Red Lady Cigarettes

Chapter 9: The F*cking Trolley

"Our teacher asked us about the famous train problem today."

"Hm? Train problem?"

What a calm it is to be a child, if only someone could preserve the harmony and kindness within them. Touza kept himself crouched beside the sand pit giving the kid a subtle smile, keeping himself interested in this little conversation.

"The train problem, theres a train and it's going straight through a crowd of five people. The direction of the train can be switched, but the other direction has one person in it. Yasho sensei asked us what we would choose."

His eyes stared back to the kid in confusion, it wasn't for long until Touza scoffed. "Your teacher asked you the Trolley Problem?" Shaking his head, he asked another question. "What's your answer?"

"Some said it's better to run over the second direction, because it's one life over five."

"I'm asking what you answered."

The kid could only shrug, crumpling his mouth shut before admitting. "I couldn't answer. I can't answer this question until I hear what you think Kousetsu-san."

"Well, the Trolley Problem isn't necessarily asked to kids at your young age. You're still eating dirt in a playground, what would you know about it?" He replied, patting the child's clothes out of dust and wiping his face clean with a handkerchief. Touza however, didn't leave his opinions to himself. "You see, the Trolley Problem applies to our lives in different ways. It's not just a simple question about choosing between who you need to kill—"

What?

What did he just say?

For a moment, his focus faded as if he wasn't looking at anything in particular. Movements halted and his own opinions lingered long in his thoughts that it affected him whole.

Somehow, he felt stuck somewhere in the Trolley Problem. He could feel his hands shake and himself choosing between options that ultimately takes a life.

"Choosing between what?"

And right then, he knew what his answer would be.

"Kousetsu-san? Are you okay?"

Blinking twice to drag himself back to reality, Touza picked up where he left off. "What I'm trying to say is, the Trolley Problem will always depend on the person answering. The best you could do is weigh out the results and pick between those."

"Touza!"

He turned his head to see Kairi waving at the two of them. "Well, Kaori, your mom's here. Time to go." He held out his hand where the little one held onto, they walked to over to his mother who pointed to the car not far away. "To the car now sweetie, I need to speak to Kousetsu-san okay?"

Kaori was obedient, waved goodbye to Touza and got inside. Meanwhile his mother let out an exasperated sigh, dropping her shoulders. "Touza, you don't have to do this. It just breaks my heart to see you—"

"He's a good kid."

"I know, but can't you just... I don't know- I don't know anything about you now."

"Why should you?"

"Touza..."

"No matter how much you tell yourself he's my kid, he isn't."

[  Musutafu 10:56 PM ]

"You don't know how much I thought my confidence was higher than the Empire State until I met these people." Shinkiro was to put it simply, seething. Touza just listened for the first few minutes since it was the best he could do, even if her ranting infuriated him beyond his own expectations. "Shinjo acts as if their behaviour is normal for a 21st century elite. You'd think they'd be smart but these people are morons. I know for a fact that all the goddamn men bearing Kumori as their last name will die a misogynist, and will even be proud of it. Makes me wonder, was my father this way? Or did he die because he wasn't?"