Six, having dried her tears, led me directly to her parents' home. It was a rare experience to accompany a coworker who still had living parents—let alone ones they were on good terms with. The situation felt oddly formal, like attending a meeting between in-laws. Shaking off irrelevant thoughts, I retrieved the pills from my pocket—the recognition-altering pills capable of allowing Six’s parents to perceive her existence.

When she saw the pills, Six’s expression hardened as she looked at me.
“Do you really think something like that can make them recognize me?”
“The impressive part isn’t the pill itself, but the technology that went into creating it. Think of it like a smartphone.”
“Aha…”

Smartphones, the pinnacle of 21st-century technology, were light-years ahead of computers from just half a century earlier. A device that could fit in your pocket now had the computational power of an entire building-sized ENIAC. If we tried to replicate a smartphone’s capabilities using 1940s technology, it would take an entire city—maybe even a country—to house such a machine. In other words, impossible.

“But that’s not the point. It’s not about how impressive the pill is, but about the impact it has.”
“…True, I suppose.”
“Are you confident in your speaking skills? Because I’m not.”
“Do I look like I’d be?”
“Okay, then. Take off that suit for now and stay hidden. I’ll call you when it’s time.”

Although Six looked at me as though I were insane, she eventually nodded and deactivated the suit’s specialized device. While I could still see her perfectly fine, no one else—including her parents—would be able to perceive her.

Clearing my throat, I approached the house where her parents lived. Despite being the home of the parents of a high-ranking officer in the Evilus Corporation, it was an unassuming villa that didn’t scream wealth or privilege.

Knocking on the door, I waited for a response.
[…Who is it?]
“I’m from the Evilus Corporation. May I come in to discuss something?”
[Evilus Corporation? What do they want…?]
“I have a lengthy explanation, but may I come inside to discuss it?”

Her mother hesitated before cautiously opening the door. Likely, my clean-cut suit and professional demeanor helped her feel at ease. People are quick to judge based on appearances, after all.

Once inside, I followed her to the table and cleared my throat again. Without any pleasantries, she got straight to the point.
“You said you’re from the Evilus Corporation. Why are you here?”
“Ah, I apologize for the late introduction. Here’s my card.”

I handed her a business card—a fake one, crafted with the boss’s approval. While it identified me as a member of Evilus, the claim wasn’t entirely untrue. Her mother inspected the card, glancing between it and me with suspicion.

“And why is someone from Evilus at my house?”
“Congratulations! You’ve been selected for a special pension program run by the Evilus Corporation. I’m here to introduce it to you.”
“What? A pension program? We never applied for anything like that…”
“Our selection criteria are confidential.”
“There are others who need this more than we do.”
“Don’t worry. We’re assisting everyone who qualifies.”
“Ah, I see…”

Her mother seemed confused but intrigued. Humans are easily swayed when there’s something to gain. Having confirmed my credentials, she rushed to the kitchen to fetch drinks. I noticed her discreetly checking the card’s authenticity, but I wasn’t worried. After all, the corporation could vouch for me if she called.

When she returned, she brought two glasses of orange juice, smiling warmly.
“You’re not allergic to oranges, are you?”
“Not at all. Thank you.”

This was my chance. I gestured to Six, signaling her to drop the pill into her mother’s drink. At first, Six stared blankly at her mother, but she quickly caught on and slipped the pill into the glass. The pill dissolved, fizzing slightly, but her mother didn’t notice as Six still held the glass. Once the fizzing subsided, Six quietly set the drink on the table and took a seat beside me.

Despite the chair scraping against the floor and a small cloud of dust rising, her mother remained oblivious to Six’s presence.

“I’m not sure we deserve this kind of support…”
“Please don’t worry. This program is designed for people like you.”
“I see… thank you.”

Her mother took a sip of the juice, and that was it. The pill began its work. A moment later, her mother grabbed her head as if disoriented.

“Ugh…?”

When she looked up again, her eyes locked on Six. She blinked, astonished.
“…Shiz?”
“Mom.”
“Wait, you’re here? No, where have you been all this time? I—oh, I need to call your father…”

Decades of nurturing her child, followed by years of forgetting her, had clearly left a scar. The shock of suddenly remembering her daughter was beyond words.

I watched as Six wept openly, embracing her mother, who cried just as hard. Knowing I no longer belonged in that moment, I quietly excused myself and stepped outside.

Looking up at the darkened sky, I thought about parents.
‘Parents, huh…’

I had parents too, of course. But did I miss them enough to weep or burn everything down to see them? Not really. I cared for them but not to the point of obsession. I could empathize with my coworkers’ familial bonds, but my own feelings were far more subdued.

‘So her real name is Shiz,’ I mused, locking the memory of Six’s true name away in my mind as I returned to headquarters.

“Hello, everyone! Evilus’ sixth executive, Six, reporting in!”
“Six—!”

At the second executive meeting that month, I administered the recognition pills to the gathered executives. Finally, everyone could perceive Six. Those who had known her previously chuckled awkwardly, realizing how strange it was to have completely forgotten her.

“What the…? How could I have forgotten you entirely?”
“Well, my ability evolved so much that the entire world forgot about me!”
“So… you’ve been alone all this time?”
“Yes! But this fine gentleman here helped me fix it!”

Six pointed at me, and the room turned to stare. Their expressions seemed to say, What did you do this time? I simply shrugged. By now, they were used to my antics.

“Well, Six, I hear you have something to say?”
“Ah, yes! That’s right!”
“Is this your official welcome back? Should we throw a party?”

Regalia smiled, but there was something she didn’t know. Even while forgotten, Six had continued working like the professional she was. Her salary had never stopped, and neither had her missions.

“Boss, I’ve completed the task you assigned me.”
“…What?”
“You told me to investigate all the corporations in 25 cities. It took a while, but it’s done!”

With that, she slammed a box full of documents onto the table, grinning.
“Will there be a bonus for this?”

Regalia glanced at the papers, her eyes gleaming.
“If you want, I’ll give you half the world.”

That’s when I realized what the documents contained—information Regalia had desperately been searching for.