Apjeong Project | JJK

06 | SIX

Hyejung's mouth hanged open at the sight unfolding infront of her eyes. All the sleepiness that felt heavy on her eyelids just now instantly went gone like flying dust. It is all replaced by the feeling of shock with a mixture of a bit anger.

There, in the kitchen, stood her creation that they named Jeongguk with the white flour spreaded on his black tee and all over the floor. Pieces of the broken glasses can also be seen, covered by the white powder not far from the male's feet.

Hyejung rubbed her face harshly with her right hand and let a frustrated sigh to escape from her natural red plump lips. Her jaws were clenched and unclenched to control her growing anger and the urge to yell at Jeongguk.

Upon seeing Hyejung's dark expression, Jeongguk immediately crouched down on the floor like a scared little puppy, slowly picking up the remnants of the broken glass pieces. He didn't dare to lift up his head to face his new owner, fearing that she would throw him out of the apartment, turn his system off again then left him alone outside until someone eventually find him.

"Jeongguk."

He flinched and grew stiff at his own named being called by the girl. He knew that she was angry and he was mortified. Her voice was not cheery and bubbly like earlier, it sounded deeper than the usual one. At that time, he wouldn't be really surprised if she shout at him as he expected her to do so.

With the building feeling of fear in him, Jeongguk continued to pick up the blue and cream coloured sharp pieces and gathering it on his palm. His gaze never left the floor as he slowly crawled forward to gather the broken pieces, until he eventually reached to Hyejung's feet.

His hands immediately stopped whatever he was doing earlier and he stayed there, frozen, as if he had just got out of a human-sized fridge.

"Get up," instructed Hyerin, voice still deep like earlier, sending chills down the robot's spine (though he maybe does not even have one).

Jeongguk, still haunted by the fear of Hyejung throwing him out, stared at the ground without standing up.

"Can't you hear me? I said get up, JG197."

Slowly, and hesitantly, the male robot stand up, his head hung low in pure guilt and fear. His fingers curled themselves around the hem of his shirt while his other hand still have the ceramic pieces laying on it.

"I'm truly sorry. I don't mean to break your things. I promise i won't do-"

"Are you okay?" asked Hyejung, cutting his words off. Upon the unexpected question rolling out from her tongue, Jeongguk can feel his android heart stop beating. He was beyond surprised due to it because the scene he imagined didn't happen. Which was honestly, quite a relief to him.

"Huh?" he tilted his head to the side as the word confusion is written and shown all over his facial feature.

"Why?" Hyejung inquired, tilting her head as well, copying her robot action after hearing his response.

"Aren't you mad?" the robot asked back. A frown started to form on the girl's forehead in confusion before the humanoid ask again, "Don't you feel angry? Y-you know, i broke your plate and spill the whole packet of the white thing on your kitchen floor,"

What?

"No- well, i did earlier. But now, not anymore. It's okay, don't worry about it okay?"

He nodded twice.

"Good, now, are you alright? Are you hurt somewhere?" she questioned again out of concern of him getting injured because of his own mistake.

"Err, no? I'm a robot, so i will not get hurt because of this small thing," said the JG197, chuckling softly, showing her the broken ceramics on his palm.

And that's when Hyejung felt like a huge truck running over her with its large tires. She forgot. She forgot that Jeongguk is a robot, the humanoid she created, programmed, and launched.

But can't they feel pain though? Since they were programmed to have feelings. Pain is a feeling too, right?