If You Don't Say It, I Won't Know. (1)
If You Don't Say It, I Won't Know. (1)
They knew who stole it, and they had figured out where the stolen equipment was headed, but there was one thing they hadn't figured out yet.
Namely, 'What are they going to use it for?'
One could say, "Since it's a war weapon, wouldn't they obviously use it for war purposes?"—but...
Seo's thoughts were a little different.
'She's someone who hates war. There's no way she would deliberately steal something known to be a war weapon.'
Maybe Laila was mistaken.
Because he trusted that person enough to think so.
'Unless you talk to each other, you can't know what's in the other person's heart.'
"...Whew."
Why did Dea's words suddenly pop into his head?
Did he really want to have a conversation with her?
Contacting her about something like this out of nowhere after not being in touch for over a decade?
That would be no different than admitting he suspected her.
[ News that Biological Miracle is mass-producing combat Bioroids has sent shockwaves across the board. Biological Miracle dismissed the controversy, stating, 'It is simply a choice to protect our factories and facilities.' ]
"Are you really trying to start a war?"
A person with eyes that were somehow empty yet sad.
A person who wished that no one else would lose a precious person.
But a person who disappointed him by conducting inhumane human experimentation.
And thus, the person he had walked away from.
'Don't call me Mom.'
Why did she tell me not to call her Mom?
It was a question that had lingered in Seo's mind ever since he was young.
"Seo-ajeossi!"
"Oh, Makina. Did you call me?"
"I kept calling you!"
Standing beside him, Makina puffed out her cheeks with a buu.
Lately, Makina had been walking around quite well.
Compared to how she used to totter like a newborn fawn, it was a tremendous improvement.
'Though she still can't run.'
Maybe it would be impossible forever.
Since she would fall right over if she tried to run more than two steps.
Seeing how she had gotten more accustomed to falling gracefully than running well, it was a reasonable thought.
"By any chance, is something worrying you?"
"Did it look that way?"
"Yes. Dea makes a similar expression when she has something worrying her, too."
"Dea does?"
"Yeees!"
He gave a bitter smile, knowing what kind of worries Dea had.
She was undoubtedly worrying about raising Makina.
After all, since she didn't have a body, the things she could do were limited.
"So, what was your worry?"
"Well, to be honest..."
Seo carefully chose his words for a moment.
Would it be better to tell her the truth?
Makina's eyes were filled with an eager desire to help.
Unable to ignore the child's heartfelt intention, Seo let out a soft sigh.
"There's someone who is like a parent to me, but we lost contact a long time ago. But a situation came up where I need to contact her about something bad, so I'm worrying about whether I should contact her or not."
"I see!"
"Do you think there's any good way?"
"Mmm..."
Makina crossed her arms and kept making noises like, 'Mm, mmm, mmm...'
Finding it admirable how she pondered for someone else's sake, he patted the top of her head, causing a bright smile to spread across her face.
Cute.
He felt like he understood why Dea doted on Makina so much.
"Someone like a parent... does that mean someone like Dea is to me?"
"Similar, but a little different."
"How is it different?"
"How is it different, huh..."
There were many differences.
Everything from appearance to personality.
If there was a particularly different part, it would be her personality.
"That person was cold. Every time, it felt like she was looking at someone else through me."
"Ah, I think I know what that feels like."
It was an unexpected response.
He thought there was no way Makina would experience that, given how she was showered with love by Dea.
"When Dea enters Servant Mode, she becomes super rigid unlike usual. Of course, she's still the same kind Dea, so it's not weird. And—"
"..."
"Sometimes, even though Dea is looking at me, there are moments when it feels like she isn't looking at me. At those times, she looks at me with eyes full of longing, containing a different kind of love than when she looks at me."
Makina giggled softly.
As if she could understand that side of Dea.
And as if she could love even that aspect of her.
"...Did that not make you feel bad or anything?"
"Not at all! Because the person Dea thinks of when she looks at me must be the most precious person in her life."
"Still, she might be seeing you as a substitute for someone else."
Seo spoke.
A look he had seen since he was young.
From the moment he realized the true meaning behind that look, Seo could no longer see that person as his parent.
That was why he asked persistently.
Asking if she was really okay being a substitute for someone else.
"I don't think it's a bad thing. In fact, I'm happy just knowing that looking at me brings that person to her mind!"
Having said that, Makina proudly placed her hands on her hips with a chok.
Her usual boastful pose.
Seeing that, Seo burst into a dry laugh.
Right, if he had thought as positively as this, could his relationship with that person have become like Dea and Makina's relationship?
"Surely the person like a parent to you, Seo-ajeossi, held you dear as well. So have confidence!"
"Thank you, Makina."
"Mheuheu!"
He gently stroked the top of Makina's head.
Up until now, Seo had thought he was the one taking care of Makina, but starting from this moment, his mindset completely changed.
Just as he took care of Makina, Makina was also taking care of his heart—he realized.
[You two look so close.]
"Dea!"
And at that moment.
Dea's appearance popped up on the computer screen in the room.
With her arms crossed, looking thoroughly displeased, Dea was glaring at Seo and Makina—more precisely, at Seo's hand resting on the top of Makina's head.
"Sorry. But, you know, a child who did a good deed deserves a reward, right?"
[If it's a reward, I can give it to her!]
Dea pouted her lips.
Seeing her like that reminded him of Makina when she was sulking.
They say like mother, like daughter, and it really was true.
'Do I also have aspects that resemble her?'
The question suddenly occurred to him, but he decided not to overthink it.
Either way, it was a problem that would be resolved once they met in person and talked.
Whether that would turn out good or bad, he couldn't know.
"Thank you. Thanks to you, I've made up my mind, Makina."
"Mheu-heu, be even more grateful!"
"Right, right, thank you, thank you."
[Seo-nim!]
Sparks flew from Dea's eyes.
Taking a direct hit from that gaze, Seo let out an "Oops!" and pulled his hand off Makina's head.
Whatever else he might do, he knew better than to mess with Dea in that state.
Because Dea threatening to unearth the files hidden deep within his computer was scarier than anyone he had ever faced before.
[Then, are you going to contact that person?]
"Yeah. I don't know when it'll be... but it won't take long."
At Seo's words, Dea offered a bright smile.
That sight looked so much like a parent watching a child who had done something praiseworthy that Seo felt strange.
Dea was always like that, but this time felt particularly intense.
[I'm so relieved, Seo-nim.]
"...I don't know if 'relieved' is the right word, but—yeah, it is."
If he could, he wanted to pat Dea on the head too, but it was physically impossible.
Honestly, he wanted to see her reaction.
Wondering what kind of face she would make if he stroked her head.
[Don't have strange thoughts, Seo-nim.]
"Did it show?"
[Because you subtly show everything on your face, Seo-nim.]
"Ahaha..."
He couldn't help thinking it was just that Dea was particularly good at reading his expression.
Up until now, there had been no one who could read his true feelings when facing him.
Even that person hadn't been able to see through Seo's heart.
But Dea was different.
Dea, as if it were nothing, saw right through Seo's mind just by looking at his face.
'It doesn't feel bad, but... somehow, it's embarrassing.'
To think that after believing he had hidden it well all this time, an artificial intelligence inside a screen saw right through everything.
Was it because Dea was an artificial intelligence, or was there some other reason?
[So, did you buy the things I asked you to buy?]
"Of course I did. If nothing else, I didn't forget to buy what Dea asked for."
Looking at the ingredients placed on the dining table, he let out a chuckle.
Every single one of them were ingredients produced by Biological Miracle.
Until now, he had only eaten instant foods because he hated eating things made by Biological Miracle, but ever since Dea started living with them, his eating habits themselves had completely changed.
"By the way, can I really make this?"
[It's simple. Since I can do it, you'll definitely be able to do it too, Seo-nim.]
"At times like this, it feels like Dea has actually cooked before."
[...Yes, that's right. Someday, I will cook delicious food for you, Seo-nim.]
"I'll be looking forward to it, Dea."
This reaction again.
Unlike other artificial intelligences, Dea didn't feel like an artificial intelligence at all.
Of course, there were occasionally artificial intelligences that appeared human-like.
But Dea and those were fundamentally different, so to speak...
Right.
Unlike those that felt like an artificial intelligence becoming human, Dea felt like a human who had become an artificial intelligence.
"Me too! Make it for me too, Dea!"
[Of course. I'll serve Makina first, pufu.]
At Makina's outcry, Dea burst into laughter.
A chime filled with love echoed throughout the room.
Just by that alone, Seo felt happiness.
A happiness like that, for reasons unknown.