#049
The pianist wearing a black mask attracted people’s attention just by sitting at the piano.
Yoo Seong-woo took a deep breath inside the mask. Then he placed his hands on the keys.
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1. As it was a concerto, the accompaniment of other instruments played at an appropriate volume. The keys were pressed in time with it.
The piano keys, pressed slowly at first, gradually increased in speed. Yoo Seong-woo played according to the database stored within him.
He could tell everything was perfect without even looking at the audience. The atmosphere created by the overwhelming performance was palpable without needing to use any built-in functions.
Even those who didn’t know what a piano or classical music was focused on the performance. Everyone in the space listened and savored the melody he created. That was his function. No, it was Yoo-hyun’s function. It was the purpose for which he was born.
Rachmaninoff is capricious and flamboyant. It’s difficult to play without knowing how to use technique. He moved his fingers across the keys as if brushing them, keeping his hands as relaxed as possible.
The stored musical directions gave him commands one by one. Yoo Seong-woo couldn’t refuse them. For him, musical directions were the most absolute commands.
Finally ending with a decrescendo, Yoo Seong-woo looked at the audience. Everyone in the golden Eden was focused on him. From the stage, he could see each expression in the crowd.
‘So this… is a performance.’
It was the first time he had properly performed in front of so many people. So this is why he was created, to make humans wear such expressions.
He felt as if his veins were pulsing all over his body. He looked down at his suit sleeve. Underneath, his wrist was covered in goosebumps.
It must be hormones released as a reward for completing the task, but even so, this feeling… isn’t it too much?
Suddenly, he wondered. Did Yoo-hyun, his younger brother, always see scenes like this?
He stood up from the chair, placed one hand on his chest, and bowed. At the same time, the audience began to cheer. Applause erupted like thunder.
At that moment, Yoo Seong-woo felt intensely envious of Yoo-hyun, his youngest brother. At the same time, he felt sorry for him.
He took a deep breath of the air he had changed himself. Only then did he realize he was smiling. Though no one could see it behind the mask.
As he was about to leave the stage, his eyes met Yeon Tae-soo’s.
Yeon Tae-soo was staring at him while applauding. He was smiling with his lips turned up, but it was obvious that this was a manufactured expression.
The android’s function that read his expression immediately identified Yeon Tae-soo’s emotions. When he saw the words that poured out instantly, Yoo Seong-woo’s eyes widened inside the mask holes.
Anguish
Pain
Anger
Why? As if mocking the question, another set of identification results poured out.
Joy
Ecstasy
Desire
Yoo Seong-woo realized. Ah, finally this function has broken down too.
Golden light settled on Yeon Tae-soo’s strangely twisted lips.
***
He needed to prepare to run away.
After seeing Yeon Tae-soo’s expression following the performance, or more precisely, after seeing the error in the emotion identification function that followed, Yoo Seong-woo decided to run away.
No matter how he thought about it, his decision to rely on Yeon Tae-soo was wrong. He had done so because he didn’t know the breakdown would happen so quickly.
If his functions broke down any further, forget running away, he would be caught, tortured, and killed.
Although unintended, it seemed that this body’s function as an entertainer had somehow enchanted Yeon Tae-soo.
Yeon Tae-soo, who thought he had given his heart, would surely be angry at him. For daring to deceive him.
Considering his usual temperament, it was hard to even imagine how great that anger would be. The price for deception would certainly not be small.
‘I must leave before that.’
Because his embrace was no longer a safe zone.
The problem was Eden’s employees who always guarded the door. The big guys never left the vicinity of the door under the pretext of protecting Yoo Seong-woo.
They didn’t prevent him from going out. Just yesterday, he had visited Byeolbyeol Animal Hospital. However, they followed him on the way to the hospital and stood guard in front of it until he came out again.
Just in case, yesterday he asked the men if they were going to eat. He was willing to eat with them to build trust.
Although the mask was a problem, if he got an electronic mask, he could cover his face and still eat, so there wouldn’t be an issue.
‘I’m worried because I’ve never seen you eat… When do you actually have your meals?’
When he casually brought it up, one of the men quickly shook his head and said it was fine.
‘No, no, sir. We eat in shifts. That guy just ate, so it’s my turn now.’
‘Well, that’s good then.’
Even meals were eaten in shifts. It was easy to guess how firmly Yeon Tae-soo had instructed them.
Still, thinking it couldn’t hurt to gain their favor, he bought them snacks, which they ate with great appreciation. Not knowing it was all part of the plan.
‘How can I shake them off?’
He pondered, looking towards the door. Even without using his detection function, he could sense the men’s presence.
Three trained young men. It was impossible for him to shake them off. Even now, they were guarding the door so firmly…
“Boss.”
“Mr. Chairman, you’re here.”
It seemed Yeon Tae-soo had arrived. Yoo Seong-woo felt flustered and tidied his clothes. It had been a while since the performance ended, but he was still wearing his outer clothes, lost in thought. He worried about what additional suspicion this might add in Yeon Tae-soo’s mind. Hearing the knock, knock sound, he quickly erased his expression.
Just then, a piercing headache hit him. He tightly closed his eyes against the pain spreading from his temples to the back of his head. It felt like despair was pressing its face right up to his. If he could even feel despair, that is.
“I’m coming in.”
Didn’t he used to just barge in without knocking or giving any warning before? Even this small consideration was now uncomfortable.
Yeon Tae-soo was also still in his formal attire. Seeing him with just his hair slightly disheveled made Yoo Seong-woo feel strange. It must be because his appearance was different from usual.
“What were you doing? You haven’t even changed clothes.”
“Just… the alcohol hit me a bit, so I was resting.”
“I see. I thought you were still wearing those pretty clothes for my benefit.”
It was a lie, but Yeon Tae-soo didn’t seem suspicious. Only after hearing his words did Yoo Seong-woo remember that the clothes he was wearing now were formal attire he didn’t usually wear.
“Ah, that’s…”
“Shh, it’s fine. Let me think positively for once.”
Yeon Tae-soo smiled playfully and slipped one shoulder of Yoo Seong-woo’s black suit jacket off. At the same time, their bodies overlapped. The two black clothes rubbed against each other messily.
“W-wait…”
Yoo Seong-woo suddenly felt fear. What if he shut down again like before? Although it wasn’t certain that sex was the cause of that shutdown…
“Why? Don’t you want to?”
Yeon Tae-soo asked, repeatedly kissing his cheek and jaw. The question was so tender that Yoo Seong-woo missed the chance to answer.
And unfortunately, his body still sought pleasure. That day, and the day before, and before that. The pleasure he had felt mixing bodies so many times still left traces in his body.
He wanted to do it. He wanted to pant, pressed down by Yeon Tae-soo’s heavy body.
It seemed like he could forget everything then. This terrible headache still rummaging through his mind. And this pathetic, tiresome feeling of wanting to live.
Yes, what if he completely broke down while mixing bodies with him? If he broke down completely, beyond repair. Then he’d be at peace. He had no soul, so there was no need to expect another life.
But what was this persistent attachment?
The thought of wanting to end everything and the thought of still wanting to live despite it all tangled together. Like the legs of two people.
Their legs intertwined as they fell onto the bed. The moment Yoo Seong-woo felt Yeon Tae-soo’s weight pressing down on him, he was certain. That he wanted this man.
It was too strange to be simple lust. Was human sexual desire originally such a strong sensation?
When he came in for a kiss, Yoo Seong-woo felt like his heart would burst, he couldn’t breathe, he was dizzy, and stars kept bursting in front of his eyes.
“Haa, ha…”
Even though it was a short kiss, he panted as soon as their lips parted. While catching his breath, he constantly worried whether warning messages would appear again.
Yeon Tae-soo’s touch was ecstatic. While undoing his pants and popping open the buttons under his tie, his other hand, the prosthetic one, sought out Yoo Seong-woo’s buttocks.
His lips descended on various parts of Yoo Seong-woo’s body. The force of his biting and sucking was intense. It even hurt. But above all, it was stimulating. Terribly so.
“W-wait, ngh, ah…!”
Yeon Tae-soo’s breath, inhaling like a beast – hoo, ha – resounded loudly in his ears. Yoo Seong-woo’s pleas were quickly swallowed up by Yeon Tae-soo’s breathing, the sound of sucking flesh, and Yoo Seong-woo’s own uncontrollable moans.
Yeon Tae-soo’s lips touched every inch of skin exposed between the disheveled collar. He seemed determined to leave lip marks all over Yoo Seong-woo’s body.
The prosthetic hand had already found its way between his buttocks. Despite having received Yeon Tae-soo’s bumpy member so many times, the entrance was stubbornly closed as if it had never been opened. The hard metal fingers gently dug into it.
“Ah…”
Along with the foreign sensation came a cool touch. The fact that even this sensation felt sweet proved that his body had indeed become strange. Yoo Seong-woo arched his back, trying to receive Yeon Tae-soo’s weight and the object entering him from below. His suit pants and underwear, which had been awkwardly hanging on his toes, fell off, leaving only his socks on his lower body.
Yeon Tae-soo’s lips traveled over Yoo Seong-woo’s shirt, which was still partially unbuttoned. He undid the remaining buttons with his teeth, pop, pop.
Yoo Seong-woo looked down at him. His pomade hair, still unruffled, came into view first, and then Yeon Tae-soo raised his head.
He realized that even gazes could have temperature.
