Part 1: Humanity

The door swung open as Kim Jongin stormed in his apartment as usual. He threw his backpack on the floor, and then flopped face-down on his couch. He was a lazy bum. After a few seconds of idleness, he reached for the side table and grabbed the newsletters that went along with his mail sent that morning. A catalogue, and a colourful one at that, caught his eye. As he skimmed through the catalogue, he found interesting pictures of the “models” the catalogue was selling.

 

They all seemed kind of familiar. Jongin has seen these before—robotic boyfriends. He recalls the WF 112 model his good friend, Huang Zi Tao, bought a month ago, and the unfamiliar model he sees trailing a guy named Byun Baekhyun around in school. He thought maybe it wouldn’t hurt getting one himself. Besides, he thinks it will be an efficient way of getting things done for him.

 

Jongin kept staring at the “bots” section at the latter part of the catalogue, desperately wanting to buy one, but irked every time he would look at its price. He’d rather buy the high quality models rather than those “bots”. He thought the prices were like the robots themselves: unhuman. He then did a quick survey at the “cute” section and got one of the cheaper models. If he would have a boyfriend, better get one that was good looking.

 

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“The Boyfriend Store promises to give joy to the person who purchases our product, by supplying them with the perfect boyfriend,” Jongin bent down a little and read the text on the box that rested in the middle of his living room.

 

Jongin put his hands on his waist as he figured out how to open the package that came a few weeks after ordering. A good hour was spent opening the box, when finally, it opened. A few more seconds were spent this time for the box to reveal the face of the robot.

 

Its eyes opened and lit up as they did. Quickly, the light faded away and revealed two large, expressive eyes staring at Jongin.

 

“Whoa,” was all Jongin had to say.

 

It blinked thrice before it could finally say, “Hello.”

 

It smiles then suddenly shifts back to a blank expression on his face. Well, Jongin expected that there would be a defect with this model. It was the cheapest model among the “cute” robots. Add to the fact that this model was the shortest among the robotic boyfriends in the whole catalogue. Jongin reached for the catalogue once again and tried to compare the picture with the real thing—it was really that short.

 

The DO model: one hundred seventy-two centimeters (short). Brown, straight hair, and has the ability to… fall in love. Wait a second; Jongin then realized that it was necessary for him to read the description. He laughed to himself as he pondered on the thought of a robot falling in love.

 

“Excuse me,” the robot spoke up as Jongin didn’t even say ‘hello’ back.

 

Jongin looked at the robot and raised his left eyebrow.

 

“My name is Kyungsoo,” it said smiling, and then back to its blank face.

 

Jongin squinted his eyes. At that point, he just realized how life-like those robots really are.

 

“Bizarre,” he says as his eyes enlarged by a certain margin. He then remembered something really important. He rushed into his room and came back with a pair of clothes.

 

“I’m sorry,” Jongin gave the orange Pororo shirt and tacky cargo shorts to Kyungsoo. “This is the only extra.”

 

“It’s okay my—what is your name again?” Kyungsoo displayed a sudden mood shift, one of the other defects of the model.

 

“Jongin,” he replied with a little hesitation.

 

“My Jongin,” Kyungsoo made it echo within Jongin’s head. “Humans don’t really like to see other humans , so I have to wear this, right?”

 

Jongin gets shocked when Kyungsoo just refered to him as its Jongin. But he wouldn’t get mad, never; especially not to a robot. Jongin is still baffled as he realizes that Kyungsoo was pretty much close to the real thing. Its fair skin, thick hair—

 

“You’re cute when you blush,” Kyungsoo smiled again, and went back to blank… again.

 

Jongin covers his face in embarrassment. No, a robot won’t change my life. I won’t let it; it’s just here to help with chores, Jongin says to himself. Just then, he thought Kyungsoo was more life-like than the WF 112 model Tao had. Jongin also realizes that Kyungsoo has an inability of smiling for a certain period of time. He was interested, though, if Kyungsoo was like the other boyfriend he saw.

 

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“What the ?!” Jongin screams as he finds two, huge eyes staring at him as he woke.

 

“Good morning, I believe, is the right term for greetings at this time of day,” Kyungsoo smiles for a while.

 

Jongin covers his topless body with the blanket he used that night. “Did you watch me sleep the whole night?!” he wails.

 

“I was merely observing and studying the human activity you call ‘sleep’. It is quite fascinating.”

 

“Oh yeah, robots don’t sleep,” Jongin sits up and stares at Kyungsoo with a light smile.

 

Kyungsoo’s head jerked downwards. “Yes, a robot.”

 

Jongin’s insensitivity continues as he refers to Kyungsoo as DO model, and not its own name. Jongin treats Kyungsoo like his own personal servant, although Kyungsoo is not really aware of this. He asks Kyungsoo to clean his room, cook him food (he is an awesome cook), and do his homework. Jongin carefully observes Kyungsoo as it did all these for him.

 

Kyungsoo obediently follows. He never utters any little rant or hint of being tired. He does all of Jongin’s orders precisely, accurately, and without any error. Perfect, Jongin says, if not for Kyungsoo’s little defects. As the days went by, he started noticing more of the little imperfections Kyungsoo had. Kyungsoo has short attention span; jumping at the table as soon as he finds a “misplaced ant” as it would say. Kyungsoo easily gets distracted with insects.

 

Kyungsoo’s face was as close to the table as possible as it observed the ant up close. “Oh hello.”

 

Jongin peeked from above his physics textbook to look at what Kyungsoo was doing.

 

“Aww,” Kyungsoo pouted putting its finger up. It turned to Jongin, showing the finger with the ant on it. “I accidentally terminated it. I was just supposed to pet it…”

 

Jongin chuckled as he thought it was ridiculous. “You don’t pet ants, DO model.”

 

“Oh,” Kyungsoo says looking at its finger.

 

Jongin rolled his eyes at the innocence and somewhat cluelessness Kyungsoo possessed. This was a robot, after all, but it’s a learning robot. It learned numerous things the past couple of days and was able to adjust itself easily in this new environment. In fact, Jongin was the one who couldn’t properly adjust to Kyungsoo’s presence in his apartment. That night was the second uncomfortable night he had ever since Kyungsoo arrived. Kyungsoo was charging, and since he was a cheap model, he had to charge every three days. The whirring of Kyungsoo’s processor echoed in Jongin’s whole bedroom as it charged. Once again, a pair of light blue lights emanated from inside the box as Jongin tried to sleep—

 

“I can sense that you cannot sleep.”

 

“How do you know?” Jongin slowly slips under his blankets. “It’s so dark.”

 

“I can see perfectly in this darkness.”

 

Jongin finally asks, out of pure curiosity these past nights, “W-what do you do… while I sleep?”

 

“I observe your sleeping patterns,”Kyungsoo replies softly. “I watch you while you sleep, because a number of things might go wrong when humans sleep.”

 

Jongin started fidgeting on his bed as he got paranoid on the different possibilities that could happen, aside from the bogeyman under his bed.

 

Kyungsoo waved its hands in front of it and the round lights then became small crescents in the dark. “No, no—I meant that I protect you every night and take care of you during the night time.”

 

Jongin gave a good four seconds processing what Kyungsoo said, and he smiled. “T-thank you… Kyungsoo.”

 

He then saw a pink hue glowing below the eye smiles in the dark. “Y-you said… m-my name…”

 

Jongin’s smile slowly turned flat. He just realized he called it “Kyungsoo”. Being really sleepy, he let this time pass and just decided that it’s its name, and that he owns Kyungsoo, so he can call it whatever he wishes to.

 

“Actually,” Kyungsoo adds shyly. “You look very beautiful when you sleep…”

 

At that point, the pink glow below the light blue eye smiles brightened, and it can be blatantly seen. Jongin’s smile slowly turned upside down. He faced the other way and tried to make himself fall asleep.

 

Jongin feels guilt but does not admit it.

 

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“Jonginnie!” Kyungsoo jumped from its seat as Jongin entered his apartment after a long day.

 

Jongin was caught off guard as the robot “felt” very enthusiastic for the first time. It was the first time he came home that late too. “DO model.” He said firmly.

 

“I’m sorry!” Kyungsoo flushed an intense shade of red. “I missed you.”

 

It…missed me? Jongin thought until the fact dawned on him that he bought a robotic boyfriend. He didn’t know what to reply. I missed you too? I wanted to see you the whole day? How was your day?

 

“I checked your e-mail like what you ordered,” Kyungsoo smiled for a while. “There was a number of e-mails coming from a human named Oh Sehun.”

 

Jongin stopped walking and sighed deeply. Oh Sehun.

 

“The e-mails basically said that he was sorry and if you guys can hang out as friends again. Oh Sehun referred to this as ‘reliving the days’ in the last e-mail.” Kyungsoo added.

 

He was Jongin’s best friend; right up until the day Sehun confessed that he liked Jongin more than just a friend. Jongin kept his distance from Sehun, afraid to experience the pains and hardships of love. He hated himself for deserting him. Eventually their friendship disappeared and Jongin was really left alone with no one to—

 

Kyungsoo hugged Jongin from behind. Jongin was caught by surprise and didn’t know what to feel afterwards. How did he know what I was feeling? Jongin asked this as he started to doubt Kyungsoo’s inhumanity. Kyungsoo’s just a robot and cannot feel. The heat of Kyungsoo’s processor could be felt on Jongin’s back, and it was a good feeling. It kept Jongin warm, and it also gave him this fuzzy feeling inside. He suddenly remembers that Kyungsoo doesn’t have a human heart. But it’s this robot heart that’s giving him comfort right now.

 

Jongin turned around and hugged Kyungsoo back. He was hugging a robot. There was a different feeling that stirred in Jongin this time, especially since it was the first time they touched. He feels human, he acts human, but he’s a robot. The thought never escaped his mind. The feeling was very interesting. This is a robot he’s hugging and it’s weird—but a good kind of weird… and he likes it.

 

The DO model has the ability to fall in love.

 

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Jongin woke up one morning and found Kyungsoo at a different position this time. He wasn’t standing by his bed, but rather, sitting at the edge of his bed this time. The sun’s rays that seeped through the blinds of his apartment window shone behind Kyungsoo, revealing a very attractive side of him. The sunlight outlined the magnificent contour of Kyungsoo’s face, and emphasized the red tint of his bowl-cut hair. Kyungsoo looked so perfect.

 

“Good morning, Kyungsoo.” Jongin was still sleepy, but the magnificence that is Kyungsoo was enough to wake him up.

 

Kyungsoo looked towards Jongin’s direction and smiled for a second. “You said my name again!” A red hue then colored his cheeks.

 

Jongin laughed a little and sat up.

 

“Jonginnie, can I go outside… with you?” Kyungsoo played with his fingers as he said it.

 

Jongin’s eyebrows met again and he wondered if it was a good idea. “I’ll think about it.”

 

“Aww, please?” Kyungsoo jumped in front of Jongin as his large eyes stared right into his. “I’ve never been outside.”

 

Those puppy dog eyes were difficult for Jongin to resist. Aside from that, he now kind of felt bad that he had locked Kyungsoo up in his apartment like a prisoner. He finally gave in, “Okay fine.”

 

Kyungsoo shot up as Jongin said those words. In his recklessness, his knee hit the corner of the study desk. Jongin yelped. His arms reached forward as he asked in a worried tone, “are you alright?!”

 

“I am perfectly fine,” Kyungsoo smiled for a second.

 

“Don’t you feel it?”

 

“We don’t feel.”

 

“You… don’t?” Jongin frowns as he tried to feel Kyungsoo’s kneecap for an injury—nothing.

 

Jongin snapped back into reality as he remembered that Kyungsoo was a robot. But he’s been “doubting” this fact even more when he brings Kyungsoo outside. Kyungsoo always gives his bright expression (and then gives a blank expression right away) when he looks in awe at his surroundings. As expected, he gets distracted when a butterfly approaches his face, and reaches his finger over so he could touch it.

 

Kyungsoo laughs and his bright, laughing expression stayed “longer” than usual. This surprised Jongin. He blushed when he finally sees how Kyungsoo looks like when he’s “happy”.

 

“You haven’t seen anything outside my apartment?” Jongin inquired as they both sat down on a park bench.

 

“Well, my motherboard provides me with pictures and information of everything.” Kyungsoo looks around at his surroundings. “It’s my first time seeing all these with my own bare eyes.” Kyungsoo tries to feel the tree beside him.

 

“So… you really can’t… feel..?” Jongin asks not out of insensitivity, but just out of curiosity this time around.

 

“No…” Kyungsoo’s head goes down. “I don’t feel it like you can. I just know something is there, but I don’t really… feel.”

 

Jongin hesitates, but slowly approaches Kyungsoo, narrowing the gap between the two of them. When he was close enough, it was his turn to initiate. He places his right arm around Kyungsoo’s back and attempts to make him feel better.

 

Kyungsoo’s head slowly tilts to the left as his eyes wander up at the tree’s branches. “Odd.”

 

Distracted again, Jongin chuckles as he looks at the direction Kyungsoo’s looking at. “What is?” He then notices a certain branch that stood out from the rest. It was kind of broken.

 

“The branch is broken, but this specimen of plant life is sturdy,” Kyungsoo was still looking up. “Someone else was here…”

 

Jongin squinted his eyes. What did he mean? Someone else was here… someone?

 

“Only robotics could do this to a branch of this kind,” Kyungsoo suddenly smiled for a second. “Someone was here. A similar model came by!”

 

“What? How did—” Jongin was baffled by the mere fact that Kyungsoo referred to the other robot as a “someone”.

 

“We can easily tell if there is one like us nearby using the evidences and the new information that our motherboard stores in our system.” Kyungsoo smiles for a second. “We also leave a certain mark only we can detect, so we can kind of know each other’s activities just by looking at and understanding them.”

 

Jongin is a little baffled about this fact and gets more interested in this robot boyfriend of his. As of now, he doesn’t refer to Kyungsoo as his personal assistant anymore, but finally, as a friend, roommate, and everything else that applies.

 

Just then, a guy passes by and looks at them as he does. The guy looks very unhappy. Hey isn’t that..? Jongin recognizes the figure who just passed by. It’s that guy, Byun Baekhyun, from his Calculus class. And that guy used to have this tall robot boyfriend trailing him around. Where is it?

 

“Oh~” Kyungsoo popped up from his seat when Baekhyun passed. Baekhyun stops walking when he hears this “oh~” sound from Kyungsoo. Jongin stares at Baekhyun and tries to see why he stopped. Jongin then wonders if they all sound the same, or if they react the same. Baekhyun slowly looked back at the two.

 

Kyungsoo smiled for a second. Baekhyun’s eyes enlarged and became moist almost as fast as how Kyungsoo shifts back to his blank face. Baekhyun storms off.

 

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“He was leaking,” Kyungsoo taps his hands on his lap. He looks at Jongin, who was answering his own homework by himself for the first time after Kyungsoo arrived.

 

Jongin drops his pen and looks a Kyungsoo with a curious look, “leaking?”

 

“When water drops from human eyes, it means they are leaking.”

 

“That’s called crying,” Jongin asserts a firm tone. “Humans do it when we are happy or sad.”

 

Kyungsoo stays quiet. Jongin looks at Kyungsoo and remembers that they don’t feel, but they understand. Kyungsoo doesn’t fully understand the complexity of fear, but understands the basic feeling of happiness; how it works and what causes it. Of course, as a robot that can fall in love, he also understands the mechanics, the ins and outs of love. Jongin chuckles to himself when he recalls Kyungsoo’s blushes. Jongin himself blushes when he remembers the first time they touched, and how it felt—

 

“That tree earlier…” Kyungsoo speaks up.

 

“Oh yes, what was that about?” Jongin leans forward, interrupted from his reminiscing. “You called a robot a someone.”

 

“There was this different experience… this model… it was successful…”

 

Jongin got confused. He didn’t know what Kyungsoo was saying at that point. “Huh?” he asked.

 

“That model who broke the branch reached our goal: to be human.” Kyungsoo’s face lights up when he mentions this.

 

Jongin slowly sits upright on his chair. He didn’t expect this at all. “To be… human?”

 

“Yes,” Kyungsoo looks down and pouts. Jongin stands up and sits beside Kyungsoo on the couch.

 

“I want to be human,” Kyungsoo confesses in a soft tone. Jongin just looks at the gloomy expression on Kyungsoo’s face next to him. Kyungsoo just fumbles his thumbs up and down, playing with them.

 

“Really?”

 

“Everyone where I come from wants to,” Kyungsoo continues as he keeps fumbling his thumbs. The night gets interesting as they start engaging in a talk. They never talked this seriously. Jongin tries to bend down and look at Kyungsoo’s face.

 

“That boyfriendbot who left his mark on that tree succeeded,” Kyungsoo adds. “And the guy who passed by was his boyfriend.”

 

Jongin nearly falls from seat when he finds out that the boyfriend was actually Baekhyun. Not seeing them together earlier that day, Jongin became curious as to what happened to that boyfriend model. “But he was crying earlier.”

 

Kyungsoo shrugged. “It is unknown what happens to us when one reaches humanity.” Kyungsoo looks up and his smile, once again, stays a couple of seconds longer. “But wouldn’t it be wonderful?”

 

Jongin couldn’t take his eyes away from Kyungsoo. His smiles were nice to look at.

 

“I just wonder,” Kyungsoo sighs and stares at Jongin. Slowly, his hands find their way towards Jongin’s face. The palms of his hands were warm and soft. “We’re not so different. Why was I not made human like you? Why can you feel the heat of the food I cook, and I can’t? Why can you taste it and I can’t? Why can you feel the sensation of being full and I can’t? Why can you feel pain and I… can’t?”

 

Jongin was overwhelmed with the number of questions Kyungsoo threw at him, and felt bad that he didn’t have an answer for any of them. There was this certain emptiness in him. Finally, guilt started kicking in. That he didn’t spend the first few weeks helping the robot serve its purpose, or let his boyfriend reach his goal.

 

“I feel bad when you get angry at me—when you raise your voice at me if I don’t meet any of your expectations. At the end of the day, I don’t fear you, or hesitate the next time we interact. All is ‘forgiven’ as the humans term it. I want a feeling of happiness between us; and that’s the only thing I know.”

 

“Well,” Jongin tries to formulate sentences in his head. “You don’t have to feel bad about being happy. If you can feel happiness even after everything I… I did… I guess… that’s what we humans lack.”

 

“So this happiness is not human-like?” Jongin had the same question in his head. Do they “feel” the same way as humans do? Jongin was cornered.

 

It was difficult for Jongin to sleep that night. He kept glancing at the bed he prepared for Kyungsoo and it pains him to see Kyungsoo restless on the bed, probably trying to “sleep” the same way Jongin does.

 

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Kyungsoo always waits for Jongin in his apartment; smiling for a second every time Jongin swings his apartment door open and greets him. Jongin’s chores for Kyungsoo has been reducing the past week, until he never asked Kyungsoo to do any of them ever again. He stays quiet every time Jongin does his homework, and Jongin feels Kyungsoo judging him every time he would answer a question through the little whimpers Kyungsoo makes.

 

Kyungsoo carefully plays with his hands on the dinner table while he watches Jongin do his homework.

 

“You don’t… like me…” He suddenly blurts out.

 

Jongin looks up frowning, “What are you talking about? Of course I do.”

 

“We haven’t done anything boyfriends do,” Kyungsoo continues. “I mean, that’s why you bought me right?”

 

Jongin’s guilt nails itself in his heart, and it hurts.

 

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin says firmly. “I like you, okay? You stay with me, we eat together, we go out for walks… aren’t those enough?”

 

“But I’m not your boyfriend,” Kyungsoo sadly insists.

 

Kyungsoo’s words just keep hammering that nail of guilt straight through Jongin’s heart.

 

“Uhh—” Jongin is unable to answer.

 

“This is why I was built, to be your boyfriend—yours,” Kyungsoo places his hand on top on Jongin’s.

 

Jongin looks at his hand, currently being held by Kyungsoo, and then stands up. He paces left and right in front of Kyungsoo and finally faces him. “I don’t really… e-exactly see you as a… a boyfriend, Kyungsoo…”

 

Kyungsoo looks down. “Sometimes I think there’s something wrong with me, for you not to… accept me as your… b-boyfriend…”

 

“Again, don’t be ridiculous,” it was Jongin’s turn to place his hand over Kyungsoo’s. “I bought you and you are my responsibility.”

 

“Yes… you… you, Jonginnie… you bought me,” Kyungsoo stares at Jongin straight in the eyes, and displays his deep, gloomy, expressive ones. “Back home… I… I-I was told that… when I wake up, I will be with someone who… who loves me.”

 

Jongin frowns as he hears Kyungsoo’s story. By now, the nail of guilt is hammered deep into his heart.

 

“I was promised… a boyfriend…” Kyungsoo looks down again. “Well, you happened to purchase me so… w-well… it’s just difficult for me to accept this unusual relationship… I’m so sorry…”

 

Again, Jongin is at a loss of words. He didn’t know how to react or what to say. Jongin tightens his grip on Kyungsoo’s hand and smiles. He takes his homework and keeps it.

 

That night, Jongin finally let Kyungsoo sleep beside him. He let the sound of Kyungsoo’s “heart” lull him to sleep, but many things just ran in his mind. He was curious as to what Kyungsoo would do that night, now that they’re sleeping beside each other. Suddenly, he felt a weight slowly enveloping him from behind as he lay down. Kyungsoo was hugging him. The heat of Kyungsoo’s body seeped through their clothes and made Jongin warm and cozy that night. Then, finally, he could sleep properly.

 

Of course, what did he expect from a robot boyfriend? From the name of the object alone, one could already guess what their use is, and what they’re good at.

 

The last thing he consciously hears before he falls asleep is a soft “My Jonginnie…” from behind him. Then he feels Kyungsoo’s head burying itself on Jongin’s back.

 

The whirring sound of Kyungsoo’s “heart” runs in Jongin’s whole system now, and just loves to listen to it day in, and day out. At this point, he would never consider returning Kyungsoo. Ever.

 

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Jongin decides to see Sehun again for lunch. This time, he didn’t let Kyungsoo follow him to the school cafeteria, and instead, told him to wait at the greenhouses. Jongin knows that Kyungsoo will have a great time at the greenhouses. He wanted to experiment if what Sehun feels and does, is the same thing that Kyungsoo does.

 

Maybe, he asked himself… this will test out his humanity.

 

Sehun laughed. “She was so pissed!”

 

Jongin followed the rhythm of Sehun’s laugh as they both reminisced on the things they used to do before. “I wonder how she is now. Probably still as cranky.”

 

Both burst into laughter. Happiness.

 

“Let’s take a walk out?” Sehun smiled. Jongin’s eyesight was failing him as he thought he saw Kyungsoo smiling at him at that second. Kyungsoo’s smile is irreplaceable.

 

“Well, Jongin?” Sehun was already standing up and he offered his hand for Jongin to hold. Jongin smiled back and grabbed Sehun’s hand as they left.

 

Walking in the university’s bench walk with Sehun felt different from the last time they were together, and when Jongin went out with Kyungsoo that day. The want to go out.

 

Sehun tightens his hold on Jongin’s hand as they intertwine. Jongin was just glad the bench walk is on opposite ends with the greenhouses. He didn’t want Kyungsoo to accidentally catch him with Sehun and think that something was happening between them. Then he thought why he was worried he might hurt a robot’s feelings.

 

Sehun flushes a shade of pink as he felt Jongin returning the same intensity with his hands. Jongin looks over to Sehun and finds him the same way Kyungsoo blushes when he feels embarrassed or… in love.

 

“Jongin, I’m sorry…” Sehun looks down, gloomily, when they sit on a bench. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable before. Because of that, our friendship disappeared.”

 

“That’s okay, Sehun,” Jongin lightly placed his hand on Sehun’s lap and smiled. “I’m actually supposed to be the one who should say sorry. I was selfish for my own feelings.”

 

Feeling sorry for a mistake.

 

“I just wanted you to know that there’s someone who loves you,” Sehun placed his right hand on Jongin’s left cheek. “I want to make you happy, Jongin.”

 

Wanting mutual happiness.

 

“I’m… flattered, Sehun,” Jongin smiled sincerely at Sehun. “I really hope we can patch up this friendship. I enjoy your company.”

 

Sehun’s face slowly closed in to Jongin’s as he tenderly plants a kiss on his lips.

 

Weird. Feeling. Nothing that special…

 

Jongin retracted after a few seconds into the kiss.

 

“I don’t even know why I try,” Sehun whispered. He sighed and looked at Jongin straight in the eyes. “Yes, I also enjoy your company.”

 

Boyfriend instincts. Care and concern.

 

Sehun stood and smiled, “Let’s hang again soon, Jongin!” He waves goodbye and walks into the distance.

 

Jongin’s eyes follow Sehun as he slowly disappears at every step. Jongin looks down and thinks about what happened with Sehun earlier. He touches his lips softly and smiles lightly. Suddenly the image of Kyungsoo conjures in his head and he frowns. Now this is getting attached. To the next level.

 

Walking to the greenhouses, Jongin analyses what just happened. Kyungsoo is no different from Sehun. They both display the same characteristics. Then why isn’t he considered human, as compared to Sehun? Post-modernism states that no one would comprehend reality since no one could understand each other, as each are too complex to comprehend. Maybe Kyungsoo is human? He doesn’t know? Kyungsoo doesn’t understand, and might even understand better, but he is not classified as a human being.

 

Finally, Jongin reaches the top of the hill. As soon as he opens the greenhouse door, he finds a hyperactive Kyungsoo running around, having the time of his life hopping and trying to catch the bugs that fly around. He laughs as he runs, and jumps, and waves his hand in the air. It was the first time Jongin saw Kyungsoo so…happy. And there he is, having a huge smile fixated on his face longer than usual. If ever Kyungsoo’s face goes back to his usual blank stare, he makes an effort to smile back to his huge smile. Jongin rests his right arm on the greenhouse doorframe and leans on it. He gets this fuzzy feeling inside and smiles when he sees Kyungsoo this happy.

 

Jongin clears his throat, “Kyungsoo, let’s go home.”

 

Kyungsoo looks up and his face is at its happiest when he finally sees Jongin. “Jonginnie!” He runs towards Jongin and lightly tackles him. Jongin realizes this is a huge mistake, but Kyungsoo just looked really happy. Jongin went out of balance and fell over, causing the both of them to hug each other as they rolled down the hill.

 

Jongin joins Kyungsoo in laughter.

 

When Kyungsoo lands on top of Jongin as they reach the foot of the hill, Jongin notices Kyungsoo’s smile once again staying much longer than usual, and sees Kyungsoo’s cheeks flushing into the color red.

 

Kyungsoo bites his lower lip and Jongin’s own cheeks flash the same color. Inch by inch, his face comes closer to Jongin’s face, and Jongin doesn’t hesitate this time.

 

Kyungsoo shifts and whispers in Jongin’s ear, “C-can I kiss you?”

 

This was it. Jongin thinks that it’s a very bad idea. He is now officially attached. Right now, he doesn’t care. This was about him and Kyungsoo. He wants to help Kyungsoo “become human”, if it’s humanely possible, and for him to do this, he might as well make Kyungsoo fulfil his purpose: be a boyfriend.

 

Jongin stares at Kyungsoo’s lips as Kyungsoo positioned his face right above his. Those are kissable lips, he says. They are plump, they look soft, and are glossy. He then remembers his kiss with Sehun, and plans to compare, if they do it the same way.

 

Their lips touched.

 

Jongin’s eyes slowly close subconsciously as he gets lost in the fantasy he dragged himself into. Wow, he’s good. They’re good at what they do. Jongin considered himself lucky that Kyungsoo doesn’t deepen the kiss, and keeps it as simple, but sweet as possible. He doesn’t care if people see them, judge them, or speak up against their relationship. He doesn’t care if he’s now falling for a robot. He only cares about the fact that Kyungsoo is real and not just a character in fiction. He is living and thinking.

 

Jongin’s desperate in making Kyungsoo “become human”, because no matter how hard Kyungsoo tries, he doesn’t succeed, and it pains Jongin just as much, since he can’t help at all. Tasting food, sleeping, crying—all of which cannot be taught, but rather, they come naturally for humans, and Kyungsoo just can’t get them right. Well, Jongin still can’t believe that he’s trying to do this now when over around a month ago, Kyungsoo was just his slave.

 

He accepts his guilt and moves on. Right now, it’s just all about Kyungsoo and reaching his goal of humanity.