Fooly Cooly

This story has the potential to be considerably embarrassing for Naota.

Back then, Naota Nandaba was in sixth grade. He was getting pretty good grades and passing his classes without any issues. Secretly, he prided himself on being more mature than the other students his age.

"There are no true adults in this world," was one of Naota's favorite phrases.

(However, when watching TV dramas, he did privately think that the famous actor Tetsuya Watari was a "true adult")

At the time, he was involved in a strange intimate relationship with Mamimi Samejima. Mamimi was a high school sophomore who always had her head in the clouds. She often cut class to play games on her mobile phone. And she appeared ready to drop out of school at any moment.

Naota didn't have a particular fetish for older girls, but he couldn't end this peculiar intimate relationship "peculiar" because Naota had just started junior high.

Although he had a healthy mind and body, the development of his body hadn't yet caught up to his cool persona.

Simply put, Naota was being toyed with. In truth, Mamimi probably didn't see Naota as the true object of her affection. At best, she regarded him as she might a beloved teddy bear or, perhaps, a pet hamster. No, maybe he wasn't worth as much as

a pet… Naota was merely a substitute. A tragic substitute.

The saddest part about all this was she didn't really need him.

Nevertheless, whenever Naota took a breath of autumn air, memories of her came back to him. For a lot of reasons, autumn held special meaning for him.

His suburb, part of the city of Mabase, was the kind of town found anywhere. In front of the train station, a sculpture funded by a government grant soared unnecessarily high into the sky. A large river cut through both the countryside and the industrial town. On its banks, underneath Mabase Bridge, Naota and Mamimi often passed the time together. That was, unsurprisingly, where they were on the day she arrived.

On that day…

Mamimi was swinging Naota's baseball bat and rambling nonsense, as she always did. They were on their way home from school, so Mamimi still wore her school uniform.

Their after-school time was special. This free time spent in transition between the cages of school and home was an indispensable, undeniably meaningful part of growing up. The brief liberation offered a glimpse into the freedoms of the adult world.

When would they permanently obtain this free time? Would the day finally arrive when they would no longer have to study? With these questions in their hearts, they enjoyed their fleeting moments of freedom. "After school" was the special time children could act like real children.

However, despite this, Naota always sat on the riverbank, doing his homework or preparing for class. In the autumn breeze, Mamimi suspiciously eyed Naota, as he sat there with his textbook open.

"Takkun, why are you studying?" Mamimi always called Naota "Takkun."

"Because I don't want to be stupid."

"Will you do my homework, too?"

Naota replied, "You'll turn into some demented woman, playing games all the time."

"What does 'demented' mean? You know such difficult words, Takkun."

He didn't respond.

To be honest, Naota didn't know what the word meant either. Did it have something to do with chewing gum? Didn't it refer to a girl who wandered aimlessly around town, constantly chewing gum? No, no, no, no! He decided not to let Mamimi influence him. Anyway, he really didn't care for gum; he lived for Cool Mints.

"Why don't you study at home?" Mamimi asked.

"Because it isn't cool."

In reality, Naota disliked doing his homework where his father could see him.

Specifically, he disliked the way his father mocked him for needing to study. Naota's grades were good whether he studied or not. Well, more accurately, he didn't want to show any interest in studying. Naota liked projecting a laid-back persona to avoid his father's bullying.

"What about you? Why do you always come here?" he asked.

Amused by Naota, Mamimi chuckled and responded, "Because…"

"Because…"

"Because I like it."

His pulse doubled, and he asked, "What is it that you like?"

"This place," Mamimi replied without any hesitation. Her tone betrayed her, as she clearly was thinking: "Don't tell me you thought I'd say 'Takkun.'"

He had to remember his role as a "substitute" boyfriend.

Mamimi, who had seen through Naota's expectations and answered cruelly, suddenly hugged him from behind, saying, "Playtime."

She put her hand on top of Naota's. Her hand was cool. Naota's hand, which was holding his pen, stiffened instantly; he'd been caught off-guard. He helped himself to another Cool Mint.

"You reek of cigarettes," he said.

"I haven't been smoking," murmured Mamimi.

On top of that dry, grassy hill, she draped herself over Naota. She felt like a giant plush toy. Her soft breasts gently pressed against his back. Stroking his shoulders and arms, she started nibbling on his earlobe and neck.

Naota did nothing, staying silent for a while. He wasn't really calm enough to enjoy this, but that didn't mean he wanted to resist it. Whenever this happened, Naota's single choice was to let his body go with the flow.

"You know, what you're doing, does it mean "

"I have to do it," she said. "If I don't, I'll overflow."

Overflow? What does she mean? What would happen if she overflowed?

Although the growing boy's mind swelled with doubt and curiosity, he was unable to voice these questions while being caressed.

Mamimi hugged him tighter, kissing his neck. Every time they "played" like this, Naota, immersed in Mamimi's scent, looked up at the factory looming on the hill.

The building could be seen from anywhere in town. It looked very much like an antique clothes iron. It was a medical machinery factory called Medical Mechanica (MM), and when it first had been built, it caused quite a stir among the adults.

Everyone had stood to benefit if Mabase became an industrial town; furthermore, they wouldn't have to worry about all the young people leaving to find jobs. By the time Naota was a sixth grader, almost everyone in town worked at the plant. When students said they had a part-time job, it inevitably meant they worked at MM. And when you took into account the related businesses that profited from the factory, the majority of Mabase citizens earned their livelihoods from it. The number of plant-associated facilities was increasing steadily, and they now included the MM

Hospital, the MM Library, and an MM Croquet Park.

Several times a day, the factory spewed out clouds of steam. As Naota with Mamimi still wrapped around him watched the trail of white smoke ascend into the sky, he felt as if the steam was a culprit, stealing all the color from his world.

Draining the world of color, the white plume of smoke dispersed into a semitransparent haze that silently covered the entire town.

"Yum."

Mamimi nibbled lightly on Naota's neck.

There is nothing amazing in this world. Everything is ordinary.

This kind of game that Mamimi enjoyed it, too, was nothing special. Naota thought to himself that reality was merely a flat, tiresome world.

After playtime finished, Naota stood up and put a coin in the nearby vending machine. The inside of his mouth was dry. He felt as if he'd swallowed the same saliva over and over again today. He was about to push the iced coffee button, when Mamimi's finger, which was right next to his, pushed the button for lemonade first.

"Hey! I don't like sour drinks!" Naota protested.

Ignoring him, Mamimi retrieved the can, yanked up the tab, and gulped down the contents.

"Sponging off a junior high kid?"

"Oops, I left a mark." Mamimi touched the fresh bruise a love bite on Naota's neck. "What will you do hide it with a bandage?"

There was no response.

Naota knew he was losing the argument. He, Naota Nandaba, looked upon by so many as the "Cool Mint" of the class, was at a complete loss. A high school girl with papaya-flavored bubblegum for brains was screwing with him.

Mamimi stopped drinking and offered the can to Naota.

"What?" asked Naota.

"It's yours, isn't it? There's still half left."

Taking the can from her, Naota glanced at Mamimi's mouth.

Her lips, moistened with lemonade, looked glistening and alluring… moments earlier, they had been sweeping across his skin. Though they had caressed his neck and ears countless times, Naota's lips hadn't kissed them before not once. Mamimi had refused stubbornly whenever Naota tried. It was the one thing she wouldn't do.

Touching their lips together was forbidden.

It wasn't because she wanted to be a relentless tease. The real reason weighed heavily on his heart.

Mamimi called him "Takkun," and Naota knew why. Mamimi had explained she'd taken the "ta" from his name and added "kun" as an endearment. It was a far-fetched explanation a papaya-flavored explanation.

Naota's older brother, Tasuku, currently was studying in America on a baseball scholarship. Mamimi was really Tasuku's girlfriend, and she wouldn't kiss her

"substitute" boyfriend. When she and Tasuku were together, she called him

"Takkun."

Naota threw the can into the street.

"Hey, empty cans go in the recycle bin!"

It wasn't empty, though. The half-full can arced through the sky before rolling along the ground.

In the back of Naota's mind, he remembered a certain letter a Pandora's box that constantly agitated his memory. Enclosed in that letter was a photo of Tasuku with a blonde girl.

"You know," he began, having difficulty finding the words, "my brother, in America, he…"

Mamimi's eyes turned suddenly grave. Her expression was more serious than when she'd rejected Naota's kiss.

In retrospect, she must have known by then; or at least, she must have had an inkling. Naota had no way of knowing that at the time, however.

Should I open it? Should I finally open this Pandora's box now? Maybe I won't be able to spend time with Mamimi on the riverbank anymore. Should I really open it? Do I really want to lose these moments after school when Mamimi fools around with me?

Sooner or later, he'd have to say it. He had to tell her.

Tell her.

"In America, my brother, he…"

Don't hesitate: Say it now!

Suddenly… yes, it happened right then. The two of them, lost in the seriousness of the moment, had forgotten their surroundings. Thus, they didn't notice the sound of the approaching bike until a moment too late.

" Itadaki -mammoth!" With this incomprehensible shout, the girl on the bike aimed straight for Naota.

The bike was a scooter. It was, unmistakably, an imported Vespa.

The Vespa girl pulled out an electric guitar that was strapped across her back, getting ready to hit Naota with it as she drove by.

What? It's a psychopath! was Naota's first thought . She must be insane!

The guitar she wielded came at him with tremendous speed, and Naota's knees buckled with fear.

This is it. I'm so dead. Here it comes.

Just then…

"Eh?" said the Vespa girl.

The can of lemonade Naota recently had discarded caught on the Vespa's front wheel, and the girl lost control.

She let out a strange sound: "Rarararararara!"

Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Just as Naota thought he would be all right, things got worse.

The Vespa itself sailed straight at Naota; the impact sent his body flying. He tumbled along the road. The Vespa girl's shout was the last thing he heard before all the lights went out in his brain.

Mamimi cried out and ran toward Naota's body, which lay limply on the ground.

"Takkun!"

"Stop!" commanded the shrill voice belonging to the Vespa girl. Having parked the bike next to them, the girl haughtily ordered Mamimi in English, "Stop, native girl."

Mamimi wasn't very good with English, but she had a vague idea what those words meant. Though she had absolutely no obligation to obey this odd girl, Mamimi was weak-willed. She stopped dead in her tracks. She froze, humorously, like a punching doll that had come back up after having been tipped over.

"Taro has hit his head, so he shouldn't be moved," said the girl in a language Mamimi could understand well. She got off her Vespa and approached Naota.

OK she speaks Japanese , Mamimi thought. She had assumed they would be unable to communicate.

"Uh, but his name is Naota, not Taro." Mamimi added unnecessarily, "I call him Takkun."

The girl bent over and put her ear to Naota's chest, as though to assess his condition. She acted as if she had experience with this sort of thing but watching her, it was obvious that she was a fraud.

"Taro is dead!" she proclaimed suddenly in a tone of utter surprise. "This boy is completely yes, utterly dead, Taro-style."

Mamimi thought to herself, "This girl isn't all there."

When the Vespa girl removed her helmet, Mamimi was surprised to discover that she was a beauty. Her eyes were like green apples or pale emeralds. Where could she be from? Maybe they were colored contacts? Upon closer examination, her skin tone was oddly different from that of a normal Japanese person.

Perhaps thanks to her instincts as a high school delinquent, Mamimi guessed that this was no ordinary girl. Mamimi could feel the strength emanating from the other girl's skin. Those green eyes shone with greed and a totally unrestrained wildness. They were the eyes of someone strong, and Mamimi thought they were pretty cool.

"Oh no! I killed him! I finally find the cure for the weather, and then I go and kill him! Argh! Come back to me!"

"Oh!" Mamimi exclaimed, watching as the girl suddenly kissed Naota presumably in an attempt to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

The kiss was deep. Without hesitation. Prolonged.

This was bad. Mamimi knew she should do something, but she couldn't decide how to react to the situation unfolding before her.

Mamimi Samejima was fond of smoking and often ditched school. She liked to think of herself as a person to whom rules and regulations didn't apply. However, this crazy girl who had run over a junior high kid with her bike, knocked him unconscious, and then kissed him was far beyond her realm of experience. What could Mamimi possibly do in an emergency like this?

That was it! She had a cell phone, so she could call the police. Just as Mamimi thought of a plan, Naota started coming around, still in the girl's embrace.

Finally, the Vespa girl separated her mouth from his and said, "I did it! Taro, I brought you back to life!"

"I told you, he isn't called Taro," Mamimi asserted again.

"Oh, really? That's good! If he had been Taro, that would have been a real problem. He'd definitely be dead by now. Lucky me!"

Inexplicably delighted, while the poor boy was coming to, the girl raised her guitar and slammed it with all her might onto Naota's head.

Mamimi did nothing but watch the violence, completely stunned.

"Hm, did I miss? It isn't coming out," the girl muttered incomprehensibly, looking at the bracelet on her left arm.

It wasn't a watch, rather some kind of accessory that Mamimi hadn't seen before.

The gold band around the girl's wrist had a short chain attached.

Looking at the chain, the Vespa girl shook her head. She started rattling Naota's head, saying, "This is no good. Maybe I'll try again."

As the girl once again readied her lethal guitar, Mamimi ran over and embraced Naota, attempting to shield him.

"I'm about to hit his head, so please don't move him."

With a critical look, Mamimi faced the other girl.

Naota, who had regained full consciousness right then, opened his mouth and asked, "What did you do?"

"What? CPR, of course!"

"Not that," he said, instinctively wiping his moist lips.

"Did she stick her tongue in?" Mamimi asked.

Naota was at a loss for words. Against his will, he had received his first kiss.

Moreover, it had a spicy curry taste.

It was terrible.

His biggest problem wasn't that his first kiss had been foisted upon him, but that Mamimi had seen it. A speechless Mamimi stared at Naota.

What's that? It was the sound of a Vespa engine. When they looked up, they saw the girl was on the seat, ready to flee.

"Thanks for nothing!" she yelled to Naota; then, she accelerated away at full speed.

What was that all about? She was a lunatic who had come like a bolt out of the blue.

The Vespa, rapidly getting farther and farther away, seemed to be expensive.

Watching the girl's figure grow smaller, Mamimi voiced her sentiments, "That must feel so good."

"Good?"

"Being free." Naota didn't reply.

"She was older than twenty, huh?" Mamimi continued. "An idiotic adult who still hasn't grown up," said Naota. "Ouch!"

The wound left by the guitar suddenly hurt. And that was how Naota met her.

The Nandaba family business was a bakery. It had been started by his grandfather Shigekuni, so the shop was called "Shigekuni Bakery." When Shigekuni retired, he passed the family business to Naota's father, Kamon.

Kamon wasn't Shigekuni's son by blood, rather a man who had married into the family. He had been working at a publishing house when he'd met Shigekuni's only daughter, whom he later married.

When their eldest son, Tasuku, was born, Kamon and his wife had moved to her hometown, thinking that Mabase was where they would like to raise their children.

However, the boys lost their mother before Naota had entered kindergarten. Naota had been told she wasn't dead, but that her whereabouts were unknown.

So, Naota's family now consisted of his grandfather, Shigekuni; his father, Kamon; his brother, Tasuku, who currently was studying in America; and finally,

Naota himself. It was a household made up of four men.

They also had an old pet cat called Miyu Miyu. Miyu Miyu was fairly fat, and when he wailed, he sounded like a wild boar.

Speaking of the cat, Naota remembered one particular occurrence. It had occurred right after their mother had disappeared and a large typhoon had hit Mabase.

On one side of the Nandaba house was a river; both banks were reinforced by six feet of concrete. Normally, the water level wasn't very high but due to the typhoon, the current had transformed into violent rapids. The water level rose, raging along like a muddy waterfall.

Alone, the young Naota was watching the muddy river from his bedroom window when he saw a small kitten floating downstream in a cardboard box. He thought the kitten looked at him. He cried out, but the kitten was carried off into the distance. From his place at the second-floor window, there was nothing Naota could have done.

Naota never told anyone about it but six months later, Kamon brought home a cat. Around this time, Kamon had begun leaving the house for frequent walks.

Thinking back, maybe his dad had been looking for his missing wife, or perhaps he simply was wandering around in shock. Naota never knew. One day, Kamon brought home a cat and cared for it, saying they wouldn't have to worry about pests in the bakery anymore. From that point on, Kamon changed his careless ways and started taking the bakery seriously.

Maybe that cat now their pet, Miyu Miyu was the kitten that Naota had seen floating down the stream. He couldn't, however, remember any distinguishing characteristics of the kitten that would substantiate this theory.

During long nights, he often reminisced about various things in the faraway past.

This was one of those nights.

I can't sleep. Naota was lying awake on the bed, curled up like a fetus. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep .

A chill ran down his back. For some reason, he couldn't calm down. Maybe I've caught a cold?

He didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't keep the idea out of his mind that the Vespa girl might have passed something on to him when she'd kissed him earlier.

He remembered the touch of the Vespa girl's lips from that afternoon. His first kiss had had a spicy curry flavor.

That flavor. I need to forget about that. It was like a bad accident.

He turned over, and the bed creaked.

It was a bunk bed, and Naota slept in the bottom bunk. The top bunk belonged to his brother, Tasuku. Although Tasuku was out of the country, Naota couldn't use it.

After all, in a small room shared by two people, the bunks were the single sacred space the two brothers had.

"Good, Naota. I'll take the top bunk, and you take the bottom," Tasuku had said.

I'm always at the bottom of things.

If his brother did become a professional baseball player, their father probably hoped Naota would continue the family business.

Naota raised his head from the covers, sighing. It would be hard to sleep tonight.

Thinking he might have a fever, Naota put his hand on his forehead.

What is this?

On his forehead was a large bulge.

A large bulge!

A large bulge!

A LARGE BULGE!

What is this? Am I dreaming? Trying to process the surrealism of the situation, he kicked off the covers and sat up. Calm down. I have to calm down.

He touched his forehead in an attempt to assess the situation.

"Ouch!" he cried out reflexively as an intense pain suddenly shot through him.

At the same time, from the center of his forehead, he felt a pulsing sensation.

Ba-dum… ba-dum… ba-dum.

It was a bit like the drunken feeling he'd experienced when Grandfather Shigekuni had given him a little alcohol but he hadn't touched a drop of booze.

Ba-dum… ba-dum… ba-dum . His head pounded as if it had a heart inside. No, the bulge itself was throbbing.

Naota's face turned pale as he examined the bulge more gently.

As he'd imagined, it was a single, hard, long bulge about five inches long, it extended straight out from his forehead. If he grasped it firmly, the part connected to his head hurt. What is this?

Then, Naota remembered that the Vespa girl had hit his head with her guitar that afternoon. Mamimi had said they should go to the hospital; after all, a bike had hit him. Although nothing seemed wrong, he really should have gone to get checked out by a doctor. He had ignored her, saying that all he had were bruises. With Mamimi there, he had played up his "Cool Mint" image.

If I'd gone to the hospital then maybe this wouldn't have happened, he thought .

Ouch!

Ba-dum… ba-dum… ba-dum…

Naota turned on the light and put on his glasses.

No, it wasn't a dream: There really was something sticking out of his head. A dark blue object projected straight from his forehead. The object actually was less swollen than it was angular. In fact, "horn" was a more suitable description than

"bulge."

There's a horn growing from my forehead. What kind of illness is this?

He recalled the diseases described in horror comics like those in the beginning of "Black Jack" rather than any conditions found in more realistic media. What could this illness be? Maybe it was some kind of hereditary disease that hadn't manifested in his grandfather or father, but had awakened due to this afternoon's trauma?

No, calm down and think about this scientifically. That's right! I've heard of advanced frontal lobe development in people who are patient. Maybe I've been too patient, so my frontal lobe has grown deformed. Argh! That's not scientific at all!

Naota was overcome with anxiety.

Then, he received another shock: With each pulse, the horn grew a little bigger.

Ba-dum… ba-dum… ba-dum.

This was no a joke!

Naota panicked and pushed down on the growth. Unexpectedly, the horn easily retracted into his skull. At the same time, the throbbing pain eased, as well.

In the silent room, the only sound was the ticking of the clock.

After he'd pushed the horn back in completely, everything seemed to have been merely a bad dream. Had he been asleep, after all?

Yes, he must have been dreaming. Logically speaking, that was the best explanation.

Please, God!

Fearfully, he removed his hand from his head.

Apparently, God was not in a good mood that night. Left alone, the horn kept growing. Ba-dum… ba-dum… ba-dum…

It looks like I'll have to keep pushing it in forever. Naota trembled as he wondered: What the hell am I going to do? There's no one I can talk to about this. I don't want anyone to know.

And what am I going to do about school tomorrow? Naota Nandaba thought of these details, even in the midst of such an unusual situation . Well, I'll have to figure out some kind of solution at least for the time being.

The next day, Naota stuck a bandage over his forehead.

One of his female classmates, Eri Ninamori, called out to him as he neared the school gates. "Morning, Naota!"

"Hey," he answered indifferently, quickly heading toward the entrance.

He'd used an extra-strength bandage on his forehead to make sure his horn didn't burst out. He'd made doubly sure of this by adding a few additional drops of superglue. (Imagine the horrors he'd face when the time came to peel it off.) Anyone who thinks that maybe he'd gone a bit too far obviously hasn't known the distress caused by having a horn sprout from one's head. However, Naota Nandaba did have a strange horn growing from his head.

Naota, the devil.

He couldn't let anyone know the terrible truth. It certainly wouldn't fit his persona. However, his bandage was pretty noticeable, as it was stuck right in the middle of his forehead.

He knew what would happen: Making such an effort to hide something would, of course, paradoxically generate interest and attract prying eyes. If only they would appear less interested… a bandage itself was commonplace enough. Perhaps people would think he'd grazed himself and then covered the wound with a bandage nothing extraordinary about that.

Naturally, that wasn't the way things would go.

"What happened to you?" Ninamori asked.

"Huh?"

"The bandage."

"Oh, that…" began Naota. "Um, yesterday, my grandpa and a door-to-door solicitor had a massive fight. I tried to stop it, and I ended up with this!"

Naota related the story he'd prepared in advance. He'd been worried that if he

claimed to have bumped into a lamppost or something like that, it would sound suspicious, thus further heightening people's curiosity. Although it didn't really matter if people discovered that some girl had hit him with her Vespa, it was an outlandish tale. He'd decided describing a realistic-sounding story was better than describing the unbelievable actual reality.

In this world, there always will be meddlers who, seeing through the camouflage, feel they must stick in their noses. And thus, here was Ninamori, a perfect example of this type of person. Because her father served as Mabase's mayor, she remained aware of her "princess" persona. She was class president, the sort of person who unfailingly would help out her friends with any problems whatsoever, and who delighted in her teachers' approval. (Indeed, she was also the first to report a schoolmate for skipping classroom cleaning duty.)

Most troublesome of all, she seemed to treat Naota with a strange sense of camaraderie because of his excellent grades. She often sought to confer with him, no matter how run-of-the-mill a matter might be.

"That looks awfully strange. It doesn't suit you," opined Ninamori, looking at Naota's bandage. "You sure you're not hiding something?"

She had unusually good intuition.

I really hate this girl! Naota thought to himself.

It was still early, but Gaku was already in the classroom. He and Naota had been in the same class since the third grade. He was a hot-blooded guy with a clean-shaven head and horn-rim glasses. Stretched out, he was reading an "Adults' Illustrated Weekly." As expected, upon seeing the bandage, Gaku asked if Naota had injured himself; then, he let the subject drop.

"Anyway, did you hear, Naota? That light-speed Vespa showed up again."

"Light-speed Vespa?" Naota repeated.

"You hadn't heard? Recently, over on the national freeway, people have been seeing a Vespa-riding girl carrying a guitar pretty frequently."

"What's a 'light-speed Vespa'?" asked Ninamori.

"A Vespa is, well, a Vespa. It's a scooter. That goes fast."

"A light-speed Vespa…" Naota said.

Without a doubt, Naota was recalling his encounter with the girl from the previous day, who had given him a curry-flavored kiss. It had to be her. If that outrageous girl had been turning up all over town, of course she would have become the subject of conversation.

"According to the rumors, she always appears in front of people who are doing things they shouldn't," continued Gaku. "She stole a spicy curry roll from Kumiko in class and "

"A curry roll? What was it she shouldn't have been doing?"

Gaku grinned suggestively before whispering, "Kumiko was sharing a diary with Koji from Class Three."

"Is that supposed to be pervy?"

"Anyway, the story goes that if the light-speed Vespa touches a person who's being a pervert, then the 'devil's mark' appears on that person's body somewhere.

Kumiko said she hasn't experienced anything like that, but it's still weird. People with the mark eventually will be destroyed by the light-speed Vespa girl."

The devil's mark?

This was terrifying information. Generally, Naota wasn't one to listen to such crude urban myths; but this time, the circumstances were entirely different.

The devil's mark . Could it be the horn that had appeared on his head…?

Suddenly, Ninamori pointed at Naota's neck and asked, "Hey, what's that?"

"The devil's mark?" Gaku said, sneaking a look.

"Of course not. That's ridiculous."

They were looking at the love bite Mamimi had given him yesterday. Normally, he would have tried to hide it but today, with a horn growing out of his head, it had managed to have slipped his mind.

"Have you been doing something you shouldn't have?"

"What do you mean? Of course not."

People being perverted? Don't be absurd. Mamimi and I do that kind of thing all the time, Naota thought to himself . It isn't the devil's mark…

Naota pulled up his collar to hide his neck. Ninamori glanced at Naota's bandage, but she didn't say anything about it in front of Gaku.

Several classmates asked about his bandage, but Naota gave appropriate excuses and was able to endure a normal school day.

After school, Naota ran out of the classroom as soon as the bell rang. He started walking home alone, taking a different road than usual.

Naota had two routes he typically took home. One was the normal after-school route. This was the "children, please don't loiter along the road, be sure not to talk to strangers, and go straight home" path. The other way, passing Mabase Bridge, was the road he took for his rendezvous with Mamimi.

In truth, the two of them never made plans to meet up. Sometimes, when Naota went to the bridge, Mamimi would be there also. And if Mamimi went to the bridge, then Naota coincidentally might be there, too. If, on a whim, they decided to come to the bridge, then, occasionally, they would hang out.

The bridge had become their rock, their safety zone.

There had been many times when Mamimi hadn't shown up, and Naota had spent the time alone on the river bank; conversely, there were days when Mamimi had spent time there on her own.

Obviously, the real reason either of them went there was to see the other… but if they made a promise to meet, their relationship would take a strange turn. Naota and Mamimi both feared that kind of commitment, though they were only half aware of this.

Today, however, Naota hadn't chosen either of these paths.

I think I'll go to the hospital after all.

He didn't have much hope that they could get rid of his horn at the hospital. To tell the truth, he wouldn't have been surprised in the least if there wasn't a name for his condition. Naota didn't know what else to do, though. He prayed it might be a simple sickness, something with a cure.

Naota already had prepared for this trip before leaving home that morning, taking his health insurance card with him. Now, he headed to the largest hospital in the city.

As he waited at the crosswalk, a honking train passed in front of Naota.

The barrier lifted, and Naota heard the sound of a bike engine idling right next to him. He stiffened. Reflexively, the color drained from his face, and he sucked in a breath. A jolt of fear ran down his spine. Just as he'd dreaded, it was the Vespa girl from the previous day. Yesterday, he had been in complete shock during their encounter. Today, however, he had the fear of a child who, already having been stung previously, now came across another wasp.

This particular wasp took a bite of her spicy curry roll. There could be no mistake: This had to be the light-speed Vespa girl that Gaku had been talking about.

If the rumors were true, then that had to be the food she had taken from the kid.

The barrier had risen, but Naota remained stationary. After all, it might be a mistake to rile up an opponent such as this one.

"Hey, there," she said with an overly familiar manner, "did anything happen after yesterday afternoon? Anything weird?"

You were the weirdest thing, Naota thought.

"Something did, didn't it?"

"What are you talking about something 'weird'?" he asked.

The girl noticed the bandage on Naota's forehead, and she seemed delighted.

"Then, what's with the bandage?"

"You hit me yesterday! Remember?"

"That looks awfully strange. It doesn't suit you." The girl eyed Naota's forehead with suspicion, repeating the same thing that Ninamori had said that morning: "Looks to me like you're hiding something."

He couldn't speak. Does she know about the horn?

For a moment, Naota hesitated, considering whether he should ask the girl about the changes taking place in his body. However, he had second thoughts when he spied the guitar on her back.

No, he had to get away as quickly as possible. If he spoke to her further, then she might turn violent on him again. This time, she might beat him to death! She was a total maniac.

Once again, the warning bell for the train crossing sounded, and the barrier began to descend. Seizing the opportunity, Naota waited for the barrier to lower almost completely before running across.

Turning, he saw that the girl was still in the same place, watching Naota, her hand shielding her eyes.

The train passed by, separating them.

Look at you now!

Naota fled as fast as he could.

The MM-affiliated hospital was Mabase's largest medical center.

The MM company proclaimed itself the world's leader in groundbreaking

medical technology, and its hospital facilities were the best in the country. They had twenty beds in the ER alone, and the intensive care unit contained thirty beds. These facilities far exceeded the requirements of Mabase's population of sixty thousand.

Light flooded through the skylight, filtering into the sparkling clean lobby.

Neurology, internal medicine, orthopedic surgery… Naota paused for a moment, deciding what department to try. Eventually, he went to reception and signed in for a cerebral surgery appointment before entering the diagnosis room.

Looking around at the room's high-tech equipment (such as the CT scanner and the MRI machine), his heart filled with hope. This really was a technological medical machinery manufacturer's hospital. He felt reassured. Here, they had to have at least some idea of what his strange affliction was and why it was affecting him.

A nurse, her back still turned to Naota, flipped through a chart.

"Um…" he began.

"Please, lie down on the bed."

Following the nurse's instruction, Naota reclined upon the cold bed.

"Please, close your eyes and relax," she continued. "What happened to you?"

"Um… well…" Naota trailed off.

"This is a hospital. You can tell me anything, including things about your growing pains," the nurse said encouragingly. "You don't have to be embarrassed here."

"No, it's nothing like that. It's this completely strange thing."

"What kind of thing?"

"How to describe it…?"

"Please, don't be embarrassed," the nurse reiterated.

"It's some kind of bulge."

"When it comes to teenage problems, a bulge is completely normal. How long has it been going on?"

"In the middle of the night, it just…"

"Always in the middle of the night," noted the nurse.

"Urn, it's right in the center of my forehead."

"So, it's under that bandage?"

Naota explained, "Yes. You see, if I don't keep it pressed down, then it pushes out."

"Very eager, isn't it? I understand."

"Eh?"

"It's Flictonic Clipple Webber Syndrome a psychogenetic disorder, manifesting during puberty, in which a section of skin hardens. With this disease, if the child overexerts himself, a horn grows out from the forehead."

That doesn't sound real!

Naota finally realized, with shock, that he recognized the nurse's voice.

Panicking, he opened his eyes to see the nurse was, indeed, the Vespa girl.

"When did you ?" he began.

"So, what do you have, exactly, under that bandage?"

"What are you doing here?"

"You thought you'd managed to ditch me?" she asked, grinning boldly as she

suddenly pulled out her electric guitar.

As one might expect, Naota jumped off the bed and ran.

Is she really a nurse here?

Naota had no idea the real nurse was tied up in the waiting room, wearing merely her underwear; she was lying alongside the doctor, who was currently unconscious.

"Don't run," the Vespa girl said. "The fun's just begun!"

"You must be kidding!"

The person bearing the devil's mark will be destroyed by the light-speed Vespa girl.

As though chased by a carnivorous beast, Naota fled the hospital as fast as his legs would carry him.

It was a living nightmare.

When he finally reached home, Naota collapsed on his bed, exhausted.

His heart kept pounding. He hadn't run this much since he'd been in a marathon.

What's this all about?

The situation was worse than it had been the previous night. Now, this girl Naota thought he'd met accidentally was, inarguably, hunting him.

Light-speed Vespa… Obviously, she wasn't an ordinary girl.

Without hesitation, she'd caused absolute mayhem: driving her bike down the hospital corridors, breaking through glass doors, speeding through a crowded street.

She'd even flattened the phone booth Naota had popped into.

For the first time, Naota felt happy simply to be alive.

I got away, didn't I? I managed to get home alive, right?

Whenever he saw that chaotic maniac, it inevitably signaled trouble.

Additionally, the horn continued to grow out of his head. That girl probably would follow him, so now he couldn't go to a different hospital. Speaking of hospital visits, the girl had noticed the bandage.

Maybe she'd given him some kind of terrible virus along with that curry-flavored kiss. Maybe there was nothing he could do to make the horn go away.

Maybe he really would have it for the rest of his life.

Was that why the girl was after Naota?

Is it really the devil's mark? he wondered . Will it get bigger? Am I going to die?

Or

Suddenly, his father, Kamon, loudly hollered for him to come downstairs for supper. It was dinnertime already.

In the Nandaba household, meals were formal "gather 'round the table" family affairs. Every morning and evening (and afternoon, when it wasn't a school day), Naota joined his father and grandfather for meals. He had thought it was perfectly normal until recently, when he'd discovered that things weren't the way he'd once thought.

Among his classmates, many didn't eat with their families as much as one time

per week. Whereas adults might pity these children, Naota, by contrast, envied them a little. Eating alone was cool. It seemed like the first step to living independently.

However, eating alone wasn't allowed in the Nandaba household. His father rigidly enforced this policy. It seemed to have some special meaning for Kamon. It didn't matter if you weren't hungry, or if you were running a fever, or if you had one or three horns growing out of your head. You still had to stick to the mealtime ritual.

So, Naota went downstairs to eat.

His family wasn't the kind he could discuss his problems with. Should he catch a cold or something similar, all he could expect in return was a scolding to take better care of himself.

And then… Naota, who had come downstairs, froze when he looked into the room: There she was… right there! The Vespa girl!

"Yo," the girl greeted him casually. As before, her tone was overly familiar. She was sitting with Kamon and Shigekuni, happily sipping miso soup.

Naota began, "You…"

"Let me introduce you," Kamon said. "Starting today, we have a beautiful new housekeeper, so welcome her. Her name is Haruko Haruhara."

"This miso soup is a little bland," stated the girl. "The broth isn't very good."

"I'm very sorry," Kamon apologized. "I'll be more careful tomorrow."

"What? A housekeeper?"

Naota actually meant to say, "Why is this girl the housekeeper?" and "Why, if we have a housekeeper, did you cook dinner, Dad?"

He noticed that his dad sported a bandage.

"Ah, I got hit in a bad accident today," explained Kamon.

"By a bike?"

"Yes, by a bike and also by Haruko, in other words. You know what a sucker your dad is for love…"

Behind his thick glasses, Kamon's eyes were intense. He used to work in Central City as a magazine editor, and he liked growing his hair long and tying it back so that he could pass as some kind of intellectual.

"How can you say that with a straight face, Dad?"

"What's the issue?" asked Haruko, pursing her lips and defending Naota's father.

"Everyone needs love, until they die."

Encouraged by her support, Kamon plucked up the courage to ask, "Oh, by the way, Haruko, what do you think which of these roles do you like?"

"Which do I like?"

"The 'oh, Mister Editor, I didn't know you had such a young wife' kind of dream? Or no, no, no perhaps you prefer the 'my hubby is a professional dough roller'

model? That's a fine choice, too."

"A shame he didn't die when he got hit," Shigekuni casually remarked.

"That's so mean," Kamon protested to his father-in-law, "especially after I hired Haruko to come and live with us to help you out, Father."

Give me a break, thought Naota.

Haruko sat between Kamon and Shigekuni, and it looked like a fierce love

triangle was developing. Naota's head already ached from the horn; he wasn't about to allow this new mayhem in his home.

"Do we really need a housekeeper?" he asked.

"This housekeeper saw things," said Haruko, glancing sideways at Naota and giving him a knowing smile. "She saw Taro fondling a girl."

"You know I'm not Taro!"

"Fondling?" Kamon homed in on Haruko's assertion, demanding, "Who?"

"No one!"

"Who have you been fondling?" asked Kamon doggedly.

"Mamimi Samejima and I were hanging out."

"She's no good," Shigekuni said, wholly to himself, still eating his meal. "She's not good enough for Tasuku."

Kamon continued, "Exactly what have you been doing with your brother's girlfriend while he's been away?"

"We met up by accident."

"Have you done it?"

"I'm still in junior high!" Naota yelped, "What are you thinking?"

"I knew you'd say that! When I was your age, I used the same excuses. You're just like me. You've done it, haven't you? Yes, I'm sure you must have."

"Oh, really?" Haruko's eyes narrowed. "You're popular."

"I'm nothing to overlook," chimed in Shigekuni. "I'm single."

"What are you saying, Father? Me I'm single, plus, I'm a fine man." Kamon's face stiffened. "Anyway, Haruko, you already know Naota?"

"More than that," Haruko said. "Takkun and I, we already have that kind of relationship."

"You mean…?"

"Yes, mouth to mouth."

"Mouth to mouth… as in CPR?"

"Shut up about it!" shouted Naota.

Kamon suddenly stood up, grabbed his son's shoulders, and pushed him against the wall.

"Is that true, Naota? I thought you were a complete washout, but…"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Naota needed a break from this madness. Obviously, Kamon was worked up not because he was truly angry, but because he was excited to have a female in the house.

And Naota wasn't in the mood to be any part of it.

"So, you've already… with Haruko…"

"No!"

"I bet you thought you'd do it again tonight, eh? Oh, I can see those impure thoughts behind your seeming indifference."

"I'm not hiding anything."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm not hiding anything!"

"Under that bandage," Haruko interjected, "he might be hiding something there."

What's going on?

After hastily finishing his nightmarish dinner, Naota climbed into the bathtub.

Is that Haruko Haruhara girl really going to live in our house from now on? I have to do something!

However, Kamon and Shigekuni already had fallen for her, and there wasn't much Naota could do on his own. Of course, there wasn't any way his father and grandfather could have known Haruko was the infamous light-speed Vespa girl.

If he told them, he didn't think it would change their minds, though. Apparently, after living in an all-male household for so long, even a crazy girl like Haruko seemed like a beautiful flower.

However, he had to do something . That girl was a dangerous maniac.

Seated in the bathtub, Naota gently touched the bandage on his forehead. He wasn't sure whether being near her would make the horn better or worse.

Through the window, he heard laughter. It seemed that Haruko, Kamon, and Shigekuni were having a drink in the living room.

They're in a good mood.

After his bath, when Naota went upstairs, he noticed a voice coming from his bedroom. It sounded like Haruko: "On the surface, they make medical machines, but I haven't snuck in yet."

A cell phone?

It seemed that arrogant girl had made an uncharacteristic mistake. From her serious tone, it appeared she was making excuses to someone. She sounded like a child who was being scolded for tardiness.

Just then, Naota was further surprised to hear a man tut-tutting in response.

This wasn't a cell phone call! She was talking to another person in Naota's room.

There was another stranger in his house! That aside, though, the weird girl had gone into his room without asking his permission. It was a very serious matter.

This wasn't the kind of moment to stand around listening, so Naota quickly opened the door to his room. Inside, contrary to his expectations, Haruko sat upright on the floor, completely alone. There was no one else present.

The only other being was Miyu Miyu, who sat outside on the veranda, visible through the open window. The cat gave a little cry and jumped onto the roof.

"Who were you talking to?"

"Just myself," said Haruko, laughing.

"You shouldn't go into other people's rooms without asking."

"So, there are a lot of things a teenage boy needs to hide, huh?" Looking up at the top bunk, she reasoned, "Takkun uses the bottom bunk, so I'll take the top."

"You must be kidding."

She wasn't kidding. She truly was planning to sleep in the same room with Naota tonight.

"Come on," he said, "what are you really?"

"I'm a wandering helper."

"Earlier, you said you were a housekeeper."

"Under the bandage…"

"You're so weird."

"What's under the bandage?"

Pausing, Naota thought, Wait a second.

His theory that his horn had resulted either from Haruko hitting him or from the mouth-to-mouth CPR she had given him seemed to be true. As she was already there in the house, it wouldn't hurt at least to ask her what the horn was.

"Tell me, Haruko, what is this?"

"Yes, tell me , what is this?"

"It's your fault."

"It's your own head," she replied maddeningly.

"It's because you hit me."

"So, take it off and show me."

"Don't touch it!"

Haruko approached with a grin, which triggered a sudden, instinctive fear in Naota. He knocked away her hand. I can't let my guard down. I have to be careful with her.

He said, "Dad brought you here, so go be with him. Stop bothering me!"

Without meaning to, he'd let his tone become harsh.

Haruko fell silent and stared at him with a serious expression, unlike any he'd seen on her face before. Her eyes resembled those of a lover who'd been hurt by an unfaithful man.

"What?" he asked.

"I saw you first."

The innocence in her voice took Naota by surprise.

Haruko was trying to explain that the reason she'd come to this house was because Naota lived here.

Of course, having a maniacal girl set her sights on him was scary but still, hearing her innocent tone and seeing her expression… When she looked him with those green eyes and said she was here because of him… for that single instant, Naota felt something for her.

Idiot, what are you thinking?

"Anyway, the top bunk is my brother's, so absolutely no one else can sleep there.

That's simply the way it is," Naota said, stretching out on his own bed.

He turned his back to Haruko, giving her an unspoken hint to leave.

Now isn't the time or place for weird feelings.

If this girl, Haruko, didn't know what the horn was, he would have to return to the hospital. Tomorrow, he'd ditch her and then go to get it checked out.

"Where is your brother?" Haruko didn't hesitate to ask, despite the fact that Naota had turned away from her to sleep. "Hey," she said insistently, "where is your brother?"

"You're so annoying! He's in America."

"What's he doing there?"

"Playing baseball."

"Wow, he must be good at it!"

"So what?"

"Well, good night," said Haruko.

Maybe she finally caught the drift , Naota thought, as he sensed Haruko standing up. Naota assumed she was leaving, and he felt relieved. The next moment, however, her actions stupefied him.

Does this girl have no common sense?

"You're sleeping here?" His voice rose automatically as he said a second time,

"You're sleeping here ?"

Of all things, Haruko had slipped into bed next to him.

"There's nowhere else," she said sheepishly.

"Fine, do what you want."

Naota knew there was no point in any further argument, so he attempted to push his way past her in order to sleep in the top bunk. As he tried, Haruko shouted in a loud voice, "That's your brother's bunk!"

Naota was stunned into silence.

"That's your brother's bunk! It's his, so absolutely no one else can sleep there!

That's simply the way it is!"

In wordless fury, Naota listened to his own strictures thrown back at him.

Such a childish fight, he thought to himself . There aren't any real adults in the world.

His place to sleep stolen from him, Naota went downstairs, clutching his pillow.

He found Kamon sitting in the darkened shop.

"Naota?" said his father, adopting the same tone he used when petting the cat.

Seeing his father like this was kind of eerie.

"We need to have a serious talk, Naota."

"About what?"

"It's about Haruko. Are you opposed to her?"

Naota had no idea whether his father was talking about employing her as a housekeeper or having her as a wife. Actually, Naota would have opposed either one, but he knew his opinions wouldn't affect his father's decision.

"Do what you want."

"Naota… Nao, innocent little Nao. Oh, right! Mamimi stopped by earlier today."

"Eh?"

What did Dad say? Did he just say Mamimi came over?

Kamon explained, "She came over to ask for the leftover bread."

"Mamimi came here?" Naota said, his voice betraying his emotions.

"Of course, it'll taste fine if she fries it with a little oil. I guess her family isn't so well-off."

Mamimi came here. Mamimi came to my house!

"Where do you think you're going at this hour?"

Kamon's question didn't reach Naota's ears, as he had run out of the house into the night streets.

All thoughts of the horn and Haruko had disappeared.

Naota ran through the dark streets.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing at the place it seemed he usually visited after school: Mabase Bridge.

Mamimi came over!

Mamimi had stopped by his house, knowing his brother wasn't there. It was the first time that had happened. Although all he knew was that she'd attempted to visit, the non-event had propelled Naota to run out, ecstatic.

They'd never made any particular promises to meet each other, but Naota had faith. Mamimi was definitely at Mabase Bridge, waiting alone for Naota to arrive.

They were two parallel lines that would have continued forward into eternity…

now, though, one of them had shifted direction, if slightly. Naota ran with all his might, spurred on by the hope that their lines would meet now. At times like this, young men glimpse, if dimly, how big the love they seal inside themselves can be.

Mamimi!

His quivering breath disappeared into the darkness of the street.

A line of white smoke ascended into the starry sky. It was Mamimi's cigarette smoke.

She was leaning against the rail, looking down into the dark water. Despite the hour, she still wore her school uniform.

Naota pulled up and began walking toward her. He seemed unable to slow his quick, gasping breath.

Looking sideways at Naota, Mamimi discarded her cigarette into the river.

"I have a lot," she said, indicating the bag of bread crusts at her feet.

She sat down next to the bag and began silently eating one of the crusts. She wore the same expression on her face that he'd seen so many times after school.

"They're not very good," she commented.

"You said you weren't smoking anymore."

Naota had started to regret that he'd run here as fast as he could.

Why did you stop by my house? he wondered. He couldn't ask Mamimi that question, no matter how much he wanted to not when she had those same after-school eyes.

All the hopes he'd nurtured while hurrying here were nothing but illusions.

"Takkun, you're out of breath."

Now, he silently leaned against the rail and looked down at the black, flowing water.

What did I hope she'd say?

When he thought about it objectively, he realized what he should've known already. He understood why the fickle Mamimi had visited his house out of the blue.

"You want some?"

"No," he said, thinking, You couldn't have come over simply because you wanted bread crusts. He couldn't say the words aloud, though.

Mamimi stood up and brushed dirt from her skirt. As usual, she hugged Naota silently from behind. She didn't ask why he had sprinted there. It was very late at night, but everything felt exactly like it did after school.

The night river reflected a ghostly moon.

As Mamimi kept clasping Naota, he resolved, I can't do this anymore. This can't go on any longer.

"Have you gotten any letters?" Naota asked.

He felt Mamimi's body stiffen slightly against his back.

"Have you heard anything from him at all?" Naota said, knowing his words were out of pure spite.

He knew Mamimi understood that her relationship with Tasuku was over.

Although she recognized this truth, she was too scared to admit it to herself. Tasuku hadn't thought of Mamimi as his lover in the first place; that was why he'd found it so easy to let Naota know he had a steady girlfriend in America.

It was a cruel thing to say, but Naota had to ask, "How much do you like my brother?"

Mamimi held her breath. The moment seemed to last forever; he never felt her exhalation.

"Like watermelon," Mamimi replied, after the silence passed. "Or like a panda with a mean face, or like a store that carries sandals just my size, or like when you wake up and realize it's Sunday… Well, I like him more than old bread crusts, anyway."

"Then, why don't you stop doing this?"

She didn't respond.

"You know, my brother, he…"

Suddenly, Mamimi covered her ears with her hands. It was the first time Naota had seen such anguish. Like a cat clinging to a branch as it washed down a river, Mamimi pushed her hands over her ears, hunching up. Her entire body was begging him not to continue.

Watching her, Naota felt as if his body, too, would burst. Why not want me instead? I'm here. What's wrong with me?

Finally, Mamimi, still slumped over, whispered painfully, "I'm going to overflow."

Eh?

"Really, I'm going to overflow…"

"What?"

Abruptly, Mamimi screamed, and Naota panicked.

Denial of this magnitude has to be hysteria, doesn't it?

As he stared in horror, Mamimi closed her mouth, lost consciousness, and collapsed on the ground, as though the lights had been turned off inside her.

"Mamimi!"

Frightened, Naota propped up her body, but

"Ow!"

In that instant, Naota's head was consumed by a violent, burning pain. He went rigid, as if he'd received an electric shock. His forehead started to ache.

At that exact moment, inside the large MM factory that sat on the small hill overlooking Mabase, something started to happen. Suddenly, inside the factory

which, since its inauguration, always ended the work day and turned off the lights at five o'clock every light switched on. The building, which looked like a giant iron, lit up, striking a dignified position against the night sky. To nearby residents' surprise, sirens started blaring, and searchlights spanned across the factory's surroundings.

The building suddenly seemed less like a factory and more like a prison from which a convict had escaped.

And Haruko Haruhara, who had been lying down in Naota's room, suddenly sat bolt upright.

"It's here!"

Her green eyes sparkled with a new intensity.

Like a magnet, the bracelet she wore on her left wrist was reacting to some specific kind of energy wave. Haruko jumped from the second-floor window without hesitation, landed gallantly astride her Vespa, and punched the accelerator.

The frightful sound of the speeding scooter ripped through the city.

What Naota had feared before now became his reality. He had stuck on the bandage using extra-strength instant adhesive, but the bandage suddenly had torn.

The horn had come bursting out.

Now, both of Naota's legs were several inches off the ground; he was floating in midair. The horn had begun to emit some sort of anti-gravity power and was levitating Naota's body.

It was a flying horn.

Naota clawed desperately at the horn protruding from his own forehead, terrified now that his feet were no longer on the ground. He shook in horror.

It's gotten bigger!

The horn was longer and fatter than before. Indeed, it was still growing. Could it be "overflowing," too?

Keeeeeeen.

He heard a loud ringing echo through his ears, and his eardrums threatened to burst. Strangely, he felt no pain in the rest of his body. The actual horn itself was numb to the touch, like some bizarre, paralyzed limb. As if in a dream, he felt only the horrid sensation of a foreign object protruding from him.

He stared at the dark blue horn extending from his forehead, pointing straight toward the sky. There was nothing he could do but leave his body to its fate.

The "horn" wasn't a horn at all. Naota's stomach had turned over, as he helplessly watched the ghastly horns growth. The dark blue horn that he remembered from yesterday revealed itself to be a finger. Of all things, it was an index finger.

And slowly following that index finger was an enormous hand, complete from little finger to thumb. The wrist and arm appeared in turn. As though trying to grasp the stars in the night sky, a massive hand reached up from Naota's forehead.

It was a dark blue, metallic, mechanical arm something exquisite and robotic. In fact, it was unmistakably a robot arm.

A robot was springing from his head. Like a moth that bursts through its original cocoon when it leaves its larval stage, a robot was climbing out of Naota's head.

This is what was inside my head?

He agonized. The truth was weirder than Naota had imagined.

Only half the body had emerged, but that portion alone was a giant metal monster, the size of which far surpassed Naota's entire body mass. Naota still was floating slightly above the ground but if a proportionately sized robot succumbed to gravity and fell downward, Naota definitely would be crushed to death.

"Ah!" As the ringing in his ears reached its crescendo, the robot leapt free from Naota's head. Like the cork of a champagne bottle, the robot briefly arced upward into the black sky before its iron frame landed dexterously on the bridges metal railings. A heavy clanging resounded throughout the area.

The robot's entire body was now completely visible. It had a humanoid shape, with two arms and two legs. The body towered six feet high, and its head resembled a television set.

Although the robot finally had separated itself from Naota, the ordeal wasn't over yet. Right away, another robotic arm had reached out from Naota's head and latched itself onto the first robot's side.

Sparks flew from the humanoid robot's body.

The first robot wielded its empty hand like a sword to chop at the new robot's arm. Using incredibly destructive power, the android severed the second robot's forearm.

With the momentum of a stretched-out rubber band that's cut suddenly, the main part of what was now a severed robotic arm retreated back into Naota's head. It apparently had returned to "the other side." Simultaneously, the oppressive ringing in Naota's ears stopped.

Finally free, Naota's body tumbled to the ground. Once he caught his breath, he called out "Mamimi!" Naota ran over to the fallen girl.

She'd lost consciousness. Given the circumstances, that was good.

The android looked as if it was trying to escape an enemy.

Its adversary still was moving. The freshly severed arm pushed itself along, using its five fingers like tentacles. Moving around on its fingers, the arm looked like it was imitating an octopus or a squid. With unbelievable speed, it distanced itself from the humanoid robot. The arm seemed to be preparing for a fight.

This creepy robotic life form still was ambulatory. And standing up straight, the arm measured about the same height as Naota.

Naota instantly saw that the humanoid robot was the prey, and the arm was the predator.

The android attempted to run away but a few seconds later, it was tripped. The unseen attack must have been forceful, because the robot didn't get up to keep moving away. Persistently, the arm kept pursuing, thwarting all the android's escape attempts.

In medicine, a machine called an ESWL (Lithotriptor) provides noninvasive treatments for kidney stones by focusing high-intensity acoustic pulses that break up the stones. Such pulses seemed to be the arm's weapon, and it aimed that weapon at the areas where the android moved.

The bodies of both robots bore the same mark: It was the logo of MM, the

medical machinery maker.

In one of the rooms at the MM Mabase factory, a siren still blared and a host computer continued transmitting "message received" signals.

Undeterred for a single second, battle reports flashed onscreen, one after another:

«MMR Class [K].001 ATOMSK flees into Mabase. 22:14

MMR Class [J] DH pursues and attempts to capture or damage fail. 22:16

Manipulator breaks off from DH and currently operates alone.

Original 82% returns with the closing of FLCL; remaining 18%

engages in battle in Mabase. 22:16.

Returning 82% issued code RH; remaining 18% issued code LH.

22:16.

LH uses Shockwave weapon. Engages in battle. 22:16.

Good luck to LH in executing battle strategy.»

LH, the arm, scuttled around, targeting the android's position.

Still holding Mamimi, Naota couldn't move. The area had turned into a battlefield.

The arm pointed a thin, threadlike laser toward Naota.

Shit!

Both combatants had ignored Naota and Mamimi up until then but the arm must have noticed the two bystanders and was calculating how to deal with them now.

What should I do? Naota wondered.

It seemed crazy, but Naota could think of no other option but to jump into the river with Mamimi.

Right then, the humanoid robot which had fled its pursuer until now suddenly turned and attacked the arm. It attempted to destroy the enemy entirely with a single blow. As before, when it had fought the main portion of the arm, the force unleashed by the android was powerful.

However, the humanoid robot moved carelessly close to the arm.

Bright white sparks ran down the android's body, and the robot stopped as suddenly as if it had been deactivated. This time, it appeared to have absorbed a fatal hit. The smell of scorching metal was everywhere.

The arm laughed with an electrical noise.

In a grotesque, wriggling motion, the arm once again grabbed hold of the humanoid robot, ready to finish it off. It tried to crush the android with its powerful grip, a weapon in its own right. Creaks like screams came from the strangled robot, which tottered forward one step, then two.

Suddenly, the android's appearance changed. The navy blue body transformed instantly into a deep crimson color.

As though its demise had been merely a feint, the android snatched the arm,

wrenched it away from its body, and smashed it into the pavement. It was a complete turnaround. Not giving the arm the slightest opportunity, the humanoid robot crushed the center of its opponent's palm beneath its metal foot all within the space of a moment.

Sparks and an explosion followed.

Naota shielded Mamimi from the blast and the heat.

«[K] reacts to ATOMSK. Reason unknown. 22:19

LH movement stopped. Eliminated. 22:19

Awaiting further communication. 22:19»

The humanoid robot pulled apart the scrapped arm's defenses, and then it yanked out the machine component innards, ensuring the arm's utter destruction.

Could it be, Naota thought , it saved us?

It certainly felt like the arm had begun to come after Mamimi and Naota and that was when the android suddenly had started to fight, as if it had been worried about them.

What is it?

The robot that had come out of Naota's head silently continued to dismantle the arm.

This robot came out of my head!

This is the robot that came out of my head!

Then, a roaring noise approached, and Naota recognized the terrible sound of a scooter's engine.

"Haruko?"

As he'd anticipated, the approaching headlights were those of a Vespa.

Guitar in hand, Haruko leapt off the bike and ran toward the humanoid robot. En route, she started up a hand-operated generator mounted on the back of her guitar.

As she lifted it, the guitar emitted bright energy and light. Of course, Naota had no idea it was actually a light-space-modifying weapon in the shape of a guitar.

"Uuuuaaaagggh!" With the beautiful stance of a professional baseball player, Haruko heaved the guitar toward the robot's head. Her aim was perfect.

It was the first time Naota had seen anyone with such an amazing swing other than his brother. To the uninvolved viewer, her gorgeous attack was like part of a flawless dance.

Apparently, the android hadn't expected this new, fleshy opponent to appear, and it reacted a moment too late. Its TV-monitor head took a direct hit. Part of the monitor split apart, coughing out a small stream of smoke. For a few seconds yet, some muddy operating sounds were audible; then, the robot plopped down, as if it had lost the ability to move.

"Eh?" Haruko said, scanning the quiet surroundings, "Where is it?"

"What?" asked Naota, wondering why Haruko had attacked the robot.

Looking down at the bracelet on her left hand, Haruko seemed dissatisfied. She

glanced around again. She was looking for something or someone.

"Why isn't it here?"

"What are you looking for?"

The outrageous girl looked Naota in the eye and moaned, telling him he was utterly useless.

Okay. Now, he understood. It was an amazing experience: Two robots coming out of his head, having a fierce battle, and so on. He realized that's not something every sixth grader got to see. A few days after all that happened, though, he still retained his belief that there wasn't anything amazing in this world. Who was the Japanese philosopher who had said perception and experience were different things?

Back then, no matter what happened in front of him, it amounted to no more than something he happened to see. Don't hate him for that. Don't hate who he was back then. After all, he was but a child.

When Naota went to school the next day, he no longer wore a bandage across his forehead. The horn was absent for the time being, as well.

There is nothing amazing in this world. Everything is ordinary.

The robot that had been a horn now was kneading dough at the Shigekuni Bakery. The area of its head where Haruko had hit it still looked a little strange, but the robot could move again.

Commenting vaguely that they had picked up something useful, Kamon had put the robot to work.

"See you later," Naota had called to the robot on his way out.

Along Naota's route to school, Mamimi jumped out at him. She was sipping a canned beverage.

She had fainted the night before, so she didn't have a single memory of what had happened, and Naota didn't feel like explaining everything to her.

"Morning!" Mamimi greeted.

"Hey," answered Naota.

Mamimi offered him the canned drink in her hand. It was lemonade.

"I don't like sour things," said Naota, but then he immediately took the can and gulped down its remaining contents.

The season most special to Naota had just begun.