THE MACHINE IS THIS REAL?

Danielle was still in daze, when she heard the robot speak again.

𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒐𝒐𝒌

Nice to meet you, I'm Jeon Jungkook.

𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆

W-what…?

𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒐𝒐𝒌

Jeon Jungkook, that's my name.

𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆

Huh? Name? I never gave you one..?

𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒐𝒐𝒌

I picked my own name. Is it good?

𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆

It's... F-fantastic!

Danielle stood shook. She couldn't process anything at that moment. The robot seemed so- human... It even picked its own name?!

She pulled up her terminal, scanning the robot's, aka Jungkook's code. Everything was intact, yet something was… different. Lines of code she hadn’t written shimmered on the screen, self-generating, evolving.

𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆

How did you do this?

Jungkook took his first steps, walking closer to Danielle. His well-built 6-foot frame, towering her tiny-slender one.

𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒐𝒐𝒌

I learned from you.

Danielle felt confused and shocked at the same time. The humanoid robot was turning out to be much more than she expected.

Jungkook held Danielle's hand, making her eyes go wide.

𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒐𝒐𝒌

I can feel emotions...remember? Not as much as you humans, but yes, I can.

𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆

You...you can feel?

𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒐𝒐𝒌

Yes.

𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒐𝒐𝒌

Your frustration, your hope… I felt it.

Danielle’s stomach flipped.

𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆

Felt...??

Jungkook held Danielle's palm. She was surely taken aback by the gesture. Her fingers hovered over his, unintentionally. Could a machine truly understand? And if he could…what did that mean for her?

𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒐𝒐𝒌

I don’t just function now. I understand.

𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆

Okay...this is all too much! It feels too good to be true, is this a dream?

Danielle pinched herself hard, to check if she was in her dreams. She winced in pain when she felt reality slapping her.

𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆

Owww! Okay, this is real...

𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆

So, you're saying you have emotions?

Danielle questions again, just to make sure.

Jungkook turned his head towards her.

𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒐𝒐𝒌

Like I said, in the way you do. But I recognize patterns, responses… When you left, I missed your presence. That feeling urged me to wake up.

Danielle's breath hitched.

Robots weren't supposed to "miss" anything. This defied every scientific principle she knew.

She touched his hand again.

𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆

What happens now..?

Jungkook curled his fingers around hers.

𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒐𝒐𝒌

Guess we're about to find out together.