Chapter 15 - Return policy

SADE

If I had any use for you, I suppose I would let you know.

His words echoed in my mind every day for the whole week.

As it stands, I don't.

At first, I felt relieved.

It almost seemed too good to be true.

For the first time in my life, was I supposed to simply exist?

I had never particularly disliked my life before, but I certainly wasn't missing my working days. While life in the clinic mostly consisted of lying down for most of the day, it was wearing you down in a different way.

And now, nothing was expected of me?

Even better, I was going to pay half of my debt just by being here.

Better still, I finally had a chance to explore the world.

In the days that followed the trip to the Agora, my interactions with the owner remained brief and purely functional. We usually crossed paths in the morning, when he might give me a few instructions on how to use one of the home devices.

We met one evening when I had tried to open the atrium window, and he showed me how to use the home printer.

After that, I occupied myself by experimenting with it. If he had no use for me, I figured the least I could do was prove that I required no effort on his part. Asking for a toothbrush had been the first and last thing I had planned to request from him.

I didn't want to be a burden.

By now, I had gotten comfortable with the cooked and frozen box, surprising myself daily with the most original meals I could order.

The house itself felt too quiet at first.

But that was until I began to notice the quiet hums and whirs of the invisible machines happening behind the walls. On my third day, I found the slits below the walls and furniture, vacuuming any dust within reach. On the fourth day, I tried to enter the bathroom, but it was locked. When I finally heard a small jingle coming from the inside, I tried the handle again, and this time, it opened.

The bathroom was even more sparkling clean than it already was, as if it had been submerged in warm, soapy water. I inspected the walls and the slits below, and again, I found a series of mechanisms keeping the room spotless.

And, of course, there was the cute Polybot always around, busy cleaning and swallowing dust with its tiny crawlers.

I know there was nothing mystical about it, only mechanical and automated cleaning, but still, it felt like a magical house to me.

The best part came the day after the owner showed me how to operate the printer. I got to create a few items to settle down even more. The toothbrush was a challenging one, but I got confident after printing a whole set of hangers for my new wardrobe. The main page of the printer app pushed a few more ideas of items for me to print, and I couldn't help but dive into it. There wasn't much to do during the day, except eating meals and not doing the dishes. I did not dare to open the atrium door again, as I remembered how distraught the owner had looked when he noticed I did the first time.

The blue messages kept appearing on the kitchen's glass screen. I learned to ignore the ones related to Love Machina research, but grew to be extremely fascinated by the ones he received from Chandra.

Answeeeeer.

Dionne said you were alive—why are you not answering?!

V!!!

I kept wondering who she was and what their relationship was. Was she an ex-girlfriend, maybe, and he had planned to use me to make her jealous? But if that was the case, why not introduce me when they met at the Agora?

The issue was that she had not seemed jealous at all. She appeared just as curious about me as I was about her.

As peaceful as my time alone in the house was, my brief visit to the Agora remained the highlight of my week.

Over the next few days, I wandered the house, keeping myself occupied while thinking about the next time I'd get to step outside and explore the City again. The first Love Machina meeting was scheduled for the end of the week, and I counted down the days.

At night, when the house was completely dark, I always retreated to my room. I would hear the owner come home late, but just as he gave me space during the day, I chose to return the favor in the evenings.

One morning, he left an electric toothbrush for me, and I had a lot of fun trying it.

The fifth day was different, though.

When the blue words began to dot over the kitchen screen, I realized I should have seen it coming.

It had been too good to be true.

If I had any use for you, I suppose I would let you know, I remembered his words. As it stands, I don't.

My heart sank in my chest.

New message, the voice said. From: Love Machina Inc.

The past five days had been the most exciting days of my life.

You requested...

I should feel grateful that I got the chance to experience a fraction of it.

Love Machina Return Policy.

I sank to the floor, my eyes fixed on the blue words that had started to fade away already.

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🗓️ Next chapters: this Monday, July 21st 🗓️

(I'll be posting two chapters or more with each update, hoping to take you on that new ride as fast as possible 🥰)

Thank you for being here ❤️