Hideki stared blankly at the digital clock on a dresser in his
apartment. The number 8 turned to 9, and it was 4:49 PM on a Friday
evening, and he sat on the floor in front of a blank television screen.
Both Plum and Kotoko were in 'sleep' mode, next to the clock. Hideki laid
back onto the floor and crossed his arms in back of his head. He looked at
the ceiling. Unknown objects cast long shadows on the white surface. Chi
was not yet home from her job at the bakery. Manager Ueda had her working
until five, and Ms. Hibiya had promised to walk her back to the apartments,
since she had some errands at stores nearby the bakery anyways. Now he
wished that he hadn't taken her up on her offer, since he was bored. He
started thinking about what he should do this night, maybe he should take
Chi out shopping? He didn't really have a lot of money, but she would have
gotten paid, since today was Friday, and Manager Ueda always paid her on
Friday.
A dirty magazine caught his eye, halfway underneath his dresser, and he reached over to grab it, but thought better and pushed it entirely under the bureau. The door burst open and Chi came in with a smile. He got up to greet her and they embraced, and Chi said in his ear, "Chi has money from manager Ueda, Chi wants to buy something for Hideki, because it makes Chi happy when Hideki is happy." Hideki couldn't help but smile at Chi's enthusiasm, and he told her, "You are home, so now I'm happy." Chi looked into his eyes and asked, "Hideki wasn't happy before?" She looked slightly confused. "No, Chi, I was happy before, but you are here, so that makes me even more happy." Hideki said, and caught sight of Ms. Hibiya, the apartments manager, standing in the frame of the open door. He walked over to her, and said, "Thanks for walking Chi home, I'm still worried about something happening to her ever since that business with the kidnapper.." Ms. Hibiya smiled her sad little half-smile and said, "I'm more than glad to do anything for your Chi, she's turning into a lovely young lady." Chi danced around the room at this saying, "Chi is lovely, because Chi knows that panties are not for wearing on your head." All of them laughed at this, because Chi knows a piece of information, you often hear about it long after you think you've forgotten about it.
Kotoko and Plum came out of sleep mode and Plum danced around the dresser and promptly fell over the clock. She complained, "Mean old clock, it got poor me!" She kicked it, and simultaneously the numbers changed to show 5:10. "Super Plum 1, Clock 0!" She cried triumphantly. Kotoko rubbed her eyes and looked warily at Plum. "You scare me," she said in monotones.
Manager Hibiya said goodbye and left for her own apartment, leaving the four of them alone. Hideki sat down on the floor again, and Chi flopped down next to him, lying on her stomach. "Well, what do you want to do tonight?" asked Hideki. "Anything Hideki wants is fine.." replied Chi, looking at him. She fingered her ring. It matched the one Hideki kept on his key ring. Although he loved it because Chi had picked it out, and it showed her admiration for him, her simple feeling of affection, he didn't wear it on his finger because it was a women's ring, and would most likely attract unwanted attention. He looked at Chi, who looked back at him expectantly. Her hair was long and flowing and beautiful, strands of silk flecked with gold, streaming across her face, down her back, trailing onto the floor. She wore a light purple dress, one of the ones made especially for her in her former life as Elda. It had many frills and ribbons, but that was how Hideki liked it, it was very feminine and looked stunning on her perfect 'com body. Her face was pale in comparison to the pink on the inside of her E.A.R.s, and her eyes looked exceptionally large as they stared at him. Sometimes he wondered how a computer could possibly be that realistic, and how much tedious work and effort it must have taken to put that much excruciating detail into her. But then, he didn't really think of her as an appliance. She wasn't human either. There was no real way to describe Chi, except to say that she was in a class of her own, and he loved her.
"Lets go in town," said Hideki, standing and pulling Chi to her feet with him. He pulled on a jacket, as the air was getting a little bit brisk, with the season being in late autumn. They walked out of the apartments, and the streetlights were beginning to come on. "I have an idea," he said, "There is a carnival going on, in the city. It would be fun to go, do you want to go with me, Chi?" Chi grabbed his hand and pulled. "Carnival! Carnival! Let's go, Hideki!" Then she stopped and looked at him questioningly. "What's a carnival?"
They took a streetcar into the city and before they even got into the midst of it all, they could see lights, many, many coloured lights, all strung up, crisscrossing the streets. They glowed like embers in a dying fire in the nearing night. Chi was fascinated by one, and tried touching each one that they passed. Hideki took her arm. He saw many other people there with persocoms. Mostly men, all looking blissfully happy, sharing the carnival with their greatest loves, their 'coms. He wondered how they could be happy, loving their computers. He felt his heart thud in his chest, and realized that...he was one of those men. There was nothing he could do about it though, he couldn't fight his love for her, even if she wasn't really alive...but...how do you differentiate alive and not alive? Must something be made of cells to be alive? He knew that his love was alive, but it was intangible, and therefore not made of cells. So this was how he kept thinking of it, walking down the crowded streets, lit up and bustling in gaiety. With her. With Chi, her arm linked with his.
He walked up to a booth where people were playing games, and realized that the person in front of him was none other than Minoru. Yuzuki stood by his side, taller than him by quite a bit, but nonetheless they looked very together and they did not stand out at all against most other couples. But Hideki knew better. Minoru was not in love with Yuzuki. He loved her, very much, like he loved his sister. But he had come to realize that although she was a computer, he could still love her for herself and her programming, and not try to hang onto the memory of his sister through her. There would always be something making each individual human and persocom different from any other one.
"Good evening, Mr. Motosuwa," greeted Minoru. Yuzuki turned and bowed, and Chi imitated her. This was her learning software in action again, to greet back formally when greeted formally. "No need for formalities, Yuzuki." Minoru gently told his persocom. Yuzuki smiled down on him, nodding her head silently. Hideki saw that Minoru had won many prizes. "Wow, how did you manage that?" He asked, motioning to his armful of assorted plush objects. "When you can calculate things like distance in a short amount of time without using tools, you can usually get a good estimate of how to hit objects, say blocks, or toys, with other objects, such as balls or darts." replied Minoru, surprisingly looking upbeat and pretty happy with himself.
"Can Chi try a game, Hideki?" asked Chi. "Sure," replied Hideki, "use your money from the bakery to pay for it." Chi walked up to the booth, and paid the man running it. He quickly plugged a wire into her E.A.R. port and tested her for cheating software. Then, he gave her several balls, and explained to her that she had to hit one of the plush toys and knock it off a platform to win the toy. The others watched with interest, gathered behind Chi. Her first throw was quite far over the top of any of the toys. Chi looked back at Hideki. "Chi will fail at this game." She said. "No you won't, Chi, you're doing really well!" He said. Chi threw another ball and narrowly missed a cat-like toy with big eyes. "So close, Chi." encouraged Yuzuki. Chi's last hit hit the cat-like toy straight on, and it fell from the platform, where the man picked it up and gave it to Chi. She smiled at him and said, "Thank you so much!" and bowed. He looked a little bewildered but thanked her for playing.
The four of them walked a ways down the streets, where there were many more couples, by fountains. The streets were more dimly lit, and there were some persocoms and humans putting on public displays of affection. Chi noticed one couple nearby kissing, and asked, "What are they doing?" "They are kissing, Chi," replied Hideki, feeling heat rise to his face, thinking of what she might say next. He also wondered what it was like, kissing a 'com. Was it as realistic as a real girl's kiss?
"Why do they do kissing?" Asked Chi. This time, Yuzuki answered her, feeling that these questions were not only directed at Hideki. "Kissing is an action that people do when they love each other. It is a way of expressing their feelings for one another." Chi still looked puzzled. "Do you and Minoru kiss, Yuzuki?" asked Chi. "Yes, Chi, but there are different kinds of kisses. There are romantic kisses, and kisses that just mean you love the person, but aren't *in love* with them. I am not romantically involved with Minoru." replied Yuzuki, unfazed by all the questions. Chi turned to Hideki. "Does Hideki love Chi, or is Hideki *in love* with Chi?" She asked him. He looked around uncomfortably. He had been thinking a lot about this lately. He had never really been asked about this before, he had only said that he loved Chi, that she was his special someone. But did this mean that he was in love with her? He didn't really think that he even knew the answer himself. Maybe somewhere...somewhere deep inside he was in love with Chi, but he didn't know how to answer her. "Chi, I think that.."
"Minoru and I are leaving now," interupted Yuzuki in an automatic voice. Minoru looked at Hideki apologetically. "Sorry, Motosuwa, she is programmed to get me home by 8:30. It is now 8:05, so I'm afraid that we actually must be going." Yuzuki and Minoru walked back towards where they could catch a train back home, leaving Hideki and Chi alone in the dim light.
It was the perfect mood for romance, the fountains trickling and distorting light waves, sending the falling water's shadow flying far across the streets. Hideki put his hands on Chi's hips and looked into her eyes. "What is Hideki doing?" asked Chi.
"Someone can only be *in love* with someone else...if that someone else loves them back. Are you *in love* with me, Chi?" asked Hideki. "Does being *in love* with Hideki mean that Chi feels like she could not exist without him? Does it mean that Chi hurts when she is not with Hideki? Does it mean that...if you did not love Chi, Chi would end up like her sister Freya? Because Chi could not go on knowing that Hideki would rather not be around her. Is that what being *in love* is like, Hideki?" Chi questioned. Pausing, Hideki slowly opened his mouth. "Yes." he said softly. There was silence.
"Then, yes, Hideki. Chi is *in love* with Hideki." she said bravely.
"Chi....I am *in love* with you, too." He leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth, only for a second. "Was that a kiss, Hideki?" He nodded. "Then Chi likes kisses. They make her feel like she will never be alone again."
A dirty magazine caught his eye, halfway underneath his dresser, and he reached over to grab it, but thought better and pushed it entirely under the bureau. The door burst open and Chi came in with a smile. He got up to greet her and they embraced, and Chi said in his ear, "Chi has money from manager Ueda, Chi wants to buy something for Hideki, because it makes Chi happy when Hideki is happy." Hideki couldn't help but smile at Chi's enthusiasm, and he told her, "You are home, so now I'm happy." Chi looked into his eyes and asked, "Hideki wasn't happy before?" She looked slightly confused. "No, Chi, I was happy before, but you are here, so that makes me even more happy." Hideki said, and caught sight of Ms. Hibiya, the apartments manager, standing in the frame of the open door. He walked over to her, and said, "Thanks for walking Chi home, I'm still worried about something happening to her ever since that business with the kidnapper.." Ms. Hibiya smiled her sad little half-smile and said, "I'm more than glad to do anything for your Chi, she's turning into a lovely young lady." Chi danced around the room at this saying, "Chi is lovely, because Chi knows that panties are not for wearing on your head." All of them laughed at this, because Chi knows a piece of information, you often hear about it long after you think you've forgotten about it.
Kotoko and Plum came out of sleep mode and Plum danced around the dresser and promptly fell over the clock. She complained, "Mean old clock, it got poor me!" She kicked it, and simultaneously the numbers changed to show 5:10. "Super Plum 1, Clock 0!" She cried triumphantly. Kotoko rubbed her eyes and looked warily at Plum. "You scare me," she said in monotones.
Manager Hibiya said goodbye and left for her own apartment, leaving the four of them alone. Hideki sat down on the floor again, and Chi flopped down next to him, lying on her stomach. "Well, what do you want to do tonight?" asked Hideki. "Anything Hideki wants is fine.." replied Chi, looking at him. She fingered her ring. It matched the one Hideki kept on his key ring. Although he loved it because Chi had picked it out, and it showed her admiration for him, her simple feeling of affection, he didn't wear it on his finger because it was a women's ring, and would most likely attract unwanted attention. He looked at Chi, who looked back at him expectantly. Her hair was long and flowing and beautiful, strands of silk flecked with gold, streaming across her face, down her back, trailing onto the floor. She wore a light purple dress, one of the ones made especially for her in her former life as Elda. It had many frills and ribbons, but that was how Hideki liked it, it was very feminine and looked stunning on her perfect 'com body. Her face was pale in comparison to the pink on the inside of her E.A.R.s, and her eyes looked exceptionally large as they stared at him. Sometimes he wondered how a computer could possibly be that realistic, and how much tedious work and effort it must have taken to put that much excruciating detail into her. But then, he didn't really think of her as an appliance. She wasn't human either. There was no real way to describe Chi, except to say that she was in a class of her own, and he loved her.
"Lets go in town," said Hideki, standing and pulling Chi to her feet with him. He pulled on a jacket, as the air was getting a little bit brisk, with the season being in late autumn. They walked out of the apartments, and the streetlights were beginning to come on. "I have an idea," he said, "There is a carnival going on, in the city. It would be fun to go, do you want to go with me, Chi?" Chi grabbed his hand and pulled. "Carnival! Carnival! Let's go, Hideki!" Then she stopped and looked at him questioningly. "What's a carnival?"
They took a streetcar into the city and before they even got into the midst of it all, they could see lights, many, many coloured lights, all strung up, crisscrossing the streets. They glowed like embers in a dying fire in the nearing night. Chi was fascinated by one, and tried touching each one that they passed. Hideki took her arm. He saw many other people there with persocoms. Mostly men, all looking blissfully happy, sharing the carnival with their greatest loves, their 'coms. He wondered how they could be happy, loving their computers. He felt his heart thud in his chest, and realized that...he was one of those men. There was nothing he could do about it though, he couldn't fight his love for her, even if she wasn't really alive...but...how do you differentiate alive and not alive? Must something be made of cells to be alive? He knew that his love was alive, but it was intangible, and therefore not made of cells. So this was how he kept thinking of it, walking down the crowded streets, lit up and bustling in gaiety. With her. With Chi, her arm linked with his.
He walked up to a booth where people were playing games, and realized that the person in front of him was none other than Minoru. Yuzuki stood by his side, taller than him by quite a bit, but nonetheless they looked very together and they did not stand out at all against most other couples. But Hideki knew better. Minoru was not in love with Yuzuki. He loved her, very much, like he loved his sister. But he had come to realize that although she was a computer, he could still love her for herself and her programming, and not try to hang onto the memory of his sister through her. There would always be something making each individual human and persocom different from any other one.
"Good evening, Mr. Motosuwa," greeted Minoru. Yuzuki turned and bowed, and Chi imitated her. This was her learning software in action again, to greet back formally when greeted formally. "No need for formalities, Yuzuki." Minoru gently told his persocom. Yuzuki smiled down on him, nodding her head silently. Hideki saw that Minoru had won many prizes. "Wow, how did you manage that?" He asked, motioning to his armful of assorted plush objects. "When you can calculate things like distance in a short amount of time without using tools, you can usually get a good estimate of how to hit objects, say blocks, or toys, with other objects, such as balls or darts." replied Minoru, surprisingly looking upbeat and pretty happy with himself.
"Can Chi try a game, Hideki?" asked Chi. "Sure," replied Hideki, "use your money from the bakery to pay for it." Chi walked up to the booth, and paid the man running it. He quickly plugged a wire into her E.A.R. port and tested her for cheating software. Then, he gave her several balls, and explained to her that she had to hit one of the plush toys and knock it off a platform to win the toy. The others watched with interest, gathered behind Chi. Her first throw was quite far over the top of any of the toys. Chi looked back at Hideki. "Chi will fail at this game." She said. "No you won't, Chi, you're doing really well!" He said. Chi threw another ball and narrowly missed a cat-like toy with big eyes. "So close, Chi." encouraged Yuzuki. Chi's last hit hit the cat-like toy straight on, and it fell from the platform, where the man picked it up and gave it to Chi. She smiled at him and said, "Thank you so much!" and bowed. He looked a little bewildered but thanked her for playing.
The four of them walked a ways down the streets, where there were many more couples, by fountains. The streets were more dimly lit, and there were some persocoms and humans putting on public displays of affection. Chi noticed one couple nearby kissing, and asked, "What are they doing?" "They are kissing, Chi," replied Hideki, feeling heat rise to his face, thinking of what she might say next. He also wondered what it was like, kissing a 'com. Was it as realistic as a real girl's kiss?
"Why do they do kissing?" Asked Chi. This time, Yuzuki answered her, feeling that these questions were not only directed at Hideki. "Kissing is an action that people do when they love each other. It is a way of expressing their feelings for one another." Chi still looked puzzled. "Do you and Minoru kiss, Yuzuki?" asked Chi. "Yes, Chi, but there are different kinds of kisses. There are romantic kisses, and kisses that just mean you love the person, but aren't *in love* with them. I am not romantically involved with Minoru." replied Yuzuki, unfazed by all the questions. Chi turned to Hideki. "Does Hideki love Chi, or is Hideki *in love* with Chi?" She asked him. He looked around uncomfortably. He had been thinking a lot about this lately. He had never really been asked about this before, he had only said that he loved Chi, that she was his special someone. But did this mean that he was in love with her? He didn't really think that he even knew the answer himself. Maybe somewhere...somewhere deep inside he was in love with Chi, but he didn't know how to answer her. "Chi, I think that.."
"Minoru and I are leaving now," interupted Yuzuki in an automatic voice. Minoru looked at Hideki apologetically. "Sorry, Motosuwa, she is programmed to get me home by 8:30. It is now 8:05, so I'm afraid that we actually must be going." Yuzuki and Minoru walked back towards where they could catch a train back home, leaving Hideki and Chi alone in the dim light.
It was the perfect mood for romance, the fountains trickling and distorting light waves, sending the falling water's shadow flying far across the streets. Hideki put his hands on Chi's hips and looked into her eyes. "What is Hideki doing?" asked Chi.
"Someone can only be *in love* with someone else...if that someone else loves them back. Are you *in love* with me, Chi?" asked Hideki. "Does being *in love* with Hideki mean that Chi feels like she could not exist without him? Does it mean that Chi hurts when she is not with Hideki? Does it mean that...if you did not love Chi, Chi would end up like her sister Freya? Because Chi could not go on knowing that Hideki would rather not be around her. Is that what being *in love* is like, Hideki?" Chi questioned. Pausing, Hideki slowly opened his mouth. "Yes." he said softly. There was silence.
"Then, yes, Hideki. Chi is *in love* with Hideki." she said bravely.
"Chi....I am *in love* with you, too." He leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth, only for a second. "Was that a kiss, Hideki?" He nodded. "Then Chi likes kisses. They make her feel like she will never be alone again."