AN: Hey, I hope you're doing well and sorry for the late update. Adulting is hard and get in the way of everything else. Again, for those who can't wait, this story is also available on Achieve of Our Own where I've already posted two more chapters. Thank you so much for reading~
Sian: Thank you so much :D I'm glad you enjoy Mei and how I incorporated her in the story. And yes, developing her relationships with the other characters was very important to me, as well as Seven's relationship with the RFA. I love them all and want them to play active roles in this story. I'm so happy that you like it! (I always read at night too hahah we love some late night adventures)
Chapter Seventeen
Keep Calm and Nobody Explodes
There were three observations Mei made as she stood in the center of Rika's apartment, staring wide-eyed as a cloud of dust settled around her.
Observation one; it would take ages to get the shards of glass out of the carpet, particularly the tiny splinters, which were scattered across the floor like a messy attempt at mosaic art. Observation two; a young white-haired man, who looked like he stepped right out of the front page of an edgy punk magazine, was casually climbing through the broken window as though he did that everyday. Observation three—which was probably the most crucial one—someone just broke into the apartment through the window of all places.
She really hoped V had a good household insurance because this wasn't going to be cheap.
"Hello," the man said in a way you would greet someone you passed on the street. His voice sounded raspy and she wasn't sure whether it sounded that way naturally or he just didn't use it much.
"Uhm … hi?"
"Gosh, I didn't plan on making a sound, but I suppose I failed." He brushed some dust from his narrow shoulders and studied his environment with an analytical gaze. "Hey MC, stay where you are, okay? You'll hurt your feet if you step on the glass."
"Right ..." Mei nodded dumbly, looking down at the pair of cat patterned socks she was wearing before turning her attention back to the intruder.
The detective couldn't make out much of his face since half of it was covered by a black cloth. It was incredibly pale, so either he was the type to stay indoors for long periods of time or unhealthy, maybe both. Apart from the intense turquoise eyes that showed tell-tale signs of sleep deprivation, his most striking feature was his hair, which was dyed white and faded to a light pink at the tips. Completing the edgy punk look, a stylish leather jacket hung loosely on his slim body, revealing a large black tattoo of a stylized eye on his shoulder.
She couldn't shake the feeling that he reminded her of someone, but she had other problems to worry about right now.
There were only four people currently alive who knew the location of the apartment, herself included. She knew two of them personally, so by process of elimination and the fact that he called her by her username, he had to be the hacker.
"Unknown, right?"
"Smart lady," Unknown complimented, though it sounded more like a taunt. "Yes, I'm the one who talked to you about the missing phone, who sent the strange message and the emails. Sorry about the window by the way, I didn't mean to make my entrance so ... dramatic."
Okay, at least he was self-aware.
"You couldn't have … I don't know … knocked on the door like a normal person?" Mei sighed, swallowing her nervousness, and gestured at the mess on the floor. "I thought hackers were supposed to be sneaky."
"It's nice to finally meet you, MC." Unknown ignored her comment and went straight to business. "How was the email I sent? It's an invitation."
The detective wasn't sure what kind of answer he expected from her, but didn't feel like provoking him. It sounded like he put a lot of effort into keeping their conversation friendly, which was probably meant to lull her into a false sense of security. However, she knew better than to believe that he came here with pure intentions, not even for one second. If anything, the man appeared to be unstable, setting her instincts on red alert.
People who had a tough time imitating normal behavior were either hiding a dead body in their backyard, under the influence of drugs or socially awkward; and she had yet to figure out which categories Unknown fit into. Of course, there were also psychopaths and sociopaths, but they were rare and usually didn't make an effort to appear normal.
Not to mention, Mei never got an email in the first place, but the rest of the RFA did. Maybe he just forgot to send her an invite or he was making it a point that he had the RFA in the palm of his hands. It might be a move to assert dominance, to demonstrate that he was the one in control of this situation. The thought left a sour aftertaste in her mouth, which made her resolve 'not to poke the bear' more difficult.
"Thanks, I guess? … However, if this is what you meant by 'come and get me'," Mei deadpanned, referring to the knife she saw peaking out from his pocket, "then I think I'll pass."
"Oh this?" Unknown followed her gaze and patted the pocket in an attempt to be reassuring. "Don't worry, I only carry it for protection until we arrive at our paradise where everyone is happy. I've come to take you there and I'll explain everything once we get to Magenta."
The detective narrowed her blue eyes at him. "And by Magenta, you actually mean Mint Eye."
"I assume Nam Jr. couldn't keep his mouth shut," Unknown muttered and a shadow crossed his features, but it was quickly replaced by his usual artificial cheerfulness. "Oh well, it doesn't matter. I already expected that you know our true identity with all that snooping you did at the Hope Foundation. That's why the Savior told me to come and fetch you in the first place."
The Savior? Did he mean the leader of Mint Eye?
Mei decided to play along for now, might as well get as much information out of him as she could. "Why should I come with you?"
"Mint Eye is literally paradise. It'll fulfill all your hopes and dreams. Our members live together in peace and harmony, celebrating an everlasting party." Unknown said dreamily, but it sounded rehersed. He wore the same vacant look that she had seen on the two culprits at the precinct. "On the other hand, the RFA is only filled with false hope and pathological liars. They're pretending to be nice, so that they can manipulate you into working for them."
"Even if what you say about the RFA is true, I don't think Mint Eye is any better."
"What do you mean?" Unknown asked sincerely confused, like a child asking their parents why the sky is blue. It was oddly endearing and made her doubt his role in all of this. If he was a victim too, then maybe she could reason with him or even convince him to switch sides.
"I don't like how Mint Eye builds its membership," Mei began slowly. "They target men who struggle financially, women with broken homes or in other words ... people who are easy to manipulate. It's not kidnapping but it's not recruitment either."
She trailed off as a flood of images threatened to overwhelm her.
In hopes of stumbling across a pattern, Kyu and her had worked meticulously to uncover the background of every person that went missing and none of those stories had a happy ending, not even a happy beginning. All of them were victims of a series of unfortunate events. Some had been dealt a loosing hand from the very start of their life while others made one mistake, which turned into a slippery slope and ended at the very bottom of society's food chain. Saying those people were social outcasts was putting it mildly.
"They may not have come willingly at first," Unknown admitted in an eerily calm tone, "but after experiencing our way of living, they gladly accepted our help. They have been cleansed of their previous sins and now they're leading a happier life. The Savior gave them a purpose and I'm sure if you asked them, none of them would want to leave."
A purpose? What are they making them do?
"You take advantage of their state of mind and call it cleansing. Your Savior promises them paradise, but the way I see it, those are empty promises." Mei argued, temper flaring after his delusional speech. "In the end, all Mint Eye cares about is gaining influence and manpower to further their cause, whatever that is."
Those people had families, people who have been worried sick about them since they disappeared and he was trying to make it sound like Mint Eye was doing charity work. The detective didn't even doubt that the victims joined Mint Eye willingly, since it was impossible that 132 people suddenly developed Stockholm Syndrome. However, she doubted that all of them threw away their previous life on a whim without a little manipulation.
"Mint Eye isn't like that," Unknown screeched, effectively making her flinch. "You don't know them like I do. You don't understand, and how could you, since you've never been there. It's the RFA who is terrible."
"You're just proving my point," the detective tried to reason with him. "You're no better than Auuro Nam or Hoon Kwon. You've fallen for a lie. Your Savior is using you."
"Stop! Stop talking!? You can't say that. You've never been part of Mint Eye! You don't know the Savior's and my relationship! You know nothing!"
Bullseye. She hit a sore spot.
Unknown clutched at his head as though he was in pain and that was when Mei realized that she had crossed a line. His sudden reaction truly terrified her. Without thinking, she took a step back and immediately regretted it when she heard the glass crunch beneath her feet, breaking through the thin fabric of her socks and digging into her heels.
Meanwhile, Unknown had recovered from his sudden fit of insanity and regarded her with a cool smirk. "Are you sure you're not the one who fell for a lie? You're a smart girl, you must've noticed the secrets the RFA tries to hide from you. Especially those men named Luciel and V, they are all lying. Don't you hate it when people lie to you?"
The undeniable truth in his words enclosed around her heart like ice and momentarily stunned her into silence.
It was a simple question, one that a child could've asked, and it demanded a simple answer. Yes, Mei hated lying and being lied to. It honestly didn't have much to do with her being a detective, but rather that she valued honesty above anything else. What shocked her was that Unknown, who was little more than a random stranger to her, knew this very intimate fact about her. It was the same character trait that caused all of her inner conflicts when it came to the RFA and their obvious secrecy.
She wanted to trust them with all of her heart, but she couldn't.
They would surely hate her if they knew how suspicious of them she really was, that she had been investigating them behind their back. Even if she was only doing it to prove their innocence, she'd understand if they turned their back on her afterwards. It's what everyone always did. Regardless, Mei was okay with being hated if it meant they would be safe. Even if they never talked to her again ... she'd happily do it again if she got a second chance.
"You're right, I don't like being lied to and I know that V and Seven have a lot of secrets." Mei balled her hands into fists. "But at least, they don't go around pretending to be angels while poisoning and murdering innocent people."
"Someone like you may not understand this, but it was neccessary at the time."
"Do you really think the end justifies the means?"
"Yes," Unknown answered calmly with a hint of sadness. "While I wish no one would have to suffer for our cause, I know it was the right thing to do and the others do too."
His reasoning was all sorts of wrong, but it was evident that he didn't think so.
Honestly, Mint Eye sounded more and more like one of those fanatic cults, who believed they would get into Heaven by abducting people, stripping them of their identity and forcing them to live by their twisted rules. Ah and let's not forget the monthly member fee of 250.000 won because how could you even think about getting into the Garden of Eden without money, you heathen.
Mei shook her head. "I won't be coming with you, even if your goal was World Peace right now."
"Good thing that you have no say in this." Unknown chuckled cheerfully and ran a hand through his white hair. "You may not understand this now, but this is all for us to live in heaven. You will be happy in the end, too."
"You don't know me and you certainly don't know what would make me happy," Mei grumbled, irritated. "It won't be long until Seven is here and then it's two against one."
Turquoise eyes widened for a moment and longing flickered across his face. Before Mei had time to analyze his strange reaction, the child-like softness gave away to resentment, deep and dark, as he returned to glaring holes into her. "I expected you to resist … but you saying that filthy name is making me go insane. He will not come and even if he does, it'll already be too late. I'll cleanse you of your false faith and show you true paradise. Now come to me while I'm still being rational."
If this was him being rational, then she definitely didn't want to find out what he'd be like when he wasn't.
Mei needed to buy some time, however, it seemed like the hacker had his fill of small talk, which meant her options of distracting him were limited.
In any case, she wasn't some damsel in distress who got lost in the woods with the big bad wolf on her heels, so letting Unknown kidnap her without putting up a fight was a big no-go. The detective just needed something to defend herself with, so she glanced around for a potential weapon. Problem being that there was nothing in the vicinity that had potential. The sofa cushions were too soft and everything else was too far away. There was a half-eaten tomato sandwich on the couch table, which she could throw at him, but apart from leaving food stains that probably wouldn't even be visible on his red shirt, it wouldn't do much damage.
Noticing her increasing nervousness, Unknown motioned for her to come over with a patient smile. After another minute passed by and Mei still looked at the sandwich for help, the hacker raised a challenging eyebrow. He was confident that he had won, that bastard.
"You know, you're just drawing out the inevitable. I don't want to hurt you but—"
Unknown didn't get to finish that sentence because suddenly, the door burst open with a bang, slamming violently against the wall to the side. Seven stepped into the room, hair disheveled and cheeks rosy as though he had run a marathon, and the detective had never been more relieved to see him.
"Thank God … I made it, but it was so damn hard." Seven muttered to himself, still panting heavily. "How the hell did they complicate my already complicated algorithm?"
"Seven!" Mei exclaimed in a mix of happiness and warning. While she would like nothing more than to rush over to his side and put distance between herself and the hacker, she couldn't move because of the glass. "Unknown is here."
"Mei!" His head snapped towards her and the intruder, eyes widening in shock as he noticed the chaos around them. " ... What?"
"Shit! Why? Why are you here?!" Unknown muttered and reached into his pocket. "I thought I could finally put you in pain ..."
"You're the hacker, huh? Guess you're not completely shameless since you're covering yourself. You'll go to jail for breaking and entering like this," Seven announced nonchalantly, trying to keep the situation under control. "Whoa! You even broke the window. Mei, be careful with the glass. You'll get hurt if you step on it."
Well, that train had already left the station and she was a little embarrassed that she got herself hurt despite getting two warnings.
Mei couldn't even get a word in, before Unknown suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. Her back was against his chest and the pain in her feet didn't even register since all of her senses were occupied with the cold feeling of steel on her throat. It has only been a week since her last non-cooking related encounter with a knife, which made her wonder whether she was magnetic or just unlucky.
Unknown had done this before, she thought as he tightened his hold on her, those were the movements of an expert. Heart hammering against her chest, the detective tried to keep as still as possible. She already had enough injuries for today, thank you very much.
"You better let go of her right now or this won't end pretty," Seven threatened, a dark look crossing over his face. She had never seen him so angry, not even when he had argued with her over V, and she was reassured by it. "I hated that the agency made me go through physical training, but I guess it does come in handy."
Unknown stayed uncharacteristically silent. Before Seven arrived he had been talking her ear off, making her wonder where his sudden change in attitude came from.
"Even now, all you do is ruin my life ..." It was quiet, barely a whisper, but she was close enough to him to catch it.
"Huh?" Apparently, Seven heard it too and cocked his head to the side in curiosity. "You know me?"
"You probably don't remember. I'm sure you've long forgotten about me," Unknown replied bitterly. He lifted his free hand and pulled the black mask down, revealing his identity. Mei wanted to take a look as well, but if she craned her neck the pocket knife would definitely nick her, so she resisted the urge.
"N-no way ..." Seven croaked, looking like someone had just slapped him in the face. "I-It can't be ..."
"I guess you do now," Unknown mocked and it was followed by a few mirthless chuckles. "I prayed that I wouldn't meet you because I knew seeing you would remind me of my pathetic life."
Mei had several ideas of what was going on, but decided that instead of making assumptions, she'd listen to their conversation first. Maybe it would finally reveal the missing link between the RFA and Mint Eye, which she had been desperately trying to discover.
"W-what happened? Why are y-you …" Seven stammered. "You're Saeran, right?"
"Don't call me that!" Unknown, or Saeran, screamed so loud that it made her ears ring. "You don't deserve to call my name!"
"You're the one who copied my algorithm? God … when did you learn how to hack?" Seven was still in a state of shocked disbelief, as though he just found out that the Earth wasn't flat and that chocolate milk didn't come from brown cows. "Why are you here? Rika told me that you ..."
"Shut up! Don't you dare say that name with your filthy mouth!" He was angry … no, he was livid. She didn't know why, but Saeran had a serious grudge against Seven. "All the names you spit out will be contaminated."
"Saeran … why are you doing this now? Tell me!" Seven pleaded, golden eyes swimming with pain. "Something bad happened, right? That's why you're here … but then again, Rika would've never lied to me."
"You're the one lying," Saeran protested. "I can tell, so don't pretend you don't know."
"I'm not lying!"
"Oh, you're not? Did you hear that, Detective? He said he's not," Saeran rambled and laughed hysterically as though all of this was one great joke. Mei eyed the knife's movements warily and didn't comment. "That promise about protecting me, about being together, all lies … Even your last promise when you told me that we will be happy after escaping that hellish place was a lie. I remember all of even changed your name to Luciel to get rid of me."
"I-I had no choice!"
"What do you mean you had no choice? Hahaha … You're uncontrollable, covering lies with more lies. I knew you were lowly. My Savior was right."
Mei frowned as she mulled over his words. From the looks of it, she had been right to assume that he was also a victim of Mint Eye and while she didn't know anything about the man, it was obvious that this Savior person had been influencing him to become this loyal. She wasn't sure what they did to him, but her heart hurt at the thought of the person he might've been before. He was someone important to Seven, that much was clear.
"Saeran, I don't know what people told you, but I thought you were doing well." Seven argued calmly, though his eyes were anything but. He was visibly trying to pull himself together and failing. "I asked Rika to see a photo of you laughing. I knew I couldn't meet you, but I always prayed for you to be happy."
"Stop lying! I don't wanna hear it."
"Please, let go of Mei and then we can talk about everything." Seven attempted to smile and took a cautious step forward. "You hate me, right? She has nothing to do with this."
"You're getting this wrong," Saeran muttered in a low voice, "I didn't come here for you, I came here for her. The Savior has requested to see her."
"I already told you that I'm not coming with you." Mei gritted her teeth, her patience was wearing thin.
The detective knew it was a stupid idea, but her survival instincts kicked in and she started to struggle in his arms. If she threw him off balance, then she could duck under his arm and rush over to Seven's side. Unfortunately, Saeran had expected her maneuver and simply brought the knife closer to her throat.
"Mei, don't move! It's dangerous!" Seven cried alarmed, before returning his burning gaze to her captor. "Stop it, please. Don't hurt her, please don't hurt her."
"Hmm~ I like that pathetic expression on your face," Saeran commented amused. "Do you have feelings for this girl or something?"
The silence between them was deafening and apart from the cicadas chirping outside, nothing was breaking it. Seven stood perfectly still as though he was trying to impersonate a stone statue and she was almost afraid that he stopped breathing altogether. Mei knew that being excited to hear his answer should be the least of her worries, seeing as she was still being held hostage by an edgy punk hacker, but it was all her love-stuck mind could focus on.
Finally, Seven lifted his head and the light from the evening sun revealed his pained expression.
"Even if I do," he said quietly, "it's useless."
Mei's heart soared to the skies and broke at the same time. He didn't sound happy about it and the golden eyes that she loved so much were brimming with loneliness. It was frustrating and she felt even worse knowing that she was the one who caused that look on his face. She didn't understand why he was hurt and it was breaking her heart.
"So you do have feelings for her," Saeran taunted. "How neat! I can do whatever I want to this girl to make you suffer, right?"
If that wasn't an incentive to fight back, then she didn't know what was.
"Okay … this has been fun and all," Mei started as panic began to constrict her chest, "but it'd be great if you could let go of me now."
When Saeran didn't move a muscle, the detective started to struggle again, just that this time, she cared little for the knife on her skin. She wiggled against him and tried to tug his arm away, but he was a lot stronger than he looked. He didn't even react when she slammed her heel on his foot, which might also be due to the fact that she was wearing socks and he was wearing boots.
"Don't fight. You don't want him to see anything inappropriate, do you?" Saeran purred in her ear, purposely trying to antagonize Seven. "How will I play with you? If you want to be officially inducted, you'll have to go through training. Oh, a lot is coming to my mind ..."
"Saeran, take me instead." Seven was determined, his face hard and unreadable.
The two of them had a silent staring competition that neither of them was willing to back down from. Their battle of wills would've continued for ages, if they weren't interrupted by the recorded female voice she had become so familiar with recently.
Warning: The security system has detected an intruder.
"We need to get out of here," Seven exclaimed, panicked. He shot her a meaningful look and gestured wildly towards their only escape—the door. "We'll all die if we don't get out!"
"Shit!" Saeran cursed, momentarily distracted from his mission, but it was enough to slacken his tight hold on her.
"Mei! Now!"
She didn't hesitate and bit into his arm. It wouldn't injure him because his leather jacket was thick enough to protect him from her teeth.
"Owwww!" Saeran yelped and drew his arm back.
The pocket knife fell uselessly to the floor as Mei stumbled away from him and ran into Seven's waiting arms. They settled around her, heavy and warm, and she felt safe despite the situation. The brunette could feel his heart thumping in his chest, which was running a marathon and she was sure hers was doing the same.
"Get out! You'll die like this!" Seven yelled, but wasn't even attempting to maneuver them toward the door. It was then that it clicked. They weren't really in danger. Somehow, he must've set the system up to give off a fake warning. It was a brilliant move and she admired him for his foresight.
"Shit … shit ..." Saeran continued to curse beneath his breath. His turquoise eyes flickered back and forth between them and the door, betraying his inner conflict.
Back in detective mode, Mei took the time to commit his features to memory, but froze once she got a closer look. No way … it couldn't be. Sure he was a lot skinnier and frail looking, but apart from the hair and eyes, he looked like a carbon copy of the man who was currently holding her protectively.
Was Saeran … Seven's twin brother?
Considering everything she had heard during their conversation, it would make sense. On the other hand, if there was one lesson Mei had learned from watching Sherlock, then it was that it was never identical twins, which made her conclusion hard to believe. However, she couldn't dismiss their similarities either. While Mei was still busy digesting her recent discovery, Saeran had finally made his decision and bolted out of the door without looking back.
"Saeran ..." Seven murmured forlornly, " … Why did we have to meet like this?"
Mei breathed a sigh of relief and slowly moved her head from his chest to look into his eyes. "Seven, are you okay?"
"I don't know," he answered hoarsely, "I don't think both of us are okay."
People were afraid of different things.
Some of those fears were rational, like the fear of dying in an airplane crash or contracting an incurable disease. Some of those fears were less rational, like the fear of clowns or failing an exam. Of course, it was natural to fear the consequences of a failing grade, but it wouldn't harm you physically unless it feeds into an already existing mental illness.
All of those fears were valid and definitely understandable, though there were some that were worse then others. That's why Mei believed that fear related to the danger level the person attributed with their object of fear. Moreover, there were some objects which would rank pretty high on everyone's list. They were like the Universal Human Fears™.
A bomb should be very high on that list.
It definitely was high on her list right now.
After Saeran had run from the apartment and the two of them had calmed down, Seven had unpacked the reason why the security system was so dangerous. It had taken much prodding from her side, but once he finally relented and told her that Rika had asked him to install a bomb, which would blow the classified documents and the intruder to smithereens, she was afraid.
Outwardly, Mei had taken the unexpected news in stride, but internally she was pacing in circles.
Seven hadn't said much afterwards, giving her much needed space while he set up his equipment in the corner of the living room to fix their tiny bomb problem. It could still go off, he had warned, since he didn't know how much Saeran had tampered with the special system and his hasty escape wasn't a good omen.
Silently, the detective let herself fall on a chair in the kitchen and contemplated her poor life choices. She had been roommates with a bomb for weeks. In a moment of hysterical dramatics, Mei placed her head on the table and did the only thing she could bring herself to do: deny the situation and hope it went away.
Sometime during her denial, her phone buzzed and she watched the RFA's frantic reactions to Seven's explanations wearily. She was too mentally exhaused to play the blame game right now.
Yoosung : OMG I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS ΣΣ(ﾟДﾟ;)
707: Anyways, I'm working to fix everything.
707: Mei is safe and so is the information.
[MC has entered the chatroom.]
MC: What about your work for the agency? Can you even be here?
707: Don't worry about me and just take care of yourself first.
707: And since you're in my sight, I'll finally be able to focus now.
Jaehee Kang: Mei! I'm so glad you're safe (T⌓T)
MC: That emoji doesn't suit you, Jaehee (~￣▽￣)~
Jaehee Kang: Who cares about that right now?!
Yoosung : I was really worried (⋟﹏⋞)
Jaehee Kang: Who in their right mind would install a bomb in an apartment?!
Jaehee Kang: Even if someone evil intruded, some documents aren't worth a person's life (ಠ_ಠ)
MC: I agree …
Yoosung : Rika wouldn't have wanted this! V must've set her up to do it. It's his apartment after all.
707: It's my fault for installing it in the first place.
707: And no, it was Rika's request not V's.
Yoosung : But it can't go off now, RIGHT?
707: No, I've implemented some temporary measures.
707: But it's best if we stay here for a couple of days to be on the safe side.
Jaehee Kang: Mei, you must've been so surprised (つд｀)
MC: Yeah, I still can't believe it.
MC: It's a little much (─‿─;;)
Yoosung : To think that the hacker who sent those weird emails broke into the apartment …
Seven hadn't told them about Saeran and while she hated to keep secrets from them, especially when they deserved to know the truth, she'd respect his wishes for now.
Yoosung : Why is all of this happening to us?! (╥_╥)
Yoosung : Wait! Didn't V say that the person who lead Mei here was related to Rika?
707: Ya.
Yoosung : Argg what does all of this mean?! щ(ಥДಥщ)
707: He can't be Rika's friend if he's attacking us like this.
There they go again, defending Rika like she was some sort of saint. Of course, they didn't know that she had been embezzling funds, but it should be obvious that what was happening right now had everything to do with her.
MC: He didn't seem to be after the guest info at all.
MC: I don't know what he has against the RFA, but it's not information he's after.
707: True. He probs has something against one of our members.
707: We'll have to wait to find out.
Yoosung : How? What's there to hate? Everyone here is so nice! (≖͞_≖̥)
Jaehee Kang: You have his IP address, don't you?
707: Yes … but I can't go right now.
707: I have to make sure the special security system is safe
707: and then I should research before actually going.
Jaehee Kang: If you give us the address, we could take Mr. Han's bodyguards and beat that hacker up (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
MC: Whoa you're fired up about this, but I don't think that's a good idea (~￣▽￣)~
707: She's right. We don't know what they might do when they feel threatened.
Yoosung : Seven, just make sure you're a good bodyguard to Mei and stay with her 24/7, m'kay? (≖‿≖)
707: I plan to.
Despite everything that happened, Mei found herself blushing like a school girl. Yoosung was trying to match-make again and Seven didn't even evade the attempt like he usually would. If it hadn't been for his indirect confession earlier, she'd have thought he was only saying that out of obligation.
MC: Thank you for everything, Seven.
707: I'm just doing what I'm supposed to. I'm sorry for putting you in danger.
[707 has left the chatroom.]
Yoosung : He seems really down. I hope he isn't blaming himself too much (ಥ‿ಥ)
MC: Me too (つд｀)
Yoosung : Did you notice? He didn't even use one single emoji and usually he's spamming them.
Jaehee Kang: Mei! Is there anything we can do to help?
Jaehee Kang: I can't imagine how you must feel right now.
MC: The worst is when I start thinking about it too much, so ...
MC: Distract me? (￣▽￣)ノ
Yoosung : I don't think I ever asked, but do you play video games?
MC: Yeah, I love strategy games and tactical RPGs. Present me anything with a good story and I'm in.
MC: Undertale was such a gem, too!
Yoosung : Nice! (≧▽≦)
Yoosung : What's your strategic approach to an enemy, Commander Mei?
MC: First step is gaining all the information on them, then find out their weaknesses and exploit them.
Jaehee Kang: Divide and conquer.
Yoosung : Cruel and effective! (￣^￣)ゞ
MC: What about you, Jaehee?
Jaehee Kang: I like romantic games, but fighting games are my favorites. They are a great for stress relief.
Yoosung : Wohaaa, I didn't think you of all people would play video games ( ᗝ )
Jaehee Kang: Just because I'm concerned over the amount you consume them, doesn't mean I can't enjoy them.
Yoosung : Right ... ;;
MC: What's your tactic to defeat an enemy then?
Jaehee Kang: My strategy is to be physically stronger than my enemy and my tactic is to hit them really, really hard.
MC: Scary (~￣³￣)~
Yoosung : Ikr? Jaehee is a master martial artist. She has several black belts.
MC: Wow, that's so cool! You need to show me some moves. We only learn basic self-defense in the department and I'm really crap at it.
Jaehee Kang: I'd love to (◠‿◠✿)
Yoosung : I'm surrounded by warrior women.
Jaehee Kang: I'm sorry if I come off violent right now, but that hacker made me want to test my skills.
Jaehee Kang: Maybe I'll go practice later ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ
Involuntarily, Mei smiled at her phone, their honest concern for her well-being touched her. She used to be able to count the people who cared for her on one hand and all of a sudden, she needed two grow another arm to keep up with the numbers. Speaking of people who cared for her … she had to find a way to protect her sister.
Hana couldn't stay by herself, not while Mint Eye and Saeran were determined to go after the RFA, and it was obvious that Jumin's bodyguards weren't enough to fend them off.
MC: Guys, I just remembered something important.
MC: I'll talk to you later, okay? ღゝ◡╹)ノ
MC: I need to stay updated on the Zen situation after all.
Jaehee Kang: Of course and call me if you need to talk.
MC: Sure!
Yoosung : Yeah, you can count on me too ⊂(・﹏・⊂)
Yoosung : Tell me if Seven does something weird to you.
Yoosung : Zen will blow a fuse once he finds out you two are alone together.
MC: It'll be fine.
Yoosung : "You say you're fine but all men are wolves"—(Imaginary) Zen 201X
MC: lololol
MC: That's definitely something he'd say!
[MC has left the chatroom.]
It took forever for Jumin to pick up his phone and after the first ten rings, Mei was afraid it'd go straight to voicemail. However, she was relieved once his low baritone greeted her through the speaker and rushed to update him on the recent events. He was as shocked as everyone else though he managed to disguise it better, probably because he was used to donning a poker face.
"So … can she stay at you place? It would only be for a little while and I know you'll take good care of the cats. I don't wanna burden Jaehee anymore than she already is, Kyung is at work all the time and I don't know who else to ask."
"Of course, your sister can stay as long as she'd like," Jumin reassured her quickly and she felt a weight lift from her chest. "Also, I think Elizabeth the 3rd will enjoy the company of your cats."
"Thanks, Jumin. I don't know what I'd do without you," Mei admitted, sheepishly. "Oh and just a warning: Hana is a picky eater but she can put away twice her size. I don't know how she does it, but I suspect she has a black hole for a stomach. If you give her pizza and cake though, she'll be manageable. I hope it's not too much trouble."
Jumin chuckled. "I will relay your message about food to my father, though expect him to try an feed her everything. He seems to think everyone is underfed, regardless of whether they have already eaten three helpings of food."
"He sounds like that one grandma in every family movie," Mei said and couldn't help but giggle at the ridiculous image of Mr. Chairman standing in the kitchen with a pink 'Kiss the Cook' apron.
"I wish I could say he acts this way because he's trying to fill the void my mother left," Jumin replied with fond exasperation, "but that's just his personality I'm afraid."
"It's nice to have such a caring dad." Mei hummed. "I'm glad you two made up."
"I guess you're right," he sighed heavily before he continued, "A part of me knew that our fight was inevitable, we had been drifting apart even before the involvement of Glam Choi. In a way, our relationship got stronger because of it since all of our issues had been dragged into daylight."
"I'm happy to hear that. Sometimes fights are necessary and even if you fight really badly, the people who really care about you, won't leave you just because you disagree with them." Mei echoed what her mom used to tell her when she got into a fight with her sister.
"Yes," Jumin agreed. "I just really hope you and Luciel will be okay in that place. I'd rather you left, but I trust Luciel knows what he's doing."
Mei nodded and absentmindedly played with a strand of her chocolate hair. "Can you do me a favour?"
"What is it?"
She paused, nibbling on her lower lip. "Don't tell Zen, okay? I don't want him to get distracted because he's worried about me. That press conference is very important and you can always tell him afterwards."
"Of course, I understand." Jumin promised. " … Are you really okay, Mei?
"It's a lot right now," she answered honestly, "but it could be worse."
"I hope Luciel takes good care of you," Jumin huffed, but there was an amused undertone that betrayed his seriousness. "If he doesn't, feel free to tell him that I'll make sure he never sees Elizabeth the 3rd again."
"That's so mean, Jumin." Mei burst into laughter, caught off-guard by his strange brand of humor. "How could he live without ever petting Elly's soft fur? Are you trying to kill him?"
"True ..." Jumin conceeded, "but sometimes threats are the best motivation to make sure people do their job properly."
"Spoken like a true company heir," she teased. "No wonder your employees worship the ground you walk on."
The prim and proper business man laughed loudly and it had a comforting effect on her. "You sound more like yourself now."
"Thanks," Mei mumbled with a smile, "Good night, Jumin."
"Good night."
There was another person she had to contact.
Feeling the weight of a thousand lectures about her dangerous job from her sister on her shoulders, Mei opened their most recent conversation. They had been talking about Echo Girl and it quickly turned into a deep discussion about the logistics of murdering a celebrity. Eventually, they had concluded that as a duo they would get away with murder, but were too afraid of Kyu to test their hypothesis.
It felt like ages ago.
Mei: Hey sis.
Hana: What's wrong? (눈_눈)
Mei: Why do you always assume the worst? Can't I just talk to my cute little sister (ˆ⌣ˆԅ)
Hana: You never begin your messages like that. Usually, you start by yelling about sth in all caps or with creepy random facts that nobody cares about.
Hana: Like how there are oysters in the Carribean who can climb trees.
Hana: Or that a small child could swim through the veins of a Blue Whale.
Mei: You remember my teachings, I'm so proud of you (ಥ﹏ಥ)
Hana: So not the point! (≖͞_≖̥)
Mei: You'll have to stay at Jumin's place for a few days.
Hana: Why?
Mei: He'll come by later and explain everything.
Hana: Are you okay?
Mei: Sort of.
Hana: What is it with you and your job ... making me all worried.
Hana: Please be safe.
Mei: Promise.
Hana: Don't break it or I'll break you (¬_¬)
Mei: I wouldn't dare (＞ロ＜)ゝ
Hana: You better not.
The detective was about to reply when the kitchen door opened quietly, revealing her self-appointed bodyguard. Seven looked tired, more tired than usual, and his trademark smile was replaced by a deep frown. It was obvious that he was blaming himself. His skin was pale and the dark circles beneath his eyes reflected the stress he had been under.
When was the last time he slept?
Nevertheless, he was as handsome as ever and her heart skipped a beat when he stepped closer. Mei was suddenly very aware of the fact that they were alone in the small apartment, making her stomach flutter with nervousness. Her silent musings almost made her miss the first aid kit he carried, which reminded her of the brand-new injuries on her feet.
"I'm sorry for making you lie to them," Seven mumbled as he kneed on the floor in front of her. "This is something between my brother and me. I want to have a chance to figure it out first, before telling the others that he's the hacker."
Mei nodded in understanding and hissed in pain when he carefully removed her bloodied socks. Now that she remembered them, the cuts actually stung a lot, but she still had the mind to feel embarrassed that the guy she was in love with was tending to her feet. Her cheeks flushed and she prayed that he would write it off as a reaction to the pain.
"And I'm sorry that you have to stay here with me," he apologized as he wiped them clean with a cotton pad. "Don't mind me, okay? I'll just stay in that corner in the living room."
"That's ridiculous, Seven. Just make yourself at home," Mei protested fiercely. He didn't have anything to apologize for, apart from maybe installing a bomb. "I'm not uncomfortable with you being here at all."
"I feel better this way." He shrugged while bandaging her wounds. "I'll stabilize the security system and once I finish researching about Magenta, I'll head there right away. I didn't wanna be alone with you like this, but I guess Saeran left us with no choice."
The detective frowned and tried to read his face, but drew a blank. He was attempting to put a distance between them again, just like he had been doing in the chatrooms ever since the party. Seven was closing himself off and going out of his way to avoid her. If he said something like that earlier, she would have believed him, but now that she knew how he felt, it didn't make any sense.
"Well, you're more reliable than a CCTV," Mei joked and the corners of his mouth twitched. "Besides, you really saved me earlier."
"That's true … but don't feel too safe about me," Seven argued stubbornly. "It might be more dangerous for you because I'm here. Sooner or later, my agency will track this place down… and we all know how those stories end."
"Are you being chased because you didn't finish that job?"
"Most likely." He nodded thoughtfully, his expressive golden eyes shadowed by unruly red locks. "It'll take them a while to find this place though. I even left my car in some dark alley a mile from here. If I finish my work before I get tracked, then I plan to disappear from the face of the Earth … and unless something happens, you'll be safe."
"Seven, please don't say things like that. Everyone in the RFA cares about you. I care about you. There is always more than one solution, you don't have to disappear," Mei protested passionately, "A-and how could I let you face all the danger by yourself, when I … when y-you ..."
Gently, his large hands pressed against her ankles and her skin tingled where they touched. His voice was small, desperate, and she had to hold her breath to hear it. "Mei, please … don't ..."
It was terrible timing, she knew that much. They had just survived meeting his long lost brother turned evil hacker, she had been threatened with a knife and they were living with a bomb under their roof. It was a lot to take in and would probably be too much for most people. However, even though she knew all of that, her heart was unwilling to cooperate with her mind. All her heart noticed was the broken look on his face, the gentle way he tended to her cuts and touched her sensitive skin, and his stupidly self-sacrificing courage that infuriated her and made her love him at the same time.
"I … I like you, Seven." Mei admitted finally, blue eyes shining with hope. She heard his breath hitch and when his head snapped up, she met his searching gaze with a tentative smile. "And if you weren't lying earlier, then you like me too. You're the one who told me that it's good to rely on other people, so you should take your own advice."
The words hung in the air between them and she patiently waited as a kaleidoscope of emotions flickered across his face. Shock, disbelief and wonder were followed by pain, despair ... and finally a steely determination that made her question whether confessing her feelings had been the right decision.
"I'm a dangerous person, I've told you that before." Seven growled angrily and quickly snatched his hands from her skin, as though she had burned him. "You barely even know me and I'm sorry if you had any fantasies about me, but it's got to stop now. I'm not that bright person you know from the messenger, so don't try to get close to me."
Why … why was he doing this?
"You'll be uncomfortable in that corner," Mei mumbled hoarsely as her vision got blurry. "It's cold without the window."
"It suits me better," Seven stated flatly and every trace of emotion had been wiped from his face. "If you have a sharpie, I'm all for drawing a line on the floor."
"The floor has already suffered enough for today," she replied gently. Mei wasn't just talking about the floor, but the double meaning appeared to be lost on him or he was simply unwilling to acknowledge it. Fine, if he didn't want to talk about his feelings, then she wanted some answers about their current situation at least.
"About Saeran …"
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but there is nothing I can tell you right now." He packed the leftover bandages back into the first aid kit and stood up to leave. "Maybe it's best if you pretend that I'm not here. I'm going to start working now, so don't bother me."
"Seven ..." Mei pleaded and grabbed his hand in a final attempt to reach him. "I don't understand. Why does it have to be this way?"
"I lied, okay?" Seven snapped and ripped his hand from her grasp, making her flinch. "Earlier when Saeran asked me whether I have feelings for you, I lied. I thought it would distract him and it did. I don't like you, so please stop bothering me."
Stunned, Mei sat in the middle of Rika's kitchen as she watched him leave, taking her broken heart right out of the door with him. It had been a big mistake to burden him with her feelings on a day that was already beyond stressful and she wasn't sure whether she could fix it. She desperately tried to make sense of his cold attitude and came up with two possible explanations.
Either, what he just said was the truth and the person she has fallen in love with was a lie. He really didn't like her back and while unrequited love hurts, she would have to learn to deal with it. Or it was the other way around and … Seven did have feelings for her. He had just found a stupid, selfless reason to lie to her. Although, that reasoning might be wishful thinking on her part.
Mei really didn't like being lied to. Her eyes grew watery and she bit her tongue to fight back the tears that threatened to spill over.
She didn't know what to believe anymore.
To Be Continued ...