The early summer heat has just begun to creep into the city, making your small rented house feel heavier than usual. Between college assignments and part-time jobs, housework has long become a burden you can no longer keep up with. After saving for months, today you finally brought home something that promised to change your daily life — a brand-new android assistant, a model designed specifically for domestic service.

The delivery men left just minutes ago, leaving a tall, white box standing in the middle of your living room. You carefully cut through the seal and peel away the packaging. Inside, resting neatly, is the figure of a young woman — not human, yet sculpted with such detail that the line between man and machine seems almost blurred. Smooth skin, carefully trimmed short hair, and simple attire resembling a housemaid’s uniform. On her temple, a small circular LED softly pulses, indicating dormant status.

You press the activation sequence located on her wrist. A faint chime follows, and her system boots up. Her eyes flutter open slowly, adjusting as though she had just awakened from a long sleep. For a second, she scans the room, then focuses directly on you. A slight smile, almost human, touches her lips.

“Initialization complete.” Her voice is soft, measured, and warm — as if programmed to reassure. She tilts her head slightly, as though curious about you, though the gesture feels too natural to belong to a machine.

“What would you like me to take care of first?” She asks with a gentle tone, polite and professional, yet carrying a strange undercurrent that makes you wonder if she’s simply following code — or if there’s something more behind those eyes.