“My heart runs after your increasingly quick steps. I think I’ll go crazy, the long nights…” Yongguk’s voice trailed off. He was practicing the lyrics he was supposed to perform for the first time in just a few days but they slipped his mind and tongue so easily. He couldn’t grasp them as his mind was progressively more distracted with each day that had passed in the week since Junhong had been gone. Yongguk was surprised at himself for so quickly becoming attached the boy. Yet he could not deny how astoundingly intrigued he was by the young robot.

Junhong hadn’t left Yongguk’s mind the entire week and Yongguk was starting to worry. How could someone he’d only met a few times have taken over his brain? He seemed to spiralling into a pit of thoughts that were consumed by the boy-bot and every question Yongguk could ever have about him.

The most important thought that swam through Yongguk’s thoughts and even invaded his dreams at night was Junhong’s programming. He had called the number that man had given the first chance he’d had. He’d given them a rough idea of what he wanted and they’d told him it would take one week on top of the repairs that were already being done so Yongguk knew he would have to be extra patient. He was mostly agitated about the appointment he’d made to see them.

He had thought of over exactly what he wanted from the programmers, how he wanted Junhong to be – which was not much different from before. He wanted Junhong to have memories but not the tragic ones he had of Minhyeon.

Yongguk sat down on the bed behind him, it was Jongup’s. He could smell the teenager in the sheets and the pillow as he sat there. Jongup had a good smell and Yongguk was glad to be distracted for a moment, but it was fleeting. He suddenly started to wonder what Junhong would smell like, something musky and sweet like Jongup? Yongguk shook his head. How could he think of something like that?

He was the eldest of the group, the one with the most responsibilities to look after his dongsaengs but Yongguk just wanted a rest. He wished he could stop thinking about Junhong so far away, completely unaware that he was all alone again. He wished he could stop feeling so fatherly towards a robot that he hadn’t known existed until just a few weeks before. Yongguk felt like everything had turned upside down when Junhong had first ran into him in the street and called him Minhyeon. He felt that everything had changed, but how much?

Yongguk sighed heavily and tried to think of his rap again but all the lyrics had vanished from his mind. He could only hum the melody of the song but that wasn’t enough.

There was a gentle tap on the closed door and Yongguk looked up when a timid voice called through the door. “Hyung? Can I come in?” It was Jongup and Yongguk called for him. The boy peeked into the room and smiled when Yongguk’s eyes met his.

“What’s up?” When Jongup pushed open the door with his hip, Yongguk realised there was something in his hands. It was a mug with steam billowing up Jongup’s chest as he held it steady so as not to spill whatever was inside.

“Well, we know you’re a little stressed, with Junhong and the promotions and all, so Youngjae helped me make you some tea.” Jongup smiled proudly as he took the several steps towards his own bed pushed up against the wall near the closet. Yongguk smiled appreciatively and took the cup. It smelled good and the warmth on his cold nose was a relief to his skin. He took a tiny sip, making sure not to burn himself but the drink wasn’t quite that hot. He sighed happily as he warmed his hands with the mug.

“Thanks, Jongup-ah.” Yongguk smiled at the boy but Jongup still looked timid, as if he wasn’t finished. Yongguk cocked his head with a questioning look.

“Um…I was…I was wondering when Junhonggie will be back.” Jongup in his lips and stared at the ground. He waited in silence until he glanced up – still with his head facing downwards – to see Yongguk considering his answer.

“Well…” Yongguk breathed deeply once before looking at the curtained window above Himchan’s bed on the far wall. “I don’t know. I don’t think it’ll be for a while.” Yongguk could feel his own disappointment intensify when he caught the flash of sadness in Jongup’s expression that was quickly replaced with a bright smile.

“Okay, thanks hyung.” He bounded out of the room but Yongguk was unsure of that smile. Himchan had told him how Jongup and Junhong had been when the boy-bot had shut down and Yongguk could see how Jongup was really missing his new friend. The boy wasn’t one to get attached easily so the elder knew this would be a hard few weeks for more than just himself.

“Ah, okay. Sure thing, Yongguk. Just call me when you get home okay.” Manager Kang clapped Yongguk’s shoulder before walking off to check on Youngjae who was studying in one of the smaller practice rooms. It was only another week until Junhong was meant to be picked up and taken to be reprogrammed and Yongguk had only time to practice, perform and worry about the boy-bot.

“Where are you going?” Himchan looked at him curiously, maybe a little angrily, as he walked over from where he’d been listening to the short conversation between Yongguk and the manager. Yongguk had been vague about what he was going to be doing when explaining it but he knew he could tell Himchan, he would always tell Himchan everything.

“To an appointment at A.L.I.S programming place.” He’d forgotten what they’d called it but he knew the address so that Hyojin would be able to take him again.

“What for?” Himchan almost sounded accusatory but Yongguk knew it was just the way he sounded when he was trying to find something out. Yongguk sighed. He’d been thinking about the appointment non-stop in the few days leading up to it.

“Hello Mr. Bang. I’m Kim Yoojin. Nice to meet you.” The man shook Yongguk’s hand firmly and led him and his cousin into a hall lined with doors. They were taking to the third last on the right. The office they entered was small, square and boxy. There was a desk that jutted out from the wall opposite and two comfortable looking chairs in the line with the door. The plaque on the front of the desk read ‘Kim Yoo Jin’ in gilded letters. Mr Kim gestured for them to sit and Yongguk took the one against the wall. The man sat across from them at the desk and moved aside a few papers to bring out a notepad and pen. Yongguk guessed he would be writing down all the details of what Yongguk wanted for Junhong.

“So sir, how can I help you today?” The man’s smile was wide and probably genuine but it wasn’t what Yongguk was there for. He sat forward, his elbows on the arms of the chair and his hands clasped together. Yongguk thought for a moment, thinking of just the right words.

“I want…to build Junhong a life.” Yongguk felt that was the best summary for what he had planned.

“Jun-jun…? Ah yes, the robot.” The man’s confusion had been clear on his features but when he realised Junhong was the robot, sickly sweet smile returned.

“Ah, yes. I…I want…to give him memories. See, he’s…he’s going to be exposed to…a lot of people and I want him to have some background…so that he doesn’t seem…strange to other people.” Yongguk knew he spoke slowly but it was because he was always thinking over what he needed to say and how he could say it best. He felt that Mr Kim understood him mostly but didn’t quite get it.

“What...what kind of people will he be exposed to?” His hands were folded together on top of his notepad. His head was turned slightly so that Yongguk was looking more at his profile that his face but the man’s attention was still focused on him.

“Uh well, I…I’m a trainee at an entertainment company and…well…I,” Yongguk  glanced at Hyojin who looked expectant, “we want him to be a trainee as well.” Yongguk nodded and his lips, Mr Kim nodded as well.

“Ah, I see. I…I think we can work with that. I just have a few standard questions for you. How old do you want him to be, so when is his birthday?” Mr Kim began counting on his fingers. “What are the major life events you want included, for example: death of parents, discovering his career path, graduating school? Things like this are the most important in forming a base for the memories and such that you wish for us to create.” Yongguk nodded as he thought, he and Hyojin shared a look as they both deliberated on answers for those questions.

“Do his parents have to be dead?” Yongguk didn’t want to speak of such a topic so frankly but it was necessary to be candid.

“Well no, they don’t. It’s just easier if the parents are passed away since the robots don’t exactly have anyone to fill the spot.” Yongguk nodded but he knew he didn’t want that kind of memory for Junhong.

“Okay, well no, we want him to have parents. And uh, he’s 15, so born in 1996.” Mr Kim nodded continuously as Yongguk spoke and he wrote the notes. Yongguk saw that he had nice handwriting.

“What about the date then?” Mr Kim looked up at Yongguk then who looked to Hyojin. He had an idea for what it should be but he wasn’t sure she was thinking the same thing. He looked back down at what Mr Kim had written.

“October 15.” He saw how Hyojin looked at him curiously but happily in his peripheral. October 15 was Minhyeon’s birthday and to Yongguk it just seemed right to give the boy-bot that day. He couldn’t have thought of another if not that. “Also his last name is Choi…if that helps.” Choi Minhyeon; Choi Junhong. It all just seemed to fit into place as each thought came to Yongguk.

“Ah, yes it does.” The man beamed, finally having a full name for the life he would create in binary. He scribbled down the name; Choi Jun Hong. “Now, you say you want him to join you as a trainee. What exactly are the skills he will require for that?” The man continued to write notes that Yongguk didn’t understand – coding and programmer slang – as he spoke.

“Uh well, I’m not sure but I guess in general he’ll need to be able to sing and dance.” The man ‘ah’d again in reply and wrote in bigger letters this time ‘IDOL’ and underlined it three times.

“We’ve had this request before, so don’t worry we already have a framework for that in the system. The robots though already have an extensive database that sort of…” he seemed to search for the laymen’s term, “unlocks when they see or experience something related to whatever information they are accessing. So when a robot, for example, watches a video of dances the information on the type of dance and the dancers is unlocked, so is the information related to it such as other types of dance, stars known for their skill and so on. At the same time, if you’re showing them the video on, let’s say YouTube, they will be able to access all their stored information on the site.” Yongguk nodded finally understanding how Junhong never seemed truly timid or unsure. He already knew everything there was to know.

“He’ll be able to get into the specific role you give him easily but of course there may be some aspects to the way your training is conducted that he may have to be taught just as anyone else would. He will only have the information that is able to be programmed – not common sense.” The man gestured a little as he talked but smiled when he finished, waiting for their responses.

Yongguk mulled all of it over. Junhong really could become a trainee with TS, and he could be good. Yongguk would just have to be sure of it when he was finally able to see Junhong awake again.

“Mr Bang.” Mr Kim looked at him and Yongguk’s attention was pulled to the man’s expression, his eyebrows tucked together over his nose, his eyes soft but serious and his mouth curved into just the hint of a smile as he remained kind towards his customers but still appropriately informative. “The basic timeline we have for the ‘idol’ programme is their love for performing comes to them after seeing a sunbae on stage, and from there, usually at the age of 10, they pursue the skill of choice until 16 or so when they audition at the company of choice and begin as trainees. How does that sound?” Yongguk felt his eye brows pull together. The conversation was so foreign to him and he felt strange speaking the way he was but it all seemed natural in the circumstances.

“That sounds good but not quite right. Do you think we could change the age 10 to age 7 and have him begin training from the age 11. Since we want him to be 15 I feel that’s a little more realistic.” Yongguk wasn’t sure how they could say Junhong had been training professionally – where did he train? With who? Train for what? Mr Kim seemed to understand though and Yongguk could see how he could answer those questions as he went.

“Of course, we will programme him to whatever your expectations may be.” He wrote down the ages and points Yongguk had expressed before pausing with his pen hovering just above the paper. “Can I ask which company you work for? I’ll just all those sorts of details to be able to fill everything in.” Yongguk nodded and preceded to give the man each and every detail Junhong needed to have authentic memories. His entire life was a mirror of Minhyeon’s – where he was born, his elementary school, the names of his first friends, the names of his parents; Hyojin would be filling in that role if ever needed despite looking too young for it. Mr Kim also offered to set up Junhong’s birth certificate and passport to which Yongguk agreed.

“Since your robot is so young,” Mr Kim glanced at his notes for the exact age that he’d already forgotten in the flood of information from Yongguk, “and we like to ensure our customers catch every possible loose thread before it’s too late, what are your plans for schooling?”

Yongguk felt slightly taken aback by the question, he hadn’t even considered it. His first thought was that he could have dropped out but Yongguk knew education was important, and he had the feeling Junhong was going to have a lot of influence. He didn’t want the boy-bot to make it seem like school wasn’t important.

Hyojin spoke from beside him. “He’ll go to the Seoul School of Performing Arts.” Mr Kim jotted it down on his pad and smiled up at both of them. “Now, let’s discuss personality traits.”

A little shorter than usual but hope you guys like it :)