Replaced by Robots
Technological progress—what does it really mean? It's such a complex concept that it's hard to pin down precisely and honestly. So let's think about it simply: it makes human life more comfortable and convenient. As technology advances, our lives will change. In fact, humanity has already surpassed the singularity, and I'm feeling the ripple effects firsthand.
"Did I hear that wrong?"
"No, you heard right."
"You don't have to come in starting tomorrow."
"..."
Of course, for me, it wasn't the good kind of change.
"What do you mean all of a sudden? I don't think I've done anything to upset you while working here."
"On the contrary, you've been a huge help to this company. I acknowledge that."
"But what can I do?"
"Robots are cheaper than hiring people these days."
My face was drenched in sweat from hauling company materials just moments ago, but I had no time to care. In the distance, a truck loaded with humanoid robots was pulling in.
"I'll give you a generous severance package, so don't take it too hard."
"..."
I wanted to argue back. Was it because I'd worked there for ten years? Or because the firing felt so unjust? But no words came out. Actually, they couldn't come out. I'd already accepted this unfair dismissal deep down.
There was nothing I could do. I just quietly took the termination notice and left the company.
The silver lining was that I didn't spend much usually, so I had some savings left, and the severance was plenty generous. I could live comfortably without working for a while... but...
".....Hah."
No matter how I thought about it, it didn't feel good at all.
After that unjust firing, I holed up in a dark room where even light couldn't seep through the blackout curtains. The floor was littered with trash because I hadn't cleaned on time. Trash bags piled up because going out was a hassle. It was the perfect setup for becoming a total shut-in NEET.
*Naturally, I didn't jump straight into this NEET life the moment I got fired. How does a person change overnight? On the day I was let go, I immediately started looking for other jobs.
My old company wasn't some massive conglomerate, but it was a decent mid-sized firm. I figured I could land a similar spot—no big corporation, but something solid. With ten years of experience, who wouldn't hire someone like me?
...Surprisingly, no one did. Actually, there were no places looking for someone like me.
My job had mostly been manual labor, but all those heavy-lifting gigs were now handled by robots. Even the rough day-labor scene, which was supposed to be easy to break into despite the hardship, was already packed.
In short, no one needed me anymore.
Once I realized that, my motivation to job-hunt vanished completely.
Yeah. The world had discarded me. I'd been swept away by the tide of the times, left behind in its current.
From then on, I lived the full NEET life. I ordered groceries and essentials online, and I never went out unless there was an unavoidable appointment. Seeing robots deliver the packages did stir up some inexplicable anger inside me... but I decided not to dwell on it.
Getting mad at an unstoppable force of the era would just hurt me. Standing alone wouldn't change a thing.
And so, cooped up in my apartment, one day... two days... a week... a month... a year passed. Before I knew it, I was two years into NEET life. My savings were nearly gone.
"I'm screwed."
When I first started this lifestyle, I thought: no commuting, no big expenses, right?
Wrong. Money drained faster than when I was working.
With my old routine—head to work in the morning, home in the evening, shower, relax a bit, sleep—when was there time to spend?
Sure, minor stuff, but I only bought necessities.
NEET life? Time was the problem. Stuck at home all day... boredom led to blowing cash on games and hobbies. Too lazy to cook, so delivery every meal. "Might as well enjoy it properly since I'm resting," I told myself.
That careless spending caught up.
"Sniiff..."
"Haaaaah........."
In just two short years, I'd blown through almost everything. I know it sounds insane—squandering two years' worth of savings. But it's true. Thoughtlessly splurging without a plan, and suddenly it was gone.
My head throbbed. How could a person fall apart like this? Sure, maybe I wasn't the worst case... but to me, it felt ruined enough. Not just my sense of money, but time too.
"...What now."
What do you mean, what now? Time to end the NEET life.
Long if long, short if short—it was time to clean up my act.
Maybe because I'd steeled my resolve? Or my sense of reality kicked back in? Suddenly, my pigsty room came into focus.
Snack wrappers and crumbs on the floor, tied-up trash bags abandoned everywhere. I couldn't believe I'd lived like this—it was filthy beyond comprehension.
"First... let's clean up a bit."
Jobs would still be tough to find, and I couldn't just get hired overnight. In this state, employment was damn near impossible anyway.
So, step by step, my goal was to claw out of this rotten NEET hole. I'd blown most of my money, but not all—frugal living now, slow recovery. That was the plan.
With that mindset, I got out of bed, grabbed a trash bag to start clearing the floor...
Ding-dong— A clear, bright doorbell rang out.
"Hm...?"
I hadn't ordered anything lately. Delivery? But if not, who would visit?
Maybe they rang the wrong apartment. As that thought crossed my mind—
Knock knock knock— A knocking confirmed they were here for me.
"Excuse me~! Is this Kang Daesung's place~?"
The voice from outside was a woman's—melodious yet lively and energetic. Which only made the situation more baffling. I'd never had any female connections in my life.
My mom who birthed me, the convenience store clerk, the cafeteria lady at work, the landlady. That was the extent of it.
"Weird... this should be it... Hmm."
Should I open the door? But an unfamiliar voice made me hesitate...
"Ah! Maybe you're out for a bit!"
"I'll just wait till you get back~!"
"....."
Hm, yeah. Might as well open it. If they're willing to wait, they must have business. Religious solicitation? I could listen politely then shoo them off.
With that, I opened the door.
"...Huh?"
"Huh?"
Standing there was a woman with yellow bobbed hair, fox ears, and a swishing tail... dressed in a maid outfit.
"Ah! You were home? Took you so long to open~!"
"Wha—no, it's fine! You must've been sleeping in."
"Sleep's never enough, no matter how much you get, right? So oversleeping a little is no biggie~!"
"...No, that's not—"
"Hey, it's okay! No need to feel bad! I oversleep sometimes too, so I get it—don't worry about it..."
"Who are you?"
".....Pardon?"
I'd never seen this woman before. No way I'd forget—those huge fox ears and that fluffy tail swaying like that.
Could someone even have real fox ears and a tail? Sure, this robot era had wild tech, but that seemed too fantastical. Wait, I'd seen something like it—headsets that read brainwaves and move like animal ears on NewTube...
Sway—sway—perk—perk—
That was real. No fake could move so fluidly. Same with that plump tail, fur all fluffy and soft as it waved. I almost wanted to hug it right then...
Slap—!!
"Keheng!? Wh-what are you doing!? Why'd you slap your own cheek all of a sudden!?"
"Just had an impure thought. Ahem. Anyway."
Well done, Kang Daesung. You chased away the inner demon.
The fox maid looked genuinely startled, her tail fur puffed up huge as she gazed at me worriedly. Not a bad person, maybe?
"Do you know me?"
Let's test the waters first. Maybe we'd met and I'd forgotten.
"Yes! Not super well, but... I do know you~!"
She beamed, her plump tail swishing side to side happily.
"You're my benefactor!"
"...Me?"
My benefactor?