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Iris on Rainy Days: Dismantling- 7 Days Before

2012-01-17T07:29:20Z

DNK: /* Dismantling: 7 Days Before */

==Dismantling==
[[File:Iris on Rainy Days p012.jpg|200px|thumb]]
“Take care on the road! Come home earlier!” (Iris Rain Umbrella)

==Dismantling: 7 Days Before==

At the center of the Venus Fountain Plaza, there stood the statue of a stunning goddess.

She has slim limbs, skin as white as silk, and a great figure. Today, the goddess is still wearing a gentle smile on her face, silently observing the surrounding crowd.

Oval Town had once burned in the flames of war. That time, most of the town was burnt into ground, only the goddess statue survived without so much of a scratch, just like a miracle. From that day, the statue of the goddess became a symbol of hope and revival, and has been protected as the most important cultural asset of our country.

Beside the goddess statue that is about a hundred and seventy centimeters, the fountain is blooming flowers of water, having colors of a rainbow. On the dark tea-colored benches that were placed around the fountain, there are old men chatting with each other, children playing around, and lovers proclaiming their love for each other. It is a harmonious scene that looks like it came from a painting.

—it’s indeed similar.

A squeaking sound starts to ring, and I start to adjust the pupil function of my visual system. After focusing my pupil of the white goddess statue, I sigh lightly.

The goddess statue looks like Professor. Professor is the top researcher of robots, Professor Wendy von Umbrella. She has a tall figure, black hair that is beautiful and luscious, wears glasses with a sleek, silver frame that suits her very much, and is the professor that I am proud of.

While thinking of the beautiful outline of Professor, I stare blankly at the goddess statue when the sweet sour smell of circlet cigarette floated over. I start to turn the angle of my neck, confirming the source of the fragrance.

The person who sat on the bench, smoking a circlet cigarette, is a middle aged man donning a dark blue suit. He is reading today’s copy of Oval Daily, but from just now, he started to peek at me once in a while. I use a gentle smile to greet him, and he shyly shifts his gaze.

By the way, circlet cigarettes are products used for smoking cessation. Its shape is as the word ‘circlet’ in its name indicates, and its size is about the size of a circle made using the thumb and the index finger. When people start to smoke it, the ring-shaped cigarette would immediately straighten, and then the tip of the cigarette could be lit.

Although it is a replacement for tobacco that was made to prevent the mouth of the people who are trying to quit smoking to be too free, but recently the smokers who buy it because they like its smell is gradually increasing. Among the similar products, the one that sells the best is the type that combines two circlets into the shape of the number 8. This type of cigarette can be split into two halves, half of it to smoke, and the other half to fill the ashes.

The reason that I am so knowledgeable about this, is because Professor Umbrella loves this type of circlet cigarette.

— Mnn.

I shift my gaze to the goddess statue again, and suddenly started to ponder. The goddess statue looks very similar to the tall professor. However, I just have this feeling that it is lacking ‘something’. Every time I see it, I would have this uncoordinated feeling in me.

When this meaningless question surfaced in my mind, time’s up.

— After five more minutes, you will be unable to reach home in the scheduled time.

The inorganic, electronic voice of my mental circuit starts to urge me to hurry home.

— Alright already, it’s almost time to go home.

With my back to the plaza, I start to walk home quickly. The shopping basket in my right hand is stuffed full of the ingredients for today’s dinner, and a La Bier fish that is glittering in rich silver is tied to my back, causing the pedestrians who pass by to turn their head around when they see it. Seeing me carry a huge, one meter long fish while I’m only a hundred and fifty centimeter, being surprised would be quite natural. But after they notice that I am actually a robot, they showed an expression that said that this is understandable.

Differentiating between humans and robot is very simple. The ones that have a round antenna on their ears (It looks really like an earphone) are robots, the ones who don’t are humans. “It’s the robot from the Umbrella residence!”— a voice clearly projects into my auditory system. So, I smiled back at the person. Though robots used in families is not uncommon, but since Professor is a famous person, I get noticed sometimes when I walk in the streets.

After walking about ten minutes from the Fountain Plaza, I arrived at the Umbrella residence. Looking at the blue door that is full of ivies, I started to say: “Certification number HRM021-α, Iris Rain Umbrella. I’m back.” After the electronic voice says “Certification complete, please enter”, the large door opens silently.

The Umbrella residence is a grand mansion. There is a courtyard here that is the size of three station squares, and it is a large residence that would not be inferior to the mansions of administrators. The outer wall that was formed by red bricks makes people understand the grandeur of the history and traditions of the Umbrella family.

After entering the mansion, a luxurious hall could be seen immediately. The sunlight that entered from the skylight passes through the chandeliers, giving out a colourful radiance. The carpet spread on the floor is similar to the style of the ones in old castles. Large paintings are hanging on the walls, and the value of each work can provide for a luxurious life.

Passing through the corridor with the shiningly exquisite floor, I first place the fish in the freezer. I feel much better after that, and I started to walk towards the west-most room on that floor— the research room. The research room is stuffed full of materials and tools, the clean but chilly space is like a snowy field on a winter day.

Sitting on the creamy white bed near to the wall, I start to confirm the gauge on me.

Battery level 82.50%, waste in body 1.73%. The energy level is more than enough for labour, but charging my battery is the order that Professor had given me. So, I immediately start to charge.

After sterilizing the long, thin tube with a chemical for two times, I open the lock on my wrist, showing the connection plug. If I made a mistake in the steps, the black machine oil might just splatter through the whole room, so I must be more careful.

I insert the tube into my right and left hand in succession, then pressed the switch on the machine. Electric power and additional lubricating oil slowly flow into the connection plug on my right wrist. At the same time, the tea-colored waste in my body is being sucked out from my left wrist.

In the introduction manuals for robot maintenance, they would usually say that the system is similar to humans using IV drips. In reality, as the system undergoes the excretion and cleaning of the inner part of the body, it is more like artificial dialysis when compared with IV drips.

While looking upwards when charging my battery, I stare at the metal boards on the ceiling. The ceiling that is like a smooth mirror reflects my whole body.

Technically, there’s not much difference in gender in robots, but I should be a girl. My age setting is fifteen. I have blue eyes, with delicate eyebrows on it. My maroon hair is slightly wavy, and the length reaches my shoulder. The length of my limbs are similar to Professor’s, and my face is that of a beauty, just like professor— this is my own knowledge, and not just my opinion. It might be because Professor always praising that I’m cute that I feel like that.

The maid costume that I am wearing was designed in a fairy tale style. A maid’s headdress lightly waved on my head, while the cutting of the apron emphasized the curves of my breasts. The peach coloured dress tightened at the waist, while the dress itself is quite loose, and would make people think of a wedding dress. Where did Professor buy such a lovely maid’s costume, I wonder? Right until now, it’s still a mystery.

After twelve minutes and one second, the process of charging finished. Battery level 99.93%, body waste 0.02%.

—Alright, target level achieved.

I jump down from the bed, leaving the research room. My destination is the kitchen, because I have to prepare for dinner.

In the large kitchen that is not inferior to high classed restaurants, I start to make a Bill La Bier stew pot. There’s a lot of pots, sinks and gas stoves here, but I would always cook at the left side of the kitchen. Professor is very rich, and she could even hire over ten, or even over twenty chefs, but she didn’t hire any up till now. Not only a chef, she didn’t even hire other maids, and I have to handle the whole large Umbrella residence. I could only use all my effort, diligently finish the chores like cooking, washing the clothes and sweeping the floor.

I quickly cut the La Bier fish, and lightly picked up the pieces of peach-coloured fish.

—200.0025 grams.

While referring to the recipe searched from my mental circuit, I finish the preparations of making the Bill Labier stew pot. By the way, “La Bier” is a fish very similar to salmon fish, while “La Bier” is actually the name of a person. I’ve heard that a fisherman called La Bier caught a large La Bier fish long ago, then he used a night to finish the whole fish. His way of cooking is was to cut the fish into big pieces, then stew it with the spices— that’s the origin of the La Bier stew pot. It sounds like a simple dish, but if you want to cook it well, there’s quite a lot of techniques. For instance, you have to accurately handle the fire and patiently scoop out the foams.

From the moment I pick up the kitchen knife, twenty seven minutes and twelve seconds has passed, and my job is done. I store the remaining food into the freezer. Professor doesn’t have much visitors, so these leftover portions would probably rot in the freezer. With the large amount of ingredient buying and the large kitchen, the Umbrella residence is usually that wasteful.

As I complain in a small voice, an electronic voice starts to ring in my mind.

— Professor Wendy von Umbrella has returned.

“She’s back!”

I rush out of the kitchen, passing through the hall, and violently pull open the doors to the outside. My dress fluttering in the wind, I start to run to the forecourt.

— Professor, Professor, Professor!

The person that is passing through the gate, is a tall, black haired woman who is wearing a jacket that is light like a swan, and looks incomparably beautiful although it doesn’t seem like she has any make up on her— my Professor walks over to me slowly. And then, she waves suddenly to me.

Not caring about the battery loss, I run with all my strength to the professor. I am running with the speed a hundred meters in nine seconds, and emergency braked three meters in front of Professor. I am not sweating, or even panting too, but my body is giving off heat like a steaming stove, as if my body has been lit up. The image of Professor swirls in my mental circuit.

“Welcome back, Professor!”

I open my arms while beaming, welcoming the return of Professor. Although I’m somewhat overreacting, this is just a way of showing my love for Professor.

Professor looks at me, showing a gentle smile. She puts out the fire of her circlet cigarette and keeps her ash tray. My olfaction system detected a sweet sour smell after that.

“I’m back, Iris. Are you a good girl today, too?”

That is a somewhat deep, cool and silent voice for a female. The silver framed glasses on her nose makes her wise face even more striking.

“Yes! Professor’s Iris is a very very good girl today too!”

“Is that so. What about dinner?”

“It’s the same as what I told you, a La Bier stew pot!”

“What a good girl you are.”

Professor extends her right hand to me.

— alright, it’s coming!

I happily wait for that moment.

Professor’s hand lightly touches the top of my head. She used a gentle, but somewhat rough movement to caress my maroon hair.

This is really a happiness that cannot be compared with.

I look just like a kitten that had been caressed, making satisfied sounds with my throat. I enjoy the pleasure of contact with Professor’s gentle hand, and the sweet sour smell of the tobacco that tickles the nose.

<center>♠</center>
Dinner time has always been the most nervous time for me.

Professor slowly scoops out a piece of La Bier fish from the pot. She continues to use a small knife to cut the fish, sticks a fork into in then swallows it with her rose colored lips.

Because of the chewing action, Professor’s face is moving slightly. I stare at her face, slightly worried.

— Professor, how is it? Is it good? Hmm? Is it?

I ask repeatedly in my heart, waiting for Professor to express her thoughts.

“Hmm……”

Professor twists her neck. Then, my mental circuit suddenly cools down. Describing from the angle of a human, that would mean that a chill went up my back.

“E- e- e- errmmm, i- i- i- i- i- is there a problem with that?”

I ask in a rapid fire speed, feeling slightly dizzy. For Iris Rain Umbrella who is proud of her ability of doing chores, being told that my cooking is bad would be the same as questioning the meaning of my existence.

“To be frank……”

Professor raised one of her beautiful eyebrows, saying with an obviously displeased tone.

“To- to be frank?” I waited nervously for her next comment.

However, Professor’s mouth slightly curls, a smile surfacing on her face. She says suddenly.

“It’s really good.”

I am quite shocked, and couldn’t help but make an idiotic “…… Eh?” sound.

“Ah…… Eh? Aren’t you disliking it……”

“No, it’s very tasty. And the handling of the fire is especially good.”

“…………”

“Oh? What’s the matter, Iris? Why are you showing me a tongue-tied expression?”

You can say that Professor is an S. The S in SM. A sadist. She always uses these simple traps to trick me. By the way, this is already the twenty forth time. The pitiful thing about robots is that they even remember how many times these meaningless things occur.
[[File:Iris on Rainy Days p025.jpg|200px|thumb]]
“Really, Professor! Haven’t I said not to make these types of jokes!”

I throw the napkin at Professor angrily.

“Oi oi, that’s too much of a waste.”

“According to your words, the La Bier stew pot today is the wasteful one! Telling me to buy a whole fish, what are you preparing to do with it!”

Professor casually answered “I’ll finish it after two days,” and continues to eat. I answer “You always lie……,” crumple the last napkin up, throw it, and it hits Professor’s arm with a plop.

“Mnn, it really is tasty. Iris is really good at cooking.”

Professor comments deliberately, and places another piece of La Bier fish into her mouth. Although I feel somewhat frustrated, but seeing Professor enjoying the stew, a send of satisfaction appeared in my heart.

After dinner, Professor goes to the washroom. While cleaning up the dishes, I recall Professor’s childish actions, laughing for a moment, being annoyed for a moment, but a smile still surfaced on my face in the end.

Today, Professor is still pretty, likes to bully people, is gentle and stroked my hair.

— Mnn, I’m satisfied. Up till now, I have no comment.

The peaceful night gradually passes, and it is now time for sleep. I changed into my beloved pajamas that has pictures of flowers on it, then knocked on Professor’s bedroom door.

“Professor, sorry for bothering you.”

I walk into the room. As usual, Professor is wearing a purple pajamas slightly open at the chest, and is lying on her bed. She has a circlet cigarette in her mouth. The sweat sour smell is mixed with a slight smell of peppermint, and the smell floated over along with the smoke. The slogan used on television is “The taste of your first love,” and I think that it’s quite apt. That’s right— it’s the taste of the first love to me. The love between Professor and I— I really want to feel that too, but the only one in love is me, Professor is always calm.

I understand these feelings would only be useless, so it’s better for me to be careful.

“Professor, smoking on the bed is too impolite.”

“It’s not against the law.”

“And it could cause a fire.”

“I never heard of cirgarettes causing fires.”

Professor looks at the ceiling, continuing to puff out smoke. That’s right, ‘cirgarette’ is another name for circlet cigarettes.

“The total data says that eight incidents occurred this year.”

I block Professor’s vision determinedly, looking at her from above. The smoke almost burned my eyes.

“How many times had it happened in Oval Town?” Professor continues to smoke.

“…… zero.”

“Then it’s okay.”

“But that can’t be used as an excuse, Professor.”

I stubbornly snatch the cirgarette away from Professor’s mouth. “Ah, give it back!” Professor sits up, extending her hand to my elbow.

As revenge for Professor making fun of me during dinner, I run around the room while holding the cirgarette. Professor climbs up from the bed too, chasing me. I hide behind tables and chairs so that Professor cannot catch me. Although it’s childish, there’s still an undeniable charm to it.

After playing two short rounds of catch in the room, Professor says ”It’s time for bed” and takes off her silver framed glasses. She stares at me with her eyes that are like a colourful glass. Professor is a beauty when she wears her glasses, and she is still a beauty after she takes off her glasses.

—Ah.

The goddess statue isn’t wearing glasses.

“What is it?” Professor stares at me from the bed. I lightly tilted my head, honestly speaking my thoughts: “Professor is indeed…... suited for glasses and cigarettes.”

“Huh? Why are you suddenly saying that.”

“No, that’s just my thoughts. …… Then Professor, is it okay?”

This question means can I snuggle into Professor’s blanket.

“Be my guest.”

Professor lifts up her blanket and waves to me. I said “Sorry for this,” then nervously lies down beside professor. After that, I curl up my body and raise my head to look at Professor.

We are very close together, and I can see myself reflected in Professor’s pupils.

“Good night, Professor.”

I bury my head in Professor’s large, soft hills. It’s so soft, and has a nice fragrance to it.

Professor hugs me gently, stroking my hair. Then, she says “Goodnight, Iris” and kissed my forehead.

After changing my status to sleep mode, I enter the world of slumbers.

I went through a happy day today, too.

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| Forward to [[Iris on Rainy Days: Dismantling- 6 Days Before|Dismantling- 6 Days Before]]
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Iris on Rainy Days: Execution- battery=00:00:00

2012-01-13T14:26:09Z

DNK:

==battery=00:00:00==

But Professor, my Professor was indeed standing there, she was smiling at me.

I lost all my energy, but was relieved. An emotion surged in the depths of my body, and I gazed at Professor absentmindedly.

Ahhh, Professor. You’re alive. Why didn’t you tell me earlier.

Professor, wait for me. I’m coming now.

By the way, Professor. Why do I feel that you look rather different today?

Why aren’t you wearing your glasses today? Did you leave your glasses at home?

Why aren’t you wearing the cigarette case on your neck today? Ahh, it’s because it’s in my hands. I’ll return it to you right away.

Why are you wearing a snow white dress today? It’s different from the white coat that you wear usually. Do we have this dress at home?

And, and, Professor, Professor—

Why are you standing at the center of the fountain today?

[[File:Iord 266.jpg|200px|thumb|center]]

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| Forward to [[Iris on Rainy Days: Letters- News Report – "National Defense Force Suppresses Robot Breakaway"|News Report – "National Defense Force Suppresses Robot Breakaway"]]
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</noinclude>

Iris on Rainy Days: Execution- battery=01:16:56

2012-01-13T14:23:07Z

DNK:

==battery=01:16:56==

Sounds of sirens echoed all around us, but the truck continued to pass through the city.

“Lilith, Lilith, are you okay!?”

In the trailer of the truck, I frantically called Lilith.

Her face twisted in agony. There were fist-sized holes on her chest and her abdomen, the exposed tubes splattering oil all around like mad snakes.

“Iris…...”

“Wha- what is is?”

So that I would hear her words clearer, I shifted my face closer.

She said in a hoarse voice: “Get down the car immediately after passing the busy street.”

“But……” I looked at her wounds. She was unquestionably badly hurt— no, deathly hurt. On the other hand, I could not move because I lost my lower body. My system that used the three main circuits was unharmed. However, Lilith was different. The large amount of machine oil that flowed out showed evidently that her important circuits was damaged.

Even so, she still raised her upper torso. Then, she coughed out black machine oil.

“Lilith!”

“I’m okay.” She used the back of her left hand to wipe away the machine oil at the corner of her mouth, smiling forcedly at me, “This is just a small matter.”

In contrast with her words, black liquid flowed continuously out from her chest and her abdomen.

After the truck drove for about five minutes, we passed the center of the city, and arrived at a deserted suburban path.

“Okay, jump down.”

Lilith hugged me. I cursed my inability to move while feeling shocked because of her hardiness.

Taking the chance when the truck decelerated, Lilith jumped down from the trailer— instead of saying jumped, it’s actually more like rolled. The truck did not notice us and left just like that.

Lilith stood up unsteadily and looked around. It’s fortunate that nobody was around us.

“Ah, let’s go inside.”

An old house was in front of Lilith. The name of the agent of the asset and the words ‘For Sale’ were written on the signboard.

Lilith carried me on her back again, walking towards the backyard of the house with unsteady steps. Being carried on her back, I couldn’t do anything.

We passed through the entrance and walked into the yard. It was a barren land that was full of weeds.

She lied down below the eaves. As long as people don’t walk into the yard, they wouldn’t see us from the road.

“Lilith……”

I called her name like I was sighing.

Lilith’s body couldn’t hold on anymore. Probably because her posture wasn’t good when she jumped down, quite a few wires and the circuits were exposed from the holes where she was shot. The tubes that were leaking currents twitched like a living creature, creating sparks all around.

—If this goes on, her battery level……

“Heh heh…… This is bad……” Lilith said in a relaxed tone and touched her chest while retaining her posture. She wanted to used her hands to stuff the exposed circuits back into her body, but it was useless.

“Iris.”

“What is it?”

“Well……”

She took out a square box from the hole on her chest.

It was a card box that was stained black by the machine oil.

“Open it.”

I opened the box according to her instructions, and a plastic card was placed in it. The familiar name of a bank was written on it.

“…… A cash card?” I looked at Lilith.

“That’s right. The password is HRM019, my certification number.”

I didn’t know what she wanted to say. Why is she handing the cash card to me now?

“Also, at the bottom of the card box……” Lilith quietly instructed me, “There’s a paper right? Openit.”

I opened the paper at the bottom of the box according to her instructions. It was a map of Oval City and a neighboring city. Only one place was circled with a pencil.

“It’s a junk parts store.”

While saying that, black machine oil trickled down from the corner of her mouth.

“Remember? I mentioned it to you before this. A robot called Lightning.”

Lightning— that seemed to be the name of a robot that works at a junk parts store that Lilith mentioned before this. A large robot that is similar to Volkov.

“Go there and ask him to fix you.”

“O…… Okay.”

“Be careful when you move. You must hide immediately after that, I recommend you to hide below cars. And also—“

I uneasily interrupted her. “Wa- wait a minute. A- aren’t you going as well?”

“Idiot. …… Of course I can’t go like this.”

“After I reached the junk parts store, I’ll ask them to come help you. So, you just wait he—“

This time, Lilith interrupted me. “Iris, listen.”

Her tone was quite determined, but her gaze started to fade. The gleam in her eyes darkened, indicating that her battery level was getting low.

“I can’t go on anymore.”

Hearing that, my chest tightened.

“Lilith, don’t say that. As long as I ask the person in the junk parts store, you would……”

Lilith shook her head vigorously, liquid flowing down from her neck. “No, you can’t be fixed if you don’t have enough money. Definitely not.”

“Lilith, wait a minute. I can’t just leave you here and go.”

I pleaded while gazing at her. However, Lilith shook her head and said: “Never mind, hurry up.”

Abandoning Lilith and running away alone. I can’ and won’t do this.

I handed the card box back to her. “…… No. I definitely wouldn’t want to escape alone. That’s why I’m not accepting this.”

At that instant.

“Iris Rain Umbrella!” Lilith grabbed my shoulder with her left hand, widening her eyes so much that it’s scary, “Don’t be so naïve!”

Her angry roar made me cringe. Her ferocity swayed my whole body.

“Listen, you must live on! If only you have that card, you can be repaired! But I can’t go on anymore! So only you can be fixed!”

“Bu- but!”

“Have courage! You must have the courage to live on even if you’re alone! This world isn’t that simple! If you get weak, you’ll be turned into scrap metal!”

She violently coughed out some machine oil. The black liquid splattered onto my face as well.

Even so, she still continued.

“Alright, go! Faster!”
[[File:Iord 245.jpg|200px|thumb]]
“But, but!”

“Iris! Don’t trouble me anymore!”

Lilith stared at me with a clouded expression. While holding her hands, I said repeatedly like a spoiled child: “No, I don’t want to……”

Just like that, I refused her for quite some time.

A gentle smile suddenly surfaced on Lilith’s face.

She lifted her left hand, lightly touching my face. Her hand was stained with machine oil. “Iris. Let me tell you something……”

Lilith said as though she was educating me.

“This world…… is more random than you think. …… This place is unexpectedly full of seams, as long as you think of ways, you’ll be able to live on.”

Her slender fingers touched me lovingly, while I just stared blankly as the light in her eyes gradually faded.

“That’s why it’s okay. Even if you’re alone, you can still live on. …… Have some confidence. Because—“

She looked directly at my eyes, saying in a hoarse voice.

“You’re a robot that was loved up till the last second.”

After saying that, power left Lilith’s hand and it fell from my face.

I did not speak.

What Lilith said must be correct. Compared to myself, who doesn’t know about anything, she who lived on with her own power would probably be right.

However, even so, I still have some parts that I could not agree with.

What should I do? If it were to be Professor, what would she do at these time?

That’s right, Professor would—

“Lilith, listen to me.”

I opened the cover on my chest, taking out the gray cigarette case. That was a memento keeping the group photo between Professor and I. After opening the lid, I took out the 8-shaped circlet cigarette in it.

“Before this, Professor told me. We’re just like this 8-shaped circlet cigarettes. …… See, this would break the 8 into two circlets……”

I broke the 8-shaped cigarette in half. One circlet would be used for someone who wants to quit smoking, the other part would be used as an ashtray. After that, I pressed the two circlets together again.

“See, it’ll be a 0 if there’s only one, and it’ll be another 0 over here. But you’ll get a 8 when you combine them. Combining them would make them more powerful— that is the number 8, and they are us.

That was a view that I learnt from Professor, a casual remark by Professor in one of her special lectures. Seeing Professor’s circlet cigarette, I remembered that.

Lilith stared at the cigarette in my hands, mumbling in an almost unperceivable voice: “Isn’t this…… too hypocritical……” The gleam in her eyes was almost completely lost.

I don’t care if it’s hypocritical. I just don’t wish for her to die, don’t wish for her to lose hope for life. So, I continued to say.

“Professor and I, Lilith and Volkov, and Lilith and I right now, we’re just like the 8-shaped cigarettes, two of us can be combined. It wouldn’t do there isn’t two. So, Lilith—“

My electronic voice sounded rather like my original voice at this moment.

“I’ll definitely save you.”

Lilith did not speak.

She just blinked and closed her eyes.

At this moment, her battery finally finished.

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| Forward to [[Iris on Rainy Days: Execution- battery=00:58:34 |Execution- battery=00:58:34 ]]
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Iris on Rainy Days: Execution- battery=04:21:29

2012-01-13T14:19:18Z

DNK:

==battery=04:21:29==

“Uuu……”

When I came to my senses, I was thrown onto the cold asphalt road.

It was pouring. No, it’s just because the condition of my vision is terrible.

The truck is at the right side of my field of vision. The truck that had turned over, wheels spinning meaninglessly, and the fiercely burning trailer. In the darkness, the burning flames dyed the night sky white.

I searched in my memories.

Countless sharp lasers were released from the armored cars of the police, my vision turned white— so that’s why— I was shot by a laser gun.

I finally understood what had happened.

“Lilith!” I frantically called the name of my friend, “Lilith! Where are you!”

I supported myself on the road with my two hands, getting up and observed the surroundings. The ‘rain’ was still terrible, but my visual settings seemed to be okay. In the black and white vision, I tried to search for Lilith’s silhouette.

—Ah!

Below the railings at quite a distance from the overturned truck, I saw a silhouette. The long hair was spread on the ground like a fan.

“Lilith, are you okay!? Lilith!!”

I frantically shouted. However, Lilith lied weakly on the ground, motionless.

—Wait for me, Lilith. I’ll go save you right now.

I avoided the debris from the truck scattered all around, approaching Lilith by turning my continuous track.

Before I reached her side, Lilith made a pained moan, and regained her consciousness. She slowly lifted her upper body, looked around and met my gaze.

“Lilith, are you okay!”

“Mnn…… More or less. Compared with this, that guy—“

After she said that, Lilith turned her gaze to the truck.

“Don’t move!”

A rough shout suddenly rang, then Lilith was kicked in the back, bumping roughly with the road surface.

“Ahhh……!” After ascertaining her assailant, my body froze because of fear.

The person who kicked Lilith had an odd, metal helmet on him, and was equipped with armor, holding a laser gun that was giving off gray light in his hands as well.

Memories replayed in my mind like a slide show. The news in the afternoon, the fountain plaza, the robot that went on a rampage, the blue lasers, the special unit, and—

One of them raised the head of the robot like a trophy.

“Don’t move, this is an order!” The steel head said in a cold voice, “Place your hands at the back of your head!”

“You bastard……!” Lilith immediately retailiated. Her body sprang upwards like a whip, her back of her head ramming into the head of the man pressing her down. The man moaned, covering his face.

“Iris, we’re running away!”

“A- Alright!”

While being shocked at Lilith’s audacious actions to the police, I extended my right hand. Lilith extended her right hand to me as well.

At that instant, a light ray assaulted her.

Lilith’s right arm suddenly fell onto the ground in front of me.

She shouted in a high-pitched, screeching voice, and sat down on the ground weakly. Black machine oil poured out of the cut arm, even splattering myself. The man wearing heavy armor immediately rushed to Lilith’s side, pointing at her with a laser gun.

“Being energetic sure is nice, missy!” The man who was hammered in the head by Lilith roughly grabbed her hair and pulled her up. Lilith moaned, her face twisted in pain.

“Because of you, one of my front teeth broke. …… Here’s a gift in return.”

Light engulfed her once more.

Lilith’s left ear and left face was completely burnt. She gave a scream even more piercing than just now, collapsing on the road. While pressing on her left side of her face, Lilith convulsed in pain on the ground. Seeing this scene, the man started to laugh.

“Lilith! Turn off your pain sensors! Lili—“

I shouted with all my might, but a man immediately silenced me, kicking me aside.

“Let’s just tear them apart so that it’ll be easier to move them.” “Yeah.” While conversing, they pointed their laser guns at Lilith’s head. Her face was full of terror when the men placed their fingers on the trigger. Seeing this scene, my body started to tremble slightly.

Ahhh, Lilith is dying, she’s going to get killed. No, no, I definitely, absolutely, won’t let this happen—!

“Uwaaaaa!”

Unknowingly, I rushed towards the men while shouting.

“What?” The man lost his balance soon. I frantically grabbed his legs. “Let go of me!” The man impatiently tried to fling me away, but I definitely wouldn’t let go so easily.

“Iris!” Lilith shouted my name.

“Lilith, run away!” I answered loudly while being kicked by the man.

However, my resistance ended there.

My body was assaulted by ‘something hot’. When I thought ‘Ah……’, I was collapsed on the surface on the road, looking at fragments of my continuous track descending from the sky.

“Uuu……” I moaned in a hoarse voice, looking at my lower body slowly. My lower torso was hit, and completely vanished. The parts below my waist was burnt, a few tubes poking out of it like innards, with sparks flying all around.

“Stop!” Lilith shouted in despair, “At least let her go!”

However, the men answered her pleadings with violence. The muzzle of the laser gun was roughly stuffed into Lilith’s mouth, and a choking sound came from her throat.

“Don’t worry. …… Both of you will turn into scrap metal together.”

—Lilith! Ahhh, Lilith!

I frantically taised my body, but I couldn’t do anything after being bathed in rays of lasers. I almost couldn’t even make a noise.

—Help!

I shouted in my heart, then used all my effort to shout out loud.

—Anyone, save Lilith!

Was my voice heard?

“—uaaaaaaa-arr-gggh!!”
[[File:Iord 206.jpg|200px|thumb]]
I heard a sound. A powerful roar like the howling of an animal.

The men looked at each other, asking: “What was that?”

After that, “UUAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHH!!” the rough roar clearly tore the night apart. The men turned over to look at the direction where the sound came from. In their field of views, there was a large, burning truck.

After that, a large arm surrounded flames—

was extended from the truck.

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| Forward to [[Iris on Rainy Days: Execution- battery=04:10:52 |Execution- battery=04:10:52 ]]
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</noinclude>

Iris on Rainy Days: Rebirth- Day 69

2012-01-13T14:17:01Z

DNK:

==Day Sixty-Nine==

In the monochrome world where the sky and the earth looks unpleasant, I’m continuing my labor today as well. Endlessly walking back and forth in the never-ending rain.

Lilith would come by my side sometimes, and would leave after talking for awhile.

Basically, Volkov and I can talk to each other now. Every time I lightly tap his large body, asking ‘Anyone inside?’, he would turn his head around, giving an odd answer ‘Oh~ There is, there is’.

At night, we would start the long-anticipated meeting of the night time book club. After I started reading for two weeks, we speedily reached the sixth volume of ‘Third-Rate Demon God Visa Darke’. There are eight volumes in the series, so we’re already at the last part of the story. To summarize the story from volume one to volume five, most of them are like ‘Demon God Darke would sneak out of the castle every time, bringing back a magical tool’→ ‘Get scolded by magical ring Flo Snow’ → ‘The magical tool is actually really powerful……’. The conversations between the black shirted demon god and the serious silver ring in each volume are very interesting, not only Lilith and Volkov, even I’m addicted to the story as well.

However, the style of the sixth volume differs from the previous volumes. Darke left Flo, and went on a journey himself, losing contact from each other for a month. After time passed, Flo, who was rather angry at the start, started to worry, and realized her ‘true feelings’. She, who always told Darke off, actually— just like that, the relationship between the two started to develop.

Time flies. Unknowingly, I’ve been here for two months already. That means that Professor had passed away for two months now.

About this matter, it’s better if I don’t think so much about it.

After two at late night.

In the warehouse shrouded in darkness, the charging lights of the robots flickered like fireflies. A corner of the warehouse was shone on by the moonlight, and that’s the place where we have our small party.

“Read the passage just now again.”

Lilith used her fingers to lightly tap on my elbow. If we reach a part where she cares about, she would immediately ask me to reread it.

“Flo thought. Until now, did she really help Darke.”

“Hmm……”

Lilith tilted her head while hugging her knees, it seems that she felt uneasy about this part.

In this part of the story, the magical ring Flo Snow seemed to be quite troubled recently.

She was quite confident in her ability to educate as she started to serve the Darke family from last generation. Though Darke would say harsh words, he would still listen to Flo’s advice in the end, so it didn’t trouble her. Even I, who’s reading the book, has the feeling that ‘Ahh~ Their thoughts are really connected’.

However, Darke left Flo, not even sending messages to her for the month that he’s absent. Such a thing never happened in the past. Flo felt uneasy now that she’s alone, and kept thinking to herself the whole day. Darke kept trying his best as a demon god up till now, but is she just a fussy and troublesome presence to him? Also, she knows that her ‘true feelings’— her love for Darke would definitely trouble him, so this made her troubled.

“…… Flo Snow.”

Lilith quietly said.

“How should I say this, she worries too much. Since she’d been together with Darke for such a long time, she should be more confident in herself.”

Lilith defended the stand of the troubled ring. I feel the same as well.

Then, Volkov asked.

“But- Darke- didn’t- return. Why?”

“That’s because……”

Unusually, Lilith was at a loss of words. Though Darke is random and childish, he’s actually kind and honest. Thus, there must be a reason that he couldn’t come back immediately.

“Iris, please continue to read.”

Lilith poked my elbow. I raised the book and said: “Then let us continue.”

At that moment.

“Ah……”

The book slid down from my hands like a living creature.

“Eh, are you alright?”

Lilith picked up the book.

While apologizing, I took the book. The ‘rain’ became more and more serious recently, so getting a grasp of distance is rather hard for me.

“Flo thought. Did she really help Dark up till now. Then, she started to think again.”

In the rain, my gaze moved with the words. The white lines that were like the clouds appearing from the end of a jet formed on top of the words.

“If she couldn’t help Darke, how would she continue to live.”

Then, I closed the book.

“What is it, Iris?”

Lilith stared at my face in surprise.

I expressed my own feelings.

“The sentence just now, don’t you care about it?”

“Eh…… Which sentence?”

“If she couldn’t help Darke…… that part.”

Flo Snow’s thoughts are exactly what I was pondering about after I came to the construction site.

—If I cannot help, how can I continue to live?

Working everyday without rest, turning off my power source when night comes, waking up in the morning. And the process repeats every day. Is there any meaning to living like this? I, who could not help Professor, does my existence still have any value?

My questions combined with Flo Snow’s worries that she could not help the demon god.

Thus, I asked my question.

“Well, ‘living’…… what is it, actually?”

The first person who answered was Lilith.

“Mnn…… Living……”

She uneasily tilted her head.

“As long as you’re not dead…… that’s living, right?”

“Ah, no, I don’t mean that.”

I continued my question.

“I should phrase it like this, that’s right…… the meaning of existence. To robots like us, what is ‘living’, and our ‘meaning of existence’— the question that I’m thinking about is this.”

“Sorry, I have absolutely no idea about what you said.”

“Erm, which is to say…… Don’t Flo Snow live for the demon god Darke? That’s her meaning of existence. Then, what’s our meaning of existence?”

I tried to explain, while Lilith said ‘Ah…… So that’s what you meant’. She seemed to have understood the meaning of my question just now.

I anticipated her answer.

She directly said.

“Things like meaning of existence are questions that only idlers would think about.”

“…… Eh? Idlers?”

“To be exact, only robots that have great lives would think about this. …… Poor robots like us don’t need a meaning for existence. As long as our battery content and parts haven’t broken down completely, even though the day that we would become scrap metal would come, isn’t that the meaning of our existence?”

She said in a logical tone.

“Err, sorry. Your meaning is……”

“Which means, living is ‘a struggle to the finish’.”

Lilith said in a rough tone. Her words had some power in it.

At that moment, Volkov interrupted lightly: “I- think- that’s- wrong.”

“Mnn?” Lilith raised one of her brows, then turned over to face Volkove, “Hey, I’ll say, you dare to have opinions that differ from I, Lilith Sunlight?”

Lilith leisurely teased Volkov.

However, Volkov really doesn’t know how to joke. He answered seriously: “Volkov- have- opinions.”

“Differs- from Iris’.”

His square eyes faced me.

“Lilith- meant- living- or dying. …… Iris- meant- why- we- live.”

After hearing Volkov’s explanation, I was delighted. Because Volkov deciphered the meaning of my question.

“That’s right, that’s right! What Volkov said what exactly what I meant! The meaning of our existence would mean ‘why do we live’!”

“Volkov, what do you think? The meaning of our existence. Why do we continue to live?”

I asked quickly, while he answered slowly after hesitating for awhile.

“Volkov- don’t- know.”

Then, he unusually continued to speak.

“Volkov- entered- wars. Volkov- killed- a lot. …… Humans- Robots- killed- a- lot.”

Hearing his words, my body couldn’t help but cringe. Lilith stared at Volkov seriously.

“Volkov- knows- ways- to- kill.”

I saw that a sorrow shone in his eyes.

“But- don’t- know- ways- to- live.”

After saying that, he sank into a silence.”

Silence came upon the warehouse.
[[File:Iord 146.jpg|200px|thumb]]
After a long time, Lilith silently said “……. Is that so”.

“That’s okay, it’s alright even if you don’t know. ……. I don’t know either.”

Lilith’s gaze towards Volkov was rather gentle. She would look at Volkov with that expression occasionally.

“Also, complicated questions like the meaning of existence—“

She glanced at the windows of the warehouse.

“Even humans would have trouble answering that.”

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| Forward to [[Iris on Rainy Days: Rebirth- Day 73|Rebirth- Day 73]]
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</noinclude>

Iris on Rainy Days: Rebirth- Day 1

2012-01-13T14:13:28Z

DNK:

==Rebirth==

“Welcome to the night time book club.” (Lilith Sunlight)

==Day One==

——

Swoosh.

——?

There’s a sound.

Like rain——

Like a bad quality television——

A piercing——

Noise.

Then, I wake up.

——me.

My consciousness gradually returns.

——……a……live…….?

I’m still alive—— at least, my mental circuit is not damaged to the extent that I cannot confirm the outside world.

Even so, my field of vision is not clear. My vision quality is extremely low, sand-like particles dance in front of my eyes. Besides that, there are those ‘lines’ that often appear in old movies. Quite a few white lines appear before me.

The most pressing matter is, my vision is monochrome— no color. This is a dull world with only black and white.

— What…… is with this?

I search for my memories in the blurry consciousness of my mind.

I became scrap metal in the dismantling factory. My arms and legs were removed, while my head and body had been cut off as well.

—Then, where is this?

My auditory setting gradually recovers its function. I can now differentiate the sounds around me.

“Oi, move it over there!” “Stop dawdling!” “Idiot, move quicker!” – angry shouts and noise rings in my surroundings. There’s also a heavy banging noise of metal.

—Construction…… site?

I look at my surroundings. However, my monochrome vision that had lost all color is unable to grasp the current situation. In addition, the white rain-like lines almost cover my field of vision. It feels as if I’m looking at this world through a pair of goggles full of scratches.

To understand the situation, I narrow my eyes for quite some time to think.

After that, I notice something.

— Who is this?

Noticing a presence, I turn my head around and see a robot.

This is an eccentric robot.

His head that is like a steel bucket is embedded with eyes that are like the lens of binoculars, and he also has a mouth that is actually a small speaker. His appearance is completely the style of last century experimental products made by science school students.

His body is also appalling. His left arm is shorter than his right arm for ten centimeters, each finger swollen as if they were scalded. His legs are non-existent, and what replaced that is a continuous track that is full of rust. The sizes and coordination of the parts on his body is very uncoordinated.

He’s probably one of the simple robots made using some spare parts from second hand shops. The ones that are connected to a core of the system and a mental circuit, then forcibly reactivated robots. That’s probably it.

Using some random parts, randomly making a robot. A tragic looking oddly shaped robot.

This robot stared at me from just now.

— what is it?

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, I retreat backwards, and that robot went backwards at the same time.

—Eh?

I raise my ‘right hand’, then the robot raises his ‘left hand’. It’s like I’m looking at a mirror.

I look at my hands. At the tip of my fingers are five swollen fingers like what the robot in front of me has.

—Perhaps……

The possibility makes me tremble. Even so, a convinced feeling surge up in me. I had been dismantled, becoming scrap metal. How can I have my original body, then?

Which means—

I turn my continuous track to get closer to ‘him’. ‘He’ approaches me as well.

The strange robot reflected in the mirror is unquestionably, me.

<center>♠</center>

I stare at ‘him’ for a moment. As I am too shocked, I cannot say a word. Not even moving my body.
[[File:Iord 104.jpg|200px|thumb]]
—This is…… me……

My thoughts cannot follow what is happening on myself.

I look at the robot in front of me once again. A head like an overturned bucket, eyes like binoculars, and a small speaker for a mouth. An exceptionally short left arm— no, is this the right arm—

“Mn……”

A sense of wanting to puke rise in my. That is a strong sense of wanting to puke that surges up from the bottom of my throat, as if my body is gradually rotting. My body undergo slight spasms for awhile, suppressing the vomit that would be impossible to come out.

After the feeling decreases, I suddenly start to detest ‘him’, in front of me. It is a self-disgust that is so severe that it can make people lose hope.

After that, I acted like I turned crazy— I might already be crazy, in reality— and start to hit my head on the mirror reflecting my outline. As though I can deny my current appearance by doing that.

It’s a lie. No. I don’t want to believe this. I curse the robot in front of me repeatedly.

Where are the sky blue eyes? Where are the slender limbs that I’m so proud of? My snow white skin? My maroon hair?

Why, why, is, is—

Why is such an ugly robot me?

Probably because of the impact of collision, a clanking sound suddenly comes from my skull. It seems that a part fell down.

—That’s right.

I make up my mind. I don’t need a body like this. I can just crush it to dust. Just let it be broken to pieces.

Therefore, I start to hit my head again. Using all my strength, hitting my head again and again. I cannot feel pain. Cracks appear on the mirror, and my head becomes somewhat deformed.

At that moment.

“Oi, new one! What are you doing!”

An angry roar echoes from behind me.

“Don’t move! This is an order!”

At the instant when I hear the order, my body suddenly freezes. My body cannot move, like it has been frozen solid.

A man in a gray clothing walks over to me. A badge that seems like a company logo is adorn on his chest.

The man walks to my front, and stares at me with dark eyes like a muddy quagmire.

“Charging…… seems to be okay. Listen, hurry up and go to your post!”

“Understood……”

My voice is no longer the voice of a young girl, but an ordinary electronic voice. That is a mechanical voice that lacks self-assurance.

My mind is still confused, but my body starts to move creakingly, going backwards slightly. At this moment, I realize that the thing that I rammed my head against is a large looking glass. Apart from the mirror, quite a lot of junk are piled up in the area.

“Hurry up and go! This is an order!”

The angry roar of the man caused my body to freeze up, and my continuous track start to move by itself.

I probably walked down from the slope for about a hundred meters or so. Steel bars, concrete and other construction materials are piled into a small hill in the area. Other robots are carrying these materials up the slope. It seems that carrying these construction materials is my new job.

Thus, I start to carry them. Though I don’t feel like doing that, I cannot disobey my orders. The compulsory command code hidden in my safety circuit caused myself to move without being able to disobey the orders.

Where is this? Why am I doing this job? I have absolutely no idea. I carry the materials a few times, tens of times, going back and forth in the construction site. When I stop walking, angry shouts would fly over like an arrow. Every time, my body would reeze, and move without my permission like I’m being hypnotized.

Finally, the gray sun sunk down the horizons. Even so, the ‘labor’ still continues.

Late night. Finally finishing our work for the day, the other robots and I gather near a warehouse. Rubble and other waste materials were piled up in the warehouse, while square boards are arranged neatly in front of me. These one meter square boards are charging boards. The robots line up in a row in front of the charging boards, connecting the plug onto theirselves one after one. The scene looks like corpses from graves lining up to obtain nutrients.

I stand in front of the tombstone, waiting for my turn. When the workers appear, the cover in front of my chest is opened with a creak, then a thick wire is plugged into it.

Soon after, I lose my consciousness.

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| Forward to [[Iris on Rainy Days: Rebirth- Day 2|Rebirth- Day 2]]
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</noinclude>

Iris on Rainy Days: Dismantling- 4 Days Before

2012-01-13T14:11:38Z

DNK:

==Four Days Before==

Sunday.

I am wearing a white dress with frills on it, confirming my attire in front of the mirror.

I’m going on a date with Professor today. Even so, we’re just going for a half-day date to watch movie and eat lunch.

“Iris, we’re about to go out soon~”

Professor’s voice came from downstairs.

“Alright, I’m coming!”

I answer loudly, putting on a large straw hat at the same time. This way, the antenna above my ears would be covered, and there wouldn’t be curious kids shouting “Robot! It’s a robot!”

— Attire okay, hat alright, battery level full!

I start running down the stairs in a hurry after ending my last minute check.

Professor is standing in front of the entrance, wearing her personal clothes.

— so stunning!

The blue shirt and green jeans are actually quite casual clothing, but since she’s quite tall, this would show off her exceptional figure. If there’s a white horse beside her, she would look just like a prince— but it seems rather strange to use this analogy.

A silver cigarette case is gleaming in front of her chest. Having Professor’s favorite oblong cigarette case hung on a chain, it seems just like a necklace. The 8-shaped circlet cigarettes are kept in the case.

“Professor, how does my clothing look on me?”

I twirl in a circle like a ballerina. The dress and the straw hat gently bloated because of the breeze.

Professor narrows her eyes, as if dazzled by the sun and says to me “Mnn, it suits you”.

It suits you…… It suits you…… It suits you…… It suits you……. Professor’s words reverberate repeatedly in my mental circuit.

Ahh, just hearing this sentence would make me happy the whole day.

“Let’s go then.”

Professor walks over while lifting her long hair. I hold her hand while standing beside her.

After opening the door, the blue skies that would make people feel like singing seems to be blessing us.

There are a lot of people at the cinema beside the station.

I show my robot certificate at the ticket booth, then the workers start to size me up. My antenna above my ear is hidden, so they feel that I’m suspicious because they can’t tell if I’m a human or a robot.

It seems that the elevator is undergoing maintenance today, we passed by quite a few technicians at the entrance of the cinema. More than half of them seem to be labor robots, probably the HRL004 model from their appearance. No matter what, it’s quite an old model.

The history of labor robots is actually even longer than family robots. As more of them are sold in the market, they are often seen on the streets. Waiters at a restaurant and a night time security guard, attendants at the entrance hall of a company and carpentry, their uses are quite diverse.

Old family robots are also often sold in the second hand market, reused as labor robots. Young female robots usually originate from here. Recently, the people who combine second hand parts of robots to create a new robot to sell are increasing, and the hidden dangers have been treated as a social problem. By the way, it is against the law for people without necessary qualifications to assemble a robot, and is similar to the fact that we can’t just assemble a car and drive it on the road.

After entering the cinema, Professor and I chose a seat towards the back of the room. We place the fruit juice and popcorn on the small table of the seat. After five minutes, the movie starts to play.

“Hey, Professor.”

“What is it?”

“Why are we watching a horror movie today?”

Two young women watching a horror movie alone seems to be strange. The other people on the seats are just pairs of men and women.

“Analyzing the actions of the zombies can be used as a reference for the theory of movement control of robots.”

“Huh…… Theory of movement control……”

Professor is always passionate about her research. I can’t help but think admiringly “As expected of Professor”, while a hint of mirth suddenly appears on the corner of Professor’s mouth.

“Eh, why are you smiling?”

“Nothing, Iris is really an honest, good girl.”

“Eh?”

Professor praised me for some reason. That’s great.

“That’s right, Professor. According to my investigations, the movie ‘This is a Fateful Encounter’ is the most popular movie, a touching masterpiece…… It’s rare that we come here, so do you want to watch that?”

“I say, isn’t that a romantic movie?”

“That would be fine, romantic movies.”

“The stereotypical contents are lame.”

“The- then what about a monster movie? Like ‘Monster Showdown: Vanilla vs Chocola’?”

“There’d probably be a lot of kids there, so it won’t do. They’d make a lot of noise when the movie is playing.”

“What about ‘Third-rate Demon God Visa Darke’?”

“Isn’t that a series? I didn’t watch its predecessors, so how would I know of its contents?”

“Uuuu…… You know that I’m scared of watching horror movies, right?”

“Really?”

“Really.”

I puff out my cheeks and start to have a tantrum. Professor burst into laughter after she saw me.

All of a sudden, a bell starts to ring and the movie is starting.

The long awaited zombies walked out unsteadily from the movie screen.

Therefore.

“It’s not bad.”

Professor tells me her impression of the movie, satisfied. It seems that she’s satisfied with the visual effects of the horror movie.

As for me, I became a pale-faced robot that had violent spasms periodically.

“Iris, are you okay?”

“H- h-h- how could I be okay! Wh- wh- wh- what is that, that movie that cuts like bzzzt~, and springs up like dong~!”

Instead of saying that this is a horror movie, it’s more like a violent, bloody movie.

Halfway through the movie, I try to hug Professor quite a few times in fear, but was pushed away by the expressionless Professor with her right hand.

I try to fling away the squirting blood, flying brains and squirming intestines burnt into my mental circuit by violently shaking my head, but even if I do so, the data obviously remained unchanged.

“Since it’s so rare that we’re here, why don’t we take a commemorative photo?”

“Eh~ Here?”

After calling a worker nearby, Professor passes the camera to him. It seems like she’s going to use the signboard of the horror movie ‘Nightmare~ Rotten Nightmare’ as a background, to take the commemorative photo with me.

“No, let’s take it some other place.”

“That won’t do. We watched a movie here today, so we must take it here.”

“We’ll get cursed if we take a photo here!”

“That isn’t a scientific reason.”

After grabbing my elbow tightly, Professor hugs my shoulders in front of the signboard.

Our bodies are tightly stuck together, and it would be a great time if it’s some other time. But now, I just feel that the army of zombies from the signboard would jump out at any moment. Especially the zombies that had their lower bodies chopped off, their intestines poking out, I feel my whole body trembling just thinking of it.

“Okay, cheese!”

After shouting that, the worker presses the shutter.

Just like that, I took a photo, my face deathly pale, squeezing out a smile, with Professor, a devilish smile surfacing on her face.

After eating lunch at a nearby restaurant, we use thirty minutes to buy the ingredients used for dinner, then we returned.

On the way back home, Professor and I walked home hand in hand.

From just now, Professor is reading the newspaper she bought from a newsstand. One of the contents is ‘New Modeled Robot Unit Utterly Annihilating Enemy’s Base’.

“Reading while walking is dangerous, Professor.”
[[File:Iord 050.jpg|200px|thumb]]
“It’s okay, I’m holding hands with Iris anyways.”

“Really……”

“It’s because the special column in ‘Oval Times’ is too interesting. Crane Cloudy is one of the top researchers of robots in the world.”

Though Professor is still on a date with me, she is fascinated by the newspaper. I’m so jealous of the newspaper.

While dragging Professor, who’s holding the newspaper one hand, we arrive at Venus Plaza.

— it’s here.

About fifty meters from the plaza, it’s the shop. Its walls have been broken down, the ground is sunken, and there are also yellow tape on the outside, forbidding people from entering. This is the robot crime scene I saw from the news in the television.

“Hey, Professor.”

“Hmm?”

Professor finally shifts her attention away from the newspaper, raising her head.

“About that……” I point at the shop with the collapsed wall. Professor nods, answering immediately “The place where the robot rampage happened?” It seems that Professor knows of this as well.

“Why did the robot go on a rampage?”

I express my doubts about the matter.

Professor deliberately lowers her voice, answering: “I have the obligation to keep this secret, so I can’t answer you.”

“Eh?” I am confused. “An obligation?”

Professor smiles faintly and shrugs while saying: “I was just making fun of you.”

“For dissection, the robot was sent to our research centre. And our group is in charge of it.”

I blinked in surprise. I never would have thought that the robot in the news would have any connection to Professor. While thinking about it, the agency that is the most specialized in robotic matters is the ‘First Robotics Laboratory of Oval University’ where Professor works at, so it’s natural that things would turn out this way.

“Then did you get any information from that?”

“Mnn, yeah……”

Professor touches her chin lightly with her index finger.

“In a nutshell, it should be a ‘short circuit of the motor system causing the safety circuit to go haywire’. Even so, we aren’t that clear about some parts as the robot was overly damaged.”

Robots have a central circuit that is called the ‘Three Main Circuits’. The circuits are the mental circuit, movement control circuit and safety circuit.

Compared with a human, the mental circuit would be the brain, the movement control circuit would be the spinal cord and nervous system. The orders given by the mental circuit would be transmitted to the whole body though the movement control circuit, causing the limbs to move.

The safety circuit would be like a emergency brake system that would prevent the two previous circuits from going into disorder. All robots must install a safety circuit, and the robot manufactures are required to do that in law, so this type of circuit is hidden in my body as well.

“Even so, I still have something that I’m worried of.”

Professor continues to say. Taking out a cirgarette from her cigarette case, she places it into her mouth. The cirgarette immediately gives out purple smoke.

“After recovering the data of the mental circuit, I noticed something odd. Robots seem to be able to have ‘illusions’.”

“Illusions……. Huh?”

Professor nods. A sweet sour smell drifts over from the circlet cigarette.

“It seems that he was chasing ‘someone’ that only he could see. If you explain it this way, you would be able to explain the actions of the robot in a logical way. The robot breaking the door is because ‘that person’ was at the other side of the wall, walking to the fountain, is also because ‘that person’ went there.”

Robots having hallucinations. Can this happen?

“I received reports of visual and color settings of robots going haywire before, but the case this time is quite rare…… Additionally, the other members of our group did not notice this before I suggested the possibility. Really……”

Professor’s eyes are as lively as the summer sun, and her voice is quite agitated to. Every time she talks about topics concerning robots, Professor would become extremely active. I like seeing Professor like this.

Even so, as our topic today is robot crimes, my feelings now are rather complicated.

“Oh…..?”

At this moment, Professor suddenly stops.

“What is it?”

“Iris, wait for me for a moment.”

After that, Professor walks to the other side of the road.

She is walking towards a robot lying on the ground. His right leg has been broken to the core, his body is broken down, curling up his body like a kitten, lying in front of a closed down store.

Professor ignored the fact that it would dirty her clothes, and starts to carry the robot’s upper torso, leaning him on the steel door of the store. Then, she starts to do a whole body examination on the robot with a serious expression on her face.

“Hmm, the 007 model huh……”

After muttering that in a low voice, Professor slowly takes out a spare battery from her pocket and stuffs it into the chest of the robot. After a few seconds, a ‘beep’ sound rang, then the chest of the robot quivers violently for awhile like an electric shock was used on him after his heartbeat stopped.

“Very good, his circuits are still functioning.”

After taking out the battery, Professor immediately takes out her phone to make a phone call.

“…… Ah, Ralph? It’s me. I’m near the fountain plaza right now.”

Professor concisely tells the person at the other side of the phone about the model and condition of the robot. The conversation ends after about half a minute, then Professor starts looking at the cover of the gutters rolled nearby.

“This kid…… actually passed through such a dark, narrow place……”

As Professor said, the robot seemed to have crawled out from the gutters, his body stained with moss. After imagining the silhouette of a robot crawling through the gutters that are like a dark, narrow passage, an inexplicable feeling wells up in me.

Professor sticks a sticker with ‘Oval University First Robotics Laboratory: End of reclamation information’ onto the chest of the robot, then says to me after turning around “Sorry for the wait”.

“Professor, you called the research centre just now?”

“Yeah. I made some arrangements for collecting this kid.”

I turn my head around to look at the robot just now.

“You can fix him?”

“Yeah, I won’t know if I don’t try.”

Professor often fixes robots that are lying on the roadside. If she got to know the identity of the robot, she would contact the registered owner. Though there were some lucky robots who were taken away by their owners, most of them were kept in the storage room of the research centre.

If the robots are claimed by the Robot Management Department first, the robots would be turned into scrap metal after dealing with the necessary procedures. From this perspective, the robots found by Professor are actually very lucky.

Walking forward hand in hand, I ask.

“Hey, Professor.”

“What is it?”

“Why do you keep helping and fixing the robots?”

“Hmm, yeah……”

Professor thinks for a moment, then stares at me.

“Because this is the meaning of my existence…… probably?”

I feel that the smile that Professor gave me was gentle, but contained a hint of sadness.

An expression like this would surface on Professor’s face occasionally.

<center>♠</center>

After dinner that day, Professor starts a long awaited ‘special talk’ for me. This is because Professor finished her work earlier than expected. I have this special talk other than a date, what a special day this day is.

I move the table and chair into the research lab while beaming, arranging the small blackboard and duster, then I prepare some snacks and tea. Then the preparations are complete.

A special talk.

This is a private talk that Professor organizes for me time after time.

Professor organizes a lecture at Oval University each week. As she’s a young genius who’s at the foremost territory of robot engineering, the classroom is always stuffed full of people, and quite a lot of people from other universities go there to listen.

Professor’s lectures are very special, and would start talks with philosophical topics like ‘Robots and Ethics’, ‘Robots and Love’ and so on. Learning about these lectures a long time ago, I shouted “I want to join too!”, but in the end, I couldn’t go. I want to see with my own eyes, Professor standing on the stage with her white robe and holding a cane, teaching with a heroic posture and cold tone. As robots don’t have the right to go to school, attending sneakily would just affect Professor’s stand. As I was about to give up, Professor gave me a suggestion.

“Why don’t we just have the lecture at home?”

From that time on, Wendy von Umbrella started to organize special lectures for Iris Rain Umbrella alone.

I take out my thick notebook from my beloved folder. The notebook was jotted full of questions that I asked during the previous lectures.

For example.

“Do robots undergo psychological growth?”

“Do robots undergo puberty and rebellious stages?”

“What are the differences between the emotions of robots and humans?”

“Can robots go to heaven too?”

“Would there be a day when humans marry robots?”

“How much does Professor love me?”

Though it was mixed with a few personal questions, these are still in a tolerable area. This is a personal talk, after all.

“Alright, please get back onto your seat.”

Professor walks into the lab. Today, she is still wearing a white robe on top of her suit, her beautiful hair tied up behind her. On the other hand, I’m still wearing my usual maid outfit, so our combination is rather strange.

Professor place her hands on the old wooden lectern that she brought from the university, saying: “Starting rollcall.”

“Iris Rain Umbrella.”

“Here! Here here, here!”

I poke out my body from the table, raising my hand energetically like a kid who just started school.”

“Miss Iris.”

“What is it!”

“Saying ‘here’ once would be enough.”

“Understood!”

I am extremely happy at this moment. It would be nice if robots could go to school one day.

Professor coughs for a moment, then started the lecture with a ‘ Well, please turn to page fifty two’.

I open the textbook that Professor uses in the university. As I read it quite a lot of times already, the book is quite tattered.

“The theme of the lecture today is ‘What is the meaning of the existence of a robot’. Recently, this type of research is categorized as robot psychology. A thesis that I spoke of about eight years ago initiated a hot discussion……”

Professor says that rapidly. The blackboard is gradually covered with Professor’s beautiful writing.

I am recording Professor’s words onto the notebook. Of course, saving the contents on the blackboard in my mental circuit can be done, but it wouldn’t have the feel of a lecture if so. The most important thing is the atmosphere and our attitudes.

After thirty minutes.

“…… Hmm, the above is the history of the ‘meaning of life’ and ‘mental hygiene’ from older models to newer models of robots. Though the arrangement is rather ugly from an academic view, but it might be able to help out students who are looking for a reference. …… Any questions?”

“Here!”

I raise my right hand and wave it with all my might. But there’s only one student here anyways.

“Miss Alice.”

“Your lecture is very interesting, thank you for that!”

The first thing is to be courteous.

“Then, about the ‘meaning of existence’ that professor mentioned just now, does it include ‘robots must serve their masters’?”

“Of course. Learning robots are prevalent among family robots, the direct meaning of their existence is to serve the robot user.”

“Then the meaning of my existence is to serve Professor, that’s for sure.”

“How did you get to that conclusion?”

“Because I love Professor.”

“Okay, okay.”

“Saying ‘okay’ once would be enough, Professor said that.”

“You are really so fussy.”

Professor heaves a sigh.

While jotting down the tables and explanations on the blackboard, I ponder today’s theme – the meaning of our existence. Lastly, after I hand in a simple report of my thoughts, the lecture would end.

“Alright, I’m done!”

“Wow, you’re quick.”

Like a detective who solved a hard case, I slap the report onto the lectern.

“Impression Report (Eighteenth time)” Theme……. Robots and Meaning of Existence.

The meaning of my existence is Professor. My beloved Professor. I love you, Professor. Marry me, Professor. End!

After reading my report, Professor’s expression becomes as awkward as an old police who had the limelight stolen by a detective.

“Erm, Miss Alice.”

“What is it!”

“Your report has only one row.”

“That row has everything!”

“How unmotivated are you.”

“I’m full of motivation!”

“Are you looking down on me.”

“I cannot deny the possibility!”

After heaving a sigh, Professor fishes out a circlet cigarette from her cigarette case.

She breaks the 8-shaped circlet cigarette into half, then pops one into her mouth.

“Professor, cigarettes……”

“It’s okay, this isn’t the university anyways.”

“No, not that…… No smoking in the lab.”

“Ah.”

As if she is throwing a tantrum, she declares while pouting: “Then that’s the end of the lecture today!”

She takes off her white robe, throws it onto the table, leaving the classroom speedily with purple smoke behind her. “Really.” The word faintly drifted over along with the smoke.

I pick up the report that I wrote. A large red word is written at the center— “REDO”.

The prank today might be a little bit over. As the special lectures are the only rare times when I can make fun of Professor, I couldn’t resist it.

To make her happier, I should send some red tea and cake there after this.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Iris on Rainy Days: Dismantling- 5 Days Before|Dismantling- 5 Days Before]]
| Return to [[Iris on Rainy Days|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Iris on Rainy Days: Dismantling- 3 Days Before|Dismantling- 3 Days Before]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Iris on Rainy Days: Dismantling- 7 Days Before

2012-01-13T14:07:47Z

DNK:

==Dismantling==
[[File:Iris on Rainy Days p012.jpg|200px|thumb]]
“Take care on the road! Come home earlier!” (Iris Rain Umbrella)

==Dismantling: 7 Days Before==

At the center of the Venus Fountain Plaza, there stood the statue of a stunning goddess.

She has slim limbs, skin as white as silk, and a great figure. Today, the goddess is still wearing a gentle smile on her face, silently observing the surrounding crowd.

Oval Town had once burned in the flames of war. That time, most of the town was burnt into ground, only the goddess statue survived without so much of a scratch, just like a miracle. From that day, the statue of the goddess became a symbol of hope and revival, and has been protected as the most important cultural asset of our country.

Beside the goddess statue that is about a hundred and seventy centimeters, the fountain is blooming flowers of water, having colors of a rainbow. On the dark tea-colored benches that were placed around the fountain, there are old men chatting with each other, children playing around, and lovers proclaiming their love for each other. It is a harmonious scene that looks like it came from a painting.

—it’s indeed similar.

A squeaking sound starts to ring, and I start to adjust the pupil function of my visual system. After focusing my pupil of the white goddess statue, I sigh lightly.

The goddess statue looks like Professor. Professor is the top researcher of robots, Professor Wendy von Umbrella. She has a tall figure, black hair that is beautiful and luscious, wears glasses with a sleek, silver frame that suits her very much, and is the professor that I am proud of.

While thinking of the beautiful outline of Professor, I stare blankly at the goddess statue when the sweet sour smell of circlet cigarette floated over. I start to turn the angle of my neck, confirming the source of the fragrance.

The person who sat on the bench, smoking a circlet cigarette, is a middle aged man donning a dark blue suit. He is reading today’s copy of Oval Daily, but from just now, he started to peek at me once in a while. I use a gentle smile to greet him, and he shyly shifts his gaze.

By the way, circlet cigarettes are products used for smoking cessation. Its shape is as the word ‘circlet’ in its name indicates, and its size is about the size of a circle made using the thumb and the index finger. When people start to smoke it, the ring-shaped cigarette would immediately straighten, and then the tip of the cigarette could be lit.

Although it is a replacement for tobacco that was made to prevent the mouth of the people who are trying to quit smoking to be too free, but recently the smokers who buy it because they like its smell is gradually increasing. Among the similar products, the one that sells the best is the type that combines two circlets into the shape of the number 8. This type of cigarette can be split into two halves, half of it to smoke, and the other half to fill the ashes.

The reason that I am so knowledgeable about this, is because Professor Umbrella loves this type of circlet cigarette.

— Mnn.

I shift my gaze to the goddess statue again, and suddenly started to ponder. The goddess statue looks very similar to the tall professor. However, I just have this feeling that it is lacking ‘something’. Every time I see it, I would have this uncoordinated feeling in me.

When this meaningless question surfaced in my mind, time’s up.

— After five more minutes, you will be unable to reach home in the scheduled time.

The inorganic, electronic voice of my mental circuit starts to urge me to hurry home.

— Alright already, it’s almost time to go home.

With my back to the plaza, I start to walk home quickly. The shopping basket in my right hand is stuffed full of the ingredients for today’s dinner, and a La Bier fish that is glittering in rich silver is tied to my back, causing the pedestrians who pass by to turn their head around when they see it. Seeing me carry a huge, one meter long fish while I’m only a hundred and fifty centimeter, being surprised would be quite natural. But after they notice that I am actually a robot, they showed an expression that said that this is understandable.

Differentiating between humans and robot is very simple. The ones that have a round antenna on their ears (It looks really like an earphone) are robots, the ones who don’t are humans. “It’s the robot from the Umbrella residence!”— a voice clearly projects into my auditory system. So, I smiled back at the person. Though robots used in families is not uncommon, but since Professor is a famous person, I get noticed sometimes when I walk in the streets.

After walking about ten minutes from the Fountain Plaza, I arrived at the Umbrella residence. Looking at the blue door that is full of ivies, I started to say: “Certification number HRM021-α, Iris Rain Umbrella. I’m back.” After the electronic voice says “Certification complete, please enter”, the large door opens silently.

The Umbrella residence is a grand mansion. There is a courtyard here that is the size of three station squares, and it is a large residence that would not be inferior to the mansions of administrators. The outer wall that was formed by red bricks makes people understand the grandeur of the history and traditions of the Umbrella family.

After entering the mansion, a luxurious hall could be seen immediately. The sunlight that entered from the skylight passes through the chandeliers, giving out a colourful radiance. The carpet spread on the floor is similar to the style of the ones in old castles. Large paintings are hanging on the walls, and the value of each work can provide for a luxurious life.

Passing through the corridor with the shiningly exquisite floor, I first place the fish in the freezer. I feel much better after that, and I started to walk towards the west-most room on that floor— the research room. The research room is stuffed full of materials and tools, the clean but chilly space is like a snowy field on a winter day.

Sitting on the creamy white bed near to the wall, I start to confirm the gauge on me.

Battery level 82.50%, waste in body 1.73%. The energy level is more than enough for labour, but charging my battery is the order that Professor had given me. So, I immediately start to charge.

After sterilizing the long, thin tube with a chemical for two times, I open the lock on my wrist, showing the connection plug. If I made a mistake in the steps, the black machine oil might just splatter through the whole room, so I must be more careful.

I insert the tube into my right and left hand in succession, then pressed the switch on the machine. Electric power and additional lubricating oil slowly flow into the connection plug on my right wrist. At the same time, the tea-colored waste in my body is being sucked out from my left wrist.

In the introduction manuals for robot maintenance, they would usually say that the system is similar to humans using IV drips. In reality, as the system undergoes the excretion and cleaning of the inner part of the body, it is more like artificial dialysis when compared with IV drips.

While looking upwards when charging my battery, I stare at the metal boards on the ceiling. The ceiling that is like a smooth mirror reflects my whole body.

Technically, there’s not much difference in gender in robots, but I should be a girl. My age setting is fifteen. I have blue eyes, with delicate eyebrows on it. My maroon hair is slightly wavy, and the length reaches my shoulder. The length of my limbs are similar to Professor’s, and my face is that of a beauty, just like professor— this is my own knowledge, and not just my opinion. It might be because Professor always praising that I’m cute that I feel like that.

The maid costume that I am wearing was designed in a fairy tale style. A maid’s headdress lightly waved on my head, while the cutting of the apron emphasized the curves of my breasts. The peach coloured dress tightened at the waist, while the dress itself is quite loose, and would make people think of a wedding dress. Where did Professor buy such a lovely maid’s costume, I wonder? Right until now, it’s still a mystery.

After twelve minutes and one second, the process of charging finished. Battery level 99.93%, body waste 0.02%.

—Alright, target level achieved.

I jump down from the bed, leaving the research room. My destination is the kitchen, because I have to prepare for dinner.

In the large kitchen that is not inferior to high classed restaurants, I start to make a Bill La Bier stew pot. There’s a lot of pots, sinks and gas stoves here, but I would always cook at the left side of the kitchen. Professor is very rich, and she could even hire over ten, or even over twenty chefs, but she didn’t hire any up till now. Not only a chef, she didn’t even hire other maids, and I have to handle the whole large Umbrella residence. I could only use all my effort, diligently finish the chores like cooking, washing the clothes and sweeping the floor.

I quickly cut the La Bier fish, and lightly picked up the pieces of peach-coloured fish.

—200.0025 grams.

While referring to the recipe searched from my mental circuit, I finish the preparations of making the Bill Labier stew pot. By the way, “La Bier” is a fish very similar to salmon fish, while “La Bier” is actually the name of a person. I’ve heard that a fisherman called La Bier caught a large La Bier fish long ago, then he used a night to finish the whole fish. His way of cooking is was to cut the fish into big pieces, then stew it with the spices— that’s the origin of the La Bier stew pot. It sounds like a simple dish, but if you want to cook it well, there’s quite a lot of techniques. For instance, you have to accurately handle the fire and patiently scoop out the foams.

From the moment I pick up the kitchen knife, twenty seven minutes and twelve seconds has passed, and my job is done. I store the remaining food into the freezer. Professor doesn’t have much visitors, so these leftover portions would probably rot in the freezer. With the large amount of ingredient buying and the large kitchen, the Umbrella residence is usually that wasteful.

As I complain in a small voice, an electronic voice starts to ring in my mind.

— Professor Wendy von Umbrella has returned.

“She’s back!”

I rush out of the kitchen, passing through the hall, and violently pull open the doors to the outside. My dress fluttering in the wind, I start to run to the forecourt.

— Professor, Professor, Professor!

The person that is passing through the gate, is a tall, black haired woman who is wearing a jacket that is light like a swan, and looks incomparably beautiful although it doesn’t seem like she has any make up on her— my Professor walks over to me slowly. And then, she waves suddenly to me.

Not caring about the battery loss, I run with all my strength to the professor. I am running with the speed a hundred meters in nine seconds, and emergency braked three meters in front of Professor. I am not sweating, or even panting too, but my body is giving off heat like a steaming stove, as if my body has been lit up. The image of Professor swirls in my mental circuit.

“Welcome back, Professor!”

I open my arms while beaming, welcoming the return of Professor. Although I’m somewhat overreacting, this is just a way of showing my love for Professor.

Professor looks at me, showing a gentle smile. She puts out the fire of her circlet cigarette and keeps her ash tray. My olfaction system detected a sweet sour smell after that.

“I’m back, Iris. Are you a good girl today, too?”

That is a somewhat deep, cool and silent voice for a female. The silver framed glasses on her nose makes her wise face even more striking.

“Yes! Professor’s Iris is a very very good girl today too!”

“Is that so. What about dinner?”

“It’s the same as what I told you, a La Bier stew pot!”

“What a good girl you are.”

Professor extends her right hand to me.

— alright, it’s coming!

I happily wait for that moment.

Professor’s hand lightly touches the top of my head. She used a gentle, but somewhat rough movement to caress my maroon hair.

This is really a happiness that cannot be compared with.

I look just like a kitten that had been caressed, making satisfied sounds with my throat. I enjoy the pleasure of contact with Professor’s gentle hand, and the sweet sour smell of the tobacco that tickles the nose.

<center>♠</center>
Dinner time has always been the most nervous time for me.

Professor slowly scoops out a piece of La Bier fish from the pot. She continues to use a small knife to cut the fish, sticks a fork into in then swallows it with her rose colored lips.

Because of the chewing action, Professor’s face is moving slightly. I stare at her face, slightly worried.

— Professor, how is it? Is it good? Hmm? Is it?

I ask repeatedly in my heart, waiting for Professor to express her thoughts.

“Hmm……”

Professor twists her neck. Then, my mental circuit suddenly cools down. Describing from the angle of a human, that would mean that a chill went up my back.

“E- e- e- errmmm, i- i- i- i- i- is there a problem with that?”

I ask in a rapid fire speed, feeling slightly dizzy. For Iris Rain Umbrella who is proud of her ability of doing chores, being told that my cooking is bad would be the same as questioning the meaning of my existence.

“To be frank……”

Professor raised one of her beautiful eyebrows, saying with an obviously displeased tone.

“To- to be frank?” I waited nervously for her next comment.

However, Professor’s mouth slightly curls, a smile surfacing on her face. She says suddenly.

“It’s really good.”

I am quite shocked, and couldn’t help but make an idiotic “…… Eh?” sound.

“Ah…… Eh? Aren’t you disliking it……”

“No, it’s very tasty. And the handling of the fire is especially good.”

“…………”

“Oh? What’s the matter, Iris? Why are you showing me a tongue-tied expression?”

You can say that Professor is an S. The S in SM. A sadist. She always uses these simple traps to trick me. By the way, this is already the twenty forth time. The pitiful thing about robots is that they even remember how many times these meaningless things occur.
[[File:Iris on Rainy Days p025.jpg|200px|thumb]]
“Really, Professor! Haven’t I said not to make these types of jokes!”

I throw the napkin at Professor angrily.

“Oi oi, that’s too much of a waste.”

“According to your words, the La Bier stew pot today is the wasteful one! Telling me to buy a whole fish, what are you preparing to do with it!”

Professor casually answered “I’ll finish it after two days”, and continues to eat. I answer “You always lie……”, crumple the last napkin up, throw it, and it hits Professor’s arm with a plop.

“Mnn, it really is tasty. Iris is really good at cooking.”

Professor comments deliberately, and places another piece of La Bier fish into her mouth. Although I feel somewhat frustrated, but seeing Professor enjoying the stew, a send of satisfaction appeared in my heart.

After dinner, Professor goes to the washroom. While cleaning up the dishes, I recall Professor’s childish actions, laughing for a moment, being annoyed for a moment, but a smile still surfaced on my face in the end.

Today, Professor is still pretty, likes to bully people, is gentle and stroked my hair.

— Mnn, I’m satisfied. Up till now, I have no comment.

The peaceful night gradually passes, and it is now time for sleep. I changed into my beloved pajamas that has pictures of flowers on it, then knocked on Professor’s bedroom door.

“Professor, sorry for bothering you.”

I walk into the room. As usual, Professor is wearing a purple pajamas slightly open at the chest, and is lying on her bed. She has a circlet cigarette in her mouth. The swet sour smell is mixed with a slight smell of peppermint, and the smell floated over along with the smoke. The slogan used on television is “The taste of your first love”, and I think that it’s quite apt. That’s right, it’s the taste of the first love to me. The love between Professor and I— I really want to feel that too, but the only one in love is me, Professor is always calm.

I understand these feelings would only be useless, so it’s better for me to be careful.

“Professor, smoking on the bed is too impolite.”

“It’s not against the law.”

“And it could cause a fire.”

“I never heard of cirgarettes causing fires.”

Professor looks at the ceiling, continuing to puff out smoke. That’s right, ‘cirgarette’ is another name for circlet cigarettes.

“The total data says that eight incidents occur this year.”

I block Professor’s vision determinedly, looking at her from above. The smoke almost burned my eyes.

“How many times had it happened in Oval Town?” Professor continues to smoke.

“…… zero.”

“Then it’s okay.”

“But that can’t be used as an excuse, Professor.”

I stubbornly snatch the cirgarette away from Professor’s mouth. “Ah, give it back!” Professor sits up, extending her hand to my elbow.

As revenge for Professor making fun of me during dinner, I run around the room while holding the cirgarette. Professor climbs up from the bed too, chasing me. I hide behind tables and chairs so that Professor cannot catch me. Although it’s childish, there’s still an undeniable charm to it.

After playing two short rounds of catch in the room, Professor says” It’s time for bed”, and takes off her silver framed glasses. She stares at me with her eyes that are like a colourful glass. Professor is a beauty when she wears her glasses, and she is still a beauty after she takes off her glasses.

—Ah.

The goddess statue isn’t wearing glasses.

“What is it?” Professor stares at me from the bed. I lightly tilted my head, honestly speaking my thoughts: “Professor is indeed…... suited for glasses and cigarettes.”

“Huh? Why are you suddenly saying that.”

“No, that’s just my thoughts. …… Then Professor, is it okay?”

This question means can I snuggle into Professor’s blanket.

“Be my guest.”

Professor lifts up her blanket and waves to me. I said “Sorry for this”, then nervously lies down beside professor. After that, I curl up my body and raise my head to look at Professor.

We are very close together, and I can see myself reflected in Professor’s pupils.

“Good night, Professor.”

I bury my head in Professor’s large, soft hills. It’s so soft, and has a nice fragrance to it.

Professor hugs me gently, stroking my hair. Then, she says “Goodnight, Iris”, and kissed my forehead.

After changing my status to sleep mode, I enter the world of slumbers.

I went through a happy day today, too.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[Iris on Rainy Days:Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Iris on Rainy Days|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Iris on Rainy Days: Dismantling- 6 Days Before|Dismantling- 6 Days Before]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Iris on Rainy Days:Illustrations

2012-01-13T14:02:29Z

DNK:

<gallery>
Image:Iris on Rainy Days - cover art.png|Cover art
Image:Iord 002.jpg|Page 2
Image:Iord 003.jpg|Page 3
Image:Iord 004.jpg|Page 4
Image:Iord 005.jpg|Page 5
Image:Iord 006.jpg|Page 6
Image:Iord 007.jpg|Page 7
Image:Iris on Rainy Days p012.jpg|Page 12
Image:Iris on Rainy Days p025.jpg|Page 25
Image:Iord 050.jpg|Page 50
Image:Iord 104.jpg|Page 104
Image:Iord 146.jpg|Page 146
Image:Iord 206.jpg|Page 206
Image:Iord 245.jpg|Page 245
Image:Iord 266.jpg|Page 266
</gallery>

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Return to [[Iris on Rainy Days|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Iris on Rainy Days:Prologue|Prologue]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

File:Iord 266.jpg

2012-01-13T13:56:15Z

DNK:

File:Iord 245.jpg

2012-01-13T13:55:49Z

DNK:

File:Iord 206.jpg

2012-01-13T13:55:14Z

DNK:

File:Iord 146.jpg

2012-01-13T13:54:40Z

DNK:

File:Iord 104.jpg

2012-01-13T13:54:06Z

DNK:

File:Iord 050.jpg

2012-01-13T13:53:17Z

DNK:

Another

2011-12-05T09:06:45Z

DNK:

[[Image:Another cover.png |thumb|300px|Cover art]]
'''''Another''''' (アナザー) is a novel by Yukito Ayatsuji, a mainstream author in Japan who is specialized mystery and horror. The story is originally a magazine serialization that dates back to 2006. As a compilation of all serialized chapters, a hard-cover version of the novel was published in 2009. A paperback version was also released in 2011.

The novel is ranked 4th in the "Bunshun Mystery Best Ten 2009" ranking and 3rd in the "This Mystery Novel is Great! 2010" ranking.

==Story Synopsis==
The novel centers around a school class that has a curse, and the string of unavoidable deaths that befall the boys and girls in that class.

26 years ago, in a third-year classroom of a middle school, there was a student named Misaki. As an honors student who was also good at sports, the student was popular in the class. When Misaki suddenly died, everyone in the class decided to carry on as if Misaki was still alive until graduation. Then, in the spring of 1998, a boy named Kōichi Sakakibara transfers to that classroom, and he grows suspicious of the fearful atmosphere in that classroom. In particular, there is a beautiful, aloof girl named Misaki Mei who wears an eyepatch and is always alone drawing pictures. ''(Adapted from AnimeNewsNetwork with minor amendments)''

==Translation==

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4709 Discussion thread] and give the project a vote'''

== Updates ==
*December 2, 2011 - Teaser page created. Forum translations by DNK uploaded.

== The "''Another''" Series==

=== Part I: What?............ Why? ===
::* [[Another:Introduction|"Introduction"]] ([[Another_Russian_Version:Introduction|Click here for the Russian version]])
::* Chapter 1: April
::* Chapter 2: May I
::* Chapter 3: May II
::* Chapter 4: May III
::* Chapter 5: May IV
::* Interlude I
::* Chapter 6: June I
::* Chapter 7: June II
::* Chapter 8: June III
::* Interlude II
::* Chapter 9: June IV

=== Part II: How?............ Who? ===
::* Chapter 10: June V
::* Chapter 11: July I
::* Chapter 12: July II
::* Interlude III
::* Chapter 13: July III
::* Interlude IV
::* Chapter 14: August I
::* Chapter 15: August II
::* "Outroduction"
::* Afterwords

== Series Overview ==
*Another (29 October 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-874003-6-C0093)
*Another (上) (25 November 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-100001-4-C0193)
*Another (下) (25 November 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-100000-7-C0193)

[[Category:Teasers]]

Another

2011-12-02T03:39:15Z

DNK:

[[Image:Another cover.png |thumb|300px|Cover art]]
'''''Another''''' (アナザー) is a novel by Yukito Ayatsuji, a mainstream author in Japan who is specialized mystery and horror. The story is originally a magazine serialization that dates back to 2006. As a compilation of all serialized chapters, a hard-cover version of the novel was published in 2009. A paperback version was also released in 2011.

The novel is ranked 4th in the "Bunshun Mystery Best Ten 2009" ranking and 3rd in the "This Mystery Novel is Great! 2010" ranking.

==Story Synopsis==
The novel centers around a school class that has a curse, and the string of unavoidable deaths that befall the boys and girls in that class.

26 years ago, in a third-year classroom of a middle school, there was a student named Misaki. As an honors student who was also good at sports, the student was popular in the class. When Misaki suddenly died, everyone in the class decided to carry on as if Misaki was still alive until graduation. Then, in the spring of 1998, a boy named Kōichi Sakakibara transfers to that classroom, and he grows suspicious of the fearful atmosphere in that classroom. In particular, there is a beautiful, aloof girl named Misaki Mei who wears an eyepatch and is always alone drawing pictures. ''(Adapted from AnimeNewsNetwork with minor amendments)''

==Translation==

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4709 Discussion thread] and give the project a vote'''

== Updates ==
*December 2, 2011 - Teaser page created. Forum translations by DNK uploaded.

== The "''Another''" Series==

=== Part I: What?............ Why? ===
::* [[Another:Introduction|"Introduction"]]
::* Chapter 1: April
::* Chapter 2: May I
::* Chapter 3: May II
::* Chapter 4: May III
::* Chapter 5: May IV
::* Interlude I
::* Chapter 6: June I
::* Chapter 7: June II
::* Chapter 8: June III
::* Interlude II
::* Chapter 9: June IV

=== Part II: How?............ Who? ===
::* Chapter 10: June V
::* Chapter 11: July I
::* Chapter 12: July II
::* Interlude III
::* Chapter 13: July III
::* Interlude IV
::* Chapter 14: August I
::* Chapter 15: August II
::* "Outroduction"
::* Afterwords

== Series Overview ==
*Another (29 October 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-874003-6-C0093)
*Another (上) (25 November 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-100001-4-C0193)
*Another (下) (25 November 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-100000-7-C0193)

[[Category:Teasers]]

Another

2011-12-01T19:52:39Z

DNK:

[[Image:Another cover.png |thumb|300px|Cover art]]
'''''Another''''' (アナザー) is a novel by Yukito Ayatsuji, a mainstream author in Japan who is specialized mystery and horror. The story is originally a magazine serialization that dates back to 2006. As a compilation of all serialized chapters, a hard-cover version of the novel was published in 2009. A paperback version was also released in 2011.

The novel is ranked 4th in the "Bunshun Mystery Best Ten 2009" ranking and 3rd in the "This Mystery Novel is Great! 2010" ranking.

==Story Synopsis==
The novel centers around a school class that has a curse, and the string of unavoidable deaths that befall the boys and girls in that class.

26 years ago, in a third-year classroom of a middle school, there was a student named Misaki. As an honors student who was also good at sports, the student was popular in the class. When Misaki suddenly died, everyone in the class decided to carry on as if Misaki was still alive until graduation. Then, in the spring of 1998, a boy named Kōichi Sakakibara transfers to that classroom, and he grows suspicious of the fearful atmosphere in that classroom. In particular, there is a beautiful, aloof girl named Misaki Mei who wears an eyepatch and is always alone drawing pictures. ''(Adopted from AnimeNewsNetwork with minor amendments)''

==Translation==

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4709 Discussion thread] and give the project a vote'''

== Updates ==
*December 2, 2011 - Teaser page created. Forum translations by DNK uploaded.

== The "''Another''" Series==

=== Part I: What?............ Why? ===
::* [[Another:Introduction|"Introduction"]]
::* Chapter 1: April
::* Chapter 2: May I
::* Chapter 3: May II
::* Chapter 4: May III
::* Chapter 5: May IV
::* Interlude I
::* Chapter 6: June I
::* Chapter 7: June II
::* Chapter 8: June III
::* Interlude II
::* Chapter 9: June IV

=== Part II: How?............ Who? ===
::* Chapter 10: June V
::* Chapter 11: July I
::* Chapter 12: July II
::* Interlude III
::* Chapter 13: July III
::* Interlude IV
::* Chapter 14: August I
::* Chapter 15: August II
::* "Outroduction"
::* Afterwords

== Series Overview ==
*Another (29 October 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-874003-6-C0093)
*Another (上) (25 November 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-100001-4-C0193)
*Another (下) (25 November 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-100000-7-C0193)

[[Category:Teasers]]

Another

2011-12-01T19:29:21Z

DNK:

[[Image:Another cover.png |thumb|300px|Cover art]]
'''''Another''''' (アナザー) is a novel by Yukito Ayatsuji, a mainstream author in Japan who is specialized mystery and horror. The story is originally a magazine serialization that dates back to 2006. As a compilation of all serialized chapters, a hard-cover version of the novel was published in 2009. A paperback version was also released in 2011.

The novel is ranked 4th in the "Bunshun Mystery Best Ten 2009" ranking and 3rd in the "This Mystery Novel is Great 2010" ranking.

==Story Synopsis==
The novel centers around a school class that has a curse, and the string of unavoidable deaths that befall the boys and girls in that class.

26 years ago, in a third-year classroom of a middle school, there was a student named Misaki. As an honors student who was also good at sports, the student was popular in the class. When Misaki suddenly died, everyone in the class decided to carry on as if Misaki was still alive until graduation. Then, in the spring of 1998, a boy named Kōichi Sakakibara transfers to that classroom, and he grows suspicious of the fearful atmosphere in that classroom. In particular, there is a beautiful, aloof girl named Misaki Mei who wears an eyepatch and is always alone drawing pictures. ''(Adopted from AnimeNewsNetwork with minor amendments)''

==Translation==

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4709 Discussion thread] and give the project a vote'''

== Updates ==
*December 2, 2011 - Teaser page created. Forum translations by DNK uploaded.

== The "''Another''" Series==

=== Part I: What?............ Why? ===
::* [[Another:Introduction|"Introduction"]]
::* Chapter 1: April
::* Chapter 2: May I
::* Chapter 3: May II
::* Chapter 4: May III
::* Chapter 5: May IV
::* Interlude I
::* Chapter 6: June I
::* Chapter 7: June II
::* Chapter 8: June III
::* Interlude II
::* Chapter 9: June IV

=== Part II: How?............ Who? ===
::* Chapter 10: June V
::* Chapter 11: July I
::* Chapter 12: July II
::* Interlude III
::* Chapter 13: July III
::* Interlude IV
::* Chapter 14: August I
::* Chapter 15: August II
::* "Outroduction"
::* Afterwords

== Series Overview ==
*Another (29 October 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-874003-6-C0093)
*Another (上) (25 November 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-100001-4-C0193)
*Another (下) (25 November 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-100000-7-C0193)

[[Category:Teasers]]

Another

2011-12-01T19:28:12Z

DNK:

[[Image:Another cover.png |thumb|300px|Cover art]]
'''''Another''''' (アナザー) is a novel by Yukito Ayatsuji, a mainstream author in Japan who is specialized mystery and horror. The story is originally a magazine serialization that dates back to 2006. As a compilation of all serialized chapters, a standalone hard-cover version of the novel was published in 2009. A paperback version was also released in 2011.

The novel is ranked 4th in the "Bunshun Mystery Best Ten 2009" ranking and 3rd in the "This Mystery Novel is Great 2010" ranking.

==Story Synopsis==
The novel centers around a school class that has a curse, and the string of unavoidable deaths that befall the boys and girls in that class.

26 years ago, in a third-year classroom of a middle school, there was a student named Misaki. As an honors student who was also good at sports, the student was popular in the class. When Misaki suddenly died, everyone in the class decided to carry on as if Misaki was still alive until graduation. Then, in the spring of 1998, a boy named Kōichi Sakakibara transfers to that classroom, and he grows suspicious of the fearful atmosphere in that classroom. In particular, there is a beautiful, aloof girl named Misaki Mei who wears an eyepatch and is always alone drawing pictures. ''(Adopted from AnimeNewsNetwork with minor amendments)''

==Translation==

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4709 Discussion thread] and give the project a vote'''

== Updates ==
*December 2, 2011 - Teaser page created. Forum translations by DNK uploaded.

== The "''Another''" Series==

=== Part I: What?............ Why? ===
::* [[Another:Introduction|"Introduction"]]
::* Chapter 1: April
::* Chapter 2: May I
::* Chapter 3: May II
::* Chapter 4: May III
::* Chapter 5: May IV
::* Interlude I
::* Chapter 6: June I
::* Chapter 7: June II
::* Chapter 8: June III
::* Interlude II
::* Chapter 9: June IV

=== Part II: How?............ Who? ===
::* Chapter 10: June V
::* Chapter 11: July I
::* Chapter 12: July II
::* Interlude III
::* Chapter 13: July III
::* Interlude IV
::* Chapter 14: August I
::* Chapter 15: August II
::* "Outroduction"
::* Afterwords

== Series Overview ==
*Another (29 October 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-874003-6-C0093)
*Another(上) (25 November 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-100001-4-C0193)
*Another(下) (25 November 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-100000-7-C0193)

[[Category:Teasers]]

Iris on Rainy Days

2011-12-01T19:19:07Z

DNK:

[[Image:Iris on Rainy Days - cover art.png |thumb|300px|Cover art]]
'''''Iris on Rainy Days''''' (雨の日のアイリス / Ame no Hi no Iris) is a light novel by Takeshi Matsuyama. The novel is ranked 10th in the "This Light Novel is Great! 2011 (このライトノベルがすごい! 2011)" ranking.

==Story Synopsis==
The story is centred around a cute android who initially had a happy life with her master who dearly loved her. But she was then struck by a series of misfortunes and ended up in a robot-equivalent of concentration camp. Through experiencing and witnessing the sufferings towards herself as well as the people/robots around her, she eventually gained a better appreciation of life.

==Translation==

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4412 Discussion thread] or in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4661 Teaser Feedback thread] and give the project a vote'''

== Updates ==
*June 15, 2011 - Teaser page created. Forum translations by DNK uploaded.

==''Iris on Rainy Days''==

=== [[Iris on Rainy Days:Illustrations|Novel illustrations]] ===

=== [[Iris on Rainy Days:Prologue|Prologue]] ===

=== Chapter 1 – Dismantling ===
::* 7 Days Before
::* 6 Days Before
::* 5 Days Before
::* 4 Days Before
::* 3 Days Before
::* '''[[Iris on Rainy Days:Ch1 - 2 Days Before|2 Days Before]]'''
::* 1 Day Before
::* The Day of Dismantling

=== Chapter 2 – Reincarnation ===
::* Day 1
::* Day 2
::* Day 8
::* Day 15
::* Day 32
::* Day 44
::* Day 55
::* Day 69
::* Day 73
::* Day 78
::* Day 83

=== Chapter 3 – Execution ===
::* The Previous Night
::* The Day
::* battery=04:46:03
::* battery=04:21:29
::* battery=04:10:52
::* battery=03:58:01
::* battery=03:45:32
::* battery=02:14:17
::* battery=02:01:40
::* battery=01:49:52
::* battery=01:28:13
::* battery=01:24:41
::* battery=01:16:56
::* battery=00:58:34
::* battery=00:43:08
::* battery=00:00:00

=== Chapter 4 – Letters ===
::* News Report – "National Defense Force Suppresses Robot Breakaway"
::* News Report – "Paper Slips at the Scene Identified as Children Literature"
::* News Column – Modern Robotics - "The End of a Certain Robot"
::* Doctor Wendy von Umbrella's Letter
::* Ralph Ciel's reboot experiment
::* Iris' Letter

== Series Overview ==
*雨の日のアイリス / Ame no Hi no Iris (10 May 2011, ISBN 978-4048705301)

[[Category:Teasers]]

Another

2011-12-01T19:16:36Z

DNK:

[[Image:Another cover.png |thumb|300px|Cover art]]
'''''Another''''' (アナザー) is a novel by Yukito Ayatsuji, a mainstream author in Japan who is specialized mystery and horror. The story is originally a magazine serialization that dates back to 2006. As a compilation of all serialized chapters, a standalone hard-cover version of the novel was published in 2009. A paperback version was also released in 2011.

The novel is ranked 4th in the "Bunshun Mystery Best Ten 2009" ranking and 3rd in the "This Mystery Novel is Great 2010" ranking.

==Story Synopsis==
The novel centers around a school class that has a curse, and the string of unavoidable deaths that befall the boys and girls in that class.

26 years ago, in a third-year classroom of a middle school, there was a student named Misaki. As an honors student who was also good at sports, the student was popular in the class. When Misaki suddenly died, everyone in the class decided to carry on as if Misaki was still alive until graduation. Then, in the spring of 1998, a boy named Kōichi Sakakibara transfers to that classroom, and he grows suspicious of the fearful atmosphere in that classroom. In particular, there is a beautiful, aloof girl named Misaki Mei who wears an eyepatch and is always alone drawing pictures. ''(Adopted from AnimeNewsNetwork with minor amendments)''

==Translation==

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4709 Discussion thread] and give the project a vote'''

== Updates ==
*December 2, 2011 - Teaser page created. Forum translations by DNK uploaded.

==''Another''==

=== Part I: What?............ Why? ===
::* [[Another:Introduction|"Introduction"]]
::* Chapter 1: April
::* Chapter 2: May I
::* Chapter 3: May II
::* Chapter 4: May III
::* Chapter 5: May IV
::* Interlude I
::* Chapter 6: June I
::* Chapter 7: June II
::* Chapter 8: June III
::* Interlude II
::* Chapter 9: June IV

=== Part II: How?............ Who? ===
::* Chapter 10: June V
::* Chapter 11: July I
::* Chapter 12: July II
::* Interlude III
::* Chapter 13: July III
::* Interlude IV
::* Chapter 14: August I
::* Chapter 15: August II
::* "Outroduction"
::* Afterwords

== Series Overview ==
*Another (29 October 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-874003-6-C0093)
*Another(上) (25 November 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-100001-4-C0193)
*Another(下) (25 November 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-100000-7-C0193)

[[Category:Teasers]]

Another

2011-12-01T19:13:54Z

DNK: Created page with "Cover art '''''Another''''' (アナザー) is a novel by Yukito Ayatsuji, a mainstream author in Japan who is specialized mystery and hor..."

[[Image:Another cover.png |thumb|300px|Cover art]]
'''''Another''''' (アナザー) is a novel by Yukito Ayatsuji, a mainstream author in Japan who is specialized mystery and horror. The story is originally a magazine serialization that dates back to 2006. As a compilation of all serialized chapters, a standalone hard-cover version of the novel was published in 2009. A paperback version was also released in 2011.

The novel is ranked 4th in the "Bunshun Mystery Best Ten 2009" ranking and 3rd in the "This Mystery Novel is Great 2010" ranking.

==Story Synopsis==
The novel centers around a school class that has a curse, and the string of unavoidable deaths that befall the boys and girls in that class.

26 years ago, in a third-year classroom of a middle school, there was a student named Misaki. As an honors student who was also good at sports, the student was popular in the class. When Misaki suddenly died, everyone in the class decided to carry on as if Misaki was still alive until graduation. Then, in the spring of 1998, a boy named Kōichi Sakakibara transfers to that classroom, and he grows suspicious of the fearful atmosphere in that classroom. In particular, there is a beautiful, aloof girl named Misaki Mei who wears an eyepatch and is always alone drawing pictures. ''(Adopted from AnimeNewsNetwork with minor amendments)''

==Translation==

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4412 Discussion thread] or in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4661 Teaser Feedback thread] and give the project a vote'''

== Updates ==
*December 2, 2011 - Teaser page created. Forum translations by DNK uploaded.

==''Another''==

=== Part I: What?............ Why? ===
::* [[Another:Introduction|"Introduction"]]
::* Chapter 1: April
::* Chapter 2: May I
::* Chapter 3: May II
::* Chapter 4: May III
::* Chapter 5: May IV
::* Interlude I
::* Chapter 6: June I
::* Chapter 7: June II
::* Chapter 8: June III
::* Interlude II
::* Chapter 9: June IV

=== Part II: How?............ Who? ===
::* Chapter 10: June V
::* Chapter 11: July I
::* Chapter 12: July II
::* Interlude III
::* Chapter 13: July III
::* Interlude IV
::* Chapter 14: August I
::* Chapter 15: August II
::* "Outroduction"
::* Afterwords

== Series Overview ==
*Another (29 October 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-874003-6-C0093)
*Another(上) (25 November 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-100001-4-C0193)
*Another(下) (25 November 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-100000-7-C0193)

[[Category:Teasers]]

File:Another cover.png

2011-12-01T18:53:11Z

DNK:

April, it is...

2011-11-25T16:30:53Z

DNK:

[[Image:April, it is....jpg|thumb|300px|Cover art]]

'''''April, it is...''''' (4月、それは──×××× / Shigatsu, Sorewa─××××) is a light novel anthology published in 2009 as the bonus gift of Volume 7 of the Dengeki Bunko Magazine.

==Story Synopsis==

There are twenty independent stories written by twenty different authors, sharing the common theme of "April".

==Translation==

===Format Standards===

'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''

*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

=== Feedback ===

'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4451 Dicussion thread] or in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4665 Teaser Feedback thread] and give the project a vote'''

== Updates ==

*June 28, 2011 - Teaser page created. Forum translation by DNK uploaded.

==The ''April, it is...'' Series==

*April, it is the beginning of a journey - Flower (Keiichi Jikusawa)

*April, it is a neverending kingdom in the other world - The End of Lemon (Hideyuki Furuhashi)

*April, it is the month that I hate - Wings on Ground; Wings of Man (Suzu Suzuki)

*April, it is the end of my life - My Little Miracle (Hitoma Iruma)

*April, it is the triggering season - Run! Girl, Run! (Jin Shibamura)

*April, it is an impressible season - I am Fallen in Love NGINNE (Yukako Kabei)

*April, it is the season of flying cherry blossom petals - A Story of a Certain Horse and a Certain Cherry Blossom Tree (Kei Satou)

*April, it is the season of changes - Matryoshka (Rei Rairaku)

*April, it is the season of Earth invasion - Earth Invasion In the Beautiful Spring (Souichirou Watase)

*April, it is the Spring that will come one day - Satomi-san of the Chirping Library (Izuki Kougyoku)

*'''[[April, it is the season of lies - The Four Dear Friends|April, it is the season of lies - The Four Dear Friends]]''' (Yuu Fujiwara)

*April, it is the season when one would wish to die - Truth and Deceit on the other side of the phone (Erika Nakamura)

*April, it is the sleepy season - Me and Plastic Wrap and the Girl who is Sleepy in Spring (Hazuki Minase)

== Series Overview ==

*4月、それは──×××× (Shigatsu, Sorewa─××××)

[[Category:Teasers]]

File:April, it is....jpg

2011-11-25T16:29:53Z

DNK: uploaded a new version of "File:April, it is....jpg"

Presumptive Girl:Teaser

2011-11-24T16:16:08Z

DNK:

I was about to pull up the heavy metallic cover of the garbage chute, but there was a weird steam puffing out. A steam that seemed to be a mixture of the unpleasant smell of a variety of things like rubbish in fermentation, ink of old magazines, wet soil and alcohol. I really hated to do so, but I had to open the chute.

I was being chased after.

It was the only downtown area of this backwater town. You might have never seen this district, but it was almost like a miniature version of the dangerous zones and red-light districts in movies or TV dramas. Within this town, it was the only area that owned the real, authentic night.

Swarms of patrol cars were zooming around this night district while ringing their sirens. When it seemed like they were about to come from one direction, another group also rushed in in from the opposite side. They were apparently searching for something.

They must be looking for Girl A - Kana Sugomori (15), I anxiously thought. In fact Kana Sugomori, or me, was being chased after by the police. The alleged charge against me was undoubtedly manslaughter or attempted manslaughter.

I must escape.

ーー I almost broke into tears.

I was only a 15-year-old girl. While I was running, I tried my best to scrape off onto my jeans my stepfather's blood which stuck on one of my hands. Eventually I lost my way in a back alley and found a gigantic garbage chute that looked almost like a coffin.

The garbage chute was located next to the back entrance of a large multi-tenant building, with a rectangular chute that allowed rubbish from each floor to fall onto the garbage tank on the ground. It was the final destination of garbage - the best place to hide myself - even if it was smelly. I put in all my strength and pulled up the metallic cover.

There was already a visitor earlier than me.

Amidst the smell of fermented garbage and steam with the colour of soil, there lied a naked body with pure white, or more accurately snowy white skin. With her eyelids closed and her long hair spread on top of the garbage, she looked like a modern, poor-taste version of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty from the fairy tales. It was difficult to imagine the spotlessly clean skin of this naked body was in fact the same type of human skin I had seen for so many times in the changing area in school or during school trips. Almost like belonging to an alien creature, the texture was incredibly fine, and even without touching it one could tell it was icy cold. There was a steam of cold air rising from it, chilling everything around. Even the old magazines. Even the bitten apple skins and cores. Even the bottles of German beer that were thrown away before their owners had finished drinking them

Was this... a dead body?

Of a girl?

ーー Her long hair was reddish-brown in colour. Her face - it was hard to tell with her eyelids closed, but it was a delicately and naturally gorgeous face like those on Japanese dolls. The facial structure was as perfect as a complex mathematical formula. A face that was too beautiful - so beautiful that no one could feel the slightest emotion of anger or jealousy against it. The protuberances on her chest were humble in size. Even the incredibly slim waist did not stand out, thanks to the soft and fragile bulges on her chest and buttocks.

This earlier visitor was holding an object.

A black, tiny object.

ーーA pistol.

On her stomach, a flat white belly that was like a small mountain base silently covered by snow, abruptly lied the shiny black, rugged pistol. The girl was holding the pistol with her tiny hands. As if ready to shoot at a certain someone, she grasped the pistol tightly. In contrast with her calm and peaceful face, the whole picture was completely out of balance.

ーーThe noise of the sirens from far away was coming nearer and nearer. With chilly winter gusts blowing through the buildings, despite wearing a thick coat I could not stop shivering.

[[Image:Suitei 0 06.jpg |700px]]

<noinclude>

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"

|-

| Return to [[Girl Presumptive|the main page]]

|-

|}

</noinclude>

Girl Presumptive

2011-11-24T16:12:56Z

DNK:

[[Image:Suitei 0 04.jpg |thumb|300px]]
'''''Girl Presumptive''''' (推定少女 / Suitei Shoujo) is a light novel by Kazuki Sakuraba published under the Famitsu Bunko light novel label in 2004. It was later republished under the Kadokawa label of conventional literature in 2008.

==Story Synopsis==
Kana Sugomori, a 15-year-old girl living in a remote town, suddenly found herself to be a wanted criminal chased after by the police. To avoid being caught she tried to hide herself in a garbage chute, but to her surprise and shock, there was already a body inside. Shivering in coldness and fear, what would she do?

==Translation==

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4690 Discussion thread] and give the project a vote'''

== Updates ==
*November 24, 2011 - Teaser page created. Forum translations by DNK uploaded.

== The "''Girl Presumptive''" Series ==
=== [[Presumptive Girl:Teaser|Teaser]] ===
=== Girl Presumptive ===
::* Prologue - Girl A
::* Vol. 1 - As white as snow
::* Vol. 2 - Φ!
::* Vol. 3 - Lala's gun
::* Vol. 4 - Secret Base
::* Vol. 5 - Doll
::* Vol. 6 - "FOUND DEAD"
::* Vol. 7 - Syndicate
::* Epilogue - Battlefield
::* Afterwords

== Series Overview ==
*推定少女 / Suitei Shoujo (Famitsu Bunko, September 2004, ISBN 978-4757719958)
*推定少女 / Suitei Shoujo (Kadokawa Bunko, October 2008, ISBN 978-4044281038)

[[Category:Teasers]]

Presumptive Girl:Teaser

2011-11-24T16:07:44Z

DNK: Created page with "I was about to pull up the heavy metallic cover of the garbage chute, but there was a weird steam puffing out. A steam that almost seemed to be a mixture of the unpleasant smell ..."

I was about to pull up the heavy metallic cover of the garbage chute, but there was a weird steam puffing out. A steam that almost seemed to be a mixture of the unpleasant smell of a variety of things like rubbish in fermentation, ink of old magazines, wet soil and alcohol. I really hated to do so, but I had to open the chute.

I was being chased after.

It was the only downtown area of this backwater town. You might have never seen this district, but it was almost like a miniature version of the dangerous zones and red-light districts in movies or TV dramas. Within this town, it was the only area that owned the real, authentic night.

Swarms of patrol cars were zooming around this night district while ringing their sirens. When it seemed like they were about to come from one direction, another group also rushed in in from the opposite side. They were apparently searching for something.

They must be looking for Girl A - Kana Sugomori (15), I anxiously thought. In fact Kana Sugomori, or me, was being chased after by the police. The alleged charge against me was undoubtedly manslaughter or attempted manslaughter.

I must escape.

ーー I almost broke into tears.

I was only a 15-year-old girl. While I was running, I tried my best to scrape off onto my jeans my stepfather's blood which stuck on one of my hands. Eventually I lost my way in a back alley and found a gigantic garbage chute that looked almost like a coffin.

The garbage chute was located next to the back entrance of a large multi-tenant building, with a rectangular chute that allowed rubbish from each floor to fall onto the garbage tank on the ground. It was the final destination of garbage - the best place to hide myself - even if it was smelly. I put in all my strength and pulled up the metallic cover.

There was already a visitor earlier than me.

Amidst the smell of fermented garbage and steam with the colour of soil, there lied a naked body with pure white, or more accurately snowy white skin. With her eyelids closed and her long hair spread on top of the garbage, she looked like a modern, poor-taste version of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty from the fairy tales. It was difficult to imagine the spotlessly clean skin of this naked body was in fact the same type of human skin I had seen for so many times in the changing area in school or during school trips. Almost like belonging to an alien creature, the texture was incredibly fine, and even without touching it one could tell it was icy cold. There was a steam of cold air rising from it, chilling everything around. Even the old magazines. Even the bitten apple skins and cores. Even the bottles of German beer that were thrown away before their owners had finished drinking them

Was this... a dead body?

Of a girl?

ーー Her long hair was reddish-brown in colour. Her face - it was hard to tell with her eyelids closed, but it was a delicately and naturally gorgeous face like those on Japanese dolls. The facial structure was as perfect as a complex mathematical formula. A face that was too beautiful - so beautiful that no one could feel the slightest emotion of anger or jealousy against it. The protuberances on her chest were humble in size. Even the incredibly slim waist did not stand out, thanks to the soft and fragile bulges on her chest and buttocks.

This earlier visitor was holding an object.

A black, tiny object.

ーーA pistol.

On her stomach, a flat white belly that was like a small mountain base silently covered by snow, abruptly lied the shiny black, rugged pistol. The girl was holding the pistol with her tiny hands. As if ready to shoot at a certain someone, she grasped the pistol tightly. In contrast with her calm and peaceful face, the whole picture was completely out of balance.

ーーThe noise of the sirens from far away was coming nearer and nearer. With chilly winter gusts blowing through the buildings, despite wearing a thick coat I could not stop shivering.

[[Image:Suitei 0 06.jpg |700px]]

<noinclude>

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"

|-

| Return to [[Girl Presumptive|the main page]]

|-

|}

</noinclude>

Girl Presumptive

2011-11-24T16:03:13Z

DNK: Created page with "300px '''''Girl Presumptive''''' (推定少女 / Suitei Shoujo) is a light novel by Kazuki Sakuraba published under the Famitsu Bunko light novel..."

[[Image:Suitei 0 04.jpg |thumb|300px]]
'''''Girl Presumptive''''' (推定少女 / Suitei Shoujo) is a light novel by Kazuki Sakuraba published under the Famitsu Bunko light novel label in 2004. It was later republished under the Kadokawa label of conventional literature in 2008.

==Story Synopsis==
Kana Sugomori, a 15-year-old girl living in a remote town, suddenly found herself to be a wanted criminal chased after by the police. To avoid being caught she tried to hide herself in a garbage chute, but to her surprise and shock, there was already a body inside. Shivering in coldness and fear, what would she do?

==Translation==

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4690 Discussion thread] and give the project a vote'''

== Updates ==
*November 24, 2011 - Teaser page created. Forum translations by DNK uploaded.

=== [[Presumptive Girl:Teaser|Teaser]] ===
=== Presumptive Girl ===
::* Prologue - Girl A
::* Vol. 1 - As white as snow
::* Vol. 2 - Φ!
::* Vol. 3 - Lala's gun
::* Vol. 4 - Secret Base
::* Vol. 5 - Doll
::* Vol. 6 - "FOUND DEAD"
::* Vol. 7 - Syndicate
::* Epilogue - Battlefield
::* Afterwords

== Series Overview ==
*推定少女 / Suitei Shoujo (Famitsu Bunko, September 2004, ISBN 978-4757719958)
*推定少女 / Suitei Shoujo (Kadokawa Bunko, October 2008, ISBN 978-4044281038)

[[Category:Teasers]]

File:Suitei 0 06.jpg

2011-11-24T15:22:14Z

DNK:

File:Suitei 0 04.jpg

2011-11-24T15:21:07Z

DNK:

Talk:April, it is the season of lies - The Four Dear Friends

2011-07-24T09:31:35Z

DNK:

wow i like this one...
\(o.o)/

Glad to hear that. :) --DNK 09:31, 24 July 2011 (UCT)

HEAVY OBJECT:Volume1 Illustrations

2011-07-23T15:33:08Z

DNK: Created page with "These are color illustrations that were included in volume 1 <gallery> Image:Heavy_Object_v01_002.jpg|'''Front cover & insert''' Image:Heavy_Object_v01_003.jpg|'''Back cover &..."

These are color illustrations that were included in volume 1

<gallery>

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_002.jpg|'''Front cover & insert'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_003.jpg|'''Back cover & insert'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_004.jpg|'''Color Illustration 1'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_005.jpg|'''Content'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_006.jpg|'''Color Illustration 2'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_007.jpg|'''Color Illustration 3'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_008.png|'''Page 009'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_026.jpg|'''Page 027'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_050.jpg|'''Page 051'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_070.jpg|'''Page 071'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_106.png|'''Page 107'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_142.jpg|'''Page 143'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_168.png|'''Page 169'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_196.jpg|'''Page 197'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_225.jpg|'''Page 226'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_248.jpg|'''Page 249'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_270.jpg|'''Page 271'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_286.jpg|'''Page 287'''

Image:Heavy_Object_v01_325.png|'''Page 326'''

</gallery>

<noinclude>

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"

|-

| Return to [[HEAVY OBJECT|Main Page]]

| Forward to [[HEAVY OBJECT:Volume1 Prologue|Prologue]]

|-

|}

</noinclude>

File:Heavy Object v01 325.png

2011-07-23T15:20:24Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 286.jpg

2011-07-23T15:19:38Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 270.jpg

2011-07-23T15:19:10Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 248.jpg

2011-07-23T15:18:43Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 225.jpg

2011-07-23T15:18:13Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 196.jpg

2011-07-23T15:17:47Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 168.png

2011-07-23T15:17:19Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 142.jpg

2011-07-23T15:16:46Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 106.png

2011-07-23T15:16:11Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 070.jpg

2011-07-23T15:15:35Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 050.jpg

2011-07-23T15:14:59Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 026.jpg

2011-07-23T15:14:25Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 008.png

2011-07-23T15:13:57Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 007.jpg

2011-07-23T15:13:26Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 006.jpg

2011-07-23T15:12:23Z

DNK:

File:Heavy Object v01 005.jpg

2011-07-23T15:11:25Z

DNK: