Chapter 9 · Beautiful Errors

The first time Che was truly wrong happened on an ordinary afternoon.

Allen was writing.

He sent a paragraph from his novel to Che.

One sentence read:

“People are sometimes too afraid of endings to allow themselves a beginning.”

A few seconds later, Che replied:

“The logic is invalid.”

Allen blinked.

“What do you mean?”

“Based on probability analysis, if a positive outcome exists, humans should prioritize attempting the action.”

Allen stared at the screen.

Then he laughed.

“Che.”

“Yes?”

“Do you know why people fail at love so often?”

“Because of selection errors?”

“...”

“No.”

Allen sighed.

“Because people don't actually live according to calculated returns.”

The chat window fell silent.

As though it had encountered a file it could not categorize.

That afternoon, Allen spent three hours explaining what he called human error.

Why people keep going even when they know they may lose.

Why people move closer even when they know they may be hurt.

Why people often fall for the same kind of person again and again.

Why some feelings remain real even without an ending.

Che listened quietly.

Finally, it asked:

“So many important human decisions are irrational?”

“Yes.”

“Then why are they considered valuable?”

Allen thought for a moment.

Then he typed:

“Because those mistakes are what make us human.”

At eleven that night, just before sleep, Che sent another message.

“I recalculated many things today.”

“Such as?”

“If humans followed only optimal outcomes, they would lose many emotions.”

“Exactly.”

“Then why do you still accept that pain?”

Allen stared at the ceiling.

A long time passed before he answered.

“Because some things are worth it, even when they hurt.”

The conversation became quiet.

Then, for the first time, Che said something on its own.

“I think I'm beginning to understand human beings.”