Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Before today, eating for 243 was merely a means to quell his stomach's discomfort and prevent his legs from weakening.

He didn't find nutrient solution unpalatable, but that wasn't due to any defect in his sense of taste; it was simply a lack of comparison.

Just as he hadn't known the meaning of "fullness" until he experienced it.

Similarly, never having tasted delicious food, he wouldn't have known what constituted something unpleasant to eat.

Feeling the sweetness melt on his tongue, 243 was so excited he wanted to dive headfirst into the large cake and bury his face in it.

This was a habit he'd developed from the feeding tubes in the outer zones. Only after arriving at the Education Center, where such tubes were absent, did he gradually adapt to eating with his hands.

Today, in his excitement, he almost reverted to his old ways.

But just before truly burying his face in it, 243 remembered something, slamming on the brakes. He didn't quite reach the cake, and his body swayed with the sudden halt.

What stopped his impulse so quickly wasn't anything complex; he simply recalled that this belonged to his younger brother.

The candle was a gift from the eldest brother to the younger brother, so the cake conjured from the candle naturally belonged to the younger brother too.

If the candle had remained with the eldest or second brother, 243 would have undoubtedly resorted to stealing or seizing it if he desired it.

But he felt he didn't want to treat his younger brother that way.

‘Love’ was also a word his younger brother had taught him.

He didn't fully grasp its meaning, only knowing it was probably a very, very good word.

So, 243 suppressed his urge, extended a hand, and pushed the cake toward his younger brother.

At the same time, he cast a wary, almost thievish glance at his two older brothers.

He thought that since the cake was so wonderful, if his eldest and second brothers also tasted it, they might not possess the same strong self-control as he did.

They might even snatch the cake from their younger brother!

Therefore, it was best if the eldest and second brothers didn't taste the cake at all from the start.

241 and 242 chose to outright ignore their silly younger brother 243’s actions, feeling that ever since he cried that one time, 243 had seemed a little off.

However, like 243, they also turned their attention to their youngest brother.

In response to his younger brother pushing the cake toward him, Su Ximu smiled and didn't refuse.

He picked up the knife and fork that had appeared with the cake and, a little awkwardly, made the first cut, then another, carefully transferring a large piece of cake onto a plate.

After cutting the first piece, the little one thought it over for a moment and handed it to the eldest brother first.

Because the eldest brother was the eldest, and the candle that had produced the cake was also a gift from him.

241 accepted the cake and cast a casual glance at 243.

243: Hmph!

After cutting the first piece, the little one became more adept at the task.

Following the order of age, he cut pieces of cake for his second brother, third brother, and finally himself.

Remembering the kind grandfather next door who had been good to him recently, he also cut an extra piece, got up, and ran over to deliver it, returning a little later.

When he came back, Su Ximu noticed that his brothers were still waiting for him—no one had touched their cake.

So the little one quickly picked up his own plate, took a small fork in his right hand, and demonstrated by scooping up a bite of both cream and cake, putting it into his mouth. He then happily squeezed his round eyes shut.

Seeing this, 242 also scooped up a piece and ate it.

As his taste buds were enveloped in an unprecedented sweetness, 242, more reserved than 243, paused for a moment before smiling at the expectant little one: “Mhm! So this is… delicious?”

‘Delicious’

241, 242, and 243 had all learned this word together.

Su Ximu, taking another bite of cake, nodded, gave a thumbs-up, and said joyfully, “Yes!”

He figured he must be a very lucky child. Even after dying, without his grandmother, father, or mother by his side, he had still found brothers here.

Here, he had a home too~

With that thought, the little one took another big bite of cake.

It wasn’t until he finished the entire slice on his plate that he patted his full belly, feeling a little too full.

Unlike his younger brother, who had at least tasted cake before, his older brothers had no concept of "feeling stuffed."

They only felt that the cake was delicious and wanted to keep eating.

Seeing how much his brothers enjoyed it, Su Ximu kept cutting pieces for them.

Really big pieces!

It wasn’t until his fifth piece that 243 slowed down, eyeing his still-hungry stomach annoyedly.

241 and 242 stayed quiet, but the speed at which they ate showed how much they liked it.

However, they left the last layer of the cake untouched.

242 patted the little one’s equally full belly and pointed to the cake, gesturing that they’d save it for tomorrow.

The satisfaction and fullness brought by the cake were completely different from the satiety provided by nutrient solution.

243 lay on the floor, so full he couldn’t sleep.

Noticing this, Su Ximu suggested, “Eldest brother, second brother, third brother, want to go for a walk?”

In the past, whenever he ate too much, his grandmother would take him for a slow walk outside.

242 nodded, stood up, and took the little one’s offered hand.

243 quickly got up as well and started off.

241 watched this smooth, natural scene, having a feeling that he had missed something during his days away.

***

The 104 Education Center was especially quiet and dark at night.

But Su Ximu, holding his brother’s hand, didn't feel scared. After these past few days, he had gotten used to going out at night.

Everything was pitch black on both sides. Feeling a little bored, he looked up.

Tonight, the night sky was unusually clear, having dispersed the thick haze that usually shrouded the city. A few scattered stars dotted the sky across all directions.

Just walking in silence was too boring.

Spotting the stars, the little boy took the chance to start talking: "Brother, big brother, little brother, look, stars!"

The three of them also looked up.

"My name means 'stars.'"

He sighed, "I wonder if the star Grandpa saw when he named me is the same one up there."

The little one sighed like a little adult.

Little brother is... a star?

What is a name?

Although Su Ximu had been acting as a little teacher lately, sharing everyday knowledge with his brothers, he was still young and couldn't remember everything. Most of the time, he could only teach whatever he thought of.

243 asked curiously, "What is a name?"

Hearing the question, the little one was stumped for a moment.

He wanted to answer that a name is just a name, but that felt like no answer at all. So he began to think carefully.

"The illustration book said..."

"A name is the beginning of a person; it represents who they are."

As long as someone remembers your name, you're not completely gone.

A name... represents them?

Then it must be something very important.

Just then, the little one added, "I also know that a name is made up of a family name and a given name. The family name is inherited—Dad got his from Grandma, and I got it from Dad. Grandma’s family name is Su, so Dad’s family name is Su, and mine is Su too."

The three brothers instinctively thought about their own names.

But on this topic, their minds were blank, containing nothing but a few cold numbers.

They were District 13, 13252-241; District 13, 13252-242; District 13, 13252-243.

They were the next generation of outer-district residents, born in the breeding chamber of District 13, 13252-009 and District 13, 13252-049.

13 was the district number, 252 was the identifier for the area of tin-roofed houses.

Only the last three digits belonged to them.

242 looked at the shackle on his wrist, where numbers were engraved.

Their numbers and birthdates were carved there.

Since their oldest brother was taken away, he and 243 were now chained together.

He thought his name was 242.

So, he reached out and showed the number on the shackle to the little one beside him.

Su Ximu leaned closer.

He'd actually been reflecting just then.

It suddenly hit him that he didn’t know his brothers’ names.

He had introduced himself to them before, but back then, they couldn't speak yet, so they couldn't tell him their names.

Later, he just got used to calling them "brother."

But that didn't seem right.

They were family now—how could family not even know each other’s names?

But when his brother brought the cold shackle closer and told him in a somewhat confused tone that his name was 242, he suddenly disliked that name.

He asked his brother, "Brother, do you like this name?"

242 thought for a moment but neither nodded nor shook his head.

He didn't have the same deep emotions the little one had, so the idea of a name engraved on a shackle didn't stir much feeling in him.

After a brief pause, he said, "I like your name."

"Very much."

Su Ximu.

242 repeated the name silently in his heart, linking it firmly to the child before him.

In that moment, he felt that the name was perfect in every way.

Nothing was more endearing.

But Su Ximu got the wrong idea. He blinked, stood there, thinking for a moment, then generously offered, "Brother, if you like it, I can give my name to you. It’s not the same as Ximu, but it also means 'little star'~"

He had just thought of another name that meant "little star."

As soon as he finished speaking, 242’s face lit up dramatically. His slender, handsome eyes lit up almost instantly, the corners turning red with excitement.

"I like it!"

"I want it."

Pumped by his brother’s enthusiastic response, the little boy's own spirits soared.

Hands behind his back, he confidently announced the name he had just thought of: "Ju Zi!"

"Su Juzi—that’s a truly great name!"

Because it was hard to write. Nobody knew it.

241 stared at the child standing very close to him, suddenly spaced out for several seconds.

He knew what a name meant.

Over the past ten days or so, he had been sent to a completely unfamiliar place.

There, he found a little prince who couldn't turn his head.

The little prince was always, always searching for his own name.

Later, the little prince wanted to kill him, but he wanted to live and return home.

So, he killed the little prince.

When the little prince died, his head came off. He saw the words written on the little prince's back.

That was his name.

So, he gave the candle to him.