Chapter 11:

Jumin's life had a schedule and very often had a routine that marked his every moment from the time he woke with Elizabeth's gentle paw brushing his cheek to the moment he laid down at night with her curled up beside his arm. There were some deviations from the general course, but these were generally infrequent and of very little consequence. When they were of any importance, Assistant Kang could be counted upon to remedy them. The shift of his 9:00 AM meeting to 10:15 AM – easily handled. The proposal for their clothing retailers to carry extended sizes for pets – also readily dispatched by his assistant. One crying employee already down for the day, which meant another who would weep openly before him was unlikely for the rest of the day.

It was lunch before he knew it.

Driver Kim drove him home for gourmet lunch with Elizabeth III, taking the usual short cuts to avoid traffic, and he was back on the way up to his office by 1:00 PM. There was a deviation, however…

Assistant Kang was usually at her desk, her annoying voice chattering platitudes to clientele about any number of things. Today, however, she wasn't there. While he had been informed his assistant would be taking her lunch late, that normally didn't impact his ability to find her. It was vexing, and though not quite annoyed, it didn't suit him. Regardless of whether or not it was scheduled time for herself, his needs took priority. That was, afterall, the contract she'd signed.

A quick call to her and confirmation lead him down to the first floor again, where Assistant Kang stood talking to a petite woman with long dark hair. Was it perhaps a relative?

Adjusting his cuff, he pushed forward.

"Assistant Kang…"

"Mr. Han, my apologies, I only stepped down for a moment."

The shorter girl with the bright eyes seemed to step behind Jaehee just a little, her head lowering like Elizabeth would when she was startled. He wasn't sure if he liked the acknowledgement of his dominance or whether the weakness it inferred in her annoyed him.

"…I'll be in my office."

"Mr. Han… Sir… Before you go…" There was no hiding his displeasure for the delay. His Assistant unlike others did not cower or flinch before him. Rather she spoke clearly – to his further displeasure. "This is Ms. Miyeon Ko, our new party organizer," the assistant noted, holding a brightly colored bag with a cat pattern along it.

His gaze then returned to girl in the peach colored sweater at his assistant's side, her expression lacked the lust or feigned niceness as most women imposed upon him. Rather she looked like a cat: delicate, curious, unassuming... Politely he offered his hand, finding hers were rather small and soft like a fine silk ribbon.

" …"

"Good afternoon, Jumin," she answered with a charming voice while smiling brightly. "Did you have a good lunch?"

"It was adequate. I trust Assistant Kang has been helping you with an important matter related to our mutual friends?"

"Ms. Ko, in her generosity, has brought me lunch for today," his assistant clarified, looking a little embarrassed.

"…Why?"

It was by no means a dig at his secretary's pride but a sincere question.

"Convenience food store food isn't very healthy, so I thought I'd save her time and brought her some lunch," the girl offered. "I also brought cookies! Here!"

The girl offered up to him a small pastel colored box with a simplistic drawing of Elizabeth the III stretching across it, and blue ribbon binding it up.

He accepted, if only because the picture but was certainly perplexed. Was this a commoner custom?

"Thank you…" Girls brought things like this when they had affection for a man, if the dramas he watched were correct. Jaehee had gotten some too, as well as lunch, so perhaps this was commoner business practice? It was definitely a better offering than some he'd gotten from his fellow executives, as he opened up to see that there were macarons shaped like cats. It was quaintly charming. "Truly… Thank you."

Her smile was so sincere…

For some reason, he felt strange. "I'll be in my office… Good afternoon, Miyeon."

"Have a good afternoon, Jumin!"

As he boarded the elevator, he saw the two of them talking still. Both were smiling. It looked strange on Jaehee, whose stoic expression robbed the joy from his every working moment… On the girl, however, it seemed quite natural. For some reason, he didn't want to look away. Her fiery defense of his employees seemed in direct opposition to the delicate, graceful creature he saw. So engrossed were his thoughts that he missed hitting the button to his floor. The chairman to be instead took the stairs back down, getting a few looks and quick steps aside from employees carrying dockets.

The rest of the afternoon he had trouble focusing and found consolation in only checking his apartment camera feed to see Elizabeth the III soaking up the warm sunshine coming in from the Eastern facing window and the chat to see if Miyeon was on.

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When his last class was over, Yoosung could scarcely get to the dorms to change fast enough. It wouldn't be a long trip to the hotel where he was supposed to meet the new party planner, but he wanted to freshen up some. For twenty minutes he'd agonized over what to wear after having spent time the night before second guessing himself. The student just barely made it onto the train. Any work he'd done to tidy up was likely put to waste as he ended up trotting the way through the crowd to make sure he made it in time. He wanted to be early – to make a great impression – there was a five minute leeway.

Climbing up onto a set of steps, he looked around looking for a familiar face. It was a nice sunny day out; a great day to make a good memory! His heart was racing and blood coursing thinking of all the possibilities. It wasn't like he'd picked out the names of their children, but he could already imagine taking her home to meet his mother for approval… If it was true love though, he didn't care if his mother liked her or not.

It was right on the dot of the meeting time and still no sign of her.

She wouldn't stand him up – this was for the RFA. Miyeon promised to stay with them…

Just as he picked his phone up to dial her, worried that perhaps something had happened, it started to ring. He answered without a thought.

"Sorry, Yoosung! I am SO sorry! Running a bit late!"

"That's fine!" he assured, feeling a little dizzy hearing her voice say his name.

Anyone with a voice like that had to be cute, just like Seven said… Even then, she was so nice and good at games…

He craned his neck around, hopping up on the brick work without a care of who saw… This was going to be a moment he would remember forever; the blonde was sure of it! Just needed to look for a girl on a phone… But there were lots of those. If only there were mods in life to mark essential characters, he desperately wished to himself.

"I see the hotel now! Are you standing on the planter?"

His cheeks reddened as his violet eyes scanned the crowd for anyone with a phone whose gaze was on him. There were a few of those too. "Yeah! I can't see you though!"

"Peach sweater!" she answered.

Was that more orange or pink? Yoosung bobbed anxiously until he saw a small girl hopping and waving as the crowd parted around her. He nearly dropped his phone. Seven wasn't joking… His eyes remained fixed on her as she made a skitter towards the hotel steps; his feet were already working to meet her halfway. The blonde threw himself into the crowd to pull her out. Without thinking, he took her hand and lead her through, pulling and apologizing as she lowered her head to hide near him.

"Thank you so much," Miyeon murmured, breathing with a shudder with both hands on her breast as he let go…

He was too enamored with being close to her to even notice that she was pale. Her long bangs nearly hid her large, cheerful eyes. Her skin was fair and smooth… Her lips were full and almost matched her sweater in color. It made him swallow thinking of what he wanted to do to them. She was shorter than him, which was a definite plus – not that he had anything against taller girls, and despite the situation, she was already smiling which in turn made him grin from ear to ear. The little mushroom from an old NES hanging from her purse sealed the deal… There was NO way he was letting Zen have her.

"…You're okay, right?"

Her lips formed a cute little shape as she huffed out the last bit of anxiety. "You're my hero, Superman Yoosung!"

The college student beamed before turning his gaze up to the steps, then back to her as she pulled out her phone. There was a cute little cat charm hanging from it along with a case that was the violet of his eyes... Stepping close to her, Yoosung could smell vanilla… It was hard to focus as she pulled up an app to check the information.
"So… When we get in, we need to find Mr. Gwon. We need to definitely check out these areas while we're here," she noted, pointing to a list which the college student studied before taking out his own phone and copied. "I know you guys said you wanted a small party, but I think we can manage something at LEAST as big as what Rika pulled off. Especially since it's been awhile."

Though the girl didn't look anything like his cousin, but her spirit seemed similar. Focused… Strong... But she felt so much warmer than Rika… Desperately he wanted to be of help to her, to be indispensable. For the honey color of her eyes to focus only on him.

"…We might want to see if they have AV equipment too," the young man noted reaching over to check her list.

She didn't seem afraid of him, but her cheeks did seem to redden when he got closer… Maybe Miyeon liked him too?

"…AV?"

"Yeah, we usually have a big screen to show pictures and names of the donors and to announce winners of prizes."

"Ah…! I totally spaced on that," the girl mewed.

"It's fine! I mean – we remember now, right?"

"Right!"

As they walked up the steps, it was nice to have someone who wasn't out pacing him. Her cute little sneakers held small feet… Everything about her was adorable to him…

Once they were at the front desk, it was a flurry of activity going from conference hall to dining area to other potential venues within the one location. Miyeon was a little concerned about the cost point, but it took only reminding her that C&R via Jumin would be helping to ease her back into a smile. The venue would be worth every penny too. Its walls were colored with rich fabrics, ornate chandeliers, an indoor waterfall and fountain, and all came with a variety of seating options. While they did offer onsite catering, they had contracting options too.

Now and then Yoosung could almost feel as though someone were watching them, although it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Maybe Rika's ghost was giving her blessing to them as a couple. The short girl certainly could summon his cousin's charisma when the need arose over paperwork.

Very quickly the college student reaffirmed that they worked just as well as a team in real life as they did LOLOL. He was a natural tank and guild leader, she was a natural support and second in command… The person showing the facilities was trying to put a hard sell on them and charge more simply because of their young appearance. But between his recollection of the past party and Miyeon's subtle inferring that another place was already well ahead in favor, they were able to come to more suitable terms. Jaehee's layout of the deductibles that they could have for hosting the charity were also put to good use. Already he was thinking of how far he could go with her supporting him. He could be come anything or go anywhere she wanted! Knowing her though, she would never ask him to do anything he didn't want… Not that he'd mind… As long as she praised him.

At the end of the tour, Miyeon excused herself to the restroom, leaving him to wait in the main lobby. The realization hit him that they could do so much more now that they were relatively free – that was – if she was free too. While his mind rolled over the options and tension built over what to ask her out to do, the girl re-merged, looking a little less cheerful.

"Is everything okay?"

The girl nodded offering a sad smile that made him feel urgent, "Just ran across someone having a rough day."

"What happened?" he asked, his voice wavering with concern.

"One of the hotel staff was in the bathroom… Bless her heart… Poor thing said she had a fight with her boyfriend," Miyeon explained, her lips tightening into a pout. "She'd cried herself hoarse…"

"It'll be okay! Love can overcome anything," Yoosung assured her before anxiously looking at his feet. "If it were me and my girlfriend, I'd probably do something really nice for her…"

"Aww… That sounds like you."

His smile warmed as he rubbed his shoulder to ease the tension. "You know since this didn't take as long as you thought, we could maybe do something fun together…? I mean, we might not get a chance to see each other until just before the party."

Her eyes widened and the rose in her cheeks deepened. "…We could, but… I told Seven I'd be back as soon as I could."

Something about that made him feel itchy deep in his heart … "I think he'd be okay with it if we just let him know. I mean, he wouldn't have let you out of the apartment if it was that dangerous, right?"

"You're probably right… But the thing, he said he'd be out today, and he hasn't replied to the message I sent him… Or my calls."
"He's usually busy, so I don't think that it's anything bad."

Even while assuring her, he tried to rationalize his worries... It was just because the hacker was handling security – he didn't need to be jealous. Seven had always been sincere and never had shown interest in girls. It was silly to worry… Zen was the threat.

Miyeon's hands curled around the strap of her purse as her eyes darkened. "…I just worry."

"You don't need to worry," Yoosung soothed.

"…Everyone keeps saying that."

"I probably know him better than anyone, except maybe V…" the young man's voice ebbed at the mention of his cousin's former lover. "He's really smart… And weird… But I think geniuses are always supposed to be a bit strange. He's really okay. I mean he works for that agency, but I don't think they have him do anything too weird…. He's probably just super loaded down with paperwork or something - like Jaehee."

"You're probably right," Miyeon affirmed aloud. "Seven also said you usually are free."

"Really?"

"He did… He also seems a little worried about you."

"Seven doesn't worry," Yoosung replied, not wanting to mention his real thoughts on why his friend would say such things. He wanted to hug the bespectacled prankster and vowed to take back every bad thing he'd ever said if Miyeon became his girlfriend… He'd owe his friend so much… "Really I'm okay…I know how it looks… Playing so much LOLOL and skipping classes. But I'm a student; this is the time in my life when I'm supposed to be figuring stuff out, right?"

"Right!"

"Thank you! You so get it!"

As they walked out of the hotel, the girl glanced at him after tinkering with her phone. He did his best to not seem too interested in who she was talking to, but he was ferociously curious. "…As long as I'm back before dark, I think it should be okay to hang out a little more."

"That's great!" he piped taking her hand again. "C'mon I know just the place!"

It was worth looking back to see her blush and look so cutely embarrassed as he lead her through the crowd. Her hand was so soft and warm. Though she wasn't holding on too firmly, he took that as her being just as shy. That made him all the more eager to show that he could be a strong, useful boyfriend. Her anxious manner calmed some as they stepped into an arcade. The familiar sensory assault of digital noises, music, and light seemed comforting to her when compared to being in large groups of people. Maybe he wasn't imaging her looking afraid?

Yoosung kept close, offering to buy her some tokens, only to find she was fine getting her own… Independent women weren't a bad thing, he affirmed his appreciation of that accordingly. This acknowledgement drew a nervous chuckle from her. Maybe she wanted someone to rely on? Hopefully that could be him.

Though he wasn't a fan of scary things, but his new friend apparently was. She immediately zeroed in on an older themed zombie shooter complete with old fashioned gun peripherals. His usual forte was MMO's and fighting games; so it took a few moments for him to find his speed. Even then his panicked aiming was way off, especially compared to Miyeon. Every time he'd glance over, her body would be lined up like a police officer's with a look of intense, unwavering focus between reloads… In a way, it reminded him of Seven the summer that they'd teamed up to take the top scores of every arcade. It was so cool… Her petite frame was so fierce, so powerful, so amazing. Eventually he was looking at her more than the game, yet her attention never drifted. She managed to keep their health bars on full for the entire game while a small crowd gathered. There were other guys who'd noticed her and were already vying for her attention.

"Who's the cutie with the high score?"

"Is that loser beside her her boyfriend?"

"No, idea. Never seen her in here though."

"Dude - honey thighs has been carrying him the whole game…"

"I'd like to carry her…"

"Hey Dead-eye! What's your number?"

He only edged closer to her to make it clear that in a sense they were "together". Maybe a movie would've been better.

"…I guess you're my hero now," he blurted out before he could help himself.

Miyeon's eyes finally peered up to him, seemingly unaware of the throng that was gathering around them. In that moment, her attention was wholly his… His heart stopped and the world slowed for just a moment. He wanted her to look at him like that forever: her smile broad and playful with her pearly teeth bared with sheer joy… Maybe more… Yoosung's cheeks reddened as a nervous chuckle escaped him.

"Boss!"

Shaking his head to snap himself out of it, he called back and did his best to match her. His overall ranking by the end was only 35% of the damage done with an accuracy of less than 45%. It'd been awhile since he'd played a game like this… As they stepped off to let another person play, the throng of men and boys looking at them weighed heavily upon him. Yet he puffed his chest out and held his chin high until someone grabbed her shoulder.

"Calamity Jane! Digits - Please!"

She shrunk back and before Yoosung could say anything, the girl darted out onto the street. Shaking his head at the stranger, he dashed out after her, finding her just a few buildings up looking pale and hanging her head, pulling up the collar of her turtleneck to keep anyone from seeing her. A realization hit him…

"…I guess you have to put up with that a lot since you're a girl…"

Miyeon's eyes peered at him from under her long, thick lashes as she tucked her chin even more. "…More than I used to… Before I had to take time off from school, I used to have a group of friends I could go with… Not so much these days," the girl replied.

"…Yeah," his voice trailed. The truth was that he just wanted to touch her, but shielding her had been a nice bonus. "…With the hacker and stuff, you must really be worried to even leave the apartment now… But it's okay now – you have me. Seven can sometimes play too, so the three of us can comeback and beat their scores - we'll see who'll be laughing then!" This brightened her a little, but he could still sense her uneasiness. "I can walk you home if you're scared."

"As much as that would make me feel better…I can't give away the location of the apartment."

"Seven won't know."

She shook her head. "… I promised that I'd keep it a secret. I had a lot of fun today though!"

"… Can I at least walk you to the station or till you get a taxi?"

What he really wanted to say was , Don't go.

This was agreed to with a small nod of the head. On the way, the talk changed to the upcoming ranked match he had and some concerns about class. He wanted to ask her more about herself, but she seemed distracted. It worried him, but also made him feel strangely jealous… Maybe there was someone she liked already? Was he already too late? Rather than show it, the student kept himself open. He didn't want to sabotage himself, not when they seemed to get along so well.

"You'll call me once you get back to the apartment though, right? Or like post in chat?"

"I promise," she assured him before giving him a hug around the shoulders and offering up a box of cute little sandwich cookies. His box was covered in rainbows and scribbles of his avatar

"Ah! You even got my new armor!" he beamed. "I'm going to eat every last one of these!"

Miyeon giggled sweetly. "Not all at once – you might get a tummy ache."

"…It'd be worth it for you," the student soothed.

Her cheeks reddened again. As her eyes drifted up to his, the want to kiss her flashed through his mind. "Thank you for everything, Yoosung. Be safe getting back to the dorms!"

"I… Uh… Text me when you get home, okay?"

Perhaps it was still too early for a first kiss…

"I will… Bye!"

"Bye!"

Something in him couldn't leave it there. Yoosung discreetly trotted behind the taxi for a bit, making use of the lights it stopped at to get as much of an idea of where she was before an opening in traffic left him unable to follow by foot anymore. While he wanted to make sure she got home safe, another part of him wanted to find the apartment if only to find out the truth about Rika…

…If he could get Miyeon to love him, she'd agree to help him… That's what lovers did, right?

As he walked home, the more complicated his thoughts became. It would be wrong to ask something like that of her. She had given her word, and it would be a bad thing to have her break that for him. At the same time, if they were together, he'd do anything for her… He wasn't like V. It made him dizzy and sick with emotions he hadn't felt in a very long time.

Checking the chat, he saw that she'd made it home fine, although he still ended up dialing Seven. The hacker didn't pick up.

Rather than letting the lack of someone to share the events with overcome him, Yoosung checked the messenger… He allowed himself only one cookie, nibbling it in little mouthfuls to fully enjoy the flavor. She did make them for everyone, but his box had so much cute personalized stuff on it… The cookies he ate were filled with her essence. His entire body felt warm and alive in new and wonderful ways… It wasn't a cookie that he wanted on his lips though.

He wanted to feel Miyeon in his arms and to hear her voice through his headset… Most of all, he wanted to bring her to his room so they could be together. Covering his face, he let out a happy little cheer as he settled into his chair to play LOLOL.

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On the ride home, Miyeon found herself dialing her hacker friend's number for the second time. Still no response. Her worries deepened. Maybe the other hacker had found him and gotten to him? What if that agency he supposedly worked for did something to him? What if the poor diet he'd had made him have a heart attack or worse? What if those guys from the arcade had hurt Yoosung and followed her? The thoughts racing through her head overwhelmed her until all she could do was lean against the glass trying to force herself to breathe normally. Some days it was easier to calm herself down from this state, but not today…

As she made her way up to the apartment, her sweat ran cold as every person around her felt like a threat. Once she was back in sight of the CCTV camera, a wave of relief washed over her. Never in her life had she been so grateful to see a blinking red light. The door didn't click, which seemed to infer that Seven wasn't watching the stream currently. She quickly shut and latched the door behind her, letting her back rest to it as she desperately tried to force air into her lungs.

It took several moments of deep breathing before she could finally stand without feeling as though the world were sloshing. There was a text from Zen letting her know that from where he was traveling he might not be able to call, which was a disappointment, but at least he was safe.

Still no word from her eccentric guardian angel.

The girl retreated to the bathroom, showering then filling the tub with water so her body could soak in the warmth. All of her felt so very tired… The temptation to nap was there, but as she let her head slip under the water, the fear came back with thoughts of her brother…

Miyeon forced herself back up, hugging her knees tightly. She wanted someone to stroke her hair, to hold her, to tell her she was safe… It wasn't even that the girl wanted a lover; it would be enough to just have someone to come home to. Maybe it was time to sell the family home and get a roommate… That meant having to deal with a stranger. Her stomach lurched.

For now it was enough to have the water making her hair float like a kelp forest…

She was drifting in a warm, tranquil lagoon on a distant world…

Her phone rang… As tempted as she was not to answer, her loneliness overpowered her weariness with the day. It didn't even matter who was calling…

"Hello…?"

"Oh… You picked up," her friend observed, seemingly surprised. Immediately Miyeon covered herself with her arms and closed her knees tight. It wasn't like Seven could see her, but it felt so vulnerable talking to him naked. "I saw where you called earlier which worried me… But I saw you made it home okay, which made me realize that I couldn't remember what your voice sounded like… Which is really weird since I have a super good memory… So I thought I'd call to hear you and make sure it really was Miyeon who I saw on the security feed…" his voice trailed. "…Now your voice is back in my brain… Wonder why I couldn't remember it before."

He was rambling more than usual… Had something happened?

"You haven't exactly been sleeping well since I joined the chat," the girl answered, idly twirling a strand of wet hair between her fingers. "Seven… Are you okay?"

"Maybe…?" he groaned. "Must be all the I drank … Ugh…" There was a sigh. "…I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

What would it take to cheer him up?

"I was taking a bath," Miyeon confessed before she could help herself. Not that the sound of water wouldn't eventually give her away. There was a nervous chuckle on the other end of the line which woke her a little. "And now innocence is gone… Seven… How could you?"

"Ah! We're just!" For once he sounded truly flustered. "…Your innocence is… It's not like I slept with you or anything!"

"I can't wear white on my wedding day now, you've defiled me… Your priestess is no longer pure… You should take responsibility!"

There was an agonized sound on the other end. "Ok! Ok! I'll take responsibility. But first I'll need you to fill out a form in triplicate stating your favorite snack foods, favorite shows, most embarrassing moment… your favorite dream…"

"You want my three sizes too? My chest is_..."

"Miss! Miss! Miss!" Seven sighed. "…That's not necessary."

"It's okay, as long as it's you, God Seven…"

"Gah! I'm really going to have a nose bleed!"

For the first time ever, there was quiet between them aside from his sniffling on the other end of the line. Was he really bleeding? Miyeon almost felt embarrassed at herself; truthfully she didn't know why she'd even said such a thing. Perhaps it was just because she knew nothing would probably ever come of it. An even more bold part of her wanted to take pictures or ask if he could actually see her through the camera on the phone to get his opinion on what he saw. Something about talking with Seven made her feel comfortable and open… Nothing was ever "weird".

"…Did you have a good day?"

"We did! We managed to talk the cost down too thanks to Yoosung's negotiating skills and Jaehee's forethought! It would've been more fun if you could've come. Your day must've been exhausting, I can hear how tired you are…"

"Just… talking to you helps. Every time I see you're online I get a little excited."

"We do sort of have our own wavelength don't we?"

"Maybe that's why – you're like an outlet!"

"707… Charge!"

"Ah! Up to 1000% percent!" he cheered, sounding a little more like himself. "And back down to 79... So I… Wasn't kidding about those questions before."

"There were so many though!"

"Okay – okay – I'll pick one. Which Joltron mech was your favorite?"

"Ah! No fair! That one's hard!"

"You said I got a question," his words were elongated as he teased her.

"I sort of want the whole set - but if I had to pick a single piece – I guess I'd probably go for the red tiger! It's a big kitty of death that shoots fire! And the flaming claw sword it gets! Impractical – but COOL AS HELL! The feather scythe the silver crow gets is pretty nice though…"

"Right answer!"

"God Seven has impeccable taste!"

"Next question ~!"

"Aye!"

"What is your… favorite… snack!?"

She pondered it a moment. "Right now… Honey Buddha Chips! Kancho choco biscuits are a close second."

"The harmony of sweet and salty," the hacker pondered aloud like an old sage.

"A delicate balance~! Although I like spicy sometimes too…"

"You so get it…! Question two – would you come with me to the space station?"

"Yes! Yes, please! We could totally steal all the astronaut ice cream! How do we get up there though?"

"…I suppose it would be hard without a rocket… But I have an idea. Hold on!"

Miyeon listened attentively as the sound of keys clicking caught her attention before she started to see her phone's screen flickering. At this point, she was too impressed to be worried. This was Seven, afterall; there was nothing to be afraid of.

"Ba da da – da da da DAA! Open up that little star icon!"

"God Seven, what did you do?"

He hummed with feigned annoyance.

The girl did as asked, finding that her phone immediately pulled up a stargazer app that was superior to one that she'd used before. With her phone pointing at the wall, she could see the star placement through the wall, through the other side of the planet, and above her. "Wow…"

"Goin' to the space station, and we're gonna get ma-aaa-aaa-rried," he sang. "So… If you look to the west and about horizon level… You should see it."

Miyeon wasn't familiar with the song but joined him the second time around until he broke into an awkward throaty laugh.

"Stargazing in the bathtub…" the girl observed. "Do they even make veils that work in zero G?"

"Hmm… Maybe we could use safety pins to hold it in place?"

"With baby's breath so it looks "natural". I'd probably have to wear shorts under the dress too. Unless it's just the groom at the ceremony…"

The hacker hummed in affirmation before a quiet settled.

"What sign are you, Seven?"

"Caution."

The girl giggled.

"You're a Virgo, right?"

"Yeah."

Once again his voice was low and was thoughtful. "Now that I think about it... You two do have things in common."

"Who?"
"The other Virgo of the RFA."

"Who is that?"
"That's a secret."

"So not you."

"Nope... But we already share a planet close to the sun… Maybe that's why it's so warm."
Miyeon understood immediately his meaning. He was a Gemini…

"That actually makes a lot of sense."

"Miyeon, do you believe that stars guide people's lives?"

Something about the way he said her name made the tiny bird inside her heart flutter.

"… No, but there are things like availability of food and the types of illnesses – and holidays – that might have impacts on personality and what sorts of options they have open. People born during certain months are more likely to develop allergies for example…"

"My priestess is wise."

"I'd like to think being your disciple gave me a stat buff – God 707's Blessing +15 Wisdom, +100 Protection, and a stacking H.O.T. buff of happiness," she quipped. "Does his awesomeness get anything from having a disciple?"

There was a chuckle on the other end, before a sigh.

"I know I mentioned it in chat – that I haven't made progress finding that hacker yet." A quiet settled over the line as she heard motion on the other end of the line as he likely changed position. "…From where I was out on business today, there's a whole stack of work waiting for me that I have to get done… So it's going to be a little longer. The defender of justice asks that you be patient."

"You don't need to apologize, Luciel… I know you're doing everything you can."

"How?"
"…I feel it… Plus I can see when you're online… You never sleep it seems."

"I'll sleep plenty once I'm sure everyone is safe."

Her cheeks blushed. "You can't see me through the phone, can you?"

"…I could tap the camera if I had to," he replied, his voice hesitant. "But I wouldn't do that to you – not unless there was a good reason."

"…Could you make it to where I can see you?"

There was a soft huff into the speaker. "…Probably… But for now, you have my number, or if you get really scared, you can call out to the Defender of Justice. There's a 0.00000001% chance I'll show up."

"The ficklest summon ever, basically."

"Yep."

"So I just need to call you a whole bunch then."

She could hear him breathlessly laugh on the other end. "I'll probably too busy to answer… If you get lonely, you know Yoosung is usually free."

"That doesn't help me if I want to talk with you though," she observed. "You're my friend too, right?"

There was silence.

"Seven…?"

"…Sorry, I think my maid is coming… Can't talk much more. I'll keep a watch on the apartment tonight… So get a good night's rest, okay? Thank you for working so hard on the party for us."

"You're welcome… Thank you for_..."

There was a click before she could even finish.

Sinking into the tub a little more, she studied her lonely expression reflected back at her. Something deeply hurt… The water around her had gone from warm to cool. Quietly she pulled her phone close, resting it to her cheek.

"…for keeping me safe, my binary angel…"