We enter the room, me at Yoshiyuki's side, Hikaru sitting jauntily on my shoulder. The persocon
looks up at our entrance. "Who are you?" she says. Yoshiyuki speaks first. "Kojima Yoshiyuki,"
he says, and looks to me. I quickly follow up with my own name. "Ikuza Kirameku." The
persocon tilts her head, apparently processing this information. No one speaks for a moment.
Finally, she breaks the silence. "Kojima...Yoshiyuki..." she fumbles. "And Ikuza...Kirameku...?"
Yoshiyuki nods. The persocon turns to Kotoko now. "This thing told me..." Kotoko jumps up,
taking offense at the words. "I'm not a thing! That's impolite behavior, you know, I do have a
name!" She plugs herself into the television set. Her name appears. "My name is Kotoko!" she
snaps. The persocon's eyes light up. "Chii remembers, this thing is called Kotoko!" Yoshiyuki's
mobile is absolutely fuming by this time. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm not a thing!"
she spits out between clenched teeth. Hikaru is almost toppling off my shoulder as laughter rocks
her small body. Kotoko fixes Hikaru with a glare. "Shut your trap or I'll come over there and shut
it for you!" My mobile just laughs harder...she loves making Kotoko angry. I put a fingertip over
Hikaru's mouth. "Shush, Hikaru-chan," I say, fighting a smile. Hikaru shushes, with an effort.
Meanwhile, Yoshiyuki has moved forward and is now talking to the persocon in a soft, low voice.
The same voice he used to use when he was talking to me. It makes me jealous, but he doesn't
even notice the bitter expression on my face. However, Kotoko does, and flashes me a
sympathetic look. I force a smile and try to listen to the conversation. Yoshiyuki has by now
determined that the persocon's name is Chii, and that someone named Hideki had found her and
brought her home. He's now holding a section of her hair in his hand, and delicately caressing it
with his thumb, staring directly into her eyes. I turn away, unable to handle this, and make a break
for the other room, Hikaru losing her balance and falling to the tatami as I whirl and flee.
"Kirameku-chan?" He apparently entered the room without my noticing...not hard to do since I
have been sitting in here and crying. I hear his soft footsteps, and feel his hand on my shoulder,
but refuse to look at him. I'm leaning on my console, my face buried in my arms, streaked with
tears that have long since dried. He moves around to my side and forcibly lifts my head.
"Kirameku-chan, you've been crying," he whispers softly. I clamp my eyelids tightly shut. I'm not
going to look at him, I'm not even going to acknowledge his existence. Most importantly...
I mustn't cry.
looks up at our entrance. "Who are you?" she says. Yoshiyuki speaks first. "Kojima Yoshiyuki,"
he says, and looks to me. I quickly follow up with my own name. "Ikuza Kirameku." The
persocon tilts her head, apparently processing this information. No one speaks for a moment.
Finally, she breaks the silence. "Kojima...Yoshiyuki..." she fumbles. "And Ikuza...Kirameku...?"
Yoshiyuki nods. The persocon turns to Kotoko now. "This thing told me..." Kotoko jumps up,
taking offense at the words. "I'm not a thing! That's impolite behavior, you know, I do have a
name!" She plugs herself into the television set. Her name appears. "My name is Kotoko!" she
snaps. The persocon's eyes light up. "Chii remembers, this thing is called Kotoko!" Yoshiyuki's
mobile is absolutely fuming by this time. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm not a thing!"
she spits out between clenched teeth. Hikaru is almost toppling off my shoulder as laughter rocks
her small body. Kotoko fixes Hikaru with a glare. "Shut your trap or I'll come over there and shut
it for you!" My mobile just laughs harder...she loves making Kotoko angry. I put a fingertip over
Hikaru's mouth. "Shush, Hikaru-chan," I say, fighting a smile. Hikaru shushes, with an effort.
Meanwhile, Yoshiyuki has moved forward and is now talking to the persocon in a soft, low voice.
The same voice he used to use when he was talking to me. It makes me jealous, but he doesn't
even notice the bitter expression on my face. However, Kotoko does, and flashes me a
sympathetic look. I force a smile and try to listen to the conversation. Yoshiyuki has by now
determined that the persocon's name is Chii, and that someone named Hideki had found her and
brought her home. He's now holding a section of her hair in his hand, and delicately caressing it
with his thumb, staring directly into her eyes. I turn away, unable to handle this, and make a break
for the other room, Hikaru losing her balance and falling to the tatami as I whirl and flee.
"Kirameku-chan?" He apparently entered the room without my noticing...not hard to do since I
have been sitting in here and crying. I hear his soft footsteps, and feel his hand on my shoulder,
but refuse to look at him. I'm leaning on my console, my face buried in my arms, streaked with
tears that have long since dried. He moves around to my side and forcibly lifts my head.
"Kirameku-chan, you've been crying," he whispers softly. I clamp my eyelids tightly shut. I'm not
going to look at him, I'm not even going to acknowledge his existence. Most importantly...
I mustn't cry.