The washing machine vibrated slowly, with an English-printed, overseas laundry bag resting on its lid.
Then, as if reciting a text message reply, Makise Kurisu's voice came from off-screen.
"Kurisu, thank you for your text message from abroad."
"Regarding your question, I consulted with the professor."
"He said, 'The IBN5100 does indeed have the function to parse a certain special programming language.'"
..." Makise Kurisu's words paused slightly: "Does that mean it's true?"
The screen of her phone was paused on 'Okabe Rintaro'.
The girl fell into hesitation... The noisy chirping of cicadas started again.
"Oh, a computer, you say? I'll have to ask my dad."
A delicate voice spoke up.
Immediately following, Okabe Rintaro's voice chimed in:
"It's called the IBN5100. If you don't know, just say it's an old computer."
"I understand, I'll go ask." A slightly electronic-sounding reply came from the other end of the phone.
"Please, and finally, the password."
"EI psy kongari?" A hesitant voice gave a broken response.
"It's kongroo!" Shouting loudly, Okabe Rintaro sighed and was about to put away his phone.
But the next moment, a new call came in.
"Hello?"
...It's Makise."
"Makise? I'm sorry, I don't remember." Okabe Rintaro shook his head: "Have we met somewhere before? Paris or London?"
The voice on the other end became a little helpless: "Akihabara, we just met."
"Ah." Okabe Rintaro realized: "What, isn't this Assistant? Why didn't you just say you were Christina?"
"—It's not 'Tina'!"
"Still as noisy as ever, huh."
"Whose fault is it, whose fault?"
Not intending to argue further, looking at the traffic and pedestrians passing by on the road, Okabe Rintaro casually asked:
"What's up?"
"Where are you?" she asked.
"Why do you ask?"
"Nothing." she said.
..." Okabe Rintaro stated his destination: "I'm about to go to Yanagibayashi Shrine—"
But as soon as he finished stating the location, the sound of the call being hung up came from the other end of the phone.
"?
The phone was hung up on me?! Is this intentional? Is this meant to annoy me?" Okabe Rintaro clutched his phone with immense force.
[So I told you, with a science girl like Assistant, you have to put the evidence right in front of her. See, she came back, didn't she?]
[Okabe Rintaro thinks his girlfriend is Makise Kurisu]
[In the end, he still gave all the clothes to the laundry service]
[Alright, alright, Rukako, ask your dad, your dad will definitely tell you there isn't one]
[Are you claiming to be her dad?]
[Sure enough, she still can't remember the password. Although Okabe's password is pretty bad, it shouldn't be that hard to remember, right?]
[Who knows? Maybe it's intentional. After all, girls... although he's a boy, their thoughts are indeed quite hard to fathom]
[If you say Makise, I can't remember. If you say Assistant, I remember immediately (lol)]
Yanagibayashi Shrine.
"What was that call about just now?"
"Just asking where you were."
In front of the shrine, Okabe Rintaro and Makise Kurisu looked at each other, the former with his hands in the pockets of his white coat, the latter sitting quietly on a bench.
"I don't recall inviting anyone." Okabe Rintaro snorted lightly.
"I don't recall anyone inviting me either." Makise Kurisu was expressionless.
As their words fell, the two fell into silence, and the noisy chirping of cicadas near Yanagibayashi Shrine once again filled the audio track.
A moment later, accompanied by light footsteps, a miko trotted over to Okabe Rintaro's side.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Well? Did you ask for me?" He went straight to the point.
Urushibara Ruka nodded: "Yes, Dad said, 'That computer is indeed enshrined in our family's shrine.'"
"Really?!" Okabe Rintaro exclaimed with immense surprise.
He found it so easily.
"A computer..." Makise Kurisu, who was listening nearby, fell into thought: "Could it be, the IBN5100?!"
She couldn't help but stand up and let out a sound.
"Yes, excuse me, who is this?" Rukako nodded, puzzled.
He only then noticed there was another girl beside them.
Okabe Rintaro casually said:
"This is Assistant, so the IBN—"
"—Stop!" Before he could press further, Makise Kurisu abruptly interrupted him: "What, such a vague description!"
"And I'm not your Assistant at all."
"I didn't come here to introduce you." Okabe Rintaro pouted.
"It wouldn't even take 10 seconds, would it?" Makise Kurisu was very displeased.
"Tsk." Okabe Rintaro clicked his tongue: "What a troublesome person, Makise Kurisu, she's Assistant."
Makise Kurisu took a deep breath:
"Yes, yes, Assistant it is."
She gave up struggling on this issue.
"So, what about you?" Looking up, she gazed at Rukako.
"I, my name is Urushibara Ruka."
"How old are you?"
"I'm 17 this year."
"One year younger than me, huh."
"Eh? Is that so?" Rukako smiled and praised: "Miss Makise is so mature and beautiful."
Facing Rukako's praise, Makise Kurisu was clearly a bit unaccustomed, and she humbly replied:
"Not at all, you're the truly beautiful one."
This was not mere social courtesy; the tear-streaked Urushibara Ruka before her was indeed exceptionally beautiful.
"Um..." Urushibara Ruka's face immediately turned red: "I'll go call my father over."
Watching him leave, Okabe Rintaro couldn't help but let out a light chuckle:
"Hmph, ignorance is bliss."
Makise Kurisu: "What do you mean?"
[Mhm mhm mhm, ignorance is bliss]
[But, he's a boy!]
[Chemistry MAX]
[One didn't send an invitation, and one didn't receive an invitation, but one of them came on their own. Guess who?]
[It's Assistant!]
[Assistant no longer cares about the 'Assistant' issue; she seems more concerned that the introduction was too simple]
[What is this, a declaration of ownership?]
[What a troublesome person]
[Although I don't know what to ask, I'll just ask for their name and age for now (cough)]
[I can't imagine what expression Assistant will have when she finds out Rukako is a boy]
[That will definitely be spectacular]
[Ignorance is bliss (confirmed)]
The caw of a crow passed by, and the camera slowly slid downwards.
"Yeah~ But I didn't expect this to become a reality."
In front of Okabe Rintaro, the man wearing black-rimmed glasses said.
"What do you mean?" Okabe Rintaro didn't understand.
"Nothing, someone who came to make an offering once told me this." He said: "'One day, a young person who needs it will appear. Please keep it safe