Episode 7. Cemetery

From that day on, Hana continued to have a fondness - or rather, a lust - for me. She would always ask me out at night, and then be unfaithful. She started wearing make-up, started paying attention to fashion, and became more and more like a girl of her age.  At first I was simply happy, because I thought that she was finally starting to blossom as a woman. That night, Hana invited me out again, but her dream didn't come true and she fell asleep.

"Hey, Hana. I'm glad you like me, but don't you think it's okay if we can't have sex?　　It makes me a little sad to see you lying there like that."

I said to Hana, who was lying on her side with her back to me.

"Because ......"

Hana muttered quietly and rolled over on her knees.

"Because couples are supposed to have sex to married their love for each other, right?"

"Married?　　 But you're not ......."

I couldn't hide my surprise at the words that came out of Hana's mouth. I couldn't tell her that she was an android, that would hurt her even more. I was wondering what I should say to her. Hana gulped and turned to me.

"Yes, I do. I'm old enough to want to be with someone I like. What's so wrong with that?"

Her marble eyes widened and she stared at my face. I looked into the sad eyes of the android who could not shed a tear, and my heart fluttered violently. Could there be a greater sorrow than this?　　Her heart was attracted to me, but her body made it impossible, such a misfortune.

But it was still strange. Her personality is so different from the Hana I met when I first met her. If you say it's the result of love, that's all you have to say, but the original Hana was somewhat inhuman, like a transparent plant. In terms of emotions, she must have been more like an innocent and pure child.　When did Hana start to go crazy?　　I went back to my memory. That's right, since the day I took Goro for a walk and he got lost. That day, she somehow wandered into the cemetery and stood there staring at the gravestones in a daze.

The next day, I went to the cemetery. It was a small temple cemetery, about a fifteen-minute walk from my house. The hot midsummer sun was baking the gravestones, and the air was heavy with heat and humidity. I walked around the cemetery, looking for the headstone Hana had been staring at. There it was. On the front of the black granite stone, the words "Ishida Family Tomb" were engraved. As I turned to the side, I saw the names of Atsushi Ishida, Machiko Ishida and Kyoko Ishida. The youngest was Kyoko Ishida. If she were still alive, she would be 26 years old now, based on the age of the carving. It seemed that she had died when she was 18. That's about the same age as Hana appears to be now. I had a hunch that this Kyoko had something to do with it. I decided to go up to the temple and talk to the priest.

"Yes, I know her."

The priest, who had offered me a cup of tea in the guest room, began to speak. The scent of freshly refurbished tatami mats rose in the room, tickling my nostrils. It's a refreshing and peaceful scent. It made me think that no matter how much time has passed, the souls of the dead will always seek this kind of peace.　

"Why did she die so young?"

"The Ishida family has been a family parishioner for generations. That grave was built by Kyoko's grandfather."

"Then the name on the grave is ......."

"Yes, that's Kyoko and her parents."

Both parents died at a young age. I wonder what happened to them.

"What the hell did they die of?"

"It was an accident. One day, her parents and Kyoko went for a drive in their car. As they were driving along a winding mountain road, an oncoming car came around the bend at a high rate of speed and collided with Mr. Ishida's car. The car was wrecked, the father who was driving was killed instantly, and the mother and Kyoko were taken to the hospital in serious condition but died. ......"

The priest then slowly sipped his tea.

"I didn't know that ....... I'd like to meet Kyoko's grandparents and ask them about her."

"Why do you want to talk to them?"

"Actually, ......."

I wondered what I should say to them. I couldn't say it was about the androids.

" I'm having a little problem with my daughter.　I've been looking into it, and it seems to have something to do with Miss Ishida."

"I see. ....... Okay, I'll write down the address now."

The priest stood up and returned with a piece of paper and a pen, wrote down the address of the Ishida family, and handed it to me.