Chapter Text
° ¤ ¤ ¤ LOADING ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
H.JISUNG
[ TUESDAY | SEP. 15, XX46 ]
The problem with Jisung getting drunk was the fact that he bought random stuff online. Stuff he never even thought of buying sober, but somehow the packages always ended up on the doorstep within the week or two.
He had quite the collection of strange things that he would probably never use but felt was a waste to throw out. He thought about returning some things, but he was too lazy to deal with the whole return process, so they took up space somewhere in the house.
The other's would complain about his drunk shopping sprees, but he saw a few of them take from the hundreds of cheap toothbrushes he bought about a year ago.
Now, everything was starting to come back to bite him in the butt. Jisung knew he would have to give the others his wallet if he knew he was going out drinking again.
Usually the price of thing's wasn't too bad. He would tend to cut himself off after about a hundred dollars because even in his drunken state he knew his limit.
Unfortunately, Jisung wasn't so good with his money this time around. The reality of his purchase set in once the large box was brought into his living room. He couldn't believe even his drunk self would purchase such a thing.
The dark haired male paced back and forth, trying to figure out what to do. The obvious choice would be to ship it back as soon as possible, but Jisung's mind was already stressed out from the recent projects he was working on, so he wasn't thinking properly.
Luckily, he was the only one home, so no one else would see the crazy mistake he made. At least, not yet.
Maybe I should at least open it?
It would be a waste not to, right?
Letting his curiosity fuel him, Jisung found some scissors. He walked to the top of the wooden box and cut a line down the tape before pushing open the lid carefully. Instant regret washed over the raven haired boy as he stared down at what he would have to explain later
Inside was an android. One that Jisung apparently customized and had created, though he had no recollection of doing so.
The android was male from the looks of it. He had a bit of a darker complexion and a sharper jawline. His face was dusted with freckles, and his light pink lips were plump and defined. His hair was blonde but was a bit fluffy and mangled from being inside the box. The outfit was a simple white t-shirt and black sweatpants which seemed to be slightly oversized on his slimmer frame.
Half of Jisung's brain actually thought he did a great job, and he gave himself an imaginary pat on the back while the other half of himself was still panicking.
"I can't keep him, can I?" Jisung muttered to himself. "I have to return him before-"
The front door opened, and Jisung quickly pushed the lid closed as if it would save him some embarrassment for a few seconds longer.
"Hello?" It was Jeongin.
"Is anyone here?" Seungin called out, the two entering the living room holding their backpacks. They tossed them on to the couch, grins stretching across their faces as they noticed the box Jisung was failing at trying to hide.
"What's that?" Seungmin asked, moving closer to get a better look around Jisung's body.
"I-It's nothing." Jisung replied, trying to block the other's view. He could already hear the teasing that was about to come.
"It's clearly not nothing or you wouldn't be trying to hide it." Jeongin replied with a mischievous smile.
"Is that what I think it is?" Seungmin questioned, pointing down to the company sticker on the box. "Did you really order an android?"
The living room was suddenly filled with laughter as the younger two couldn't seem to believe Jisung had actually bought one.
Androids were advertised as "being anything you want them to be". While the original purpose was to create something to help out people in their everyday lives, it slowly turned into something a little more taboo. A lot of times, androids were bought for companionship or "other" things which is probably why the two were in hestarics.
"I-I was drunk." Jisung stammered. "And I think I ordered it months ago, so I must've forgotten."
"Well, let's see it." Seungmin said, pushing past the older.
Jisung tried to stop him, but Jeongin had also pounced on the package, ready to see what was inside.
Once the lid was off Jisung watched their eyes grow wide. Before they could say anything, another presence appeared beside Jisung.
"You bought an android?" Hyunjin asked, his tone suggesting he wasn't surprised.
"I was drunk." Jisung defended quickly, knowing Hyunjin would definitely tease him if this was a sober purchase.
Hyunjin got closer to the box, observing the android inside for a few seconds before giving a slight nod.
"Your drunk side actually has pretty good taste." Hyunjin complimented, surprising Jisung.
"You're not going to tease me about it?" Jisung questioned, feeling like something was wrong.
Hyunjin shrugged. "I knew you'd buy one at some point. You can only handle being single for so long."
Jisung raised his hand to smack the other but stopped when Seungmin shot him a look of warning.
"Do you know how to turn him on?" Jeongin asked innocently, referring to the android.
Seungmin let out a choked laugh as Hyunjin smacked the brunette lightly. "Get your head out of the gutter." The blonde scolded. "He didn't mean it like that."
Jisung rolled his eyes. "I don't. I hardly even had the chance to look at him before you all showed up."
Jeongin reached into the box and pulled out a small booklet. He flipped it open and started reading while Jisung tried to calm his racing mind.
Do I return him now?
It's not like I actually need him.
"I think I figured it out." Jeongin said, the small booklet in hand.
He pressed two fingers behind the android's ear and twisted. A quiet whirring noise filled the living room for a few seconds while the others moved to get a closer look.
Jisung flinched back as the android's eyes suddenly opened, flashing an icy blue and then a dark brown.
The android sat up smoothly inside the box, looking like an actual person who just woke up from a nap. Jisung was impressed by how seamlessly he moved. He had thought the android would be more...robotic-like.
"Hello." The android greeted with a bright smile, his voice surprisingly deep. He looked so intimidating before, but now he looked kinda...cute?
"H-hi." Jisung replied, waving slightly. He felt nervous under the other's gaze for some reason.
The android turned his head and looked around the room curiously like a young child would in an unfamiliar place.
"What's your name?" Jeongin asked, making the android turn his attention back to the four humans.
"I was programmed with the name Felix, but I can change it if it does not suit your taste." The android replied, still smiling.
"Felix is fine." Jisung replied, not knowing what else he would name him. There was still so much going on in Jisung's head, he couldn't possibly think of a name now.
"What should I address you all as?" Felix asked, looking at Jisung and then Hyunjin.
The four stated their names, and Felix listened carefully. His eyes lingered on their faces for a bit as if he was trying to remember names to faces which was a little intimidating.
"Understood. I will be sure to address you all as such." Felix replied.
The front door closed, and everyone turned to look at who returned. Jisung hoped it wasn't Changbin and Chan yet.
Minho entered the kitchen quickly and opened the fridge, not even acknowledging the group yet. He pulled out a water and started chugging it down as his head slowly turned towards the living room, his brows furrowing as he noticed everyone staring.
"What are you looking at?" Minho questioned, his gaze finally looking past Jisung. "Do I even want to know?"
"Jisung got drunk and ordered an android." Hyunjin tattled, earning a glare from the younger.
Minho chuckled. "Are you serious?"
"Hello." Felix greeted happily as Minho entered the living room. "My name is Felix."
Jisung tried not to let his heart burst at how cute the other looked, still sitting in his box with the biggest smile on his face and his hair still messy.
"I'm Minho, the good-looking one."
Jisung rolled his eyes, noticing Felix stare at Minho for a few seconds.
"Is that how you would like to be addressed?" Felix asked. "Minho, the good-looking one?"
"No." Jisung cut in before the older could respond, knowing he would go with that. "Just call him Minho."
Felix nodded, the smile returning to his face. "Understood, Jisung."
"How long has he been here?" Minho asked.
"Like twenty minutes since the package arrived." Jisung replied. "He's only been active for like seven."
Minho looked like he was about to spit his water out so Jisung moved away.
"And you haven't even let him get out of the box? Did you even offer him anything to drink or eat?" Jisung shook his head, and Minho looked appalled. "Chan would be disappointed in your hospitality."
"He's just an android. It's not like he'll die." Jisung argued. "Plus, he seems content staying in the box."
"You left a boy this good looking to sit in a crate for seven minutes and you haven't even bothered fixing his hair?" Minho questioned, helping the android out of the box. "You poor thing."
"It's not like I made him stay in the box." Jisung continued to argue, not sure why Minho was even this concerned about an android.
Fixing Felix's hair, Minho glared at Jisung. "You're lucky I got here before Chan?"
"Who is Chan?" Felix questioned, his face becoming confused.
"He's another person who lives here." Hyunjin replied.
"So I will have six masters?"
Jisung's eyes widened and the youngest two broke out into laughter.
"Masters?" Jisung questioned the term.
"It is the default I was given to address the purchaser as." Felix replied, his expression falling. "Did I say something wrong?"
Jisung quickly shook his head, feeling like he just kicked a kitten. "No, we were just surprised is all."
"And technically you'll have seven." Hyunjin added. "Can't forget about Changbin."
"Changbin." Felix repeated quietly to himself. "So seven masters?"
Hyunjin let out a small chuckle and Jisung cringed at the word once again.
"I think I like this android even more." Minho admitted. "Who knew a word could-"
"I don't want to hear it." Jisung interrupted. "Felix, why don't-"
"You can come play video games with me." Jeongin cut off, pulling Felix along with him.
Jisung sighed, his eyes looking back to the box. He spotted the company address, thinking about calling it later.
[ MAY. 26, XX46 ]
Checking his watch one last time, Jisung finished his drink. Getting stood up was not a good feeling and something he never wanted to experience again, but luckily he had alcohol to drown his sorrows.
Standing up from the table, Jisung set his hand down to stabilize himself. He felt slightly nauseous but that never held him back before.
Should he have stopped after his second or third drink? Yes.
Did he listen to himself? No.
Stumbling out the door, he at least had the right frame of mind to call one of his friends to pick him up. He wasn't sure his sentences were as coherent as his brain believed them to be, but his friends knew where he had gone out. Jisung couldn't quite remember who he talked to though, his eyes were fixed on a flashy billboard nearby.
Androids, huh? I bet they wouldn't stand me up.
Sitting down on a nearby bench, Jisung waited for whoever to pick him up. He opened up the internet browser on his phone, slowly typing in the website listed on the billboard. It brought him to the "STAY INC" webpage.
He looked at the tabs, clicking on one that he thought was labeled "CUSTOMIZE". It brought him to a new page that asked him to pick the gender of the android he wanted.
Should I do this? What would the guys think?
Jisung chuckled to himself.
What the hell. I'll treat myself tonight because I'm fuckin' worth it.
Clicking a few more buttons, Jisung was brought to a small questionnaire. He clicked on his answers, not completely sure what he was doing. He wasn't even sure his fingers hit the right buttons.
He submitted the questionnaire, and the screen brought him to a full customization feature. He went through all the bells and whistles before the screen asked to name the android.
Jisung stared at his creation, trying to think of a good name. His mind went to a few instantly, but none of them seemed to fit with how the android looked.
Why is this so difficult? It's just a name, right?
Clicking a randomize button, Jisung left the name up to fate, clicking "Finalize" before ever seeing what name was chosen.
The webpage changed showing a digital receipt.
THANK YOU FOR PURCHASING THROUGH STAY INC.
YOUR DELIVERY DATE IS: SEPTEMBER 15
¤ ° ¤ ¤ LOADING ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Y.JEONGIN
[ TUESDAY | SEP. 15, XX46 ]
By the time Chan and Changbin came home, Jeongin was busy reading up on their new addition to the family. There were so many different features that Felix seemed to have, Jeongin was actually a little bit impressed.
He'd never dealt with android's before, so finally having such a personal experience was rather...odd. it was intriguing for sure and Felix was super sweet but it was a little uncanny how real the android looked. The technology they had today was on the verge of being scary.
"What are you looking at?" Chan asked curiously, peering over the youngest's shoulder.
"I'm just looking at the instruction manual for Felix." Jeongin replied, prying his eyes away from the small booklet once he finished the last sentence of the page. "Apparently, they don't ever have to be charged or need a battery replacement. He doesn't even need to eat or drink anything, so Changbin should be happy the food bill won't change."
Chan chuckled a little at the comment, both knowing how much the other liked to snack.
"What about sleeping?" He asked.
"It said there is a sleeping function for Felix, but sleep isn't required for him." Jeongin replied, reciting what he retained. "Also, it says that androids develop their own personality like humans do, so he'll be an individual from other androids that people have."
"Is he like a computer? Intelligence wise." Chan continued.
Jeongin shook his head, recalling what he remembered from that section. "He stores information kind of like a computer or a brain would in terms of memory and all that, but because he's supposed to function just like a human, he needs to be taught things. He's basically a clean slate, like a child right now."
Chan looked to Felix as the android placed cookies onto the baking sheet, the blonde focused heavily on his current task. It was cute the way his lips formed a pout as he tried hard not to mess up.
"He doesn't really know anything, besides some basic knowledge like reading and writing. He didn't know how to bake, but Jisung gave him a recipe, and we told him what to use. Now, he's like a pro." Jeongin continued to tell Chan, figuring it was useful information. "So it seems like he learns pretty quickly."
"What about emotion? Does he feel them?" Chan asked, returning his attention to Jeongin.
"Sort of. That section was kind of complex, so I skipped over a lot of it. I think he feels an equivalent of emotion, but not exactly in the way we do. So his understanding of love would be different from ours, but he could still go through the motions of what someone in love would do. If that makes any sense?"
"So if Felix loved someone, he would know things like hugging were appropriate to do?" Chan questioned.
Jeongin nodded with a shrug. "Something like that."
"I might take a look at the manual when you're finished. Is that all you've gotten to read about?"
"There's also some basic stuff like where the power button is, how to care for him and some information on how to use...certain features."
"Like what?"
Jeongin flipped back a few pages and pointed out a headline. Chan got closer to read.
When the older nodded with a slight blush to his cheeks, Jeongin flipped back to where he originally was. "I'll let you read this once I'm done. I don't have much farther to go."
Chan nodded, grinning. "Glad to see you actually enjoy reading something."
Jeongin ignored the oldest, fixing his attention on Felix in the kitchen. The android was still so focused despite all the different conversations and things happening around him. Jeongin wondered if all androids got this focused or if it was already Felix developing his own personality. He wondered how long it would take for Felix to begin forming a more solidified personality too.
Felix pulled out the earlier batch of cookies and handed everyone one that was cooled down. He seemed to wait eagerly as everyone took a bite, his eyes expectant for some sort of reaction.
¤ ¤ ° ¤ LOADING ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
L.FELIX
[ TUESDAY | SEP. 15, XX46 ]
Felix could not register smells. He could not taste anything either which made him stand out more from humans.
Watching as the seven other boys ate made Felix wonder what he was missing out on. They all looked so happy eating together.
Unlike most androids Felix was a little different. Through his early stages the doctors and creators had said Felix's development was much different than other androids.
He was told most people wouldn't want an android like Felix because he may exhibit less desirable qualities, so he shouldn't be surprised if he was returned.
Felix, of course, didn't want that. He didn't want to be discarded and reprogrammed like he had seen done to a few others before he was shut down and shipped out.
He made a promise to himself that he would try hard to be a normal android so they'd want to keep him.
Felix sat quietly with perfect posture as he listened in on the conversation the boys were currently having. He tried to pick up on speech patterns to help expand his vocabulary, and he tried to distinguish what might be important to remember for later.
"Felix, you'll be home alone tomorrow, so Changbin will leave his phone with you in case you need to get in touch." Chan said, making the android perk up at his name.
"Why is it my phone?" Changbin asked.
"Because you don't respond to us anyway." Minho said.
"If it is too much trouble, you can just shut me down." Felix said, not wanting to make anyone upset or cause trouble. He was supposed to make their lives easier.
"We won't do that Felix." Chan said. "I think it'll be good for you to explore and learn."
Felix nodded. "Then I will do my best to stay out of trouble."
"None of us will be here?" Hyunjin asked, his tone slightly higher than usual.
"Not until Seungmin and Jeongin get home from their classes." Chan replied, some exasperation in his tone.
"I could always skip school." Jeongin suggested with a grin.
"You are not skipping school." Chan replied.
"One day wouldn't hurt." Jeongin continued with a shrug of his shoulders.
"What is school?" Felix asked, having heard the term once during his programming process.
"A hell-oof."
Jisung elbowed the youngest. "It's a place people go to learn things." Jisung finished.
"Should I be going to school?" Felix asked, thinking that if he needed to learn things then that's the place he should attend.
"Trust me, you don't wanna go." Jeongin replied, rubbing his arm where Jisung had hit.
Felix nodded, wondering why he would have to go to school.
"Why don't you just take him to work with you guys?" Minho suggested, looking to Chan.
It seemed that Chan was the one in charge in the group. At least, that's what Felix seemed to pick up when he observed the others' glances whenever there was a decision to be made.
"We're meeting with a client tomorrow." Chan replied, sounding unsure.
"We can take him." Jisung stepped in. "It won't take us long to meet with whoever. Plus, it would be a good experience for Felix to get out of the house, right?"
Chan still looked unsure as he let out a sigh, Felix wondering if this was more trouble than it was worth.
If he was more trouble than he was worth.
"Okay, we can take him then." Chan finally said, making Felix smile slightly. He was "happy" he wasn't going to be alone.
"I promise I'll be good." Felix assured, not wanting to cause any trouble. They were reluctant as is, so Felix didn't want to give them any reason to regret their decision.
"By the way, was there anything else in the box for Felix?" Chan asked. "Like a change of clothes or anything like that?"
"There were a few sets of clothes." Jisung replied. "Also some hygiene stuff."
"Maybe we should take you out shopping tomorrow for some more clothes?" Chan suggested, his gaze meeting Felix's.
"I call dibs." Hyunjin and Jisung both said quickly, immediately glaring at one another after.
Felix wasn't sure what they meant by "dibs". Was it a good thing? A bad thing?
Judging by their glares, it wasn't a good thing...
"You both can take him after you're both done with work." Chan said, the other two still stuck glaring at each other.
Felix took note of Hyunjin and Jisung's dynamic. They didn't appear to be too fond of each other by their body language, but maybe his analysis was wrong?
He was told that human behavior could be analyzed but may not always be accurate. Ninety percent of the time though, Felix was supposed to be able to know how humans were feeling based on body language, facial expressions, or tonal voice changes.
"So who is Felix going to stay with?" Seungmin asked, finishing his food.
"He can stay with me." Jisung said. "I was the one who bought him."
"Why can't he stay with me?" Minho asked.
"I am not letting Felix stay with a weirdo like you." Jisung replied. "Who knows what he'll be like tomorrow morning if he spends the night with you."
As the two bickered, Felix noticed Changbin get up from the table with his plates. The android got up from his chair as a debate started amongst the table, no one noticing the other leaving.
Felix entered the kitchen and watched as Changbin set down his dishes at the sink.
"Should I wash those?" Felix asked, remembering some basics he was taught at the facility. There were three classes he had to take before he could be passed and shipped off to the buyer. One was housekeeping skills.
"You don't have to." Changbin replied, his eyes not looking at Felix at all. "It's Hyunjin's turn tonight."
Felix nodded, though he still felt like he needed to. He needed to show his worth if he was going to stay.
"So...I heard Jisung created you?" Changbin asked, still not meeting Felix's gaze.
The android nodded, knowing the process. "Most androids are customized based on what the buyer creates. Jisung happened to customize me like this."
Changbin nodded slowly and Felix wondered if maybe something was wrong with him.
Does he not like me? Am I not trying hard enough?
"I wouldn't have really pegged you as his type, but then again I've never seen him date anyone before." Changbin continued.
"His type?" Felix had never heard of the phrase before.
"Someone he's attracted to." Changbin replied.
"So he's attracted to me?"
"Usually when he gets drunk he gets...nevermind." Changbin excused. "Just know that if he designed you, he likes you."
Felix nodded and moved over as the other walked by. The android looked back to the sink and walked closer. He looked at the dirty dishes and turned on the faucet.
I just want to prove I can be helpful. They won't mind too much, right?
¤ ¤ ¤ ° LOADING ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Y.JEONGIN
[ TUESDAY | SEP. 15, XX46 ]
School was a bit of a drag so coming home to see an android was a fun surprise. Jeongin had always wondered what it would be like to have one.
Felix was not really what he was expecting though. He seemed so real it was kind of easy to forget he wasn't human. Every once and a while though he would say or do something that was sort of...robotic.
Setting down his pencil, Jeongin leaned back in the chair to stretch. He had finally finished his homework–per Chan's request after dinner.
There was a knock at the door, and Jeongin walked over to open it. A body was thrown at him as Jisung entered the bedroom, closing the door quickly.
"You get Felix tonight." Jisung said, as Jeongin tried to help the android stand properly. "Minho keeps barging into my room, and I don't want him corrupting the poor guy."
Jeongin looked to Felix who looked back with a smile. The android was in grey pajamas now. Ones that Jeongin assumed came in the box.
Before the youngest could protest against the idea, Jisung left the room. He could hear Jisung scolding the older for being in his room even behind a closed door.
"Well...I guess you'll be sleeping here." Jeongin said, not knowing what to do now.
He read the instruction manual and knew Felix didn't need to sleep, but he did have a sleep mode. He guessed the developers wanted to make the experience more "real".
"If it is too much trouble, you can always shut me down." Felix said, I can just go back in the box or find a closet to stay in."
Jeongin shook his head, feeling weird about shutting him down. It just didn't feel right, not when he looked so human.
"Why don't you wait here, and I'll get ready for bed?" Jeongin suggested.
Felix nodded and Jeongin walked over to his dresser. Opening up one of his drawers, he grabbed his pajamas. He carried them into the bathroom and set them on the edge of the counter.
He grabbed his toothbrush which he had gotten from Jisung and started his nightly routine.
"What are you doing?" Felix asked, his tone very curious sounding.
Jeongin held up his index finger and spit out the toothpaste in his mouth. "I'm brushing my teeth." He replied, starting the process again.
"Do all humans do it?" Felix asked.
Jeongin nodded and spit back into the sink. "They should, but some people don't."
"Should I do it too?" Felix asked, stopping the younger from continuing.
"It's not necessary for you to do it." Jeongin replied, feeling a little jealous that the android didn't have to worry about his teeth.
Felix nodded and continued to watch as Jeongin brushed his teeth. It was a bit strange having someone just staring at him. For some reason he felt like he should be doing better.
Spitting out the toothpaste, Jeongin turned on the sink. He rinsed it down the drain and grabbed a small cup so he could rinse out his mouth.
"Why don't you go sit on the bed, and I'll finish what I need to do?" Jeongin suggested after spitting out the water.
Felix listened and walked out of the bathroom. The red haired boy closed the door and let out a sigh. It sort of felt like Jeongin had a younger brother he was taking care of and teaching, but in the manual it seemed Felix was supposed to be Jisung's age.
Changing out of his school uniform, Jeongin slipped on the sweatpants and baggy t-shirt. He grabbed up the bundle of discarded clothes and tossed them into the laundry basket.
He left the bathroom and found Felix was still sitting on the mattress. He perked up when he saw Jeongin.
The younger turned off the light in his room and carefully crept back to his bed. He pushed back the covers and crawled under them.
"You can lie down." Jeongin said, knowing the other was still sitting.
He heard some rustling and felt the mattress dip beside him. Jeongin turned his head and chuckled at the sight next to him. Felix was on top of the covers lying as if he was in a casket.
"Shall I go into sleep mode?" Felix asked.
"Yes." Jeongin replied. He heard a quiet whirring and then it was silent.
Jeongin rolled over and observed the sleeping android. It was still kind of amusing to the youngest that Jisung would order such a thing even if he was drunk. The group had talked about getting an android before for just keeping the house clean and stuff while they were gone, but they let the idea die.
They felt strange buying something that looked so human just for it to do the things they were too lazy to do. It just felt wrong to them.
Now, Jeongin was lying next to one.
He wondered if they would ever plan to return Felix. How long would it take before they decided he wasn't needed? Or was it just not something for them to keep?
The thoughts made Jeongin's stomach flip, but he didn't know why.
I couldn't have gotten attached to him this quickly, could I? It's not like we even really know each other.
Jeongin sighed.
He isn't even human.