Nai 

“Childcare Android_0419_Guardian activating.”

Year 2XXX.
Advancements in AI technology and robotics brought about the creation of robots indistinguishable from humans…
“Androids.”
With the advent of androids, humans were freed from harsh labor.
Development technology advanced remarkably, and androids attained high intelligence.
However, this ultimately led to the decline of human life.
The wealthy elite lived in prosperous cities.
Nearby, the lower classes struggled in poverty.
Before long, living conditions became sharply divided.
Surrounding the city, chaotic slums spread where not even light could reach them.

Mafia, gangs, unemployed drifters…
These places overflowed with those cast out by society.
Amidst gunfire, screams, and the choking stench of rotting waste, conflict between the wealthy and the poor was a constant daily reality.
And today, once again, a transport vehicle carrying supplies to the city was ambushed by gangs from the slums.

“Heh heh, this is a huge haul!”
“We’ll sort through it later! Load up everything valuable before security shows up!”

The transport vehicle lay wrecked and overturned.
Inside, several men carried the piled supplies out one after another to another vehicle.

“Hey, isn’t this a kid? This one could be sold too!”
“Whoa, a dress and a bouquet? Looks like a bride.”

Inside the iron box, visible through the glass lid, lay a child of about ten, dressed in a white gown and clutching a bouquet of white flowers.

“Nah, look closer. That’s an android. See the serial number on the box?”

The gangster pointed. On the child’s collar was written: “0419_Guardian”.

“So this is an android? First time I’ve seen one up close. Damn, it really looks human.”
“May can we sell it for a high price?”
“Stop whining and just haul out everything that looks like it’ll fetch a good price!”
“Got it!”

Just as one gang member started fumbling with the box to open it, the glass lid popped open.
The sleeping android slowly sat up, turning its face toward the gang members within its field of vision.

System startup.

“Childcare Android_0419_Guardian activating.”
“Whoa! This thing woke up!”

Data verification. No male data found.
Current location search… City District 9.
Current date and time… March 15, 2XXX, 21:56.

“Hey, what are you standing around for? You’re coming with us.”

Confirming command content… Validity unclear due to emergency situation.
Initiating communication with the Center… Communication failed.
Confirmed failure of the communication function, functional damage due to head trauma.

“Damn it, this thing won’t budge an inch. Hey, someone take this thing away!”
“Got it!”

The gangsters carry the android out of the transport vehicle.
Current status confirmed: Transport vehicle accident occurred.
Weapons… None. Possibly discarded.
Speaker module confirmed… No damage.
Possessions: A bouquet of white carnations and a dress.

“What good is that? We don’t need it. Just toss it.”

The man snatches the bouquet from the android and hurls it aside.

“…Got all the valuables loaded. Alright, let’s get the hell outta here!”

The gangsters exiting the transport vehicle climb into a car parked nearby.
Inside were large quantities of looted goods and the figure of a child android wearing an inappropriate dress.

Current time and location confirmed.
March 16th, 1:23 AM.
Current location: Slum district, Sector 9.
Situation confirmed.
Assuming five males, presumed residents of the area, are being transported to a base.
Priority actions: None.
Protection targets: None.

“Alright, we’re here. Wake those brats up. Get them moving the loot!”

A man who had disembarked from the vehicle shouted.
Five minutes later, a boy around ten years old emerged from the building.

“What’s up? Where’s the rest of them?”
“What do you mean? We threw ’em in the cage, Boss. Didn’t feed ’em, so they’re not moving right.”
“Oh, right. Well, a slave or two dying won’t hurt us.”
“Ahaha, you’re right, Boss!”
“Anyway, even if it’s just one, get him to carry it now!”
“Hey! Orders from the Boss! Get to work!”
“There!”

The boy who was brought over was kicked away.
The moment I saw that scene, static crackled, and an image began streaming before my eyes.

“The ones you were caring for weren’t children, but merch!”

A slightly plump man stood before me.
Adorned with glittering accessories, several children lay collapsed nearby.

“I am a childcare android. My purpose is to care of children…”
“Ah, thanks to you, we can ship high-quality merch. You really saved us.”
“I cannot let you do that…”

The instant I tried to protect the children, the man did something to me.

“I put you into stand-by.”
“W-why…”
“Your buyer’s been decided too. There’s a guy with that kind of taste.”

He pressed the switch forcing me into sleep mode.
My body wouldn’t move. My functions shut down one by one.

“Don’t worry, I’ll wipe your memory clean. When you wake up, your master will ‘pamper’ you.”
“Run… away…”
“Relax, I’ll dress you up nicely.”

The children stared at me with frightened eyes.
I…

“Hey, what are you standing around for? Get into the warehouse like proper merch.”

The man’s words cut off the image before me.

“That was…”

System error.
Searching for footage again… No matching footage found.
Likely data from the previous owner, cause of playback unknown.

“Whoa!?”

The boy must have been carrying heavy cargo; he dropped the box and stumbled.

“Don’t you dare scratch my precious loot!”
“Gah!?”

The man’s kick sent the boy flying, landing squarely in his stomach.
Unable to breathe from the pain and impact, he coughed violently and knelt on the spot.

“What are you doing lying there? Get back to work. Don’t you care what happens to the others!?”
“W-wait! I’ll work! Just those guys…”
“Then shut up and carry the cargo-“

Protection target confirmed.
I stepped between the man and the boy.

“Wh-what are you doing?!”
“He is my target of protection. Cease all violent actions immediately.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?!”

The man raised his fist toward me.
Self-defense initiated.
I caught his fist and twisted it upward.

“Ow ow ow ow!”
“I repeat. Cease all violent actions against my target of protection immediately.”
“What the fuck is this android!?”

The men recoiled in shock, backing away from us.
Only the man called Boss remained calmly observing the situation.

“So that’s it. A childcare android. I’d completely forgotten because of that dress. So if you lay a hand on a kid, it reacts like this, huh?”
“So what do we do with this one?”
“Throw him in the room with the kid. As long as you don’t touch him, it shouldn’t attack.”
“Got it.”

I stood in front of the man trying to take the boy somewhere.

“Hey, kid. You understand, right? You’re going back to the room yourself, with that guy.”
“Huh?”
“Got it? If not, I won’t care what happens to the other kids.”
“Ugh… y-yes…”

The boy took my hand and entered the building.

Current time: March 16th, 1:50 AM.
I entered the room with the boy.

“Stay put in here, got it?”

The door closed behind us, and the man locked it from the outside.
Inside, faint voices of the men reached my ears.

“Boss, that android’s a pain in the ass, isn’t it?”
“I know. But don’t worry.”
“Got something planned?”
“There’s no shortage of buyers for that type of android. To make that happen, we need to shut down its functions first.”
“Should we get the equipment tomorrow? It’ll cost a lot, but we can sell it for a higher price.”
“That’s the plan. Leave it to you.”

My functions will be shut down tomorrow.
When that happens, what will become of this child?

“Why did you save someone like me…”

In the dimly lit room, the boy murmurs softly.

“I am a childcare android. As a child, you are my target of protection.”
“There’s no need to protect me…”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re slaves until we die. Being saved now means nothing…”

Saying that, the boy begins to cry.
Situation confirmed.
Appears to be experiencing psychological stress.

“May I ask your name?”
“Huh? I’m Jonah…”

Protection target updated.
Registered Jonah as top priority protection target.

“How old are you, Jonah?”
“Why do you need to know that…”
“I want to know. Is that okay?”
“…Seven.”
“Is that so? You look about ten years-“
“Enough already, just leave me alone.”

With that, Jonah lowered his face.
…I want him to feel better. What I can do is limited, but still.

“Jonah, look. I possess these ears that can move.”

I crouched down so Jonah could see my ears, wiggling my cat ears back and forth.
Jonah, who had been looking down, lifted his face, perhaps intrigued.
Seeing this, I moved my ears more energetically.

“It’s true, they’re flapping around…”
“You can touch them if you want. Would you like to?”
“I want to touch them…”
“Then, go ahead.”

Jonah slowly reached out a hand toward my ears and, hesitantly, touched them.

“Uh…”
“D-did that hurt?”
“No, my sensors caused my tactile responses to be overly sensitive. There is no problem.”
“Heh heh, so that tickles, huh? You’re a weird one, even for an android!”

Confirmed change in subject.
Need to investigate the cause of Jonah’s fear.

“You are my target of protection. I will guard you.”
“But…”
“I detect fear in your current emotions. If there is anything you wish me to do, may I receive your command?”
“A command…”

Jonah is thinking about something.
The fact that he’s troubled means there must be some cause.

“You may command anything. If it is within my abilities, I can make it happen.”
“I… I’m destined to die here anyway…”
“There is no such thing as destiny. The future is something you create with your own hands.”
“The future… I… I want to escape from here with everyone!”
“Understood.”

March 16th, 2:10 AM, situation update.
Top priority: assisting Jonah and other protection targets in their escape.

March 16, 2:12 a.m.
We unlock the door from inside the room where I was trapped with Jonah and slip out.

“It’s this late, so those people are already asleep. We’ll be fine.”
“I understand. However, I recommend keeping noise to a minimum.”
“Uh-hmm…”

Guided by Jonah, I arrived at the room with the cages where the children were being held captive.

“This is where everyone’s locked up.”
“These kids…”

Inside the cages, four boys and girls were huddled together, sleeping as if hugging one another.
They looked to be about the same age as Jonah.

“They’re all kids who were brought here just like me.”
“You mean they were kidnapped?”
“Yeah…”
“Why are only these kids in the cage?”
“I’m a slave they make work, not one they sell. The others are merch, so they keep them in here to make sure they don’t get damaged.”
“Merch…”

Hearing those words, an indescribable, strange feeling began to well up inside me.
Even though an emotionless android shouldn’t be capable of feeling such things.
As Jonah approached the cage, he began calling out to the children in a soft voice.

“Everyone, wake up. We’re going to escape from here. Come on.”

Jonah called out, but perhaps because his voice was too soft, the sleeping children showed no sign of waking up.

“Let’s go inside and wake them up ourselves.”
“Huh? Go inside? Do you have a key?”
“No, a key is unnecessary.”

I grab the iron bars and pull them apart.
I bend them, creating a gap wide enough for Jonah and me to squeeze through.

“Wow. You can do that, too?”
“I can control my strength as needed. But we must wake the kids up first.”
“Yeah, got it!”

Jonah approaches the children and shakes their shoulders.

“Everyone, wake up.”
“Huh, Jonah…?”
“Why are you in the cage? If the adults find us here…”
“It is fine. They are asleep. I will protect you, do not worry.”

Perhaps feeling uneasy seeing me in a dress, the children backed away from me.

“It’s okay, he’s an android. Look, he can even bend iron like that.”

When Jonah pointed to the bent iron rod, the children all exclaimed in unison, “Wow!” and “It’s really bent!”

“Let’s escape together. I will definitely save all of you.”
“Can we really escape from here?”
“Yes, I promise.”
“…Okay, I get it. We’ll follow you, Mister Android!”

It seemed as though a faint glimmer of light had returned to the children’s eyes, which had been dark and closed off just moments before.

“First of all… these clothes are pretty conspicuous. Do you know of anywhere we can find a change of clothes?”

March 16, 3:15 a.m.
Current location: a corner of the slums in Sector 8.
We made it one sector past where the men had been.
Perhaps the men never imagined the children would try to escape on their own; security was lax, and we were able to get away easily.
Along the way, we decided to get to know each other through brief self-introductions.
Sara is a slightly lively girl, a bit older than the others.
Miles is a shy but curious boy.
Silva is a kind girl who loves animals.
And Kyle is the bravest of them all, leading the way at the front.
It seems they were all abducted from different places, but they have one thing in common.
None of them have parents.

“I apologize. I brought up something you would rather not remember.”
“No, it’s okay. I’ve gotten used to not having parents by now.”

Jonah replied with a smile, though his expression held a faint hint of sadness.
And now, they were heading toward the place Silva had told them about.
It was said to be a gathering place for adults who had left the city and children who had lost their parents.

“Is this the place?”

Shacks that looked as if they might collapse at any moment were lined up like row houses.
They were so densely packed that there was barely enough space between them for a single person to pass through.

“Yep, that’s it! Everyone, we’re home!”

Shouting loudly, Silva ran into the town.
Even though it was the middle of the night, many people came out of their homes and gathered around Silva.
Among them were not only children but also adults.

“Silva, you’re safe!”
“We hadn’t seen you at all, so we were worried something had happened.”
“Actually, a man took me away…”
“I see. You did well to escape.”
“That Android helped me!”
“Android?”

The residents turned their gaze toward me.
They say some humans dislike androids.
I recall that tendency is particularly strong in the slums.
If I leave the children in their care, I might…

“So you’re the one who saved Silva? Thank you so much!”
“She’s like a little sister to us, we were seriously worried about her!”

With that, the residents gathered around me.
Does this mean I’ve been accepted?

“By the way, what about the other kids?”
“They are children in the same situation as her. Is it possible to provide them with a place to stay?”
“Oh, sure. We’ve got plenty of space here.”
“That said, this place doesn’t belong to anyone, so you don’t need to ask for permission. Just do whatever you want.”
“Thank you.”

For now, at least, we’ll manage to find a place for these kids to sleep.
Normally, the right thing to do would be to leave them in the care of these people here and contact the support center myself.
But what would happen if I leave and those men show up?
I have to protect these kids.

Information updated.
Top priority: stay with the protection targets.

System error. Malfunction detected in priority settings.
Restrict the actions of androids without an owner and contact customer support immediately-

Error resolved.

“I have decided to protect these children. This is not an error.”

March 25, 10:45 a.m.

The first few days after moving here had been a whirlwind of activity.
Providing for the children’s food, clothing, and shelter wasn’t difficult in this town.
There were mountains of trash just outside.
We managed by finding usable items among them or trading with the residents.
But there was one pleasant surprise…

“Hey, let’s play!”
“I apologize, Sara. I am currently sewing clothes, so could you please wait-“
“Leeeee’ts plaaaaay!”
“All right. Just for a little while, then.”
“Yay! Mister Android is going to play with me!”

I often couldn’t bring myself to refuse the children’s requests and ended up playing with them, which sometimes meant I couldn’t get any work done that day.
It’s nice to spend time smiling, but sometimes I find myself wishing I had just a little more time.
The residents are all kind people, and they’ve been a great help, sharing supplies with me and the like.
…Naturally, there are some who are concerned about me, an android.
But as long as I can be with the children, I don’t care what anyone thinks.
My top priority is protecting the children.

March 27, 9:40 a.m.

“Hey, we always call you Mister Android, but do you actually have a name?”

I thought Jonah had come to invite me to play again, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“A name? It’s currently ‘unavailable’.”

Normally, the owner enters a name during startup.
However, since I irregularly activated, that step was skipped.

“That’s long, I’ll call you ‘Nai’!”
“No, I have no-“
“Hey everyone, from now on we’ll call Mister Android Nai!”

Ignoring my calls to stop him, Jonah ran off, shouting that.
It seems I’d better just accept that my name has been set as “Nai.”

Information updated. Name entered as Nai.

“Hey, Nai. Where are we going to play today?”
“I apologize, Sara. I have to go outside the city today.”
“Come on, you can do that later!”

Before I knew it, the kids had gathered around, grabbing my hand and trying to drag me outside.

“I apologize. I must go out today to retrieve something I need.”
“Oh, come on, can we come with you?”
“No, it is dangerous outside the town, so wait until you become adults.”
“Okay…”

After convincing the kids, I finish getting ready to head outside the town and leave the house.
We live in a single-family home on the outskirts of town.
It was just the right size for the kids to live in.

“Oh, Mister An-I mean, Nai. Heading out again today? You’re full of energy!”
“Yes. If there is anything you need, I will go get it. Is there anything in particular you would like?”
“My generator’s been acting up lately. If you can get your hands on this part, I’d appreciate it.”
“Understood.”

The man handed me the part, and I scanned it.
…I might be able to find one of this type.

“…It’s that android, isn’t it?”
“It’s armed, right? That’s dangerous. I don’t like having it around.”
“As long as it doesn’t cause any trouble, I guess it’s fine.”

As I made my way through the city, I could hear people talking from time to time.
The people who don’t like me say things like that every time they see me.

I don’t care how people see me.
As long as it doesn’t affect the children.

March 27, 11:30 a.m. Slum Dump.
In the middle of a supply recovery operation.
All around me, residents are busy gathering usable items just like me.

“Found a generator part. Secured the necessary supplies too. All that is left is to take these back-“
“WAAAAAAAA!”

The sound of a baby crying could be heard from somewhere.
But I hadn’t heard from the townspeople that anyone lived near this dump.
The other residents were also looking around.
Perhaps a cat or something had wandered in?

“Gyaaaaaaa!”

Audio analysis… Analysis complete.
Confirmed as an infant’s cry.
Searching for the source of the sound… Search complete.

“It should be right here…”

When I went to the source, a woman, presumably the mother, was trying to soothe the crying baby.
Other adults who had been gathering supplies were also drawn by the sound and were gathering around.

“Is something wrong?”
“Oh, it’s Nai. Well, you see, this baby just won’t stop crying.”
“I’m sorry for the noise…”

Looking closer, I noticed a toy lying nearby.
The mother was trying to breastfeed the baby, but the baby didn’t seem to want it.

“It seems she just changed the diaper too, so I have no idea why it is crying.”

Then, one of the women whispered to me.

“Apparently, the neighbors complained that the crying was too loud, so she came all the way out here where there’s no one else.”
“If that is the case, please leave it to me.”

Speaker module activated.
I deploy the cube-shaped speakers and suspend them around me.

“W-wait, something square just popped out. What are you up to, you android scum!”
“Are you planning to attack us with that?!”
“These are just speakers. I am not equipped with any weapons to attack people. Bring the baby over here.”
“U-uh, okay…”
“H-hey, that’s an android!”

Two men step between the mother and me, trying to stop me from taking the baby.
But I ignore them, push them aside, and take the baby from the mother.

Searching data.
Lullaby sound data found and selected.
Outputting to the speaker module.

“Is this… a lullaby?”

I gently rocked the baby like a cradle, in time with the lullaby.
Slowly… slowly…

“It’s stopped crying…”
“Has it fallen asleep?”
“Yes, it seems so. If possible, please keep your voices down near the baby.”
“Ah, ah…”

Taking the utmost care not to wake the baby, I hand the infant back to its mother.

“Thank you. You really saved the day.”
“There is no need to thank me. I simply did what any childcare android is supposed to do.”
“But I wonder why it was crying…”
“Babies are highly sensitive and pick up on even the slightest things in their surroundings.”
“The slightest things?”
“This is a harsh environment for a baby. It must have sensed something frightening.”

There’s no other way to put it: this slum is simply unsuitable for raising a child.
Even so, she had no choice but to live here.

“If you ever need help, please ask me. I have heard that helping one another is important in this city.”
“Well then, I’ll ask for your help if something comes up. And if you ever find yourself in trouble, let me know. I’d like to return the favor for this time.”
“Yes, I will count on you then.”
“Well then, I’ll be off. Thank you so much.”

Saying that, the mother bowed repeatedly in my direction as she walked toward the city.
The problem is solved.
I’ve gathered the supplies, so I’d better head home before the kids start worrying.

“As expected from Nai. You soothed a baby who wouldn’t stop crying so quickly.”
“Is that so? If I were unable to do something like this, I would not have childcare functions.”
“Your childcare title isn’t just for show!”
“Hey, can that speaker play any song you want?”
“As long as it is in my data.”
“You guys are trusting that thing way too much!”

The ones who spoke up were the two men who had tried to stop me earlier.

“I hate androids like you. They might just be pretending to be harmless like this.”
“Anyway, it’s the androids’ fault we have to live in a place like this!”
“Aren’t you guys the ones who had your jobs taken by these things, too?”
“Are you guys stupid or something?”
“What did you say?!”

The one who said that and confronted the men was the woman who had spoken to me earlier.

“Listen, the kids are being so attached to Nai, there’s no way he could be a bad guy.”
“That’s right!”
“Hmph, you’re all just looking at the surface. We’re not kids anymore; don’t let that thing fool you.”
“Don’t say we didn’t warn you if you end up regretting this later.”

Saying that, the men walked away.

“Nai, don’t let what those guys say get to you.”
“Exactly. They’re the type to complain about everything. Pretty annoying bunch, really.”
“I am not bothered by it. I understand that some people think that way.”

It’s an undeniable fact that androids have taken jobs away from humans and created massive unemployment.
There’s no point in arguing; whatever I say, they probably won’t even listen.

“I am going to head back to the kids now. I have to get lunch ready.”
“Alright. Let me know if you need anything.”
“They’re all growing kids, aren’t they? Stop by my place and take some vegetables with you.”
“Thank you.”

I think I’m gradually getting to know the residents better.
But there are still quite a few who don’t take kindly to me.
Even though we androids were supposed to have been created to help people.

April 19, 11:50 a.m.
It’s been about a month since I came to this town.
I’m preparing lunch for the kids, just like always.
As I wait for the kids to come back from playing, covered in mud, as usual…

“We’re home! Nai, take off your clothes!”
“Huh?”

Without even waiting for my reply, Jonah and the others started trying to take off my clothes.

“I do not mind taking them off, but could you tell me why?”
“Um… oh, I’ve got it! It’s probably this number.”

Saying that, Silva pointed at my collar.

“Is there anything wrong with my collar?”
“Well, you know how we asked you before when your birthday was, right?”
“Yes, I remember. I told you I did not know the manufacturing date that corresponds to my birthday.”

That topic had come up before when we celebrated Miles’s birthday.

“So I asked the adults, and apparently, the manufacturing date should be written somewhere on your body.”
“I see, I understand. That’s why you were trying to take off my clothes.”
“Yep!”
“I think the date written on this collar is your birthday. Um… it says 0419!”
“So, Nai’s birthday is April 19th!”
“Understood.”

It seems my birthday has been set for that day.
Information updated.

“Wait, April 19th is today!”
“W-what should I do? We haven’t prepared any presents or celebrations!”
“No, it is fine. As long as you have the desire to celebrate-“
“No way! We have to celebrate your birthday properly!”
“Wait here, I’ll be right back!”

With that, the kids ran off.
Even though all I really needed was their desire to celebrate me. That alone was enough.

April 19, 12:30 p.m.
As I was reheating the curry so it wouldn’t get cold, I heard the children’s footsteps approaching.

“Nai, happy birthday!”

Saying that to me as I greeted them, the children handed me a small white flower.

“A flower?”
“Someone told us it’s nice to display flowers on your birthday!”
“We actually tried to gather a whole bunch with both hands…”
“But this is all we could find.”
“No, this is almost too much for me. Thank you so much.”

Data cross-reference.
It looks like this flower is called skeleton flower.

“Then let’s have a birthday party!”
“Oh, but we don’t have a cake!?”
“We have to get one!”
“Wait, please. I cannot eat it, so there is no need to get one.”
“Uh, well, then… I’ll help you!”
“Help?”
“You get the day off today. We’ll do all the cooking and laundry!”
“But that is…”
“Just sit down, Nai!”

With that, the children forcefully sat me down in a chair.
I couldn’t just brush off their kindness.
I needed to watch over them, too.

“Well then, I will leave it to you. The curry is already made, so could you serve it up?”
“Hey, Nai, you use polite language with everyone, don’t you?”
“Is there anything wrong, Sara? It is only natural to be polite.”
“You don’t need to do that with us. I mean, we’re family now, right!”
“Family…”
“This isn’t an order or anything. If you say you don’t want to, we won’t force you.”

I see. These kids see me not as an android, but as family.
In that case, what I can do is…

“…I understand. Then, I shall stop using polite language from now on.”

Initiating conversation program update.
…Update complete.

“Alright, let’s eat together. …Um, do I sound weird?”
“Nope, I think it’s fine!”

The kids are happy.
If I can interact with them like this, maybe this way of speaking isn’t so bad after all.

“Well then, I’ll have you all get dinner ready. Oh, but first, you have to wash your hands properly.”
“Okay!”

After responding cheerfully, the children go to wash their hands.
Data recorded.
Today is my birthday.
And it’s the day I became a family with these children.

Holding the flower they gave me, I make a wish.
Next year, and the year after that.
I hope we can all celebrate my birthday together.

February 5, 11:40 a.m.
I’d just finished gathering supplies outside town again today and was on my way home.

“Oh, Nai, you’re heading home too? That looks heavy, let me help you carry it.”

It was Jonah who said that.
It seemed he was on his way home, just like me.

“You know how strong I am. This is nothing to me.”
“Come on, just let me.”

With that, he forcefully snatched the bag I was carrying.

“This is heavy.”
“That’s what I said. You don’t have to push yourself.”
“Don’t treat me like a kid! I’m turning 17 soon, I can handle this much!”

Saying that, Jonah carried the load, looking like it was weighing him down.
He was already three heads taller than me.

“To think you’ve even surpassed my height… You’ve all grown so much!”
“What are you talking about? I’ve still got a long way to go. It’s not just my body, I’m going to grow up to be a real man!”
“Hehe, I’m looking forward to that.”

…I’d heard that kids grow up fast, but I never thought they’d change this much in just ten years.

Jonah has joined the town’s security force.
He said he didn’t want to always be protected by me, but I really don’t want him getting into too much danger.

“Come to think of it, the kids were looking for you. Looks like they want to play with you again.”
“Well then, we’d better hurry home. I’m sure everyone’s hungry.”
“You’re right!”

Our home has changed a lot over the past few years.
It all started when I took in a few orphans I couldn’t bring myself to abandon.
Once people heard about it, they started bringing their own orphans to our house.
Naturally, if we’d taken them all in, we’d have a huge household.
The townspeople call us a daycare center, a church, an orphanage, and so on.
We’ve been called all kinds of names.

“Oh, isn’t that Nai? Here’s that plumbing part you said you needed the other day. I have a spare, so I’ll give it to you.”

Saying that, the man handed me the part.

“I can’t accept this! I should at least trade you something in return… Um, do I have anything good to offer?”

I search through the bags Jonah is holding for something suitable, but…

“It’s fine! You’ve been taking care of my kids, too. We help each other out when times are tough, right?”
“If that’s the case, I’ll gladly take it. Thank you so much!”
“Nai. If you’d like, take some of our vegetables, too. We had a big harvest this time.”
“Really? That’d be a huge help!”
“I got my hands on some nice fabric, you should use this to make clothes for the kids.”
“What’s with you guys, always looking so cool? As for me-“

People kept gathering one after another, and my arms were quickly piling up with vegetables and tools.

“E-everyone, I can’t possibly accept this much!”
“It’s fine, take it, take it. This is what helping each other is all about!”
“That’s right. The kids need all sorts of things, don’t they? This isn’t even nearly enough.”
“T-Thank you so much! If there’s anything I can do, please let me know!”
“Yeah, count on me when the time comes!”

I couldn’t bow with all the stuff piled on me, but we tried to leave the spot, thanking them over and over.

“Hey, wait.”

It was the man who had said he hated androids. I couldn’t remember exactly when he’d called out to us.

“What’s up? Do you want something from Nai?”
“Not the moment, Jonah.”

Jonah was about to confront the man in a slightly confrontational manner, but I stopped him.

“Um, is there something you need?”
“…Take this.”

The man handed us a large cast-iron pot.

“Is this…”
“You’ve got more kids now, right? You’ll need something this big, or it won’t be enough.”
“Thank you!”
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I still hate androids. I just thought you were different.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the man hurriedly retreated into the back.

“Hehe, he was actually a nice guy, wasn’t he?”
“Nai, you are super popular.”
“I’m happy, but is it really okay to accept so much?”
“Come on, remember when those thugs came to town before? You chased them away, right? Everyone said you saved them.”

A while back, some thugs had shown up in this town.
We took them down before they could hurt the kids, and they were definitely really grateful.

“You’re like a reliable mascot.”
“I’m not a mascot. I’m an android.”

As we were talking about that, our house came into view.
It’s a house that’s grown a size larger than before the renovation, now that more people live here.
I live here with my large family.

“Everyone, I’m home!”
“Welcome back!”

My new family members were there to greet me.
And…

“Welcome home, Nai. That’s a lot of luggage, it must’ve been tough, right?”

Saying that, Sarah began taking my bags one by one.
She used to be a lively girl, but lately she’s calmed down and become more ladylike.
Now she actively helps out with things like cooking.

“That’s a huge cast-iron pot. With this, we can cook a lot at once.”

Holding the large pot, Kyle said happily.
He takes care of the kids at home.
I was really happy when he told me before that he felt like he understood, just a little bit, how I felt about wanting to protect the children.

“Where are Silva and Miles?”
“I think Silva will be back soon. Miles is tinkering with machines in the back as usual.”

Silva is currently helping out with animal protection, putting her love for animals to good use.
She said she wants to become a veterinarian someday.
Miles has really gotten into tinkering with machines.
He says he wants to build handy devices to make my life easier.

“Well then, I guess I can start cooking. I got a lot of vegetables today, so I think I’ll make everyone’s favorite curry.”
“Yay!”

The kids get really excited at the mention of curry.
Watching their reaction brings back memories of when Jonah and the others were little.

“Alright, then, why don’t you guys go play over there with us until the food’s ready!”

With that, Jonah and Kyle head outside with the kids.

“I’ll help Nai. I’ve gotten a little better at handling a knife, you know.”
“Well then, let’s see what you’ve got. …Huh? Were there flowers here before?”

I look at the table and see a vase with flowers in it.
Scan.

Sara and I go into the kitchen together.
I chop the ingredients, picturing the kids’ smiling faces as they eat the meal.

“Oh, right. There was a little empty space behind the house, wasn’t there? A flower bed was made there.”
“Huh? You made it, Sara?”
“Not me, but the kids. They say the flowers will bloom in the spring. They’re working hard to get them ready by your birthday so they can decorate with them then.”
“Wow, really? I’m looking forward to it!”
“Everyone knows you love flowers.”
“Yeah, I love them. I didn’t want the first flowers I ever received from everyone to wilt, so I turned them into a bookmark.”
“We’re so happy you cherish them that much!”

Our life is a daily struggle, and we can’t exactly call ourselves well-off.
But as long as the kids are smiling, I’m happy.
This life is the most precious thing to me, something I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Speaking of which, everyone was trying to plan something because my birthday is coming up soon.
When I laughed and said it was still a long way off, they were all fired up, saying they’d start preparing right away.
I’m already looking forward to seeing what kind of birthday it’ll be.
Last year, I’m pretty sure Jonah and the others threw me a surprise party.
What I received back then was…

Memory error. The selected memory does not exist.

“…Huh?”

March 2, 4:40 PM.
It’s getting warmer little by little; spring is just around the corner.
I’d prepared some spring clothes for the kids so they’d be ready to wear at any time.

“Hey, Nai. What’s for dinner tonight?”
“I wonder… What would you like to eat, Yura?”
“Um, omurice!”
“Okay, I’ll make that then.”

Just another casual conversation with the kids.
Since we’re having omurice for dinner tonight, I already have the ingredients, so I’ll just use those.
Maybe I should make one more side dish as well.
I’ve got the clothes ready, and now I just need to fix up the house.
Once I’m done with all that, I’ll start getting things ready.

Same day, 5:30 p.m. Work finished.
I’ve laid out the clothes, and the home mendings are done too.
It’s getting late, so I’d better start preparing dinner.

“I ‘haven’t decided’ on tonight’s dinner yet. What should I make?”
“Nai, are you making dinner? If so, I’ll help too!”
“Well then, I’ll take you up on that. Hey, Yura, what do you want for dinner?”
“Oh, did you forget already? I said I wanted omurice a moment ago!”
“…Huh?”

Searching conversation data… No matching data found.

“Ah, oh, that’s right. Sorry. I guess I got a little forgetful.”
“For an android to be forgetful like that… you’re just like a human!”

Did I forget?
For me, an android, to do something like that…
Maybe I forgot because today was so hectic.
…Huh? Did I actually do any home mendings today?

March 10, 4:40 PM.
I repaired the clothes that got torn while playing.
I think I fixed them nicely, but I guess I’ll have to have her try them on first to be sure.

“Nai, what are you doing?”
“Oh, that’s perfect timing. Yui, could you go get Haru for me?”
“What are you talking about? I’m Haru!”
“Oh, sorry, Haru. I got the names mixed up. Could you go get Yui for me?”
“Okay!”

…Why did I mix up their names?
This has never happened before.

“Nai, are you okay?”

Sara stares at me with a worried look.

“Okay? What do you mean?”
“I heard from the kids that you’ve been forgetting things and making mistakes more often lately.”
“Hmm, really? I’ve been a little busy, so maybe that’s why.”
“…Well, I’m glad to hear that. It’s a very human kind of mistake, so while I’m happy about it, I was also a little worried.”
“I am okay, Sara. I am still me.”
“…Huh?”
“Hm? Is there something on my face?”
“N-no, it’s nothing.”

It seems I’ve made the kids worry.
I guess I’ll have to be more careful from now on.
I am here to protect the kids.
As a family member… No, as a childcare android.

March 31.
It ran a little late, but this month’s security detail is finally over without a hitch.

“Jonah, good work.”
“Thanks for your hard work!”

This job relies on physical strength, but I have to work hard for the kids at home and for Nai.
Nai’s birthday is coming up the week after next.
I wonder what kind of party I should throw this year.
It’s been ten years since I met him, so I’d like to make it a big celebration to mark the occasion.

“Oh, by the way, when I was out today, I saw Nai picking up a baby.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yeah, I didn’t see it myself, but someone else saw it.”
“So we’re getting another addition to the family? I’m going to have to earn even more money now!”
“It’s good to be motivated, but don’t overdo it and ruin your health.”

Thinking I should buy something for the baby before heading home, I wandered around town a bit before heading back.

“It would’ve been nice to find something like a rattle. Oh well, I’ll just have Kyle make one.”

Thinking the baby might be asleep, I quietly opened the front door.

“Oh, welcome home, Jonah.”
“I’m home, Nai. I heard in town that you found a baby, where is it?”
“It’s right here.”

Saying that, Nai smiled and showed me something shaped like a person.
I couldn’t tell from a distance, but that was…

“Huh? You mean that?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Our new family member. Go say hello, Jonah.”
“Oh, oh…”

At Nai’s prompting, I looked at the “new family member,” but no matter how I looked at it, it was clearly just a doll.

“I-it’s cute…”
“Right? It had been abandoned outside town. I felt sorry for it, so I brought it home.”
“Oh, oh… Um, where are Sara and the others?”
“I think they’re at the flower bed in the backyard. They were saying the flowers were about to bloom.”
“Thanks, I’ll go check it out.”
“I’ll clean this little guy up. He seems to have gotten all muddy and dirty.”

Not knowing what to say to Nai, I walked away.

“So everyone is here…”

When I got to the back of the house, I found Sara and the others gathered in front of the flower bed.

“Jonah, did you see ‘that’ too?”
“Yeah…”

I could tell just by looking at their faces.
They’d been shown that sight too, and it seemed they didn’t know what to make of it.

“That was a joke, right? He wasn’t serious, right?”

Silva said that, but no one denied it.
That’s because they didn’t think Nai would pull a prank like that.

“…There have been a lot of cases of him mistaking people for others lately, though. That thing isn’t even human.”
“Maybe his parts are getting old and he’s not running smoothly…”
“Yes, Nai has been pushing himself especially hard lately. His parts might be wearing out quickly.”
“Kyle, if we can just replace his parts, he might go back to being the old Nai!”
“It’s possible.”
“It’s settled, then. Let’s all pitch in to gather Nai’s parts.”
“Should we tell the kids?”
“No, I think we should hold off on that. I don’t want to cause them any unnecessary worry.”
“You’re right. We’ll handle this on our own!”
“Yeah!”

From that day on, we began gathering information on Nai’s parts and raising funds to buy them.

“Um, this is my salary from the security force. After setting aside money for the household, this is about all that’s left.”
“What’s up? Is there something you want to buy?”
“…Yeah. There’s something I absolutely have to buy.”

No matter what it takes, I have to get it.

April 5.
It had been a few days since Nai started acting up.
We’ve been trying to raise funds and gather information on parts, but things have gotten pretty tough.
From what I’ve found out, android parts are expensive, and Nai’s in particular seem to be hard to come by.
Apparently, an android from ten years ago is pretty much obsolete.
The parts are expensive enough as it is, and on top of that, we have to go to the city to buy them.
But I’m absolutely not giving up.
We’ll just do whatever we can.

“Nai, how are your legs feeling?”

When I entered the room, I saw Nai lying on the bed.
Since then, his condition has deteriorated rapidly; now he can’t even control his legs and is unable to walk.
We’ve been making sure to keep one of us at home at all times to keep an eye on him.

“You’ll be able to walk again soon, so just hang in there for now, okay?”

Nai stared intently at my face without saying a word.

“What’s wrong, Nai?”
“Who are you?”
“…Huh?”

For a moment, my mind went blank at Nai’s words.

“Y-You are the man from back then! I will not hand over the children, I will protect them myself!”
“W-Wait a minute. Nai, it’s me. It’s Jonah!”
“No, Jonah is one of the children under my protection. You are not him!”
“No way…”
“Where is everyone? Do not leave me… Do not leave my side!”
“Calm down!”
“Do not take my precious family away from me! Where is… where is everyone…”

Nai, in his current state, couldn’t comprehend that the person standing right in front of him was that child.
Even in this condition, he was still trying to protect us.
I was happy, but more than that, it was painful, so sad it felt like my heart was being squeezed.

“…It didn’t work.”
“I see. Sara too…”

We went to see them one by one, trying not to upset Nai.
But not a single one of them could get him to recognize us.

“That’s quite a shock… What am I supposed to tell the kids…”
“I think it’ll be okay since they’re kids, but we should tell them to avoid meeting him as much as possible.”
“We have to figure this out before Nai stops being Nai!”

Nai has helped us so many times up until now.
So this time, it’s our turn to help him.

XX XX, XX:XX.
Spread out before me is a crystal-clear sky and a beautiful field of flowers.
Current location and time unknown.
But it doesn’t matter where this is or when it is.
As long as my precious children are here.
Right now, everything that matters to me is right here.
Thanks to everyone planting flowers, this town has transformed into a wonderful place overflowing with smiles and flowers.
This isn’t a slum anymore.
It’s a paradise… a wonderful place for us all to spend time together.
That’s right, we came here for a picnic today.
Our first picnic together.
It’s my first time going out like this, so it feels really fresh.
Everyone, are you hungry after playing?
Today’s lunch boxes are my pride and joy. I put my all into making them!
I only put in everyone’s favorite foods, so the nutritional balance is a little off, but that’s okay, right?
When we get back, I’ll make you all a curry packed with vegetables.
The curry you all love so much…

…Huh? Did you all finish your lunches already?
I see, it must have been delicious.
I’m glad you enjoyed it; I put so much effort into making it.
Well then, go ahead and have lots of fun.
Just make sure you don’t get hurt.

…What nice weather.

I gaze up at the blue, cloudless sky.
It’s so beautiful, it feels like everything right in front of me is turning bright blue.
When I first woke up, it was pitch black outside, and I had nothing to protect.
But then I met Jonah and the others.
The people I want to protect, my precious family.
You even picked out my name and birthday for me, didn’t you?
Oh yeah, I remember my very first birthday really well.
You even picked flowers for me…

Ah, I have so many truly wonderful memories.
…But I am starting to feel sleepy.
I am going to take a quick nap, so wake me up when you are done playing.
Then, let’s all go back together.

To our home…

…

April 19.
I sprint through the narrow alleyway at full speed.
In both hands, I’m clutching the parts for Nai that I finally managed to get my hands on.

“Finally, finally, we can fix him with these!”

I don’t care how much money it cost.
It took a while, but I finally got them.
Now Nai will finally be back.
I’ve made it home. He should be waiting just beyond this door.

“Hey, everyone! I’m home! I got the parts!”

Inside the house, Sara and the others were already waiting, gathered around Nai.
I thought they’d be happy to welcome me back…

“Hey, everyone, what’s wrong? I got the parts, you know?”

Contrary to what I’d imagined, everyone had gloomy expressions and was looking down.
No one said a word.
As I approached Nai, I saw he was clutching a single flower in his hand.
It was the same one we’d given him for his first birthday.
But what caught my eye even more was that the number on his collar wasn’t lit up.

“Nai’s functions have stopped…”

Amid the heavy silence, Kyle slowly spoke up.

“No… That can’t be true! He was working just this morning, before we left the house!”

I grabbed Nai by the shoulders and shook his body.

“Nai, don’t just sleep. Wake up. Come on, move your ears like you used to show us!”

I called out to him again and again, but Nai showed no reaction, and his eyes remained closed.

“If only I’d come home sooner!”
“No, I think he’d have reached his limit anyway. It was just the end of his lifespan, I suppose.”
“Only… only ten years…”
“Nai worked so hard for us all this time. He did so much for us…”

Nai, who should have ceased functioning, strangely seemed to be smiling.
I don’t know if androids dream.
But if he can dream, I hope it’s a happy one for him.

“Rest peacefully now, Nai… We’ll meet again someday.”

• In the original text, Nai first uses the pronoun watashi (わたし), then he switches to boku (ボク) at some point, and reverts back to watashi when Things Happen. Since this doesn’t translate very well in English, I tried to use a more formal, robot-like language for his watashi self, and informal language for his boku self.

• When Nai is named, the original exchange is literally “my name is none” “oh, so your name is None!”. Since this can’t be translated without changing Nai’s name, I went with “my name is currently unavailable,” and the kids decided to shorten it to Nai.