Chapter 5: Making Connections
"Scan..?" Taehyung wondered and kept his confused stare fixed onto Jimin until he could process what the human meant. This left the android to let out a scoff until he finally realized what Jimin meant. "You mean, to identify others? Of course we can do that... but, we can only do it on other Androids. Not humans."
"Wow, I've never heard of that one before, I'm so glad robots can't scan humans, if they could, I would have been so concerned!" Namjoon followed up. As he added onto the conversation, the timer on his phone went off, which meant that his break was over. "Well, we'll talk again soon, I have to get back to work."
"Okay, can I have my cat back?" Taehyung asked innocently as his hands reached out to the cat in Namjoon's arms.
"No," with that quick response, Namjoon quickly sprinted away from the booth and left Taehyung silent for a second. Without further ado, Taehyung checked if Namjoon was gone for sure before he stepped out of his seat and picked up another cat just strolling by.
"You and what army? He can't stop me~" Taehyung said with a smile before turning to face Jimin once more. "Why did you ask?"
"It was that android... that android I was mentioning yesterday, he showed up at my door today and wanted to confirm if my name was Park Jimin. I denied at first but then he said he knew because he can scan anyone!" Jimin continued to speak as his eyes latched onto the table before him. "His name is Jeon Jungkook... Do you know any androids by that name?"
"No, but maybe if I go over to his place, I will be able to scan him and see what version he is. I know it's weird, but all Androids here today are the same version, there's no way he should be any different. That is unless... he's an android wannabe!"
"Stop saying that, Taehyung! I doubt he's human, I ran into him and fell to the ground while he didn't even flinch at all! He's... very strong too... he's also built very well," Jimin went on and began to look back at the moment. "Jungkook wanted to be friends but then I rejected him and now.. I feel guilty-"
"Well it's obvious you can't stop thinking about him, you should be his friend!" The young android stated, allowing Jimin to catch onto the way he was programmed into distracting Jimin at the moment so he wouldn't become too anxious about the android that somehow knew his name. "Maybe we're looking into this too much, you did say that he also lives in Hoseok's house so maybe you came up in a conversation and that's how he found out about you. He could have used the lie of scanning you just to make it seem less creepy."
"You could be right... ah, I don't know, I feel... I feel a little guilty for rejecting him, but I'm too nervous and I don't think I can allow myself to have another android in my life like that again." Jimin let out a sigh and then held his face up with his soft hands pressing against the gentle skin on his red cheeks. "I can't give him what he wants in a friendship, I already have you as a friend, imagine me befriending another robot just weeks after he...."
Again, Jimin's words trailed off and only resulted in him looking over at his phone where the lock screen of the beach during summertime was something he always tended to look back on.
"Sure you can! You can always befriend another android, why do you make it out to be as if you're going to love this new robot? Just don't, problem solved!"
"...'Just don't'? Thank you for planting that love block into my system, Taehyung. I feel less afraid of making connections with the robot next door!"
"You're very welcome! You know I try my best and I- why do my sensors pick up sarcasm?"
"I don't know, maybe they're broken?"
"Impossible, I was updated last night with a new set of emotions! I can't be broken and- you know you're a good actor, Park Jimin. I would have never guessed you were only teasing me!" Taehyung continued to talk about anything, anything to distract Jimin from the fears of meeting new Androids. Yet, Jimin wasn't tuned into the conversation, he himself was lost in his own thoughts and Taehyung began to notice it too. "Jimin?"
"I feel guilty... for rejecting him when I shouldn't feel this way. He's a robot, he isn't programmed to feel bad about rejection..."
"Again, you're making something so big out of something so small. I'm sure he will forget about it! Here, if it makes you feel any better, I have a good idea for you, Jimin!" The android said with a gleam in his bright blue eyes and slid the cat across the table to where Jimin was so he could hold it. "I will go over to that android and ask him out for you, just so you wouldn't feel bad about it!"
"Tae-OH NO! I didn't say I wanted to go out with him, what's wrong with you?" Jimin panicked and the second he raised his voice, he could feel the stares of everyone latch onto him and cause him to become silent within seconds. "P-Please... don't... don't do that... I really don't want to chase another android in my life, not romantically please... I won't be able to handle it! Besides... I... I'm not ready for another robot to be in my life, please..."
"Nonsense, Jimin! You're just afraid and what other way is there to overcome this fear than meeting with this android and becoming his friend? And if he gets creepier than what you mentioned today, I wouldn't mind reporting him. Only then, he will be taken and deactivated. Problem solved!"
"Your plan is flawed... there are so many other Androids out there, yet you pin this peculiar one on me..." Jimin said softly as he anxiously petted the cat as it began to play with his gentle fingers. "Am I the bait for you to just report this android?" Jimin thought only in his head as he continued to glide the tips of his finger along the fur of the cat. Relieving him of his fears and actually distracting him from the idea of others watching him constantly out in public.
"I'm sure he learned your name through your neighbor Hoseok. Don't be like that, you need to keep making connections. When I'm not there with you, who will make you feel better? It's great that he lives next door, I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding. Don't worry, I will see him for myself and let him know the great news!"
Jimin was silent yet again. After hearing Taehyung's plan, he had to let it go. Jimin knew that he shouldn't try to go back and forth with Taehyung since this robot in particular was made to be positive in every situation. He didn't understand much, but always faced every situation as an opportunity and that's what made Jimin sit back on his seat and hold the cat closer to his body. Yearning to ease his anxious thoughts and making him forget about fidgeting just like this. Jimin longed to be comforted, but just the thought of caring for someone and then having to forget them when they leave, was enough to scare him out of that warm thought.
After a while at the cafe, Jimin eventually went home but Taehyung remained at the store a bit longer until he was certain Jimin made it home. Taehyung eventually left the cafe and kept his hands shoved into the pockets of his black coat as he walked to Jimin's neighborhood, hoping to meet with this peculiar android and allow Jimin to make another friend. As the robot walked down the street, he didn't think, nor did he speak to himself. He was on complete autopilot when going to another destination without a human nearby. When he would be around Jimin or any human at that, he would laugh, smile, and talk. However, he was just a robot at the end of the day and was programmed to interact with humans. He was made for humans so he was never given a mind to think with but, a list of controls on where to go and what to do before his day would end.
Eventually, Taehyung reached Jimin's neighborhood and looked around; quickly scanning the crowded houses so Jung Hoseok's name would pop up in his data. Within seconds, he found it and walked over to the front door with no other second in delay. The very moment his boots were set right at the entrance, he pulled his right hand out of his pocket and began to knock on the door. Leaving a few seconds in between before knocking again.
Suddenly, the front door swung open and there stood Jung Hoseok. His eyes met with the blue-eyed creation and left him to tilt his head in curiosity as to what brought this android to his home. With a human standing before Taehyung, he came alive in seconds and made a big smile.
"Hello!" Taehyung said happily as if someone flipped a switch on his behavior when he stood in front of a human.
"Oh, hello, can I help you with something?" Hoseok asked and mirrored the smile the robot gave in return.
"I just wanted to ask, is Jeon Jungkook here?"
"Jeon... Jungkook...?" Hoseok repeatedly asked the question before he became nervous right before the robot. Allowing Taehyung to catch onto it through his sensors. "I'm sorry, but you have the wrong house, goodbye." Instantly, Hoseok began to close the door when Taehyung pushed his black boot forward and prevented the human from closing the door completely.
"Impossible. Jimin says he met an android by the name of Jeon Jungkook that lives right here. Besides, I mean no harm!"
"What do you want? I'll give you anything to keep your mouth shut. Please I-"
"No, Jimin just wanted me to say that he accepts Jungkook's friend request. He asked him earlier but Jimin is very anxious in front of new people, so I came here to make connections! Where is that android anyway?" Taehyung asked again as Hoseok kept his weight against the door but Taehyung refused to move at all until he could see Jungkook with his own eyes. Longing to scan him and see why he was able to do the same with Park Jimin earlier.
"Please leave or else I won't tell him about Jimin's request... I mean it," Hoseok whispered into a raspy and quiet voice, so with those wishes being said, Taehyung granted them and stepped back. Allowing Hoseok to have control over the door now. "Thank you... and for that, I will let him know. Goodbye."
"Okay, it was nice meeting you!" Taehyung added on and watched the door close right in front of him. At that moment, Taehyung was able to jot down the seconds on how quick Hoseok was to react when it came to Jungkook's name being mentioned and how he longed to close the door so abruptly. However, Taehyung only stored it in his data, keeping note of it when it came to meeting other human beings for the first time.
At that very second, Hoseok turned around and let out a sharp exhale before he looked through the peephole to see Taehyung walking away from the front door; instantly vanishing when he reached Jimin's house. There, the human began to steady his breathing as he took another second to process what just happened.
"Oh, Jungkook..." Hoseok whispered to himself before running his hands through his light brown hair in frustration. "Why did you leave the house and let yourself be known by another android?"
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