Rosalie's little car drove into the underground parking lot of the shopping mall and came to a stop in an empty parking space. She then told J1 to get out of the car. At that moment, J1 quickly stepped out of the car and walked around to her side before opening the car door for her.
Rosalie was both surprised and delighted by J1's behavior. She was pleased to see that the humanoid robot she had created herself could be so considerate and imitate a human being so naturally. For a brief moment, she even found herself thinking of him as Julian.
They then got out of the car and walked together toward the elevator. While they were riding up, Rosalie asked J1 to carry her bag. She had deliberately given him the bag containing her phone and other electronic devices because she was worried that they might trigger an alarm when they passed through the security checkpoint. Although J1 had been built with a low-detectability architecture, this would be his first time passing through a security checkpoint, and she could not help feeling a little nervous.
However, they passed through the checkpoint calmly without attracting the slightest suspicion.
Rosalie entered the Shopping Center together with J1. There were several reasons for bringing him there that day. First, she wanted to test J1 by taking him somewhere crowded with people. Second, since Julian would be traveling for a medical training program, she wanted to purchase the things he would need for the trip and prepare everything for him. She also wanted to test J1's security systems in a real-world environment.
Since J1 had exactly the same body measurements as Julian, they could even use his measurements when buying clothes.
First, they went to the food section. Rosalie began selecting the foods Julian usually liked and placing them into the shopping cart. J1 pushed the shopping cart beside her, quietly observing her movements and studying his surroundings. Everything he saw seemed new and fascinating to him.
After that, they moved toward the clothing section, where Rosalie began looking through casual men's clothing.
"Juu… I think this one would be comfortable for casual wear. Do you like it?"
Rosalie picked up a shirt and held it against J1's chest to check the size. J1 looked at her with a calm smile,
"If you like it, we can get it."
"Huh…? It's not for me. It's for you. Well… more precisely, it's for Julian. He'll be traveling for about two months at the end of next month. I want to make sure he has enough clothes with him. It probably won't be convenient for him to go shopping over there. And when he gets busy, he tends to forget to eat, so I'm worried about him. Besides, winter is coming, so I need to pack something warm for him so he doesn't catch a cold."
J1 stared quietly at Rosalie for a moment before slowly nodding.
"Okay… We'll take whatever you choose. For the warm clothes, something lightweight but warm would be more convenient. Since it's for a medical event, should we choose a coat as well?"
Rosalie looked at J1 silently with a pleased smile, impressed by how carefully he considered everything. Although J1 was a robot, the accuracy with which he followed Julian's mannerisms sometimes made it difficult for her to distinguish him from the real man. At times, his responses surprised her more than she expected.
The two of them then selected several shirts, trousers, and formal suits, along with warm clothing for the coming autumn. They also picked out a jacket and about two pairs of shoes.
J1 also used his memories to help select items based on Julian's usual preferences.
….
In the crowded atmosphere of the Food Court on the upper floor of the shopping center, the enticing aromas of various foods mingled together and drifted through the air. Rosalie and J1 sat down at a small round table tucked away near the corner, beside a window.
After walking around and choosing clothes for some time, Rosalie had grown tired. Moreover, since this was the restaurant Julian had always mentioned, she had bought two bowls of his favorite traditional hot noodles.
"Alright… let's eat, Juu."
Rosalie gently pushed one of the bowls of noodles toward J1. J1 lowered his gaze toward the bowl before carefully picking up the chopsticks beside it. Following the ordinary movements of a human being, he grasped some noodles with the chopsticks and gently placed them into his mouth.
J1 had been designed with an advanced flexible tubing system inside his body that allowed him to consume food. Although it did not function exactly like a complete human digestive system, he was capable of receiving and consuming food. However, extremely hot or extremely cold substances could not be directly accepted, as they could potentially damage the internal circuits and flexible tubing system. Fortunately, the noodles were at a moderate temperature, making them perfectly safe for J1 to consume.
As J1 chewed the noodles, a strange little expression appeared on his face. Through the artificial intelligence system inside his body, the taste was immediately analyzed and recorded.
"The flavor isn't too oily. It's slightly salty. But this is exactly the way Julian has always liked his noodles prepared."
J1 spoke with an honest little smile.
Rosalie stared at him in astonishment. The robot she herself had painstakingly created was now capable of eating food like a human, distinguishing different flavors, and even sitting beside her as a companion while having a conversation with her.
After a moment, the noodles felt hot, causing J1 to pause briefly. He then lightly ran his tongue over his lips, imitating the small, natural gesture of a human being. Because the gesture looked so incredibly natural, a warm yet strangely fluttering sensation spread through Rosalie's chest.
Sometimes, she completely forgot that the figure sitting in front of her was a robot she had created herself. There were even moments when she found herself mistaking him for the real Julian, the man she loved, sitting right there in front of her.