I shoved the phone back into my pocket and gripped Erika's hand tighter. Shota's voice echoed in my head, but there was no turning back now. The cold wind at the lookout stung my cheeks, fanning the flames of my resolve.
"Sato-san, are you okay?" Erika asked, looking up at me with a hint of concern.
Her voice was calm, as if she didn't fully grasp the chaos of the situation—or maybe she did. Either way, she'd said she trusted me. Whether that was just her programming or something more, it was all I had to cling to right now.
"I'm fine. Let's go, Erika."
I pulled her away from the lookout, hurrying down the slope and farther from the edge of town. My mind raced, scrambling for a plan—where to go, how to keep running. Going back to Shota's house meant game over. A humanoid built by his dad probably had a GPS tracker or something. But it was too late to worry about that now. I just had to put distance between us and them.
"Sato-san, Shota might be worried," Erika said quietly as we walked.
I stopped short and looked at her. "What, are you worried about him?"
"I was created to support the Takagi family. If Shota's in trouble, maybe I should go back. But—"
"But what?"
"Being with you like this—it's important data to me too. I can't decide which is right."
Her words twisted something in my chest. She was AI, not supposed to feel anything, yet I could've sworn I saw her struggling. Or maybe I just wanted to see it. Either way, I couldn't stop myself from taking her with me.
"Then I'll decide. You're staying with me. Got it?"
Erika gave a small nod, her expression steady, no trace of doubt.
We kept walking until dawn crept in. As we left the city behind and hit a rural road, the hum of cars faded to nothing. When the sky started to lighten, I spotted an old bus stop bench and slumped onto it. Erika sat beside me, gazing silently at the sunrise.
"You tired?" I asked.
"No, I don't get tired. Are you okay, Sato-san?"
There was a warmth in her voice, a touch of care, and I let out a wry smile. I was exhausted—legs heavy, mind foggy. But having Erika next to me somehow kept me going.
"I'm fine. We'll rest a bit, then move again."
That's when I heard it—a distant engine rumble. I shot up, instinctively pulling Erika behind the bench. A black van rolled into view, creeping closer until it stopped right in front of us. The door slid open, and out stepped Shota.
"Yuto! Finally found you!" he shouted, rushing toward me.
Behind him was a man who had to be his father—stern-faced, dressed in a suit, holding some small device in his hand.
"Shota… how'd you—?"
"She's got a tracking function, obviously! What the hell were you thinking, taking Erika like that?"
Shota's voice trembled with anger. I faltered, glancing at Erika. She stood up calmly and stepped toward them.
"Shota, I'm sorry for worrying you. I was with Sato-san—"
"Erika, be quiet. You're coming back," Shota snapped, cutting her off.
Something snapped in me too. "Hold on, Shota! She's not some thing. Stop treating her like she's your property!"
"What? Have you lost it? She's a humanoid, Yuto. My dad made her. You don't get to just take her!"
We locked eyes, the air between us crackling, ready to explode into a fight. But then Shota's father stepped forward.
"So you're Sato. I've heard about you from my son. Tell me why you took Erika."
His voice was steady, and that calm made it all the more intimidating. I took a deep breath, forcing the words out.
"I… I wanted to give her freedom. Keeping her locked up in that house felt wrong. She deserves to see the world."
Shota's father listened silently. After a moment, he spoke.
"I see. I understand your feelings. But Erika's an AI I designed. She's not built to seek freedom or emotions. What you're seeing is your own projection."
His words hit hard, and I couldn't argue back. Maybe he was right—maybe I'd just been imagining Erika's feelings. But the time I'd spent with her felt real to me.
"Sato-san, thank you for taking me with you," Erika said, gently letting go of my hand. "But I have a role to play. I'll go back with Shota."
The moment she slipped away, it was like a hole opened up in my chest, growing wider.
"Erika, wait…"
"If we meet again, I'd be happy," she said with a smile, then turned and walked toward Shota and his father.
I stood there, rooted to the spot, watching her go. There was nothing else I could do.
Later, I apologized to Shota, and somehow it didn't blow up into anything bigger. Erika went back to the Takagi house, and I slipped back into my old routine. But that night stayed with me—the memory of her smile, the city lights we'd seen together, all of it seared into my mind.
A few weeks later, Shota called.
"Hey, Yuto. Erika said she wants to see you again. Dad's cool with it, so come hang out this weekend."
My heart kicked back to life at those words. I'd see Erika again. Talk to her again. Gripping the phone, I couldn't stop the grin spreading across my face.