CHAPTER VIII. GIFT

"Oh, mother…" Saka sighs. "Why are you saying all of this? Your gift is the reason our series exist, if you do not use it we have all failed! If you will never use it, you will eventually shut yourself off with it, and us with you!" Mizumi glares blankly at the ceiling.
"I am sorry about that, Saka. I really am, but this gift is a curse, I told you that before."
"It is not! Mother, I thought you liked Riko-san so much! Am I wrong when I say that you want to be with him forever, that you want to have sweet words whispered in your ear without you will have to be afraid you will crash?"
"That is a privilege I will never have, 'gift' or not," Mizumi whispers. "Trust me… Riko-chan's feelings towards me are not real, but they are simulated by my programming. When that ceases, his 'love' for me will, too."
"You forget one thing," Saka says, "he can not love you just on base of your programming; Nepuchun-sama took care of that. Riko-san at least likes you on his own."
"That may be so… but that is not enough to turn my curse into the real gift," says Mizumi gloomily.

"I…" Neko hesitates. "I have been installed with information of every single persocom-series."
"The Nepuchun-series were never made public," says Ameiru coolly, "you can not know those things about us, unless you have spied us." She looks at Riko. "What will we do? Shut off this noisy persocom or go to persuade Mizumi together?"
"Well, Neko's behaviour is just a program," Riko shrugs, "there's no need to shut her off, she can hardly do us any damage. But Mizumi…"
"Neko was right about her," Jira suddenly says. "She really is the strongest persocom that has ever been built, even though Saka and I were made to improve her." She looks at the others. " What about this… we are going to our home, and tell Riko-san the truth about Mizumi and her gift."

" Who starts?" Jira softly asks, as they are all sitting in the grass in front of Nepuchun's house.
"Well, why don't you?" Riko says. "You're her daughter, after all."
"I have been built too recently to know it all," says Jira simply. " I suggest Herindera. As her best friend…"
"Oh, fine," Herindera sighs. She takes place in the middle of the group, her face towards Riko: he's the one who needs the information the most, after all. "Well, as Jira and Neko have already said… Mizumi is the most powerful persocom in this world. She was the reason Nepuchun-sama started his series; she was the first and only model that turned out the way he wanted all of us to be. He created six other models after her, but she was, and is, unique."
"That's no news to me anymore," Riko interrupts.
"Yeah, well, that was the introduction," says Herindera, rather insulted. "The real point here is Mizumi's gift."
"Isn't that her ability to love and be loved?" says Riko, thinking of Saka's words. But Herindera shakes her head.
"No… although it is a part of it," she says. "Mizumi's gift contains that… if her will is strong enough, if she loves and is loved enough… she is able to turn from a persocom into a human girl."

"So, time's already come, hasn't it?" says Hideto thoughtfully, as Neko's told him everything. She nods.
"Yes… and if we don't interfere now, this Riko can activate it any moment."
"Well, well…" he mutters. " Good old Riko-kun… who could have thought he would be The One for that 'com… I wish we could leave him out of this, though."
"It's his own fault, he fell in love with her," says Neko shrugging. "He had a choice, and he made it. Don't feel pity for him, even though he's your friend, Hideto."
"Well, 'he had a choice'…" Hideto grins. "Mizumi is really attractive, y'know. A lot of customers ask for her to serve them, and if it wasn't for the fact I'm already settled…" He pushes Neko against him for a moment. "… I think I'd have fallen for her charms as well."
"Hey, hey!" Neko grins, "don't you dare! Anyway, we have some serious business to handle now, Hideto. Let's go to that place before it's too late."