Seraphim is a Bystander

Before the Exam Results…
 
 

"Alright then, let’s go over the test results."
When Dr. Ichijou said that, Aoi’s parents went silent, faces mixed with tension and unease, waiting for her next words. But then, suddenly—
"Oh! Before that!"

Clapping her hands, Dr. Ichijou interrupted herself.
Caught off guard, Aoi’s parents exchanged confused glances.
"Um… what is it?"
"Looks like Aoi-kun hasn’t had nanomachines implanted yet. Is there a reason for that?"
Upon hearing her question, Aoi’s parents seemed to understand something, and the father began explaining.

"You may already know this, but shortly after Aoi was born, there was a surge of his ability. We didn’t know when it might happen again, so we couldn’t risk taking him outside lightly."
"Yes, yes, and investigating the cause was part of why you came today, wasn’t it?"
So that’s what this whole examination was about, huh? Sera thought.
The explosion that happened when Sera used Aoi’s powers had obviously triggered all of this. Sure, Sou was a factor too, but to the parents, it probably felt like, “Our son might randomly explode and he’s attached to a possibly stronger virtual being?? What now!?”

"After a while with no surges, we finally started taking him outside again. But right away, he got attacked by a virtual construct… and used his ability to suppress it. That just made us even more cautious."
"Mhm, mhm."
"Originally, we planned to give him the nanomachines the day he was attacked by Sou, but, well… things got chaotic and it slipped through the cracks."

Dr. Ichijou nodded with a "Makes sense~" as she pretended to operate something in thin air and then turned back to the parents.
"As this document shows, it’s best to implant nanomachines as early as possible."
Aoi watched with a puzzled expression as his parents stared at the air while listening.
Then, with a serious look, Dr. Ichijou made a motion as if sending them something.

"Actually, we’ve got a batch of the latest model in stock. Would you like to have them installed?"
"Yes, please. That would be great."
Hearing that, Dr. Ichijou smiled brightly and stood up.
"Alright then, let’s go get it done!"

And once again, she took the lead out of the room. They soon arrived at a door labeled Nanotech Research Lab. Standing in front of it, she turned around.
"Oh, right—sorry, but this lab is off-limits to non-researchers to prevent data ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ leaks."
Hearing that, the parents assumed Dr. Ichijou would just retrieve the nanomachines herself and said, "Then we’ll wait out here—"
—but before they could finish, she said:

"So, would it be alright if I take Aoi-kun in with me for just a bit?"
Normally, a parent wouldn’t want to let someone take their child out of sight. But Dr. Ichijou began rapidly explaining with phrases like:
"Kids are allowed in!" and
"The injector’s only available inside!"
Before the mother could say more than "…Well then…", Aoi was already in Dr. Ichijou’s arms.
"Don’t worry! I’ll take full responsibility for watching Aoi-kun while we’re inside~!"

And with that, she quickly disappeared through the lab door.
The research lab Dr. Ichijou had half-kidnapped them into was completely quiet and empty. Like before, she walked through it while explaining.
"Now then, the nanomachines we’re going to install are teeny-tiny data mediums."

According to her explanation, once implanted, nanomachines can allow users to make calls, project or store information directly through sensory links, monitor vital signs, and more.
So basically, like carrying around a near-invisible supercomputer, Sera thought. I don’t need one, but Aoi will probably find it really handy.
And it just so happened they had the latest model? Lucky kid.

"Usually, when I explain this kind of thing to children, it’s just a formality…"
Suddenly, Dr. Ichijou’s tone turned serious. She looked directly into Aoi’s eyes, making solid eye contact.
Aoi, who had already been listening intently to her earlier explanations, tilted his head in curiosity.

"But you… you really understand what I’m saying, don’t you?"
Tips: Sera doesn’t mind if her existence is discovered—as long as it’s by someone she trusts.