind of put off, as though only just now realizing such a thing was possible.

They look between Hurricane and Kino again.]

What is it that you like to do the most?

I dunno.

Just, like... messing around, I guess. Doing whatever, whenever I wanna, without anything serious business to worry about doing.

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Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─

Re: The Middle: “The Land of Adults” ─Natural Rights─