It was the eighth anniversary of their lost daughter; sorrow and pain were brought by the simple look to the calendar. Despite that, Choi Siwon, and Choi Sung Rin thought of spending some times in their daughter’s favorite playhouse. Sori loved the private beach, in an isolated area, near Suwon; none of her parents knew the reason, but since she was born, their baby loved that place.

“August the 23…” Siwon mumbled looking at sky. “Such a beautiful night.”

“Indeed.” Siwon looked at his wife who appeared, wearing a light black night gown, and stood next to him. “It’s not your fault.”

“I know.”

“But you still blame yourself, every year…” She said caressing his cheek. Tears stormed in his eyes but he still managed to smile without shedding them. “Siwonnie…”

“I love you.” He mumbled when a strident sound made the jolting couple look up. “Oh…” A meteorite was falling straight toward them. “Let’s go in.” They ran to the underground level, when the impact shook the door and slammed it shut before Siwon could even touch it. They flinched, scotched to each other, waiting for something but then…

“Do you hear something?” Sung Rin asked him suddenly. It was silent and both of the couple looked up, waiting for an explosion, a reaction, or whatever. It took them rather few minutes to move. The surprise took over as they noticed a kind of human shaped robot.

“A half robot in our backyard….” Siwon couldn’t believe himself saying so. They stepped slowly, fear giving up in front of curiosity. “How did it even get in here?”

“From the sky, obviously.” Sung Rin teased earning a smile from her husband and a not-that-amused roll of eyes. They had almost reached it when the robot fell in his back. It made them both scream, while it hands opened and showed a small ball. Sung Rin was the first to step further when her husband held her hand.

“Don’t do it. It may be explosive or radioactive.” She gave him a reassuring smile and he frowned. “Sung Rin, don’t dare to do that.” He warned her but she didn’t seem to hear as she stepped further. “Sung Rin!”

The woman touched the ball that opened, showing a robot in the form of a newborn. “Oh. My. God!” She looked at her husband who managed to step further. “It’s a baby robot.” He rushed almost to see as his wife took the fragile looking robot, when suddenly, Sung Rin sensed something as she caressed it head. “Oh… Oh my god! I sensed a heartbeat. Siwon! It’s a heartbeat! It’s… a living robot.”

Siwon observed his suddenly emotional wife before looking back to the huge robot that suddenly was floating in air. “Sung Rin…” She looked at him and then, where he looked. “I think that something is going on. We better step back.” Which they did, Sung Rin holding the baby robot dearly. Suddenly the huge robot transformed itself into a bed, shocking the couple, and soon they noticed that it had items they never saw. Sung Rin naturally went back to the now bed and put the baby on it.

The robot shrank until it was enough small for the baby to use as bed, the items falling meanwhile. “I think it’s the baby’s bed. I bet these things are for the baby use when he or she grows up.” Sung Rin stated as she pushed the bed that floated in front of her. “Let’s get in.” He stopped her from moving.

“Sung Rin… you are taking risks.” He said, worries written in his face. “Please, let’s not rush on this.”

She held his cheek, making him relax. “Trust me.” Those two words were enough to make Siwon give up and let her do whatever she had to do.

“I hope we won’t end up regretting this.” Siwon commented and she nodded absently before snapping up.

“We?” She looked at him when he chuckled. “Oh my god! Thank you, babe.” Siwon laughed and pushed her in the bed as he kissed her lovingly. They had fun that night, forgetting the soundless baby, and the huge hole in their backyard, before sleeping as well. 

In the next morning, Sung Rin, still sleepy, got in the room where she left the robot to find an awake human looking baby playing on it down. She froze for some seconds before running out and pulling her sleepy husband.

“What is it?” he asked her sleepily when his eyes widened in shock. “Where did this baby come from?”

“It’s the robot.” Sung Rin said, with a panicked voice. “The robot turned into a baby. I have a baby.” Sung Rin couldn’t contain tears that she did shed as she caressed the baby. “Oh. How cute you are, my baby.” The baby let out such cute laugh that even Siwon smiled. “I love this small little blessing already.”

“Sung Rin…”

“It’s mine. I got a baby sent from heaven…” Sung Rin looked at him, crying further. “They heard my heart; they knew I needed it… God heard me.”

Siwon almost let out an exasperate sigh but instead he smiled, kneeling in front of his wife. “Yes, he heard you, and I.” He caressed her face, and dried her tear. “We should think of a name for the baby.”

“I have one.” Sung Rin said with a happy smile. “Do you remember the name Sori gave to her favorite doll?”

“Hye Jin? That’s a cute name.” Siwon mumbled as he hugged his wife dearly, swinging their body in a melody their heart knew so well. “Choi Hye Jin…”

And Choi Hye Jin she became. The girl grew hidden from the out world, despite the fact that Sung Rin and Siwon announced giving birth to a twin, Hye Jin and Dambi, and showing the world her cute little picture.  They made sure to hide her existence from the media, since Siwon was a politician and his life was under the lenses of the media for a while, until it was time for them to go to school. At six, Dambi got her normal life while Hye Jin was forced to stay at home.

“Why can’t I go to school?” Hye Jin asked her mother, sadness painting her voice.

“Because you are sick, Hye Jin. You will get easily affected by the things we use at school.” Sung Rin explained, when Hye Jin pointed at Dambi, about to protest. “I know that you can’t eat everything like Dambi, that you can’t go out like she does, and that hurts you, but see it as a challenge.”

“What is a challenge, Mom?” Hye Jin’s eyes lighted up.

“A challenge is a kind of game with a big prize at the end of it. If you can bear with it, Mom will find a way for you to live like a normal girl.” Sung Rin promised. “You have just to work hard on finding happiness here, at home.”

Hye Jin didn’t say anything that day; she looked at her mother, and then she frowned going straight to bed. Sung Rin didn’t know what to do while Siwon pulled her to a hug. “She will understand. Give her time.” Siwon said with a smile. “I have to take Dambi to school, now. See you later.”  

The next morning, Hye Jin disappeared soon after breakfast and they soon found her reading, or looking at books, trying to grasp the words and their meaning. “Darling, why are you here?” Sung Rin knelt in front of her daughter and found her copying the text the way it was written. “What are you doing?”

“I am learning how to write and read.” Hye Jin simply said, ignoring her mother. “I’ll start by writing then I’ll try to read.” Sung Rin observed Hye Jin, astonished.

“Can you read anything now?” Hye Jin paused and looked up. “Can you read me something?”

“This means book, and this mean phone. So the word is Phone book, it’s where we can find people’s number, like doctors, and lawyers.” Hye Jin explained. “I saw an actor do that.”

“Can you write actor?” The question took the girl off guard and she frowned. She wrote it in three forms.

“I don’t know which one is the correct one.” Hye Jin admitted.

“I’ll let you figure that out then.” Sung Rin said patting her head. “Do you want to eat anything? You didn’t eat since yesterday.” Hye Jin just smiled and shook her head. “You will end up sick. Come on. Let’s eat and I’ll give you more books for your studies.” Hye Jin, unable to disobey her mother, stood and took her mother’s hand before heading to the table. Her father was with some politician friends, and so, she bowed studying their faces.

“Oh. Isn’t this little girl going to school?” One of the guests said.

“I am unable to. I am sick.” Hye Jin said with a tone that let no further discussion; Siwon looked rather shocked by that.

“She has a rare sickness, and may have complications any time. So we thought that it was for her best to stay at home.” Sung Rin said to break the thick silence. “I hope you liked the food.” Hye Jin got served a salad and a cup of a green jus that made the men look at each other, suspiciously.  Hye Jin ate thoughtfully, and smiled to her mother who wiped her face.

“Can I go study now?” Hye Jin said and Sung Rin nodded. As soon as the girl left Siwon threw a look at his wife.

“She took some books and learned how to write the text. It is a little messy but I think she’s doing fine on her own.” Siwon was astonished by Sung Rin’s words.

“Already progressing?” Siwon’s friend asked and Siwon didn’t know what to say.

“God gave Hye Jin an incredible intelligence.” Siwon said with a proud tone.

“The result of having two intelligent people as parents, I bet.” The other one said and they all laughed while Sung Rin’s smile flattered.  She realized that probably Hye Jin had developed her abilities too soon, and feared for her daughter to discover the truth now. It was too soon to tell her, at least in Sung Rin point of view.

Hye Jin learned how to write and read within three months and even Dambi noticed how fast her sister was learning.

“Mom, why can’t I learn like her?” Dambi asked their mom.

“Because Hye Jin rushed on her studies, while you are taking it slower. You will learn how to read and write soon, just give it a rest now.” Sung Rin said before looking at a surprised Hye Jin. “You did well by learning fast, Hye Jin, but learning fast isn’t always the best way. You have to keep revising in order to not forget what you learned, not like Dambi. She took it slow, and she will keep in mind everything she did learn.”

It was a lie, to ease both Hye Jin’s mind and Dambi’s heart. Sung Rin wished it could stop Hye Jin from learning but as the girl spent time alone in the library, Sung Rin could notice from the control panel the bed had that Hye Jin’s cerebral activity was increasing incredibly. From 76% to 98% on three month, it was worrying.

“Sung Rin?” Siwon’s voice made her jump. “Is there anything wrong with Hye Jin?” He said as he stood by her side, looking at the displayed screen.

“That is the problem, Siwon. Hye Jin has nothing wrong… She’s growing stronger and smarter with time, her knowledge will exceed human’s level soon, and I fear for her.”

“We had to let her go to school, Sung Rin.” Siwon scolded. “She would have learned by the same way and pace as Dambi.”

“We can’t take risks!” Sung Rin hissed. “Her secret will be exposed sooner or later if she steps out of this house.”

“She will step out of it someday, Sung Rin.”

“I am not discussing it. Not now, at least.” Sung Rin said holding her head with her hands. “Let’s wait until she grows up a little more and we will tell her the truth. If she thinks of having a normal life, then let her have it.”  

Siwon nodded pulling Sung Rin out of the room. The woman couldn’t stop Hye Jin from learning more every day, and despite the fact Hye Jin knew more than an average kid does, she kept it for herself. Somehow, she knew that her mother will be upset about it.

It was that way for ten years, until Hye Jin landed accidentally on the files inside her bed’s control panel. The shock was big that she didn’t find the need to be angry or sad, she stood there reading her own data, that showed her the truth. She was an Android with a human heart, brain, and skin, or better said: a cyborg. She fell on her knees, making enough sounds to let a curious Dambi get in.

“Hye Jin? Hye Jin! Ma! Appa!” Dambi called as she tried to make Hye Jin move. The old couple got in, then saw the screen. The gasp that left Sung Rin’s lips was enough to make Hye Jin move.

“Hye Jin, I…” Sung Rin didn’t know what to say so she sobbed. “You are my daughter, ok? Whatever it says you are my daughter, mine!” Dambi was astonished so she stood by her mother’s side.

“What do you mean? What is it?” Dambi asked them, curious.

“I now understand why I had to follow a diet, why I didn’t have the right to go to school, why I was forbidden from interacting with any maid, or letting them get in my room.” Hye Jin spoke, neutrally. “I understand everything now.”

“Then I think it is better for us to sit in the same table, and discuss.” Siwon offered, pulling his sobbing wife closer. They headed to the empty dining room, and each sat in pure silence.

“We had lost a daughter.” Sung Rin said, shedding tears. “And because of that, I prayed for god to give me another chance, because I wanted my daughter back, I want her back.” She hiccupped in pain. “I wasn’t able to have kids for years until that day, when we were in our summer villa; a meteorite fell in our back yard. It was your bed with you on it.” Dambi paled and stood, shocked.

“WHAT?”

“Hye Jin isn’t your twin, Dambi, she came in our life nine months before your birth.” Siwon said before holding Hye Jin’s hand. “This is why we thought you are blessing. We tried to have kids before you came but then you did and we got blessed by the news of having another daughter.” Siwon held the shaking Dambi’s hand. “But, during all this time, we never saw you less than our daughter, our child. I know that you may feel hurt and betrayed because we never managed to tell you before.”

“We couldn’t! I couldn’t!” Sung Rin sobbed. “I was so scared you will hate me for hiding the truth, I am still so scared, I am sorry. I didn’t want you to know.”

Hye Jin frowned, and then nodded. “I see.” She said, making everybody look at her shocked. “I understand your positions, Mom. There is no need for you to be scared; I will never hate you… In fact, hate as well as the rest of the emotions is still unknown for me.”

“Hye Jin…” Siwon was cut by Hye Jin’s smile. “What do you plan to do now as you discovered the truth?”

She didn’t answer immediately, but as the heavy silence took over them. “I want to live high school.”