AN: I hope you brought a cup of tea and something to eat because this is the longest chapter I've ever published :')
Create-Sanctuary: Hey, I'm glad you like the story so far! :D Oh, yeah, I changed to Dr. Pepper because I assumed Cheritz only changed it for legal reasons. Since I don't earn any money with this fanfiction, I decided it was okay to use the original brand.
MiharuTousaka: Oooh, I'm glad you're enjoying it! Right? I'm a huge fan of detectives protagonists and Case Closed myself. I used to watch it all the time as a kid and now I really feel the urge to rewatch it haha. I feel stupid now that I didn't even think about the blue eyes-brown hair = Shinichi Kudo, but it really suits Mei. Anyways, thank you so much for your reviews!
Chapter Nineteen
The Art of Fixing Things
Sunlight poured in from the repaired window and shadows danced across the tranquil room as a summer breeze stirred the leaves of the tall birch tree outside, painting moving patterns onto white walls. When Seven awoke from the most restful sleep he had in weeks, he was momentarily surprised by the warm weight on his chest. Puzzled, he blinked his eyes open and marveled at the sight of Mei in his lap, sleeping peacefully with her head nestled into his shoulder. The intimacy of their position wasn't lost on him, making his heart race in his chest.
He didn't want to move … ever.
She was out like a light, chest falling and rising with even breaths that made the skin on his neck tingle. One of her delicate hands was grasping his shirt while the other had disappeared in the depths of his hoodie. Much to his relief, her skin had regained its usual glow yet the leftover signs that she had been crying made his chest swell with protectiveness.
If this was a dream, he never wanted to wake up.
Seven vaguely remembered how they ended up on the couch together. Mei had been drained, mentally and physically, so she had fallen asleep in his arms while they had still been standing. He would've carried her to bed, but seeing her peaceful, unguarded sleeping face had reminded him of his own exhaustion and he had barely mustered the energy to drag them to the sofa before he fell unconscious as well.
It had been years since the agent had been this close to another person and he never knew how much he missed having that connection until she came along. Honestly, Seven was still dumbfounded by the fact that she returned his feelings and didn't just give up on him. He wasn't sure he deserved her, but from now on he'd do his best to make her the happiest person in the world.
Long, curved eyelashes fluttered as Mei stirred and Seven quickly snapped his eyes shut, pretending to be asleep in hopes of keeping her close a little longer.
"Good morning," Mei mumbled, stifling a yawn. When he didn't respond, she poked a finger in his cheek. "I know you're awake."
"Five more minutes," he whined, burying his face in her messy hair. She smelled like peppermint tea and honey, which made him even sleepier. "I'm comfy."
She giggled when he tightened his arms around her. "When did I turn into your personal pillow?"
"When you became my girlfriend," Seven answered, grateful that she couldn't see his burning cheeks. "It's one of the job requirements. Didn't you read the contract?"
"Damn, I should've looked at the fine print," she said with fake-regret, "but … who even reads terms of service agreements? They're long and full of law terminology normal human beings can't understand."
"True." Seven hummed and pressed a secret kiss to the crown of her head before sitting up straight. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah. Sorry for passing out on you, I was more tired than I thought." Mei smiled sheepishly. "You?"
"I haven't slept this well in years," he admitted thoughtfully, before a mischievous grin snuck on his lips. "Actually, I think I haven't slept since 1600 BC, but at least I'm not narcoleptic like a certain someone."
"How rude! I'm not narcoleptic," Mei complained and slapped his chest playfully. "If God Seven wants breakfast, he needs to be nicer to his disciple."
"Please forgive me, dear follower. I need my daily offering in order to keep the world safe."
"That's what I thought."
Much to his dismay, Mei decided to start the day and got up from his lap, heading towards the bathroom for a hot shower. Seven immediately missed her warmth and would have asked for another five minutes, but didn't want to seem like an overly clingy boyfriend. He had never been in a relationship and he really didn't want to mess it up on their first day as a couple.
It wasn't easy to hold himself back though.
Now that their feelings were out in the open, he could barely contain his excitement. Seven wanted to experience everything with her, like going on dates and cuddling up under a blanket while watching terrible B-rate movies. The possibilities were endless because everything would be fun as long as she was by his side.
When it was his turn to shower, the rose-tinted glasses slipped from his nose and washed down the drain with the soap bubbles from his shampoo.
No matter how badly Seven wanted to enjoy life with Mei, it wasn't possible right now with his agency on their toes and the shadow of Mint Eye looming over their heads. There was no guarantee they would get out of this mess unscathed. Their list of enemies was simply too long for the odds to be in their favor.
Drops of water drummed on his chest while he contemplated his next move.
Mei's safety was his priority, even more so now that they were together, but she would probably insist on coming along to rescue his brother from Mint Eye, regardless of the danger it would put her in. He really didn't care to give Saeran another opportunity to hold a knife to her throat or anyone else for that matter. Then again, going by himself and leaving Mei behind would leave her vulnerable to his agency and Vanderwood wouldn't even bat an eyelash before using her as leverage against him.
It was a textbook dilemma situation.
Seven stepped out of the shower, put his glasses on and got dressed in fresh clothes. His hands moved automatically, drying off unruly hair with a towel, while his mind was still elsewhere. It was like he was stranded on a chessboard where every possible move spelled bad news in gigantic neon letters. His heart screamed at him to take her along while his brain calmly listed all the reasons why that was a terrible idea.
However, once he stepped into the small living room he decided to postpone his dilemma.
A content sigh escaped his lips when the heavenly smell of coffee and breakfast enveloped him. The culprit was perched on the sofa, absentmindedly munching on a piece of toast. She was wearing a fond smile while her eyes were glued to the phone in her hand—no doubt taking to the RFA.
Eager to finally get food in his stomach, Seven threw the towel around his neck and plopped down next to her.
"Thanks," he said and grabbed a piece of toast that was covered in strawberry jam. "I'm starving."
"I know," Mei replied lightly, though she seemed a little awkward in his presence. "You haven't eaten anything since yesterday around noon."
"Oh."
Seven nodded dumbly, not sure how he was supposed to respond.
On one hand, he was pleased that she cared enough to keep track of his eating habits and on the other, he was ashamed by the subtle reminder how often he had ignored her food offers in the past. Overall, the secret agent had been treating her terribly and while he had good reasons for acting like a jerk, he regretted every single moment.
They hadn't talked about it yet, but Mei wasn't the type to sweep unresolved problems under the rug. No wonder she was tiptoeing around him as though she was threating on thin ice, now that her sleepy spell had worn off. It hurt his soul that she felt the need to act that way and he vowed to make it up to her. Sooner or later, they would have to talk about everything, but right now he'd enjoy this peaceful morning with her.
Even if that meant pretending that there wasn't any tension between them.
Once he finished breakfast, the hacker stealthily sneaked an arm on the back of the couch behind Mei and leaned over her shoulder to read the chat. He held his breath, waiting for her to move away or show any sign that she was uncomfortable with his sudden closeness. Apart from her cheeks that had turned an adorable shade of red, she didn't seem to mind. Outwardly Seven was trying to play it cool, be the poster boy for calm and collected, but internally he was screaming how cute she was. He couldn't wait to find all the ways he could make her blush like that.
However, the shy smile on his face vanished once he read what they were talking about.
Jumin Han: My call didn't get through to V again.
Jaehee Kang: Maybe his phone is out of satellite range?
MC: ┐(´ー｀)┌
Jumin Han: No, that's one of his excuses.
Jumin Han: I don't understand. He is my childhood friend, who always told me everything.
Jumin Han: Why is he avoiding me?
MC: I'm sorry, Jumin. That sucks (ノAヽ)
Jumin Han: He is the one who needs to apologize. The way V used your parents in that argument …
ZEN: What was he thinking? (¬_¬)
Seven stole a look at Mei, who was nervously nibbling on her lower lip. It had affected her more than she'd like to admit and he cursed V for causing that expression on her face. Attempting to distract her, he lifted his right hand and tapped the spot between her eyes with his index finger. It worked since she stopped frowning and rewarded him with a halfhearted smile.
MC: It's no big deal (~￣▽￣)~
ZEN: You're too forgiving（￣ﾍ￣）
Jaehee Kang: V has been evasive in conversations before, but not like this.
MC: He didn't make any sense.
ZEN: We shouldn't judge him too soon. Maybe there is a good reason for his behavior?
MC: ┐(´-｀)┌
Jumin Han: I disagree.
Jumin Han: V has been acting abnormal for a long time and I'm tired of these secrets.
MC: We won't get anywhere unless we find out where he is though.
Jumin Han: I will locate him!
Jumin Han: Even if I have to send teams to search every single mountain in South Korea.
ZEN: God, I'm so glad I'm not working for you (;￣ー￣川
Jaehee Kang: (눈_눈)
Jaehee Kang: I'm looking forward to hiking though muddy mountain terrain in a business suit and heels, Mr. Han (─‿─)
MC: Oh boy. That's the smile of silent suffering.
ZEN: Hang in there, Jaehee ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ
Jumin Han: I'm glad to hear you're so enthusiastic about this, Miss Kang.
Jumin Han: I will email you the details later.
[Jumin Han has left the chatroom.]
MC: r/whoosh
MC: Sometimes sarcasm goes straight over his head, doesn't it? ;;´ ▽ ` )ﾉ
"I could dedicate an entire subreddit to him." Seven snickered mischievously as he leaned closer to Mei, who was failing to supress her own laughter. "Although, Jumin is tricky. Sometimes he plays dumb, so he doesn't have to deal with people."
ZEN: That or he is a master at selective hearing.
Jaehee Kang: Mr. Han isn't in a good mood. He has been snapping at his staff for the smallest mistakes.
ZEN: (-＿- )
ZEN: For a guy that prides himself on being a robot, he has passivea-aggressive down to a T.
MC: Well, V is his childhood friend. It would be weirder if he didn't act like this.
MC: I actually think it's kind of sweet how far he's willing to go for him.
Jaehee Kang: Still, it's not the best time work at C&R (．＿．)
ZEN: I can imagine ...
MC: Anyways. Have you heard from Yoosungie?
MC: He hasn't been online since his fight with Seven.
ZEN: Don't worry ~꒰･◡･๑꒱
ZEN: I called him yesterday and we talked a little.
MC: How is he?
ZEN: More depressed than usual but he'll survive.
MC: Maybe I should call him later.
ZEN: I'm sure he'd be happy to hear your voice, but it's Seven he really needs to talk to.
ZEN: He thought of that goofball as his closest friend in the RFA. They've never gotten into a fight before and you know how he is. Yoosung takes these things to heart.
Guilt weighted on his heart as though someone had attached a boulder to it with a tight rope. Seven had completely forgotten about his fight with Yoosung and even though he remembered why he had pushed his friend away, his words seemed pretty harsh in hindsight. Zen was right, he needed to call him, but he wasn't sure whether Yoosung would even listen to his apology.
"He'll forgive you," Mei interrupted his thoughts. "Yoosung holds grudges if you avoid him, but he also forgives easily when you confront him directly."
"I hope you're right," Seven said, grateful for her encouragement.
The list of things he had to fix kept growing, but as long as he was able to fix them he'd at least make an effort. He owed it to his brother, to Mei, to Yoosung and the RFA. He couldn't afford to burn any more bridges, to make choices for others without consulting them. Those were mistakes he never wanted to repeat.
Jaehee Kang: Does Luciel really want to leave the RFA? ;;
ZEN: He just said that on impulse, right?
MC: I think he actually meant it back then, but not anymore.
ZEN: What is Mr. Isolation up to anyway?
ZEN: … not that I really care after yesterday evening (〜￣△￣)〜
Jaehee Kang: What happened?
ZEN: He made Mei cry.
Jaehee Kang: (╯ಠ‿ಠ)╯︵┻━┻
Jaehee Kang: Do you need me to come over?
MC: Hey, hey. It's okay. We made up.
MC: ┳━┳ノ( -‿-ノ)
ZEN: Ha! I knew my advice would work~
MC: I'm forever in your debt, Zen-sensei.
Jaehee Kang: Did he tell you why he confronted V?
Jaehee Kang: That 'Saeran'-person is the hacker, right? They seemed important to Luciel.
Seven wasn't sure if he was ready to have this conversation yet.
The unexpected reunion with his brother was too fresh in his mind and he was still digesting the fact that V had betrayed him. There were so many blanks unfilled and puzzle pieces missing. He wasn't confident enough to open up to the people he hurt with his actions, not when he didn't even have anything to show for it.
"It's your choice … but shouldn't you be explaining who Saeran is?" Mei asked tentatively as though she was walking on eggshells. "You can't avoid them forever."
The detective was choosing her words carefully again. Seven wanted to tell her that he hated when she did that, that he wanted her to be confident to speak her mind around him, that she didn't need to worry about him ignoring or yelling at her like he did before, but the words were stuck in his throat.
Instead, he let his head fall on her shoulder and allowed himself a moment to gather his thoughts.
Mei surprised him by tangeling her fingers in the damp baby hairs on his neck, combing through it in soothing circles that magically made the tension melt off his spine. Even though his chest hurt a little once he realized how foreign such a simple gesture felt to him, it warmed his heart and gave him the strength he needed to confront his friends.
"707's battery recharged at 100%!" Seven announced exuberantly. "Thank you for lending me your power, Alien Girl."
"You're welcome," she said after a giggle, "now put that energy to good use, Agent Seven."
With mild regret, he retracted his arm from the back of the sofa and pulled his cellphone from the pocket of his hoodie.
[707 has entered the chatroom.]
707: Hey everyone (∩｀-´)⊃━ ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ
707: Seven-Zero-Seven
707: Is
707: Back!
Jaehee Kang: Luciel!
ZEN: About time, man.
MC: (⺣◡⺣) *
707: (⌐▨‿▨)ノ
707: I'm sorry for making you worry.
Jaehee Kang: How are you, Luciel?
707: I'm better now. Thanks to Mei.
ZEN: Is that the power of love? (¬‿¬)
MC: Shut up (〃´^｀)
707: (〃ー〃)
ZEN: Now don't be shy~
Heat rose to his cheeks, making him shift uncomfortably on the sofa. Every time their relationship came up he got incredibly flustered, partly because he wasn't used to being on the receiving end of the teasing and partly because he hadn't directly confessed to Mei yet, only indirectly during their various arguments.
The only consolation was that she seemed to be equally flustered.
707: Anyways, I want to explain everything to you.
Jaehee Kang: That would be great (*´ー`)
707: Saeran is my twin brother.
707: My brother and I had to part ways due to family issues when we were young. It's personal, so I'm not gonna go into detail about it.
MC: The cliff-note version?
707: Aye, aye ma'am (￣^￣)ゞ
707: Our parents were not people who could actually be parents to us.
707: V gave me the opportunity to start working for an intelligence agency and be independent when I was in middle school. The agency did not allow me to have family, so I was forced to part ways with Saeran.
707: Rika and V promised me that they'd take good care of him.
ZEN: V must've been like your savior at the time (・о・)
707: Yeah, I decided that I owed him for the rest of my life and followed him without a shred of doubt. I've considered him my father figure for over 10 years.
MC: Discovering that Saeran was the hacker behind everything must've been a shock ...
707: I hadn't seen him since middle school. I thought he was fine!
707: I was always curious what happened to Saeran, but I wanted to talk to V first. However, as you saw, V lied about Saeran and avoided talking to me.
Jaehee Kang: That certainly explains why you've been so upset.
ZEN: It's almost hard to believe V would do something like that. I'm sorry to hear that, man (T⌓T)
MC: (⋟﹏⋞)
It felt unexpectedly good to be able to tell everyone about his brother. Somehow, it made Saeran's existence in this world real, not just a phantom of his past. People weren't kidding when they say that sharing your worries with others eases them. If he had known, he would've done it way sooner.
Jaehee Kang: So, I assume you want to get your brother back from Mint Eye?
707: Thinking about all the years I spent forgetting about Saeran makes me want to get in my car and drive straight to him.
ZEN: Isn't that a bit hasty? Even if he's your brother, he threatened the RFA and that organization probably isn't welcoming intruders.
ZEN: This isn't like the movies.
707: I can handle myself (~￣▽￣)~
707: Everyone should be worried about their safety though. Saeran hasn't given up yet and neither has Mint Eye. I feel bad that my brother has put everyone in danger, but it's my goal to resolve this situation peacefully.
Jaehee Kang: Regardless of his actions, he's your brother, so I hope we can find a peaceful solution too.
707: Thanks.
707: From now on, I won't follow anyone's orders. If there is anything you are concerned with, please talk about it here.
MC: That's the spirit (≧◡≦)
707: ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ
ZEN: Seven, I'm proud of you (￣︶￣)
Jaehee Kang: Thank you for opening up to us.
Jaehee Kang: It must've been hard, but know that we are here for you and will do anything to help (´ ▽ ` )ﾉ
Warmth spread through his chest as he soaked in their words of praise and support. He was truly lucky to have friends like this and even though he wasn't sure he deserved their forgiveness, he would do everything in his power to become worthy of it.
MC: I don't want to ruin the moment, but since we're having a pretty intense honesty hour right now; there is something I need to tell you as well.
MC: And you won't like it.
ZEN: Seven ... you didn't, did you?! ΣΣ(ﾟДﾟ;)
707: What? Why me? ( ᗝ )
Jaehee Kang: ?
ZEN: I swear I will find you (◠‿◠✿)
707: I don't trust that smile (;;¬_¬)
ZEN: She said you two made up and with that sexual tension between you I thought ...
MC: Omg we just hugged!
MC: Why would your mind instantly jump there ? (≖͞_≖̥)
ZEN: All men are wolves, Mei-Mei.
MC: Nevermind (─‿─;;)
707: The smile of silent suffering returns^^
Slightly perplexed, Seven relaxed back into the couch and turned his head towards Mei, expecting to see her roll her pretty eyes at Zen's over-protective delusions. Instead, he found her worrying her lower lip, much like earlier, only that this time she looked like a mountain of guilt was crushing her. He reached out to comfort her, but she quickly shook her head and shrunk further into her seat.
Mei brushed a curtain of chocolate hair behind her ear before returning her attention to the chatroom with grim determination. It looked like she was typing up a storm.
MC: There is no easy way to say this and you have every right to hate me afterwards, but I need to get this off my chest.
707: What's wrong? ( •᷄⌓•᷅ )
ZEN: We could never hate you.
MC: ...
MC: Remember that complicated case I've been working on?
707: Yeah, the one you can't talk about, right? What about it?
MC: There's an organization that has been kidnapping people in Seoul for over a year and we're supposed to find them.
Jaehee Kang: Oh, I remember. It's been all over the news before the Echo Girl scandal, the Glam Choi drama and the RFA party.
707: The police haven't found the ones responsible yet, right?
MC: Yeah, we kept hitting dead ends until recently.
ZEN: All those missing people ... I feel sorry for their families（πーπ）
Jaehee Kang: It must be horrible when you don't even know whether your loved ones are alive or not.
707: Wait. Isn't information on an on-going case confidential? Σ(･口･)
MC: I don't care about breaking protocol right now.
707: Sounds serious ...
MC: After the events of the RFA party, it became clear that the group who is kidnapping people in Seoul is Mint Eye. Moreover, since our evidence points towards a connection between Mint Eye and the RFA ...
MC: My agency ordered me to investigate you guys in secret.
MC: I'm so sorry.
Seven was more surprised by the fact that he wasn't surprised. A part of him had suspected that Mei was hiding something ever since their first fight about the drawer, when she suggested that V and Rika were connected to Magenta. Back then, she had revealed that the investigation had continued after the RFA party and he had been wondering what she had done to hold off the police from questioning the RFA.
Now he had his answer. This girl would be the death of him.
ZEN: Wait what?!
Jaehee Kang: Are you serious?
ZEN: You're joking, right? σ(￣∇￣;)
707: No, she wouldn't joke about something like that.
Jaehee Kang: Did you pretend to be our friend? To get information on us?
ZEN: Hold on, I don't think Mei is that type of person.
Jaehee Kang: I thought so too, but I'm not sure anymore (￣ー￣;)
MC: It's hard to believe after what I just told you, but despite everything I think of you as my friends.
ZEN: I won't lie and say that this isn't a shock.
707: Hey, she's been our friend before she got the order. Also, her joining the RFA was an accident, remember?
ZEN: No offense, but you're kinda biased.
MC: Yeah, I got phished by Saeran. Now that I think about it, he was kinda unlucky to target one of the very people who have been investigating the kidnappings his organization caused.
MC: Anyways, I know sorry doesn't quite cut it, so if there is anything you want to ask me … shoot.
Jaehee Kang: Why does the police believe we have anything to do with Mint Eye?
MC: Mint Eye has managed to stay under our radar for a long time. Apart from people going missing, they were pretty inactive for an underground organization. It was as though they didn't have a purpose at all.
MC: So when they suddenly started targeting the RFA ...
707: Nobody targets someone without a reason, so it makes sense to assume that investigating the RFA might reveal their goals.
ZEN: Why did they order Mei to investigate undercover though? They could've interrogated us instead of going about it in such a roundabout way.
MC: The culprits responsible for Mr. Wong's death—Ms Kwon and Nam Jr.—weren't only guests at previous RFA parties, but have been reported missing during the last year. Then they suddenly attend as staff members and attempt to murder as many people as possible.
MC: In other words: the Seoul Police Department didn't trust you until they were sure the RFA was only a victim in this case.
ZEN: But we didn't do anything! The hacker threatened us, too!?
707: Saeran …
MC: At this point, I know you guys have nothing to do with Mine Eye ... except for maybe V.
Jaehee Kang: That implies that you were uncertain of us as well at some point.
ZEN: Hey, I don't think Mei doubted us.
Jaehee Kang: I didn't think she would lie either and here we are.
MC: No, she's right.
MC: While I wanted to believe in you, all those secrets you guys were keeping made it hard for me not to doubt you.
Jaehee Kang: …
ZEN: …
Seven briefly wondered what he would've done if he had been in her situation, but quickly banned the thought from his mind. It didn't matter. If she hadn't accepted the task, someone else would've and since a majority of the police was more concerned with closing cases for their quota instead of finding the truth, they could've easily ended up as scapegoats for the kidnappings.
Yet again, he had underestimated her.
It didn't matter if she lied. Mei had risked loosing their friendship in order to protect them. She had already done so much for them without expecting anything in return that just the thought of anyone being angry at her for this—even Mei herself—made his blood boil.
707: You were trying to prove our innocence, weren't you?
MC: It doesn't matter.
707: No, you're wrong!
MC: It doesn't change the fact that I've lied to all of you.
MC: You were right when you said that I have trouble trusting people. That's why I'm a good detective, remember? (ゝ◡╹)ノ
MC: Call me if you have further questions.
ZEN: Wait!
Jaehee Kang: Mei!
[MC has left the chatroom.]
707: ( •᷄⌓•᷅ )
707: Well done, guys.
Jaehee Kang: It's not like I meant to be harsh, Luciel (´ヘ｀；）
Jaehee Kang: Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she told us now but I'm frustrated that she didn't tell us sooner.
707: Look at it from her perspective though.
707: Ever since she joined the RFA, we kept our cards close to our chests and she put up with everything regardless. Also, the way we've been following V as our leader, who had been vague and unwilling to answer our questions, doesn't exactly inspire confidence.
ZEN: Yeah, I know. That's why I'm more angry at myself than her (_ _|||)
ZEN: Although, it sounded like this secret has been eating her up for a while, so I don't think it really mattered what our response was.
ZEN: That girl made up her mind that we're gonna hate her before she gave us a chance to react (ノ﹏ヽ)
Jaehee Kang: Maybe I'm a bit emotional since I'm disappointed in V, but of course I don't hate her. I can be angry and still call her my friend at the same time.
Jaehee Kang: Can ... can you tell her that from us, Luciel?
707: Roger (￣^￣)ゞ
[707 has left the chatroom.]
In one smooth motion, Seven closed the app and tossed the phone next to him with a heavy sigh. He wasn't sure whether he could actually deliver their message since it looked like their roles had reversed for the time being, with her being the one retreating into a turtle shell and him being the one coaxing her out. Mei had curled up, hugging her legs and burying her face in her knees. It broke his heart to see her like this.
How the hell could he comfort her?
Seven was at a loss, afraid that anything he said might result in a twisted version of Chinese whispers. As his gaze lingered on her, the urge to hug her got stronger until it got almost unbearable, but he held himself back, unsure whether she would appreciate physical contact right now.
Is this what she felt like the past couple of days?
Luckily, Mei chose that moment to raise her head, saving him from sitting around like a helpless bundle of nerves. Her face was uncharacteristically expressionless as though she was keeping her emotions in a tightly locked cage and threw the key away. However, Seven had observed this protective mechanism of hers enough times to know where the key was.
"It's okay if you are angry and don't want anything to do with me," she mumbled neutrally. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
The thought alone seemed insane to him. He couldn't imagine a world where he wouldn't want anything to do with her.
"It's a lot to take in, but so was everything the RFA threw at you." Seven laughed softly, reaching out to play with a strand of her hair. He admired the silky texture between his fingers before continuing, "If anything, I'm amazed how much you've pieced together and how much I've missed. Every time I think I have you all figured out, you surprise me again."
Finally, the detective looked at him and he couldn't help the victorious smile that spread across his lips when he saw the wonder in her blue eyes. Mei wasn't the only one who could exceed people's expectations. Sure, she was still a mystery to him at times, but after spending all those hours together, he understood her better than she gave him credit for.
He tucked the strand back behind her ear, hand lingering a moment longer than it should have, while he patiently waited for her to argue back. She was too stubborn to give in without a fight.
"But I'm a hypocrite," Mei protested as predicted. "You should be hating me."
"I know." Seven echoed her words from yesterday, smiling at the memory. "You know ... it's okay to be a hypocrite sometimes. Lying isn't always bad nor is it always good because the world isn't that black and white. It's your intention that matters and if you have good reasons, then perhaps even lying or—in your case—omitting information can become good."
"How do you know I have good intentions?" Mei challenged, crossing her arms over her chest. "All of this could've been an act to gain your trust, so I could close the case and get a promotion."
"Sorry to ruin your self-image, but a person who climbs trees to save cats and dances while they're cooking can't be a bad person." He snickered when she pouted, poking one of her cheeks. "You're not gonna get rid of me that easily, Miss Detective."
"Fine," she conceded begrudgingly, "you win."
"Oh? That was easier than expected," he said, feeling accomplished. Seven would've have been happy to lay the topic to rest right then and there, but one question was still burning on his tongue. "I gotta ask though ..."
Mei nodded for him to go ahead, curious yet cautious.
"Have you told them about Saeran?" Seven asked and quickly added, "I don't blame you if you did, but I need to know. He's my brother after all."
The detective blinked then paled visibly. "N-no, I didn't even tell Kyu, but I'm not sure whether that was such a wise move on my part. She can get really scary if she wants to, which is pretty often … and most of the time."
"Well, there's your punishment for being a hypocrite." Seven laughed when she narrowed her eyes at him, muttering about how mean he was. Trying to appear as apologentic as possible, he opened his arms to her as a peace offering. "C'mere."
Mei huffed in defeat and scooted closer to him, shoulders relaxing once her head met his chest. When he wrapped his arms around her, his own tension melted away like wax on a candle, making him wonder why he felt anxious in the first place. Nothing could compare to the warmth in his chest whenever he held her close and if it were possible, he'd spend the rest of the day hugging her.
"Promise me something?"
Slowly, she lifted her head and looked up at him from beneath her lashes. "What?"
"Let's be honest with each other from now on," he proposed, voice gentle. "No more lies or half truths ... Of course, that goes for me as well."
The detective smiled his favorite smile, before she rested her forehead against his. "Deal."
xxx
Time flew by in a blur while Seven attempted to tackle the first item on his list of fixing things. However, the road to redemption was paved with bumpy rocks and barricaded with hurdles he hadn't anticipated since it was apparently easier to destroy robots than to repair them.
He really should've known.
Meowy's mechanical organs had been separated into their individual components and scattered across the apartment floor, forcing him to crawl beneath the couch several times to get every missing screw. It had taken a good hour to gather everything and another to organize the parts into neat piles, but at least, he had reached the reassembly stage.
Now, he only had to repair Meowy until the end of the day, so he could give it to Mei, hoping it would make the apology he planned more meaningful.
Of course, it was supposed to be a surprise, so at first, he had been wondering how the hell he was going to hide it from her. The apartment was small and the detective liked to riddle him with questions as though they were bullets, but much to his surprise, she hadn't even asked what he was working on, spending most of her time playing Animal Crossing on her phone or trying to KonMarie the apartment.
It'd be a lie to say that her behavior didn't worry him.
One lesson Seven had learned pretty quickly while being cooped up with Mei was, that whenever something bothered her, she'd try to distract herself by procrastinating. Her restlessness became obvious when she rearranged the bookshelf for the third time, only to glare at it as though it was her mortal enemy once she was done. When he had asked what the books had done to offend her, Mei simply replied that no matter how she arranged them, they would always look like a mess.
Then, she promtly stomped out of the room to avoid another conversation.
It hurt to see her being so hard on herself, but he'd give her space if that's what she needed. Seven knew that regardless of what he said to her earlier, she was still guilt-tripping herself and would continue to do so until she talked to the RFA. All she needed to do was open the messenger,but the stubborn detective had put her phone in airplane mode.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang, making the screwdriver in his hand slip out of an annoying screw that had refused to turn.
Remembering that he had ordered food earlier, he opened the door and relieved the delivery guy from a mountain of boxes. After giving the man a generous tip, the hacker closed to door and dumped the boxes on the dinner table.
"Mei, where are you?" Seven called, worried that she had embarked on another dangerous adventure to the grocery store. "Mei?"
Last time he checked, she had been in the kitchen but she wasn't there anymore. After a minor panic attack and a hectic search, he found her in the bedroom at Rika's office desk, twirling around in the revolving chair while answering emails from guests.
"I bought lunch for us. Aren't you hungry?" Seven asked, exasperated. "Hey, why aren't you answering me?"
Instead of responding, Mei closed her eyes and hummed a tune, bobbing her head to a beat he couldn't hear. It was cute but also kinda weird until he noticed that she was wearing airpods. Seven grinned from one ear to the other while a brilliant idea—revenge for all the times she had startled him—formed in his mind.
After all, airplane mode couldn't stop him.
Mei almost fell out of the chair when her phone rang. Her alarmed expression was golden, making him wish he could take a photo. She glowered at him like a cat that had been thrown in bathtub and he would've felt bad for laughing, if he hadn't seen the amused twitch of her lips.
"Hello?" Mei answered the phone, playing dumb. "Who might this be?"
"Hello, dear customer. This is the lunch service speaking," Seven announced cheerfully. "We're serving sushi today. You've ordered our daily special and the regular house course, right?"
"Wait." She broke character and stared at him in awe. "You ordered everything on their menu?"
Seven felt heat rise to his cheeks, embarrassed yet secretly pleased that she noticed his effort. Honestly, the hacker had most of her favorites memorized, but in case he was wrong, he had ordered everything they offered. He didn't know much about relationships, but Zen once mentioned that providing food for your significant other was important and he had to admit, taking care of her felt great.
Nevertheless, he didn't want to make a big deal out of it.
"I thought you might need some rice." Seven shrugged. "You can eat whatever you want, I'll eat the rest."
"You're my favorite food delivery service from now on." Mei beamed at him as though he had hung the stars in the sky, and he was relieved, if not a little proud, that he had managed to cheer her up. "Five stars on yelp aren't enough!"
"Stop joking around and come sit at the table." Seven pinched the bridge of his nose when she didn't budge. "Why are you smiling at me like that? … Stop staring at me."
"But it's fun to stare at you. I think it's my new hobby." She grinned innocently and he got the distinct impression that this was revenge for the prank he pulled earlier. "You're cute when you're blushing."
"W-what?"
His brain must've malfunctioned somehow and damaged his ears because there was no way she said what he heard. Nobody had ever called him cute before, so she must've made a mistake.
"Let's just eat already."
Instead of waiting for her to hang up, Seven pocketed his phone and fled to the living room in order to unpack the sushi. Meanwhile, Mei fetched two plates from the kitchen and returned a few minutes later to join him at the table.
An awkward silence settled between them.
Seven didn't know how to fill it and from the looks of it, neither did Mei. Ever since they woke up this morning, they were using humor as a shield to cover up the fact that they were unsure how to act around each other. It had worked well so far, similar to when you slap a band aid on a broken arm to placebo a person into feeling better. Effective, but temporary. It was only a matter of time until they had to talk about their feelings.
They couldn't avoid the subject forever.
"Since we're talking about it … you don't say these things to other people, do you?" Seven asked carefully, hoping he didn't sound as insecure as he felt. It was still difficult for him to accept that she liked him. Maybe he had misunderstood her and this was just how she treated all of her friends. "You might not know it but there are a lot of dangerous men in this world. If you're too nice, you might end up facing a lot of trouble."
"No, I don't normally say these things." Mei said shyly, avoiding his gaze and stabbing a piece of salmon nigiri with her chopsticks. "I was just being honest."
It was silly, but he was relieved by her answer. "Still … be careful saying things like that. No, actually, don't say that ever, especially to other guys. Well, I mean … never say never, but you know what I mean."
Gah, what the hell was he saying?
"Okay." Mei giggled. "I won't say these things to other guys."
Did she know what she was doing to his heart?
"Oh … alright." Seven rubbed his neck in an attempt to hide his nervousness. "Let's talk about something else. How about … your safety? I've upgraded the security system but explaining that would be boring since the jargon is complicated. Ask me anything and I'll tell you everything you want to know."
The detective shot him a knowing look over her glass of water, but let the sudden change of topic slide. She hummed thoughtfully before her eyes lit up with a mix of curiosity and concern. "Would you tell me about Saeran?"
"Saeran?" Seven tasted the name on his lips, still not used to saying it after all those years.
He wasn't surprised that she had more questions about his twin brother, considering that hadn't really been an open book when it came to his past. V was the only person he had ever told this story and after his betrayal, he was hesitant to share it again. However, Mei had stayed by his side through everything and he trusted her.
"Come here." Seven took her hand and led her to the sofa, where his laptop was decrypting data from the agency. "I want to show you something."
Picking up an old book from his black duffle back, he flipped it open and pulled out a worn-out floppy disk. Mei watched curiously when an old-school disc drive swallowed it whole. It only took a few seconds until the photos appeared on the screen.
While he wasn't an expert on photography, they had a certain quality about them that made him suspect V had taken them himself. All of them were taken outside. The first showed Saeran sitting in the shade of a lone oak tree, reading a book while a summer breeze brushed through his fiery hair. The second one was a close up of his brother's pure smile, so unlike the bitter grimace he had been wearing last time they met.
However, Seven's favorite was the last picture.
It showed his brother exploring a peaceful meadow beneath a deep blue sky, observing a lonely butterfly flutter above him with child-like wonder. When they were younger, Saeran would only be able to see the sky when their mother had left for a round of day drinking and he was healthy enough to walk. If those rare conditions were both met, he would smuggle him out of the house and take him to an ice-cream parlor, where they would share a double stick popsicle.
Seven didn't even notice his hands were shaking until Mei grasped one of them in hers, intertwining their fingers. He swallowed the lump in his throat, steeling his nerves against the flood of childhood memories that were bound to resurface.
"He would've been in high school when the pictures were taken, but he never went to school." Seven began slowly, growing more confident with every word. "We look alike but unlike me, Saeran was always weak and got sick a lot, so he was barely able to leave home. As I've mentioned before, we grew up in a very complicated household."
Mei tilted her head to the side. "Complicated?"
"Our father is one of the president candidates at the moment," he admitted grimly. "I won't tell you who since you might get in danger for knowing. Even before he was elected as congressman, he was an honorable man on the outside. However, my mother and him had the two of us without marrying."
"If the press found out, it would be a scandal he'd never recover from," she concluded. "Your existence alone threatened his candidacy."
"Quick as always." Seven smiled despite himself, appreciating her ability to fill the blanks. "Our father didn't even know about us when we were born. Our mother didn't let us out of the house, but once she told him, he tried to kidnap us multiple times."
"Why?" Mei frowned in confusion. "I mean … how could a mother do that to her children?"
He had asked himself the same question for years and even now, he wasn't sure he had an answer. "Our mother was a half-insane alcoholic. I think she viewed us as blackmail material rather than her children … and since we were her tool to squeeze money out of our father in return for her silence, he tried to take us out."
Seven shook his head, putting it into words made him realize how impossible his family was. As if she could read his thoughts, Mei squeezed his hand, shooting him a compassionate smile.
"How did you learn hacking in a situation like that?"
"When her alcoholism was at it's worst, mom couldn't really walk, so she would send me on errands to get water or medicine. Later, I analyzed her patterns and left the house when she couldn't catch me. I often visited a church nearby, which is where I met Rika and V. They noticed that I was immensely talented at math and computers, so they gave me a book on computer science."
The words flowed out of him like water gushing out of a broken dam. It was strange, but talking to her made him want to tell her even more. Seven watched as Mei processed all of the information, looking eager to know more and angry for his sake simultaneously.
"Luciel isn't your real name, right?"
"No, I adopted it after I got baptized." Seven explained, "I associated my real name with my parents, so changing it was more of an act of rebellion at first. Over time though, my father became more and more powerful, and my new name actually became convenient. With V's help, I abandoned my identity and went abroad, so he couldn't track me."
"But … Saeran couldn't come with you," Mei said gently, connecting the dots, "because he gets sick easily."
"V and Rika promised they would take good care of him, that's the only reason why I was able to leave on my own. I promised Saeran that I'd always be there for him but I broke that promise," Seven muttered, furious with himself. "That's why it was so hard for me to accept that you were doubting V, because admitting you were right meant that I made a huge mistake by trusting him. Thinking about it now, I'm so mad at myself for never having a single ounce of doubt."
Absolute trust had shut his eyes and ears to the truth. In hindsight, he didn't even know what was worse; that he had been so dependent on V or that he hadn't taken responsibility for his own terrible decisions.
"You were a kid and he was the closest to a father figure you had. Of course, you trusted him." Mei reasoned and while she wasn't wrong, it sounded like excuses to him. "I don't know Saeran very well, but if he had been in your shoes, I'm sure he'd have done the same."
"Maybe." Seven sighed, golden eyes lingering on the photos. "Honestly, I miss him so much since we parted ways."
"I'm sorry you had to go through all that." Mei said earnestly, leaning her head against his shoulder. Despite all the blame he put on himself and the knowledge that Saeran had had it worse, it felt good to hear her say that. Seven knew it was greedy and probably made him seem like a child hoarding their treasure, but he didn't want to share the comfort she gave him with anyone else.
"How did you get these pictures?" She asked after a while. "Aren't secret agents supposed to erase their past or something?"
"I ... couldn't let go of my brother, so I kept begging Rika to tell me how Saeran was doing." Seven replied, voice heavy with memories. "She sent the floppy disc to me in secret on my 20th birthday. She told me that Saeran is fine and that I shouldn't worry."
"Wait, your 20th birthday?" Mei sat up straight, eyes wide, as though someone had dumped cold water over her. "Wasn't that shortly before Rika committed suicide?"
He nodded slowly. "Yeah, thinking back on it now, she must've already planned her suicide when she sent me the photos … Why? What's wrong?"
The detective bit her lower lip and from the guilty way she avoided his gaze, he suspected it had to do with her undercover investigation of the RFA. Seven squeezed her hand like she did earlier, silently encouraging her to continue.
"We have reason to believe Mint Eye was founded before her suicide in January last year." Mei said in a serious tone before she turned her head to meet his gaze. "Saeran is a member so … How did Rika know that he was fine, when he obviously wasn't? Also, why did she sent you outdated pictures of him instead of more recent ones?"
It dawned on him where she was going with this, but while he couldn't deny that those questions concerned him, there were holes in her argument.
"Apart from the fact that Saeran could've joined later,how do you know Mint Eye was around before Rika's death?" Seven argued, "I thought the kidnappings only began in March last year."
"Well, we know Mint Eye had been around because she has been working for them." Mei elaborated calmly as though she didn't just drop a bombshell on him. "I interrogated the CEO of the charity organization she had been supporting with funds from the RFA parties. He claimed that they stopped receiving donations after the second charity event, even though Rika advertised with their projects."
Maybe he was being naive, but it was hard for him to believe that Rika embezzled funds. "What if the CEO was lying to you?"
"Of course, we didn't just take his word for it." Mei agreed, "This morning Kyu finally got access to Rika's iced bank account—the one that was meant for the donations—and found some pretty shocking transactions. … Wait, I can show you."
The detective paused, waiting for his permission, and he nodded hesitantly. She let go of his hand in favor of the keyboard and a few seconds later she was logged into her SIDA account that had access the police' data base. Seven wouldn't lie, it was kinda hot to watch her work on his laptop, but now wasn't the time to analyze that train of thought.
Kyung Hyeon had sent her a bundle of files named , which Mei opened with a click on the mousepad.
12/04/20XX Credit: Donations RFA Party +446,588,067.17₩
14/04/20XX Transaction: Hope Foundation International (HFI) -446,588,067.17₩
25/08/20XX Credit: Donations RFA Party +565,579,543.71₩
28/08/20XX Transaction: Hope Foundation International (HFI) -565,579,543.71₩
09/12/20XX Credit: Donations RFA Party +693,176,134.33₩
16/12/20XX Transaction: Magenta (ME) -693,176,134.33₩
19/05/20XX Credit: Donations RFA Party +893,176,134.33₩
23/05/20XX Transaction: Magenta (ME) -893,176,134.33₩
07/11/20XX Credit: Donations RFA Party +1,084,571,020.26₩
11/11/20XX Transaction: Magenta (ME) -1,084,571,020.26₩
"We don't assume she was involved with Mint Eye prior to her death, we have evidence. Also, Saeran's involvement and V's suspicious behavior make a lot more sense with Rika in the picture," Mei thought aloud. "The questions that remains is why she was working with them. In all honesty, her suicide might not have been a suicide at all, but we lack too much information about her to draw conclusions."
Had Rika been blackmailed by Mint Eye ... or supported them willingly?
Seven frowned while his brain attempted to catch up with the fact that another person he had trusted wasn't that trustworthy after all. Rika had been a private woman, who went through great lengths to keep her secrets safe, going as far as to convince him to install a bomb for security, but he had always assumed it was for a greater good.
"We need to open the drawer!" He exclaimed, hands already flying over the keyboard to deactivate the special security system. "Mei, I think I'm ready now, are you?"
She nodded firmly, eyes shining with determination that mirrored his own. It was liberating to take matters into his own hands, he wouldn't stay passive anymore. Once they stood in front of the infamous drawer, he could barely stand the suspense.
"We don't know what's in there, so let's be careful." Seven warned, making sure Mei stood a few steps behind him. "Okay. One, two … three."
Luckily, nothing exploded in their faces and the drawer opened with little difficulty, but the relief only lasted for a few breaths. The hacker noticed with mild disappointment, that a part of him had still hoped that they would find a bunch of cheesy love letters.
"This is the logo from that email the others got," Seven observed, unable to erase the shock from his voice while the mint-green eye innocently stared back at him from the bottom of a page. "No, not quite. It looks like an early version of it."
"We found the same logo on a letter addressed to Dr. Nam, blackmailing him into supplying poison for the culprits." Mei grasped his arm for support when she leaned over his shoulder, pointing at the document. "Look at the date. 8th November 20XX, that was three months after the second RFA party and one month before she transferred money to Mint Eye for the first time."
Was that when Mint Eye started demanding money from Rika or was that when Mint Eye was founded? It looked like the contents of the drawer brought up more questions than answers. He rifled to the top batch of documents, placing them on the table once his fingers brushed against a different material.
"And this blueprint is an exact copy of the building Saeran was in, the one I have been researching." Seven added, "Rika was the only one who could open the drawer, so I think it's safe to say your theory wasn't just a theory."
Meanwhile, the detective had taken a closer look at the papers and stumbled upon a page containing different variations of the Mint Eye logo, including hand-written comments about their design. The sketches were old and the lead from the pencil had faded, but Rika's handwriting was unmistakable.
"She wasn't merely helping them grow," Mei mumbled, more to herself than to him. "It looks like she was involved in establishing the organization, but why would she commit suicide then? It doesn't add up."
There were many things that didn't add up, but he knew exactly who had the ability to answer their questions.
"V knew this was here," Seven muttered angrily, balling his hands into fists. "That's why he wanted to hide it. I was ready for a lot of things, but I never expected for something like this to be hidden here. The Rika I trusted would never do something like this."
"I wonder what really happened," Mei said quietly, shooting him a sad smile. "I don't think we have the full picture yet."
There was only one way to find the truth and if his suspicions about V were correct, he should go to the Mint Eye building as soon as possible. However, he needed to check Rika's apartment first since according to V, everything inside it was classified information. V had always been adamant that he wasn't allowed to touch anything and now he knew why.
If Seven wanted to find the truth and save Saeran, he had to grow up and break V's rules.
xxx
Golden light fro the setting sun bathed the room, which looked as though the bomb had actually gone off. Papers were scattered across the tables, hundreds of files on guests were opened on Rika's computer and the contents of every drawer had been dumped on the had taken them hours to comb though the entire apartment, but unfortunately, they hadn't discovered any mind-blowing news.
The only information that made Seven feel like he had been punched in the gut with an iron-spiked first was that Rika had apparently transferred the money for Saeran, which he had earned from the agency and sent her monthly, to Mint Eye as well. It made him sick to think he had indirectly supported that organization.
Seven shook his head. He had to make things right, but first, he had to fix his relationship with the RFA and properly apologize to Mei.
"Ahh where did I put the blueprint again ...? The nut should fit right here," Seven muttered to himself, trying to attach the small metal ring to Meowy by force. It was the last piece needed to complete the robot. "Oh, it fits right here … Get your shit together man."
It had taken him longer to repair it than he anticipated, but now that he was finally done, he was suddenly hit by a wave of nervousness. Instead of preparing a speech, he had put all of his energy into the robot and the regret was starting to settle in.
What in the world should he say? Would she even accept his apology?
God, what he wouldn't give to be able to talk to Yoosung right now. The gamer might have all his romantic experience from shojo manga and otome games, but when it came down to it, he always had good advice. Well, he sure as hell wasn't going to ask Jumin or Zen.
Jaehee was an option, but she was kinda scary and probably going to lecture him. Once the secretary started a real argument, it was in your best interest to wave the white flag because she was always better prepared than you. He wouldn't even be surprised if she pulled out one of her infamous float charts and red markers in order to defend Mei. When she used those OP weapons, she could destroy anyone, even Jumin.
Maybe it was time to bite into the sour apple and attempt to apologize to Yoosung—the undefeated champion of holding grudges. Sighing heavily, Seven pulled his phone out to call him until he remembered that his agency might be screening their calls, so he logged into the messenger instead.
[A new chatroom has opened: Top ten anime fights: robocat vs. screwdriver; 707, ZEN]
707: Hey hey
707: Evening Zen!~
ZEN: That's a very sudden change in attitude^^
707: I'm trying to be positive ໒( " •̀_•́ " )७
ZEN: Did something else happen?
707: No, I came here because I have something to say to Yoosung … originally I wanted to call him, but his phone might be bugged.
ZEN: It takes bravery to admit when you were wrong.
ZEN: Although with a face like mine, you can rarely go wrong ღゝ◡╹)ノ
707: Yes, I was a terrible friend to Yoosung the other day.
707: As a secret agent, I was never allowed to have close relationships, so my knee-jerk reaction when someone comes too close is to push them away.
707: I didn't mean to hurt him.
It was relieving to finally get this off his chest, but until he had apologized to Yoosung directly, the feeling wouldn't last. All he could hope for was that the gamer would read this at one point and forgive him.
[Yoosung has entered the chatroom.]
Yoosung : SEVEN!
707: (ﾟ□ﾟ*川
707: You're here.
ZEN: Are you messing with the app again, Seven?
707: Not this time! Yoosung just has awesome timing.
Yoosung : Hmm? What's that up there?
707: （；へ：）
707: Super sorry about the other day!
Yoosung : You think a sorry will do?
707: …
707: yes?
Yoosung : (-公- ;)
ZEN: Yoosung, how are you feeling?
Yoosung : I was really hurt, but I feel better now since he's trying to apologize.
Yoosung : Even if the attempts were pretty sad so far.
ZEN: Agreed (´▽｀)≦
Well okay, he deserved that.
707: I'm honestly very sorry for the way I talked to you.
Yoosung : So … you're not quitting our friendship?
707: I'll try to make sure it doesn't have to happen.
Yoosung : It won't happen!
Yoosung : We've known each other for years. You can't just say goodbye without giving me a chance to understand.
ZEN: Yoosung is completely right.
707: YoosungIluvya! (ˆ⌣ˆԅ)
Yoosung : FYI, a person grows with trust and love.
Yoosung : I'm glad to see that you're starting to grow.
ZEN: It's about time tbh
Yoosung : Hmmm … I guess I'll forgive you.
707: ヾ(≧∇≦)ゞ
707: Thank you!
ZEN: Wow, you actually made up. Thank God. I was really worried about you two~
Seven sighed when the burden on his heart grew a lot lighter. He had been just as worried as Zen, but Mei had been right, as long as you confront Yoosung directly and apologize, he was actually a forgiving person.
Yoosung : But Seven, you're not planning to forgive V, are you?
707: No … I don't. I'm going to think of him as separately from the RFA.
707: I think back when we fought, I became really scared of a future that didn't even come yet. I became defensive because I got so scared.
707: But thanks to Mei being right by my side through everything, I've been starting to think that everything can work out.
707: Come to think of it, I'm way past the age of not thinking for myself lololol
Yoosung : You're smart and capable, so you'll be fine without V.
ZEN: How is she by the way?
ZEN: … She hasn't been online since this morning and all of my calls went straight to voicemail （´ヘ｀；）
707: I've told her that it's not a big deal, but I can tell she still feels super guilty.
707: She even put her phone in airplane mode (╥_╥)
ZEN: Geez, I didn't even think earlier.
ZEN: It must've been difficult for her to be torn between her job and her friends.
Yoosung : Yeah, it's not her fault that the police asked her to investigate us. I mean, it's her job right? I'd feel terrible if she lost her job because of us.
ZEN: I don't think she'd have lost her job if she refused, but still … (ᇴ‿ฺᇴ)
707: There must be a lot pressure on the police, considering how many people went missing.
Yoosung : Also, with how shady V's been acting as our leader, I'm not surprised they have been suspicious of us.
Yoosung : It's all his fault (ಠ_ಠ)ノ
707: Honestly, if she didn't do what she did, everything might've ended up a lot worse for us.
Yoosung : Please, tell her I'm not angry at her!
Yoosung : I can't speak for the others, but we all feel the same, right?
707: I'll do my best (・∧‐)ゞ
ZEN: Seven, I need to ask.
ZEN: Are you planning to take her with you to Mint Eye?
Out of all the questions he could've asked, Zen had to pick the one Seven had been putting off since this morning. Sure, it had lingered in the back of his mind, following his hopeful thoughts like a shadow, but if he was being honest, he had been running away from it.
After all this time alone, was it really so wrong that he wanted to stay with Mei?
707: I … I'm not sure.
ZEN: You shouldn't take her along. What if she gets hurt?
707: I know, but leaving her behind is dangerous, too.
Yoosung : Your agency is still after you, huh?
707: Unfortunately.
707: They know what she looks like, so if I leave her alone they'll use her to get back at me.
ZEN: Then instead of leaving her alone, you could leave her with one of us. We would ever let anything bad happen to her.
707: You're underestimating my agency. They have their ways to get around security and once they find out who you are, Mei won't be the only one in danger.
ZEN: She doesn't have to stay with me or Yoosung. Jumin's place has one of the best security systems around.
707: You forget how easily Mint Eye got through security at the RFA party and we all know how that ended.
ZEN: Yes, but since the cat monster ran away, Jumin has turned his company into a fortress.
[Jumin Han has entered the chatroom.]
Jumin Han: Our security has been improved greatly since those incidents.
Jumin Han: Mei herself has trusted me to protect her sister and I'm sure Hana would love to see her again. She'll definitely be safe here, Luciel.
Yoosung : I'm with Zen and Jumin here.
Yoosung : Bringing Mei to the hideout of an organization that kidnaps and poisons people sounds like a bad idea.
ZEN: Also, didn't she mention that they've killed that doctor earlier?
Yoosung : That's scary (ﾟдﾟ；)
ZEN: Detective or not, without her agency and the police backing her up, she is an ordinary person like everyone else.
707: …
Seven didn't know why he was hesitating so much. His friends brought up good reasons, yet he still couldn't quite bring himself to agree. It's not like he didn't trust them, but apparently his heart had secretly made a decision without consulting him first. They were right and it was selfish of him, but he didn't want to be alone anymore. After all this time, he had gotten used to her being by his side and wasn't ready to give it up again.
ZEN: Seven, please trust us.
707: …
Jumin Han: ...
ZEN: Jumin, I'm warning you.
ZEN: After telling him to kill his emotions you don't get to give him advice aynmore.
Jumin Han: Luciel, you can't be too emotional when you make a rational decision. This is about her safety, not your feelings.
ZEN: What did I just say?! Not helping! щ(ಠ益ಠщ)
Jumin Han: That advice was useful (*´ー`)
ZEN: Ignore him. Seven, it's not like you're never gonna see her again.
ZEN: You go to Mint Eye, save your brother and come back to Mei, who might've been worried sick but safe. Afterwards, we call the police and they'll take care of the rest.
707: If you put it like that, it doesn't sound so bad.
Yoosung : Right? (人･∀･)
Yoosung : You don't have to shoulder everything by yourself. We can take care of Mei, so you don't have to worry while you go get your brother.
Maybe, they were right. Seven really didn't want to hurt her again, but perhaps this was for the best. Even if she didn't come with him, he wasn't alone in this because everyone was supporting him. In any case, her life was more important than his feelings.
707: Damn, I came here to apologize to you, but I feel like I'm leaving with more support lol
ZEN: You've always supported us. Of course, we'd do the same for you.
707: I'm going to be pretty busy from now on, doing everything I've decided to do (´ ▽ ` )ﾉ~
Yoosung : Don't worry about the party or our safety and focus on what you have to do.
707: Well, I guess I gotta break the news to Mei.
ZEN: Good luck!
ZEN: And don't do anything I wouldn't do! (ಠ⌣ಠ)
Jumin Han: Please give me the address to Rika's apartment later, so Driver Kim can pick Mei up.
707: Laterz~
[707 has left the chatroom.]
Seven closed the app, feeling encouraged and disappointed in equal amounts. On the one hand, he had promised himself that he wouldn't make decision for her and on the other, he had promised that he wasn't going to be selfish with her. Either way, he had no other choice but to break one of his promises and he'd rather break the one that ensured her safety.
As if the universe knew his plans, Mei entered the living room, avoiding the litter on the floor with light steps.
"Hey, do you think we should clean this up or nah?" She picked up an empty box from the floor, inspecting it critically, before dropping it again. When he didn't respond, she turned towards him and gasped once she spotted Meowy on his lap. "Wait … is that ..."
"Y-yeah, I repaired him." Seven stammered, silently wishing he had taken notes last time he watched a TED Talk. Once he stood in front of her, he held the cat robot out to her, hoping she wouldn't notice how sweaty his hands were.
"Thank you."
When Mei beamed and took Meowy in her arms, his nervousness suddenly vanished, leaving only the warmth that he felt whenever he was around her.
"You're such a strange person, you know?" Seven said, a fond smile sneaking on his lips when she raised a questioning eyebrow. "I've pushed you away multiple times saying I can't give you what you want, but you're not discouraged at all and still by my side. It's kind of funny, but I want you to remember me even if I disappear ... If God allows it, I will always have you in my heart."
She frowned in confusion. "Disappear?"
"I'm going to infiltrate Mint Eye. If anything happens to me, at least he could talk to you," he explained, gesturing towards the cat. "The AI program I installed in here is similar to how I talk in the chatroom."
"No way!" Mei placed the cat robot on the floor, so she could cross her arms below her chest defiantly. "I don't know where you think I'm going, but if it's not where you are, you better think again."
Her words made him want to sweep her off her feet and never let go, but he had to be strong.
"Thank you … you're giving me so much trust by saying that," Seven said quietly. "But it'll be safer for you to stay with Jumin and your sister."
"You're probably right," she admitted testily, "but the same applies to you. I don't want you to be in danger either."
Why was this so difficult?
"Saeran is my brother," Seven tried to reason, emotion stinging behind his eyes. "He's my responsibility and I owe it to him to find the truth. You've already done so much and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if you got hurt because of me."
"And you forget that it's my job to find those missing people," she shot back. "Sooner or later, I will have to investigate Mint Eye's headquarters whether you're there or not. It's dangerous to go alone, not to mention that we have a much better shot at rescuing Saeran with two people. Do you need any more reasons?"
There was a saying that when you weren't even convinced of your own argument, you were bound to lose it. Seven hadn't wanted to leave her behind in the first place and didn't have the energy nor the will to search for holes in her logic either.
"No."
Exasperated with his answer, she threw her hands up in the air and while he was worried that he really messed up this time, he was secretly relieved that she finally stopped tiptoeing around him and let the all the frustration she had bottled up out.
"I seriously wonder what's going on in that genius head of yours," Mei continued her rant, hands on her hips. "First you save me, then you ignore me, then you call me a liar and just when I think everything might be alright, you tell me you're going to leave again. What the hell Seven? What part of I want to be with you do you not understand?"
Anything. He didn't understand anything about that sentence. It didn't make sense to him at all since he could think of a thousand reasons why he cared for her, but couldn't come up with a single reason that would make her want to be with him.
"I'm sorry," Seven said earnestly. "Nobody ever cared about me this much, so I don't know what to do."
In all honestly, he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself if she didn't forgive him, but something about his apology must've surprised her since her anger was fading quickly, even though she was reluctant to abandon it.
"This is unfair," Mei muttered, hiding her face in her hands. Tears dropped onto her fingers and every attempt at stopping the waterworks only served to spur them on. "You can't look at me like that."
It broke his heart to see her cry because of him, but she shook her head when he reached out to comfort her.
"W-what are you talking about?" Seven felt helpless, but he was worried he'd dig himself into a deeper hole if he said anything else, so he stayed silent and waited for her to explain herself.
"I can't stay mad at you when you look at me like that. It's unfair," she clarified, trying to sound strong despite her cracking voice. "Of course, I forgive you. How can I not?"
"Then why are you crying?" Seven asked gently.
"I'm crying because it makes me sad to think nobody cared about you," she replied with a watery smile. "And I'm crying because I'm happy that you apologized."
"Mei." Seven said hoarsely as atmosphere began to grow heavy. Fed up with the distance between them, he pulled her close and marveled at the way she seemed to fit perfectly into his arms. They stayed like that until she calmed down, leaning her cheek against his chest while he brushed away stray tears with his thumb.
He knew what he had to do now. It didn't matter which option was safer or what anyone else thought was the best option. In the end, it only mattered what Mei and him wanted. It was their choice to make after all.
"It won't be easy, but will you stay by my side?" Seven smiled when she met his gaze.
"On one condition," Mei challenged, blue eyes twinkling with mischief. "I ride shotgun and get to kiss the driver."
Saeyoung's heart was on fire, threatening to jump out of his chest. "You've got yourself a deal, Miss Detective."
It didn't even take a second until he kissed her with everything he had. His lips moved against her soft ones while he gently swept a lost strand of hair behind her ear. Mei returned the kiss and pushed herself against him while he wrapped his arms protectively around her. Heat spread through his entire body like a wildfire and he had never thought it was physically possible to be this happy.
It still felt completely impossible to him.
No matter what, Saeyoung couldn't bring himself to believe that any of it was real. It must be a dream or a particularly realistic hallucination. Nothing this amazing ever happened to someone like him, but when Mei tangled her hands in his hair to pull him closer, any coherent thought just went straight out of the window.
All he could think about was how soft her lips were when they brushed against his and how he never wanted to let her go again.
When they had to break away, Seven rested his forehead against hers like he had so many times before, attempting to catch his breath. Once he opened his eyes, he came face to face with what he could only describe as a ray of sunshine. Mei's blue eyes were bright, her cheeks were rosy and her perfect lips were pulled into a happy smile.
It took every ounce of his willpower to stop himself from kissing her again.
"I don't know what kind of truth is waiting for us, but I don't want you to regret caring for me that much," Seven said honestly, "so I promise I'll be by your side and protect you … more than my life."
To Be Continued ...