Her LED eyes flickered as she considered Hamuko, processing what she was about to say. “I… am not human. I am not Death. Nor am I life. But I lived within Wolf too, for the past seven years.” She paused. “I never really thought much about it before I came here. But then I did think about it. And I wanted to understand. So… I requested a human body. To learn. To assist humanity better.”

Zenkichi stilled, watching her now.

Akane continued, “Wolf was kind enough to use the wish event granted by Igor, around two weeks after we arrived, to make that happen.”

She hesitated for a moment, but then pressed on. “I’m still adjusting. I’m still learning. But… I want to be better. I want to be more helpful. I want to learn more about others- cause I am artificially intelligent right? People means information and I will be damned if I don't make use of this opportunity to learn more while I still can.”

There was something so certain in the way she said it—no hesitation, no doubt.

Zenkichi let out a short huff, looking down, rubbing the back of his neck. “It was no big deal,” he muttered, shrugging off the weight of it. “Not like I believe in Christmas wishes anyway.”

He scratched the inside of his palm absently. Not like it mattered that it had been both of their wishes.

He wouldn’t say that part.

That would be selfish. More than the act itself.