Androids are popular and exclusive for the rich and powerful. Many stare at the posters with longing, Jisung included. He’s found himself stopping and staring at these amazing beings. It’s incredible how human they act and look. They’re programmed to love, care. They can do everything. He once read that they come with a variety of skills; cooking, cleaning, drawing. Jisung had read a blog about how they can be taught or, if you have the money, you can buy a chip and install the new language or skill. Hell, he even read that some people end up marrying them.

 

The almost-late-for-his-shift waiter tears his eyes from the poster and begins to pedal back down the street. He doesn’t have time to daydream today, he has to be like every other poor person and make his own damn money. “Hey,” He greets weakly, nodding to his fellow co-workers. 

 

“Wow, you look like ,” Hyunjin jokes, offering him a donut.

 

“Yeah, thanks,” he mumbles and shakes his head. He actually managed to get something to eat before he had to run out for work. “Is it bad out there?” He asks as he stuffs his bag into a locker and pulls on his apron. 

 

“Not but it will be in an hour,” he says. “You know, a new android attachment came out today...so people are probably gonna be here to test it out.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“You haven’t heard? It allows androids to EAT,” Hyunjin rolls his eyes. “Talk about a waste of food!” Jisung chuckles and shakes his head again, joining his co-workers as they both clock in. “Everyone is gonna talk about the winner for that super new android; it’s apparently EXCLUSIVE, meaning only ONE is going to be made and he’s handsome!”

 

“Oh yeah…I saw the posters.”

 

“Yeah, only ONE person is going to get it. I wonder who it is…”

 

Jisung lets out a sigh. He has a feeling it’s going to be a really long day. 

 

All of Jisung is tired as he slowly walks his bike from the restaurant. It was indeed a long day. Almost everyone brought in their damn androids today. It’s amazing, though, how realistic they are. They must feel all hard and plastic, so what’s the point? Get a real girlfriend or boyfriend, people. During a particularly long yawn, he glances over to an alleyway, a body catches his attention. He stops and frowns, squinting into the darkness. He blinks a few times and furrows his brows. What the hell? Maybe it’s just some drunk idiot, passed out after one too many. He stares for a few more moments. Maybe he should see if they’re alright. Jisung slowly makes his way into the alley, keeping his eyes trained on the figure. “Hey, you alright?” He calls out. When he gets no responses, the student sets his bike to the side and pulls out his phone; switching on the light. “Hey, dude, if you’re drunk, you should-” He stops dead in his tracks when facing the boy.

 

He recognizes him from the posters, billboards, and commercials. The new android that had been released. Min.Ho0.01. And in person, he’s absolutely gorgeous. Short, dark hair, soft-looking skin. He looks so life-like. But what the hell is he doing here? There’s something strange beside him, too. It looks like some kind of sealed little leathery bag, big enough to fit in his hand. Jisung slowly kneels, his hands shaking as he picks it up. He raises his brows when looking inside. Chips, by the look of it. Small, USB-like things. They all seem to be labeled too. Jisung bites his lip and looks around. No one seems to be around. Why would they? It’s almost two in the morning. Swallowing hard, he looks back at Min.Ho0.01. Should he...return him? Maybe he could call that robot company. Jisung clears his throat as he turns off his flashlight and looks up the number. When he presses the call, he puts it up to his ear and looks back at the android boy. Jisung stares at him intensely. He looks so real, like a person just ready to stand up.

 

The student slowly raises his hands, his lip nervously. Jisung reaches for the boy’s face and gently presses one or two fingers on his cheeks. His eyes widen at how soft he is. It’s seriously like touching another person. Soft, fleshy. “Hello,” An automatic voice speaks up from the phone, causing him to jump. He pulls his hands away and stands. “The lottery on our new Min.Ho0.01 is now over. If you are calling for information on how to purchase an older version, press one. If you have a question about your android, press two. If you want to return your android, press 3.” Jisung waits for more options, sighing when no more appears. Totally useless. Jisung hangs up and grips it tightly. What the hell is he supposed to do? The student looks down at Min.Ho0.01 and groans. Maybe he should just bring him home and then take him to the building tomorrow. It’d be easier if the damn thing was on. But, how does he even do that?

 

Jisung calls up the hotline again, waiting once again for options. He presses two. The student waits again as it goes through useless information. “To turn on your android…”

 

“Finally,” He scoffs. “That should seriously be the first option…”

 

“Put a finger on the back of your android’s neck, at the bottom. Feel around for an invisible, round button and hold for seven seconds.”

 

“A button,” He mumbles, kneeling beside the android and doing as the message says. Jisung finds his way into the back of the android’s white sweater, awkwardly feeling around; pressing when he feels a button underneath the skin. Jisung steps back and waits. 

 

“Turning on your android can take up to five minutes or to five hours.”

 

“F-f-five hours?!” Jisung gasps. “You’re kidding…ing .” He hangs up and rubs his face. Stupid people. “I guess they don’t usually expect people to sit in an alley in the middle of the night and do it.” He turns away and starts to look around in that bag. Might as well start wasting time. Luckily for him, he has tomorrow off. There’s only a couple of chips, about ten. All of them but one having anything written on them. Eating, manners, knowledge, some others. The last one looks like it used to say emotions but had been rubbed off. 

 

“Hello.”

 

Jisung yelps and spins around, his eyes wide and bewildered. Min.Ho0.01 stares at him. He now stands, his arms to his side as if waiting for a command. “Oh, crap…” He laughs nervously. “It wasn’t even...five minutes. Maybe it’s because you’re new…” 

 

“My name is Min.Ho0.01.”

 

“Yeah,” He sighs and looks back at the bag. After staring for a moment, he finally stuffs it into his jacket pocket and grabs his bike. “Come on, just follow me.”

 

“You're my owner.”

 

“No,” Jisung quickly says. “I’m returning you to those people in the morning." My name is Ji-"

 

"HAN. Your name is HAN and you have been registered as my master.

 

“What?”

 

“Your name is HAN and you have been registered as my new owner."

 

“I mean..it’s my last name,” Jisung mumbles. “I don’t know how you know that...” He leads the android toward his apartment, which is nearby. It’s seriously just around the block. He quickly pulls his bikes into the ty elevator, ushering Min.Ho0.01 inside too. “Min.Ho0.01 is kind of long to say...I’m just going to call you Minho.”

 

“My name...is Minho.”

 

“There you go,” Jisung nods. When the doors open, the student makes his way down the hall, stopping to unlock his door. As soon as he steps in, he moves over to give Minho room to enter as well. Once the android is in, Jisung shuts and locks the door. “Home sweet home.”

 

“Home sweet home,” Minho repeats in a monotone voice.

 

“Great. Don’t know what the hell is wrong with you but your commercial made you seem a lot happier and...alive.” Jisung pats his pockets and pulls out the chips. “Oh...maybe you need these. I don’t know what to do…” He nervously looks around his studio. It’s a cheapish place, to be honest. But it works. To the left is an open kitchen with a simple sink, oven, fridges, whatever. He even has a coffee maker he managed to afford. At the far left of the place is a sad excuse for a living room. A tan couch facing right with a wooden coffee table in front, an end table to the left of the couch. His TV is small, placed on a table he found for free. To the right is his double bed. Actually, his bed is quite nice, thanks to Hyunjin. The guy moved in with his boyfriend, so he needed a bigger bed. Thus, he gave it to Jisung for free. Beside his bed is a nightstand, with a small closet by it. A lamp rests on the table. The bathroom is small too. As soon as he enters the apartment, the door leading there is to the right. With a sink to the right of the bathroom, the toilet beside it, and the bath, shower combo opposite of them both. 

 

“Just sit on the couch while I figure this out,” Jisung commands, motioning over as he dials the hotline once again. Minho does as he’s asked, quietly sitting.

 

Jisung waits when he hears the automatic voice. Maybe he needs to call tomorrow when it’s not late. Sighing, he hangs up and rubs his face. “So uh…do you androids sleep?”

 

“Some humans prefer that their androids sleep alongside them to provide them with the feeling of company. Is this something you are interested in, HAN?”

 

“Um…no, I’m ok. And just call me Jisung,” he begins to head for his bathroom. “Not that it’ll matter. Just sit there, I guess.” He shuts and locks the door behind him before going to the sink. He stares at his own reflection. What the hell has he gotten himself into? A whole android? Jisung splashes his face with cold water and strips for a shower. It’ll be fine once he returns it tomorrow.

 

When Jisung wakes up the next morning, he can see Minho still sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the television. He groans, half hoping it had been some weird dream. But as soon as he makes a noise and begins to sit up, Minho suddenly stands and walks over to him.

 

“Good morning, Jisung. It is currently ten-thirty in the morning and negative two celsius. If you plan on leaving your home, please use caution and put on a coat.”

 

The student stares up at him for a moment. “Right…thank you.” he gets to his feet and stretches, feeling a bit uneasy under Minho’s intense stare. Jisung clears his throat and once again ushers the android to the couch; getting him to sit down. Pulling out his phone, he again dials the number. Once he hears the woman’s voice, he goes to make his choice but stops. “Congratulations to our winner, Han Jisung.”

 

“...What?” He shakes his head and clicks the number for actual customer service. He glances at Minho as he waits. It’s so weird how real he looks, and how pretty he is.

 

“Hello, Thank you for calling S.A.I.C. How may I help you today?”

 

“Yeah, I kind of have a problem.”

 

“Is it with your android, sir?”

 

“Yes- well, no! I was walking home late at night when I kind of found your guy’s new Min.Ho0.01 model just…sitting in an alley turned off. His chips were out and to be honest, I think he’s broken. Anyways, I never signed up for the contest to win him; I didn’t even know there was one-”

 

“Sir, are you calling because you’re unhappy with your android?”

 

“Yeah, I don’t think I should have him…right? The automatic lady said my name as the winner but…There’s been a mix-up.”

 

“Okay, I’m going to ask you to verify your identity. I’m going to need your social and date of birth.” After Jisung gives them, he’s told to wait for a good five minutes. And yet it ends up being at least ten. “Hello, Han Jisung. Thank you for waiting. But there is no mix-up. You are the winner of Min.Ho0.01!” She explains. “We chose randomly, people didn’t have to register to win him.”

 

“Okay,” he says slowly. “How come I just…found him in an alley beside my house?” 

 

“There must have been some mix-up with his delivery to your home but you have him now?”

 

“Yeah. So, you’re telling me I…own this android?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“Okay, so…what about his personality? He seems…broken.”

 

“Not broken, sir, but a clean slate! Instead of coming with his personality already set, this is a new feature where you can mold him to your own liking.”

 

“That’s so creepy…”

 

“Well…congratulations on winning our first and only limited and exclusive Min.ho. Can I help you with anything else?”

 

“Okay, um…” Jisung sighs. If he’s going to keep him, he might as well figure this out. “How do I install these…chip things?”

 

“To install a new chip in your android, take a number zero screwdriver and remove the screws in the inner right wrist of your android.”

 

“Um...alright,” He mutters, going to his closet. He rummages around in it before he finds his toolbox. The appliances in his studio messes up a lot so he keeps these handy. He doesn't have the money to pay for any fixes anyway. Once he gets the screwdriver he needs, Jisung approaches Minho. “Can I see your right arm?” Without question, Minho does as he’s told. The student pushes the android’s sleeve up, revealing two small screws. As soon as he has them off, Jisung gently pushes on that area. It’s weird, the only hard part of the man’s body, aside from the button on his neck. It comes up, revealing a compartment inside. There are ten empty slots, confirming his suspicion. His chips, for some reason, were taken out. 

 

“Simply insert one USB at a time, waiting at least five seconds after each insert.”

 

“Right, right,” Jisung sets the screwdriver down, pulling out the first USB; manners. He inserts it and waits. As soon as they’re all in, including the blank one, he speaks up. “Okay, now what?”

 

“When everything is inserted, press the small button inside for another seven seconds and it’ll take effect.”

 

“This is weird,” He mumbles but once again, does as instructed. Once he’s down again, he puts the screws back in and steps away; waiting. Nothing changes. Minho stares up at him. His eyes are lifeless and dark. Jisung raises a brow when he notices the boy’s chest heaving like he’s actually breathing. The student puts two fingers to Minho’s neck, confused to feel a pulse. “, they really go all out with you androids. Um…so, nothing happened.”

 

“That’s all you have to do. Now, you can teach and help grow your android! Congratulations! The five thousand dollars for android clothing and accessories have been put into your account and you will be sent a customary android kid with an instruction manual. Have a nice day.”

 

“Five thousand?!” Jisung exclaims but the woman had already hung up. He stares at the phone with wide eyes. Shaking his head, the student once again looks at Minho. “Do you androids shower?”

 

“Yes. As with humans, it is the best way to keep our bodies clean.”

 

“I guess that makes sense. Um...feel free to use mine, I guess.”

 

“Would you like me to get clean?”

 

Jisung looks at the android’s skin and clothing, slightly dirty from the alley. “Y-yeah, sure.” Minho stands and turns, entering the bathroom without another word. Jisung swallows hard as he looks for Hyunjin’s number and dials. 

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hyunjin, hey! Uhm…are you free today?”

 

“Hey, Jisung,” Hyunjin greets. “Yeah, I am. Felix gets back from Australia tomorrow, so…I have nothing planned today.”

 

“Great. Can you meet me at the mall? The smaller one by work?”

 

“Oh, sure. What time are you thinking?”

 

Jisung can hear the sound of the shower. “...I’ll head there now?”

 

“I can do that. See you then?”

 

“Yeah, see you.” Before that android comes out and stares at him again, Jisung decides to quickly change into fresh clothes. As soon as he’s done, Minho steps out of the bathroom. “Here,” He says, handing the android some clean clothes. “We’re going to the mall to meet my friend.”

 

“Affirmative,” Minho nods before he begins to strip. Jisung quickly looks away, clearing his throat. When the android finishes, the student ushers him into a coat. “I do not need a coat, I can not feel the temperature.”

 

“Okay, but you’ll stick out if you’re not wearing a coat at…negative 2, you said?”

 

“I understand.”

 

Jisung shakes his head and zips up his own coat before leading him into the ty elevator. “Jisung, would you allow me to scan you?”

 

The student looks at him wearily. “What?”

 

“To better cater to your needs and desires, I would like to do a full-body and head scan. May I?”

 

“H-here?”

 

“I would like to scan you in a place where you are comfortable and relaxed.”

 

“So, not the mall.”

 

“If it is not a comfortable space for you, no. I suggest we commence the scanning in the safety of your home.”

 

“Okay…so, you’ll be able to see…what exactly?”

 

“It will be a scan of your body and brain. With the information, I can get a read on any conditions you may have. It will also help me monitor your diet, blood pressure, and weight.”

 

“Nothing like…memories?”

 

“No.”

 

Jisung slowly nods. “Weird…people have to go to doctors for that.” They step out of the elevator and make their way down the street. It’s not a long walk to the mall, probably only a few blocks. He, luckily, lives relatively close to major places. 

 

He doesn’t like the immediate attention he gets when they arrive. People whisper and talk about Minho, staring at him and then toward Jisung. He nervously leads the way into the mall, quickly approaching the food court. As soon as he sees Hyunjin, he feels some relief wash over him. “Hyunjin,” he calls out, waving weakly to him.

 

His friend smiles but it fades when his gaze falls to Minho. His eyes grow wide the closer they get. “Is…i-is that what I think it is?!”

 

Jisung looks at Minho and rubs his neck. “It’s kind of a weird story.”

 

“Is that Min.ho0.01 walking around with YOU?!”

 

“Okay, I was walking home from work and I found Minho, like, RIGHT outside my building in an alley. I decided to take him to my apartment and figured I’d return him in the morning,” he explains. “I called the people and the lady said I was…the winner.”

 

Hyunjin stares at the android in awe. “Oh my god, he’s way prettier in person. He’s seriously perfect…like a model!”

 

“Yeaah…” Jisung nervously rubs his arms as more and more people keep approaching. Minho’s head suddenly snaps toward the student and his eyes squint. He jumps a bit when the android presses two fingers to the side of Jisung’s head. “Are you unwell? I sense a drop in your heart rate.” Jisung blinks a few times in confusion when he feels a tingling from the touch; like touching something with static. “I see.” He puts his hand down and turns to face the crowd. “I must ask you all to stop surrounding my owner. Due to his agoraphobia, he will become anxious and overwhelmed,” Minho speaks up in his monotone voice. “Please back away.”

 

“Wow!” a woman exclaims. “What’s wrong with his voice?”

 

“He’s so lifelike but where’s his personality?” 

 

“He’s nothing like his voice in the commercials!” Someone points out. “But his appearance totally makes up for it. Tell us, what does he do? What’re the new features?!”

 

Jisung gasps at the sight of Minho’s eyes. They suddenly glow red and whirl mechanically. “I repeat: Back away from Jisung!” He repeats, his voice growing loud and echoey in tone; like a siren. People all quickly take some steps back, murmuring amongst themselves. As soon as they’re no longer crowding around the three, Minho’s eyes return to normal and he bows. “Thank you.”

 

“Minho, how did you know about my agoraphobia?” 

 

“I did a quick scan of your brain. If you disapprove of it or it makes you uncomfortable, I will refrain from doing so in the future.”

 

“No, that…was good. Thank you.”

 

“Impressive. Lucky for you and your agoraphobia,” Hyunjin jokes. ”So…really. What happened to his personality? He was all friendly and…whatever in the commercials.”

 

“When I called the number or whatever, I asked that too. She said he’s a clean state, free for me to, I don’t know, teach him and mold him to be whatever I want.”

 

“So…he didn’t come with a personality chip?”

 

“No, I  didn't see anything like that. But he had a whole bag of chips,” Jisung explains as they make their way to a clothing store. “Manners, knowledge, whatever. But the personality one wasn't there..”

 

“What about his emotion chip?”

 

“Kind of. The label looked rubbed off, like it didn’t belong in there,” He motions to Minho. “But they’re all in him.”

 

Hyunjin hums and looks through the racks. “You know you can just buy a personality add-on at their store. They have, like, thousands to choose from.”

 

Jisung shrugs. “I wanna see where this goes. Also, I'm too broke for that- Minho, look around for some clothes you like.”

 

“That I like,” he repeats. “I do not have desires.”

 

“Then just…I don’t know, pick random stuff out.”

 

“You’re wasting a perfect opportunity to dress him,” Hyunjin points out. “He would look gorgeous in a turtleneck and blazer. Oh, or a nice button-up!”

 

“How about you just pick for him?” Jisung offers. “You like shopping.”

 

Hyunjin gasps and puts his hands on Minho’s shoulder. “Really?! I can?!”

 

Jisung crosses his arms. “Do you care, Minho?”

 

“If that is what you would like, master.”

 

“Noooo, nooo. No master,” He laughs nervously. “Just Jisung. Just um…go with him, I'll wait out on the bench.” He hands Hyunjin his card before leaving the store and finding a seat on that bench. He watches them for a moment and at how excited his close friend is. What the hell is he doing? He feels way over his head with this android thing. And yet he knows if he gave Minho back, he’d regret it.