I stepped into the studio, the door clicking shut behind me. Same scuffed floor, same blinking light above the booth. And, of course—Maico. Already in place. She sat perfectly still in front of the mic, posture straight, long pink hair cascading down like a curtain of silk. Her red eyes lit up the moment she saw me. “Good morning, Densuke-san!” she said with that bright, unmistakable voice. She wore her usual denim shirt over a pale turtleneck—simple, modest, but on her, it looked almost elegant. Android or not, she had a presence. A kind of warmth none of us could quite explain. I gave a small wave and moved toward the console. Director Sadakane stood behind the glass, arms crossed, already chewing on the end of a pen like it had personally offended him. He gave me a nod—barely. Ume-san was muttering into the comms, probably annoyed the promo spots weren’t updated. Shinjō shuffled in with a yawn and a half-eaten pastry, while Haruko was already seated, typing away and pretending not to notice the chaos. I slipped on my headset and glanced at the clock. One minute to air. Just another morning with the best radio android in Japan… and the strangest team on Earth.