In that moment, all the conversations faded away, and the group's attention turned to me.
"Uh, well..." my voice stuck in my throat. I wasn't used to so much attention at once. "Mmm..."
My mind went blank as I stared at my hands on my lap.
"How is your new home?" Calypso nudged gently.
"My new home..." I looked up, thinking for a second. "...is really... Really nice. It's a beautiful house. My bedroom is..." I struggled to capture all I'd experienced in just a few days. "...it's very comfortable. I like it a lot."
"Your bedroom? Do you have your own bedroom?" a woman asked, her eyes widening as her chin rested on her fist with interest. Her bright pink lipstick looked even brighter against her all-white outfit.
"Yes," I answered immediately as soft cries of admiration echoed around the table.
"So lucky!"
"My owner would never..."
"I wish!"
My heart sank further as I realized even more how lucky my past few days had been. I'd never really thought about how the others lived, until now. I had always assumed we lived in similar conditions.
Apparently, I was fortunate with my living arrangements.
I didn't think about mentioning that the owner had ceded the only bed in the house to me, while he was sleeping on a bench in his office.
"What kind of mission do you do in your home?" the pink-lipstick woman asked, more curious now.
My heart pounded in my chest.
If I had any use for you, I suppose I would let you know, I recalled his words.
I gulped, glancing around at the curious eyes fixed on me.
Even Calypso seemed intrigued.
I had to give it a try at least.
"I don't..." I breathed out, feeling the weight of the revelation crushing me. "I don't do... anything."
A collective gasp rippled around the table.
"I think I'm failing," I confessed already as the words bubbled up to the surface. "I need help."
I turned to Calypso, hoping one of the Love Machina employees might assist.
I took a deep breath, summoning all my courage. I had nothing to lose now.
"He requested to see the Love Machina Return Policy. Yesterday."
Even louder gasps followed.
Firinne covered her mouth in shock. Chaoxing's small hand reached out to my forearm again, her expression looking so sorry for me. Women around the table clutched their chests or covered their faces, as if something catastrophic had just happened.
"What can we do?" Annie's voice asked from the far end of the table, her eyes fixed intently on Calypso.
"I... well..." Calypso stammered, visibly at a loss.
After a pause, she asked, "Do you... Did you ask your owner, maybe, what was the purpose of your presence in his home?"
"I did," I nodded. "I asked him: how can I be of the most efficient use to you?"
"What did he say?"
"He said he had no use for me, and..." I knew these by heart. "He would let me know if he needed me."
A brief silence fell over the table. All the eyes that had been on me until now suddenly looked at each other.
Then, the machinas exploded in laughter.
I looked around, feeling utterly lost.
What had I missed?
"They don't know what they want..." the pink-lipstick woman said with a snarky smile, shaking her head as if at a young, inexperienced Love Machina.
"And even when they tell you, it's probably wrong," Firinne added with a chuckle. "When I arrived in my family, they said I was going to help take care of the children... Turns out, I'm basically the mother of the kids now! Their parents are the ones helping me... when they're here!" she rolled her eyes.
"Same here," another woman agreed. "I was supposed to be his wife. But I'm more like his mom!" she laughed. "Don't tell him I said that," she added in mock embarrassment, waving at Calypso.
The table erupted in more laughter.
I shyly smiled, still not entirely grasping their jokes. I had learned about relationship dynamics from movies and books. I had seen on the screen parents, families, couples... But I'd never really experienced it myself. The rare romantic relationships I experienced at the clinic only lasted a few weeks before one of us would be sent to another clinic.
I couldn't shake the feeling that there was some private joke I just wasn't in on.
"Does he want me to be... his mom?" I blurted out, feeling even more skeptical after saying it aloud.
"No!"
"Well, maybe."
"His girlfriend first, probably."
Everyone started pitching in.
"His wife, could be?"
"Or his whore..."
The women at the end of the table giggled among themselves at that last suggestion, sharing what felt like another private joke I couldn't understand.
"Do you have something to suggest, Kira?" Calypso asked.
All eyes turned toward someone at the far end of the table. I leaned forward, catching a glimpse of her fiery red hair.
"You've been quiet since the beginning. Maybe you could benefit from the advice of another machina who just started this week too."
Most of the women leaned back to give Kira a clear view. She had been so quiet, I'd almost forgotten she was there. She was hiding behind her long red hair, clutching the collar of a beige coat around her neck.
"N-Nothing to add," she murmured in a barely audible voice, her eyes avoiding everyone's gaze.
I couldn't reconcile this quiet, timid version of her with the loud front-row voice I remembered from our first day together, just a week ago.
"First, you have to observe him," Annie took over. "What are his habits? What makes him laugh? What makes him angry?"
"They'll never tell you directly," Chaoxing added with a defeated shrug. "I tried to ask, too."
"Always respect his space. Don't try to force a connection," another machina added.
"Imitate his behavior. If he's quiet, be even quieter. If he's chatty, chat away!"
"Find something he likes and learn about it!"
"Casually mention things to show you're listening to everything he says."
Every machina, except Kira, chimed in with their advice. The trainee continued observing, her tablet rapidly taking notes. I wish I could have done the same. The machine learning between machinas was in full swing.
I listened, my eyes wide and my ears attentive, nodding along to every bit of new information.
This was probably the most daunting challenge I would ever face in my life. My soft skills had always been a big part of my strengths, but this new challenge felt overwhelmingly difficult.
"What if it doesn't work?" I asked, not to the machinas, but to the coordinator. "What if the owner still decides to send me back?" I repeated with pleading eyes.
My mouth felt dry. I licked my lips, still tasting the lingering flavor of hibiscus on them.
The coordinator's expression stayed calm, but the tension in the room grew thicker as she began to speak. Every pair of eyes turned toward her. She adjusted her glasses deliberately, cleared her throat, and then delivered an answer that sounded more like a warning than reassurance.
Not just for me, but for everyone at the table.
"Your contract will be terminated," Calypso said, her voice clear and devoid of emotion. "You will be turned off. Reset. And remolded for the next owner."
🗓️ Next chapters: this Thursday, July 31st 🗓️
I hope you enjoyed meeting Calypso, Chaoxing, Kira, Annie, and Firinne! They will appear more in the future chapters 👀 Also, for anyone curious about V's secret... The next chapters are coming for you!! ☺️
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Thank you for being here ❤️