Kris is still a child. An incomplete robot child. Mr. Kevin Shin, the most famous robot creator of the present time just died. Unfortunately Mr. Shin didn't get to finish his latest model, Kris.

You see, Kris is different. Tao is his trial version, his prototype, but unlike him, Kris is...almost perfect. Tao has a face of a human, emotions like human's, but unlike Kris' program, Tao is programmed to live imitating humans while Kris is programmed to believe he is actually a human. Kris will be perfect. If Mr. Shin got to finish him that is.

Tao looked at Kris, the child is still unconscious. He took him in when Mr. Shin died because no one wants him. All other robots and humans think Kris is a danger and must be destroyed. But, Tao is against it, he cannot bear to see Kris get disassembled. Not when he can see himself on him. Not when he lived for Kris. He was created as a trial, though they have different programs, functions and model names, Tao knows, Tao feels like he and Kris are the same. 

"Threw a line out to pull you to me
If you don't get it, then you don't get it
You made your mind up before you knew me
If you don't get it, then you don't get it
Take my hand for a minute.
We're in it - imagine all the pain that might be forgiven

What if I had your heart?
What if you wore my scars?
How would we break down?
What if you were me and what if I were you?"

"let's see.. You're missing... " Tao looked at Kris' records and documents. That's all he could print before humans get to Mr. Shin's house to destroy Kris. "Oh! There is it. Heart." Tao says while looking at the printouts. "a live human heart? Like mine?" he asks himself.

He looked at Kris. The child is so peaceful, so beautiful. Tao can stare at him forever and there would be no problem, unless, he wants to see Kris grow up. He wants to meet him and talk to him.

"There is no way I can kill a human to get a heart." he said with a sad expression. He stayed still and stared at Kris for so long before he thought of an idea. "I can just give you mine." he says cheerfully as he touches his chest where his own heart was beating. "I can just program myself as a battery ran machine. Like all the others." he says as if it's nothing. "it'll be fine. I won't live that long anymore but....I'll be fine."

He cheerfully plugged himself to a computer and programmed himself. When he succeeded and it is 100% safe to unplug the wires on his own heart, he did it. It tickled him a little, it always amazes him how a machine like him was able to live because of a human heart. Science is a wonderful thing. He plugged some wires on Kris and opened his chest so he can pass his heart to him.

He felt good, he felt excited, he really really really wants to meet Kris already. Mr. Shin promised to invite him once Kris is alive but it never happened and now he's doing it himself, he's awakening Kris.

He keeps on fidgeting when he finished transferring his heart to Kris. He got so agitated when nothing happened after he waited for a minute or two and then, when the child finally showed a sign of life, he got so happy he almost electrocuted himself in excitement. Kris opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to the light. It is his first time seeing it, first time being blinded by the bright white.

"hello~" Tao greeted him as if greeting a baby. "Can you understand me?" he asked but Kris just stared at him. "how do you feel?" he asked again. Still, no answer. "I'm Tao and you're Kris. We're ...." he hesitated "...no. I'm a robot and you're a human." he lied.

"Robot?" is Kris' first word. First question.

"Oh My God! You speak! Yes! Robot! I'm a robot!!" Tao said excitedly. He's just so happy he couldn't contain himself.

"And I'm a human?" Kris asked.

"Yes. You are." Tao lied again.

Well, not actually lied. Kris is programmed like that right? To believe he's a human. He'll grow like a normal human being, his body will grow, his voice will change, he will hit puberty like a normal human being. An evolution indeed.

When Kris woke up, he's nothing but a curious child. He's so amazed by Tao's collections. Pinned butterflies, some old machines that doesn't work anymore and all the things he found on Tao's little home looks amazing to him. Kris saw Tao's sketches of various wings. It was pinned on every wall of Tao's house. It was beautiful.

Kris looked at Tao and he saw how they're different. Tao is half and there's a sign on his chest that's not glowing anymore the same way the sign on his own chest is glowing. He touched Tao's chest, then his chest. Kris smiled at him and Tao swore that he just saw the most beautiful smile on earth. It was sincere and contagious so he smiled back.

---

"What if you told my lies?
What if I cried with your eyes?
Could anyone keep us down?
What if you were me? What if I were you?"

Slowly, Tao taught Kris all he needs to survive. How to hunt his food, how to eat, how to properly wear his clothes and his favorite, how to have fun. Everyday for 2 months, almost all they did was play. Kris is getting bigger fast, he is becoming an adult faster than Tao expected. He knows he needs to let go of Kris when the right time comes but at that moment, he just wants to spend time with him. Play with him and do a lot of fun things with him.

Kris developed an undying love to Tao and creatures with wings. On afternoons they would always watch a bunch of bird flying in the sky. They would chat how beautiful it is and one day, they're gonna fly like those birds too. At night, Kris would always hug Tao and tell him that one day, he's gonna invent wings so they can both fly. Tao loves the idea really. As a robot, a heavy metal like him, wings and flying is like a dream. Every night when Kris is asleep, Tao would draw and work on their ideal Wings. He has a lot of ideas on his head. He's intelligent and if he really wants it, he could built wings that could carry them to the sky. Thing is, he's not doing it for himself anymore. He's doing it for Kris.

---

Another month passed so quickly and Tao is getting weaker day by day. When he gave his heart to Kris, he knows that this day will come. He's a unique robot. Other robots can be charged if you took out the human heart, but Tao is different. Once you took out the heart, you only have one battery. If the battery ran out, that's it. That's the end of his life.

"I'll go hunt with you." Tao said when he saw Kris getting ready to get out.

"No. Stay here. Just rest." Kris said with a smile.

Tao's been weak for a while now and he doesn't want him to get any weaker. For the first time in his life, he felt scared. Kris would always hunt food for the both of them. Usually, Tao would eat with him even if he'll throw it up in the end but now, Tao wouldn't even eat. He's too tired and just always lying on the bed.

At times when they both have nothing to do, Kris would look at their old drawings. The wings that they've been planning to built. He's happy to see them, he wants to do it. He wants to fly with Tao someday.

---

"Had a dream of a new tomorrow.
If you don't get it, then you don't get it.
I took a step hoping you might follow.
If you don't get it, then you don't get it.
Take a chance for a minute. Jump in it.
Imagine if you asked yourself for a minute:"

Another week passed and Tao cannot join Kris on their afternoon routine. Kris has been alone watching the birds for days now and he feels lonely. He miss Tao, he miss him so much that he feels more better staying beside him than watching the birds fly.

It was undeniable that Tao is getting weaker day by day. He told Kris that one day he's gonna run out of battery and he's gonna be gone forever. Kris asked why it's like that, he asked what he could do to make Tao live longer. Tao explained how he lived and how he's still alive. Before his source of energy is a live human heart but now he's a battery ran robot.

More than wings, Kris wanted to built a new heart for Tao. A new source of energy. He wants him to live longer, he wants to be together with him longer. He found a sketch of a human heart. On that piece of paper it was explained how a live heart can make a machine alive. Kris wanted a heart more than anything, he even thought about killing a human just to get a heart for Tao. He loves him so much and he wanted the old Tao. He wants him back so much that he started thinking bad thoughts. He told Tao his plan.

"You can't do that." Tao said weakly as he touch Kris' hand.

"Why not?" Kris asked.

"Killing is a sin." Tao said. "Kris....before I'm gone forever, I want you to know the truth."

"What truth?" Kris asked.

"I lied to you before and I'm extremely sorry about it." Tao whispers.

"It's okay. No matter what it is..... I forgive you." Kris moved closer to Tao.

"I know you will." Tao smiled weakly. "But you still have to know."

"Okay" Kris said seriously. "What is it?" he asked.

"Remember when I told you I'm a robot and you're a human?" Tao asked.

"Yes. What about it?"

"I lied. We're the same." Tao said. Kris looked surprised but he didn't say anything. "The two of us, we are both robots. A one of a kind robots. Dr. Shin made us, he's our creator but he passed away months ago." he said sadly. "The humans & other robots wanted to kill you because you're unique, one of a kind." he explained.

"And you?" Kris asked.

"I am your trial version. There's only one me in this world and there's only one You too. After Dr. Shin tested me and he succeeded giving me life using a human heart, he immediately started creating you. He told me to live by myself to test what is my limits, what I can and cannot do. Everything that I am, everything that I did in the past was for you."

"And why can't it continue like that? Why can't you live for me again?" Kris asked. "I can get you a heart. I WANT to get you a new heart." he cried.

"You can't. No matter what happen. You can't." Tao said. He made Kris promise that he won't kill a human no matter what. "I gave you my heart because I don't want to kill anyone Kris. You have to do the same."

"You what?" Kris asked.

"I told you didn't I? I'm alive because I have a heart. When I took you in, you were incomplete and I wanted to meet you so bad. I gave you my own heart because I don't want to kill a human."

After Tao explained everything, Kris changed. He becomes extra sweet and kind to Tao. He feels guilty. Everytime he's looking at the mirror and he sees his own chest glowing, he feels pain. It was not his heart, it was Tao's. He's the reason why Tao is dying.

He told Tao if he can't kill a human then he'll give back his heart but Tao refused. He said he wants what's happening. He knew it would happen and he wanted it. He told Kris many times that he doesn't need to blame himself.

"To the ones who make it better, find to get out, gotta touch the other side.
What if all that it took to save our lives together was to wise up..."

"It's not your fault Kris. I wanted this." Tao reached out for Kris who's already crying. "When I'm gone, I want you to live like a normal human being. Explore the world and see all beautiful things. Fulfill your dreams and fly like a bird. Do it for me. Do all the things I cannot do anymore."

"I love you Tao. I love you so much." Kris cried so hard and Tao smiled weakly.

"I know. I love you too." Tao smiled one last time and then his eyes are closed. Forever.

Kris cried a lot after that. He just cried day and night until there's no tears coming out anymore. He loves Tao so much and it was so hard to let go. It's so hard to think that from then on, he needs to live all by himself.

"Fulfill your dreams and fly like a bird. Do it for me. Do all the things I cannot do anymore." Tao's last words keeps on replaying on Kris' mind. He wants to make Tao happy one last time. If he's going to let go, he wants to do it right. He wants to grant Tao's wish to fly. That's the only thing he could do for him. Tao sacrificed and did a lot for him so he just wants to do the same for one last time. 

Kris took out Tao's box of balloons and aired them as much as he can. That's the only way he could think of. He's gonna make Tao fly and gonna send him to heaven with those balloons. Slowly and one by one, he attached all the balloons on Tao's body. It was colorful and beautiful. It totally suits Tao's personality. He missed him a lot already but he needs to let go.

Kris took Tao to their hideout. The place where they used to watch the birds fly in the afternoon. He carried him, something he never got to do before. He never knew Tao was so light despite being a robot. He never once stopped crying. He slowed down everything because he wants to stay with Tao a little longer.

"I love you so much." his tears fall like waterfalls. "It's so hard to let go." he sobs harder and louder. "I don't want to let go.........." he's having trouble breathing. "...but I want to make your wish come true." he said. "I'm gonna send you to heaven. You're gonna fly Tao. ...just like those birds." he sobs again. "It's bad that you cannot see it. I love you so much." Kris doesn't want to let go. ...but he needs to.

He let the balloons carry Tao's body to heaven. He did it very slowly, he held Tao's hand and cried as he let's go of it with a loud sob. Letting go is hard, so hard.

"I love you. I will never forget about you" Kris said as he watch Tao's body being carried by the balloons, joining the birds to fly freely in the sky. He felt leave seeing Tao fly, he felt happy for him and sad for himself. It's a goodbye forever. He loves Tao and he promised to himself that it'll never, ever change for as long as he lives.

"What if your hand was my hand?
Could you hold on or let go?
What if your life was my life?
Can you love what we don't know?
What if your hand was my hand?
Could we hold on or let go?
What if your life was my life?

And what if I were you?"

-END-