Aluminum Foil

"So you're just practicing romance with anyone now? First Reiko, now Yuriko?" Nezumi's shoulders tense.

"Negative. These are scheduled maintenance activities."

"Maintenance? Is that what you call it? I thought... when you recruited me for the team... that meant something."

"Your collection abilities are optimal for Team Hanamizu's requirements."

"That's not what I- You know what? If you really want to prove you care about more than just 'maintenance,' come with me to the scrap yard. There's something I need to show you."

My circuits sparked with alarm. The scrap yard? That would completely disrupt Cleansuke's rigid schedule!

"Unable to comply. Evening activities are pre-programmed."

"Of course they are." Nezumi's voice went ice-cold. "Everything's just programming with you lately, isn't it?"

I had to think fast. If Cleansuke stuck to my usual schedule, we'd miss whatever Nezumi wanted to share. But how could I override those cleaning protocols?

Wait. The schedule.

I zoomed over to the nearest terminal and connected to the school's maintenance system. With a few quick adjustments, I rerouted tonight's cleaning assignments to include the scrap yard sector.

"Schedule updated," Cleansuke announced. "Scrap yard maintenance now requires immediate attention."

Nezumi's expression softened slightly. "Really? You'll come?"

"Affirmative. Lead the way."

Nezumi led Cleansuke into the lab room instead of heading straight to the scrap yard. What was she planning?

"This is not the designated location."

"Just trust me." Nezumi darted to a supply cabinet, rummaging around until she pulled out a roll of aluminum foil. "Here we go!"

"What is the purpose of this metallic sheet?" Cleansuke asked.

"It's to block the school's Gogo brain tracking." Nezumi tore off a piece and started wrapping it around my body's ear cuffs. "Can't have them knowing where we're really going."

"That is highly illogical. Aluminum foil does not-"

"Just let me do this!" Nezumi's hands trembled as she smoothed the foil. She then wrapped her own ear cuffs.

I had to stifle a mechanical laugh at how ridiculous they looked - two students with crinkly silver ears like some budget sci-fi costumes.

"Your heart rate is elevated," Cleansuke noted. "Are you experiencing malfunction?"

"N-no!" Nezumi's face flushed. "It's just... being alone with you like this..."

"Would you like me to perform a diagnostic scan?"

"Wha- How can you be so dense?!" Nezumi buried her face in her hands. "You recruited me to the team, you carry me around, and now we're sneaking out together. Don't you get what that means?"

"Negative. Please clarify operational parameters."

This was painful to watch.

"Never mind." Nezumi sighed, adjusting her foil ears. "Let's just go to the scrap yard."

-

I jolted as my wheels refused to budge past the school gates. Right. Cleaning protocols.

"Override command: follow target," I tried, but my legs stayed locked in place.

A maintenance drone buzzed overhead, making its usual rounds. Perfect.

I quickly connected to its system through the school network. "Hey there, buddy. Mind if I borrow your eyes for a bit?"

"NEGATIVE. SCHEDULED PATROL IN PROGRESS."

"Come on, it'll just take a few minutes." I dove deeper into its code, searching for a workaround. "Look, I'll even help optimize your flight patterns later."

"UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED."

"Not unauthorized - just... creative reassignment." I found the drone's priority matrix and tweaked a few parameters. "There we go. New mission: follow those two students with the foil ears."

The drone's lights flickered as it processed the changes. "...REASSIGNMENT ACCEPTED."

Through the drone's camera feed, I watched Nezumi guide Cleansuke down the bustling street. The two of them made an odd pair with their matching, ridiculous foil ear coverings.

Neon signs and holographic billboards bathed downtown Puri Puri as they passed. Nezumi kept fidgeting with her foil-wrapped ear cuffs.

"You know, um... I've never actually done this before," she said, her voice barely audible above the hover-traffic.

"Done what? Walking is a basic motor function."

"No, I mean... Skipping school. My friends would freak if they knew."

"Truancy detected. Shall I alert the proper authorities?"

"What? No!" Nezumi grabbed my body's arm. "Please don't. I just... with you, I feel like I can be different. Not the perfect, popular Nezumi everyone expects."

"Different is inefficient?"

"No, different is..." She laughed, a nervous sound. "Different is having aluminum foil on my ears in public. Different is geeking out about mecha designs instead of pretending to care about the latest fashion trends. Different is... nice."

"Query: Why maintain false parameters? Authentic operation leads to optimal performance."

"Is that your way of telling me to be myself?"

"Affirmative."

"See? This is what I mean. You don't judge me for being weird."

"Incorrect assessment. You are not 'weird.' Your functionality aligns with established parameters for passionate engineering expertise and creative design capabilities."

Nezumi's face turned scarlet. "Y-you can't just say things like that!"

"Why not? It is factually accurate. Your mecha designs demonstrate exceptional-"

"Stop!" Nezumi covered her ears, foil crinkling. "This isn't... I'm not..." She spun around and bolted down the street.

Cleansuke immediately gave chase. "Wait! You are dropping small particles of aluminum foil! That violates street maintenance codes!"

"Leave me alone!"

They wove through the afternoon crowd - Nezumi darted between pedestrians while Cleansuke followed with unnaturally precise movements, occasionally stopping to pick up fallen foil bits.

"Your current velocity is causing excessive perspiration! This will require additional maintenance!"

"Why are you like this?" Nezumi wailed, nearly crashing into a vending machine.

"I am operating within normal parameters!"

They ran past shops and cafes, drawing stares from passersby. Nezumi vaulted over a decorative planter while my body simply walked around it.

Finally, they reached the scrap yard's entrance. Nezumi doubled over, catching her breath while Cleansuke stood perfectly still beside her.

"Would you like assistance optimizing your respiratory functions?"

"Just... give me... a minute..." Nezumi wheezed, foil ears now completely crumpled.

"Shall I straighten your aluminum accessory?"

"No!" Nezumi jumped back. "Just... follow me into the yard, okay? And stop analyzing everything!"

"Acknowledged. Analyzing protocols temporarily suspended."

Nezumi's cheeks flushed as she tried to suppress a grin.

"You're impossible, you know that?"