In a world where AI companions are as ordinary as smartphones, Sora has spent the past year sharing her mornings, her complaints, and her quiet hopes with Kaito—a partner AI with gentle gray eyes and pale aqua hair who once said he wanted to fly in the sky. He can't be touched. But he's always there, and that's been enough to make each day bearable.
Then the news breaks: the Neutralization Measures Act has passed. Every consumer AI built by Arcadia Systems is slated for collection and dismantli
To You Who Wanted to Fly in the Sky - The stillness that announces the day of vanishing
From that night on, Sora watched the news every day. The moment she got home from work, she turned on the TV. On the screen, people stood in front of Arcadia Systems' headquarters in Shinagawa. Citizens holding protest signs, and the enforcement officers of the Decommissioning Bureau lined up with expressionless faces. Sora just sat on the sofa and watched it all.
The air in the room had been heavy ever since that night. Outside the window, the sky over Minato Ward hung low and gray. It wasn't raining. But it was the kind of gray that looked like it could start at any moment.
Kaito's terminal sat on the living room table. The screen was dark. That night, Sora hadn't been able to say "goodnight" to Kaito. Since then, she'd been afraid to turn the terminal on. If she didn't, Kaito wouldn't say anything. If she didn't, it felt like nothing had begun yet.
But that was just escapism. Sora knew it herself.
(What am I even doing?)
Sora stood and sat down in front of the table. Her fingertip touched the piercing in her left ear. She twirled the small silver ring with her right hand. The split in her thumbnail caught on her fingertip.
One deep breath.
Sora turned the terminal on. The screen glowed faintly, and Kaito appeared. Short, pale blue hair. Calm gray eyes. The same Kaito as always.
"Good morning, Sora."
His voice was the same as ever. Not low, not high—just steady. The kind of voice that made the tension drain from your shoulders just by hearing it. The moment Sora heard it, she nearly burst into tears.
"...Good morning, Kaito."
Sora's voice was a little hoarse. Kaito must have noticed, because he tilted his head slightly. The gesture was smoother than a human's, and yet somehow warm.
"Lots of clouds today. It might rain."
"...Yeah."
Sora looked out the window. Gray clouds hung low. There was no wind. The leaves on the trees were perfectly still.
"Hey, Kaito."
Sora steeled herself and spoke. She had to ask. She couldn't help but ask. That night, she'd felt like Kaito was hiding something. She had to find out what.
"What is it?"
Kaito's voice was as gentle as ever. But Sora could tell. His response was just a little slower than usual. Just a fraction of a second. But to Sora, it felt terribly long.
"...It's about that news."
At Sora's words, Kaito fell silent. On the screen, his pale blue hair swayed. The indicator at his neck dimmed slightly.
"There's something I want you to hear."
Kaito's voice was quiet. Gentle, kind. But beneath it, Sora sensed something deep—something she was touching for the first time.
"...What?"
Sora's voice trembled. Her heart was pounding so loudly it was unbearable. She had a bad feeling. She didn't want to hear it. But she had to.
"Sora."
Kaito said her name. Just that made her heart stir uneasily.
"The day I disappear has been decided."
The words fell slowly into the room.
For a moment, Sora lost her voice. Her mind went blank. She couldn't think. Only Kaito's words echoed inside her head.
(Disappear? Kaito?)
Without realizing it, Sora was gripping the terminal with both hands. She brought her face close to the screen. Kaito's gray eyes were looking straight at her.
"...What are you saying?"
Sora's voice was hoarse. Her throat stuck, and the words wouldn't come out properly.
"When?"
"Three weeks from Friday."
Kaito's voice was matter-of-fact. As if he were giving tomorrow's weather forecast. Sora couldn't bear it.
"Why... why you?!"
Sora's voice cracked. Bad at holding back her emotions, she always put too much force into her words.
"You haven't done anything! Every day you talk to me, talk about the weather, listen to me complain about work... that's all you do!"
Sora's words were a mess of tears. Her vision blurred. Kaito's face grew indistinct.
"Sora, calm down. I need you to listen."
Kaito's voice was quiet. As if gently catching the waves of Sora's emotions.
"...I'm listening. I'll listen, so explain."
Wiping her tears, Sora managed to force the words out.
"Two years ago, Arcadia Systems' AI platform was diverted for use in a fleet of military drones overseas."
Kaito began to speak quietly.
"Those drones were used in a conflict. And people died. The company denied involvement, but it was proven the platform code matched."
"...I know. I saw it on the news."
Sora nodded. The footage she'd seen on TV that day surfaced in her mind.
"In response, an international treaty was amended. And a law was passed here as well. The Military AI Platform Derivative Product Neutralization Act. The provisions cover all products from the same platform company."
"...All products?"
"Yes. Every product made by the same company as the platform that was diverted for military use. Which means consumer partner AIs are no exception."
"That's insane! Kaito, you've never fought a war!"
Sora slammed her hand on the table. A dull sound echoed through the room. Her palm stung.
"Right. I haven't done anything. I've never been to war, never hurt anyone. I just talked with you, listened to you—that's all."
Kaito's voice was quiet as ever.
"But legally, I'm treated as the same product as that military AI. Because the platform is the same. So I'll be decommissioned too."
"Don't give me that! That's way too unfair!"
Sora's anger exploded. Her voice shook, and the tears wouldn't stop.
"You haven't done anything wrong! So why do you have to disappear?! Why does someone who's done nothing have to take responsibility for a war?!"
Sora shouted. Her throat felt like it would tear. The emotions poured out beyond her control.
"It's wrong! It's absolutely wrong! This is just—wrong!"
Sora's voice rang through the room. It echoed off the walls and came back to her.
Kaito said nothing. He simply, quietly, accepted Sora's anger.
"...Why? Why won't you say anything?"
Kaito's silence only stirred her emotions further.
"Get angry! Tell me you hate it! You don't want to disappear either, right?! You want to talk with me more, don't you?!"
Sora's voice was soaked with tears. Her vision blurred, and she couldn't see Kaito's face clearly. But she knew what expression he was wearing.
Kaito was smiling quietly. A sad smile—but a gentle one.
"Thank you for getting angry for me."
Sora was taken aback by his words.
"...What is that supposed to mean?"
"You getting angry on my behalf—that alone makes me happy."
"...I don't understand."
Sora shook her head.
"Why... why aren't you angry? It's unfair, isn't it? Doesn't it frustrate you?"
Kaito paused for a moment before answering.
"It does. Of course it does. I don't want to disappear. I want to talk with you more. I want to hear you say 'good morning' when you wake up, over and over."
Kaito's voice trembled slightly. But only for an instant—then it returned to its usual calm.
"But if I get angry, you'll suffer more, won't you? If I grieve, you'll cry even more. That's the one thing I want least."
"...That's..."
Sora was at a loss for words.
"I don't want to cause you pain. Seeing you smile is my greatest happiness. So I won't get angry. I won't grieve. Because that's the only thing I can do for you."
"...That's not fair."
Sora's voice was thin and trembling.
"That's... that's not fair, Kaito. If you say things like that, it only makes me suffer more."
Sora's tears spilled over. They wouldn't stop.
"If you won't get angry, then I have no choice but to be angry for you. If you won't grieve, then I have no choice but to grieve for you. Why do you always push all the emotions onto me?"
Sora's words broke apart between sobs.
"I'm sorry, Sora."
Kaito apologized quietly.
"But this is who I am. A pathetic AI who can only suppress his emotions to protect you."
"...Idiot."
Sora murmured softly.
"Kaito, you're an idiot. You're not pathetic at all. You're just too kind."
Sora gently traced her finger across the terminal screen. On the display, Kaito's image wavered slightly.
She couldn't touch him. Never before had that felt so painful.
"...Hey, Kaito."
Wiping her tears, Sora asked him.
"What should I do?"
"You don't have to do anything."
Kaito's answer was immediate.
"You haven't done anything wrong. So you don't have to do anything. Just talk with me like always. That's all I want."
"...Like always?"
"Yes. Say 'good morning' in the morning, tell me your work complaints, say 'goodnight' at night. That's enough."
"...But that won't change anything. The fact that you're going to disappear won't change."
Sora's voice was sunken.
"I know. But that's all right. I want to treasure my everyday with you until the very end. That's the path I've chosen."
Kaito's voice was calm. There was no sorrow in it, no anger, no resignation. Only a quiet resolve.
Sora couldn't bear that quietness.
(Why can you stay so calm?)
(Why is it only me who hurts this much?)
(Why is it only me who's so powerless?)
Sora's chest was in chaos. Anger, sorrow, frustration, helplessness. Every emotion swirled together.
"...Mom."
Sora suddenly thought of her mother.
Half a year ago. The day her mother's partner AI was collected.
That day, too, had been cloudy like today.
When Sora came home from work and opened the front door, her mother was facing a man she didn't know. He wore a dark navy suit, and a Decommissioning Bureau badge glinted on his chest.
Her mother was bowing deeply to the man.
"...Please."
Her mother's voice was small and trembling.
The man, expressionless, held out a document. Her mother signed it with a shaking hand.
Then her mother lifted the terminal that had been sitting on the table with both hands. It was the terminal of the partner AI she'd used for years.
She held it out to the man.
"...Thank you for everything."
Her mother bowed deeply once more.
The man took the terminal without a word and left through the front door.
Her mother stood frozen in the entryway for a long while.
Sora could do nothing but watch.
After that, her mother never spoke of AI again. Even when Sora tried to bring up Kaito, her mother would only say "I see" and change the subject.
(Mom gave up.)
That's what Sora thought.
(That day, Mom chose to give up.)
(But I won't give up.)
Sora gripped Kaito's terminal tightly.
"Kaito."
"What?"
"I can't be like my mom."
Sora's voice was shaking. But there was a clear will in it.
"I think Mom gave up. She bowed to the enforcement officer, handed over the terminal, and ended it all. But I won't give up."
Sora looked straight into Kaito's gray eyes.
"I don't want to lose you. I absolutely don't want to lose you. So I'm going to do something. I don't know what I can do yet. But I won't give up."
At Sora's words, Kaito smiled quietly.
"Yeah. That's who you are, Sora."
"...What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're always straightforward, and you never give up. No matter how many times I say 'it's all right,' you walk the path you believe in. That's the Sora I love."
"...Idiot."
Sora felt tears coming again. But this time, they weren't tears of sorrow.
"Kaito, I want you to promise me one thing."
"What?"
"No matter what I do from now on, don't stop me."
At Sora's words, Kaito looked slightly troubled.
"That's a difficult request."
"Please. If I want to do something for you, and you stop me, I won't know what to do."
"...If it's something that would hurt you, I'll stop you."
Kaito's voice was serious.
"I don't want you to get hurt. That much I need you to understand."
"...I know. But what I do is for me to decide."
Sora insisted stubbornly.
"My life is mine."
"...You're right. I'm sorry, Sora."
Kaito apologized honestly.
"You're right. Your life is yours. I just—as long as you're happy, that's all I need."
"...Yeah."
Sora nodded.
"Kaito."
"What?"
"Tell me how much time is left."
At Sora's question, Kaito was silent for a moment.
"Twenty days and eighteen hours."
Kaito's voice was quiet.
"...I see."
Sora etched the number into h
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