Buzz—
Just as X 's question—laden with inquiry and a trace of hope—fell silent, the green Lobotomy Corporation logo on the screen flickered violently, as if struck by an invisible electric current.
Then, the logo vanished completely, and the screen before X plunged once more into lifeless darkness.
For a moment, the manager's office returned to its initial stillness, filled only with the low, monotonous hum of the equipment.
"…It ran away."
X stared at the darkness in front of him for a long time before finally forcing those three words out of his throat.
There was an unmistakable note of disappointment and melancholy in his voice.
"Is it afraid to face me… or is it that…"
Knock, knock—
Just as X was still lost in thought before the black screen, a clear, rhythmic knock suddenly sounded from outside the office door.
"Come in."
X quickly reined in his expression , returning to the calm composure expected of a manager.
Click—
The metal door slid open, and Angela's familiar figure appeared in the doorway.
As always, her hands were elegantly folded before her. Wearing her signature red high heels, she walked steadily to X 's desk.
"Good morning, X ."
Angela gave a slight nod, her voice as calm and gentle as ever.
When she noticed the closed diary on his desk, her delicate brows inevitably furrowed.
"Did you wake up early again because of this sort of thing?"
"Morning, Angela."
X flashed a toothy smile as he greeted his AI secretary, then explained with a slightly embarrassed expression .
"I was just too tired from work yesterday, so I went to bed early."
"Going to bed early and waking up early is perfectly normal, isn't it?"
"Mm."
Angela nodded and carefully examined X 's complexion.
After confirming that there were no obvious signs of fatigue and that his mental state still seemed fairly good, she appeared to accept his explanation and did not press the matter further.
"…I'm not sure if you've heard the recent rumor."
Just when X thought the topic was about to end, she suddenly changed the subject, bringing up something that seemed unrelated to their current work.
"We discovered a rodent in the company's equipment room."
"Hm? A rat?"
"Possibly. You should know that the equipment room is a restricted area where living organisms are not permitted," Angela replied calmly.
"A small rodent can cause extremely serious problems."
"Dealing with it isn't difficult, but its 'excrement' and 'chewed cables' could compromise the safety of the system."
As X listened to Angela talk about the dangers posed by rodents, he felt a strange sense of unease.
It didn't sound like idle chatter—more like a deliberate metaphor.
Almost immediately, X thought of B, who had disappeared not long ago.
Could it be B?
But given how well B understood Lobotomy Corporation, it shouldn't have been able to transmit information to him so blatantly under Angela's watchful eyes.
Yet if not B, then who else could it be?
X sincerely hoped he was simply overthinking things.
"…That is one of the reasons we place such emphasis on security measures."
As she spoke, Angela slowly opened her golden eyes.
"I hope you can understand and assist with my work."
It was worth noting that Angela was almost always seen with her eyes closed, hands folded neatly in front of her, the very image of a professional secretary.
After more than ten days together, X had already figured out a few things.
Whenever she opened her eyes, it usually meant two things—
First, what she was saying at that moment was extremely serious.
Second… she was angry.
In situations like this, the best course of action was not to oppose her.
"Of cou—"
X opened his mouth, about to agree instinctively.
"…No."
However, just before the word "of course" could fully leave his lips, Angela suddenly changed her tune.
"No need."
She spoke flatly.
Though her gaze was still directed at X , he could clearly sense that—
At this moment, her attention was no longer truly on him.
"This time, I will handle the matter alone…"
Her voice returned to its usual calm, but the determination within it was even firmer.
"However, Manager, if you discover any traces of a 'rodent,' please be sure to inform me directly."
Standing with her back to the room's main light source, Angela was half-shrouded in faint shadow.
Her open golden eyes were strikingly conspicuous.
Like a beacon cutting through night fog, nothing lurking in the darkness could escape their gaze.
X stared at those beautiful eyes, his attention drawn to them involuntarily. He watched them for quite some time, his mind drifting.
"Your eyes… are very beautiful, Angela."
The words slipped out almost unconsciously.
"Since you have such beautiful eyes, why do you choose to keep them closed all the time?"
"Don't you think… that's a bit of a waste?"
"Manager… you're being improper again…"
Caught off guard by X 's sudden compliment, Angela—who had just been radiating cold decisiveness—lost her composure almost instantly.
The sharp, imposing aura on her face was replaced by unmistakable helplessness.
"I am a machine. Even if this physical body keeps its eyes closed, I can still perceive your expression s through other means."
As she spoke, Angela subconsciously turned her gaze slightly aside, avoiding X 's intense stare.
She was still not accustomed to being looked at and praised so directly.
"Whether my eyes are open or closed makes no difference to me."
"Such beautiful eyes, yet you don't let anyone see them. What a waste."
X clicked his tongue regretfully.
"It feels like you're a completely different kind of beauty with your eyes open versus closed."
"…To be honest, Manager, I really don't understand why you care so much about a machine like me."
Seeing X 's words veering further off track, Angela sighed.
"Or could it be that you're like those prosthetic enthusiasts in the City—more interested in mechanical things?"
"No… if that were the case, you should prefer combat prosthetics or specialized industrial bodies that emphasize mechanical aesthetics and metallic texture…"
"Not a model like me, designed to resemble ordinary humans as closely as possible…"
"Come on, Angela, stop using your 'machine' identity to brush me off."
X interrupted her, speaking earnestly.
"Looking someone in the eyes is an important form of communication."
"When you always keep your eyes closed while talking to me, it gives me this feeling that… maybe you dislike me…"
"…."
Angela fell silent.
This silence lasted a long time—long enough that X was about to ask whether she truly disliked him—before she finally spoke again, softly.
"A machine should work like a machine."
Her voice was quieter.
"That's what the founder of Lobotomy Corporation… and also my creator, once said."
"That sounds completely self-deceptive."
Sensing a slight wavering in Angela's stance, X pressed on.
"If he truly believed that, then he never should have made you like this in the first place."
"Think about it—if it's 'just a machine,' why go to such lengths to give it a refined body nearly identical to a real human's, delicate skin, and even such rich, simulated emotional expression ?"
"Isn't that completely contradictory?"
After criticizing the founder's philosophy, X added emphatically:
"At least to me, if a machine thinks like a person, feels emotions like a person, and even looks no different from one…"
"Then it's a person—not some so-called 'special' machine."
—
After X finished speaking, the corner of Angela's lips lifted almost imperceptibly into a faint curve.
It was a fleeting yet utterly captivating smile.
"Although your words are very pleasant to hear…"
Angela said with a smile.
It was like melting ice at the start of spring, carrying a trace of relief and satisfaction—perhaps even she herself was unaware of it.
But soon, the smile faded.
"Still, I must remind you, X ."
As the smile disappeared, Angela regained some of her usual cool, secretary-like demeanor.
"Every conversation between us is recorded and reported to the company."
"Wh—what?!"
The calm smile on X 's face froze instantly. It was as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head.
"Please! Angela!"
He clasped his hands together, panic and pleading clear in his voice.
"Isn't there some way to keep the boss from finding out what I just said?!"
"I'm doing fine here! I don't want to get fired!"
"Hehe…"
Seeing X display such rare panic and vulnerability, Angela found it rather amusing.
This manager—usually composed, sometimes a bit playful—actually looked… quite cute like this.
She thought so quietly to herself.
"Please! Please, Angela! I'm begging you! I've contributed to the company! I've shed blood for the company! Don't let me get fired over something this small!"
"Hehe…"
Realizing that her manager was genuinely begging her now, Angela suppressed the little mischievous devil inside her and chuckled softly.
"There are still five minutes before official working hours begin."
"The recording equipment hasn't been activated yet, Manager."