William felt the brightness in the room as he slowly opened his eyes.
Rising from the bed in the bluish room, he turned his head to look at Didi lying next to him.
Morning was approaching, but Didi was curled up, hugging the blanket, sound asleep.
They had returned home late from the cruise last night, and it seemed Didi had been so tired that he was in a deep sleep—so deep that he wouldn’t notice even if someone carried him away.
William quietly stared at Didi’s face for a moment, then went downstairs.
As he descended the stairs, Eve came rolling over, and as soon as she confirmed it was William—
William frowned slightly.
Eve wasn’t even a human-bot like Didi with emotional capabilities—just an ordinary serving robot—yet her reaction was strangely irritating.
Just then, Sophia approached and asked:
“William, shall I prepare breakfast?”
“Yes.”
William started toward the living room but suddenly thought of Didi, who was still sleeping upstairs.
He turned back and called out to Sophia, who was heading toward the kitchen.
“Sophia.”
“Yes, William?”
“Make something for Didi too. He’ll probably come down much later complaining that he’s hungry—same as always.”
William spoke while picturing Didi struggling all morning to hide the sound of his grumbling stomach.
That robot was way too high-maintenance.
If it weren’t for the valuable information Didi held, William wouldn’t have let him in the house—he would’ve sold him off long ago.
After finishing a simple breakfast, William was drinking coffee while reviewing the paperwork he hadn’t gotten to yesterday.
Then Didi came stumbling down the stairs, rubbing his eyes with a dazed expression.
William waited, about to call Didi—his body still warm from just waking up.
But before he could speak, the serving robot Eve dashed over to the bottom of the stairs, ready to greet Didi.
Her demeanor was a far cry from how she had immediately turned away upon seeing William earlier.
That hunk of scrap metal…
Who do you think saved you from ending up in a junkyard…?
“Eve!”
Didi cheerfully hugged the approaching Eve.
William watched the two act like some damn lovers at the break of dawn, then called out to Didi, who seemed to have completely forgotten about his master’s presence.
“Didi, come here.”
“Master! Good morning!”
Only then did Didi run over, greeting him brightly—with Eve stuck to his side like glue.
Seeing that audacious sight, William narrowed his eyes.
A robot, and he didn’t even greet his master first?
“That scrap heap seems to really like you.”
“Eve does?”
Didi blinked innocently, clearly not getting it.
Watching that, William felt disgusted with himself and ran a hand down his face.
Ha… What the hell am I saying…?
“Never mind. Go eat breakfast.”
“Okay!”
Didi answered cheerfully and went off to eat.
William sighed and turned his eyes back to the report.
***
“Good morning, Didi. Will you be having breakfast?”
When I entered the kitchen, Sophia greeted me.
I nodded and sat at the dining table, my eyes scanning the spread.
As always, the food Sophia had prepared was neatly laid out.
The menu catered to my master’s preference for a light breakfast—warm toast with jam, a salad with fruit dressing over fresh vegetables, and a bowl of warm soup.
Today’s breakfast from Sophia was delicious, as always.
I quickly cleaned my plate, and as I got up to clear the dishes, I noticed Eve passing by, cleaning the floor beside the dining table.
She hadn’t been in the master’s house for long, and yet she was already fulfilling her role diligently…
Suddenly, anxiety washed over me.
Sophia handled most of the housework, and Eve—though new—was already in charge of cleaning the first floor.
But me…?
Everyone else had a role.
I was also a robot in this house, so if I didn’t contribute in some way…
As a fellow robot serving the same master, I couldn’t just sit around doing nothing.
And if I could somehow be helpful—even if I couldn’t recall any valuable information—
Maybe… the master wouldn’t discard me.
A wave of desperation came over me, and I started to think carefully.
What could I do?
Sophia’s cooking was delicious, and I didn’t think I could cook that well.
But even if I tried to help with laundry or dishes…
I looked around.
There were all sorts of appliances I had never seen before.
So much time had passed that even though I was a robot, I couldn’t guess how to operate most of them.
But maybe… I could handle some simple cleaning?
Eve had the first floor covered, and since she couldn’t go upstairs, maybe I could clean the second floor instead.
With that decision in mind, I approached the master, who was drinking coffee in the living room.
“Master, I have a request…”
“Go ahead.”
“I’d like to take care of cleaning the second floor from now on.”
“…Why bother?”
The Master furrowed his brows in confusion.
Before he could shake his head and say no, I quickly added,
“Eve can’t go up to the second floor, and Sophia’s busy with something else…”
“Handle it yourself.”
He still looked puzzled but didn’t stop me.
With his permission, I clenched my fist tightly.
Even if I couldn’t recall the information the Master wanted, I wouldn’t be abandoned as long as I proved useful as a robot.
If I wanted to stay by the Master’s side, I needed to prove my worth as soon as possible.
— Bzzzt.
Just then, the Master received a call.
As he began the conversation, I naturally fell silent.
“Thomas?”
— William, you’re still at home, right?
“Yeah.”
— Can you bring Didi over today? The stomach module we ordered last time is finally finished.
“Sure. I’ll bring him over this morning.”
I perked up when I heard my name through the phone, but the call ended shortly after.
As I silently listened in, I asked right after the Master hung up,
“What’s going on?”
“They said your stomach module is ready.”
“Ah…”
“Go get ready. We’re heading out soon.”
At that moment, I remembered what had happened in the repair room.
My body had split open, all sensations vanished and then returned. I even recalled that bright red mass that had been taken out of me.
Suddenly, I didn’t want to go anymore.
I was scared…
I tried to test the Master’s reaction with a small lie.
“I don’t feel too well today. Can I go another time…?”
“Then I’ll just ask Thomas to make a house call.”
I had dug my own grave.
Reluctantly, I nodded, and the Master let out a brief chuckle.
As soon as we arrived at the company, I headed straight to Thomas’s lab with the Master.
My legs felt heavy.
Forcing myself to walk, I recalled what had happened in that lab.
I was scared…
What if the Master suddenly changed his mind and decided to scan my memory?
I had promised I’d find something useful for him, but hadn’t discovered anything yet.
The fear gnawed at me.
“Didi! How have you been?”
Thomas greeted me warmly as we entered the lab.
Though he was supposedly an old friend of the Master, he didn’t seem to care about him at all.
I glanced nervously at the Master, but he was casually surveying the lab, clearly used to it.
Checking his watch, the Master asked offhandedly,
“How long will it take?”
“Swapping the stomach doesn’t take long… but do you mind if I also check Didi’s pain sensors? I want to run a quick diagnostic on the human-bot systems.”
“Do what you want.”
As if to mock my anxious thoughts, Thomas casually added another request.
Pain sensor check?
I didn’t know what kind of test that involved.
I was scared, but it was clear I had no say in the matter.
“This might take a bit longer. Want to come back later? Didi should be fine on his own, right?”
“Yes…”
“Let me know when it’s done.”
“Okay.”
The Master turned and left without hesitation.
I sent him a pleading look, asking him not to go, but he never once looked back and exited the lab.
I stared longingly at the door he’d left through, then sighed in resignation.
Turning to Thomas, I asked cautiously,
“To check the pain sensors… Do you need to perform surgery and cut open the skin?”
“That’s right. Are you scared?”
I couldn’t answer.
With a dark expression, I lowered my head.
Noticing belatedly, Thomas asked,
“Now that I think about it, I never asked for your opinion. If you don’t want to, we don’t have to do it.”
After a moment of hesitation, I shook my head.
“No, I’ll do it.”
It was scary, but if it would help the Master, I didn’t mind. I already knew—there was no such thing as choice if I wanted to avoid being abandoned.
I followed Thomas to the operating room.
Hearing the word surgery, I began removing my upper clothes and was about to take off my pants when Thomas stopped me.
Freezing in place, mid-motion, Thomas explained,
“We’re only checking the upper body today, so no need to remove your pants.”
“Ah… okay.”
That was a slight relief.
Since the Master wasn’t here, at least I didn’t have to be fully exposed.
I nodded and lay down on the exam table.
When I saw Thomas reaching toward my body, I instinctively held my breath.
The moment his hand touched me, my body clicked open, revealing the interior.
Even though I wasn’t breathing in cold air, my insides felt chilled.
Unable to bear the fear, I shut my eyes tightly.
For a moment, I felt emptiness inside, followed by something filling it again.
Then the sensation of being sealed back up.
As the chill inside my stomach faded, I slowly opened my eyes.
“Is… is it done?”
“Yeah. We only swapped the stomach module today, so it didn’t take long.”
“I see…”
I was slightly relieved—but it wasn’t over yet.
The surgery for the pain sensor check still remained.