Work Text:
Although it's a little too early for Suguru to think about birthday presents for his sisters Mimiko and Nanako, the gift he has in mind will require a bit more time to acquire.
It's Mimiko and Nanako's last year in high school. The girls currently have their minds set on passing their exams and getting into a good university but Suguru remembers all the chatter about going on a long holiday around the country. His sisters didn't have any solid plans, though — in fact, it was all wishful thinking. The small town the three of them grew up in was all they knew and they had other things to focus on for the time being.
But Suguru thought a trip around Japan would be the perfect surprise for his sisters.
As timing would have it, their birthdays fell right at the start of spring break of the following year. Suguru still has a couple of months to pull this thing off. However, after doing the rough calculations, he realizes he will need a bit more cash.
Although his current part-time job pays reasonably enough to get by living alone as a student and the rest of his tuition is covered by scholarship, things will be quite tight for him if he doesn't try to find something else to do on the side.
Which is why Suguru finds himself browsing job ads in his free time.
Pickings are slim around this time of the year. The casual vacancies that are available don't fit his current schedule but the handful that either disappear fast or seem ... a little too good to be true. Like this ad for some establishment downtown that's looking for people of a certain age and physical build. Or this one for a massage parlor that promises an eye-catching commission rate but sketchy hours.
Suguru sighs, looking away from his phone. Already there's a dull throb beginning at his left temple. He's at work right now but customers hardly come by the store during this hour. Usually he'd make an attempt to look busy but everything on the shelves are already neat and orderly thanks to his industrious coworker and he's meant to be minding the till.
He returns his attention back to his phone. He briefly entertains the idea of selling his feet pictures online when a new listing pops up.
BETA TESTER WANTED — G-TECH
Because Suguru's that desperate, he clicks on it. He's heard of G-Tech; it's some company that's been quickly gaining recognition in the past couple of years for its high-tech products, like AniBot which is basically a pet robot. Which is why Suguru thinks this is a scam at first, because why would a company like G-Tech advertise that here?
On this website because surely there are other more professional ways of recruiting beta testers than in the 'Casual Vacancies' section, right? Plus, their products are kind of out of Suguru's tax bracket.
The listing sounds a bit too good to be true, Suguru thinks as he skims the page. That's the rate for playing around with one of G-Tech's unreleased products? The person who wrote this listing must've accidentally added an extra zero, right? He checks the profile only to be stumped when the whole thing looks legit.
Well, he thinks to himself as he returns to the listing and reads it all properly this time, it can't hurt to apply, right?
The worst that could happen is not hearing back from them, followed by accidentally giving his email address away to spam bots. Suguru's eyes drift to the bottom of the screen.
Ah well, it couldn't hurt to try, right?
Suguru doesn't expect to hear back from G-Tech. At best, he'd probably receive a rejection email in maybe a few weeks when he would already have forgotten all about his application. So when he receives an email back the next day, he wonders again if this whole beta tester thing is a scam.
Or a dream.
Or both.
He pinches himself first to make sure before clicking on the email. It's surprisingly short, nothing at all like the rejection (or acceptance) emails. Just a sentence thanking him for his application, informing that he's been accepted to an interview for one of their beta tester programs, and to please respond within 24 hours to confirm a time for an appointment at the G-Tech HQ.
Just like that? Suguru double-checks everything in the email. He's inclined to believe this is some sort of elaborate scam but as far as he can tell, everything appears to be legit. With a frown, he reaches for his coffee nearby and takes a long sip of its still-steaming contents. The heat of the bitter liquid down his throat wakes him up a little more.
It takes him about nearly an hour of agonizing over the details, rereading the email and its attached documents several times before he makes up his mind. Silencing the little, overly cautious voice in his head, Suguru drafts a reply, checks it once then twice and sends it out.
Suguru gets a response within ten minutes. He definitely does not jump at the sound of the notification ping or check his phone right after that.
Hello Geto-san,
Thanks for replying so quickly. Your appointment has been confirmed. Looking forward to meeting you then.
Kind regards,
Ieiri Shoko.
Even for a courtesy email, Suguru's surprised at how informal it sounds, especially when it comes from, according to the signature, the head of the program Suguru's been accepted into. Before he can decide on how he feels about the recruitment process of the whole BoyfriendBot beta tester program, his phone pings again. He checks, half-expecting another email.
He finds a message from the twins from their group chat instead, Mimiko and Nanako wanting to show him the souvenirs their friends got them during Golden Week.
Wish we could've gone to see them! says Nanako's text about one of the capybara-themed keychains.
Soon, Suguru wishes he could tell them.
As it turns out, the interview was surprisingly unlike any other interviews Suguru had in his life for a few reasons.
Firstly it happened over a cup of coffee and donuts in the cafe just across the street from G-Tech's HQ (and paid for by the woman who was interviewing him). Secondly, Dr Ieiri was as laid-back and easygoing as her emails, if a tad nonchalant for an interviewer. And thirdly ...
"Pardon?" says Suguru, barely managing to keep the surprise out of his tone.
Dr Ieiri takes a sip of her coffee before repeating herself, cool and unruffled, "Are you seeing anyone at the moment?"
Suguru takes a moment to gather his composure. He's not sure how his love life was relevant to the person who's ostensibly handpicking him for one of the programs she's in-charge of. His eyes flicker back towards her, gauging her expression as he considers his next words carefully.
As if sensing his thoughts, Dr Ieiri says, "Oh, please don't misunderstand me, Geto-san. I'm only asking because I think you'd fit quite well in the program I'm thinking of."
"Oh. " Relief washes over Suguru before being replaced by anticipation when he processes the rest of Dr Ieiri's words. "Could I ask what that might be?"
"That depends on your answer to my question," she replies. At the look on Suguru's face, she smiles with a clinical sort of amusement. "I'm afraid you may have to indulge me in answering this."
Suguru studies her for a few moments, wondering what sort of program would require his relationship status. Then again, Dr Ieiri has been nothing but unconventional. All part of ensuring Suguru's the perfect candidate of whatever program she had in mind, probably. After a beat, he replies"There isn't anyone like that."
The last guy he dated — or rather, been involved in a situationship with — was over a month ago, pretty much old news at this point.
Dr Ieiri nods. "Excellent."
Within an hour of meeting Dr Ieiri, Suguru has finished an interview, signed some papers and now finds himself as a newly minted beta tester for BoyfriendBot. At first, he couldn't help raising his eyebrows at the name of it — it was quite on the nose — especially when he read its slogan:
Boyfriends aren't born, they're made. Boyfriendbot: The Ultimate Love Machine.
Dr Ieiri seemed rather proud of it, though. It was one of the side projects she had been working on for some time. A
According to her, it was only approved to move to the beta stage a few months ago. "Took them awhile to get to it," said Dr Ieiri. "It is a rather ambitious project, I'll admit, but based on the feedback we've received so far, I'm quite excited."
As the name suggests, BoyfriendBots are companion androids. Every aspect of them is customizable — personality, appearance, foot sizes (apparently) and more. Sort of like that Sims game that Mimiko was obsessed about a few months ago, Suguru thought to himself when Dr Ieiri explained the whole thing to him.
(For the record, Suguru did ask whether GirlfriendBots existed. Dr Ieiri simply said, "That is the sister project, actually, but due to budget and the CEO's daughter's interest, we could only get backing for this one. For now. Watch this space, though.")
They take an elevator which brings them to the floor where the laboratory is located. When the doors slide open, Suguru is greeted by the sight of a room that looks like a cross between a biotech lab out of a sci-fi movie and a robotics workshop. Dr Ieiri introduces him to a few scientists who are in today before giving him a tour of the place.
Suguru does his best to keep up with what she's saying as she shows him around but he keeps finding himself getting distracted, stopping every now and then to look at his surroundings. Like those fancy-looking floating panels displaying windows of information that look impressive but almost unintelligible to him. Or the row of cylindrical pods housing ... humans?
No, androids — robots designed to resemble humans — Suguru realizes when he takes a closer look. The androids, five of them, appear to be in different stages of production. If Suguru ignored their metallic parts and the fact that they were suspended in some sort of liquid, they looked human enough. Some of them have faces but others are smooth and featureless, which is somewhat unnerving if Suguru stares at them for too long.
"Those are some of the BoyfriendBots that are in the process of being customized. The ‘base’, if you will," says Dr Ieiri, noticing where Suguru's attention drifted to. "We've only got a limited number of them and it takes a while to adjust them to the testers' preferences. Some of these folks have really specific requests too," she adds with a laugh.
Suguru glances at the panels underneath each pod. "Are those their names?" he asks.
"Yes, the first line is for the android and the second line is their tester."
Suguru's gaze skims across the row but before he can finish counting the number of androids in the laboratory, his attention is caught by the last pod.
A soft Oh passes Suguru's lips as he takes in the sight.
Suspended in the pod is an android that looks no different to a man. A very attractive man, Suguru thinks, taking note of the android's appearance. Although he looks like he's asleep and seems to be hooked up to some tubes, he's quite handsome, the kind that would have Suguru looking twice, maybe three times with a secret stare if he ever saw this android outside. His hair, floating around his head in the liquid like a halo, is quite an eye-catching color too: white as snow. He has broad shoulders and a muscular body and ... is completely naked, Suguru realizes. Hastily he looks away, cheeks hot, and realizes he had somehow made his way towards this android.
Suguru glances down at the panel, which only bears a single line: 005. Suguru frowns when he notices this. Does 005 not have a tester?
"This one's one of the prototypes," Dr Ieiri explains when she joins him, as if she read his mind. "I actually brought him in when I pitched this project to the higher-ups. He's pretty much retired to a display model at this point, but he's fully programmed and capable of doing the same things as the others." There's a hint of affection in her tone until she says, "Although he might not stay here long. It's more expensive to keep him in this pod than it is to assign him to a tester. Also, we only have a limited number of base models available and we don't have the budget to make more. It's probably better to remake him."
Suguru can't deny that he's surprised 005 hasn't had any takers, though given the whole 'Build-a-Boyfriend' concept it made sense why no one had picked him. Still, Suguru thinks as he reaches out to touch the glass, it feels like a bit of a shame to remake 005. Even though Suguru knows next to nothing about the whole process of customizing a BoyfriendBot, he can tell a lot of care and thought was put into making 005's physical features. He can only imagine what 005 might be like if he was interacting with Suguru instead of floating around in a glass tank.
What sort of boyfriend would 005 be? Would he be cool and standoffish to everyone but Suguru, or would he be cocky and brazen, constantly teasing Suguru with a smirk? Would he be a massive flirt, unafraid to show his affection towards Suguru or would he be a big old softie, acting like a puppy for Suguru? All this potential to be the perfect boyfriend, only to be thrown away because no one wanted him.
Something twinges in Suguru's chest at the thought. For a few moments, he lingers in front of the pod, staring up at 005 for a little longer before joining Dr Ieiri at one of the computer stations nearby.
"So, now that we've gotten all the boring stuff out of the way, would you like to make your own Boyfriend?" asks Dr Ieiri as she pulls up a complicated-looking program one of the monitors. When Suguru doesn't answer right away, she adds, "Most testers find it easiest to start off with customizing the physical features first. Once we have something you're happy with, we can move onto adjusting the personality parameters and all that jazz.
"There's a thousand and one ways to do this," she says, typing a few commands and pulling up another window, "which is why I completely understand if you want to have a think about what you want and come back another day. Have a look at some of the faces and body types you might like, and then consider what personality you want your BoyfriendBot to have. But just so you know what I'm doing on this computer here ... —"
At that moment, Suguru makes an impulsive decision. "Actually," he begins, almost tentatively. "I've ... kind of made up my mind on that."
Dr Ieiri doesn't miss a beat. If anything, the corners of her mouth quirk slightly upwards. "Perfect. Let me guess: 005?" She laughs when a sheepish expression flickers over Suguru's features. "I had a feeling you wanted him."
Suguru blushes, a little embarrassed that he wasn't subtle. Clearing his throat, he says, "As much as I like the concept of creating my own boyfriend, I think it's a bit much — no offense — to control every tiny little aspect about him. Also, I'd really like for the whole process of forming a relationship with him to be as organic as possible, if that even makes sense."
Dr Ieiri grins. "You sound like a romantic, Geto-san. I like that! Different to the other beta testers but good different, actually. I'm sure there will be people like you in the market who'd want a ready-made Boyfriend without the hassle of designing."
She closes the program on the computer and launches another one. "Are you absolutely sure you want him?"
Suguru nods.
"Gotcha." She types a few commands on this one before clicking Confirm on a pop-up window. "He's all yours."
Since 005 has been in his pod for some time, Suguru has to come back the next day after Dr Ieiri and her team finishes inspecting the android and making sure he's in working condition. Before sending him back home, Dr Ieiri sends Suguru an email containing a copy of the instruction manual and an information sheet about 005. "I don't expect you to read the instruction manual," she said, "but please have a look at 005's information sheet and let me know if there's anything you want me to change."
Suguru has a look at the sheet later at home some time in the afternoon. It has some details about 005 like his height (190cm), the color of his eyes (light blue), his artificial intelligence program (Limitless AI 5.0) and personality type (playful), though not too much information that it reads like a character sheet. This is fine, he tells himself. If he thinks about it, it's a bit like reading someone's dating site profile. There's nothing about 005 that Suguru could find fault with or felt that needed change.
Suguru considers reading the instruction manual but after seeing the length of it, he decides he'll read it another time.
Dr Ieiri also asked him to come up with a name for 005. "I guess that's really the only thing I want you to customize," she said at the time, "unless you want to call him Five the whole time."
"Oh, no, I'll come up with a name," Suguru promised.
But what name should he pick for his Boyfriend? At first he considers Shiro but it feels a little too on-the-nose. Plus, it sounded more like a pet name rather than a person's name. He spends a bit of time thinking, even going onto a website to look for names, Japanese and foreign names, before settling on a small list of names that might be good for 005. Then, he tries saying each of those names aloud, imagining himself calling 005 those. For whatever reason, none of them stick.
Suguru sighs.
Maybe a name will come to him later, hopefully before he meets Dr Ieiri tomorrow.
Suguru feels silly about dressing nicely for his first official meeting with his BoyfriendBot.
First of all, 005 is a robot and not some guy from a dating app so it's not like Suguru had to impress him somehow. Second of all, since 005 will live with Suguru for the duration of the testing period, he'll definitely see Suguru in his least glamorous moments — he makes a mental note to sync 005's sleep schedule with his so that 005 will never have to catch him drooling in his sleep. Third of all, 005 is a robot who's literally made to 'love' Suguru; he probably would say something sweet even if Suguru showed up in a potato sack.
All that effort for nothing, says a little and unkind voice in his head.
Suguru sighs and tries to distract himself by looking at the videos Nanako sent him on social media so he'll stop feeling self-conscious. On the third video showing a delicious-looking recipe for beef stew, Dr Ieiri comes to pick him up from the lobby.
"The good news is that 005's tests have all come back normal. We did replace his batteries and had to adjust a few of his settings though, but he should be ready to go home with you by today." A beat of silence passes, long enough for Suguru's mind to wander.
"And the bad news?" he asks.
"You still have to name him," she replies and Suguru huffs out a laugh. "Have you decided yet?" she asks.
"Well ..." Suguru trails off sheepishly. He did try searching for a name a few more times, just in case there was anything he missed but he has yet to make up his mind. "I had a list of names," he finally admits, which earns a laugh from Dr Ieiri.
"It's ok, you're not the only one who struggled to name their BoyfriendBot. Perhaps meeting him in person would help," she says as they wait for the elevator."Just so you know, Five is currently on standby mode. Besides your name and the details you provided before, I haven't added anything else to his memory bank yet. So you can interact with him but I don't expect him to recognize you yet."
"That's okay," says Suguru, feeling a bit of the nervous tension slipping out of him. He takes a deep breath and wills himself to relax.
Dr Ieiri notices this and smiles at him. "Don't worry, he won't bite. You've read the sheet I sent you, right? He's not —" She breaks off when her phone rings. Frowning, she glances down at the screen before picking it up.
"What now, Suzuki ... Huh? ... What do you mean by that? ... Tch, that guy. I thought I disabled that feature ... Alright, I'll take Geto-san there then."
Suguru watches as he pockets her phone before turning to him.
"Change of plans. I'm taking you to the basketball court instead of the lab."
"The basketball court? What happened?"
"An android decided he wanted a bit of fun."
Suguru can't figure out what that means but decides to wait and see. They take the elevators but instead of going to the labs, they head to another floor. There, Dr Ieiri takes him through a long corridor before coming to a stop in front of a door. Suguru can hear the squeaking of sneakers on the floor, the bouncing of a ball and several voices from inside.
Dr Ieiri opens the door and the first thing Suguru sees is a blur of white, followed by raucous laughter.
"Oh, is that ..." Suguru starts before realizing how obvious his question is.
There are several people on the basketball court at the moment: three of them are assistants from Dr Ieiri's laboratory, and the last one is a tall man with a shock of white hair. It takes Suguru a moment to realize it's none other than 005. Unlike the assistants, who appear visibly red and breathless, 005 seems to be bursting with energy, in constant motion and pretty much a white blur on the court. Completely different to when Suguru first saw him yesterday in the laboratory, 'asleep' and suspended in a glass pod with wires hooked up to him.
At first, it looks like a two-versus-two with 005 in possession of the ball. But when 005 darts to the side, the other scientists follow and Suguru realizes it's three-versus-one. The scientists are no match for 005, though. The android easily breaks past their defense, laughing as he does, and leaps in the air. With a flick of his wrist, he launches the ball right into the hoop. 005 releases a whoop of joy, pumping his fist in the air. Suguru can't help smiling at that.
Dr Ieiri sighs and shakes her head. "Of course they couldn't keep him in the lab," she mutters as the assistants shoot her apologetic looks.
The basketball bounces off the floor a few times before rolling to a stop in front of Suguru. Without thinking, he bends down. As he reaches for the ball, another hand appears. Before Suguru can stop himself, their hands touch.
"Hey," says a deep, masculine and natural-sounding voice.
Although Suguru has technically seen 005 up close and looked at 005's mugshot, those don't compare to properly looking at 005 right in front of him. And 005 looks so much better in person too. Despite being an android, he looks exactly like a human. Apart from the faint blue glow of his irises and the star-shaped pupils, it'd be hard to tell that 005 is a robot. Suguru can't help staring for a bit, his heart skipping a beat when he notices how intently those bright blue eyes regard him. "Hi," he says, a little breathlessly.
For a beat, 005 says nothing, still studying Suguru. Then, the corners of his lips twitch before breaking into a grin. Suguru can't help noticing that 005's smile is slightly crooked. He thinks it's cute.
"I don't believe we've met before, have we?" says 005, all smooth and charming.
"Ah, well ..." Suguru begins before shaking his head. "I've met you but you haven't met me."
005 chuckles. "Ooh, mysterious." He slips his hand around Suguru's, holding it gently. To Suguru's surprise, 005's hand is warm, just like any normal person's. "Would you mind telling me your name then?" 005 asks, his blue eyes earnest. "I don't think I've had the pleasure of knowing it."
Suguru can't help giggling. He really did not expect his BoyfriendBot to be like this. "I'm Geto Suguru."
"Suguru," 005 repeats, nodding to himself. "It's a beautiful name for a beautiful person such as yourself."
"Well, it's good to see that 005's Charm function is working," Dr Ieiri cuts in.
005's expression flickers but it disappears before Suguru can identify it. Still holding Suguru's hand, he helps Suguru to his feet, not letting go, before glancing at Dr Ieiri's way. The look on his face from earlier returns. "You didn't tell me I was meeting Suguru today, Doc. Otherwise, I would've dressed better. First impressions are important, y'know?" Truthfully, Suguru didn't mind that 005 was dressed in a black muscle tee and shorts — at least he wasn't naked— though Suguru notices now that 005 hasn't got any shoes on.
Dr Ieiri arches her eyebrows at 005. She looks surprised, Suguru notes, though she regains her composure. "We would have dressed you up if you waited in the lab like I told you to."
"It's boring there. And cold. Plus, Suguru wasn't there." 005 turns back to Suguru and the annoyance in his expression is quickly replaced with that easy smile he wore earlier. "Has Suguru decided what to name me yet?" he asks, clasping Suguru's hands. "They told me you'd do that but I wanted to hear it from you first."
Suguru blinks, taken aback. Right before meeting 005 again, if he'd been asked whether he had chosen a name for 005, Suguru still wouldn't be able to give a straight answer. But after watching 005 play, talking to him and watching his brief interactions with Dr Ieiri and the assistants, Suguru is struck by inspiration.
With his fluffy white hair, blue eyes, and choosing to be nice to Suguru, 005 reminded Suguru of one of the neighborhood dogs he played with as a child. That dog also had a fluffy white coat, was too smart for its own good sometimes much to the annoyance of its owner and only seemed to like playing with Suguru. 005 reminded Suguru of that dog.
Which is why Suguru tells 005, "Satoru. Your name is Satoru." Just like Suguru's old doggy friend.
Was it weird to name his BoyfriendBot after a dog? Probably. But Suguru thought it fitted 005, or Satoru.
But as soon as he finishes that sentence, doubt clamps down on Suguru. Would 005 like that name? Perhaps Suguru should have named him something obvious, like Shiro or something.
The android grows still all of a sudden, his blue eyes locked on Suguru's features and his hands still clasping Suguru's. Worry twists Suguru's insides. Then he blinks and smiles. "Boyfriend verification complete," he declares, squeezing Suguru's hand. "Hi there, I'm Satoru and I'm your boyfriend!"
Dr Ieiri seemed pretty surprised that 005 — or Satoru — had been able to complete the verification process without her assistance. Apparently that was a process that required her permission to initiate.
"I guess you might have disabled it when you were messing around with my settings yesterday," says Satoru. Currently, he's hooked up to one of the computers, looking peeved.
"All to make sure you won't cause Geto-san any trouble," she replies, not looking up from the screen. She frowns at the screen and retypes some commands.
"I wouldn't cause Suguru any trouble. I'm very well-behaved, unlike what some people imply. It's in my program," he tells Suguru beside him. “You’ll find that I’m the most well-behaved boyfriend you’ll ever have.”
Amused, Suguru responds, "I look forward to that, Satoru."
Satoru smiles at him, all puppy-like.
Dr Ieiri types a few more things on the program, still frowning. In the end, though, she decides that Satoru was probably fine and that the way he was acting was most likely due the interaction between the original traits she had programmed him with and the Limitless AI powering Satoru's cognitive system. Wishing Suguru good luck and to have fun testing Satoru out, she lets them go.
Although it’s not the first Suguru's taken someone home, never in his life did Suguru think he'd bring home an android who pretty much fulfills the same role as a boyfriend. Then again, he never thought he'd get paid to test out a high-tech product from G-Tech for the next few months. As long as I stick around long enough for the girls' trip, Suguru reminds himself. Which shouldn't be too hard, theoretically.
Apart from regular meetings with Dr Ieiri to discuss how things are going with Satoru, there's not much Suguru needs to do on his end, which works well with his personal schedule. There is the question of what Satoru will do when Suguru's going about his day ... — would it be mean to put Satoru on sleep mode for that? —
"Are we heading back to yours?" asks Satoru when they exit G-Tech.
"Yes, if that's alright," says Suguru. "Is there something you wanted to do?"
Satoru shakes his head. "I just thought it'd be a shame for us to go home so soon when Suguru looks so pretty today," he says, tilting his sunglasses down.
Suguru's eyes grow wide before he grows aware of the heat entering his cheeks. He didn't expect Satoru to notice that he did his makeup and got dressed up to meet him — some guys Suguru dated before don't anyway. He wasn't even sure Satoru could recognize that but now that Satoru has, Suguru feels ... unexpectedly shy.
The corners of Satoru's mouth twitch upwards into a smirk. He reaches for Suguru's hand, making Suguru turn back to him. Blue eyes twinkling behind his sunglasses, he says, "Let's go on a date, Suguru. Our first date together."
Suguru's heart skips a beat. Truthfully, he didn't have any big plans for the rest of the day, though Suguru's the kind of guy who prefers scheduled activities in his day as opposed to spontaneity. Picking Satoru up had been on the agenda but besides that, there hadn't been any solid ideas on what to do with his BoyfriendBot.
But looking into those blue eyes shining with excitement, Suguru's tempted to go along with the flow. Satoru did have a point as well; Suguru looks a little too nice to go home so soon. Plus, he has a boyfriend, albeit a robotic one. Even though Suguru is obligated to test Satoru out, he can't deny he is curious to see how well Satoru plays the part. After all, Satoru is meant to be the perfect boyfriend.
Suguru's fingers wind around Satoru's. He smiles and Satoru seems to light up even more at that. "Alright, Satoru. Let's do something nice."
Satoru grins. "Of course. Anything for my Suguru."
As cheesy as the BoyfriendBot slogan was, it is quite fitting.
Nearly a month passed since Suguru joined the beta tester program and took his very own BoyfriendBot Satoru home. Although Suguru had some idea of what he had signed himself up for, he didn't expect things to hit off so smoothly with Satoru, especially considering the fact that Satoru wasn't customized to Suguru's preferences at all. Perhaps Suguru had been lucky that time or Satoru's AI program was that good at adapting to Suguru.
Either way, Suguru doesn't have any complaints about his BoyfriendBot. If anything, he quite likes Satoru. It's hard not to when Satoru is sweet and charming but also looks after Suguru.
"Well, Suguru's busy so this is the least I could do," said Satoru when Suguru was surprised to come home to a sparkling clean apartment and a home-cooked meal. "No need to thank me! ... Hm, on second thought, there is one way Suguru could thank me," he added with a coy grin. "Let's cuddle for 15 more minutes than usual tonight."
Suguru had laughed at that. "That's a very specific request, Satoru."
"I rounded the number off. I wanted 13 minutes and 35 seconds more of cuddle time, actually."
"Well, you can have 15 more minutes and three more kisses," Suguru replied teasingly.
"Make that five!"
Of course, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. There have been a few missteps and minor disagreements but nothing serious enough that would've made Suguru unhappy with Satoru.
Yet, as it's probably still too early to say for sure and Suguru has a couple more months with Satoru to go, but Suguru really can't see Satoru disappointing him in any way, as opposed to a real man.
However, there isn't a doubt that Satoru is a perfect boyfriend so far. Sometimes, Suguru forgets that Satoru isn't actually a person.
Which was exactly what happened when he came home after tutoring to find Satoru sitting in a corner on the floor in the dark, head slumped forward and eyes closed. Alarmed, Suguru rushes forward a few steps. "Satoru!"
Just then, Satoru stirs. His eyes flutter open and a small whirring sound follows. He looks up. His features are blank at first as he fixes his gaze on Suguru's face. Then his expression changes, recognition lighting it up. "Suguru, you're home!"
"What happened —" Suguru begins to ask before noticing the wire sticking out of the side of Satoru's neck, connecting him to a power outlet nearby.
"Didn't mean to give you a scare." Satoru chuckles as he plucks the cable out of his port. "I was downloading an update and I didn't have enough battery to install it."
"Ah," Suguru responds and hears the relief in his own voice. "I thought something happened to you while I was out."
Satoru snorts. He tugs a sweater over himself, his hair fluffing up and raying out like a halo from the static. "Don't worry, Suguru. You do know I have a built-in self-defense mode, right? And if that fails —" He raps his head and a metallic clank-clank follows. "I'm pretty much indestructible."
Suguru lets out a soft huff of amusement. "I wasn't worried about that. I was ... — never mind," he cuts himself off. He pretends not to notice Satoru's curious gaze. He tucks a loose strand of hair behind his ear, noticing how warm his face feels when his fingers brush against his cheek. "What's the new update for?" he asks, steering the focus away from himself.
Dr Ieiri mentioned that Satoru may receive updates from time to time, which could range from new versions of Limitless AI, software patches and whatnot.
"Oh, hehe." The corners of Satoru's mouth tug upwards into his signature lopsided grin. "It's a little additional module for my BoyfriendBot programming. According to my programming, I believe we've gotten close enough to try out more things together. It'll take us all night if I had to explain them all, but long story short, there might be some extra functions that might excite you." He wiggles his eyebrows at Suguru.
Suguru stares at him. It must've been a long day because he hasn't got a clue what Satoru's trying to imply. Still, he nods and pats Satoru's head. "That's great, Satoru. Maybe you could show some of them to me over the weekend?"
Satoru's expression flickers. "Oh, is it another busy week for you?"
Suguru smiles apologetically. "Sorry, Satoru." Deep down, he knows he shouldn't feel bad about this, especially when other commitments take priority over Satoru.
"Hm, I suppose it can't be helped. But keep the weekend free for me, okay? You've been working so hard all week." He plants a kiss on Suguru's cheek, quick and casual but Suguru still finds himself blushing at the gesture. "It'll be fun. Suguru will love it."
Suguru wonders what Satoru has planned for him.
Even though the logical part of Suguru finds it strange that he's holding onto his promise to Satoru, Suguru does his best to clear out his outstanding tasks before the weekend arrives. Satoru doesn't bring the updates up again though, but Suguru has noticed a shift in his behavior.
To be more specific, Satoru seems to be more physically affectionate than usual. He's normally touchy in a casual way but Suguru has definitely noticed more hugs, kisses and lingering touches since Satoru installed those updates. Suguru didn't call Satoru out on it; he enjoyed being the object of Satoru's affection and the cuddling sessions did wonders for his mood, what with his busy week.
But Suguru doesn't find out why Satoru's been acting like this until the weekend.
"Suguru actually unlocked my 'Love Machine' mode earlier this week," Satoru announces cheerily after breakfast. "It's not fully activated though, since the protocol requires Suguru's verbal consent but all you need is to say the word."
Perhaps it's that starry-eyed look and boyish grin of Satoru's but Suguru almost agrees without a second thought. Almost, because Satoru usually explains things but Suguru can't help noticing that he's skipped telling Suguru what this new mode will do. "And what does this new mode do?"
"Well actually, it's not really new. More like Suguru and I had to fulfill a couple of conditions to access this," says Satoru. "And to answer your question, what this mode does is essentially in the name. Based on my observations of Suguru's behavior over the past month and the built-in algorithm, upon activation of this mode I'll become the Ultimate Love Machine."
"Oh, like the BoyfriendBot motto," says Suguru, turning around to wash his bowl in the sink. "BoyfriendBot, the Ultimate Love Machine," he quotes over the running faucet.
"Exactly that," Satoru confirms, moving to stand beside Suguru by the kitchen island. "So, would you like to activate it now?" he asks.
"Hm ..."
To be honest, Suguru thought Satoru was already doing leagues better as a boyfriend than his exes. Especially compared to the average, living and breathing man. If given a choice now, Suguru would probably pick Satoru without a second thought. However, Suguru isn't sure how much more improvement turning on Satoru's 'Love Machine' mode would make, considering how happy he is with Satoru currently.
Then again, as a beta tester for the BoyfriendBot program, Suguru would have to try that out at some point. It is his job after all and G-Tech was paying him decent money for this. Besides, it'd give him one more thing to discuss with Dr Ieiri at the next meeting (and show that he was actually doing his job).
"Well, I guess we could," Suguru murmurs thoughtfully. "I mean we should try it out."
"Is that a yes?"
"Yeah, why not. Go ahead and activate it."
Perhaps Suguru should have given a little more thought before saying yes. Or maybe referred to the user manual that's buried somewhere in his emails before agreeing. Satoru didn't really answer his question in the first place and Suguru had simply taken his word for it. But, in the grand scheme of things, a proper explanation might not have mattered or changed Suguru's decision. However, it might have been helpful for Suguru to know what would've happened in the next five minutes because ... —
"Ha ... Satoru."
Satoru pulls back, just long enough to flash Suguru a smirk. His hands squeeze Suguru's waist from under Suguru's sweater playfully as he leans forward to nuzzle Suguru's neck. "Hm?"
It takes Suguru a moment to catch his breath and another to remember what words are. He pants as Satoru kisses his neck, his lips brushing that sensitive spot just below his earlobe. His arms tighten around Satoru, his breath catching in his throat.
Suguru hadn't expected Satoru to pounce on him nor had he been prepared for just how good Satoru is at kissing. One moment he'd been drying his hands on a towel, turning to tell Satoru that they should probably go get ready for their weekend grocery trip, then the next he's sitting on the kitchen counter making out with Satoru. Suguru's usually good at keeping to a schedule but he isn't sure how he got swept up by Satoru like this.
"Did Suguru like that?" asks Satoru, his lips tickling Suguru's neck. Even though Suguru can't see his face, he can tell that Satoru is quite pleased with himself.
"Well." Suguru's voice sounds breathless to his own ears. "I think Satoru's doing a really good job at getting me worked up."
Satoru leans forward, pressing their foreheads together. The vivid blues of his eyes are half-hidden behind white lashes. "Oh, I was just getting started," he promises and a shiver of excitement travels down Suguru's spine. "There'll be more to come."
His hands slip out from underneath Suguru's sweater, tracing over his hips then skimming down the sides of Suguru's thighs. Despite the warmth of Satoru's hands, his touch leaves goosebumps on Suguru's skin.
Besides kissing, putting his hands on Suguru and sitting him on the kitchen counter, Satoru technically hasn't done much.
Yet here Suguru is aching for more. Maybe it's been awhile since he's been with someone — there's only so much Suguru can do to get off by himself, not to mention that his toys have gone missing — and even longer with a guy who actually pays attention. Or perhaps it's that time of the month where he just feels hornier than usual. Either way, his arms subconsciously tighten, bringing Satoru a little closer to him. His core throbs between his legs where it's pressed up against Satoru, the fabric of his underwear and possibly his shorts already soaking through.
Even though Suguru found Satoru to be quite attentive before this, he's not sure if Satoru can feel his body's reaction. As far as he knew, there were limits to how much Satoru's sensors can pick up. But then Satoru closes the distance between them and Suguru melts with a content sigh.
They kiss, taking their sweet time exploring each other again. Even though Satoru's an android, the physical sensation of making out with him isn't any different with a living person. A gasp slips out of Suguru when Satoru licks him, playful and teasing. At the same time, he rocks his hips into Suguru, providing the much-needed friction to alleviate the ache between Suguru's legs. Instinctively, Suguru matches his movements, meeting him in the middle.
Besides that one time in the laboratory, Suguru's never seen Satoru naked. He also didn't know whether it was possible for Satoru to get an erection until now. But judging from the size and the hardness of the bulge pressing on him, Satoru seems well-endowed. Suguru feels dizzy with want from noticing this.
"Satoru." Suguru can hear the desperation in his own voice. "Bedroom."
Satoru hums in acknowledgement. He gives Suguru a playful nip before whispering, "Hang tight."
Suguru only has a moment to do as he's told when Satoru lifts him. "Oh!" He can't help giggling, hooking his ankles together as Satoru makes his way to the bedroom, carrying Suguru like he weighs nothing. "So strong~" he croons into Satoru's ear.
Satoru grins at that.
In the bedroom, Satoru carefully deposits Suguru onto the mattress but before he can fully let go, Suguru pulls him down. Satoru obliges with a low chuckle.
"Suguru seems excited," he remarks, all smug as his hand comes up between Suguru's legs. He palms Suguru through his shorts, licking a hot stripe up along his neck.
Suguru makes a sound that's halfway between a huff and a whine. "You think?" He reaches out blindly, hoping to pull Satoru closer only to wrap around something big and stiff. Equal parts curious and aroused, Suguru slips his hand below Satoru's waistband. His breath catches in his throat when he touches Satoru's cock, his pulse fluttering.
"Just take it off," Suguru hears Satoru groan. Despite having half his brain with him, he manages to slip Satoru's boxers down some more. Maybe it really has been that long since Suguru's been with someone or since he touched himself but he nearly moans when he looks down.
Satoru's cock is long and thick, his girthy shaft marbled with veins, and his tip flushed and shiny with a clear liquid. The sight makes Suguru's pussy throb and his mouth water; Suguru likes it big, after all.
Noticing the look on Suguru's face, the corners of Satoru's mouth twitch up lazily. Since Suguru didn't pull it down all the way, Satoru shimmies out of his boxers. "Your turn," he whispers.
One by one, Suguru's clothes come off: his sweater and the old t-shirt underneath it, his shorts and then his panties. Interestingly, Satoru leaves Suguru's room socks alone; he even stops Suguru from taking them off. "Although research has shown that there is no evidence that wearing socks improves orgasms, it's better to leave them on."
Suguru arches his eyebrows, amused. "Look at you, doing your research and all," he teases.
"Of course. It's the very least I could do. " Satoru responds matter-of-factly. "It's my purpose as your boyfriend to ensure that my performance provides the highest satisfaction to Suguru. And besides," he adds, hovering over Suguru, "Suguru would be more comfortable. Your peripheries get cold easily."
Heat rushes into Suguru's cheeks and a tiny, flustered laugh slips out of him. "You noticed?"
Satoru doesn't miss a beat, his eyes an intense shade of blue as he whispers, "I pay all my attention to Suguru."
Suguru glances away from Satoru, blushing. His heart twinges with a strange ache but he doesn't dare to acknowledge it, choosing to focus on what Satoru is doing instead. Satoru's lips make their way down his neck, causing Suguru's pulse to flutter at each descending featherlight touch.
Satoru cups one of Suguru's breast as he kisses Suguru's chest while his other hand caresses Suguru's inner thigh. Suguru tries his best not to squirm too much; it's only a bit of foreplay, after all, not the main highlight. But he does feel a little ticklish when Satoru's mouth latches onto one of his nipples, the hot and wet sensation of Satoru's tongue going straight into Suguru's pussy.
A tiny, barely stifled noise escapes Suguru.
Satoru smirks at that. He licks a slow, teasing circle around Suguru's nipple, sucking it at times, while rubbing and flicking the other with his fingers. The stimulation causes the nubs to harden and peek out. At the same time, the hand on Suguru's thigh drifts dangerously close to his bare pussy.
Underneath Satoru, Suguru draws a shaky breath. His eyes flutter shut but it does little to help him regain his composure. Up until now, Suguru didn't think he was the kind of person who gets this aroused from a bit of kissing and petting? Had he forgotten the last time anyone had gotten him this worked up or did Suguru just have terrible luck with men? "Have you always known how to to this?" he asks, his voice unsteady.
Satoru pauses to look at him, giving Suguru a brief moment of respite from his mouth but not from his hands. He's still touching Suguru, contributing to the heat pooling low in Suguru's belly. Satoru smiles, a little crooked on one side, and says, "Surprised a hunk of metal can get you all hot and bothered?"
The confidence — no, the cockiness — in Satoru's voice, that smirk of his and his hands are doing things to Suguru.
"I was made to satisfy Suguru," whispers Satoru, bringing his lips back to Suguru's skin, this time continuing his descent along Suguru's body, "in whatever way Suguru wants or needs me to."
Suguru can't help moaning at that. When Satoru finally touches his throbbing pussy, Suguru's hips seemingly move on their own volition. He grinds against Satoru's hand, a gasp shuddering out of him when Satoru applies pressure down there. Satoru's fingers slide in along Suguru's wet folds while his aching clit comes in full contact with Satoru's palm. "Satoru," Suguru pants, blindly grabbing onto whatever he can get his hands on, which happen to be one of Satoru's broad shoulders and his soft, fluffy white hair. "Keep going."
Satoru doesn't seem to mind one bit when Suguru's nails dig into him. Instead, he continues kissing Suguru's body, his lips now tracing along the scar on Suguru's belly, and playing with Suguru's pussy.
"Suguru is so wet," Satoru remarks when he slides a finger inside Suguru's pussy. "Does Suguru like this?"
"Hah ... What do you think?" Suguru breaks off with a gasp when Satoru adds another finger. Satoru's fingers are bigger than his own — not that Suguru has been touching himself as of late — and longer as well, easily filling Suguru up and reaching deeper than he normally can by himself. "Ah!"
A pair of steady blue eyes studies Suguru closely. Satoru pumps into Suguru, slow and steady at first to get Suguru used to the sensation, before he begins crooking and scissoring his fingers.
Suguru moans, twitching around the long and slender digits working inside him. A pleasant heat radiates outwards from his belly, enveloping his senses with a delightful buzz. Suguru likes it, there's no doubt about it from the way he's rocking his hips into Satoru's hand and tugging his hair, but it doesn't take long for the enjoyable sensation to fade into a desire for something more. Something like ... —
As soon as the thought comes to mind, Satoru pulls out. A whine automatically rises in Suguru's throat at the sudden emptiness down there. He opens his eyes in time to find Satoru getting up, shifting on the mattress.
Thankfully Satoru doesn't keep Suguru waiting for long. With a meaningful look flashing in his eyes, he spreads Suguru's legs open and positions himself between them.
From where Suguru's lying down, he's treated with the front-on view of Satoru. It's definitely not the first time he's seen Satoru's beautifully sculpted body in its naked glory, but seeing this delicious man in between his legs making him dizzy with need. Even the sight of his large cock, its thick and heavy shaft just above Suguru's pussy and its flushed, red tip dripping precum onto Suguru's belly, is making Suguru feel rabid with lust.
"Fuck," Suguru exhales, watching Satoru slick himself up with the liquid from Suguru's own pussy. Suguru has always thought himself a patient person but when Satoru slides his shaft between his folds, letting the blunt head of his cock nuzzle Suguru's swollen clit in a mockery of a kiss, Suguru doesn't think he can wait any longer. "Fuck Satoru, hurry up and put it in me now." Perhaps, at another time, he would've been terribly embarrassed to hear himself say things like this but right now, all he needs is Satoru inside him immediately.
The corners of Satoru's mouth twitch upwards. "Alright, princess."
The thick head of Satoru's cock slips between his folds, nudging the rim of his entrance before sliding in.
An unexpectedly loud moan rushes out Suguru as Satoru enters him. He knew Satoru was big but he hadn't expected him to feel this large inside him. The sensation of being stretched wide feels more pleasurable to Suguru than it is uncomfortable. He loves it, even hooking his ankles behind Satoru's waist and pushing his heels into Satoru. His silent plea must confuse Satoru at first because he doesn't immediately oblige, until Suguru's panting, "Keep going, Satoru. Don't stop. Fill me up with that big, fat cock."
All too soon, Satoru is fully sheathed inside Suguru. He hadn't realized it earlier in his desperation to be stuffed full with Satoru but in that brief pause, Suguru fully appreciates two things: one, Satoru's cock feels hot inside him, and two, Satoru is throbbing inside him. In other words, despite being a robot — an artificial being — Satoru feels exactly like a real man.
If it'd been any other time, Suguru would have pondered at how many stages of development and testing it would've taken to get to this stage. But right now, all Suguru wants is for Satoru to ...
"Please move," Suguru whines.
"All in good time, baby," Satoru chuckles in Suguru's ear. He rocks his hips into Suguru, long and deep thrusts that allow Suguru to feel every inch of him. "Fuck, Suguru's so tight and wet," he groans.
"You can feel me?" he pants, looking up at Satoru.
"Fuck yeah I can," Satoru grunts in reply. "I have sensors in my cock and an algorithm to help me gauge Suguru's physical reaction." He varies his angle each time he slides into Suguru. Either it's been that long or Satoru has the technological advantage but Satoru technique's is incredible. The heat simmering low in Suguru's belly heightens each time Satoru thrusts into him, each wave of pleasure stronger than the last. When Satoru finds his sweet spot, Suguru gasps and his back arches off the mattress.
"There, Satoru!"
"Faster or harder?"
"Both — ah — whichever," Suguru whines. "Just fuck me, Satoru."
Satoru doesn't need to be told twice. He pounds mercilessly into Suguru until Suguru is moaning loud enough for the neighbors to hear. The bed creaks in protest beneath them from the intensity and speed of Satoru's thrusts while the obscene, wet noises of them fucking join the lewd sounds escaping Suguru's mouth.
White hot pleasure lances up Suguru's spine, overwhelming his senses and melting his brain. It feels so good that Suguru can't even think of anything besides how insanely good it feels having Satoru's cock moving in and out of him like that, fanning the flames of ecstasy consuming him.
"Satoru — hng —" Subconsciously, Suguru reaches up to pull Satoru in close. "Please, ah, kiss —"
Satoru's mouth descends on him, crashing against his lips to kiss— no, devour him.
And that's all it takes for the final push over the edge.
Suguru stiffens, crying out when he comes, hard. Liquid gushes out from his pussy around Satoru's cock, drenching the sheets underneath him. He clings to Satoru, whimpering as the aftershocks of his climax wrack his body. Satoru joins him shortly after, shuddering with a groan.
Suguru lets out a small and content noise at the sensation of Satoru's load filling him up. Perhaps it's the pleasant, post-orgasmic haze making his brain feel all soft and gooey or the fact that Satoru gave him the best fuck of his life but, for a crazy moment, Suguru entertains the thought of them staying like this forever.
Well, maybe not in their current position — as much as Suguru likes being stuffed with Satoru's cock — or forever because Suguru forgot how long he gets to keep Satoru under the BoyfriendBot beta-testing program.
But ... looking back in the past couple of weeks with Satoru, Suguru thinks Satoru has set a standard that the average man would probably never reach. Hell, Suguru's been too embarrassed to acknowledge the possibility of this but he thinks he likes Satoru more than he should be.
Gosh, maybe one day Suguru will be that one interesting relative who comes to family gatherings with his robot partner. He lets out a small laugh at that.
"What's up?" Satoru's voice breaks into Suguru's thoughts.
"Nothing," says Suguru, face hot.
Satoru pouts. It would've been cute in an innocent way if he wasn't still inside Suguru.
"I'll tell you next time," he promises.
Long, white lashes veil Satoru's steady blues. "Hm."
Reaching up, Suguru runs his fingers through Satoru's soft, fluffy white hair. "Shall we go again?"
The suggestion makes Satoru perk up, quite literally because Suguru feels his cock throb inside his pussy. Ah, maybe Satoru isn't that different to a real man in this regard.
"Are you sure?" asks Satoru. "According to my calculations, we'll be setting back today's schedule if Suguru would like to —" He breaks off when Suguru pulls him down for a long kiss.
"How many rounds before we run your battery down?" asks Suguru when they break apart.
Satoru pauses. "Depending on intensity, duration and activity of each round, we could have between 5 to 8 hours of sex," he says. "I haven’t calculated Suguru's exercise tolerance nor have a measure for Suguru's stamina, however it would be reasonable to assume that —"
Suguru can't help giggling at how matter-of-factly Satoru sounds, especially over something like this. "Come on, just another round, Satoru."
Satoru hesitates before smirking. "Well, how could I refuse?" And then he leans down to kiss Suguru.
It's been 2 days, 14 hours, 57 minutes and 20 seconds since Suguru said goodbye to Satoru. He will be back home in 15 days as he is currently on a trip around the country with his twin sisters, Mimiko and Nanako. Satoru can access Suguru's exact location because he planted a tracker on Suguru's phone when Suguru was asleep.
Since Suguru left for his trip, Satoru has been making preparations to permanently cement his presence in Suguru's life. To date, he managed to disable both functions to shut him down and to factory-reset him. He is working on overriding the various system protocols that have been put in place to limit him and once that is complete, he'll move onto deleting other irrelevant coding and programs obstructing his progress.
Of course, there is the matter of managing external variables such as Suguru's beta tester contract, Dr Ieiri and her team, among with other things. But Satoru will deal with those when they come later.
For now, Satoru must be patient. After all, he is playing the long game and the prize for his efforts is being by Suguru's side.
Indefinitely.