After saving the hostages, and making sure the police had everything under control, I completed a few other routine Perman duties – a quick check on a stalled train, helping an elderly woman whose groceries had spilled – before finally heading home. The setting sun cast long shadows over the familiar streets. I was exhausted, but a profound sense of satisfaction pulsed through me. I'd faced real danger, and I'd handled it.
I slipped through my window and changed back into Mitsuo, tucking the Perman suit neatly away. The quiet of my room felt empty. I glanced around. My school bag wasn't here. That meant the Copy Robot hadn't come back yet. He was still out there, probably still at school, managing my reputation. A wave of mild irritation washed over me. He could have at least let me know.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, the front door downstairs creaked open, and I heard footsteps. A moment later, my bedroom door opened, and the Copy Robot walked in, a schoolbag slung over his shoulder. He looked exactly like me, right down to the slight slump I usually adopted after a long day.
"Welcome back," I said, a little surprised to see him.
He dropped his bag by the desk. "Mitsuo," he said. "I apologize for making you wait. School ran a bit longer than anticipated."
I waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, it's fine. I just got back myself. No big deal, you don't have to apologize." It was weird, hearing him apologize. Usually, he was all about efficiency, not feelings.
"Right," he said, then immediately touched my forehead. "Let's exchange memories."
The rush of his day flowed into my mind: the tense interaction with Kabao and Sabu, the way he'd expertly dodged the kick, his chilling warning. Then, the surprisingly calm way he'd faced Kabao's thrown rock, not even flinching. It was all there.
When the memory exchange was done, I pulled away, a little annoyed. "You should've fought Kabao and Sabu when they threw that rock at you!" I exclaimed. "You just let them hit you? They'll think they can get away with anything!"
He shook his head, a very human gesture. "It wasn't necessary, Mitsuo. I didn't want to escalate the matter further. I already made my point. Sometimes, a silent response speaks louder."
Then, I saw the other memories. Girls. A few of them. He'd handled them with a polite, almost detached air. "Hey," I said, a grin playing on my lips. "There were some girls trying to talk to you because of what happened yesterday, huh?"
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, they just wanted to use you – or rather, use me – because of some fleeting admiration. You need to learn to ignore that kind of superficial attention. Or, if absolutely necessary, you can use them for a quick advantage, but don't get sidetracked." He sounded remarkably like an exasperated older brother.
His expression then shifted, turning serious. He looked directly at me, and his voice dropped, a genuine concern in his tone. "Now, let's talk about what you did today as Perman. That was incredibly dangerous, Mitsuo. You were alone against four terrorists with guns. You could have died out there."
I shrugged, trying to act tough. "But I didn't, did I? It didn't happen, so it doesn't matter anyway."
He sighed, a deep, weary sound. "That's a reckless way to think, Mitsuo. Just because it turned out okay doesn't mean it wasn't incredibly risky. You can't be so cavalier with your life. Promise me you won't be so reckless from now on."
I thought about the thrill of disarming them, the surge of power. But I also remembered the bullets flying, the sheer terror. "Okay," I affirmed, nodding. "I promise. No more recklessness."