AN: Hello everyone! I hope you're doing well and enjoy your summer so far. This chapter is from Seven's perspective again and yay, Vanderwood is back, too ... in case anyone missed him. Thank you very much for reading and as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter. Enjoy :-)
chibianimefan26: Ohh that was 100% a coincidence since I update chapter here later than I do on Ao3. Yes, Detective Mei is on their heels! :D V better hide all his secrets lol. Right? Yoosung is the most relatable to me, too. Maybe Jaehee as well ;A; Again, thank you so much for reviewing. I'm the one that's been blessed. I will do my best~
TheDoctorsTimeLady: Thank you so much omg! :D I'm glad you like Seven's and Mei's relationship and how I portray the RFA in general. Your review made my day and it really motivates me to do even better. Have a wonderful day!~
Chapter Thirteen
Robotic Cats Are Immortal
The last couple of days had been bittersweet torture, mostly self-inflicted, as he tried to keep his distance from her. It was for the best, but that didn't mean it was easy to ignore her calls and pretend nothing had changed every time he entered the chatroom. No matter what Seven did, his newly acquired knowledge was weighting heavily on him.
He was in love with Mei.
Saying that the realization had caught him off guard was the understatement of the century. It had thrown him from his usual reality—his personal orbit—and dangled him by one foot over the edge of Earth's atmosphere, threatening to drop him at any moment. The tiniest mistake could sent him plummeting from outer space, the energetic pressure wave would cause atmospheric molecules to disassociate and their atoms to ionize, meaning he'd be burned to a crisp before even reaching the hard ground.
The agent had never considered himself to be sentimental, but seeing her messages in the chatroom was enough to threaten the fragile balance he had established. Day by day, he was falling deeper and he wasn't even sure he wanted it to stop.
It was hard to stay away.
However, the rational part of him knew that his feelings were an obstacle he had to overcome, for his and her sake. A bright person like her didn't deserved to be dragged into his dark world. Not to mention, his performance at work was still suffering and he finally needed to catch that hacker.
This was why he came up with strategies to get his mind in order.
Brilliant plan number one—distancing himself from her—was an epic fail. He had assumed that the feelings might lessen after a while of no contact, but contrary to his theory, they had only gotten worse.
It made him miss her.
A couple of times, when he couldn't take it anymore, Seven broke his own rules and entered the chatroom. He hated himself for being so weak, but it was nothing compared to the warmth in his chest. Talking to her made him feel like he was sitting under the sun beneath a clear sky. Mei had been just as happy to see him, though he could tell that she was also worried. He didn't deserve her concern, yet he craved it.
There was another problem he hadn't expected to arise from his first strategy.
It was only natural that with his absence, Mei would spent more time with the other members. Usually, that wouldn't have bothered him much, but seeing her joke around with the others, while being unable to join in, made the green monster claw at his insides. Seven hated himself for it, but he envied them for being able to be with her without having to worry about consequences.
Safe to say, his plan was a complete fail, a gross miscalculation on his part.
Mei was still constantly on his mind and in addition to that he was jealous of his friends, which is why he had returned to his usual routine. However, Seven wouldn't give up so easily. If his previous tactics failed, he just needed to come up with a new strategy. Hacking and gaming didn't work, so the only logical conclusion was to distract himself with a new project.
Brilliant plan number two—built a bodyguard robot for Mei.
Seven would beat two birds with one stone. Not only would he be busy, he'd produce something to protect her, which in turn would make him worry less or at least, he hoped so.
Screws of different sizes and shapes were scattered around him, peaking out between blueprints, which were filled with numbers and artistic drafts. The newest edition of a book on robot science lay open next to a rarely used tool box and his laptop was running the beta version of the program for the prototype.
It had taken him three days to get all the necessary parts, but once they arrived, it was just a matter of assembling them correctly. Seven even had to dismember a Furby, which he had won from a claw crane machine a few years back. They were universally known to scam people out of their hard earned money since they are impossible to beat, but of course, it wasn't even a challenge for the hacker.
After he pealed off its neon purple fur, the Furby looked even more demonic. Nevertheless, he needed its unnaturally long-lasting battery in case the small hidden solar panels weren't enough to power his robot. Other than that, it had durable circuits which were a worthy sacrifice to the cat robot's completion.
Even toys coming straight from the pits of hell were useful somehow.
Seven was ripped from his thoughts when his laptop beeped, announcing that another chatroom had opened. He had been working on the robot for five hours straight, so he told himself that it was fine to take a little break. He wiped some black oil—which he had accidentally smeared on his cheeks and somehow ended up wearing on his white shirt—from his hands and pulled the laptop onto his crossed legs.
Jaehee Kang: I can't believe we're having another party after what happened.
Jaehee Kang: I completely agree with Yoosung this time: What is V thinking?!（￣□￣；)
MC: He's trying to protect the RFA's good name … I guess? ┐(´ー｀)┌
MC: Also, many of the guests are still in town, which is practical. It takes less effort to plan, though I'm not sure I can manage the party while also working my regular job.
Jaehee Kang: I can relate.
Jaehee Kang: And one month is kind of …
MC: Soon?
Jaehee Kang: Yes and we also haven't found out more about the hacker.
Jaehee Kang: I'm worried. You're all alone in that apartment.
Concerned golden eyes traveled towards the row of computers, checking the CCTV feed for anything suspicious. Seven sighed in relief when he saw nothing out of the ordinary and tore his eyes away from Mei, who was lounging upside-down on Rika's sofa with a contemplative frown on her lips.
[707 has entered the chatroom.]
707: ajdjhbfdh734zcn
Jaehee Kang: Luciel, hello.
707: sjhbcjhd83hdbsk
MC: adgfudhfurocb6hj
Jaehee Kang: Stop spamming the chat with nonsense (;￣ー￣川
707: .
707: ..
707: … ok
Jaehee Kang: Have you found out anything about the hacker?
Jaehee Kang: If they're connected to the poisoning incident, Mei might be in danger.
707: Not yet! I have so much work for the agency! I can't focus.
707: Sorry, Mei (ಥ﹏ಥ)
MC: Don't worry about it. I don't feel like I'm in danger with you watching me. CCTV sure comes in handy (≧◡≦)
707: I'll work harder, I promise! Just for you (σﾟ∀ﾟ)σ
Jaehee Kang: Do you think it was an accident that we got hacked?
707: No, I doubt that they just randomly hacked into our server.
707: It's more likely that they're after us for something;;
MC: I think so too, especially after the party incident.
707: Let's hope for the best since nothing else happened so far.
Jaehee Kang: So nothing is wrong with Mei for now?
707: Nope. Checked the CCTV and nothing strange is happening.
707: I've been looking at it ever 2.35 seconds, but just looking at the screen
707: makes me so frustrated.
MC: Ooooh was me trying to do a handstand on the sofa really that hard to watch?!
707: So that's what that was lololol
Jaehee Kang: Isn't it a bit strange to communicate through CCTV?
707: No, that's not it. I want to go to Mei and protect her myself while she works in Rika's apartment.
707: I can't believe there is nothing I can do.
MC: Yeah, I wish you could come.
Seven stole a look at the security feed, wishing the same.
707: Well, since I can't go and Jumin's bodyguards can't follow you …
707: I've built a bodyguard robot! ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ
Jaehee Kang: So that's what you did instead of agency work or catching the hacker.
707: Body guard robot …
Jaehee Kang: Or going there by yourself to protect her.
707: Maybe you'd like that …
Jaehee Kang: (╬ಠ益ಠ)
707: ...
Jaehee was right and he felt guilty for procrastinating instead of chasing the hacker. Everyone would be safe once he caught them, however, he didn't have any new traces to follow since they were eerily dormant at the moment.
Maybe she didn't even like robots ...
MC: I love robots!
707: Oooh me too!
Jaehee Kang: You're not listening to me, are you?
707: Awesome! (⊙ᗜ⊙)
[707 sent a picture.]
Swelling with pride, Seven presented them with the fruits of his labour. He had modeled the robot with Elly in mind, making sure to paint the steel as white as her fur. It had stark blue eyes and an orange ribbon around its neck.
707: The magical fire breath still needs work.
MC: OMG IT'S SO CUUUUTE
707: Really?
707: I'm glad you like it.
Jaehee Kang: It is very cute.
MC: Heckin' cute (๑ ⌓ ๑)
707: Right? So lovely~ So adorable~
Jaehee Kang: Yeah, you could almost sell it.
707: Even with the inbuilt flamethrower? I doubt the government will approve lololol
MC: It can use Flamethrower?! My first real life Pokémon! I can die happy now!
707: ヾ(≧∇≦)ゞ
Jaehee Kang: If you actually try to sell it, you'll end up in jail.
707: It's not for sale, but it's really pretty. While I was making it, I thought it would be perfect for Mei since both of them are cute.
Why did he just write that? It was completely unnecessary information that nobody but himself needed to know. Seven buried his head in his hands and groaned, his heart was trying to sabotage his efforts to keep things normal and platonic between them.
MC: Thank you, God Seven. You're way cuter ヾ( ▽ )
707: I can't send it to you yet though. First, I need to make sure it's safe. It might explode because the gas tank tends to overheat.
Jaehee Kang: Why aren't you in jail yet?! (ʘᗩʘ')
707: It needs a name! I vote for
707: Bob Meowerly, Galacticat, Pawssanova, Picatso or Caty Purry (ΦωΦ)
MC: lmao I'm crying stop (＾艸＾)
707: Elvis Catsley, David Meowie, Luke Skywhisker, Notorious C.A.T and Santa Claws (only for Christmas).
MC: Cat Stevens!
Jaehee Kang: These are all terrible, the robot will be embarrassed. Try to be a little classy.
707: Hello?! William Shakespaw and Dalai Clawma are classy!
Jaehee Kang: How about Meowy? It's short and cute (◠‿◠✿)
MC: Meowy ヾ(＾-＾)ノ
MC: Still, creating a robot in just a few hours … you really are a genius!
707: It's not that hard. All you need is a basic understanding of motors, sensors, micro-controllers and programming. Once you have a plan, the right materials and connect the pieces, you're all set.
MC: That's amazing. I love Meowy already. Thanks
Blushing from one ear to the other, Seven's hands paused on the keyboard. One finger hovered over the heart emoji, but he wasn't sure whether sending it was a good idea. He really wanted to send one back to her, but worried about the implications. Mei used hearts rather frequently with everyone in the RFA, as a joke and in earnest, while he threw them around randomly to get on everyone's nerves.
Of course, Seven had send Mei heart emojis many times before, without even wasting a thought on the action, but being aware of his feelings made it different this time.
"You know, deciding whether or not to send a heart emoji to your girlfriend isn't what you should be doing at work." Vanderwood commented from behind him. Startled, the hacker almost jumped out of his seat. He had been so focused on the chatroom, he didn't even notice the secret agent invading his heavily secured bunker.
Seven responded by slamming down the lid of the laptop. "She's not my girlfriend. What do you want?"
"And robot science is an interesting topic to woo her with," Vanderwood continued, unfazed, smirking evilly when he saw the blush rising to his cheeks. "It's no wonder nerds like you have trouble getting laid. At this rate, we really need to rely on artificial fertilization to keep humanity from going extinct."
Judging by the smug look the older agent was wearing, Vanderwood was proud about finally gaining the upper hand in a conversation with the genius hacker. Not willing to let his colleague see just how much that irked him, Seven uncrossed his legs and made his way over to his computer setup, trying not to stumble over stray mechanical parts.
He couldn't show any sign of weakness in front of his superior, especially when it could endanger the people he cared about. The past few years, Vanderwood had kept quiet about the RFA, but his vow of silence only held as long as it benefited the man, so he couldn't put much faith in his word. The hacker didn't trust him and having him know that Mei exists was already a gamble in itself.
"It's so sad, Miss Vanderwood." Seven cried dramatically, trying to regain control over the flow of this conversation. After a full rotation on his leather chair, he eyed the brunet with a dangerous glint in his golden eyes. "It's your first joke ever and to think it turned out to be that lame. What has the poor joke ever done to you, huh?"
Clearly offended, Vanderwood put down the Arabian dictionary and crossed his arms. "I've cracked jokes before."
"You mean that boring sarcasm, which is basically your native language?" Seven shot back, unamused. "That's not funny."
"You are irritated for some reason," Vanderwood observed, definitely entertained by his charge's misery. "How rare. There's even a wrinkle between your eyebrows."
Seven gritted his teeth in denial. "Why don't you turn your astonishing observational skills from my face to the CCTV?"
Unwilling to continue this conversation and possibly giving his superior more openings to exploit, the hacker turned around and pretended to go to work. He hoped it would stop Vanderwood from interrogating him and make him focus his attention elsewhere. True to his prediction, the man behind him simply started cleaning, giving him the opportunity to return to the chatroom unnoticed. In the shadow of his tall chair, Seven reopened the app on his phone.
Jaehee Kang: Maybe he fell asleep?
MC: Oh that's good. He needs to sleep more（；＿；）
707: No, my maid came and annoyed me.
707: I wish I could sleep, but I gotta work now.
707: See you laterz!
MC: Alligatorz!
707: ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
[707 has left the chatroom.]
Safe for the quiet buzzing of his equipment, it was silent in his bunker as he started to pull up the codes he had been working on for the agency. An hour passed by uneventfully, with him typing away on his keyboard and Vanderwood alternating between watching the CCTV and cleaning up the mess he had left behind when making the robot.
"What the hell is this?" Vanderwood asked disgustedly as he held up the naked and partially disassembled toy with two fingers. It dangled helplessly in the air between them, only a shell of its former self.
"It's a Furby," Seven stated calmly as though it should be obvious, his hands never pausing on the keyboard. "I took the skin off him to get all the good parts because I wanted to make my cat robot superior to every other robot. Now that he is free of his sinful flesh and sacrificed his vital organs to the creation of God Meowy, he can ascend to robot heaven and forget his dark past in robot hell."
As expected, his purposefully creepy monologue was met with uncomfortable silence. Seven had to bite his lip to prevent himself from laughing at Vanderwood's dumbfounded expression. Served him right for teasing him earlier.
Revenge was so very sweet.
"Do you mind if I test it out later?" Seven asked innocently. "I need to work on the fire-breathing mechanic."
"I literally could not care less, but never say anything as frightening as that ever again." Vanderwood muttered and tossed the remains of the Furby into a nearby trashcan.
Conversation died out between them and Seven dutifully went back to work, trying his best to concentrate for once. It wasn't easy to resist looking at the CCTV, especially when Vanderwood wasn't at his post to do who-knows-what, probably waiting to sneak up on him again. Whenever he found his gaze wandering towards the other monitor, the older agent popped up out of nowhere, scaring the living daylights out of Seven.
Vanderwood must have developed a sixth sense for idling coworkers.
Luckily, the man had forgotten his taser today, otherwise Seven would've gotten electrocuted more than a few times. Instead, Vanderwood had to make do with a spray bottle he found in one of the drawers and sprayed him with water whenever he didn't behave. It reminded him of Pavlov's experiment, conditioning dogs with reward and punishment, whenever they did something good or bad. Only that Seven was always getting the short end of the stick, never the carrot.
When Vanderwood finally remained in front of the CCTV, Seven focused on the job at hand.
The agency wanted him to dig up dirt on a diet member, who was involved with a rival agency and selling information to another country's military base. He weighted his options, wondering whether he should hack the rival intelligence agency or one of the foreign government servers. Both were pretty risky, but he decided that taking out the enemy's agency would benefit them in the long run.
While Seven waited for his program to tear down the first hurdles, namely acquiring access to one of the personnel's login data, he turned his attention to the server that supported the RFA messenger. He should strengthen the app's system, just to be on the safe side in case the hacker tried to attack again. He knew better than to let his guard down.
"My keyboard is near its death from typing too much," Seven whined, flexing his cramping fingers. A few hours must've passed without him noticing since his throat was parched and he craved caffeine. "I want to make the hacker compensate my keyboard..."
"You still haven't found out who hacked you?" Vanderwood sounded surprised.
"Not for lack of trying, but I can only do so much when the agency swamps me with work." Seven shrugged, took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Right now, I can't do much except waiting for them to slip up."
"As long as they're not posing a threat to the agency, I don't care." Vanderwood got up from his chair and stretched his long limbs. "But I recommend you get rid of them soon, before the higher ups catch wind of this. They don't want their information leaking anywhere and one of their top hackers getting hacked is risking precisely what they fear the most."
"It's gonna be fine as long as you keep quiet, Miss Vanderwood. You're not gonna snitch on me, right?"
"No, I won't right now, but I will if you don't wrap this up soon. They have their ways of extracting information and I'm not gonna stick my head out for you once they do."
"How reliable." Seven commented wryly, watching the older agent head for the door.
"I'm going for a smoke," Vanderwood announced, fumbling for a pack of cigarettes. "Boss called earlier, so you better be working when I get back."
With one last warning look, he left through the door that lead to the garage. Seven rolled his eyes and turned back to his computer. He played with the cord of his orange headphones while watching strings of code running across the screens. There was nothing to do but wait, so he opened the messenger in hopes of entertaining himself.
[A new chatroom has opened. Is there a limit to popularity?; ZEN, Yoosung , Jumin Han, MC, 707]
Yoosung : Why are you always just about cats?!
ZEN: I know, right? Dogs are way superior.
707: No way, cats are the best. Racoons are second ヾ(▼ﾍ▼；)
Jumin Han: Those are rodents.
MC: They're cute though. You don't like dogs, Seven?
707: I like them a lot! I like cats more, but dogs can be pretty funny too.
Jumin Han: So you're ranking them according to how much amusement you can get out of them.
707: (ʃƪ¬‿¬)
Jumin Han: Keeping you away from Elizabeth the 3rd was the correct decision.
707: Did you know that from a dog's perspective we are hundreds of years old?
Yoosung : We're like the elves in Lord of the Rings or LOLOL (o_O)
707: "These immortals are so kind, we must be good friends to them."
Jumin Han: "Now I am old. The fur around my muzzle is gray and my joints ache when we walk together. Yet she remains unchanged, her hair still glossy, her skin still fresh, her step still sprightly. Time doesn't touch her and yet I love her still."
MC: My heart wtf (T⌓T)
707: I AM DEAD GOODBYE
Yoosung : Tolkien would be proud!
ZEN: Who knew could be so poetic!
MC: Back on topic though. Apart from spiders, all animals are great.
Yoosung : Right?! Rika had a dog once, his name was Sally. When he died due to an illness, she was so broken up about it. I wish I could've helped.
Yoosung : That's why I decided to become a veterinarian ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ
MC: That's so sweet. I'm sure she'd appreciate it (´⌣`ʃƪ)
Yoosung : Thanks, Mei.
MC: Sure thing, Yoongie.
Yoosung : Gaaah! No fair! Traitor! ((((；ﾟДﾟ))))
707: Whaaaat?
707: Is that an embarrassing nickname I hear?
Yoosung : No（・∩・）
MC: It's what his mom calls him. I think it's cute.
Yoosung : You're evil.
MC: Ψ( ｀▽´ )Ψ
707: Aw, don't be like that Yoongie.
Yoosung : ＿ﾉ乙(､ﾝ､)＿
Yoosung : You're never gonna let me live this down, are you?
707: Nooope :'D
Seven grinned at the phone, his glasses reflecting the light from the screen. He loved these simple coversations, where everyone was happily joking around, just being their usual eccentric selves without a care. Being a part of them, even for just a few hours a day, almost made him forget about his worries.
It made him feel less lonely while simultaneously making him feel lonelier than ever.
Jumin Han: Zen, did you get home safely from the hospital? I wish you had listened to the staff and stayed a bit longer. How are you feeling?
ZEN: Yes, you made sure of that. Your bodyguards manhandled me home safely (¬_¬)
ZEN: I'm totally fine ... only a bit unsteady on my legs, that's all.
MC: Muscle weakness and body aches are after effects of the paralysis caused by the toxin. Take it easy, will you?
707: Doctor Mei has spoken (￣ー￣)ゞ
ZEN: I will, I promise. The doctors told me that if I don't rest properly, the symptoms might get worse and that's the last thing I want.
ZEN: More importantly!
ZEN: I have big news, everyone.
Yoosung : ?
707: (⑉⊙ȏ⊙)
ZEN: I'm going to be in a movie as a lead actor with Echo Girl! *ヾ(-∀・*)*+
There was a pause, similar to the breath one takes before diving underwater, and then all hell broke loose. Of course, Seven chuckled to himself, there would never be a dull day within the RFA.
Yoosung : Oh. My. God.
Yoosung : Echo Girl?!
Yoosung : She's so famous that her photo books sell out within minutes and every song she releases is number one on the charts.
ZEN: Yup, she is really popular. I'm happy that I get to be a part of such a huge production.
ZEN: All my hard work has finally payed off!
Jumin Han: …
Jumin Han: Congratulations.
ZEN: What's with the hesitation, Jerkmin (¬_¬)
Jumin Han: I think she worked for one of my branch companies before. She modeled for our heart-shaped vitamin pill advertisement.
707: Aaaand?
Jumin Han: The staff said she refused the food we offered her, claiming it would make her fat.
ZEN: The industry is very tough. If you don't keep your body in perfect shape, you'll get hired less.
Jumin Han: When her make-up artist called her by her real name, she spilled her energy drink all-over them.
Yoosung : Oh, so she's a real diva (￣︶￣;)
ZEN: Divas are very common in the acting scene though.
ZEN: Also, it's not good to form opinions based on rumors. Maybe Jumin's staff is so overworked that they've started to hate the world around them, including upcoming actresses ┐(´д｀)┌
Jumin Han: Don't delude yourself. Even the employees at the branch companies are professionals.
It wasn't unusual for Zen and Jumin to have different first impressions of people, particularly women, but Echo Girl's sudden job offer was suspicious. Seven couldn't put his finger on it, but he had mixed feelings about this. Maybe, Mei was rubbing off on him.
Well, what are genius hackers for, if not hacking?
In a matter of minutes, his computer was covered in windows that displayed Echo Girl's various social media websites—every public and private account.
Much to his surprise, she appeared to be fairly average for an actress, apart from being a little too obsessed with Zen. She had obviously gotten several beauty surgeries over the years, despite claiming to be all natural. Her old pictures barely resembled what the star looked like today and she had deleted them from her public Twitter account in a sneaky attempt to hide it.
Yoosung : What do you think, Mei? You've been kinda quiet.
MC: Zen already told me about it, so I wasn't surprised.
Jumin Han: I'm not sure Zen should accept the job with Echo Girl.
Jumin Han: You should model for our cat food commercial with Elizabeth the 3rd instead (✿ヘᴥヘ)
ZEN: Never! I have a cat allergy, you jerk. It's impossible.
Jumin Han: That's a lame excuse. There are many jobs where you have to endure things in order to be successful.
ZEN: (ʘдʘ╬)
ZEN: It not an excuse, it's an allergy. It's a medical condition and not something I chose to have. My face will get red and ugly.
MC: Nowadays, there are many ways to treat allergies, but yeah, they need to be taken seriously.
ZEN: Besides, who would be insane enough to turn down a movie deal for a commertial?!
Jumin Han: Anyhow, Echo Girl had texted me and asked to be invited to the RFA party, but I ignored her.
ZEN: You're ignoring me, too!
Jumin Han: I don't trust her.
707: But she was at the party, wasn't she?
MC: Yup (´ε｀；)
ZEN: I talked to her all evening. She was really friendly and I think she's a good person (๑ᴗ๑)
707: According to her social media, Echo Girl was a fan of yours even before she had her debut as singer
ZEN: Really? For that long? (⊙ᗜ⊙)
707: Rich, influential daddy: ✓ Part of Zen's fan club: ✓ On a diet: ✓ Several beauty ops: ✓
ZEN: You did a background check on her?!
707: ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ
ZEN: Respect people's privacy, dammit!
Nope, not when people were acting shady.
Jumin Han: How did she get on the list?
MC: It's a long story (´∀｀;)
Yoosung : Why are you so nervous?
707: Uuuhh I smell secrets~
ZEN: You must've met her at the door, right? She was a sweet person, wasn't she?
MC: ...
MC: I don't like her at all.
Seven blinked, surprised by her straight-forward answer. He had had a feeling Mei didn't like her, if her vague responses were any indication, but didn't expect her to tell Zen. Her sincerity was one of the many things he liked about her, but right now, it only made him more curious about what happened between them at the door.
MC: I think Jaehee and Hana are on the same page.
707: There go your last allies~
Yoosung : All three of you? Σ(･口･)
Yoosung : What happened?
MC: It doesn't matter, but for the record, I'm a terrible party planner and have learned my lesson.
ZEN: That's not true! You need to stop blaming yourself.
Jumin Han: For once I agree with him.
MC: Aaanyways
MC: Even if I don't like Echo Girl, I'm happy for you Zen. I really can't wait to see the movie. Save some tickets for me and my sis, okay? :)
ZEN: Of course, princess~
ZEN: With you cheering me on, it'll definitely be a success ღゝ◡╹)ノ
Yoosung : Don't forget about us little people once you're super famous, okay?
707: Yeah, I gotta start collecting Zen's stuff.
707: Do you know how much his used toothbrush will be worth on ebay once he's a star?!
707: ･｡ﾟ[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]｡ﾟ.*
ZEN: That's disgusting, Seven.
ZEN: Anyhow, the doctors said I need to rest, so I gotta go.
ZEN: Bye~
After Zen left the chatroom, Yoosung followed suit, saying something about getting his mother to the airport. Seven could tell that the gamer was happy about having his freedom back since he had already planned to catch up on all the LOLOL raids he had missed. On the other hand, Yoosung seemed reluctant to return to his previous lifestyle, finally realizing that he couldn't escape reality forever if he wanted to be happy again.
707: The world is a better place with more people knowing Zen's existence.
707: The more popular he is the better.
Jumin Han: I'm not sure I agree, but his career certainly seems to be taking off lately.
MC: Yeah, he's definitely getting more exposure (•‿•)
707: Zen has it so good.
707: If I'm exposed, weird dudes will come after me lol
707: dude trying to exploit my skills, dude trying to make me his slave, dude trying to catch me
707: and psychos who want me so much that they'll lock me up.
MC: Seven … I guess
MC: you're just too popular ┐(ﾟ～ﾟ)┌
707: lololol
707: Maybe I need to make another Twitter bot for secret agents?
Jumin Han: Another Twitter bot?
MC: You made one? For who?
707: Didn't I say?!
707: I've been managing a Twitter bot that spreads Zen's photos around.
707: A hundred photos every day~
MC: Nice! ヾ(＾∇＾)
Jumin Han: Once every 15 minutes, that's bold.
707: Photos of Zen shall brighten up the world!
MC: Hurray!
Jumin Han: Weren't you supposed to be working, Luciel?
Yes, he was. Seven had been swept into their pace again and completely forgot about the job. Vanderwood would be back soon and if he didn't get himself together, there would be consequences.
707: Multitasking right now.
707: It's embarrassing that I'm not done yet. I wanted to finish work for the agency and solve the hacker fiasco today.
707: Time flies by so quickly.
MC: There is still tomorrow, you don't have to do everything in one day!
707: You must be an angel to encourage someone pathetic like me.
707: Anyways, I'm happy for Zen. It must be nice to have people on your side.
Jumin Han: Luciel, you have people on your side too.
MC: 100%!
Jumin Han: Is something wrong? Can we help somehow?
MC: Did something happen with the agency?
707: Guys, don't be on my side, okay? And don't ask any personal questions.
MC: Why? I want to know more about you.
707: Don't! You'll get hurt if you do and I don't want you to get hurt.
707: None of you.
707: 707 is supposed to laugh things off and make fun of everything.
707: That's me with God in my heart.
MC: Do you really believe in God?
707: God is the only thing I can take in this world, because He never changes.
707: I can't ever desire to have what I don't deserve.
MC: That sounds so … sad. You can have anything you want, Seven.
If only that were true …
Seven smiled fondly at the video feed, taking in her sorrowful expression. He wanted to be with her so badly, to get closer to her, to be himself and to make her laugh every day. But above all else, he wanted her to be happy and safe, so he knew his desires could never become reality. His head felt like it was going to explode any moment now, his responsibilities drowning him in anxiety. At this point, Seven wasn't even sure who he was anymore.
The cold secret agent or the genius hacker or … the quirky, ever-smiling member of the RFA?
His true self lay buried beneath all of those identities, but he had locked it up for so long, he wondered if there was anything left of it.
707: I wanna travel to the moon.
Jumin Han: Where did that come from?
707: On the moon, I wouldn't be a secret agent.
MC: Let's go to the moon together someday, Astronaut Seven ⊂(・﹏・⊂)
707: Will that day come?
MC: Definitely!
707: I'd love that … I'd love to go with you.
707: But I have to finish work and catch that hacker.
Jumin Han: That annoying hacker! Once you find out who they are, I'll be sure to sent a team to deal with them.
707: Yeah! The reason I am like this is all because of that hacker!
707: Laterz
Jumin Han: Laterz, Luciel!
MC: (ﾟ□ﾟ*川
MC: Slang from Jumin. I'm shook lolol
[707 has left the chatroom.]
Hastily, the secret agent closed every window that was related to the messenger and headed towards the kitchen. He hoped they'd buy his white lie and wouldn't question his sudden change in attitude. Even if they didn't, he was resolved to pretend it never happened and continue on as always.
Taking an empty pot from the sink, Seven put it beneath his self-built coffee machine and startled slightly when he heard a door slam in the bunker. Footsteps drew near, their heaviness a sign that the call with the boss didn't go very well.
Vanderwood went straight past him to gather two old scotch glasses from a shelf in the corner. The man looked like he desperately needed it, making Seven dread the news he was about to receive. Unsealing the flask, Vanderwood discarded the cork and poured himself a generous amount of the amber liquid. Without another word, he marched to the other side of the kitchen isle and sat on one of the bar stools.
In a rare show of camaraderie he lifted one gloved hand, cold fingers wrapping around the bottle of well-aged scotch with the intention of offering him a drink. Seven made a motion to stop him, but he would have none of it, expertly sliding the second glass over the table before taking a two large gulps of his own.
"I talked to the boss just now." Vanderwood stated the obvious, but with a certain gravity that sent shivers down his spine. "As you know, our client is someone high ranking and they're putting pressure on the entire agency right now. If we delay the job any further our lives will be in serious danger."
"I'll be done before you know it," Seven replied steadily, despite not feeling steady at all. "I can't ignore a request from the big boss, after all."
"Are you even listening to me right now?" Vanderwood glared at him over the rim of his glass. "I'm not kidding. This isn't a request, it's an ultimatum."
Seven froze, the seriousness of the situation dawning on him. In hindsight, he should've never accepted this job, it was too dangerous, but it's not like he could travel back in time and decline the mission. Despite his dislike for alcohol, Seven took a large swig, the burning sensation in his throat grounding him. He shuddered in disgust and quickly pushed the glass away from him, back to Vanderwood, who gladly accepted the second helping.
"I understand, but as you've said before, catching the hacker is just as important. The RFA is in danger and if they hack my servers again, so is the agency's data. Therefore, the hacker should take priority."
It was silent for a moment and Vanderwood studied him intently from across the table. Meanwhile, the coffee machine came to life, gurgling happily as the brown liquid filtered into the pot.
"You have feelings for her, right?"
Cold sweat formed on his forehead and clung to his hands. Seven dreaded the question. He saw it coming from a mile away, knew it was going to be asked eventually and usually he'd have no issue deflecting it. This time was different though and he knew Vanderwood would easily see through any half-baked lie.
"I'm not a robot, of course I have feelings." He was biding for time and even though he knew his secret would be relatively save with Vanderwood, the man was cunning and he knew better than to give him too much leeway.
"That's not what I meant." Vanderwood sighed, exasperated. "You're in love with that Mei girl."
"I'm not in love with her," Seven said, determined to make the agent believe him. Pouring hot coffee into a cup, he grabbed the sugar can and added a spoonful. "You know I joined the RFA because I was bored. I can't blame you for not understanding since you live in a state of blissful stupidity, but for geniuses like me, boredom is the strongest enemy."
"I want to believe you," Vanderwood stated dryly, "but you're putting salt in your coffee, Agent Seven."
The redhead paused and looked at the sugar can on the table that had salt printed on its front in bold letters. Oopps.
Defiantly, Seven raised his cup and took a sip, trying not to cough at the salty aftertaste that almost brought tears to his eyes. "I like it that way."
"Uh-huh, sure." Vanderwood gloated, not buying his bullshit, before turning serious again. "Don't be an amateur. The minute you have something to lose, everyone you love will be in danger. We're like nameless time bombs. You have to make sure nothing is around so that nobody is harmed in case you explode. Staying away is the best thing you can do for that girl."
"It's not like that," Seven argued helplessly. "I just want to help her be safe. She's … important to me."
"Did I hear something wrong? Important to you?" The older agent slammed his hands on the table, making the scotch glasses clink in protest. "Hey don't go there. You haven't forgotten that we don't deserve to develop relationships, have you? You can't involve her in your dangerous life."
"I haven't forgotten." Seven gritted his teeth, balling his hands into fists. "I know I can't."
"Do you really? Let's imagine you two start going out. If you end up getting a new identity after a big project, then you'll be forced to never see her again. And if you make a mistake in one of your missions, our clients are the type to enjoy harming 'the important one' for revenge. You know how filthy this field is."
He knew all of that. He knew better than anyone, but there was something about hearing it out loud that shook him to his core.
"I'm tired of your lectures," Seven muttered, trying in vain to put a lid on the gruesome images that sprung to mind. Mei in a puddle of her own blood, desperately calling for him to help her. V disappearing into thin air, possibly being tortured, he'd never know. Rika's lifeless, hollow eyes staring back at him from the grave, blaming him for her death. Yoosung forgotten in a prison cell, trembling and alone. Zen, Jumin, Jaehee, his twin brother … everyone.
"I'm going back to work," he stated, cold and emotionless.
Vanderwood chugged the rest of the scotch in one go. "That's the smartest thing you've said today."
Ignoring the empty feeling in his chest, Seven sat down in front of his monitors again, more determined that ever to keep his focus. He narrowed his eyes when a new window popped up on the screen, informing him of a wave of spam mails on the RFA members' email accounts. Strange, he was the only one who didn't receive one directly, but it didn't matter.
The hacker had finally decided to show himself and this time, they wouldn't get away with it. He'd catch them, even if it's the last thing he ever did, which it might very well be.
To Be Continued ...