“Friends?”

Little girl asked a question in return, slightly tilting her head.

“Yes. At the time when my consciousness sprouted, I was already alone, so I never had friend.”

Indifferently stated Lady.

“Ha? You wasn’t conscious before the world had perished?”
“I was not. It happened after the world’s collapse that I awoke my ego, recognised myself, and became conscious.”
“Is that so. It’s lonely, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is, probably.”
“Probably?”
“I am not quite sure. I’m lonely, probably. Perhaps I kept exploring with a goal of meeting you.”
“The way you putting it makes me a little happy.”

Girl cast her eyes downwards. With following, “This was predestined encounter, wasn’t it,” whisper in her heart.

“Thereon, would you like to become friends with me?”

Girl lifted her face and answered, “Okay,” without a shred of hesitation.
The Girl has also no friends. Far from it, Lady is a solitary person she could rely on. There is no reason to refuse.

“Thank you very much. I am glad.”
“I’m glad either. I’m pleased to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine.”

With that being the case, Lady elevates her right hand, with Girl doing the same.

“Well, then, before anything else I shall begin your education. For as we are now, it is not possible to name equal relationship.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I dare believe you have no knowledge for stand-alone activity, as individual.”
“Is that troubling?”
“Yes. Supposing for some reason I undergo a malfunction, you will fall​ along with me. In other words, at present, you compelled to rely upon me. Such cannot be regarded equal. The friendship is equal relationship.”
“I see,” Girl nodded deeply. “Education then.”

Girl understand the definition of education, as well as aware that studying is very fun. Nevertheless, she recalls no practical receiving of education in the past.

“I shall utilise educational methods which were in use by humankind in older days, afore they perished, and structure it against reference to general amount of knowledge.”
“Understood.”

Showed a smile Girl.

“Well then, without a delay.”

With that being said, Lady stood up. In panic, Girl got up as well. Thin taoruketto,¹ which was covering Girl, lightly went downwards.
For air conditioning within the room functioning perfectly, an exaggerated futon is unnecessary.
The Girl had hitherto not known, however air conditioning was working for her sake alone. Inasmuch as Lady fundamentally has no need in it.

“You can go sleep,” suggested Lady.
“Um. But, maybe I don’t want you to be alone.”
“All right.”

Lady brings her hips down once again. The movement was exceedingly elegant. “She surely knows a graceful manner of sitting,” thought the Girl.

“Hey, I’m thirsty.”
“It is a part of energy supply activities of human beings. Humans cannot live without regular liquid intake.”
“You don’t drink a water?”
“I do not. My source of energy is the Power Cell.”
“Power Cell?”
“I shall explain you someday. What beverage​ would you like? For here is but simple Food Maker, however, I cannot produce anything elaborate.”
“Simple Food Maker?”

Girl cannot recall it.

“It is a simplified version of the Food Maker.”
“Um. So I thought. And the Food Maker?”
“Let’s see, the Food Maker,” remarked Lady: “is a machine consisting of database section, which records molecular structure of various dishes, and printer section, which re-emerges molecular structure.”
“Does that mean it is possible to reproduce recorded food just like that?”
“Yes. Would you like to listen more minute explanation?”
“Uh-huh.”
“For reproduction of molecular structure it can consume not mere electric power, but can also utilise only a small amount of water, thus if one would re-emerge water in the Food Maker infinitely—whereas using it as a material—it might operate as semi-perpetual motion engine. For it is important, I shall repeat once again: It does not require electricity.”
“Really? It’s convenient, isn’t it?”
“It certainly is,” Lady nods lightly. “The technology has changed the history of human kind. Incidentally, nutrition of humanity for ninety percent used to rely on Food Makers and simple Food Makers.”
“I see,” deeply nodded Girl; “so simplified version is here, is it?”
“Yes. As Food Makers are large machines, they are not placed in public places. Of course in ordinary households likewise.”
“What’s the other difference, save the size?”
“Decreased number of recorded dishes. In addition, complex cookery cannot be reproduced; for they pursued economy of a room in database and printer sections.”
“Is that how it is. Thank you for explanation.”
“You are welcome. As a side note, it is possible to exchange the cooking data.”
“Ah, well, what about café au lait?”

Girl has no recollection of drinking it. Yet, she felt as though she liked it.

“Café au lait? questioned Lady: “I wonder if the data included?”
“Um,” the Girl says: “I want to drink café au lait​.”
“The data for café au lait should be included.”

Lady arises a second time. Whereafter, however, she offered a hand to the Girl.

“Shall we go together?”
“Uh-huh.”

Little girl took her hand.
A soft and pleasantly warm hand.

◇

“Boring.”

Upon certain day, Girl suddenly resigned from everything.
It was for the first time, past three months after Lady began educating her.

“Boring?” Lady calmly analyses: “Not fascinating. Without a worth. With no point. Not enjoyable. Not interesting; is that what you mean?”

Whump, Girl lied down the library floor.
Whereupon,

“Um, perhaps that is.”

Stretched out while saying so.
Whereas sitting opposite to the Girl, Lady placed a tablet which she used for teaching upon the floor, and pointed her gaze at the Girl.
Until just yesterday there was not a sign of Girl being bored.
Even Lady is aware that the brain of human grows fatigued of homogeneous tasks. Hence, Lady taught the Girl various sorts of things, so in order to avoid repetition.
Of course, she was also making a rooms for breaks to play with Girl.

“Are you not being worn-out?” inclined her head sidewards Lady.
“I’m not tired. I can run from one side of the library to the other.”
“I see. What is the problem then? My teaching method?”
“Um—,” after humming, Girl rises up: “your method of teaching is flawless. It’s easy to understand, and fun, you know?”
“It is fun? Despite tediousness?”

Lady re-tilted her head in opposite direction.
“Her statements are contradictory,” judged Lady.

“Studying is fun, you know. It’s wonderful to learn new things. But, I think being in the same flow day in day out made me lose interest.”
“You recognised insufficiency of motivation?”
“Um. Maybe, I guess so.”
“I see. I shall attempt to improve educational subroutine, and make it more stimulating.”

Lady stands up swiftly.

“This can wait until tomorrow. Can we… do something… fun, right now?”
“Hmm.”

Lady taking a thought:
How could I satisfy the Girl at present?
Offer her a book? No. That would be another daily routine.
There is nothing novel within this library. Over previous three months, Girl have already seen everything herein.
If that is the case (reckons Lady).
It shall be good to display what she have not seen yet.
For instance, indeed,
The world.

◇

Girl was leaded out the library by Lady.
As Girl opened her eyes, she turned breathless.
The world was pure white.
And white, lightly dancing and soft-looking objects were falling down the sky.

“This is the snow-scape,” stated Lady.
“Beautiful,” said the Girl.

Girl knew what the snow is. However have never seen it before.
With her hand leaded by Lady, Girl strolled through the snow.

“It’s crispy.”

She enjoyed a sensation of the snow. Even by snow boots the softness was transmitted.
As Girl and Lady turned their heads back, footprints were yet remaining behind them.
“I wonder will our prints remain in this world?” thought the Girl.
Lady released Girl’s hand and briskly walked alone.

“Don’t leave me behind–.”

Lady turned round as Girl called out thusly. At the next moment Lady exposed a broad smile and crouched down.
“What’s wrong?” thought the Girl.
Lady collected a snow with her hand, rolled it up, and threw it at the Girl.
Snowball hit the face of little girl and shattered. “How pretty these fluttering particles are,” was her thought.
However more importantly,

“Why are you attacking me?”

Girl was worried of Lady’s reckless demeanour.
It did not hurt, however Girl was slightly anxious. She wondered if Lady’s electric circuit gone out of order.

“This is the game, called the snowball fight.”
“Game?”
“Yes, the game. Roll the snow into the ball, and throw it. It didn’t hurt, did it?”
“Uh-huh.”
“This is safe activity.”

With that said, Lady made a second ball ready.

“May I evade it?”
“You may.”

Lady slowly released second snowball.
Snowball flew in a smooth arc. Girl estimated trajectory and shifted her disposition.
Although snowball was evaded, her feet were caught by snow, and she fell upon her back.
It didn’t hurt, however, so Girl simply remained lying over the snow.

“Are you all right?”

Asked the Lady, in louder than usual voice.

“I’m fine,” Girl smiles; “it’s fun.”

Hastily arising, Girl also prepared a snowball.

“Here I go–.”

And then, with a vigorous swish, she threw it at Lady.
“I guess she will easily evade it,” thought the Girl.
Lady, however, took no evasive action.
Snowball thrown by the Girl directly hit Lady’s face, and shattered to pieces thereafter.

“Nice control.”

Good, Lady gripped her right hand and raised a thumb.

“I thought one should evade it.”
“I wished to experience a hit as well.”
“Is that so?”
“So that is.”
“And… what do you think?”
“It’s fun, is it not?”

After that, the pair enjoyed throwing a snow at each other for awhile.
Before long, however, Girl ran out of stamina, and snowball fight came to its climax.
And Girl lies down in the snow presently, along with Lady, who was lying next to her.

“Snow is wonderful.”
“I also find it such.”
“Thank you.”
“What for?”
“For snow-scape, for snowball fight.”
“It’s all right. This is a part of education.”
“Is it?”
“Well, not only, I can also not deny a desire to play with you.”

Hearing these words, Girl was exceedingly happy.
Whereafter, for some time, the pair were gazing up at the sky.
The air was chilly, but clear; the weather was cold, but peaceful; time was comfortably flowing by.
Right when,

“Why was it destroyed–?”

Girl suddenly enquired it.

“What was?”

Lady lifted her upper body, and shifted her gaze to the Girl.

“The world.”

The beautiful, the purely white, an endlessly blank world.

“Let’s see. For nothing is left, no method is exists to learn it.”
“Here is no hazardous substance for me, this is not a nuclear winter then. Neither is a large-scaled diastrophism.”

Knowledge of Girl was already extensive. However, she failed to understand the current situation of the world all the same.

“What about satellite weapon, it could destroy molecular structure?”

Extracting from several existing possibilities, Lady spoke up a random observation.

“Does it can destroy only surface?”
“It could be set to destroy but molecular structure of the land, could it not?”
“With pattern-matching or something?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. If that was a method, then who have erased the world, and what was their advantage?”
“I don’t know. We have no conclusive evidence that it was destroyed by personal intention, in the first place.”
“Even so, someone must have destroyed it for their advantage? If they used satellite weapons.”
“I don’t know. That could be a malfunction or an operation error.”
“Um—.”

Girl pondered, however could find no convincing reply.
Instead, she uttered what just came on her mind.

“I want to eat a heated soup.”

Leap of the subject. Lady stiffened, for this was so unforeseen, only for pair of seconds, however, and then she smiled at once.

“I see. Shall we make it with corn.”

Saying that, Lady stood up and reached her hand out to the Girl.

1. [Taoruketto] - type of bed linen resembling a large beach towel and used to cover oneself in a hot weather; back