“It’s not what you think!” Jaehyuk blurted out, yanking Junghwan back by the arm.
Junghwan had already covered his eyes, turning dramatically toward the wall. “Hyung! I wasn’t mentally prepared for this kind of betrayal!”
“Stop being dramatic!” Jaehyuk snapped. “And uncover your eyes!”
“…Is it safe?” Junghwan asked cautiously.
“Yes!”
Junghwan slowly peeked through his fingers—only to freeze again. “Then explain why there’s a naked man in your living room.”
Jaehyuk opened his mouth… then closed it.
“…Okay, I can explain.”
After a long, slightly chaotic explanation, Junghwan blinked.
“So… he’s a robot?”
Jaehyuk nodded.
Junghwan turned to Asahi, who stood quietly nearby in oversized clothes, looking far too calm for someone who had just caused emotional damage to a teenager.
“Wow,” Junghwan whispered. “I thought he was a real person… He even looks more alive than you, hyung.”
“Do you want to get kicked out?” Jaehyuk shot back.
Junghwan ignored him, eyes sparkling. “Hyung… where did you even get him? Can I get one too? I promise I’ll take care of it. I’ll even feed it—wait, do robots eat?”
“Well, technically, I didn’t order him. My mom did.”
Junghwan gasped. “Auntie loves you that much? That’s it, I’m switching families.”
Jaehyuk laughed and squished his cheeks. “Relax. I only get him for a month.”
“That’s still better than nothing,” Junghwan muttered, clearly jealous.
Jaehyuk crossed his arms. “Anyway, why are you even here?”
Junghwan froze.
His brain is visibly short-circuited.
“…I had a reason,” he said slowly.
Jaehyuk raised an eyebrow.
Junghwan scratched the back of his head, then grinned sheepishly. “I forgot.”
Jaehyuk stared at him for a full three seconds before sighing. “Get out.”
Junghwan laughed awkwardly and slipped out like nothing had happened.
“You seem happy, master.”
Jaehyuk nearly jumped out of his skin.
“When did you get there?!” he yelped, clutching his chest.
“I have been here,” Asahi replied calmly.
“Stop doing that! And stop calling me ‘master’—it makes me sound like a villain.”
Asahi tilted his head. “Then what should I call you?”
“Jaehyuk. Or Jae.”
Asahi blinked once, processing. “Okay… Jae.”
Silence fell.
An awkward, heavy silence.
Jae cleared his throat. “Right. You don’t have proper clothes.”
Another idea hit him. Grabbing Asahi’s hand, he grinned. “We’re going shopping tomorrow. I’ll convince my mom since she’s the one who ordered you in the first place.”
After successfully persuading his mom (with minimal begging and only a little bit of dramatic sighing), Jae handed Asahi a fresh set of clothes.
“Here. Wear this. I’m assuming you came with a ‘how to not embarrass your owner in public’ manual.”
“I did,” Asahi replied seriously.
Jae paused. “…You’re joking, right?”
“I am not.”
“…Great.”
He shook his head. “Anyway, can you shower? Or will you, I don’t know, electrocute yourself?”
Asahi smiled faintly. “I can function like a normal human. I can eat, sleep, and perform daily tasks. However, my system requires me to shut down at 10 p.m. and restart at 7 a.m.”
Jae glanced at the clock.
6:57 p.m.
“…I also forgot to cook.”
He sighed. “Alright. Take a shower while I order food. And please don’t malfunction there—I don’t think I can explain that to customer service.”
Asahi nodded and headed to the bathroom.
Left alone, Jae finally looked around.
The living room was a disaster.
The capsule was wide open, packaging torn apart, ribbons scattered everywhere like a party had exploded—and he wasn’t invited.
“…Yeah. This is definitely my life now.”
After cleaning up and receiving the food, he moved the capsule into his room, remembering it doubled as a charging station.
“Asahi, you done?”
The bathroom door opened, and Asahi stepped out, slightly damp, his oversized clothes slipping off one shoulder.
“I am finished. I attempted to dry my hair,” he said, holding up the hairdryer.
Jae stared at it. “…I was wondering where that went.”
“Should I return it?”
“Just leave it there. Come eat first,” Jae said, gesturing to the table. “The manual says you might short-circuit if you get hungry, and I am not dealing with that tonight.”
Asahi nodded obediently and sat down.
Jae couldn’t help but smile a little as he watched him.
Maybe… this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
