Bzz—
The moment X's question—laden with probing curiosity and a faint trace of hope—fell into the air, the green Lobotomy Corporation logo on the monitor flickered violently, as if struck by an invisible current.
Then the logo vanished completely, and the screen in front of X sank back into a dead, lightless black.
In an instant, the manager's office returned to its original stillness—nothing but the low, steady hum of equipment.
"It ran away."
X stared into the darkness for a long time before forcing those three words out of his throat.
His voice carried an unmistakable disappointment and melancholy.
"Was it afraid to face me…? Or is it that…"
Knock, knock—
Just as X was still thinking at the black screen, a clear, rhythmic knock sounded from outside the office door.
"Come in," X answered, quickly reining in his expression and restoring the calm composure a manager was expected to have.
Click—
The metal door opened, and Angela's familiar figure appeared in the doorway.
As always, her hands were elegantly folded in front of her. In her signature red heels, she walked with measured steadiness to X's desk.
"Good morning, X."
Angela dipped her head slightly, her voice as calm and gentle as ever.
But when she noticed the closed diary on X's desk, her beautiful brows drew together despite herself.
"You got up early again because of that?"
"Morning, Angela."
X bared his teeth in a grin, greeting his AI secretary, then explained with a slightly embarrassed look:
"Yesterday's work was exhausting, so I went to bed early."
"If you sleep early, then waking up early is perfectly normal."
"Mm."
Angela nodded and gave X's face a quick appraisal.
After confirming he showed no obvious fatigue and his overall condition seemed reasonably good, she appeared to accept his explanation and did not press further.
"…I'm not sure whether you've heard the rumor lately."
Just as X thought the topic was ending, Angela abruptly changed tack and brought up something that sounded unrelated to work:
"We found a rodent in the company's equipment room."
"Hm? A mouse?"
"Perhaps. You should know the equipment room is a restricted area where no living organisms are permitted."
Angela's tone remained even.
"A small rodent can cause extremely serious problems."
"Dealing with it isn't difficult, but its 'droppings' and 'chewed-through wiring' could compromise system security."
As Angela outlined the hazards of rodents, X felt a strong intuition.
She wasn't merely chatting—she was deliberately referring to something else.
Almost immediately, X thought of B, who had only left not long ago.
Could it be B?
But given how well B understood Lobotomy Corporation, it shouldn't have been able to pass information to him so brazenly under Angela's nose.
Yet if not B… who else could it be?
More than anything, X desperately hoped he was simply overthinking.
"…And that is one of the reasons we place such emphasis on security measures."
As she spoke, Angela opened her golden eyes.
"I hope you can understand and assist my work."
Angela had always maintained that professional-secretary posture—eyes closed, hands folded neatly in front of her.
After more than ten days together, X had already learned a few rules.
Whenever she opened her eyes, it usually meant two things—
First: what she was saying now was very serious.
Second: she was angry.
At times like that, the smartest choice was not to go against her.
"Of cour—"
X opened his mouth, about to agree instinctively.
"…No."
But just before the "of course" even left his lips, Angela suddenly changed her words again.
"No need."
Angela said flatly.
Her eyes still seemed to be looking at X, yet X could feel it—
her attention was no longer on him.
"This time, I will handle it on my own…"
Her voice returned to its usual calm, but the resolve within it was even more decisive.
"However, Manager—if you discover any sign of a 'rodent,' you must inform me immediately."
Standing in a faint shadow with her back to the room's main light source, Angela's open golden eyes looked strikingly vivid.
Like a beacon in a foggy night—nothing lurking in darkness could escape their gaze.
X found himself staring at those beautiful eyes, drawn in without realizing it, watching them for a long time until his mind went a little blank.
"Your eyes… are very beautiful, Angela."
The words slipped out almost unconsciously.
"If you have eyes that beautiful, why do you always keep them closed?"
"Isn't it… a waste?"
"Manager… you're being improper again…"
Caught off guard by the sudden compliment, the Angela who had just been cool, decisive, and commanding broke composure in an instant.
The sharpness on her face melted into helplessness.
"I am a machine. Even if this body in front of you has its eyes closed, I can still 'see' your expression through other methods."
As she spoke, Angela even turned her gaze slightly aside, letting her eyes avoid the heat of X's stare.
She still wasn't used to being looked at and praised so directly.
"Whether my eyes are open or closed makes no difference to me."
"So pretty, but you won't let anyone see—what a waste."
X clicked his tongue, genuinely regretful.
"It feels like you're two completely different kinds of beauty with your eyes open versus closed."
"…To be honest, Manager, I truly don't understand why you care so much about a machine like me."
Seeing the conversation drift further off course, Angela sighed.
"Or are you like those prosthetic-body enthusiasts in the City—more interested in mechanical things?"
"No… if your preference were that, you'd like combat prosthetics that emphasize mechanical aesthetics and metal texture, or specialized industrial bodies…"
"Not a simulation type like me, designed to resemble a normal human as closely as possible…"
"Angela, please stop brushing me off with the 'machine' excuse."
X cut her off, speaking with earnest gravity.
"Looking at someone with your eyes is an important part of communication."
"When you keep your eyes closed while talking to me, it gives me the illusion that… 'maybe you dislike me.'"
"…"
Angela fell silent.
This silence lasted so long that X was about to ask whether she truly disliked him—when she finally spoke again, softly.
"A machine should work like a machine."
Her voice was quieter.
"That is what Lobotomy Corporation's founder… and my creator… once said."
"That just sounds like self-deception."
Sensing Angela's stance waver slightly, X pressed while the iron was hot.
"If he really believed that, then he never should've made you like this in the first place."
"Think about it—if it's 'just a machine,' why go to such lengths to give a 'machine' a body as exquisite as a real human's, delicate skin, and even such rich simulated emotional expression?"
"It's completely self-contradictory, isn't it?"
After criticizing the founder's mindset, X emphasized:
"As far as I'm concerned—if a machine thinks like a person, feels emotions like a person, and even looks no different from a person…"
"Then it is a person, not some 'special' robot."
"…"
After X finished, the corner of Angela's mouth lifted—so subtly it was almost imperceptible.
A fleeting smile, and yet breathtakingly captivating.
"Although your words are… pleasant to hear…"
Angela spoke with a smile.
It was like thawing snow in early spring, carrying a hint of relief and satisfaction—perhaps even she didn't realize it herself.
But the smile quickly vanished.
"Still, I must remind you, X."
As the smile faded, Angela regained some of her usual cool-secretary severity.
"Every conversation between us is recorded, filed, and reported to the company."
"Wha—"
The calm smile on X's face froze instantly. He looked as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head, stunned on the spot.
"Angela, please!"
He clasped his hands together, panic and pleading in his voice.
"Can you find a way to keep the BOSS from seeing what I said?!"
"I'm doing fine here—I don't want to get fired!"
"Heh…"
Seeing X show such rare flustered vulnerability, Angela found it quite amusing.
This manager—usually steady, occasionally playful—looked… oddly cute like this.
She thought so privately.
"Please! Please, Angela! I'm begging you! I've made contributions to the company! I've shed blood for the company! Don't let me get kicked out over something this small!"
"Heh…"
Realizing her manager truly was pleading, Angela suppressed the mischievous impulse to keep teasing and let out a light laugh.
"There are five minutes left before official work hours begin."
"The recording instruments haven't started yet, Manager."
-------
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