Chapter 3: Sapphire eyes
"How was your little adventure to the cafe today?" Taehyung asked and changed the mood so suddenly. His pink lips formed a heart-shaped smile over his mouth and his eyes continued to lock onto Jimin's frame. "I noticed the brown bag and the drink over the table, it must be from the cafe not too far from here!"
"Oh... it is. My trip was very... interesting..." Jimin replied and caught onto the fact that Taehyung changed the conversation in order to cheer him up. Of course, Jimin couldn't blame Taehyung, there were things Androids couldn't comprehend and issues within relationships were one of them. When it came to Androids, their minds were coded to become very positive towards humans and their issues no matter what. They had limitations on what they could or could not do and Jimin completely understood that after experiencing so much already. He just wished they were thought out a bit more and coded to actually help instead of brushing things off so easily.
"Interesting? What made it so interesting?"
"Oh... well, my neighbor works at the cafe... his name is Jung Hoseok; an actual human, I really wanted to challenge myself and talk to him but I was too anxious to say anything else. So, I left with my order and didn't look back," Jimin continued and slowly turned his gaze towards the same window he was staring out of just to watch the android outside. "When I came back home, I found an android sitting out in the snow."
"An android sitting out in the snow?" Taehyung asked curiously and tilted his head. His smile softly faded away as he too became interested in whatever Jimin had to say about this peculiar robot.
"Yes, he was just sitting there... watching the sunset and not saying a thing. Even when I noticed him, he didn't seem to care or ask me anything. Normally any other android would acknowledge me and communicate, but this one... he was silently watching the skies and remaining in one place. It was weird."
"You're right, that is weird. Are you sure that wasn't a random human who's an Android wannabe?" Taehyung questioned with a serious concern over his face, but the sound of his question only caused Jimin to let out a laugh.
"I don't think he's human! He was sitting on the snow, lost in his thoughts without the proper clothing for the cold. He wasn't trembling at the cold white snow against his skin! Do you... think he's broken?"
"That is weird... any other android could have approached you. There isn't a moment where we are alone, if we are, we tap out and recharge. I don't think I've ever had a moment staring out at the distance like that, I don't even think I'm capable of getting lost in my so-called 'thoughts'."
"It didn't even end there! He acknowledged me. His eyes matched the way Androids would stare. Even if he seemed a little peculiar, he acted the same like any other robot would. His shoulders would rise and sink; he would imitate breathing like other robots would, his eyes would take a second longer to blink like other robots would... but he looked as if he could think in that head of his... something other robots couldn't do."
"Did you say anything to him?"
"Of course not! I had to push myself forward to run off. It was like he was staring into my soul; those blue eyes were like daggers constantly shooting at a target. The feeling of being watched amplified the second I locked eyes onto him. Yet, as scary as it was, I can't stop thinking about it! I could still feel the hairs on my skin shoot up and the chills racing through my body as well!"
"Where did you see him?"
"He was sitting outside of Hoseok's home. I wanted to know why he was all alone and how he was able to do so, but I just believed that must have been Hoseok's android and that I shouldn't stick my nose where it shouldn't be. If that is Hoseok's personal robot, he has a weird taste in Androids," Jimin concluded and continued to look in the direction of the window where he last saw the peculiar creation. "I wonder, is he still out there? The sun has already set, maybe he's admiring the night sky..."
"I wouldn't bet on it. When I arrived, I didn't see any peculiar robot sitting on the snow, so it was hard to believe what you were saying," Taehyung mentioned and noticed how Jimin's gaze never peeled away from the window that had the curtains drawn shut. Constantly reminiscing on the android he came across. Taehyung couldn't comprehend at all, so he grew to question it. "Jimin, why are you staring at the window like that?"
"Oh- I was just... thinking..." Jimin replied instantly and shook his head quickly. "I still can't get over that feeling... the feeling of being watched but also, curiosity getting a hold of me all at once. His eyes gave me mixed signals; mixed signals of uncertainty and warmth. I don't know if I could feel at ease with the memory or feel uncomfortable."
As Jimin described his feelings, Taehyung was able to understand. Jimin constantly had to describe what he felt at times because he knew Taehyung was unable to understand it all on his own. But of course, Jimin didn't mind. He was used to explaining his feelings word for word to the creations who were only built to make a human avoid thinking like this.
"You're thinking too much about something so insignificant!" Taehyung mentioned and made a smile towards Jimin. Of course, why couldn't he see this all before? Taehyung was built to make Jimin forget his issues, so when the android steered the conversation away, Jimin was in no shock. "We should do something tomorrow, being alone really tends to make you stress about the little things!"
"Little things? The way that android sat there and looked me in the eyes was...." Jimin trailed off and looked at Taehyung with a sense of concern.
He was so sure that if Taehyung himself was a human being, he would take the conversation deeper and find out what made the other android peculiar, yet, he wasn't human. Kim Taehyung was an android; an android that had no other choice but to push away Jimin's feelings and distract him further. It didn't seem like something Taehyung would do and Jimin understood that he was only programmed to react this way.
Jimin took a second and let out a sigh, running his soft hands along his own hair carefully; thinking of what to say in order to avoid letting Taehyung step out on his own line. In no way was Jimin ready to risk Taehyung harming his own system in order to understand things he wasn't programmed to in the first place. "Let's... do something tomorrow..." Jimin changed the topic and watched the concerned look on Taehyung's face, switching into an ecstatic smile within seconds.
"I'm so excited! We should watch a movie or maybe we could go to the mall! Places where you can find a friend are very important. I don't want to see you spend all your days alone, you should be able to make more friends!"
"I feel so bad for him..." Jimin thought and continued to look at Taehyung as he kept rambling on about the many plans he had for Jimin when it came to making friends. At this point, Jimin's mind travelled far from the planet Taehyung stood on and with that, he was unable to hear him over the sound of his own thinking. "I know he isn't real, but it seems like I know him enough for my mind to think he's real. Taehyung is just a robot... someone built to think this way and act this way, but how can someone so kind and realistic, turn out to be the most inanimate thing in the world? He's too perfect, it's unreal. But of course, he was made this way..."
"So what do you say, Jimin?!" Taehyung asked with a big smile as he was already jumping in his seat.
"What?"
"Let's go to a cat cafe tomorrow! We can play with cute little cats and you can eat many things!" Taehyung suggested and leaned back against the couch happily. "I may not be able to eat what they have there, but I enjoy looking at it! How about the cats? I hear some cats are real, some cats are robots but you can barely tell."
"I forgot some animals are robots too, they do a great job mimicking the real thing," Jimin replied with a scoff. "Fine, I'll go. But don't force me to talk to anyone."
"Deal. As long as I can touch a real cat, I will be fine!" Taehyung's words sounded so much like a human, Jimin was surprised at times when he stepped out of their little meaningless conversations to come to terms with the fact that he was only talking to an android the whole time. Not a living soul.
That night, Jimin laid alone in bed. Darkness swarmed around him, although he enjoyed being alone in the dark. He found it very peaceful while on the other hand, it left Taehyung wanting to find someone to accompany Jimin and help him stray away from his solitude. All in which, left Jimin pushing away anything else so he can enjoy the time he has alone. Being alone took some time to get used to after so much, but now, he was too accustomed to it to the point where he almost didn't want anyone to fill the other side of his bed.
While Jimin laid awake that night, memories of the android sitting out in the snow kept returning to him. Was Taehyung right? Was he just making too much from the little things in life? Jimin wanted to believe so. He wanted to believe that the uncomfortable feeling of unfamiliarity was just something his mind came up with the second he looked into the eyes of the peculiar android just outside. The second Jimin's mind traced over the little details of the Android's features back in that very second he locked eyes with the creation, Jimin couldn't help but to lay there and keep holding the image in his mind. He was curious but also afraid to find out what came next.
"By tomorrow, I'm sure he will be gone from my mind and he will be nothing but a memory to me." Jimin said confidently. However, that's what he truly wanted to believe. No matter how badly he wanted to believe that thought, it was no use. Jimin's mind kept thinking back at the peculiar robot as if he invaded his thoughts from that moment on.
The following morning came along as Jimin occupied his mind with the thought of meeting Taehyung at the closest cat cafe. He was quick to grab his coat since he was already running ten minutes late. Jimin could already imagine Taehyung seconds away from knocking on his door only to drag him out of the house by his small hands like always. So the second Jimin grabbed his phone along with his wallet, he was sure to find the fastest way to the cafe Taehyung mentioned just yesterday.
Within seconds, Jimin quickly swung the door open and raced out; shutting the door behind him. As he continued to gawk at his phone to find the quickest walking route to the cafe, he rushed and suddenly bumped into the peculiar android just standing right outside of his door. Causing him to fall back after colliding with the strong android that didn't even budge the second Jimin bumped into him!
"FUCK!" Jimin shouted and didn't seem to notice that his phone was already sitting on a pile of snow. His eyes blew wide as his body remained on the ground, sitting before the android he couldn't stop thinking about.
"Are you okay?" The voice of the peculiar android called out to Jimin. Looking into his eyes with the same haunting blue gaze that left Jimin paranoid just a day before. His eyes carried a bright hue as if the light bounced perfectly on a bright sapphire, his face was perfectly sculpted with every structure coming together to shape a heavenly gift from above. His soft grin embodied an adorable bunny-like smile and his soft skin was gentle at the touch. The android was much taller than Jimin up close and that alone left Jimin feeling even more afraid of bumping into him so suddenly.
"I-I..." Jimin panicked, hesitating as he desperately tried to avoid eye contact. His skin was constantly stabbed with needles the more he felt the presence of the android staring into his eyes, yet, Jimin's brown gaze kept finding their way onto the creation before him. Longing to study his figure even more.
"I'm sorry, I must have frightened you..." The android apologized with the soft rasp of his deep voice that oddly became a warm blanket wrapping around Jimin's body even if the weather was cold. He carefully got down on his knees and leaned in; seconds delaying his carefully picked words as he observed Jimin's frightened face. "I don't think I had the chance to introduce myself yesterday... My name is Jeon Jungkook," said the robot as he held out his hand towards Jimin. "And you must be Park Jimin..."
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