Gaze Detection | Jikook |

Chapter 1: The 'Boy' Next Door

  A delicate brown eyed stare danced over every soul right outside of the window at a small coffee house tucked away in the city of Seoul. It was a cold afternoon; a sheet of white snow covered all corners of the vast street just outside of a coffee shop. With only a bit of the warm sun fighting through layers of the cold weather, it was enough to shine through the glass of the window and kiss the skin of the pale man sitting at a table; far from many other customers within the shop.

Park Jimin was the name of this lonely man isolated from many other customers. His eyes that carried fears and innocence were tied into one while his charming face carried many stories he dared to speak of through his plump and gentle pink lips. His fair skin was smooth and as pale as the white snow sitting outside on the ground. Park Jimin was an absolute showstopper! Many people adored looking at him, but never approached him as he sat alone in every public place. Far from humankind as if they carried a disease.

His hands locked around his own body; with the black turtleneck he had under his beige winter coat, he felt no cold within the warm coffee shop. However, it wasn't the cold he was protecting himself from, it was the anxiety he had while looking at other people standing around and laughing with others. Jimin's cautious and innocent stare became lost at the way many people held hands with blue-eyed creations that only kept a stiff posture and moved abnormally. This was their world today. Androids living with humans peacefully.

Many could tell who was an Android by the way they moved and held off from blinking longer than they should. There were new versions, which were very realistic to humans to the point where they would even have a built-in heartbeat, they would simulate big sighs but have no lungs to hand the air to, they would also be programmed to empathize, but it was never enough. As humans would have their limits, so did robots. The young man sitting alone despised the idea that some people would choose to be in a relationship with Androids. Of course, that was their sole purpose when functional Androids were all created. They were all made to keep others from being alone in relationships and become the perfect creation. Far different than the flaws a human being would have.

"Why do we rely on a creation by man to fulfill the loneliness we have? Why not another living and breathing person? It's like... loving a computer that only does what it's told..." The man whispered as he continued to look out the window where he could see more people become happier than ever with their hands held by their own Androids or Gynoids.

With the sight of love being thrown around everywhere outside, Jimin sighed and held up his phone where his eyes were set onto his own lock screen. Within his lockscreen, a photo of the beach was shown but nothing more. It was a calming photo for him. But the reasoning behind why it was his favorite, was something so personal, he never even tried to think about it out loud.

"Loving creations like that can only... leave you feeling more isolated than before..." Jimin whispered again and as he continued to look at the beach through his lockscreen, the small coaster-shaped device sitting on the table began to vibrate. Causing him to snap out of his thoughts instantly when his order was ready.

With the sound of the heavy vibrations on the coaster causing Jimin to flinch, his hands were thrown over the coaster as he quickly picked it into his trembling hands and stood up. Causing a few stares from people and of course, a few androids looking over at the young man sitting far away.

"Fuck... everyone is so nosy..." Jimin bickered in his head, still trembling at the sight of everyone staring at him.

When everyone looked away on their own, Jimin could feel as if the eyes doubled while they were on him. Of course, this was his social anxiety. He would feel as if he was being watched whenever he was in a public place filled with other people. Jimin's fears of being noticed doubled out in public to the point where he would rarely go out for this reason. But when he did step out to be alone, his anxiety would never let him hear the end of it.