AI Android VS AI Android
I let out a small sigh and closed the book. I had finished all the studying I’d set as today’s goal.
An intelligence stat of 8 really wasn’t low at all. After several days of diligent cramming, I had managed to cram roughly a third of the material I needed to teach for an entire semester into my head. At this pace, I would be completely ready before I had to dye my hair blond.
Mimata Chieri had flown in from the United States yesterday to assist me with tomorrow’s acquisition contract for Energy-Link Industry Company. The two celebrities still in America—Alice, who was in the middle of filming a movie, and Hanasaki Sayaka, who was probably doing a photoshoot—still had schedules left to complete.
Na-e Fitzgerald had apparently gotten the itch to steal again; she’d crossed over to Europe for a job and said she would come to Japan after the move.
That meant I wouldn’t be able to hand the sword over to Alik until after the relocation. All the trainees had said their camp training would end next week, after which they’d begin learning through real combat. Alik would finish his time at the training facility and then accumulate practical experience under Mimata Chieri.
Today was the day Han Yuhyeon was flying in from Korea ahead of tomorrow’s contract signing. I had decided to wrap up early and pick her up at the airport.
She was scheduled to arrive around 6:10 p.m. If I finished at the usual five o’clock, rush-hour traffic would jam the roads on the way. I had already told Yuukiko and Shinoe Misano that I would leave an hour early.
Finishing at four, showering, getting ready, and departing around 4:45 would let me avoid the worst of the congestion and arrive with time to spare. I might reach the airport a little early and have to wait, but I could always sit in a café with a cup of coffee.
One of the perks of using an empty office by myself was that I could leave without saying goodbye to anyone and simply walk straight out. Honestly, if the building didn’t require scanning an employee ID on the first floor, I could have slipped out even earlier and no one would have complained.
When I got home, I headed straight into the shower and stood under a stream of cold water. Japanese summers were humid, sticky, and uncomfortably hot, so once the season started I always showered cold.
The icy water slapping my face cleared away the slight fog that studying had left in my brain. I dried my hair, put on clothes I had taken more care with than usual, and drove toward the airport. Naturally, the outfit and documents I would need for tomorrow’s contract were already packed in the trunk.
The radio was running through yesterday’s and today’s incidents.
“A theft has occurred in a warehouse at Tokyo International Airport. Police are currently searching the area.”
A warehouse at an international airport should have been covered in CCTV. How had anyone managed to steal anything? It was impressive. The thief had to be quite skilled—definitely not Alice or me.
I often listened to these kinds of news reports while driving, just in case an event I remembered from the game popped up. Of course, since it was a Japanese station, every story was domestic, so the events I actually knew about rarely appeared.
If it had been a Korean or American broadcast, I would have been constantly thinking, Ah, this is that event. Still, I kept up with international news online, so I wasn’t caught completely off guard.
I took the Aqua Line across the bay, the sea stretching out on both sides, and reached the Haneda Airport parking lot right around 5:50 p.m. Perfect timing.
I headed to the arrival gate and fiddled with my phone. Before long the doors opened and passengers began streaming out. Spotting Han Yuhyeon among them was easy. I simply looked for the most beautiful woman in the crowd.
Sure enough, I found her immediately. She was wearing a simple white shirt and a black pleated skirt. The outfit was minimal, yet she looked stunning.
“Yuhyeon!”
“Ryuta!”
When I waved, she came running, calling my name. I caught her as she leaped into my arms and spun her around once. She was still light—maybe because I had grown so much stronger.
“You’re still light, huh?”
“I’ve been stuck at my desk because of work lately, so I gained a little weight… Though when I gain weight, it only goes to my chest.”
She said something that would have made other women want to murder her, then gave me a sweet smile.
“Ryuta, you’re still so handsome.”
“Take a good look at how I look right now. You won’t see it for a while.”
Once I became a blond, tanned man, it would take at least six months to return to this appearance.
“Huh? Are you getting plastic surgery?”
“No. Aren’t you hungry? Let’s go to the restaurant. I’ll tell you while we eat.”
I took her carrier and began pulling it along. Han Yuhyeon linked her arm with mine, asking curiously, “What is it? What’s going on?” As she pressed against me, I could tell her breasts really had grown larger. To possess a body that funneled all weight gain straight into the chest—truly a blessed physique.
Men certainly didn’t gain anything useful when they put on weight. I loaded her luggage into the trunk, let her sit in the passenger seat, and headed for the restaurant I had reserved earlier.
“Is everything going well with Vanguard?”
“Yes, the business is running smoothly. When I told them I was coming to Tokyo, Lee Yeon-ju offered to handle my security. Can you believe that?”
When I asked about the company she had acquired in Korea, it sounded like things were progressing nicely. Lee Yeon-ju, now vice president of Vanguard, seemed fiercely loyal—probably because Han Yuhyeon had covered her father’s medical bills.
The restaurant I had chosen was a Michelin three-star kaiseki establishment. Since Han Yuhyeon always took me to excellent Korean restaurants whenever I visited, I wanted to return the favor with Japanese cuisine.
It was so famous that reservations were nearly impossible, but I had asked Yuukiko to use the Taira family name and secured a table easily.
When I gave my name at the entrance, we were guided to a private room meant for just the two of us. True to kaiseki style, the space featured traditional Japanese floor seating.
The moment the first sakizuke appetizer arrived, Han Yuhyeon could no longer contain her curiosity.
“Ryuta, what did you mean earlier when you said I wouldn’t be able to see your current appearance for a while?”
“Oh, that? After I returned to Japan, my grandfather suddenly gave me an assignment…”
I explained the mission to infiltrate St. Francisco Academy. Naturally, I couldn’t tell her the real objective was to seduce Minamoto Risa, so I simply said there was critical information involved and I would have to pose as a teacher for one semester.
“Ah… so that’s why you’re going blond and getting a tan?”
“Exactly.”
“Hold on…”
She played with her phone for a moment, then took a photo of me. Using an app, she altered my hair color and skin tone. I hadn’t realized such convenient apps existed these days. Interesting.
“You still look handsome like this, hehe…”
“It’s not that bad, right?”
On her screen I saw myself with blond hair and tanned skin. My base features were strong enough that even the “golden sun” look turned out surprisingly decent.
Of course, actual tanning and dyeing wouldn’t match the app 100 percent, but it gave me a clear idea of the change.
“Does that mean I won’t see you for six whole months?”
“There are weekends, and I checked—the students have a graduation trip to Korea. We can meet then.”
Like Yuukiko, Han Yuhyeon seemed worried about the long separation. Still, since we already couldn’t see each other often, the mission probably wouldn’t change much for us.
There were one or two events in Korea during the second half of the year, so I planned to use vacation time and fly over. Our meetings wouldn’t be as rare as she feared.
“I’ll come to Korea several times on my own, so don’t worry.”
“Okay, I understand. But there’s something else I’m worried about…”
Hmm? What else could there be? I looked at her quizzically and she spoke hesitantly.
“Even if you become a blond tanned guy, you’ll still be a handsome Ryuta… What if the students fall for you?”
Unaware that I was specifically going there to seduce one of them, she was fretting over the possibility of girls developing crushes on me.
“They’re all children of elite upper-class families. They’re expected to date whoever their families choose. Even if they’re interested, they won’t be able to make a move. You know how it works.”
“I suppose that’s true…”
“What about you, Yuhyeon? Has your family said anything?”
I asked because if the Shinkang Group tried to pair her with someone, I would head straight to Korea. I’d have to eliminate the threat quietly.
“Ayy~! I’m only twenty. There hasn’t been any talk like that yet.”
“Really? That’s a relief.”
In my game knowledge, marriage events started at twenty-two. We still had time. By then I would have established a solid position, making me a suitable match for her. I wasn’t too concerned.
What worried me more was whether I would have too many women by that point.
“Ah, this is delicious!”
Han Yuhyeon tasted the freshly served mukozuke sashimi and smiled with genuine pleasure. Watching her enjoy the food put me in a good mood as well. Still, the portions were rather small. Maybe I should have ordered the three- or four-person course…?
At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to satisfy her tonight. I’d have to pack some extra dishes later and bring them back to the hotel.