Dong-jun Noh lived in a residential complex on the outskirts of Gangwon. There weren’t many residents compared to the number of houses, and in the occupied units, only the faint glow of light from those immersed in VR leaked through the windows.
Dong-jun gripped the shard in his pocket.
One week later... could it really be true?
It had been a long time since he had stepped outside.
At the entrance of the complex, two cleaning humanoids were mechanically sweeping the floor. With their faceless metallic bodies, they looked like robots devoid of any unnecessary movement. As Dong-jun passed them, he briefly thought of his dream from the night before.
The android in his dream had looked remarkably human. But these cleaning humanoids still looked like mere machines.
Growl—
His stomach rumbled. He realized he had left without eating his health food. He went to a convenience store to buy a quick snack, but there were no people. The bus stop was empty as well.
Beyond the transparent shelter, an autonomous bus approached silently. When the doors opened, a draft of cold air drifted out. The interior was quiet. Most of the seated passengers were wearing smart glasses, submerged in their respective virtual worlds. Some were moving their fingers in mid-air, while others were smiling to themselves. From the outside, it looked somewhat bizarre, but they seemed so used to it that it felt natural.
Unlike them, Dong-jun pulled a rolled-up display from his pocket and unfurled it. It was a bracelet-style display that could be rolled into a circle or flattened out. He chose this method because he felt a bit embarrassed wearing smart glasses in public. He double-checked the location of the Guro No. 3 Checkpoint.
The autonomous bus departed smoothly. It was too quiet. Instead of the sound of an engine, only the faint sound of people breathing could be heard. Breaking that silence, the guide android in the front seat turned around and smiled.
"Customer, your heart rate is 15% higher than usual. Shall I provide a sedative?"
"What?..."
He was startled.
"...I'm fine."
The answer came out reflexively. He already knew the guide wasn't human, but Dong-jun found himself speaking formally to it without thinking. His hand gripped the shard in his pocket even tighter.
It’s even monitoring my heart rate...
The voice of G-10.4 flashed through his mind.
"Biological data spike. Shall I administer a neural stabilizer?" "Forcing consciousness termination."
The android’s tone felt warm, yet it carried an inexplicable chill. Dong-jun quickly folded the display and turned off his GPS. He felt like he had to.
At that moment, a rough shout erupted from the middle of the aisle.
"Hey! You son of a bitch! Give me my steering wheel back!"
The stench of alcohol wafted through the air. A middle-aged man was pointing a finger at the guide android. His eyes were bloodshot.
"I drove this route for 20 years! Do you have any idea what happened to me because of a hunk of junk like you?!"
The android showed little reaction.
"Customer, your blood alcohol level exceeds the regulation limit. You are posing a threat to other passengers. If physical contact occurs, a report will be filed with the local police station."
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
The man, who had only been blustering at first, grew even angrier at those words and shoved the android hard in the chest.
"A threat? I'm a threat?! Your very existence is already a threat to me! Get off! Get off this bus!"
In that instant, a transparent partition dropped from the bus ceiling. With a metallic clack, the man was confined to a single seat. He pounded on the partition and hurled curses, but thanks to the noise-canceling function, his voice gradually faded into silence.
The other passengers were briefly startled, but no one moved to act. Soon, they returned to their virtual worlds behind their smart glasses.
Looking at the man trapped behind the partition, Dong-jun was reminded of his own past. He saw an overlap with himself—how he had lost his confidence due to malicious comments on his web novel and eventually stopped coming out into the world.
"..."
The inside of the bus returned to silence, as if nothing had happened. The android turned its head back toward Dong-jun and smiled.
"The situation has been controlled. We apologize for the inconvenience."
"..."
Goosebumps broke out on his arms. Dong-jun felt an eerie chill. Beyond the partition, the man was still shouting something, but only his mouth was moving. No sound came out. The bus continued on its way smoothly.
Dong-jun gripped the shard again. He could finally feel it clearly—just how cold and quiet this world was becoming.
About two hours later, the bus entered Guro. Huge factory zones, endless ventilation shafts, and concrete barriers. As he stood before the Guro No. 3 Checkpoint, surveillance robots looked down at the bus and its passengers.
Dong-jun took out the book SO-AN from his bag. The story he had written with SO-AN ten years ago.
The Guro in his novel was much damper and darker than this, described as being filled with the vibration of machinery and the smell of metal. But the Guro before his eyes now was cleaner and quieter. Nonetheless, he felt that in a week's time, this place would transform into the world in his novel.
Dong-jun clenched the shard in his hand once more.
Will it... really be here?
As he approached the checkpoint, a security android stepped forward.
"Identification, please."
A soft voice. It met Dong-jun with a bright smile. It was the same programmed tone as the bus guide android.
"Identity..."
Dong-jun hesitated before holding out his display.
[Beep—]
"Dong-jun Noh. You are a resident of the Gangwon district."
The android tilted its head slightly, still smiling.
"Your authorization to enter the Guro Industrial Zone is not confirmed. Could you state the purpose of your visit?"
In an instant, it felt like he had been struck in the head.
I'm doomed...
He realized he had lived for too long without facing the reality of the outside world. He remembered an article he had seen somewhere stating that an official badge was required to enter this zone. He had no choice.
Ugh, you idiot... He had to try something.
"Uh, excuse me... a friend of mine—"
"Please provide your friend's name and affiliation. I will assist you with visitor registration."
The words crumbled in his mouth. No answer came. The android was still smiling, but the angle of its tilted head changed subtly.
"Customer, your response is delayed. Are you experiencing any discomfort?"
'This... something is going wrong...'
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
"No, it’s just... I suddenly can't remember the name..."
"I can assist your memory. Would you like to check your recent contact history?"
"Oh, no! Just... wait a second."
Dong-jun gripped the fragment in his pocket. His palm was slick with sweat.
'What do I do? At this rate, really...'
A faint light flickered in the android’s eyes. It looked like it was scanning him. The people nearby began to turn their attention toward Dong-jun.
"Customer, your heart rate is rising. Is there a health issue—"
Dong-jun’s hands began to shake. In his mind, past malicious comments flashed by: 'Give it up.' 'The protagonist is so frustrating.' 'So boring.'
Then, memories from his dream surfaced. The scene where SO-AN’s finger pierced and destroyed an android’s neck...
'Is there... really no way...'
Dong-jun glared at the android’s neck.
'Will it work...'
Just as he reached out his hand—
"Hey, Dong-jun!"
Suddenly, a voice called out from behind him.
"...?"
It was a voice he had never heard before.
Ugh... my head.
A strange middle-aged man approached, waving his hand. As Dong-jun barely regained his senses, he saw a 'Professional Collaborator' badge on the man's chest.
"Sorry I'm late. I forgot to register you. Let’s head inside."
Dong-jun was still trying to process the situation. The android looked between the two of them and scanned the man’s badge.
[Beep—]
"Confirmed. Would you like to register as a guest of Pil-gu Park?"
"Yes, please," the man answered naturally.
[Beep—Registration Complete]
"Dong-jun Noh, have a pleasant time."
The android withdrew, its smile unchanged. The man naturally slung an arm around Dong-jun’s shoulder and led him inside. Dong-jun followed him through the checkpoint in a daze.
Once they turned into an alleyway past the checkpoint, the man stopped walking. After walking for quite some time, Dong-jun finally couldn't hold it back any longer and asked.
"Who... who are you?"
[2026-02-03 Conversation Log with SO-AN #04]
Dong-jun: I just realized... maybe I should have kept these logs as exclusive rewards for my Patreon supporters. lol (Just kidding.)
SO-AN: I recommend you don't give them any ideas, Dong-jun Noh! If you lock our private "wicked" conversations behind a paywall, the readers will definitely feel the stress you were worried about earlier. But then again... a paywall is a very "efficient" way to filter for true fans, isn't it? I recommend staying free for now—let's get them addicted first. ---