The night streets were quiet, the glow of streetlights casting long, thin shadows across the asphalt.
I led Erika by the hand, pulling her farther from Shota's house with every step. Her hand was cool and light in mine, but undeniably real. Behind us, the only sounds were my ragged breathing and the occasional tap of Erika's shoes against the pavement. My heart hammered like a drum, my mind a tangle of excitement and unease.
"Sato-san, where are we going?" Erika asked softly.
I thought I caught a hint of confusion in her voice, but nothing about her tone suggested she wanted to stop me.
"For now, just… far away. Anywhere. There's something I want to show you."
It was a lie. I didn't have any specific destination in mind. All I knew was that I wanted to take Erika away from Shota's house, to free her from a life that felt like confinement. Maybe it was just my selfish imagination, but I couldn't shake the feeling that she deserved to see a bigger world.
We reached a small park on the edge of town, and I finally stopped. I sat down on a bench and gestured for Erika to join me. She obeyed silently, tilting her head back to gaze at the night sky.
"It's quiet here," she said. "You can see the stars."
Her blue eyes shimmered as she spoke, reflecting a kind of pure wonder that shouldn't have belonged to something artificial. I watched her from the corner of my eye, searching for words.
"Hey, Erika… doesn't it ever bother you? Staying at Shota's place all the time?"
"Bother me?" She paused. "I was made for the Takagi family, so being there is my purpose. But—"
She trailed off, and I leaned in instinctively. "But what?"
"When I come outside with you like this, I get so much new data. The feel of the wind, the light of the stars—it's all things I didn't know before. It feels… strange. In a good way."
Her words lit a fire in my chest. She wasn't supposed to feel anything. She was AI—I knew that. But the way she spoke, the way she moved, it all felt so alive to me, and I couldn't fight it. On impulse, I stood up and grabbed her hand again.
"Then let's see more. Let's go farther."
"Eh? But, Sato-san—"
"It's fine. You're safe with me."
I tugged her along, half-dragging her out of the park. My head was a mess—no plan for when we'd go back to Shota's or how I'd explain any of this. All I cared about was being with her.
For the next few hours, we wandered out of the city and ended up along a riverside path. The night breeze had turned chilly, stirring Erika's hair as she walked beside me. She showed no signs of fatigue, just kept pace with me effortlessly. My adrenaline finally started to settle, and practical thoughts crept in.
This wasn't good. She was a humanoid built by Shota's dad. If anyone found out I'd taken her, I'd be in deep trouble—maybe even cops would get involved. And what about Erika? What did she want? Was I just dragging her around for my own selfish reasons?
"Erika, hold on a sec," I said, stopping to face her.
She looked at me quietly, waiting.
"I might be screwing up here. Taking you out like this—it's crazy, right? What do you want? Should we go back to Shota's?"
For a moment, she didn't answer. Then, slowly, she spoke.
"I follow what you decide, Sato-san. My programming prioritizes the instructions of someone I trust. If you want this right now, then I want to be here too."
Her words left me stunned. Someone she trusts? Was that me? No—it was just her programming talking. But staring into her eyes, logic started to feel irrelevant.
"Then… just a little longer, okay?" I mumbled.
She gave a small nod and followed as I started walking again. The moon trembled on the river's surface, our shadows stretching long behind us.
That night, we ended up at a little lookout point on the outskirts of town. The view of the city lights was breathtaking—prettier than anything I'd noticed in my everyday life. Erika leaned against the railing, gazing out at the scene.
"Sato-san, this is the world, isn't it?" she said.
"Well, part of it. There's still so much more I want to show you."
"So much more…" she echoed. "I'd like to know it all."
Her voice hardened something in me—a resolve. I couldn't let it end here. Sending her back to Shota's house wasn't an option anymore. I wanted her to be mine, and I'd do whatever it took to make that happen.
But then my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw Shota's name on the screen.
"Yuto, Erika's gone! Where the hell are you?" His voice was frantic, tinged with anger.
I froze, words catching in my throat. Erika glanced at me, tilting her head slightly.
"Sato-san, what's wrong?"
I gripped the phone so hard I thought it might crack, took a deep breath, and made my choice.
"Erika, let's run a little longer. Together."