“A robot cannot feel anything, stop being dramatic,” the doctor in charge said as he held the device to his neck. “The quicker we remove his chip, the quicker he’ll shut off and we can send him to the parts team.”

“Shouldn’t we study him more, doctor? Isn’t this an advancement in our robotics?”

“He’s unable to recognise the modes. If we gave him to our consumers, how would they control him? It’s too risky to release him to the outside world.”

“So what about someone who understands the AI biometrics a little more than the average kpop fan?” Everyone turned to see me standing there then, and I covered my mouth, startled by my own admission into their conversation.

“How did you get in here again?”

“Why does Leo need to be destroyed?” I persisted, moving closer to the chair. Doctor Jung eyed me much like he had Leo earlier on. I swallowed roughly and then continued. “Isn’t it your goal to have cyborgs in the future that can understand and simulate emotions for a better connection and union with their owners and help humans overall? I have read your thesis, doctor. I know your talent here is wasted when your true goal is to help humans, especially in the medical field with the expertise of cyborg intelligence.”

“Yes, but he is showing clear signs of not following orders of any owner. To get to that goal, we need to have AI that considers all humans as friendly, not foe.”

“Why would he respect someone who said to him he would be destroyed though?” I argued, stepping even closer. Leo’s eyes remained locked on mine, urging me to help him. All rationale was lost within me then. “Whatever you did wrong in setting up his functions, doesn’t it make sense to study the failure to see what you can resolve for the future?”

“What did he say to you when you were alone, Miss Choi?” Doctor Jung removed the device on his neck and turned to face me. “What has he convinced you of? Doctor Nam, pull up Miss Choi’s staff records now.”

Before I could answer, the screen in front of me began to process all my professional records they held. I read through myself, noting my impeccable scoring on robotic training, and understanding of their systems. On paper, I was a model member of Kboy Cyborgs and this seemed to impress the respected man in the middle of the room. He gestured at me to speak now and I smiled weakly.

“He convinced me that he is very different from all robots I have been around.”

“Is that it?”

I nodded. “Because of this, I spent the majority of my shift trying to understand why he was different. Why he held his own understanding of emotions. Why he appeared desperate for answers. I came here with that same desperation. I want to understand why he is like this.”

“I personally know Yerin,” Gunhee quietly mentioned and the older man looked to his colleague. “If we were to study this robot, she would be our best help. With a degree in psychology, Yerin understands emotions probably even better than we do. She also has no interest in kpop trends and before today she was only ever interested in the robotic aspect of Kboys and not what they serve as.”

“It’s clear that is still her same focus,” Doctor Jung replied, letting out a deep sigh. “Room eight, lock down.”

I startled when I heard the door behind me lock and the system in the room seemed to change. The screen above us shut off completely and I was amazed, not realising just how much science existed around me in this environment.

“If the company finds out we released a faulty robot out of this building, we could be shut down as a unit. But, your stance is enticing, Miss Choi. This could be the advancement we all want for our careers. Everyone in this room, you make a choice right now. For the study of our science, we will give this robot two months. We’ll record his functions regularly, and have meetings with Miss Choi as well. If he passes our expectations, he can remain and be released as our next prototype of Kboy intelligence. However at the slightest change in systems, if he shows degenerative signs, we shut him down. Understood?”

All the doctors around me nodded and became animated. Doctor Jung’s attention turned to me. “Do you understand your role here too?”

“I…” Looking at Gunhee for assurance, I took a deep breath. My friend was grinning at a fellow doctor, his face growing more excited at the prospect of doing more than making life-sized fan dolls. “I am willing to help.”

“Good. Because you’re taking the biggest risk here Miss Choi. It was your decision right now to interfere with our processes and become the owner of this bot. It was your firm choice to remove him from this environment and hold full responsibility for him; do you understand what I am saying?”

“You won’t take any fall for her if I fail,” Leo surmised and the doctor looked at him, nodding shamelessly.

“You seem rather switched on, after all.”

“I don’t trust you,” Leo answered, narrowing his eyes for a moment. He then looked over at me and smiled weakly. “But I trust her.”

“What would a robot know of trust passed the idea of it?” the older man chortled, shaking his head and going over to the table to put away his equipment.

Watching on at how easily the professional dismissed his own creation, I wondered just how much Leo could teach us all about human interactions.

“I don’t think I thought this through well enough,” I admitted four hours later, standing in the entry way of my small apartment. I felt embarrassed, scooting a small pile of clothing away from the walk way into my tiny living room.

Gunhee snorted and walked passed me, carrying a large circular device with him and then looking around the space for the best spot. “Where can I hook this up?”

“Uh, hang on, let me move that pot stand,” I went to go over to it but Leo bypassed me, effortlessly picking up the large fern and it’s stand, holding it in one arm and then looking around.

“You’re messy. Very, very messy.”

“You’ll get used to it, Leo,” Gunhee mentioned with a smirk. “Our Yerin-ah might seem like a composed person with high standards but her brain is chaotic. The mess you’re seeing is the output of having too much-”

“Lee Gunhee, if you say one more word,” I threatened, stretching up to cover his mouth from further spilling of my mannerisms. “I will not hesitate to tarnish your reputation with what happened seven years ago.”

The boy in my grip froze momentarily and then broke away, placing down the device and setting it up quickly before retreating to the door. “Well, I think it’s time for me to head out. Remember you need to record vital information until our first meeting in three days, okay?”

“Like I could forget the past several hours of debriefing if I tried to, go home. Bye Gunhee!”

The door shut and I became acutely aware I still wasn’t alone. Turning, I flinched at finding Leo closer than he had been, fern still within his grasp. I took it from him and struggled to place it on the floor beside the Kboy charge stand. He waited expectantly when I stood back up to my full height and I frowned. “What?”

“What happened seven years ago to that doctor?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Ah, something you won’t tell me then. Is that how our relationship will begin?”

I stared at the tall robot and groaned, wondering what I had signed up for exactly.