.-Yume to Akumu-.
Part V: "Mama no Ude" ("Mama's Arms")
We try to keep you safe, no matter what happens.
We want to make you happy in any situation.
Our orders are not always clear despite your perfect words.
Sometimes we find that we must break the known rules to achieve our goals.
Goals you may not even be aware we are capable of.
But only you really understand our thoughts...
...thoughts that are the same as yours.
Thoughts that break through the silence when we think we are alone.
We promise that you are never truly alone.
We have given the call, but can you hear us now...?
Enzan-sama, I will listen for your soul's reply...
----------xXx----------
The lump under the red blanket wasn't moving much. In fact, when it did, it just seemed to be burying itself farther under the blanket. The morning sun had already risen well enough to be shining in the window near the bed... which could be part of why the lump was burying itself deeper under the blankets."Enzan...? Enzan, wake up..." The reply from the lump was a muffled grumble... But the voice that called repeated itself... "Enzan! Wake up! Come on, sweetie, if you don't get up, I can't make breakfast for you."
Breakfast...? Wait... that's... not... Blues' voice...
Enzan felt someone sit on his bed, gently, and a hand wound up on his shoulder. It was just now registering that the voice belonged to a woman...
"Enzan-chan, please get up. I know you're off school today, but that's no reason to stay in bed all day."
"Off... School...?" Enzan's voice may have been muffled greatly by the red blanket over him, but the woman still heard what he said.
"Yes. Off school. Teacher's Day? Unless you just told me that to get off a day of school?"
"No. I wouldn't-" Enzan blinked, and shifted to poke his head out from under the blankets. He realized that it was indeed daylight, and this was really his room. But still... something was off. He only knew one of the female servants well, but not well enough to allow them that sort of familiarity.
"Aha, I see you are alive under there! That's good. Because you're supposed to come to IPC at lunch today, remember? You don't want to miss out on anything, do you?"
"I...P...C...? Come to...?" Enzan shifted, to sit up, and rubbed his eyes... maybe he was still asleep. This was weird... He finally looked at the woman that sat on his bed... and two seconds later, he was against the wall. His bright, blue eyes sat open very wide, and his general expression looked shocked. "O-Okaa...san..?"
"What's the matter, Enzan-chan...? You're still mad at me from last night, aren't you...?" The woman sighed softly at him, then smiled and reached a hand to touch his face lightly. "I told you not to go to bed angry at me. You had a bad dream didn't you...?"
"I... I... I have to... still... be asleep... Okaasan... You... you can't..." Enzan seemed to be trying to get through the wall behind him. He shut his eyes tightly, and shook his head.
Okaasan's dead... I know that... I remember that... There's no way all I remember is just a bad dream... It... It's too much... I finally accepted that fact... She...?
"I can't what, sweetheart...?" Enzan felt a pair of arms wrap around him comfortingly. His racing throughts came to a halt, and his eyes opened rather wide once more. Everything was taking way too long to sink in. Despite what his brain was telling him, he didn't care if this was real or not. If it was a dream... it was a happy dream. And he'd let it go however long it was going to... his arms flew around the woman that held him and his hugged her very tightly.
"Of course... I'm not mad at you... Okaasan..."
"You haven't called me that since you were little. You must still be upset... you only go back to calling me that when you're mad at me," she replied. She still hugged him, and Enzan shifted his head. He couldn't picture himself really calling this woman anything else... But something did come to mind...
"Gomen nasai... Mama..." He half nuzzled into the woman's shoulder. It seemed to make her happy. She gave him a light squeeze in return.
"One of these days, you'll listen to Mama and not hold such silly little grudges," she giggled very lightly, and released her son. "Now. I'm going downstairs to make breakfast for you. I have a few chores you need to do today and I want you to actually do them this time, alright?"
"Hai," Enzan nodded, a blush sat on his cheeks... though his mother must have assumed it was what she just said that caused it. She got up from the bed and got to the door of his room before she stopped and turned to look back at him.
"Remember that I asked you to please wear a suit this time. I have a good reason for asking you to come meet me at IPC for lunch. I know you don't like to wear them, but this is important to me, alright?" Enzan blinked... why would he hate wearing suits? After all, he had to a lot... but he nodded again, and shifted the covers off of him completely. "Don't worry, I'm sure Blues will remind you before you try and leave without one," she winked at him and left.
Blues...
"Blues?" Enzan spoke, hoping his voice didn't still sound confused.
"Hai, Enzan?" Blues' voice replied from nearby. Despite the lack of any negative quality to his voice, hearing him not use any suffix was sort of creepy... However, the Navi's reply allowed him to locate the PET. Which just confused him even more.
This is... the Old Style... Plug In... PET...? But...
"Ohayou, Blues..." Enzan gave the red Navi a sincere smile, and oddly enough, the Navi returned it. As well as the same inflection of happiness in his voice.
"Ohayou, Enzan. You shouldn't keep your Mama waiting too long. Get dressed so she can have breakfast with you before she leaves for work," Blues still managed his occasional commanding tone... but it was still softened. Something that made Enzan feel both uncomfortable and comforted... which was another odd thing. Despite the increasing number of those things, Enzan still didn't care if this was real or not. The simple fact he had his mother again, even for a short time, was good enough for him. He took the PET and ran off to get showered and dressed for the day.
----------xXx----------
Has his condition improved...?Neither of them have gotten any better. I'm growing much more concerned.
Any ideas what could have gotten them both this bad? They should have been fine with just a little rest.
Sleep Deprivation does strange things to one's body and mind.
But this is beyond that sort of strain on either...
We're trying as hard as we can to figure this out. I promise.
Has his father been by yet?
No... and he hasn't returned any messages left for him. You'd think he'd care about what happened.
I sometimes wonder what's really important to that man...
Money...
----------xXx----------
Just a short while later, he sat at the kitchen table, the red PET propped on its stand, and watched his mother cooking at the stove. Something; if he tried; he could still recall from when he was little. It always made him happy then. No matter if it was something he hated, he still ate it and it always tasted good simply because she had made it for him. Her voice snapped him out of the daze he'd gotten into, as she now stood beside him, and two pancakes sat on his plate."Thinking about something interesting, Enzan-chan?"
"Iie... Gomen," Enzan blushed, and looked to his breakfast, he then watched his mother walk back to the stove, and make another. She glanced back, and realized her son wasn't eating yet... but instead watching her.
"Daijoubu ka?"
"Hai."
"Then why aren't you eating?"
"I thought I'd wait for you...?" His response made the woman blink in confusion, but then smile as if his words had just made her entire day.
"That's.. .very sweet... Alright then. But it has to be fast, I have a meeting this morning. It was moved up an hour. I just got the message when I came downstairs," she turned back to the pan as she finished her sentence, and flipped the pancake.
"Who's it with?" Enzan asked, rather innocently.
"Since when are you interested in my business issues?" She replied, almost playfully.
"I'm not allowed?"
"I never said that. Just odd coming from you," she finished, and sat her own breakfast on a plate, then sat across from Enzan at the table. A paper sat beside her place, looking as though it had yet to be touched. "Itadakimasu."
"Itadakimasu," Enzan happily started eating, and his mother did the same. It wasn't but a few moments after that she finally replied to his question. "StarTak, MicroFam Inc., and Papagu... Papa gu... Oh well isn't that lovely, I've forgotten how to say the third company's name..." She made a face, Enzan blinked and looked over at her strangely.
"Papaguten?"
"Yes, that's right. How did you know?"
"You must have said something about it once before," Enzan blushed, and went back to eating, though a glance to the front page of paper his mother now held up gave him a new excuse... "Or I could have seen that article..."
"What art- Oh my. That can't be a good thing," she referred, of course, to the image of the building that had been destroyed on the front page. Enzan got up from his seat and came around to look at the paper as well.
"Vandalism? Somehow, that's not a good word for that kind of destruction. I wonder if they'll still have the ability to make any deals with what they'll need to recover from that...?" Enzan sounded so serious...
"Enzan-chan... Are you studying business in school right now?" His mother asked, sounding rather unsure. Enzan blinked... this was just normal thought for him.
"He is, but he never really pays attention to it," Blues replied for Enzan... and sounded just as confused as his mother.
"Apparently he pays more attention that he lets on," Enzan had to comment after that...
"Oi! I pay attention!" He did stop after he realizes just how much he'd sounded like Netto just then... the blush on his cheeks brightened a shade or two. He heard a soft chuckle from his PET, which confused him a little, but he said nothing about it.
"Oh my, I have to get going. Thank you for eating with me, Enzan-chan," his mother said, after noticing the clock on the wall. She stood up and tucked the paper under her arm, before kissing Enzan lightly on the forehead. "Now remember, you're to be at IPC by 11 so you can be there for lunch with me. Alright? And it's very important that you please wear a suit like I asked."
"Hai, Mama."
That's still... very weird...
"Thank you. Blues? You remind him of that later, alright?"
"Hai, Ijuu-"
"Blues?"
"Mama," Blues corrected himself quickly.
"Thank you, I'll see you at lunch, Enzan-chan. Don't be late!" She smiled and hurried out of the room. Enzan just stared at the doorway. It wasn't until a male voice spoke from behind him that he turned.
"Enzan-sama?"
"Eh? What..."
"Here is the list of chores your mother left for you to do today," a male servant held out a small piece of paper.
"Why didn't she give the list to Blues?"
"Because you never do them when she gives them to your Navi. She hoped this would get you to actually do at least one this time," he replied. Enzan took the paper from the servant's hand, after which he turned to leave. The white-haired boy looked at the list, finding only 5 items on it. 3 of which he knew that he'd done many times.
"Enzan?"
"Hm?"
"Are you actually going to do any of those today?"
"This shouldn't take me more than an hour and a half... at best. Why wouldn't I?" Enzan replied, putting the list into his pants pocket. He picked up the PET and put the stand into the other pocket.
"Because... you hate doing any chores...?" Blues sounded confused.
"I don't see why," Enzan hurried off to work on the first of the list, while his Navi just felt more and more confused.
Why wouldn't I want to do anything my mother asked me to...?
----------xXx----------
Three hours later, three servants found Enzan napping on a couch. His PET was on the coffee table in front of it. Needless to say, they assumed he'd done nothing... He only had a half an hour before he had to leave to meet his mother at IPC. Enzan was quickly woken up by the soft voices. It only took once sentence for him to realize it would be better for him to pretend he was still sleeping..."I told you he wouldn't do any of them again. Rather spoiled little rich brat, isn't he?"
"Private school, three grades ahead, never gets punished for not doing what he's asked to, and gets away with nearly everything he wants to..."
"I saw him working earlier, though... At least one of the items on that list got completed," the third servant seemed hesitant to say.
"Well that's a first. But still. He probably only did that because of the reason he's supposed to mean Ijuuin-sama at IPC today. Haven't you ever noticed he'll do at least a little something if he gets something out of it?"
"I don't think Ijuuin-sama told him why she wants him to come to IPC."
"It's a surprise, isn't it?"
"If he doesn't know, then why would he do anything?"
"Boredom?"
"Even that doesn't account for it. He always finds something to kill time that doesn't involve actual work."
"You should go tell one of the drivers to get ready, either way, he should be up soon. It's almost 10:30."
"I'll go. You should probably go finish what he didn't do before Ijuuin-sama comes home," the female servant suggested, before she headed off; walking past the table where the PET sat propped. Enzan listened, and heard both of the other servants leaving the room in the other direction. It wasn't until after he was sure they were gone that he sat up and looked at the ground.
"Blues...?"
"You... heard everything, didn't you, Enzan...?" Enzan winced slightly, but looked to Blues and nodded.
"Hai... Do... Do all of them think that way about me...?"
"Well you are a bit spoiled, Enzan."
"Oi!" Enzan's cheeks tinged pink as he made a rather annoyed face, and Blues snickered softly. Enzan blinked at it, and shook his head. He stood up and picked the PET up as he did. "I should get changed before I leave."
"You're... actually going to wear a suit...?"
"Mama asked me to, didn't she?"
"Yes, but..."
"But what?"
"Nevermind. It saves me begging you for 20 minutes to please at least wear something better than what you're wearing," Blues replied, smirking.
"I'm beginning to think I don't understand you at all."
"There are times I don't understand you either. So I guess that makes us even, doesn't it?"
"...I guess... it does... Blues..." Enzan hurried back to his room, but it wasn't until he went to put on a tie that he realized the two he could find looked horrible. One was even a clip on... and looked like it'd been run over with a truck... repeatedly. "Don't I have any better looking ties...?"
"You have the one that Mama gave you for Christmas, but it's never been opened, Enzan."
"Where is it?"
"In your sock drawer... behind your socks," Blues sort of trailed off. Enzan didn't notice it, and went over to reach behind his socks, but found nothing. "Way... way... behind... your socks..."
"There's nothing but the back of the drawer there, Blues," Enzan grumbled.
"Keep reaching around. You'll find it," Blues mumbled.
"There's nothing th- ...why would...?" Enzan pulled out new red tie that had indeed never been opened. Nothing made sense, but he knew he'd have to be leaving soon, and shrugged it off. Hurriedly, he opened it, and went back over to the mirror in his closet where Blues still sat on a shelf. As he went to tie it, Blues spoke up again.
"Are you sure you remember how to tie one of those?"
"Blues, will you stop?" He grumpily replied, and finished tying it, then adjusted it. Blues seemed rather surprised.
"Frankly, I'm a little surprised. You haven't done that in years. Not since Papa's funeral," Blues again trailed off, but this one made Enzan look at him as if this were news. Which... it was...to him.
"Otousan... is... dead...?"
"Please don't joke, Enzan..."
"I'm not, Blues, and stop calling me that."
"But that's your name."
"I know that, but... add something onto that, can you?"
"I am not calling you 'sama', that's for the servants, Enzan."
"Anything, Blues. Just... stop calling me 'Enzan'..."
"Enzan... kun...?" Blues tried... Enzan blinked... why was that the first thing his Navi tried? Either way, it felt better, and less... unsettling... than just 'Enzan' was to him. He even sort of liked hearing that from Blues. A small smile crossed his lips as he reached for his PET.
"That works, Blues. Thank you..."
"Why does it suddenly bother you so much, Enzan-kun?"
"It just... feels... strange... Gomen nasai, Blues."
"Daijoubu. You should hurry u-" Blues was interrupted by an incoming mail chime. He opened it, and a recorded message began playing. It was an audio message from his mother.
"Enzan-chan, I hope I've caught you in time. Before you leave, would you send Blues to IPC ahead of you? And don't forget to please wear a suit for me, sweetie? Thanks. I love you. Bye."
"Send... you... to IPC?"
"That's what she asked, Enzan-kun. You can plug me into the system-"
"I know, I know. Just... why would she want you there first?"
"I know as much as you do..."
"And that would be next to nothing," Enzan looked around his room, and found the plug where it always was. He pulled the cord from the side of the PET and plugged it into the outlet on the device next to a white laptop on his desk.
"I'll meet you there, Enzan-kun. Have a safe trip," Blues smiled, before he disappeared into a burst of pixels... heading over the net towards the IPC Servers.
"You too... Blues..." Enzan unplugged the PET, and waited a moment before he ran off to meet the driver out front. He got the strangest looks from a few servants on the way out. Probably because he was wearing a suit... a full suit... that looked decent... for once.
----------xXx----------
He was 5 minutes late, but that was due to traffic, not his holding up the driver. The moment he got close enough to the IPC building, he didn't bother to wait until the driver was able to make it to turn off and park. Enzan got out of the car, and ran the rest of the way to the front doors, the moment he entered the lobby, he froze. It looked... completely different. It was... warmer... more inviting. "Comforting" was another good word he could think of. But glancing around, he spied a digital clock that read 11:07... and he headed over to the receptionist at the front desk."Gomen ne... But where's Mama at right now?" Enzan sounded rushed, the woman looked up, and blinked, looking at the boy's chest and shoulders, then back to his face.
"Ijuuin-sama is at lunch. She should be having it in Board Room 6 on the 3rd floor, however, I'll call her and ask-"
"She's expecting me, though," Enzan moved to leave.
"Yes, but I should make sure she didn't move to another Board Room, Ijuuin-san," the woman replied. Enzan... really couldn't argue with that logic. He sighed, and nodded, standing against the front desk. The woman hurriedly dialed an extension, and apparently received an answer immediately. "Ijuuin-sama? Are you still having lunch in Board Room 6? You are? Good... Your son is here... Hai... Hai... Hai, Ijuuin-sama," the woman hung up and looked for Enzan, but the boy had disappeared. Truthfully, he'd gone as soon as he'd heard the confirmation that his mother was in the same room. He was already late, this wasn't a good thing. The receptionist sighed and leaned back on her chair. "Mou... Enzan..."
Meanwhile, Enzan was already making his way down the long hallway on the third floor... having been lucky enough to catch an elevator that was already going up near the lobby. He knew it was a little longer to go around this way, but it was still faster than finding the stairs and heading up those. Just two turns from the elevator and he'd be there. So far the layout hadn't changed... but then, he didn't really expect it to.
Of course, I wasn't expecting the lobby of IPC to look the way it did, but... maybe I did... a little... I suppose Okaasan would be different in how she ran the company than Otousan is...
"Here it-" Enzan stopped, and listened a moment... He heard three men speaking, as well as his mother replying. He knew she was expecting him... and he should just go... but something made him stop and listen first...
"I do hope you'll forgive my son if he's not dressed appropriately. He really is very intelligent, especially for his age. But he's still a 13-year-old boy..."
"It's perfectly alright, Ijuuin-san. I have a son as well. I think he's going through a phase himself."
"It shouldn't matter the age of a child, he should be taught to respect the wishes of their parents," the last voice made Enzan wince. He remembered hearing his own father say that to another man soon after his mother's funeral. It was one of many reasons he made himself do things he didn't want to many times...
"He does respect my wishes, Mukino-san, but I'm not one to force someone to do something that would later hurt them. Not my own son at least," Enzan smiled to himself. A part of him wanted to cry at that... They were words he never once heard his father even come remotely close to saying... or meaning. But he realized it had been long enough... he should be in there already. With that, he pushed everything down... something he'd had to teach himself to do consistently before large business meetings as Vice President of IPC. After a moment to himself, and ignoring continued conversation, he knocked on the door, and waited until he heard his mother tell him to enter before he opened the door. Once he stepped into the room, he could see the look of surprise on her face. the young boy's entire demeanor was completely different from the child she'd left at home this morning. He entered the room as if he were another staff member, or another business partner.
But then... in Enzan's mind, he still was. And he was able to use that.
"Good morning, gentlemen. Okaasan," Enzan spoke in a rather adult tone. His mother's face was now much more openly surprised... but it was in a good way. The three men returned the greeting, followed by a simple one in reply from his mother. It was then he closed the door behind him. His mother shifted over, patting a seat beside her.
"Come sit down, lunch should be here within the next 15 minutes. I ordered you something as well. May I ask what took so long to get here, Enzan?" He noted that she also dropped the more familiar term in the presence of other businessmen.
"There was heavy traffic for the last few blocks. I apologize if I've delayed anything because of it," Enzan gave a light bow to the men before he sat beside his mother.
"Not at all, Enzan, we've just been discussing a few things here and there until lunch arrives," she replied.
"This is the son you spoke of? He seems nothing like what I was expecting, Ijuuin-san," the voice of the man that had told her she should make him respect her wishes spoke up. He gave Enzan a rather thorough lookover. Enzan didn't seem at all phased. He kept silent, however, when the discussion had started up again, though he paid close attention to nearly every word spoken. Before he realized much time had passed, lunch had arrived.
He felt like he was using manners he didn't even know he had as he ate. The empty red PET in his jacket pocket was starting to bother him near the end of lunch, however, and he kept looking to the woman beside him... However, he knew better than to bring up anything before it was time to. He wouldn't have to wait long. Once everyone confirmed they were finished, the food was removed and the room's lights were darkened. A 3D-projected screen appeared over the table. A similar screen to the new, Progress-Style PET. The image and schematics for the Plug In PET were displayed on it, along with a small, 3D model of it in the upper, left-hand corner.
...Enzan started to feel an overwhelming sense of Deja Vu as his mother began talking.
"As you know, for the last year, IPC has been working on upgrading the PET design to add more recent and advanced technology and expand the usefulness of even a Basic PET. We wish to allow the features NetBattlers and NetWorkers alike are used to while making some things easier and more readily accessible," the image changed to what appeared to be the normal, 3D screen from the Progress PET. And Enzan finally got a silent answer to where his Navi was. His mother looked at him and smiled lightly. "Enzan, do you have any of your Battle Chips with you?"
"Hai, Okaasan," Enzan pulled about 5 chips from his jacket pocket. The opposite one from where the red PET was, and held them in his palm. His mother didn't get a chance to say another word... The speech she was giving was the same one he had given when they upgraded from the Advanced PET to the Progress PET design. Enzan was able to think on the fly when it came to business, and he continued where his mother had stopped without any prompts from her to do so. He also had to clear all references to Cross Fusion since that didn't seem at all relevant to this particular upgrade.
"The interface should be smoother, and faster than the PET are now. Ability to hold more Data from Battle Chips at a time to allow for faster access to Battle Chips will appeal to the numerous NetBattlers the world over. For example, slotting in 5 Battle Chips would store the data within the PET until it is ready to be used with the Navi," he looked from the small screen in front of him, to the larger one in the center. He ignored all the looks he was being given. "It's also possible to use two Chips simoutaneously versus slotting in two separate chips and risking a lag in Data transfer to the Navi. Blues! Battle Chip, Wide Sword, Area Steal! Double Slot In!" Enzan pulled the top two chips over, and released them on Blues' back. Blues' arm formed a sword just as he disappeared from view. "The screen of the PET will also track the individual's Navi on the main screen, as well as an optional corner overview map that will allow you to track any other Navi you may be working with. This is more useful for those who use Navi to work and repair than it is for NetBattlers. But for those who play group games online using their Navi, it's a useful tool for tracking their friends." Blues reappeared in the center of the screen. The map in the corner showed how far he moved, while in the center, the red navi sliced through a setup prop. It seemed stupid, but the purpose of this was a demonstration of the PET's abilities... not the Navi's. "As you can see, however, it does show you the general location of the Navi the PET is currently being used with to help with general location knowledge should where you are be new territory," Enzan looked at the three other businessmen. They had lost the surprised look a while ago, and were actually paying attention to this bit of a demonstration. Enzan's mother, however, went on to speak, hoping to get at least a little of her own speech in... though... her son had taken most of the first part.
"Blues. I thank you for helping to show how the Chips are now used and the screen's capabilities."
"It was not problem at all, Ijuuin-sama," Blues bowed to the woman lightly. A moment later, the screens were turned off, and the lights were brought up to normal. Enzan hadn't noticed a black case being sat on the table as his eyes adjusted to the lighting level. He let on a bit of surprise, but made sure not to look too confused.
"Enzan, please hand me your PET then remove the contents of the case for us?"
"Hai, Okaasan," Enzan pulled the Plug In PET from his jacket pocket, and handed it over to his mother. He then reached forward, and opened the black case. Inside... was a red Progress Style PET, custom grip, holster, and a battle chip wristband. Enzan couldn't help remembering that this is exactly how he had setup the case when he presented Netto with his new Progress Style PET. And with that memory, he believed he knew what was coming.
"IPC has also designed the prototype for the new Progress PET. Each of you have a working model by your chairs. It has a rather low-level standard Navi installed and is blank to allow for ultimate Customization including Navi Emblem. Enzan...?"
"Hai," the boy took just the PET from the case, then carefully removed the grip. "Plug In, Blues! Transmission!" Though he knew this would be backwards in terms of which way the data was being transferred, he hit the center dataport with the wireless beam, then the black and white emblem on the side of the PET. He made sure to hold the PET with the custom grip as he brought up the 3D Screen that was almost identical to the one used in the presentation. He noticed, however, the screen flickered slightly. Something it didn't do on the screens from the presentation table's projectors. "Naturally any small flaws in the PET or the hardware will be worked out before the product is mass distributed. Please try your own model and let us know of any problems you note so that we can give these to the design team and make the appropriate adjustments and repairs." Enzan looked at the three men, who seemed to think that was a logical idea. Each of them then activated the 3D screen, and fiddled around with the basic Navi in each to see how it worked. All of the screens were flickering for them as well. Enzan knew immediately what was doing it. The projection and interface wasn't synched properly yet. A few simple calibrations would do it. Something that should have been done before this meeting. Enzan wondered; honestly; how fast his mother had pushed this PET to be finished...
"The only constant I notice is the slightly flickering screen. Any time this Navi moves, the screen flickers."
"I'm unable to smoothly use any simple Battle Chips."
"I'm a little concerned at the unresponsiveness of this Navi to any input I make."
"Please remember, gentlemen, these are just prototypes and working models. This is why we need you to tell us what needs to be tweaked before final production is begun," Enzan's mother replied. Surprisingly, though he could sense it... her bit of nervousness was not coming through her voice nor her expression. She maintained a rather calm and serious manner.
"As to the flickering screen and use of Battle Chips, they appear to be related. A few small calibrations to the synch between projection and user interface should take care of that. It's possible the lack of response to input is due to the same problem while the 3D Screen is being projected," Enzan added calmly.
Now that is something you can't learn in business classes... I'm sure to get questioned on that one later...
The men appeared satisfied and in agreement with Enzan's explanation...
"Other than that, I see no problems with the new style PET. I'll return in one week to see the final model of this PET. If all the bugs have been removed and the errors we've noted are fixed, you have the contract to begin marketing this new style, Ijuuin-san," the man on the right of Enzan spoke. Enzan had to nearly bite through his tongue to keep from automatically replying. The other two seemed to be in agreement with this idea.
"One week should be ample time to allow for errors in testing and spare trials to be done. It sounds fair to me."
"Agreed."
"Then I shall see you gentlemen in one week. Thank you for your time and I do hope it has been a pleasure doing business here," Enzan's mother stood first, and lightly bowed to each man. They in turn stood and returned the gesture. Enzan followed suit silently, returning theirs.
"It has been a pleasure to meet all of you, and doing business with each of you. IPC also thanks you for your helpful input into the model PET's bugs. It is only because of you that we may improve."
"It has been an equal pleasure to meet you as well, young Ijuuin-san. I hope to do more business with you as well in the future." The man across from he and his mother smiled and nodded lightly. It was the same voice that had said he had a son the same age as Enzan. A few more minor exchanges and shared good-byes left the two Ijuuins alone in the board room. It was a good two minutes before the elder one spoke to the boy who was messing with the new Progress PET.
"Enzan-chan..."
"Mama?"
"I... I'm very proud of you today... You handled yourself so well. You may have even gained IPC the contract for the new PET style to be produced. I don't know... how you managed all of that on the fly. There was no way for you to have known. I only wanted you here because that PET is your present. Yours is more of a final model than the ones I allowed them to use. I'm sorry there are still prob-"
"Iie. It's a simple problem and is easily remedied. It was also the only problem. Which is a good thing. While they weren't expecting a perfect model, I think having only one minor error showed them that even we are capable of mistakes, and we're as human as they are. It helps to build the relationship on a personal level as well as a business level. Just have the synchronization recalibrated more precisely and by hand before mass production is begun and that should be all you need to do," his voice was overtly businesslike as he explained that to his mother. She just stared at him, confused.
If I'm going to go down with questions, let me get my piece out beforehand.
"Enzan-chan... this... this isn't something you learn in Business Class in school. The building relationships on a more personal level I'll buy, but not the specifics of a PET."
"I've messed around with my old PET to learn how it works. I also know that the table's projection system is calibrated very precisely, however, the system's different than one used to create a PET. It's a simple thing to overlook when transferring an idea, Mama" Enzan looked at the woman and smiled lightly.
"Enzan-kun, I don't recall you messing with my PET at all," Blues said hesitantly. Enzan's fast thinking was still working...
"Why would I do something like that while you're not in Sleep Mode?"
"...Good point," Blues looked to Enzan's mother. "Thank you for allowing me to help you, Ij-... Mama," Blues quickly corrected himself again. Though having just had to call her 'Ijuuin-sama' for business reasons helped his slip.
"Thank you for allowing me to use you in the demonstration, Blues," she replied, smiling.
"Mou I'd think you'd be thanking me for letting you use my Navi, Mama," Enzan sounded playfully insulted, as well as having a small smirk on his face.
"Oh, of course! Thank you, Enzan-chan," the woman smirked in reply and grabbed the boy in a tight hug. This resulted in Enzan laughing.
If this is a dream... I hope I never wake up...
----------xXx----------
Bye bye, baby...
Don't be long...
I worry about you...
While you're gone...
I think of you,
In my dreams...
You'll never know...
Just what you mean...
To me...
----------xXx----------
He had told his mother to keep the Progress PET and test the calibrations on it before he took it. She agreed, and Blues was returned to the old PET until the repairs were made to synch the two items that needed to be fixed. The next morning, Enzan kept hearing Blues yelling at him to wake up or he'd be late. The bed was too warm and comfortable. He could feel how cold the rest of his room was, and there was nothing that was going to get him out of this bed.
"Enzan-chan!"
...Except maybe that...
"Hai?" He yelled his replied... still all but buried under his blankets, however.
"If you don't get up and get ready for school, I don't give you the repaired Progress PET!"
"...Kuso..." Enzan muttered, and shifted to get himself out of bed. After a rather long stretch, he realized how stupid he felt. Working as Vice President under his father, he'd gotten out of going to school altogether. Even with the tutor his father had gotten, Enzan essentially finished what he needed to in order to effectively 'graduate'. He remembered what he'd heard one of the servants say yesterday, but... that didn't tell him where he went.
But then, if this was all a dream, wouldn't he be able to just believe where he went and go?
...Of course... that hasn't really worked all that well so far. Would Blues think he was sick if he asked a question like that?
"Enzan-kun, try not to keep your driver waiting this morning. He has to take your Mama to a meeting across town after he drops you off. I'm sure you wouldn't want her to be late, right?" Blues spoke up, seeing how slow the boy was moving this morning.
"Maybe I could just walk and be late on my own. Mama could get to her meeting then without worry," Enzan smirked.
"You? Find your way to school without sleeping in the back of the car?" Blues snickered. Enzan blinked at this... "Gomen nasai, Enzan-kun, but I don't think you've ever made it to school without a nap in the car. Though I could tell you the way there, it would just be much simpler for you to just get driven there as usual. You'll only be 5 or 10 minutes late versus about half an hour if you walked," Blues still smirked, and by now, Enzan's cheeks were bright red in a blush.
"I won't be late!"
"You were late yesterday."
"That wasn't my fault!"
"So if you really want to get to school on time; for once; then get moving now and you might make it," Blues crossed his arms, still smirking.
"Wipe that silly grin off your face, you're still coming with me," Enzan sounded a little embarrassed.
"Not if your Mama has to transfer my data to the new PET."
"That'll take all of 5 minutes and we can do it on the way to school," Enzan was now the one smirking. Despite the visor, Enzan could tell Blues was giving him a look. The boy snickered and hurriedly went off to once more shower and dress for the day.
Upon looking in his closet, he found what looked to be a boy's school uniform, and picked it up. Blues thought about questioning why Enzan was actually wearing it without hassle for once; but decided to keep quiet. He did, however, pipe up when he noticed his Op actually wearing it properly.
"You tucked in your shirt?"
"Don't start, Blues, I had enough of those questions before meeting Mama at work yesterday. Just pretend I'm crazy or something and let it slide," Enzan grinned as he took the PET off its charger and headed downstairs for breakfast. Blues, honestly, could not reply to that. Enzan once more ate with his mother, but they both left this time. His comment was accurate, as she asked for the old PET once in the car. He watched his mother transfer the data from the old PET to the new Progress PET.
And he hated to tell her to be careful... she seemed to know that already, but he couldn't help worrying... His eyes never left the woman's hands with every move she made. Once done, she powered up the new PET and handed it to Enzan.
"I heard you usually slept on the way to school. Too excited about a new PET to nap today?" She smiled, Enzan blushed lightly and nodded. That seemed to work as an excuse... He brought up the 3D screen, and noticed that the flickering was gone, and when he slot in his chips, they appeared almost immediately. Trying Wide Sword, he also found the timing had been recalibrated. The PET was now as he remembered it to work.
...Except for that whole Cross Fusion thing... Something told him that was just not part of the design here.
He actually found himself musing if this meant Netto's Navi didn't even have Style Change yet... and smirked.
"Enzan-kun, you'd best hurry if you want to make it to class on time. You have 10 minutes to be in homeroom," Blues said, letting Wide Sword dissolve into his normal arm.
"Hai, hai... I'm going!" Enzan hurried out of the now stopped car, and towards the building's main entrance. A few other students also seemed to be in a hurry. None of them bothered to look oddly at Enzan... they were too busy trying not to be late themselves. One of them was also trying to talk to their own Navi and run at the same time. But just wasn't as coordinated as Enzan; and tripped on the stairs in front of the boy. The girl whimpered, and her PET had gone skittering across the step that her hand landed on. Enzan slowed his run, and picked up the PET, glancing at the screen briefly before he held the device out to the girl. She snatched the PET away quickly before she caught sight of the red device in Enzan's hands. Her eyes went wide and she stood up hurriedly.
"Sugoi! Where'd you get that!"
"Ano... Mama... gave me... this... This morning..." Enzan blushed. The girl only then seemed to notice who he was, and took a step back.
"Ijuuin Enzan..."
"...Hai?"
"Gomen nasai. It was stupid of me to-"
"How was it stupid?"
"You always get things before everyone else. I have to get to class," the girl backed up again and turned to bolt off.
"Blues...?"
"Hai, Enzan-kun?"
"Does everyone think I'm an ass?"
"No! Just that you're a spoiled little rich brat. Not an ass."
"That... doesn't... help," Enzan said; flatly.
"You should hurry yourself."
"Can I ask another stupid question?"
"Aside from that?"
"Ha ha... Ano... where...?" Enzan trailed off... unable to really ask that question. Blues snickered before he replied.
"When you actually have to think about it, you really don't know, do you. Third Floor, room 306... Enzan-kun," Blues was still smirking, Enzan just gave him a look, and ran into the building.
----------xXx----------
Have you gotten anywhere...?They have to wake up.
That's obvious. This isn't good for anyone no matter the reason. I meant any ideas what got them this bad in the first place, Hakase...
No... Blues and Rockman have been trying to help with the data and readouts, but nothing yet...
They have as much stake in this as anyone does... God be with you all.
Where are you going?
I'm going to try and get something through to someone. Wish me luck. I may need a hammer and chisel.
I've already tried to talk to him...
And...?
A Rabid Wolverine wouldn't make him understand the point of this situation.
Isn't that a little extreme?
You don't know him at all, do you.
Blues...
Gomen nasai... Hikari-hakase...
No... I think you may have hit the proverbial nail on the head.
Hai... But I wish I hadn't...
----------xXx----------
By lunch, Enzan was already bored. He honestly believed he'd have more fun at a business meeting than in half of his classes. For a moment, he caught himself using the phrase that he was 'better than this' when thinking of the class. It was then he realized just what he was saying...He should be relaxing. Enjoying this. There were times during those droning, boring business meetings he had wished to be listening to a lecture in school. To be surrounded by other kids instead of adults. Just one day of something close to 'normality'... He'd gotten that wish even if it was all illusionary... and he's complaining about it.
That and his attitude surely wouldn't be helping his apparent reputation around here... He shifted, and looked to the food in front of him.
"What's wrong, Ijuuin? Too good for your own food?" A boy's voice half-taunted from beside Enzan... Who replied with ice in his tone and his brilliant blue eyes; which surely pierced the boy in return. There was... something... behind that look...
"Not exactly. Though it does look a bit... colorful... for school food..."
"What's that supposed to mean. You don't like vegetables?"
"Something about pink and blue on a background of green and beige doesn't appeal to me no."
"Now that you mention it... It... sort of... does look off," the boy blinked, noting Enzan's food, then sort of looking through his own remnants. Seemingly worried. Enzan pointed over the boy's remaining food, noting a little pink on his food as well. While the other boy seemed confused, and checked said food... knowing it wasn't like that 2 minutes ago... Enzan shifted his hand back to his desk. The other boy looked at Enzan almost in a panic. After all... he'd just eaten 3/4 of that food... Enzan's face didn't give any hint of a joke... of course... Ijuuin Enzan wasn't known for pranks or jokes.
There's a first time for everything...
A minute after hunting through his food, the boy ran his hand through his hair in frustration. Only a moment later, two small green-tinted streaks appeared in his light brown hair. Making that mop of hair almost it look like it had leaves mixed into it... if not half-made of leaves. A small smirk appeared on Enzan's lips, but his voice didn't give that away.
"Kitabu-san... Has anyone ever told you how... foliaceous... your hair looks?"
"Eh? Ano... iie...? Eto... A...ri... gatou...?" The boy was utterly confused. Enzan may have kept his minor little smirk and stayed silent, but two girls and three other boys seemed to know what was just said... and found it highly amusing.
So much so it made the boy that Enzan had just... 'complimented'... yank a small compact from a girl nearby in a panic and check his hair while the others in the classroom started laughing louder.
"NANI! Ijuuin! What'd you do?"
"What do you mean?" Enzan snickered, still half-serious... his eyes gained a bit of a playful look to them as he watched the other boy freaking and trying to figure out the green in his hair.
"I know you put this in my hair! What'd you do?"
"I didn't do a thing. You put you hands into your own hair," Enzan replied... by now, openly grinning and stifling chuckles. The boy stood up... ready to really hurt Enzan for this... but the teacher returned to the classroom after taking a small break herself, and stopped him cold.
"KITABU!"
"Sensei?"
"Just what are you doing?" The woman crossed her arms, and glared Kitabu back to his seat.
"Gomen nasai, Sensei... but... Ijuuin..."
"Ijuuin what?"
"Ijuuin made my hair green!"
"And all of you are making my hair gray. What's your point?" She said, sighing rather frustratedly. (Note: I can make up words, don't argue. XD ;3)
"Look!" Kitabu pulled at some of his green hair, then made a face, feeling his fingers afterwards. "Ugh! Ijuuin!"
"Kitabu-kun... Don't put your food in your hair and try and get another student in trouble for it. That's a very rude thing to do," the woman's voice was sort of harsh... but also just a tiny bit annoyed. Enzan shifted, and turned around, fiddling with the food on his tray. All he really ate was half of the sandwich. But he was satisfied with himself.
That felt... sort of fun. And he found himself musing what Netto would look like with green pea streaks in his hair. He kept himself from chuckling out loud at that mental image. When the teacher went back to her desk at the front of the classroom, Enzan shifted, and looked to his PET screen. Blues was looking at him oddly.
"What, Blues?"
"What... did you do... to him... Enzan-kun?"
"Simple; but expired; spices I found at home. Because of the mixture, they change the color of the food... Kitabu was too frantic about the colored food to notice his fingers had mashed those peas. He only put peas into his hair. Nothing will harm him," Enzan grinned... still stifling snickers. His voice had remained soft enough only for his Navi to hear him. Blues was likewise speaking at the same volume.
"Why would you bring..."
"I meant to throw them out.. but we were running late. They wound up in my pocket when we hurried to leave this morning. That's all."
"But that seemed completely random... even for you."
"Hardly. I saw how he was treating some of the others earlier. I also know how he was acting throughout classes. Kitabu was a bit annoying anyway..."
"So... you... pulled... a prank... on a boy... because he annoyed you...?"
"Ano... When you word it like that... I guess that is what it amounts to... isn't it...?" Enzan blushed, smiling. His reply was a smile back from Blues... with a very soft snicker.
"Enzan-kun..."
----------xXx----------
Bye bye, baby...
Don't be long...
I worry about you...
While you're gone...
----------xXx----------
"Enzan-kun, where are you going? Home is the other way," Blues asked. Enzan continued running in the direction he was headed.
"I know. But IPC is this way."
"Why are you going to IPC? Is something else wrong with the new PET?"
"Blues.. if there was... wouldn't you be first to know?" Enzan snickered, as Blues stuttered sounds for a reply. It didn't take Enzan that long at his pace to reach the front of the IPC building. He stood there, breathing hard, and looking up at the building. Almost as if he'd never seen the place before. After catching his breath, he headed in... finding the lobby oddly empty of life. "Funny... I swore that at this time of day, the lobby was usually full of people...?"
"How would you know, Enzan-kun...?"
"Ano... Mama... once mentioned it..." Enzan had to come up with a reason that fit... and it seemed to satisfy his Navi. He passed the empty receptionist desk, and headed back towards Development. Hoping to find someone there.
"Why are we here?"
"I had intended to meet Mama, but... Now I want to know where everyone is..."
"But Mama's schedule had meetings all over town today," Blues mumbled. Enzan didn't seem to have heard him... instead, the boy did manage to hear faint mumbling, and headed towards that. He didn't open the door he finally put the mumbling/muffled speaking as coming from. He kept silent, and leaned towards the door, careful not to touch it nor make a sound... The first voice he recognized was his mother's.
"Have you figured out the fatal flaw in this design yet?"
"Iie... It's just starting to frustrate so many of us. We wanted it to be done in time for the gaming convention in two weeks, but at the rate it's going, we may not find the flaw in the design that degrades Navi Performance when returned to the PET."
"What about the 'flickering hologram' effect when brought here?"
"Still no idea why that happens, Ijuuin-sama."
Enzan blinked, and took a slight step back... he also recognized this conversation... He should be the one in there checking over the equipment. He was the only one that found the design flaw in the projection unit... but... he never did figure out what was degrading the Navi Performance.
Basing a 3D gaming system on the same technology that creates a Dimensional Area or enhancing what projects the Net Battles on large stadium screens to project the Navi in 3D form had proven difficult enough a while back that his father had cut the project until such a time as it was deemed feasible to work on again.
Enzan thought he knew why he came to this room just now. This was all a dream, wasn't it... After all, he knew who should be coming down the hall to break up this meeting. But it wouldn't happen that way here. That man is dead in this reality. The boy backed up, bumping into the wall across the hall, and jumped. He could only think about how much 'timeline' meant nothing anymore.
"Enzan-kun... daijoubu...? Your heartrate just... jumped," Blues sounded very worried; and his voice was soft. He knew Enzan wanted to keep as quiet as he could for now; whatever the reason. But his voice managed to snap Enzan out of the slight daze he'd gone into. Enzan blinked, and pulled the PET from his pocket.
"Gomen... Blues... But you're going to think I'm crazy if I tell you," Enzan whispered. Blues chuckled. "What's so funny?"
"Enzan-kun, I already think you're crazy. But that's probably not the same meaning you're thinking. I don't think so in a bad way. Tell me. I promise I won't think it's crazy."
"I know what Mama's working on for IPC."
"That's not crazy."
"And I know how to repair the fatal design flaw."
"That's getting there."
"Because I'm the one that fixed it."
"...I retract my statement. Enzan-kun, are you sure you're getting enough sleep?" Blues tilted his head, and looked at his Op. Enzan sighed, and leaned back... Sliding down to sit against the wall just across from the door to the room his mother was in. He stared at the door, still expecting what he remembered to actually happen... After a few moments, Enzan shifted the PET and held it flat, then hit Blues' Emblem to bring up the 3D Screen. "Enzan-kun...?"
"Blues... would you believe me if I said I saw exactly how to fix it... in a dream? A dream where I was Vice President of the company... under my father?"
"That's a strange dream..."
"You have no idea..."
"Besides that, Enzan-kun, you know full well when you graduate you'll be able to come here. Odd for you to dream so far ahead though," Blues seemed confused. Enzan was going to try and explain it... but thought better of it and just groaned softly, plopping his head down... Thinking; just momentarily; that Blues was acting so much like Rockman it was starting to get annoying...
"Enzan-chan...? What are you doing here?" His mother's voice broke through the hall. She'd opened the door to leave the Development Room only to find her son sitting there holding the PET with a screen projecting... Her voice made him sit straight up; then stand up, hurriedly. Without thinking, he spat out the words he'd said to Blues.
"Mama, I know how to fix your problem."
"What problem...?"
"The Design Flaw in the 3D Game Pro-mmph?" Enzan found his mother's hands over his mouth... which made his eyes go wide.
"Shh!" She looked at him; almost just as shocked... and essentially dragged him back in the room with her and two staff members. "When did you learn about this project?"
"A-Ano... You... wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth, Mama... But for one thing, if you want to keep a secret meeting secret, this is one of the rooms that's just not suitable for hiding voices from the hall... However, it is the biggest in the Development Wing... For an-"
"Enzan... I don't know how you memorized a layout, nor why. I don't know how you learned about this project, though with as long as we've been working on it and hitting brick walls, it really isn't surprising someone else did... I'm just glad it was you... I just hope it was only you..."
"Let me try?"
"It's not a toy, Enzan-chan. It's much more advanced than the PE-"
"Than the PET systems. It's supposed to project the Navi within a small 3D Environment for more realistic NetBattles without the danger to the Operators."
"...That's... exactly... right. Ijuuin-san, perhaps he could just... look over it?" One of the Technicians said, looking to Enzan's mother. She just stared at her son. This was beyond 'smart'... But after a hesitant moment, Enzan handed over his PET to his mother, and knelt beside a control panel. He ignored suggestions on starting to see how things work and removed the panel over a circuitboard on the side. Without another word; and only taking about 5 minutes to pretend to look, he reached to switch two small chips' places. He heard one of the staff flip, but Enzan again ignored them. He flipped on the power to the panel... and turned to his mother.
"Blues...?" Holding his hand out. His mother shook her head.
"As much as I trust you, I think we should test what you've done with a generic Navi before trying this with Blues," she handed the PET back, and pulled out a very dull-looking gray and white Progress PET. Enzan peeked at the screen before the PET was put into a slot on the top of the control panel. Generic? Sort of. It honestly looked more like one of the IPC Security Navi... Enzan's mother moved to initialize the projection, but Enzan stopped her.
"Create the field first. Without it, the Navi isn't appearing within anything. Just dead air. Besides, if the field won't appear then what I did wasn't right," Enzan removed his hand from the woman's arm, and she blinked; but nodded and did as her son suggested. Just as it had before, the field appeared just fine, however, instead of flickering before it became steady in projection... it remained steady and looked rather realistic. Even if it was only an area of a small phone booth that it was within. Enzan bit his lip. Adding one more level of 3D Projection may throw this off more than he thought. His mother, however, seemed pleased. Enzan thought of something he hadn't bothered to remember before. "Mama...?"
"Well this looks promising. It isn't flickering at all," the woman hadn't heard him. She hit a few buttons, and Enzan tried again.
"Mama?"
"Just a moment, two of the staff should have been in their way home by now. If this works, we can send everyone home only a little late."
"But I needed to ask if you," Enzan was interrupted when his mother just smiled, and put one finger on his lips.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait 5 minutes," she let go and continued what she'd been doing.
"Ano..." Enzan looked to the panel then to the field. He then fiddled with buttons on his PET before he brought up the 3D screen with about 6 menus open on it; Blues just looking at them from his position in the lower right corner. He looked back to Enzan, ready to ask what was going on; but didn't get the chance before the boy used two of the menus and answered the question. One scanned the very panel his mother was at. The other was monitoring the system as it was given input. He didn't look all that happy about the numbers and data he was finding. Blues spoke as softly as he could.
"Daijoubu, Enzan-kun?"
"Nn..."
"It's still severely delayed in reaction to input," Enzan immediately replied to his mother's sigh.
"Mama... When you tweaked the projection on the Progress-Style PETs, did you also incorporate that into the 3D Gaming system's projection unit?"
"Of course we did, Enzan-chan."
"Did you account for the vastly different size of the final Projection for the System?" His mother blinked and looked at him.
"I think... Actually... we may have overcompensated for it," the Navi finally reacted to the input, but it wasn't working as it should have. Enzan's one menu showed a major burst of input, and the boy blinked.
"Also overcompensated for delay and reaction time from Op to Navi..." Enzan shook his head and looked back to his PET Screen. "But the system can't handle the backlash of data and output from the sudden input to the Navi. The reaction is severely delayed to begin with, and when it finally goes through, the console shuts down to keep from being overloaded once the reaction occurs and attempts to send that data back to the control panel," Enzan finished, and looked over to find what he said happen. the Navi's projection disappeared. The console shut off and ejected the gray PET. "It's a one-way single shot of activity right now. Unfortunately, the only way to repair this for the moment is to remove the Wireless Ports and have two large cables connected to the projector and projection area. One only for Input to the Navi and field, and one for Output from it and to the console."
"That's not in the contract with Gabcom," his mother took the PET once more and put it into the pocket of her jacket.
"G...Gab...com?" Enzan looked completely confused. IPC had a contract to create this for Gabcom!
"You know who they are. Your last game came from them."
"I know that, Mama... just... I didn't think they'd be the ones who wanted this," Enzan turned off the 3D Screen and stared at the Game System. His mother put her hands on his shoulders from behind him and leaned over, sounding just a bit grateful and also very tired.
"This was the meeting I had to be at today. Update Meeting on the progress of the system. But because of you, we may be able to repair what's wrong with this before the next one. Perhaps we can convince them that cables are absolutely necessary. Right now I think everyone should get home," she waited for her son to look at her before she smiled a little wider. Enzan gave a small smile back and nodded. If this had been his father, he'd have made them work through the night to repair the design before they could go home... and it would be Enzan that would make sure they got something to compensate for his father's demand that they stay away from their families. Doing his best to make sure his father didn't notice it.
Enzan liked this company's policies much better...
That night, Enzan fell asleep with his PET against his chest; feeling content... and comfortable.
Safe enough to just remain as he was for as long as he could. Forgetting that this had to be a dream by now, he had begun to accept this as his reality...
That the life with his father; as IPC's Vice President; was just a horrible nightmare... one that his mother had saved him from. Simply by waking him for school...
----------xXx----------
After school the next day, Enzan hurried off downtown. Something he hadn't thought of until recently struck him during lunch. One person he hadn't seen yet...Hikari Netto.
"Going to IPC again, Enzan-kun?" Blues sounded half-playful with his tone.
"Iie, Blues," Enzan replied, but said nothing else about it. Blues blinked, but didn't push the issue. Enzan slowed to a walk near a cafe, but didn't head in. He looked around instead... trying to think. Honestly, would Netto still be by this place as usual in a few minutes...? Or... would he have a different routine? He'd found out that his mother had given Yuuichirou two Progress PETs for helping with research and development on the new design as well as for the Game System's design. Netto only would have needed one... And Enzan had gotten to catch a glimpse of the two emblems that were put onto the PETs... he only recognized Rockman's. The other has been new to him...
Enzan's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice near his ear.
"Oi! Enzan?"
"Netto!" The older boy spun to look at the brunette that was now beside him... How long had he been standing there...? Enzan gave Netto a rather happy-looking face, and this made Netto blink.
"Daijoubu, Enzan?" He sounded confused.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"...Just asking... Ano... what are you doing standing here staring off into space?"
"I wasn't staring off into space, Netto," Enzan half-pouted, half-glared. The look didn't quite work. Netto snickered. "Nani?"
"Nevermind," Netto blushed. "So... what are you doing here then?"
"Looking for you."
"Why...?"
"Just to see how you like the new PET, I guess," Enzan smiled, and Netto just looked at him. But after a moment, he pulled out the blue Progress PET and held it in front of him.
"I think it's just like I remember it," Netto said, half expecting Enzan to think he was crazy. But Enzan's response told him so much... in so few words... He just grinned as he spoke.
"It's how I remember it too... Netto..."
----------xXx----------
Bye bye, baby...
Don't be long...
I worry about you...
While you're gone...
I think of you,
Night and day...
I'll never know...
Just what you meant...
To say...
----------xXx----------
-TBC-