#047
Surprisingly, there were several large box-like structures in the bushes. Yoo Seong-woo hesitated, not knowing what they were. They had small windows and, upon closer inspection, seats inside. Cages? It felt unpleasant, like boxes for confining people.
Yeon Tae-soo, unfazed, walked over and cleared away the vines and branches stretching over the giant boxes. With a few movements of his long arms, they were instantly cleaned up.
“Have you heard of cable cars? This area used to be somewhat of a tourist spot back in the day.”
“No way.”
Yeon Tae-soo laughed out loud at Yoo Seong-woo’s serious response.
“I can see why you’d say that. You’ll believe it when you see it yourself.”
See what exactly? Yeon Tae-soo jumped up onto the box he had cleared of vines. He then extended his hand to Yoo Seong-woo, as if inviting him to come up too.
After hesitating, Yoo Seong-woo took Yeon Tae-soo’s hand and climbed onto the box. The metal box creaked and shook slightly but didn’t seem like it would topple over.
Yeon Tae-soo sat down, dangling his legs over the edge, and Yoo Seong-woo followed suit. Yeon Tae-soo grasped Yoo Seong-woo’s hand firmly and, still holding it, pointed to the empty space before them.
“Can you see it?”
“…Ah.”
He couldn’t help but gasp. The scene before his eyes was otherworldly.
The night view of Haeya-dong spread out beneath their feet. The lights dotting the darkness were like stars. There was a universe here.
“This neighborhood might be messy, but it’s not ugly.”
He agreed with Yeon Tae-soo’s words. During the day, Haeya-dong had nothing to see but damp buildings under a cloudy sky and asphalt streets stained with oil. Who would have known that from afar, it would unfold like this galaxy?
“I got the idea for Eden when I came here. I thought I could live in this neighborhood.”
Unlike Yeon Tae-soo, Yoo Seong-woo was in a position of running away, so he wouldn’t be able to live in this neighborhood for long, but he thought it was well-chosen for a temporary stay.
And he was secretly grateful to Yeon Tae-soo. For showing him this scenery.
“Darling, this isn’t a place I bring just anyone. Do you know why I brought you here?”
Yoo Seong-woo shook his head.
“To tell you not to think about running away.”
The words that followed were so unexpected that Yoo Seong-woo was inwardly perplexed.
Even though he knew Yeon Tae-soo was joking, tension surged. He unknowingly clenched his molars, trying not to show it.
“Run away… what do you mean?”
It felt like his thoughts had been exposed. Because deep down, he had been thinking that it might be better to run away before Yeon Tae-soo discovered he was an android.
Who knows when he might suddenly shut down during sex again, like a few days ago? Yeon Tae-soo might be pretending not to notice now, but if it happens repeatedly…
Wouldn’t he become suspicious then? Wouldn’t he confront him? Wouldn’t he get angry? There was no way he would forgive him for being an android. Because it was fake emotions. Fake emotions brought about by entertainment functions.
To be precise, he should always be ready to run away. If Yeon Tae-soo’s embrace was no longer safe, there would be no reason to stay with him.
“When I look at you, you seem precarious. Like someone who might disappear at any moment.”
Yeon Tae-soo said this with a slight smile, and Yoo Seong-woo deliberately furrowed his brow. He didn’t want his tension to be noticed.
“I haven’t been here long. I have no intention of leaving.”
It was half true. As long as Yeon Tae-soo didn’t become a threat to him, he was the one who could protect him best in Haeya-dong.
“That’s right. It hasn’t been long, so why do I find you so precious already?”
Yoo Seong-woo paused. Every word Yeon Tae-soo uttered struck him like the lights below. Precious? Would you still use such an expression for me if you found out I was an android?
“You haven’t been by my side for long, but it’s hard to imagine you not being here.”
Though he was looking ahead, all his senses were focused on Yeon Tae-soo. He needed to respond quickly, but what should he say to not seem strange? His mouth opened and closed like a malfunction, but his thoughts weren’t coming together.
Fortunately, Yeon Tae-soo didn’t say more. His gaze, which had been fixed so steadily on Yoo Seong-woo that it seemed it would never leave, eventually turned forward. He seemed to think he had said his piece.
Though he pretended to calmly look down at the lights, he felt his breath constricting. No, could he even express it as constricting?
Something unfamiliar, different from anxiety or fear, seemed to have settled in his body along with an error. While Yeon Tae-soo sitting beside him was now composed, he, on the contrary, felt suffocated.
Perhaps Yeon Tae-soo wouldn’t let him go easily.
Which meant that if his android identity was discovered, Yeon Tae-soo might feel an even greater sense of betrayal.
Thinking he might never see this scenery again, Yoo Seong-woo captured the lights spread before him in his visual display for a long time. So that this scene would be completely etched into his database.
***
When Yeon Tae-soo said he would train his physical strength and teach him self-defense, Yoo Seong-woo gladly agreed. Self-defense? Isn’t that the most important survival skill? It was essential for his body, which was only developed in the arts and didn’t know how to fight at all. If he could learn, he absolutely had to.
While Kim Ji-heon was struggling to spare some of the always-short staff to teach Yoo Seong-woo, fortunately, the mercenaries arrived at a good time.
The mercenaries, who didn’t have much to do at Eden, willingly agreed to take charge of Yoo Seong-woo’s physical training and self-defense lessons. And they were surprised to find that Yoo Seong-woo was better at using his body than they expected.
“Wow, your flexibility is no joke! Try this, this too. Kick your leg like this.”
Nikita excitedly gave him various instructions. Xinyan, though not showing it, seemed curious and didn’t miss any of Yoo Seong-woo’s movements.
“Have you learned to exercise before?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“But you’re doing so well? You’ve got talent.”
Yoo Seong-woo knew why his body was lighter and more agile than others. It must be because he was made for performances.
Although Yoo-hyun was mainly a singer-songwriter who sang slow songs, there might be situations where he needed to dance.
During a break after a long training session, while he was wiping sweat inside his sports mask, Nikita suddenly thrust something at him. It was her tablet.
On the screen was a photo of Nikita side by side with an Indian woman who had the same reddish-brown skin and large almond eyes. Nikita’s gaze towards her in the photo was incredibly sweet.
“Isn’t she pretty? She’s my wife.”
“You’re both beautiful.”
“Oh, you’re making me blush.”
Nikita lightly hit his arm at the straightforward compliment.
“Want to know a secret? My wife is an android.”
Yoo Seong-woo paused at her next words. Whether she noticed his surprised reaction or not, Nikita still had a bright smile on her face.
“Here, there’s all this fuss about android hunting and whatnot, but it’s not like that in India. Same with Southeast Asia, the atmosphere is actually more welcoming to androids than humans in the job market. My wife even gets paid more than me.”
He had heard that Southeast Asia was android-friendly. He hadn’t particularly felt envious before, but somehow today, he felt a bit complicated.
“…You can… even get married.”
“Yeah, they actually see same-sex couples as more special.”
Yoo Seong-woo stared intently at the photo of the two women until Nikita cleared the screen. What would it feel like to live in such a world? An android living without worry of being hunted, experiencing ‘love’.
“Don’t you think about getting married? With the Captain?”
“Yes, what, pardon? *cough*!”
He even choked at the sudden question. As he coughed heavily, his upper body shaking, Xinyan, who had been quietly observing from the side, shook his head and came over to pat Yoo Seong-woo’s back.
“Why are you so surprised? You two are lovers.”
“Ah, we’re not, we’re not close enough to talk about marriage yet.”
As he waved his hands in strong denial, Nikita’s eyes narrowed.
“…Really?”
And she exchanged glances with Xinyan. Looks that seemed to say, “It doesn’t seem that way.”
“It’s really not like that. We haven’t been together long…”
In fact, they weren’t really lovers. Although Yeon Tae-soo had introduced him as his lover to the mercenaries and he had agreed, it was because he didn’t want to put Yeon Tae-soo in an awkward position, and they had never formally agreed to date. But he didn’t bother to explain that far.
“Don’t say that to the Captain.”
Xinyan said to Yoo Seong-woo. It was a bit unexpected, as he usually remained silent during training unless absolutely necessary.
He wanted to ask why, but Nikita also nodded in agreement, so Yoo Seong-woo kept his mouth shut.
After finishing training, the photo Nikita had shown him and her words lingered in his mind all day.
A life where one openly identifies as an android, works a job, has a normal romance, and even gets married. It was a distant world to him.
And he felt a little, just a little, envious of Nikita’s wife.
