It was perfect.
The ramen from Houraiken.
The broth was bone-based, but what kind of bones they used was a mystery.Pork? Chicken? Or maybe something far more special was mixed in.
The flavor was balanced—refreshing, yet incredibly deep.One sip was enough to make stopping impossible.
Her chopsticks never paused.The noodles vanished into her stomach, and before she realized it, she'd downed the very last drop of broth.
To Mako, no extravagant feast could compare to this bowl of ramen.It was absolute bliss.
Her heart should have felt just as warm and clear.
But sitting right beside her, as always, was the silver-furred Gin.
The moment she remembered, the happiness in her stomach clouded over like a sudden storm.
(…Yeah. Ramen alone can't fix everything.)
Feeling heavy and conflicted, Mako finally returned home for the first time in days.
Their home was a six-story apartment building, modern and comfortable.
The moment they opened the front door, a dog leapt at them as if it had been waiting.
"Chikuwa! Were you a good girl? Mako's home!"
Her mother, Miyu, greeted her cheerfully.The family dog—a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel—wagged her tail excitedly.Her name, Chikuwa, was inspired by her appearance.
But the moment Chikuwa looked at Mako, she barked sharply.
"W-wait, what's wrong with you, Chikuwa!?"
Even as Miyu tried to calm her down, Chikuwa kept barking at Mako as if glaring.
"Probably my fault," Gin muttered.
(Huh? She can see you!?)
"No idea if she actually sees me. Animals are simply sensitive. She's sensing my presence."
Animals sometimes noticed what humans couldn't.
Mako understood that in theory… but faced with reality, she was just bewildered.
"…How long have you had this dog?"
(Huh? Since I was four, so she's ten now…)
"Ten, hm? Remarkably energetic for her age."
Chikuwa kept barking nonstop.
Gin sighed, clearly annoyed.
"Very well. Allow me to show her a bit of my dignity."
The moment Gin shot a sharp glare at Chikuwa—
"Kyain!"
Chikuwa yelped, then shoved her tail between her legs and bolted under the living room sofa.
"Hmph. Pathetic."
Gin snorted triumphantly.
Mako did not approve.
She smacked Gin's head—hard.
"W-what was that for!?"
(What do you THINK!?)
Fuming, she grabbed him by the scruff and gave him a furious shake.
(Don't you dare scare my adorable Chikuwa!!)
"G-gyaaah—!? S-stop—!"
Their little scuffle (?) was witnessed by Miyu, who stared at them suspiciously.
"Mako… what in the world are you doing? And you're acting strange again."
"N-nothing!! Absolutely nothing!!"
Mako froze, released Gin, and awkwardly forced a smile.
"For now, just go rest, okay?"
"O-okay! I will!"
She rushed toward her room—but Miyu called her back again.
"Oh, Mako. About school tomorrow—are you sure you're going? Maybe you should stay home."
It was Sunday.
She'd collapsed on Wednesday and had already missed two days.
Normally, she should take more time to recover.But she didn't want her mother to worry any more.
"I'm fine! Really! Totally fine! I'll go!"
Repeating I'm fine like a mantra, Mako dashed into her room.
Falling onto her bed, she couldn't help but sigh in relief.Nothing beat her own bed.
The hospital bed had been clean… but way too firm.
She glanced to her side.
"Okay, seriously, what are you?"
"I already told you. A digital lifeform."
"A digital lifeform, huh… Wait."
Something tugged faintly at the back of her mind.
(Why does that word feel familiar…?)
Driven by impulse, Mako grabbed the electronic data terminal on her desk.
Ignoring both doctors' and her mother's warnings, she immediately tried to turn it on—
"…Huh? It won't start?"
No matter how many times she pressed the button, nothing happened.
Plugging in the charger didn't help either.
"Did it break? Why…?"
Uneasy, Mako stared at the device.
—And then she remembered.
The day she collapsed.