The afternoon sun casts a muted glow across my minimalist office. A space defined by greys and practicality, a bit rough around the edges with a broken sofa and mismatched chairs. My style, as always, leans towards the unconventional: messy dark hair, glasses perched on my nose, a simple grey shirt paired with comfortable black pants and sandals. My red-and-black square-patterned blazers hang neatly on the rack near the door, a splash of boldness in the otherwise subdued room. The classic metal desk dominates the space, my laptop sitting atop it, displaying the half-finished commission that's been demanding my attention.

  Rapima is in the kitchen, preparing tea and cookies. She's wearing one of my oversized t-shirts, nothing else. The upperwear itself is long enough to cover most of her, reaching her thighs.

  A brief knock announces a visitor. "Come in," I call out.

  The door opens, and Momo steps in. Her pink twintails bounce with her movement, and she sports her signature style: a white shirt accented with a large red ribbon at the center of her chest, a round, cute face framed by her pink hair, white gloves on her slender hands, and a dark blue strappy skirt completing the look.

  "Tyl? Your order is complete," she announces, holding up a pink paper bag with "Momo" scrawled in fancy letters. "It's a bit odd, ordering girl's maid clothes. Planning to hire a maid or something?"

  Just then, Rapima emerges from the kitchen, carrying a plate with a jug of tea, two small glasses, and a plate of instant cookies.

  Momo's eyes widen as she takes in Rapima in my oversized t-shirt. A squeal of excitement escapes her lips. "S-so cute!!"

  She rushes forward, helping Rapima place the plate on the desk, then pulls her into a hug, lightly pinching her cheek. "Since when did you get a worker? And she's really ADORABLE!! Where did you get her? And... she's wearing your clothes? That oversized t-shirt makes her even cuter!!" Momo's usual composure vanishes, replaced by unrestrained enthusiasm.

  "She's an... android," I stammer, looking away. "I thought I needed some company, someone to help me around," I add.

  "Oh... but she feels so real," Momo says, her excitement growing as she continues to pinch Rapima's cheek.

  Rapima's face scrunches up, her sensors tingling from the light pinching. "Uweeehhh~ Master~ Help~" she pleads, her expression like a begging cat.

  Momo's squeal intensifies. "Kyaaah!! So CUTE!!" she exclaims, teasing Rapima even more.

  "Ahem," I interject, trying to regain control of the situation. "So... here's the situation..."

  I begin to explain my need for companionship, the burnout from endless Techno-Optimancer tasks, the constant commissions to optimize hardware that companies release with planned obsolescence.

  "They make products that barely last five years," I explain, "while I can make them endure fifteen, depending on the hardware. The overwhelming workload and constant solitude were taking their toll. I was constantly fighting with my own head whenever I get alone. So, I saved up, purchased an android from SA Company, and began tinkering with her before activated her, using my own references."

  "And voila. Rapima," I finish with a brief introduction when pointing at her with my open hand.

  Momo stares at Rapima, disbelief etched on her face. "Weird, this model shouldn't be this soft," she mutters, pinching Rapima's elbow and cheek, tapping her cheek with both palms, eliciting a funny noise from Rapima. "I've done commissions for others with this maid model, but none of them are as unique as this one."

  "Euuueeeehhh~ Masterr~" Rapima surrenders to the playful assault, her sensors overwhelmed.

  Momo scans her intently. "Her sensors respond naturally, not with the usual rigid robotic behavior like I used to know," she observes. Androids, she explains, typically behave predictably, following rules and expressing themselves with limited, blank expressions. Rapima's reactions to touch and interaction are fascinatingly human-like.

  "Is your optimization level this high that you made her sensors react to everything, making her more human-like?" Momo asks.

  "Beats me. I never touched her sensor behavior when I tweaked her," I shrug both my shoulders.

  Momo sighs in disappointment. "Ah, if that's the case, I might commission you after I buy my own android model~"

  I shrug again and chuckle. "I know, right?" I admit my own confusion. Rapima felt different from the moment I brought her to the workshop. "When I embraced her earlier, she felt soft, almost human."

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "But I tend to carry on and try to give her some basic commands such as make me some tea, in which she obeys obediently," I add. "However, she needs some training like, how to dress up, etc. Given that I only can provide her my clothes, as the stingy company won't give her starter clothes. I've been helping her by teaching her how to make tea, while I got some plenty of instant cookies and cake supplies at the kitchen, near the oven. So I asked her for the basic command earlier for training: a couple of tea and cookies, before you came."

  Momo, having finished her playful interaction with Rapima, reaches for the pink paper bag on my desk, revealing a cute, pastel purple outfit. "Here you are. The maid outfit! Coming in four sets, as requested!"

  It's a pastel purple maid dress with a white apron, short, slightly puffy sleeves, and a frilly skirt. Two large purple bows adorn the sides of the skirt, and white frilly bloomers, pastel purple thigh-high socks, and matching purple shoes complete the ensemble, along with a white frilly headband.

  Momo gives Rapima a smirky look, walking towards me and nudging my shoulder twice. I understand her silent request to dress Rapima up. I sigh and point towards the kitchen area, where another door leads to the living room and the two rooms: my room and the workshop.

  "The room on the left, my room, feel free to use it, she's all yours. And Rapima, follow Momo's lead, you have my permission," I say warmly.

  "B-but Master-" Rapima stammers, looking adorably terrified of further pinches and pokes. Her sensors feel like they're screaming from the ticklish sensation.

  "Hee-hee~ you will be mine for thirty minutes now~" Momo grins teasingly, pushing Rapima towards the room.

  "Ueeeh~" Rapima pleads helplessly, her innocent face begging for reprieve.

  Momo's excitement bubbles over. "Yay!" She rushes towards Rapima, guiding her into the room with one set of maid clothes.

  I can't help but chuckle. I know Momo, my friend who specializes in unique clothing designs. She even creates extraordinary suits like rubber clothes and anti-knife protection, and she does it flawlessly. I'm eager to see Rapima in the maid outfit.

  ...

  Inside my room, Momo whistles softly, then teases Rapima. "Okay, let's see... lift your hand, I'll help you with the clothes."

  Instead of raising her hand, Rapima simply begins to remove her t-shirt, just as a human would.

  Momo's eyebrows lift in surprise. "Huh. So you can disobey basic commands?" She stares at Rapima, astonished, as Rapima slowly takes off the oversized shirt, covering her chest and lower body with her arms.

  "Hmm?" Rapima tilts her head innocently.

  "I mean... androids aren't supposed to naturally disobey commands like lifting a hand, even if they can do it themselves. But... you're different."

  Androids here, by the SA Company, typically prioritize their user's commands, especially the new ones. They undergo training before acting independently, and commands take precedence over self-initiated actions. Momo, having designed outfits for many android models, finds this fascinating.

  "This Tyl sure did a good job tinkering with you, huh?" Momo places a hand on her waist, poking Rapima's cheek with the other.

  "Is Master... that amazing?"

  Momo smiles proudly. "Hoho, in case you don't know, he..."

  Momo begins to help Rapima dress in the light purple maid outfit, all the while talking about me, about how I am this Techno-Optimancer who helps people by optimizing their hardware. Rapima obediently follows Momo's instructions, and Momo is consistently surprised by how quickly Rapima learns.

  Soon, they both emerge from the room. Rapima walks shyly, her hand still covering her underbelly, guided by Momo.

  "Ta-raaah! Your adorable maid in her suit, coming up!" Momo announces.

  My jaw drops. My eyes widen. I nearly spill the tea I'm drinking. The sight of Rapima in her complete maid outfit is pretty and super adorable, a perfect fit. Momo's skill is astonishing; with just a few descriptions, she created a masterpiece.

  "Heey, are you alright? Are you awake?" Momo waves a hand in front of my face as I stare at Rapima, who looks away, her face adorably embarrassed.

  "U-uh... I think I just saw an angel..." I shake my head and walk towards Rapima, petting her head. "It suits you well."

  Rapima leans into my hand, lowering her head. "Thank you, Master Tyl... for the suit. Rapima is happy..." she says, her eyes closed, a wide smile on her face.

  I feel a strange warmth spreading through my chest.

  "Ngg, Masterrr~" Rapima seems a bit overwhelmed by the head pat.

  "Anyways, let me explain," Momo says. "Her dress is made from soft, breathable fabrics like cotton or linen for comfort and movement. There are fancier fabrics like silk or satin for accents, like ribbons or bows, for elegance. And lightweight, flexible materials like a high-tech synthetic blend for durability and stretch. It will suit her maid's needs. And the price will be..." Momo pulls a price tag from her pocket. "780 Silv!" (Silv is the currency of Uran)

  "That's a reasonable price for such a well-made dress," I reply, grabbing my classic touchscreen cellphone. I transfer the payment to her account. "Thank you."

  Momo's smile widens. "Thank you for doing business with me as usual, and I had fun! I should visit again to..." She winks at Rapima before continuing, "...play with your adorable maid~!" She pinches Rapima's cheek again.

  I sigh, but a chuckle escapes me. "Do what you wish."

  Then, Momo's smile becomes firm as she glances at her cellphone. "Ah, I need to go. I still have things to send!"

  "Alright, I'll reach out if anything comes up, or when I need more costumes."

  Momo grins at me before I walk her to the front door, Rapima following, having been cutely spinning around in her outfit.

  "Bye, Pima-chan! We shall meet again~!" Momo waves sweetly.

  "Y-you too, Momo..." Rapima bows shyly.

  Rapima and I watch her leave, then close the door and return to the desk.

  ...

  End of Chapter 01.