AN: As always thank you so much for reading this story :) I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy the summer! If you have time, leave me a review with your thoughts at the end of this chapter. Bye~
KathrynthePyro-bitch: We love ourselves some gelatine for that plot :D Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter, the happy and the less happy parts :)
Chapter Sixteen
The Rumor Come Out!
When Seven awoke from his thirty-two-minute power nap, he knew this wasn't going to be a good day.
It had been months since he last dreamed of his brother and their psychotic mother, who's drunken outbursts of violence always ended with one of them getting hurt with a tequila bottle or some other household object. In those flashback episodes he couldn't move, he was stuck in his five-year-old body as though he was experiencing a memory in virtual reality rather than just dreaming about his messed up childhood.
Seven should be used to them by now, since they were reoccurring once in blue moon, but the clarity with which he remembered them always left an unsettling feeling in his chest.
He rubbed his pale wrists, trying to get rid of the phantom touch of ropes that cut into his flesh and rubbed it raw thanks to his numerous attempts to escape. His brother had always been watching his efforts with lifeless golden eyes, a mirror image of his own yet so very different at the same time, while he slipped in and out of consciousness.
It was impossible to place the exact date of the memory since this was a regular occurrence for the siblings, but after some thinking he concluded that it must've been a Sunday.
Their mother was always particularly violent when he came home from mass, which was a very successful attempt to guilt trip him for leaving in the first place and enjoying the only part of his life that she hadn't ruined completely. He knew that it had been a terrible decision to leave his brother alone with her. Not once did he leave the house without dragging a mountain of guilt through the door with him.
The church had always been his sanctuary, but soon even that became a double-edged sword.
Once it became a family tradition that he found his baby brother bound to the radiator in the kitchen, black and blue with shards of glass stuck in his legs, Seven's excursions to the outside world became less frequent. It was his fault, the Devil had said, it was his fault his brother got hurt, and being the gullible child he was, he believed every word.
Despite the pain and suffering the dreams made him remember, a small ugly part of him was grateful for them. It was the only way he got to see his brother and his desperate mind clutched onto every little piece of him he got, no matter how painful his past was.
Saeran ...
Why did he have to remember him now?
Seven spared a glance at the digital clock on his main monitor and groaned. It was 8am and even though he worked through the entire night, he knew a good night's sleep was not on his schedule by a long shot.
On the bright side, Vanderwood had been nice for a change and didn't bother him for the last few hours. The older agent was having a pity party in the kitchen with his best friend, another bottle of scotch, which he hadn't let go off ever since their boss had posed the ultimatum. Maybe he would keep being nice and make breakfast or at least pass out on the floor, Seven didn't mind either way.
Having some minutes to spare, he opened the RFA messenger, eager to find out if there were any updates on the Zen situation.
[A new chatroom has opened. You two are dead to me! Yoosung , MC, 707]
MC: Good morning, you two (✿◠‿◠)
707: Hiyaaaa ヾ(＾∇＾)
Yoosung : It's not a good morning!
707: Did you sleep well, Yoosung?
MC: Did you faint?
Yoosung : I hate you two so much, I swear (눈_눈)
Yoosung : Look at what you've done to me!
Yoosung sent them a selfie that almost made him regret pulling a prank on him. The gamer had bags beneath his violet eyes and his messy blonde hair was sticking up in all directions, resembling a bird's nest. His head was resting on a table and overall, he looked like he just came home from a cameo in The Walking Dead.
MC: Oh God, what happened to you? (ﾟ□ﾟ*川
Yoosung : You two happened!
Yoosung : I was so afraid of fainting that I kept myself awake the entire night.
707: So in other words ... you played LOLOL?
Yoosung : Yes, it was the only thing that made me feel better.
Seven rolled his eyes at that. How was Yoosung still at university when all he did was play online games? At some point, they'll notice the gigantic gap in credit points and kick him out for good. He really hoped the gamer would get it together before that.
He had thought that his mom left an impression on Yoosung, but there was obviously a lot more to conquering depression than a family visit. It has only been a few days and the gamer had already relapsed into his old habits.
Yoosung : I drank about a liter and a half of chocolate milk and now I'm really sick.
Yoosung : _(´ཀ`」 ∠)_
MC: You actually did that?!
707: lololol (~￣▽￣)~
Yoosung : I'm gonna puke any second now, so I'm staying close to the bathroom.
Yoosung : Why did you do this to me? (ಥ﹏ಥ)
MC: I'm so sorry! I didn't think you'd actually do it ლ(・﹏・ლ)
707: lolololololol
Yoosung : Seven, I swear ...
Yoosung : If you don't stop laughing, I will come over to your place and you won't like what happens then.
707: Uhhhh so scary ⊂（゜∀゜⊂
Yoosung : You have no idea what I'm capable of!
707: Don't take it personally, but I feel like I'm being threatened by a cupcake.
MC: Cupcake Yoosung. Soo adorable~
Yoosung : You won't be laughing once I puke chocolate milk all over your favorite hoodie!
MC: Ew. Gross. Too much information.
707: Not my hoodie щ(ಥДಥщ)
Yoosung : I'll puke all over your cars, too. Do you know how hard it is to get the smell out of the seats?
707: Not my babies! I take everything back. You're no cupcake, you're an evil mastermind.
Yoosung : ↜(╰ •ω•)╯ψ
MC: While I'd love to continue to talk about all the places and things Yoosung could puke on …
MC: Did you hear any news about Zen?
Frowning at the screen, Seven was just as clueless as her and the fact that Zen hadn't been online since yesterday worried him. He really hoped the actor didn't get himself into trouble because motorcycles, frustration and booze were not a good combination.
Yoosung : Well … I know something that you don't know (¬‿¬)
MC: Spill!
707: The. Tea.（✧∀✧）
Yoosung : Jumin called me earlier. He met with Zen in a park and they actually had a civil conversation?
707: They didn't fight?! ＝(￣□￣;)
MC: They talked like real friends? Σ(･口･)
Yoosung : Shocker, I know.
Yoosung : Anyways, they contacted a serious news channel and explained the situation from Zen's perspective. They also called the police, who are interrogating Echo Girl's manager as we speak, just like you suggested Mei. As far as I know, there'll be a press conference this evening.
MC: Echo Girl made some heavy accusations and when they find out that she was lying, she's gonna join Glam and Sarah in the courtroom.
707: Defamation of character isn't taken lightly, I assume?
MC: Nope ღゝ◡╹)ノ
Yoosung : Yesterday evening, Echo Girl showed up at Jumin's place and threatened him. She is fighting a loosing battle, but Jumin suspects that she will lash out against him in retaliation.
MC: Wow, you gotta give her that … she's bold.
707: What about Zen?
Yoosung : Apparently, he dragged Jumin to a karaoke bar at 3am and sang every sappy love song on the menu. Jumin sounded traumatized and Zen has a killer hangover now, but apart from that he's in a better mood.
MC: That's what happens when you let tequila make all your decisions ╮(─▽─)╭
707: I'm still trying to picture Jumin in a lovey-dovey karaoke bar.
707: Between all the pink garlands, frills and drinks with heart-shaped straws lololol
707: Aaaand of course, Zen serenading him ～(￣ε￣)
Yoosung : I know, right? So awkward.
MC: Sounds like a date (´⌣`ʃƪ)
A smile escaped him before he could help himself. In another life, or another universe even, he'd have loved to take her out to every ridiculous place that came to his mind. A tacky karaoke bar, a lonely beach, an adventurous boat ride, a high-end restaurant that made Jumin's choices pale in comparison or maybe a burger place next door, a lively festival with fireworks, a picknick beneath the starry sky—the possibilities were endless, yet it could only ever happen in his dreams.
707: Apropos date! I have one with the IP-address of our lovely hacker!
707: You think they fancy chocolate milk? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Yoosung : Omg I hAte YOU SEVEN
Yoosung : WHY DID YOU HAVE TO REMIND ME?!
707: Love u too （￣ε￣ʃƪ）
Yoosung : Now I feel sick again urg thanks （;ﾟ;艸;ﾟ;）
Yoosung : The chocolate milk in my stomach wants to say hello.
MC: Get a hot-water bag, put on some relaxing music and lay down in bed. Sleep = best medicine ever!
MC: Call me, if it gets really bad, okay? (づ◡﹏◡)づ
Yoosung : Thanks, Mei. I'll do that.
707: A hot-water bag and chocolate milk? Sounds to me like you're making hot chocolate.
707: I heard that goes well with cupcakes (⌐▨◡▨)
Yoosung : I will hurt you and all of your cars (ಠ◡ಠ)
[707 has left the chatroom.]
True to his words, Seven opened the folder that contained screenshots of the emails, which got sent to all of the RFA members except Mei and him. He wasn't sure why the evil hacker excluded them, but knew the reason couldn't be good. There was one thing he was sure of though: the hacker was definitely after the RFA, there was no doubt about that anymore.
Nevertheless, the million dollar question remained. Why were they after them?
Information? Money? Revenge? Fame?
Studying the layout of the email wasn't helping much either. There was a mint-green symbol that looked like an eye and something about a place called Magenta. However, when he tried to research its origins he came up empty-handed.
All that's left was tracking the hacker's IP-address which would provide him with their physical address. Nimble fingers flew over the keyboard as he tracked the sender's proxy. Usually, this process would take twenty seconds but the hacker had covered his digital footprints by abusing international serves, so it might take an hour or two to get results. Codes criss-crossed over his monitor, stopping whenever they detected a major location. Russia, Germany, Australia, Japan, China and even Iceland came up during the search.
Seven wondered what he should do once he found their address.
Normally, he'd just attack back or tighten the security, but considering that the hacker was after them specifically lead him to believe they wouldn't give up so easily. The only solution would be to barge into their hideout and take care of them personally. He wasn't comfortable with the idea, but it seemed like he had no other choice.
He was ripped from his thoughts when his phone buzzed and raised a quizzical eyebrow at the caller-ID.
"Yoosung my boi, what's up?" Seven leaned back in his chair with a grin. "You still alive or did the chocolate milk win?"
"I'm barely alive but that's not what I wanted to talk about." Yoosung sounded surprisingly serious, which made him lose his smile immediately.
"Oh?"
"I'm worried about Mei. She's all alone in that apartment and I can't shake the feeling that something bad might happen," the gamer stumbled over his words in a hurry to get them out. "You're the only one who can protect her, but I want you to know that you can rely on me if anything happens."
"Thanks, Yoosung." Seven sighed. "And I know what you mean, but I can't go to the apartment. My maid won't let me."
"Can you at least send her that kitty robot?" Yoosung asked hopefully. "Maybe it can protect her?"
Seven was taken aback for a moment. "The kitty robot?"
"Yeah. You spent all that time making it for her so … why not?"
Seven didn't like the direction the conversation was taking. If Yoosung knew that he had already sent it to her, he wouldn't stop pestering him about it.
Sometimes it really astounded him how perceptive the young blonde was, especially when it came to people's feelings, while he was so dense when it came to everything else. It was bad enough that Vanderwood knew about his crush, he didn't want to add more people to the list. Especially his friends, who would try to push him into admitting it to her.
"It's just something I made because I couldn't focus."
That wasn't even a lie. He did have a hard time focusing, but it wasn't because of agency work or the hacker. He prayed that Yoosung wouldn't catch on.
"Seven, what's up with you? You've been acting strange."
Well, it wasn't the first prayer that the universe ignored.
"I just can't focus and I keep wanting to turn on the messenger and watch the CCTV in case she's there and I want to call her and make her gifts. Gaaah, I feel like I'm about to explode. My concentration used to be my gift, but it feels like my brain is melting and I'm going crazy. Maybe I had to much caffeine."
"Caffeine doesn't melt brains," Yoosung argued, incredulous.
"Oh?" Seven rolled his eyes. "So you're the caffeine expert now, Mr. Chocolate Milk?"
"Stop trying to distract me! Why are you making this so hard?" Yoosung grumbled, frustration levels rising dangerously. "Just admit that you have feelings for Mei."
"Have feelings?" He let the words roll off his lips, as though he was tasting them for the first time, and made a face.
"Yes! I've never been in a relationship, but I've read a fair amount of relationship advice books. If you have someone you have feelings for; you keep staring at your phone, can't work because you're thinking about that person and keep wondering what he or she likes."
Seven propped his legs up on his table and rocked his chair back in a tempting-fate sort of way. "Well, I read Expert Playboy and it didn't mention anything like that."
There was a laugh, followed by an sigh of amused disbelief. "Pick up some proper books, dude."
"Like the shoujo manga you read?"
"Yes, they're amazing," Yoosung admitted, not rising to the bait. "Look, if you really do have feelings for her, then you have to show her. If you're worried that she doesn't like you back, don't be. You two get along super well and she always laughs at your jokes"
"We were just playing around." Seven tried to keep his voice level as though they were discussing the weather, but the statement sounded weak to his own ears.
"Uh-huh, so you built her a robot just for fun?"
"Well, no, that's …," he faltered, his mouth suddenly dry. He tried his best to keep his happy-go-lucky facade up, but it was taking a lot more effort than he was used to. "It put all the parts together by itself and created itself. That's the creation myth of Meowy. Greek Seven Mythology."
"You made that robot, dude. Stop saying ridiculous things."
Why couldn't Yoosung just let this go? It was obvious that he didn't want to talk about it.
"Gah! So I made a robot," Seven snapped. "Big deal."
"What I was trying to say is; if you cared enough to create a robot just for her then you obviously have feelings for her. End of story. All that's left is the beginning of your romantic relationship," Yoosung said sagely and for a moment, he pictured his friend with a long white beard, sitting cross-legged on top of a lone mountain in Japan. "You're so lucky, I haven't even gotten close to that."
Seven laughed, but it sounded hollow. "I want to live in a world where that's possible … but it's not."
"Why are you backing out?"
"Because I don't do things like that. I'm gonna spent the rest of my life staring at computers. Romantic relationships are not in the stars for me." Seven grabbed a can of coke from the table and popped the lid open. This conversation was getting too Dr. Phil now, and he seriously needed some caffeine in his system to tolerate Yoosung-sensei and his fortune-cookie wisdom.
"You're not being honest with yourself, Seven." Yoosung remained persistent. "What's so bad about liking her?"
There were a million reason why being in love with her was bad.
First of all, there was his agency, who didn't allow their members to have any personal relationships and Seven was already stretching the rules by being with the RFA. Then there were all of his enemies, who would throw the biggest party of the century if they found out he had a weakness they could exploit. Then there was him and the hot mess that was his life. It would take weeks to categorize all of his problems from A to Z and even then he wouldn't be sure that he covered them all. She was a good person, too bright for his dark world, and he'd rather shoot himself in his leg than drag her into it.
And finally, there wasn't a snowballs chance in hell that she would return his feelings and while he tried to tell himself that it wasn't, it was the most heart-breaking reason out of all of them.
"Yoosung, I'm only going to say this once and I want you to listen closely." Seven released a heavy breath while trying to control his emotions. "I'm not in love with Mei."
His declaration was met with silence, which grew more uncomfortable as the minutes ticked by.
"So ..." Yoosung paused and the action in itself was ominous. " … you wouldn't mind if I asked her out?"
Seven's heart stopped and his entire body froze. The innocent question threw his brain on the tracks of an emotional roller coaster ride that he wasn't prepared for. Shock, anger, jealousy—the feelings overwhelmed him and made it hard to breathe.
A scene of Yoosung and Mei on a date played in his head. They were strolling through a local park,hand-in-hand, breathing fresh spring air and listening to the birds' excited melodies. Mei was smiling brightly as she pointed towards an ice cream vendor, dragging an equally content blonde student behind her. She was so precious and stunning. She was happy. So why did it hurt his heart so much to see her like this? What kind of monster was he?
"You can't."
The cold words tumbled out of his mouth of their own accord, his brain choosing them without consulting with him first.
"Oh? I can't?" Yoosung asked cheerfully like the cat who caught the canary. "And why is that, Seven? You just said you don't like her that way."
"I don't."
"Man, you have it bad," he continued as though he didn't hear him. "I was actually a bit serious there. I really do like her, but I know she sees me as a friend and you obviously care for her more than I do."
"Yoosung I'm— "
"Don't lie to me. It's okay," Yoosung interrupted gently. "I just worry about you sometimes. You deserve to be happy more than anyone else, even if you don't think so. I know you don't want to admit it, but she makes you happy—truly happy—and at the end of the day you'll be miserable if you never give love a chance. You can't keep doing this forever because if it's not me, there will be some other guy who sweeps her off her feet one day. Look, all I'm saying is to give it a try because you're going to regret it, if you don't."
Incredibly fondness for his friend was rising in his chest and made his eyes sting with emotion. Yoosung really was one of the kindest people on the planet. In a parallel universe where he wasn't a secret agent but a student, who's biggest worry was whether a professor saw him ditch computer science to talk to his crush, he'd take Yoosung's advice in a heart beat.
However, Seven wasn't a normal college student and this was the real world. "Yoosung ..."
"No, you don't get to come up with nonsense anymore. Get yourself together so I can be angry at you again. If you think I'm forgetting the caffeine prank that easily, then you don't know me very well." Yoosung teased. "I've been holding a grudge against V for more than a year, so unless I receive a box of HBC, you're off the Christmas card list."
Ouch. He was really serious.
It had taken a couple of hours to trace the IP-address, but when lunch time rolled around his computer beeped loudly. A glowing red dot marked the location of the hacker's hideout in the middle of nowhere, roughly a two-day road trip from Seoul. It was an odd place for a hideout since apart from secret government businesses, which preferred secluded areas, most hackers hid in big cities, blending in with the regular human population and using them as a shield.
However, his initial feeling of victory had quickly vanished when Vanderwood decided that Happy Hour was over and returned to his original duties.
Once the older agent had gotten wind of the fact that he hadn't finished work yet, Seven found himself on the receiving end of the taser. The fight that had ensued between them was something he had expected. Of course, Vanderwood wouldn't let him take care of the hacker problem and made it very clear that if he were to leave the bunker, he'd find him and personally execute him in the most painful way possible.
Seven must've had a temporary moment of insanity earlier, thinking that Vanderwood would do something nice for a change. He had the sudden urge to bang his head against something solid, but resisted.
Afterwards, the paranoid man had pulled one of the chairs from the kitchen and appointed himself guard of the gate. While Vanderwood was watching him from his post like a hawk, Seven tried to stifle his laughter. All that the agent was missing was a magic staff, a wizard hat and yell 'you shall not pass', and he would put Gandalf's performance in the first Lord of the Rings movie to shame.
Out of spite, Seven plugged his orange headphones into the computer and decided to do anything but work for the agency. From his position at the door, Vanderwood wasn't able see his screens so as long as he didn't do anything overly crazy, he wouldn't get caught.
Absentmindedly, the redhead browsed through social media to assess the damage to Zen's reputation. It was one of the trending topics on Twitter and he frowned at all the hateful comments directed towards his friend. The Echo Girl fanbase had grabbed their pitchforks and even people from Zen's fanbase were jumping on the bandwagon. It wasn't fair. Zen didn't deserve this.
A brand new video caught his attention. It was a clip from Celebrity A! News most recent broadcast and it was about … Jumin?!
"A! News has the next scoop. We've received a tip from one famous female singer concerning the young entrepreneur Jumin Han, the Chairman in line for C&R International. His amazing looks and management skills put him as the top bachelor, and yet, he has not shown an interest at a single woman. Isn't that strange? We've received a tip that Jumin Han is actually gay. After this brave comment from a singer, we have been bombarded with several similar reports. Following the scandal from a few weeks ago, involving an engagement with Sarah Choi, the break-off between them suddenly makes sense. This is a comment from a famous actress who's requested to remain anonymous."
"I don't really care if it's just me, but I asked everyone I knew and they all seemed as if they expected it. I knew he had a secret. How else could he have remained so calm in front of my fabulous body."
That was definitely Echo Girl's voice. What the hell was going on?
Seven quickly opened the computer-version of the messenger and was glad to find some of the others online.
[A new chatroom has opened. Does Jumin Han is gay? ZEN, MC, 707]
MC: Echo Girl is at it again and too chicken to face off against Jumin directly lmao
ZEN: Yeah, I mean a famous actress and singer who thinks she has a fabulous body.
ZEN: I wonder who that could be?! (¬_¬)
707: They didn't even change the pitch of her voice.
MC: How are you holding up, dear drinking buddy of mine?
ZEN: I passed out on Jumin's couch and now my head is killing me. I feel like I got run over by a truck.
ZEN: Mr. Trustfund made me swallow a lot of painkillers, so I'm gonna be fine for the press conference.
ZEN: I'll prove my innocence to everyone! ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ
He was relieved to hear that Zen was fine, at least physically. Adjusting his striped glasses, Seven went on a hunt for more information on the Jumin situation and stumbled upon an article that made him bite his tongue because otherwise, he'd have bust into laughter.
707: Guys, guys, guys! (╯°▽°)╯
707: I found the holy grail of online articles!
ZEN: Is it about me again? I don't think I can take it atm.
707: No, no, no. It's about Jumin.
707: You ready? (⊙ꇴ⊙)
MC: Alwaysヾ( ▽ )
ZEN: No, but you're gonna go ahead anyways.
707: The rumor come out: Does Jumin Han is gay?
MC: I don't know, does he?
ZEN: He probably does.
707: Allow me to read an excerpt of this fantastically written piece of art (ಠ_ರೃ)
ZEN: Oh yeah, I have to know (눈_눈)
MC: I does is have to know ╭( ･ㅂ･)و
707: lolololol
God, this girl really was perfect.
707: "Does Jumin Han is gay?" is the most discussed in the media in the few years ago. Even it has happened in 2015, but some of the public is still curious about what is exactly happening and the reason a rumor come out about his gay.
ZEN: Is the journalist okay? I can't believe this is real (＾艸＾)
MC: And that's what drugs do to you, kids lolol
707: The public, especially women, are shooketh. This rumor spread massively and is out of standardize of hoax.
ZEN: What does that even ...?!
ZEN: Echo Girl could've at least found literate people to write fake articles.
707: According to the last reported, a singer revealed him as homosexual. Do you still believe or not? This rumor has even talked about by a person of his company.
MC: I can't. I'm dying (≧◡≦)
707: I hope we're all on the same page now (⌐■_■)
MC: Yes, that is has been cleared up.
707: So Zen … is he gay or not?
ZEN: I don't freaking know. Could you glean anything from that?!
Seven was proud of himself for making Zen laugh. It gave him hope that the actor would get through this scandal and maybe come out even stronger on the other end of it.
[Jumin Han has entered the chatroom.]
707: Ah Jumin, the man of the hour! Would you solve this mystery for us? _(┐「ε:)_
Jumin Han: I see, you've heard about it. Celebrity A! News certainly doesn't waste any time.
Jumin Han: I wish they would use their energy toward more productive goals.
ZEN: You're avoiding the question (─‿─)
Jumin Han: I don't react to false rumors.
Jumin Han: That's a rule my father taught me.
MC: Good choice. Once Echo Girl gets exposed, it'll get discredited with the rest of her lies anyways.
ZEN: Well, everyone is going crazy about it. You think it's okay not to respond?
Jumin Han: Yes. Compared to your situation, this is just harmless gossip.
707: Besides, it's a topic the media likes to pick up once a year or so ╮(─▽─)╭
ZEN: Yeah … I guess that'll work for you.
ZEN: The media isn't really persistent towards corporate people. I'm just worried.
ZEN: You rejected so many female celebrities over the years and many of them are talking about you now.
MC: Zen … you're not searching for yourself online, are you?
ZEN: Well ;;
707: Busted! (-＿- )ノ
MC: Stop torturing yourself, please.
Seven grimaced at that. He had misjudged how deeply this was affecting Zen, who was struggling to bottle up all of his disappointment. The scandal, particularly the public's reaction to it, cut deeply into the insecurities he had always harbored during his acting career.
Jumin Han: It's pathetic that people waste their time on social media, talking trash (¬_¬)
Jumin Han: Aren't there better things to do than staring at a monitor to see what other people are thinking?
ZEN: That's true, but it's hard to ignore all those people hating on me.
ZEN: I'm not like you.
MC: It's gonna be hard, but I'm sure you're going to get through this ⊂(・﹏・⊂)
707: Yeah, think of the press conference. U'll clear ur name and everything will be fine (σ`・∀・)σ
ZEN: I don't know … what if nobody believes me? And even if ...
ZEN: What if nobody wants to hire me now?! It's all useless.
Jumin Han: I didn't know you were so quick to give up.
Jumin Han: You think your career will end just because of one rumor?
Jumin Han: Was your career that fragile in the first place?
ZEN: Godammit yes! My career is nothing! (╬ಠ益ಠ)
ZEN: People go crazy about my looks, but not my acting.
MC: That's not true and you know it.
ZEN: I'm sorry you have to see me like this, but I'm so mad.
ZEN: I put my body and soul into acting for years. I want to be recognized as an actor.
Jumin Han: Hmmm (・_・)
ZEN: Jumin you are so lucky. You have your dad and your money backing you up.
MC: This isn't so black and white, Zen.
707: You have your talent to back you up.
Jumin Han: Let's just talk about this over lunch when you've calmed down.
Jumin Han: I think you're too emotional right now.
ZEN: Jumin, you didn't do anything wrong, but I just hate that you can be so calm.
ZEN: Honestly … I'm jealous that you can be so confident.
[Zen has left the chatroom.]
Mei was right. The world wasn't just black and white, good or bad, fair or unfair. Still, Seven could understand why Zen was jealous of Jumin. He had all the things he didn't have; a supportive family, fame for his hard-earned accomplishments and the money to go after his dreams without a care in the world.
However, Zen also had everything Jumin didn't; meaningful relationships with people, life experience in the real world, the freedom to do whatever he wanted and a lack of people who pretended to care for him to gain money. It was natural that they had trouble understanding each other.
Jumin Han: I don't understand. Is there really a need to get so serious? ( ￣＾￣)
Jumin Han: The police is doing their job, the press conference is scheduled and I will sue Echo Girl. It's going well, is it not?
707: I think the fact that everyone believed Echo Girl so easily really crushed his confidence as an actor.
707: The public turning on him over night is like proof to him that they didn't care about him beyond a pretty face.
Jumin Han: Oh. I see. So it's not just his dream that is in jeopardy but his beliefs …
707: Yeah, he's really struggling right now. I hope he'll pull himself together.
Jumin Han: What do you think, Mei? (ㆆᴗㆆ)
Jumin Han: …
Jumin Han: Are you still there? (ﾟｰﾟ;)
707: Mei? (;･∀･)
A sudden rush of panic made the blood grow cold in his veins. She usually replied really quickly, especially when some kind of drama was going on. It wasn't good to jump to conclusions, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right here.
Seven opened the CCTV feed and re-winded it to when she normally entered the apartment complex. There was nothing suspicious on the tape, Mei had waved at the camera as she always did and went into the apartment. He checked the feed there as well, but couldn't find her on the screen either. She hadn't left the building, so where was she?
Jumin Han: Did she leave the chatroom without us noticing? ┐(￣ヘ￣)┌
707: No, she's still logged in and online.
707: Mei? Can you read this?
Jumin Han: Bad connection?
707: Not possible. She's at Rika's apartment right now. When I set up Wi-Fi, it's never less than perfect.
Jumin Han: I knew it was a terrible idea to leave her without a bodyguard.
707: MEI!?
707: ARE YOU OKAY?!
707: Answer me pls
Jumin Han: What about the CCTV?
707: Alreddy checked. Nothing unusual.
MC: I'm sorry guys, I was distracted for a minute there.
Running a hand through his red hair, Seven took a calming breath to steady himself. She was fine.
707: Oh thank God. You really had me worried there.
Jumin Han: Yes, please be less distracted in the future.
707: What distracted you?
MC: When I first came here, you mentioned something about a security system and how it was very important not to trigger it …
707: Yeah?
MC: Well, it turned on and off last night. I thought it was just a bug, but after hearing it again just now, I'm putting all my money on the hacker.
MC: They are messing with it, I'm sure.
707: Oh no.
Jumin Han: What does this mean, Luciel?
707: Oh God, I screwed up again.
Jumin Han: He said with surprise in his voice for some reason.
707: I was so focused on tracing the IP-address that I didn't pay attention to anything else.
Jumin Han: Is Mei in danger?
707: Depends. What did the alarm say?
MC: The security system has been deactivated.
MC: I assume that's not a good thing?
No, it really wasn't. In the worst case scenario, the hacker had tampered with the part of the system that controlled the bomb settings. He needed to find out what that cyberspace cockroach did and fast.
"The apartment security server … server transparency okay, input output okie dokes, last activation of gate security … good." Seven mumbled to himself as he checked the server status. "And … the special security system … Huh?"
The numbers seemed to be different, unless he was starting to hallucinate. He went for the access log next and searched for the last two entries. One of them was yesterday evening around the time Mei had left the chatroom, the other one was only a couple of minutes ago. The first time the system had been restarted and altered, the second time it had been reset.
Impossible. The special security system had the most complicated algorithm out of all of his servers. How the hell did they get in? However, any other thought about the hacker was quickly pushed to the back of his mind as another one demanded his full attention.
Mei was in danger.
707: MEI!
MC: Yes?
707: I can't explain in detail right now, but you are in danger.
707: You need to listen to me, okay?
707: Don't ever move from the apartment or something really bad might happen.
MC: What?
707: I'll explain when I get there and fix everything.
707: So until then
707: DON'T LEAVE!
MC: Okay, I trust you.
707: Thank you!
707: I'll do whatever it takes to get there.
707: Wait for me!
[707 has left the chatroom.]
Seven desperately needed an escape plan and a good one. He'd have to channel his inner Houdini and perform a vanishing act that would outshine the famous magician's proudest performance. Consequences be damned.
First of all, he had to lure Vanderwood out of the room because he had to gather all of his hacking equipment and weapons, which were necessary for survival in case of emergency. Meanwhile, he'd have to wipe his computer's hard drive and every other storage that contained information on the RFA, the apartment and his algorithms; so his superior wouldn't get to them.
Moreover, it was a must that he tanked his phone and use one of his spares in the future. Otherwise the agency would be on his heels in a matter of minutes, tracking his location wherever he went. The last problem he had to overcome was getting to one of his cars and out of the garage, which would prove to be a challenge since Vanderwood possessed the ability to hear a pin drop in another room. In comparison, a car engine would be like a rock concert to the man.
An idea made his face light up as a slow grin settled on his lips.
The first phase of his escape plan was easy as pie. Seven had hacked the older agent's phone a while back in order to prank call him. All he had to do now, was dialing the big boss from Vanderwood's phone and make it look like an incoming phone call. Voilá—the Gandalf imitator in front of his gate would most likely leave the room to take the call.
Bzzzt.
Seven heard the man's phone buzz in one of his black pockets, but the older agent seemed to ignore it. Sweat started to form on his forehead, making his hands grow clammy. If Vanderwood didn't rise to the bait, he'd be forced to go old fashioned on him and Seven wasn't sure if he could take him. His superior was far more experienced in field work than he was and if it came to close combat, he'd have to rely on the element of surprise.
Luckily, Vanderwood picked up after the fourth ring and as expected, he left for the garage to take the call.
One the one hand, Seven was glad his plan had succeeded, but on the other it really sucked that the older agent went to the very place he needed to go after packing. Well, he'd think of something until then. When he heard the door close and sounds of a heated conversation, the genius hacker initiated the deletion of the hard disk, pushed his chair back and stormed into the bedroom.
If it didn't erase everything in time, he'd have to take a detour to the kitchen and kill his computer with a dose of water.
Diving beneath the double bed that had only ever been used three or four times, Seven pulled out a black duffle bag and crammed his best laptop inside. Cables, a pocket knife, spare battery packs, a portable antenna, two spare cellphones, a handheld gun, USB-sticks, a pocket knife, power banks, a spare router and a small toolbox were added equally quickly. He turned toward his wardrobe and shoved a bunch of clothes on top of his equipment.
In one swift movement, he thew the heavy bag over his shoulder and took a deep breath.
It was time for phase two of his improvised strategy. Vanderwood was in the garage and he needed him out of there to get to one of his cars or distract him enough to sneak by before he could stop him. It was incredibly risky, once he was spotted the game would be up and this time he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of it.
Tick. Tock.
Time was mercilessly marching on, the hands of the clock were moving too fast for his liking. Seven only had a few minutes left to brainstorm and come up with a solution because Vanderwood wasn't a chatty guy, not even with their boss. The younger agent's nerves were starting to fray at the edges and his heart was running a marathon without him.
However, he had always been too stubborn to crack under pressure, so he forced himself to calm down.
A glint of black metal in the corner of the room caught his attention and two red eyes were innocently staring back at him. It was one of the animal robots he had been building before Meowy; a black dog that could also breathe fire. With a new tactic in his mind, Seven picked up the robot and the corresponding remote control.
Careful to keep his footsteps as light as possible, he walked through his bunker towards the row of monitors. Luckily, the program had already deleted everything important, but nevertheless, he grabbed the bottle of coke from earlier and poured the remains into the system unit. The electronics hissed when they came in contact with the fluid and a couple of sparks flew through the air.
Sneaking into the hallway that lead to his babies, Seven thanked his past self for being intelligent enough to install two doors to his garage. Vanderwood was behind the first one and still immersed in the conversation. Slowly, he placed the dog robot on the ground before making his way to the other end of the hallway. The younger agent squatted down and carefully opened the second door, peaking through the gap.
"Agent 707 is undoubtedly a very talented agent. Hasn't he decoded the CSS in the shortest amount of time?"
It didn't sound like a compliment, more like warning to the boss that he could be a danger to the agency. Vanderwood was leaning on the wall and the grim expression that darkened his face only confirmed Seven's suspicion. They were already doubting his loyalties.
Quick like a panther, Seven opened the door and hid behind one of the white concrete pillars. His favorite red Mustang was only a couple of meters away. He pressed a hand to his mouth and held his breath, listening to the echo of Vanderwood's voice.
"Yes, sir. I understand. We should have carried it out by force. I'll take him there after we finish today. He'll come to his senses once we've given him a taste of what real torture is."
Good thing that he spontaneously decided to abandon the agency today because he definitely wasn't about to stick around for the torture. Vanderwood really sucked and after the news, Seven wouldn't feel guilty for what he was about to do to his superior. He flipped the power switch on the remote and pressed his thumb on the motion controls.
"Woof."
"What? We don't have a dog in here?" Vanderwood muttered and Seven watched him move towards the door through the reflection on one of the cars. The man swung it open and pocketed his phone once he found the culprit. "Where the hell did this come from?"
"Woof, woof. I am God Seven's creation," the dog barked happily. "Woof. I was born in 150BC in the Pyramid of Wrath when my mom dog robot met my Arabic father dog robot and with the contract from pharaoh Alibaba ..."
Meanwhile, Seven had managed to sneak behind another pillar.
"No wonder this thing is bullshitting, Agent Seven made it."
Showtime. Golden eyes sparkled with mischief when he pressed the red button on the remote, which controlled the robot's secret weapon. Flames burst from its open mouth and the raging inferno engulfed his superior's dark frame.
"Ahhhh! What the hell?! Why is the dog spitting fire all of a sudden?!"
The genius hacker snickered as he watched Vanderwood flail around, desperately trying to snuff out the flames that caught the sleeve of his favorite black trench-coat on fire. The man was thoroughly distracted.
It was time to move on to the last phase.
Seven breathed a sigh of relief when he got to his favorite car, half-way surprised that Vanderwood didn't slash its tires after their previous argument about him leaving. He still checked it over before he got in, just in case, and felt comforted by the familiar coolness of the black leather interior.
He threw the duffle back on the passenger seat and waited.
The smoke from the flames triggered the fire alarm, which immediately proceeded to standard protocol and opened all of the exits to his bunker, including the large garage door. Once the coast was clear, he jammed the keys into the ignition and the engine roared to live. His Mustang purred like a cat when he shifted into sport gear and loosened the hand break.
He slammed his boot on the gas petal and laughed when he saw Vanderwood's flabbergasted expression in the left side-view mirror, growing smaller and smaller as he left him in the dust.
Seven was finally free.
However, his happiness was short lived and soon to be replaced with urgency again. It took him ten minutes to get out of the thick forest that surrounded his bunker and onto the highway, despite breaking the speed limit. If his calculations were correct, he wouldn't arrive at Rika's apartment for another thirty minutes at best. He definitely needed to shake the agency off his tracks and throw in a red herring to properly vanish from the face of the Earth, before he could save Mei.
Fishing his cellphone out of his pocket, Seven typed a quick, private message to Yoosung with one hand. Earlier, his friend had asked to be relied on and now was the time to prove it.
707: Yoosung! I need a favor!
Yoosung : Sevne?!
Yoosung : What's goign on?! I saw the chat! Is Mei okay?
707: No time to explain.
707: Need you to call V.
707: Tell him that the special security system has been hacked.
Yoosung : What?!
707: Pls just listen to me
707: thx k bye
Seven took the next turn and hit the brakes next to a local park. He checked his surroundings twice, because one could never be careful enough, before he threw his hood on.
Hastily, he scrambled out of the car and nearly bumped into a vendor, who was selling tired-looking vegetables at the side of the street. The secret agent ignored the insults the man shouted at him and pushed through the crowds of afternoon shoppers. The heat was pushing down on him and the masses of people were suffocating.
As soon as he managed to get through the sea of pedestrians, he sprinted towards a small pond near the entrance of the park. Not wasting another second, he threw his cellphone into the murky water, disturbing a family of ducks that had been drifting across the surface peacefully.
There was probably a tracker on it and he took joy from the mental image of Vanderwood, soaking wet after spending hours searching for the damn thing in the stinky mud.
When he got back to his car, Seven ripped the door open with a force that startled a few passerby, but he didn't care. All he could think about was that with every minute that passed, Mei was in more danger and he knew he would never forgive himself if she got hurt. The hacker had always known that installing a bomb in Rika's apartment was something he'd regret down the road, but he had tried to delude himself into thinking the day would never come.
Out of all people, it was Mei who had to pay for his mistakes now.
It was one of those moments, where he prayed with every cell in his body that she'd be safe, that he'd arrive in time, that he could take her into his arms and bring her home. He didn't even care what happened to him, all that mattered was Mei. Seven prayed, but it wasn't God who answered.
It was his fault, the Devil had said, it was always his fault.
To Be Continued ...