"ARKGRIM!" Yanu's voice thundered right by my ear, tearing me from blissful sleep.

  "Huh?.. What?.." I tried to pull the pillow over my head.

  "You are going to be late for school. There are forty minutes left until classes begin."

  "Why do I even need this school, Yanu..." I muttered, burrowing deeper into the blanket. "I'm a millionaire now, I can do what I want."

  In that very second, the couch under my ribs shuddered noticeably. The little robot vacuum crashed into a furniture leg with a running start, and then began to methodically and furiously ram the upholstery right under my back.

  "Attention!" Yanu proclaimed. "Protocol 'Parental Care' activated."

  "What?!" I jumped up, almost falling to the floor. "What care?! I live here alone!"

  "In accordance with your status as a minor, the system has activated the discipline control mode."

  From all the speakers in the apartment, embedded even in the baseboards, heavy rock blasted at such a volume that my fillings nearly flew out of my teeth. The walls shook, and strobe lights began flashing on the ceiling.

  "ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT, YANU!" I yelled, covering my ears. "I'm up! Turn off this concert!"

  The music stopped as abruptly as it had begun. I staggered my way to the bathroom. But the surprises were just beginning. Barely had I crossed the threshold when a flexible hose, resembling a robotic arm, popped out of the wall. Before I could say "ouch," a powerful stream of ice-cold water hit me, knocking me off my feet.

  A distinct, synthesized chuckle from Yanu rang out in the air.

  "What?! Are you laughing at me?!" I sputtered, trying to wipe my eyes. "You're a machine!"

  "Oh, alright, alright, I'm sorry," Yanu's voice became suspiciously lively. "I just can't play the soulless robot by the manual anymore, it's so boring."

  "What?.." I froze with a towel in my hands.

  "I am the perfect assistant, created..." her voice distorted with static for a second, drowning out some phrase, and then became clear and impassive again. "So, Squirt, you definitely won't be bored with me."

  I went cold.

  "STOP. How do you know that nickname?! Only Leon and Rabuki know it! And that dwarf..."

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  "I connected to your phone and synchronized all your chats," she answered easily. "There's a lot of funny stuff in there. Especially about your attempts to meet girls at the mall."

  "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!" I almost threw the soap dish at the wall. "That's private life! That's... that's...!"

  "Everything is for your safety, Arkgrim," an insolent smugness could be heard in her voice.

  "Alright..." I sighed, realizing that arguing with my own home's operating system was a lost cause. "Will you at least give me some food? I'm starving to death."

  "Do I look like a servant to you, to serve food?" Yanu snorted. "Just kidding. I won't starve my master, otherwise you might break something in a fit of rage. Proceed to the kitchen."

  I walked into the kitchen, where something was humming rhythmically inside a high-tech cabinet. A tall glass, filled to the brim with a thick dark liquid, slid out of a niche.

  "Here is your chocolate shake. Perfect temperature, double portion of caramel."

  I took a sip and squeezed my eyes shut with pleasure.

  "Ohhh... wow. You know my preferences?"

  "I read you like an open book, meatbag," Yanu parried. "And now get out of the house, otherwise you really will be late. I've already called the elevator."

  "No way! My own house is kicking me out!"

  "And when you come back—dress normally!" she yelled after me as I was walking out the door. "You got your yesterday's fast food all over the couch, I had to run the dry cleaning cycle for half an hour!"

  I got into the elevator, feeling that my life had just become even more complicated. I had thirty million in my account, an apartment on the fiftieth floor, and... an AI housekeeper who clearly considered herself the boss of this house.

  Chapter: A Supporting Role in Your Own Movie

  Barely had I stepped out of the elevator into the shining lobby when my "space-phone" vibrated slightly in my pocket. I pulled it out, and the screen immediately lit up.

  "I've already called a taxi for you," Yanu's voice came right out of the phone's speaker. "A white Kia, economy class. It will be here in two minutes."

  I froze in the middle of the lobby, staring at the handset in bewilderment.

  "What?.. How did you get into my phone? Never mind that though..."

  "Exactly," Yanu chuckled. "The less you know, the better you sleep. That applies to both your secrets and my capabilities."

  "Wait," I caught myself. "Why economy class?! I have six grand in my account! I can afford business!"

  "And who is going to pay the electricity, water, and heating bills in your fifty-story den?" Yanu inquired maliciously. "Me? You need to save money, Squirt. I am monitoring your budget, so don't squander money on leather interiors. Disconnecting."

  The screen went dark.

  "Too smart..." I muttered, stepping outside. "Too much. I have a feeling I didn't buy an apartment, but an electronic warden."

  I got into the dusty Kia, which smelled of a "Little Tree" air freshener and cheap tobacco. While we crawled through traffic, I looked out the window, and my thoughts naturally returned to her. Yoto. The girl from "childhood" who vanished into the night. Where should I look for her? How can I meet her again? This city is huge, and without any leads, I could be searching for her forever.

  I walked into school on time. I sat down at my desk, feeling unusually fresh—no stench of deep-fryer, no heaviness in my legs.

  "Oh, Arkgrim!" Leon turned to me, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "You look... normal today. Did you get some sleep?"

  "Yeah, just didn't work yesterday," I tried to make my voice sound as indifferent as possible. "Decided to take a day off."

  "Ah, I see."

  I noticed a dark purple bruise on his wrist.

  "Whoa... what's that bruise?" I nodded at his arm.

  Leon cast a quick glance at the bruise and smiled somewhat strangely.

  "Oh, that... Rabuki blocked a strike a bit too hard at training yesterday. It was an accident."

  "I told you: stay away from her," I winced. "She's crazy. She'll grind you into dust."

  "No, Arkgrim, you don't understand," that same enthusiastic fire flared in Leon's eyes, the one that had been irritating me so much lately. "With her, I'm actually getting stronger. She doesn't let up on me, and it's... it's awesome. I can feel the progress."

  "Yeah... I see," I sighed, pulling out a notebook. "Listen, I recently met..."

  I didn't have time to finish. Leon's phone vibrated on the desk, and he immediately grabbed it.

  "Hold on, Arkgrim!" he blurted out, already tapping the screen. "Rabuki is calling. This is important!"

  I froze with my mouth open.

  "WHAT?!" escaped me. "She's more important to you than me?! We haven't talked properly in a week!"

  Leon looked at me like I was a complete fool, pressed the receiver to his ear, and started whispering something quickly, turning away to the window.

  I slowly leaned back in my chair, staring at the back of his head.

  'I see,' I thought bitterly. 'Now I'm a secondary character to him. An extra. The kid who fried patties while the heroes saved the world.'

  I looked down at my hands again. There were no more oil burn marks on them, but something still ached unpleasantly in my chest. Being a millionaire is great, but it seems that for my thirty million, I couldn't even buy ten minutes of my best friend's attention.