Blending in Part 1

She waved the Symbotic goodbye with two hands, jumping up and down. She turned around to the store in front of her. It was a clothes store. Her goal was to blend in and follow everyone's behavior. She is going to be pretending she is human from here forth. As she entered, she was greeted with a human.

"Welcome." The employee of the store greeted me with a wide smile.

Yui looked at her up and down. There were markings on her face that showed she had a patch of metal. She was about to greet her fellow Robotic when she looked around the store. Multiple people, men, women, children had similar markings, each with different body parts. From prosthetic arms, legs to fingers, each looking different from each other. They kind of looked like her but not at the same time.

"Hello... I'm looking for something to wear. Pretty, colorful and in trend!" Yui declared as she looked around at everyone. "Is everyone here a... Robotic?"

The employee started to walk while looking back at her as if she had grown another head. "Why would a Robotic be here?"

At the admission, Yui blinked as she followed along in a hurry. So, all these were humans? She nodded a little, she thought they would look a little different than them, but she really was the exact replica of a human. The only difference is, they were more colorful than her. Her metallic body and, every robot in the factory were black and white yet here she was seeing different colours. That's why she liked black, and it became her favorite color.

On her way, the light pink knee pad from the girl nearby stood out to her. The girl who had pink aesthetic was short with a pink bob and adorably dressed. Yui almost gushed at how cute humans were.

"Here is the women's section." The employee gestured to the side as Yui started to explore options for her to dress as. She would find some metals on the shelves that she can use to replace her own with colourful ones.

"Ooooh! This must be a fashion trend." So this is how they were making themselves look colorful? Using these replaceable parts. Yui looked at the stuff in curiosity.

"That's right, all of these are fashion trends." A male voice near her ear almost had her jump out. She looked to her side, lifting her head to find a tall, dark haired man with neon green eyes. The liquid inside his eyes would move with each movement. She quickly took a step back as she took him in. His body was divided in parts, sparkly flecks that swirl and reflect calming LED colors on his elbows and fingers. The rest of his body was covered by an all black tech wear. He raised a piercing brow at her, looking at her up and down. "You look like an abomination."

"Is that a compliment!" She smiled hopefully. Is tha how people in the culture compliment each other?

"No, it's an insult." 

Yui looked down to her clothes and back to him, cheeks red as she angrily raised a fist. "That's why I'm here!"

He closed his eyes, a huge grin on his face at her acknowledgement. "As a fashion expert, let me help you."

The man started to search for her outfit to wear, observing them closely then back to her. She stood there following his steps and instructions like the robot that she is. When he tells her to go left, she does. When he tells her to turn, she does. He had a finger under his chin, looking at her amused.

"Go in and wear this." He waited for her, one leg on top of the other as she made a fashion show event.

"Good!"

 Yui came out wearing the new set.

"Amazing!"

Yui came out again, posing.

"No."

Yui pouted, deflated and her shoulders were on the ground, walking back in the closet.

"Now this..." He looked at it with an observant gaze. "You should not wear this one."

Yui sighed as she went back inside and wore another one. She waited for his reaction for the new piece, and he had a placid expression before he rose two thumbs up. She jumped up and down, excitedly, fingers interlocked.

"That's the outfit she will wear." He gestured to the employee as she nodded.

"How would you like to pay?" Yui tilted her head to the side. "Right... I need money to pay..."

"I'll pay for her." He handed his card over as she beckoned. Yui happily ran up to him, standing before him. "Thank you!"

"You welcome, my cute little Robotic." He patted her head and Yui's smile immediately dropped. "How did you know?"

He pulled out his five fingers up. "You didn't ask for my name, you didn't recognize me, you followed my orders like a puppy, you dressed like this because you never had to wear anything before, and you know nothing about the world."

His finger went down with each list and Yui listened to him pointing out her flaws. Yui's lips curved, looking like a kicked puppy. He grinned. "Awe you are more adorable than my Robotic and so much more expressive than any Type C I've seen."

He pulled her by her head, hugging her. "See? You aren't pushing me away... You have a long way to go if you want to deceive everyone." He then flicked her forehead reproachfully, letting her yell out a cry as she held her head. She didn't know what to make off this person. He was very strange!

"If you want to blend with everyone else, you need to introduce yourself because here... Most people know each other... I'm Kaito by the way." He extended his hands out. Yui looked at it then back at him. "That's not the part you should be wary off."

Yui couldn't read him or his personality. She is already struggling to adjust in this place and pace, she hesitantly shook his hands. "I'm Yui."

"Hmm already gave yourself a name. Clever." He ruffled her hair as she fixed the mess he made.

"Although what a robotic like you doing here? You do realize not being with your assigned human becomes a criminal offense and they pull the plug out of you and whoever helped you." Kaito glanced at the employer who returned, and his fingers lightly went to his lips to tell her not to talk as he took his card back, telling her to discard the previous clothes.

"I just moved away from my assigned-"

"Everyone keeps their Type C home." He cut her off from her excuse and she suddenly felt threatened and confused. Does that mean he already knows she is not from here? She can't speak anymore because speaking showed all of her mistakes. When she stayed quiet, he shook his head. "Naive but that is what attracts me to you. I'm guessing you are from the factory... but the moment you left hat facility, you are wanted. It's not yet spread across the city, only people in high society knows there is a robotic missing, but I know it's you. If you want to blend in, pretend to be a sheltered, rich girl whose father never let her leave the house until right now. That's the only way you will survive here without being caught."

"Kaito!" The preppy girl from earlier with the pink aesthetic paused when she saw Yui. “Who is she? Never seen her before”

She pointed accusingly. Kaito came to her rescue immediately. “Rinrin! This is Yui, my childhood friend that I grew up with. Our dads are friends but he never let her leave the house, so we grew apart because of that but I've heard he finally let her out of the house, so we were connecting now.”

Yui glanced at Kaito, mouth slightly hanging. He was such a good liar. He was lying so fast and so quickly, she can only nod along to what he said.

Rinrin looked at her up and down. “She looks… cute.”

Yui beamed at the compliments, but Rinrin looked at her with skepticism. “You are not into her, are you?”

“What if I say I am?” Kaito fired back. Yui looked at them back and forth as there was an electric buzz in between them.

“Whatever, I'll go to Nakamura-sama then.” Rinrin scoffed as she whipped her head, looking away to her phone. At the name, Yui perked up immediately. They knew someone from that family? Or were the names just common? She really needs to stick close to these people regardless!

“You know, he would have been a good option if he did not make me groveling day and night to get medical treatment.” Rinrin rolled her eyes and at the mention of medical, Yui started to believe they might be the correct family she needed to meet. “Come on, we have to go meet him.”

Kaito opened his mouth to say something, but Yui beat them to it. “Can I come with you?”

Kaito stared at her thoughtfully, watching her reaction while Rinrin frowned. “Why would you wa-”

She clutched Kaito's arm, leaning her head on his shoulder as he looked at her in amusement. “I would like to be with Kaito.”

“You learned very fast,” Kaito whispered sarcastically to her, leaning his head down to reach her smaller height.

“I learned from the best.” Yui gave a toothy grin.