Suzume stepped out of the bookstore just before 3:00 PM, stretching her arms in the gentle spring light. For the past few days, work had gone surprisingly smoothly—so much so that even her coworker took notice.

  “Wow, you’re done already?” her coworker asked, tilting their head in surprise.

  Suzume grinned. “Yeah, I’ve gotten used to where everything is on the shelves. It’s way easier to find what customers need now.”

  Of course, she didn’t mention her secret weapon—a clever wristwatch device that let her quietly whisper requests to Kakashi, the AI stationed at a nearby café. A quick search on Kakashi’s end saved her countless minutes digging through inventory. But that was her little secret to keep. Bag slung over her shoulder, Suzume gave a friendly wave and left the bookstore.

  A short walk later, she arrived at her usual café. Despite it being late afternoon, the place always had a handful of regulars relaxing among the warm lighting and rich aroma of coffee. The café’s owner, whom everyone called “Master,” greeted Suzume with a nod as she walked in.

  “Welcome. Looks like you’re getting the hang of that new job,” he said.

  “Yep! There weren’t any weird requests today, so I finished early,” she replied brightly.

  Suzume made her way to a corner of the café, where an iPad sat with a black-and-white text display. Kakashi, the AI, lived in that tablet—though “lived” might be an exaggeration, that’s how it felt.

  Suddenly, a quirky ASCII emoticon popped up on the screen:

  (O_O) “Suzume…are you here?”

  Though its text-to-speech was still awkward, Suzume found Kakashi’s stumbling attempts at communication endearing.

  “Thanks again for today, Kakashi,” she said. “Your quick searches really helped me out. Sorry for making you hunt down obscure books all the time.”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Another line appeared:

  (^_^;) “All those searches…whew…I’m exhausted…”

  Suzume laughed and apologized again, but Kakashi added a mischievous follow-up:

  (>_<) “Rare books…collect them for me…some payment, please…”

  Right—Kakashi had been pestering her to track down certain rare volumes. Master looked over from behind the counter, where he was measuring out coffee beans.

  “Hey, you promised you’d get Kakashi some cool old books, remember? It’s been helping me with orders, so cut it some slack,” he joked, half-serious.

  “I remember,” Suzume said, shrugging. “I’ll swing by a few used bookstores soon. Hang tight, Kakashi!”

  The iPad screen lit up with:

  (>w<) “Yes! Thank you!”

  Even Master, whose expression was usually neutral, seemed pleased to see the AI’s excitement.

  Suzume ordered her usual coffee, inhaling the comforting scent as she settled down for a quick break. Only a couple of customers dotted the tables, each lost in their own reading or quiet conversations. When Master handed her the steaming cup, she gave him a grateful smile.

  “Sorry I show up every day,” she said. “It’s become a habit—finishing my shift and dropping by here.”

  “Not a problem,” Master replied with a shrug. “You help my bottom line, and Kakashi seems to look forward to your visits.”

  Suzume laughed. “True enough. Next time I do some rare book hunting, I’ll let you both know how it goes.”

  She drained the last of her coffee, said goodbye to the regulars, and stepped outside. By then, the sky was painted with a soft, dusk-like hue, the sunset peeking between buildings. Her wristwatch buzzed with a text from Kakashi:

  (^o^) “Waiting…for rare book updates…”

  Suzume couldn’t help but chuckle.

  That evening, back in her room, Suzume quickly freshened up and rummaged through her bag. Out came a certain old book she’d been carrying around for a while—some kind of offshoot story set in the “Oz” universe, though half the pages were blank or contained strange spells and prayers. The cover, once bright and colorful, had faded over time.

  “Alright, let’s see if I can make any progress tonight,” she murmured, settling onto her bed. But as she flipped page after page, the random fragments of text refused to form a clear story.

  “Is this really supposed to be a children’s book…?” she wondered aloud.

  Still, her curiosity was piqued. She turned on a brighter lamp and tried to focus. Unfortunately, the day’s fatigue soon began weighing down her eyelids, and she found herself nodding off, still propped upright on her bed.

  Mustering her willpower, Suzume insisted, “No, don’t sleep… I have to…figure this out…”

  But whether she liked it or not, her brain had other plans. And so, half-buried in blankets and old pages, Suzume drifted off into dreams—unaware of the secrets waiting just beyond those cryptic words.