The setting sun painted the sky in fiery hues of orange and purple, casting long shadows that stretched like reaching fingers across the familiar rooftops of Tokyo. Perman, his cape flapping gently in the evening breeze, hurried through the air. A long, strange day was finally winding down. He was eager to get home, peel off the costume, and maybe, just maybe, have a normal evening. He looked forward to seeing his Copy Robot – or rather, the Perfect Copy Robot, now taking his place. He wondered what the robot had been up to all day, hopefully not getting into any trouble.
As Perman landed softly on his balcony and pushed open the window to his room, a wave of quiet washed over him. It wasn't the usual welcoming silence of his empty room; it was a peculiar stillness, a lack of the faint, rhythmic hum of the robot diligently working or the soft rustle of pages turning.
"Copy Robot?" Perman called out, his voice a little uncertain, echoing slightly in the room that felt suddenly too large. No answer came back. The desk was tidy, the books were stacked neatly, but the perfect duplicate he expected to find mimicking his absence was simply not there.
Disappointment, sharp and unexpected, pricked at him. Where could it be? He had assumed it would stay put, diligently covering his schoolwork as planned. He flopped down on his bed, the familiar softness a small comfort. He pulled out a well-worn volume of his favorite comic book series, hoping to lose himself in the adventures of Space Pirate Captain Comet. Maybe Copy Robot was just running late, maybe it had gone out for some essential task? But as the minutes ticked by, stretching into a quiet half-hour, a strange, cold feeling settled over him. Worry. Real worry. Where could Copy Robot be? It was supposed to be his double, staying hidden.
Perman tried to distract himself, flipping pages of his comic, attempting to build a miniature spaceship out of the colourful plastic blocks scattered near his bed. He stacked block upon block, the little plastic click-clack a tiny sound in the growing silence. But the worry persisted, a knot tightening in his stomach. What if something had happened? What if someone had seen it? What if it had malfunctioned? His mind, usually so quick to conjure up fantastical scenarios for his comic book heroes, now conjured anxieties about his own secret identity.
The room grew steadily darker as the sun dipped completely below the horizon, leaving only a faint, lingering twilight glow. The streetlights outside flickered on, casting a pale yellow light through the window. Perman's stomach rumbled loudly, a physical reminder of the lunch he'd missed and the dinner that seemed increasingly unlikely to involve his usual routine. He tried to convince himself, with less and less conviction, that Copy Robot would be home soon, perfectly capable of handling itself. But despite his best efforts, the long day, the emotional rollercoaster with Birdman, and the mounting worry began to take their toll. Tiredness, heavy and insistent, tugged at him. His eyelids grew heavy, drooping despite his attempts to keep them open. The comic book slipped from his grasp, landing with a soft thud on the bedspread. Soon, he was drifting off to sleep, the anxieties about his absent double fading into the hazy world of dreams.
The warm, comforting aroma of teriyaki chicken wafted through the air, a tantalizing invitation that slowly pulled Mitsuo Suwa back from the depths of sleep. His mom, a gentle, ever-present smile gracing her lips, pushed open his bedroom door, a tray laden with dinner in her hands. "Mitsuo, dinner's ready!" she called out softly. But instead of her son sitting at his desk or reading in a chair, she found an unexpected sight: Perman, in full costume, sprawled across Mitsuo's bed, snoring softly, one arm draped over his eyes.
"Perman!" she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of surprise, amusement, and a hint of gentle concern. The tray tilted slightly in her hands before she steadied it.
Perman stirred, blinking his eyes open groggily. For a confused second, he was just Mitsuo, waking up late. Then, the sight of his mom, the costume on his body, and the memory of the empty room flooded back. He suddenly remembered that he was still Perman. "Oh, Mitsuo's mom," he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep, scrambling to sit up and pulling his mask back into place reflexively. "I… I was waiting for Mitsuo. I must have fallen asleep." He felt a hot flush creep up his neck under the mask. How embarrassing!
Mitsuo's mom set the tray down on his desk and raised an eyebrow, a knowing glint in her eyes that always made Mitsuo feel like she saw right through his excuses, even when he was Perman. "Sleeping in someone's room? Perman, even for a superhero who helps people, that's not very… usual, is it? Or very polite to just let yourself in and fall asleep."
Perman hung his head, feeling sheepish and caught. "I apologize, Mrs. Suwa. I truly didn't mean to impose. It's just… well, did Mitsuo tell you where he went? He wasn't here when I arrived." He hoped his sudden change of topic sounded natural.
"Yes," she replied, her tone softening slightly. "He came home for a bit earlier this afternoon. He said he was going to the library to catch up on some studying."
Perman's eyes widened behind his mask. The library! Of course! It was the most likely place for his Perfect Copy Robot to be engrossed in work. There was only one main library in their neighbourhood, a quiet, imposing building just a few blocks away. With a newfound sense of urgency replacing his worry, Perman thanked his mom profusely, apologized again for the intrusion, and hurried out the door, leaving her looking after him with that same knowing, gentle smile. He had a feeling Copy Robot might still be there, buried in books.
As he approached the library, the familiar scent of old paper, dusty covers, and the hushed whispers of quiet study filled the air, a stark contrast to the bustling city outside. He pushed open the heavy wooden doors, the sound muffled by the thick carpet within. His eyes, adjusted to scanning rooftops and horizons, now scanned the rows of towering bookshelves that seemed to stretch on endlessly. He walked past tables of students, quiet reading nooks, and the librarian's desk. And then, tucked away in a small, slightly secluded reading alcove near the back, he saw him – Copy Robot, back to its usual form.
Perman took the copy robot and tapped its nose. The robot transformed, taking form of mitsuo.
A small smile touched Perman's lips. He helped the robot gather the scattered books, stacking them neatly. Both of them came out of the library, stepping back into the cool evening air. As they reached a less crowded spot, Perman scooped up the robot, easily lifting its lightweight form, and settled it onto his back, securing it with his arm as he took to the air.
"I never thought that 'Perfect Copy Robot' could also make such a silly mistake," Perman said, a hint of amusement in his voice as they flew above the city lights. "Leaving the house without telling anyone and making me worry! And then, turning back to his usual form by by mistake."
Copy Robot shifted slightly on his back. "Yes, please forgive me. I became… engrossed. But," it retorted, its voice slightly muffled against Perman's back, sounding exactly like Mitsuo making a quick excuse, "it is not my fault since I'm YOUR copy robot."
Perman chuckled, shaking his head. "By the way, you didn't need to work so hard on your first day. Just staying put and doing a bit of homework would have been fine."
"Hard work is a prerequisite for improvement," Copy Robot stated matter-of-factly. "And yes yes. By the way... I have covered 20% of our syllabus just today. If you want, you can see it by sharing the memory."
Perman was genuinely surprised. 20% of the entire year's syllabus? In just one afternoon? That was incredible! Even the Perfect Copy Robot was exceeding his expectations.
"You... are amazing," Mitsuo exclaimed, still slightly bewildered by the sheer processing power. "I can't believe you learned all that so fast!"
"Yes yes I know," Copy Robot replied, its tone completely level, lacking any false modesty. "But I think I took too much time. I should have been more efficient in locating resources." It paused. "Anyway, you had already read many of those things, so it didn't take me as long to process and memorize as it might have for completely new data. Ok listen, go home as Mitsuo and give me your Perman set. We both can't eat dinner anyway, and it makes more sense for the duplicate to handle the evening duties while the original rests." Its reasoning was impeccable, if a little cold.
Mitsuo stared at the robot. The idea of sending the robot, even the perfect one, to pretend to be him at the dinner table while he stayed back felt… wrong. "And what will you do by becoming Perman?" Mitsuo asked, putting his hands on his hips. "We both will go home. Since you are still Mitsuo right now, you can just tell mom that you have invited Perman over for dinner. You've worked so hard today, burying yourself in all those books. If you don't eat, then I won't eat either!" He meant it. The thought of the robot, which looked exactly like him and had just helped him so much, going hungry felt instinctively bad.
Copy Robot chuckled, a sound that was a perfect mimicry of Mitsuo's own laugh, yet somehow felt slightly different, less joyful, more… analytical. "Don't worry, I'll manage. Nutritional intake is unnecessary for my current functions. Besides, I want to test my limits. And you know," it added, a hint of something new in its voice, something that wasn't quite Mitsuo, "sometimes a little bit of hunger can be a great motivator for future planning."
Mitsuo, though still slightly hesitant about the robot not eating, couldn't help but grin. His perfect copy robot was definitely going to be an interesting, and maybe even a little challenging, addition to his life for the next month. He tapped his nose again, becoming Perman once more. "Alright," he said, "Let's go home." He picked him up, and they launched back into the evening sky, heading towards the warm lights of his home.