CHAPTER I. MIZUMI

"So, this is his new restaurant?" He looks at the giant building, spots the name in sparkling capitals above the door. "Crystal Dragon". "Well, the name's correct..." He enters the restaurant, looks around. A dozen of persocoms is serving the customers, as usual these days in the Japan of the 22nd century. With those latest models, it's only visible they're not human girls by the ears. Suddenly, a man with the name tag "Manager Tazuka" approaches him.
"Well, well, if that's not Riko Akarino! I'm glad you've come," he says, stretching out his hand. Riko shakes it smiling.
"Of course I did! Come on, real friendship never dies, Hideto-san," he says. "Well, I must say you've done a great job on your restaurant! And all these persocoms... How did you afford them? Won the lottery or something?"
"No, dumped models," Hideto says, "I got them very cheaply and they all are good and hard workers. Well, all... there's one..." He sighs deeply, whistles. "Hey! Number Thirteen! There's a customer over here!" A girl in the back looks up: she has sparkling blue eyes and long, brown hair with a purple hair-band. Riko glares at her as she walks to them.
"Welcome to "Crystal Dragon", sir," she says merrily to Riko, "I hope you will enjoy your visit here."
"Thir-teen," Hideto sighs. The girl looks up inquiringly.
"What... O, yes! Would you like to order, sir? Can I take your coat, please? Have a very nice day, sir!"
"That's what I meant," Hideto declares, "number Thirteen here almost crashes when you remind her of something." Riko's still glaring at the persocom, almost in trance.
"Gosh, she's so cute... Is her name really number Thirteen?"
"Not really. You see, all persocoms here have names, but I rather remember numbers than names," Hideto explains. Riko nods absent-mindedly.
"I see... Hey, number Thirteen? What's your real name?" She smiles at him shiningly.
"It is Mizumi, sir," she says.
"Ah, Mizumi!" Hideto mutters, "I knew it was something with 'mizu' in it... Sorry, Riko-kun, I have to help the other customers, I'll speak to you later. Mizumi, please take his order without forgetting something!"
"Okay, sir!" Hideto leaves, and Riko takes a seat, without even getting his eyes off Mizumi.
"So your name is Mizumi... Like in mizûmi, lake?"
"It is, sir," Mizumi smiles. "Can I take your coat, sir?"
"I don't wear a coat, Mizumi."
"Oh..." She bows immediately. "I am so very sorry, sir. Please forgive me, I am so very awkward." He grabs her hand.
"It's okay, Mizumi. You're doing great!"
"Thank you very much, sir," she says relieved, "Well, can I take your order, please?"
"If you'll stop being so polite towards me, you can," Riko winks. Mizumi's eyes suddenly turn blankly.
"I can not do that, sir. That is beyond my standard programming, I will crash if I will do that." She bends to him, whispers in his ear: "and I do not want to crash again, sir. Manager... Tazuka-san told me that, if I would, he would fire me and shut me off because I am so worthless."
"Mizumi..." She rises smilingly. "It is fine, sire," she says, "well, can I finally take your order now?"

"And, what do you think about the place?" Hideto asks, as Riko has finished his meal.
"It's a great restaurant, really," Riko says, "but... that Mizumi..."
"You seem to be attracted to her," Hideto smiles, "I must admit that I was so, too, when I first saw her... I only needed twelve persocoms and I'd already bought that amount, but then I saw Mizumi. She seemed so lonely without the others, that I decided to buy her as well. I got her so cheaply, that I thought: ah, well, why not... Now I realize why she was that cheap." He sighs deeply. "It seems like half of her programming has stuck or something, I dunno... However, would you like to come back here, Riko-kun?"
"Sure!" Hideto smiles.
"Then this visit was free. Hey, MIZUMI!" Mizumi, in the back again, looks up from a conversation with a persocom with orange, braided hair.
"Yes, manager, sir?"
"Riko-kun here would like to leave. So, what do you say to him?" She thinks, thinks for a long while. Then, she calls out:
"I hope you enjoyed your visit, sir! Please come again, sir!" The whole restaurant is startled by her calling, and Hideto shakes his head.
"Don't call it out, Mizumi!"
"Oh... I am very sorry, sir," she says quickly, bowing to him, "please be forgiving."
"Yeah, yeah, it's fine! You can go back to your friend." Mizumi nods, glares at Riko for a while with an intruding look. Then she walks back to the persocom she was talking with.
"Well, the calling was one of the things that are wrong with her," Hideto says, "anyway, thanks for coming and see you!"