Will and Misato's date continues! Will they be able to get through things together as a couple? Or will they just behave strangely and awkwardly? Their relationship is certainly a strange one, but not one that is necessarily bad, all things considered. It's just a unique one.
Also, thank you to everyone who read my story "The Heir to the Dragon". I would appreciate if you continue to read and support it in the future! You can get there through my profile! The story is finally completed! Thank you for reading!
The Semi-Final Round of the second Pokemon Academy Best Girl contest has begun! Which three of these six girls will make it to the Finals? So far we've only got a few votes in, so show your support for your best girl and vote on the poll in my profile! We want this competition to be close, after all! Who's going to win?!
Semi-Finalists: Ayame, Sylvia, Marion, Sango, Elaina, Valerie
Just a Bad Writer for Fun: I won't deny that if Misato continues to evolve and gather experience, she might one day take over the world. And then promptly give it to Will, we can only hope, because she's fallen head over heels for him at that point.
KedharS: The question is, how would she even know what love is? It's just not something possible for her brain to work out.
Rowlets and Oshawotts: Grown up? No, not at all. She's not even out of diapers.
JoshGamerV: Hey, Misato's a Mechadoll, she's doing the best that she can!
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 664
Will's date with Misato was very strange. He didn't really have much context with dating to begin with, having zero experience, and his only other "date" had been the one he'd had with her before, which was also not what he would expect a normal date to be like.
After he had explained to Misato on their last date that it wasn't necessary for the boy to order for both him and the girl (and it was actually kind of sexist) he explained that if she wanted to eat something for breakfast she should order it herself.
Which of course prompted her to reply "sustenance is not required to maintain my functions so there is nothing that I would be interested in eating."
And yet, she still ordered. When the pink-haired waitress came up to ask them what they wanted, recommending the special heart-shaped pancakes with chocolate and whipped cream slathered in strawberry sauce, Misato agreed to order it. Will was so surprised by the sudden impulse that he didn't know what to say at first. Then he ordered the special as well.
"Misato, why did you order the special?" Will asked, curious. "You don't need to eat, after all, and it seems weird that you would 'want' to eat."
"To get the full experience of a date, it is necessary to go through the prerequisite steps of performing a date," Misato explained. "Today is Valentine's Day. That means it is essential to capture the experience of sharing a meal with my date so that I can better understand the qualities that make up a Valentine's Day date."
"But you can still taste it, right?" Will remembered her vaguely mentioning something about that before. "So what, did you just want to eat that special in general?" He could certainly get that impulse, that's why he'd ordered it. It was a special, after all, which meant it was only available for a limited time. Always order the holiday special. But for some reason, he doubted that Misato's decision was so transient.
"Negative. I decided to order the special because I determined that the likelihood of having an opportunity to experience the special again was statistically low," Misato explained. "Therefore the logical course of action was to order it while the opportunity to taste it presented itself. This date provided the perfect opportunity."
Will was stunned. So… it really was for the same reason. That… that was hard to believe, especially considering Misato. "So tell me, Misato, is there a reason that you're prioritizing that taste? I would think it wouldn't matter to you, can you tell that these special pancakes are different from normal pancakes?"
"My tongue is equipped with taste receptors," Misato replied. "I am capable of processing gustatory stimuli, even though I cannot distinguish between the value of one flavor or another. It is only perceived as data."
"So you can't even determine whether food tastes good or not?" Will asked. "Wait, then what would even be the point of taste receptors, if you can't identify the significance of the flavor, anyway? That sounds like an odd design."
"Negative. I am still capable of ascertaining distinctions in the food I consume," Misato clarified. "By exposing my sensors to food that is identified as 'Spicy', I can use that as my baseline and grade food in comparison in terms of their 'spiciness'. So for a meal like this, I can compare it to other food sensations that are categorized as 'Sweet' to determine the degree of 'sweetness' it possesses."
"So that's how you determine whether or not you 'like' how something tastes, then?" Will considered that idea, it made a lot of sense. Misato wasn't capable of 'liking' anything, but she could certainly assess the quality of one thing in comparison to another.
"Affirmative," Misato confirmed.
"So then is that the reason that you chose me?" Will inquired, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Misato. "For your study on humanity and relationships? Is there some quality about me that you compared with other potential candidates and then determined that I was the best fit?"
He was only half-serious about it, but he was still curious what Misato's response would be, since he still didn't fully understand why she would have chosen him.
"I cannot determine the reason for your selection to any degree of statistical significance," Misato replied, not even attempting to answer his question.
"What? Why not?" Will asked.
"Unknown. The evidence used to draw the conclusion that you were the most suitable candidate is corrupted," Misato explained. "It is not possible for me to determine the method used to draw a conclusion from corrupted evidence."
"Wait, is that one of those anomalies?" Will was suddenly very invested in this conversation. So the only reason Misato had chosen him was because of some sort of error in her processing? That was a really troubling thought, but it was also an intriguing one.
"Affirmative," Misato confirmed. "But it is not reasonable to question the conclusions that I have drawn. There is a basis for choosing you as the candidate for my interaction with human studies and determination of the nature of romantic relationships, but it is not a basis that I can determine to any degree of statistical significance."
That was probably the best that Will was going to get, so he dropped the issue, and simply said that he appreciated that she had arrived at the conclusion, considering that it was quite a compliment to him, even as unwarranted as he thought it was.
"Clarification, is that intended to be a compliment?" Misato asked.
"…Uh… yeah, I guess," Will said, nodding.
Misato smiled. "Thank you."
Another smile. It wasn't that it was odd to see Misato smiling, it was just… no, odd was the right word. Will thought that her smile would look pretty if it was on a real girl, but the fact that he couldn't see any emotion in her eyes made it come across as rather unnerving. He decided to change the subject to something else, instead.
"So your reason for asking me out on a date is to explore dating and Valentine's Day, right?" Will confirmed.
"Affirmative," Misato agreed.
"So then you don't actually 'like' me or anything," Will pressed. "It's merely your brain arriving at the most effective person to accomplish your goal, right? Even though you don't know why you arrived at that conclusion."
"It is not possible for me to quantify things in categories of preference," Misato answered after a moment's processing, which was stunningly slow for who it was. "However, it is important to establish for your sake that even without the ability to feel emotion I am still capable of acknowledging the presence of others and the stimulation their presence provides my sensors with, and that I am capable of preference of that stimulation."
"So you can like things?" Will asked, surprised.
"It would not be correct to describe it with that terminology," Misato said, rejecting his conclusion. "It would be more accurate to establish my interest in terms of being an intellectual preference rather than an emotional fondness."
Will could kind of understand that. "So… if I understand what you're saying, then what you're telling me is that, because you determined that I am the one that would be most effective for a 'dating partner', you would state that you find my presence to be desirable on an intellectual level outside of simply desiring me for the sake of your research?"
"I cannot answer that question at this time," Misato answered. "It is necessary to suspend this conversation at this point. Our food has arrived."
Will looked over his shoulder to see the pink-haired waitress approaching them with two trays in her hands, stacked up with pancakes. He glanced back at Misato.
"It is considered impolite to engage in discourse during the consumption of a meal," Misato explained. "So it is necessary that I suspend answering your question at a later date."
Will narrowed his eyes as the plates were set in front of the two of them. That sounded a lot like an excuse to him. Was Misato really looking for a way to squirm out of her answer? Or was she just acting in accordance with her programming to prioritize proper date etiquette and was just being too rigid in her actions?
Wait, no, Misato wouldn't need to look for an excuse to get out of her answer. She would either state that it was classified if she had been instructed not to answer him, or she would just give him a direct answer.
But she wouldn't look for excuses, right? That would be an emotional action not a logical, rational one that a Mechadoll would take.
Instead, Will accepted her words at face value and turned his attention to the delicious stack of pancakes sitting in front of him. It was practically a mountain, towering above the table, delicious and oozing with chocolate and strawberries. It really did smell amazing, definitely worth ordering. He felt drool begin to well up in his mouth. It was a pity, he thought, that Misato couldn't experience it. She could taste it, certainly, but that wasn't the same as REALLY experiencing it. She couldn't enjoy it the way he would.
But Will couldn't spare more thoughts on Misato right now. It was time to stop admiring and start eating. He picked up his knife and fork and dug into the mountain of pancakes, surprised at how soft and fluffy they were; it was like sending his knife through a liquid. He jammed his fork in and plunged it into the piece he cut out, popping the pastry into his mouth.
It was the most delicious pancake he had ever tasted. It exploded in a barrage of flavors, and he realized that there was peppermint baked into the pancake. He licked his lips and kept digging in, devouring the breakfast in front of him. But as he ate, his guilt only increased. He was loving this, but Misato, he regretted, wasn't capable of that.
Still, he half-heartedly tried to be inclusive.
"It really is delicious-looking, isn't it?" Will glanced up at Misato, and much to his shock, saw that she wasn't eating. She hadn't even touched her pancakes. "Hey, what's up? Why aren't you eating? I thought you wanted to experience the taste of the special, didn't you?" Will asked, confused about why she wasn't eating with him.
"Affirmative," Misato confirmed with a nod. Interesting that she had no problem engaging in conversation now, Will noted.
"Then why-"
"However, that is of secondary priority. The primary intention of this date is to capture the experience of a Valentine's Day date, so it is not possible for me to eat at this time," Misato explained. "There are other actions that must be taken before I can partake in the consumption of this meal, and I would like to request your assistance with them."
Will's fork stopped in front of his mouth. He set it down, now very confused. "Wait, what are you talking about?" He asked.
Misato did not reply verbally. She picked up her fork and knife and cut a piece out of the pancake, holding it up and pointing it towards him.
"Say 'ah'," she instructed.
Will's jaw dropped in a combination of shock and embarrassment. Was she actually proposing for the two of them to-
…He didn't have time to finish that thought, because Misato took his open-mouthed shock as an assent, jamming the food into his mouth and nearly choking him.
"Ururgh!" Will coughed, swallowing down the pancake. It was as delicious as the one he had eaten, but that wasn't the point! Misato couldn't just… well…! He kept coughing, grabbing a cup of water and washing it down in disbelief. "Misato! What the heck was that?!"
"Please specify what the 'that' you are referring to is meant to be," Misato replied. "Actually. Negative. Do not specify. Your question is irrelevant."
Will blinked, stunned that she had just countermanded her own question. "Wait, Misato, that's not what I… wait, what are you talking about?"
"There is a task that requires a greater priority," Misato explained. Will was about to ask what that task was, but then Misato made it clear to him. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth, leaning forward. "Ah."
She couldn't really be asking him to… No, no, she was. Misato was the last person that Will would expect to make a joke, and she was definitely not going to make a joke about this. Oh god, she was serious, she was asking him to do this.
Misato's mouth was wide open and waiting. She wasn't looking at him, but he still felt an expectant gaze on him. Will looked around bashfully, hoping no one was looking.
He couldn't be so lucky. People were looking alright, a few couples at other tables were shooting side-glances and giggling at the fact that he was doing "say ah" with his supposed girlfriend, and there wasn't really anything he could do about it. Will hung his head in shame.
Well, there was something he could do about it as long as he swallowed his pride, it was just incredibly embarrassing.
Will took a deep breath and reminded himself that this was all part of an experiment, a way to help Misato better understand the experience of a date on Valentine's Day.
If only it wasn't such a shameful display of public affection! It was downright humiliating to do something like this!
It's okay, there's no need to be embarrassed. She's a Mechadoll, it's not like I'm actually doing something with a real girl, Will finally arrived at a conclusion and decided to just go for, shoving away the embarrassment. Will cut into his pancake, taking out a piece, and held it out to Misato's lips. She snatched it away with such speed he nearly dropped his fork as he yanked his hand back, startled by her reflexes. She closed her mouth and tilted her head down, her eyes snapping open as she chewed, staring at him.
"Thank you for the food," Misato replied, swallowing and giving him her strange smile that was both beautiful and unnerving.
"So, uh… how is it?" Will asked. He quickly corrected himself. "And by 'it' I mean-"
"You are referring to the pancake, is that correct?" Misato clarified. "If you wish me to confer a value judgment, that is not possible. I can only provide you with a comparison to other foods that have tasted sweet. Is that what you wish me to do?"
Will was just shocked that she was able to understand what he meant from the context he had given her. He stared at her for a few seconds, trying to figure out how she had figured out. She started at him while he was clearly surprised, and she followed up. "Your expression suggests that you are experiencing surprise, is that correct?"
"Uh, yeah," Will said, nodding. Surprised didn't even begin to cover it.
"I have been studying the formulation of context," Misato explained. "Judging from your words, I determined with a 97% certainty that the most likely conclusion to what you were referring to was that the 'it' you mentioned referred to the pancake."
"And what was the remaining 3%?" Will asked.
Misato did not reply. Instead, she turned and began eating her own pancake. Will took that as a signal that the conversation was over, and resumed eating as well.
The two of them finished their meal in peace, and it was one of the best breakfasts that Will had ever tasted, even if the company wasn't exactly what he was looking for in a dating partner. Misato was interesting, but she wasn't someone he would want to go out with.
For starters, she wasn't even human.
But it was still a date, and he was fine with practicing dating with her, since it was good experience, he figured, even if it wasn't experience that he was expecting to be very useful when he got an actual date with a real girl.
As the two stepped out of the café, Will realized how early it was. They still had a lot of date to get through, and he wasn't really sure when Misato's date plan was supposed to come to an end. He stared at her questioningly, wondering what they were going to do next, but clearly her study of context clues didn't extend to something like this.
Will let out a sigh. "So, Misato, what's the next plan for our date?" He was actually kind of worried about what her next plans were. The last time she had date plans that extended beyond the café, they had not been the kind of plans that he had wanted any part in.
Without saying a word, Misato reached into her purse, and withdrew a pair of movie tickets that she presented to him.
Today was a day of surprises. When Will had agreed to go out with Misato for Valentine's Day, he definitely hadn't expected that a Mechadoll with a computer for a brain to be this unpredictable, she just kept throwing him for loops.
"Movie tickets?" Will gasped in disbelief.
"Affirmative. I was informed that it is traditional that when two people to go out on a date on Valentine's Day, one of the common choices is to see a movie of the genre known as a 'romantic comedy'," Misato explained.
A romcom? That was Misato's big suggestion to follow-up breakfast, the two of them going out to watch a romcom?
Will wasn't exactly the biggest fan of romcoms. In fact, he could honestly say that he probably hated the genre. So why was she doing this to him? He let out a sigh.
"Actually, that isn't really a tradition," Will explained. "We don't have to watch a romantic comedy just because we're going out on a date on Valentine's Day, Misato, not unless we actually want to watch one."
"Is your meaning that we do not need to watch the romantic comedy?" Misato clarified.
"Yes, exactly, so let's not," Will said.
"Understood," Misato said. "So you do not want to watch a romantic comedy with me?"
"W-Wait, that wasn't what I said," Will quickly deflected, shaking his head quickly. "I didn't mean that, not at all!"
"Understood. Then I must express my apologies. Based on your statement that it is not necessary for us to watch the movie, and the subsequent conclusion you drew that we would not, the logical conclusion to draw is that, because I do not possess the capacity to express desire one way or another, that the desire to not watch the movie upon which you base your conclusion that we would not watch the movie is a desire held by you alone," Misato elaborated. "Is there an error in my reasoning?"
Will opened his mouth, but no sound escaped from it.
"Do you not wish to watch the movie with me?" Misato asked. Both tone and face were devoid of emotion, but Will still got the feeling somehow that she was sad and disappointed.
He knew she was a machine, and that it wasn't logical to be thinking like that, but he let out a sigh anyway and gave in.
"Okay, sure, let's go watch the movie," Will agreed.
"Affirmative," Misato said. This wasn't one of the situations that she outlined as being ones that she would smile for, but for some reason he pictured that strangely curious and pretty smiling face of hers with that "affirmative".
It seemed that Will's date was just getting started.
Poor Will, even with a beautiful woman on his arm he still doesn't seem to be enjoying his date. Can't he see that she's just another (robot) girl?