"The persocons," he yells. "Get to the persocons! Disconnect everyone but Kaze from the network! She's the most easily repaired, and we need something to hold up the system." I leap out of my chair and obey his orders. Within only a few minutes, Kaze is the only one connected. I take a moment to stop and look at her. She is Yoshiyuki's first creation, a pretty little thing with curly blonde hair that reaches to her waist and olive-colored eyes. I snort at the memory of how I once thought he would choose her over me, and hastily make my way back to the console room. Yoshiyuki's cut the alarm and seems to have relaxed a bit. "The protocols are working," he murmurs, removing his glasses and leaning back in the chair. I sink into my own seat, the images on the screen starting to blur before my eyes. It's the aftermath of all that adrenaline hitting me at once. I abruptly stand. "I need a drink." Before I can get more than three steps, however, I'm falling.
"Kirameku-chan!" I can feel my body impact against his - apparently he's leapt in front of me to catch me - but I can't open my eyes. I'm trembling, feeling like I'm on fire, but my nerve endings are blocks of ice. I can't move, I can't speak, I can't do anything but lay in his arms and shake. He curses loudly, and pulls me over to my chair, dumping me unceremoniously into it. "Kirameku-chan! Open your eyes! Please, open your eyes, or say something! Kirameku-chan...!" Yoshiyuki, I cry inwardly. Help me. Help me, I can't move, I can't speak, I can't open my eyes. I can't do anything. Help me! I'm completely rigid in the chair, shaking like a leaf. Yoshiyuki grips my upper arms tightly. "Kirameku-chan," he snaps. "Kirameku-chan. Can you hear me? Say something, Kirameku!" When I still don't respond, I can feel the worry humming through him. "Come on. Come on, Kirameku-chan...please..." His grip tightens. Now it hurts. I pull in a ragged gasp of air, and it promptly bursts from my lungs in a scream.
"Yamero!"
My eyes snap open at my own cry. By speaking, I have freed myself from the horrifying trance. Yoshiyuki's face is the first thing I see. He's gone completely white, and there's something in his terrified gaze that I haven't ever seen there before. I can't place it, and before I have a chance to try, he's pulled me into his arms, and tears are now soaking my hair. "Yoshiyuki-san?" I whisper. "You don't have to cry. I'm..." But I realize the words I'm about to say...just aren't true.