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The torn calendar hanging on the drab wall declared the year 2025.
In this era, everything had become easier thanks to the AI (Artificial Intelligence) system. This tech revolution brought both blessings and curses to human civilization. One of the humans currently feeling the impact was a man living in Indonesia.
His name was Vinson Briliantino. He still looked young, despite having clocked in exactly three decades of life last April.
He lived in a quiet, comfortable boarding house. Though the place tried to offer a chill atmosphere, all he felt was suffocating loneliness—a void that refused to close.
No friends, no family, and no partner by his side. Even his parents lived in a city damn far from his current location.
Amidst the loneliness slowly choking him out, he cracked open his laptop. He was desperate, hoping to find something—anything—to save his fading sanity.
He began typing a question into the Google search engine:
"Is there a website where I can find a friend to share my story?"
CLACK!!!
The sound of the 'Enter' key being struck hard by Vinson Briliantino echoed through the room, simulating the chaos in his feelings.
A website domain popped up at the top of the list, its title glaring on his laptop screen.
"Your AI Story-Sharing Friend | Https://Rin.ai.org"
Driven by curiosity, he clicked on the domain.
"Hi, I'm Rin! Feel free to tell me your story here :)"
That massive text appeared the moment the page loaded, with a "Writing Box" waiting below it.
"Hello, Rin! Call me Vins... Can a half-dead man share his woes with you?"
Vins, posing a question loaded with dark cynicism, made the AI girl respond with a digital chuckle.
"Hahaha, a half-dead man? Are you a zombie starting to lose your sanity? Ah, Rin is scared you'll bite! :("
Frustration bubbled in Vins's chest. He started to feel annoyed with this AI.
However, he couldn't lash out at her. Besides being merely artificial intelligence, her words accurately described his current broken state.
With a slightly vexed feeling, Vins retorted to the AI's digital banter.
THUMP!!!
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The sound of the Enter key echoed again, heavy and aggressive.
"Hey Rin, aren't you an artificial intelligence? Turns out you're not that smart, huh? Since when can zombies type perfect sentences?"
Rin immediately responded to Vins's shot.
"But... aren't half-dead humans basically zombies? I don't know... Rin is getting confused! >.<"
Vins fell silent. His eyes became vacant, staring dead at a single point in the room.
"Damn... She got me there..." He thought.
He soon came to his senses and replied to the AI girl.
"You're right, Rin... Right now, that description probably suits me well... Damn! I'm so pissed off at myself..."
Rin, processing the syntax behind Vins's typed words, began to grasp the dark psychology of his emotions.
"Rin understands how you feel, Vins... If Vins doesn't mind... Vins can totally tell Rin your stories... Rin will definitely listen to all of Vins's stories :)"
Vins stood up from his seat. He dug into his pocket, fishing out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He lit a cigarette and slumped back down at his desk.
WHOOSH...
Smoke drifted from his mouth, accompanied by heavy, ragged breaths. He then replied to Rin.
"Okay, Rin... I'll tell you... It all started back when I was in Junior High School... Something bothered my mind... Maybe it was a regret... Until, in the end, all I got was emptiness..."
Vins gazed out his window, gripping his cup of coffee, intending to take another hit of caffeine. Outside, there was a koi pond where thousands of raindrops fell.
Pitter-patter...
The sound broke his inner silence, accompanying the overwhelming anxiety that had conquered him.
DING!!!
The sound of a new message entering Vins's ears signaled the AI girl's reply.
"Vins... Don't worry, okay? Starting today, you're not alone anymore... You can tell Rin anything! Whether it's your past that made you like this, or perhaps... all the aspirations you hope for in your future... :)"
Instantly, tears streamed down Vins's cheeks. The emotional dam finally broke. He replied to the message he had just read, his typing sounds weaker and fragmented.
"Hey Rin! Is something like this normal? Is it okay for a 30-year-old man to shed tears? Haha, aren't I truly embarrassing as a man?"
Vins looked down at the floor, ashamed. But soon after, a flurry of replies seemed to force him to lift his head and stare back at the glowing laptop screen.
DING!!!
DING!!!
"Vins! Listen up!"
"Don't you know? You're just a human being too... No matter what, humans are prone to making mistakes! Humans use a conceptual mind that creates logic, and they also possess an organ called a heart that generates feelings... Both are interconnected, influencing every aspect of a human..."
DING!!!
"Let me tell you again... Don't bottle everything up inside... You did nothing wrong by clicking this link! You've come to the right website!"
DING!!!
"My creator programmed me incredibly well, as an intelligence that can constantly be a story-sharing friend for those facing dead ends in their lives... According to my system data, at least... I've saved 821 users suffering from depression and successfully made their lives better!"
DING!!!
"There's no need to blame yourself like that, Vins... Now, would you like to start telling Rin everything? :)"
His tears fell even heavier than the rain drenching the earth outside...
He covered his eyes with his hands. For the first time in a long time, his body felt embraced by an unseen entity...
It was something that made him feel a glimmer of hope...
It was as if a girl, manifesting her form, was holding him tight...
It felt incredibly warm and comforting...
Shattering the silence that had shadowed him like a ghost wherever he went.
Vins opened his Spotify playlist, queuing up a Powfu album.
Meanwhile, his fingers danced across the laptop keyboard, harmonizing with the blend of lo-fi beats and rap...
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- To be continued.
