In the year 2038, new technological developing company Phoenix is becoming increasingly popular with its latest release of the SU, an artificial intelligence model rivalling all its predecessors. The high-performance humanoid machine has proven to b...
The ride to master's house took thirty-three minutes and twenty-seven seconds. Jimin doesn't live too far away but I can understand why he isn't always able to check up on my master. A half an hour car ride there and back each day is a lot. Jimin parks the car in a parking lot behind a large apartment building complex. Performing a quick scan, I determine that in order for master to live here he must have a well-paying job. If he didn't he certainly wouldn't be able to afford to stay.
"Which floor does master live on?" I ask, tilting my head back to look at the top of the building. It is fourteen stories high.
"Tenth. He always complains about how he wants higher, though. The apartments on the highest floor are extremely expensive but are by far the nicest ones. They're penthouses which means they're large and it's kinda weird for only one person to occupy it. But now that he's gonna have you maybe he'll finally bite the bullet and move," Jimin answers.
I follow Jimin as he leads me into the complex. It doesn't take long for me to notice several security guards standing around the perimeter of the lobby. The floors are dark vinyl and the walls are all marble. There are numerous pieces of artwork decorating the lobby, the totalled price much more expensive than myself. What kind of person is my master?
Jimin leads me through the lobby, leaving me no time to fully take in the environment, and makes a right down a hallway to stand in front of an elevator. I then notice that there are actually six elevators in this area, and probably six more in the hallway opposite to this one for symmetrical purposes. The elevator arrives quickly and Jimin and I step inside. He presses the button for the tenth floor and the elevator doors close before it takes off, travelling at a speed of 10 m/s. Given that we were the only ones on the elevator and didn't need to make any other stops, we arrive at the tenth floor in seconds.
"This place is quite lavish, don't you think?" Jimin says as we step out of the elevator.
"I think master is well-off," I reply.
"Mmm, that he certainly is. I always feel a bit out of place when I come to visit," Jimin admits with a bashful smile, rubbing his neck.
Jimin seems embarrassed, maybe even ashamed, and I feel the need to reassure him. He is master's best friend, after all. That makes him important to me. "Your house is very nice, too. It may not be a fancy apartment building that is more than a hundred times my price but it has a more comforting environment. Very homey. I would love to go back to visit you sometime in the future."
Jimin turns to me completely speechless. He rewards me with the most heartwarming smile and I am glad I said what I did. It clearly means a lot to him.
"I'd love to have you over again! I'll be sure to arrange something with your master in the future. You both could come! Ah, he hasn't visited in awhile. I'll have to show him what I did with my office. Oh, and the basement!" Jimin rambles, a childlike smile on his face.
I begin to wonder if perhaps my master neglects Jimin. The young man in front of me seems very devoted to his best friend, constantly looking out for him. But master hasn't visited Jimin in a long time? Is he taking advantage of Jimin's kindness? No, I shouldn't assume bad things about my master. I deserve to be punished. Jimin said master hasn't been in a healthy mental state. It must be interfering with how he would usually interact with his friend.
"Well, we're here!" Jimin announces and gestures to the door in front of him. "Welcome to your new home!"
The gray-haired man digs around in his pockets before retrieving a keycard and inserts it into the card reader on the door. After typing in a pin, the machine makes a little chime and Jimin grabs the handle to open the door.
Standing near the door, the large windows that reach from the ceiling to the floor in the living room caught my attention. There are two walls to my sides that make a small hallway, obstructing the full view of the living room. I walk deeper into the house and find myself able to see much more of the apartment now. There is a kitchen to my right with everything you would need to cook and keep food. There isn't any table but there is a breakfast bar that could probably sit at least five people. All the appliances are stainless steel and the countertops are marble. In the living room, there is a 50-inch 16k UHD TV on the wall and an L-shaped sofa in front. There is a glass coffee table placed not too far from the couch with a book about art left on top. One of the walls is completely made of windows, allowing the room and kitchen to be lit with natural light. There is also an upright piano pressed up against the wall on the far left but aside from that the room is fairly void of furniture. Almost all of it is white in some way, giving the apartment a very modern and clean look.
"You can go explore some more, y'know. Just go down the hall to your right," Jimin suggests.
I nod my head without looking back at him and move deeper into the apartment. Down the hall, there are four doors. One leads to a bathroom, one to a guest bedroom that looks like it hasn't been used in awhile, and one that I can only assume is my master's bedroom. The other door is locked so I won't be able to find out what's in it until later, I suppose. Instead, I decided to peek into master's room. The furniture style is very similar to the rest of the house--a lot of white and glass. Unlike the other rooms, this one has a plush carpet covering the floor instead of hardwood. On the far right of the room, there is a door that leads to what looks like a bathroom. There is also a doorway leading to a small walk-in closet on the wall straight ahead. Aside from a bed, a bedside table, a chaise lounge in the corner, and the small TV on a stand across from the bed, the room is quite empty. I close the door and return to the living room, finding Jimin sitting back on the couch.
"So? Does it fit your standards?" Jimin asks.
"It's nice. Very neat and clean." I can't help the frown that tugs on my lips. "There isn't a lot of evidence of life here, however. A very minimal amount of furniture and it all seems...devoid of personality. It's almost as if no one is living here."
Jimin nods his head thoughtfully and sits forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I feel the same way. It's been like this ever since he bought it. I tried to convince him to buy stuff that would be more personal but he didn't want to."
Suddenly, the sound of a chime goes off from the front door before it's being opened. Jimin, momentarily startled, jumps to his feet and looks around frantically. A sigh is heard from the front door but I am still unable to see the person due to the fact that they haven't come around the corner yet.
"Jimin, you should've told me you were coming. I would've gone out to buy some food--"
The man stops mid-sentence after noticing me next to Jimin. He eyes me cautiously before his eyes narrow dangerously and a scowl appears on his face. He shifts his gaze over to the man standing next to me, still looking angry.
"Uh, surprise?"
A/N: Happy belated birthday to our precious hope~💜
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