TWLPOD 15

At 11 p.m., Mille, the one and only librarian at Pearce Academy, came down from the top floor, scanning the library one level at a time.

‘So tedious, so boring.’

She was tired of herself, knowing that in an age where everyone used a tablet, no one would use the library this late even if they did come, yet still checking every time just in case. And her tedious diligence finally paid off.

“Eek.”

At first, she thought it was a ghost. Just as she thought she was finally seeing the library ghost after ten years of service and was about to ask, ‘What do you think is the most interesting book in this library!’, the small, dark shadow tilted its head back as if its neck was stiff.

When it lifted the eyelids it had kept closed, perhaps out of fatigue, excessively red eyes were revealed. Mille, watching as if mesmerized by the unusual color, was startled back to her professional duty when the young man buried his head in a book again.

“Excuse me… sir.”

When she called out to him, buried in a pile of books, a look of puzzlement appeared on his face. Seeing his face up close, it was so breathtaking it was as if Cupid’s arrow had struck her.

If his large, round eyes hadn’t given him a soft look, the sparkle of his blood-red pupils, so red they could make one hiccup, would have felt both beautiful and terrifying.

“Um, it’s closing time now.”

The red eyes that had captivated her just stared blankly, offering no reply. Could he really be a ghost? The momentary chill of fear passed.

“Closing time…”

A sigh of relief escaped her on its own when the other person spoke aloud.

“What time is it?”

Kay, who had been sitting in a corner reading, lifted his head and asked the shadow that had approached right in front of him.

“Right now? It’s midnight.”

Midnight. Kay, who had lost all sense of time, scratched his head. He figured some time must have passed since he’d read a fair amount, but he hadn’t realized it was already midnight. First, for the sake of the waiting librarian, he stood up.

“I’m sorry. I’ll just tidy this up and go.”

“I’ll do it. Please leave it as it is.”

“But…”

“It’s my job. Just leave it.”

[“Technically, it is my job.”]

A machine that had approached at some point smiled with its pixelated eyes and began to pick up the books on the desk.

[“Please let me know if you need to check anything out before closing.”]

“Check out?”

“We can lend them to you. It’s limited to the first-floor books, though.”

“Ah.”

As Kay stood there, still in a daze, the librarian examined the spines of the books he had set down.

<Androids and Cores>, <The History of Cores>, <Fundamentals of Core Principles>. They were books that hinted at a common theme.

“Are you studying about Cores?”

“I’m looking for information about the Mother Core.”

“The Mother Core… could you narrow down the scope a bit more?”

There was so much he wanted to know. From the detailed background of how the Mother Core was created, to the thought process and political procedures that allowed that single core to centralize control over all machines. But if he had to set all that aside and focus on just one thing.

“What the Mother Core’s error was.”

He wanted to know the starting point of this war.

“Ah… if it’s that, <The Fragment Log> would be helpful…”

In place of the librarian, who was trailing off, the robot stated firmly.

[“<The Fragment Log> is a non-circulating, restricted-access book that requires permission for viewing.”]

“Is there no way to get permission?”

[“Viewing requests are currently not possible. This is because the said record is in a state of being lost.”]

“Yeess… that’s why.”

“Are there no other materials available for viewing?”

At Kay’s question, Mille shook her head.

“Anything about the Mother Core was top secret at ‘Repard Inc.,’ so as far as proper records go, <The Fragment Log> was virtually the only source.”

Was the book truly lost, or was it covered up?

He suspected that, at the very least, the Mother Core’s error was not a simple system issue.

At the same time, Kay asked the librarian about the unexpected name.

“Then could I request something else?”

“Of course. This time for sure! What can I help you with?”

As Mille tilted her head, Kay spoke a short name.

“A book about Aran Repard.”

Leaving the library with the book the librarian had recommended, Kay couldn’t believe his ears.

Next to the ivory-colored library, which felt almost holy, a series of unrestrained moans erupted from the flowerbed.

“Ah, ahh, ungh!”

During the day, the lush greenery had looked beautiful, but now, because of it, the rustling sound of the bushes was distinct. He unintentionally saw the pale flesh of a back illuminated under a streetlight, and it was an outdoor tryst as fervent as the tensed back muscles.

He didn’t have a hobby of peeping, but he couldn’t find a reason to go out of his way to turn back, so he started walking along the path toward the living quarters. And not long after, he heard footsteps, and a person who hadn’t even finished arranging his clothes ran past Kay.

“Hey.”

When called from behind, he turned his body to see a man, with only his pants haphazardly on and his underwear fully visible, trudging over.

“If you watched the show, you have to pay the admission fee.”

“I didn’t watch.”

“You saw my body. What a sly little lie.”

“You’re walking around naked and telling me to pay because I saw?”

A mix of strong cologne and the smell of sex emanated from the man who approached, showing off his firm muscles. The handsome man with faded-looking ash-gray hair and bluish eyes scowled.

“I’ll take your body instead of money.”

“I have no intention of paying with either money or my body.”

It seemed stupid to get caught up in a pointless argument and deal with him one-on-one, so Kay started walking again.

Tap, tap. Trudge, trudge. A question was tossed between the sounds of their footsteps.

“You’re from Willamere, aren’t you?”

“What if I am?”

“I knew it. Otherwise, there’s no way you wouldn’t know me.”

As if relieved, he thought, That explains it, and began his introduction.

“Remember this. I’m Gray Hamilton. The A-rank Guide with the widest wavelength and the best skills in this center.”

“…”

“You seem to be an Esper who just joined. If you come find me, I’ll treat you well anytime.”

Even though it was obvious Kay was deliberately ignoring him, he intentionally followed, maintaining a distance so close their bodies would brush against each other.

“Guys like you, small and stiff but with a lot of pride, are totally my type.”

He could hold him in one arm, he’d cry out if he was fucked from behind… Resolutely ignoring the ceaseless stream of lewd jokes, Kay entered the lounge of the living quarters, which was still bright even after midnight. Then, Gray’s hand grabbed him.

“Ignoring me to the very end… Ah, hot!”

“You’ll get a burn if you don’t cool it down quickly.”

Leaving behind the man who was in pain from brushing against his heated skin, he walked off in search of the cafeteria. The cafeteria, which was said to run as a 24-hour buffet for the military, had a few people in it even at this late hour. Kay also grabbed a plate, picked out a few foods that looked familiar enough to eat, and sat down.

‘I’m hungry.’

The moment he acknowledged it, he was instantly famished. He hadn’t eaten a proper meal in nearly two days. He took a sip of milk and a bite of bread, and a fluffy taste filled his mouth. Something else must have been added to the dough because it was quite sweet, and it paired rather well with the boiled eggs and vegetables.

Just as he hadn’t eaten, he hadn’t slept either, so a wave of sleepiness washed over him after just a few bites.

‘Should I sleep.’

Perhaps because of the tension from being in an unfamiliar environment and an unfamiliar space, it was a tremendous fatigue he hadn’t felt in a long time. While chewing on the remaining bread, he rubbed his eyes to keep from dozing off and then checked the vibration on his wrist. Letters appeared on the bracelet that had been attached to him without any presence.

It was Aran.

The faint, continuous vibration felt as if it was urging him on, so he hurriedly pressed the call button, and the vibration stopped.

“…Did it go through?”

— Yeah. It went through.

Aran’s voice traveled through his skin and echoed inside his ear.

“Wait a minute.”

— Hmm?

“Don’t say anything.”

He pressed his hands firmly over his ears, blocking them. He didn’t know the principle behind it, but he couldn’t stand the immediate humming sound inside his ears.

— What’s this about calling me and then telling me not to talk?

A faint smile, as if in disbelief, scratched at his eardrums. A shiver ran down his spine, and he pressed his fingers deep into his ears, letting out an involuntary groan. Even though he’d been stopped for a while, Aran on the other side of the line waited, quieting even his faint breaths.

“Okay now.”

When he made the request with his ears still covered, Aran, despite not knowing what was going on, obediently began to speak.

— I should have made a video call. There’s no way for me to know what the situation is.

It seemed a little better listening with his ears covered.

“The sound is echoing.”

— What?

“I mean… what you’re saying is echoing inside my ears.”

— That’s what phone calls are normally like.

“Doesn’t it tickle?”

— Not at all. You’re being too sensitive.

“It’s not that I’m sensitive, this thing is weird.”

— I’ll check it later. Are you in your room?

Just as they say humans are creatures of adaptation, after exchanging a few words while enduring the unfamiliar, ticklish sensation, it felt like he was getting more used to it than at first. Although he couldn’t take his hands off his ears yet.

“I’m in the cafeteria. Why?”

— Just because. I thought you might miss me.

Unable to understand what he had just heard, he spent a moment in silence, opening his mouth, then closing it, then opening it again.

“Who would miss whom?”