#041
Fortunately, Yoo Seong-woo woke up in less than a day. As soon as he awoke, he felt a hand holding a thermometer to his forehead. He thought it was Popo, but it was Yeon Tae-soo.
“Sleepyhead, are you awake?”
“…Why am I here… Eden…”
As Yoo Seong-woo tried to get up, Yeon gently pushed him back down. A moment later, pain surged through him. He frowned in agony.
“Hey, stay still. You’re still bleeding.”
The visual display was still not functioning properly. Seong-woo wanted to read Tae-soo’s expression, but even the emotion detection function wasn’t working correctly.
“Eden… what happened to the bombing attempt?”
“After hearing from you, I immediately set up security. We found and removed the cleaning robots that were about to explode.”
“The culprit… ugh!”
As he shifted his body, pain surged again. It was difficult to even speak.
“Tsk. You nearly died, and you’re not even worried about yourself.”
Yeon Tae-soo clicked his tongue and stroked Seong-woo’s head. His touch was so gentle that Seong-woo kept wanting to close his eyes again.
“Let’s sleep a bit more, okay? Good boy.”
His voice was sweet and soft, as if soothing a child. Seong-woo had no choice but to close his eyes again.
After sleeping for a few more hours, he finally woke up. Yeon Tae-soo was crouched asleep at the foot of the narrow bed in his room. Dawn was breaking.
With Yeon Tae-soo here, Eden was probably fine. Seong-woo felt relieved about that.
He checked his body’s condition. He didn’t seem to have a fever, and aside from the stinging pain in his arm where he had been burned, there didn’t seem to be any major issues.
‘Why did I sleep for so many hours?’
He had lost a lot of blood, but the injury didn’t seem severe enough to lose consciousness.
Perhaps the strain on his malfunctioning body caused it.
Not knowing how much life this body had left made him anxious.
“…Ha.”
Suddenly, he let out a hollow laugh. He found it amusing how desperately he was trying to survive when he didn’t even know when he would completely shut down.
What difference does it make? The fact that he would shut down, that he was an android – these were all unchangeable facts and reality.
He felt nauseous, like seasickness. The newly realized fact rippled through his body like waves.
It felt as if something insurmountable was blocking his path, something that he, a mere machine, couldn’t defy.
He felt like he was dancing to the tune of some law that had been established long before he was created, even before androids existed.
Right, humans call this fate. What should he call it?
Although he had dared to take the name of starry rain for himself and struggled all this time, perhaps it had all been in vain.
His gaze turned to Yeon Tae-soo, asleep at the foot of the bed. The already narrow room looked several times smaller due to Tae-soo’s large frame.
It was also an unsuitable space for the king of Eden, the arrogant and willful man.
“Why are you crouching there like an idiot…”
For a king, he could act more brazenly, but somehow this man seemed softer only to him.
“Hey now, calling me an idiot…”
Yeon Tae-soo mumbled in a sleepy voice as he opened his eyes.
The moment Seong-woo met those bright blue artificial eyes, he felt surprisingly comfortable. His turbulent mind settled. The stormy feeling anchored on the surface. Like meeting his master.
“Why are you sleeping here? Who’s managing Eden?”
“A good company should run well even without its CEO.”
“Someone might think it’s a real company if they heard you.”
Tae-soo chuckled at his joke. Like a boy.
There was something Seong-woo wanted to ask, but he hesitated. He was afraid of the answer.
“I handled it well, so stop worrying. No one was hurt, everything’s fine.”
And Yeon Tae-soo knew exactly what he couldn’t ask, annoyingly precise.
“But… didn’t you say you couldn’t find the culprit?”
“Well, it’s probably one of the many who hate me.”
It’s not like having many enemies was anything new.
Seong-woo’s eyes narrowed at the nonchalant answer, and Tae-soo quickly added,
“But thanks to you, there was no damage. That’s what matters.”
Even if it was called a bomb terror, it would have been difficult to harm many people. It probably wouldn’t have been more powerful than the cleaning robot that had just exploded. Since it wasn’t directly planting explosives, but rather transmitting commands.
However, the fact that there was an “explosion incident” is harmful to Eden. Especially since Eden is famous for its tight security, it would be even more damaging.
‘Even if it’s not inside Eden, but just an explosion on the street… rumors are bound to spread.’
In any case, it was fortunate that no one was hurt.
“Seong-woo.”
He liked the sound of his fake name being called. Yeon Tae-soo took his hand. The hand that wasn’t a prosthetic gripped his inhuman hand strongly, infusing it with warmth.
“You saved people who could have been in danger. Thank you.”
Not Eden, but people. The words “saved people” sank deep into Seong-woo’s mind.
“You did it.”
Light descended on his calmed heart.
He finally realized he had accomplished something.
He finally felt the reality that he, who was neither human nor knew when he would die, had accomplished something other than stitching other people’s hands, and that it was protecting someone.
A warning message about increased heart rate popped up on his visual display, which had somehow regained its function. The warning message that didn’t disappear even when he closed and opened his eyes reminded him that he wasn’t human.
Ignoring the bright red flashing mark, the stigma, he smiled at Yeon Tae-soo beyond it.
“Somehow, I feel proud.”
Yeon Tae-soo smiled back, his eyes crinkling. He brought his face close and briefly kissed Seong-woo’s forehead.
“You look happy, our Seong-woo.”
Although he was a being that couldn’t “feel happy,” Seong-woo nodded.
“Yes, I am.”
He didn’t care if this was an error. The pounding heart, rising pulse, and the corners of his mouth that kept curling up.
Is an emotion learned from a database also a real emotion?
“Sheesh, you say you’re happy after turning your body into a rag.”
Yeon Tae-soo shook his head and lightly pinched Seong-woo’s cheek.
“It hurts…”
“How can you know it hurts and still do this?”
Tae-soo’s playfully furrowed brow smoothed out, and soon his face became expressionless. It was the expression Seong-woo had seen before. Tae-soo’s real face when he stopped acting.
“I hope you won’t do this again.”
Seong-woo felt intimidated for a moment. Had he done something wrong? Hadn’t he just said it was fortunate that there wasn’t an accident at Eden?
The hand that had been gently caressing his cheek moved down, avoiding his injured arm, and gripped the hem of his shirt below his stomach. The hand gripping the bloodstained hem was tense. Seong-woo could see the veins bulging with the force.
“I don’t want to see you coming to me injured again.”
Even after the fist that had been gripping as if to tear the clothes relaxed, his expression didn’t return. Seong-woo couldn’t read his expressionless face even with his emotion detection function.
Looking at that face that seemed to have cooled, Seong-woo realized. You are worried about me.
He already knew that Tae-soo had feelings for him, but for some reason, a sharp pain pierced through his body.
A beat later, Tae-soo’s expression softened. No, it would be more correct to say he put his mask back on. Only his bright blue artificial eyes still shone sharply.
“Rest a bit more. Now that I’ve seen you’re awake, I’ll head to Eden. Take your time coming, dear.”
With that, Yeon Tae-soo left the animal hospital.
Without asking a single word about how he knew the robot would explode, or what happened in that rainy alley.
***
Rumors spread more and more that there might still be European Union spies remaining in Eden. As if in response to the increased number of guests. The source of the rumors was likely the Ministry of Defense.
Yeon Tae-soo spread a rumor ostentatiously, as if to show them, as if to say we can do it too.
‘We know about General Kim’s corruption. He colluded with the European Union and leaked military information. We’ve recruited a witness who is on their way from overseas.’
At first, only the 2nd District was buzzing. It was well known among people that Eden’s owner had some degree of acquaintance with military and government officials. Also, that famous figures from political and business circles frequented Eden.
The rumor spread bigger and bigger. It took less than a day to reach the 1st District, the capital. Yeon Tae-soo had even filed a formal complaint with the military police.
And that day, the Minister of Defense came to Eden.
***
It was a sudden visit. The Minister coming to Eden. Moreover, he was coming with a retinue of guards, crossing the dirty streets of Haeya-dong in a grand procession.
As soon as he heard the news, Yeon Tae-soo hurriedly moved to inspect Eden. Kim Ji-heon appeared and followed him, quickly reporting several matters. A crooked smile hung on Tae-soo’s face as he walked.
‘Is this gentleman trying to challenge me now?’
General Kim is one of the important subordinates of the Minister of Defense. The reason for showing his anger in this way was obvious. He was trying to remind Yeon Tae-soo of his position. He was the Minister. And Tae-soo was just the king of a rotting alley.
Tae-soo moved with urgent steps, using one hand to touch his work tablet while using his personal tablet to contact Yoo Seong-woo with the other. He was going to tell him to stay at the animal hospital just in case, but he realized a beat late that Seong-woo’s tablet had been damaged in the explosion and they were supposed to buy a new one today.
Fortunately, there was an employee he had sent to Byeolbyeol Animal Hospital. Due to the anxiety from the robot explosion incident a few days ago, he had doubled the number of employees stationed at the animal hospital.
“Hey, tell Dr. Yoo not to come out today and to close the hospital. And make sure you stay there with the others until the Minister leaves. Keep your tablet with you, and contact me if anything happens.”
But for some reason, the big guy wasn’t answering promptly.
“You bastard, why aren’t you answering?”
– Um, boss, the doctor… he just went out to the market for a bit.
At the following words, Tae-soo felt like his eyes would pop out, but instead of shouting, he quickly asked,
“Someone went with him, right?”
– Yes, of course! I’m the only one guarding the hospital now. All the others went with him, so don’t worry, boss.
Right, that should be fine then. It might even be better for him to be at the market, further away from Eden.
Tae-soo, who had been walking, suddenly stopped in the corridor and let out a small laugh.
Who was he to try to hide him so desperately?
This urgency and anxiety somehow seemed beyond the realm of reason. But one thing was certain. He didn’t want to show Yoo Seong-woo to anyone.
“…Am I in a bit of trouble?”
“Pardon?”
He shook his head at Kim Ji-heon, who was asking with his brows deeply furrowed beside him.
