Perman's POV:~
"You shouldn't have done that," I mumbled, the words escaping before I could stop them. I was still Perman, flying through the crisp morning air, the Perfect Copy Robot perched on my back in my civilian form. The sun was rising higher, painting the scattered clouds in soft pinks and oranges, a peaceful backdrop to my irritation. "She must have felt so bad, being brushed off like that." I pictured the girl's surprised, slightly hurt expression as we flew away.
"She didn't look 'bad' from what I saw," the robot retorted, its voice a perfect, even mimicry of my own, but utterly devoid of any genuine empathy. "Her face indicated mild confusion, followed by amusement. Anyway, what's it to us? Our objective was training."
"You're so cruel!" I exclaimed, my cape flapping indignantly in the breeze. It was true, his logic was unassailable, but it felt so… cold. He was supposed to be me, but he was so much more decisive, so much less concerned with people's feelings. It was baffling how someone who looked exactly like me could think so differently.
"Whatever you think," he said, sounding completely unfazed. "But I can't let our training be disturbed just to make some unknown girl happy. Her happiness is not part of our current operational parameters."
I sighed, deflating a bit. He had a point, a brutally efficient point. This copy robot, who looked so utterly like me, right down to the tiny scar above my eyebrow, truly thought in a different league. He knew me well, knew my habits, my weaknesses, my easily distracted nature. It was almost like having a stern, more competent older brother who also happened to be my exact twin.
Come to think of it, for the past two days, he'd been waking up every morning, usually starting his reading hours before I even stirred, and then waking me up. He was always alert. I didn't even know if he slept or not, in the way humans did. I'd never seen him tucked in. He just… was.
As we continued our flight, the first few rays of sunlight began to illuminate the bustling city below. People were starting to emerge from their homes, going about their morning routines. The park we'd just left would soon be filled with joggers and dog walkers. "It's light out and people are starting to arrive," he observed, his gaze sweeping over the waking city. "Let's go to a jungle and complete our training. We need a location with fewer variables."
"As you wish, teacher," I said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. He smiled a bit, then continued to scan for the ideal training ground. I put the robot more securely on my back and flew towards the lush, green expanse of a nearby, less-frequented jungle, a place where we could truly be alone.
The jungle was a symphony of rustling leaves and chirping birds, far from the urban clamor. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, dappling the forest floor in shifting patterns of light and shadow. It was a perfect, secluded spot for our hand-to-hand combat training. For the next two hours, we drilled. He was relentless, demonstrating precise movements, correcting my every fumble. He pushed me harder than I'd ever pushed myself. My muscles ached, sweat plastered my hair to my forehead, but I could feel myself getting stronger, faster. His instruction was clear, concise, and incredibly effective. He was a natural teacher, even if he didn't quite understand human limits.
Just as I was trying to master a particularly tricky disarming maneuver, my Perman badge started ringing, its familiar chime echoing through the quiet jungle. I stopped, a little out of breath, and answered.
"Hello, Perman No. 1 speaking. What happened?"
"Perman, I have some work for you," it was Pako. Her voice sounded urgent, but with Pako, you never really knew if it was a genuine emergency or just something she deemed "urgent" because it involved her. I braced myself. She's definitely going to bother me.
"Sorry, I'm busy right now," I said, already anticipating her next argument. I mean, we were in the middle of crucial training!
"Tell her you're coming," Copy Robot whispered from my shoulder, his voice a calm, logical hum.
I paused, surprised. But then, I always did what the robot suggested lately. There was an undeniable logic to his advice. "Okay, wait, I'm coming," I said into the badge without any delay, my voice a little more resolute than I felt.
"Thank you!" Pako said, her voice brightening instantly.
I hung up, still a bit dazed by the robot's sudden intervention. "So," I asked, turning to him, "are you going to tell me why you told me to go? I thought we were training."
"It might be something important," he said, shrugging slightly, his expression perfectly calm. "Pako usually doesn't call unless it's related to some civic duty. And her tone suggested urgency."
He then looked up at the sky, where the sun had now fully risen, piercing through the trees. "Besides," he added, "the sun's completely out, and we have school in half an hour. We wouldn't be able to continue our training here anyway without risking exposure. It is more efficient to address the unknown variable Pako presents and then return to our domestic responsibilities."
His logic, as always, was unassailable. He was right. We had pushed our morning training to its absolute limit without risking being seen. "Alright, let's go home," I conceded, reaching down to pick him up. I put the copy robot back on my back and started flying towards home, a little less reluctantly than I had earlier, now that the immediate problem of Pako calling was about to be solved.
We reached my room in record time, slipping through the window just as my alarm clock would have normally been going off. I transformed back into Mitsuo.
"Hey, Mitsuo," the copy robot said, transforming into Perman in front of me. "How about I go as Perman and you go to school? It would be a more efficient use of our time. I can handle whatever Pako needs, and you can focus on your studies without interruption."
It was a tempting offer. Skipping school was always a nice thought, but going to school with a clear head, knowing Perman was handling things, felt even better. Plus, if he went as Perman, he could continue to observe and learn human interactions, which he was so fascinated by. "I have no problem with that," I said, a grin spreading across my face. It was the best of both worlds.
I quickly changed into my school uniform and grabbed my backpack, feeling surprisingly energized for a school day. I gave my Perman set to the copy robot, who clipped it onto his uniform with a practiced ease. "Good luck with Pako," I muttered, half-joking. Meanwhile, the copy robot, now looking every bit the superhero, gave a crisp nod, and slipped out the window, heading off to meet Pako, undoubtedly prepared for whatever "important work" she had in store. I headed downstairs for breakfast, feeling a strange mix of relief and anticipation for what this unique month with my "perfect" self would bring.
🌟 To Rahil_Khokhar 🌟 – You are the reason this series is breathing new life! Your encouragement truly set me ablaze, and for that, I am eternally grateful. This chapter is for dedicated to you!
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