Chapter 6 - Kamui Gets Some Answers
The door opened almost immediately after, revealing a boy with bright blonde hair looking up at him with an appraising glance. The boy couldn't have been more than twelve or so, and he was flanked by a pair of persocons who didn't look much older than he. Fuuma smiled nervously down at him. "Ah… I'm here to see Imonoyama Nokoru-san. Is he home?"
The boy smiled widely. "I am he." He offered a slight bow before snapping open a fan that had the character for "me" written on it. His big blue eyes sparkled with intelligence as he stepped back from the door, his two persocons following suit. "Please, come in."
Fuuma gaped at the pint-sized trio, stepping inside the house dazedly. This kid was going to help him figure out what was wrong with Kamui?! -This- was the computer genius Sorata had talked about? Somehow, it didn't seem to be possible. "Um… sorry… but I thought you'd be… well…"
"Older?" Nokoru asked, still smiling. Fuuma nodded, suddenly horrified that he'd offended. One of the persocons, a severe-looking boy model with blue hair, was glaring at him. However, Nokoru waved his comment off. "Many have said that. Please, don't worry about it." He turned and walked into the house, his persocons at his sides. Fuuma followed, feeling his brain ache from trying to wrap itself around the concept of a computer whiz being so young. He'd known the Imonoyama family was exceptional, but he hadn't expected a child genius to be part of the family tree.
Nokoru led them to an expansive sitting room, and graciously motioned for Fuuma to sit on one of the huge couches. Kamui sat beside him, looking around the room with wide eyes, finger pressed to his lips. Nokoru settled down across from them, hands in his lap. His other persocon, a black haired boy model with a bright smile, scurried off to make tea. Fuuma, who hadn't been able to stop staring at Nokoru as he continued to make the pieces fit, caught a slight sadness to the boy's smile as he watched the persocon leave.
"Ah… I didn't know they made persocons so young." Fuuma said, trying to start up what he hoped was an intelligent conversation.
Nokoru turned to face him. "Actually, Akira's a custom model I designed." He said proudly before gesturing to the blue-haired persocon. "Suoh is as well. My best work, you might say."
Fuuma was sure his eyes would fall out of his head, they were open so wide. "You -made- them?!" He exclaimed, impressed beyond words. "That's… wow…"
"Thank you, Monou-san. But shall we focus on why you're here?" Nokoru snapped open his fan again, and this time, the character read "business." Fuuma wondered how he hid so many fans on such a small frame. "Arisugawa-san was unable to tell me much about your troubles." The boy slid off of the couch and stood in front of Kamui. The persocon met his gaze with his own curious one, mimicking Nokoru's head tilts.
"He doesn't have any kind of OS." Fuuma explained. "Arisugawa said he shouldn't be moving."
Nokoru nodded absently, studying Kamui with a growing interest. "That's certainly true, should lack of an operating system be the case, which I don't think it is." He tapped his now-closed fan against his palm. Kamui mimed the same action, eliciting a slight smile from the boy. "He looks quite familiar."
That caught Fuuma's attention. "Really?" He asked, sitting up straighter. "Do you know who made him?"
"Unfortunately, I can't determine that by just looking at him." He gave Fuuma a sympathetic smile before turning back to Kamui. "But finding out his origin is definitely one of my priorities now." He said quietly, the sympathetic smile he had given Fuuma turning into a broad, excited grin.
Suoh frowned. "Kaichou," he began gruffly. "You have other work to do. All that paperwork for the student government--"
"But this is a CHALLENGE, Suoh!" Nokoru shot back, eyes glowing with a slightly manic fire. "Something like this doesn't come around every day!"
"Work first. Challenge later."
"But Suuuoooh….!!"
Fuuma got the distinct impression that this was a common exchange between the persocon and his owner. "Um… So what software do I need to buy?" He asked, raising his hand timidly. Both parties turned to look at him. Suoh folded his arms, an irritated expression on his face. Nokoru shook his head.
"I don't believe the problem is with his basic software, Monou-san." The boy said, pulling out a small keypad from his pocket and pressing a few buttons. "Your persocon's OS seems to be functioning, but Arisugawa-san was able to tell me about the unfortunate incident involving his persocon and yours." He made a 'tsk'ing sound. "Such a shame, but I'm sure he'll be able to get her fixed."
Nokoru replaced the keypad in his pocket as three persocons entered the room. The first was a female model, dressed in a -very- tight Chinese shirt and pants, her hair done up in buns on either side. Fuuma found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on her face, so he examined her companions, a pair of male models in high school uniforms, one brunette and one with black hair. Both looked fairly unremarkable, and Fuuma wondered what the three of them were for.
"Don't worry, Monou-san," Nokoru said cheerfully as he extracted a cable from Kamui's ear and plugged it into the brunette male. "These three are also my design, and therefore very advanced. I'm sure we'll be able to figure out what's wrong."
Ten minutes later, all three persocons lay on the floor, smoke curling out of their ears. Nokoru's expression bordered on frustration as he surveyed the situation. "So many questions… when it rains, it pours, I suppose."
Fuuma was staring in horror at the three fried persocons. //I hope I don't have to pay to get those fixed…//
"Kaichou?" Suoh spoke up, unfolding his arms. When Nokoru turned to face him, the blue-haired persocon pulled a cable out of his own ear. "Let me try."
Nokoru startled, looking upset at the suggestion. "Suoh…"
Suoh walked over the three fallen persocons and stood beside Kamui, who looked up at him. "You want to know what's wrong with him, right? Let me try."
Resigned to this being the only option, Nokoru nodded, looking more and more concerned. "Be careful, Suoh." He said slowly, as the persocon plugged his cord into a port in Kamui's ear.
"Of course, Kaichou." Suoh responded, before his eyes went blank. His lips moved quickly, forming words Fuuma couldn't catch. Fuuma watched, amazed as the persocon worked. Maybe Nokoru was right; maybe his designs were advanced enough to break through whatever prevented Kamui from working properly. His hope was quickly crushed as Suoh let out a loud grunt, slumping forward. Fuuma caught him before Nokoru could, and the persocon blinked once, looking dazed.
"Suoh!" Nokoru cried, hovering over him. "Are you all right?"
The persocon nodded slowly. "I believe so, Kaichou..." he said. "I only lost the data relating to your appointments this week."
Nokoru managed a weak smile. "Well, isn't that too bad?"
Suoh looked sternly at him. "I didn't lose anything that wasn't backed up, Kaichou." He wagged a finger at the blonde as he stood back up, nodding in thanks to Fuuma.
"He's really okay?" Fuuma asked nervously, inspecting Suoh for any signs of smoke.
"Oh yes, Monou-san." Suoh assured him. "Kaichou backs up all my data and programs in case something happens." He removed his cable from Kamui's ear. "Your persocon has an extremely complicated firewall protecting itself."
"Firewall?"
Nokoru nodded. "A barrier that keeps unauthorized people out." He tapped his chin with his closed fan. "Kamui-san's firewall no doubt overloaded Arisugawa-san's mobile unit, not to mention the three I tried."
"So, if you can't get through it, Imonoyama-san…" Fuuma began, feeling a dread seep into his mind.
Nokoru just smiled. "There has to be someone who can." He said, snapping open his fan. The character this time read "knowledge!" "I'm going to post an inquiry on one of my newsgroups about Kamui-san. I'm sure the information is out there."
Fuuma's eyes widened. "Really?" He asked, incredulous. "You'd do that? I mean, I don't really have anything to pay you with--"
Nokoru raised a hand and cut him off. "Don't even think about it, Monou-san. This is a welcome challenge for me." He leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. "Truthfully, all the Student Council work is getting kind of boring--"
"KAICHOU!!"
Sheepishly, Nokoru laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Anyway, I'll pass any information I find on to you." He turned to Kamui and bowed a little. "We'll have you working properly in no time, Kamui-san."
Kamui appeared for a moment to not understand him in the slightest, then smiled brightly, mimicking the bow. "Thank you!!"
Nokoru smiled at the persocon, and then turned back to Fuuma. "May I have a word, Monou-san?" He asked, motioning to follow.
Fuuma hopped to his feet immediately. "Of course, Imonoyama-san." Kamui made a move to accompany them, but Fuuma placed a hand on his shoulder and sat him back down. "I'll be right back, Kamui." He said firmly, ruffling the persocon's hair when he pouted. "You stay here, okay?"
"Kamui stay here." Kamui agreed quietly. Fuuma couldn't help feeling sorry for him, the poor thing was probably overwhelmed at being in someplace so different from the Monou household, and at having Nokoru examine him like some kind of laboratory animal.
He offered the persocon a smile and followed Nokoru into a small room just off to the side. The boy analyzed him critically, twirling his fan between two fingers. After a moment or two of silent inspection, Fuuma began to feel uncomfortable, but said nothing. God forbid he offend someone who had just offered to help him for -free-. Nokoru took a deep breath before speaking. "Monou-san, you mustn't get attached to Kamui-san."
Well, -that- certainly took him off guard. "Wha…?" He asked eloquently, looking down at the boy with a bemused expression.
"Kamui-san seems like a very nice persocon." Nokoru said. "He's rather childlike, quite sweet, actually. But no matter what he seems to be, he will -never- be anything more than a computer."
Fuuma frowned, something feeling slightly insulted that Nokoru would say something like that. "I know that, Imonoyama-san.. but--"
" 'But' nothing, Monou-san." Nokoru's eyes were intense and serious, totally out of place in his youthful body. "You cannot feel anything for Kamui-san, not friendship, not love.
"If you do, he will break your heart."