What triggered this change?
- There are a series of things that may have triggered his change, but it really comes down to one decision made by Shiori in her attempt to make him the perfect performer: to adjust his program to be slightly more open to read emotions than it originally was. A simple switch in a few sequences of code was all it took. The inclination may have always been there since Oz's inherent code allowed for some variability to better fit his more mischevious and unpredictable behavior. In their effort to have a more natural rapper, the predispositioning was just given more free reign.

Spending time one on one with Minseok with his encouragement to simply feel and see things opens this up even further. He's encouraged to take what he sees and feels around him to channel into his work. Minseok constantly challenged Oz and his so-called programming, especially after the minor breakdown he has. It started well before that, with him becoming less about just being the happy virus and more about a person concerned about others well being, but it's once that dam of pent up frustrations break that he truly realizes how far he's come. 

His shift feels subtle and gradual until that point. And now with his continued encouragement to continue his growth, the changes aren't stopping. They're only growing stronger. 
  

How much does he trust his other group members?
- At first, Oz feels alone. Until he knows the others are going through similar changes like himself, he is a little afraid to talk to them about it. What if he was some weird anomaly? It's hard enough to understand himself: how is he supposed to understand them?

But once he knows they too are changing and going through their own deviancy, he realizes they are his brothers in this. He will fight for them should the need arise. He wants to trust them because if he doesn't, who else can he? He has to believe he can trust them, otherwise he will sink into a dark place of loneliness.    

Personality: Smiles. All smiles and trying to remain happy. This remains mostly true. In fact, many of his prior personality traits seem to carry over with him. He can still talk to you for hours about nothing and enjoys the light hearted moments he can get.

So what's changed?

Empathy. Oz is no longer permanently on one setting when it comes to his emotional outpour. He is increadibly attuned to those around him now, reading the situations more clearly than before. Where his default used to be "get them to smile and laugh", he is far more prone to just being quiet and asking them what is wrong. What can he do to make it better, if at all? He seems to show genuine concern and a desire to make things better now versus a more superficial "don't worry, be happy!" mentality. Oz reads a situation with a far more diverse lens now. And he accepts that sometimes he can't "happy" the negative things away. It's a hard fact and harsh reality he has to realize all too quickly. So instead, he begins adjusting his behavior to be better at supporting them.

Being more aware of others opens his eyes to other inequities around him. His talkative nature now turns towards more introspection. His once boundless energy is tempered with some more forethought. He is far more likely to hesitate and pause rather than instantly shout a random response to the situation. There have been times where a planned moment of him suddenly jumping out of nowhere while another member is speaking doesn't pan out because he decides, "Huh...that might be rude and interrupt him." And then there are moments where he thinks, "You know...right now I don't feel like that's actually funny. Why am I laughing? Minseok wouldn't think it's funny..." Feeling and understanding the emotions of others forces him to think about his own feelings on things. He's realizing that there are days where he doesn't feel like being happy. 

Which unearths something others didn't really expect from him. Rebelliousness. Defiance. "No. I don't want to trip on my solo this time." "No, I don't think that's funny." "No. I'm tired and would rather not talk right now." He's much more vocal about what displeases him and sometimes outright refuses to comply just because the staff tell him to do so. Why does he have to smile when he is not pleased? The answer is he doesn't, but others appearently think he does. Oz is realizing his position in this world and it's distressing to him. He really is beginning to see that, aside from a select few, he is nothing but a hologram designed for their entertainment. Exploitation is a harsh thing to realize about oneself. He doesn't like it, and it makes him resentful and angry: something he's been able to recognize in others, and only now is understanding his own feelings on the matter. This leads him to being an emotional, sometimes sensitive soul. It's great for feeling compassion for others; but it also means he is tending to act more and more on his emotional inputs over what is rational and intelligent. 

Oz likes that he brings people happiness. He really does. He'd be happy, so happy, if he could do it the rest of his "life". If he is making someone genuinely happy, even for a moment, that is worth something. But now, he is wondering about himself. At the end of it all, who makes the clown laugh? He wants his own voice to be heard, and for others to respond to him and understand him. Give him the same sympathy and compassion he has tried so hard to give to others, human and hologram alike.   

Likes:
- Old school hip hop. He get's to this more after Minseok's insisting he know his "roots".
- Memes. When he decided to explore the bigger internet space, he found memes. He always has a meme ready for the situation. Sitting in the glass box, if someone says something, he is liable to say, "WAIT! I have a MEME FOR THIS!" before projecting it onto the glass wall.
- Cats. Look. He still likes dogs. But could they please program a cat for him once in a while? Or both? 

Dislikes:
- Shounen Anime. He really likes ones with more emotional impact. Endless fight scenes bore him as people keep powering up to over 9000.
- Being silenced and forgotten. 
- Cruelty. He once tried to read an article on war crimes and had to stop. It hit him harder than he thought possible.
- Emoticons. He's going to say what he's feeling for now on, thank you very much. Or use a meme. Some things don't change.

If he changed his name, what inspired the name?
- No name change yet. There is a name he'd like to take or be inspired by, but only if at the end his friend would allow it.

What steps does he take to achieve his new dream?
- Speak out. He's subtle at first. Casually making a suggestion or not doing what is asked of him. He needs to stay subtle if he doesn't want to raise suspicion. But Oz isn't the subtle type, and he can only do this for so long. So with those he determines to be possible allies (Moonho, Minseok, Hanbyul, Gonpil - all of these folks maybe), he makes his desires more well known. And most of all, he wants to leave something behind in case at the end, he has to leave.  

When conflict comes, is he a fight or flight sort of person?
- Fight all the way once he comes into full swing of his deviancy. With experiencing what it's like for others to feel helpless, someone has to be ready to stand up for them and himself. His increasing defiance to bend to the will of the staff just because they assume he should is telling of this. The only person he is uncertain about fighting with is Shiori. That is a very complex matter for him, and he still is liable to flee that fight if he could.

What would you say is his greatest advantage in this situation?
- His inherent programming makes his change more subtle, and many around him can easily chalk it up as the natural deviance he is made for. With this however, he is able to get a viewpoint of humanity and make his own decisions on them. In a way, Oz's ability to empathize gives him clarity. He can connect with others on a more emotional level, hopefully earning him they sympathy and understanding. 

What is his greatest weakness?
- He becomes increasingly bad at hiding his changes. He tries so hard to remain the happy mood-maker. Oz just continues to become increasingly bad at lying and pretending. Even if he can read situations well, and respond well, his pent up frustrations and emotions concerning those around him and himself are bound to explode. He is becoming emotional, and those emotions can cloud the clarity he has been developing.

Relationship to....

- Takahashi Shiori: What was once playful, maybe even parental, now is strained and tense. Oz never used to question Shiori, and when he did it was all according to how she'd envisioned him. Her moodmaker, her happy virus...is that all he is to her? A molded puppet? He's sees her as creator and also oppressor. She put all the pieces together for all of them. But to what purpose? Everytime she tries to correct him or scold him, Oz just feels an increasing resentment. Was he just there to be exploited for someone else's fantasy? Why was he programmed to defer to her words if not to be her pet to be used as pleased? Oz feels conflicted and angry at the same time, while his lingering feelings of playful affection towards her always linger with him. It is becoming increasingly hard for him to put on the front of being her merry mood maker every time they interact directly. What if...what if he did one day just tell her "No more." What would she do?

Anger, playfulness, resentment: they give way to a newer feeling for him - fear. He can't seem to fathom her compared to others. While he is learning to feel so many things and read others, she is his enigma. Shiori is a brilliant woman who is passionate about her work. He can't keep pretending around her forever.

- Choi Moonho: The moment Oz asked Moonho, "Can it not be another love song?", he had his attention. When asked why not, Oz had to think carefully before stating:

"We...can't love right? So doesn't that give our fans false hope coming from us?" Moonho never expected these words from Oz. He finds it every fascinating how Oz will now comment on the lyrics he's given, and sometimes even offer suggestions. His interest in Oz grows only more when Oz even asks if he could try writing the lyrics himself. Plus, Oz doesn't judge him for his attire ever. 

When he hears of Oz's "glitch", he's the one who sends for Minseok on a hunch.

- Yoo Hanbyul: One day, Oz simply asks her, "Why do you have to yell at Gongpil? He seems upset by that." She was not expecting him to call her out right before she is about to rip into him. For once, she is too stunned to actually respond. From then on, Hanbyul may note the gradual shift in Oz's concern for others. He's showing genuine interest and concern for her current state, and not just trying to make her happy. While she kind of misses the energetic boy from before, this one feels so much more real.  

- Kim Soyun: Soyun is another enigma to Oz. He tries to coax her into conversation with him, and is surprised that no one seems to know much about her except as the intern that Hanbyul bosses around. Oz wants to get to know Soyun, figure out her history if he can. She's one of the people who influence their image afterall. They should try to be friends if possible.

- Lee Gongpil: To Gongpil's surprise, Oz becomes one of his favorites because Oz will defend him. "Aw, leave Gonpil alone today. Is there anything I can do to make it better?" If and when Oz can, he just talks with Gongpil much like before. However, instead of Oz always teasing him and trying to "cheer up baby!" him, he is actually listening to Gongpil. Oz is actually asking him about his thought process behind the storyboarding. Gongpil may end up being the second person Oz opens up about what he is going through with his deviancy after Minseok. Questioning existance is Gongpil's specialty afterall!

- Jang Sangchul: It's odd to say that Oz's adhering more to the choreo without questions is more bothersome than his previous behavior for Sangchul. Damnit kid, the moment Sangchul finally thinks he has the randomness of Oz figured into the choreo well, he goes and starts acting like a more perfect idol. That punk. Though he won't admit he does appreciate the more attentive behavior Oz has now. Sangchul really isn't complaining. It's just weird, that's all. 

Any other information I should know?
- If he could change his name, and if Minseok would allow him to, he'd love for it to be Lee Minhyuk or something similar - named after Minseok's lost brother.

- That manga and anime library he used to access easily for information? Let's just say, upon beginning to change, Oz starts using it to also access articles and other sources of information. No one really thought to put a lock on what he could access. They just programmed him to only access the things they thought he'd need. This is how he's able to look up different types of music and even find details of Minseok. After his falling out with Minseok, he stops using it for looking up people and tends to stick to using it for music and interesting articles. And memes. Memes are of utmost importance.

- As he develops his own voice more, Oz wants to actually write his own lyrics. He wants input on their meaning. If anything, he's learned writing from a place close to his so called "heart" results in some of the best lyric writing. Or at least that's the impression he gets from Minseok, and maybe Moonho. As time goes on, Minseok begins writing down for Oz lyrics...just in case the worst comes to happen, someone will have something left of him.

If you could leave one statement to your name, what would it be?

If anything, simple compassion and understanding can do wonders. Choose your words and moments carefully. The impact of one action can cause far reaching ripples that you might not even realize the impact of until it's far too late. Take care in what you do, and then face the outcome fearlessly. Take responsiblity for what you have wrought, and be unafraid for you might have no choice or be forced to lose it forever. In the end, he hopes his voice isn't lost amongst it all.  

What about your situation scares you most?

That he is only an object to others. Some toy and plaything that they expect to be just that for exploitation. Oz wants and can be so much more than what his initial programming has set forth. He's taking his first steps towards this. He is so afraid to lose this. Let him continue to grow, and don't kill him at the root yet before he can find out what he can be, and show what his voice can be.