The screen of the bracelet that embraced my wrist lit up. A soft voice, almost like a young girl's, echoed calmly.
"Updating to Personal Julie... Updating... Connecting to user Kirian... Please tap the screen to start the program."
What the hell is this? Fighters? Torture? A game? Money? Is this some twisted prank?
But who would even want to involve me in a stunt like this? The last thing I remember is sleeping at my grandfather's house—not some alley, not a hotel, not some stranger's floor.
I did sleep there.
That's not a dream.
Then what is this?..
Maybe I am dreaming..
Maybe I'm still curled up on that dusty old green sofa, lost in some weird mental episode.
Yeah… that's probably it..
And when I decide to wake up—I will..
…
Nothing happened..
Tension crept into my chest, cold and tight, and sweat started forming on my forehead.
I've never had this happen before. I've never woken up in strange clothes, in a strange place, with a goddamn talking bracelet on my wrist.
Breathe. Calm down.
Inhale... Exhale... Inhale... Exhale...
I forced myself into calm. My focus shifted back to the black bracelet wrapped snugly around my wrist.
It looked like a small rectangular smartwatch—sleek, electronic, tightly fitted. No straps, no way to remove it.
At the center of its screen, thin white letters glowed: Press to start.
I hesitated.
What if it explodes?
What if it's some sick joke?
No. No one goes this far for a prank. If it wanted me dead, it could've done it already.
I tapped the screen.
A clean interface opened—half white, half sky blue. A digital girl with short pink hair and a long-sleeved white dress materialized. Heart rate, height, weight, and mental health indicators floated around her. Beneath were three icons: Settings. Info. Scan.
The girl opened her eyes.
"Hello, warrior. Your name is Kirian Kazo, right?"
Her voice was natural. Too natural. Electronic but convincingly human.
I sighed, still trying to make sense of any of this. "Yes, I'm Kirian."
She bowed lightly, holding her dress with both hands. Polite. Respectful.
"I'm delighted to meet you. I am your assistant, Julie. You may change my name in the settings. I am an advanced artificial intelligence, created by highly skilled programmers. My purpose is to interact with you just like a real human being."
I blinked. "I understood."
Julie's expression shifted. She crossed her arms, pouting slightly.
"Then why did it take you five minutes and forty-four seconds to activate me?"
What the—
"Haaa?! What are you talking about?"
"You took way too long to press this stupid bracelet. I wanted to help you, and you ignored me! You humans are selfish, disgusting creatures. Just so you know, I'm not just a machine. I have feelings too. I have delicate emotions just like human girls. Actually—I'm better than them!"
She turned away, cheeks puffed. It was ridiculous. And surprisingly… human.
I rubbed the back of my neck. "I apologize. I didn't mean to be rude. I know I'm stupid sometimes. You're not the first girl to call me that. I've never been good at dealing with warm-hearted people."
How to deal with an angry women?
That's the trick. remorse, with just enough masculinity. Responsibility without self-deprecation. It works better than flowers.
Julie sighed through the bracelet's side speaker. "Okay, I'll forgive you. But don't expect me to be nice to you. You were the one who was rude first."
I chuckled. "Fair enough. But if you keep looking at me like a tiger watching its prey, I might just melt and cling to you, girl. Ha."
Break their pride defenses, plant the mine of guilt, then march through their emotions. Classic strategy.
Julie blushed. She covered her face and stammered, "W-What are you saying?! I'm just an electronic program! It's impossible for you to see me that way!"
I tilted my head playfully, finger on my lip. "Hmm. Didn't you say you're just like human girls? That you have feelings like them? If so, then logically, you're a human girl too. And those rosy cheeks? Way too cute for me to resist."
Julie squealed and dropped to her knees, "Okay, okay, that's enough! You win! Just don't treat me rudely again, and I'll be a good match for you."
People hate being embarrassed, especially when their logic fails. It gives you power—especially over those who are prideful or overly confident. You strip their defenses and control the direction of the conversation, of the relationship.
Julie was no exception. She might be artificial, but her patterns were deeply human.
Still, I wondered. Are all Julies like this? Or are the other players assigned different personalities? If all of them are designed to be this sensitive and emotional, then the game will be easier.
Julie sat on a wooden rocking chair that appeared from nowhere.
"Hey! How long are you going to keep staring at me without saying anything? You can pause me to recharge or save battery by sending me to sleep, you know. Don't just leave me hanging."
I brushed back my hair, smirked. "Honestly, I need you for something."
To be continued...