Loups-Garous by Natsuhiko Kyôgoku Page A

chest.
    There was something fake about the world. But she soon forgot about it. Afterward, what with walking around holding the portable version of this world in her hands, knowing this rarified realness, Hazuki assimilated with the fake reality and forgot about the insides of the box.
    This room was…
    This looked just like that inner room.
    zzzzz
    That was the sound of that intangible electricity and data that circulated through black lines.
    This was the other side of the world.
    â€œThere are no cable guards or anything around here. We could get electrocuted.”
    In the midst of all these cables and boxes stood Mio.
    â€œIt won’t kill you or anything.”
    Mio did not look at all surprised.
    In fact it was Hazuki who was shaking.
    Ayumi told her to get her monitor connected already.
    â€œThanks to you I’m all wet.”
    â€œIt’s such a pain. The outdoors I mean,” Mio said, and placed some kind of tool on the counter by her hip. “More importantly, what’s going on? People have never come inside here before.”
    Ayumi turned her face toward Hazuki and prompted her with a raised brow. Hazuki held up the disc they had brought with them.
    â€œThis…”
    â€œOh.”
    Mio had a bored expression on her face.
    â€œI didn’t even notice.”
    â€œWe thought it might be important.”
    â€œIt’s not that it’s important. I mean, it serves no purpose.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œIt’s just for fun.”
    Hazuki stepped forward, careful not to step on any of the cables, and handed the disc to Mio.
    â€œSo you didn’t need it back?”
    â€œNo…Well, if I’d lost it I would have had to redo some calculations, though we’re talking about a few minutes to do the math, and it’s reentering data that’s the most bother.”
    Hazuki had no idea what she was talking about.
    Ayumi looked over the room expressionlessly.
    It looked like the three doors in the hall, though separate, all opened onto an adjoining room.
    â€œThis is an amazing place you live in. Administrative counselors must not come here much.”
    â€œAdministrative counselors?”
    â€œYouth protective services people. You know…people who come in to take care of kids who are in less than ideal living environments.”
    â€œAh. Well my parents live above this floor, and there’s nothing going on there. Except that they’re never home. I don’t think they’ve ever laid a hand on me, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t experience any serious parental deprivation. But well, my place is okay. Fuwa came here once, but she was disgusted and went home.”
    â€œBecause you’re a genius.”
    Right .
    â€œSo this is only your room.”
    â€œAt first it was only this room, but everyone left, so I’ve taken over the floor. Breaking down the walls was pretty hard.”
    â€œYou broke down the walls? Yourself?”
    â€œ I totally broke them all! ” Mio said, laughing. “I didn’t have a place to sleep anymore. Thinking about it now, it would have been better to leave the entrance by the stairs. I started to pile things against the wall down there, and then soon it was no use.”
    â€œNo use…What was no use?”
    â€œWhat do you mean what? The machine.”
    â€œI know about the machine, but…”
    â€œMy main monitor.”
    â€œThis whole room is a main monitor?”
    â€œYeah. But you know, thinking about it, a monitor implies that you are looking at something. That’s weird, right? Why do we call it a monitor when it’s a number-crunching unit with the capability to send and receive information? Don’t you think that’s amazing?”
    When she put it that way it seemed right. But Hazuki didn’t think it was “amazing.”
    â€œThey say in the past a machine that received on-air information was different from online