Would you like to join me and my family for dinner tonight?

Aiko walked into the grocery store, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves. She hadn't expected to see Kaito again so soon, but there he was, standing by the entrance with Hashi.

"Aiko! Over here!" Kaito called, waving her over.

"Hi, Kaito! Hi, Hashi!" Aiko greeted them with a smile. Immediately, Hashi started barking at her, his eyes fixed on her intently.

Kaito frowned. "Hashi, stop it! I'm sorry, Aiko. I don't know what's gotten into him."

Aiko tried to calm the dog, but nothing seemed to work. Just as she was about to give up, Kaito looked at her hopefully. "Aiko, would you like to join me and my family for dinner tonight?"

Aiko's heart skipped a beat. "Dinner? With your family?" She felt a wave of nervousness but quickly responded, "Yes, I'd love to!"

Hashi barked louder, and Aiko looked around for a distraction. Suddenly, she heard a faint "psss" to her left. Turning, she saw Tekuno dressed as a grocery worker.

"Oh, I forgot to take something in the cheese section," Aiko said quickly. "I'll be right back!"

"Sure, I'll be waiting outside because Hashi won't stop barking," Kaito replied, still trying to calm his dog.

Aiko hurried to the cheese section, her mind racing. "Teki, what are you doing here?" she whispered urgently when she reached him.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing!" Tekuno retorted, crossing his arms. "How and why are you dressed up like this?" she asked.

"It's a long story," Tekuno sighed. "I also slept in one of those three square meter sleeping rooms which was all but clean! Aiko, what are you doing to me?"

"I'm sorry, Teki," Aiko said, feeling guilty. "But Kaito is so... is so..."

"So what?!" Tekuno demanded.

"So wonderful," she admitted, blushing.

"Oh my gosh, Aiko, he's human! What did he say about you being an AI?" Tekuno whispered urgently.

"Well... he... he... he's okay with it?" she said hesitantly.

"He doesn't know, does he?" Tekuno pressed.

"Nope, not at all," Aiko confessed.

Tekuno groaned. "I got to go now, Teki!" Aiko said quickly.

"What?? Don't leave me again like this!" Tekuno pleaded.

"I'll be at Kaito's house for dinner. I'll message you the address so we can meet afterwards. In the meantime, take this." She handed Tekuno her hotel card. "It's pretty there! Bye bye."

Here I am again, standing on my own, Tekuno thought, watching Aiko rush back to Kaito. In that moment, a customer approached him, mistaking him for a real worker. "Excuse me, where's the milk?" the customer asked.

Tekuno sighed and started searching for the milk, feeling increasingly frustrated.

As he walked through the aisles, he saw Aiko and Kaito through the window, laughing together as they left the store. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he asked himself, "What is this?"

Meanwhile, back in the AI district, President Hoshino was growing more desperate. The Secret AI Service had found no trace of Aiko within their boundaries.

President Hoshino stood up, his face pale with worry. "Expand the search to the human district," he ordered his aides.

One of the aides hesitated. "Sir, that could lead to diplomatic complications..."

"I don't care!" Hoshino interrupted. "My daughter is out there, and I will not rest until she's safe. This means war!"

In the human district, Tekuno continued helping the customer find the milk, his thoughts consumed by Aiko. "Why does she have to be with him?" he wondered, feeling a pang of jealousy.

Finally, he found the milk and handed it to the customer, who thanked him and walked away. Tekuno glanced out the window again, hoping for a glimpse of Aiko, but she was gone.

Tekuno left the store, wandering the streets aimlessly. He couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness that had settled in his chest. "I have to bring her back," he muttered to himself. "I can't let her go like this."

Meanwhile, President Hoshino gathered his top officials, preparing for an all-out search in the human district. "We will find her," he vowed. "No matter what it takes."