“Cheers!”

 

Glasses filled with champagne knocked against one another, specifically against one of the younger researcher’s glass. One by one, researchers came up to congratulate Sunggyu for his breakthrough, having discovered the way for cyborgs to develop their own personalities through the acquired emotions.

 

His father was known for creating cyborgs with basic human emotions; happiness, sadness, courage, fear, most importantly, objectivity. These were the only necessary emotions for service cyborgs. However, Sunggyu always considered service cyborgs to be, ironically, “too robotic”. If cyborgs acted on objectivity, then what was the use of giving them human appearances?

 

Wanting to enhance the structure of his father’s invention, Sunggyu, thus, went beyond the imitation of emotions. He wanted them to make decisions based on their own thoughts and not because of the obligation to their masters. He wanted them to really experience the pain and the joy that humans do.

 

“Congratulations, Mr Kim. Your father must be very proud. Have you any plans to return home now that you attained such an achievement?”

 

Home. Sunggyu had initially wanted to stay in Germany just for the time needed to complete his degree. Before his graduation, he was invited to take part in a research project to create cyborg soldiers to replace their people and decrease the death rate in case another World War broke out. Without any signs of World War III happening, Sunggyu decided to start his own research project on cyborgs as a way to leave his father’s shadow and also for personal reasons.

 

He spent every waking hour on finding new discoveries for his research that the thought of returning home completely slipped his mind. So when his co-worker asked him about the possibility going home, his only answer was ‘soon’. A word that told no specific date nor time. Not that it mattered to him anyway.

 

Sunggyu had no plans to go home because going home would mean he would have to see Woohyun and he was not ready. He knew he said and did some pretty stupid things to the cyborg. He could blame it on his youth but seeing the cyborg would remind him of his foolish actions on the last day before he left.

 

He had no idea he would have to face the cyborg this soon.

 

A few days after the celebration, Sunggyu was called out of the laboratory to receive an urgent call from home. He was informed that his father was deathly ill and wanted to see him in case he could not make it through the night. Sunggyu booked the next available flight back to Korea which brought him, at this moment, standing before the familiar gates of his home.

 

As soon as Sunggyu stepped foot inside the door, he was led to his father’s bedroom where he was resting. Sunggyu could barely recognize his father as he looked very different from when he last saw him. His black hair had turned grey with streaks of white near his ears. There were numerous tubes connected to his thin and frail form that Sunggyu found it difficult to discern his face.

 

Sunggyu took the outstretched hand in his and sat at the edge of the bed. He nodded his head at the two servants in the room, leaving Sunggyu and his father alone for some privacy.

 

“It’s been so long since I’ve last seen your face, my son.”

 

Sunggyu nodded, apologizing for not visiting him in the past few years. They talked about his life at Germany; the school, the people he met, and his most recent success. His father was silent during the whole time he talked as if he had something else on his mind. He seemed to be contemplating whether he should say whatever he had in his mind at that moment.

 

Clearing his throat, Mr Kim began to tell his son the story between him and his mother; how they fell madly in love with each other, thinking that nothing would tear them apart. They had the perfect baby boy who they named Sunggyu. They were a happy family of three and everything was perfect. When Mr Kim started gaining recognition, he spent more time in the lab, leaving Mrs Kim at home on most days. Mrs Kim did not mind taking care of little Sunggyu at home by herself since she understood that her husband needed to focus on his research, however, as years passed, she became lonely. She was so lonely that she finally decided to leave, unable to bear it any longer.

 

“If you love someone, treasure that person. Never leave him or her alone. Don’t end up like me.”

 

Sunggyu never told his father about his love life, or anything in general since his father was always so busy with work. However, his father seemed to know that he was in love with someone. Whether he knew it was Woohyun or not, Sunggyu didn’t know. For the first time, Sunggyu felt a connection with his father. He stayed in his room the whole night, sharing childhood memories and keeping each other company.

 

The next morning, Sunggyu woke up earlier than usual. He rubbed his arms that were sore from being folded and slept on for hours. He wanted to talk to his father again but found him still asleep. His eyes were closed in a peaceful slumber.

 

A slumber that would last forever.

 

They made preparations for the burial, inviting family and friends from both of his parents’ sides of the family. The room was filled with faces that he did not recognize. Some wept, some were chatting about things irrelevant to his father, some sang praises as if they knew his father their whole lives. Sunggyu, suddenly became fully aware of how little he knew of his father. He didn’t know what friends he had nor his hobbies. He had only regarded him as a workaholic father that had no time to play with him. Overwhelmed by his own ignorance, Sunggyu left the crowded and noisy room to his silent old bedroom.

 

His things were kept the way they were before he left and the furniture were cleaned regularly as no dust were collected on them. Sitting on his bed, Sunggyu wept into his arms that covered his face. His heart clenched with pain as he sobbed uncontrollably. He thought his father’s death would mean nothing to him from their distant relationship but he had, truthfully, always yearned for a father figure. His father may not have been the ideal father but Sunggyu never hated him even though he may have blamed him. He wished he had returned earlier, having more time to get to know him. The loss was sudden. Too sudden.

 

Just as Sunggyu felt even more lonely than he normally did, he was envelopped in a pair of arms, cradling him like a child.

 

“It’s okay, Sunggyu. Let it all out.”

 

Sunggyu could barely see through his tears but he recognized that voice, those pair of comforting arms that held him when he was a child, those silver eyes that held so much warmth. He wished again that he had returned earlier because he didn’t realize until now how much he had missed the cyborg.

 

He let himself be held until he could cry no more, wrapped in the arms of his loved one.

 

--

 

Woohyun hugged each servant, cook, and cleaner that worked in the mansion as they walked out the door. He was going to miss them dearly. Sunggyu had given each person a sum of money that could sustain their whole lives and sent them home to their families as there was no need to serve the master of the house anymore.

 

He walked back to his own room where his suitcase laid open, still unpacked. Woohyun wanted to stall as much time as he could. He had served for many years in this house that he could not and did not want to leave. This house, this family gave him so many wonderful memories that he could not imagine life without it, wondering what he would do and where he would go.

 

Deciding to take a final tour around the mansion, wanting to record each and every little detail of the house, Woohyun proceeded down the hallway and admired all the art works that his former master was fond of. He went inside the piano room and the toy room that Sunggyu used to frequent when he was just a small child.

 

As Woohyun was thinking back to the past, he found himself standing in front of his young master’s  bedroom. Seeing that the door was not completely closed, Woohyun peeked inside to see Sunggyu standing by the window with his hands clasped behind his back, looking out at the garden.

 

Sunggyu turned at the sound of the cyborg’s light knocking.

 

“Why haven’t you left yet?”

 

Woohyun stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him. There was no one left in the mansion except him and Sunggyu but the closed doors gave him a sense of privacy between the two. He stood beside Sunggyu, admiring the beauty of the garden that evoked nostalgia.

 

“Remember that tree? You climbed so high up just to save that bird.  Good thing I was able to catch you or else I would’ve become mere mechanical parts.”

 

Sunggyu chuckled, recalling the butler’s panicked expression that day. He gazed at the cyborg next to him. Woohyun looked the exact same way as he remembered him while he was getting older and older. Maybe there really was no future for them after all.

 

Woohyun felt the man’s gaze on him and turned to look at him. Sunggyu, embarrassed at being caught staring, immediately looked away, failing to notice the smile on the cyborg’s face. Trying to ease the awkwardness, Woohyun asked about his plans after he sells the house and felt disappointed when he heard his young master would be returning to Germany.

 

Sunggyu, knowing that this would be the last chance they would see each other again, took the chance to apologize for his immaturity in the past.

 

“About that time…I’m sorry I forced my feelings on you. From today onwards, you are free to do as you wish with your life. You won’t have to see me again.”

 

He wanted them to part on good terms since that incident had been bothering him, and probably Woohyun as well, during the years he was in Germany. He thought that time would help him forget about the cyborg but he was wrong. There was never a day he didn’t think about him no matter how preoccupied he was with research.

 

Sunggyu expected the cyborg to leave since there was nothing that binded him to the family anymore. He was caught by surprise when the cyborg envelopped him in a tight hug. The butler’s chest was pressed against his back and his head laid against his shoulder.

 

“Don’t leave.”

 

Woohyun had regretted since that day that he let his young master go. He was willing it to give it a try. Give them a try.

 

He was close to tears when Sunggyu pulled his arms away, thinking that his young master must not have forgiven him for his rejection. However, Sunggyu, himself, had no intention of letting go of Woohyun and turned around so that he could properly embrace the cyborg.

 

Sunggyu remembered countless sleepless nights thinking of the man in his arms and when he did fall asleep, he would dream about him, only to wake up alone.

 

“This is not a dream, is it?” he whispered, tightening his hold around the cyborg’s body.

 

Woohyun looked up, staring into Sunggyu’s moist eyes, and traced his fingers lightly over his brow bone.

 

“I’m real. Don’t you see me?”

 

His fingers danced along the side of the man’s face until his hand rested on his cheek.

 

“Don’t you feel me?”

 

Sunggyu placed his hand on top of the cyborg’s, rubbing his cheek against the warmth that matched his own. He grabbed onto that hand and pulled him forward all of a sudden. His lips crashed against Woohyun’s, swallowing his surprised squeal.

 

Woohyun’s eyes were shut tight, his body tensed, as he tried to keep up with Sunggyu’s aggressive kisses. He could feel all the pent-up desires burst forth from the man ravishing his lips and these emotions overwhelmed the cyborg, so greatly, that it brought tears to his eyes.

 

Sunggyu kept his eyes open, drinking in the flushed appearance of Woohyun. Their bodies slammed against the bookshelves, the window, the furniture, as if there was an invisible magnetic force pushing and pulling them towards each other as their tongues fought for dominance.

 

They fell back on the bed, Sunggyu hovering above the young butler. Sunggyu planted soft kisses at the side of his neck while his hands worked on the buttons of the white shirt. He froze when he felt something odd underneath the palm of his hand.

 

They were pulses that strangely ressembled that of a…heartbeat? Sunggyu immediately pulled his hand back at the realisation. He searched Woohyun’s eyes for answers but only found joy mixed with amusement.

 

“Woohyun, what-“

“It’s exactly what you’re thinking of right now. Incredible, isn’t it? I never thought I’d get one too.”

Sunggyu laid his head on the cyborg’s chest. He closed his eyes, listening to the steady beating of the mechanical heart. Woohyun revealed that his heart started beating a few years after Sunggyu left for Germany.

 

“Maybe it was a sign or proof.”

“Of what?”

Woohyun held Sunggyu’s chin up to look at him deep in the eyes.

“My feelings. My true feelings for you.” he whispered.

 

Upon hearing his confession, Sunggyu captured the cyborg’s lips with his own as his reply to him.

 

--

 

Sunggyu moved back to Korea to live with Woohyun. Both of them decided to stay in the mansion even though they were the only two left behind. All the rooms were kept in the same condition as they originally were, dusted and cleaned regularly. His father’s study was also left untouched as a memento to the man he looked up to. Sunggyu would pass the time, reading his father’s research, to find some inspiration for his own work while Woohyun prepared tea and snacks for their afternoon tea which they, sometimes, took in the garden.

 

To some people, their life together was dull and repetitive, but Sunggyu and Woohyun were satisfied with the way things were, finding solace in each other’s company.

 

However, their happiness was short-lived when Woohyun’s body began to malfunction.

 

The first time Woohyun collapsed was on a typical Sunday afternoon. Sunggyu was in his father’s study as usual when he suddenly heard a loud crash from the kitchen. Running towards the source of the sound, Sunggyu found Woohyun unconscious on the ground surrounded by broken plates and cups and spilt hot tea.

 

When Sunggyu questioned Woohyun about it, the cyborg simply shook his head, not having a clue of what had happened. When Woohyun out more frequently, Sunggyu discovered that the cyborg’s heart was overheated. Sunggyu, filled with dread and uneasiness, rushed to find a solution.

 

He pulled out books and flipped through documents, frantically, as he tried to search for clues that his father may have recorded down, but to no avail. He found nothing. Sunggyu fell back on the pile of paper and opened books that laid scattered over the floor. An envelope that fell from the edge of the desk caught his attention.

 

The envelope was sealed and was hidden under a stack of documents on the desk before it fell out due to the mess that Sunggyu created. Spotting his name on the cover, Sunggyu ripped open the envelope and uncovered a letter written by his father, moments before his death.

 

My dear boy,

 

I am very happy to see you again after all these years. Seeing you grown-up and accomplished makes me proud to be called your father. I regret that this is the last time we will see each other. I wish I was given more time. But I know that you will be able to go on with your life, not alone, but with someone important by your side. I recognize that look in your eyes. It is the same way I looked at your mother. Although you found love in someone I never expected, I wish for nothing more than your happiness. I must warn you, however, that the life you chose with that person will be hard. I hope that, for whatever obstacle you may face, you will never have to resort to the following action.

 

Sunggyu’s eyes widened, his fists clenched, as he read the very last lines of the letter. Doing this would mean he would have to erase everything between him and Woohyun, yet, this was the only way to save him.

 

His fists unclenched. His eyes held a deep sorrow. Sunggyu returned to their bedroom and sat on the bed, next to Woohyun’s sleeping figure. He took the limp hand in his and lightly kissed it.

 

The act must be done.

 

 

Woohyun set the tray of cups and tarts on the small round table by the window. He eyed the silent man who was scribbling some notes at the desk. His master was very kind to him but he rarely carried a conversation with him for more than five minutes. It appeared to the butler that his master looked sad every time he saw him and preferred to lock himself inside the study most of the time.

 

Woohyun wondered whether he should leave if he was the one who was causing his master pain. Yet, for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to leave the man no matter what. Sometimes, he would feel an odd sensation in his chest when he noticed his master’s melancholic expressions but he was unable to identify the emotion he was feeling.

 

Sighing, Woohyun bowed and proceeded towards the door. He stopped, when he spotted a blue butterfly flying by the window, and walked towards the window that displayed the magnificent garden.

 

Sunggyu looked up from his work to observe the cyborg. Woohyun had one hand against the glass as he looked at the view. He seemed to be lost in thought. That image of Woohyun brought Sunggyu back to the day they admitted their feelings for each other. Sunggyu had distanced himself from Woohyun ever since he fixed him as he found it too painful to acknowledge the fact that his lover no longer felt the same. That his silver eyes were blank, just like the first time he saw him.

 

Although Sunggyu sacrificed their love, he thought that having Woohyun by his side, even if just physically, was enough.

 

Woohyun lived with him for fifteen years before his system broke down again, this time, due to rusting of the gears. Sunggyu, not knowing when would be the last time Woohyun would wake up, dressed the cyborg in a white suit. He emerged, wearing a matching suit, with a small box held in his right hand.

 

It was as if the gods answered his call for help because Woohyun woke up at that time. Tears streamed down the man’s face when he made eye contact with the cyborg. His silver eyes did not contain their usual emptiness but the familiar warmth and affection he longed to see again.

 

Woohyun caressed Sunggyu’s cheek, softly. His eyes shimmered with tears as Sunggyu got down on one knee and slipped the ring in his finger. They made a new vow, one that pertained to an impending reunion, and entertwined their pinky fingers.

 

“Promise?”

 

“Promise.”

 

 

As the sky turned dark and the moon shone over the streets of Seoul, the lights in the buildings gradually faded.

 

All except the old man’s store at the end of the alleyway.

 

Busy hands connected wires to the still form lying across the wide table. One by one, the gears started turning as the system slowly rebooted. Sunggyu stood back, observing the boy lying before him. He thought he saw Woohyun, momentarily, but quickly shook his head to clear it from all distractions. He needed to concentrate on the task at hand. Rolling up his sleeves, the old man went back to work.

The wind blew in through the window, flipping the pages of a book, and a brown letter that was kept in one of its pages, fluttered to the ground.

 

 

…I hope that, for whatever obstacle you may face, you will never have to resort to the following action.

 

apply(“Reverse”/ data = nil, sys = 910208)





-------------------------------------------------------------------author's note------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for reading my latest chapter! I love reading about your thoughts and reactions to my story so please comment below! <3
I, also, have no idea how to program so please excuse any mistakes or poorly made-up codes!

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