It had been a day since Yongguk had come, and it would be another until he returned. Junhong felt like he was in….limbo, yes limbo was the right word, as he waited for the allusive man. He had worked harder than before for Yun-Ki and she seemed to appreciate it more despite her continual abrasiveness. And in the short time since his charging plug had moved, Yun-Ki had already rented out Minhyeon’s old room to a new tenant – her nephew, Junghwa. He was snide and cocky, ordering Junhong around as much, if not more, than his noona and Junhong continuously wondered if he could wait that extra day for Yongguk.

Junhong scowled, a strange sensation, as he left the new tenants room. He almost turned back when he heard the man insult him after saying thank you. Instead he moved swiftly up the staircase to the lounge room where other, kinder tenants were eating breakfast in the kitchen. Junghwa had decided that he deserved his served to him.

Their light chatter was gentle on his ears and he praised them silently for how considerate they were of each other. Why couldn’t everyone be like these people? Sohee smiled warmly at him when he began cleaning the dishes and so did the two men talking to her, who apparently lived on the bottom floor but Junhong had only seen once before.

“Hi, Junhong-ah, did you survive?” She gave him a knowing look and he nodded. He had survived Junghwa for the morning but knew his help would be requested several more times. He finished the dishes quickly, the tenants had been conscious of not making a mess, and when he did Sohee beckoned him to sit on the couch with her. The two men left for work after waving goodbye to both the boy-bot and his friend.

“Watch TV with me Junhonggie. You need a good break and Yun-Ki isn’t here at the moment, so you don’t have to worry.” Yun-Ki was out at a hair-cut appointment but nonetheless she was never happy with Junhong if he wasn’t either cleaning or charging. If he did anything other than those activities he was giving twice the amount of work he would have otherwise had. As if Junghwa’s demands weren’t enough.

Sohee flicked through the channels quickly but stopped on ‘SBS MTV’. A show that had been playing was just finishing but instead of ads a music video played. He knew it immediately, his software supplying the name – ‘Gee’ by Girl’s Generation. It also gave him the rest of his programmed information on the channel: SBS MTV was a music channel with occasional reality shows. It was a source for new music like other channels that ran through his mind along with some of the more popular groups.

“Have you heard this song before?” Sohee glanced up at him where he stood behind the couch. He shook his head as he stared, glued to the television to watch something he suddenly knew a lot about but had never seen before. His mind was flooded with all the information there was about Girl’s Generation, or SNSD, and he knew each of their names and the faces that went with them.

“I know about it though.” He spoke quietly but Sohee still heard.

“Do you know everything; is your mind just an encyclopaedia?” She seemed genuinely curious when Junhong looked down to meet her gaze. He walked around the end of the couch and sat beside her.

“Not quite. I have a knowledge base that is accessed through my experiences. When I experience something, I receive the information from my software where it is contained in encrypted files. They are triggered to open when I record similar information from my surroundings. I know all there is now about Girl’s Generation but I only learnt it 34 seconds ago.” He explained quickly and somewhat excitedly.

“How quickly do you get the information?” Her eyes brightened at what he assumed were hundreds of questions running through her mind.

“It usually only takes one hundredth of a second but it depends on the amount of information. Larger files can take anywhere between one tenth of a second to 4 seconds to be processed into my memory bank.” Junhong had known everything about how he worked from the first moment he had recognised consciousness. It was exciting him that someone had finally asked him about himself rather than pretending he was uninteresting.

The television changed as the music video finished and another one came on. The new one was Secret’s Starlight Moonlight. Junhong recognised the women in the video as Hyosung, Sunhwa, Zinger and Jieun. He knew they were beautiful for the standards of humans and that they would be his noona’s.

“Oh, I like this song!” Sohee started bopping along to the song and subtly dancing to the lyrics while she stayed seated. Junhong gave her a fright though when he stood up in exclamation.

“AH! That’s Yongguk-hyung!” Junhong pointed to the TV but the moment passed when the man had appeared. He glanced at Sohee but she was only bewildered at what he was saying. “The ticket man! He was here a few days ago!” Sohee’s brow knitted together and she picked up the remote to rewind the show and she paused it on Yongguk’s face where his mouth was agape. It clicked in Junhong’s mind that the reason Yongguk had used a TS card was because he was a trainee there.

“You know him?” Sohee stared at Yongguk, analysing his features before she turned questioningly back to Junhong.

“Yeah, he knew Minhyeon; I’ve only met him twice but…” Junhong cut himself off. He wasn’t sure what to say, how to explain his seemingly simple but infinitely complicated relationship with this man he had met only a few times. He moved close to her so that he could speak as quietly as possible. “He is coming to take me away. He is going to save me from Yun-Ki.” When he saw the disbelief in his noona’s eyes, Junhong pulled out the business card from his pocket. He kept it on his person at all times because he knew Yun-Ki would not find it.

He handed the card to Sohee and her eyes bugged when she realised what it is. “Wow Junhong-ah. So…this is real?” He nodded fervently and she seemed to accept what he was saying. Sohee smiled gently but when she looked away from the card Junhong only just noticed the slight sadness in her eyes. “We were just becoming friends and now you’re going to leave. If only I could get away from here like this. Have someone come take me away like a princess.” She laughed but the sadness didn’t leave her. “I’m glad I got to know you then Junhong-ah.”

If he could have, Junhong knew he would have felt warmer inside. Like the feeling expressed in novels that the heart becomes warm and the chest tightens. Happiness caused that but Junhong missed out on it. He could only feel slight elation at her words, which was something he shouldn’t have felt in the first place.

“OH! I have to go get ready. Sorry Junhong-ah. I need to get to work soon. When are you leaving? I hope I can say goodbye.” Junhong could see how she was disappointed but excited at the same time as well as rushed from the moment.

“I leave tomorrow noona, but don’t say it too loud. I leave at 11 so if you’re awake then I can come say goodbye.” She nodded happily and waved to him before dashing down the staircase.

Sohee had already pressed play again and the video after Secret’s was just finishing. The next one to play was one that Junhong decided he liked. It was Lucifer by SHINee. He was mesmerised by their dancing even though he knew it was choreographed. The youngest of the group, Taemin, was by far the best and he could see how the boy’s execution of the moves was indicative of his evident passion for dancing. He was a true professional.

Junhong watched several more videos but focused on the dances as he watched them. Most were simple and fairly unimpressive until Junghwa called him from the floor below, shouting and ringing a bell that reminded Junhong of the way aristocrats would call their servants.

He tended to the pathetic man as quickly as he could and when he got back to the TV he was more captivated than ever. The guy on the screen was b-boying; popping his body to the beat and moving almost like a machine – like a robot.  Junhong had never felt a desire so strong as to dance like that. But in comparison, his body was awkward and rigid and despite his now vast and deep knowledge of dancing, his manufactured limbs would never move like they were flesh instead of titanium.

Junhong actually groaned when he heard the bell ring again and Junghwa’s voice echo up the stairwell. He wanted to run away already, to find Yongguk himself. He knew where the TS building was but he had no idea if Yongguk would be there. Heavy footsteps thumped up the staircase and Junhong hurried to look busy but Junghwa appeared at the top too soon.

“What the hell are you doing!?” The man stood there with his hands on his hips and a furious look on his features. Junhong was annoyed to have been caught out but he was glad that Junghwa had finally decided to leave the bedroom. It was nasty in there. “Get back to work you useless .” He stomped back down and called over his shoulder for Junhong to make him a sandwich. Yun-Ki’s nephew did nothing but eat, sleep and play computer games, and Junhong resented him for that.

Junhong glanced around him. He hadn’t forgotten anything. His charging plug was safely in his pocket and the only clothes he needed were the ones he was wearing. He didn’t get dirty the way humans did so what he had was definitely enough. When he was sure, Junhong stepped as quietly as possible down the stairs, knowing exactly where to place his feet to stop the wooden boards from squeaking loudly. When he arrived at the first landing he took a deep breath and turned to his right.

He tapped his silicone knuckles on the thin wooden door just loud enough to reach the woman inside but not echo through the hall. Junhong had to be as quiet as possible or risk waking up the devil and her nephew. It wasn’t hard for him to sneak away from his charging place that was in the lounge room. Yun-Ki had gotten Junhong to set himself up there so that it would look like he was just sleeping on the couch if anyone came up early. But instead of charging he was still tapping on Sohee’s door. He had promised to say good bye.

He let out a relieved sigh when she opened the door, a little bleary eyed but awake nonetheless. “Junhong? What are you doing?” She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and studied his face. Junhong knew he looked solemn and maybe even sad – he certainly felt it. “Oh, you’re going now? Well…good luck.”

They smiled and were touched by a second of silence as Sohee thought over her words. “But Junhonggie…don’t you think it’s a bit strange to leave with a man you barely know?” Despite her tiredness Junhong could see how she really did worry for him and he was thankful.

“I trust him noona. I’m not sure why but I think I’ll find out.” He smiled reassuringly and Sohee her lips as she nodded. “Bye noona.” She forced him to bend a little when her arms wrapped around his neck in a tight hug.

“Bye Junhong.”  She let him go after a long second and straightened her pyjamas. He would have turned away if she hadn’t scoffed.

“We never did get that coffee, did we?” They mourned together their wasted time. They hadn’t gotten to know each other well just by meeting around the house. Junhong had to go though and they hugged once more just before he dashed down the stairs and out the door – doing all of it as quiet as a mouse.

The weather was cold but Junhong’s temperature only dropped by a degree. He wore a large coat that covered most of his body and protected his more sensitive areas from the cold, like the back of his neck. He with the switch and was suddenly worried that Yongguk might not come. What if it had been a ploy? To see if him being a robot was real?

The thoughts continued for a several minutes until a sleek black sedan pulled up in the street. It stopped just at the gate of the house and Junhong took several steady steps towards it from the front door. He was relieved to see Yongguk step out of the passenger side and open the gate for him with a wide smile.

“Hello Junhong.” Yongguk was polite and formal, bowing slightly to the robot even though it wasn’t necessary.

“Hello Yongguk-hyung.” Junhong made sure to be just as polite and did a 90 degree bow to show not just his manners but his thankfulness for what Yongguk was doing. It was a moment Junhong could never have considered. But it was real. Just as Junhong had processed the moment, a young woman with waist-length black hair and wearing a slim white dress, stepped out of the driver’s seat. To his software, she was beautiful – she had the golden ratio.

“Oh, uh Junhong-ah, this is Hyojin.” The woman smiled and it was dazzling. “She’s my cousin. Minhyeon’s sister.” The facial similarities became apparent as his programmes scanned their features simultaneously. He even picked up the same resemblance between her and Yongguk. Junhong smiled.

“Honestly I would have come to see you sooner, but uh, we were overseas until last week.” Yongguk’s features were soaked in remorse but Junhong was quick to assure him that it was okay.

“Ah, no! It’s fine, I didn’t even know you had this planned.” Junhong was sure he heard Hyojin mumble that she didn’t either but he dismissed it, trusting Yongguk that the escape from Yun-Ki was the right thing to do. “Was it you and Hyojin noona?”

“Oh, no. Me and some friends, you’ll meet them soon.” There was a long and slightly tense moment of silence but Hyojin seemed eager to break it by suggesting they get back in the car to go. Junhong was ready to leave; he had no reason to be there any longer. Stalling was not needed nor wanted.

Junhong was a little surprised that when he was ushered into the back seat, Yongguk joined him. He expected the elder man to sit beside his cousin who instead seemed to be acting as chauffer to the pair.

The interior of the car was dark, mostly because it was night but Junhong could tell how even in the light it would all be black leather and black vinyl. The dashboard glowed with blue and red lights that told Hyojin what her speed and fuel capacity was. Junhong appreciated how much nicer the car was than Yun-Ki’s.

He felt a surge in his electrical currents when the engine purred and Hyojin pulled away from the curb, taking them to the end of the street where she turned right.

“Where are you taking me hyung?” Junhong had allowed his gaze to wander but directed it purposefully at Yongguk. He was oddly aware of how the elder sat more casually with his hand supporting him in the middle of the seat, very close to Junhong’s thigh. The boy-bot was a little more rigid, finding it difficult to be comfortable in a foreign environment even with his level of excitement.

“To where I live.” He smiled softly before turning back to stare through the front windscreen, watching the route that Hyojin was taking them. Junhong nodded to himself and decided to watch the world pass by his own window. He had never been out in the dark like that and he marvelled at the lights and buzz of the night life that he knew so much about but had never been a part of.

The ride seemed long and Junhong wondered at how much longer Yongguk’s bus trip must have been since the routes were less direct and slower. It was mostly silent as well aside from the breathing of the two humans and the low frequency hum that came from Junhong, a noise only the boy-bot was able to hear.

Junhong had many thoughts, he always did as he processed the continuous supply of data and information he received from his sensors, but one struck him particularly with a question he really wanted an answer to. “Why have you helped me hyung?” Junhong looked to Yongguk again but the latter didn’t look back. His neck was craned to see out his side of the car but he sighed so Junhong was sure he’d heard the question.

Yongguk was silent for a long while, deliberating before he looked down at his knees. “I don’t know.” The pause between his words felt longer than it was. “But I have a good feeling.” Yongguk didn’t smile again, he just looked away but Junhong trusted him. He would have called it ‘gut instinct’ if he had guts. Junhong knew though that he was just wired to stick to good people, like Yongguk, and not people like Yun-Ki or Junghwa.

It didn’t take much longer after that, with a few stops at traffic lights, for Hyojin to pull into a small side road with tallish buildings.

“We’re here.” Hyojin’s voice was quiet, respecting the fact that it was late even though everyone in the vehicle was fairly unaffected by sleep. Yongguk sat up, a little more alert than before and unbuckled his belt when the car came to a stop.

“Thanks Jinnie. You’re the best.” Yongguk squeezed her shoulder over the back of the seat and Junhong saw how she rolled her eyes playfully. They seemed to be close and it worried Junhong as to why they couldn’t have been this way with Minhyeon as well.

“Oppa, you’re just lucky I don’t live too far away.” She swatted at his hand and Yongguk chuckled leaving and rounding the car to open Junhong’s door before he had taken the time to unlock his seat belt as well. Yongguk jerked his head, gesturing for Junhong to follow him and the boy-bot did just that.

“Bye Hyojin, I’ll see you soon.” Yongguk waved to her and she waved back after telling him to stay out of trouble. Junhong wondered why she had said that when Yongguk seemed so nice, did he do bad things?

The walk to Yongguk’s house distracted him from his thinking. It was dark and the street was lined with apartment buildings and a few trees dotted along the sidewalk. Cars were parked all along the road and they had to round one to get to the gate that allowed them to enter the block. Yongguk’s building was only a few stories high and after walking up several flights of stairs, Junhong knew that the man lived on the second floor.

“The dorm is just down here. The third one along.” Junhong just nodded, processing his surroundings silently. He didn’t want to waste power on talking when there was so much to take in.

Junhong’s gaze snapped to Yongguk’s hand and he came to halt just before he ran into the man. The click of the door lock was loud and the wooden frame squeaked as it swung open. Yongguk went in first but Junhong hesitated. Was this really what he wanted to do? Follow a strange man into his house? He knew so little but the answers to his questions were waiting just beyond the threshold and Junhong had to know – he had to have the answers to his questions about Yongguk.

Ah I'm so excited to be writing this! I'm sorry the last update took a long time, I have a lot of fics at the moment and I get distracted by writing for the new ones. My latest one is called Casualty Of Love so if you haven't already checked it out then go and look :) it'll only take a second.

I also just want to say hello to all my new subbies *waves like an idiot*

P.S if you have the time, then make sure you leave a comment/subscribe/vote/accept my love ^-^

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY HUBBY YONGGUK!