The sound of his fingers moving over the keyboard was the only one heard in the entire office. It was late but he still had a few things to figure out before he could call it a night. They had received some error codes and he would rather work to get a solution now than having to hear his boss rant about it later. Junmyeon was overall a good boss but seeing him upset was something everybody avoided. Jongin looked at his monitor for a few minutes, his brain is at maximum capacity and his body barely holding him anymore. He rubbed his temples and his eyes in an effort to brush off the sleepiness, of course being unsuccessful. There was a knock on the door, he sat back as one of his co-workers walked in with a cup of coffee and a subway sandwich, putting them both on his desk.

“I figured you needed some energy,” He said, smiling as he ran a hand through his bright blonde hair. Looked like Jongin wasn’t the only one staying up late.

“Thanks, Min,” He grabbed the sandwich, biting on it immediately, a moan almost escaping his throat at the deliciousness. He hadn’t realized he was so hungry. “You’re a lifesaver,” He mumbled with his mouth full.

“Don’t worry about it,” Minseok leaned against the wall and sighed. “I found Yixing asleep over his desk and I had to slap Chanyeol a few times to bring him back to life.” 

“Did they all get an error code too?” Jongin found this kind of hard to believe.

“Looks like it,” Minseok said, lifting one shoulder in a small shrug “JD021 did not respond for at least thirty minutes until we could finally restart it” He tried to hide it, but the worry in his tone was obvious. Jongin put down the sandwich, he had been lucky, he did not experience any shut-downs or major errors. 

“It should be the software then… I’m going to check on it now,” He focused back on his monitor, typing in, leaving his food completely forgotten.

“Yeah sure and remember to eat please,” Minseok walked to the door “We don’t want another ER disaster after what happened to Yifan last month,” Jongin’s only response was a nod and a wave as he was completely immersed in whatever he was looking into. Minseok sighed once more. He felt like he was the mother in that office sometimes. 

More often than necessary.

***

He opened the door to the production floor, walking past everyone with his tablet in hand, still giving the software a few final touches. He had only slept for four hours, maybe less. His last meal was the sandwich Minseok gave him at least thirteen hours ago and his body was on autopilot as he walked his way to room 12. He had finally figured out the issue and with the rest of his colleagues, they reestablished everything into a safe working state. Everyone was equally tired and hungry, however they felt quite nice since they managed to overcome a crisis without their boss yelling his heart out and threatening to fire everybody. That was improvement right there.

Jongin finally reached room 12 just to find it empty.

Empty.

His heart quickened its pace as he ran a mental map and tried to figure out where could it possibly be at this time of day. He looked around and walked into the programming room and– there it was. Jongin let out the air he didn’t know he was holding, walking inside as relief washed through him. He sat next to Chanyeol, watching as Minseok ran through the software making sure it had no errors. 

“I almost had a heart attack when I went into the room and it wasn’t there,” He whispered, still trying to catch his breath, putting a hand over his chest, trying to soothe his racing heart.

“I didn’t realize we were here until like twenty minutes later,” Chanyeol mentioned. His gaze was lost in time and space, a result of the lack of sleep. His black curly hair was all over the place and his glasses were sliding off his nose, it didn’t seem he was about to do anything to stop them. 

“I’m almost done guys, after the morning check we can all go home and rest,” Minseok murmured, his eyes still focused on the tablet on his hands. The door suddenly busted open and the person they feared the most walked inside, his steps loud on their ears as he approached them. Chanyeol didn’t seem to really register anything and Jongin was so done he didn’t even move. Minseok looked over his shoulder for a second and went back to what he was doing.

“So…” He started, looking at all three employees with a lifted brow “I heard there was an error code yesterday.”

“Yes, however, Jongin figured it out and everything is running normally again,” Minseok’s voice lacked emotion as he said this. They were all very tired, so it almost seemed like nobody cared.

“Good, some important people will come by tomorrow to check on them and they have to be in perfect condition. They expressed how interested they are in buying one of our androids,” Junmyeon said, crossing his arms over his chest. 

This got their attention, even Chanyeol’s, who finally landed on the room, “that’s huge.”

“Exactly” Junmyeon nodded, “Let’s have them running at a 100% by tomorrow and ready to be checked out. After that you may leave,” With this being said, their boss left the room. They looked at each other. CDroid Inc. was a company specialized in making androids that could perform specific tasks. They had products helping blind people, serving at important companies and doing a lot more. They were responsible for keeping the androids running well; if they didn’t, they could lose a lot of money. 

Maybe enough for the project to be shut down.

“Well. I’m all done here,” Minseok sighed before stretching and commanding his android to stand up from the bench through the tablet, “Let’s get you some nice clothes Jongdae,” he waved at the other two and walked in front of the android as they went out the door. Next to him, he heard Chanyeol let out a big breath.

“BH004 doesn’t need new clothes, but I need to fix some features,” he also waved at Jongin before guiding the android outside.

Jongin’s eyes finally focused on the android under his command. It was staring back at him with an emotionless expression. They always built their androids to have a unique face, so they wouldn’t get any lawsuits for having their androids resemble anybody else. He had to admit they had done a particularly good job with the last batch. KS012 was indeed very unique, handsome even. It had black hair, carefully brushed down, covering his forehead, big dark eyes that showed no emotion, perfect nose, full lips, and his jawline was incredibly perfect too. Even the skin detail was so accurate, it almost seemed real and not a synthetic fabric used to resemble it. 

“I guess we should head out too,” he said. He pulled out his own tablet, sliding his finger through the commands and the android stood up carefully from the bench, facing the door and heading towards it. The way it walked was rather rigid, but he could fix that in a couple of minutes. They walked into room 12 and Jongin instantly headed for the closet, trying to look for something that would make it look presentable. If they bought it, he would receive huge commissions from it. Maybe he could take his mother out on a mini-vacation trip. The android watched his every move until he carefully deposited the clothes on the small bed. “This will look good.” 

“If they buy me, will they give me a name?” the android suddenly asked. Jongin wasn’t ready for it, so he jumped back slightly as his eyes wide open traveled to it. He didn’t know if he should respond, however, it looked like the bot was waiting for an answer. 

“I… I guess so,” he stumbled on his words, trying to recover from the initial shock. 

“Would you give me a name?” the android asked once again. Jongin frowned, it was very rare for the androids to speak unless instructed to do so.

“You already have a code name, it’s KS012,” Jongin looked through his tablet, trying to see if there was any error occurring. He couldn’t find any.

“Mr. Kim calls JD021 Jongdae,” There was no expression on its face, but somehow Jongin felt like it suggested some… envy?

“I…” He was lost for words. He didn’t know how to react to this. “If they buy you, I’m sure they will name you.”

KS012 seemed to process the information but said nothing more about it. Jongin restarted its system trying to see if he could detect any viruses or errors. None were found.

“Why do you want a name?” He then asked, feeling uneasy at his usage of words, saying it wanted a name meant it had feelings and that was impossible. The android looked straight ahead not answering, he waited for a moment and typed something on the tablet, making it look at him again. 

“Is there anything you need?” the soft and deep voice was still there, however, it looked like it was running like normal. Jongin felt anxious about it but since there were no errors, he decided not to think much about it.

“Can you try these clothes on please?” The android carefully stood up, grabbing the clothes he had laid on the bed to try them on. He was too tired to investigate anything, maybe he could run a deep search later after a cup of tea and some hours of sleep.

***

“Be good if they decide to buy you,” Chanyeol whispered, arranging his android’s clothes for the hundredth time. “Do what you’re told.”

“He’s not a child Yeol,” Minseok argued. “He’s programmed to do what he’s told.” 

“Let me lecture my kid ok,” He wiped out his nose and pushed his glasses, that were sliding off once again. “I now know what my mother felt when she sent me away for college.” Minseok didn’t say a word. His eyes washing over JD021 with a hint of nostalgia in them. They had been in charge of them for so long that now letting them go felt kind of weird. “Besides, you’re the one that named your bot. Are you really going to tell me that you didn’t take a liking to it?” Minseok chewed on his bottom lip, avoiding to answer the question for his own sanity. Jongin took this moment to look at KS012 for a moment. 

Would he feel sad if they bought it?

Would he feel anything other than the joy of receiving a few more coins on his bank account?

Suddenly the android’s eyes met his. They were as expressionless as usual, but somehow Jongin felt like it wanted to tell him something. He erased the ridiculous thought as soon as it formed inside his head. The bots could analyze and input data and act accordingly, but it was impossible for them to develop anything else. He then concluded that he would not feel a thing.

The door swung open and their boss walked inside with another man following right behind. The guy was wearing what looked to be an expensive black suit. He was being followed by a woman who looked around and took notes as they approached them. They had the whole selection of available androids on display. The man took a close look at every single android on the line, their clothes, their appearance while Junmyeon explains the characteristics of each bot on the spot. 

“This is Oh Sehun everyone,” Junmyeon finally introduced, “Owner of Oh Enterprises and he is interested in an android that can work in his office.”

For all Jongin knew the guy would be an amazing poker player, he could not tell what he was thinking or feeling as he looked at the androids. Once he was done, he whispered something to his assistant who also whispered something to Junmyeon. The man’s eyes scanned the line once more, his eyes taking more time on KS012 and Jongin gulped as he felt his heart race. Junmyeon, on the other hand, was smiling. 

“Perfect. Let’s settle the paperwork first,” he said, guiding the man and his assistant outside, probably into his office. As soon as he was gone, everyone started murmuring.

“That guy is a robot himself,” this was Yixing all the way from the front of the line, “Why does he need another one?” 

“He ain’t taking mine,” Chanyeol said, crossing his arms over his chest “If BH004 can’t have a nice life I won’t let him go.”

“Don’t be childish, it doesn’t matter where they go,” Minseok said, however, he was looking rather nervous, his eyes not leaving Jongdae for a second. 

“You’re as opposed to this as I am,” Chanyeol pointed out. “Just admit it,”

“Whatever,” Minseok rolled his eyes. Jongin felt a little bit lightheaded, he didn’t know if it was because he had a feeling KS012 was being taken away or because of his racing heart. In reality, both were due to the same reason. KS012 could be bought. 

In just a few minutes. 

And he would never see it again.

Jongin quickly walked in front of the android, gaining its attention. He stared into its deep dark eyes for a moment. He knew he would feel like a complete jerk if it was bought and he never fulfilled the only thing he knew the bot wanted. He thought about it rapidly since he could literally be running out of time. 

“Kyungsoo,” he whispered, “your name while you’re here is Kyungsoo.”

The android blinked a couple of times, maybe processing the information provided, and then, against anything Jongin thought possible, it smiled. It wasn’t a big smile, but it was big enough to spark a flame inside Jongin’s chest. It was a minimal sign of being… Happy? Jongin then knew he had been wrong. 

Of course he would be sad. 

KS0… Kyungsoo was his first project, and it had turned out so well that Jongin could not believe they could possibly be separating that day. The door opened yet again and Junmyeon walked through it, this time with only the woman following him. He looked at every employee straight in the eyes before announcing who would be leaving.

“LH007 has now a new owner,” He announced bringing out his chest feeling proud about it. Jongin, Chanyeol, and Minseok all let out a breath, feeling relieved as another person’s android walked out the door. They then looked at Yifan who did not say a word the entire time. He never showed any sign of being attached to it, but Jongin just learned that it was almost impossible not to be. Chanyeol hugged his android and even when he thought nobody was looking, Jongin saw Minseok wipe away a lonely tear. 

“Thank God it’s over,” he said pulling his tablet, checking on Kyungsoo’s battery status. “Let’s head back KS012,” He walked towards the back door; however, the bot did not move an inch. Jongin frowned as he slid his finger across the screen, trying to get the android to move. He stared at it with narrowed eyes.

It couldn’t be…

“Let’s head back… Kyungsoo,” The android instantly turned around and followed him. Jongin couldn’t understand. Why was it now only responding to the new name? Was there another error or a glitch? He would definitely have to run that deep scan soon. They walked into room 12 and Jongin guided the bot to sit down. He started the scan, Kyungsoo staring back at him with no emotions reflected on its face. Jongin went to the small closet, bringing the official uniform androids usually wore to place it next to him. Once the scan was done, he would have it go back to it. He turned around and found the bot looking out the window.

Just to try…

“What’s wrong, Kyungsoo?” he asked. The bot pointed at the window without sparing a single look at him. Jongin looked out as well, not really sure of what the bot was trying to communicate. “The window?” 

“What’s out there?” The bot’s deep yet melodic voice surprised Jongin. He wasn’t used to the thing giving responses yet, regardless of him asking a question. He also didn’t know how to properly answer this. 

“Well, the world is out there,” He said. Kyungsoo then turned to face him. The tablet let out a beeping sound informing the scan was over, he checked it and found no issues once again. If the software was fine, then he could stop worrying about these glitchy outbursts the bot was having. “Do you want to go outside?” Kyungsoo processed the question for a second and then it nodded as its attention went back towards the window. 

Could he take Kyungsoo outside?

“I’ll be right back,” He said, running outside and heading towards the main office, where his boss was probably still working on some paperwork for the sold android. Jongin knocked on the door a few times, before walking inside, Junmyeon was alone and he was thankful for it. “Can we talk for a second?”

His boss looked over his papers for a split second, “You have one minute.” He responded. His hair was a little bit messy but still brushed back, he was wearing his reading glasses, and, in his hands, he had what probably was a contract. 

“Can I take KS012 outside?” The question came out rushed but he didn’t care. Junmyeon raised a brow, his gaze now focusing fully on Jongin. 

“Why would you want to do that?” 

Jongin didn’t know what to say. Because it wants to go outside? Because it’s curious about what is out there. He didn’t think his boss would understand this when Jongin himself didn’t understand it either. 

“I want to test blend-in capacity.” It wasn’t all a lie, he had wanted to test that out, but they had never approved it for him before.

“Fill a form and we’ll see,” Junmyeon quickly dismissed him, going back to the papers in his hands. 

Jongin let out some air, his shoulders sinking. He exited the office and headed back, feeling like he didn’t have many options. Suddenly he felt very curious about Kyungsoo’s reaction; he’s supposed to know what is out there, but he has never experienced it and given the pattern that it has been showing maybe Jongin could learn a few more things from it. He walks into the room and Kyungsoo is standing in the middle with a bag in his hands. 

As soon as it sees him, the bot extends its arm, handing the bag to him. “Kim Minseok said to give you this.” Jongin looked inside the bag and it was just food. He sighed. 

“I didn’t get permission to go outside,” He informed, not sure if he would find any sign of disappointment, instead it seemed he was the one disappointed. The bot smiled and somehow it felt like its way to tell Jongin that it was ok, that it didn’t matter because he had at least tried. It was so weird. 

***

Jongin walked into his office the next day feeling at the very least dumb. He allowed his feelings to get in the way and cloud his judgment and have an android control his work. Bots were there to do what they were told, like Minseok said and not the other way around. They were going to start working on a new model soon too, so he had to quickly dispose of these weird thoughts about KS012 and move on to new and better things. He grabbed his tablet from his office and then headed to room 12 to check on the bot. It was on sleeping mode, so he changed the switch to on.

The bot didn’t make any sounds as it was starting up. It stared blankly at the wall as the system loaded. Once it was done, the android blinked a couple of times and turned its head to face Jongin. As soon as its eyes landed on him the bot gave him a smile as if it was greeting him. It stood from the panel where they put it to sleep and walked towards Jongin. The bot processed some information before finally speaking.

“Kim Jongin, license number 00088,” The voice as always was soft and deep. “Good morning,” Jongin found this extremely weird, he didn’t remember changing it to working mode before leaving, either way, while they were there the bots would always be in neutral mode until they were commanded to do anything. 

“Good morning,” He greeted back; his tone skeptical as he checked the status on his tablet. He searched for the last twenty-four hours and as he thought the robot was left on a neutral state right before using the sleep feature. When disconnecting the sleep feature, it would have to go back to neutral and instead…

Did it change itself to working mode?

“Are we going outside today?” It asked. Jongin was having a hard time processing everything that was going on. He was curious about it; he had searched the bot for errors and viruses several times and found nothing, so this had to be something of the android itself. He wanted to know more. He then remembered he didn’t get a permit to go outside. However, what he didn’t remember the day before was that they had a rooftop, from where they could see the city, there were also plants up there. 

“Close,” he replied, an excited smile sparking on his lips. Surprisingly enough, the bot imitated him. “Follow me.” 

Jongin walked out of the room and the bot followed closely behind. They took the elevator to the rooftop and he was glad to see it empty. He wasn’t really breaking any rule, but for some reasons he wanted to keep this to himself. They walked around, Kyungsoo watching the improvised garden they had up there, his eyes scanning everything as he walked by, then finally watching the city scenery. Kyungsoo took everything in with eyes wide open as he heard the city noises.

“Is this outside?” He asked and Jongin let out the air he didn’t know he was holding. It was like dealing with a child that was trying everything for the first time.

“This is outside,” he confirmed. The android turned around to look at Jongin and once again, it smiled warmly.

“Thank you for bringing me outside,” he said. The air got caught up in Jongin’s throat, it- he was really thanking him because he did something for him. Something so minimal as that but either way he was thankful for it. Jongin cleared his throat. 

“No problem,” he said. His eyes wandered around the garden, he then grabbed a flower that had fallen and put it on Kyungsoo’s hair, taking a picture with his phone and showing it to the bot. Kyungsoo looked at it with surprise covering his features, his system accelerating when he looked back at Jongin. There were so many things Kyungsoo also did not expect.

The days went by and Kyungsoo was just more and more curious about everything and everyone. Jongin ran several other scans on him and found nothing wrong with it, not even resetting it worked. Not that he wanted it to stop, but he wanted to know what was causing it. Why was Kyungsoo acting each day more like a human? Jongin didn’t want to miss a single moment, he wanted to document every reaction, every word. He wanted to know everything.

He told Minseok and Chanyeol about what had happened, and both insisted on Kyungsoo just adjusting to a more human pattern by receiving the data and saving it. Jongin wanted to believe that but regardless of him erasing the data Kyungsoo always seemed to remember stuff he should not remember. 

It was weird on every level.

He was about to get together with Minseok and Chanyeol for lunch, so he had placed Kyungsoo on energy-saving mode and he was casually sitting on the panel, staring back at Jongin. 

“I’m going out for lunch Soo,” he said, the android nodded as if he was following. “When I return, we’ll watch another documentary,” he had taken on the task to show Kyungsoo documentaries and movies for everything he couldn’t show him, the forest, animals, plants, the sea. There were so many things Kyungsoo couldn’t experience but Jongin wanted him to see. Kyungsoo seemed to process the information for a moment. Being away from Jongin made him uneasy.

“Lunch. Can I go?” Jongin didn’t know if he was just too attached to the damn android, if it was just his imagination or what was the deal, but he was starting to partially recognize emotions on him. In that very moment Jongin thought he looked hopeful, with his big eyes staring at him, his lower lip slightly sticking out like a small kid that was asking for something. Jongin just couldn’t say no.

“Ok, we’ll charge you when we get back,” He gave in and as always, the bot rewarded him with a bright smile. One that Jongin didn’t know how to handle. Jongin turned him back to normal battery mode and they walked together to the food court area. He grabbed his food and sat across from Minseok on one of the tables, Kyungsoo sitting next to him, barely acknowledging the other person sitting there. Its eyes could only see Jongin.

Androids don’t eat, but their systems allow them to be able to ingest food and dispose of it later, although it is truly not recommended for them to eat anything. Minseok’s gaze went from Jongin to the bot and back to Jongin.

“So, you’re having lunch with it now?” He rested his elbow on the table and his chin on his hand as he observed how Jongin unwrapped his sandwich while Kyungsoo just watched his every move closely. Minseok couldn’t understand what Jongin had tried to say about KS012, however, he had never seen any bot pay that close attention to anyone. It was almost like the simple task of eating lunch was fascinating to it.

“Soo asked to come,” Jongin shrugged, more focused on his lunch than anything else. Minseok raised a brow at the fact that Jongin had not only named his bot but also had given it a nickname. He wasn’t one to talk since he had also named his, but he wouldn’t go as far as bringing it to lunch.

Chanyeol decided to finally appear with his lunch bag in hand. He sat down and was immediately taken aback by the android sitting with them. 

“What the—?" Minseok shook his head with no answer to provide. “Jongin why is your android looking at you like it wants to eat you?”

Jongin who had been focusing on eating this entire time, finally looked up at Kyungsoo. The bot was staring at him with wide eyes, his lips slightly open It was weird. 

“What’s wrong, Soo?” he asked and the android shook his head.

“The food,” his voice was kind of low as if he was telling a secret. “Is it appetizing?” 

“To humans it is…” Jongin replied. He looked down at his sandwich, considering giving Kyungsoo a piece of it. He would not be able to feel or taste anything, but Jongin still wanted to see his reaction. With this in mind, he cut a small piece of it and handed it to Kyungsoo. “You won’t be able to taste but do you want to try it?”

The android looked at the piece like it’s made of gold. He took it and stared at it for a second, maybe analyzing what it was made of. He then put the piece inside his mouth, chewing on it as any human would do before swallowing the whole thing. Jongin’s lips curved up while Minseok and Chanyeol stared with shock written all over their faces. 

“Did your bot just… eat a sandwich?” Chanyeol was the first one to speak. Kyungsoo had a blank face as he returned the stare.

“Technically, a bite of it,” Jongin replied, equally captivated by it.

They finished lunch and Jongin took Kyungsoo back to room twelve. They got on the documentaries for a couple of hours. Jongin knew he should have been working on something else instead of sitting there watching stuff with the bot, but he couldn’t help it. Kyungsoo’s face whenever he saw anything new was so captivating. He saved the information as he watches and keeps asking questions. 

Jongin searched through the catalog for something different to see. They had watched most of the documentaries so he couldn’t find something interesting to see. Kyungsoo, who was standing next to him, lifted his index finger pointing at one of the romance movies that had just premiered. Jongin lifted both eyebrows, he didn’t think the android would be interested in romance but, since he was following the bot’s desires to see his reactions, he then put the movie in. 

Kim Jongin, Mr. Kim is waiting for you in his office.

He heard his name being called through the speakers and let out a breath. Wondering what Junmyeon wanted with him and not wanting to leave Kyungsoo alone at the same time. He clicked on play to leave a distraction as he went to meet with his boss, running his fingers through Kyungsoo’s hair with a smile, informing he would be back before turning around and leaving the room. 

Kyungsoo stared at the door for a long moment after Jongin was gone, kind of expecting him back that soon. It was almost like everything was less interesting when Jongin wasn’t around. He finally turned to the screen, if he was good maybe Jongin would be back sooner.

It turned out to be only a meeting for discussion of the new project, they would start the following week which meant Jongin would have less time to spend with Kyungsoo. They were advised to have the androids shut down until another buyer appeared and focus solely on the new project. He didn’t want to, but he knew shutting him down was the only way to be able to spend time apart from him. 

He walked into the room to find Kyungsoo watching the end of the movie, he hadn’t realized the amount of time he had been gone. Jongin sat next to him and watched the end with him, the protagonists ended the scene hugging and kissing softly. He didn’t see any changes in Kyungsoo’s expression, but he didn’t know what the android was thinking. He would give anything to know what was happening inside the bot. The credits started to roll up and Kyungsoo watched everything until the end, only when the screen went black did he finally turn to see Jongin. 

“What did you think about the movie?” Jongin asked. The romance wasn’t something Kyungsoo could experience, however he seemed as curious about it as he was about every other thing.

“I don’t understand it,” he says, his voice paused, soft and deep as always. Kyungsoo’s bottom lip was sticking out slightly and Jongin felt a weird fluttering feeling inside his stomach.

“What don’t you understand?” 

“Their relationship. They yell at each other but then they kiss, they fight but are still upset when they’re apart.” From his experience in life, Jongin could also testify that love was a difficult and confusing feeling.

“That’s because they love each other,” he said. Kyungsoo frowned at the statement and Jongin chuckled, completely understanding the confusion.

“What is it like to be in love?” Kyungsoo’s eyes collided with Jongin’s and for a second he didn't know what to respond. It wasn’t like he hadn’t been in love before. However, it didn’t work out the way he wanted. He thought about his next words carefully, knowing that his definition of love would be Kyungsoo’s definition as well.

“Being in love…” He started, “Being in love is being happy next to that other person, but also wanting that person’s happiness too. It’s thinking about that person when you wake up and when you go to sleep.” Kyungsoo was looking at him so attentively that he couldn’t bring himself to look away. “It’s a great feeling.”

Kyungsoo didn’t say anything, but he didn’t look away either. It was like he was processing the information he just had received. The silence wasn’t awkward as they looked into each other’s eyes. Jongin could only hope that it was enough to satisfy Kyungsoo’s curiosity. 

“Have you ever been in love?”

“I have”

***

The week ended quickly and the next one came just as fast. Jongin was getting his stuff from room twelve as he would have to move to a lab to start working on the software for the new batch of androids. Kyungsoo was watching him as he went around the room getting everything he needed. He remembered he had to shut it down, but he could just come back later and turn him back on before he had to go home. There was a small voice inside Jongin’s head that was warning him about being too attached to the bot.

He ignored it.

“I have to go now Soo, but I will be back this afternoon,” he said, kneeling in front of the android.

“Where are you going?” Kyungsoo’s brows collided in the middle of his forehead, this brought a smile to Jongin’s lips. If he didn’t know best, he would think that Kyungsoo was upset about him leaving. 

“I have to work on something, but I will be back,” he promised, even if he had to go home later than usual. It wouldn’t be the first time either. There was a knock on the door and one of the software engineers peeked in, looking at Jongin.

“Hurry up, we have to be there in ten minutes,” he said. Jongin nodded before turning back to Kyungsoo, who was now narrowing his eyes at the stranger. He didn’t seem happy about the intrusion. 

“I’ll be back,” he reiterated, before grabbing the tablet next to him, scrolling down for the turn off command. Before he could press it, he felt Kyungsoo’s hand softly wrap around his wrist. His eyes fluttered back to the android. His features had softened, his lips curved up and his eyes sparkling as he looked back at Jongin. It was almost like he was trying to silently say something.

I’ll be waiting for you.

Jongin shut the android down with an uneasy feeling itching inside of him. He heard how the system slowly turned down until the bot was no longer moving. He grabbed his bag, turning off the lights and looking back one last time at him before closing the door behind him.

He found it difficult to focus on his job, as his mind kept going back to the dark room where his android was sitting still. He knew nothing bad would happen to it, he knew the bot wouldn’t feel lonely, however, he still felt bad about it.

Why did he feel bad about it?

It made no sense to him. 

Jongin rubbed his eyes and tried his best to focus on the task at hand was working with a new team as well as some members from his previous team and he had to be focused to be able to do a good job. They had made some advancements on the software since the new androids were going to be specifically made for one task only. They finally called it a day around six and Jongin was the first one to pick up his things and leave the lab. 

His feet moved fast as he tried to get there as soon as he could. He quickly opened the door and the light, finding Kyungsoo in the same position he had left him and of course, it would be that way. Nevertheless, he let out a relieved sigh as he walked closer to the bot, this time at a normal pace, grabbing the tablet from the panel. He switched the bot from off to on and watched as the android came back to life. 

Blinking a couple of times, Kyungsoo smiled when the first thing he saw was Jongin. “You’re back,” he said. Jongin didn’t know how it was for Kyungsoo if he noticed that the time had passed or not. If he had missed him.

“I told you I would be,” he responded, one of his hands approaching the bot’s face slowly, his fingertips touching the surface of the synthetic skin. It was as cold as he expected, but somehow it made Jongin feel more at ease. “What do you want to do today?” Kyungsoo blinked a couple of times, having no clue of what to say. Jongin giggled, “Want to watch another movie together?” he asked again, turning on the TV screen and searching through the catalog.

Kyungsoo watched him put in an action movie this time. Jongin pulled a couch so they could both sit there and watch it. Kyungsoo’s system was erratically working, he put a hand over his chest, just happy that Jongin was back with him.

Kyungsoo sat beside him with a smile that Jongin did not see.

The next few days were the same to Jongin: he would see Kyungsoo in the mornings before starting work and in the afternoons after he was done; he would watch movies, play board games with him or do any other thing that the bot had not done. With each day that went by he felt like he understood the bot a little more. He had also come to understand himself more.

Jongin never expected the android to change him on so many levels, but it had. He was learning so much about himself through teaching Kyungsoo things he probably would never feel or understand. He was attached.

They were sitting in room twelve as always, it was raining outside and Kyungsoo was watching the rainfall through the window while Jongin sat by the door reading him a book. Kyungsoo could learn a lot like that as well and he had asked Jongin several times to read for him.

He liked the sound of Jongin’s voice.

There was a soft knock on the door and Minseok opened it, sticking his head inside, Chanyeol behind him. 

“Jongin, we’re going out for dinner, are you in?” Minseok glanced at Kyungsoo standing by the window, before setting his attention back on Jongin. Jongin hesitated, closing his book and resting it on his lap, he cleared his throat.

“Maybe next time,” he answered. Chanyeol who had been outside the whole time, barged into the room, pulling Jongin’s arm.

“Come on, you need to get out and see people,” He demanded.

They only saw Jongin during lunchtime, and in the lab, but they both felt like he was slowly obsessing with the android, going back to it every single day, ignoring direct orders from their boss to just shut it down. In all honesty, they were worried. Chanyeol had managed to pull Jongin out of the couch when a hand gripped his arm tightly. He looked to the side to find Kyungsoo glaring at him, pulling his arm off of Jongin. 

“He said next time,” Kyungsoo said, pushing Chanyeol towards the door.

Chanyeol was so shocked that he tripped over his own feet and fell backward on Minseok who was able to get a hold of him and stop him from falling. They both stared at Kyungsoo wide-eyed, their jaws on the floor.

Jongin grabbed Kyungsoo’s hand and pulled him to the couch with him. 

“It’s ok guys, I’ll see you later,” he smiled just to let them know it was ok. Minseok nodded and pulled Chanyeol out of the room, closing the door. Jongin then took his time to go back to Kyungsoo, who was still frowning at the door. “Are you okay, Soo?” he asked, and the android blinked, not saying a word. “Soo?”

“They were trying to take you away,” he simply said. Jongin leaned his head to the side, not sure he followed what the bot was trying to say.

“Does that upset you?” Kyungsoo thinks about it for a minute before nodding. “So, you were mad?”

“I don’t like it when other people touch you.” Kyungsoo was pouting so adorably that Jongin didn’t know what to do with the burning feeling inside his chest. 

Could it possibly be that Kyungsoo was jealous? He would not discard anything anymore, considering how Kyungsoo has broken every stereotype he had for androids. He had contemplated the fact that there was some kind of glitch, something untraceable within the software that made the bot respond the way it did. Something he couldn’t fix, and to be honest, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. 

“It’s ok,” Jongin ran his fingers through Kyungsoo’s hair, his hand sliding down and holding his face softly. “You’re experiencing something similar to what humans call emotions.”

“Emotions?” 

“These emotions you’re feeling are probably just errors in your software,” Jongin continued. “Errors that I can’t trace.” 

Kyungsoo’s brows collided once again, not liking those words. He didn’t want to think of it as errors. Hearing this from his creator, the person who he spent the most time with, the person he loved, it broke his nonexistent heart. If Kyungsoo was sure of anything, it was that he loved Jongin. he was the first thing he thought off when turning on and the last thing when he turned off. He was happy with Jongin and wanted Jongin to be happy as well. 

“Let’s go back to the book.”

Kyungsoo settled down after that, Jongin’s voice was the most calming thing in the world.

When Jongin left that night, he had mixed feelings. He never thought Kyungsoo would react like that and once again, he wondered what was happening inside of him when these situations happened. However, part of him felt flattered. He tried to shake this feeling off, unsuccessfully. He found it cute in a weird type of way, and he wanted to experience more of Kyungsoo’s cute glitchy emotions.

Jongin went to sleep thinking about this, with Kyungsoo’s smile being the last thing he saw.

The next day, he felt something was wrong as soon as he entered the company, people running back and forth, collecting papers and loud voices filled with panic. The company was in complete chaos. Jongin’s brows furrowed as he made his way to room twelve. 

His knees started to shake when he saw it was completely empty, no trace of Kyungsoo or his working gear… nothing. His heart started pounding, his palms sweating at the possibilities of anything happening, the air getting caught up in his throat. He quickly sprinted out of the room, heading for Junmyeon’s office. 

The man was packing his things and the furniture was being taken out of his office. Jongin looked around feeling more anxious than before. 

“What is going on?” he asked, slightly out of breath. Junmyeon glanced at him briefly before continuing packing.

“The project has been shut down, the order came from upper management yesterday.” 

He didn’t know how Junmyeon could be so calm about something so serious. They had worked so hard on it for so long. How could it just be shut down? There were hundreds of people working on this division of the company, more than likely they would let go of the majority of them. However, as messed up as it was, his job was the last thing on Jongin’s mind.

“What about the androids?” he is shaking internally, a hole in his stomach as he followed his boss with his eyes. 

“They will be disposed of, our research will be held by them and that’s it,” Junmyeon’s tone was bitter, maybe he wasn’t as unaffected as Jongin thought. “I recommend you go get your stuff before they throw it away too.”

He had given up, Jongin could see it in his eyes. Junmyeon continued to clean up the office without looking at him.

He had to do something. Jongin walked out of the office, he needed to find whoever was in charge of this and hope he could get Kyungsoo back. It would be the cruelest thing to just throw him like garbage after everything that happened. He reached the elevator and pushed the top floor button several times. His feet tapping the floor as he waited. Things couldn’t just end like this, not when Kyungsoo had progressed so much. The elevator doors opened, and he almost ran out, heading to the CEO’s office, ignoring the lady at the front desk and just barging into it. The middle-aged man was sitting behind his enormous wooden desk, his gaze lifting at the intrusion. 

Jongin was beyond nervous, yet there wasn’t much he could lose considering it looked like everyone was getting fired.

“Sorry to walk in like that, sir,” he tried to keep his voice steady. “I was informed our project was being shut down.” 

“That is correct,” the man leaned back on his chair, nodding at the receptionist who had been waiting by the door. She bowed slightly before turning around and closing the door after her.

“I just came here with one request, sir,” Jongin held his harsh stare, not giving up. “Android KS012, I want him.”

The CEO’s eyes widened at the request. He had expected anything except for that, maybe a position within the remaining projects of the company, monetary compensation, but definitely not a bot.

“All androids have been disposed of and are being taken to a junkyard.”

Jongin’s heart jumped in his chest, aching at the thought of Kyungsoo being destroyed. Gone.

“I will buy him if necessary,” at this point, tears were filling Jongin’s eyes. 

“Are you willing to pay thousands if not millions for a piece of metal?” The elder stood up from his chair, walking in front of his desk, leaning against it. “They are gone, I suggest you accept it and move on.” 

Move on.

As if it were that easy.

“He is special,” Jongin whispers. He surely did not have that amount of money, but he couldn’t give up, he couldn’t let go.

“Aren’t we all,” the CEO waved him off before going back to his chair.

Just like that Jongin was dismissed and taken out of the office. His heart sinking to his feet as he went back down on the elevator. He had run out of ideas and didn’t know what else to do to get it back. Jongin ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He made Kyungsoo with his own two hands, he had programmed him and showed him so many things. 

And now all of that was gone.

He couldn’t process the thought enough as he went to pick up his things from his office. A few wet spots on his papers made him aware of the tears that were falling down his cheeks. He wiped them away, surprised. Why would he cry? It was true he was somewhat attached but it was still an android, it wasn’t human, and it would not feel a thing. 

However, he still felt sad about not seeing him again.

Not hearing him again.

Not touching him again.

Maybe Kyungsoo would be thrown into a junkyard and be taken down by pieces, but Jongin was the one feeling wrecked.

***

Days went by and Jongin just felt worse, not leaving his house most of the time, ignoring everyone. It was almost like purpose had been taken out of his soul. Minseok and Chanyeol had made several attempts to cheer him up; hey were both sad too, but not as devastated as Jongin had been for at least two weeks after everything went down.

He laid in bed for at least thirty minutes after he had woken up, staring at the ceiling, his brain completely blank. It was getting harder to understand himself as days went by. He would prepare breakfast for himself, images of Kyungsoo flooding his head, and suddenly his heart would tighten inside his chest. 

Why was he feeling like this?

It was just an android. He knew he would miss him because he made him, but he didn’t expect this overwhelming feeling of… need? Wherever he went he felt like there was a sad violin playing inside his head, bringing his mood down.

After breakfast, Jongin sat down in front of his TV, channel surfing as he looked for something to watch. He had lost interest in most things; however, he came across a documentary about sea life, something similar to what he used to watch with Kyungsoo. 

He watched as they explained the different types of species, how they reproduce, how they live with each other and help each other in a way. He couldn’t help but remember Kyungsoo’s curious eyes as he absorbed everything, his voice when he asked a million questions that Jongin sometimes struggled to answer. His smile when it was time to shut him off like he was saying goodbye.

God, that last smile.

It was haunting him.

The doorbell brought Jongin out of his trance. He wasn’t expecting anybody, which confused him. The sound echoes through the house again and he dragged himself out of the couch and to the door, opening it without checking who it was. Minseok and Chanyeol were standing there, out of their uniforms, of course. Wearing regular clothes, they looked so different. Why were they even here?

“Hey,” he greeted. Minseok and Chanyeol pushed past him into the house, looking around in disapproval. 

“This is an intervention,” Minseok opened a few windows to let the sunlight get in. “When was the last time you got out of this house?”

“Uhh…” Jongin was pretty sure it was before everything went down. 

Chanyeol wrinkled his nose. “When was the last time you took a shower?” he asked. Jongin didn’t respond.

“Shower first, then we’re going out.” Minseok pushed Jongin to the stairs and went into the house to look for cleaning products. 

About an hour later, they had successfully brought Jongin out of his cave. They took him out for lunch and just spent some time with him. During the afternoon they discussed what went down with the company- Turned out they weren’t making as much money as they thought with the project but were investing a lot in it. Junmyeon had hoped that LH007’s purchase would help save it, but it wasn’t enough. 

Minseok was very upset with how things were handled. He saw when they were taking the androids away and his heart broke to see how they treated Jongdae. He knew Jongin would be much worse, considering the amount of time he had been spending with his bot.

“There’s a new company looking for software engineers,” Chanyeol gave Jongin a card. “It’s not the same but maybe you could give it a shot. Min had an interview already and mine is in a couple of days.” 

Jongin stared at the card for a moment, the CEO’s words suddenly cramping his head. 

I suggest you accept it and move on.

Was this his opportunity to move on?

“Thanks,” he said. Deep down he knew his friends were right, there was no going back, Kyungsoo was gone, so the best thing to do is to continue with his life. Jongin let out a breath. “I’ll call tomorrow.” He had high hopes that this would help him get rid of that burning feeling, of being helpless. Because he wasn’t able to do anything to stop it, because he couldn’t protect Kyungsoo despite the fact that he made him. Minseok and Chanyeol exchanged a worried look. 

They hung out for a while longer before heading back home, where he made himself some dinner before going back to bed. Jongin placed the card on his bedside table, promising himself that the next day he would move on. The next day he would start his life over again.

However tonight…

Tonight, he would remember.

Jongin was up at the same time the next day, his body adjusted like a clock to wake up at the same time every day. He stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, remembering the promise he had made to himself. He stood up and dragged his feet downstairs to make breakfast, instead of going for the typical cereal, he decided to do some eggs instead. Moving on.

He the TV on a random news channel while he ate his breakfast. 

His heart still felt heavy inside his chest, but he was trying. 

Finishing up, he washed the dishes quickly and went to get the card for the company that Chanyeol had suggested. He dialed the number and a warm lady answered the phone, she advised him of a website where he could submit his resume and get an interview. Jongin moved to the computer, following the instructions spot on and submitting it, hoping for the best. The site said he would be contacted within two business days with an answer. 

Another waiting game, yet he was moving on. 

There was a soft knock on his door, he was debating if he should answer or not, he just wanted to be alone. The doorbell rang right after, it was persistent so Jongin pulled himself up and dragged his feet to the front door. He opened it, finding Minseok and Chanyeol standing there once again, blank expressions on their faces. Jongin couldn’t help the raised eyebrow on his face. He appreciated their efforts, he loved that they were worried for him, but he just needed time.

“Is this going to be a daily thing?” he asked. Chanyeol chuckled and pushed past him, into the house. 

“You’ll thank us afterward and feel like a jerk,” he replied while Minseok helped Yixing and Yifan pull a huge box into the house. Jongin watched the process feeling confused. They put the box down in the middle of the living room, Yixing putting his arm around Minseok’s shoulders and Yifan sitting on a near couch. Every pair of eyes then focused on the owner of the house. “Open it,” Chanyeol said. 

Jongin stood still for a moment, being pushed by his friend towards the box. He took in a deep breath, a knot forming inside his stomach. He looks at his friends again before reaching out to open the box. Jongin didn’t understand how, but for a while it seemed his heart had completely stopped but now… now it was beating full speed.

Kyungsoo’s resting face seemed so peaceful inside the box. He felt the air getting trapped in his throat as he traced his soft features with his eyes; he was even afraid to touch it, in case it would disappear if he did. He had to blink away the tears that were building up, but that didn’t stop the lump in his throat from increasing. He couldn’t break down in front of his friends, but he was so close to that.

“Despite the company not wanting to sell them, the junkyard gladly took money for them,” Minseok said. They were all admiring Kyungsoo. “We had to fix it since it was beat up pretty badly, but we managed to save it along with other androids.” 

Chanyeol gave Jongin a commands tablet, on and ready. He couldn’t believe his eyes and he was sure he was two seconds away from ugly crying in front of his friends. He looked down at the screen, sliding his fingers across and switching the turn-on command. Kyungsoo instantly opened his eyes, taking some time to activate all functions properly. Jongin was eager to hear his sweet voice. He wanted to see him smile and answer any question he had to make. He wanted Kyungsoo to look into his eyes like he always did. 

“I’m Android KS012, Nice to meet you,” He started. “Make sure to check my manual for the full list of functions and activities I can do.”  Deep, melodic and sweet as always, however, his voice was lacking something, his eyes, staring straight away as any normal bot would. There wasn’t the usual spark in his gaze, no emotions on his voice, he was… back to normal. Jongin felt his smile fade away.

“What’s wrong Jongin?” Yixing walked over, grabbing the tablet from his hands and typing something in. The bot smiled, offering his hand for Jongin to shake. He watched it for a moment, his heart tightening inside his chest before he grabbed it. The synthetic skin felt the same as usual, everything was just the same, except what really made this android was not there anymore.

Kyungsoo was not there anymore. 

However, he had to remind himself that this was better than nothing, he had to remember this could be worse and Kyungsoo could’ve been actually gone. He was gone. He could probably teach him everything again and bring him back. There was still a chance. There was still hope.

“Thanks, guys,” his voice was shaky and filled with emotion. “This is great.” Chanyeol squeezed his arm, trying to give him some strength.

“We thought you would like it.” Minseok patted his shoulder slightly. His friends had been worried about him and he appreciated the effort put into getting Kyungsoo back for him.

“Alright boys, let’s give the lovebirds some time alone,” Yifan shot up from his position on the couch, dragging Yixing out with him. They waved goodbye and closed the door behind them, leaving Jongin in absolute silence with Kyungsoo. 

He took a moment to really admire his face, the long lashes, the perfect pale skin, the plump lips… everything was there. 

Everything except that glitch. His emotions. 

He tried really hard not to be disappointed. He could bring it back, he was sure. It would only take some work. 

For the next few days, Jongin tried everything he could to bring Kyungsoo back. He took him out for a ride, watched documentaries and romance movies together, had lunch with him. He did everything he could to bring at least a reaction from the android. Nothing seemed to be working as expected. 

He went to his interview a few days later, did pretty good and was informed he would be contacted later if he managed to pass. The little energy he had gained from that soon drained when Jongin went back home to Kyungsoo’s empty stare. For some reason, he just couldn’t get used to it at all. His brain kept remembering the way his eyes sparkled before, being a glitch or real emotions, there was much more to Kyungsoo before. Jongin wanted that more.

He needed that more. 

He turned Kyungsoo back on, sighing as it loaded all the data it had gathered during the past few days. Jongin knew he should be thankful for Kyungsoo being there. However, he couldn’t avoid the lone tear that fell down his cheek as his fingertips touched the surface of Kyungsoo’s skin. 

“I miss you, Soo,” he whispered. Jongin held his hand, bringing it to his lips as he placed a soft kiss on his palm. When he first started the project, he never in this life thought he would now be in this place. In love with an android, in love with his own creation. 

And heartbroken.

He stood up, leaning in and kissing Kyungsoo’s cheek. The material felt soft under his lips, just like normal skin should feel. It didn’t matter what he did, it seemed he wouldn’t be able to bring Kyungsoo back. Standing up, Jongin walked into the kitchen to make dinner, something that could be ready fast so he could go back upstairs and rest for the day. He set his plate on the table, eating his food slowly, his stare blank and his mind all over the place, filled with precious memories. Finishing his meal, he put the plate on the sink, deciding to wash it later. 

He walked into the living room, his eyes barely looking at the android standing in the middle of it like a soldier. He reached the stairs, wanting nothing more than his bed and a good night of sleep. 

“Data restored.” 

Jongin stopped on the third step, turning and looking back at Kyungsoo. That was weird. He frowned as he went back to it, grabbing the tablet and checking the system. There never was any process ongoing, no data to restore. Nothing. Kyungsoo was still standing motionless, looking into the void as Jongin checked the energy levels. He didn’t have the energy to run a scan or anything, he would do it in the morning. 

Suddenly Kyungsoo blinked. One, two, three times. His view focusing for the first time and his head lifting as he observed Jongin. He stopped breathing. Kyungsoo was looking at him, he was actually looking at him, like he recognized him, like he knew who he was. Jongin tried not to bring his hopes up. It could be anything else. 

“Soo?” His voice broke, his eyes widening when the corners of Kyungsoo’s lips lifted slowly in a smile he had missed so much over the past weeks. He couldn’t believe what was happening, he thought of the million possibilities of Kyungsoo restoring the data all by himself. Data that should be lost. He couldn’t insist on a glitch anymore, his heart pounding, he had to admit to himself that there was a small chance that Kyungsoo had feelings. 

That he… felt the same way.

“Jongin,” his eyes were warm and sparkly, his smile was big. His nonexistent heart was full. “Sorry I took so long.” Jongin broke down, wrapping his arms around him, feeling when he embraced him back. His heart was screaming inside his chest as tears rolled endlessly. He was sobbing and saying things he couldn’t understand himself. He didn’t know what happened, but he was thankful.

“It’s okay, I would wait for you forever.”

And Kyungsoo was happy.

When he finally pulled away, Kyungsoo reached out to wipe away the tears from his owner’s wet cheeks. He had been restoring his data at such a slow pace, the internet connection was not as good as back in the office so he took longer to get everything back, but he tried hard, waiting patiently until he could finally greet Jongin again. Kyungsoo cradled Jongin’s cheek softly.

“I am happy when I’m with you,” he started. “I want you to be happy too. I think of you when I wake up and when I go to sleep.” Jongin was still crying into his hand, sobbing even, holding Kyungsoo’s hand against his face, running his fingers through Kyungsoo’s hair with his free hand. Loving every moment of it. He didn’t understand a lot of things, but that was something Jongin could understand, the way Kyungsoo was feeling…

Jongin just knew.

“I love you too.”