Chapter six:

Me, Toshi and Len have been hard at work to create the robotic prosthetic. We have made great progress, more than Toshi knows of with Len having made great progress already, so we are getting close to making it possible.

I have even gotten my materials deciding to do my first idea on the side. I head out of my school building only to blink at seeing the host club standing with Hikaru. "You all came out here?" I asks as they smile at me.

"Of course! We wanted to see how things were going!" Tamaki practically chirps. "This place makes it feel like you're all grown up. It's so heartwarming." He sniffles only to be embraced by Kyouya.

I can't help noticing a slightly bitter look in Haruhi that I brush off for now. I figure that she just is jealous that I got this offer and she didn't. Maybe I could recommend her to the professor, I'll see about doing that.

"Could we see the inside?" Haruhi steps forward with a spark momentarily in her eyes.

I don't get to understand what it says since that spark dies down almost immediately. "Sure. I could show you around. I'm sure the professor will understand." I lead them back into the building and to the classroom.

Len is now the only one working as he is trying to figure out an important thing for our project. He is trying to figure out how mechanical wires can read the signals from the nerves like a normal arm would.

That has proved to be the trickiest part so far.

Len glances to me giving a soft nod before resuming his work. He clearly believes that if I trust those I brought in then it is okay.

"Try to not touch anything." I tell the others before showing them around a little. I take a stop at my work station showing them my side project. I don't want to talk about the main project since it isn't something that I'm doing alone. I also get the feeling that I shouldn't talk about it yet, so I don't.

"Is this your only project?" Haruhi inquires as I pause after talking a bit about my project idea.

"Well no. I have other ones I do plan to work on." I tell her getting a soft nod from her.

Haruhi glances around from where she stands to look to the other work stations.

I turn spotting Len looking at me. I swear he seems to be silently saying that there's something about Haruhi that he doesn't like. I don't want to make him feel like he has to like her.

Len looks away to focus back on his work.

I turn back to my friends. "Well we should get going. It is a good time to head home. I'm sure we're all hungry."

We all leave with Len still remaining there to work. We bid each other farewell outside and each head off; Tamaki taking Haruhi home.

I hope that Haruhi will be okay with all of this.

… A week has passed…

Me and Len are staying late as we are trying a simulation of human nerves that Len built to try what has been accomplished so far.

Len finishes attaching the arm. "Okay. Lets see if this works." He grabs the controller for the fake human torso we made.

I really hope that this works. I almost hold my breath as I watch Len shift the joystick to try to move the arm using the main fake humans simulated nerves. I swear my heart leaps into my throat in excitement when the arm moves as we had intended. "Yes!" I fist pump the air. "It works!"

Len chuckles happily. "I'll call Toshi over."

I pause having almost forgotten that Toshi had stepped out to talk to someone he knew who might allow us to be able to put this prosthetic on. "Are we still sure we should try it?"

"Well the person needs an arm." Len points out. "And the current one she has doesn't do anything being a doll arm. Plus she has the option to say no. We aren't forcing her."

"Yeah. Okay." I agree so Len steps away to call Toshi. I look at our arm which looks like a robots arm though we have the synthetic skin set aside waiting to be slipped on once we know it will work.

Len comes back to me pretty quickly. "Okay. He says he is coming." He throws a sheet over what we've managed.

"Is the girl coming too?" I ask getting a nod of confirmation from him. "Alright then." I am a bit nervous about this though I wait with Len for Toshi to arrive.

Toshi arrives not too long later with a girl who has what clearly looks to just be a plastic arm attached to her right side. "Kaoru. Len. I would like you to meet my old friend Roberta. Her and her girlfriend met on an amputee form."

I do notice that when Toshi said old friend Len tensed a little only to relax when it is mentioned that Roberta has a girlfriend. "It's nice to meet you." I shake Roberta's good hand as Len just nods to her.

"Same to you both." Roberta smiles politely.

"We have something to show you." I take over since Len seems a bit uncomfortable about talking right now. I glance to Len who removes the sheet and uses the controller to show the robotic arm movements.

Toshi and Roberta stare at it in amazement.

"Wait." Toshi takes a step forward looking over the arm. "You guys completed it?"

"Yeah. Len wanted to surprise you with it. So he asked for my help and to keep it a secret." I tell Toshi seeing Len relax a little at seeing a grin on Toshi's face as well as that I am giving Len the credit.

Toshi hurries over wrapping his arms around Len happily. "Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" He mentions and Len smiles a bit showing real happiness.

I can't help a smile and Roberta chuckles softly in amusement.

"He reminds me of how I was with my girlfriend before we started dating." Roberta mentions and I chuckle softly.

"I guess old friends get some traits from each other." I mention causing both of us to chuckle.

After Toshi gets his hugs for Len out of the way he turns to his friend. "So. Now all that is needed is to attach it."

I get the nervousness back in my stomach which I hadn't noticed leave when the happiness of the project being done came about. I glance to Roberta wanting to make sure that she really wants to do this.

Roberta keeps her head high and looks the most confident I have ever seen anyone. "Let's do this." She agrees with a smile on her face. "I am ready to be the first to have your prosthetic, I don't care if I have to come back here if anything goes wrong, and get this stupid doll arm off of my arm!" She mentions sealing the deal.

"Is everyone okay with right away here?" Toshi looks around and everyone nods so I do too since I think it'll be better to get it done sooner.

I text Hikaru to let him know that I will be working late today on a project with another student so he doesn't need to pick me up.

"Great. I will go get things ready." Toshi hurries away and there is a slight heavy nervousness in the air; only the three of us can feel it since everyone else isn't here either resting or doing something away from the classroom area.

Roberta doesn't seem affected by it. "Don't be so nervous you two." She waves off the concern. "I won't hold anything against you no matter what happens. I consented to this. Plus I have full confidence in you three to be able to do this right."

I hope that she is right about us being able to get this done right.