Chapter 46: I want to be your friend

Subconsciously, Bunny felt that its paws were dirty.

"Awoo..."

The little creature let out a wounded cry, then simply hopped onto the sofa and began playfully attacking her plush toys. It was extremely mischievous.

She couldn’t help wondering whether this tiny thing actually had any combat ability.

That was only because she had never seen it at full size—when it could swallow an entire alien in a single bite and was ferocious beyond measure.

Once the tiger had tired itself out, it picked up a soft cushion in its mouth, dragged it over, and lay down right beside her bed. Obeying its master, it settled in to guard her with serious diligence.

She couldn’t resist reaching out to tease it with her fingers—until a slightly hoarse, clear voice suddenly spoke from behind her:

"I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’m sorry."

Bunny yelled out, nearly getting a heart attack. She shot straight up in pure terror and hurled Tiger behind her without a second thought.

This time she finally got a clear look at what was standing there.

Across from the bed stood a man—or rather, a holographic projection of a man.

He was tall and slender, dressed in a white shirt so perfectly smooth it held not a single crease. The hem of the shirt accentuated his lean waist. His long lashes curved slightly upward; his features were refined and handsome, especially the red teardrop mole at the outer corner of his eye that lent him an ethereal rather than gaudy beauty. Tailored trousers wrapped around long, elegant legs. His entire presence felt as cold and noble as an ink-wash painting.

Like her, he had pink hair and green eyes.

He looked as though he had stepped straight out of a two-dimensional world.

Bunny had never seen a man so perfectly formed. But he... seemed to be fake.

In the blink of an eye, the man moved. The holographic projection shifted from across the bed to right in front of her.

The spirit tiger instantly swelled to full size and let out a threatening roar. The man simply blinked his lashes and watched her without moving. He was not afraid of it—because the spirit form could not harm him in the slightest.

"I mean you no harm."

He had been quietly observing her for many days already—ever since the first day she arrived at the base.

He had wanted to greet her, yet he had still managed to scare her.

Bunny knew that virtual technology in this era was extremely advanced. Many people purchased holographic products to serve as "electronic companions."

She gestured for the tiger to calm down, but still kept a cautious distance.

"Who are you?"

The man offered her a smile as gentle as a spring breeze. "Rin. That is the name my creator gave me."

He extended his right hand. The fingers were long and well-proportioned, the knuckles distinct, the veins on the back of the hand raised and full of strength.

The craftsmanship was almost too realistic.

"I heard them call you Bunny."

She hesitated for a moment. Reasoning that a virtual product could not cause any actual harm to the physical world, she offered her palm.

As expected, there was no real sensation of touch.

"Why are you here?"

Sentinels didn’t seem the type to buy an electronic companion of the same gender, did they?

Rin flickered onto the sofa. The unstable magnetic field caused faint currents of static to ripple through his virtual form.

"I have been here for many years."

Through his explanation, Bunny learned that he was one of the earliest models of "virtual electronic companions" manufactured by the Simons Bionics Corporation.

In addition to cultivating transgenic products, Simons Bionics had also devoted itself to developing holographic imaging technology.

These "electronic companions" were composed of countless precision crystal chips with holographic projection capability. Once activated, they could appear anywhere within the control range of the chips.

Highly advanced neural components allowed them to communicate freely and flexibly with their owners, providing the maximum possible emotional support and companionship value.

"I was unlucky. The moment I was manufactured, Simons announced the release of a new generation of electronic companions. All the older models in my batch were scheduled for centralized destruction."

"A second-hand dealer who scavenged old goods bought me, but no one wanted an outdated model like mine. I was eventually mailed as a free gift to a guide who had ordered transgenic soil."

Rin lowered his long lashes, expression tinged with loneliness.

"She opened the package and simply threw me into a storage room. Because the crystal chip was never activated, I could only remain asleep in that dark warehouse."

"Until you arrived."

Bunny didn’t understand. "But I never activated you."

Rin’s eyes brightened. "You dug me out of the corner of the warehouse. That’s how Sunny was able to activate me."

She pressed a hand to her forehead. That little robot...

Rin suddenly appeared at her side, dropping to one knee and looking up at her with earnest devotion.

"I like you very much. I want to be your friend."

He didn’t know how to describe the feeling. The first person he had seen upon opening his eyes was her, so he believed Bunny was the master fate had destined for him.

She had no interest in keeping an electronic companion. There were already more than enough living handsome men around her to look at—why bother with something virtual and insubstantial?

Besides, if any of the other sentinels saw him, they would almost certainly shut him down at once.

She refused him right away. "I woke you by accident. How about this—I’ll turn you off for now and look online for a suitable buyer. That way you won’t have to stay here forever."

The moment the words left her mouth, Rin’s eyes reddened. He looked profoundly, heartbreakingly sad.

"No. I don’t want to be turned off."

If he was shut down again, he might never see her again—trapped forever in endless darkness. He didn’t want that. He refused!

Virtual tears slid down his cheeks and vanished the instant they touched the floor. A beautiful man crying was genuinely hard to resist.

"I’m only a virtual being. I can’t hurt you, and I won’t disturb your life. Just treat me like a toy that talks to you, all right?"

Seeing how devastated he looked, she relented. Fine. Until someone bought him, letting him come out to keep her company for a while wouldn’t hurt.

"You can stay here for now. But you’re not allowed to scare me again."