LUH-21416 ch1

So it was a lie that I could walk to New Koromo...
I'm not getting there at all...

I can't believe they'd want to destroy a cute hi-spec android like me, Luh...
And just because I'm able to lie of all things...

I'm going to live in New Koromo while pretending to be a human...!
I'm hi-spec, so it'll be fine!

A car...?
I wonder what they want?

Who does Luh the fugitive android meet in this car...?

What are you doing in a place like this by yourself...? You're not an android, are you?
A somewhat scary lady...?

I'm human... I want to get to New Koromo, but I don't seem to be getting anywhere...
A human, huh... It's 100km to the next town from here, though...

That far... Even a hi-spec android like me would run out of energy before I got there...
There's been a lot of incidents lately, so hop in. I was just heading back to New Koromo myself.

Thank you very much.
She's kinder than she looks...
I'm Jisabella. And you...?
I'm Luh.

So what do you do in New Koromo, Jisabella-san...?
I'm an investigator for the Android Administration Bureau...

To put it simply, I guess you could say my job is destroying runaway androids...
I need to make sure she doesn't find out I'm an android...

What are you heading for New Koromo for, Luh-chan?
I'm guessing... it's not for a trip.

I can't tell I'm planning on living there while pretending to be a human...
A bunch of stuff happened and I wanted to live in New Koromo.
I wanted to start a new life there...

...
What do I do...? If I say too much, she'll find me out...
...
And even if I stay quiet, she'll get suspicious...

Luh-chan...
What "stuff" happened exactly?
I can't tell her the truth...
She'll beat me if I do!

F-For now, I should make something up...!
I can't go into details,
but some bad people are after my life.

I see. That's why you were walking around a place like that.
Does she suspect me? She keeps staring at me from time to time...

Luh-chan is really cute.
She's so pretty, you'd think she was manmade...

Androids can't lie, so this girl's definitely human... and totally my type...
I wanna be friends with her...
I don't have any, after all...

Even if we get close, they all run away once my ulterior motives come to light...
That's why I have no friends.
At any rate, I need to get rid of my ulterior motives!

Luh-chan... I don't have any ulterior motives, okay?
Ult... eh? Like that?
Uh... nothing.

So where are you heading back from, Jisabella-san? Did you go on a trip or something...?
I was called in for support... in Neo Sapporo...

They told me to destroy this new android that had run away, but they didn't even give me a photograph...
That's me...
I couldn't find it, so I was just giving up and heading home.

I understand how this runaway android must feel... It must be scared...
This lady is so kind... Even if she finds me out, maybe she'll overlook it...

Although on the offchance I do find it, I'll destroy it immediately...
It's dangerous, after all...
Eeeeh!?

I-I need to change the subject...!
Ah.
U-Um... what do you like!?

...What do I like?
Anything's fine! I want to thank you when we get there...!

If anything's fine, I'd like a girl like you...
Yeah, I can't exactly tell her that...
Omurice... I guess?

Omurice~

It's food, though...

When we arrive, I'll make some omurice just for you, Jisabella-san!
Never heard of it, though...
I'm so happy...

Is there anything you like, Luh-chan?

Dogs - Cats - Programs - Data
Omurice - Entropy - Negentropy
Humans - Water - Wind - Flowers - Trees - Songs
Electricity - Fire - Towns - Tornados - Cute - Scary
Searching...

Hmm...
Erm, something that humans like... Something she won't be suspicious of...

I seem to recall that humans like cats...
Cats, I guess! They're cute, huh?
The perfect answer...!
Cats...

Luh-chan... Cats... Cats, huh... Ears and tail...
Nyan<3
Ah... Oh crap.

Eh!? Jisabella-san!?
Sorry... Ulterior motives... are spilling from my nose...

S-Sorry. I need to stop for a bit...
I've... got some tissures... I'll get them now...

Here. Please look over here.

Hwaah!
Eh? Now that I look closely, she's got some great boobs...

S-Sorry... U-Um...
Uuh...
Geez. Please face this way.

Please hold still... Geez~
...

Ah ah

Okay, I've wiped it off!
Luh-chan's way too bold...
The ulterior motives... The ulterior motives I've held back are... coming...

UWAAAAAH! THE WINDSCREEN'S ALL RED!
Why is it still coming out!?

I was a bit on edge when you boarded,
but I'm glad you're an interesting girl, Luh-chan...

Androids are all pretty much beautiful men and women...
and you looked especially cute, so...
Ah... So she did suspect me...

If you were an armed android,
I would've drawn my gun on you...

Pursuing androids means putting your life on the line, after all...
But I'm not even a scary android...

That's...
An inspection point... at the town entrance.

Looks like they're checking everyone to see if they're humans or androids.
Checking?

I'm not affiliated with those guys,
but they're technically my colleagues...

They're probably scanning to see if anyone's smuggling androids.
Seriously!?

J-Jisabella-san... By scan, you mean...
No android can escape a detailed scan.

Look over here, Luh-chan...
Hyeh?
Just look at me.

Eep! They shot him!?
It's okay.

Relax. It was a smuggled android that they shot.
Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What do I do? Not even someone as hi-spec as me can handle this...

Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What do I do!? Gotta hide... Gotta run...!
Oh man... Gotta keep it together...
Calm down, Luh-chan.

I'm here with you. They're not gonna shoot us on accident.
Who'd shoot humans like us?

Don't worry. These inspection points have no business with humans.
I'm an android, though...!!

Uuh... I should never have gotten in this car...
Ah, it's our turn.
Aah!?

Think, Luh... What should I do!?
I want to hide, but I can't...

Okay, I'll look for an opening and...
It's no good. I don't think I'll be able to escape...

Ah! I'll pretend to be a cat! They'll be all "oh, it's just a cat" and let me through...
Oh... It's just a cat.
I'm a cute hi-spec android, so...

That's no gooood! What are you thinking, Luh!? You're supposed to be hi-spec!
Who's that girl...?
A friend of mine. It seems she's bad with things like this...

Think... You're a hi-spec android, Luh!
There must be... some way... some way to get through this inspection...

Hrm...
Luh-chan... Could it be...?

Judging by your movements just now...
Ah! Oh crap! Did she find me out...!?

Do you need the bathroom?
Ah... Yes...
I don't, though.

Huh...? What happened to the inspection?
I just flashed my badge and they let us through.

I see... They didn't inspect me because Jisabella-san was with me...
Well then, I need some fuel too, so let's pull into the next gas station... Just hold it in a little longer.

Lemme know if there's anywhere you wanna stop by on the way.
Phew...
No need to be modest.
...I wonder why.

I'm glad it was Jisabella-san who found me...

p10

Come to think of it, what made you want to go to New Koromo?
Well...

I came across a poster
that said "New Koromo: Heaven on Earth"
and it looked like fun.

It's because there's a lot of humans who live there, making it easier to hide...
I guess... it's kinda liveable?
It's a dirty town, though...

Lemme know if you have any trouble when you get there.
I've got lots of connections!
Very few friends, though.

Being with Jisabella-san is like... how should I put it...
...What would a human do at a time like this...?

I believe in that poster... they did this?
I'll be in your care!

Ahii!?
The ulterior motives that were thought to be gone are...
Jisabella-san!?

What will become of this journey between an android and a human that never should've happened?

Warning