Abstract

A near-future Tokyo bustles with excitement as the start of the third Tokyo Olympics draws close. Due to the shrinking population, Japan now promotes the use of robots controlled by Al. Our protagonist Is Takeru, a 28-year-old "Operator", part of an Al robotics technology lab that is involved with remote-control operation of the robots. Takeru feels a sense of unrequited love for Saki, the younger sister to his childhood friend Amano Yoichiro, who works together with Takeru in the lab. After the Amano siblings'parents were killed in an accident, Takeru had made a promise to always watch over Saki. When a potential terrorist threat is reported to be targeting the major sporting goods company that Saki works for, the robot operated by Takeru is tasked with providing security. It seems that through the robot, he will be able to truly watch over Saki every day. However, on the day of the Olympics, an explosion occurs at the women's marathon sponsored by Saki's company. Takeru, while operating the robot, breaks the rule that he must not come in contact with people in real life, and rushes to the scene of the crime. There, he saves Saki and recovers the badly damaged robot, but his actions cause him to be accused of involvement with the planning of the incident. As the two flee, they encounter Saki's brother Yoichi, who is revealed to be the true mastermind behind the incident.
There, Takeru and Saki learn the shocking truth that Takeru is in fact a robot.
Is it possible to build a robot that has a soul? Takeru Is told that he is the result of an engineer's efforts to find the answer to such a question. However, Takeru had acted in a "human-like" manner beyond what was expected of his programming. At the end of the story, his mind is completely wiped, his memories "reset."

Author’s Information

Yusuke Yamada (1981-) After graduating from high school, while working part-time, Yamada wrote the horror novel Riaru Onigokko (Real-Life Tag), which was self-published in 2001. The novel became a smash hit, suddenly throwing Yamada into the spotlight. Afterwards, he published further hits with Oyayubi Sagashi (Finding the thumb) and Pazuru (Puzzle), establishing a large fan base with particular support coming from teenage readers. Many of his works have now been adapted into manga and film.