Woohyun thinks that maybe not having a heart is better than having one. When you get stuck with a job like his, sometimes it's better and a hell lot easier when you can get stuff done quickly and not run the risk of falling to pieces.

 

Unfair, he thinks despite himself. They're like him, but why does he feel inferior somehow? Even though Dongwoo has told them countless times that they're more advanced and sophisticated that the majority of the population?

 

He straightens slightly, almost infinitesimally - a metal spine can only be so straight after all - as Myungsoo passes him. "You're switching shifts with Sungjong." He informed Woohyun in a monotone. He nods, not minding the switch. Day or night doesn't matter when sleep comes irregularly anyway. They insist that they're still upgrading the place, that there will be more places to recharge in the future and they just have to wait a little longer.

 

Woohyun wonders how expensive it would be to spend 6 years constructing a room.

 

An alarm goes off - once, twice, three times - and right away Woohyun knows it's for him. Everyone here has a specialized tone for them, just a few notes or pitches different but that's all right as long as you can recognize your own. Even if you don't (and god help the poor jerk who doesn't reach Hoya in 2 minutes) there's always a handy green light that goes off at his wrist.

 

He marches down the dim corridors rapidly, knowing that he would probably have to fight it out with Myungsoo later. Myungsoo doesn't like having his words brushed off. 

 

One, two, three, four. 

 

Left, right, left, right.

 

Perfect steps and perfect rhythm. Left arm, right arm.

 

Woohyun frowns when he misses a step and the rhythm stutters for a moment. Damn. He'll have to see Dongwoo to smoothen that out. Standing out in a place like this would spoil all the neatness and perfection Dongwoo had always aimed for.

 

"Come in." A voice issued out clearly before Woohyun could knock.

 

He steps in carefully, face blank. A perfect folder bow at the waist lasting precisely 5 seconds. "You called for me, sir?" He inquired politely, enunciating every syllable meticulously.

 

"There's a new mission for you," Hoya smiles at him, clearly thinking that had just given Woohyun a treat. 

 

He had. When you're not as coolly efficient as Myungsoo or have big eyes and pretty thin lips contrasting with milky white skin like Sungjong does or basically like Woohyun, who isn't perfectly great at his job nor perfectly beautiful, stuff like this don't come by often. More often than not Woohyun is stuck standing stiffly for hours on end by a door, guarding it against non-existent intruders. Like anyone would be dumb enough to break into the institution with anything less than a nuclear bomb.

 

"Thank you very much sir. I greatly appreciate it." Another bow.

 

The smile vanishes instantly. "Do you even know what you're thanking me for?" He asks quietly, eyes darkening dangerously.

 

He almost stammers his reply, and that would have been far more catastrophic than forgetting the format of answering. "I was just about to ask you that, sir." Woohyun covers up his mistake quickly, with another bow.

 

It seems to have done the trick because Hoya relaxes back into his leather chair, the frown on his forehead smoothing out. The evening sun falls onto the carpeted floor between them, highlighting the dancing dust motes in the air. With the skyline of Seoul behind Hoya, it almost looks like it was snowing. Snowing in the snow globe that was the world they exist in. Or maybe it was the institution that was the snow globe while everyone in the world outside was living.

 

Hoya retrieves a cream folder from his mahogany desk, tossing it carelessly before him. Flicking open a few pages, he read out; "Name: Kim Sunggyu. Age: 25. Male. You don't really need to know the offence, but just in case you're wondering, he's under suspicion for withholding information about Lee Sungyeol." Hoya's face scrunched up in annoyance.

 

Lee Sungyeol. A genius who had somehow found a way to restore humanity - literally. There won't be a need for careful breeding anymore.  All the controlled sessions where Woohyun and the others would their selected partners for regular intervals every week, all to ensure that their offspring would acquire the best genes, creating a new and evolved species - all stopped. They wouldn't need Woohyun anymore.

 

But it wasn't as if the government was having much success with them either. None of their offspring had managed to survive beyond a day. It was especially worrying because the population had been diminishing rapidly and they were the only ones who could prevent humanity from vanishing altogether. And they had somehow gotten it into their head that a new species is the perfect solution.

 

Woohyun almost pities the poor kid - almost, because he can't feel pity without a heart. Being hounded by the government isn't exactly paradise.

 

"They're rumored to be half brothers, but we can't be certain without a DNA test." He scowled, not used to having to wait to get things done. "Anyway, get the dirt on him. I want daily reports. Then bring him as soon as you can without alerting the people."

 

Woohyun nods.

 

Hoya dismisses him with a flick of his wrist, clearly having lost interest in the robotic creature in front of him. "By the way," he calls out casually, hidden malice in his voice, "You seem to be getting a but rusty for the job. I could practically hear your joints creaking."

_________________________________

 

Woohyun stood in the middle of his room, reading the details of his new target. Holding the photo up to the light to memorize the face. Caramel hair and narrow eyes somehow fitting together with chubby cheeks and creamy skin. It should have been a strange combination but it worked for him somehow.

 

Too bad.

 

Not everyone gets to live. 

 

Woohyun remembers this as he eyed the man in front of him emotionlessly. "You're going to die." He informed coldly, according to protocol.

 

A swift swipe to the neck and Woohyun's job was done. Blood dripped off his face, sliding down his metal left cheek and trailing down his jaw. He put up a fight, at least. Not like the other fools who begged for their lives in vain just before he killed them.

 

Myungsoo got things done faster though, intruders or offenders are killed before they even realized what was going on. He nudged the body with his foot, checking for signs of life. One more report for the night.

 

The green light flashes again. Time for his oiling with Dongwoo before he goes to his partner. Woohyun abandons the body, moving quickly towards the grey building that held the labs where Dongwoo worked at.

 

"Someone's slow today huh?" Dongwoo comments when Woohyun steps into the white room stinking of antiseptic. 

 

He inclines his head, "My apologies."

 

Dongwoo laughed, a tad coldly, "No need for that. Come here." He holds up a bottle of black liquid and motions Woohyun into a plastic chair.

 

Woohyun stares at a wall blankly while Dongwoo unscrews the metal plate on his back and fiddles around inside him. The small screen on the left side of Woohyun's chest flashes, numbers spiraling around like an infected computer before stabilizing. 

 

80 bpm, it reads. 80. 80. 80.

 

Eventually Dongwoo relinquishes his hold on Woohyun and he stands, buttoning up his shirt. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Dongwoo observed from the sides, arms folded as he leaned against his work table.

 

Woohyun glanced at him questioningly, a mere lifting of eyebrows on the right side of his face.

 

Dongwoo snickered, "You're late. Your partner has been waiting for 10 minutes already." He jerked his head towards the girl waiting on the other side of the glass window at the end of the room. 

 

She sat on the cold table, disinterested and aloof. Woohyun doesn't even know her name, not that he cares. Twice a week they meet, they , then they part ways. Twice a week Dongwoo watches from behind the one way mirror, calculates the timing and tries to figure out what's wrong.

 

3 minutes later he's opening the door. 2 minute later he's on the bed with her under him. 1 minute later he's pistoning in and out of her rhythmatically, face blank as always.

 

80 bpm. 80. 80. 80.

 

The screen doesn't even flicker.

 

_________________________________

Woohyun meets Sunggyu the next day. The vaguely hamster looking guy was buying groceries at a convenience store and the scene was so completely normal it was comical.

 

He wouldn't be laughing so cheerfully with the cashier if he knew a member of the institute was watching him like a hawk right behind him in line.

 

He would probably get the hell out of there. Go into hiding when he takes a step back and knocks into Woohyun. (7 seconds) 

 

Not hurriedly apologise and smile at the latter, crescent eyes disappearing. (12 seconds)

 

As though Woohyun's partially metallic face didn't faze him in the slightest. (2 second)

 

As though everything is normal. (3 seconds)

 

As though the screen on Woohyun's chest didn't suddenly flicker beneath his thin sweater. (2 seconds)

 

85. 90. 98. 112. 134. (5 seconds) 

 

Distracted by his malfunctioning parts, (9 seconds) he almost lost Sunggyu as he left the store. "Wait!" He called, almost commanded. "Would you like to get some coffee?" Woohyun asks mechanically. (13 seconds)

 

Get closer to the target and attack, he reasoned to himself. Sunggyu smiled and agreed happily, launching into a list of coffee shops he knows who will give them a discount. (7 seconds )

 

It took exactly 60 seconds for the first piece to fall off. Woohyun doesn't understand the swelling of the cavity in his chest. It feels like a balloon. Did Dongwoo out something in? He spends a few hours talking to Sunggyu, trying and failing to wheedle information. 

 

The older rambles on and on about anything and everything and Woohyun listens, sifting for scraps or clues that would help him. 

 

Th older is practically a ball of sunshine. He laughs and smiles and teases Woohyun gently for being so stiff as though they've known each other for years. It's almost contagious, like the deadly virus that swept half the population out of the world into the Milky Way.

 

Woohyun pretends he can't feel his right cheek twitch, as though it wanted to lift upwards without his control. He hopes his time isn't up yet, his room is much nicer than the incinerator.

 

_________________________________

 

 

Stalking him home was easy. It wasn't as if he had taken pains to conceal his tracks. Woohyun watches him silently as he entered his house and shut the door behind him. He spies through the window at Sunggyu preparing his own dinner, knowing that the smallest thing could just be the breakthrough he was looking for. Doesn't he have a boss who would threaten to fire him if he doesn't train? Woohyun worries about that.

 

(Flicker)

 

He doesn't realise he just had his first emotion. Woohyun watches him until the moon and stars were in the middle of the sky and Sunggyu goes to bed. He only leaves when he decides that he wouldn't get anymore information and that he's just wasting his time by staying.

 

He hd stayed and watched but he figures his information are probably useless. He had watched the older eating, cooking and washing up, in that order. Hands are wiped before they touch the pristine piano. His eyebrows furrow when he misses a note. Chubby cheeks puff out in frustration when he bends over a music sheet.

 

A report is made to Hoya and Woohyun wonders why he kept his observations at the piano to himself.

 

Neither does he understand the surge of anger when he sees his flesh and metal face in a mirror when he leaves Hoya's office.

 

(He fights it out with Myungsoo.)

 

Maybe he is getting rusty, he can't see his reflection but aren't mirrors supposed to reflect everyone and everything?

 

Bumping into Sunggyu (literally) outside the convenience store the next day landed him the perfect opportunity. He has his impeccable timing to thank. 

 

Sunggyu grabs Woohyun's hand to haul himself to his feet.

 

(Flicker)

 

"Woohyun right?" He dimples, both cheeks, eyes smiling. (Woohyun's dimples are lopsided.)

 

A mechanical nod. "Would you like to go for cheesecake?" He asks, remembering the post-dinner dessert.

 

Sunggyu's tiny eyes light up (why are they smaller than his and yet more perfect?) and nudges Woohyun playfully. "Weirdly, that's my favourite snack. Are you stalking me or something?" Woohyun catches himself just in time, he's way too used to answering to Hoya. He settles for a smile, which isn't more of a smile than a twitch of the lips.

 

They go to a small coffee shop tucked into a corner that Sunggyu insists has the best cake you can find. Woohyun doesn't mind either way because he's more interested in what's coming out than what's going in. They talk for hours and this time it's easier for Woohyun to speak than the previous time.

 

He tells himself he's simply trying to gather more information but deep inside his heart (he chuckles at that, earning a questioning look from the older) Woohyun thinks it's more than that.

 

As dead as his heart is he knows the flickers are abnormal. Dongwoo had created him to be perfect and glitches like this probably meant that he was breaking up from the inside.

 

Woohyun doesn't fear dying. How can he when he doesn't even have a heart to feel? But he didn't want them to scavenge his body parts to put into Myungsoo.

 

"Woohyun!" Sunggyu gazed at him in concern, "Are you ok?"

 

"Yes. Thank you."

 

He leans back, looking at Woohyun sceptically. "You know, you don't have to be here if you don't want to. I know the government has been trying to force people together but not many are as keen as I am."

 

Woohyun hastily shook his head. If he screws this up now he will never get a chance again.

 

"No, it's fine. I'm enjoying myself." He said curtly, unused to the heavy feeling in his chest at the thought of not seeing his target again.

 

Sunggyu rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure you are." He got up from his chair, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

 

"I'll see you around." Woohyun's immediate reaction was to stare at him and accept it. Hoya's words were law at the institute. A strange feeling came over him then, like his heart had suddenly leapt up and ran after Sunggyu and he felt the urge to hold onto the hamster.

 

The screen on his chest flickers frantically, like a bird in a cage. Even though he can't see it he can vaguely feel it and the numbers are jumping up and down.

 

Before he knew it he had gotten up and grabbed Sunggyu's hand right outside the shop. "Don't go." He says, imploring with his eyes. "I'm not used to expressing myself."

 

At his words Sunggyu's face softens. He gazes at the hybrid in front of him, all sharp angles and planes. From the aquiline nose to the high cheekbones and blank eye on the right side of his face, to the flat metal plates and flashing green eye on the left.

 

So different from his own soft features. So beautiful. So freaking perfect. He sees his own face reflected in the silver mirror of Woohyun's face, mocking him. Side by side, his and Woohyun's. God knows all of them are pawns in this ridiculous world of deviations.

 

"Ok," he whispers, lifting a hand to touch Woohyun's cold cheek, his hand still tightly gripped by Woohyun. 

 

They end up at the banks of the Han river, side by side on the rocks dotting the edges of the glittering mirror. The water laps at them, close enough that if Woohyun even shifts a little, his foot would disappear and sparks would run up his entire body.

 

He glances over at Sunggyu, the older male staring off into the distance. There was a vaguely faraway look in his eyes and Woohyun swears he's never seen anything look more ethereal than Sunggyu had in that moment. (Flicker) It's almost ironic how close to death they both are. Sunggyu can just push him in and Woohyun could gut him in an instant from how close they were sitting.

 

"Where do you come from?" Sunggyu asks suddenly. He's still for a moment, unsure of how to answer.

 

"From darkness, " he answers eventually. It was the truth, he couldn't remember anything before that. "I just woke up and here I am."

 

"You don't remember anything?" Sunggyu asked, not disbelievingly. Just with quiet sympathy in his eyes.

 

Woohyun shook his head. "Hoya told me that my name is Woohyun and I have to obey him. He says that's the only way you can ever survive or I will be recycled for the others." He tosses a pebble into the water, emotionlessly watching the tiny fishes swim frantically away from the newly dead body of their comrade.

 

He snorted, "And you actually believed him?"

 

A shrug, "He's the first person I saw when I woke. I have no one else aside from him and Dongwoo." The sun was dipping below the horizon, a fiery ball that lies submerged in the water.

 

He nods slowly, absorbing the information. "Do you live with them?" He gets a cracked grin for that, still cold as metal and just as robotic but that's more than the twitches of smile he had gotten.

 

"The institute is dark, except for the labs and Hoya's office. But it's something and shouldn't complain." There wasn't a hint of self-pity in his voice, he was simply stating the facts.

 

Sunggyu fell silent at that. "I guess I'm lucky, I have someone who cares for me." He stares off into the distance, the faraway look back in his eyes again.

 

Woohyun pricks up at that. With narrowed eyes, he picks his words carefully. "Who is that?"

 

The other looks hesitant for a moment before he answered, warily watching him for signs of betrayal. It's times like this where Woohyun is glad for his eternal poker face. "My brother," he replies slowly, drawing out the syllables like he was reluctant to let them go. "Half brother actually, but he's gone now."

 

"You mean he's dead?" He asks casually, leaning back against the cold rocks. 

 

"Not exactly. But he could be soon." Sunggyu hugs his knees, looking worried as he chewed on his lips.

 

A bit reluctantly (Woohyun is surprised at himself) he opens his mouth, "What's his name?"

 

The light at his wrist buzzes suddenly, cutting off whatever it was that Sunggyu wanted to say. He stands up immediately, knowing Hoya's short patience and even shorter temper. "I have to go, I'll see you tomorrow." Woohyun tells him quickly, ignoring the bewildered look on Sunggyu.

 

Woohyun runs back to the institute and he's soon running out of it with Myungsoo and Sungjong. The fishes would lose another comrade tonight.

 

"Hyung," Sungjong drawls lazily, walking much too closely to Woohyun as they approach the darkened house holding their targets. "Where have you been recently?" 

 

Woohyun moves away slightly, feeling Myungsoo's watchful gaze on them both. That's a hybrid with a heart as green as his eyes. "I've been on a mission." He answers briefly, voice back into the usual monotone.

 

Sungjong smiles, a slightly cruel smirk lifting his lovely lips as his eyes flicker almost unnoticeably towards Myungsoo. Hybrids are usually bred with humans deemed perfect enough to accumulate the good genes and eradicate the father's robotic parts gradually in the offspring.

 

Exceptions are only made with hybrids like this pair who Dongwoo thought would help create a prime hybrid for him to breed. That didn't stop them from misbehaving sometimes though. 

 

"Oh, that sounds really interesting hyung. You'll have to tell me all about it." Sungjong told him sweetly, pressing against him again. They reach the house and the door crashes down.

 

5, 4, 3.

 

Myungsoo is cruelly swift with his job. Sungjong drags one off to play with and Woohyun stares down at the last one. His eyes are small despite being wide with terror and he trembles before Woohyun, creamy skin drenched in cold sweat. "You're going to die." He informs the man like a trained parrot.

 

He shook his head frantically, auburn hair flying around. "No! Please don't hurt them. We've done nothing wrong!"

 

A swipe to the neck.

 

He misses. 

 

The man falls back, gasping, throat cut open but not deep enough to kill him. Myungsoo finishes the job with a savage stab through the neck, pinning the body to the floor. He glares at Woohyun, eyes alight with suspicious glee. "Not so sharp anymore, are you?" He laughs at his own joke, though the sound was cold and devoid of humor, sounding more like hacking coughs.

 

Woohyun stand stock still, looking down at the body and wishing he hadn't hesitated, that Sunggyu's face hadn't flashed through his mind in that instant. He completes his report later on and he's suddenly grateful to Hoya's summons. Woohyun isn't sure if he wants to know the answer anymore.

_________________________________

2 weeks pass and Hoya's getting impatient. The flickers are getting worse and nothing Dongwoo does seem to cure it.

 

The flickers are worse around Sunggyu. Numbers spiral and Woohyun feels unfamiliar flashes and strange feelings in the cavity right below the screen, separated only by the skin. (He's falling and breaking)

 

1 more week and Woohyun explodes.

 

They're talking and Woohyun doesn't know how it happens but he's suddenly gripped by an insane urge and he bends over to hover above Sunggyu.

 

Sunggyu looks into his eyes and it's as though they're mirror reflections. Woohyun is everything Sunggyu should be and Sunggyu is everything Woohyun should have. 

 

The reflections converge at a point and Woohyun thinks that he's really going to die. His hearts explode with a million sensations and he could feel Sunggyu's softness beneath his own body rigid with metal and muscles. He's warm warm warm and the world is suddenly so much brighter and Woohyun has finally awoken from the darkness. The bliss is incomprehensible to someone who had been dead for as long as he remember but Woohyun thinks this he couldn't be any luckier.

 

The older tells him his insecurities when they part and there wasn't a need to answer a question that they now know the answer to. For beauty is in the eye of the beholder and are humanoids not part human too?

 

Woohyun doesn't care about the flickerings anymore. He can see the world now and the wonderful feelings disorient him but he enjoys it as much as a newborn baby does when it first open its eyes.

 

But nothing lasts forever and it's broken when Sungjong slips into his room in the middle of the night and tell him, as per protocol, "You're going to die."

 

Then Lee Sungjong seems to emerge for a while and he whispers, "Hyung, run." 

 

Woohyun left, not before throwing a backward glance at the younger standing motionless in the middle of his room as the fear and humanity in the dark eyes fade to coldness.

 

He finds Sunggyu and there isn't a need for words to be exchanged. Sunggyu simply nods and picks up some necessary supplies for himself. They run for hours, Woohyun carrying him when the latter tires. If they can reach the port before dawn, a new life somewhere, somehow, is theirs for their taking.

 

There's a flicker of hope in Woohyun as he runs, the numbers rising rapidly out of exertion and perhaps the emotions Sunggyu managed to find in him. It dies when his battery dies.

 

His left leg collapses and he couldn't move. Even when Sunggyu tries to drag him along, the sun peeks out (curse that thing) and Woohyun knows it's too late.

 

"Gyu," he calls out tenderly.

 

Sunggyu grunted, "We're almost there, shut up and don't distract me."

 

"Gyu," he repeats and Sunggyu cannot ignore it anymore. Not the resigned but content tone, nor the approaching sounds of the humanoids. He falls to his knees next to Woohyun and cradles him in his arms. 

 

Woohyun smiled up at him, lips stretching fully and warm as the sunshine beginning to fall onto them. The sun highlights Sunggyu's caramel hair and Woohyun suddenly recalls a sweet voice telling him about something called Paradise or heaven. Sunggyu bites on his lips, sadness painted all over his face as he croons to Woohyun.

 

"Don't go." He pleaded.

 

"Like I can go anywhere?" Woohyun laughs at him softly. "Leave before they catch you."

 

Sunggyu shook his head determinedly, "I'm not leaving you." And Woohyun knows it's pointless to argue with a stubborn Sunggyu. He simply sighs, holding Sunggyu's hand as the latter lifts it up to Woohyun's metal cheek, just like the first time.

 

Woohyun smiles at him again, "Ok."

 

And then they arrive and Woohyun's heart explodes but that's ok because he found Paradise with Sunggyu.