“Jongin! Don’t do this! Don’t do this to yourself!” Yixing shouted into his phone. He paced outside of Jongin’s apartment building. Yesterday, he picked D.O. up from the apartment, in his box already. Jongin wasn’t around. Yixing thought it was weird at first but ignored the feeling. When he tried to call after D.O. was decommissioned, the feeling came back. Jongin was ignoring his calls and texts again. The past two months were nothing now and Yixing blamed himself.

If he had known Jongin would have gotten really attached to the robot, he would have asked for an extension on the trial.  His superiors only wanted to monitoring for those weeks and they would move on for more in-depth research. If only they knew more about the connection made between the android and the intended person.

“Kai-ah….please. Answer my call. At least, tell me the new code for the door!” That morning when Yixing had tried the door code, he was rejected, causing his stomach to drop. Yixing stopped and looked up to where Jongin’s apartment would be. “Listen. I’m sorry. I just-” The line beeped ending his message. The prompt to leave another started but Yixing just ended the call.

He couldn’t do anything except apologize but if it fell on deaf ears, it was all for naught.

Yixing entered the building, making his way back to Jongin’s apartment. Standing in front of the metal door, Yixing moved to enter the door code for what was probably the 50th time.

Incorrect code

Yixing sighed as he pressed his back to the wall on side of the door. Yixing pounded door as he slid down to the floor.

“Kai! Open the door!” No answer came. “I’m going to sit here until you open up. I have nothing better to do.”

Yixing crossed his legs and settled in.

“You have to opened the door some time,” He said to himself, his shoulders dropping a little. “Hopefully.”

Yixing didn’t know when he fell asleep but the knock to his shoulder jolted him away. He grabbed his shoulder and looked up to see the sulking face of his best friend. Jongin blinked at him for a few seconds before pushing the door open and turning back into the apartment. Yixing grabbed it before it closed, scurrying into the dark apartment.

“Jongin…”Yixing watched him slide back in front of his workstation, the bright screens the only light in the apartment. The hunch of his back was pronounced as Jongin leaned into the screens, his hand moving with his eyes glued to the flat screens. When he realized that the young man wouldn’t turn around, Yixing huffed and charged over to the workstation, clicking the screens off. Yixing was shocked when he flew back against a wall, Jongin’s grip on his collar.

“Jongin! I’m sorry!” He couldn’t see Jongin’s face but he felt his grip loosen. “I’m sorry.” Yixing felt as the younger man’s forehead rested on his shoulder, tears falling onto his shirt.

Jongin watched Yixing walk from the kitchen, two cans of soda in his hands, toward him. He took the one that his hyung held out for him before Yixing sat next to him.

“You look like ,” Yixing said, opening his can. Jongin couldnt muster the strength to laugh and hit Yixing.

“I know.”

“Kai…I’m sorry.”

“Stop, hyung,” Jongin put the can on the coffee table. “Stop apologizing. It’s not your fault.”

“What have you been doing since…you know?”

“Working and thinking. Mostly working. I haven’t left that desk until now,” Yixing looked at the desk. Papers and cups of coffee were scattered everywhere. Jongin even had a blanket lying on the floor next to his chair.

“Kai, If I had known, then trust me, I would have let you keep D.O.,” Jongin flinched at the name, rubbing his forehead and combing his fingers through his unwashed hair.

“Kai-yah,” Jongin finally looked at his hyung. His sunken eyes surprised Yixing, making him want to pull his dongsaeng into a comforting hug. “You shouldn’t be like this and I want to keep you from staying here.”

“How? How are you going to keep me from being depressed?” Yixing heard the hurt in his voice.

“Anything you want. If you want to go somewhere, got out for drinks, talk, if you want me to be your assistant,” Jongin coughed up a chuckle as he smirked.

“Anything?”

“When you first stopped talking to me after the accident, I took it as you being the bratty Kim Jongin you always were. When the days turned to weeks, then months, then years, I hated myself for not trying harder. That’s why I contacted you again. That’s why I made D.O. for you.”

“So for your sanity? Thanks, Lay.”

“No!” Yixing pinched the bridge of his nose. “I thought you were lonely and I didn’t want you to be lonely anymore. I said it before, Kai. I made D.O. so you won’t be alone anymore. You wouldn’t talk to your family or to me or your other friends. If I gave you someone who you didn’t have a real connection with, you might make one and not feel lonely anymore. I did all of this for you.”

Jongin watched the tears trail down his hyung’s round cheeks. He reached up and wiped them away.

“You’re such a crybaby, hyung,” Yixing saw the genuine smile pull across Jongin’s face before he reached back for his soda. Yixing punched Jongin’s arm as he continued to laugh.

“And you’re still a brat. Now about tomorrow…”

“Hyung! You’re lucky I let you in. I don’t even want to think about that so called art show tomorrow.”

Yixing wrapped his arm around Jongin’s shoulders. Jongin smiled. Though he felt like he should stay shut in the apartment, having Yixing stick around for this long and having actual human contact made him happier than any other time.

“Remember I said that this show would be the best thing to happen to you? I wasn’t lying. I know you don’t want to be in the spotlight but there are genuine people looking forward to seeing this show and you.”

“Like I need snobby people smiling and mocking me. You want me to jump off Mapo bridge, huh?”

Yixing reared back his fist, causing Jongin to chuckle as he flinched.

“Don’t talk like that, damn it! I’m serious.”

“I still don’t want to.”

“Okay…how about this? You still come to the show,” Jongin scoffed. “For one hour. No brown-nosing, no rubbing elbows, or talking to anyone in general except me. You just come to observe.”

Jongin gave Yixing a side glance. “Promise?”

Yixing showed his single dimple smile brightly.

“I don’t want to be here,” Jongin whispered to Yixing as they watched the people moving about the rooms, the black and white photos of Han River hanging about. Comments and compliments were murmured as soft classical music played in the background. Yixing wrapped his hand around Jongin’s waist, like he used to do when they danced together.

“I know but it’s only been 15 minutes. Just hold out,okay?”

“I hate you,” Jongin glared at dimple in Yixing’s face, wanting to punch him right in the middle. Yixing looked at Jongin and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“I know, but you’re still my best friend. Stay out of trouble,” Yixing patted his before heading into the mass of people to be Jongin’s mouthpiece. Jongin wiped his cheek as he chuckled.
The knot remained in Jongin’s stomach as he stood amongst his photographs and the people but it was because of his best friend that he wasn’t in pain. It was Yixing that helped him so far and he was grateful for it.

Jongin looked down at his watch, seventeen minutes had past since he walked in. He greeted Kris when the tall man spotted him across the room. Yixing blocked him from pulling Jongin about but he was too alone. Jongin could feel his chest start to tighten when his heart stopped.

It was impossible. Jongin was dreaming. It was the only explanation, but the quick heartbeat and flooding tears were not a dream. Jongin stuttered in his steps before he pushed through the crowd, following the apparition.

The room he entered was dark except a bright spotlight on the only color photo in the collect. A large photo of Banpo bridge with the Rainbow Fountain in glorious color. It was Jongin’s favorite which is why he asked for a room for it by itself.

The man stood in front of it, seeming small in comparison. Jongin reached out as he tried to catch his breath.

“D.O….”

The man turned to Jongin. The doe-like eyes were there. The round squishy cheeks were there. The plump heart-shaped lips were there.

“I’m sorry?” The voice was similar but not the same. Jongin felt his legs turn to jelly as he tried to walk to him.

“Kai! Kai, what’s…” Yixing rushed into the room and stopped beside Jongin, grabbing hold of his waist to hold him up. Yixing looked from the pained look on his dongsaeng’s face to the man in the room.

“Oh! Kyungsoo-ah! You came!”

“Lay! I saw you earlier but you were surrounded by people,” Jongin couldn’t take his eyes off the the one Yixing called Kyungsoo. Yixing saw this.

“Kyungsoo, let me introduce you to the guest of honor for tonight, Kim Jongin,” Kyungsoo smiled at Jongin, offering his hand. Jongin took the small hand in his. Compared to D.O., it was much warmer and he wanted to hold on.

“You look just like him,” Jongin murmured.

“What?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Ah! I thought I told you?” Yixing let go of Jongin’s waist. “I work with Kyungsoo at the robot lab and D.O. was modeled after him. Kyungsoo, Jongin was the beta tester for the H.I.M.”

“Oh! Thank you so much, Jongin. Because of your interaction with D.O., we’re able to move on to the next step and help more people.”

Jongin looked up to the familiar but unfamiliar face and smiled.

“It was a pleasure. D.O. was a great…person,” Kyungsoo flashed an eye smile to Jongin that pulled at his heart. “I hope you received a lot of information to help make more like him. Others like D.O. could help a lot of people.”

“Of course! But I think I learned more about you than D.O.,” Jongin furrowed his brow before looking at Yixing who was busy with his phone.

“Hyung…”

“Huh? Oh, Kyungsoo didn’t work fully with D.O. Something about being weirded out by his own face.”

“It was weird, Yixing. I worked with the data input and output. You’re an interesting person, Kim Jongin. D.O. saw that.”

Jongin looked back at the warm smile Kyungsoo was giving him.

“Lay!” Jongin saw his hyung jump at the call of his name. Kris walked into the room, an empty champagne flute in his hand and his steps a little sloppy. “Yixing! There you are! Along with the artist himself! Jongin-ah, I’ve been meaning to introduce you to-”

“Duizhang!” Yixing jumped between the two of them. “Have I introduced you to Oh Sehun? He’s a journalist and I bet I can get him to do an interview with you. Let’s go find him.”

Jongin chuckled as he watched the two men stagger out of the room, leaving him along with Kyungsoo.

“D.O. cared about you, Jongin,” Jongin turned to Kyungsoo as he looked up at him. “His emotional interface was off the record and his memory storage was nothing but you. Happy, sad, afraid, sleeping…he wanted stay by your side. I’m actually jealous.”

“Really?”

“I’ve always wanted to meet the man that another me was subsequently falling in love with. I mean…for who he was caring for,” Kyungsoo rubbed the back of his neck as he cursed under his breath.

“Well, here I am,” Kyungsoo looked up to see Jongin’s face inches from his. The dark brown eyes glistening in the low lit room with the small smile. Kyungsoo jumped back.

“Um…right! Well…it’s nice to meet you finally, Jongin.”

“Call me Kai.”

“Nice to finally meet you…Kai.”

In the low lit room, a single spotlight on Banpo bridge and the brilliant colors of the Rainbow fountain, Jongin meet HIM all over again.

Thank you all for reading H.I.M.

Thank you again and for promotion because I love it, go read veritinme's Change and her's & bunbun28 unnie's Two Moon Universe :D