Beneath a sky alive with green auroras, a lone wooden house stood atop a snow‑covered mountain. A handsome young man in a white hanbok rode a golden horse, a silver blade resting at his side. He dismounted, passed through the towering gate, and entered a courtyard littered with fallen soldiers in broken armor. With deliberate calm, he drew his sword.
From the burning house emerged a giant warrior clad in crimson armor, a glaive in hand. In his other fist, he dragged a woman by her pink hair—her emerald eyes gleaming even through the terror.
"You want her?" the giant roared, dropping her to the ground. "She belongs to me!"
"Princess Okhanta, wait for me!" the young man cried.
"It's Atlanta!" she shouted back, only to be struck hard across the face.
"Silence! Your voice grates on me," the giant sneered, pointing his glaive in challenge.
"Dong Hyung, take me away!" Atlanta pleaded. The young man lunged forward, his silver sword clashing against the glaive with a thunderous ring that echoed across the heavens.
"I will never let you have her!" Dong Hyung pressed in close, knowing the sword held the advantage at short range. The giant struggled to maneuver his weapon as vultures screamed overhead…
And then, everything paused.
Red glasses were set down on a desk. Yoona rubbed her eyes, ending her early‑morning writing session. She closed her ballphone and placed it beside her notes. Sunlight slipped through the curtains, falling across the face of the android sleeping nearby. The light stirred him awake; his gaze drifted to the holographic calendar.
"December 25, 2069. Winter Festival," the android murmured.
"Yes, Christmas Day," Yoona replied, turning toward him. "Today you'll meet my parents."
He nodded, rising to his feet. "In this condition, I look more like a ghost."
"It'll take special tools to repair the cracks. Glue might hold for now," she said.
He opened the door and descended the stairs.
"Yoona, is that you?" her mother asked, turning from the stove—only to freeze at the sight of the android.
"Good morning," Rose intoned in a flat digital voice. The shock made her mother drop a plate, shattering it.
"Omona!" Yoona gasped. "It's… a Christmas gift, Mom. From the company."
Her father rushed in. "What on earth-" He stopped short at the sight of Rose's fractured face.
"It's second‑hand," Yoona explained quickly. "But I've named him already. Rose."
Her father frowned. "He looks too eerie to be a house robot."
"I'll fix his face with superglue, Dad. He'll shine like new." Yoona tugged Rose along, showing him the house.
"Do you know how to work?" she asked.
Rose tilted his head. "…What does that mean?"
Yoona sighed. "You'll water plants, sweep floors, do laundry. That sort of thing."
"Should I use this?" Rose reached for the sword embedded in his artificial spine.
"No! Definitely not!" Yoona laughed nervously. "Listen, my mom will teach you while I'm out shopping."
Rose raised a hand in greeting to her mother, his expression blank but his gesture polite. Yoona slipped out of the house in her casual outfit.
"Yoona!" her father called after her.
"What?"
"Don't come home after five!"
"Got it!" she answered cheerfully.
A car pulled up outside. The window rolled down to reveal her flamboyant friend Namgi, lips painted pink.
"Hey, girl! Feeling better?"
"Much better." Yoona grinned. "And is this your boyfriend driving?"
"Please! So Hyung doesn't go for pretty boys like me," Namgi teased.
Yoona laughed, and So Hyung smiled shyly at her side. The three of them drove off together, bound for a reunion party.
"Mid‑January, the big concert kicks off!" Namgi exclaimed, goosebumps rising.
"Seoul Stadium holds seventy‑two thousand people," So Hyung added. "They're even building a floating dome for meetings."
"A floating dome?" Yoona blinked.
"Just a corporate hall. Nothing major. But Xu Wen wants to watch his kid perform, so they're hanging it from the stadium roof."
Namgi chuckled. "That boy's a prodigy. Like an emperor reborn."
Yoona smirked. "He's always been arrogant. Fame only made it worse."
So Hyung leaned closer. "By the way… how's your new toy?"
"Rose? He's fine. Probably cleaning the house right now."
Their car pulled up before a newly built mansion.
"Wow, finished just last month," Yoona said, hopping out to snap photos with Namgi.
A steward greeted them at the gate. "Welcome, may I have your names?"
Before they could answer, a rich voice called down from the second floor…
"What a bunch of fuckers; let them in," the steward was told. He stepped aside, and the three friends entered the grand mansion.
Down the staircase came a red‑haired young man: Jinam Cho, known on stage as The Red Devil, one of the prodigies of the group D\8/.
"Oh my god, you're even better looking in person!" Namgi squealed, arms wide for a hug.
"Stop right there. This suit cost a house," Jinam smirked.
So Hyung flushed with embarrassment on Namgi's behalf.
"You've gotten even more arrogant since your fame," Yoona shot back.
"Ha! Are you here to eat or not? By the way, your ex couldn't make it. He's probably busy with someone hotter than you, having sex all day long. Bust 'em flowers, you know what I mean." He chuckled wickedly.
"Hey man, that's too much. Show some respect, will you?" So Hyung snapped as they climbed to the second floor.
"Hm, Tae So Hyung. Clinging to her like a leech. If you want to learn how to be a real man, ask Minjun, her ex. He's got all the tricks: flirting, bedtime skills, and charm. Plenty more."
"I dare you to say that on TV," Yoona retorted.
"For me, on stage and backstage are totally different worlds. I'm bored of being polite to fucking cameras. Anyway, here's the guest lounge. Don't bother taking off your shoes, my housekeepers worth more than your kidneys. Okay?" The red‑haired star swung the door open.
"Make yourselves comfortable. I've got more guests to greet. And Yoona, Namgi, don't open my 1987 bottle or you'll pay for it. I've got something important to tell you later. Maybe small for me, but huge for you two. Guaranteed, one hundred and eighty percent." With that, he left them to sweets and anticipation.
Meanwhile, in a quiet suburban home under falling snow, Rose crouched in the yard, touching the cold soil where wilted plants lay. Beneath his hand he imagined the face of a sleeping woman.
"This house… it's just like the one I told you about," he whispered.
"Rose, what are you doing out here?" Yoona's mother called, opening the door. The vision vanished, leaving only lifeless earth.
"Watering the plants, don't I?" Rose asked.
"Not in winter. Wait for summer. Come come!"
He followed her back inside.
"Honey, what's the temperature now?" she asked her husband.
"Uh… give me a second—"
"12 degrees," Rose answered instantly.
"Wow! This robot is amazing. Daebak, Rose!" Her husband gave a thumbs‑up. Rose scanned her smiling face, tried to mimic it, and cracked his own already fractured features with a brittle snap.
"Oh, Rose! Your face split again," she gasped.
"Perhaps I shouldn't move my mouth so much," he replied.
"You know, talking to you doesn't feel like talking to a robot," she mused. Rose fell silent, storing the words deep inside.
He tried carrying plates, but his grip was too strong, one shattered in his hands. His mother handed him pink bear‑pattern oven mitts. Later, while loading laundry, he shoved his arm into the spinning washer along with the clothes. The joint popped loose, tumbling inside.
POP!
"Uh… you're supposed to toss the clothes in first, then press the button," his father advised gently.
"Affirmative," Rose nodded.
Hours passed. Rose stood before a poster of a superhero, fists on hips. He copied the pose, proud against the backdrop of gleaming floors, polished dishes, and neatly folded laundry. Behind him, Yoona's parents watched with quiet delight.
"Seeing him like this makes me want a son of our own," her mother murmured.
Her husband laughed. "Aren't we too old?! Heheh."
By afternoon, guests began drifting away from the mansion party. Only Yoona and So Hyung remained, waiting for the sharp‑tongued host to return. So Hyung shifted uneasily, then nudged her shoulder.
"I'll be right back, toilet," he muttered.
Yoona stayed behind in the lounge. Cho Jinam appeared.
"Where's your friend?" he asked.
"Namgi's off to another party. Festival season, you know," she replied, leaning back. "What do you want?"
Jinam sighed, reluctant. "Don't call me a liar, but… your company in Incheon is about to be taken over. By robots."
"What kind of conspiracy theory is that?"
"It may sound crazy, but I'm trying to warn you. My father wants to expand his business before getting to council. Problem is, I've cut ties with him."
"You mean Kevin Xu Wen? Man, he is one of the best entrepreneurs."
"Damn it! Everyone thinks I'm like him. I'm not. I'm the opposite."
"You just hate your father, that's all. Listen, I've tried to help you with family issues. Maybe stop being ungrateful. If you're just here to provoke me, I'm leaving." Yoona rose, but Jinam grabbed her arm.
"You'll see soon enough. Think about your future, Eun Hwa. we were friends once. That's why I'm offering you a better solution."
"Friends once. Exactly. You sound like a cartoon villain. Fame's made you an asshole.."
"Stop treating your life like a book. In reality, it will hit you so fucking hard and you'll never see it coming." He stood just as So Hyung returned.
"Hey! You check out my girlfriend or some'?" So Hyung snapped.
"Right on time, both of you suit each other well. Have a nice day and fuck off now." Jinam muttered, patting his shoulder. So Hyung blinked, baffled.
"What was that about?" he asked Yoona.
"Same old nonsense. He even cut ties with his father."
So Hyung nodded. "Maybe he has his reasons. Come on, it's three‑thirty. I'll drive you home."
Yoona arrived at four. Her parents were out shopping, leaving Rose alone. He sat motionless on the sofa until she touched his shoulder.
"Hey, where are Mom and Dad?"
"They went to buy new appliances. They'll return around eight," Rose replied.
"Good. For a second I thought you'd eaten them," she teased.
"…"
She glanced around. "Wow, the place is spotless."
"I cleaned with your mother. She asked me to check if you'd eaten. If not, I should prepare food."
Yoona inspected every corner. "Even the hidden spots are dust‑free. Wait—you can cook now? How did you learn so fast? Show me."
Rose moved to the kitchen. Minutes later, he presented kimchi stew, plated with care.
"Unbelievable… the flavor, the spices—it's exactly like Mom's." Yoona devoured it happily. "Thank you."
Rose bowed slightly.
"You even picked up Japanese manners," she laughed. Then her tone shifted. "If Dr. Takiya isn't dead, why did the news report otherwise?"
"I can't confirm. If he survived, he's hiding."
"Who's after you?"
"If I told you, you might share my fate."
"Then don't. I'm not that nosy." Yoona winked at the reader, then headed upstairs to work on her thesis. "If you get lonely, come to my room."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Yoona stirred awake to find herself slumped before her holographic monitor. Thousands of glowing characters and chemical formulas filled the screen.
"Mmm… what time is it?" she muttered, stretching her arms. Her gaze shifted sideways, only to spot Rose perched high on the bookshelf, legs dangling, absorbed in a book.
"Crap! You scared me!" she exclaimed.
"My apologies. I'll put them back," Rose said calmly. Yoona glanced down: dozens of textbooks lay scattered across the floor.
"How many did you read?"
"Fifty‑seven. Are these the subjects you study?"
"Yes… I'm doing project on mineral water production."
"What type? Calcium, sulfate, fluoride, or carbonate?"
"Has anyone ever told you you ask too many questions?" she teased.
"Apologies."
"It's fine, I'm joking. Chlorinated mineral water, actually. Two hundred more pages to go… eighty‑three left before the deadline."
Rose tilted his head. "Your blood still contains thirty‑four percent residual alcohol. I recommend rest."
"I know, but work is work. You wouldn't understand fatigue." Yoona sighed, forcing herself to type. Rose climbed down, opened his mouth, and extended a cable. He plugged directly into her computer.
"Hey! What are you doing, checking my search history?" she cried. In seconds, Rose scanned her thesis.
"Fifteen sentences overlap with other documents. Why not restructure into bullet points with statistical graphs? Just a suggestion."
Yoona blinked, then smirked mischievously. Heh, kids, don't cheat on your homework.
"I'm going to shower. Rose, keep working on the project If you can fix it, that'd be great."
"You want me to continue?" he asked.
"Mm‑hmm. Go ahead." She slipped quietly out, leaving him to the task. Her grin widened as she bounded into the bathroom.