CHAPTER XI. LOVE

"What the…" Neko rams on her button. "She should collapse now, just as that Ameiru-com!"
"Riko-chan…" Mizumi mutters. Her ears starts to glow, and suddenly, she starts floating again.
"YOU HAVE TO CEASE TO FUNCTION!" Neko calls, still ramming on her button. "Stupid persocom! Die! Cease to function, never talk again! You may not transform!" Mizumi closes her eyes, floats immobile through the space.
"Riko-chan loves me… and I love him, too… He says he does not care if it was my programming that made him fall in love with me, so that means he will love me without it, too. My curse… will finally change into my true gift…"
"NOOO!" Neko screams, ramming her button, throwing the case on the floor and tap-dancing on it. Mizumi's ears glow so powerfully that everybody has to blind their eyes; the next moment, her ears suddenly explode.
"MIZI! Are you alright!" Riko calls, unfastening himself from Hideto's grip and running to her. She opens her eyes slowly: they first seem blank, but then, they merrily sparkle.
"Riko-chan!" She falls down, down into his arms and smiles at him as he embraces her.
"Mizi… you're alright, aren't you?"
"I'm better than ever," she shines. "And you know why? Because I love you, Riko-chan, and now I'm a human girl and I'll never have to crash again 'cause of my feelings. Unless…" She looks into his eyes. "Are you still in love with me, Riko-chan? Otherwise I'll have to die…" He swallows, looks at the girl in his arms and feels all looks on him. Hoping looks from the persocoms, cursing looks of Neko and Hideto who probably wish him to say "I hate you" rather than "I love you" to Mizumi. And he knows what his answer will be, now and forever.
"Well, that I was in love with you was all caused by your programming," he says, "so I'll have to say… No. I'm not in love with you."
"You're… not?" she whispers, grabbing his shirt terrified. He smiles.
"Let me finish my sentence, girl," he says. "There is a stronger feeling than being in love with a person… That's loving a person… loving so deeply that it'll never pass, no matter how long you know each other." She looks happily at him.
"So… so you mean…"
"Yes, Mizi." He smiles, strokes her cheek. "I love you." She embraces him.
"I love you too… I'll never, ever say "Don't Love Me" anymore, I swear…"

The persocoms all cheer and start clapping: Ameiru's come round again now Neko's destroyed the case with the button. Neko, who's looking very frustrated at the happy couple.
"Oh, no… all our effort… all our work to stop it, and it all was for nothing…" Hideto looks at her.
"Chin up, Neko, it's happened now. Just be happy for that couple, okay? Now, let's go, we have some important stuff to talk about."
"Oh?" He smiles.
"Yes… hey girl, don't you want to get married after being engaged for more than four years now? You're twenty-three now that must be old enough!"
"You're right," she happily smiles, "yes, you're right, Hideto… Let's get married…" She looks into his eyes. "But what about your restaurant? It's always been your greatest wish to have something like "Crystal Dragon"!"
"Well, I was hoping the persocoms would forgive me and still would like to work at my place," he says, "and if they won't… well, I'll manage everything with you by my side, Neko."

"I can not believe it," Herindera grins, "now Miz is a human, we can be one too if we find love!"
"Yes…" Kiria blushes. She thinks about that customer, that one who keeps asking for her… her look goes dreamily and Ameiru doesn't miss that.
"Oh… seems like our Kiria is going to be a human soon, too," she chuckles. "What is his name, Kiria?" Kiria deeply reddens.
"He is just a customer who asks for me to serve him," she mutters, "his name is Kadimo…"
"Just a customer, huh?" Ameiru grins. "If I am not mistaken, that is how Mizumi and Riko started, too! Tell me all about him!" She merrily puts an arm around Kiria's shoulders and asks everything, from the colour of his eyes until his favourite food.
"I must have a boyfriend, too," Herindera yells. "Hey, RIKO-SAN! You do not have an attractive brother or something by accident, do you?"
"Well, I do have a brother," Riko merrily calls from above, with Mizumi in his arms. "I could arrange a meeting between the two of you, then you can decide for yourself whether he's attractive or not."
"Deal!" Mizumi laughs because of Herindera's reaction, looks into Riko's eyes with a blessed look.
"Riko-chan, I want to show you something," she says, grabbing his hand. "Come."