Chapter 4:

What exactly makes a person who they are? While one could easily argue from a practical, physical composition argument – a case could easily be made for the incorporeal aspects of a person and qualia. Though one could form an opinion about someone based upon the information available about them, which would still be only a fraction of their experience as a human being. Being born in the Information Age meant that just about anyone could know so much about one's presented public image as well as others opinions of said person with a basic search.

For Miyeon, her digital footprint had been limited to under a decade of her thoughts of school, images she found funny, pictures of cute animals she'd helped rescue, and things she'd cooked, roughly ending around the time her father's illness became her world… Even that had been set on a private profile that one had to be a "friend" to access… Granted those security settings meant very little to a person who likely hacked government databases for the "lol"s. It was for those very reasons that she was always careful not to post her location or personal information. Miyeon never posted pictures of herself for reasons that ranged from her parents denying it, insecurity, and eventually fear of being noticed by the wrong types of people.

It made her wonder if 707 was bluffing about having a picture of her, or if he did find one, exactly where did he get it? Perhaps one of the clubs or rescue organizations she had been a member of?

What sort of person she seem like to him…?

There was so much about her that only those close to the family had known. Although they say nothing really disappears on the internet, somethings were never posted. And in the case of her older brother, a great deal of it had been removed with the help of a company specializing in "cleaning" someone's digital records… Maybe the bad hacker and 707 knew about the gloomy things that made her routine trek from the refrigerator back to her room longer. The empty rooms before her…

She hated the quiet…

She hated being alone…

Without 707's voice, the house was still aside from the creak of the wood under her feet… At least with him on the phone, she wasn't as afraid. For someone who was a self-proclaimed, "bad man", he seemed rather honest and plainspoken about her situation. Seven'd given her the illusion of choice, but made no effort to hide how one option would inconvenience him. It was honest, and his surprisingly effervescent presentation did make the increasingly harsh reality of her situation a little easier to process.

He probably could be very threating if he wanted to be… Like a sphynx: mysterious and deadly… But instead, he was being fizzy pop and sour gummies about it.

How things would've been different if all of this happened years ago…

The house would've been full of the sort of heated conversations and yelling that made her hide in the closet with her favorite stuffed animal. The clothes would muffle the sounds of arguing, but it wouldn't block it out entirely. She'd stay there until her big brother would come sit with her, lock the door, and plop his headphones over her ears so she could focus on her homework. His thin arms covered in "cat scratches" and "zombie bites" would wrap around her, the scent of his "Consecrated Soil" cologne would fill her lungs, and the familiar pressure of his pale cheek against her shoulder would soothe her. Jun would say it was so he could, "hear the music too".

She knew better now...

Swallowing hard, Miyeon forced herself to retreat to her own room, locking the door tight. It was very easy to fall into her routine from there, except she had made a promise to Yoosung. The feed of the match was easy enough to find, although she had absolutely no idea who she was supposed to be cheering for. She kept the feed up in a little window and logged on to LOLOL just to start the transfer process. It'd likely take overnight to get her cleric moved over due to the amount of traffic being caused by the match. She e-mailed the blonde to let him know:

"Match will be over by the time you get this ( Username – ZhilaohuMD ) - I hope you won! If not, we can theorycraft out a spec swap to give you an edge! Ticket says it'll probably be tomorrow afternoon before my character is on Shooting Star server. Have a good day at school tomorrow!"

While the announcer detailed the action, her attention waxed to the search for charities. Finding people wanting money was easy enough, finding organizations who were based in Korea, and ones that matched the "Charity Grade" was even harder. To her surprise, Miyeon found herself making a spreadsheet in Excelled to categorize the ones that stood out to her most along with their contact information. She spent hours, yet only felt like she'd scratched the surface.

A glance down at her phone showed it to be 4:00 AM.

Out of curiosity, the girl opened the app again to find that Zen was online and a message from 707. Before entering the chat, she checked the PM first, anticipating an update on his progress catching the hacker. Instead there was a picture of a crab with one of his personalized emoticons shopped in along with a top hat and a monocle with the text:

"Prep for my crab walk. Like the duds? 8D"

Miyeon let out a little snort. "Looks good! You're just missing a pat of butter. Hope you can find a shade that matches!"

Part of her was a little worried he was already outside trying to set things up, but a glance out her window revealed no one in sight.

That spark of anxiety was enough to make her question the whole thing again. Miyeon considered going to bed, but the ID listed as "Zen" was still online. The temptation for a distraction and getting a positive ID proved too great for her. After a deep breath, she popped into the chat.

"Good morning, Zen!"

Zen: What's such a pretty lady doing up this late?

Zen: Couldn't fall asleep either?

Zen: Well I mean, to be honest, my heart's been racing since you joined!

"You're very kind. ^^;;"

Zen: Is that emoji your polite way of saying I'm making you uncomfortable?

Zen: I'll tone it back. It's just that you're new, and I'm curious.

Zen: Men get playful no matter how old they are.

Zen: Oh!
Zen: That doesn't mean I'm old! Not at all!

Zen: Now that you've joined, I feel rather relieved. Although, you must be all sorts of shook up. Here…

Zen has left the room

Miyeon tilted her head, not sure whether to be insulted or not until she heard the phone ring.

Zen was calling HER.

"H-hello…?"

"Well hello, princess," replied a voice that wrapped her very being in warm, silk. There was no dying the owner of the voice… Her mouth hung agape as her heart bounded.

"Zen!" she caught herself, "It's… Hey! Hi!"

Even his laughter was gorgeous. "Aww, precious… Take it you're a fan?"

"Of y-your music, yes."

"You have good taste! Seven gave us all your number so we can help you with the party; I just had to hear what our new girl sounded like… This isn't a problem calling you this late, is it?"

"Not at all! It's fine! Actually I was working on stuff for the group anyway. I was a little surprised to see you on," she answered, her cheeks hurting from grinning. "Aren't you tired?"

"Moi? Nah! I'm a bit of a night owl. How about you?"

"Same. It's easier for me to focus on things in the evening… Although, I admit to being afraid of the dark."

"Aww… So cute…" he affectionately chuckled. "For someone who came into our app under such weird circumstances, you sound really normal – well, adorable – and normal... Not going to lie, when I first called, I thought Seven was going to answer and reveal this was all a set up."

"So can I be sure you're actually, you know, you?" Miyeon asked, cautiously.

"Well, for one, if I was that weirdo, I probably would've said something really strange by now. I mean, he probably called you already, right? And you saw how he is in chat…"

"He seems… Lively?"

There was another laugh whose beauty would be lost to the ages. "That's a tactful way of putting it. To be honest, I wish he'd let me call you first; having a normal person, let alone a cute girl, trying to translate all of that is just… Pft…" he sighed. "You know, he still won't send us a picture of you?"

"He probably has his reasons."

"Or he's a jerk," Zen quipped. There was more annoyance than playfulness to the statement. "It'd be one thing if you asked him to keep it private, but I think he's just messing with us…"

The girl couldn't help but chuckle. She never expected a celebrity to be keen to see a picture of a lowly peasant like her. "Tell me how you really feel?"

"Dare I bear my soul to you? You would tremble if you knew the depths of the words unspoken between our hearts. If these gentle thoughts were let loose… Would your smile warm this lonely path that I have chosen? Or would your tears of joy birth a river - that we may sail away from this accursed place." There was conviction and passion behind his words…

Miyeon's fingers gently brushed her lips. "That was… You really are very talented…"

He warbled sweetly. "It's from a play I did a few years ago… You know, one of the things I love about a live audience is how they feed your performance. The director's vision shapes it, but it's the audience that sets the energy behind it. If only I could've seen your face."

"You're very smooth…"

"Good skin is a must in this industry," he answered playfully. Either he was very witty or very dull. There was no denying his charm; her pulse was bounding through her, making it hard to stay still.

"That's only one part of who you are as an artist though, right? Good skin takes lots of work to maintain, and, I can't even imagine how much hard work you put into practicing and memorizing lines... But I suppose if you love what you do – then it's not work at all. Plus, getting to where you are wasn't easy. People always see the success and not the long path to it. It takes a strength of will that most people just don't have to pursue a dream like you have. Really it's amazing… Just think about how many people you probably comfort and inspire through your performances!"

"… Thank you, Miyeon," his voice was rather warm. Her spine tingled as he said her name. "…You know, I'm really glad I called… I can tell we'll get along. It'll be so nice to have someone in the RFA I can actually talk to again… Since V's never in there."

The girl curled her legs up into her chair. "Do you not get along with everyone?"

"Well… So, hmm : Yoosung is a sweet kid, but he never really takes me seriously. He's addicted to LOLOL instead of focusing on college. Doesn't help that he whines about being single, yet a lot of it is because he does nothing but play that game. Seven's an alien… I mean, I've heard he's probably the best hacker in the world, not that anyone would ever know, right? He's obviously very good at what he does, but he's always so hyper and cryptic… Jaehee is honestly the most patient person I know. And she's reliable… Once she warms up to you, I think you'll get along. Poor woman puts up with that brat's stupid cat business ideals, but she works really hard. Like, unhealthy amounts – because her boss is… Jumin…" he howled like a wolf. "That trust fund kid… He's next in line to take over his father's business –has had everything handed to him. Is an unreasonably demanding prick... Honestly that guy has no humanity. Don't even bother trying to get close to him, not that he'd let you. He probably prefer it if you ignore him to be honest."

"I'll bear that in mind… So what about yourself, Zen?"

"The perfect man?" he answered seductively before speaking plainly. "Not that I'm bragging, but… I'm handsome. I can act. I can sing. I can dance. I am a consummate poet who can charm any lady." The dulcet tones of his voice ebbed. "But it's years since I've dated. I've just been so busy with my career. But you know, maybe you coming into our chatroom was a fateful encounter. Do you think this is a story we'll be telling our children?"

Miyeon nervously chuckled. "Maybe? Although we might have to go through a few rewrites to get the right feel… And well, there's also that little fact that you don't know anything about me."

"You're obviously a very positive and kind person to put up with how suspicious everyone has been of you and still be willing to help with our party. Honestly, I would've been annoyed and said no. With what I do, I deal with people all the time, so I'm a pretty good judge of character… You seem like my type."

"You're very kind. Bold… But kind."

"I am the perfect man," Zen reminded her haughtily.

"And how fortunate I am to be alive to bear witness to your existence, lovely Zen."

There was a throaty laugh. "Ah! My heart! You tease, but I can hear the truth in that sweet voice of yours. So your name really is Miyeon, right?"

"It is."

"Mmm… Mi-yeon_," he called softly in a throaty tone. Her back straightened as the baser parts of her instinct recognized the intentions within the vibration. "Miyeon… It just feels right… Hmm… I should probably stop that. It's not fair to everyone else if I steal you away before the party."

"Don't get the carriage ready yet…" the girl answered feigning resolve. Within her soul part of her wanted him to whisk her away, while the cynical part of her realized that he must talk like this with every woman. "I promised everyone that I'd help; I mean to keep my word… Actually while we're on that topic, can I ask you something a little more serious?"

"Anything you need, princess."

"So apparently Seven thinks I should stay at Rika's old apartment while I do the planning for the party. According to him, it's safer there than where I'm at now. I'm not really sure what to do. Any advice?"

"Hmm…" There was a soft, thoughtful breath. "I don't really know enough to make the call for you, dear, but I'll say this... I trust V, and V trusts Seven. That guy normally likes to take care of things on his own, without bothering us – not that we could really help with what he does anyway. If Seven's asked you to do something, he probably has a very good reason. Now what bothers me, and probably you too, is that none of us know where the apartment is, and I don't think you're allowed to tell us… The code for the door was already hacked once, right? What happens if they do it again, and you're there?"

"There is a small security office at the apartment complex, which is more than what I have here at home," she explained. "Where I am, I feel really vulnerable. Umm... I'm sorry for bothering you with this."

"Why are you apologizing? The hacker who tricked you is the person who did something wrong – not you. Maybe… Maybe you can give the apartment a trial run for a few days and return home when Seven thinks it's safer? I mean, you could always visit me if you get really scared," he chuckled. "We'll be working together, no need for us to be strangers, right?"

"That's not a bad idea, actually… That won't be a problem with like your fans or anything would it?"

"If they have issues, I'll just tell them the truth. For now, you're my friend and I'm helping you with your work. Worst case scenario, V yells at me."

"Thank you, Zen… You really are amazing… I mean, your songs always make me smile when I'm blue… After talking with you though, I feel much better."

"There is no greater praise," he crooned.

"Hey… Don't you have rehearsals or practice tomorrow? I'd feel really terrible if you were tired all day because of me."

"Are you that worried about me, princess?" his voice was heartfelt. There was a forlorn sigh. "You're probably right. But I'll rest much easier now that my curiosity has been sated. Yet knowledge begets a want for more…" she could tell he was quoting from a play there… "You sound so adorable, you know… Like a little bird," his voice ebbed to a sensuous little chuckle, before he brightened up. "I'll let you go for now. But don't be afraid to call, okay?"

"Should we do a daily phone report to each other then?" she suggested, half joking.

"I'd be hurt if you don't," he pouted playfully.

She found herself nervously picking at the sleeves of her shirt. "Y…Yeah! Umm… Good luck at practice! I'm sure you'll be dazzling!"

"I'll give it my all, just for you! Until then, sweet dreams, Miyeon."

As the line went quiet, the girl sat the phone aside, pulled her shirt up over her head and let out a squeal of joy as her feet kicked excitedly. She wanted to tell someone, anyone about the whole thing, but she couldn't. For just the moment, the new RFA member was determined to be happy in spite of the little voice inside her head.

She remained awake for a few more minutes, doing her best to make the spreadsheet look somewhat professional. There was the potential for Jaehee or Jumin to see it, although it wasn't something the girl wanted to volunteer for their review just yet. After a stretch, Miyeon changed into a fresh pair of pajamas and gave her messages a last check before trying to sleep.

There was a last message from Zen. Within was a picture of a pale, violet blossom, tenaciously clinging to a cliffside. Its leaves and petals glistened with fresh morning dew, increasing its beauty but also weighing it into potential peril. Behind it was a piercing blue sky; the color was painfully vivid. She could almost smell the wet stone and crisp mountain air.

"V sent this to me awhile back… I think about it whenever I get nervous before a performance. Perhaps it can help you too."

Gently she held her phone close to her heart. For now, she'd just believe the possibilities rather than the reality… If multiverse theory was real, there were versions of her that would indeed be able to tell "their children" about how they met… Reflexively she flipped back to the picture 707'd sent her earlier, finding that it made her smile too. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, people were talking to her as an individual. The kindness warmed her. Before them all was a blank canvas to paint a new set of relationships… It was fresh, clean – full of potential… She was free to be whoever she wanted to be.

As her eyes closed, her mind returned to the thought of the flower and of her brother. A delicate bloom where it ought not to have blossomed, weighed down by the very things that nurtured it.

She was the stone to which it clung.

The blossom had long since withered, its roots leaving holes for ice and rain. Now the elements had torn her free from the cliff face, who had suffered long. Into a sea of stars she fell, eyes cast upward towards a cold sun whose flickering light brought no comfort. Soon, she felt the sand below her and could watch the schools of silvery fish above her. How long she came to rest there was impossible to know… Yet there came along a gentleman crab who spoke in jibberish, who carried her to a palace where merfolk dwelt. It was a place of beautiful creatures with rainbow fins in a sea of jade colored kelp and sunbeams, all of which that danced through the shallow tide.

Jun, I didn't forget you… I wish you were here…