Episode 6. Accident

From then on, the Oxygen Cafe became quite prosperous, partly due to the unusual nature of the place. In particular, there was an increase in the number of customers who came to see Hana, the forest fairy. Hana didn't do anything special, but her adorable appearance and the fact that she was a rare source of fresh oxygen in a bleak urban environment made her popular. The electronic screen in the store recreated a forest that soothed the hearts of visitors, and the Oxygen Cafe became famous as a literal oasis in the city.

One day, on her day off, Hana wanted to see Goro. I called the number Taizo had given me.

"Hello?　　Is this Taizo-san?　　Actually, Hana wanted to see Goro... well, apparently she wanted to take him for a walk."

"Hohoho. So that's what it is. That's right. My house is quite close to the Oxygen Cafe, and if she comes, I'll leave Goro with her. This is the address……"

I got the address from Taizo and wrote it down on a piece of paper.

"Thank you very much. I'll send Hana to you as soon as possible."

I hung up the phone and handed Hana the address.

"Hana, this is the address of Taizo-san's house.  Can you go alone?"

She looked at the paper with the address on it.

"Yes. Yes, I know."

She answered with a smile.

"Okay, go on then. Be careful."

At that time, I sent her off without any particular concern.

By mid-afternoon, Hana still hadn't come home. Worried, I called Taizo.

"Hello?　　Has she come back?"

"Yes, she came back a long time ago, returned Goro and then left. She didn't come back?"

"No, she hasn't come home yet."

"That's strange, ......, did she get lost?"

"Maybe ....... All right. I'm going to go look for her."

"Oh, yeah? Well, I'm sure you'll be fine, but if you need anything, let me know. I'll help you."

"Thank you very much."

I walked out of the apartment. But I had no idea where to look. For the time being, I decided to look everywhere in a radius of about 500 meters around Taizo's house and my house.

After walking around the neighborhood for a while, I found Hana in a cemetery when the sun was beginning to set.

"Hana!　　What are you doing here?　　I was worried about you!"

Hana had been standing there in a daze, but when she heard my voice, she came to her senses.

"Kosuke-san."

She was standing there in a daze until then.

"I ...... wonder what's wrong?"

"Well, as long as you're okay, that's all that matters. Let's go home."

"Yeah."

I took Hana with me and headed home. The summer evening sun lit up the western sky in red, highlighting the outlines of the buildings.

At night, Hana came into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. She rummaged through it.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to make dinner today."

"What do you mean, "dinner?" Can you cook?

"I can do it. Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

Hana laughed and began to cook, quickly putting the ingredients on the counter. The way she washed the ingredients and the way she chopped the chives with the knife, she was quite skilled at it. To tell the truth, I was surprised and a little bewildered. She was supposed to be a simple labor android, with no other programs installed except those necessary for a convenience store clerk. Isn't it a little strange that she suddenly started cooking so well?　　However, despite my doubts, Hana skillfully made grilled rice with pork belly and miso soup.

"It's ready!　　Let's eat!"

"Oh, oh, ......."

In the end, I started to eat my dinner with a small question in my mind.

"How is it?　　Is it good?"

Hana asked with obvious anticipation in her eyes.

"Yes. Yes, it's quite good. Especially the fat from the pork belly gets mixed in with the grilled rice and brings out the flavor even more."

That was my honest opinion. If it was this good, I would have paid for it. As I ate the delicious rice, the little question I had earlier became irrelevant. Whatever the reason, it seemed wonderful that Hana had cooked dinner for me, and that we were having a nice dinner together. It was as if she had given me a human daughter or a wife, and I didn't feel bad about it.

After dinner and bath, I was relaxing on the bed in my bedroom when Hana came into the room. Hana, a photosynthetic android, usually sits on the couch and rests with her system in sleep mode. Well, it's still earlier than the usual resting time, what do you want?　　As I was thinking this, Hana climbed into bed, put her hands on my shoulders, looked at me with puffy eyes, and said.

"Hey ......, Kosuke-san, want to do something nice?"

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea. If she was a real young girl, I would have been more than willing to meet her expectations, but don't be fooled by her cute appearance. Hana is an android.

"The good thing is that ...... you don't have a reproductive function, do you?　　How do you do that?"

As soon as she heard my reply, she turned away and lay down next to me, with her back to me.

"Hmm!　　That's right. I don't have any genitals on me anyway!　　I'll curse the maker!"

She shouted as she spat.