It only felt like a few winks of sleep before dawn settles in.
Kohane flutters open her eyes and is blinded by the morning sun. She abandoned the thought of charging last night since she was comforting Itsuki.
Upon sudden realization, she sits up from the futon and spins her head around violently, desperately trying to search for him.
To her surprise, Itsuki is already awake and has gone to wash himself.
Struggling against her lazy nature, Kohane stretches and saunters to the bathroom.
"Good morning Kohane! Did you sleep well last night?" Kohane hears him say cheerfully as she peeps her head into the room.
Mysteriously, it's as if last night never happened, because Itsuki is back to his normal self. He dries his brown hair with a fluffy yellow towel and approaches the robot. But just as he is nearing her, Kohane suddenly feels lightheaded and staggers forward.
"Whoa! Are you ok?" Itsuki questions as he gently steadies her.
Kohane uses her hand to provide support for her head. It must be because I didn't charge properly last night...
Miraculously, it's as if Itsuki can read her mind, because it suddenly dawns on him that Kohane is deprived of electrical energy. On this note, he guides his AI friend out of the bathroom and into the lounge room where her charging pod is located. He lays her down in the empty compartment and plugs her cable in.
"You must be tired. I'm sorry I kept you up last night," he apologizes. But before he leaves, he places a paper note on the table beside her with something written on it.
"When you're done charging, would you mind running down to the market nearby and getting the stuff on the list? We've got guests tonight," he tells her chirpily.
But before Itsuki heads to his bedroom to get changed, Kohane reaches her arm out and softly tugs at his shirt's hem.
"Um, are you ok today Itsuki? You know, with last night and everything..." she poses with concern. Itsuki gives her a tender look before giving her one of his classic smiles.
"I'm fine because you were there to comfort me last night," he tells her.
The robot smiles and nods, before Itsuki prances off to his room.
...
By the time Kohane wakes up, the house is silent. It's 2:30pm and everyone is out.
She yawns and unplugs her cable from her head before stepping out of her charging pod.
Just as she walks past the table near her, she remembers the note and goes back to retrieve it.
On the paper, a list of groceries is written in neat handwriting. The robot reads the list to herself before taking her purse from her belongings.
As she exits and locks the front door, Itsuki's words suddenly echo in her mind. We've got guests tonight!
Kohane stops and ponders of who these people might be. She starts shaking as she slots the key in place. What if I get scared and run away like last time! I mustn't make a fool of myself! I don't want to embarrass Itsuki!
But she shakes the negative thoughts away.
Without another thought, Kohane dashes to the lift.
...
Getting the groceries wasn't a hard task for the AI, but getting past crowds of shoppers grabbing at the items that were 50% off today was! By the time she has paid, hopped on the Bullet Line and arrived back at Galactica, it's already 6pm.
The sky is painted with different magnificent shades of peach and sprinkled with some stars.
The Bullet Line is the country's most advanced train.
Kohane watches the lift's screen as it reaches the 7th floor.
Upon arrival, the doors slide open and she speed-walks to the Hoshizaki Residence while struggling to grip onto all the shopping items.
As she slides the key in the hole, the sound of laughter and chatter can be heard.
When the door fully opens, she spots a girl with shortly cropped mouse blonde hair sitting on the sofa with Erika beside her.
She's wearing a sailor school uniform with a red tie and black leather school shoes. To top it all off, she has a camera hung around her neck.
She quickly responds to the robot's presence and her face lights up. "She's here, Itsuki!" She exclaims as she excitedly rushes to Kohane.
Intimidated by their close contact and the loss of personal space, Kohane steps back.
"Whoa! Your eyes are sooooo pretty!" The girl gasps. "Can I take a picture?!"
Hearing this, the robot madly waves her hands about in front of her face. "Um... I'm not very comfortable wi-" but before she can finish her sentence, a bright flash appears before her, which makes weird colours and patterns appear in her vision.
Kohane lets out a shy squeal as Itsuki walks out from his room and catches onto the conversation between the girls.
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't just casually go taking pictures of her, Saki! You'll frighten her!" Itsuki warns the girl with irritation in his tone.
The girl plasters a goofy grin over her face and sticks her tongue out at Itsuki. "Smile Itsuki!" She laughs as she snaps a shot of Itsuki's 'annoyed' face.
At this point, he becomes even more bothered. "Hey! Give me that camera!" He yells as he chases her around the living room.
Kohane places the groceries on the polished wooden floors and joins Erika on the sofa, who is now giggling helplessly at her brother's expense.
"They're always like this!"
Kohane watches with the 9-year-old as Itsuki finally succeeds in retrieving the camera.
"Now, I'm gonna delete both of those photos! Don't do that ever again!" He huffs.
His friend laughs timidly before reverting back to her chirpy self.
"Aww! But that was a really good picture of you! Think about it! Photog Project: The Daily life of Itsuki Hoshizaki..." Saki says while extending her arm and moving her right hand slowly in front of her for a dramatic effect.
Itsuki rolls his eyes and picks the groceries off the floor before heading into the kitchen.
Saki takes the initiative once again and approaches Kohane. This time, in a friendlier manner. "I'm sorry I frightened you before! Are you alright?" she asks, with genuine concern.
Kohane smiles and gives a light nod.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Saki Angelsberg, Itsuki's friend from elementary school!" She says in a cheery voice as she extends her hand for the robot to shake.
Following her example, Kohane does the same. "Pleased to meet you, Saki. I'm Kohane," she tells her, still a little bit embarrassed from before.
At this moment, Itsuki returns from the kitchen and joins them in the living room.
"Saki is staying the night because she's coming with us to the tournament tomorrow," he tells the robot.
Kohane turns to Saki and sees her grin.
"Not only am I watching the competition, I was also chosen to be one of the three photographers there!" Saki broadcasts proudly.
Kohane is immediately impressed. "Wow! That's pretty cool!" She breathes. I guess someone like Saki can get serious too...
Itsuki interrupts the conversation. "Anyway, I'm gonna go and shower first. Prof. Mars will be here soon so keep an eye on the door. Won't you, Erika?" he says, fixing his gaze upon his sister.
She stands up abruptly from the sofa and salutes to her brother.
...
"Hello Saki! It's been ages since I last saw you! How have you been!?" Professor Mars gasps as she pulls Itsuki's friend in for a fragrance-filled embrace.
"I've been fine, thank you! I'm going to be one of the photographers at the tournament tomorrow!" Saki tells her.
Professor Mars nods in approval. "Wow, that's really great! I'm sure you're brilliant at it. You've got so much talent in you!" The woman exclaims.
Saki blushes and nods bashfully at the compliment.
The professor turns to Kohane next. "Ahhh Kohane, I see you've been well after meeting your new friends! How are you getting on in your new home?" she asks the robot.
"I've been good," Kohane smiles. "By the way, are you coming to the Cyberarmor tournament tomorrow too?"
The professor smiles back at her and nods merrily. "Yes! I'll be accompanying you lot to the showgrounds! After all, I can't leave a bunch of teenagers unsupervised, can I?" she winks.
Upon hearing the chatter from the lounge room, Itsuki emerges from the corridor.
"Ah, there you are Itsuki! Did you get me the groceries?" she asks the teen.
He nods and gestures to Kohane. "Don't thank me, thank Kohane! She was the one who got the groceries for us," He says, giving Kohane the credit she deserves.
Professor Mars smiles gratefully and claps her hands together. "Alright everybody, who's ready for some Salisbury steak and tiramisu tonight!?" She announces energetically.
"Me!!!" Erika and Saki chorus.
The woman laughs. "Okay! Then let Professor Mars show you the magic of her cooking!"
...
"Dinner's ready!" Professor Mars calls from the kitchen as the aroma of the steak sails past everyone's noses.
All four of them, even Kohane, rush to the table at her word.
Itsuki's mouth starts to water as the professor serves their dinner onto the table.
The white plates are decorated with the vivid colours of the sauce, steak, and garnish, completed with a big scoop of rice beside it for good measure.
Although Kohane can't eat all this delicious food, her eyes grow wide at the sight of the big pieces of meat, and Professor Mars catches onto her reaction.
Immediately, the professor remembers the large mug of Robot Juice she prepared for Kohane earlier, and rushes to get it from the kitchen.
"Here you are, Kohane! A large mug of Robot Juice for you!" She says as she lays the mug in front of the her.
Professor Mars can see the pleasure on Kohane's face as the robot hurriedly slurps the cup's content.
The humans on the other hand, gather their cutlery and dig into the steak.
The first few minutes of the meal consisted of chewing and slurping noises only. Professor Mars' cooking sure is a big hit as one by one, they all get up from their seats to go for a second serving.
When everyone is seated back at the table, the middle-aged lady raises her glass of orange juice.
"A toast to Itsuki Hoshizaki as good luck for the tournament tomorrow!"
Everyone mimics her and clink their glasses together before gulping down the juice.
Professor Mars sighs. "It's been a long time since this many people were seated at this table. It feels quite nostalgic..."
Everybody looks down at the table, recollecting all the memories from when Itsuki and Erika's parents were still alive.
After what seemed like forever, Professor Mars breaks the silence and returns to the kitchen. As promised, she emerges with four cups of tiramisu and places them onto the table for everyone to enjoy.
"We'd better get to bed soon after this! We all need to get some good sleep in preparation for tomorrow. Especially you, Itsuki," the woman tells the crew.
They all nod and do as they're told.
...
After everyone is nicely tucked up in their beds, Kohane quietly slips out of the house, taking advantage of the dim lights. She walks to the lift and presses for the 5th floor.
Upon arrival, she strides through the corridors until she reaches one of the main robot dormitories which reads: Model Pawn.
She nervously presses the number code and the door slowly slides open.
Inside, dozens of Model Pawns are getting ready for their charging.
Kohane spots one near the door which clearly isn't Kurumi as she doesn't have the number 12 inscribed onto her arm. But she approaches her anyway.
"Um... Hey... Is Kurumi here?" Kohane asks nervously.
Her sister points to the middle of the room where a small group of Model Pawns are gathered.
"She's over there," she replies casually.
Kohane gives a polite nod and rushes to go find Kurumi.
As if she senses Kohane on her radar, Kurumi immediately looks up and smiles before emerging from the small crowd.
"I figured you'd come and find me sooner or later," she winks.
Kohane's metallic cheeks flush pink subtly. "Come on, I need to return to the Hoshizaki Residence soon. Let's go and find somewhere quiet," she mutters, a little embarrassed by Kurumi's sisterly affection.
She takes hold of Kurumi's hand as they head for the door. They don't stop until they reach the lobby with its big glass window, which reveals a splendid view of yet another clear and starry night. They seat themselves down on a bench before Kohane begins to speak.
"Um, listen sis. I wanted to apologize for the way I acted the other day. It wasn't right for me to suddenly attack you with my words," the robot says as she looks onto the moonlit marble floor apologetically.
Her sister smiles sympathetically and reaches for her hand. "Idiot. You know I'll always forgive you no matter what. You're my sister after all," she says. "But, I'm grateful for your concern."
Kohane is glad that she has gained her sister's forgiveness and admires the scenery outside the window.
Out of the blue, she asks her sister a question to which the answer isn't surprising to her.
"Um... sis... Can robots fall in love?"
Kurumi grunts.
"I was just curious since I've had lots of human interaction recently. I've gotten to experience lots of human emotions because of this," Kohane continues.
Her sister's smile morphs into a flat line, and the ambiance suddenly becomes a little darker than before.
Kurumi raises her head and imitates her sister looking out the window.
"No, we cannot fall in love. Our systems were not programmed with this application..." she whispers rather coldly.
Although her words were quiet, they still echoed in the spacious lobby and inside Kohane's head.
"Oh, is that so..." she replies, a little disappointed.
Her sister's mysterious psychic powers never cease to amaze her, because she stands up and gently places her hand onto Kohane's shoulder.
"And if you haven't noticed, we can't cry either. Our purpose was already determined the moment we were born into this world. We simply don't have time for all these emotions to stop us from doing what we need to. But even so, us robots still enjoy being ourselves... Even if it means there's a fine line between humans and our kind," she tells Kohane.
Kohane nods. Perhaps I'm just mistaking my feelings for something else.
"Anyway, we should both go back to our charging pods. You need to get some rest for tomorrow's tournament, and I have a morning shift," Kurumi says, intercepting Kohane's train of thoughts.
The young robot nods and waves her sister goodbye before returning to the 7th floor.
When Kohane arrives back at the Hoshizaki Residence, the house is filled with the faint sound of snoring coming from the bedrooms.
To her surprise, Itsuki is still wide awake and is standing at the floor-length window, stargazing again.
She tiptoes over to join the 17-year-old, being extremely careful not to wake the entire household.
"I thought you were meant to be asleep. Tomorrow's a big day for you," Kohane says to Itsuki quietly, but with slight urgency in her tone.
Itsuki continues to stare into the night sky and shrugs. "I can't seem to get to sleep. It must be the nerves," he says.
Kohane slowly nods and then backs away to her charging pod.
"Well, just make sure you don't become too sleep-deprived. It's important that you have enough energy to keep you going at the competition," she tuts.
Itsuki laughs a little.
"Goodnight, Kohane," he then whispers tenderly as the robot tucks herself up insideher charging pod.
...
The sunlight glaring into Itsuki's half-opened eyes indicates that it's morning.
Professor Mars has woken up early to prepare breakfast beforehand and is now in the bathroom washing herself up.
Noticing that it's time to get up, Kohane yawns and unplugs herself from the pod. She strides over to Itsuki's futon and attempts to wake him up. "Come on Itsuki, it's time to get ready for the tournament," she moans.
Itsuki groans and pulls over his covers. It isn't like Itsuki to be this lazy, especially on the day of such a big competition.
Kohane begins shaking him, but it's no use. Finally, the robot consults to her last resort by forcefully pulling his covers away from him.
Sure enough, Itsuki is awake, but is strangely red in the face. Beads of sweat dot his face and his breathing is more rapid than usual.
Concerned, Kohane places her hand onto her friend's forehead.
She flinches. Could it be...
...
"Guys, I'm fine! Seriously, I am!" Itsuki insists as his younger sister offers him a cup of water to drink.
Professor Mars gives the teen a stern look. "Itsuki, you've got a fever! You can't go like this!" She tells him.
Itsuki looks crestfallen. It seems as if his dream just slipped through his fingers.
"But I feel better now! Can't we at least get there and see first?! Maybe I'll suddenly recover!" He protests.
Professor Mars face-palms herself. Handling this rebellious teen is more difficult than she had anticipated.
"Look Itsuki, what you need now is to get lots of rest, drink lots of water and stay home until your fever is gone. You are in no state to go and compete like this!" She stresses, obviously very concerned despite her strict nature.
Itsuki shifts his gaze onto the scenery outside the window and huffs.
Saki sighs and approaches Itsuki. "Prof. Mars is right, Itsuki. You need all the rest you can get," she tells her friend.
Itsuki shakes his head. "Nah, I'm getting out. This is ridiculous!" He complains, stubbornly trying to step out of bed.
Professor Mars pushes him back down. "Itsuki Hoshizaki! Enough is enough! You are sick and you need to rest up before you can do anything else! Kohane, run a 10-second Full-body Scan!" She commands.
A 10-second Full-body Scan helps determine the health of a person. It can detect regular flus and sicknesses but is not recommended for use if the illness is severe.
"Command confirmed. Analyzing... Analysis complete! Status: fever," the robot reports.
The middle-aged woman places her hands onto her hips to prove her point. "See? I told you!" She tuts.
Itsuki turns to observe outside his window with a dissatisfied expression plastered onto his face.
"Now Itsuki, you need to eat your breakfast and then drink your medicine before going back to bed. With regards to Saki's photographer position, I will personally take her there alone while Kohane and Erika stay here with you. Is that clear?" she instructs.
Instinctively, Itsuki thinks of a brilliant plan to guarantee things go according to his desires. He smirks and turns to face the professor. "I'm not having my medication unless you take me to the tournament!" He sulks childishly.
This is just about the last straw for the professor.
"Itsuki, this isn't a joke... I need you to drink your medicine and go back to sleep now..." she warns him through gritted teeth.
Unfortunately, Itsuki being the stubborn 17-year-old he is, persists with his difficult behaviour.
After ten whole minutes of putting up with Itsuki's perseverance, Professor Mars gives in.
"Alright. Alright. Make sure you take a Homeostasis Pill once you wash up. Breakfast will be on the table shortly," the woman sighs, defeated.
A Homeostasis Pill allows its consumer to maintain a constant and optimal body temperature and overall body conditions for a prolonged period of time, usually about 4-5 hours or so.
Itsuki fist-pumps and Saki laughs nervously.
Nothing can stop this teen from doing what he wants.
...
Hundreds of colorful cars are parked at the entrance of the showgrounds when Itsuki and the others arrive. As they walk into the arena, they spot crowds of people in the tiers already cheering on their friends and family as the competitors prepare their gear and launch their Cyberarmors.
Itsuki runs to join the others and waves goodbye to his friends.
"Good luck and be careful!" They chorus.
Kohane and Itsuki exchange determined glances before he heads off.
Afterwards, Saki heads to a small wagon to join the two other photographers, leaving Professor Mars and the girls to find their seats in the tiers.
"See you after the competition guys! I'll be sure to take lots of good pictures of Itsuki!" She winks.
By the time Professor Mars and the girls seat themselves, the emcee is already standing in the center of the arena with a microphone in one hand. He clears his throat before speaking.
"Greetings, townsfolks of Endermia! Welcome to the annual Cyberarmor Golden Cup Tournament! This year we have fifty-five entries joining us, which outnumbers last year's participation by miles! First off, I'd like to introduce all of this year's competitors!" He booms.
It takes the emcee a few minutes to get around to everybody, but he eventually gets to the last entry.
"And last but not least, Entry Number 55: Itsuki Hoshizaki!" The commentator yells.
Itsuki waves his arms around madly like he has already won the competition and the crowd goes wild.
"Alright! Now that we know a little bit about everyone here, it's time to get this show on the road! The rules are as follows. Each participant is required to complete a total of seven courses, starting with the first one being the least difficult with weak-classed Grimamons," he says.
"As you move on, the difficulty will rise. If you are defeated by a Grimamon, you are officially out of the game. This is an individual competition which solely relies on one's own abilities. Any assistance given to other contestants will result in both entries being disqualified! To claim victory and take home the Golden Cup, you must complete all seven courses under the time limit and obtain a high score. The participant with the fastest time and highest score will be the champion of 2146's tournament!" He shouts excitedly into the mic.
"Okie dokie! Now that everything's been clarified, let's begin! Are we ready?!" He screeches at the top of his lungs. "Three! Two! One! GO!!!"
Immediately after the competition commences, a large floating screen pops up in the middle of the stadium.
Kohane and the others spot Itsuki making his way out to the first course in a vast expanse of grassland.
Although this is the easiest course, Itsuki already notices Grimamons emerging from the tall grass. He smiles to himself. Piece of cake!
...
The first few courses fly by like a breeze. Gradually, more and more competitors are disqualified from the game. But on a better note, Itsuki is still in the competition.
Only 3 more courses and 45 minutes on hand! I think I might be able to pull through! He tells himself with much enthusiasm.
Out of the blue, a vaguely familiar voice calls out to him from behind. Itsuki spins his head around and spots his childhood friend, Shamus.
"Itsuki! It's been so long!" He exclaims as he speeds past.
Itsuki accelerates his armor's engine and manages to catch up with him.
Shamus is probably one of the best Cyberarmor fighters he knows. Beating him wouldn't come easy.
"Yes, it's been so long! How are you?!" He answers, shouting due to their growing distance.
Shamus sticks a thumb up in the air and moves further down the course. However, he stops in his tracks shortly as a tall and slender Grimamon comes into view. Its green face and malicious smiles brings fear to even the bravest.
Itsuki almost wants to call out to his friend. But remembering the rules of the competition, he covers his mouth in time before any words can make it out.
Shamus manages to dodge the Grimamon's attack and delivers a fatal blow in its stomach. He then summons a long red rope and ties it around the creature. It loses its balance before crashing to the ground, defeated.
Amazing! Itsuki thinks to himself as Shamus disappears from his view.
"Alright then. I'd better get serious now!" He declares as he speeds his way forward.
Itsuki arrives at the sixth course shortly. Already, there are Grimamons waiting for him.
He spots Shamus up ahead, already almost at the seventh course.
I've got to step up my game! Itsuki tells himself.
He flies past a pink one, who launches itself at him.
"Destruction Mode: Primal Force!" He yells into the vast open as the laser from his palm shoots at the monster.
It groans in pain as its body explodes and separates into countless pieces.
"Alright!" Itsuki cheers as he flies onwards.
However, more Grimamons arise from the dirt and flare their nostrils.
"I've got this!" Itsuki tells himself aloud.
He manages to punch a few in the stomach and they growl in pain as they crash to the ground. But a bigger one unearths itself from the dirt and launches a knuckle sandwich in Itsuki's direction.
Unfortunately, Itsuki is not fast enough this time and his body is met with the Grimamon's strong fist. He falls towards the barren earth and lands with a thud. The monster approaches him.
"Ouch..." he moans as he sits up from the dirt, with sand stuck onto his armor.
Now, the monster is trying to land a blow on him again, but it misses.
"Heh! Not so strong after all, eh?" Itsuki mocks the Grimamon as he finds his balance.
Suddenly, his head feels light. It must be the punch from before. It may have done some damage to me... He tells himself. Ignoring this, he gets up on his feet and loads his laser.
"Destruction Mode: Cerulean Canon!" He shouts as a bright blue light ejects from the opening on his palm and speeds its way towards the monster.
Immediately, the Grimamon's body shatters to pieces and falls gracefully to the ground like snowflakes.
Satisfied with his advancement, Itsuki moves towards the final course.
But for the entire journey, Itsuki remains quite dizzy and unbalanced. He feels his body begin to get warmer and warmer, and he is sweating buckets at this point. Soon enough, he starts to feel nauseous.
I have to keep going...
At last, he reaches the final course and sees Shamus fighting a large black Grimamon.
The crowds sitting in the stadium are within view and the loud cheering and applause can be heard.
I can't let them down!
Itsuki notices from the corner of his eye, another black Grimamon closing in on him. He spins around to meet its gaze.
With his remaining strength, he battles with the Grimamon in the area as Shamus does the same.
"Destruction Mode: Saffron Shockwave!" Itsuki yells as the Grimamon is defeated.
He feels his head become lighter and lighter, but he keeps flying.
Due to his loss of balance, his body strays from the correct path of flight and he flies off course.
He crashes to the ground as a tall and dark looming figure stands above him. It flares its nostrils and the hot air from its breath almost suffocates him, which makes it even worse since his body is already steaming hot from the return of his fever.
The effect of the Homeostasis Pill must be wearing off... Itsuki thinks.
At this point, Itsuki is struggling to keep himself awake as he gradually loses consciousness.
"Itsuki! ITSUKI!" He hears someone call from a distance. He also notices a few familiar faces dash towards him as his eyelids slowly cover his remaining vision.
...
"Itsuki... Remember, if your dad and I aren't with you and Erika one day, it doesn't mean that we've disappeared from the world. Instead, it simply means that we've become the stars in the sky... We will always be watching over you and your sister. Forever... And ever..."
"MUM!" Itsuki cries, as he rises abruptly from his futon. However, he quickly notices that he's back in his living room by the window.
It was a dream, wasn't it?...
"Oh, Itsuki! I'm so glad you're awake!" Kohane gasps as she helps him sit upright.
"What happened?" Itsuki moans as his AI friend offers him a glass of water.
"You fainted during the competition! Professor Mars and I called the first aid crew to come and help you up. You were THIS close to being attacked by that Grimamon! Luckily, a guy named Shamus came and defeated it!" Kohane tells him.
Man, I owe him a big one for saving me... Itsuki thinks to himself.
"Where's Saki?" he asks as he sips on his water.
"She went home after the competition. She said she had to help her mum out," Kohane says. "She's actually really nice! She even gave me her number so that I can talk to her whenever I want. I'm really glad you introduced her to me. Thank you, Itsuki!" Kohane beams as she takes the glass back.
Itsuki smiles feebly. "That's alright. I'm glad you two get along."
Kohane takes his temperature. "Still a bit hot, but it's getting better," she tells Itsuki.
He looks to the floor with misery. "I didn't win... did I?" he whispers.
Kohane stares at him briefly, and then hangs her head glumly. "Yeah... Sorry... But you did great! Trust me, you did!" She squeaks as she tries to cheer him up.
He lets a smile escape him as he quickly lies back down on his pillow again.
"I couldn't make my parents proud... I'm useless..." he mutters as tears form in his eyes.
Kohane is speechless, but she attempts to comfort her friend by patting his shoulder as the tears glide gracefully down Itsuki's cheeks.
She strokes his hair until he falls asleep again.
...
"Aww man..." Itsuki groans as he wakes up. He checks the time on the clock hanging on the wall in the living room and looks around. It's 12:27am.
Sure enough, Kohane is still seated beside his mattress. However, she is wide awake.
"Aren't you going to charge?" Itsuki poses as he tries to sit up properly.
Kohane turns her head to look at him. "I charged while you were asleep," she tells him softly as she gently strokes Itsuki's blanket.
"Is that so..." he mutters drowsily as she takes his temperature.
"You're fine now. The fever's gone," she states.
Suddenly, Kohane abruptly stands in her place and stares out the window. "Let's go watch the stars," she tells Itsuki spontaneously, and somehow with much enthusiasm.
Itsuki scratches his head. "Aren't we already stargazing right now?" he questions, very perplexed by this.
Kohane shakes her head. "Let's go watch it outside," she beams as she strides towards the front door.
"Wait, what?! At this hour?!" Itsuki whines.
Kohane turns to face the 17-year-old. "The sky is the most beautiful at this hour," she whispers as she returns to his side and offers a hand so that he can get up.
Itsuki sighs. "If you say so."
"Grab a coat as well. I don't want you catching a cold after that fever," she tells Itsuki.
So, the two friends sneak out of their flat, and out of Galactica altogether. They enter the woods on the right-side of the Hinazuki Residence and emerge through the trees as their eyes are met with the magnificent heavens.
"Wow!" Itsuki breathes as he paces down the grassy hill.
"Itsuki! Come sit here!" Kohane calls from halfway down the slope.
He rests himself on the grass beside her.
"My mum told me once, that if she and dad are no longer on Earth anymore, it means that they've become the stars in the night sky," Itsuki begins.
Kohane's eyes widen with fascination.
"She told me that they'll always watch over me and Erika. Forever... And ever..." he whispers.
Kohane sighs. I guess he's a bit like me after all.
"Itsuki, we're actually not that different from each other," Kohane says as she turns her head sideways to face her human friend. This time, it's Itsuki's turn to widen his eyes.
"Really? You really think so?" he says, suddenly getting excited.
Kohane nods gently. "It's to do with my father, or my creator to be exact. He left Galactica ten months ago on such short notice. No one knows where he is now. He didn't even say goodbye to me..." she mutters as her eyes are cast over with a shadow.
Itsuki reaches out his hand to stroke Kohane's hair. When he does this, he notices something odd. Well, at least something he would have never imagined. "Is this... real?!" Itsuki gasps as he runs Kohane's hair through his fingers.
Kohane feels her cheeks go red. "Y-yeah... My father told me that he wanted to make us seem more... well, 'human'," she says. "Our brains are capable of preserving and growing organic matter. It's the incredible science that my father has pioneered."
The 17-year-old takes a moment to digest her words, and then smiles. "That's pretty cool!"
Kohane smiles too. And in that moment, it's as if something is truly born inside her. But of course, she keeps quiet about this.
The two of them lie on the grass, observing the glorious night skies in silence when Kohane suddenly let's out a gasp. "Look, Itsuki! A shooting star!" She points to a passing light in the vast blue expanse. Eventually, more of them appear in sky. It's a meteor shower.
"Beautiful..." Kohane sighs as they admire the spectacular celestial show. It seems that this moment belonged to them only. Itsuki and Kohane.
Itsuki closes his eyes and intertwines the fingers of his hands together to make a wish.
Please let Kohane stay by my side forever...