Day 7
MC's patience had run out. If nobody was willing to help him, or knew how to help him, she would.
"I'm sorry to ask this of you, MC, but please. You're the only one he'll listen to. You're the only one who seems to understand him..."
"Don't worry, Jaehee. Leave this to me. You finish your work and find some time to rest." As much as she understood Jumin's inability to function right now, that didn't mean it was fair to leave Jaehee solely responsible for all of his work. They both needed her right now, and she had already finished most of the preparations for the party ahead of time. All that remained were future guest invitations and correspondence, something she was sure she could complete at Jumin's apartment for the next day or two he might need her.
A sigh of relief followed. "Thank you, MC. The car will be heading to the downtown square, in front of the statue. Can you make it that far on your own?"
"Yeah, don't worry. I'll be fine, I'm more worried about Jumin." She said as she stuffed her necessities into her purse, threw on a coat, and exited the apartment without a glance behind her.
There was a long pause before Jaehee's voice returned. "I never thought anybody would care about Mr. Han the way you do, MC." Her awe, more a product of mystification than appreciation, was palpable. "I'm glad."
Jaehee paused again as MC exited the front door, her breathing already irregular as she stalked down the first block on the way to the square. "But please, be careful. I don't think I've ever seen him so distraught..."
Her uncharacteristic reiteration of what was obvious only deepened the crease forming between MC's brows. "I will, Jaehee. Thank you for everything. Shoot me a text if you need me. I'll try to keep everyone updated."
"Alright, I trust you. Good luck."
When the call ended, MC's eyes landed on Jumin's recent absence in the messenger, her pace increasing to something that could no longer be called a walk. There was no room for fear or unease on this outing into the enormous city, nothing but a single-minded need to know he was okay. After an eternity of nearly crashing into people in her haste, she spotted a uniformed man standing by the famous landmark.
"Ms. MC?" Asked the driver as he approached. The man had a kind, weathered look about him.
"Driver Kim? Jaehee asked me to come here."
He nodded, as if that was all the confirmation he needed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, miss. I'll be taking you to the C&R headquarters this evening." He opened the side door and ushered her inside, quick to take off and maneuver through afternoon traffic. When they finally reached the enormous building that showcased an equally looming logo, a thread of nerves traveled through her legs, making them tremble. She forced her spine to straighten as she walked through the revolving door, reminding herself that Jumin needed her to be strong right now.
To her immense relief, Jaehee was waiting at the entrance as soon as she walked inside.
"Ah MC, welcome." Amber eyes took her in for a short moment with curiosity before she nodded and began stalking towards the elevator, her heels clicking against the waxed tiles with each step. "Come with me, I'll take you to Mr. Han. I trust everything went smoothly?" Her shrewd eyes perused MC's features flushed from the cold.
"Yup, not a single hitch."
They chatted briefly on the way up and before she knew it, they were standing before a barricade of security guards. Transparent windows crowded in on all sides to reassure her that she was, indeed, hundreds of meters above ground. MC took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Ms. MC is here to see Mr. Han," Jaehee told Jumin's chief of security. "Please request permission for her entry."
When the security guard returned stating that she had been granted clearance, Jaehee took her leave.
"I have to attend a meeting in Mr. Han's stead, so I'll have to let you go from here. You're sure you'll be okay?"
MC looked to the stoic security guard and then the door to Jumin's suite before nodding. "I'll be fine. Good luck with work, Jaehee."
Her first step away faltered, turning back to look at MC before she sighed and nodded. She smoothed her hair back and adjusted her glasses before clacking out of sight.
MC took a deep breath, suddenly unable to believe this was really happening
"Miss?"
She followed the bulky security guard in silence before he opened the door to reveal the abode of, presumably from the pictures she'd seen, Jumin Han.
The room had a classic modern look, a bright shade of white coating the wall behind the figure at the door and an enormous flat screen TV covering a third of the expanse. The opposing wall to the left of him was a black open entry with floor to ceiling cerulean fish tanks. Brilliant colors wandered aimlessly in the synthetic ocean, like a painter unable to decide which shade looked best across their canvas. His home was charming, cool tones and masterful designs coming together seamlessly. Resolute, yet flexible where it was necessary. Strict and separate, yet regal and organized. A home like its owner, she thought with mild amusement before she found the courage to look directly at him. Or, more specifically, a striped chest.
She tilted her head up to find wide mercury eyes staring intently at her features as if to commit her to memory, as if she could disappear at any second. He was a skyscraper, six foot three to her average five feet and five inches, all long legs and lean waist accentuated by his striped attire until his shoulders tapered. Her shoulders folded inward as she took in his immaculate three-piece suit. The only dissonance to his strict collage of black, gray, and white the splash of violet poking out of his suit pocket. And, of course, the pale flesh of his throat peeking out of his collar. His cheekbones were sharp and angular, the line of his jaw and nose as aristocratic as his upbringing, merciless and unrelenting. After a long moment of taking each other in with equal fascination and surprise, he spoke.
"MC…?" He asked, the smooth sound of her name in his baritone, though slightly breathless, caused gooseflesh to raise on her limbs.
She couldn't believe someone as average as her was meeting with a man that looked like that. He lived in an eternal penthouse for crying out loud, managed millions of dollars a day. Somehow it was more intimidating to speak to him in person than it was the messenger. There was nothing of the out of touch workaholic and deadpan jester in this tall, dark, handsome being. Only slight traces of the grateful and vulnerable little boy she had unearthed in the perusal of his character peeked through his unyielding awe, giving her some measure of relief and recognition.
"I didn't know Assistant Kang would send you. God…" His voice was still punctuated by shock, nebulous mortification twisting his features. As if he was embarrassed that her first encounter with him would be while he was in such an unstable state. "Sorry I just stared into your eyes."
She smiled as he grew bashful. His awkwardness was endearing, familiar. How could she doubt this was the man she had spoken to for a week now? "Jumin... I'm so glad to finally meet you."
Though he seemed pleased with her response, it was clear he didn't do well with surprises. "I never expected you to come to my house. I feel a bit nervous...to actually see you like this. I thought I'd get to meet you at the party." He adjusted his cuff links and frowned as something occurred to him, a brow rising. "Wasn't it dangerous on your way here? We still haven't caught the hacker."
"Jaehee made sure that I traveled safe." She reassured him with a confident nod, unperturbed.
His skepticism was marginally put at ease. "Is that so? Then good."
She fidgeted with a loose thread on her sleeve under the intensity of his gaze, eyes falling to the floor as his locked on her again for the third time that evening. It was as if he couldn't get enough of drinking her in, and she wasn't used to somebody being so acutely aware of her presence. For the vast majority of her life she had been near invisible, unremarkable in every sense of the word.
"Oh, sorry." He tore away the storm clouds boring into her as soon as he caught himself doing it again. "I can't help but keep staring at you. I still can't quite believe it." He murmured, distracted. "It would have been better if I went to pick you up."
He suddenly shook his head as if to force away thoughts of her in potential danger, unable to handle the prospect at the moment.
"Anyways…" He refocused on her. "What did you come here for? Tell me if you need anything." He encouraged, eager to help. But she shook her head, as sweet as he was. It was his turn to receive the assistance he needed.
"Jaehee said you seemed to be having a hard time and I should visit you." MC began, before clarifying her intent. "I came because I got worried."
"So...she asked that of you." He shook his head with a measure of disapproval, clearly unhappy with Jaehee's overt disregard for pragmatism and MC's safety. "I didn't realize she'd make such an outrageous request when the hacker's still at large."
And yet, as he spoke, some part of his rigid stance and tone yielded. Almost as if he didn't have the strength to be upset with the aftermath of Jaehee's decision. "...But I'm quite happy that you are worried for me. Regardless, I'm glad you're here safe. Welcome to my home, MC. You seem to have come a long way, so I hope you rest up." He gestured for her to step inside as he closed the door behind her, hanging up her scarf and placing her purse on the coffee table.
She took in her surroundings as she removed her coat, deft fingers removing it from her grip to place it on the coat hanger beside the door. "Your house...is quite amazing."
He was pleasantly surprised. "You like it? It was my father's building, but I bought it from him last year." He shrugged, but there was a lingering dejection to the way he mentioned his father. "My private garden is near this building. I wanted to go see the roses there every weekend, so I moved. Whenever I brought one back, Elizabeth the Third seemed very interested…" He trailed off, distracted by the memory until a small meow was heard from afar at the sound of her name.
He looked up in the cat's direction, refocusing as soon as he heard her. "Oh. Late introductions. This is Elizabeth. I put her in a cage for now." Another plaintive meow, louder this time, sounded through the space as he gazed in the cat's direction.
MC followed his gaze to spot the regal cat in a large wire cage, sitting up at attention with her tail curled around her as they watched. There was an inquisitive as well as melancholy nature to the way she stared back. As if to say, I don't know why you're doing this but it makes me sad, why won't you let me curl up on the couch with you like we usually do?
It didn't take much to figure out why Jumin had put her in there, considering what his father had done to him. He was afraid to lose somebody close to him again. And judging by the slimy tactics Sarah and Glam Choi had been utilizing to force him into marriage, it was clear that he also felt he had put Elizabeth the Third at risk.
His father was already lost to Glam's charms. She wasn't sure he'd be able to handle the loss of both of the individuals he felt most comfortable with, even if one of them was a cat. The cage was the quickest way he could think to regain control, the only way he knew how to protect Elizabeth and deter her potential catnappers while he was at work. It was sort of sweet, if not a little dense. He didn't want to think about the fact that if somebody was determined enough to take her, no defense in the world would be able to deter them forever. As a man who relied on structure throughout the course of his life and his ability to control everything around him, she knew his mental state had to be fragile right now. So she did her best to put his mind at ease and demonstrate her understanding.
She walked over to the cage, squatted close to the adorable creature and smiled. "Hello. You look even more pretty inside that cage." She complimented as Elizabeth took her in cautiously.
"...Really? I think so too. It must be an animal's instinct to restrain those you want most."
MC felt tears gather as she kept her eyes on the poor cat, blinking them back. Not quite, Jumin. It's a broken man's instinct to tether that which he loves closest to him when he believes he isn't enough to keep them there or protect them.
"Oh, come to think of it, did you have dinner yet?" He queried, ever the gentleman. "Please feel at home. I can order anything you want."
There was a pause as he hesitated to continue after the silence that followed, as if he was waiting for the disgusted rebuff he had received from everyone else to surface. When she made no such move, instead cooing playfully at the cat, he continued.
"If it's okay, I'd like for you to stay here today...Just tell me what you want. I can provide you anything…" He reassured, unable to understand that she was happy to be here of her own volition without the need for personal gain. She wanted to meet him and further understand him, she wanted to help him feel better. She didn't care about big televisions or fancy meals or extravagant clothing. As long as he wanted her here, she'd stay.
She looked up with a nod, encouraging him to continue. "I never expected you to come, but now that you're here, I'd hate for you to leave." His tiny, pleased smiles and longing glances were endearing.
It was nice to have real company for the first time in an entire week, somebody to talk to and share the day with even though she texted the other RFA members all day. And not only was his home much more suited to her subtle tastes than Rika's multi-colored, bizarre den of femininity, she felt much safer in a known location with detailed security. Every day at Rinka's apartment had been a gamble, wondering when it would be that the hacker would return for her where nobody could find her.
"Did you have dinner?" She asked, feeling bold now that she knew he enjoyed having her here as much as she liked visiting. She was used to the other members worrying about her eating habits. And as much as Jumin reassured her that he maintained a healthy diet, she had a feeling that might have changed with his recent emotional stress.
"Oh, I didn't have much of an appetite when I returned from the office. I'm fi-"
"Let's eat together, then!" She invited before he could evade his equal need to eat, standing up from the cage and heading over to where he stood, blinking reflexively at her sudden enthusiasm.
Unable to deny the oceanic depth of her eyes, sparkling at him with genuine excitement, he paused. "All right… I'll call the chef." He conceded, before leaving the room to retrieve the phone he had left untouched for most of the day.
While he was gone MC texted Jaehee and Seven that she had arrived safely and was staying with Jumin for the night, further indicating that he seemed to be in better spirits since she arrived. The fact that Jaehee and Seven had found articles of Sarah announcing their one-sided engagement was concerning though. She decided to remain quiet about it for now to keep Jumin from doing anything drastic again, unwilling to reverse the progress they had made in just a few short hours. Even if she was furious with the woman's complete disregard for Jumin's feelings. He needed a few hours of sanity, and discussing a power-hungry gold-digger intent on taking over his life and destroying his relationship with his father wasn't the best way to go about it. Something told her he had had enough of those people in his life, what with his nonexistent social life and his father's recursive relationships. He needed a reprieve if he was ever going to be able to function and process his emotions in a healthy way.
When he returned to ask her what they should have for dinner as they waited, she let him choose knowing that he probably had a better idea of what the chef was expecting. To which he protested, asking her what she usually ate so he could order something that was a pleasant combination of things she'd like. After amiable introductions and Jumin's explanations to the young woman, their meal was conjured with the utmost finesse and timely preparation, flavors balanced to perfection as the chef exited with a hearty farewell. She made a note to thank the her once again the next time she came over and ask her for a few tips regarding things she could never get right or wondered about. Perhaps she could ask for a couple of tasteful recipes she could make herself if she was so inclined.
As Jumin exited the living room to take a shower, MC grew cozy on the coach with a soft black throw blanket and started replying to a few guest emails she had received in the last few hours. Not long after, Zen crashed into the chatroom with the knowledge that she was at Jumin's house. She shook her head as he projected the general male tendency towards promiscuousness when they were alone with a woman in the house, or perhaps what was his own penchant for naughty thoughts, onto Jumin. She simply responded with the truth, knowing intuitively that Jumin wasn't one to take advantage of a person that way. He may have trouble being empathetic, but he wasn't one to ignore a person's basic human rights or be maliciously inconsiderate. There was a reason he was so upset with his father's blatant and foolish disregard for his own son's feelings. He would never do to someone else what had been done to him.
Mere minutes after Zen started throwing accusations, Jumin joined the chat as well. She greeted him as cheerily as ever, despite the fact that he was mere feet away in the bedroom. She heard the shifting of clothing and muted footsteps as he expressed his slight displeasure to find her speaking to Zen. Regardless, she was happy to see him reaching out and bickering good-naturedly with the rising actor. Perhaps it was a sign that he was slowly coming back to himself.
As Zen insisted on a picture of the two of them, she flushed when Jumin said he didn't want anybody else to look at her, unsure why a little thrill accompanied his possessiveness, like a quicksilver shot of adrenaline coursing through her veins. She grinned at the screen as he continued to mock Zen good-naturedly, looking up towards the hallway with surprise when he relayed her reaction in the chat. He looked up from his phone back at her as well, a small smile curving the usual flat line of his lips, an unprecedented radiance in his expression before he moved to the kitchen. She heard the fridge door open before he replied to Zen, filled with warmth when he said he felt more at peace now that she was here with him. As always, he thanked her upfront in his direct and honest way, ignoring Zen as he decided words were insufficient to express his gratitude this time. She melted when he offered to make her strawberry pancakes for breakfast tomorrow despite futile reassurances that she was more than capable of cooking herself, insisting that all he wanted was her beside him. He knew how to make pancakes? What else could he make, even though he had a professional chef on standby? She was liking him more and more with every second, this splendidly odd duck.
Even as an emotional, anxious wreck he was still focused on her happiness and well-being above all else, thanking her for doing something as simple as staying by his side and cheering him up. He was so amiable and altruistic when given the chance, all he had needed was the indication that somebody understood him, that somebody cared for him in return. There was so much to like about him despite his faults, most of which could be diminished by attentive care and gentle guidance in the right direction. She couldn't believe they all thoughtlessly called him a robot. A person who had been ruthlessly exploited or abandoned by the only people with whom he had been able to share mutual love. A person whose friends, no matter how quickly he came to their aid, considered him too cold and too privileged to be human. Who invalidated his struggles and the way he worked himself ragged simply because he was born into a world of wealth, one that had done him so much more harm than good.
In that time Jumin had exited the kitchen and returned to his room for a moment to retrieve something. MC laughed out loud as Zen suddenly reached his limit and began bellowing at the sight of Jumin being so tender and affectionate, demanding that Seven find out who hacked into Jumin's brain. Despite her reluctance to turn to more serious matters, she knew Jaehee wouldn't be able to handle both of their work forever, and it was unfair to demand that of her. She asked Jumin, with the utmost patience, if he was able to go to work the following day now that he was feeling better. He claimed he was unable to leave until he could ensure Elizabeth the Third's safety, and she took that to mean that he didn't feel quite well enough yet. She remember days in her life when she couldn't productively attend work or school until she had indulged in some peace and quiet to organize her own mind. Despite Zen's protests, she felt it was fair if Jumin truly felt he couldn't handle so many stimuli under lingering duress, especially since he took a positive step forward and openly praised Jaehee's decision to send MC to his home.
MC supported Jumin's explanation that he needed more time, agreeing that both Glam Choi and Sarah remained considerable threats. It wouldn't take much for them to try to blackmail Jumin by stealing Elizabeth under his nose, manipulating the security guards with his father's clearance. However she did take the time to address his flippant regard for Jaehee's consistency and loyalty, asking that he be more considerate of her sacrifices. Despite Zen's unintentional distraction as a result of mentioning Jumin's lackluster attempts to suggest potential party guests, she knew he had read her reply carefully and filed it away for further reflection and consideration. As soon as she agreed to contact the owner of a cat hotel chain that Jumin knew, she yawned and rubbed her aching eyes, shocked to see how late it was at the corner of her phone screen. She looked up again at the sound of his footsteps growing louder, yawning again as her body demanded sleep after their whirlwind of a day. Yet all her fatigue left her when she read what he disclosed in the chat next, stating that he needed to 'put her to bed' as her eyes flew wide open. As she moved to rise from what she had assumed to be a couch, she realized she had been sitting against the headboard of a bed, invisible to her as she fretted about his health all day long.
He stepped into the kitchen before she could ask him what he meant, assuring Zen that she trusted him not to do anything rash. She was sure he only meant to prepare the proper accommodations for a restful evening, nothing as strange as Zen was predicting. After promising to call the rising actor should anything go awry, she let the screen go dark and relaxed against the plush couch, closing her eyes as drowsiness pulled at the edges of her focus. A few minutes later, Jumin exited the kitchen with a steaming mug of tea, placing it before her on the coffee table with deliberate movements. He pulled up a chair by the bed as she opened her eyes and smiled at him, wrapping her hands around the mug and relishing in the sudden warmth that flooded her fingers. Her circulation was terrible in the winter, her extremities always freezing no matter how many layers she wore.
"How kind of you Jumin, thank you." She took a sip and closed her eyes in bliss. "How did you know I love raspberry tea, with plenty of honey no less!"
The faintest of blushes ostensibly colored his cheeks, his eyes focused on the fish tank to her left. "It was merely an educated guess. You mentioned your love of sweet things a few times in the chats."
Her features softened before she could stop herself, her hand reaching out to touch his interlocked ones extended in front of him. "Thank you."
He looked down at her hand on his, thunderstruck, before he nodded as if he was incapable of forming words until she pulled away.
"..."
She feared she had made him uncomfortable and sipped her tea silently, shifting her eyes to his still form to gauge his status. Though upon closer inspection he didn't appear upset or unsettled so much as pensive, his brows furrowing as time passed. She suppressed her intrigue with the flesh revealed by his simple white dress shirt, indulging in the fascinating lines and contours of his collarbone with shy eyes for a few seconds before refocusing her attention. Curious and a tad concerned he would lose himself to his tumultuous thoughts, she tentatively addressed him.
"Jumin," Stunning silver eyes pierced hers in an instant, though it was clear she had jarred his train of thought. "What are you thinking about?"
He was silent again for a second before he replied, fighting with the impact of whatever memory had resurfaced. "Oh...It's nothing. Just...old memories. Aren't you sleepy?" He changed the subject, demonstrating the seamless evasiveness he had developed over the years. "If you are you can sleep on the bed. I'll turn off the lights."
"Where will you sleep?"
"I'll be fine. I don't think I'll sleep. I have some things to think about…" He paused as her disquiet must have been visible as soon as he said that. "But nothing for you to worry. Just rest up on my bed."
Then he plunged the room into darkness before she could dissuade him further. As much as she tried to sleep, it felt impossible knowing that he wouldn't try to get any rest himself. She wondered what could be so mentally consuming that he didn't want close his eyes at night. Her heart squeezed in her chest as she considered a possible explanation. Had he had a nightmare last night? Is that why he looked so tired when she arrived, purple shadows outlining his eyes as he lost focus from time to time?
"If you feel uncomfortable with the change in scenery...do you mind if I read for you?" He asked, as if hoping something that comforted him might comfort her since they both struggled to sleep.
She liked the thought of hearing his mellifluous voice a little while longer, that perhaps they could both be lulled to sleep by the other's attentiveness to their care."Please do. I'll feel more comfortable if I hear your voice."
"I'm glad you want to hear it." There was a smile in his voice. "Will you wait a sec?" She heard him pad over to the nearby lamp and watched as mild, golden light filled the small space. He then disappeared into the hallway before he returned to his chair with a maroon book in exquisite condition propped open in his hands, as if it were new. When he began, his voice was low and steady, a euphony of male sound that wound its way around her heart as he smiled.
"I always sit on the wooden shelf and stare at the same scenery. I've always stayed still, not moving a single finger. I don't know how long it's been. I stayed still, glancing at people occasionally passing by and looking for something to catch their eye on the shelf. And I remember that one single moment, when someone held me up. It was an old man with deep wrinkles. I knew this would happen one day. Everyone at that store would have thought the same. We are all destined to be held up by hands we've never seen and be theirs."
As he paused to turn the page, she couldn't help but ask. "What is this book about?" It reminded her of a story she read when she was a young girl, Corduroy. And she couldn't help but think the narrator showcased uncanny similarities with the owner of the book.
"Oh...Are you curious?" And just like that the magic of his delight dimmed, making her regret her sudden interruption. "I haven't finished it yet, so I can't tell you everything. This book…" He closed the cover and stared at it, smoothing a thumb along the cover's design absently. "I know it's funny...but it's one of the books that I don't ever want to finish." She definitely knew the bittersweet feeling. "I was supposed to finish this book and tell the story to a friend...but that friend is no longer in this world."
"Friend?" MC had a feeling she knew where this was going.
He hesitated, before he figured he had already begun, so he might as well explain. He wondered at the ease with which he revealed parts of himself he had never unearthed before others, never felt comfortable discussing with a single other soul."...I'm talking about Rika. I never took this book out ever since she passed away. But the moment I decided to read to you, I thought of this book. Since you are like Rika." MC couldn't help her slight disdain for being compared to the woman, and it must have been evident because he amended the remark. "Oh, I don't mean that you look like her, or even resemble her. It's just that...I feel just as curious about you as I was with her." He shook his head slowly in wonder, as if he believed he would never feel that way about anyone ever again. "Amazing that I feel this way."
"You want to know more about me?" She was flattered. She wasn't all that interesting, just a normal college student caught in a very abnormal situation.
"Yes, I do." His tone was resolute, ashen eyes boring directly into hers with conviction. "I didn't realize when we were talking on the messenger. But now that you're right beside me, I want to know you."
"You know...Ever since I was young, I could get anything I wanted...Curiosity was just like a whim that visited me temporarily and sporadically." There was no haughtiness in his explanation, it was delivered as a mere statement of fact. "But it was different when V and Rika were here. Every time I met them they knew something new, something I didn't know." He spoke with a muted yearning, a desire to regain what he had irrevocably lost as a result of Rika's death. A reprieve he so desperately wanted from the people around him that gave him no impetus to wonder and grow.
"That made me... quite anxious." There was a deliberate pause, his eyes landing on her with the same unyielding intensity he exuded when she arrived. "I still feel that anxiety to this day. Amazing." Wonder encompassed his voice again, taking her in restlessly as if she were some sort of ephemeral miracle. "You made me turn all my focus on you...Thanks to that, I'll be able to stop thinking about all those troubles." He put the book and the now empty mug down on the coffee table, muted elation clear on his face for a split second when he saw that she had enjoyed the tea.
"Thank you so much for coming. I feel so good that you're here." He confessed again, as if the words would never be sufficient to communicate the depth of his mollification. "I...never want to let you go. One day, when I finish reading this book to you...I feel as if all my threads will untangle." He looked to her as if she was the key to unlocking what he couldn't understand or approach about himself.
When he noticed her confused expression regarding his strange terminology, he resolved to explain it to her some other time. He had been selfish enough for the night. After everything she'd done, the least he could do was let her rest. "Oh. You won't know what I'm talking about, I'll explain later...It seems I've just kept you up. Go to sleep now, young lady."
He shut off the lamp and left for the room at the end of the hall, resolved to respect her privacy and much needed sleep. As she attempted to sleep, she was distracted by her blinking phone. She opened the messenger app to encounter a hilarious miscommunication between Yoosung and Seven. After a few brief replies as she struggled to stay awake, she left the chat room as soon as they reconciled the problem and closed her aching eyes. It wasn't long before the soft sounds of Jumin's peripheral movements became a lullaby, easing her into slumber now that she was warm and cozy on the plush mattress. She slept more deeply and peacefully than she had for a single day that entire week, in the safety of Jumin's company and elaborate security.