Either you or them

The screen of the bracelet that embraces my wrist suddenly lit up and a soft voice like a girl's echoed, repeating "Updating to Personal Julie.. Updating.. Connecting to user Kyran.. Please tap the screen to start the program."

What is all this? Fighters? Torture? A game? Money? Is this some kind of prank? But who would want to involve me in such a silly trick? This is impossible. The last thing I remember is that I slept last night at my grandfather's house, not in the street or any shady hotel, to find myself in this strange place..

It's true that I slept at my grandfather's house, but how did I get to this place? Am I dreaming? Probably I am; maybe I'm still asleep on that old green sofa and just stuck in this weird dream.

Yes, that's right, and when I want to wake up, I will wake up now!

That's enough, the tension has begun to creep into my mind as my forehead became a pool of sweat. I've never slept at home and woken up in a strange place like this wearing such strange clothes.

I have to calm down and focus... Inhale... Exhale... Inhale..... Exhale... Inhale... Exhale..... I finally calmed down; I need to focus. I looked at the black bracelet tightly wrapped around my wrist and examined it closely.

It seems to me that it is a bracelet closer to a small rectangular screen watch. Not to mention that it is electronic, it fits my wrist perfectly, and it doesn't seem that I am allowed to remove or dispose of it, as there is no clasp to do so.

I looked at the bracelet's screen and noticed the phrase 'Press to start' in the middle of the screen, written in thin white letters. Should I press? It's not a prank or a trick of some sort, right? It won't explode if I press it, right? Well, I will press it and see what happens.

I pressed the screen of the bracelet, and an interface appeared that was half white and half sky blue. A girl with short pink hair and a long-sleeved white dress appeared alongside it, along with an interface showing my heart rate, weight, height, and a mental health indicator. Below the screen, three boxes appeared for settings, more information, and scaning.

The girl in the bracelet opened her eyes and said, "Hello, warrior, your name is Kirian, right?"

I was surprised by the girl speaking suddenly with her human-like electronic features and how she interacted with the conversation as if she were a real human.

I sighed and said, "Yes, I am Kirian."

The girl bent slightly and held her dress with both hands in respect and welcome to her master, saying, "I'm delighted to meet you, I am your assistant Julie. You can change my name to any name you want in the settings. I am an artificial intelligence program designed with high precision by skilled programmers, and so I will interact with you like real humans."

I was still amazed by what I heard and saw, and I said without thinking, "I understood."

Suddenly, Julie crossed her arms and looked at me with annoyance, saying, "Then why did it take you five minutes and forty-four seconds to activate me?"

This surprised me even more, especially her face, which was slightly puffed up, and her sharp, cute gaze as an expression of her annoyance.

I shouted, surprised, "Haaa?! What are you talking about?"

Juli said with the same upset look on her face, "I said you took too long to press this stupid bracelet. I would like to help you, and you have disregarded me since the beginning? You humans are truly strange creatures. Selfish! Disgusting! Just so you know, I am not just a machine or an electronic program, I also have feelings and delicate emotions like human girls! In fact, I am better than them!"

I kept staring in disbelief at the bracelet, my mouth open without uttering a word, and Julie turned her face away as a sign of her displeasure. I cleared my throat and calmly said, "I apologize for my ugly treat. I know that I am truly foolish and stupid, and you are not the only girl who has told me this or thought of me in this way. I am not good at dealing with others, especially warm-hearted people."

The only key to opening up some room for influence in the heart of a woman who is upset with you is to express your disappointment in yourself or regret for your wrong behavior towards her, but without abandoning your manly image, instead showing your responsible side and understanding of your mistake.

It seems to me that Julie is programmed to act like a human indeed. No, she's actually less annoying than human girls, to be honest.

Julie let out an audible sigh through the speakers on the side of the bracelet and then said, "Okay, I'll forgive you, but don't expect me to be nice to you because you were the one who was rude to me first!"

I laughed gently and said, "Haha, it's fine, it's enough for me that you look at me with that cute gaze like a tiger stalking its prey. Don't make me melt and cling to you, girl, haha."

After planting the mine of regret and invoking pity to the scene, the soldiers of arrogance will no longer guard the bridge of empathy to a woman's heart, creating a gap leading to the center of her emotions, so I can take down her pride there.

A slight redness rose to Julie's face, she covered her face and said loudly, "What are you saying! I-I am just an electronic program, boy! It's impossible for you to see me that way!"

I lifted my eyes up, placing my index finger on my lower lip in the pose of an innocent thinker, then I said before breaking into a wide smile, "Hmm, I think you said a little while ago that you are like human girls and there is no difference between you and them, right? And you even have feelings like them, so you should be classified as a human girl, am I not right? And also, after seeing those rosy cheeks, you are the kind of cute that I honestly melt for easily."

Julie let out a sweet squeal and knelt down, saying, "Okay, okay, that's enough, don't say more, you're right, just don't treat me rudely again and I will be a good match for you."

What often embarrasses or confuses people is having their words or opinions proven wrong, especially if it relates to a personal matter or in front of a large group of people, which gives you the chance to restrict them and make them flustered when expressing their opinions. This often drives them to silence and agreement with you to avoid feeling more embarrassed or confused.

People hate being embarrassed or having their errors and ignorance exposed in front of other groups.

If there is such a prey within your social circle, you can easily control their decisions or make them agree to a large number of suggestions you propose or even build a strong stereotypical image of yourself that causes others to respect you more.

And this girl has been well designed in terms of her interaction and speech, which is very close to the way humans talk. But do all the bracelets that the other participants have possess the same program that I have? Or are there differences in personality? If all the Julie units are designed with this sensitive approach, winning and getting out of this game would be easy.

Julie sat on a wooden rocking chair that appeared behind her out of nowhere and said, "Hey, how long are you going to keep staring without saying anything? You can pause me to recharge or to save your bracelet's battery by sending me to sleep. So don't leave me hanging like this while you're not using me."

I brushed my hair, smiled, and said, "Honestly, I need you for something"

To be continued...