Work Text
Hello!!! It’s been a long while, i know :” School got in the way, but i just graduated so i think i’ll be back on working on the fic soon. I’m also planning on rewriting it, probably changing major scenes/things. Moreover, i don’t know if I’ll keep the 1st person pov, I’ll think about it. I’m sorry for leaving you hanging like this, as a reader myself i know how it feels like, but, long story short, the amount of homework got overwhelming, together with major depressive episodes and lack of will to do anything besides studying. I hope to rewrite/edit the chapters as fast as i can so i can write new chapters as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience ^^
JayUPDATE July 6th 2022
I won't resume the fic, as I have moved on from the fandom and froms shipping irl people lol. I loved my work as I was working on it, but now I'd just rewrite everything with different characters and...yeah, that's all. You can find me in the Hadesgame/Ace attorney fandom tho! I'm ThanatosPhonos on Twitter and my profile is mostly narumitsu/thanzag/thanares art :)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The rain was falling hard from the dark clouds above their heads that hid the moon, breaking the silence of the abandoned neighborhood, and the dim lights of the lamps on the side walk made the atmosphere even gloomier. There wasn't anyone, except for Jungkook and Namjoon, who were walking back home with no umbrella to shield them from the water. They had met with some friends earlier that day and ended up spending the whole evening with them. Once it was time to go back home, one of their friends wanted to give them a lift, and Jungkook would have accepted if it wasn't for Namjoon, who wisely refused the offer, keeping in mind that they all had drunk not long before parting and dragging the other along with him."Why are we here?" Jungkook asked, trying to keep up with his best friend."It's a shortcut I've recently discovered. It's pretty creepy, I know, but I don't wanna stay under the rain any longer."They were walking at steady peace, reaching for home as fast as they could. Jungkook's gaze wandered around the poorly illuminated street: all he could see were graffiti on decaying buildings and a few dogs. They both lived in the outskirts of the city, and they were now halfway to their destination. It was as if the suburb was divided into two different areas: one being the part Namjoon and Jungkook were going through, the other was safer and more populated, and that was where the two boys lived.Just when Jungkook turned his head towards a dark alley, his eyes landed on a silhouette of what seemed to be a person, except that blue sparks came out from its neck and joints."Namjoon, wait, look!" he tugged on the back of Namjoon's jacket and pointed at the human like figure. Namjoon knelt in front of it: it was an android, and it was heavily damaged. It was bald, its skin was ripped up in some parts and there were many sparking wires. There were signs of dents on the back, as if it had been hit by something... or someone. The rain on its face looked like tears coming out of his eyes, which suddenly opened, revealing a pair of dull, grey irises. Its lips parted:"I... d-on't want to...die"Although its voice was mechanical, it sounded broken, pained."Poor thing." Namjoon stood up, lifting the android from the ground."Oh, come on." the younger of them burst out. "We gotta carry that stuff aaaaall the way to your lab? Really?! With all the rain-""We can't leave it here." Namjoon kept walking with the android in his arms. "You heard what it said""Ugh, It's just an android. It isn't alive and now is slowing us down." the boy behind him complained."It's not slowing us down and... whatever, we've already talked about that and you still won't understand" Namjoon preferred to ignore the boy's protests.Jungkook remained silent for the rest of the walk, following the other boy, who didn't seem to have any problem carrying the suffering android. After half an hour of walking under the rain, the two finally stopped in front of Namjoon's house. Just like the other houses around them, including Jungkook's, it was rather humble from the outside."Here we are. Hey, could you hold it for a second? I need to open the shutter." The older asked.Jungkook took the android in his arms. It wasn't that heavy after all. He looked down at it, trying to understand why Namjoon cared so much about those machines of steel. He knew he used to work in a factory that produced androids and he was in charge of both programming and assembling them. Then he had been fired because he had refused to kill malfunctioning androids, also known as "deviants", saying that they were alive and could have emotions, just like humans.Jungkook didn't believe him either, especially after what he had seen with his own eyes. He thought deviants, and ordinary android, were potentially dangerous to the human kind, not only because they were stronger than humans, but also because they were stealing their jobs, because some human lives depended on them and so on.He had valid reasons not to believe Namjoon and didn't have the slightest intention to change his mind.Jungkook was about to give the android back to his friend, when it started to hold onto his shirt."What the- Nam, take it already!"Namjoon gently laid it on a table in the center of what used to be a garage, then turned a lamp on to analyze the robot."Damn, look at those scratches. Its software is so damaged that it couldn't heal itself after the blows." he gave a look at the right temple, where a system that worked like a brain was placed. It was still intact, that's why the "heart" hadn't stop beating and the android was able to talk."I need to replace some parts and biocomponents, its joints are almost completely dislocated and it has lost a lot of thirium, or, as you know it, blue blood.""How long will it take to fix it?" Jungkook peeked from behind Namjoon's shoulder."I don't know, about a week I guess. I know it's gonna be difficult if I want it to work properly again. And guess what? I'll start tonight""You mean, now?"Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows perplexed."Yep!" Namjoon was already putting on gloves and taking out some utensils, looking forward to see how the android would look like once he was done fixing it.Jungkook yawned "I don't know about you, but I'm tired as hell. Gotta go, good luck with that thing." The boy waved, left the lab and headed home, which was only a few meters form Namjoon's."I know you're different..." Namjoon spoke to the robot "And I won't let you die, I promise."
End of chapter one
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Jungkook slowly closed the door behind him, hanging his wet jacket on the coat rack and turning the lights on. He gave a look around the house, a sad expression forming on his face: how long had it been since the last time he had cleaned up? The house was pretty big, with its two floors, an attic and spacious rooms, so it would take quite long to tidy it up, and every time Jungkook tried to do so, he would just end up doing something else.He threw himself on the sofa, with his wet dark hair spread on the armrest and eyes up to the ceiling, trying to relax while listening to heavy rain falling outside the window. No sound could be heard but that: he was the only one there, he lived alone. He would usually invite someone over, such as Namjoon, to have someone to talk to and to spend time with, but when they left, he would feel alone again.Jungkook lazily reached out to a photo album that was on a small table and sat up to leaf through it once again. There were pictures of him back when he was in his native city with his mother and old friends. He knew that looking at them would only make him feel mournful, however, he couldn't help but remember the times when he was happy in the embrace of his mother, who had taken care of him every day until he was seventeen.The happy days had ended when his father became abusive towards his wife. Was he venting the stress and the anger piled up at work or had he gone crazy? Jungkook didn't know, all he knew was that he didn't want to see his mother being beaten up, so one day he stood up for her, only to get forcefully pushed against a wall by the man he had once loved and admired.
"I wish you were never born. You both are ruining
me
."
His father's hateful words had never left Jungkook's mind, just like his mother's tears and weeping.Over time, she and Jungkook found out that the man was into gambling and was wasting all of his money. As things were getting worse, the poor woman gave her son an unusually large amount of money that she had hidden for emergencies and told him to look for a better life. Jungkook insisted that she had to leave with him, but the money wasn't enough for the both of them, so she stayed home, hoping for his son to have a bright future.But there he was, alone, with almost no money left for the renting. He used to work as a delivery boy, but what he had earned wasn't enough to pay the owner for the following months. He was applying for a new job and since he hadn't completed his studies, he could only choose among bartender, cashier, security guard and the like. He had already chosen the first option, but he was still waiting for an answer from the pub.The last few pages of the album were filled of photos of Jungkook and a guy with short brown hair that fell in front of his eyes and a boxy smile. Jungkook grimly smiled at the sight of them, thinking of all the days he had spent with him.His name was Taehyung and he was the first person Jungkook had met when he arrived in Seoul. He lived in the same neighborhood as Jungkook and was only a couple of years older than him. At first, they had helped each other like good neighbors would do, then their bond had strengthened until they had become close friends. Taehyung had also helped him with the renting, for he was from a wealthy family and already had a rewarding job. The two of them got along very well and used to hang out together almost everyday, sometimes they would spend the day cleaning up Jungkook's house. They had fun that way too, either ending up with having a pillow fight or challenging themselves to see who cleaned better.
Jungkook's pov
"Can't catch me!" I shouted, dashing away from Taehyung, who was about to hit me with both of the pillows in his hands. "You do realize we're too old for this right?" He jokingly asked, already on the chase. I could hear him going downstairs, where the hall was. "For real Kook, I'm not gonna-" I sprinted behind him and cuffed him on the neck before he could turn around and hit me back. I kept running through a hallway, then went through the kitchen and the living room and then back to the hall. That's where a pillow struck my face hard. I stumbled a bit and fell right on the sofa.
"Weren't you following me?"
Taehyung smiled
"Well, assuming that I was following you, you couldn't have turned back. The kitchen is the last room of the right side of the house, then there's the living room and the hall. I just waited for you to come back."
"Sly move Tae-" something stopped me from completing the sentence. I suddenly arched my back and turned up my nose, making a weird face. A loud sneeze escaped my mouth and made Taehyung flinch. When I opened my eyes, I saw a feather gliding between us and heard Taehyung laughing.
"It... It came out of your nose. I'm sorry, I must have hit you pretty hard..." he offered me his hand to help me stand up from the sofa.
"Said the one who didn't want to play at
all
."
As soon as I was back on my feet, I grabbed the pillow Taehyung had just thrown at me and got my revenge. He looked at me right in the eyes with a dead serious look on his face.
"You want a war, you got
it
."
After that, we had to sweep away all the feathers from the floor and tide the room up._______________________Jungkook remembered the scene vividly: Taehyung's peculiar smile, the feathers stuck in their messy hair and the childlike laughs that could be heard around the house. He sighed at the current state of his residence, which kind of reflected him. It was messy, yet so empty, dark, abandoned."Remember when you asked "What would you do without me?" Well... look around."Jungkook spoke to Taehyung, as if he was back with him. It had been months since the last time he had seen him and all Jungkook had left of him was a few pictures in the album and around the house where both of them smiled and hugged each other. When he was with Taehyung the feeling of loneliness inside of him seemed to disappear, he had found someone else that took care of him and loved him. Just when he thought he had found happiness, fate decided to be against him once more and divided Jungkook and Taehyung's path into two.As for his mother, Jungkook had tried to call her several times ever since he had moved, but every time he did so either someone hung up or no one answered.A clock sounded midnight when the boy closed the album and put it back on the table. His eyes were a little red, with tears forming up at their corners, but only one fell, down his right cheek. Jungkook tiredly walked upstairs and stepped into his bedroom, a small but cozy room, lightened up by warm rosy neon lights that helped him feel better. There were some posters on the walls and a pile of clothes on the floor that grew bigger when Jungkook threw his wet pants on it. A curtain hid a window, through which the early sunrays would flood in his room and wake him up every morning. A queen-sized bed covered with white blankets was attached to the wall behind it and took up most of the space in the room.Jungkook let himself fall on the bed and curled up in the sheets, watching the rain fall. Before falling asleep, he spread out his left arm and brought a pillow to his chest, hugging it tightly as to fill the void between his arms.
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Three
days
later
The sky had started to lighten up, but there were no signs of the sun yet when a call woke Jungkook up. The boy waited for the ringtone to stop, but it didn't, until the melody started over for the fourth time: apparently, whoever was calling him really wanted to talk to him. Jungkook, who was still hugging the pillow, turned to the other side of the bed and picked up the phone from the nightstand. The name of Yoongi was displayed on the screen."...Ugh." A few seconds after he had thrown the phone on the bed, a notification appeared: now it was a message from Namjoon:"Hey Kook, I have something to show you" 5:14 am ✅✅"Wait no" 5:14 am ✅✅"Someone*" 5:14 am✅✅"Come here asap!" 5:15 am ✅✅The poor guy had been working on the android for two days, taking only a few breaks and sleeping three hours a day, and he couldn't wait to show his friend the result of his hard work. On the other hand, Jungkook couldn't care that much. All he wanted was to stay in bed and sleep all day long, not giving a damn about anything. Actually, that's how he felt every morning.A fresh morning breeze blew through his window and caressed his back, making him shiver. Yawning, he stood up and closed the window, then stopped himself from going back bed, knowing that he would fall asleep and never wake up again.He lazily grabbed a random pair of pants and a white t-shirt from the pile of clothes and got dressed. After a few minutes he had received the messages he was already on his way to Namjoon's house. The sky was clear that day, and the birds were already chirping in the trees. Jungkook was alone in the middle of the road, for everyone else was still asleep. Their neighborhood had always been pretty quiet, there weren't many houses nor families and everyone was nice to each other. "Good morning Mrs. Kim!" Jungkook waved to Taehyung's mother, who was watering the flower in the garden of her mansion."Good morning Jungkook! Where are you going in such a hurry at 5 in the morning?" she asked surprised."Namjoon texted me and told me to go to his house.""Well, it must be important if he texted you now." The woman looked up to the sky "It's not even dawn...""It better be important..." the boy waved again to say goodbye.As has already been said, Namjoon's house was only a few steps away from Jungkook's and it didn't take him long to reach it. Jungkook rang the piercing bell and waited for him to open the door. "Sup Na- Uh?" He was about to make his way into the house, when he stepped back and gave a confused look to the boy that had just showed up in front of him instead of Namjoon. He was shorter than both him and Namjoon, but what caught Jungkook's eye was not his height nor his unusual blond hair, but his light grey eyes and rosy plump lips that together with a pair of round cheeks gave him a graceful but fragile look. "Morning, you must be Jungkook. Namjoon is waiting for you, please come in." He smiled, moved to the side and held the door to let the other in. His voice was soft and tender and matched his looks perfectly."Who are you? I've never seen you before and..." Jungkook took a better look at the stranger, almost biting his lips when his eyes dropped on the backside. "I didn't know Namjoon had such good tastes in men. I guess he has been hiding something from me."Strangely, the boy didn't react to Jungkook's statement as he had expected. In fact, he didn't react at all. "Oh, hey Jungkook! I see you have already met Jimin." Namjoon joined the two of them with messy hair, only a towel around his waist and flip-flops. "Sorry, I was taking a shower. I just finished working on him." Jungkook smirked "What do you mean by "working on him"?""He's the android we found two days ago. Seems like I fixed him so well that you couldn't recognize him!" the tallest of them smiled at himself, proud of his hard work. Jungkook spaced out for a second. "I've just complimented an android for its ass... I mean, look at it! Wait no, I...""Jungkook, you alright? What do you think of him?" Namjoon laid one of his arms on Jimin's shoulders. The android had remained silent, preferring not to intervene in their conversation and to quietly observe their interaction."Now that I've fixed him, you've gotta admit he's really pretty!"Jungkook shrugged and drew his thoughts away from the robot's appearance"I... Yeah, it's pretty cool". Namjoon ruffled Jimin's hair, trying to make him feel at ease, as if he was a human just like them. The android passed a hand through his hair to put it back into place and hinted at a smile."Kook, would you like some coffee to wake you up?" Namjoon asked while offering his friend a seat. "Yep." the younger one answered."Leave it to me, Namjoon." Jimin suddenly spoke up. "I think you'd better go dress yourself up and dry your hair.""You're right, I'm sorry. I'll be right back."Namjoon went into his bedroom, leaving Jimin and Jungkook alone. Besides the sound of the moka-pot being opened and then closed, the kitchen was awkwardly silent. Jungkook was sitting at the table staring at Jimin, who was looking outside the window while waiting for the coffee to be ready. A hair dryer could be heard from the other side of the house, together with some music and Namjoon's poor singing skills that startled Jungkook, who was lost in his thoughts with his eyes stuck on the android."Is there anything wrong?" the robot asked him, catching his gaze. Jungkook blinked his eyes and shook his head.Jimin took a couple of cups and poured the coffee, filling them equally."Would you like sugar in it?" "Yes, just a little." Jungkook now kept his eyes down, avoiding eye contact with the android. Jimin placed the cups on the table and waited for orders from Namjoon, who had just finished drying his hair and sat at the table with Jungkook."You don't have to stand there, come sit with us." Namjoon patted on a chair next to him and Jimin did as told. While he was having a casual chat with Jungkook, Namjoon tried to involve Jimin too, so that he could get to know his new "owner". "So, Jungkook..." Namjoon was about to end the talk "Will you take care of him? Even tho I'm pretty sure it's gonna be the other way round" he giggled at his own words"I don't think I want it, not after what happened with-" "I understand."Namjoon interrupted him "But I've fixed him and he works just fine. Plus, you live alone and need help with the housework and he appears to be a domestic android, how convenient! And there's more..."This time Namjoon was the one to smirk at Jungkook."Since you don't have a partner, he can also help you with your sex-""Fuck off Nam." The boy glared at him. "Hey, no need to be rude, but I wasn't joking. Well yeah, I was, but domestic androids can help with that too, just so you know." While they were talking, Jimin stood up and took the empty cups with him"Whatever. Nam, I'm not sure... What if he rebels just like the other deviants? He's one if them, isn't he? That's why you saved him." Jungkook's voice showed uncertainty."...No, not anymore. I had to reset his memory to help him forget what he had gone through. I wonder who could hurt him like that..."Jungkook snorted "Maybe they had their reasons.""You think he would do something so bad to get repeatedly hit on the back, choked to death, punched in the face and thrown away?" Namjoon almost shouted the last words, getting angry at the thought of whoever had gotten rid of Jimin."Would you be able to do the same? Imagine him begging you to stop hurting him, covered in blue blood." He continued "Would you treat him like that without feeling bad?"The younger of the two looked at the android, that was washing the cups and some other dirty dishes. "No... I wouldn't..." Jungkook felt a little sorry for his previous statement, but Namjoon's words were not strong enough to change his mind."...Just because of its looks. It has no personality nor feelings whatsoever."Namjoon sighed and laid his head in his hands in defeat. "You know what? Take him with you and do whatever you want with him, then you'll see. I just wanted you to treat him well after what happened with his previous owner 'cause I thought you were different from them. Turns out you're not." "Alright, alright, I'll take "him", calm down now." Jungkook was taken aback by his friend's words "I'm not gonna hurt it, I'll let you know if there's a problem." "Jimin?" Namjoon called the android "Could you come here please?"Jimin walked towards the two, after making sure that all the plates and cutlery were in order. "From now on you'll live with Jungkook, is that ok?" its now-former owner asked.The android nodded and looked into Jungkook's eyes as if he could see inside of him. The robot could feel his nervousness and already started thinking the best way to behave with him."Great, I'll see you guys then." Namjoon stopped Jungkook right before he could step outside the house "I'm sure you'll get along with him, keep me posted, alright?""Sure."The two exchanged a brofist and Jungkook went back home, followed by Jimin. Just like when they were at Namjoon's house, none of them spoke while walking home: while Jungkook was thinking some chores to assign him, Jimin was analyzing the things that surrounded him, like houses and their gardens, trees etcetera...The human and the android were now standing in front of a door, the latter waiting for the other to open it."Here's your new house. As you can see, there are plenty of things to do, but first..." The boy sat on the sofa and pointed to the seat next to him tilting his head."I have a few questions for you."
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Jungkook's
pov
"I have a few questions for you"Namjoon had been trying to convince me about the fact that androids were alive and shit, so I wanted to test an android myself. I knew that, behind that cute face with those eyes that looked so human, there was nothing but steel. No matter how human-like androids were, they didn't feel any kind of pain, could never get tired and weren't able to think for themselves, they didn't have a personality. They would just adapt either to their owner or to their job. Namjoon thought otherwise, but I was about to prove him wrong.Jimin sat next to me, crossed his legs and brought his hand together on his knee."Is there anything you would like to know about me?"
Has he just read my mind or what?
"Yes, there is. What were you built for?""I am a domestic android, my model name is PJ5991. I can look after your house, do the cooking, mind the kids, organize your appointments. I speak over 200 languages and I'm entirely at your disposal as a sexual partner. No need to feed me nor recharge me and my battery can last up to 170 years."
Namjoon
wasn't kidding then.
"What are you made of? How do androids work?""My limbs and chest are made of steel and plastic, covered by a layer of artificial skin. I can heal wounds in less than 5 seconds, sense strain, pressure and temperature. I also have blue colored blood made of thirium which is important for my system to work properly. I can bleed if the program that controls the healing process is too damaged. However, I do not feel pain. I have a heart that keeps the thirium pumping and if the heart stops, I'll shut down in sixty seconds and I'll have to be replaced. As for-""Alright, that's enough." I stopped him before he could keep talking about his countless functions. I had one question left"How do you feel right now?""I..."
What? Is he hesitating?
"Emotions and moods are not included in our system. However, I can sense how my owner is feeling, so that I can adapt to their mood and behave as adequately as possible."
Knew it.
Satisfied with the reply, I dismissed him "You can go now. Go tidy up my bedroom, or the hall, I don't know...""As you wish, Jungkook." Jimin stood up and walked towards the hall, but turned back to me "Wait... Can I call you by your name?"I thought for a second before answering: although I would have felt superior being called "master" or stuff like that, something told me that my name was just fine."Yeah, sure.""Alright, Jungkook."Jimin smiled and left the living room. I didn't know why but he seemed happy with my decision. I saw him looking around for something, then I realized I hadn't given him nor a broom nor any cleaning product. I took them out of a closet, which was filled with dust too, and gave them to him."Is this what you were looking for? I usually put them in a closet near the kitchen. I'll leave the cleaner and other things you'll need on the table, here's the broom. In the meanwhile, I'll go read something in my room. By the way, the guest room is now yours, I guess you need a place to sleep or to... Do anything you do when there's nothing left to do around the house.""Oh, thank you." He took the broom and started meticulously sweeping the floor.He hadn't shown any system instability yet and worked as he was supposed to do. I went upstairs and observed him from the indoor balcony to check his movements. He was making sure not break anything while moving things around and putting them in order. He even dusted the few books I had left untouched in a shelf and probably had spiderwebs between the pages.Suddenly, Jimin stopped cleaning up and I saw him staring to a framed picture on the bookshelf. He took it in his hand to look at it closely: it was me and Taehyung hugging each other. He then put it back and resumed cleaning the rest of the room.I didn't know why he had stared so intently at the photo, I didn't care that much at first. It was when he had got to my room that I started to worry.----------As I walked out of the toilet I heard him moving stuff in my bedroom. I ran to see what he was doing and found him picking up all the clothes on the floor, placing them on the bed and then putting them in order in various drawers and hanging some shirts and pants in the closet I had rarely used. It wasn't like I had many clothes, so I would usually put them on a chair or throw them somewhere.With a light coming from one of his hands (I guess it was a laser or something like that), Jimin left some words on the drawers."I wrote what each drawer contains through holographs, so that it'll be easy for you to find anything you need."I gave a look around the room: it had been long since I had last seen it so tidy. Everything had its own place, the bed that had always been messy was now all made up, and the desk was finally empty."While I was cleaning I couldn't help but notice all of those pictures of you and another guy. Was he someone important to you?""Yes" I answered "We were really close. Why did you want to know it?""Out of curiosity. I'm sorry if I ask a lot of questions, but I have to know my master well in order to provide a satisfying service. I'll try not to get into personal matters though."I suddenly remembered the reason why I was worried about Jimin being there."Hey, speaking of personal matters, did you find anything else besides the photos on the nightstands?"Jimin shook his head "Is there any place in your house I'm not supposed to look into?""No, not really. Just make sure that the case underneath my bed stays closed, understood?"The android nodded "I haven't cleaned there yet, is it okay if I move it somewhere else before sweeping there?""Wait, I'll move it for you." I crouched under the bed and grabbed the dusty case. Before I could get my head out, a big-ass spider crawled in front of my eyes, making me jolt up and hit the head against the bed. I screamed out in fear and pain, awkwardly falling backwards and landing on my butt. Jimin knelt down next to me and held my aching head, then I found myself in his arms."I'll go get some ice, wait here." He placed me on the bed cautiously and ran downstairs.
Damn, he must be strong to lift me up like that
He was back in less than a minute, holding an ice pack. I sat up and put it where the head had hit the bed."You should have let me take the case for you, I'm not arachnophobic."Jimin knelt down again and stood up with the spider in his hands."Just kill it already!" I shouted, unable to run away because of the headache.Instead of following the order, he opened the window and freed the beast."You shouldn't be surprised of finding spiders in your house, there are webs everywhere. From now on, I'll make sure to keep all the spiders away from your house.""G-great"Not only was I already tired because I had only slept for 4 hours, but now my head was starting to throb too and standing up would only add more pain and dizziness. The last thing I saw before falling asleep was Jimin near my bed, holding the ice pack still.
Third person
pov
A few minutes had passed when Jimin removed the ice from Jungkook's head. While he was asleep, the android carried out the order he had been given and left his master's room to go clean the remaining rooms.He resumed his work from the kitchen, a rather small space with a square table and warm yellow walls. An ancient-looking chandelier hang from the ceiling and brightened the room up with a dim light. The stove and the hood were pretty rusty and it seemed like they hadn't been used in awhile. Jimin opened the fridge and found nothing but some yogurt... and mold.Just like the kitchen, every other room was abandoned, forgotten. Jungkook was already a pretty lazy boy himself and it had been weird of him to choose a house that big, not only because it would take long to clean it up but also because of the rental price. Neither Namjoon nor Taehyung knew why he had rented that house, but, after having discovered what had happen to him and his mother, they had helped him with the rent by providing him some money anytime they could. However, that wasn't enough.After being done with the living room, the bath, the junk room, a studio-like room full of video games, the guest room and finally the backyard, the android went back to Jungkook's room to check on him: he was still sleeping soundly, snuggled up near his pillow, even though it was already 12 PM. Seeing him with a soft smile on his face, Jimin let Jungkook sleep a little more.The room was still dark, thanks to the curtains that prevented the rays from falling right on the boy's eyes. Before Jimin could leave the room, a flashing light caught his eyes. It was Jungkook's phone. Unfortunately, the call stopped before Jimin could see who the caller was.The android then pushed a led button near his right temple"Reminder: tell Jungkook about the call."As time went by, Jungkook didn't seem to want to leave the bed. In the meanwhile, Jimin was wandering around the house to see if he had cleaned everywhere. Now every inch of it was back to its original color, all of the furniture had been dusted and polished and the floor was so clean that one could have almost slipped on it. However, lifting his head up while walking in a hallway, the android noticed a rope hanging from it. He pulled it and a small ladder appeared in front of him: it led to the attic.Jimin went upstairs, discovering a small but messy space right under the roof of the house. It had a little window that overlooked on the street and a pretty big tent in a corner with a mattress in it. Each of the three walls had fairy lights on it, which were the only source of light besides the window. There were spiderweb too, of course. Jimin immediately removed them, but no spider could be found.If he was designed to be an investigator, he could have seen what that room was for and what had happened there before it was forgotten. As a domestic assistant, all he could do was clean the attic and scan the room to find objects that Jungkook might have lost. There were feathers on the floor, along with cans of various drinks, bags of potato chips and a computer in the lower left corner, with two pillows in front of it. Jimin thought it was some kind of break room in which Jungkook hadn't been in a long time.The android walked towards the window to look at the road and the people from above. After a while he found himself laying on the floor, observing the people that lived around Jungkook. Well, there weren't many of them and it seemed that the neighborhood was the perfect place to live in peace and quiet. A few kids were playing tag on the sidewalk, with their parents checking on them every now and then from afar. An old couple was having a conversation outside their house, probably judging the parents and their lack of watchfulness.Jimin's eyes fell on a familiar-looking guy with a cap on his head who was taking out his phone to call someone. While he was waiting for someone to answer, the android saw his led blinking, he pushed it and heard Namjoon's voice inside his head."Hey Jimin, how's it going? I'm contacting you from my phone, which I managed to connect to your software. You can either talk or think to answer me. Anyway, I'm right in front of Jungkook's house."
"Hi
Namjoon
, everything is fine. I'm in the attic, I can see you from here!"
Namjoon lifted his head up and saw Jimin lightly waving at him."Could you come here for a second? I have something for you."Jimin left the attic, trying not to make too much noise while going down the ladder, and joined Namjoon, who was waiting for him at the door."So, any thoughts about Jungkook yet? Do you like staying with him?""Yes, I do. As I said, everything is fine. I've cleaned his whole house today and I have to say that he's quite lazy and doesn't take care of it that much. He treats me well, he might be a little cold, but apart from that I can't complain about anything else."Namjoon smiled "I'm happy to hear that and don't worry, he will soften over time. He just has to get to know you better. Right, here's what I came for."The human took out some money from the pocket and gave it to Jimin."Go buy Jungkook something to eat. He usually eats with me at my house, but today he hasn't show up. Did something happen?" Namjoon stepped into the house looking for Jungkook."He has fallen asleep at six and he's still sleeping right now." Jimin put the money in his own pockets "Do you know where the door key is? I don't want to wake him up with the bell when I come back.""Right behind the coat hanger. He always puts it there..."Both Jimin And Namjoon left the house, one going to the nearest market, the other walking home.Jimin scanned the road to find the market more easily. There was one seven minutes from where he stood.
"I got to be fast. Jungkook is about to wake up and I want lunch to be ready before he leaves the bed."
As he walked through the streets of the outskirts of Seoul, he saw other people walking together with their androids. Among those there were personal trainers, guides for blind people, babysitters and others that were just helping their owners carry shopping bags and other stuff around.Suddenly, someone pushed an android to the ground and kicked it."Why don't you ever do what I tell you to do?! Aren't you supposed to be obedient? Shouldn't you behave the way I want you to?"The android was trying to stand up, but the owner was pinning it down with a foot. Jimin was staring at the scene before his eyes: he wanted to help the other android, but something stopped him from doing so. Maybe it was better for him not to step in between the two. He just stood there and watched the android getting hit by its owner."Hey you! Whatcha lookin at?! Mind your own business!"Those words brought Jimin back on earth and reminded him that there wasn't much time left."I'm sorry..."He apologized and walked past them, trying to ignore the sound of the foot stomping onto the plastic.Once he was in the supermarket, he first thought of what to prepare for Jungkook, then looked for all the ingredients needed for the recipe. It was his first time in a supermarket- no, it was the first time he was in a public place. It was the first time for him to see all of those people and androids around him. Jimin could recognize the different types of androids just by looking at their faces, for all of them were copies of various prototypes. As for humans, each one of them had different looks. Yes, some of them could look similar, but there was always something that made everyone unique. They wore different clothes too, while androids had their own "uniform" that changed from type to type.Jimin noticed that many other androids were wearing his same grey long-sleeved shirt and pants of the same color, with the same exact pair of shoes. The only thing that made him differ from the others in looks was his own name, which was displayed near his model number every now and then, and... his face. He couldn't see anyone that looked like him, but besides that, his role and functions were just the same as any other domestic android. In essence he was no different from them.Jimin was about to go to the counter when he heard someone crying behind him. A little girl with black hair styled in two pigtails and a pink frilly dress was desperately looking around her, sometimes covering her face with her hands to wipe the tears away.Time went by, but the android didn't want to leave the kid like that either. He knelt down before her."Hey, what's wrong?"The girl moved the hands away from her face and looked at Jimin, only to cry again."M-mo..." She sobbed "Mommy...""Can't find your mother?" Jimin askedThe kid shook her head, trying to calm herself down."Do you want to look for her with me?"She nodded shyly. "Mommy" was the only word she said. Jimin took her little hand in his and together they walked around the supermarket. It didn't took long before a woman came running to them, hugging the child tightly."Hyorin, here you are! How many times have I told you not to move away from me?!" The mother stood up"Thank-" She stepped back with the daughter in her arms, her eyes widening in fear."S-stay away from my daughter, y-you heartless machine!"The woman shouted at Jimin, drawning some people's attention on them. The android didn't know how to react to that. Normally, he would stay calm and tried to do so, supposing that the mother had her reasons to verbally attack him. He slowly walked away, without saying anything and proceeded to the payment at the counter.When he arrived home, the door of Jungkook's bedroom was still closed and no sound could be heard. Before he started cooking, he went upstairs to make sure that Jungkook was there. He opened the door, only to find his bed back to its original messiness and the clothes Jungkook was wearing thrown on the floor. His owner was nowhere to be found, not even in other parts of the house. Not knowing where he was, Jimin decided to call Namjoon."Maybe he knows something"..."I'm sorry, but he didn't tell me anything either." Namjoon stayed silent for a few seconds "...I'll try to call him and I'll let you know, alright?""Okay, thanks -His voice sounds worried"In the meantime, to keep himself busy, Jimin took everything he had bought out of the shopping bags and put it in the cupboards.Surprisingly, it only took five minutes for Namjoon to call back."He doesn't answer. I've tried more than three times, but to no avail. I'm sorry..."Twenty minutes had passed, then thirty, fifty... It had been almost two hours since Jimin had came back home, but he was still alone, waiting for his master while wondering where he could be.Jimin was sitting on the sofa when he went on standby mode, which made him look asleep. He had set a timer, hoping to find Jungkook after "waking up". As he waited, the orange light of the sunset irradiated in the living room, brightening up the dark space and giving a warm hue to the street, as if it came out of a picture.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jungkook's
pov
I stretched my arms and legs after a little nap. Luckily, the headache had stopped and I felt kinda rested too."...What time is it? Jimin?" I shouted from my room, but no one answered. I rushed downstairs barefoot and he wasn't there either. The door key was gone too.
What
the
hell
?
I've
never
allowed
him
to
leave
home
without
telling
me.
I sighed exasperatedly, knowing that living with an independent android wasn't going to be that easy. I had lost count of how many times I had told Namjoon that deviants were extremely dangerous, and now I had one in my own house. I knew that Namjoon had reset his memory and that his deviant tendencies were gone along with it, but still, I was pretty sure he hadn't fixed Jimin completely.I went back in my room and turned my phone up, checking for calls and messages. It was twenty past three."Just so you know I told Jimin to go buy something, it's not like he left home by himself, he would never do that ;)" 3:15 pm ✅✅I rolled my eyes at Namjoon's message. It took me a split second to go from annoyed to alarmed: as I checked the calls I had received, I could see the name of "Yoongi" together with the number 5 in brackets.
Shit
,
he
called
me
five
times.
I didn't waste any other second and changed my self into new clothes, for the ones I had been wearing until then had gotten a little sweaty while I was sleeping. I left home in a rush, hoping to be back before dinner.I got on my bicycle, which was in the backyard, and sprinted to Yoongi's apartment.The streets were still wet and there were pools everywhere. As I was pedaling the wind ruffled my hair, spreading its dark brown locks and making my eyes tear up. I knew I had to be cautious because of the slippery ground, but only God knew how angry Yoongi was. I had already ignored his first call that morning, then I had lost five calls: I could consider myself dead.At first sight it seemed like a calm guy, but it turned out it was just a mask that covered his real personality. I had met him when I was looking for a job. He saw how bad my situation was and decided to "help me" together with Namjoon and Taehyung, since they couldn't lend me money anytime I was in need.So I accepted his "help", but little did I know I would regret it.The flat where he lived was on the other side of the outskirts, not far from where Namjoon and I had found the android. It was a different district from mine and it was one of the worst areas in the city. It was almost abandoned, only a few people lived there and it was the perfect place to stay for criminals and street artist. Every time I had to meet with Yoongi I had begged him to meet up either at my house or somewhere near the center of Seoul, but he would always come up with an excuse such as "My feet hurt" "I'm not feeling that good" "I've just come back home" etc. just to hide his laziness. After a while I could see Yoongi's door in the distance. He lived on the ground floor and his apartment was rather small: the kitchen and the living room were the same room, then there was a toilet and his bedroom. However, there was a basement where our "meetings" took place since Yoongi didn't want anyone to hear our business. I rang the bell and waited for him to open the door for a few seconds, when a thought crossed my mind, shivers running through my body.
"I might have waken him up..."
Slow footsteps were approaching the door and a pale hand opened it with a click. Yoongi stretched his neck, putting his tattoos on display. His aqua hair was a little messy and a yawn escaped his mouth, as if he had just woken up.
"Just like I thought. I'm dead."
"So you're finally here." He started. "Come in, I don't have much time."We sat at the table in the basement, silence mixed to building up tension surrounded us. It had been a month since I had last seen Yoongi and, just like every month, he sat in front of me with his legs and arm crossed expecting something from me. I put the money I had brought with me on the table and lowered my head a little, almost scared of his reaction. I could hear myself gulping in the silence of the room."That's it?" Yoongi asked, with an unusually calm tone "That's all the money you have?" His voice getting gradually louder at every word."Yes. I know you lent me way more than this, but that's all I gained this month." I found the courage to reply to him. "I am now looking for a better job, so that I can pay the debt off once for all. I just ask you for-""No." Yoongi cut me off "I can't wait anymore. It's the third time I don't have all of the money I gave you back. I'm getting a little tired ya know."He counted the wons on the table flipping through them and sighed in frustration "...I can help you with the next three months too, but the more you delay your payment, the more you'll have to pay obviously. And you don't wanna know what I'm gonna do if I don't have what belongs to me back. I might even ask for a pound of your flesh, who knows?" (that reference tho)That sudden and incoherent change in him was a sign of his unstable behavior.He stood up, grabbed a dart and threw it, hitting the bulls-eye. He smirked satisfied. "I might know someone that could help you find a job."I chuckled sarcastically."Thanks, but no, I might have to refuse your help this time."Yoongi then threw his switchblade, making the dart fall, the sound of the knife sticking into the dartboard echoing within the grey wall."Too bad." He pulled it out and played with it flipping it through his finger. Even tho I had to look down to look into his eyes, he was intimidating and his glare was enough to make me feel as if I was shrinking nonetheless. He fixed his eyes on me, another gulp going down my throat. "Three months, no more," with that being said, he ended the conversation and was finally time for me to leave the basement that almost smelled of corpses.
What did I get myself into?
______________________I got back on my bicycle and rode away from Yoongi's apartment. Strangely, I wasn't that hungry and hadn't had breakfast either, so I was in no hurry to go back home and decided to go somewhere else. I wandered off from the city and its chaos, quiet and trees gradually taking over the buildings. A small hill could be seen on the horizon. Reaching its top wasn't that difficult for me, for I had climbed it many times, but it was impossible to climb up by bike. I followed the path that led to the top, admiring the nature around me as if it was the first time. The hill was my, I mean, our special place, where I and Taehyung would spend time together enjoying the panorama in front of us once in a month.There was a clearing at the peak, where Taehyung was waiting for me just like every month. I left the bike near a tree and walked towards the center of the clearing where he stood, the faint rays of the sun that was about to set projecting his shadow on the ground.We sat next to each other, with my arm around him. "I have lots of things to tell you." I started "You won't believe it but, I now live with an android..."I kept on talking, telling him about Jimin and Suga. Taehyung remained silent, listening to every single word as he used to. As I spoke the sun began to set, its warm orange light worming its way into the blue of the sky and telling me it was time to leave."I have to go now, Jimin must be worried." I kissed and hugged him before standing up "See you next month."I began pedaling once again, leaving Taehyung and the hill behind me. My eyes teared up again making my sight blurry and a tear flew down my cheek, following the breeze. I slowed down to wipe my eyes with a hand, or else I wouldn't see any obstacle, but other tears came out. I tried to stop them but they kept falling down my face. It was hard, however I managed to wipe them away once for all and kept riding back home. When I arrived all the lights were off. I opened the door and turning my head I saw Jimin... "asleep" on the couch. I thought he slept standing up, instead he was resting his head on a hand with his legs crossed, just like a normal human being. Apparently, he also needed to breathe: his chest was rising up at every breath.
"You think he would do something so bad to get repeatedly hit on the back, choked to death..."
Namjoon's words suddenly played in my head, along with the thought that Jimin was more vulnerable that I had thought. I believed that androids were superior than humans in every way, since they could get shot and survive feeling no pain, unless the bullet went through the head or the heart, or whatever they had on the left side of their chest. However, I didn't know that applying pressure around the neck would have been enough to shut them down. Maybe it was a fragile part, or there was a component that could easily break. I got closer to Jimin to get a better look of what he called "artificial skin". I remembered him saying that he could feel pressure too, but he didn't say that it equaled to pain. So, no matter how much I could twist it, he wouldn't scream like a normal person would. He did look in pain when Namjoon and I had found him though. I shook my head confused. To be honest, I didn't know why I was asking myself so many question, I didn't even care that much.I was still looking at him when his eyes snapped open. I jumped slightly, backing up away from him and stumbling onto the table in front of the sofa."Ah, you're back!" Jimin stood up and hold my arm, helping me regain balance. "When I was back from the supermarket I couldn't find you. Luckily, your friend Namjoon gave me the key. It's twenty five past seven now, what time do you usually have dinner?"He asked me, talking just like the domestic android he was. The difference between his way of speaking and acting surprised me: only a second earlier I had seen him resting like a human, and now he was talking like a machine. The microscopic hope I had for him to be like us, that had arisen in me after I saw him on the sofa, disappeared in a split second. I sighed "Between eight and half past eight, but don't worry, I'm not hungry." I wanted to go up stairs but stopped when I heard Jimin calling me."You haven't eaten anything today. Are you sure you don't want to eat anything?" I was already in my bedroom when I shouted in reply "No, a glass of water is enough, bring it here."I laid on my bed again, the tiredness didn't seem to want to leave me. Well, at least someone likes me.The android opening the door kept me from sinking in the sea of dark thoughts that would torment me on a daily basis and lock me up in my room all day long. Jimin placed the glass on the nightstand near me. I turned to drink and noticed the robot looking at me, a concerned look on his face. He didn't say anything though, he just left and headed towards the guest room, which was on the right end of the hallway.
I didn't even need to dismiss him, as if he knew I want to stay alone. He really knows how to behave with me then.
Before I fell asleep, Namjoon texted me. It was in that moment I noticed two lost calls from him. Ever since we had found Jimin he wouldn't stop texting me at least three times a day. But his preoccupation was also due to the fact that I was too lazy to tell him how things were going every now and then, so I always ended up leaving him hanging."Hey Jimin was looking for you. You home?" 7:30 pm ✅✅"Yes" 7:33 pm"Do you like him so far? You know if there's any problem you can call me whenever u want" 7:34✅✅"Yeah, he hasn't shown any sign of behavior related to deviancy, sooo it's ok atm" 7:34 pmWith that message I ended our chat. I sat up and looked at the mirror in front of my bed, wondering why Jimin had stared at me. My eyes were red and had dark circle under them and the messy hair didn't help at all. My look could have shocked Jimin, but I had gotten used to it: that was what I always looked like at the end of the day and the dark circles had never left me ever since I had started following a pretty fucked up sleeping schedule. Oh right, I didn't even have one, I could barley sleep.I wasn't that much to blame though: imagine seeing your mother being beaten up by your own father, leaving her alone, not knowing what happened to her, not having anyone by your side anymore and having problems finding a decent job just to have the right amount of money to keep living. Then there was the rent.As for that, the house was affordable at first and the money I had was enough. Plus, it was the kind of house my mother dreamed of and I had thought that one day we would be back together, so I had chosen it, wishing to live with her again.Something changed when, after a few months, the owner had increased the initial price. I had nowhere else to go and decided to stay there and to search for a job. Then, as I said before, I had met Yoongi... who ended up being another problem to face. Unfortunately, I had met Namjoon and Taehyung when it was already too late: it had already been a year and half since I had moved when they decided to help me. Yes, they did help me a lot and I was extremely grateful for everything they had done, but they didn't know about the deal with Yoongi and weren't aware of the fact that he was the one paying the rent most of the time and that the money they gave me helped me with the debt too.Long story short, my life was shit and I had to find a way to make things better. And I had only three months left.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Jungkook, breakfast's ready!" the woman shouted from the kitchen, waiting for his son to join her and her husband. Time went by and the little boy hadn't shown up yet. The patient mother stood up from the table and knocked on Jungkook's door. "Sweetie are you still sleeping?""Yes."
The woman giggled at the child's naive reply "Alright, but we won't eat anything until you're with us."
After a while she heard light footstep around the room until a small Jungkook stepped out yawning.
She picked him up in her arms and embraced him tightly, the kid hugging her back with his small arms.
"Let's go, dad is waiting for us."
____________________________________
Jungkook snuggled up into the covers of the bed after hearing a knock on the door, his legs tangled around the sheets. The sound on the wooden door repeated in the dark haired boy's head like a hammer."Jungkook, it's me, Jimin." a voice from the other side announced "I made breakfast. Maybe eating will help you regain energy..."Silence"Are you still sleeping?" the android asked. A groan came from the room."Yes, now go and let me sleep."Jungkook answered, hoping for Jimin to leave. When he got up to open the door he was still there, waiting for him with his hands joined behind his back. Although Jungkook found the android's stubborness kinda annoying, he knew the android was right: he was hungry and had to eat something after fasting for a day.As he walked into the kitchen a delicious smell of toasts with bacon and scrambled eggs pervaded the room. There were two juice boxes too, one with orange and the other with blueberry, and everything was placed on the table in perfect order.Before sitting down, Jungkook gave a look around the kitchen. Now the fridge was almost full, like the shelves and the cupboard. There were all sorts of fruits, pasta, snacks and other kinds of food he hadn't seen in a while."When did you buy all of this stuff?" he asked bewildered, sitting at the table almost drooling at the smell of the toasts."Yesterday while you were sleeping and this morning together with Namjoon. That guy seems to care a lot about you, he's the one who made me buy everything after all." Jimin stood at the entrance of the kitchen, behind Jungkook."I hope you enjoy what I cooked..." he shyly added before the human bit into the first toast with hunger, a moan escaping from his throat. The toasts Namjoon used to make for him when the two had breakfast together weren't slightly comparable to the ones he was eating that morning."Incredible..." Jungkook muttered while chewing the bread up "You androids can do everything better." He gulped the lump of food down "Like, literally!"Jimin walked up to him to take the empty dish to the sink, then poured his master some orange juice. "Do you have anything planned for today I have to set a reminder for?"The robot spoke up, changing the subject."Not really, I was thinking of going for a walk in the park, but I'll go only when I feel like going, there's no need for a reminder." the boy drank all the juice in the glass, licking his lips afterwards. He sighed before speaking."You can come with me. There's nothing to do here..."Jimin's light gray eyes slightly widened "Really?"Jungkook looked up at him "You sound like you have never-" Jimin's led flickering from blue to yellow caught his eyes."But who will look after the house? I'd better stay here..." The light was back to blue and the android's voice turned calm. Thinking it was just the software running inside Jimin, Jungkook kept eating, scratching all the thoughts away not to let the paranoia take over him. He had heard that androids did that thing every now and then, while making sure that everything inside of them was working properly. If there were problems, the light would have turned red, so he had nothing to worry about in that moment.Deep down, Jungkook was still suspicious nonetheless. Not knowing what an android would do all alone, he insisted."As your master, I ask you to come with me for a stroll in the park. I don't want you to stay all by yourself.""Whatever you say, Jungkook." Jimin gave in.That day the park was rather crowded. The midday rays had gathered families, couples and lonely people together, everyone enjoying the shining sun whose light was getting weaker and weaker as autumn slowly took the place of summer. Some of the leaves on the trees were starting to lose their green pigment, others had already fallen on the ground and now were being stomped on by children running around the park, creaking under their feet.A small group of dogs was playfully fighting on the grass under the supervision of their owners, while the quieter ones preferred to stay away from the brawl and walk along their human friends.Sometimes, when he was feeling down, instead of staying home all day, Jungkook would go to the park to take a breath of fresh air and to listen to some music under the shadow of a tree. Moreover, the happy atmosphere around him could have only helped him feel better.He was listening to music that day too, leaving the poor android no one to talk to. Jimin was right behind him, looking around him in silence. He recognized some androids among the humans: some were playing with children, others were keeping company to their owners, just like him. A jogging android run past them, followed by a man: it was a personal trainer.Ever since the first androids had been built (they were of the domestic kind only) other models were created, from university teachers to doctors. This raised a negative response from many people, who risked to be replaced by robots and consequently lose their jobs. On the other hand, people like company managers preferred artificial intelligence over mere mortals, for they were more efficient than humans and there was no need to pay them. Therefore, it was even harder for Jungkook and other people to find a job.Jimin had his eyes fixed on a row of small yellow ducklings in a pond when Jungkook suddenly came to a halt. The android's chest clashed against the other's back, causing Jungkook to turn around in surprise. He found him slightly faltering backwards, then bowing forward."I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been distracted." He apologized."Don't worry, it was nothing." Jimin was taken aback by his owner's reaction to his clumsiness: he hadn't gotten shouted at like other androids."What were you looking at?" The boy asked intrigued. The robot pointed at the pond. The ducklings were following their mother, their webbed feet moving fast to keep up with her.Jungkook softly smiled at that sight, then remembered the reason why he had stopped."Right, can you find us a free bench?"Jimin nodded and scanned the area with his eyes and it only took him a second to find one. "There's one nearby. We just have to walk along the lake, it's on our left."We... Those two letter and their sound were so strange to him. He had never heard anyone using that word when talking to him, maybe because his memory had been reset. But he was sure there was something inside him telling him that his relationship with his current owner was different from the previous one, in a good way of course. Jungkook was kind and seemed to appreciate everything he did, he was the total opposite of... of...The name of the one that had tortured him was nowhere to be found in his memory, along with their appearance. It was a good thing though, he could now enjoy his new existence as an ordinary android without his grim memories haunting him. It had only been two days that he had been living with Jungkook, but Jimin could already see a bright future ahead of them.The two sat on the bench with a small space between them. Jungkook had his legs crossed, moving the one on the top along the rhythm of the music. He moved one headphone to the side, so that he could notice if the android spoke to him. Jimin heard screams, guitars and drums coming from the dark blue headphones and it looked like the boy loved that kind of music: almost every song that came up in the playlist had the same harsh sound."So... you like heavy metal?" Jimin questioned, showing interest in the human's tastes."Yeah, but I do have other music genres, from dubstep to classical..." Jungkook resumed murmuring the song under his breath, as to imply that he didn't want to carry on with the chat. The android thought of another topic to talk about, but seeing the other typing so intently on the phone, he discarded the idea. The boy hadn't taken his eyes off the device ever since they had sat down. Jimin was curious about what kept Jungkook so busy, but he knew that taking a sneak peek would have been impolite. However, the screen could have taught him something useful about him.The robot turned his head slightly, but it was enough to take a good look at the phone. There were many job advertisements and most of the activities were pretty simple tasks, but the reward wasn't that good.Jungkook shut the screen down and threw his head back on the backrest, whispering a curse, his black hood falling loose on his head. He closed his eyes to shield them from the sun, trying to relax and keep the stress away. His mind wondered to a day where he was free from all the problems and worries, reunited with his mother and living the life he had been dreaming of. With Jimin doing all the housework, both him and the woman would have had all the time to stay together, catching up after all those years that kept them apart.His daydreaming was interrupted by the sound of footstep approaching them. His eyes opened, revealing a little girl standing in front of Jimin. She was holding a stuffed rabbit, her raven hair falling gracefully on the small shoulders. She smiled at the android, showing a soft pair of round cheeks under her deep black eyes."J... Jimin!" she read on the robot's chest."Hyorin! Did you get lost again?" Jimin ruffled her hair lovingly.The girl shook her head no and pointed at someone in the distance: her mother was having a lively conversation with some other woman and she was so engaged into it that she hadn't even noticed her daughter wandering off.Jimin sighed in relief, while Jungkook gave him a quizzical look "When did you meet?""I met her at the supermarket. She had lost sight of her mother and I wanted to help her. She was crying and I didn't want to leave her alone. I guess we're friends now!" Jimin felt the kid hugging his knee tightly, a bright smile appearing on his artificial face.The picture of the "dying" damaged android popped up in the young man head, next to the one of his current state: happy and with a little friend that loved him so much. Children were the only ones, apart from a few people like Namjoon of course, that couldn't see any difference between androids and humans: they treated them like everyone else and, like in Hyorin's case, could make friends with them. As for Jimin, even thought his feelings were fake, he appeared to really love her back.Hyorin tugged on Jimin's trousers "Come with me!" she exclaimed joyfully. The robot looked at Jungkook as to ask him for permission to go with her.He shrugged "Go, I'll wait here."Hyorin knelt near the lake shore and took some slices of bread out of her backpack, giving two of them to Jimin before throwing crumbles in the water. The android mimicked her and a group of ducks, including a swan, gathered before them, fighting for the small pieces of bread. Jungkook watched them from afar, glancing at the girl's mother every now and then. She was still talking to the other woman, who was also a mother and had two children, a girl and a boy.In the meantime, Jimin and Hyorin were walking around the lake feeding the birds and the fishes that lived there. The kid was holding the robot's hand and if it wasn't for his uniform, the two would have almost looked like a father-daughter couple.The talk between the two parents was about to end when the android and the little human came back."You're just in time" Jungkook addressed at Hyorin "Go back to your mom before she starts looking for you. You don't want her to get worried again do you?"Hyorin gave one last hug to Jimin, who lifted her up making her laugh "We'll meet again, alright?" he promised her while letting her go.She nodded "Bye Jimin!"The robot sat next Jungkook, watching the girl running back to her mother."You're great with kids. I could see Hyorin was having lots of fun with you." the human praised Jimin, whose gaze was stuck on the girl, walking with the woman the same way she had walked with him, hand in hand while happily jumping up and down."Jungkook, can I ask you something?" he asked, his eyes falling on other couples holding hands."Sure..." Jungkook paused, puzzlement on his face "What is it?""Why do people hold hands? Is there another reason besides keeping the one you're walking with under control? That's what I do with children.""So he was just trying not to let Hyorin run away from him. Well duh, he's programmed to be a babysitter too." the boy thought before answering "Yes there is. People usually do that because they want to stay close to their loved ones or tell them there's someone that cares about them with a small but meaningful act. Why do you ask?"Jimin lowered his head, his irises turning opaque at the absence of light on his face "I... I'm curious." He parted his lips as if he had more to say, but closed them as his stare met Jungkook's and moved his eyes back on the ground. He repressed that voice inside of him (and no, it wasn't Namjoon's) that wanted to know something else and shut his mouth.____________________________________
Jungkook's
pov
After staying in the park for a couple of hours, we went back home and spent the rest of the day there. When we were at the park, Jimin had been acting like a kid the whole time, admiring the environment as if he had never seen a butterfly nor a bunch of goldfishes. Maybe there was no need for domestic androids like him to know about the world outside a house, but I still couldn't understand the reason behind his curiosity. What had surprised me the most was his interest for human behavior. I had never had an android before, so I didn't know whether it was normal for them to talk about such topics or not."Jimin! Could you remind me of calling Namjoon later this evening?" I asked him from the living room while I was watching the TV, boringly zapping through the channels."Of course!" His voice didn't sound that distant. I stood up to see where he was and saw him staring at the piano in the hall, brushing one hand on the keys. It used to be Taehyung's until one day his mother showed up at my door, telling me he wanted it to be mine. Not only had he given me the piano, but he had also passed his passion on to me."Do you know how to play it?" It wouldn't have been shocking if he had answered affirmatively."No."Aaand that was not what I had expected."But I'd like to learn."I wasn't expecting that either. An android that would like to known how to play the piano? That's new."I'm afraid I can't teach you how to play it."Jimin removed the hand from the piano, his eyelids covering half of his eyes as he looked away from the instrument with a neutral expression that had a little bit of disappointment in it, as shown by the slight pout on his face.I sat at the piano and gently laid my fingers on the tiles, a note resounding in the room when my right hand quivered."Jimin, go see if there's any score in my room."The robot did as told. In the hall it was just me and the piano, me and the only thing through which I could express myself, the instrument that could give a sound to my feelings with its gentle melodies. It was almost like a friend you could pour out your emotions on, a friend that knew everything you had been through and that could help you feel better. It was also a treasure of beautiful memories, that surfaced when I played a familiar tune.I didn't need to tell my hands where to go, so many were the times I had played that song. I closed my eyes and let them glide over the tiles all by themselves, for they knew where to land every time.Although I hadn't touched the piano in months, my skills hadn't gotten rusty over time. I slowly picked up speed, my fingers dancing on black and white, nailing every note.I was so engrossed that I couldn't hear anything but the music produced by my fingertips. I kept on playing until I had to come to a stop: it was a duet, and I had never learned the following part. However, I could remember how it went. It played in my head, together with the vivid picture of Taehyung's sun-kissed hands moving gracefully from key to key. I sat there, going back in time, imagining him next to me as he patiently taught me how to play. Meanwhile, my hands unconsciously started performing the first song I had played all alone, without Taehyung's help. It was kind of difficult for a beginner, but luckily I was a fast-learner, so I had no trouble playing it.I could still see his astonished look on his face, that turned to proud when my performance was about to end.When I stood up both Jimin and the scores I had asked for were nowhere to be found, but I was able to hear someone walking on the mezzanine."Jimin?""Yes Jungkook?""Did you find them?""No... not yet. Hold on."
What has he been doing for the past twenty minutes then?
"Wait, let me help you. I'm done playing anyway." I entered my room, where Jimin was flipping through... oh no. Alarmed, I ran towards him and pulled him away from the shelf before he could go any further and put the books and the magazines back to their original order."Don't ever put your hands here ever again, understood?"He nodded, his eyes wide in shock."But again..." I opened the box that was once under my bed, suddenly remembering that the scores where there and that Jimin wasn't allowed to open it. "...it was my fault. I should have told you before."I picked the sheets and placed them on the music stand. Jimin followed me downstairs, probably waiting for more orders, but, as I had already told him, there was nothing else to do. He was standing at the end of the stairs, submissively avoiding my gaze.
Android "life" must be so boring. "Do this", "do that"... it's all about carrying orders out or doing the only thing you're programmed to do. And this is what happens when they have nothing to do, they turn to plastic statues.
"Hey, look at me."He lifted his head."Why don't you do something? Like going in the backyard, since you seem to like nature so much.""I can't do anything unless I have your permission. I stand still in order not to bother you by moving around or doing something that might annoy you."His tone was flat and matched his blank face. Neither of them could have belonged to the Jimin I had seen in the park, the android that liked ducklings and children. Maybe he had been acting differently because Hyorin was around, but I liked that version of him better, so cheerful and friendly.On the other hand, the Jimin that was in front of me in that moment was... boring? If he were a person I could have said he was lifeless, as in "not lively", but he was already lifeless, literally."Well, you creep me out like that."I went back in the living room searching for a decent movie, a smile growing on my lips when the title "Iron Man" appeared on the screen. I brought my legs to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, becoming a little fanboying ball."Jimin, could you turn off the lights? Oh, and make popcorn too!"I didn't want to lose any second of that movie and suddenly realized how convenient having an android was. I was so focused on the TV that I didn't even notice him walking in the kitchen and placing the popcorn on the table.It was only when he placed a blanket around my shoulders that I detracted my attention from the screen."It's pretty cold tonight and you might catch a cold with only that t-shirt on." Jimin unfolded the blanket so that it fell on my exposed arms too: I had removed the hoodie and I now only wore the t-shirt I had underneath it.I snorted "I know, mom."The android stood next to the sofa, on his feet, probably afraid of sitting down beside me."I know you can't get tired, but you can always sit down, even near me. I don't bite."Jimin sat down, keeping his back straight in the process, his movements so unnatural compared to when he was "sleeping" on the sofa. However, after a few minutes, he relaxed and laid his back on the sofa. I glanced briefly at him to check if he was watching the movie too. And he was."I am the curious one now. Do you androids like any form of entertainment? Such as movies, shows...""We might not find them entertaining, since we do not need to be entertained and can't be distracted in any way, but they can help us discover something about our masters."
Can't be distracted uh? What about the ducklings then?
I preferred to keep the doubt to myself and resumed watching the movie. I was watching it for the tenth time and every time was like the first one, I could never not enjoy it. However, that night I couldn't focus on it as usual. Yes, my eyes were stuck on the TV, but I had my mind somewhere else, thinking of the last two days with Jimin. He had taken care of me and my house and there was nothing I could complain about so far.Namjoon was right, I really needed someone like him.Right when Iron Man was in the middle of a fight with Iron Monger, I felt my head falling forwards, then backwards and the last thing I saw was the ceiling, then everything went black.When I reopened my eyes I was in my bed, the first stroke of ten waking me up. I had only slept for half an hour since the end of the movie and Jimin was now sitting at the end of the bed, gazing at the stars outside the window. The pale moonlight made his gray irises shine even more than the sun rays did and his platinum blond hair gleamed under the silvery light. The more I stared at him, the more I felt sorry about him being just an android, an object created to fulfill our needs and to obey us humans."Thanks." I spoke up in the silence of my room, sitting up to face Jimin.During those two days we had been together, I had never showed my gratefulness and now I felt like thanking him for everything he had done."Thanks for tiding my room- I mean- my whole house up. And thanks for the meals too, they were delicious. I missed eating good food."An orange-ish light appeared in front of me, where Jimin was."He..." the android uttered weakly.
He?
"He has never thanked me."His led was bright red, hands firm on his tights. The light on his head started flashing and Jimin sharply bent his back towards, holding his neck between his hands, a feeble cry of pain breaking through the darkness around us.I instinctively pushed myself away from him with my hands, until my back met the wall behind me. My heart was beating fast for the sudden fear that rushed through me, making me unable to move. All I could do was hope for the led to go back to blue and watching Jimin grunt squinting his eyelids.After a few seconds, everything was over. He had calmed down and walked to the door."Remember to call Namjoon."A "thud" of the door closing accompanied his words.
What the hell...?
It took me a while to assimilate what had happened. I frantically searched for my phone and typed Namjoon's number, expecting an explanation for what I had just seen."Oi Kook, whats'up?""Nam, we have a problem."