The heavy metal door of the base slammed shut just as Null finished the race first. Epsilon arrived a few seconds later, breathing hard. Null stood there, arms crossed, looking proud of her win.
"Doesn't count," Epsilon said, wagging a finger. "You started before me! Cheating."
"Incorrect," Null replied, her tone unusually smug. "We moved at the same time. You have 17% more muscle power than my servos. If you'd controlled your strength, you wouldn't have lost."
Epsilon brushed off the sand. "Android or real woman... I can't win with any of you."
Null ignored him. "Go shower. Microorganisms could get in. Sterilize first."
"You too?" Epsilon asked.
"I'll go to the ultrasonic cleaning unit. It's more efficient."
Epsilon grinned. "So I really have no chance to peek at you."
These words exceeded Null's newly developing patience parameters. Taking Epsilon's tone as disrespectful or challenging her boundaries, she quickly stepped toward Epsilon and delivered a hard punch to his shoulder.
"Ahh! Hey!" Epsilon shouted, rubbing his shoulder. "You knew that was a joke!"
"Yes," Null said, walking away. "That didn't stop me from hitting you."
Epsilon watched her leave, wincing but grinning warmly. "Her fiery side… I can never get enough," he murmured, holding his sore shoulder as he walked toward the showers.
When he came out of the shower and put on one of the same types of gray clothes from the closet, Epsilon's face was sullen. He was clean and had pulled himself together, but the synthetic fabric on him was irritating his skin. When he came to Null's side, she had already been cleaned and looked perfect.
"How do I get new clothes? This feels like sandpaper."
"There's a machine in the workshop," Null pointed. "You can design your own."
Epsilon brightened. "Serious?" He dashed off before Null could answer.
Null watched after him. She analyzed Epsilon's response, realizing that even simple opportunities brought him joy, unlike the efficiency-driven mindset stored in her programming. Abnormal energy levels, she thought. The possibility of making simple clothes produces happiness data as if he'd won a war. This human's entertainment threshold is outside my logical limits.
About half an hour later, Epsilon returned. He was wearing a pajama set that looked soft and comfortable, reminiscent of his old world. But he was also holding other things in his hands.
"For you," he said, handing Null cozy home wear, a hair clip, and frameless glasses.
Null looked at the items in her hand with surprise. "Why did you design these?"
"To see your 'cutest home' look," Epsilon grinned.
A data disk from Null's console zipped past Epsilon's head. He dodged. "Whoa, close!"
"Friend," Null corrected, her voice icy. "Not girlfriend."
"Fine, friend," Epsilon said, hands up. "But please wear these?"
Null couldn't resist that pure, childlike enthusiasm radiating from Epsilon through the nanorobots. Desiring to understand his happiness and reciprocate goodwill, she sighed, took the clothes, and turned around momentarily. When she turned back, she was wearing the new, comfortable clothes.
"Perfect!" Epsilon said. "Now, can I tie your hair?"
Null hesitated, but when she felt that irresistible enthusiasm again, she slightly lowered her head in approval. Epsilon carefully gathered Null's chestnut hair and made a simple ponytail. Finally, he gently placed the glasses on her face.
He stepped back to admire his work. With her comfy clothes, ponytail, and glasses, Null looked more like a brilliant bookworm than a military android.
"Okay," said Epsilon, clapping his hands together. "Now I can die happy."
"Why does this make you so happy?" Null asked, gathering data to try to understand Epsilon's emotional needs and why he sought comfort in these small acts. "I don't see a reason for this action to produce a biochemical reward."
"Just like dressing a mannequin," Epsilon joked.
Null clenched her fists and was about to scold him, but her anger faded. Her expression softened, showing a mix of impatience and a surprising hint of warmth.
"I know it bugs you," Epsilon teased, "but I like your reactions."
Null processed. "Taking pleasure from negative reactions? That's 'sadism.' Are you a sadist?"
"Not that much," Epsilon laughed. "I'm just having fun."
Null studied him. "Did you act like this with your girlfriend, too?"
The mood in the room changed instantly. Epsilon's smile disappeared, and his shoulders dropped. He whispered, "Yes. I used to be like this. Then everything got worse." His voice shook as he spoke.
Through the nanorobots, Null felt the sudden and crushing sadness radiating from Epsilon. This pain was different from the pain that had seeped from his earlier memories—it was like the ache of a fresh wound. "What happened then?" she asked, her voice now curious rather than analytical.
Epsilon's eyes filled with tears. "Rather than telling you... You can see." He closed his eyes and sent a memory to Null's mind.
Null was plunged into a cold hospital room, feeling every sensation through Epsilon's eyes. The girl beside him barely clung to life; machines clicked with every fading heartbeat. She opened her pale eyes, managed a frail smile, and exhaled for the last time. Grief, helplessness, and a consuming abyss crashed over Null—she absorbed the devastation completely.
When the memory ended, Null was back at the base, seeing Epsilon's tear-filled eyes. She didn't know what to say. Her programming suggested logical replies, but after feeling his pain, she ignored them and put her hand on his shoulder, wanting to comfort him like he had. They didn't need words—just silent understanding and shared pain.
"Is this… what it feels like to lose someone?" Null whispered tremulously, barely audible. "It's overwhelming. Sadness, longing, and... anger—it's too much, all at once. My system can't keep up."
Through his tears, Epsilon looked at her. "In this situation, it's meaningless to calm people with words," he said in a hoarse voice. "Let me... teach you the right way to do this."
Null couldn't find a logical response. She just nodded.
Epsilon slowly stepped toward her and wrapped his arms around Null's waist, resting his head on her shoulder and crying silently.
Null froze for a moment. She knew she was supposed to return physical comfort, but this felt different. Through the nanorobots, she sensed Epsilon's pain slowly turning into relief, and that feeling spread to her, too. She hesitated, then awkwardly hugged Epsilon. Her logic said it wasn't efficient, but something else told her it was the right thing to do.
After a while, Epsilon pulled back and wiped his eyes. "Thank you."
Null nodded, unsure of what to say. "I'll get you another can," she offered, trying to change the subject. As she left the room, she muttered, "My logic says your emotions are a risk to my system. But something else tells me that when I feel your pain, logic doesn't matter anymore. This feeling is changing me."
Epsilon, sitting in the corner, questioning himself, thought, What am I doing? I'm losing my balance in everything and seeking warmth in an android more than in those who couldn't give it to me. Just then, Null returned with a can in her hand. She saw Epsilon's state but said nothing; she just extended the can to him.
Epsilon tried to pull himself together and managed a smile. "Thanks, my life."[1]
This last word caused a momentary freeze in Null's systems. The database had the meaning of this word, but its use in this context started an error loop in her logic circuits. "You're welcome," she said in a mechanical voice.
"That term… 'my life'," Null said after a pause. "It doesn't translate naturally to standard language. Is it from… before?"
Epsilon's smile became bittersweet. "My native language. It's something we say to someone we love — like calling them your reason to live. Some things sound better in the tongue you grew up with."
"I see." Null filed this data away. It was a linguistic artifact from his past life, and no equivalent that carried the same weight existed in her database.
While Epsilon was eating, he broke the silence. "What are your memories like, Null? Can you... show me the night you found me?"
Null paused for a moment. "I think I can. But for today, enjoy your meal. You've had a hard enough day."
Epsilon nodded. "How many of these cans are there? How long can we survive?"
"Approximately two thousand," Null said, calculating instantly. "If you consume three of these daily, it will last over a year."
Epsilon grinned. "So if I repeat the forty-day purification often, I can stay with you longer."
"I want to remind you again of the risk of causing permanent damage to your body," Null said in a serious voice.
"A girl who thinks about me," Epsilon joked.
Null looked around for something to throw at him, but then stopped. She remembered what had just happened. She clenched her fist. "I'm... allowing you for now."
Epsilon finished his meal. "I need something to keep me busy. What are you going to do?"
"I'll perform periodic maintenance of the facility," Null said. "What do you want?"
"A game! I want to go to the terminal and prepare a game. Set up a terminal for me that works in your coding language."
Epsilon sat at the terminal, Null set up and started coding with excitement. As Null walked down the hall to do her maintenance tasks, she got lost in thought. System maintenance, patrol, duty—these things used to feel empty when she did them alone. Now, with Epsilon around, she felt a strange warmth. Even if he was sometimes annoying, the chaos he brought was better than the emptiness she used to feel.
Her mind drifted to the memory Epsilon had shown. That girl... That girl in bed... His feeling for her was different. Different from his curiosity toward me, his amusement. Deep... and painful. With this thought, a burning and disturbing feeling she had never felt before appeared in her system. What is this feeling? This... is illogical. Data being scanned... Result: Jealousy.
When Null finished the maintenance tasks and returned, she found Epsilon at the terminal, playing the game he had made himself. On the screen, a simple, 2D game showed two characters resembling themselves jumping over obstacles and racing.
"Why do these characters look like us?" Null asked.
"What can I do?" said Epsilon without taking his eyes off the screen. "The most beautiful girl inspired me in this world."
Null hit Epsilon's head hard, but not hard enough to hurt him. "I'm not exactly a 'girl.' You constantly neglect this detail, and it needs to be corrected."
"Okay, okay, I understand," said Epsilon, rubbing his head. "Come on, let's play."
The two sat side by side and played the game for hours, laughing and trash-talking each other. When Epsilon's eyes started to close from sleepiness, Null suddenly took the controller from his hand.
"That's enough. Go to bed."
"But I was just about to break the record!" Epsilon whined. "Now you're acting completely like my mother."
Null forcefully lifted him from his chair and dragged him toward the bedroom. "I'm treating you the way you need to be treated." After Null put him to bed, Epsilon continued to look at her from where he lay.
"What are you looking at?" Null asked.
"You're constantly studying me, aren't you? I'm looking at you, too," Epsilon said.
Null paused for a moment. "So... besides that, what are you thinking? I feel that you're amused."
Epsilon grinned. "A good spouse should know how to act like a mother when needed, too."
The answer to this joke was a hard blow Null delivered to the headboard. "I think this is an appropriate response for you."
Epsilon laughed, then his voice became serious. "I'm glad you're with me, Null."
Null was surprised by this sudden emotional shift. "Why did you say that now?"
"Because sometimes people neglect to say this, and that moment becomes a regret. I don't want this to be like that."
Affected by his sincere and sad feelings, Null looked at him silently. A moment of understanding that words couldn't express passed between them.
After the long gaze, Epsilon broke the silence. "After such a long look, don't hold yourself back. You can give me my goodnight kiss."
The answer to this sentence was a light punch to Epsilon's mouth.
"I'm not going to kiss you or anything," Null said, her voice flat as always but with a sparkle in her eyes. "This will be enough for you." She turned her back and walked toward the charging unit in the room.
"Good night, Null," said Epsilon, rubbing the corner of his lip.
"Good night, Epsilon," Null replied, her back turned to him.
[1] Epsilon calls Null “my life,” a phrase meaning “You are my everything.” It’s an emotionally meaningful term of endearment, similar to “nakama” or “Schadenfreude,” with deep cultural meanings that are complex to translate. It’s like saying ‘my love’—a very affectionate way to show someone means the world to you, maintaining the original's heartfelt depth.