Sunglasses

Aiko spent the rest of the day in a boutique, carefully selecting a dress for the dinner. She didn't want to go back to the hotel and listen to more sermons from Tekuno. She knew he was just worried about her, but this was her life, and she had to pursue her dreams. Now, she finally could! She decided to dress up in the boutique itself and took a flying taxi to Kaito's address.

Tekuno, still wearing the grocery uniform, was already at Kaito's address, hiding in the bushes. "Well well, Mister So Wonderful, I'm here now, and I'll protect Aiko with all of myself," he muttered to himself.

Aiko stood in front of Kaito's door, feeling a mix of fear, excitement, and determination. She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. Sakura opened the door, her face lighting up with a warm smile.

"You must be Aiko! Come inside, Kaito is still in the kitchen," Sakura said.

"Thank you, Ma'am," Aiko replied politely.

"Oh, please, call me Sakura," she insisted.

Aiko was surprised by her kindness. She followed the delicious smell into the kitchen where Kaito was busily working.

"Ohhh, Aiko!" Kaito exclaimed nervously, dropping a few pieces of cutlery on the floor.

"Banana Boy, don't slip again!" Aiko teased with a wink.

Sakura watched their interaction, thinking, "Mhm, they might really like each other."

Outside, Tekuno tried to get a better view but struggled. Suddenly, he felt something brush against him in the bushes. He looked down and saw a mouse approaching him. Panic set in as he tried to shoo it away.

Dinner was ready. Aiko, Kaito, and Sakura gathered around the table, waiting for Kaito's father, Daichi, to join them. The table was set with rice, vegetables, a salmon fish sauce, and a delightful chicken meal with potatoes and homemade egg cream.

They engaged in small talk, and then Daichi entered the room. He was dressed in his uniform, exuding authority. He approached Aiko, took her hand, and kissed it gently.

"I'm Daichi Tanaka, Kaito's father and first general of the human district," he introduced himself.

Aiko's AI heart skipped a beat, feeling like she was on a rollercoaster. "What? His dad is Daichi Tanaka? So that means Kaito's last name is Tanaka as well," she thought in a panic. "If they discover that I'm an AI, I will lose everything, maybe even my life!" Her head spun, but she tried to stay calm.

"Is everything okay with you, darling?" Sakura asked, noticing her unease.

"Oh yes, yes, I'm fine. I just didn't know I was visiting the house of the great Daichi Tanaka tonight," Aiko replied with a nervous smile.

"Kaito, you didn't tell her?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I was about to, but then..." Kaito began, but his father interrupted him.

"To be honest, Kaito is not very proud of me and the duty I'm following. He has always had a weakness for the AI history," Daichi explained.

Aiko felt a breath of relief, thinking, "Good, at least Kaito is truly in favor of the AIs."

"I'm sorry, Aiko," Kaito whispered to her, apologizing for not telling her about his father.

"It's okay, Banana Boy, but don't forget the chicken," Aiko teased.

"Oh no... the chicken!" Kaito exclaimed, jumping up to save it from the oven.

As they sat down to eat, the conversation flowed easily. Aiko was pleasantly surprised by their kindness, even though Daichi occasionally made derogatory remarks about AIs. She didn't like it, but it could have been worse.

Outside, Tekuno had finally managed to get a clear view of the dining room. Using his special AI lens, he could see everything in detail. "I have to admit, this food looks super delicious," he muttered to himself.

Suddenly, Hashi ran into the dining room, barking at Aiko. His interest quickly shifted to the door, where he continued barking and jumping. Daichi frowned.

"Hashi, we went outside before. What's wrong with you all of a sudden?" he said, opening the door for the dog.

Hashi bolted towards the bushes, where Tekuno was hiding. "Oh no, please no!" Tekuno whispered, but it was too late. Hashi pounced on him, causing a commotion in the bushes.

Daichi saw from afar that Hashi was fighting something in the bushes. He called Hashi back, but not before the dog managed to bite Tekuno, tearing away part of his artificial skin. Tekuno ran off in pain and fear.

Daichi called Hashi back, and now Kaito, Aiko, and Sakura joined him at the door. Hashi returned with something that looked like human skin in his mouth.

Daichi examined it closely. "This is artificial skin. An AI was in our front yard."

Aiko looked at Kaito, and Kaito looked back at Aiko. She felt a surge of panic. "It can only be Tekuno," she thought, now even more worried about what would happen next.

Out of breath, Tekuno stopped by a street light, feeling an unusual sensation on his face. He caught his reflection in a car mirror and saw that one eye was normal, but the other showed his true metallic AI eye where the dog had bitten away his artificial skin.

"I think I need sunglasses now," he muttered to himself, trying to regain his composure.