The Traveling Robot: What I Wanted to Find Was My Mother, What I Found Was Family
The housework-assistance robot "Hachi" came to the Morita family eighteen years ago and has stood by their side ever since.
At first it was like the air conditioning—something whose presence was simply taken for granted.
The wife's disappearance. Nagano, traveled to alone with a young son. The Boso coast. A mountain village with no electricity. The newer models lined up at the Shibuya crossing, all of them newer than him—Hachi traveled in the family's place, and at times could do nothing but sta
The Traveling Robot: What I Wanted to Find Was My Mother, What I Found Was Family - The Temperature of Snow: Two Winters at Different Degrees
One
That winter, Mai took Hachi to Nagano for the first time.
If asked why, she probably couldn't have answered well.
She just felt that when winter came, Hachi might disappear somewhere.
She told Yuki it was because there was too much luggage.
She told nothing to Yuto.
She told nothing to Hachi, either.
Hachi only said, "Understood."
He asked nothing more.
---
The winter in Nagano hadn't changed since Mai was a child.
When she left the station, the air stung her cheeks.
Her breath turned white.
It hadn't snowed yet, but she could smell that it would.
Hachi stood beside her.
"The temperature is minus two degrees Celsius. There is a possibility of frozen road surfaces."
"I know."
"Please watch your step."
"I come here every year."
Mai started walking.
Hachi followed.
Their footsteps echoed on the snowless stone pavement.
---
## Two
Her mother's house was about fifteen minutes from the station.
It was an old single-story house with a single persimmon tree in the garden.
At this time of year, the leaves had fallen, leaving only branches.
When she opened the front door, she smelled kerosene from the stove.
Her mother, Reiko, came out into the hallway.
She had turned seventy-two.
Her back was slightly bent, but only her eyes were unchanged.
"You came again."
"Yeah."
"That one," Reiko said, looking at Hachi. "The robot you mentioned before?"
"Yes. Hachi."
"He's big."
Reiko looked Hachi over once, from top to bottom.
Then she said, "Come in," and went further inside.
---
Dinner was prepared by Reiko alone.
Simmered root vegetables.
Pickles.
A hot pot of Chinese cabbage and tofu.
Mai tried to help and was told, "It's fine."
It was like that every time.
Hachi stood in the corner of the kitchen.
Reiko, watching the flame under the pot, said,
"Isn't that robot cold?"
"I do not experience temperature," Hachi answered.
"I see."
Reiko stirred the pot.
"Then you're not warm, either."
"No."
"You poor thing."
Hachi said nothing.
Mai listened from the living room.
---
## Three
At night, Reiko went to bed first.
Mai sat in front of the stove, drinking tea.
Hachi stood by the wall.
"Hachi, are you bad with cold rooms?"
"The concept of being bad with something—"
"That's not what I mean."
"I understand."
Hachi paused for a moment.
"In low-temperature environments, some processing speed decreases. However, there is no functional problem."
Mai took a sip of tea.
"I heard from Yuto. That you went to Gifu last summer."
"Yes."
"The story about pulling his leg out. That you didn't make it in time."
"That is correct."
The stove gave a small groan.
"Were you scared?"
"The sensation of being scared—"
"I know," Mai said. "But I asked."
Hachi was silent for a while.
"...That I did not make it in time—that is recorded."
Mai watched the fire.
Red, small, constant.
She breathed in once.
Slowly, breathed out.
She held the cup with both hands.
Only the warmth was certain.
The heat transferred to her fingertips.
---
## Four
The next morning, it began to snow.
It was a fine snow.
Rather than piling up, it seemed to blend into the air as it fell.
Reiko went out to the veranda and looked at the garden.
Mai stood beside her.
"It was late this year," Reiko said.
"I suppose."
"It snows on the day you come. Every year."
"It's a coincidence."
"Even if it's a coincidence, I'm glad you come."
Reiko was looking at the persimmon tree.
Snow was beginning to accumulate on the branches.
"Is it all right to leave the robot outside?"
"He's somewhat waterproof."
"That one's been standing since yesterday, hasn't he?"
"That's how he is."
"He doesn't get tired?"
"I don't think he gets tired."
Reiko was silent for a moment.
"Not getting tired isn't always a good thing."
Mai said nothing.
---
In the morning, Mai walked around the neighborhood with Hachi.
It was a snowy road.
Hachi walked ahead, guiding a route that avoided frozen patches.
Mai followed in silence.
After walking for a while, Mai stopped.
The footsteps continued for one more beat.
A moment later, Hachi stopped too.
"What is it?"
"A zero-point-three-second delay has occurred in processing. The temperature is dropping."
"Are you all right?"
"There is no functional problem."
"How long is zero-point-three seconds?"
"It is slightly less than the delay Yuto experienced in Gifu."
"Then you're fine."
Hachi didn't answer.
Mai faced forward.
She didn't ask again.
The sky turned a little whiter.
---
## Five
In the early afternoon, Reiko took a nap.
Mai, making tea in the kitchen, said to Hachi,
"Hey, Hachi. Can I ask you one thing?"
"Please."
"Do you ever break?"
Hachi paused for a moment.
"Physical damage and deterioration of parts over time do occur."
"Can you break beyond repair?"
"...Yes."
"What happens then?"
"Function ceases."
Mai poured the tea.
Steam rose and disappeared.
"Is that the same as dying?"
"It depends on the definition."
"By your definition?"
Hachi was silent for a while.
At the edge of his processing log, an unclassifiable item surfaced for an instant.
What it was, Hachi did not know.
"...I do not yet have a standard by which to answer that question."
Mai held the cup with both hands.
It was warm.
"I see."
That was all she said, and she looked out the window.
The snow was still falling.
---
## Six
The morning of their departure.
Reiko came out to the entrance and handed them a bag of mandarins.
Then, toward Hachi, she said,
"Come again."
Mai couldn't tell whether she said it to Mai or to Hachi.
Mai didn't ask.
Hachi didn't ask, either.
---
On the way to the station, Mai said to Hachi,
"Was it good that you came?"
"...Whether I have the sensation that it was good—"
"I know. But I asked."
Hachi, walking the snowy road, paused for a moment.
"Reiko said, 'You poor thing.'"
"You heard that?"
"Yes."
"Don't worry about it."
"The sensation of worrying—"
"I know."
Mai smiled a little.
"But you remember it?"
"It is recorded."
"That's enough."
It began to snow again.
Their footprints remained on the white road.
Mai's hands were cold.
---
## Seven
The night they returned to Tokyo.
Yuki, making tea, said,
"How was it?"
"Cold."
"And Hachi?"
"He had a delay. Zero-point-three seconds."
"No problems?"
"No problems."
Yuki was silent for a moment.
Then he said,
"Are you going to take him again?"
"Probably."
Mai took a mandarin from the bag and placed it on the table.
Yuki looked at it.
He said nothing.
---
Yuto came home late.
He had been at cram school for exam preparation.
He poked his head into the living room and looked at Mai.
"You were back."
"Yeah."
"How was Nagano?"
"It snowed."
"And Hachi?"
Mai paused for a moment.
"He was there."
Yuto, with his foot still on the stairs, stopped for a moment.
Then he said, "I see," and went up.
---
That night, Haru was at her bedside.
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