534 It’s a good thing to have a girlfriend who forced you to quit smoking (1/2)
Later that night, Seiji received a friend request on his chatting application from an unfamiliar ID. He took a look at the friend request and accepted the request from the username, ”Artificial Life”.
”Good evening, Harano-san.”
”Good evening, Anna-san.”
”I need your help.” Little Anna went with the direct approach. ”Kazuhiko was kidnapped.”
”By a Spiritual Ability user?”
”Yes.”
”What was the specific situation?” Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.
Little Anna described what happened in the hotel room succinctly and precisely.
”Please save and protect Kazuhiko. I will do what you wish of me in return,” Anna requested after explaining the situation.
Seiji mulled things over while looking at his computer screen.
”Alright, I'll do my best to help. But I can't promise that I'll succeed. I'll give up if the opponents are too strong.” He decided to be blunt about things.
”Understood. I'm truly grateful.”
In just a short period of time, the two people… no, the human and the artificial intelligence reached an agreement.
It took far less time to convince Seigo Harano to help than little Anna had anticipated. He didn't seem to doubt her words, nor did he take advantage of the situation to make all sorts of additional requests. He treated her as a completely equal and trustworthy existence.
This wasn't due to naivety, it was decisiveness.
He chose, despite the risks, to believe in an artificial intelligence… someone inhuman. He responded with sincerity.
Naivety was overly optimistic self-confidence, while decisiveness was confidence with self-resolution to back it up. Anna could tell that Seigo was the second type.
Little Anna now had a much better evaluation of this human.
Actually, Kazuhiko Haiga hadn't told her to ask for help from Seigo Harano.
Even if this high schooler Spiritual Ability user seemed like he was a good person, they were still unfamiliar with him. And even if he was a trustworthy person, did that really mean that whatever organization or faction he belonged to would also be trustworthy?
Haiga had his doubts about this. Although he did take Seigo's advice to quit working on the Anna cell phone game, he didn't choose to join up with Seigo.
Haiga was more willing to commit suicide than to give Anna up to anyone.
”As long as I'm dead, you'll have nothing to worry about at all, Anna.” This was what he told her.
Indeed, that was the truth.
Ignoring Haiga and letting him be captured, or even die, was a choice available to her as well. In fact, it was even the best choice for Anna to protect herself.
Yet, little Anna felt that she would forever lose something important to her if she made such a decision.
That was why she would definitely not give up on Haiga! Of her own volition, she requested help from Seigo Harano.
Shinsei Yamazaki was driving down a road at a high speed.
A beautiful voice was singing in his car. This was music from the national idol Miyuki Sakuraku's popular hit, ”Looking Back at You.”
Yamazaki was quite fond of this song and even began humming along to the tune.
There was still quite a long way to go until he reached his destination. Yamazaki was actually quite fond of driving at nighttime while listening to music. He would have enjoyed it even more if only he had some snacks to munch on at his side.
At this moment, there was the sound of a lighter from behind him. He then smelled the scent of cigarette smoke.
”Fujishima-kun, I never knew that you were a smoker.”
”I only do so occasionally,” a low voice responded from the backseat. ”Would you like a smoke, Yamazaki-san?”
”I've already quit smoking for more than one year now. My girlfriend forced me to quit.”
”It's a good thing to have a girlfriend who forced you to quit smoking… Do you mind if I smoke in your car?”
”Not at all. Please go ahead.” Yamazaki smiled.
Although Isshin Fujishima was younger than Yamazaki, he was quite experienced in combat. He was taciturn and quick to react. He never left any loose ends, and was very reliable. Yamazaki felt that his partner was trustworthy.
”Fujishima-kun, what do you like to do to pass the time?” Yamazaki casually struck up a conversation.
”…I suppose just watch some movies or drink some alcohol.”
”I like to watch movies as well. Recently, I've been hearing great reviews about the newest movie, 'Blackwing Killer.' I'm intending to go watch it. Have you seen that movie already, Fujishima-kun?”
”I have.”
”What do you think?”
”It's not bad, except for the sloppy combat scenes.”
”Heh heh, it's quite convincing when the review comes from Fujishima-kun who's experienced well over one hundred battles.”