On August 30, 2023, Kyungsoo had come home from a judo tournament, the gold medal hidden in the palm of his hand as he opened the gate. A certain tingling feeling crawled through his fingers, bubbling into a sense of excitement across his entire body.

In all the fourteen years he had lived, there was nothing Kyungsoo wanted more than to make his parents proud. Genuinely proud.

Not those honeyed words spoken to him when he achieved perfect grades - those were expected; anything less and Kyungsoo wouldn't have dared face his parents, in fear of disappointing them.

As he stepped on to the stone tiles, all swept and none misaligned, Kyungsoo saw his older brother, Seungsoo, sitting by the threshold of the front door, smoking. Kyungsoo frowned, wondering why he would pick the habit up again after working so hard to quit.

"Hyung, why are you smoking?" Kyungsoo asked, discreetly sliding the medal into his trouser pocket.

"Kyungsoo…" Seungsoo answered shakily. He trembled as if he were crying, but there were no tears. "Come here."

Doing as he was told, Kyungsoo set his bag down and squatted to meet his brother's eye level. A thin tendril of smoke rose from the cigarette, wavering in the late summer breeze. It was a grey veil suspended between them, separating the two brothers. Behind it, Kyungsoo could see the reddish tint in the whites of Seungsoo's eyes.

"Dad committed suicide." Seungsoo said calmly, looking directly at Kyungsoo with an unfaltering gaze.

In that moment, it was as if the world stopped. Kyungsoo could no longer hear the distant murmur of traffic, nor the chirping of the birds. His brother stayed still, a frozen expression telling of the immense sadness behind his steely eyes.

The medal in his pocket felt heavier, more burdening that it had been before. There was a lot weighing on that medal. It had held Kyungsoo's dreams, aspirations, and a possible future. But on that day, it became nothing more than a chunk of metal.

---

Two days after the suicide, Haneul Technologies filed for bankruptcy and eventually dissolved with no further statement from GN Group. Upon checking Do Hojun's personal account, Kyungsoo had found that his father had accumulated tremendous amounts of personal debt in his attempt to keep the company afloat, which ultimately was in vain.  Although there was no suicide note, the negative numbers said it all.

In the weeks that followed, life took a downturn for the Do family.

With no other choice but to sell their home and the majority of their possessions, Kyungsoo and his family moved into a cheap apartment complex one week later. The building was old and sorely lacking in decent amenities, a stark contrast to the secure suburban lifestyle they had once lived. Aside from the basic essentials, the Do's had virtually nothing.

Once the summer holidays came to an end, Kyungsoo returned to school. As Haneul Technologies was - or used to be - a prominent affiliate of GN Group, the death of its founder was no secret to the Korean public. As such, walking into his classroom was hell.

Being a reserved person, no one would usually pay heed to Kyungsoo despite his impressive background, but the minute he stepped past the threshold on the first day back, all eyes turned to him. Attention was the last thing he wanted, let alone the insincere words of comfort from his otherwise apathetic classmates.

Kyungsoo knew that they meant well, after all, what could they possibly gain from sweet-talking the son of an indebted family? Nonetheless, their pity wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to be left alone.

Luckily, for a short a time, they did. His classmates soon turned their interest to Oh Sehun from their sister class. As the son of OM Enterprises' CEO, it was a common occurrence for Sehun to be flocked, adored and admired simply for gracing the students with his presence; however, for once, there was a good reason for the copious amounts of attention.

That reason came in the form of tech implants on Sehun's right arm. Extremely expensive tech implants made from rare, and above all, costly materials that the boy offhandedly bragged about - people asked, he answered. Not that Kyungsoo cared, why should it concern him?

 As it turned out, it eventually did concern him.

During the lunchtime of the same day, Kyungsoo sat in his seat tucked away in the back of the classroom and aimlessly scrolled through the news on his phone. Though he tried to avoid reading anything about his father and his company, one such article caught his attention.

Graphs and various statistics loaded on his screen, all showing data gathered from GN Group and its various affiliates, one of which was OM Enterprises. A summary from the journalist commented on the suspicious rise in OME's funding at the same time as Haneul Technologies' stocks tanked, placing a particular emphasis on how investors withdrew their funds despite the latter company's profits being on a steady rise. It was as if they had collectively expected Haneul Technologies' bankruptcy, even though the data at the time had suggested otherwise.

Having been far too preoccupied with reading the article, Kyungsoo jolted in surprise as a sudden rush of noise erupted outside the classroom. Through the window, he could see Sehun walking by with his right arm fully in view, a gaggle of girls and boys trailing behind him.

Wires s across his skin, an intricate network that performed functions unknown to Kyungsoo. Beside Sehun, an unfamiliar boy looked back at him, a slightly bewildered expression on his face. As they made eye contact, Kyungsoo quickly turned away, not wanting to seem like a creep.

As the group passed, Kyungsoo mulled over the journalist's words and the data he had seen.  A seed of doubt was planted in his mind as he eyed Sehun and his arm, leaving a bitter taste to linger on his tongue.

---

During the years after his father's suicide, Kyungsoo eventually accepted his loss and the new lifestyle. He learnt what it was like to be unable to pay the monthly rent and have the threat of eviction hanging over his head; to have a widowed mother who was constantly working to pay off her late husband's debt; to have a brother who gave up his studies to pursue any and all part-time jobs in order to prevent his family from starving.

He learnt what it was like to give up on his dreams, to tuck it away in a cardboard box and push it aside for the rest of his life. Kyungsoo had always wanted to be a singer; ever since he was a child, his role model had been Yoo Youngjin, who he'd often dream of collaborating with. Instead, Kyungsoo chose to walk down the same path his father did, in hopes of one day reviving Haneul Technologies and showing the world that they indeed had lost a brilliant man.

On the night of September 29, 2026, Kyungsoo had taken a break from studying to help his mother re-arrange the bookshelf, having found a forgotten box of photo albums and various trinkets that she wanted to display.

Sifting through several albums, Kyungsoo eventually picked up one with an aquamarine cover and opened it up to flick through the pages. It was the usual: baby pictures of him and Seungsoo, their yearly trips to Harbin, China, and the judo tournaments and singing competitions he had attended.

At the end of the album, a single photo was tucked between the final page and back cover. As Kyungsoo pulled it out, he was presented with an image of a robot with a fully exposed framework, showing all of its inner mechanisms in detail; it had a similar stature to that of a small child, on the head of which were lidless eyes that unnerved Kyungsoo.

 On both sides of it, two men stood with proud smiles on their faces. It was Do Hojun and Oh Mansik.

Confused, Kyungsoo turned the photo to read the message written on the back. Underneath the title 'CY.0.0.1', a note read: "A present for Sehun. Godspeed to you and your son, Mansik."

The photo was most likely a gift that was never given, as Kyungsoo concluded.

Kyungsoo slid the photo back into the album and slammed it shut, pressing the book in his hands for a moment. As he stared at the stacked pages, a thousand thoughts swarmed his mind, causing the once forgotten sorrow to resurface again.

While he sat cross-legged on the floor, Seungsoo walked into the room with a weary expression and a sheet of paper in hand.

"Hey Soo, OM Enterprises are offering student internships," Seungsoo said, handing his brother the flyer. After doing so, he collapsed on to the sofa, letting out an exhausted sigh. "You've got the grades and it might be some pretty good work experience. Why don't you apply?"

As he scanned the details written on the flyer, an idea wormed its way into Kyungsoo's mind, accompanying the growing doubt that had settled there years ago, "Yeah, sounds good." He replied, a small smile creeping on his lips. "Maybe they'll even remember dad's name when they see my application."

"Heh, given that his name keeps popping up at Oh Mansik's press conferences, they probably will." Seungsoo sneered, pulling a blanket over his knees. "There's going to be another one in three days, I can't wait for those tabloid journalists to bring up dad's suicide again."

"Hyung, do you think that dad and Mr. Oh were friends?" Kyungsoo asked, flopping beside his brother and seizing the blanket for himself.

"Huh, didn't you know?" Seungsoo said, mildly shocked. "Oh wait, you were too young to remember. Both of them collaborated ages ago on some secret project. Don't know what happened to it, but yeah, they were friends."

"Oh…okay." Kyungsoo muttered. As he did, Seungsoo began wrestling him for the blanket, grumbling about the cold and the lack of central heating. Despite his rusty judo skills, Kyungsoo still managed to overpower him, kicking Seungsoo to the floor while he held on to the blanket in triumph.

Later that evening, when his brother and mother were asleep, Kyungsoo worked on his personal statement. On the first day of October, he sent off his application with a pleased smile, anticipating the company's response.

---

On November 3, 2026, Kyungsoo was hired as an intern at OME. As expected, his first duty was to make a cup of coffee for a visiting guest in the lounge. As Kyungsoo handed the man named Yixing the polystyrene cup, he noticed a well-known logo stitched on to the chest of Yixing's lab coat.

"Are you from OME's China branch?" Kyungsoo asked out of curiosity, fiddling with his lanyard. His hand covered his ID card as he absentmindedly tugged at the strap. "The one in Changsha, right?"

"How did you know? Are you a psychic?" Yixing answered, eyes wide in disbelief. For a second, Kyungsoo wondered whether he was being sarcastic, but the man's reaction seemed far too genuine.

"The logo on your coat says 'Changsha Institute, OME'." Kyungsoo stated, trying not to laugh at Yixing's rather endearing puzzlement. "Your job must be amazing. That place has all the leading scientists and engineers working on artificial intelligence."

"The second sentence is true, but my job isn't anything special." Yixing said before taking a sip of coffee. Upon seeing Kyungsoo stand around awkwardly, he gestured the boy to take a seat, "I've pretty much been working on Mansik's pet project, or projects, all these years."

"What do you mean by that?" Kyungsoo questioned, sitting down in an armchair opposite to Yixing.

"Hmm, I thought that they briefed on you on stuff like this, but oh well." Yixing shrugged, swirling the contents of the cup as he spoke. "One project is the tech implants for Mr. Oh's son - he's got a degenerative disease, you see - and the other is providing implements for 'Sentience's' first prototype."

Memories of Sehun came to Kyungsoo's mind, but he momentarily set them aside. "Must be pretty expensive."

"You bet." Yixing chuckled, placing the cup on the coffee table.  "If GN Group hadn't given us the funding meant for Haneul Technologies, none of that would've been possible."

"Ah…isn't Haneul Technologies the company that went bankrupt?" Kyungsoo commented, feigning ignorance on the matter, even though saying those very words left a sour taste in his mouth. "Its founder died a while ago, didn't he?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Yixing answered, nodding sympathetically. "Mansik was so distraught when Hojun committed suicide. Heck, I heard he even hired Hojun's son."

"Oh I heard about that too." Kyungsoo lied, his jaw clenching slightly while his hand still hovered over his ID card. "Say, why did GN Group withdraw their funding from Haneul Technologies? Mr. Oh must feel really guilty about that."

"Between you and me…I don't think he actually feels guilty." Yixing leant in, whispering his thoughts to Kyungsoo. As he did, Kyungsoo's impression of the man instantly improved. "Even though he was friends with Hojun, you should've seen how happy he was when the money came flowing in."

"As for your first question, the simple answer is: nobody knows." Yixing continued, his back hunched and elbows resting on his knees. "Only Mansik and the guys right at the top actually have an idea about what went down."

"It must bother you though." Kyungsoo remarked, mirroring Yixing's position. He caught sight of the empty coffee cup, feeling rather pleased that Yixing liked it. "The funding for Mansik's personal projects relied on the dissolution of Haneul Technologies."

"When you put it that way, it sounds absolutely horrible." Yixing huffed, picking up the cup to take a sip, only to realise that there was no more coffee. He set it back down, mildly embarrassed. "But being able to work on 'Sentience' has been the most rewarding experience in my life."

With brows knitted, Kyungsoo frowned, "Even though it was at the expense of another person's life?" He retorted, having mixed feelings on Yixing's opinion.

"I can see that you have very strong views on this." Yixing laughed, dismissing the boy's forwardness. "However, once you meet Chanyeol, you'll understand why I feel the way I do."

"Chanyeol? Who's that?" Kyungsoo asked, tilting his head as he repeated the unfamiliar name.

"Seriously? Do they not brief anyone anymore?" Yixing responded, looking at the boy quizzically. "You should at least know Sehun. Oh Sehun."

When Kyungsoo nodded, Yixing resumed his explanation, "Chanyeol's the one that's always with him. Matted curls, a love for 'One Piece', ringing any bells?"

Although the other details were unknown to him, Kyungsoo could definitely remember who Yixing was talking about. Chanyeol was the boy that would often hang around, or rather, latch himself to Sehun at school. "Yeah, I think I've seen him around."

"Good. He's Mansik's first project, one of the two I told you about." Yixing said, content that the boy wasn't completely ignorant of the company's affairs.

With his owlish eyes widened in disbelief, Kyungsoo interrupted Yixing to gather his thoughts, "Hold on a second, Chanyeol's a-"

"A robot."

---

After the day of their conversation, Yixing flew back to China to return to OME's Changsha institute, leaving with only the knowledge of Kyungsoo's name and a promise to share details of the 'Sentience' project during his next visit.

Upon realising that Chanyeol wasn't in fact human, Kyungsoo's vague course of action evolved into a fully fledged plan. If Chanyeol was a robot manufactured by Oh Mansik himself, then there was a strong possibility that he held all the answers that Kyungsoo needed.

At first, he felt that it was hardly ethical to hack into someone's memories, but at the same time, that certain someone was just a sentient bundle of wires and metal rods in its simplest sense. In the decade following the conception of GN Group and its firm belief on supporting the creation of sentient technology, a clear division in views concerning the matter had formed across the globe. People were either for or against the idea that robots could ever be considered 'human'.

Despite being heavily involved in the artificial intelligence industry, his father had been very much against the idea, which in turn influenced Kyungsoo to share the same beliefs. To Do Hojun, robots, no matter how intelligent they were, would always be beneath humans.

By the time Kyungsoo managed to reclaim his father's personal computer with the help of Seungsoo's growing list of connections, he was already set on carrying out his plan. Avenging his father was considerably more important than some robot.

For the rest of the year until Yixing's next visit, Kyungsoo spent countless hours coding and perfecting the program that would ultimately give him access to Chanyeol's internal computer: the 'GN.OME' process. Kyungsoo didn't want make the process stand out and risk being caught immediately, therefore he decided it would be better to simply use the company's name.

On December 9, 2027, Yixing visited OME's Headquarters in Seoul and happened across Kyungsoo, who sat in the lounge that they had first met.

Greeting the twenty year old with a smile, Yixing smiled at the man patiently sitting on an armchair, "Kyungsoo, nice to see you again!"

"Likewise Mr. Zhang." Kyungsoo returned the greeting, standing up to bow as Yixing approached him. "How's the project going?"
 

"Ah don't give me that, Yixing is fine." He said, placing a friendly hand on Kyungsoo's shoulder. "The project should be finished today, that is, if Mansik doesn't suddenly change his mind and ask for more implements on Chanyeol."

With his head tilted in feigned confusion, Kyungsoo asked the man in a tone removed of all insincerity, "Oh, why are you holding it in Korea?"

"We've transferred the equipment here from China." Yixing stated, to which Kyungsoo simply nodded. It was a situation already known to him, one that he had long prepared for. "Mansik wants to use it for the public release of 'Sentience', you see."

"Makes sense I suppose." Kyungsoo said nonchalantly.  "If it isn't too much to ask, do you mind if I observe you?"

"I don't see why not." Yixing affirmed. "Come with me, Chanyeol's already plugged in."

As Yixing led the way, Kyungsoo trailed behind him, eyes fixated on the man's back. In his hand, a USB flash drive was tucked away, the cool metal firmly pressed against his skin. After ascending several stories of the building in an elevator, the pair eventually reached their destination, which, from the outside, looked like any other room. The door was unassuming and its location wasn't particularly special, nor were there any signs specifically directed towards it.

Yixing explained that its modest exterior was for security reasons as he opened the door, revealing an array of complex machinery. In the centre of the relatively large room was a raised metal platform, on which Chanyeol's body lay.

After gesturing Kyungsoo to enter, Yixing pointed at a reservoir on the floor, the appearance of which resembled that of congealed blood, though it was far less viscous.

"The red liquid you see here runs through Chanyeol's artificial blood vessels." Yixing clarified its function upon seeing the Kyungsoo's perplexed expression. "It basically monitors the conditions in his body and translates them as data on the screens around us."

He pointed to the rows of monitors that adorned the otherwise bare walls, then shifted his attention to one especially wide screen, "Here is the main computer, which is directly connected to Chanyeol's system and allows me to view the files in his internal computer."

"What implements are you going to give him this time?" Kyungsoo interjected, having found the one piece of information that he wanted.

"One year here and they still haven't bothered to inform you?" Yixing said, shaking his head. "The final adjustments aren't anything big, I'm just going to expand his data storage capacity and improve the security of his internal computer. There are some potentially endangering vulnerabilities still present."

"No one's really told me anything other than how to use the photocopier, to be honest with you." Kyungsoo backtracked to Yixing's first point, not wanting to seem too eager about Chanyeol's computer and accidentally revealing his intentions.

"That's odd, they usually tell all the interns about 'Sentience' during their induction day." Yixing remarked, picking up the clipboard at the foot of the platform. "Maybe you missed a meeting?"

Kyungsoo was never informed of an induction day. During his year as an intern, the company always gave him the bare minimum amount of information, "Err…yeah, I came in pretty late on my first day here."

"That explains it then." Yixing said, walking over to an area hidden by a pastel blue curtain. "Don't worry, we've got time. I'll tell you what you need to know."

While Kyungsoo examined the equipment, Yixing dragged out two wicker chairs. Arranging them by the end of the metal platform, Yixing motioned for Kyungsoo to take a seat, to which Kyungsoo obliged.

"Thanks Yixing." He smiled warmly as he sat down. From his position, Kyungsoo could see Chanyeol's feet; his skin was tinged a muted red colour, a result of the red liquid coursing around his titanium framework.

"Chanyeol is a robot, we've got that sussed." Yixing muttered, flicking through the sheets of paper on his clipboard, "And his main purpose is to be Sehun's companion. So therefore he's a 'companion robot'."

Placing the board on his lap, Yixing looked in the direction of Chanyeol's body, the hum of the reservoir's pump reverberating in the air, "Ever since Mansik first presented him to me, I've been slowly adding to his framework." He explained, occasionally shifting his gaze to the data on the screens. Each screen read 'Standby', followed by a scrolling list of words and numbers,  "Over the years, I've been adjusting his body to match Sehun's age and adding features present on a typical mammal, essentially creating an artificial human. I mean, look at him, you can't tell that he's a robot, can you?"

"I never would've guessed it," Kyungsoo agreed, "So does Chanyeol only exist because of Sehun?"

"There's no sugar-coating it, is there?" Yixing chuckled, though his laughter was tinted with a certain sadness. Kyungsoo could tell that he had some attachment to Chanyeol. "If Sehun hadn't been born with his illness, then Chanyeol - as he is now - would never have been created."

"What illness does Sehun have that could possibly warrant the need for a companion and tech implants?" Kyungsoo asked, inwardly scoffing at how Mansik seemed to spoil his son.

"That's…a private matter." Yixing said slowly, deliberating over what he could say. " But I can tell you that his right arm is paralysed. As part of one of Mansik's projects, the Institute developed wires that would act as Sehun's nerves. Eventually, his entire nervous system will be replaced by those wires."

"Fair enough. I won't interrogate you about it." Kyungsoo accepted the short explanation, knowing that he would eventually find out anyway. "A private matter is private for a reason."
 

"I'm glad that you understand." Yixing rose from his seat, and made his way to the main computer. "Anyway, back to Chanyeol."

After a minute of Yixing typing on a keyboard, the 'Standby' status eventually changed to 'Developer mode', the words appearing simultaneously on all screens. While Yixing carried on with his preparations, Kyungsoo stood by the side of the platform, observing Chanyeol in silence. Though he knew that the man was a robot, Kyungsoo couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy: Chanyeol lived a life of luxury and all he had to do was babysit Sehun, while Kyungsoo's family suffered because of GN Group's decision to fund Mansik's projects instead of supporting Haneul Technologies. Chanyeol was allowed to live as a human at the expense of his father's life, from what Kyungsoo had taken away from the entire situation.

With spiteful thoughts circling around his mind, Kyungsoo glared down at Chanyeol with disdain, gritting his teeth as the man slept in peace.

As Yixing completed the final procedures, he turned to Kyungsoo,  "Watch over him for me, he's vulnerable right now." He ordered, making his way to the door. "I just need to pick up Chanyeol's new storage device. If you see anything weird, just shout for me."

With that, the man left Kyungsoo, unknowingly putting the entire 'Sentience' project at risk. A smile crept on to Kyungsoo's lips as the door softly shut, leaving him with nothing but the hushed whirring sound of the machinery and the body of a defenceless robot.

Without a moment's hesitation, Kyungsoo inserted his USB flash drive into the main computer and transferred the 'GN.OME' process into Chanyeol's internal computer. In a matter of seconds, the status changed once again from 'Developer mode' to 'OFF', after which Kyungsoo ejected the flash drive and slid it into his pocket, one eye kept on the door.

Kyungsoo waited a couple of seconds to observe any visible changes in the data. When there was none, he let out a sigh of relief, and proceeded to inform Yixing that something was 'weird'.

"Yixing!" He called out, poking his head into the empty corridor. "Something's wrong!"

Seconds later, Yixing burst into the room, his attention immediately drawn to the new status on the screens. With his brows knitted in worry, Yixing accessed Chanyeol's internal computer through the main computer for the second time, hurriedly typing in commands and trying to diagnose the problem. Minutes went by with no signs of the situation changing, leaving the man in a state of mild irritation; Kyungsoo noted how calm Yixing was, chalking it up to years of experience.

"Sorry Kyungsoo, but you're going to have to leave." Yixing told the man apologetically, pursing his lips as he stole glances at the data,  "Mansik will be here in a minute and I don’t think that he'd want an intern in here."

Nodding in understanding, Kyungsoo said his farewells and left the room. As he entered the lift at the end of the corridor, a sense of satisfaction washed over him.

Chanyeol was a puppet in his hands.

---

The moment he arrived at his house, Kyungsoo fired up his father's computer, which essentially belonged to him, and connected to the 'GN.OME' process invading Chanyeol's body. On the screen, an array of folders appeared, some titled with dates while the others were a random string of symbols: it was Chanyeol's database, all of which were memory files. After Kyungsoo typed in his first command, the 'GN.OME' process relayed information back to him, informing the man that Chanyeol had been blocked from accessing his own memories.

With his second command, 'GN.OME' started to continuously scan Chanyeol's entire system, showing the areas which Kyungsoo was unable to retrieve data from.

With his third command, 'GN.OME' began to synthesise an amalgamation of Chanyeol's memory files, manipulating and cutting them apart to create a bastardised form that would eventually become the embodiment of 'living hell' for Chanyeol. All that was left was for Kyungsoo to show it to him.

Donning his headset, Kyungsoo switched it on and adjusted the mic, letting it hover by his lips, "Hello Chanyeol. It's about that time that you woke up."

Lying was easy. Gaining trust was easy. Kyungsoo didn't consider himself to be a particularly manipulative person, even though his actions quite obviously betrayed him, but Chanyeol's gullibility almost made Kyungsoo feel bad for him. While he did have trouble accepting the situation and openly doubted Kyungsoo on numerous occasions, Chanyeol seemed to just take on board all the lies Kyungsoo threw at him.

However, despite his dishonesty, Kyungsoo did tell the truth most of the time, albeit a different version of the truth.

"I'm still trying to figure my way around this simulation, but I think this gnome is a 'key' of sorts." Kyungsoo spoke through the mic, writing down a list of details he had told Chanyeol. "If my guess is correct, you should be moved into a higher level of the simulation."

Yixing had been correct in that there were glaring vulnerabilities in Chanyeol's system. For one, Kyungsoo was able to identify all the weaknesses with 'GN.OME' by coding literal gnomes into the so-called simulation, which virtually mapped out the entrances to the restricted areas that his second command showed him. Once Chanyeol - the administrator of his own system - interacted with the gnomes, Kyungsoo and the 'GN.OME' process were allowed entry into higher, more secure levels of the database.

On Kyungsoo's computer, the random strings of symbols changed into dates with each interaction, letting the 'GN.OME' process use the memory files within the unlocked folders for Kyungsoo's third command. His ultimate goal was to find any evidence whatsoever that he could use against Oh Mansik. Anything that would give him a reason as to why Haneul Technologies went bankrupt. Anything that would put Oh Mansik behind bars.

What Kyungsoo didn't account for was Chanyeol being able to access the memory files used by 'GN.OME'. It infuriated him, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it, other than to try and convince him that Sehun was the one manipulating him. The guilt at that point hadn't caught up to Kyungsoo yet, but the more he conversed with Chanyeol, the more it weighed down on his mind.

Though annoying at times, Chanyeol's childish innocence sometimes made Kyungsoo feel like the devil.

But whenever Chanyeol spoke about Sehun, Kyungsoo felt like banging his head against the wall. What was so great about him?

From what Kyungsoo had seen in Chanyeol's memory files, Sehun used to absolutely despise him. Memories of the photo titled 'CY.0.0.1' came flooding back to Kyungsoo whenever he saw Sehun's cold sneer, realising that any small child would rightfully be afraid - or in Sehun's case, disgusted - of a humanoid robot. However, Sehun was more than just disgusted, he'd often blame Chanyeol for his father spending less time with him, which rubbed Kyungsoo the wrong way, regardless of the boy's immaturity.

As he quickly watched the files during the periods of Chanyeol's unconsciousness, Kyungsoo eventually found out why Sehun acted the way he did. He had seen the diagnosis, the ongoing struggles, and the intimate moments through Chanyeol's eyes. It made Kyungsoo feel like a stalker, watching in on someone else's life, inevitably leading him to avoid viewing anymore files tagged with [Sehun].

After several hours of guiding Chanyeol, Kyungsoo finally struck gold.

While Chanyeol explored the level coded '02', 'GN.OME' found the location of Chanyeol's internal storage and attempted to access it. Unfortunately for Kyungsoo, it triggered the security mechanism, sending out a signal through Chanyeol's dormant body in an effort to wake him up. As Kyungsoo checked Chanyeol's vitals, he noticed a spike in activity throughout the robot's framework.

"Not quite." Kyungsoo told Chanyeol, who had settled himself into the gnome mecha. "Sorry about this."

With his fourth command, 'GN.OME' hijacked Chanyeol's sensory processes, sending out waves of electrical signals through his framework to neutralise the existing signals transmitted by the internal storage's security mechanism. Unfortunately for Chanyeol, it meant an immense amount of pain.

Unable to bear hearing the screams, Kyungsoo positioned the headset to rest behind his ears, the hum of the muffled cries vibrating through his skull. Kyungsoo squinted his eyes shut, questioning what on Earth he was doing. It dawned on him that he actually felt guilty for harming a robot.

When the noise had died down, he readjusted his headset, "Then again, I don't expect you to forgive me." Kyungsoo muttered, uncaring of whether or not Chanyeol heard him. "You're just a robot after all."

In the hours that followed, Kyungsoo provided as many distractions as he could through the 'GN.OME' process, distorting even more of Chanyeol's memories in hopes of confusing the man for as long as possible. While Chanyeol was occupied, Kyungsoo worked on hacking and unlocking his internal storage, curious as to what resided within.

On his seventh attempt, Kyungsoo was successful; in the folder of Chanyeol's internal storage, a single file was stored with the title 'Demo', the owner of which was Kyungsoo's father. As he transferred the file to his storage and carefully began to watch the video's contents, an immense sorrow suddenly washed over Kyungsoo as his father's face came into view.

"I am Do Hojun, founder of Haneul Technologies. After years of being funded by GN Group, I proudly present-"

After realising what the purpose of the video was, Kyungsoo immediately paused it and returned to Chanyeol, who had been seeing more memories, according to the data from the 'GN.OME' process. Despite the number of times Kyungsoo had instructed him to discuss the memories, Chanyeol had grown increasingly reluctant to share what he had seen.  Not that it mattered anymore - Kyungsoo had found all that he needed.

Not wanting to leave any traces of his interference with Chanyeol's internal computer, Kyungsoo had attached a self-destruct program to the 'GN.OME' process in order to protect his identity; its purpose was to terminate the process and remove all memories of the simulation - and Kyungsoo - from Chanyeol's system.

Chanyeol only needed to interact with the fifth and final gnome to activate it.

"I don't. And I don't believe you either."  Chanyeol's voice ringed in Kyungsoo's ear, causing the blood in the man's veins to run cold. Kyungsoo wanted to scream at him, to tell him to stop being an , to stop ruining his plans. Fortunately, he refrained from doing so.

Each and every window relating to the 'GN.OME' process instantly closed, leaving Kyungsoo to chew on his lip as the message '[GN.OME process] detected' glared back at him.

"." He muttered, throwing off his headset. After confirming that the USB drive was still in his pocket, Kyungsoo ran for the door, the panic bubbling in his chest.

---

Fifteen minutes later, Kyungsoo had returned to the floor on which Chanyeol was kept. As he stepped out of the elevator, he heard two voices in the distance, resembling that of Yixing and Sehun's. Without another moment to lose, Kyungsoo made his way to Chanyeol's room, taking a deep breath as he opened the door.

On the granite floor, Chanyeol had sat cross-legged with a puzzled look on his face, "Who are you?" He asked, a hostile tone to his voice.

Not missing a beat, Kyungsoo answered with a smile, "Have you forgotten already? I'm Kyungsoo."

Upon hearing his name, Chanyeol's expression softened, although he still remained somewhat guarded, "Ah, my hero." He remarked, standing up to approach Kyungsoo.

After throwing a cursory glance at the empty corridor behind him, Kyungsoo shut the door and looked up at Chanyeol, who towered over him with a wide grin on his lips.  "You know, you're pretty tiny for someone who's meant to be saving my life," Chanyeol teased, rows of immaculate teeth showing as he smiled, leading Kyungsoo to envy him for never having to worry about dental hygiene.

"And you're pretty damn stupid for a robot." Kyungsoo mumbled under his breath, fishing the USB drive from his pocket.

"Excuse me, a what?" Chanyeol blinked in surprise.

Having figured out that Chanyeol's memories were still blocked, Kyungsoo's muscles loosened in relief, "Nothing. Just a joke."

While Chanyeol sat down on the platform, Kyungsoo inserted the USB drive into the main computer, after which he picked up a stray tube from the floor, motioning Chanyeol to give him his arm.

"What's going on?" He said, head slightly tilted in confusion and he stretched out his left arm. The guilt was starting to eat at Kyungsoo again, but he pushed it aside the moment he the end of the tube into Chanyeol's skin. "Are you doubly sure that I'm not in Sehun's simulation? Because it honestly feels like I still am."

Kyungsoo shook his head, another lie on his tongue. "No. You're safe now. I'm just going to check your vitals, okay? Sehun might've inserted…nanobots into your blood."

"Oh. Okay." Chanyeol shrugged, an especially large smile still lingering on his face. Kyungsoo wished that he wouldn't smile so much, it was making him feel bad.

As the reservoir began to pump the red liquid into Chanyeol's artificial vessels, the status on the screens changed from 'ON' to 'OFF', followed by the sound of Chanyeol's body collapsing on the platform. While he hurriedly typed on the keyboard, Kyungsoo winced upon hearing the metal skull clatter on the loud surface, but he didn't have enough time to shift Chanyeol's position into a more comfortable one.

Kyungsoo eventually located the quarantined 'GN.OME' process and forcibly initiated its self-destruct program. In a matter of seconds, the process and the restriction on Chanyeol's memory files were no more. Once the job was finished, Kyungsoo pulled out the tube and left the room, not bothering to look back at the unconscious body.

After all, why should he feel pity for a robot?

---

In the darkness of his room, with his father's computer providing the only source of light, Kyungsoo sat on his chair, legs pressed closely to his chest. His hand lingered on the mouse, the pads of his finger tips tapping on the left button as he stared blankly on the screen, neither hesitant nor certain of his final decision. A harsh blue light bathed the surface of his plywood desk, drying out Kyungsoo's eyes which were far too fixated on the monitor to blink.

The video titled 'Demo' bordered by a list of major social media platforms was the only image glaring back at Kyungsoo, the rectangular 'SEND' button at the bottom tempting him.

As the pointer hovered over the bold white words, the growing guilt gnawed at him again.

What would happen if he clicked?

What would happen to Sehun, who Kyungsoo found wasn't deserving of his hate, but his sympathy?

What would happen to Chanyeol?

Conflicting thoughts were all Kyungsoo associated with that name. Robots weren't humans, despite GN Group and its affiliates' adamance on sticking the 'sentient' label on them.  At the end of the day, any and all emotions invested on robots would be in vain - nothing more than just data, logged and filed away.

Avenging his father was far more important than some robot's artificial feelings.

Everything Kyungsoo had worked for was right there in front of him.

All he had to do was just…

Click.