Night-Owl Romance

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Note: (E) at the end of phrases should be considered actual english words, not korean. XD Mina is bilingual and uses both languages in communication.

Warning for sensitive stomachs: you might be viewing a certain type of food... differently after this fic. Read at your own discretions~! X3

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Chapter 8: Chicken Bones

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"Eh?"

Mina dashed around the corner, panting heavily after this last minute of power sprinting – she was on the 14th floor with the lifts currently on maintenance. Her muscles were aching and the girl only stopped in her tracks when she'd noticed a very large, knee-high package that had been placed right in front of the door. "What the...", she turned her head sideways, scarily scanning the hallway behind for any suspicious activity.

*gulp*

The other tenants were quiet.

Mina was the sole figure looming around the floor. 'The one who'd left this must have gone.', she hopefully presumed, hesitatingly closing in the distance towards the package. There was a note stuck to it and judging by the miniature emoji icons with glasses and the same three-digits drawn all over the paper there could be only one culprit behind this which relaxed her body immensely. Her face beamed although she was confused by the reason this package had been brought here in the first place.

"A present?", she asked jokingly.

The girl tried picking it up from the floor but this accomplishment didn't fair too successfully as it immediately slipped through her fingertips with a shuddering *THUD*. This here... it required far more muscle strength than she'd ever dreamt of achieving in this lifetime!

(º □ º l|l)/ "What's in this thing?!"

It had been a serious struggle but she'd uncovered some dormant strength which hadn't completely vanished as she painstakingly dragged it inside.

'So heavy!' (E)

The package had been laid out in the middle of the main room, the young one digging through the few drawers that would open in this apartment in search of that lovely pair of scissors she had spotted the other night.

"Ah~! Right here (E).", the party planner smiled, going rapidly for the chop-chop!

"OOOO!", her eyes widened, a wave of happiness leaking out of her mouth in delicious delight. Mina counted at least six potential meals, a few selections of fruits, two Honey Buddha Chips packs, Doctor Penny soft drinks and – *soft gasp* – and right at the bottom, stacked in between these treats, were some items that drove deep into the heart...

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A sketchbook alongside various art supplies of the best quality one would desire!

Her favorite brands, too...

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It had a sticky note planted onto its back cover, a title and the date written down in clumsy lettering followed by a crying/starstruck heart/shocked sticker combo. The note ended with some encouraging words.

'Waiting for the next batch, MC~! I need fresh avatars and backgrounds to brag about!'

To some, it may appear as gibberish but the title and date represented one of the last proper art pieces that Mina had created in peace, back when she was still living in her Daegu home. It represented the quintessence of joy and bliss showering upon her during those times where everything seemed to fit into place and nothing could possibly go wrong moving forwards. The girl had experienced a high like never before for the news of being one step closer to her dreams had unleashed a wave boiling hot colors, spreading them onto the canvas like wild fire, with no corner left untouched.

The finished artwork was later posted online and became her portfolio's centerpiece.

Assistant Lee had liked it the best out of all the choices found in the booklet she had submitted to the university and was the sole reason the girl had even been considered a viable candidate for his mentor's select classroom where only those with the highest potential could sign up with any hope of entry.

Alas,

Mina hadn't checked her art website in well passed a year if not much longer... not since she'd stopped attending SKY, taking a break from her classes and just everything related to art whatsoever because of how destructive the experience had been up to that point.

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And how the blame eventually came down on the girl for what had happened to her.

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~oOo~

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Mina's social skills were subpar but she had learnt and grown lots since her high school debut in a public institution, marking the end of her homeschooled activities. She knew sort of better now how to interact with folks sans causing widespread commotions due to cultural differences, notably when in the presence of those older than her. And by the time people had figured out what the hell was wrong with her rude actions and arrogant attitude, the damage had already been irreparably done. Being raised by a single mother did not portray her in a favorable light either, many preconceived notions about her and her family circulating around the school in a hurtful manner, yet Mina couldn't fight back without adding more fuel to the dramas.

So that was a chapter which preserved the girl's loneliness.

Onwards though, her life had temporarily improved.

At first, SKY had been like a breath of fresh air and honed a tranquil atmosphere, right within the party planner's expectations. Mina fell so in love with some of her classes and newly-made companions that she'd 'developed' rose-tinted lens syndrome which twisted her perception of the reality she was actually living in.

Hours after hours, after hours, the girl would work hard to make improvements on her craft, experimenting with both modern and traditional techniques, a lot of which she had been previously unfamiliar with. During the first month of uni she had been passionately devouring the grand pool of knowledge put at her disposal and focused hard into improving her skills with modest success.

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That is, until she had to relocate house due to unforeseen circumstances with some construction work that shut down the building and put many on the streets.

Thankfully, the building owner had acquaintances who could rent out apartments.

And that's how Mina'd met her newest neighbor...

The brother of said building's land lord.

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At the same time, SKY was revealing its own darker shades and corrupting the picture-perfect image that Mina was carrying around with her and so her initial energic response gradually soured.

You see,

There was a lot of competiveness and drive to turn better and better pieces for assignments which in its essence was not bad. Only in a seriously competitive environment could one stay motivated and rapidly progress in order to maintain their A-game during class examinations~!

However,

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Art could be a very subjective field and without clearly defined criteria to follow.

Often requirements and opinions changed seemingly on a whim,

As each professor sought and valued different aspects of an art piece,

Thus confusing the student body when they'd be receiving contradictory feedbacks after each evaluation.

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Inevitably, one's views and style would misalign with some of the professors' while simultaneously hitting the nail just right for other faculty members. And Mina was clearly not used to being aggressively challenged during discussions in a field she was passionate about and where she used to feel really confident in. Nonetheless, she did not initially despair by these hurdles and stubbornly continued down her own path, trusting in her instincts that had so far garnered her favorable reviews from many – both on online platforms and offline.

Nonetheless, her confidence would be fluttering, with high moments and especially lows.

In the beginning, the feedback she'd receive at uni would be on the favorable side, although it was rather difficult for Mina to keep a straight face on during evaluations when her best efforts would potentially lead her towards some of her disastrous results ever. The quality of her work would be steadily dropping as the months passed by due to her on-growing issues with her personal life.

Her living situation was shifting into an absolute nightmare because of this intrusive man who would start bothering the girl at her job too.

Thus, her stress levels and tiredness increased, diminishing her focus on her studying..

Weeks after weeks...

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Mina's reputation was falling apart.

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Mina also did not crack the code for getting better scores at school or at least did not follow the other students' formulas to increase their odds. Certain people in her group overcame hurdles by focusing their works to mimic their professors' tastes and interests, molding onto their preferred styles and influences which would inevitably receive a better grade than those risk takers who would be playing with concepts that relied on the deeper meaning of the themes rather than the surface go-to responses. With the threat of losing scholarship opportunities as well as other benefits that came with ranking at the top spots in the leaderboard, there was a sort of stagnation present within the student body's projects that some professors were desperately trying to fight against.

Assistant Lee included.

It was difficult to bring out fresh material regarding certain universal themes or subjects as anybody going astray from a teacher's taste risked gambling too much of their goals and future.

Another pressing issue involved those few individuals who regarded themselves with the highest self-esteem, knowledge and talents at this university but who were ranking lower than those they'd deemed lesser in worth or skill. Unknown animosities brewed to dangerous boiling points and acts of sabotage, while rare and the gravest cases punishable by permanent expulsion from SKY, weren't that unheard of.

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As Mina would find out one day.

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She wasn't the most talented one in her year as there were by far plenty whose creations she couldn't stop gawking at. Mina would fall in love with the sincerity of these artists' hearts put on canvas and would be basking in the emotions portrayed by their paintings. She'd shyly ask them for advice to improve her own stuff or she'd simply observe them from afar, in silence, as their hands glided across the canvas in unique patterns. Mina's techniques were also not their very best and she'd sometimes require professional guidance to be able to finish her art pieces in the way her mind visualized it.

So she really didn't have any expectations of winning awards or climbing up the academic ladders but quite the number of rumors popped up that she would be one of five exclusive candidates from the freshmen who would receive the honor of submitting their work to Assistant Lee's future exhibition at the gallery and be on show for months~!

There was also a wild rumor which claimed that Assistant Lee was personally interested in featuring Mina's creations at his gallery since day 1 – and this started right after a student had overheard discussions outside the man's office regarding this subject.

And this assessment had ticked off some of the students.

It especially bothered those who weren't on that exclusive list due to Mina somehow stealing their damn spot through blatant favoritism. She was putting out so much crap lately, how could she be considered for such an honor?!

Regardless of Mina's short comings with her craft, all of which could be slowly mended with lots of individual study and practice-practice-practice, her creations did have and retain a certain charm to them which made it difficult for one not to linger on the piece a little longer than the rest around it on the panel.

And this charm was deemed to be a dangerous threat by a few and, unfortunately for Mina, she had been too blinded by her new collegial relationships to notice any red flags. She had been so excited to have people genuinely wanting to talk to her and enjoying her company that she could not properly see through their harmful intentions, nor did she ever think of questioning their strained grins. Hence, when having to participate in group activities, Mina would sort of become a pushover as numerous tasks would be dumped onto her shoulders by her teammates. And she would usually be given the boring and most menial tasks that they would be running away from the most.

"Please Mina. We're counting on you! I hope you'll be diligent about it!" – would be the hourly reminder she'd receive like clockwork even in the midst of the sleepless nights. But she'd powered through her responsibilities without voicing out any complaints as to not seem ungrateful of her classmates' trust in her deteriorating skills.

One particular Friday evening though,

After finishing up their group meeting, Mina was dragging her feet tiredly towards the library. She'd been accompanied by another girl from their team, Hyeri, who had just announced that she was going to partake in being their project leader on this assignment.

None had complaints about this issue.

So, as leader, her objective was for both of them to research additional material to be used for their future group sessions and to ultimately be implemented within their project before the upcoming deadline.

Other than her overly boisterous nature, Hyeri was a really lovely and nice girl to hang around with. Her paintings were drop dead gorgeous – as was she. The girl was a sight of pure beauty and was very careful about her appearance, great detail given to her appearance, physique and fashion. Her personality was very outgoing as she exhumed confidence through every single pore. She carried all the markers that would lead to her being the most popular freshman at this university whose fame spanned across many of the adjoined departments, not just at the Arts and Graphics side.

Despite her popularity, Hyeri carried a strange affinity towards Mina, hanging around this weird shy girl who'd often resort to speaking in English like the eccentric artist she was.

Or the attention seeker.

The party planner's inability to stick to one language during convos was not a quirky trait she'd purposely reveal to appear interesting or use it as a bragging tool. It was a daily struggle for her not to blurt out strings of words or sentences that no one could easily comprehend or comfortably follow and she'd always feel foolish for disrupting conversation flows by mistake. But even then – Mina would remain aloof to many back handed comments.

There were numerous remarks which Hyeri made that carried a hidden double meaning to them as the girl would later on discover through intense episodes of reflection and contemplation while helplessly laying in a hospital bed for weeks in a completely shattered state.

Never did the party planner imagine the intense darkness engulfing every inch of this really pretty and innocent-looking girl.

And the lengths people would go to,

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Obtain what they desired regardless of the cost.

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~oOo~

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"Ngh..."

Mina's breathing intensified.

Seven had no mercy with such a bomb present, unleashing the crybaby nature of her soul. Whether he thought of this present alone or the others had contributions as well – Mina wasn't certain. However, she was determined to repay these acts of kindness one way or another, focusing as much energy as she could muster on the party!

It was time to get busy with the invites, already half a day passing with zero progress.

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'This, however... *stomach growling* would have to wait 'till after lunch~!'

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~oOo~

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Little did the girl know,

The same centerpiece of her portfolio was now on full view inside the conference room with her signature visible at the bottom-right corner – the M and C were the only distinguishable letters. The director felt the needto have Mina Choi's artwork on display as evidence of the greatness of Mr. Lee's teachings. Mr. Kwon purposely eyed Zen when phrasing the words, making the actor uncomfortable.

He was close to faking a medical emergency out of desperation!

The other staff members were gobbling up all the information presented by the man and some were even taking notes or scribbling future ideas to incorporate for their future marketing events. This type of collaboration could expand into a more permanent endeavor in the future, sparking something big – maybe creating merchandise aimed for the fans attending the shows, attracting spectators with limited edition goods that would encourage more frequent participation! Such a system was already popular at concert venues: various shops would be spread out with specific items which weren't solely related to the artistry of the musicians; for example, countless day-to-day items could be decorated with themes from the plays, photos of the members or logos. The theatre could also upgrade their business model and add more variety to their current merch. Even now, the posters with Zen were selling like honey and the theatre had to keep restocking them onto the shelves.

"..."

Once more, the actor turned a deaf ear to these ramblings, his eyes glued onto the screen as Zen momentarily lost touch with reality. Compared to the artworks presented before, this one was...

Different.

Temporarily washing away his worries with the burst of energy he'd received after just one glance. Zen couldn't help but think how similar it was compared to V's gift to him, the photograph stored into a special folder with no other picture saved in there.

Not even a single selfie!

Although, V's photograph had a softer and calmer aura to it, always refreshing to the eyes, this Mina Choi painting was similar to an explosive summer coffee-boost that could relieve one's tiredness and overwhelm the senses.

"Hm... I do wish I could say that I had a hand at aiding this talent.", Mr. Lee shut down the presentation, waking up the actor from his sudden daze – the tall male smirked victoriously as the silver haired was momentarily caught unguarded and got slightly fidgety. "Thank you, Director Kwon, for allowing this joint project to happen. I've taken up more time of yours than had intended, I do apologize for my tardiness.", he added, eyeing his wrist watch.

'Indeed, you have.', Zen shamelessly thought, his charming mask returning full force as he darted upright from his chair, politely bowing as the rest of the crew did at the table.

"I shall return with the students like we've established then.", the man ended, soon guided outside by the director but not before the round man made a stop-sign in front of Zen. He was advised to wait inside for him.

Or else.

"Understood.", Zen replied smiling, eyes narrowing a little. Deep down, all he wanted to do was curse out loud. 'This was it?!', the more Zen picked on the issue, the more he was convinced that his own precious time had been ultimately wasted. Again! The director didn't need him to be present at all!

The actor's role in the meeting was purely that of a handsome office decoration.

Such collaborations could have been easily announced on the phone in a few sentences at best or better yet – through an e-mail. Mr. Lee didn't even have a word to personally mutter to Zen other than a couple of polite words of farewell.

It was triggering him...

He was glad to be alone at last, the actor quickly taking out his phone and- "HUH?!", his heart leaped towards his throat.

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'The missed call had been from MC!'

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Zen panicked – he had accidentally denied the call too, a gesture that the one on the other line would certainly be very much aware of. Maybe she assumed he had done it on purpose... 'ACK! That can't possibly be!', he desperately swiped the screen to call her, tapping his fingers onto the table, waiting and waiting for a sign...

"..."

But it went straight to voice mail, Zen scrunching his nose in annoyance and then searching for an alternative contact. Only then did he notice the text message in his inbox.

...

It was heartbreaking to read...

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F**K, if only he had god damn answered it!

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~oOo~

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Mina was softly humming a tune in the kitchen as she was slicing up some fruits, thus completing the final preparations for this unexpected feast. She prayed that she'd concocted something edible here with these various ingredients sent by Seven, her focus on the drool-inducing smells.

'Chicken... when was the last time she had tasted actual chicken?!'

All the while her phone had been set aside onto the coffee table, next to her laptop, the silent mode option still active.

"This is heave~~~~~n!"(E), the party planner could almost cry (again) as she added the seasonings over the meat, the smell causing her mouth's water pipes to burst as she was licking her lips. Mina returned to the main room, carefully placing the tray onto the coffee table and took a well-deserved seat on top of the majestic poor-princess' throne a.k.a. the couch pillow. Her hand grabbed the phone with the intent of dialing Seven's number, spreading the intense happiness she was experiencing. What's more, she was also thinking of sharing the scrumptious plate towards one of the security cameras so the hacker could be fully aware of the sin he had committed for her taste buds!

The thought made her giggle but at that moment the screen lit up and her idea had been instantly cast aside as Zen's name flashed.

"Ah..."

Her eyes lost their cheerful shine.

*gulp*

Mina's stomach churned as she logged into the messaging app where she'd found the actor.

She prayed her courage would not quake after her next action.

.

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[MC]: Hello... ^^

[ZEN]: MC!

[ZEN]: *shocked emoji*

[ZEN]: Is it really you?! My eyes aren't playing tricks, are they...?

[ZEN]: ARE YOU REALLY BACK AT RIKA'S?!

[MC]: Yes... ^^;

[ZEN]: Thank goodness! *crying emoji*

[ZEN]: Now I can breathe far more easily...

[ZEN]: My heart almost came out of me!

[ZEN]: If my hair wasn't white already, it surely would after today!

[ZEN]: *depressed emoji* So many shocks in one day, ack!

.

[ZEN]: Troublesome girl.

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[ZEN]: What am I gonna do with you?

[ZEN]: How could you go M.I.A for so long?

[ZEN]: Ashi! *depressed emoji*

.

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That stung.

But Mina did deserve this type of response and, to be fair, he could of used harsher words or even curse at her and she wouldn't think he were in the wrong. She was deeply frustrated about her insensitive outbursts and guilty of the outcome.

The party planner was almost afraid to ask Zen how much of his performance at the theatre had been compromised because of her carelessness. It was probably ruined by the looks of it.

"Troublesome girl..."

*sigh*

She should not ask questions she already knew the answers to.

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[MC]: I got sidetracked on my way.

[MC]: I'm really sorry...

[MC]: It won't happen again.

[MC]: I'll be more careful in the future!

[MC]: So...

[MC]: ...

[MC]: Sorry...

[ZEN]: Stop writing in such a manner, MC... that's not what I meant!

[MC]: ?

[ZEN]: You don't have to apologize to me.

[ZEN]: Only be honest.

[ZEN]: What happened to you today?

[ZEN]: Are you in some kind of trouble?

[ZEN]: Do you need help? O-O

[MC]: You didn't read through the previous chats?

[ZEN]: I just logged, seconds before you typed.

[ZEN]: I'll go read those then –

[MC]: Ah, no worries. I just got side tracked on my way back with past stuff.

[MC]: Situation is resolved now. ^^

[MC]: No trouble onwards~! (E)

[ZEN]: MC...

[ZEN]: If –

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- 707 has entered the chat room -

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[707]: Hello ~~~~~~!

[707]: Oh! MC is in da house, y'all~! (E)

[707]: Time to play a song and ride a rocket together in space, SWOOSH!

[ZEN]: What's with that disgusting speech pattern?!

[707]: *raises-glasses emoji*

[707]: Your hacker prince has arrived, MC~! *hearts emoji*

[MC]: Seven!

[ZEN]: Seven, am I invisible to you?! ;;

[ZEN]: *angry emoji*

[ZEN]: So shameless in front of her...

[707]: What, I am just repeating how she'd addressed me earlier~! *hearts emoji*

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[ZEN]: *shocked emoji* WHAT?!

[ZEN]: MC? O-O

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[MC]: Well... to let me escape the apartment... ^^;;;

[707]: And it worked~!

[707]: *hearts emoji*

[707]: *hearts emoji*

[707]: *hearts emoji*

[707]: *hearts emoji*

[707]: *hearts emoji*

[707]: *hearts emoji*

[ZEN]: MY EYES ARE BURNING!

[ZEN]: Just stop, man.

[707]: *hearts emoji*

[ZEN]: Come on.

[707]: *hearts emoji*

[ZEN]: It's gross.

[707]: *hearts emoji*

[ZEN]: CUT IT OUT! ;-;

[MC]: Yes, please stop _ !

[MC]: Too many hearts.

[707]: I am feeling a deep connection between us now and I need to express myself fully.

[ZEN]: *angry emoji*

[MC]: _

[707]: *hearts emoji*

[707]: *hearts emoji*

[707]: *hearts emoji*

[MC]: Please stop...

[MC]: Or you might give me false hope... *blushing*

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- ZEN has left the chat room -

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[MC]: ...

[707]: Ho, ho, hooo~! Someone's got too jealous and fled the scene~~~!

[MC]: Seriously though.

[MC]: Please stop joking about such matters. :/

[MC]: It's not nice to bait a poor, innocent maiden like this with these comments.

[707]: Huh?

[707]: I don't believe in Zen's innocence at all!

[707]: He is anything but innocent, definitely lost anything remotely innocent about him by now.

[MC]: (º □ º l|l)/

[MC]: I almost choked on this chicken bone...

[MC]: This was startling! T.T

[707]: Someone definitely choked on Zen's chicken bone at one point.

[MC]: ...

[707]: I made you picture the chicken, didn't I? *raises-glasses emoji*

[MC]: Hey.

[MC]: Is this some twisted punishment for neglecting to check my phone?

[MC]: I'm sorry. T-T

[707]: It's true what they say online about him, though – a chicken befitting royalty~!

[MC]: I PROMISE I WON'T FORGET NEXT TIME, SO PLEASE, STOP THIS!

[MC]: This is the first decent meal I had in...

[MC]: In forever (E) T.T

[707]: It's so cute when you're acting so shyly~!

[707]: About those cute feathery creatures called chickens OwO

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[MC]: ...

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[707]: But the things you create, missy.

[707]: *whistles*

[MC]: O-O

[707]: It's incredibly detailed – on a whole 'nother level.

[707]: Very life-like and experienced~!

[MC]: What are you doing...?

[707]: I can observe the craftsmanship of the chicken - I can see the skill behind it.

[707]: *inserts drawing title 1*

[MC]: ...

[707]: *inserts drawing title 2*

[MC]: No... (E)

[707]: *inserts drawing title 3*

[MC]: Those are supposed to be private works on that account!

[707]: The textures on it and the realism, oh my... you have some mad skills!

[MC]: IT WAS AN ASSIGNMENT!

[707]: It's as if you've studied those chickens up very, very closely.

[MC]: Books! Lots of books!

[707]: Hmmm...? I see a link underneath here...ooo...

[707]: OOOOOOOOOOO!

[707]: I... I don't know how to feel about this... MC...

[MC]: IT'S REFERENCE... ()

[707]: You've got a keen eye for references. *winks* Do you want inspiration for new assignments~?!

[707]: It will come in 3,

[707]: 2

[MC]:PLEASE DON'T! (E)

[707]: 1

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- ZEN has entered the chat room -

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[MC]: HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS?!

[707]: A good agent never reveals his secrets to the public~! *tappingRFAphones*

[ZEN]: *shocked emoji* W-What did I miss?

[MC]: NOTHING!(E)

[MC]: EVERYTHING OKAY! DON'T SCROLL UP WHATVER YOU DO!

[ZEN]: *shocked emoji* MC? O_O

[ZEN]: What the hell is going on?

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[707]: Chicken bones, my lovely beautiful Zen~!

.

[ZEN]: WTF.

[MC]: ... My head. T.T

[ZEN]: Hearing you say that Seven makes me want to gag...

[707]: MC, you should share with him your chicken so he can use it.

[ZEN]: Oh, MC is eating right now?

[707]: Chicken to the bone.

.

[MC]: I hate you so much. ()

.

[ZEN]: *shocked emoji*

[707]: *hearts emoji*

[ZEN]: WTF, WHAT DID I MISS? *shocked emoji*

[MC]: BYE!

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- MC has left the chat room -

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[707]: See ya, space princess~~!

[ZEN]: Seven. *angry emoji*

[ZEN]: I know MC said not to scroll up...

[707]: Do it, lovely Zen~!

[ZEN]: Shut up.

[ZEN]: And don't run off while I am AFK.

.

.

.

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[707]: These chips are a bit stale...

[707]: Did Mary open these while I was gone again...?

[707]: It's impossible...

[707]: She has been sleeping through the entire morning.

[707]: The coffee I brew is really good for insomniacs~!

[707]: Hm... I need my Dr. Penny...

[ZEN]: *angry emoji*

.

[ZEN]: SEVEN ZERO SEVEN, LUCIEL, YOU *BLEEP* OF A HACKER!

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[707]: You forgot 707, my handsome actor~!

[ZEN]: Seven, I swear to all I hold dear that if we are ever in the same room -

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- 707 has left the chat room-

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[ZEN]: *shocked emoji*

[ZEN]: *angry emoji* I AM NOT DONE WITH YOU!

[ZEN]: I DIDN'T STRANGLE YOU FOR THAT PICTURE YOU TOOK LAST TIME, BUT I WILL CERTAINLY DO FOR THIS!

[ZEN]: MARK MY WORD!

[ZEN]: Tch...

[ZEN]: MC!

[ZEN]: Don't trust anything that bastard says!

.

[ZEN]: NEVER TRUST WHAT 707 SAYS!

.

~oOo~

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Mina's cheeks were tomato red, chopsticks continuing to tremble in her tight grip. Eyes closed and with a lot of effort, she gulped down the food and was trying hard not to imagine questionable things because of all the information Seven had spurted out in the open. The girl was thankful and greatly unthankful for Zen's timely arrival though.

It was... awkward.

Being alone in the chat room with Zen.

The girl was anxious, curious about the thing he was trying to tell her.

A little bit afraid too...

"..."

She was quite chicken now to call him back.

"Ngh... Damn you, Seven!", Mina wanted to melt into the ground and disappear from the intense shame... and those bad puns that were now rolling inside her mind.

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*RING RING*

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It was Seven.

Despite her initial embarrassment, Mina picked up and had been immediately greeted by an intoxicating laughter that eventually put her in a less moody position. "I'm sorry, but you felt like the type of girl people can joke around with and have a blast~!"

"I...do?", she raised her eyebrows, face lighting up.

"Of course~! I mean, usually the ones I've met would have not played along and left after the first sentence. You withstood all attacks like a trooper!"

"Is that really a compliment... (눈_눈)", Mina scratched her forehead. It didn't really feel like it... but the hacker went on with the conversation, shifting back the attention on her meals. Seven was jealous because of the plating~!

"You shouldn't have bothered so much...", the planner was getting all shy on the phone as she talked about the package, grabbing the hem of her shirt without even realizing and Seven cooing cutely afterwards. "I'm in your debt!", she nodded and replied powerfully, but the hacker stopped her there – V told all of them to take care of Mina and that's what they were going for, no strings attached. It was only natural to provide for things she may be lacking considering the current situation.

"I'm not helpless.", it got rubbed off her in the wrong way.

"I know you are not.", Seven tried re-explaining it, mentioning how it wasn't even a burden to send the supplies. Plus, he had enough funds to buy Mina a racing car if she was in dire need to travel in town – with style.

"THAT'S TOO MUCH!", she gasped, covering her mouth.

"Ah, fine, fine~! A ROCKET SHALL BE!"

"You and your space themes...", Mina sighed, shaking her head slightly. Her smile soon wavered, becoming more silent on the phone. "Thinking about something in particular?"

"Well, not exactly-"

"Or someone tall, narcissistic alien, with unusually good looks?"

"Erm...", she fidgeted, her eyes squinting to thin lines. Mina wanted to deny it wholeheartedly but her mumbling had spoken the loud truth already. It was true – but not in the twisted way Seven thought! The girl worried she messed up his schedule today and that he was actually really angry at her.

"Actually... all of you lost had your schedules messed up and lost precious hours..."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up with nonsense! I had so much fun today~! And it's all thanks to you."

"R-Really?", she raised an eye brow, involuntarily smiling. Seven agreed, further trying to wipe out the fears Mina was having regarding them all. The hacker was certain that, in Zen's case, his day at work had been more engagingly perfect than it would have otherwise been – it had been her doing as well.

"Huh? But... I didn't do anything.", she scratched the side of her cheek and said in disbelief.

"Keep this as a secret, but I actually went to visit Zen today at work."

"You did?!", she gasped, questioning his purpose there.

"Making sure nothing dangerous was looming around~! Anyway – from what gossip I've gathered, Zen actually killed everything at his rehearsal. People noted how he had changed all of a sudden, not recognizing him in the performance anymore."

"Oh..."

"Oh!", Mina gave a short laugh. "Phew! Then it's all good...?"

"Everything okay~!(E)"¸ he mocked her messenger line, the fussy girl soon putting an end to the conversation. Before she had successfully done that, Mina yelled at the hacker not to close on his end – she forgot an important detail! "There was a strange old lady lurking next to the apartment block, sitting on a nearby bench. It appeared to be someone risky, in a disguise or something!"

Someone dangerous...

Maybe...

'Unknown'...?

For some reason, the hacker became too cheerful, laughing maniacally again. Seven mentioned he would check the threat with great care. "Adieus, my space princess~!"

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*End call*

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"...Weird.", she bit her lower lips, gazing around the apartment while she tapped the phone on her lips.

Okay then...

...

Time to finally start her new role in the R.F.A.!

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