William changed completely after that day.
He not only started coming to the company every single day—after weeks of absence—but threw himself into work so obsessively, it was hard to tell if he even went home anymore.
The easygoing atmosphere of the past was gone without a trace.
William had become cold and mechanical, his attitude toward people as stiff and emotionless as if he were dealing with robots.
Then, not long ago, William made a public announcement that shocked everyone.
He revealed a blurry photo of a male humanoid robot with East Asian features, estimated to be in his twenties, and declared that anyone who could safely and respectfully bring this robot to him, unharmed, would be handsomely rewarded.
The company’s stock, already unstable after the cancellation of a new product launch, plunged even further following his announcement. Still, William remained unfazed.
Stocks would rise again in time, and money could be earned back.
But Didi was different.
If he missed this chance, he was certain he would never see Didi again.
He practically strong-armed the police into filing Didi’s case as a missing person, not just a lost robot.
Yet even after nearly a week, the useless police had found nothing.
Where could a robot with no battery have disappeared to?
They scoured not only the building and forest where Didi was last seen, but also the surrounding areas, searching every inch.
There was no trace of Didi anywhere.
It was obvious someone had taken him, but no matter how much money William offered, no one came forward.
Every night, William dreamed.
He dreamed of the days when Didi was by his side.
In those dreams, he was happy for a moment.
But waking up to the reality of Didi’s absence was unbearably painful and miserable.
The only way to endure the regret that gnawed at his heart was to lose himself in work.
And then, at night, he would curl up in Didi’s bed, clutching his clothes tightly, and pray.
He’d beg, hoping Didi might appear in his dreams again.
He despised how pathetic he’d become.
William missed Didi.
Just as Didi had once waited for someone who would never return, so did William now.
***
“William.”
As William sat blankly on the sofa, staring into space, Sophia approached from behind.
“I’m not in the mood to talk. Go to your room.”
Without turning around, William waved her away.
But Sophia didn’t move, even after his command.
“There’s been a witness statement about Didi.”
William immediately looked up at Sophia.
It was the first news of Didi he’d heard in weeks.
“There’s a humanoid robot who claims to have met a robot whose battery was running low on the bench at Romaine Street, number 117. The description and behavior match Didi.”
William quickly mapped the location in his mind.
That was a remote area, nothing but a pale forest path with not a single building.
It was quite a distance from where Didi was last seen.
“Anything else?”
“He stayed at the witness’s house for a while to recharge, then left about a week ago.”
Ah… He recharged.
William let out a breath of relief without realizing it.
If Didi had collapsed somewhere with a dead battery, he surely would have been taken by someone.
But if he recharged, it meant Didi was still able to move on his own.
He had to believe that.
It was less terrifying to think that Didi was still walking somewhere in this world.
“Contact the witness and tell them I’m coming. I need to speak with them myself.”
“Yes, understood.”
William immediately left the house.
***
The place where the humanoid robot lived, the one who claimed to have met Didi, was just as William had pictured it—a remote area far from the city centre.
As he drove, his mind tangled with thoughts.
Without a charger, and with such a fragile body, how had Didi managed to get so far?
The determination to escape from William was so strong, it left him feeling both bitter and anxious.
Even if he found Didi now, Didi would surely try to run again.
If so… he would have to do whatever it took to keep Didi by his side.
William’s eyes flashed coldly.
Even without stopping, it was dawn by the time he arrived at his destination.
The address was a solitary house, set apart even from other homes on the city’s outskirts.
He wondered why anyone would live so far out, but the reason became clear once he arrived.
With a house this large, it would be impossible to fit into an ordinary neighbourhood.
At least Didi hadn’t stayed somewhere rundown—that was a small comfort to William.
He got out of the car and stood before the dark front door.
There was no doorbell, so he clicked his tongue and knocked.
It was three in the morning.
Too late for an ordinary person to be awake, but Sophia had called ahead, so the owner of the house should be expecting him.
Who would dare sleep when William Spencer was coming?
Sure enough, after a short wait, the door opened quietly and a young man appeared—someone around William’s own age.
So that’s how it is.
He’d thought it strange that cautious Didi would follow a stranger, but seeing the man, he understood.
The man’s height, build, and even his aura were similar to William’s.
“Welcome. I’ve been expecting you.”
But the man’s calm smile was unlike William’s.
His gentle presence was the exact opposite of William’s cold, icy impression.
“Would you like to come in and talk?”
William nodded silently and stepped inside.
“It’s late, you must be tired. I’ll make some coffee.”
The man led him to the living room and, without being asked, headed to the kitchen.
William wanted to ask about Didi right away, but the man left before he could say anything, forcing William to wait.
***
“Haa…”
William leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh.
He didn’t need coffee.
Ever since Didi disappeared, he hadn’t been able to sleep without Didi’s scent nearby.
Even now, he’d stayed up all night, but didn’t even feel tired.
As he waited, William glanced around the living room.
The house was quiet, the silence of dawn settling over everything.
It was so still, it felt almost eerie.
Soon, the man returned, carrying two cups of coffee.
“It’s been a while since I made coffee myself. I hope it suits your taste.”
Apparently, he’d made it himself rather than asking someone else.
William took a sip, not expecting much, but it was surprisingly good.
Setting down his cup, William asked,
“So, when is the humanoid robot coming? I heard the witness was a humanoid robot.”
“That would be me.”
William’s brows furrowed slightly.
The man also fell silent, blinking for a moment.
Silence hung between them.
Then, realizing the situation, the man laughed softly and continued,
“It’s fine. It’s hard to tell humans and humanoid robots apart these days.”
William hadn’t noticed at all. He’d assumed this man was the owner of the house.
For a robotics company like 060 to be fooled like this… William already knew how human-like humanoid robots could be, inside and out, from living with Didi.
But moments like this made him realize just how meaningless the line between human and robot really was.
“I’d like to speak with your Master.”
“Ah… My Master…”
The man looked troubled.
“He’s sleeping right now, so it might be difficult. If you want to speak with Master, you’ll have to wait until morning…”
William’s brow twitched again.
William Spencer had come all the way to his house, and he was sleeping?
It was absurd, but he decided to let it go. William got right to the point.
“Is the robot you saw the one in this photo?”
William took out his smartphone and showed a picture.
The man studied the screen for a moment, then nodded without hesitation.
“Yes. Didi, right?”
“…That’s right.”
Hearing Didi’s name from the man’s lips, William’s heart ached.
There was no longer any doubt—the humanoid robot the man had met was Didi.
“He was crying on the bench, so I spoke to him. His battery seemed dead. He came here to borrow a charger, and stayed until the rain stopped.”
Crying…
William held his breath.
He’d been chasing Didi’s trail all this time, but he’d never once seen Didi cry.
Maybe that was for the best.
If William had seen Didi cry, he might have lost his mind completely.
Unaware of William’s guilt, the man continued.
“Didi stayed here for a while, then we parted ways at the place we first met.”
“Do you remember where you parted?”
William pulled up a map and handed it to the man.
“Ah, I dropped him off here. He said he had somewhere to go, but he didn’t say exactly where.”
The man pointed out exactly where he’d dropped Didi off, and even the direction he’d headed.
William stared at the spot on the map, deep in thought.
He had to find Didi before it was too late.
Since Didi had recharged, he’d probably kept moving without rest.
William needed to estimate Didi’s current location based on his travel speed and focus the search there.