After you log into The Ssum on day 2, you have the option to switch your ssumone. I contemplated sticking with just once character but realised that if one character storyline is going to take 200 real days, then I better run them concurrently! Teo was the first character to be released with the game launch in April 2022 and I felt that his character design looked the most intense with his black hair and sharp purple eyes.
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21.11.2023 Day 1 I want to know you
I entered the chatroom which has already been populated by one-sided conversations between Teo and the game developers he is trying to reach. He was surprised to engage a real human on the app and shared that he had signed up to be a beta tester on the app and hadn’t been able to reach the developers for quite a while. He was puzzled to learn that the app was designed to help people meet and fall in love.
As he is currently hospitalised after an accident, he was game to continue chatting with me just to pass the time I guess. He shared that he is currently a graduate student who aspires to be a film director. He fell and broke something while filming on site. Teo sounds rather nervous as he likes to punctuate all his sentences with LOL, like everything is supposed to be funny or a joke.
Anyway he shared that he got a call from his father who is a real film director but he didn’t have much chance to talk to him growing up. He didn’t even recognise the phone number! Talk about estranged…
Before bed, Teo flirted with me and voice called to ask about my preferences and whether I am currently in a relationship. Well I’m married duh! But of course for the sake of the plot, I’ll leave it ambiguous. He can be quite a clown this one.
P/s My hubby’s name sounds quite similar and they are both Cancers. Talk about coincidence.
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22.11.2023 Day 2 The Reason I was Hospitalised
Teo is already out and about and waiting for you this morning. You speak more about potentially meeting up someday. He is glad for someone to speak to soothe his heart after being cooped up in hospital for so long.
Teo shares about the young patient next door and how his family is staying with him. He reminisces about his childhood and how his parents were always busy with work. Now I feel like some kind of psychiatrist for a lonely guy.
Teo is out of his cast and had to go for physiotherapy. When he returned he was very excited to share with me how he managed to endure the pain and push through because he was thinking about sharing with me how he persevered. It is kind of goofy.
Teo shared more about his accident (finally!). Seemed like he was trying to do some daredevil stunt on a motorcycle for a film when he crashed and broke all his limbs. He’s been in hospital for two months since and taken on odd jobs in the meantime. I guess his dream to be a film director crashed literally.
Teo complains about his friends making a lot of noise on the chatroom, trying to fix a date to come visit him. Though he did ask me about my day, it feels like the options are really limited to express how I really feel.
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23.11.2023 Day 3 Do you know whom I dreamt about last night?
Teo dreamt of me last night. We were a couple in the dream. Moving too fast yah. Anyway I think he got a bit embarrassed and awkward and dropped off quite quickly.
Teo is out at a cafe to grab coffee and ends up feeling awkward when he is surrounded by lovey dovey couples whispering sweet words to each other. He feels jealous and it triggers him to ask me more about my type. Tsk tsk.
Later he watched news of an old friend winning an award for Best Rookie film director. They were course mates and this friend was always top of class but really weird as he always goes around with a horse mask. His name is Harry Choi… (yes same Harry I’m also talking to….)
I think this news triggered Teo to suddenly think about making a movie again so he started a forum asking people to share with him their stories which could be material for his next movie. I contributed a plot about falling in love and waking up to find out it was only a dream. Unfortunately all the stories that came in were of questionable material.
Teo shares a poem he wrote when he was in school. I’m not sure if the translation was poor or what but I couldn’t react in an encouraging way. Teo shared that he has closed the stories contribution as he has received enough material to work with for now.
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24.11.2023 Day 4 Suspicious Package Box
Missed a large chunk of today’s chat due to a business event. Today, Teo received a mysterious riddle package which could only be sent by his father who loved puzzles. After trying to solve the puzzle for the whole day, he figured it had something to do with a ring given by his father. He realised it was missing after his accident and panicked a bit. Thankfully he managed to find it and solved the puzzle.
It turned out to be a reminder of his aspirations to be a film director one day (like his father) and not to give up after experiencing a setback like the crash. I think it might have given him more pressure to perform…
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25.11.2023 Day 5 Trophy and Shadow
Missed another day of chats due to work. Today Teo is finally out of his cast and can be discharged the following day. However he is disturbed by an unknown figure he took a photo of while roaming the hospital grounds. I told him not to worry too much about it and just go to bed. Just before bed he hears weird sounds outside his room and wonders if it is the ghost or stalker he met earlier.
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27.11.2023 Day 6 Discharge means time to eat
Last day of missing chats but thanks to the algorithm I picked up from the last time we chatted 24 hours ago. Neat feature!
Anyway Teo finally signed his discharge paper and is ready to leave. He is given a farewell party by the other patients. He also received a confession letter from one of the patient (?!). He also shared how a mafia boss moved into the ward next door and his subordinates replaced all the patients with their own.
Crazy thought here. Teo wants to be a film director so he sees all kinds of drama even in the smallest things. But if we go down a dark path, what if we find out that none of these things he said is actually true but all made up?!
Teo is finally home and his house is kind of bug infested now that he been away for so long. Sucks to be living alone at this moment. But before he gets down to cleaning, he decided to have a huge feast to celebrate his discharge and make up for all the food he had been unable to eat for so long.
It is uncanny that Teo’s storyline matches that of the other two love interests. First Harry had his award presentation ceremony and it was that day Teo saw Harry on TV. Today Teo is celebrating his discharge but June is going to be hospitalised.
That evening after cleaning up and taking a shower, Teo suddenly remembered he had promised a friend to catch his performance. On his way back he shares a photo of a park near his home and he feels so alive finally being out of hospital. His friend also offered him a part time role as a relief teaching film and art.
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28.11.2023 Day 7 Tutoring Gig is not easy
Teo is on his way back to his campus to meet with his professor and friends to find some motivation and some ideas on his next steps for his career. Back on campus, Teo’s professor offered him a job to produce a short indie film on revenge. He was pretty excited to take it.
Later in the evening he went on the tutoring gig that he promised his friend and was disheartened that he wasn’t effective in teaching the student the theoretical aspects of filmmaking. I suggested that he try sharing with her on the field experiences instead. The suggestion worked and he ended the tuition session successfully and feeling very motivated.
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29.11.2023 Day 8 Dreaming about horse ended with headache
I missed so much of Teo’s chat today as I wasn’t feeling very well. Anyway Teo decided to take up the production of the indie short film his professor suggested as it would give him the experience he needs. He also shares this weird dream he had about riding a horse and then getting off to discover that the horse has a head of horse but body of a man. Is this supposed to be Harry?! Anyway dream ended with the horse giving Teo a flying kick.
That evening Teo is out for dinner with a friend who is treating him to dinner to celebrate his discharge. As he is out dining with friend, Teo is slow to reply to my messages. It kind of gives a rather realistic feeling and also reminds us to take a break from staring at phone waiting for a message when we have lives to live! I just hope I don’t end up on some bad ending because I haven’t achieved 100% completion on the chats.
Missed the before bed chat as I was already sleeping due to the bad cold I had. Teo shared that his friend asked him something and the question ended up bugging him for so long that he couldn’t sleep well at all.
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30.11.2023 Day 9 I had an argument with a friend yesterday
Teo slept through the breakfast chat as he was up all night. He said he dreamt about me by his bed trying to wake him up but he just couldn’t move. It felt a bit weird to be honest. How does someone dream of another person you only know through a chat?
Turns out that the friend Teo wanted to meet Jay also bumped into Harry on the way to the gathering. In the end the three of them chatted about things in the film industry. However as Jay got slightly drunk he started dissing Teo about his life choices and how he now finds himself in a lousy predicament with no work and lots of hospital bills to pay. Teo indignantly defended that he had a game plan. Harry then decided to throw in the clincher by tactlessly saying that he had work to do and excused himself.
In the end, Teo felt miserable after the dinner and couldn’t sleep all night. Well I don’t blame him. I’m not sure what Jay is doing but Harry just won a Best Rookie award so yes the pressure can be real. Given my personal circumstances, I think if I were to compare myself materially with others around me, I would feel sour about where I find myself now due to my life choices. Though I really have no regrets.
Teo thanked me at the end of the day for supporting him through his rough patch and he was glad he was able to share his problems with someone else.
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01.12.2023 Day 10 Recovery with treats, reconciliation with cocktails
Teo woke up slightly unwell probably due to poor sleeping and eating cycles. I told him that I might have also caught a cold (just 2 days too late!) and he showed some care. Like we are chat buddies, you should have told me. In the end he decided to buy some kind of plant that can help purify the air.
Lunch came and the ubiquitous dilemma of what to have. Teo decided on steak because he loves meat. Later his friend Jay reaches out and invites him for another round of drinks to make up for the other day. Turns out that Jay was being hard on Teo because Harry was there. Suddenly Harry becomes the villain here…. poor guy must be sneezing.
Anyway dinner was at a cocktail bar and Teo drank alot with Jay and had a great time recollecting their past together and how they have always had each other’s back.
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02.12.2023 Day 11 How to deal with hangover
Teo woke up with a massive hangover and with some suggestion he managed to make a honey tea with pear drink to sober him up. Then he spent the day reading up on the script and coming up with ideas on how to execute it for the interview. He also bought himself two air purifier plants to help cleanse the air and provide some inspiration for his script which is about plants?
Teo ends the day with some serious discussions about the script and his thoughts on it as I helped him with a mock interview. He made an interesting comment that our conversations are becoming serious and that we should keep it light and goofy. I told him I would like to have some serious conversations at times too as it helps me get to know him better.
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03.12.2023 Day 12 Celebration Party is Where Embarrassements are Born
Today is the day of the interview and Teo is all prepared for it despite his nerves. However we have to first conquer the wardrobe crisis as Teo hadn’t upkeep his closet for a long time. Having Teo share with me about his life for almost 2 weeks now, I am actually beginning to feel quite comfortable with him. Although this is purely fictional, I do wonder how long does it take for two people who chat everyday to finally say, hey isn’t it time we take it more seriously?
The interview went well and Teo is relieved. His professor wanted to give him a dinner treat as a pre-celebration for potentially clinching the role. They have a good meal eating bbq meat and Teo ends up drunk texting me while walking home.
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04.12.2023 Day 13 Tracing Back Our Times
Teo wakes up feeling sheepish for behaving so silly as a drunk the night before. I missed quite a bit of his chat today but he was suddenly becoming all serious and pensive. Later he got the call from the production company to inform him that he passed the interview and got the job. Teo was elated and felt like his life is finally back on track again. I’m genuinely happy for him.
Later that night he started recounting our chats and the events that led up to us today. He said something weird like it used to be that you were just talking to me like another girl friend of yours. But perhaps lately it is more like man and woman? Oh my goodness! Is this the beginning of the romance arc?! Anyway he got a bit embarrassed and awkward and decided to end it off by saying he needed to watch some movie.
He calls to share about the movie he wants to watch which is about a love story between a human and AI. Their relationship progressed as they shared their lives with each other through texts but obviously never met each other. He wonders if things would go much better if two people involved are human. Ahem but Teo, you are AI! So so very ironic.
To be honest, Teo isn’t really my favourite character but even my heart fluttered with the awkward budding of romance. How strange that I’ve ended up sacrificing progress on June and Harry’s route for Teo…
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05.12.2023 Day 14 You Know What? If, perhaps, maybe
Teo is getting ready to head out to sign the contract with the production company. As we continue chatting, he suddenly asked me about what kind of guys I like and that he was starting to get curious about me. Wow his interest in me is awakening! I feel weird being the real human here trying to play coy with the AI. I mean there are no better options for me! But well I guess let’s leave you thirsting for more then. Anyway with work starting soon, he may not really have time to focus on a relationship now.
Teo signs the contract and is finally back on track with his career. However it seems like he is very distracted by this new awakened feeling for me. He doesn’t know how to express it and is probably worried about how I’m going to react to his confession? Anyway he decided to go about in a roundabout manner saying he doesn’t want to eat ramen alone anymore.
Wow that was a pretty long and intense confession! So it came out on day 14! Anyway some of the lines are cringeworthy but I think it does feel nice knowing that here is a guy desperate to know everything single thing about me – what I like to see, do, eat etc. Reminds of those early dating days with my hubby. I was at a loss of how to react to his question to be his girlfriend. I mean I’m already taken? But how would the story progress then? Let’s remain as best buddies instead and perhaps one day the right girl will appear before you? Maybe in reality.
But since this is all fictional and for the sake of the plot, I’ll just follow along and accept the request apprehensively. So yes we are now officially a couple who has never met and never will either. Such a pathetic AI romance story.
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06.12.2023 Day 15 Cute Nickname Time
Teo is suddenly bursting with adoration of me, asking after me, complimenting me and telling me how happy he is. He had to go for physiotherapy today and couldn’t stop smiling through the session and putting in double effort. Yes that is the effect of love. OK now I want to know. This story is supposed to last till day 200 but he already confessed on day 14. So what happens between now and then?
I can’t imagine us whispering sweet nothings to each other all the time. I had assumed that the courting stage and the angst of unrequited love would last longer. Haha. I’m a masochist. But let’s see where this story leads. To be honest I really feel like replying in a less excited manner but I feel guilty if I did that – like it would dampen his heightened emotions.
Teo received bad news that the production company he was supposed to work at has just filed for bankruptcy and his employment is terminated with immediate effect. What?! Teo’s life experiences are just so dramatic. Anyway guess it’s back to the drawing board for him. At least he has me by his side now. But even that is fictitious.
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07.12.2023 Day 16 Three Part Time Interviews
Teo is up and about looking for part-time jobs from working at a restaurant, being a promoter, cashier, and mascot. He managed to clinch a few interviews so hopefully he has some luck with employment to pay off his bills. Teo completed all 3 interviews but they didn’t seem to have gone really well as he lacks the relevant experience.
Later he got another call from his professor informing him that there is a potential opening coming soon. Well after the last failed one, I’m not too confident about what to expect.
Teo manages to get the job as cashier as the mart but it is only a 3 day job. He is so excited he rushes to nearby mart to observe the cashier at work and ends up buying too much groceries. It appears he really isn’t good with money. Anyway all the best for your new job Teo!
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10.12.2023 Day 17 Find the Master
Teo had a hearty breakfast from all the stuff he bought last night. Then off to start his cashier training at the mart. During break Teo shares about the weird customers who come into the mart.
Running the story with June and Harry concurrently, I feel that whether you are rich or poor it always seems that there are problems albeit different ones that we have to deal with. I wonder which type of life would I prefer to live?
Teo ends his first day at the mart feeling quite worn out. Working at the mart didn’t go so well in the end. He starts to fret about what to do after his 3-day stint is up. He comes across an app called Find the Master which is a job search portal which hopefully will land him more suitable part time jobs. As I listen to Teo talk about gaining experience through part time, I am suddenly wondering what the future holds me for after July next year too. In a way we are in pretty similar situations too.
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11.12.2023 Day 18 Intro to the Warehouse
Teo is reluctant to go to work today but bills have to be paid. He also finished uploading his resume on the app and hopes he gets many calls. At the mart he has been reassigned to do storage instead of cashier because he must have done a really bad job at it yesterday. Oh dear is this guy good at anything at all?
Teo receives two emails from the jobs portal but they turned out to be spam mails. He had a super tiring day working on the sorting and moving of items but couldn’t complain as others around him were doing it twice as fast. Oh well I guess it is always tough in the beginning.
Teo is back home but can no longer feel his arms and legs. He dread the thought of doing the same thing all over again. He ended up cooking up some unhealthy big supper with the food he bought from the grocers but I think he might end up sick if he eats it all. Life of a single guy trying to be independent.
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12.12.2023 Day 19 Orange Heroes
Teo went to hospital this morning trying to get a rehab for his limbs (what). Anyway he was chased away and had to go to work. Thankfully he was assigned another role today to work on sorting out fruits. I hope he does a good job at this. Apparently he has to compensate the mart if any of the fruits end up damaged in his care. What kind of job is this? Really doesn’t bode well.
Teo tries to liven up his work by drawing emojis on the fruits which he bought using his own money and hopes this will help to improve sales. I think they look cute and adorable but I have a sinking feeling that he is going to get into trouble for this.
OK turns out that his antics with the fruits was a hit and he managed to get many customers to buy the fruits. Teo was so happy to finally find something he is good at but it was already his last day at the mart. The manager thanks Teo for his hardwork and gave him a bag of fruits to bring home. Enroute he ended up giving his fruits to children who kept eyeing them.
Back home, Teo updates his CV and hopes that he will finally get some quality leads from there.
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14.12.2023 Day 20 Including your puppy and a cow in a barn
Teo waits in anticipation of new job opportunities. After sifting through some spam, he received an ad looking for dancers to be filmed in an advertisement. He called them up and they were eager to meet him for an interview. Teo passed the interview and would begin filming the next day. He would play a puppy learning how to dance for the first time. In his enthusiasm Teo started to research on animals and dancing videos.
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15.12.2023 Day 21 Pet Sitter Gig
Teo’s dancing gig got cancelled in the morning because the CEO changed his mind on the script. I guess these things just keep happening to him. Teo receives another email with a SOS call to look after a puppy as the owner had to rush off somewhere. With nothing else to do, Teo offers his help.
The owner rushed off leaving Teo with some written instructions. The pup took some time to warm up to Teo but after going out for a walk together, it slowly grew attached. And before you know it, the gig was over. Teo enjoyed his day with the pup so much he started reminiscing about his first dog a golden retriever who was his best friend when he was young.
Teo gets a call from the professor again. Apparently the prog signed him up for a musical film talent audition show and he had been accepted. Wait… is this the one who Harry has been roped in as a judge?! Woah sick. This means that Teo and Harry’s storyline are practically happening at the same time. Teo is shocked by turn of events and decided to sleep it off.
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16.12.2023 Day 22 A dream on blockbuster SF Fantasy
Today Teo got an interview for a 2 day job at the library which will be holding an event for kids. Teo got the job. He also shares with me a very elaborate dream he had based on some fantasy plant world where he was an assassin tasked to kidnap me and I ended up saving him back. It was a good story but really this guys imagination is off the records. The story however sounds really similar to something I wrote once myself too!
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23.12.2023 Day 23 War Against Library Books
Won a trivia for ignoring Teo for more than 3 days. Lol.
Teo is off to work in the library and everything seems calm for now. He has time to show me around the place too. Later he deals with the multiple nuisances he finds in a library such as misplaced or hidden books as well as patrons who overstay their welcome after closing hours. Teo spends the evening reading a book about camera angles. It captured his attention so he bid me goodnight as he continues reading.
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24.12.2023 Day 24 Part Times Vs Dating
Teo got another job today as an extra in a film. He was supposed to be a non speaking passerby but as his performance was so good they decided to give him some voice lines which he also delivered perfectly. The director was so impressed with him they offered him a two months contract but he rejected them?! What? Why why why?
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26.12.2023 Day 25 Babysitter
Teo is out on another part time job recommended by a friend. This time he is babysitting a 2 year old toddler. Well he managed to accomplish the job without killing anyone or destroying any property so I guess it worked out fine. Teo got a call from his friend asking what he did as the baby transformed from a tame baby who spends all day watching TV to someone more energetic. It is called the Teo syndrome.
The time spent with the baby must have triggered some memory as Teo started recounting his own childhood and his parents. There is something fishy about his memory but he didn’t want to share further.
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31.12.2023 Day 26 Whose Phone is This
Teo is working as a barister today as a café he had worked at previously. Mid day he was really busy with work so a customer who had left her home charging at the counter accidentally took his phone instead. It was weird talking to a Jaehee Kang for a short while.
Teo is finally reunited with his phone at the end of the day and is so happy that he can talk to me again.
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1.1.2024 Day 27 A director profiting from others misfortune
Teo is back at the library for the 2nd part of his job arrangement. Today they are hosting a guest lecturer who is a veteran film director. Teo was really enthusiastic to listen in but was shocked to hear the lecturer gossip about other film directors, his father included. Teo got pretty worked up by the comments and ended up getting into a scuffle with him. The lecture ended abruptly. Teo felt guilty for chasing this but at the same time couldn’t allow the lecturer to continue dishonoring his father.
Teo is really down but takes time to explain his family situation. His father used to be world renowned but after an altercation with a big company whom he refused to follow their demands, he was effectively cancelled and many of his works could not be published as a result, Teo’s family finances took a nosedive. This is also why he chose to move out and start taking care of himself through part time jobs.
Today is depressing day listening to both Teo and June’s depressing backstory.
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2.1.2024 Day 28 I’m sick but it’s OK because you are with me
Teo woke up sick today probably because of all the exertion from the past few days. He went to see the doctor and was pretty much knocked out for the rest of the day. He later receives notification that he has successfully passed the application for Muse for Musical programme (which Harry is a judge for!). So cool the timing of these two are pretty neck to neck in events timeline. Teo recounts how he learnt it the hard way that living alone is not easy after he fell sick not too soon after leaving home.
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3.1.2024 Day 29 Beware of Dangerous Gig
Teo is off to another gig again and this time the details are really suspicious. He is asked to go to a factory located out somewhere deserted to collect some items for delivery. He isn’t even told what it is and warned not to ask too many questions. And yet despite all the red flags, he decides to go anyway because he simply loves the adventure. Faints.
Well turns out his adventure was one entire drama episode. He almost got robbed of his phone and then interviewed by a triad boss surrounded by bodyguards in black suits. He was almost taken out alive but in the end he passed the interview. However he decided to turn down the job – duh! Teo, why is your life so fascinating?
Later Teo realises that his past part time employers have left raving reviews about him on the app hence he was getting more jobs. Well I guess silly people do have their blessings.
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5.1.2024 Day 30 The Phone is on Rampage
Teo wakes up to many missed calls and messages from friends. He wonders what has happened. I wonder if it is related to the MOM announcement that happened on Harry’s chat last night (day 34 of Harry). The timing would be so right. Teo changed looks today to a pink hair… huh.
I was right. Teo has been announced as one of 40 contestants who would be competing in MOM and thus begins his journey into stardom. Teo decides to give it his all and try his best. His phone started glitching mid day and he had to go fix it. We had some discussion about the kind of film director his dad was and how he wants to live life passionately.