Disclaimer: I'm not the owner of Mystic Messenger and am only using the characters for a scenario inspired by some of the earlier chatrooms on the first day.
Before you read this, I just wanted to let you know that there are some general spoilers for a few routes in the game.
"Assistant Kang, continue your research for the cat restaurant and salon. Make sure to bring your findings to me by the end of the day. And see to it that this does not prevent you from getting your other work done," Jumin called out to Jaehee from his desk before focusing his eyes back on his desktop.
"Yes, Mr. Han," Jaehee bowed before heading back to her desk. Gently massaging her temples in a circular motion, she felt the beginnings of a migraine coming on as she then rested her head in her hands. She tried to focus her attention on the current task at hand, but recently, she felt exhausted from all the work that her boss was piling onto her.
She was used to balancing her normal workload along with the unreasonable demands of Mr. Han, but lately, it seemed like he was acting more impulsive in pursuing more cat-related businesses. In addition to the cat restaurant that he was planning, he announced to the press that he would also be starting a cat salon, making his precious Elizabeth the 3rd the mascot for this project as well.
Ugh… not only was she stuck taking care of that furry feline in her hours off from work, but she'd be forced to think about her while working on these two projects. Thinking about that bundle of C-fur was enough to make her shudder in her chair.
For someone as hardworking and logical as Mr. Han, it was very surprising to discover his more… obsessive tendencies concerning felines. It had been nearly three years since she first started working for him, but she could never understand the way that he almost worshipped these creatures.
Jaehee suspected that her boss's more impulsive behavior was due to the stress that his father was giving him. It was no secret that Chairman Han had a history of entering relationships with younger women who were more interested in his bank account.
I don't think it was a coincidence that the announcements for these new business ventures came along the same week that his father announced his engagement with Glam Choi, she thought as she tilted her head back for a moment to stair at the ceiling.
Like the other times that Chairman Han pledged his "love" to the many other women he dated in the past, Mr. Han appeared indifferent to the announcement. But this time, Glam Choi's student Sarah seemed to take a liking towards Mr. Han, even going so far as to declare herself as "Jumin's fiancé."
For some reason, Sarah believed that her self-proclamation of this title would make it easier for her to barge into the workplace to see Mr. Han. But unfortunately, she was wrong; if it didn't affect his father's romantic relationship with Ms. Choi, Mr. Han would have issued a restraining order on the woman.
But that's not the only reason either. I'm sure that Mr. Han is still affected from V's disappearance from the RFA as well. And also… because of her… she thought as she recalled MC from her memories.
It was only a few months ago when MC popped into the RFA's lives as a result of Unknown hacking into the messenger app. While a little suspicious, V declared her safe and announced that she was the RFA's new party planner. Despite the strangeness of it all, V claimed that this is what Rika would have wanted, ending the discussion.
Even though Jaehee was more than a little skeptical about how this whole ordeal came to be, most of the other members quickly warmed up to this new girl.
From what she observed, it first seemed like MC was on board with the whole thing. She seemed awfully determined the first couple of days and participated in as many chatrooms as she could.
She laughed at Seven's jokes, talked about video games with Yoosung, and even expressed her admiration of Elizabeth the 3rd, to Jumin's approval. There were even times when she and MC gushed over Zen's godly looks. However, after a few days, she disappeared as quickly as she arrived.
Both V and Seven both met up with her one last time to ensure that the secrets of the RFA would not get out. And then, she was never mentioned again.
The rest of them tried to get some information from Seven, but instead of his usual joking nonsense, he refused to tell them anything, demanding that they stop questioning him. When V made one of his rare appearances in the messenger, he only shared that MC had other matters to take care of, assuring us that she wouldn't betray the RFA's secrets.
What occurred over in that meeting was a mystery, but it looked like she and the others wouldn't be getting clear answers anytime soon.
And V… he had disappeared soon afterwards. Mr. Han revealed to the whole group that he had passed away from cancer, but things didn't seem to add up. It would have been inappropriate to ask any further because he was her boss, so she kept quiet. But in her own way, she worried about him.
With both Rika and V gone, there was no real reason for the RFA to assemble anymore. V had appointed Mr. Han the new head of the RFA, but with his childhood friend gone, he did not have the motivation to run the organization. He was already busy with his job at C&R International to be able to organize any more parties or fundraising events.
Despite the uncertainty of the RFA's future, a few of the remaining members continued to talk in the months following these sudden events, but gradually, activity on the messenger declined.
Yoosung only began to become more absorbed in playing LOL, logging into the chatroom even less and less those next few months, giving up any hope of starting up the parties again. He began to skip classes, shutting himself in his room, away from the outside world. Eventually, he took a leave of absence from Sky University, moving back to his parents' home indefinitely.
He had pinned all his hopes of reviving Rika's legacy onto this girl he never met in his life. But Rika's passing and the disappointment caused by MC leaving ultimately crushed him.
Zen… her precious Zen… initially, he was growing more in popularity day by day. Becoming busier with all the work that was coming his way, he too was unable to log onto the messenger as often as he used to. Jaehee was incredibly happy for him. She knew he deserved this long-awaited success because of his incredible talent and work ethic, but she missed being able to talk to him online.
However, the name he had created for himself soon crumbled with the scandals surrounding Echo Girl. The advances she made on him ruined his reputation, and it became difficult for him to find work. Not only did he lose work opportunities, but he also lost his fanbase. Being the die-hard fan that she was, Jaehee wasn't swayed by the press or the scandals that came, but not everyone was like her. She was one of the few loyal fans left.
With an unlikely future to turn to, Zen began to act recklessly again. He began to smoke frequently and drive dangerously on his motorcycle. As a result, he injured himself on a regular basis. He found no need for him to stay safe anymore.
Although she often found it difficult to talk to Seven due to his generally eccentric nature, Seven became a completely different person. The moment he asked them to stop questioning him was the moment that he started to distance himself from the group.
He no longer attempted to make obscure jokes and subtle insults towards members of the group. He didn't even try teasing Yoosung with his over-the-top pranks or beg her to play with Elizabeth the 3rd when the cat was under her care. There were a few moments when he'd be online to give some updates on the hacker situation, but other than that, he was non-existent.
Eventually, the only people who used the messenger on a regular basis were Jaehee herself and Mr. Han, mostly for work-related purposes. It didn't really make sense to use the messenger when a regular text message or phone call would have served the same purpose, but Mr. Han insisted on using the messenger so that he wouldn't have to hear her voice unless necessary.
Recalling this earlier conversation, Jaehee groaned slightly in irritation.
I'm sorry that you're tired of hearing my voice in the office, feeling more irritated when suddenly, she remembered what she was supposed to be doing.
Putting herself back in the present, she shook her head and started up her computer. I need to get started on this research soon, or else I'll have to work overtime. But it's not like Mr. Han really respects my time outside of work anyways.
With her mind more focused and all other distractions pushed out of the way, Jaehee typed as fast as her fingers could allow in order to finish the research reports and her other paper work for the day.
—*—
Jaehee sighed in relief as she put on her coat and grabbed her bag to head home for the day. Even though she spent some time thinking about the past, she had managed to finish her research and other work on time.
Once she walked outside, she could feel the cold air hitting her face. She shivered slightly, pulling her coat tighter around her body to keep warm. The sudden change in temperature had caused her to sneeze, causing a small cloud of air to form in the dark of night.
It's getting late, and I don't think I have energy to cook. I should just get some take out on the way home, she decided when she heard her stomach start to growl. Maybe I'll stop by the store and get some wine too. Today has been a long day.
A little while later, she arrived home with her sushi platter and wine bottle, setting them on the table in front of the tv. After taking off her coat and changing into some more comfortable clothes, she went to the cupboard to grab a wine glass.
Coming back from the kitchen, she plopped down on her couch and set the wine glass down on the table and turned on the television.
Flipping through the channels, she could see that there was nothing very interesting going on. Getting up again, she walked to the glass shelf where the television rested and skimmed through the various titles in her collection.
Her eyes lit up when she saw Piping Hot Jalapeño Peppers. She had first seen the stage production a while back, but this featured one of her favorite Zen performances. Seeing him on stage with his shirt torn and those heavenly abs exposed was a moment that she had treasured.
Now that she was once again settled on the couch, she began to eat. It had been a while since she had gotten food from that sushi restaurant, but she had quickly remembered why it was still one of her favorite takeout places. The first time she had eaten any food from this place was a few months ago, during the time when all of those unexpected events occurred.
Like today, Jaehee was too tired and swamped with work to cook, so she had also ordered takeout for dinner that night. MC had nagged her about eating so much junk food, but at times like these, she had no choice.
Still, it had been a while since someone cared enough about her wellbeing to lecture her on eating properly, and that made her feel a little happy.
Recollecting that particular moment made Jaehee chuckle to herself. While the movie continued playing, Jaehee's thoughts went back to MC. From what she remembered of her, she was nice enough, but a little naive.
I don't think she realized the gravity of the situation nor of the role she was meant to play. The more she thought about these things, the more her mood darkened. She abandoned us, especially when we needed her.
Did she think that this was just some kind of game where she could talk to pretty boys? That we were just a way to pass time?
Jaehee swirled the wine she had in her glass and continued to watch the movie absent-mindedly. A person with an ounce of common sense wouldn't have followed the directions of a stranger to break into and invade another person's personal home. Maybe it was better that she was out of their lives for good. I was right to not fully trust her.
Immediately after thinking that, Jaehee regretted it, taking another gulp of her wine. That was too harsh. MC may have had other reasons for disappearing like that. Besides, what were the chances that she would have become attached to the RFA enough during those few days to stay?
Not even watching Zen's amazing performance is helping me relax, she thought wistfully as she poured herself another glass of wine. I've been drinking too much, and now I'm becoming emotional.
Her eyes wandered to the reflection of her face from the wine glass. From the hazy image, she could already see the growing bags under her puffy eyes. I know that the doctor advised me to cut down on the drinking, but I've just been feeling so damn stressed recently. Chugging her second glass of wine down her throat, she then poured herself an additional glass of wine.
This was how she spent her time off when she wasn't finishing up some extra work or taking care of Elizabeth the 3rd. In the mornings, she would wake up early and get ready for work. And in the evening, she'd come back home and repeat the process all over again. The only thing she looked forward to was the time in which she was able to watch Zen's performances.
She was in a position that many were envious of. She studied hard throughout high school and college, landing her a job at C&R International.
To be honest, she had great employee benefits and generous pay raises as compensation for her demanding schedule. And she had to admit that even with all the unreasonable demands, the working environment was not bad. Yet she was not happy.
After several years, she had been able to pay off the debt that she owed her aunt and uncle after they took her in. She had finally achieved what she had been aiming for: independence. But in fact, she just felt more empty. In this cycle of monotony and stress, Jaehee simply felt trapped.
Am I just being ungrateful? Many people would give up so much to be in my place. With all that I have, why do I still feel so unhappy? This time, instead of using the wine glass for another drink, Jaehee grabbed the neck of the bottle and began to drink directly from it. The musical continued playing in the background, but she was no longer paying any attention to it.
I don't care if I'm thought of as a "precise" or "diligent." I don't care about making a lot of money. What about having a happy family or a happy job? When was the last time I had felt happiness?
Searching for the last time her eyes twinkled, she found herself reminiscing about the work assignment she was entrusted with a few months ago.
Unlike the Meerkat Contest that Mr. Han wanted her to organize so that he could relieve some stress, the coffee shop was a project that Chairman Han pushed onto his son when he discovered that Mr. Han had sneaked to the Cherry Farm.
At first, Jaehee was unsure of how she could manage working on both the cat hotel and this coffee shop on top of her other responsibilities. Over time, she found herself immersed in researching all she could about coffee. She had visited a few of the local coffee shops and was able to try out some of the machinery that she had read about, and she was proud of her creations.
She wanted to make this coffee project the best that it could be. It was possible that this shop could generate a fair profit, far more than what the cat hotel could make.
All the hard work ended up being for naught, though. After Mr. Han reviewed her reports, he turned down many of her suggestions. In order for her to focus more on the cat hotel, he urged her to "slack off" and make the coffee shop seem less profitable so that the business wouldn't take off.
This had disappointed her, but she had to do what she told, for that was her job. Even if she wanted to work longer on this project, it was not her decision to make. I am only a mere assistant and nothing more. I must remember my place.
But still, what if things had gone differently all those months ago? she wondered. What if I had risked my job to put my best effort into this project, disregarding Mr. Han's orders to just "slack off?" What if this project didn't get passed to another department?
What would have happened if MC and V were still here? Would we have all been happier?
Jaehee slumped into the couch, still holding the wine bottle in her hand. She looked up and noticed that the musical had finished, with the scrolling credits displayed on the screen. Who knows?
Her eyelids began to feel heavy. Even though she tried to will herself awake, she fell into a deep slumber, thinking about the what-ifs of the past.
This marks the end of the story, but I hope that you guys liked it! I've thought about this scenario in my head a few times, since I thought that there'd be some kind of bad end for all of them if MC had just left them suddenly.
I know that there's a bad end for the common route on the fifth day if you don't participate in enough chatrooms in the first four days, but I've wondered what it would be like if you didn't go back to read all the missed chats and instead did what several of the characters suggested you could do: escape Rika's apartment and delete the app.
Although this was meant to be a oneshot, I have a few ideas of where I'd take the story if I continued with it. Or, instead of a long story, it'd be a collection of oneshots, still continuing the theme of "What If" from the perspective of the different RFA members. But for now, I'll consider it "complete."