“Can I leave now?” Jongin whispered to Yixing as they stood in the center of the large white room of the gallery. The walls were blank but would soon be decorated with the night time photos of Seoul taken by Korea’s up and coming artists, Kim Jongin.

“Ask me again and this art show will be a dedication instead of a debut,” Yixing murmured through gritted teeth as a lanky gentleman strolled toward them. He towered over them as he stood before them, his large hands offered to Jongin.

“Jongin, is the space to your liking? I hope it’s large enough.”

“Plenty of room. Thank you,” Jongin strained a smile as he shook the hand and quickly stuffed his back into his pant pocket.

“Good. I’ve looked over your photographs and they are breath-taking. We should have them ready to put up in about two weeks then we can have the first showing.”

“Great,” Jongin said unenthused with the face smile still plastered on his face.

“Yixing, you sure picked a winner,” Kris slapped the youngest of the trio’s shoulder before walking off. Yixing looked at Jongin with a stern expression, wagging his finger at him before following behind Kris.

“You don’t want to do this, do you?” Jongin glanced over to D.O., the silent partner who followed him everywhere.

“Is it obvious?” Jongin watched D.O. smile which caused him to chuckle. Jongin was completely settled knowing that D.O. was always near him. The comfort he felt from the android gave him the courage to accept Kris Wu’s offer and have his pictures on display.

Jongin moved toward another room in the gallery, blank like the other, awaiting his photos of Seoul nighttime.

“What are you afraid of?” D.O. asked. Jongin looked at him. The mechanical blinking that Jongin always received from D.O. pulled him into the allure of D.O. He wasn’t just some robot. He was someone that Jongin could trust, could communicate with, could hold onto when he needed grounding.

“A lot of stuff. Being back in the spotlight. Not living up to expectations. Falling short.”

D.O. extended his hand, palm up, towards Jongin. “Would you like to hold my hand if you feel like you are about to fall?”

Jongin chuckled softly before he wrapped his arm around D.O.’s shoulder, leading him out of the gallery.

“Ah! I’m so hungry. Let’s go get something to eat.”

“Must I remind you, Kai, I don’t eat. I’m a robot.”

“Well, then, you can watch me eat,” Jongin laughed at himself as they strolled out together.

“Yah! Kim Jongin!” The two turned to a jogging Yixing came closer. “Heading back now? “

“Yeah, why?”

“Wanted to tell you about the initial diagnostic test we did on D.O. and it seems like I might get a go on the final project.”

“Alright, hyung!”

“That means that D.O.will be off your hands in two weeks,” Jongin’s smile dropped at the thought of the mechanical man who he rested on at that moment being gone.

“Two weeks? But...you just ran his diagnostics!”

“Two weeks ago! You really are bad on time, Kai. I know you’re used to this little maid but you have to wash your underwear yourself again.”

Though Yixing chuckled, Jongin didn’t find it funny. D.O. wasn’t a maid. He was a companion that he desperately needed even though he never knew it before.

“Listen, I’ll come by Thursday before the show, okay. I’ll talk to you later!” Yixing scooted away leaving Jongin with his arm still draped over D.O.

“Kai?” Jongin looked down at the anticipating silver eyes that looked at him everyday. “Are you leaving?”

Jongin felt his mouth go dry as he tried to swallow.

“Not without you. Let’s head home...together.”

A torrent of rain continues cover Seoul as we head into the evening with estimated 7 inches of rain expected by midnight. So if you’re out with your love ones, make sure you have an umbrella at your side. For the morning…

Jongin hated the sound of rain. The supposedly calming noise always came with the crash of thunder. Since the accident, small things had changed him. The bus riding with his eyes closed, the daily intake of anxiety medication, and the hatred of thunderstorms. The guttural growl of nature covered the city after the flashing of lightning. The beast of the sky was awake now and it would make sure that Jongin didn’t sleep.

The next boom of thunder shook Jongin’s apartment and jolted him awake. Jongin reached out, feeling for the hand that would be there every once and a while. His fingers searched but held no grasp to D.O.’s hand. Jongin sat up and looked around the room. The lights of the city filtered into Jongin’s room.

“D.O.?” Jongin shifted in his bed and listened for a response.  When none came, Jongin expected to find the android once again sleeping in his door way. Jongin pulled on his leg and made his way into the living room. He opened the door to find no one.

“D.O.?” Hoping to see him in sleep mode somewhere on the floor, Jongin started to worry as he spied an empty apartment.

“D.O.-yah! D.O, where are you?” Jongin hobbled in and out of the few rooms of the apartment, his anxiety raising. A crack of lightning followed by the crash of thunder caused Jongin to collapse into a ball on the floor.

“D.O.-YAH!” He screamed as he covered his ears against the rumbling thunder. Jongin stood, his whole body quaking. His body was feeling light along with his head. Each step he took was difficult, feeling as if he was going to fall in second. He made it back into the bedroom and found his phone. Jongin collapsed into the bed as the phone dialed.

“What’s up, Jongin?”

“Hyung...D.O….”

“Did you push him again, Jongin?” Yixing asked.

“Hyung,” Jongin tried to swallow, his throat tightening as the pressure built up like an elephant on his chest. “D.O.’s missing.”

“What?” Yixing screamed in the phone.

“I was just sleeping...and when I woke up...he wasn’t in the apartment.”

“Dà biàn*!” Jongin had heard Yixing curse only a few times to know that this was bad. “Okay. Just try and around to see where he might have gone. I’ll check his GPS. What the hell is going on?” Yixing said the last part to himself more than to Jongin.

Yixing ended the call before Jongin could protest, saying he couldn’t look for D.O., let alone move. He felt like he was going to pass out. Another flash of lightning. Jongin closed his eyes and covered his ears as the thunder roared. He gasped as he felt the sound travel through his body. When he was younger, Jongin was afraid of thunderstorms but his mother would always be there to comfort him, and tell him that the storm would pass. The fear eventually went away but it eventually came back, tenfold.

As the thunder dissipated, Jongin tried his best and pushed off of the bed. The lightheadedness caused him to reach out to steady himself. As the room stopped tilting, he made his way to the living room once again. Each step was difficult as he tried to breath. Thoughts started to fill his mind. What if someone came into his apartment and stole D.O.? What if they were looking to sell him? What if they were taking him apart, piece by piece? Was he okay? Was he calling out for Jongin?

Jongin was halfway toward the door when the lock turned. Jongin’s eyes focused as the door opened to D.O. stepping across the threshold, a wet umbrella dripping on the floor and a white bag in his hand.

“D.O….” Jongin called out before the room began to tilt and his eyes rolled to the back of his head before he out, missing the wide-eyed panicked look on the android’s synthetic face.

Jongin groaned, the pounding of a headache thumping away on his brain. All he wanted then was some water, painkillers and...Jongin’s eyes jumped open. He was blinded for a second by the overhanging light before he saw that he wasn’t in his bedroom.

The monitor by his bedside beeped to indicate that he was alive. On side of the machine was a heavy-lidded Yixing staring at his friend.

“Hyung…”

“Does that leg add like 50 pounds to you? You’re heavy for someone so lean.”

Since the crash, Yixing always danced around the subject of Jongin’s prosthetic, never fully mentioning it, from fear of upsetting his close friend. Jongin chuckled as he tried to push himself up, falling back on his pillow in pain.

“Stay down. You hit the floor hard with that fall. Blood everywhere,” Yixing pointed to his head. Jongin reached up to feel the gauze on his. “D.O. nearly short-circuited when you passed out.”

“D.O.! Where is he? What happened?”

“He’s fine. He was doing the job I made him for. He was running an errand for you.”

“An errand? What errand?”

“How long have you been having anxiety attacks, Jongin?” Jongin looked away, his dry lips.

“When do you think?” Yixing chuckled.

“If you weren’t so full of yourself-”

“Full of myself?”

“Yes! Since that accident, you shut everyone out, Jongin. We tried to help you, but you...you did this to yourself!" Yixing was shocked by what he said. Jongin's expression was of hurt.

“Get out,” Jongin whispered. Yixing tangled his fingers in his hair in frustration. 

“Kai, I’m sorry.”

“Get out!”

“No!”Yixing looked at Jongin’s glistening eyes. “Jongin, do you know why I made D.O.? For you.”

Jongin swallowed back his tears as he continued to listen to his hyung.

“I knew you wouldn't talk to me or your family, but you might talk to someone or something that had no connection to you.”

“So you made me a robot?”

“Yeah. And look how well it’s been?” Jongin laughed, in air as he held his head. Yixing stood and looked down at his dongsaeng.

“You’re staying the night so the doctors can make sure nothing is wrong with your head. I’ll drop D.O off at your apartment. Get some rest, Jongin," Yixing turned and walked to the door.

“Thank you, hyung,” Yixing turned and smiled, his dimple accenting his face.

Jongin unlocked his apartment to be greeted by the figure that he’s been wanting to see for the past few hours. Smiling, Jongin walked up to D.O., in sleep mode, moved to start him. Jongin pressed the start up as he moved inches away from the man’s face. The big eyes flicked as a look of surprise appeared in them.

“Jonginnie!”

“Oh! Did Lay hyung give you a new name to call me?”

“Kai!” Jongin stood up fully, placing his hand on the shorter man’s head. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Jongin jumped as arms wrapped around his waist and held on tight.

“I was concerned.”

“You were concerned? Didn’t know you could have that emotion.”

“Huh?” D.O looked up with a confused look.

“Nothing,” Jongin pulled him back into a hug. Jongin wanted to hold onto D.O. for the rest of the day, for the rest of time. "I was worried about you, too."

One week before the show

Jongin rolled to his side, opening his eyes to see the resting face of D.O. on the pillow next to him. Seeing the heart-shaped lips and squishy face relaxed Jongin from head to toe. He expected to have D.O. always on his side, always near him, always in his life, but he knew it wouldn’t happened. In a week, the android would be gone and Jongin’s life would go back to how it was. It was only for a short amount of time but the past two months had an enormous impact.

Jongin placed his hand on the soft cheek and moved closer to him. He stared at the lips before he pressed his lips softly to them. Pulling away, the sleeping face of D.O. remained and Jongin took it in.

“Please don’t leave me,” Jongin whispered.

Jongin remained awake a few more hours, the one-sided kiss still in his mind. D.O. was going to leave him soon. Yixing had made it clear, but he couldn’t let the machine, the man, leave his side. Jongin reached over for his phone, pressing a few buttons before pressing it to his ear.

“Hello?”

"Hyung, let me keep him."

"Kai?" Yixing said raspy. Sleep was still hanging on his vocal cords. "Why are you calling at...3 IN THE MORNING?!"

"Hyung...let D.O. stay with me. Does he really have to go? I mean..."

"Kai-yah, what is wrong with you? We agreed-"

"I know! But..." Jongin looked at the sleeping figure beside of him. "I need D.O. in my life."

"I'll make you another one that's-"

"I don't want another robot!" Jongin whispered harshly into the phone. "You said so yourself, hyung. You made D.O. for me. You made him for someone like me. Why can’t I keep him?”

“Do you hear yourself, Kai? Go back to bed. I’ll talk to you when the sun rises.”

“Hyung! Please, let D.O. stay with me. I’m begging you. Even if you say that he has a glitch or that this was just trial run, I can’t give him up. Hyung…”

“Kai. Listen to me-”

“As my best friend and a return favor for all of this, let D.O. stay with me.”

“Kai...have you fallen in love with D.O?” Jongin looked over again at the sleeping figure, imagining him gone, imagining his life without D.O. It hurt him. Jongin fell back onto his pillow and sigh.

“I think I have.”

* - ! in Mandarin; translated it means . I need to learn more Chinese swears.