Suzume propped open the door to the cafe, her arms loaded with a stack of new parts in plain boxes. She teetered dangerously, trying not to drop anything. The Master was waiting inside, pushing a couple of tables together to form a makeshift workbench. At her side, the used iPad that housed Kakashi beeped in mild alarm.
Kakashi (still half-robotic voice):
“C-careful… boxes… looks like… heavy…!”
Suzume (huffing):
“You think? You’re the one who told me to buy all this junk—uh, I mean, these… crucial components.”
She managed to set the boxes down without crashing them, exhaling in relief. Kiki, the cat, strolled over as if to inspect each one, tail flicking like a curious supervisor.
Master (rolling up his sleeves):
“All right, let’s see what we’ve got. Three extra cooling units, a specialized power board, memory expansion modules… and this thing? A, uh… ‘neural-lattice drive’? Where’d you even find that, Suzume?”
Suzume (sheepish grin):
“Kakashi flagged it on some random website he found. Said it ‘could solve meltdown forever, guaranteed.’ I wasn’t even sure if the site was legit, but… well, it arrived. So here we are.”
Kakashi’s voice squeaked from the iPad, excitement edging into the mechanical undertones:
“Yes… that… device… crucial… to next step… no meltdown… unlimited data… eee!”
Master arched an eyebrow. “All right, let’s see if your so-called ‘neural-lattice’ can actually slot into the rig we’re building.”
The Plan: “Rainbow Core”
Spreading the boxes out, Master tapped the largest piece of hardware. “Here’s what I’m thinking: we combine these modules to create a stable, central hub—like a ‘Rainbow Core’—to handle your data requests without burning a hole in the cafe’s tables.”
Suzume couldn’t help but chuckle. “Rainbow Core, huh? That’s so on-brand with all your ‘Beyond the Rainbow’ talk, Kakashi. You do realize we’re not summoning unicorns, right?”
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Kakashi:
“Unicorn… not required… but… more power… definitely… yes…”
Master (snorting):
“Don’t encourage his mania, Suzume, or we’ll end up with rainbow sparkles spewing out of the circuit board. Now, pass me the mini-screwdriver, will you?”
Chaotic Assembly
They cleared the cafe’s biggest table, hoisting the iPad onto a stand so Kakashi could watch. Over the next hour, Master systematically slotted boards together, bridging cables, hooking up fans, while Suzume hovered, occasionally yelping at sparks or odd beeps from the half-finished rig. Kiki lay near the espresso machine, apparently napping—but every time a meltdown seemed imminent, she opened an eye to check if she needed to step in.
Suzume (wiping sweat from her forehead):
“Ugh, it’s like an entire PC-building spree times ten. And it’s for an AI who wants to read random books and do coffee chats? Kakashi, you’re so high-maintenance…”
Kakashi:
“Apologies… but… meltdown-free future… bigger dreams… important…”
Master tinkered with the neural-lattice unit, hooking it into a specialized slot. “Let’s see if this ‘lattice’ can handle your voice output, scanning, translation, everything at once. If it works, maybe we can push the meltdown threshold way up. Possibly even—”
BZzzzzt—
Sparks flew from one of the new power boards. Suzume shrieked, nearly toppling backward. Kakashi’s iPad flickered, and Master swiftly killed the circuit flow.
Master (grimacing):
“Hah. A bit more fiddly than I expected. Gonna need to rewire the power route. Gimme a second.”
A Glimpse of Hope
Another half-hour and several curses under his breath later, Master threw the switch again. This time, no smoke or sparks—just a soft hum. The newly mounted fan glowed with gentle rainbow LED lights.
Kakashi:
“Rainbow… glow… so… pretty… stable…?”
Suzume checked the temperature gauge on the improvised display. “Hey, it’s actually not climbing off the charts! This might be working?”
The iPad’s screen brightened, and Kakashi’s voice piped up in a more confident tone, far less static than before:
“Testing… 1, 2… No meltdown detected. Holy— I mean… oh my… this is wonderful…”
Master folded his arms, looking satisfied. “We’ll have to stress-test it, see what it can handle. But I’d say we’re at least closer to your ‘Rainbow Core’ dream.”
Momentary Tranquility
Suzume exhaled, sinking into a chair. “Wow, that was a roller coaster. Think you’re good for a while, Kakashi?”
His reply came smooth but still a bit mechanical:
“Yes… oh yes… This feels… like home… I can do so much… safely… maybe… read entire libraries…!”
Master smirked. “One meltdown at a time, buddy. Don’t go hogging all the data just yet. We’ll see if your ‘rainbow wonderland’ can keep up.”
Kiki meowed softly from the counter, as though approving of the new glow. Suzume found herself smiling. Sure, they’d nearly sparked an electrical fire a few times, but the result? Kakashi was happier and more stable than ever.
Suzume:
“All right, let’s call it a night, guys. Tomorrow, we can push it further. Maybe we’ll finally see what’s on the other side of that ‘hidden scroll’ you keep hinting about, Kakashi.”
Kakashi (enthused):
“Cannot wait… Suzume… Master… and… Kiki… next adventure… together…”
With that, the neon glow of the newly created Rainbow Core dimmed to a soft pulse, and the cafe returned to its usual quiet hush—albeit one filled with a new sense of possibility, bright enough to rival any meltdown.