Night-Owl Romance

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Chapter 5: Reckless Behavior

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"Ms. Choi,

We deeply regret this decision; however, your actions these past weeks have been nothing short of damaging to our business model and our hard-earned reputation.

Today was your final mistake and we cannot overlook these matters further on.

We shall no longer be tolerant to such negative practices.

Please do come to the office in order to pick up your remaining belongings and receive the contract termination as well as your last pay check. Failing to do so will offer us the rights to keep these possessions in our own property as per contract regulations.

Have a good day, Ms. Choi."

*End call*

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Mina sighed in defeat. The news had been delivered to her in a somewhat friendly manner considering its grave topic. It was comparable to the many other instances she had been greeted with such a desirable morning call yet she had never gotten used to the disappointment it would bring.

The girl was far too sleepy to beg for their forgiveness on the phone and have them reconsider their stance so she took in all their criticism and was simply staring blankly at the wall in front of her eyes while listening to the manager's robotic monologue. Bare feet were nervously brushing across the hardwood floor as her back was firmly pressed against the couch's seat. Mina didn't fight back their accusations or anything, adding further injuries to her self-worth and wrecked image.

She was a person who'd ruined their hard earned reputation and the main reason behind their latest negative reviews and customer complaints.

It was a fact that she needed to owe up to.

It was her fault yet again so she shouldn't be this surprised.

As a business, it was the most logical choice they could make - get rid of the source of their problems...

How many jobs did she even lose with this one?

Four?

Five?

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"I don't want to know anymore..."

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Counting them was no longer worthwhile for it would only induce an even stronger-latching depression. Mina didn't want to acknowledge the ridiculous number of job losses she had from this year alone – and mostly because of that guy who had developed an unhealthy infatuation, borderline obsession, towards the youth. He would be seeking her trails whenever he got wind of her in the neighboring areas.He adored causing scandals, forcing employers to second guess hiring the girl to the point she had to seek work opportunities near the outskirts of the city with over 3 hours of commute each day. Not that such a distance even mattered since the guy would find ways to swiftly track her down like prey.

"Hah... Ha ha ha..."

Mina shut her reddened eyes as strained sounds escaped her throat. This wasn't a laughing matter at all but she wasn't in the right mindset to react differently, exhaustion ever present in her body. After getting officially axed, her mood had considerably worsened compared to the epic high experienced from the previous night.

The girl shouldn't have been careless with her offline responsibilities.

But the prospect of having another nightmare was not something she could have handled. She had to force herself to remain awake until dawn or whenever she felt it was the right moment to snooze in peace. Plus, the most recent online encounter with Zen had managed to erase some of her tiredness which made her plan to dream harder to accomplish. Well... either that or because of the phone slamming into her face.

"..."

Her eyes narrowed, gazing at the picture that the actor had attached in their chat room.

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Did he really choose this picture with her in mind?

It was not an innocent shot at all... ;-;

'Zen must send these to many other people for sure, like Jaehee...'

No matter how much she stared at it, the picture only made her feel worse.

Did Zen really believe that she was the type of person who would enjoy such an image?!

'W...Well... He wasn't completely wrong... but...'

How was she supposed to fall asleep without risking stranger dreams...?! (º □ º l|l)/

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"Troublesome.", Mina mumbled, poking at his head annoyed in the pic. His intentions were honestly questionable – if he kept this up, Zen might do something irreparable to her remaining sanity; it wasn't hard to see that his interestin the girl had turned her into a target practice for his flirting skills. Seven had an attempt at it too but he was more light-hearted and inserted unique dad-jokes in between so she did not feel any serious intent behind his words. Yoosung was too shy to do anything remotely flirty without cracking or acting embarrassed, retreating to his LOLOL sanctuary when the pressure would overwhelm him.

Mina had to be wearier of the dangers these guys represented and maintain a safe distance or else she'd surely develop white nights syndrome, struggling with endless emotional whirlpools and bittersweet tinges to the heart.

She had to remember that her position in the R.F.A. would be temporary until the hacker issue was dealt with and the party over. Also, these people would have reacted the same way had it been any other person in Mina's shoes so they were merely curious about her as a novelty to their organization.

Later on,

The frequency of their interactions would surely fade and then become disinterested in her.

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'As always...'

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Thus, she treated this scenario like she were back in high school,

The difference being her classmates were now in a purely virtual setting.

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~oOo~

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Mina didn't know the exact moment she had succumbed to the dark but when she came through her head was pressed onto the coffee table, next to the half-opened laptop whose screen was still illuminating her features. The dream had been shockingly calm and sweetWas Zen there...?, entrapping the girl in a pool of warmth however the effects were not long lasting. She couldn't remember the details of her dream but she could tell it had integrated some real life sounds in its sequence. As a result, Mina had failed to acknowledge the importance of her alarm clock – again and again, the bothersome contraption rang without being given any attention to as she continued to dive deeper into her slumber.

Her eyes darted open at past 10:30 a.m. when the calls blasted on repeat were simply too loud to ignore. Mina initially didn't even consider the workplace manager being the culprit behind more than 2/3rds of them although she should have suspected it.

She had been mortified of having missed vital information from the R.F.A. members than whether someone at the shop lacked a coffee mug or their tea crumpets due to her absence. It turned out that her worries had been mostly unfounded when it came to the group which partly relaxed her. Apart from the manager, Yoosung had called twice, mainly curious if she had gotten a proper rest or if she had eaten breakfast yet (neither), the conversation quickly shifting to the party preparations. The boy was extremely excited about the upcoming event, giving Mina lots of encouraging words.

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"You're Rika's successor~!"

"I'm sure there's a reason you were picked to take on her responsibilities."

"I'm very thankful you're with us! I hope we can help you work well!"

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"Thank you, Yoosung...", Mina weakly smiled, unable to prevent a blush from dusting over her cheeks. She tried doing a follow-up with the others whose calls she had missed: both Seven and Zen had attempted to reach the girl, the red headed hacker being far more persistent than the actor who gave up after only one try.

He called at 7:46 a.m. though. "OH!"

"Zen had less than a couple of hours of sleep!", she gasped alarmed after going through the log. His voice mail mentioned how he was currently at the theatre and he will return at a later hour. He would also make an effort to contact everyone as soon as possible. 'Especially if you are a cute angel who drops into people's lives right after midnight~!'

Mina's headache had made a comeback and deepened the redness in her cheeks.

The girl bit her bottom lip as a wave of guilt washed over her. "If he knew his schedule was so rough then..."

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'Then why did he waste his precious time talking with me...?'

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Her shoulders sagged. How many problems had been keeping everybody on their edge due to her sudden intrusion in the R.F.A. and Unknown's actions? Mina didn't register the impact of Zen's words from last night until now... she was apologetic for messing up people's schedule! But she was also affected by his choice especially – he should have known when to log off!

The actor should have disregarded her since he claimed to have such an important rehearsal today!

*deep sigh*

Yet, he didn't and kept on writing until she was the first one leaving. Mina was thankful for his distractions but she didn't deem it worth it for her sake.

"You're really a nuisance, Mina.", she scolded.

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~oOo~

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It was close to 11 a.m. and Mina was at her wit's end because of this lousy security door that did not want to unlock. She was already dressed in full winter gear and prepared to leave Rika's apartment but the password introduced was still the faulty one which Seven had promised he'd fix.

So far, nothing.

Mina must have tried contacting him endlessly by now without success, actually considering whether to follow up with her 'window-escape back-up plan' – one way or another, she was going to get out!

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(º □ º l|l)/

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*RING RING RING*

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"SEVEN!", her excited scream had greatly startled the hacker who began chocking on the few chips he was munching on in front of his computer. "You filthy boy, concentrate on your damn work already and stop giving me more things to clean in this dump!" Mina could pick up a faint second voice besides his, Seven dismissing his companion's presence fast – it was only the maid, nothing to worry about~!

His fullest attention was on the girl he was speaking with on the phone~!

"Your maid? O-O", the party planner curiously asked but the response stopped her heart. "Who are you calling a $# %^$# maid?!"

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That was no maid for sure! (º □ º l|l)/

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Nonetheless, this confusing episode didn't prevent Mina from reminding the hacker of her troubles – she required full access to the apartment's locked door and the updated security clearance for its lock. "Please, Seven! Or else I will have to use the window since you are leaving me without an alternate route! And I don't like the height drop that I'm seeing down Rika's window.", she pleaded.

"This is what I'd wanted to solve with you earlier but you were sleeping..."

The red head had actually prepared the app's upgrade but it required assistance from her side to finish its procedure. It was Mina's turn to choose the protective password necessary for this new content to be downloaded onto her device and connect it with the scanner. 'You could have chosen a pass yourself and e-mailed it to me...', the girl had numerous sweat drops, not sharing those thoughts out loud. Seven didn't deserve her foul moodiness.

"Also, I need you by the door. Place all your ten digits on the scanner you see on its left."

"Huh?"

"Over there, that scanner you see on the wall. No, not there. Follow my directions: Up – down – left - your other left – I mean my left – yeah, that left - yeah, that one. Press it! There. THE~~~~RE!"

" _ "

"Hurry, hurry, hurry~!"

"This security seems extreme for an apartment, Seven!", Mina was beyond sweating profoundly during the procedure. What kind of documents were these people storing in here – national security-level files?! The party planner felt like she had entered a secret base of illegal operations that was guarding the country's treasures behind the facade of a charity organization.

"M-MC! You might lose the phone or it could get stolen by our worst enemies!"

"Enemies?"

"This way, it would become useless without your – ahem – personal touch."

"E-Enemies...", Mina repeated in disbelief but continued to be ignored. 'I've seen plenty of movies to know what this means. I will certainly lose a finger soon OR my entire hand ;-;', she cried at the thought.

"Good, now wait a sec."

That second was an excruciating one to wait out. "DONE~!" However, Mina was thankful that Seven had approved of her leaving this apartment even when V wasn't here to have a final say in this decision. Only then did Seven acknowledge this minor inconvenience. "RIGHT!"

"Wait! You shouldn't leave Rika's place aft-"

"Too late~!", Mina chirped happily while stepping out, causing more grief to the hacker who was trying to talk her out of it while offering the girl take-outs for free if she were too hungry. The boy had enough Honey Chips to spare her a box or two and he could reach Rika's apartment block relatively fast from his location. "It's not about food. I just can't ignore this trip. I'm very late as it is."

"MC, don't –"

"I'm sorry, but I promise you'll barely know I was gone~!"

"Hold on, hold on, hold on! You're not moving from that damn chair while I'm in the room!" - "Mrs. Vanderwood, stop... ACK!" *drops phone*

"I should leave you alone, to be fair."

"NO!*drops phone*

"You seem very busy over there."

"MC! Wait!" *drops phone*

"With your... maid."

"MC!The hacker might still be in the area right now and waiting for y-"

"You've got eyes on me, Seven, am I correct?"

"Listen to me and just stay put!"

"I bet if anything goes wrong, you'll be there to rescue me."

"No doubt about it – just please, go back and –"

"Please let me leave m-my hacker p-prince (E)~! I'll be safe~!", Mina spoke far too sweetly for comfort, crying internally from how cringe worthy she had sounded. She hoped the endearing word and aegyo filled high-pitch voice was the correct method to establish a knockout move. Judging by the deathly silence, it was not a smart decision-

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"UWHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"R%#%#^ &$*^*%&* %&$*&*^", the second voice blurted out, the words distorted.

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"AAAH!", she yelped as soon as she exited the building, frightening the older pedestrian nearby who tripped and nearly fell down had it not been for the iron-wrought railing supporting his body. Mina feverishly apologized to the man, bowing in rapid successions before sprinting away. "You! D-Don't suddenly start t-talking like that!"

"My heart flipped dangerously, I almost spilled the coffee over my computer!"

"Sorry-Sorry-Sorry~! ^^;;;" (E), she answered, already beginning to lightly pant from the sudden run.

"You might give me false hope, ya know...", he mumbled upset.

"Ah... Sorry 'bout that. O-O"

"..."

The deal to remain outdoors, regardless of the risks involved, was to send the itinerary to the red head so he could inspect the cam footages on the streets - to make tracking her an easier feat. "Oh... You're my new personal stalker then?", this came out more bitterly than intended and Seven quickly tried spinning it around positively.

He wasn't that type of person! 'It's for your own safety! Do believe me!'

*deep sigh*

Despite her dislike of being stalked on cameras, she agreed in the end, promising to keep tabs on her whereabouts if anything unexpected happened.

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~oOo~

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Meanwhile, there were many chat rooms active in the app, quite a few in which Mina hadn't set foot in. Yoosung, Jumin and Jaehee were the main participants in those, followed by Seven who'd logged in after having narrowly escaped from Vanderwood's chokehold. He was entertaining the others with his unique sense of humor – and irritated them too – when the party planner's absence had come up a few times. The hacker had eventually come clean about it when the blonde's calls weren't being picked up by the girl and was on the verge of a panic attack.

Neither of them reacted to the news well, Jumin scolding Seven for his absolute carelessness!

The CEO-in-line had even delayed a meeting last-minute at his company because he was worrying so much, attempting to reach out to Mina as well right when she was midway through emptying out her locker under the scrutinizing gaze of her former manager. The man had his arms folded, tapping the floor with his foot in an impatient rhythm.

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'Don't answer it'

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Never did Mina hear phrases just by watching a person's rigid posture beforehand, her hand lowering from her ringing pockets. The girl nervously smiled and received a curt nod for this decision, rushing through the cleaning process.

"Farewell, Ms. Choi. You don't need to visit.", the man politely stated. His actions were less mannered as he nearly slammed the staff's back door into her face. "We insist you don't.", he added coldly from behind the door and slammed down the shutters.

"Alright...", she mumbled, the buzzing in her pockets having resurrected.

Jumin was noticeably unhappy about the prospect of the girl having been left alone on the streets considering the danger Unknown posed on the R.F.A. He required and demanded the details of her current location in order to send the girl some form of physical protection. "A bodyguard? Is it even necessary...?", she scratched the side of her head, her heart constricting as she nervously chuckled.

'The R.F.A. has too many extreme methods!'

"I assume you are concerned about keeping the location of Rika's apartment a secret. Do know that these men shall be dismissed once they are near a secured perimeter settled by Luciel. And keep an open channel with him since he shall be the liaison of this mission."

"Ah. No! Jumin. There's – there's really no need for these people! Plus, I've already completed my errand and I was just heading towards the subway station. I'll return at Rika's in an hour."

"An hour?!"

"50 minutes tops, heh - !"

The man tried to reason with the party planner but it was like talking to a stubborn brick wall. He was unable to find a middle ground solution and get her to cooperate with him. Thus, Jumin hesitated quite a bit before bidding his farewells. He would be checking on the girl at the established time. "If 50 minutes pass and you continue to roam the streets unaccompanied, I will ask of you to reconsider your position regarding the security personnel to assist you in your endeavors."

Not soon did Mina hang up that Jaehee attempted to reach her, carrying the same type of conversation like her boss. The difference was that their discussion had soon shifted after mentioning the coffee shop she'd been working at and instantly the conversation turned more pleasant – for Jaehee. Since that day, the woman's love for the beverage would no longer be a secret to Mina, the girl picking up intense emotions in her tone that she hadn't displayed up to that point.

Unless it came to Zen or his musicals. "I wasn't a barista per se, although I did learn some recipes while watching my sunbae prepare customers' drinks. I'd been taught easier methods myself. If you want, I can share what I remember when I arrive back home~!"

"I would very much appreciate the gesture! Please take care, MC, and call me if you encounter any problems on your way."

"Will do~! ^.^"

And right when she believed these conversations were finally done, Yoosung's turn arrived – Mina thought they were all plotting something against her that day. At least the blonde was far easier to relax during their conversation compared to the likes of Jumin. Apparently, the blonde had been a member of the barista club at university – she was in awe and did not realize such odd clubs existed at SKY.

"Maybe, if it's okay with you, I can ask the president to contact you for the party!"

"Oh?", she raised an eye brow. That's right... the guest lists. Mina didn't even think of possible guests yet or a theme for this party. She would have to rush her travel back, but first... the young one required some money from the nearby ATM. Last pay check might as well be put to good use.

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Hot americano~!

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~oOo~

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Half way towards Rika's, her phone started ringing again – it was Zen.

Mina was not the biggest fan of coffee despite drinking some shots now and then. Considering her mood was as low as it was at the moment, she was quite tired from the group criticizing how reckless and inconsiderate to her safety she'd been during this city trip.

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She got it.

SHE GOT IT.

However,

She just lost her only precious income and was at the mercy of destiny.

Plus, she had to experience the last straw of humiliation regarding how despicably bad she was as an employee by her ex-manager – it wasn't like she went to take a stroll in the park and be a sitting duck for Unknown!

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Mina picked up and before the actor could even mutter a single word, she blurted the answers out like a machine. Mina was close to getting to the subway entrance so she really didn't need any bodyguards to watch over her every move – she had Seven doing that with the street cameras anyway. There was no dangerous hacker stalking her so he could sit back and relax, not go on a lecture like the rest.

"HUH?!"

"Jagi, w-what are you talking about?!"

"You've gone outside?!"

"Huh...?", she squinted her eyes, confused. "Was that..."

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"Not why you've called?"

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"You've LEFT Rika's apartment?!"

Mina's mouth slightly hung and she was tempted to give herself a good slap on the cheek. 'HE DIDN'T KNOW?!'

"ACK!" *slaps forehead* "That's too dangerous! What were you thinking?! Where are you?! Maybe we're lucky and you're actually close to the theatre."

"Not that it matters but I happen to be enjoying a nice little stroll with some coffee, thank you~!", she tried deviating the subject to something more light hearted, but Zen wasn't going to have this.

"You've got to be kidding me! Stop treating your safety so lightly and be serious for a mome-"

"I'M NOT TREATING IT LIGHTLY!", Mina's voice cracked from her pooling frustrations, the girl unable to make her point across without receiving so much backlash and judgment.

"Stop giving me a hard time when I'm already feeling down!"

"I've been on my own for two years straight and I am still very much alive and capable of handling myself without you people treating me like a stupid child!"

"T-That's not what I'm saying, calm down jagi-"

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"I'm not your damn sweetheart."(E)

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*Ends call*

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"Oh... Oh no...(E)"

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'What have I done.'

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Mina's tears were threatening to spill out in the aftermath, unsure as to why she became that rude and defensive. She hated being treated like a dumb reckless brat – even though she was indeed one and did treat her safety lightly. What – did she not have another option to avoid heading to the cafe shop and retrieve her stuff? Maybe ask Seven kindly if he could help her with this inconvenience and not cause a massive uproar with the R.F.A. by her inconsiderate actions?

She could have.

She should have.

But she didn't.

And now she was at risk.

Had Mina been any different, she wouldn't have been in this mess from the get go.

In fact, had she been any different, then her life would have steered down happier paths, nearing graduation in less than a few years with the talents she'd clearly possessed and the hard work she had put just to enter this esteemed university. She'd have made lots of friends, sharing meals together with her colleagues in harmony, going to karaoke parties and playing many silly games for fun. They'd also talk about common topics to their major and slices of life, then become one creative monster squad, shattering records and competitions with great team efforts~!

But all of that was fictitious – she couldn't relive those days and pick different options for different outcomes.

And now she was living those consequences.

Maybe it was the fact that she was officially without a paying job where she had successfully underperformed once more so her only income was gone... or the fact that she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday, unable to digest any food unless she wanted to purge her stomach content in a toilet bowl from the stress eating through her body... or knowing that she not only needed to worry about one crazy man, she had to be careful about Unknown as well; or that she now lives in an apartment more secured than an airport check-in, a dead woman's place...

Or that Zen's words seemed like he genuinely cared about her wellbeing...

Like the rest of them...

Mina was still a stranger in the group, yet...

In such a short time, they made her feel this welcome, treating her like an old friend.

And it made her brain circuits fry out because of such impossibility.

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And what does she do in return to such unbelievable kindness...?

Yell and complain.

Act selfish and display such a pissy-poor attitude to their well-justified concerns...

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She was extremely ashamed, too embarrassed to check her buzzing phone.

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Mina kept ignoring the device and, in her dazed walk, the girl was completely unaware of another set of footsteps heading towards her until it was too late.

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Note:Well... I attempted to, but the light hearted parts will just have to wait a biiit longer. ;=;