#042
Yoo Seong-woo attracted attention throughout his walk in the market street due to the three burly men following him.
However, it actually felt reassuring. When the robot exploded, hadn’t he been flustered because there was no one around to help? The men sent by Yeon Tae-soo were quiet and seemed to be trying their best not to interfere with Yoo Seong-woo’s daily life.
They were probably carefully selected and sent by Yeon Tae-soo with great effort.
After buying some parts for Popo and a few cleaning tools, Yoo Seong-woo decided to walk a bit more through the market street before heading back.
In the market alley, sales robots and people alternately stood, with all sorts of goods displayed on the stalls in front of them.
Flying neon signs flickered in the air, displaying product names, prices, and promotional slogans, while flies busily flew between them.
“Um, would you like some snacks? You’re going through trouble because of me.”
Feeling that the men seemed to be guarding without even eating, Yoo Seong-woo asked them, but they were startled and shook their heads.
“No, no need to worry about us, sir.”
“Yes, please think of us as if we’re not here.”
Even so, it seemed a bit pitiful to think of them as non-existent. Feeling sorry for their stiff appearance, he ended up buying them some snacks, which they accepted while almost bowing. Yoo Seong-woo also took a small stick of candy and looked around the market.
The voices of people and the mechanical sounds from sales robots alternated. Behind them stood rows of shop buildings. Moths clung thickly to the black, mottled walls.
Small stray robots roamed underfoot. Stray robots were literally robots that had lost their owners and were wandering. Most of them could move on their own but were missing parts or damaged.
Larger robots usually had larger parts or protective metal plates or plastic, making them suitable for recycling, so the ones roaming the streets were mostly smaller ones that were ambiguous for recycling.
While walking between the living and the non-living that moved, Yoo Seong-woo’s eyes caught sight of a particular store.
It was a used instrument shop.
“Um… is it alright if I go in here?”
At his question, the men sent by Yeon Tae-soo entered the store first. Ignoring the surprised owner, they poked around here and there to check for any danger before nodding as if to say it was safe to enter. It was Yoo Seong-woo’s job to apologize to the owner.
These days, most musicians used electronic instruments or modified multi-instruments. Most of the instruments here were also modified. Occasionally, old-fashioned violins or acoustic guitars could be seen.
“You have many nice instruments.”
“Yes, my grandmother had a good eye. This shop has been passed down for five generations.”
As he was closely examining the instruments layered with traces of time, he suddenly stopped at one spot. Near the entrance, on the inside wall, there was a piano between electronic cellos.
“You can try playing it if you’d like. It’s been tuned.”
At the owner’s words, his fingers twitched involuntarily.
‘Just once… should be fine.’
Playing itself shouldn’t be a problem.
He unnecessarily pulled up his mask and sat in front of the piano. It wasn’t as good as the grand piano he had played at Eden, but judging from the wear, it seemed to have been cherished by its previous owner.
“I heard it was originally used by an android in a research facility.”
Yoo Seong-woo’s fingertips twitched momentarily at the mention of an android.
“A research facility?”
Intentionally emphasizing “research facility” to hide his reaction, the owner nodded quickly and started explaining in detail.
“Yeah, it was a research facility on the sea. Ah, Choi something… you know, that famous android scientist. They say it was used by a humanoid android created by that person.”
The seaside, and an android created by Dr. Choi.
‘So it’s the piano used by HY0912.’
Yoo-hyun had said that after HY0912 disappeared, water appeared in the dreams of all androids. But he had never dreamed yet. He had recalled similar experiences from his time with his creator before, but that was just a clear recollection of memories, not a dream.
He sat at the piano and placed his hands on the keys. As soon as he started playing, not only the shop owner and bodyguards but also people passing by turned their attention to him.
Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 flowed through the rust, grime, and oil stains of the Haeya-dong market street.
Even if one was completely unfamiliar with music, they could tell just by listening how exceptional this performance was. Even those who couldn’t hear could sense the change in the atmosphere.
Yoo Seong-woo could also read the mood spreading among the people. The ability to gauge the audience was a basic function of performance androids after all.
His fingers glided smoothly. He executed commands following the musical notations in his database. Each note was a command.
He was an entity that knew better than humans how to play which piece to move people’s ‘hearts’.
The music that flowed out of the store soon filled the street. People passing by stopped to listen to his performance.
It was when Yoo Seong-woo lifted his head and looked outside after finishing one piece. Through the gap between Eden’s bodyguards blocking his view, he saw a man. Behind the man, men and women as large as Eden’s bodyguards were filling the market alley.
“You play well. Are you a pianist?”
Although he had never met him before, he could recognize who he was. He had seen him on the news several times. The white spot near his lips.
The Minister of National Defense was observing him intently.
***
The atmosphere at Eden was not good at all. In a way, it might be understandable. The Minister of National Defense had come in person.
Yoo Seong-woo, holed up in his room waiting, recalled his encounter with the minister earlier.
‘Would you mind guiding me to Eden?’
The minister said he had enjoyed his performance and asked Yoo Seong-woo as they were leaving the store.
More than bewilderment, there was an uneasy feeling, and Yoo Seong-woo realized on the spot. This man knows about his relationship with Yeon Tae-soo.
Eden was visible enough from the market that one could see its towering building. There’s no way he couldn’t find it, and the minister wouldn’t have come here without knowing the way.
Does he know who I am? Does he know I’m an android? Will he reveal that fact to Yeon Tae-soo?
Among the Haeya-dong citizens who recognized the minister’s face, some showed curiosity, while others displayed hostility. An uncomfortable silence hung over the market.
‘As you can see, there are so many people. They won’t make way.’
Yoo Seong-woo was scared but tried to compose his expression as he pulled up his mask. He was about to refuse, saying he had an appointment and apologizing for not being able to guide him.
Baaang! A horn that pierced the ears broke the awkward silence. People’s attention turned to a car that had arrived in the market alley. Yoo Seong-woo also looked in that direction, but the minister still fixed his gaze on Yoo Seong-woo’s masked face.
Soon, the market crowd that seemed unlikely to move parted like water. The king of Haeya-dong had appeared.
The image of Yeon Tae-soo, with his large build a head taller than others, walking towards him was still vivid in his mind.
Walking through the crowd and irritably messing up his well-combed pomade hair, he looked like an alpha beast with its hackles raised after its territory had been invaded.
What was he thinking, showing such blatant hostility? As Yoo Seong-woo was inwardly clicking his tongue, that wasn’t the end of it.
‘Fuck, what’s all this commotion? Blocking the market floor.’
Spewing vulgar curses loud enough for people to hear, he stood crookedly and jerked his chin at the minister.
‘Stop interfering with people’s business and get out. I’ll guide you.’
It seemed that one of his subordinates had been relaying the situation to Yeon Tae-soo.
The minister didn’t show any sign of displeasure. He just glanced at Yoo Seong-woo expressionlessly and followed Yeon Tae-soo.
And now Yoo Seong-woo was inside Eden, having entered after some time as suggested by the staff.
How long would the conversation last? Why did the minister come? And how was Yeon Tae-soo planning to fight him?
In fact, it was information he didn’t need, but he kept worrying about it. No, that’s not right. If you think about it, isn’t it related to his own safety? That’s why his brain was issuing commands. To be curious, to find out. Because if Yeon Tae-soo is safe, he’s safe too.
Only after justifying it to himself for a while did Yeon Tae-soo return, looking tired.
“What…”
He was about to ask what they had talked about, but Yeon Tae-soo embraced him.
Feeling an uncharacteristic trembling, Yoo Seong-woo couldn’t ask anything. He couldn’t ask.
What could make such a strong man so afraid?
All he could do was hug back the large body leaning into him with all his might.
That night, Yeon Tae-soo explored Yoo Seong-woo’s body with unusual persistence. Not content with leaving marks all over his body, he even gently bit his buttocks.
“Wh-why are you biting my buttocks…”
“This is where you have some flesh.”
He had a clear premonition that it would be red and sore tomorrow.
“St-stop, wait, ah!”
Yeon Tae-soo, who had been persistently biting and sucking on his buttocks, suddenly pushed his finger between the cleft. His prosthetic hand immediately found the entrance and pressed against the tightly closed opening.
The fingertip that had been persistently pressing the tightly closed top entered a little. Even with just one knuckle in, it was overwhelming.
“Ugh…”
“Relax, that’s right…”
Yeon Tae-soo showered kisses on his cheeks and lips as if soothing a child. Yoo Seong-woo tried to relax his body, feeling the cold sensation of the prosthetic hand gradually entering him. As if it had become easier to enter, the finger suddenly pushed in all at once.
He flinched at the foreign sensation. The cold touch pressed recklessly against his inner walls.
“W-wait.”
“Yeah, yeah. Here… need to go a bit deeper. To the spot you like.”
When the finger suddenly pushed deep inside, he tightened reflexively in surprise. The hard, cool sensation of metal ravaged his hot inner walls.
“Ah, it’s co-cold, ugh.”
“Mm, is my hand cold?”
The tone was still as if soothing a child, but it felt strangely perverse. Somehow, he could clearly imagine himself, completely stripped, being toyed with by a few of his prosthetic fingers.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
