Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

If there was one thing she dreaded about her day to day life, it would have to be the ever lingering hours past midnight where the sky should have been lit up with stars, though retained nothing but an inky blackness where the city’s horizon drowned them out. It was always then when she found herself tangled in webs: invisible and wretched ropes twisting around her feet in the hopes of dragging her into the public eye. 

Nonetheless, it was inevitable and, as she walked down the unfortunately familiar alleyways and streets, she knew that there was no other option than to resign herself to her fate.

Neon lights shone down on the ground, figures falling across the concrete with uncertainty - shadows of moving branches and far away people melding together into the harsh lines of the surrounding buildings. Same old, same old, really.

Today, she didn’t have much of a plan other than to wander around and make herself as forgettable as possible, the dark coloured clothes she wore helping to aid in this. Maybe she would find something to do, but the likelihood wasn’t very big.

Each footstep echoed, though faded just as soon as it became a reality. She didn’t think much of it, more so happy that her impression wouldn’t last long. 

Where could she go? What to do…

She turned into a secluded alley, the abandoned road home to many of the wealthier residents' unwanted and discarded items. Weirdly, she didn’t often frequent these spaces and it was mostly due to the fact that every square inch was always being surveyed and watched with bobbing cameras. It might have been wiser to install hidden cameras, but the cost outweighed the use when all it would capture was footage of rubbish.

There was nothing interesting, the usual designer bags and exponential food waste nothing to be excited about. Then again, one man’s trash was another man’s treasure - or so they said. She picked up a clean bag, holding it at the handles by her fingertips and swinging it as she climbed up on a box and pulled it over the filming camera that dutifully watched over its section up on the brick wall. It twisted and turned in response, trying to nudge off whatever was blocking its feed, but she was more interested in the thing he had noticed hidden amongst the litter.

A large and undisturbed wooden box lay on the ground, its surface covered with dirt and streaks of rain but the vague outline of a banner imprinted beneath the filth had caught her eyes. And so, she kicked away whatever debris there was and reached to grab ahold of it.

Her fingers ached, the thick and bulbous wood of the box scraping against her skin as she used all her strength to haul it upright. A hulking mass teetered in her grip, her body used to stabilise it on the ground with the edge closest to her hitting the ground with a resounding ‘thud!’.

It looked beaten and worn down, rain damage creating ripples on the surface. Ink leaked down the sides, letters creating pools underneath that made it hard to understand any of the writing. Even if she squinted and got up close, there was no hope for reading any of the small and unintelligible font. If only she could get it open; something this heavy almost always had something useful inside. Even if it was nothing but scrap metal, it could still fetch a good price if melted down. 

And, if she was honest, she was in no position to turn down anything that could offer her the luxury of money - even if it was hidden within centimetres thick wooden panelling and screws that seemed to be firmly lodged in.

She had no idea how she was supposed to take this thing home with her, but she would try regardless. Stealing another glance at the blocked camera, she pushed the box as hard as she could, her feet sliding under the elevated base to feel wheels underneath. A relieved exhale followed; she wouldn’t have to drag this out after all.

Even so, it was too early to count her blessings and she needed to actually get out of this narrow alleyway before conjuring up dreams of grandeur. Being too cocky had definitely been the leading cause of failure in a few of her plans. 

Her fingers slipped and she hissed, grabbing on to it at an awkward angle and feeling a splinter dig itself into her unprotected skin. Even if it stung, she needed to ignore it and dig it out later when time and circumstances allowed her to. Another quick glance to the camera, the bag swaying precariously. She had always hated being watched, almost as much as she hated scrounging around in off road areas.

The wheels creaked, moaning from having to support weight after rotting and rusting, and the wood seemed to fracture despite her never having heard of wood doing such a thing! If she sped down this downhill area, she would get out of the street faster - at the risk of losing control of course.

But, when the camera moved again and the fabric shifted before floating down, she knew that she had to close her eyes and pray that there was no law enforcement lying in wait for her at the bottom. She wheeled it as fast as she could and held on with a foot slotted into the small bar at the underside of the box. This would either end well or completely terribly.

And so, she pushed and down she went. If she could have articulated anything properly at that moment, she would have described the feeling as similar to freefalling, only instead of having a fail safe of a parachute, she had the welcome risk of more splinters. The mix of both fear and adrenaline lasted only a few seconds, the straight road at the end becoming nearer and nearer.

Letting her free foot dangle, the heel of her thick boots scraped against the ground, the friction making her soles hot with the feeling bordering on burning before the box slowed down enough for her to use both of her heels. Either this succeeded or she would end up with a few large bruises.

Wind rushed past her ears, making her tear up with the intensity of it against her eyes. Her grip tightened; almost there.

Her soles continued to grind against the floor before coming to a halt with the slope becoming more gentle. She was sure she had created a variety of skid marks against the tarmac but that hardly mattered now when she was now onto the next leg of her plan: getting back home without running into anyone else. That task would definitely be easier said than done, though, thankfully, it would just be a case of memory application.

Peering around the side, she saw no one there and quickly made her way around the bend - the cameras in this location long disabled by others who also hated being observed.

No sounds of anything other than her own footsteps and squeaking wheels was audible, a happy surprise in all honesty. There was only another few minutes walk left if she sped up and used the collapsing tunnelway. 

Yes it was barely holding itself together, and yes she always ran through it for fear of being buried alive in rubble, but you couldn’t limit yourself during a heist like this (or, atleast, that’s what she liked to tell herself).

Therefore, she began to wheel it down the barely there path and past the edges of the border that separated them from the rest. The wheels began to sink into the mud, forcing her into moving with more haste. The lack of natural or artificial light didn’t help either, though that wasn’t much of an issue not after years of being adjusted to the dark. With hefty pushes and shoves, both she and the box made it through into the tunnel and she could finally let her chest loosen a little - no one would dare pursue her in here if they had even some sense of self preservation.

Finally, she thought as she rushed through the crumbling passageway, maybe I can get a decent meal out of this damn thing.

After some intense wiping up of muddy floors, dirty wooden panels and some minor splinter removal operations, she had finished in making the outside not smell like rubbish and leachate. The air freshener in the room was on its last legs, though had succeeded in clearing up the residual stench. It hadn't been as bad while outside but the moment the smell had nowhere to go was the exact second it became hell. 

Nonetheless, the horror was over now and she could start at the task of prying out the nails and screws that were embedded within. The backside of a hammer helped considerably, pulling out the heads with ease as they clattered to the floor. The hardest part definitely was the transportation, each of the wooden panels loosening without the need for much brute force. 

Within 15 minutes, she had removed all of them and was left with only the bare bones structure, her excitement growing considerably as she put the hammer down. There had to be something good in here, she just knew it!

Taking a deep inhale with fingers curled around the edges, she yanked the front down and blinked - her lips parting to verbalise words of shock but her throat unallowing. 

This was far beyond any scraps of metal.

A silhouette of a man lay within, his head bowed with strands of hair falling across his forehead. Long lashes brushed against his cheeks while pillowy heart shaped lips were pressed together, the face of a model put to rest within his wooden coffin. 

But, that wasn't what had caught her eyes, far from it. It was the logo that was engraved within, the distinctive neon green overlapping triangles saying more than any words would ever be able to portray. This was the work of Frith, the exact tech innovators that had created the same camera she'd blindfolded just a few hours prior.

No words could describe the mix of emotions that swirled in her chest, the android's skin cool to the touch as she touched his… It's… hand. From what she could see, there was nothing physically wrong. No cuts, no blemishes, nothing. The charging pod looked untouched, the wiring held in place with the original zip ties and chords.

"What the fuck…?" She muttered, disbelieving of what she was seeing. The sole notion of someone willingly throwing out such an obscenely expensive android made her mouth turn sour. Even if the hardware was faulty, they had a lifetime guarantee and would happily be fixed. So why?

She moved closer, footsteps light as though not to disturb the seemingly slumbering man. The rest of the panels were pushed away, leaving only the android in the position, the plexi glass container open to let her reach in. 

There didn't seem to be any instructions anywhere, likely also discarded by whoever had thrown the android out. This left her at a loss, not knowing how to start it up without potentially damaging it furth-

Wait. She could use her phone.

Pulling out the device, she quickly began to type 'how to start up a frith android' and the results were instantaneous. Videos of how to successfully start the android appeared and she pressed on the first result, speeding through it to find that the button to start up was placed at the nape of the neck, hidden by a small pocket of steel that you had to unscrew. Luckily for her, she had plenty of screws to fiddle with and one of them was bound to get it open - even if it meant using brute force.

She circled around to the back, pushing her tool box along with her foot and inspecting the areas of plain skin. It felt slightly weird to have a humanoid figure slumped in front of her, but clearly she was in the minority of feeling this way with how popular androids were. They ranged from a multitude of different uses, from a housekeeper to a fighter engine pilot. Trying to guess what model and use this particular one had was like trying to win the lottery. She did wonder what this one did, however, and how much someone would be willing to pay if she could manage to figure out what was wrong with it and resell it.

Rummaging through the box, she found a set of screwdriver heads and picked the one that looked the closest to the star shaped nail. It came apart easily after she applied some force, wedging the head into the sides and forcing it to the left. Maybe the lack of resistance was the fault.

Underneath was a simple button, a typical power on symbol that was coloured a faded green of the company’s logo. She pressed it quickly, stepping back as a small whirring sound began and the dim power button began to glow a vibrant neon green. The android straightened up to its full height, standing at a good 180+cm with brown irises that shone a little too brightly to be considered natural.

A feeling of awe was clear, eyes wide as she almost stumbled over her tool back in her haste to move back and admire the culmination of hundreds of people’s efforts and billions in money. It didn’t feel real to have this in her home, a place that could hardly be described as lavish. 

“Safeguarding unit ‘bodyguard’ serial number 514127 initialisation in process,” it said, the voice a low and pleasant tone. Bodyguard, she noted, this was an android made for protection. “Please wait while settings are configured.”

The whirring had quietened further, resembling more the breaths of a person than a manmade cooling system. It was unsettling if she thought too hard about how realistic it was. 

“Update downloading is now complete. How may I refer to you?”

She almost forgot to speak her name, stuttering out the syllables from the surprise. Thankfully, the android understood regardless of her inability to articulate her sentences.

“Your name has been updated. Would you like to assign me an identity?”

“Identity?”

“An identity is what I will respond to when called.”

“Oh, a name.” No matter how hard she thought, she was drawing a blank. “I’m not sure. Do you have one already?”

"I do not have one already assigned.”

“Can you give yourself one? I can't think of any."

The android looked at her face, as if analysing what it was seeing. "Unfortunately, I am unable to assign one to myself."

Quickly pulling up yet another webpage, she searched for 'cool men's names' before finding one she rather liked. "What about Shownu?"

"Shownu." It repeated. "My identity is now 'Shownu'."

"Great." Another pause followed before a holographic screen was protected, startling her as it filled a good portion of the space in front of him. "What's this?"

"I am able to adapt over time to fit your needs, however instructions for specific scenarios are required. Please fill in whatever you feel is necessary." She tapped the projection, a keyboard appearing on screen. 

'In the event of an emergency where yourself and high priority individuals are in immediate danger, how would you like Shownu to respond?; Should a situation arise where you may need to be resuscitated, do you consent to the use of Shownu's defibrillator?; Do you consent to the use of alcohol in wound cleansing?; Please list any allergies or sensitivities that are not otherwise stated in your medical records-' The questions were seemingly endless and she pursed her lips, not knowing if she should bother filling anything out. 

"First, I would like you to do both a hardware and software scan." 

“Just one moment.” The hologram shifted from the keyboard and questions to a loading symbol, the circling whirling around and around multiple times before it finished with a tick. “Everything is in working order. Would you like me to run any further diagnostics?”

“Yes, please run them all.”

It began to load up again and she couldn’t help but feel as though something was amiss. There was nothing wrong so far and yet the unit had been discarded like it was nothing more than useless parts cobbled together. There was the possibility that it just couldn’t detect what was wrong with it, but with it being such an extensively researched and programmed android, she highly doubted that possibility.

The diagnostic came back; nothing was wrong.

“There are no faults within my systems. Is there anything else you would like me to do?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s alright. Is there any more setup we need to do?”
“Please fill in the specific scenarios.”

“Right, yeah. Let me do that now.” She didn’t think too hard about answering them, not too interested in it. “If I wanted my data to be destroyed, is it possible to retrieve it?”

“No, Once you have asked for permanent deletion, data can’t be retrieved.” 

Perfect. “Great.” The questions were finished and the hologram disappeared. “Anything else?”

“Please scan in a copy of your medical records. This can also be done at a later date.” 

“Yeah, uh, I’ll do that later.”

The brown eyes shone intently, observing her. “Do I have your consent for an iris and fingerprint scan? The data is contained within myself only and is not given to third parties or stored in any outside databases.” 

Again, that was tricky. She couldn’t risk having anything like that leaked because it would inevitably lead to her petty (and hefty) crimes catching up with her. “No. I don’t want either to be scanned.” 

“Are there specific hours in which you want me to operate?”

Maybe during the day? Around 7am to 12am. Do you respond even outside of operating hours?”

“Yes. I make sure to be available whenever I am needed. Would you like to create a command word for instant action?”

“Is there a default?”

“Yes. It is ‘safeguard’.”

“We can keep that.” Her tongue poked her cheek. “Do you have pronouns?”

“They are he and him. Yourself?”

“She, her.” 

Brown eyes remained on hers. “That is all the set up complete. How may I assist you today?”

Her gaze fell on the wooden panels, knowing that she didn’t want to risk another splinter with the jagged edges. “How good are you at chores?”

Shownu showed no emotion, but she suspected that if he could, there would have been a hint of bemusement. “I can perform any action you want me to.”

“Could you help me put that wood outside?” 

“Yes.” Without waiting for any further instruction, he easily lifted each of the ludicrously long panels and stacked them in his arms with such ease that it was almost comical. “Which way leads to the outside?”

“Go down the corridor and into the 3rd room on the right. There’s a door there that goes outside and you can just put everything down there.” Shownu followed these instructions without hesitation, managing to do exactly as she said without a hiccup. Impressive, she thought, just how much coding did that level of understanding take to perfect?

Nonetheless, when she looked at the clock and realised that her nightly escapade had transformed into a daybreak instead, she knew that she had to go get some sleep. While he was still outside, she pulled the charging pod out of its zip ties and containers before plugging it into a spare socket in her living room.

When he returned, she was fighting back yawns and almost jumped at the sight of him hovering there wordlessly. “I’m going to go to sleep now, you can… power down? Yeah, go into sleep mode.”

If she had said the wrong command, it was not commented upon and Shownu went to his charging pod to step on it, feet fitting neatly into the slots with a green tick on the side of his neck lighting up. 

A low hum filled the room, the thrum of electricity quiet though present. She exhaled, taking a few steps before turning to the android with something akin to hesitation. “Good night, Shownu.”

Shownu did not move. “Good night.”

Minimal light filtered through the blinds of her bedroom, light cast in ripples across the wooden floorboards that were worn with age and lack of care. She couldn’t remember the last time that she had done anything other than mopping them, never once bothering to polish or deep clean beyond what was visibly needed. Honestly, she didn’t take as much care of the place as she should have, but that was less due to laziness than it was to defeat. How could she muster the willpower to look after a place that she couldn’t think of as ‘home’ even in the broadest of definitions.

Getting up, she sighed as she pushed aside the covers and stood barefoot on the cold flooring. The resultant muscle aches from her actions yesterday had caught up to her and she wasn't very pleased with how it hurt to move her arms more than 45°; she would have to take it easy for a few days.

The blinds were opened fully, sunlight still barely making it through with the neighbouring buildings that blocked the window. Without glancing at the mirror, she left the bedroom and went to the living room, expecting to see Shownu either charging or in a standby mode where he wouldn’t do anything unless instructed to. Instead, she saw him standing in the middle of the living room, seemingly looking everything over and inspecting each tiny detail. He currently seemed to be stuck on a piece of artwork she had up, one of children's handprints made from red and yellow paint smeared onto the canvas. It was nothing special and she never really thought much of it when she’d taken it from the outdoor museum’s bin;

Shownu didn’t notice her there either, dark eyes concentrated on the tinted gold frame and on each individual finger. 

It felt as though she was intruding, though she quickly dismissed the feeling. Most likely it was a feature to have the android feel closer to their owner and understand them more intimately. What better way to someone’s heart than by the art they expressed themselves by (it was just a shame that she didn’t expend too much energy into how she felt about it).

“Shownu?” He turned around quickly, as though he had been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to. “Did you, um, sleep well?”

“I had a peaceful night.” The response was simple. He did not sleep but he hadn’t met any discomfort. It was all she could ask for. “Did you get sufficient rest?”

“Good enough,” she grumbled, passing him by to get to the kitchen. “You guys don’t eat, do you?”

“No, we do not need to eat food.”

“Can you eat?”

Shownu blinked and it was oddly comforting, making him seem more flesh and bone rather than metal and polymer. “I am able to drink water to help my cooling system.”

She nodded. “Would you like some water then?”

“I would, thank you.”

It amused her a little just how polite he was. It did somewhat feel like he was her employee and was walking around on eggshells in order to not be fired - as he had clearly been so already. Funny how a machine that was superior to her in every way, save for emotional capacity, was the one that acted timid and unsure. 

She shook her head, dismissing any further thoughts on the matter. What Frith had done, had been done and no matter how hard she tried to rationalise any of their creations it wouldn’t result in anything meaningful; she was better off blindly nodding and smiling.

Cool water rushed over her hands while she washed the minimal dishes in the sink. A few ceramic dishes were aside, the rest made out of cheap plastic that was definitely in need of being thrown out and recycled. A glass of water was set aside for Shownu and she started her task of looking through the cupboards for something she could scrounge together. Food had been running low and she barely had the motivation to go to a grocery store and budget, though, judging from how there was nothing but dust bunnies waving back at her, she knew that budgeting was yelling her name.

Thankfully, there were at least 2 eggs that she could use and she fried up a quick plain omelette with spices tossed in to make it less of a pain to eat. She yawned, rubbing at her eyes to keep herself awake enough so as to not sustain a burn, and eventually took it off of the stove to plate it up. Bon appetit, she thought miserly, looking at the rather sad meal.

“Here you go,” she said, sitting down at the coffee table and placing Shownu’s glass in front of her. “I’m jealous that you just need water sometimes to live. Human’s should be upgraded like that.”

“There are stomach enhancers humans can get in order to reduce appetite. Would you like me to research those for you?” He sat down in front of her with his legs under him, mimicking her height level. 

“Uh no. I was just joking.” Her mouthful was swallowed. “Do you guys understand sarcasm?”

“To a certain degree.”

“Could you give an example?”

“If the situation was very absurd. For example, if you were to say that I should scrap you for metal, I would understand this as a ‘joke’.”

“So more egregious things. Got it.” 

“I am able to learn over time how you behave.”

She looked at him with slightly furrowed eyebrows, nodding slowly as she took another bite. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

A silence fell between them both where she continued to eat and he took varying size sips of water. It wasn’t normal for her to have someone sit with her for a ‘meal’ and really, she couldn’t think of a recent moment in time where she had shared the experience with another. Even if he wasn’t human, he was still some sort of company and it made her feel… Almost shy. A sudden urge to make the place more presentable was itching at her, even if it was a useless impulse.

“Do I have permission to give you data from this morning?”

“Data? On what?”

“On your health.”

“Go ahead.” It wouldn’t be anything she wasn’t aware of anyway.

The hologram startled her, her grip on her utensils becoming tighter as she tried to lower her pulse back down to a normal level. A series of charts and analytics were presented to her, ones that she could not be bothered to interpret at the moment. “I have run a general scan on you and you have multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The most notable are vitamin D and iron. The best way to raise them quickly would be to take supplements or eat more nutritious food.”

Maybe she didn’t know quite as specific as that, but she’d had a general idea. “Well, I need to go get some stuff anyway.”

“Would you like me to accompany you? Your safety is ensured with me”

She almost laughed out loud, only just avoiding it by letting out an amused huff. “‘Don’t know about that, honestly. How good are you at seeming human? I don’t want to be targetted because I have an expensive guard behind me.”

“I am currently in civilian mode.” Meaning, this was as ‘natural’ as he could get.

It was a stupid idea, especially in a neighbourhood where even a glimmer of gold could get you into hot water with unsavoury residents. 

“Okay. You can be my personal shopping basket.”

“I have large hands that will help.”

This time, she actually laughed out loud. “We’ll go after I get dressed.” There was a pause where she looked over his clothes and hairstyle. “And after I style you too.”

Shownu nodded dutifully and she got up to wash and put away the dishes, thinking to herself about what she could possibly dress him in.

It ended up that, once she actually looked properly through her wardrobe and the various drawers full of older clothing, she did have some things that would fit him and disguise any obvious ‘android-ness’.

She had a surprisingly large array of shirts and unused jogging bottoms, along with some caps that had various nonsensical logos embroidered on them. This selection was hauled into a massive pile before she went back into the living room to the waiting Shownu, and then subsequently dumped on the sofa with a huff. “There you go. Pick out what you like the most.”

Shownu looked at her and then the clothes with a blank expression, his lips pursed in a ghost of a pout. “I pick?”

“Yeah, you must have some fashion sense of your own. Choose what you want.” It was half the fact that she didn’t really know how to dress this man and half that it was an experiment. She wanted to know how much Frith had coded and to what extent could this android exercise want.

Shownu reached out, slowly dividing the clothes into sections sorted by clothing type. There was no comment from her when he looked through each shirt, bottoms and cap, eventually separating an outfit from what was given.

Out of all the possible options, he chose a plain ¼ white shirt, black cotton trousers and a navy blue cap that had a small smile sewn on the ridge. Hardly a cohesive outfit, but the goal of ‘don’t try to steal from me, I have nothing to give’ was definitely achieved.

“Is this to your liking?”

“Hm?” The three items were held up. “Looks good to me. You can change into those.”

They stood awkwardly for a moment and she came to the sudden realisation that it was maybe because he wanted space. 

"I'll, um, leave you to it." 

She walked into the kitchen, planning to leave him to it before a sudden bout of curiosity struck her. Opening up her phone, she typed in a query of 'do androids feel embarrassed' and scrolled through the results to find out that the answer was a resounding ‘no’ unless there had been prior boundaries set. Maybe his old owners had not allowed him to change without being in a separate room and it had been imprinted on to him.

Another question popped into her mind that she wouldn't have dared to ask Shownu. 'Do androids have private parts?'

This time the answer was 'depending on the model, but most of the time, yes.'

She didn't bother to search for his specific model, deciding that she didn't really want to know the answer. It felt strange to her that people would have sex with their androids, a phenomenon so wide spread that even bots unrelated to the bedroom were still given the tools to participate.

Nonetheless, this was another matter that she decided not to dwell on too long either. What other people did with the things they paid for was none of her business.

During the time that he was changing, she went to look at all the money she had and sucked in air through her teeth. There was not much and since she had been banking on Shownu to make her money, it was sufficient to say that she was struggling more than she wanted to be.

“You ready, Shownu?” She asked, rounding the corner to see that all of the clothes had been folded and put into piles separated by type. “Oh, thank you. I didn’t know you could do that.” 

“I am designed to help make your life easier.” Yeah. She always seemed to forget that detail.

“I appreciate it.” A quick sweep of his figure followed. “You look nice. This outfit is much better than what they put you in.” And he did. The shirt, while a little smaller than what would be a regular fit, made his biceps stand out and accentuated his figure. The cap had covered his mass of dark hair, leaving him looking like a regular person.

He looked down, as though inspecting himself for the first time. “I think so too.”

“Let’s go.” She smiled, “you can put those big hands to use.”

Locking the door behind her, they began walking with Shownu at her side. There weren’t many people around and she was grateful for this. Neither of them said a word and while she didn’t mind too much, it was starting to feel a little like she was dragging along a pet and not a being that could communicate thought.

“Shownu?”

“Yes?”

“Do they give you any sort of personal life?”

“I’m not sure what you mean?”

Her tongue poked her cheek while she thought of how to best explain it. “Like how I want you to appear like a regular person, do they give you any preprogrammed backstory for you?”

“No. I only have a base which you built upon.”

“I’m not a very creative person.” 

Shownu only looked at her, any emotions hard to decipher. Then again, he didn’t have any for her to figure out. “There are guides that may help you. I can source them for you when we aren’t in public.”

“I might take you up on that,” she said, knowing full well she would do no such thing. There was still a decision to be made on what she would do with him and whether selling him would be in her best interest. “We’re here.”

Shownu nodded dutifully, staying behind her while she skulked through the aisles, trying to find whatever would cost the least but had some semblance of nutrition. Unfortunately, anything that she might have wanted was either out of budget or wouldn't last more than a week at most.

While she was crouching down and looking at the large bag of black-eyed peas that were on sale, she noticed that Shownu was no longer towering over everyone at her side and was instead on the opposite side of the aisle, his gaze centred on something. She took a bag after seeing which had the furthest expiration date and got up to meet him where he was stood.

“Is something wrong?” 

He looked at her and then the bulk packages of pasta. “This has a deal. Two for half price.” 

“I don’t know if I want to eat pasta for that long.” 

“There are many recipes that can be made from them. I can help with sourcing some.”

“You’re a man of many talents, it seems.” The price of them wasn’t too bad and if Shownu was available to help her look for recipes, maybe she could stomach it. “Alright. I should get some vegetables too.”

“Do you have any preferences?” 

“No.”And so they headed to the frozen foods aisle, browsing through the selection while she picked up as much frozen goods as she could with Shownu holding each thing with no struggle or hesitation.

Having him around, she found as they made their way around the store, wasn’t intolerable. Yes, he wasn’t human and didn’t function as such, but he was very much company like one. He didn’t speak without a need to but when he did, it was with sound advice or something helpful that he had picked up on. Even without her explicitly telling him, he had picked up on her general budget and limits and made sure to only point out things that didn’t push them. It was because of him that she ended up actually buying things that would provide multiple hearty meals instead of a few that filled her up temporarily but left her wanting for a long while after. 

There was also a promise of learning new recipes, something that she hadn’t had the chance to do in a long time. As mundane as it was, she was excited about it.

When he took the bags at the till, she was tempted to tell him that it was fine, that she didn’t need help with everything but the speed in which he had grabbed them discouraged her and kept her mouth shut. Shownu was oddly eager and she passed it off as another android trait included to please the owners. 

“You know,” she said, hood pulled over her head as they walked back. “I’m actually surprised we have money left over. I don’t usually.”

His eyes shone, the low light reflecting within them but his pupils did not dilate. “Maybe you can spend them on leisure items.”

She hummed. “Maybe.”

They returned to the home without a hitch and she asked him to set everything down on the kitchen floor for her to organise. It was a shame he couldn’t eat, she thought, she would have liked for him to try some dishes she’d make. He stood to the side, watching as everything was put away and she was sure he would have tried to help also if he had any knowledge on how.

By the time she finished, the clock struck 1pm and she decided to spend some time lounging around on her sofa instead of anything too difficult. The groceries were done and she couldn’t have been happier.

Though when she laid across the sofa, her head resting on the arm while she settled with her laptop on her chest, and saw Shownu standing in the corner beside his charging pod without actually standing within it. “Do you not have some sort of relaxing option?”

“I have a standby mode where I am inactive until you ask for me.”

“Actually, don’t go into standby mode just yet, I want to ask you something.” She sat up, back against the sofa arm so there was space for him to sit. “You can sit here.”

He followed the instructions, sitting in the space with his hands resting on his lap. To her, he resembled an older lady that had been told to act prim and proper.

“What would you like to ask me?"

There were a few things that she was still curious about that the internet couldn’t answer to her liking. “Were you previously owned?” 

“I have no recollection of having another owner.” 

That meant he had his memory wiped. “Can you clear your memory yourself or does it need to be authorised?”

"It will need authorisation. Only the owner and the company are able to clear data." He looked at her with the notch of the cap casting a shadow over his face. "Are you thinking of doing a factory reset?"

The concern was waved away. "No, I'm just curious. I've never had the chance to ask about androids before." That and she was still thinking about what she would do. She just needed to collect information first.

His shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. 

"Can you self-destruct? Like, explode into flames, shit like that?”

“No.”

“Boring. Do you have weapons?”

“Yes.”

She sat up straight, eyes sparkling. “Really? What kind? Can you show me?”

“I will need to see a criminal record before I can show you any weapons, do you have access to it?”

The suggestion made her snort. If Frith came to know that she had no record of anything, criminal or not, she wouldn’t doubt that they’d show up at her door and demand Shownu back. “How about you describe them instead?”

“I am trained in hand to hand combat with inspiration from different fighting styles such as Muay Thai, but in case of high-risk situations, I am equipped with a 400-volt taser and a gun.” Even when she looked over him and inspected as closely as possible, she had no idea how they could fit any sort of weapon within his body. Perhaps it was inside of his chest cavity or built into his forearm. Either way, it made her feel a little more intimidated about the limits of the androids strengths and what they even were.

Sitting back on her feet, she narrowed her eyes and reached up, pulling off the cap and quickly ran her fingers through the strands to rid it of the childish cowlicks that made it stick up and through the hole in the back. “Do you have any questions for me?”

“I have one.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you employed?”

“Ooh, hard-hitting questions first?” she teased, chewing on the inside of her cheek the next second. “My answer to that is ‘it’s complicated.’ Any reason you’re interested.”

“There is an insurance fee that must be paid annually and failure to do so will result in the dismissal of my unit.”

Instantly, her jaw dropped. “What? Are you serious?!”

“The fee is five million won.”

“Why do they need a yearly fee if you paid so much for the unit initially?” It was dumbfounding how much money was needed overall and it was becoming abundantly clear that this sort of technology was never meant for people of her financial standing. Yet, even this yearly fee felt ridiculous and borderline criminal.

“The insurance fee includes a warranty and regular checkups. It ensures that I am able to carry out updates to my software and that any faults that may occur within my programming can be fixed.”

“Is there not a way to opt-out of these fees?”

“Unfortunately not.”

She groaned out loud. Of course, this would come with some sort of drawback, though she’d never expected it to be such a ridiculous one. “What if they couldn’t find you?”

“I have an inbuilt tracker that ensures I can always be located. Each android has one for the convenience of their owner.”

“Fuck.”

1. There was no way she could source that sort of money without putting her life at risk and 2. She doubted that whatever she managed to cough up would be accepted as she hadn’t bought him originally. If anything, she’d be running the risk of having him taken from her prematurely. 

How fun! Yet another challenge for her to solve and this time with the jovial inclusion of a time limit. 

“Don’t worry about that insurance thing,” she said, settling back down onto the sofa with her phone held above her face as she took to looking at random videos “I’ll figure something out.”

I always do.

"I'll be back soon. You can do what you want but just don't leave the house," were the words she told Shownu right before leaving, the android barely having time to nod before she was locking the front door and walking away. She had done some thinking on the issue of insurance and how she would pay it off, and whether or not the hassle of it was even worth keeping him, and she thought that she should at least view all her options laid out and explained before making any definitive decisions

So she decided on investigating the tactic of avoidance. How could she avoid paying this insurance and what would she need to do to achieve it? These were all questions that she herself couldn’t answer, but a certain someone she knew just might be able to.

The club was hardly a club when she walked in, the lights dimmed to create a calming ambience with only a few staff and patrons milling around, some of the staff smiling and waving in recognition. It wasn’t that she was a regular (she hardly left the house other than to do some questionable wandering, let alone come to clubs to get wasted), rather that the ‘owners’ were always around her in some way or another when she visited. 

“Are you looking for HOne?” The bartender, Yujin, ushered her over, rounded cheeks pulling up as she smiled. 

“How did you know?”

“That’s the only reason you’re ever here.” 

She shook her head, laughing a little but unable to deny it. “I won’t confirm or deny.”

“He’s just at the back organising the new playlists. I’ll call him out for you.” Yujin turned on the small microphone on her collar, speaking into it and asking for HOne to come out as he had a ‘special guest’.

“Thank you. How has it been lately?”

She shrugged, pushing her long black hair back over her shoulder. “Nothing too wild recently. We’re seeing a lot more people hire out the VIP rooms though and a weird amount of undercover law enforcement coming in.”

“Do you have any idea why?”

“Honestly? No. I can’t think of a single thing other than the recent mandate on reporting migrants and unlisted people.” She had definitely heard of that (considering that she was one of the unlisted people they were talking about, though Yujin didn’t need to know), but why would they come to a club? Yujin picked up on this confusion, offering her another small shrug. “I have no idea why a club would be a good place either. It’s not like they could be identified in here anyway.”

“I know what you mean. Chips don’t work in here, right?”

“Nope. They’re all blocked.” An older man sat on the end stool, waving over Yujin and she cast an apologetic look her way, waving goodbye as she went over to serve him instead. 

Luckily, she wasn’t made to sit in her lonesome for long as a tall and lanky man made his way towards her, her heart-shaped smile easy to distinguish. “You’re the special guest?” ‘HOne’ spoke, rolling his eyes jokingly as he came to a stop at the bar in front of her. “Surprised the guards let you in.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She shook her head. “Find a new joke. You say the same shit every time I’m here.”

“If it’s still funny, why kill it?”

“I promise you’re the only one that finds it funny.”

He chose to ignore her comment, instead resting both elbows on the bar and holding his head within his palms. “You’re not here for a glass of water, are you?”

“No, I-uh, I actually need your help with something.”

He nodded, straightening up and fixing his shirt by tucking it back into his jeans. “Let’s go down then.”

She got up, following behind him down the familiar path to the VIP rooms and then to the door at the very end that led to the staff room and storage. It was from here that they headed into the store and into the dustiest corner - one purposely not cleaned - and he crouched down to open the hatch, motioning for her to go down first while he followed and closed it behind himself. It always did feel like she was walking into some supervillain’s lair, but the upbeat music that was playing faintly and the gentle pink of the LED lights that bathed the area told a different story.

“You know,” he stated, “if you’re going to ask for my help, you could at least humour my jokes,” he said, a hint of a whine in his words and she resisted the urge to stop randomly so he crashed into her. “It’s been a while since you’ve last asked for me to do something, what’s up?”

“You best sit down or your heart might give out.”

He shook his head, but sat down anyway, pushing an office chair towards her to sit down also. "Now tell."

"Well, let’s say that hypothetically, I found an android.” He nodded, clearly already not buying her story. “And that android required insurance to be paid every year, an amount which I can’t afford. In that very hypothetical situation, is there a way to get around the fee?”

The man swung side to side on the chair. “Okay, so in this hypothetical situation, how the fuck did you manage to ‘find’ an android?”

“Honestly? Pure luck. I was looking for shit that I could sell and I saw this huge box and took it because I thought something might be in it. He’s a fully functional robot, literally nothing wrong with him.”

“I thought this was a story?” She kicked the leg of his chair with her foot, sending him backwards (and conveniently) to his desk with a dual-screen monitor. “What model is it?”

“He said 514 something. I can’t remember the full thing.”

“514 are the safeguarding units.” She scooted her own chair over to the side of his desk. It was as unorganised as ever but it would have been more surprising if she ever saw it actually tidy. He seemed to have created organisation within the madness, no two random bits touching. “Did it say how much the payments were? Some of them are lower than others.”

“5 mill.”

“That’s fucking crazy. Why is it so high?”

“I have no idea. Might be a new model or something.”

“Probably. The max I’ve seen is 3 million so far.”

While he was busy searching for something, fingers flying across the keyboard at Mach speed, the sound of the hatch opening in the background had her turning around to see another young man making his way down.

He caught her gaze near-instantly, his signature smile lighting up his face as he waved enthusiastically and picked up his pace, jogging down the stairs to get to them faster. “What are you doing here?”

“Stealing your boyfriend for the day.” 

“Don’t listen to her shit, Yuta,” he said, not looking up from his keyboard while Yuta came closer, leaning on the back of her chair and poking her head repeatedly. “Is everything okay upstairs?”

“Yeah, just boring as fuck; Yujin’s practically counting ice cubes.” He didn’t pull up another chair, instead moving to laze around the older man instead, arms dangling around his neck. “Hey Hyungwon-ah, why is she here? I thought we didn’t let insane people in.”

The casual honourific made Hyungwon shake his head at the gall, but he was ultimately too soft to say anything in rebuttal. “If we didn’t let insane people in, you wouldn’t be here either - and you came up with HOne but you don’t even use it.”

Yuta only grinned, turning his head to flick long strands of jet black hair out of his eyes, his chin resting on top of Hyungwon’s head. It was then that she could see his clothing properly, realising that it wasn’t a cropped jumper but rather a mesh shirt layered on top of a darker black shirt. 

“Are you going for the sheltered bad boy look?”

“When aren’t I?” He quipped just as fast, making her huff slightly in amusement. “It’s called fashion.”

“I’ll remember that.” Hyungwon seemed to be looking through various models, trying to find one that would match the price for the insurance she’d stated. “Yuta, there’s some androids at the club, right?”

He rested his cheek against fluffy hair. “Yeah, the guards at the front and two at the stage.”

“From broke bitch to bitch, do you pay insurance for them?”

Yuta laughed out loud, Hyungwon also giggling at the comment. His hand came to rest on his hyung’s chest, patting over his heart. “Fuck no. My bean sprout here disabled that.”

“Seems like you’re broke too.”

“More like I don’t want to give Frith shit. I paid for the bots upfront and didn't pay the insurance because why would I?” 

She nodded. “Spoken like a true businessman.”

Hyungwon spun on his chair, waiting for Yuta to follow the movements and he turned the monitor towards her. “Do they look familiar? They’re the latest lineup of androids released, series 514. They won’t be the exact same as yours, obviously.” 

She leant in closer, looking at the screen and inspecting each of the on-screen models. No two androids ever looked the same, but there were definitely similarities in how their buttons looked and the holograms. “Yeah. They look similar.”

“Shit, that’s going to be difficult then. I don’t have any of the latest parts since ours are from the 1902 series. I don’t think they sell them individually either because they’ve caught on.”

“So how would I get it?” She was banking on him being able to do this.

“Honestly? I have no idea. They don’t sell any parts because of their warranty and they’ve started taking action against any repair services that aren't theirs.” He chewed on his bottom lip, trying to think of something. “It’s so fucking annoying because I know exactly what I need.”

“What is it? Maybe I can find it.”

“I’ll show you but I seriously doubt you’ll find it, not unless you do some crazy shit like break into Frith and steal it.” He turned back around, patting his leg for Yuta to sit down on, but he refused, saying something about how he wanted to be the one towering over him for once. Their antics were always amusing to her, the pair unconventional upon first glance but clearly suited the more you got to know them.

She had known Hyungwon for far longer than their relationship had been around, but Yuta felt as though he had always been there - a welcome presence that enhanced the joy of their day. If she was honest, she couldn’t quite remember how she had come into contact with Hyungwon, only that they had become fast friends from similar circumstances and a mutual understanding of the other. She’d been a regular visitor at his shows when he was a smaller DJ, only there to be a supporter and familiar face before leaving after his segments were done. Her extensive knowledge on how to be unnoticeable and also on what things held value and what didn’t was also incredibly useful for the formation of their relationship, aided also by Hyungwon’s adeptness at understanding electronics and anything to do with circuitry. To others, it may have seemed like one got a use out of the other, though she didn’t think it was transactional by any means - not when most of the time she had to listen to his comically flat jokes. 

“It’s this one, the MV011919 circuit breaker. The last thing I know of that has some are their health watches - like this one here - but they’ve been pulled from production recently.”

“Where do they produce? It’s in-house, right?”

“Yeah.” He gave her a look that was a subtle warning. “Don’t even think of doing anything stupid.”

“As if I ever do anything stupid.”

Yuta scoffed, as did Hyungwon. 

“Alright, no need to gang up on me. You guys are always doing the same thing, it’s so damn creepy.”

“It’s because he replaced my heart and put a chip in me.” Hyungwon groaned at his boyfriend’s words, pressing a hand against Yuta’s face to stop him from talking, a grimace forming on his face when the man licked his palm.

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

He wiped his hand on Yuta’s shoulder. “Hey! What are you talking about? I like electronics, not fucking with people’s insides.”

“That’s not what you were doing la-”

“Don’t even finish that sentence,” she interrupted.

“-ast night.”

“Anyway”-Hyungwon cast a dry look at the beaming man beside him-”do you want me to write that down? You’ll probably find it somehow knowing you, but if you bring me the watch then I’ll take it apart for you and put it in your android.”

“What if I just bring the circuit breaker?”

He shook his head, making an audible noise of disagreement. “No, no. Bring the watch. Frith are pedantic and if they can tell that something’s being tampered with, they’ll make the entire thing useless. Even on small shit like watches.”

“So I’ll just bring the watch then. Can you show me what it looks like?”

Yuta pulled up a chair, supposedly getting tired of standing around and hanging off of Hyungwon. She was half surprised he didn’t seat himself on the older man’s lap. “So you found yourself an android?”

“You think I can’t afford one?”

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "I’m not answering that.” 

Yuta was a smart man. “I found him in his wooden box and took him home, and now I don’t want to pay for the insurance because it’s robbery.”

“Didn’t you commit robbery taking him home?”

“It’s just theft actually, I wasn’t holding a knife to anyone’s throat.”

He bit back a laugh. “My bad. Forgot the difference.” His head turned towards the screen and he narrowed his eyes. “Ours didn’t need this? Do they still stock older parts?”

“No, I just bought whatever had the breaker and took it out. Hardly a loss now that insurance isn’t a thing.” While they spoke, she couldn’t help but take a closer look at Hyungwon’s desk, seeing that he had put up a new framed picture where Yuta was holding him bridal style while the two of them had giant grins plastered on their faces. She felt nothing but happiness for them. “Is there anything else you needed?”

She was already getting up, shaking her head. “No, that’s all I needed. I’ll be back soon with both of those things.”

“We’ll walk you out.” They did, chatting amongst themselves as they led her out of the underground lair and to the surface. She said one or two things here and there, though she was preoccupied with trying to figure out where she could source this watch.

After waving and exchanging goodbye’s, she left to head to the nearest scrap yard - hoping with all her might that what she needed would be there. If they were pulled from production, this was her best bet aside from the actual on-site location.

The walk there felt like an eternity, but she knew exactly when she was near. The loud and echoing sounds of magnets crushing cars and scrap metal becoming the backdrop. In general, the scrap yard was a place that she didn't frequent too often, finding the smell of gas and leaking adhesives to be nauseating and hard to stomach. 

There were no operators aside from a few androids that worked to control the machine and she didn't know if they would respond to any of her queries, though it couldn't hurt to try.

She approached a younger looking robot that was walking around, a geiger counter in their palms. "Excuse me!" She called out, jogging to reach them. "Excuse me?"

They looked at her, eyes eerily empty with a deep soulless black. (Shownu didn't look like that?)

"How may I help you?"

"I was wondering if any watches have been left?" The smell of metal was making her head throb, a desperation to get out of there as fast as possible making itself known.

"Are you looking for any in particular?" The android stood up tall, dirt covered fingers clutching the counter. She took a step back, slightly unsettled. 

"Yes. It was a health watch by Frith. I lost mine and it said it would be here." She took out her phone, showing the image. 

They stood for a moment and processed the picture, eyes shining blue before they nodded. "There has been one. Follow me."

She could have jumped for joy!

They weaved through multiple towering piles, the paths barely visible or accessible to someone who didn't know their way around. It felt like they were walking for an eternity before they stopped just outside of a smaller pile and the android knelt down to dig through the mass. 

She wondered how they could find anything when it all looked like one senseless amalgamation of metal, and she was even more surprised when they retracted their hand and pulled out a broken watch. 

"Here it is."

It was dropped into her palm. "Thank you." 

Surprisingly, the glass wasn't shattered and only had a few surface level scratches. Her excitement grew, only for it to be crushed and smothered into the ground when she turned it around to find the entire back ripped out. "What the hell? Are there any more?"

"No, this is the only one. It's an expensive watch, they would likely be sent back to the manufacturer to be recycled." She dropped the watch back on to the pile, bitterness coating her taste buds. 

"Oh." There was no use in lingering then. "Could you guide me out, please?"

"Yes."

The journey back to the house was fast and unremarkable. Nothing outside had been touched and she guessed that he hadn't moved from the living room at all. She stepped inside and her shoulders slumped, the probability of her sourcing this watch becoming less and less feasible. It wasn't something that she wanted to give up on so easily, but what else could she possibly do? Frith really had it in for her, it seemed.

A sour air hung around her as she took off her shoes and went into the living room. Shownu stood beside his charging pod, not moving until he had seen her and made eye contact. Unsurprisingly, he didn't say a word and she wished to grab his shoulders and shake him, to ask why he needed such a silly little part.

"Did you do anything?" The TV wasn't on and nothing had been touched. "You know you don't have to stand there doing nothing when I leave, right? This place is yours too." For now, at least.

"I chose to stay beside my charging pod."

She sat on the sofa, pulling out her laptop. "How long does one charge last?"

"3 months."

"Wow, I wish my phone was like that." The screen booted up and she was on the internet, trying to see if anyone was selling the watch. "So every three months you just need to stand in there?"

"The charging pod is for reserved energy. For day to day use, we use aetherium and this doesn't require charging." She remembered hearing about this a while ago, of how Frith had managed to find a way to replicate the properties of human blood cells and transfer the technology over to work for current. "How was your day?"

It couldn't hurt to tell him, right? He was just an android and she was sure he would be impartial. 

"I'm trying to find something for you but it looks like I can't get it anywhere."

"What is it? Perhaps I could help?"

She clicked through the results, finding nothing but notices of being struck for illegal practises and web pages becoming unavailable. "I doubt it but thank you. I feel like maybe auction would be a better option."

There was an oddly heavy silence that followed, persisting until Shownu spoke. "Would you like me to calculate my market value?"

For some reason, she didn't like the idea of him looking up just how much he was worth. It felt too morbid when she could see him and his face that looked exactly like a human. "No. I was just speaking without thinking." Nothing. Not even when she went through fifteen pages of results and fifteen different browsers. Frith really had cleaned up every last corner of the internet. "How do you like it here?"

In her head, she knew this question was useless yet she was curious about the answer regardless. 

"I think it's a nice and quiet place. It is a suitable place for a single person." Of course this was the answer. She was sure that even if she lived in a bag, he would have said the same thing. 

"Do you want anything?"

"I don't 'want' for anything. Whatever you provide for me is more than enough." Also another typical answer. 

"Do you ever say anything off script?"

Another silence, heavier and thicker than the last. 

"I am sorry, I'm not sure what you mean."

She shook her head. "Sorry, I'm just… Never mind."

"Are you feeling stressed? I can play some relaxing music for you." 

Despite herself, she laughed loudly and shook her head. "No, no. It's okay, thank you. I just need to sit and think of my options right now."

"Is it something that I can help with?"

"It's not." 

He came to sit beside her on the sofa, not saying a word as he stared ahead. It seemed as though he was doing it as a form of comfort - giving her company while remaining silent so she could sort through the mess of thoughts. Honestly, she really appreciated it. 

“You said you don’t want,” she said after minutes more of clicking her way through sketchy websites and independent shops, “but I’m sure they programmed you with a personality. Do you have a favourite colour? Anything you want to see? Maybe even a favourite animal?”

“I like the colour black and bears.”

“Really? Which kind?”

“Brown bears.”

“Not black bears?”

He shook his head. “No, brown bears are softer looking.”

She smiled, shaking her head. It made sense, weirdly; he reminded her of a large teddy bear. Maybe they had just designed him with one in mind and then made him favour the animal.

‘Price of 514 bodyguard unit second hand’ brought up androids with prices that ranged from upwards of a billion won, the number of zeros making her head spin. There was nothing that made her feel the wealth gap more than whenever she could see the amount and just how many placeholders kept her separated from their way of life.

“Androids are all one of a kind, aren’t they?”

“Cosmetically yes, no two androids are the same.”

“So do they make all of them attractive? Or is it depending on what you want?” She wasn’t blind and she deemed herself right in acknowledging that Shownu was built handsomely. 

“Many androids serve more than one purpose and can be tailored to fit those roles. Because I’m designed to blend in, they have given me a face that would make people feel at ease.”

“Makes sense.” She closed the tab, deciding she would spend the night thinking of something when she was alone and had all the time in the world. “I have another question?”

“Yes?”

“Say, if I were to do something illegal, would you report it?” A challenge stared him straight in the eyes, the quiet humming of his motors sounding more like staggered breaths.

“No,” he said finally. “Your actions are protected under data privacy laws and are only accessible with your consent.”

“Not even the police or Frith can see?”

“No.”

She moved away, feeling a sense of relief. With this in mind, she could figure out where to go next.

With the second trip down to the MonX club made that week, it was officially the most active she had been in that area and Yuta had specially greeted her at the entrance once she’d gotten past the guards, both of whom let her past without a word of defiance.

“You’re back so soon?” Yuta asked, ushering her towards the bar where Yujin was busy with another patron. “Did you miss me?”

“I think Hyungwon needs to keep you out of people’s way,” she remarked and he didn’t even blink, only smiling his usual cheeky grin.

“I need a favour.”

“From me or him?”

“From either.”

He poured himself a drink of juice and ice. “What’s up?”

“I need a uniform.”

Yuta took a sip. “For?”

“Robot fucker’s company.”

“Ah.” The rest was downed without a second thought. “Follow me.”

While they did head down the same path as before, they didn’t go into the storage room and instead he took her into another hidden back room where there were spare shirts, trousers and jackets folded up. 

“What’s this for?”

“It’s for the ‘droids. Some of these customers throw their shit at them and we need clothes they can change into. You’re looking for a Frith uniform, right?”

She nodded, watching as he rummaged through different drawers. “Mhm.”

“I won’t ask what for.”

“And I won’t ask why you have one.” 

He scoffed at this. “It’s not an interesting reason. Hyung just brought it back after his internship.”

“They let him take it?”

“Surprisingly.” After some more digging around, he produced the white jacket, the logo branded over the right breast pocket, and handed it to her.

“Thank you. I’ll bring this back after I’m done.”

“I am very curious as to what you might use that for,” he said and she only smiled the same mischievous smile she always did, leaving Yuta to shake his head and usher her out. “Get out and come back when you’re done.”

She scoffed, trying to push back but he carried on, forcing her to walk until they’d reached the bar. “This is not how you keep customers.”

“A customer is someone that pays, and you are not one.”

“Semantics.”

“You’re not allowed back until you’re done.”

“I hope Hyungwon beats your ass.”

“You wish he would.” He pushed her out of the club and turned to the androids. “Don't let her back in until she shows the jacket and says she’s done.”

She didn’t bother with a goodbye, though she couldn’t help but scoff as he yelled at her to get home safely. Yuta was definitely a piece of work (one she didn’t mind at all).

When she arrived back home, it was to Shownu facing the wall again, his gaze transfixed on the same painting that he was always drawn to. It made her wonder if he didn’t like any others, or if this one was special to him somehow. Nonetheless, she didn’t linger on it too long because she had a plan she needed to execute quickly and efficiently if she had any hope of keeping him. 

“Hey, Shownu?” 

He turned around, scanning her over for injuries as he always did before responding. “Yes?”

“Would you be able to help me with something?” She threw the jacket over her shoulder, thinking of the most plain outfit she could. 

“I am happy to help you with anything you request of me.” Quite the robotic response, she thought.

The idea she had brewing was ridiculous and far-fetched, possibly even something that could land her in prison if it went completely south, but she needed to try it and there was no chance of her backing down from a challenge. “I need you to act as a guard for me, as in keep watch and tell me if you see anything going wrong.”

“Is there something that needs my attention?”

“Not quite. I can’t tell you everything but I’ll explain as much as I can.”

And so she did, telling him the bare minimum that he needed to know (and that wouldn’t get her into hot water with any commands he had to report plans for illegal activity), before grabbing him some clothes to change into as well as a set of wireless in ear pieces that were a courtesy of Hyungwon. She had also made sure to apply makeup in a specific way that made it harder to recognise her when it was removed, as well as wearing pitch black contact lenses.

They both changed into something easily forgettable, the main colour scheme being varying shades of black and brown - not enough black to look like a crook but just enough that they would both be able to slip away without any defining details being relayed afterwards. 

“Would you like me to explain the plan again?”

“I understand, but thank you.”

“Alright. If I tell you that I’m going to fail, go straight back home, okay? Don’t wait for me.”
If he could have furrowed his eyebrows, she was sure he would have. “Why? I am designed to help you in any situation.”

“Don’t worry. I’m skilled at doing stuff like this. It’s better with you out of the way and safe here.”

“If you are sure. You can override this any time.”

“Okay.”

And so they left for their destination, the Frith jacket hidden under her own. The walk down the back alleys was hardly anything she wasn’t used to by now, but she felt a little nervous.  This was a plan she’d concocted very quickly with minimal time to iron out every detail and it was only natural that she felt a little uneasy. But, of course, she didn’t let that dampen her mood too drastically.

It was when they approached the back end of the Frith’s development and research building that it was finally starting to take place, her whispered words to Shownu being instructions to stay there and not move unless he saw her again or was told to do otherwise. 

What she needed was in the basement where they held their recalled products to use for parts, and she had a very strong suspicion that this was where she would find the circuit breaker that she needed. Was the plan of breaking in and stealing very foolish and over the top? Yes. Was she going to go through with it anyway? Also yes.

That was also what she had neglected to relay to Shownu for his own sake.

They were positioned just around the corner to the back door, a security camera rotating 360 degrees to survey the entire area and look for anything unusual. Shownu kept down behind her, completely silent with his motors creating no more noise than her own steady breaths. She passed him the outer jacket and he held it to his chest. 

The rock she had picked up earlier weighed heavy on her palm, clutched tightly before she aimed straight for the camera and begged for it to land.

It collided with the glass with a thud, cracks running through the domed lens before a loud beeping sound started to play - exactly as she thought it would.

Barely a minute passed by when the doors opened, one of the working security androids walking out to inspect the shattered camera and what had injured it. They both made no move, the door shutting slower than others from the weight of the steel doors and she knew that this would be her only entrance.

A quick glance towards Shownu, brown eyes reflecting her figure, and she got out of their hiding place, taking lightweight yet large steps to get to the wall closest to the security without being seen. They were taking a scan of the rock and the camera, chest glowing as they analysed it before standing up straight and making their way back inside, their hand pressed against the scanner and the keypad to open up the door. 

And, it was within the following moments where the android had walked in and the door was closing, she managed to rush through and made it with only a few centimetres to spare.

Fuck. She breathed out a sigh of relief; she’d managed to pass by the first obstacle with the guard nowhere to be seen.

There wasn’t time to celebrate just yet however, her phone brought to her face quickly so she could fix any immediate issues and smoothened out the Frith uniform. Now that she was looking at it clearly, she thought it was a rather ugly and simple thing, with the fabric a basic white with the logo stitched in a neon green that resembled Shownu’s power up button.

From what the building plans had said, the basement was a floor below where she currently was and that there was a specific lift that took people down there. Luckily, she knew the general direction of where it was and she began to make her way there.

While the corridor she had entered from was unassuming and rather dull, the rest of the building was far from it. She could barely keep her mouth closed as the pinnacle of technological advancements surrounded her like it was nothing more than an everyday thing. Drones hovered in mid air and acted as a checkpoint for employees as they showed their badges and entered different rooms; people walked onto platforms that instantly formed a seal around them before taking them to upper level floors; there were even parts of the building that looked like plain brick wall, yet melted into different corridors when touched. 

She’d always known things like this existed and had been in creation for a long time, but she’d never been able to see them up close, or even at all. Such extravagant displays of technology and advancement was hardly anything she would see in her day to day life, yet for others it was normal and mundane. 

She wanted to look around, to see what other things Frith had to offer and to gawk at them like a starry eyed child, but she chose to carry on walking and finish what she had started.

One thing she knew to be true was that if you looked confident, people wouldn’t bother you and assumed you were supposed to be there. So she walked with her head high in the direction that she had memorised; straight ahead and there was a door that needed a pass to be opened, then a right turn and carry on until you reached the end of the corridor to the lift.

She reached the door, hardly anyone even glanced at her and she stood outside of it, pretending to pat her pockets and look confused. This carried on for all of ten seconds before someone came by and opened the door for her, scanning their card and giving her a smile as they held it to allow her through.

“Thank you,” she said, truly meaning it as they nodded and walked away, leaving her to head further into Frith's depths.

The corridor here was nothing like the open room of the space she had just been in, instead it was lined with different pictures of senior scientists and inventors, each of whom were pictured in the exact same pose with the exact same background. It wasn’t anything noteworthy, but it did creep her out slightly to be gazed at by dozens of eyes. 

The tiles underfoot squeaked, shining under the fluorescent lights and creating a stark contrast against her own worse for wear shoes. They weren’t falling apart or horrifically dirty, but they were definitely a lot more worn and aged than everything else inside.

Weirdly, there were no other people around, only her steps echoing as she approached the lift and pressed the button to open it up.

It arrived promptly: no one was inside either.

Just as she stepped in and scanned the buttons for the basement, the sound of hurried footfalls caught her attention - the visual of a hurried man greeting her just seconds later as he got to the front of the doors. 

“Just in time,” she said, giving him a smile that he returned with a breathless laugh. 

He pressed on a button before he smoothed out his coat, the doors closing in front of them. “Are you new? I haven’t seen you before?”

And this was where her innocent acting persona had to take over. “I am, yeah. I’m one of the interns for the development team. I’m still getting used to everything, it’s all so advanced.” There was another smile added in for effect.

“Oh, I see.” He looked at the slowly progressing floors. “Who hired you?”

“It was a month or so ago and I believe it was Dr Choi. I only started two days ago, though.” The lie was eaten up (though the name was the truth since she’d researched beforehand who was conducting interviews).

“I hope you enjoy your time here.”

It was approaching his floor and she still had no idea which button led to the basement, none of them were labelled and she didn’t want to spend too much time in the building unnecessarily. 

“Actually, um”-a quick glance to his pin-“Mr Qian? I was asked to go to the basement to retrieve something but I really don’t know which button to press. I was only given a quick tour.” This time, she made sure to look sheepish. “Sorry, I know it’s a bother.”

To his credit, he merely waved away her concern and pressed the button at the top right and scanned his thumb print beside it. “They usually take a day to add the biometrics of interns.”

They reached the floor and he got off, leaving her by herself in the lift to wave goodbye just as the door closed. He had returned the gesture and had she had any more empathy to extend, she might’ve even felt bad for tricking him.

Then again, it was his fault for believing her.

The lift went straight down with no other stops, the doors opening up to a darker exterior with sounds of heavy machinery and constant clanging. This was definitely the production site and she had reached the jackpot. 

Resisting the urge to grin, she stepped out and the lift doors closed behind her. However, the further in she got and followed the signs that pointed to the scrap, the more the headache inducing the noises became. She quickly noticed that the workers were wearing in-ears that muffled the racket and she really wished she had a pair of those herself. 

Machines and robot arms that were as tall as the ceiling did the manual work of assembling and welding, the factory lines not stuttering for even a nanosecond. Engineers milled around for the sake of safety and making sure nothing was smoking, though they were still far and few inbetween. She had no intention of messing with such enormous robots that had a myriad of security measures to prevent meddling.

An eternity later and she finally reached the scrap parts. Thankfully, they weren’t hidden away behind a wall like everything else and a press of a button opened up the door to let her through. Towering containers full of different materials and botched products were discarded, left to rot until there was another use for them. This would have been Hyungwon’s personal heaven.

Health watch, she repeated to herself, health watch, health watch, health watch.

She reached the end of the room and then turned back around, desperate to find out that she accidentally skipped over what she needed. Another walk around, her neck aching from stretching it to look over the containers at the labels.

When that failed to come up with anything, she thought about what part she needed specifically; the MV011919 circuit breaker.

She made her way around again, this time not thinking of the health watch but rather of the specific component she needed. And, with a little more neck spraining, she spotted the series of letters and numbers that she needed above the third container from the furthest left.

Not a single second more was wasted, the ladder climbed with ease as excitement bubbled in her veins. The insides of the vat were large beyond measure, seemingly bottomless with components littered within and broken up for easy access. A few watches were scattered just out of her reach and she made the (in hindsight, silly) decision to lean over with only her feet left on the last rung of the ladder for support.

With fingertips scraping the belts, she snatched them and pulled them closer whilst teetering precariously. Two of them were successfully dragged in by the very tips of her hand before being pocketed in the front of her trousers, hidden underneath the bulk of the jacket and away from prying eyes. 

Now that she was done, she just needed to get out as inconspicuously as she'd gotten in. It shouldn't be that hard, right?

Again, no one paid her any mind when she walked with purpose and intent. It was doubtful they would even remember her face after she'd left either. 

Whatever noise was in the background was quickly drowned out by blood rushing past her ears, the lift opening with a single press of a button - the need for ID null when you needed it to get in at all. 

The same painted figures stared her down, beady eyes watching intently with judgement burning into her. Fuck you, she thought bitterly, don't fucking look at me like that. It maddened her to think about what she could have become if only she had the right resources like everyone else had. 

What a shame she had risked life and limb to come here, only to end up as a criminal that lived in fear of being finally found out. She only just fought back the urge to rip the paintings from their perches. 

Once again, there was no lock on the insides of the door and she thanked Frith for such a delightful oversight. "Almost there, 'Nu," she whispered, voice hardly audible to even herself. The earpiece cracked.

'Stay safe' came the equally hushed reply. 

One more stretch of walking and it was over. The end was so close it was practically cupped in the centre of her palms. 

Drones flew overhead, zooming by dangerously close with the fans whirring millimetres away her ear. People scurried by with their heads buried in holograms and hand-held tablets, the individual mindset so apparent and so parallel to her own life. They could afford to be social but they… weren't? 

The final hallway, the feeling of excitement building and growing everything resilient.

"Miss? Miss!" A voice she faintly recognised was calling out, but she assumed it wasn't for her - only for a hand to grasp her shoulder. 

Instantly, she tensed. 

"Mr Qian? How can I help you?" She asked, voice as sweet as warm, oozing honey. 

His eyes swept over her, deep brown eyes analysing every inch only to see nothing abnormal. "I just wanted to speak to you for a second."

"Is something the matter?"

The hand dropped from her shoulder and she took a moment to look at his face closely. He was no older than 26 at most, his features deep and striking yet still exuding enough childishness to be comforting. His eyes, which were currently slightly narrowed, were endless pools of brown, perfectly shaped eyebrows knitting together the faintest amount while he regarded her. She thought he was rather handsome. 

Shame he had to be the one holding her up now. 

"You said you were an intern, yes?"

"I did." It was suddenly getting harder to stay pleasant.

Qian Kun shuffled from one foot to the other. "Who hired you again?" 

"Ah, I must not have been clear the first time." A subtle pout and drag to the syllables. "It was Dr Choi."

That was apparently not the right answer. And she knew something was wrong the second his hand disappeared into his pocket, a soft clicking sound reaching her ears moments before she bolted down the corridor. 

Just her sweet luck that the last hurdle was the hardest to jump over. 

'Security!' she heard him yell. The air rushing past her ears blurred anything else he might've said (not that she cared to listen).

She wouldn't fail now. 

"All in, 'Nu! Some bastard called security on me," she spat out, not risking a look over her shoulder. 

His footsteps were heavy; determined. Sounds of sirens and fluttering fabric were deafening. If she wasn't so determined to get the fuck out, she might've tried to cover them and nurse the growing ache. 

Damn him!

A copper taste coated her teeth and tongue, her mouth surely dripping in crimson with how strong it was. Qian Kun was mere metres behind her now. 

The heavy steel door meant freedom, her fingers so close to the handle that it pained to not be able to reach. 

Only there was a hand scanning system in place, and she was most definitely not an employee. She slowed down, needing to think. 

Then it hit: the answer was barrelling towards her at terrifying speeds. It took only a second to step back, the sleeve of his cloak grabbed with strength that could only be attributed to adrenaline. 

His hand was pressed against the scanner, the door sliding open the same second. The man was not fast enough to stop her, cursing loudly when she slipped through. 

Shownu. Shownu. Shownu. Where was he?!

Her fault was doubting him. The hiding place was given away as Shownu emerged to grab her. 

Yet, the man was still behind her with commands for her to stop running. How was he keeping up with her? He ran almost as fast as she did and this was to her detriment. 

His hand outstretched, catching on to her sleeve and tugging her back with enough vigour that she stumbled on to him. His grip tightened and she looked desperately at Shownu amidst the ferocious struggling. 

The security was closing in, android's voices barking for them to not move a muscle. It wouldn't fail here, it couldn't!

Shownu's hands were not gentle when they grabbed onto her arm and tugged her, ripping her out from his hold. His eyebrows were furrowed, a look of desperation mirroring her own as he felt resistance; He was still holding on to her. 

The guards were at the door, running towards them with guns drawn, aimed for their heads with only the employee to act as the deterrent.

Shownu held on with one arm, his eyes glowing with something unnervingly human. And then, he pushed the man as hard as he could. Qian Kun's grip slipped as he was thrown backwards into the concrete wall, colliding with a sickening 'BANG!'. The world went silent for a second, a feeling of horror becoming overwhelming when he didn't immediately move. An 'I'm sorry' was the only thing she heard before the gunfire.

She shut her eyes, Shownu carrying her away from the scene and down the winding roads that they would never understand or figure out. 

Even when the bullets had stopped and they were safely out of immediate harm's way, the image kept replaying. 

He wasn’t moving. 

Shownu couldn't have pushed him that hard… 

It was making her stomach churn. 

He would be alright, she reassured herself. Frith wouldn't allow an employee to be fatally injured (right?).

But there was one thing that was stuck in her mind that she couldn't rationalise, not even as cool air eased every other intrusive thought. 

Why did Shownu say sorry? 

The entire way back home, neither of them said a word. She was curled up against his chest, Shownu easily able to carry her with the requirements of his model being that he had to be able to lift up to a tonne. He held her firmly, the wind barely grazing her skin as he took her through corners and backroads, the most efficient path memorised and followed. It wasn’t until they were safely outside of the door, the only sounds being that of distant vehicles and hooting of birds, did he set her down.

Her legs felt wobbly, barely keeping her up as the adrenaline had worn off and left her with aching muscles and a lingering feeling of guilt. Every time she thought about Qian Kun, her chest constricted and it felt like an uphill battle to erase the image from her head.

“Get changed quickly, please. We’re going to Hyungwon right away.”

“Understood.” 

Shownu walked to the living room, her eyes lingering on his back with questions making her head hurt. For those brief few moments, he had seemed achingly human. Were androids supposed to show such emotion? Could they experience a thing like fear?

She shook her head; it didn’t matter. The watches had been secured and that was all that she needed to do, and the rest was on Hyungwon to complete. 

Shrugging off the cloak, she found a bag and shoved it inside, changing quickly into another outfit while shoving what she had just worn into the washing machine. “Are you done, Shownu?” she called out, a reply of ‘yes, I’m ready’ wafting through the corridors and into the room she was in. 

Perfect.

“Let’s go.” He was dressed in jeans and a belt around his waist, his shirt swapped into a long-sleeved white shirt. Everything seemed to flatter his build and she almost felt a little green. “Have you picked out a cap? I have some fake glasses somewhere too.” 

“Would you like me to disguise myself?” 

“If possible, yeah. Just until we can get you to the club.”

Shownu was nothing if not agreeable, picking out a cap for himself and wearing the thick-rimmed glasses when she pulled them out of an accessory box in the corner of the room. “Where will we be going?”

“To where I went a few days ago. Don’t worry about it, they’re lovely people.” Shownu didn’t inquire further.

Every possible camera en route had been noted previously and avoided with either a hood being thrown over her head or by taking a different pathway to get there. Frith had too much access to everything and she had her face shown without much disguise (other than a few minor details like wearing lenses that prevented her iris from being scanned) - it was better to err on the side of caution. Even if she was unlisted, she was still very much someone they could catch without technological means if she slipped up.

Fortunately, they reached the front of the club without trouble and after she showed the two guards the uniform, they let her through without issue.

“Do you know where Hyungwon is?” She asked Yujin, the woman always there and she half wondered if she ever took a day off. 

“Uh, he’s not here right now, but Yuta is. I’ll call him over for you?”

“Thank you.”

Shownu stood tall at her side, posture straight but eyes travelling around the location to scan it and make sense of everything he was seeing. She would have to ask Hyungwon if he could remove the memory of this place, just as a preemptive measure in case she let go of him.

Yuta appeared moments later, this time dressed in a surprisingly conservative manner with a simple black shirt and ripped jeans. “Who’s this?” he said, not bothering to greet her as he looked over the man at her side, lingering on Shownu’s face and then chest. “This your boytoy?”

“My ‘droid toy.”

His eyebrow raised immediately, another look cast towards Shownu. “Damn, didn’t know you liked to fuck robots.”

“Oh, shut up,” she chided, a grin growing on his lips before he beckoned them over, taking them down the same route as usual. The android walked firmly at her side, almost protectively and she found it weirdly endearing, though understandable. “I brought the uniform back but I didn’t get a chance to wash it, sorry. I came straight here.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll shove it in the washing machine later.” He took the bag from her, swinging it as he walked down the stairs. “What kind is he? Bodyguard?”

“Yeah.”

“Looks the part.”

“Right? Can you believe I found him just thrown out?”

“Wish I could strike gold like you.” He shook his head in mock sadness. “When will it be my turn?”

“So you don’t think Hyungwon is a catch?”

Yuta rolled his eyes almost instantly. “Don’t put words in my mouth.”

“Just because I caught your lie.”

“You’re the only liar amongst us.” He chided, though paused when he saw her smile widen. “Don’t even-”

“Don’t what?” Another eye roll (but she deserved this one). “Where is he by the way? I got the stupid part I needed.”

His eyes kept dragging back to Shownu, curiosity clear in his dark eyes, swirling and churning amongst the questions he wasn’t voicing. “Just went out to get some drinks.”

“As if you don’t own a bar.”

“We don’t serve yoghurt drinks.”

“You should, Shownu loves them.”

Shownu blinked upon hearing his name, registering the words for a second before nodding slowly. “I do.”

Her smile was childlike in its joy, as though she had just received the school yard’s approval that yes, she did have the prettiest dress ever. “See that?”

“Yeah yeah. Maybe when they evolve a stomach I will.”

“Excuse me-” Shownu cut in, stopping their useless back and forth. “I have a question.”

“Hm, what is it?” The man’s tone was suddenly a little less joking, eyes boring into the android while he stood there looking slightly lost. 

“About this part. What does it do specifically and will I lose any functions because of it?”

Rouge stained lips pulled into a pout. “Not my area of expertise, but from when Hyung did it before to the others, nothing changed except that they couldn’t be tracked and we don’t pay for that stupid insurance. You shouldn’t miss out on anything.”

He nodded. “I see, thank you.”

“No problem.” He looked around, gaze settling on a weirdly surgical table that was set up in the corner of the room. “You can sit over there, yeah? Hyung will look at you when he’s back.”

Shownu looked to her for permission and she gave a curt nod; he moved without another word, climbing on to the bed and sitting still.

The grip around her wrist was firm, pulling her away from his line of sight, like he needed to whisper even though Shownu would do nothing to him. “Are you sure he’s an android?” he said, voice barely above a couple of decibels.

Of course, this confused her. “What are you talking about? Yeah he is, I literally booted him up.”

“He seems weirdly human. He could be, like, a cyborg or something.” Even if he sounded paranoid, she understood exactly what he meant. Shownu was, undeniably, similar to a living, breathing person. He didn’t have the same glassiness that every other android seemed to have despite having nothing but aetherium pumping through his circuitry. His body was metal and wires, but sometimes she felt like if she pressed a hand over his chest, she would feel something beating underneath.

“I”-she sucked on her teeth-“I know what you mean. He’s a bodyguard unit but he said sorry to someone who he hurt while trying to protect me. I don’t know if this is a quality of life thing for the user, but it just felt… not programmed, you know?”

“I’ve never heard mine say sorry, but that could just be because they don’t have anything to be sorry for.” She cast a sideways glance to Shownu before nodding. “Maybe the latest versions are just like that.”

“Yeah maybe, but it feels a bit like it’s going into uncanny valley territory.”

“I suppose that’s what happens when things are made in the likeness of humans.” There was nothing to disagree with and she ended up simply nodding and pulling up a chair to sit in. “Hyung just texted and said he’s outside the club now. He'll be here in a minute.”

“Alright.” 

“I’ll go put this in the washing machine. One minute.” Yuta left and only moments later Hyungwon appeared with his hair windswept and headphones around his neck. Similarly to Yuta, he was dressed in a conservative manner with an obscenely long grey hoodie on his figure. 

“You called?” He said, bag swinging as he made his way down the stairs. “Did you bring me food?”

“Don’t you have some in that bag?”

“Only seaweed snacks that Yuta wanted and some drinks. You want one?”

She shook her head. “I’m okay, but thanks.”
He slowed down, catching sight of the man sitting on the bed in the corner. Dark eyebrows furrowed together for a moment before he pulled his chair out from under his desk.

“So”-Hyungwon settled in his chair and spun around-“is this your android?”

“Yes, his name is Shownu.”

“Shownu, huh. Well, it is definitely built like a bodyguard.” Dark eyes took a closer look at him, scrutinising every inch. “Honestly, if you didn’t say it was one I wouldn’t have known. Did you get the thing?”

“Yeah. I got two just in case.”

“Of course you did,” he muttered as she dropped both the watches into his palm, turning them around and inspecting every inch. “They’re the genuine thing too. How did you get them?”

“Do you want the actual answer?”

Yuta came back just in time to snort and offer a retort. “You broke in?”

“How’d you guess?”

“Don’t fucking lie.” Hyungwon stared at her, as though waiting for her to say that she was joking. That line never came. “You’re crazy.”

“I try.”

“Did they get your face on cctv?”

“Yeah, but I don’t think it matters since I looked different and I’m unlisted.”

Hyungwon pursed his lips. “Still. You need to be careful with Frith. Unlisted or not, they can still find you if you act cocky.”

He took the two watches before pulling out a tool kit and heading over to a station where he set one down and began to open it up. His hair was pushed back and out of his face, tied up into a sprouting ponytail on top of his head while he pulled out gloves to fiddle with the insides. Both she and Yuta decided to stay out of his way for the time being lest they unintentionally distract him. “Hey, you know how he’s a bodyguard unit, does he have weapons?”

“It does, yeah.”

“Have you seen them?”

As much as she would have liked to see what weapons he had been built with, she supposed she would rather not have the knowledge if it came at the expense of her safety. “No. He needs a copy of my criminal record and I haven’t got anything.”

“Hm, fair enough.”

“You know units like that sell for billions, right?” 

For some reason, she couldn’t quite meet his eyes when she nodded. “Yeah. I’m kind of attached to him, though. I’m not sure if I want to sell him.”

“I mean, it’s your choice in the end.”

“Yeah.” Another stolen look. “He’s just nice to have around.”

“Don’t get too lonely, I might have to find you a nice lady,” Yuta teased and she groaned, muttering for him to shut his mouth while he kept his Cheshire grin on his face. “Seriously, maybe you just need company.”

“Misery loves company,” she uttered and he nodded, not bothering to dispute it. “I think I’ll spend some time figuring it out. After he gets this thing installed, he’s going to be worth more.”

“Definitely.”

They didn’t say much else and she found herself wandering over to where Shownu was, the android barely moving a limb. “You okay?” she asked, knowing for a fact that he had no thoughts about what was going to happen. “Hyungwon is very careful.”

“I’m not worried. If you trust him, then so do I.” That was… oddly sweet. 

“You’re in good hands. Just do as he tells you and I’ll stay nearby.” This felt reminiscent of comforting a pet right before they went into surgery, promising that they would be okay and petting their soft fur in reassurance. 

“Okay.”

Hyungwon was meticulous, not breaking concentration even once as he managed to separate the parts without triggering the system Frith had in place. “Done,” he announced happily, clearly proud of himself as he held up the tiny part with tweezers. “Alright, let me come over. Can you tell it to lay down and open its chest compartment?”

Shownu followed the instructions without a reiternation needed, the shirt pulled off so he could open up his chest comfortably. He looked towards her, almost as though he wanted her to stay at his side - not that she was planning on moving. 

“Did your internship help in making you a master criminal?” She asked and Hyungwon gave her a closed eye smile.

“Maybe, maybe not. I can’t say.”

He pressed his thumb gently onto Shownu’s sternum, the compartment opening up to reveal glowing circuitry with blue pumping through him like the blood of a royal. “It’s always so crazy how human they look but the second you open them up, they’re nothing but circuits.”

“I mean, that’s kind of like cyborgs.”

“Cyborgs are still part human, unlike ‘droids,” Yuta chimed, coming closer as he inspected Shownu’s insides. They were oddly pretty, the cyan emanating its own light that doused Hyungwon’s fingers as he worked, the chip pushed in ever so slowly before being soldered in place with expert precision. 

She’d never been quite as skilled with electronics as he was, often finding herself fumbling and needing manuals halfway through as she forgot which resistor went where and how many ohms it needed to be. It was too much of a hassle and she preferred Hyungwon do that sort of work for her instead. 

“How did you do that so fast?” she asked, seeing him plug Shownu into his computer where it showed all of his vitals and strings of code she found headache inducing. "You’re the fucking crazy one.”

“I’ve done it like five times by now, it’s not that hard anymore,” he replied dismissively, looking between the chest cavity and his computer before the code started to skip and scroll up without his intervention. “Alright, I’m done.”

“That’s it?”

“What did you think would happen?”

She shrugged. “You know, maybe something more interesting? You just put something in him and you’re done.”

“You should be counting your blessings.” A shake of his head followed. “I think you’re an adrenaline junkie.”

“Whatever.” Shownu’s eyes locked with hers and she exhaled, patting his shoulder after awkwardly hovering her hand over him. “So no more insurance?”

Hyungwon nodded. “No more insurance.”

“Thank fuck.”

The wires were removed and his chest was closed up, returning back to seamless skin that was soon covered up by his shirt; he looked the perfect picture of a regular being. 

“Seriously, how did you manage to break into Frith? That building has so much security. I had to get my fucking tongue printed to intern there.”

Both she and Yuta pulled a face at this but he wasn’t lying at all. “I didn’t break in, I snuck in. And when people see a lost, pretty looking girl, they usually do whatever they can to help her.”

“Wow.” Yuta looked impressed. “Can’t even fault that strategy because I would have fallen for it too.”

“Girl power,” Hyungwon added, getting a few muffled giggles out of it. “Your bot has a pretty big cavity for weapons under the chest plate. It must have been a special order or something.”

“You think? Why spend that money to throw him out then?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, there’s nothing wrong with it from what I’ve seen.”

“Don’t call him ‘it’,” she said, “it’s weird. He looks like a human so he should be addressed like one.”

The two men shared a glance before shrugging, not really that bothered.

“Whatever you want” Yuta waved at Shownu who was still sitting on the bed. “You want a drink?”

“No thanks, I’m not in the mood for it.” Her fingers brushed against his hand, tugging on it to have him stand up - which he did without verbal instruction. “Hyungwon, do you know someone called Qian Kun at Frith?”

Her answer was a nod. “Yeah, he’s one of the higher ups, leads a lot of the research and development on android behaviour. How come?”

“Well, he was kinda the one I tricked.”

“Of course he was.” That was also deserved.

Nevertheless, despite his teasing she felt indebted to him for doing something so useful for her. “Do you guys want anything as a thank you?”

Hyungwon was instantly dismissive, shaking his head vehemently. “No way. The most you can do is enjoy your boy toy.”  

“‘Droid toy,” Yuta corrected and she knew she had to get out of there or she would be driven insane by them both. She knew Hyungwon was completely organic, but sometimes she couldn’t help but wonder if he had somehow implanted a chip into both of their brains that made them have the exact same thoughts. “You’re leaving?”

“Yeah, being around you two makes me feel unstable.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” She waved bye to them, Shownu mimicking her, and within a few minutes, they were back outside of the club with fresh air and an oddly cool breeze. “How do you feel, ‘Nu?”

The cap on his head was adjusted, a shadow cast over his face once more. “I don’t feel a change.”

“That’s good. I’d be worried if you did.” He lingered at her side, not moving out of step with her as they walked and even though he had said there was no change, she felt as though something had definitely shifted within him. Maybe the chip also allowed him a greater sense of freedom: he might even let her see his weapons!

“Are we going home?”

She stumbled midway through her stride, almost tripping over her own feet. 

Home…? Was that what he had just referred to it as?

“Ah, yeah. We’re going there now. It’s better if we stay hidden today.” Her hood was back over her head, any further conversation dying out as she retracted into her thoughts instead. Shownu didn’t say anything either, a silence falling over them that held no particular tension or emotion. 

Following her lead, they walked down a couple of main roads before turning the corner into a shabbier road, one that was mostly run down with only the odd store open here and there that had seen better days. Most people didn’t bother to shop for things in person anymore, preferring to have their things delivered to them in their homes via drone or worker which had, in turn, affected family owned businesses who couldn’t quite afford to account for deliveries and androids to make ends meet.

It was as they passed a few of these stores that she stopped, fingers brushing against Shownu’s wrist as she asked him to wait outside and headed into a shop that looked like it had been there for over a century. The wooden panels that had made up the exterior were fading in colour, the stain becoming faint and the neon sign swung as it had permanently turned off.

He waited patiently, his figure blurred through the glass as she looked out from within. 

“Excuse me,” she spoke, almost afraid to disturb the peace, “I was wondering if you had any jigsaw puzzles?”

“Puzzles?” The young woman thought for a moment. “I think we do, but they’re the old fashioned ones.”

“That’s perfect, could I see them?”

“Yeah, sure! Follow me.” 

Unlike the android at the scrap yard, the woman was happy to show her, smiling to herself as she guided her through the gaps between towering shelves and looming ornaments. They stopped amongst the children's toys, a couple of boxes strewn under a shelf that she leant down to pull out. 

“How many pieces?”

“A thousand? Something that takes a while to do.”

A few more were pulled out. “These are all the thousand-piece sets we have. They take a really long time to do.” She let out a quiet whistle. “I haven’t played any in years.”

“Neither have I. Can I see the designs?”

“Yes, take your pick!”

There were quite a few fantastical creatures, their heads craned towards the heavens with bodies reflecting pride and colours that shimmered under the bright white lights. They were pretty, yes, but there was one that caught her eye the second she saw it and she knew she would happily spend the little amount of saved money she had on it. “I’d like this one.”

“Okay, I’ll check you out.”

She fished out the notes and handed them over, the puzzle placed into a paper bag that she swung at her side while going back out to Shownu. “Let’s go now.”

(Also, she had noticed how he looked at the bag with curiosity glinting within his brown irises, but she chose to remain ignorant for her own sake.)

Only ten minutes later, they were at the front door and inside, shoes and jackets discarded. 

“Shownu, can you come here please?” The bag was held out to him. “Here.”

“Oh, is it for me?” 

“Mhm.”

His movements were slow, careful as he took the box out of the paper bag and held it up, letting himself absorb the image on the front. His eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly, his countenance the most emotive she’d ever seen it be with how there seemed to be recognition within his eyes. She didn’t know how to feel about it.

“Do you like it?”

“I’m… not sure what to make of it.”

He set it down on the coffee table, the picture on the front showing a child’s doodle of a home and a family. A family was crudely daubed onto the front, the crayon dragging as it created pictures of five people that smiled widely with spiky hair and triangular block shapes for clothes. It had been picked out specifically because she knew how much he liked the painting that was up, though she wasn’t expecting this much of a reaction.

“Do you think it’s cute?”

“Yes, I do.”

“I got it so you would have something to do instead of standing around or watching TV. When you’re done with it once, we can paint over it or something and make it like new.”

Shownu let out a sigh, the breath whistling. “This feels very familiar.”

“In what way?”

“As though I have a connection to it.” The answers were cryptic but she kept digging, pushing to know more; she found him fascinating. 

“You want to draw?”

“No. No, not like that. I feel like I know who made this drawing.”

A quick glance to the box showed no artistic credit. “Did Frith give you instructions for being around children? Maybe that’s why you feel familiarity.”

His head turned to her, brown meeting endless pools. “Can I tell you something?”

Whatever breath was left in her lungs was held, the silence near deafening. “Always.”

“I don’t think I’m an android, at least… not in the way I’m supposed to be.”

“Shownu?”

Each word was careful, secrets spilling from metallic lips with the softness of a petal. Somehow, it seemed like he was… scared? (How bizarre.)

“I don’t feel like an android. I have thoughts and feelings, I have memories of things that don’t match what Frith has assigned to me. I’m so confused.” His gaze never left the puzzle. “I know you might discard me after I tell you this, and I wouldn’t blame you, but I had to tell someone.” And I trust you the most, he almost uttered, stopped only by knowing he had to enforce a limit.

A deep inhale. “I won’t discard you.”

“Sorry?”

“I had a feeling, somehow.” She took a single step forward while he remained cemented to where he was. "I won't sell you either."

Adept fingers slid under the tape that was holding the jigsaw box together. "Are you telling the truth?"

"I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a liar." Despite wanting to reach out, to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, she kept herself from acting on the urge. "Is something the matter?"

“I want to be called Hyunwoo.” He didn’t dare look at her face. "Please.”

Though the syllables felt foreign on her tongue she didn't mind repeating it, saying it under her breath before out loud. "It's..."-she swallowed-"it's nice to meet you, Hyunwoo."