"You don't know what you're talking about..." Hoseok hissed under his breath. In fact, he knew Jungkook was a problem and he wanted nothing more than to get rid of him. Yet, when he tried to confess that Seokjin was right, he was held back by the side that cared so much about this android. Even if Jungkook told him that the love he gave to the creation wasn't real, Hoseok cried that day. He cried and was still haunted by those words. That side of him that has always loved and cared about the unpredictable creation was still there, not showing too much, but it still stood out for Jungkook.

      "Really? So the whole time you've been living here with Jeon Jungkook, you're going to tell me once that he has never harmed you or a living person?"

      "No, he hasn't. He's been well behaved and very respectful-"

        "So, he hasn't harmed a fly? You must be kidding me," Seokjin replied into a chuckle. "After harming Kim Namjoon in the department long ago, he suddenly learned from his mistakes and didn't harm another soul directly after you took him away?"

       "Seokjin-"

       "We built that android, Jung Hoseok. You and I both know him very well, there are flaws in that creation, you and I know Jungkook contains the flaws of every human being. Don't lie to me saying that Jeon Jungkook is such an innocent creation!" Seokjin raised his voice. Something Hoseok has never enjoyed hearing even before when an experiment wouldn't work. His eyes gleamed at the sight of his visibly upset partner in crime and the idea of losing Jungkook right at this moment left him feeling weak. After all this time, his need to protect the creation suddenly jumped out and refused to go away even when the memory of Jungkook whispering a death threat longed to repeat on his head like a broken record.

      "He has his flaws just like any other person out there! You and I both have our mistakes, every human does and we learn to live with it! Why can't we just agree that it's okay if there's a flaw within a creation? I've had my differences with him before and I admit, some part of me wants him gone... but... but the other side of me, the side of me that lit up the second he was first made, still sticks with me to this day and shows right at this moment. Jeon Jungkook isn't perfect and he doesn't need to be!"

       "Cute... honestly, I don't know a better twist than this moment right here. Of course, I should have expected it... you picked this android over me. You gave up your whole life with me just for this imperfect creation. We could have done so much together, but there was a setback in our plans the second you left me. Doesn't it bother you that you left everything behind for something like that? Doesn't it bother you... that you left me... behind? That... that creation is flawed, Jung Hoseok. You can't have any love for an abomination like that."

      "Seokjin... I don't see it that way. I know Jungkook has potential. I didn't want to lose you but I couldn't let Jungkook be scrapped! Don't be so cruel, you can't see what I see... Jungkook isn't perfect, but he behaves to things all on his own! You should see him, he has his own thoughts, he comes up with things out of nowhere and although he's unpredictable, he doesn't hold any malice in his heart! Seokjin, you have to see it for yourself! He's one of a kind and-"

      "A heart?"

      "It's... i-it's an artificial heart...."

      "Hoseok..." Seokjin whispered before letting out a chuckle and pinching the beginning of his nose bridge just underneath his glasses. "You've been feeding into his obsession, haven't you? No wonder he hasn't been crazy towards you, this thing will only harm you if he doesn't get what he wants! Haven't you learned how envious he can be? When he gets close to a human he envies, it only ends with him harming the human. He plays on the fact that he can love too, when in reality, it's all bullshit! That's how most of the people in the department got injured! That's how Namjoon was injured! Jungkook pretended to love him to get closer and only then, he became too obsessed to the point where he wanted to BE him! You know this so well, he gets aggressive when he can't have something he wants! You can't sit there and tell me he hasn't harmed you once! Don't lie, Hoseok... you can lie to others... but not to me..."

     "Seokjin, I'm aware of his actions in the past but... I..." Hoseok hesitated. He wanted to tell Seokjin and agree with everything but of course, that side that was fond of this creation, kept swiping every word from his mouth to the point where he remained speechless. He pushed to say it, but he was constantly battling himself. Just in that second, his hand slowly reached up to the center of his throat where he thought back at the memory of the day Jungkook almost killed him. "I..."

      "No... don't lie to me... not to me," Seokjin whispered in a softer tone and at that moment, Hoseok found it difficult to do so. "Hoseok, please be honest with me... you and I were close and I know we can still be close! So please, you're smart enough to know that Jungkook can't exist in this world like that. Humans can have many imperfections but a man-made creation can't... they won't see him the way that you do."

      "He... has never harmed me," Hoseok lied. Looking Seokjin right to his eyes and beginning to tear up. That's how Seokjin knew it was all a lie. He knew Hoseok so well, he couldn't play along as if it was a lie correctly. Especially not to him.

      "You're lying..."

      "No... I'm not."

       "I know you too well, Hoseok. I know you can lie but never to me. You begin to feel guilty. That's why you left with him, right? You couldn't lie to me if Jungkook was to be 'scrapped' like we agreed on and then play it off so well. You had to leave me... you had to throw away everything and me... in order to save a piece of future scraps!"

       "Ah, fine, you know me well, go on! No matter what you say against him, you will never see it...you really don't see it, do you? All you worry about is the way you're seen by the public! For once, why can't you just allow this imperfection to live? How perfect do these androids have to be for you to accept them? We made Jungkook to embody a human... a real human and he's done just that! He has a heartbeat, he can simulate breathing so well, he can cry, he can feel and communicate without having automatic conversations! His system is built so well, he's just like a human and yet, he functions like a creation just the way we built him. When it comes to love, he can still bond with a human and-"

      "Don't tell me he's bound to a human..."

       At that moment, Hoseok became quiet, not giving himself a second to go on any further. His hands began to fidget and his gaze avoided eye contact with Kim Seokjin. He lost himself in his own words that he ended up digging himself a bigger grave when it came to standing against the man before him. Seokjin then stepped forward, looking down at Hoseok as the man only sat down and continued to look away. He knew Seokjin was giving him that stare, that judging stare that could only leave him regretting everything.

      "You've... seen him in love before and you know how badly that ended for the people, didn't you? Why would you allow this to happen? To let him get attached to a human when he's a very manipulative and jealous creation!"

       "We've... w-we've never seen him bound to a human before. Maybe this one will be different..."

       "You have high expectations of him, don't you? Jungkook has never killed the ones he adored before... I wonder if things will be different now. The chances of him killing the one he's bound to are high. We know he's a clingy one when it comes to love, very manipulative and jealous. Don't you remember that one android that dared to look at the human tester he envied? That android was torn into pieces... and when another human placed their hand on the one he adored so much, he injured them. Same thing happened with Namjoon... that boy only wanted to leave for the day and Jungkook didn't let him. He manipulated, cried and did everything and then... he was the cause of his scar. Can't you see it all clearly now?"

      "That was the past, what if he's changed?"

      "What if he hasn't? Is Taehyung going to lose that human friend of his?"

        "How... how do you know?" Hoseok suddenly asked as he looked up to see Seokjin staring down at him. Never taking a second to break away his judging gaze.

        "Taehyung showed up to the department and his data was filled with many things... including the moment a hand mark was latched onto your throat. Don't tell me you've done that to yourself because I won't buy it, Hoseok. I won't," the older man claimed and glared at the silent man coldly, yet, Hoseok had no idea what else to say at that very moment. His body remained frozen and his fingers desperately tried to keep warm by fidgeting even if the frostbite was inevitable.

       "What... What are you going to do...? Are you going to take Jungkook away and deactivate him? We've wasted so many years on a failed experiment, is this it?"

       "Don't talk like he's an innocent child. You've only fed into this behavior of his, no wonder he must be so out of place now... the poor thing just doesn't know what's right in life and I bet he is frantically trying to make things work out and become human... that's the standard we held for him and he could only hope to become it. You know we intended to make him just like a human and the second he found out that he wasn't good enough, that creation threw a tantrum and begged and cried that he could be better. You actually fell for his manipulation, I didn't,"

     "What... What if he wasn't trying to manipulate us at that time? We can't confuse his raw emotions with his manipulative ways..."

      "As if he doesn't have control of his emotions too. That thing is completely in control of himself, for you to imply that it's spontaneous is a lie... it's a lie to me and you. Now, this is what I'm going to do... I'm going to leave it all up to you."

      Hoseok's eyes widened at the sound of Seokjin's words slipping out of his mouth. It was a cold shock that shot through his blood and left Hoseok frozen in place once again. In time, he was able to break out of the ice that sealed him to his chair and finally got up to face the older man.

      "W-What are you talking about? Seokjin... Seokjin, please don't tell me this is what I think it is..."

       "Ah, so your brain does work. I'm going to let you call it. You reach out to me through Taehyung and I will be here to take Jungkook away. You will have the time to finally see what I see and understand that I don't hate him, I just know what's best for him and the people," the man concluded before walking towards the entry to the kitchen. But before he could step out, Hoseok grabbed his hand and held him back from leaving. "Don't try to change my proposal... If you're asking for help, I suggest going into that room and turning those little televisions on."

       "Televisions?" Hoseok thought, yet he didn't have time to ask Seokjin about that. "Please, Seokjin! You're making a huge mistake! You don't know how big his existence could be!"

       "I'm not hearing any of it. I've already weighed out my options... he's just not fit to live in a world like this. He will be feared or end up losing himself. Society alone isn't ready for something as close as a human just like him. He's too flawed for a creation that was meant to be perfect, his existence is unacceptable and unsafe. Do you really think humans want to see a flawed creation that depicts themselves? They will see the bad sides of themselves reflected onto Jungkook and hate him for it."

       "But what if we get together and fix him? I was unable to do it before because I needed you, Jin!" Hoseok spoke out and began to tear up as he still held Seokjin's hand within his own grasp. "R-Remember... when I used to call you that...? We can go back to the way things were, working together, spending endless nights in the lab joking around and making a new code," Hoseok went on while Seokjin began to reminisce at the memories he cherished with the man standing behind him. It was no secret Seokjin missed it all too. "We can... fix him. An apple can only get bad if you let it. We can make this work... we can make... us...work... again." 

       Right at that second, Seokjin pulled his hand away and couldn't dare to turn around and face Hoseok now. He was too ashamed now but hid it so well.

    "I can see some of Jungkook's manipulative behavior is rubbing off on you," the man hissed under his breath and dried the tears running down his smooth face and causing a fog to surface on his glasses. "I'm free on the weekends... make up your mind by then and I'll be here to rip the bandaid off. You can't ignore that he's been the bad apple all along, Hoseok."