Night-Owl Romance
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Note: My brain is fried from work, nearly marking three months of it. That's all you guys need to know OwO.
This chapter is the best I can do in this tough situation, it cannot become any better for at least another month or so. X'D Due to incredible writer's guilt and fanfic neglect, I decided to push out a slight version of what I had in mind. ^^;;;;;;
It's good enough, imo. At least the chat room has been fleshed out like i wanted -ish. The ending was rushed X"D Might add more care to it in the weekend.
Chapter could definitely be better – it probably should be more interesting and not blablabla feelings bla, but – i'll probably make some changes at the ending in the near/distant future. I might change the chat room texts into chat room picture format, those were fun to do in my Christmas fanfic 3
PS: I can't wait for Ray's route. I won't be able to play it *blameswork* but at least I hope some cool CGI will warm my soul.
PSS: Also, thanks for everybody who is still reading this fanfic T-T your love warms my heart.
PSSS: This fic has officially surpassed the 1-year mark 3 i'm so proud of this story. T-T
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Chapter 38: Halting Production
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Countless thoughts travelled across the party planner's mind while a pair of honey brown orbs remained fixed on the Mysme chat room.
None were close to being positive in nature.
'An accident.'
Mina was unable to fully comprehend the extent of Zen's news however the vivid memory of those alarming ambulance sirens churned the girl's insides uncomfortably. Her heart began racing exponentially at the worst case scenarios swarming around as fear had suddenly dawned upon her. She became very much aware – and appalled – of the possible reason why the actor would be seeking out medical care in the first place. After all, Zen's very being embodied the pinnacle of human health, meaning something quite terrible must have happened to him – otherwise, there would have been no reason for him to check into a hospital so late in the night.
Especially if it was due to something he considered a 'minor accident'.
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'Had Unknown shifted focus from me towards the other members of the R.F.A.?'
'Is that why Zen had been injured so abruptly?!'
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The deeper she pondered over these restless questions, the more evident were the fresh signs of terror painting her paling features. Mina could not move a muscle, standing still in the middle of the room while moisture was clouding her already bloodshot eyes.
It turned eerily silent in the apartment.
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~oOo~
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[ZEN]: Jagi?
[ZEN]: *sparkling emoji*
[ZEN]: ...
[ZEN]: Jagi...?
[ZEN]: Are you still there?
[ZEN]: *defeated emoji*
[ZEN]: I suppose not –
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[MC]:Zen, how dangerous are your injuries?
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[ZEN]: EH?
[ZEN]: *surprised emoji*
[ZEN]: Ah, it's nothing~!
[ZEN]: Nothing, nothing, nothing~!
[ZEN]: *sparkling emoji*
[MC]: Nothing?
[ZEN]: Mhm~!
[ZEN]: Jagiya, you don't need to think about it, ok? I didn't tell you so you'd be concerned. ^^
[ZEN]: Just pretend that I'm on a midnight sightseeing trip~!
[MC]: Are you serious?
[ZEN]: I'll arrive home shortly – so please, just ignore where I am for the time being.
[ZEN]: Everything's alright.
[ZEN]: Okay? ^^
[ZEN]: *sparkling emoji*
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[MC]: Don't lie to me.
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[MC]: I don't like it when you do.
[ZEN]: *shocked emoji*
[ZEN]: I'n mot.
[ZEN]: I'n mot!
[MC]: ...
[ZEN]: $#^&&.
[ZEN]: I'm not lying!
[MC]: Anyway.
[MC]: I find that there is no other solution than asking Jumin directly for his help.
[MC]: Prevent things from degenerating further.
[MC]: Zen, you should try contacting him as soon as you can.
[ZEN]: HUH?!
[ZEN]: *shocked emoji*
[ZEN]: Why even mention the trust fund kid in this situation?!
[MC]: Why wouldn't I mention him, though?
[MC]: He's perfect for this problem.
[MC]: No? (E)
[ZEN]: PERFECT?!
[ZEN]: In what scenario is that silver-spooned schmuck perfect?
[MC]: He's the only person that comes into my mind now...
[MC]: Sorry. (E)
[MC]: There is nobody else in the group who's better in my opinion, I can't think of anybody else.
[ZEN]: *shocked emoji*
[ZEN]: *defeated emoji*
[ZEN]: What in the world –
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[ZEN]: Do you really wish for my poor heart to ache more than this swollen ankle? T-T
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[MC]: O-O?
[ZEN]: Ashi, what is happening inside my chest... damn.
[ZEN]: DAMMIT!
[ZEN]: I can't believe your intentions are this crystal clear already!
[MC]: My intentions?
[ZEN]: It's extremely depressing.
[MC]: Depressing? O-O
[ZEN]: Tch, of all the people you could have possibly chosen from the R.F.A.
[ZEN]: You had to decide HE was the perfect one?!
[ZEN]: HAN JUMIN?!
[MC]: Oppa?
[ZEN]: *depressed emoji*
[ZEN]: *depressed emoji*
[ZEN]: *depressed emoji*
[MC]: Oppa?
[ZEN]: I'm so incredibly shocked!
[ZEN]: I couldn't even see such a crazy thing coming!
[MC]: Oppa!
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[ZEN]: Have I slept on these recent chat rooms or any of the previous logs?!
[ZEN]: But I do make a habit in checking the messenger - daily!
[ZEN]: And I don't remember overlooking any of the important stuff, I'm pretty thorough with my messages!
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[ZEN]: *depressed emoji*
[ZEN]: *depressed emoji*
[ZEN]: *depressed emoji*
[MC]: You say you don't overlook messages but you've clearly overlooked so many 'oppa's. ^^;;;;;;
[ZEN]: *depressed emoji*
[ZEN]: *depressed emoji*
[ZEN]: *depressed emoji*
[MC]: Sigh...
[ZEN]: Maybe it was a spark there which I hadn't noticed between those horrible fur ball moments?
[ZEN]: Maybe that is the painful conclusion to this crazy outcome?!
[ZEN]: Tch, but I can't read those texts without suffering a complete facial meltdown.
[ZEN]: Ashi, I can sense my face bloating tremendously just imagining that meowing creature.
[ZEN]: My cheeks are becoming so much fuller! T-T
[ZEN]: Somehow, everything surrounding my body feels increasingly sensitive and uncomfortable.
[ZEN]: Must an actor's heart be sentenced at constant torment in order to thrive within this cruel world?!
[ZEN]: *depressed emoji*
[ZEN]: T-T
[MC]: ...
[MC]: Zen, has the doctor there given you any weird medication ^^;;;;;;; ?
[MC]: With some unforeseen side effects, too ^^;;;;;;; ?
[ZEN]: Will a day filled with joyous sunshine appear in my life one day or shall the snow stacked up deep within my soul be reflected onto this freezing weather forever? T-T
[MC]: I'll consider that a '100% yes' answer.
[MC]: Zen...
[ZEN]: Will I never know the true bliss of happiness and fall in a bewitching spell of a pretty lady –
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[MC]: ZEN!
[MC]: ZEN!
[MC]: ZEN!
[MC]: ZEN!
[MC]: ZEN!
[MC]: ZEN!
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[ZEN]: *shocked emoji*
[MC]: I'm only worried about you because of the attack and it's scaring me enough!
[ZEN]: *confused emoji*
[ZEN]: Attack?
[MC]: Yeah. (E)
[ZEN]: What attack?!
[MC]: That hacker's attack.
[ZEN]: *shocked emoji*
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[ZEN]: IS UNKNOWN NEAR RIKA'S APARTMENT AGAIN?!
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[MC]: HUH?! (E) O-O
[MC]: IS HE?!
[ZEN]: I DON'T KNOW!
[ZEN]: IS HE?!
[ZEN]: *shocked emoji*
[MC]: NO WAY!
[MC]: Ngh. I don't want to check it out... T-T.
[ZEN]: That bastard – if only I could get my hands on him, he would never dare dream to ever bother you again!
[ZEN]: Mark my word!
[ZEN]: *angry emoji*
[MC]: So far, I haven't picked up noises coming from outside my door.
[MC]: Nor do I spot anyone's shadow down the corridor.
[MC]: Man.
[MC]: Don't scare me like that!
[ZEN]: Then what was with the random hacker talk?
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[MC]: Were you not wounded by him? O-O
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[ZEN]: HUH?!
[ZEN]: *shocked emoji*
[ZEN]: Not at all.
[ZEN]: Wait a sec – did you actually believe this was Unknown's doing?
[MC]: Well... Looking at the timing of your injury... I thought...
[MC]: Yeah? (E)
[ZEN]: No, no, no, no!
[ZEN]: You've got it wrong, jagi.
[MC]: Oh! (E)
[MC]: N-never mind then. ^^;;;;;;;
[ZEN]: Aigoo...
[ZEN]: For a minute there I felt my heart leap out of my chest while doing summersaults.
[ZEN]: Still, why did you have to bring up Jumin anyway?
[ZEN]: Please explain quickly before I go insane!
[MC]: Well,
[MC]: His bodyguards are pretty skilled in protecting people and keeping them out of trouble.
[MC]: In theory.
[MC]: And he said he knew good doctors.
[ZEN]: ...
[ZEN]: That was it?!
[MC]: Yeah? (E)
[MC]: Why?
[MC]: Was it wrong to think like this...?
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[ZEN]: Does this mean you're not interested? O-O
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[MC]: Interested?
[MC]: Interested in what?
[ZEN]: ...
[ZEN]: *relieved emoji*
[MC]: Interested in what? O-O
[ZEN]: Anyway!
[ZEN]: Facing the enemy in a life or death encounter while a cute princess' safety is at high risk.
[ZEN]: Then bravely fighting off the creeping villain and, against all odds, obtaining the desired victory~!
[ZEN]: Thus, saving the cute princess from her plight as my own fairytale story is coming to fruition.
[ZEN]: And the price to pay for its happy ending – only a battle wound received during the aftermath~!
[ZEN]: That – would have been a better story to share with you than the actual truth of what had happened to me.
[ZEN]: And my dislocated ankle...
[ZEN]: *depressed emoji*
[MC]: Zen...
[MC]: Try to be optimistic and cheer up!
[MC]: I'm very certain that you shall overcome this hurdle successfully~! ^o^
[MC]: After all, your healing abilities are an alien's in how quick they are, no?
[MC]: So you should be back on both feet in no time.
[ZEN]: Heh, indeed. ^^
[ZEN]: You're right. I do tend to heal faster than the average person.
[ZEN]: The doctors who meet me for the first time are always dumbstruck when going through my medical files and comparing results.
[ZEN]: Some would have believed I was pranking them had they not ran the tests themselves, ha ha!
[MC]: Oh!
[ZEN]: Like, in the past, I was in a predicament far worse than tonight's.
[MC]: Oh?!
[ZEN]: And I think I'd spent little over a week getting medical treatment – my doctors were completely speechless (their dumbstruck expressions were so funny!) after they noticed I were in picture perfect shape afterwards as if nothing had happened.
[MC]: Over a week?
[ZEN]: Yeah.
[ZEN]: But I had healed very quickly.
[ZEN]: You're right!
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[ZEN]: I do heal very fast!
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[ZEN]: *sparkling emoji*
[ZEN]: Your encouragements warmed up my heart, jagi~!
[ZEN]: Thank you~!
[ZEN]:*hearts emoji*
[MC]: Zen...
[ZEN]: I really hope I am up and running by tomorrow, to continue preparing for my rehearsals. The new production will be starting soon and I can't let everybody down last minute.
[MC]: So quickly!
[ZEN]: Mhm.
[ZEN]: *winking emoji*
[ZEN]: Are you amazed?
[ZEN]: By me? - [MC]: Yes, a lot actually.
[ZEN]: *hearts emoji*
[MC]: Ha, ha, ha...
[MC]: You've tricked me! You wrote fast like that on purpose (E) ^^;;;;;;;
[ZEN]: *winks*
[MC]: Anyway, I'm glad your injury is not something life threatening, ha ha~!
[MC]: And even if your story wasn't fairytale-like, at least it cannot be as silly as what had happened to me in the past.
[ZEN]: HUH?!
[ZEN]: *surprised emoji*
[MC]: Yeah, I've sprained my ankle quite nastily when I was young, but the way I'd managed to get my foot in a cast was incredibly strange.
[MC]: Lolol!
[ZEN]: Aigoo, jagi! T-T
[MC]: When I was studying abroad, I tended a sport's center for practicing athletics. I was exchanging volley throws with a team mate and we had been casually practicing together when, suddenly, – wham! – my foot decided it did not like my bones to connect any longer.
[ZEN]: Really...
[MC]: Strange part was how the floor wasn't slippery or dirty – there was no reason for me to slip, not one bit. Plus, we weren't even playing too hard, just making easy throws to each other so we didn't move much on the court.
[ZEN]: Ah.
[ZEN]: ...
[MC]: But, one wrong step and I ended up wearing a cast for a couple of weeks.
[ZEN]: Ah, a couple of weeks.
[MC]: Nearly a whole month!
[ZEN]: A whole... month...
[ZEN]: ...
[ZEN]: Must have been rough.
ZEN]: *depressed emoji*
[MC]: ...
[MC]: Zen, by any chance –
[ZEN]: Hm?
[MC]: You've actually slipped onto the floor tonight? ^^;;;;;;;
[ZEN]: *depressed emoji*
[MC]: ...
[MC]: W-Well, it's going to be fine~~~!
[ZEN]: Oh.
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[ZEN]: I think the doctor's arrived in my room.
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[ZEN]: I'll be going now.
[ZEN]: Good night, my lovely girl~!
[ZEN]: *hearts emoji*
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-ZEN has left the chat room-
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[MC]: Good night ~!
[MC]: Also.
[MC]: I hope you'll be hearing good news from the doctor!
[MC]: Zen, hwaiting!
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~oOo~
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"Aigoo...", Mina heavily exhaled, clutching both hands on top of her chest where the rampant beating of her heart was bringing forth extreme dizziness. She dropped onto the coach to rest, panting and staring at the phone lying atop her lap.
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Deja vu moment.
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The girl was quite conflicted, her emotions resuming their normal activity in entangling themselves into a huge bundled mess and further turning their owner into an insanely neurotic human being who was stressing over the smallest issues and non-issues of her existence. Yet, amidst that internal chaos, there was something which had instantly taken a much clearer form and, for once, she did not choose to dismiss these yearnings, letting them sink throughout her body and warm up those shivering bones.
It was a reckless decision.
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'Zen...'
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The actor was becoming a dangerous presence in the girl's life and Jaehee's fearful predictions were slowly turning into reality – she liked him.
Mina liked him a lot.
And despite how it originally seemed, she doubted this was a simple crush that would fade into oblivion like all the previous love struck episodes belonging to numerous closed chapters of the past. Her present feelings were much stronger, the coordinator sensing this certainty within the fullest depth of her core. Mina was highly aware how easily her mood was able to sway from a blissful happiness, to a puddle of nerves and sorrow, and then back to cheerfulness in a matter of hours – the conversations she and Zen both shared were closely linked to these rapid changes, if not catalysts to how her day would be shaped.
Heck, this last hour alone had been astonishingly draining...
However, Mina could truthfully admit she was the happiest she could be considering her dire predicament and streak of bad luck: the attempted kidnapping by the ex-neighbor, Unknown's pandering with the apartment's door, the overly realistic nightmare, the endless misunderstandings and conflicts. These had been temporarily sent into dark by Zen's cheeky image, shining a gentle light upon her.
And the most amazing part was – he did not hate her.
In fact, after clearing up the air between them for the Xth time, Mina couldn't help but wonder if... in his eyes...
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Was she a little bit special to him?
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And special, not only as a novelty in the R.F.A.'s organization, but...
As a girl...
Was she important to him?
In the same manner that he was to her?
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"Hah...", an audible sigh escaped her throat, the girl shaking her head disappointedly while gently smiling. This was not the time, nor place, to have these silly questions asked when the answer could be plain for anyone to see.
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"Jagi~!"
"Jagiya~!"
"My lovely girl~!"
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It was a definite 'no'.
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Because of the risky career path Zen was on, a relationship would be no smooth sailing. It could morph into a major hindrance that would severely interfere with his daily activities and acting commitments. The brown haired youth understood this predicament very well – kudos to Assistant Kang for pointing it out~! Plus, Mina acknowledged that she was far, far, far from being the ideal candidate for such a massive role in the actor's life.
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'But the ideal candidate for others might not be what's best for some people.', a feeble inner voice murmured and the girl could have sworn her heart made a sudden leap.
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Alas, there were other matters to focus on.
"You're hurt...", the party planner was re-reading the midnight chat room and the enveloping sadness was overwhelming. While she was extra thankful that Unknown had no part in his accident, her heart was still heavy with grief for she did not enjoy the idea of Zen experiencing physical hardship. Or any hardship at all. The young male appeared nonchalant and exceptionally cheerful but as an actor he could mask his true emotions very well – could he not? Thus, Mina doubted how earnest he could be in front of her, pondering whether he concealed the actual gravity of the truth for her sake.
Or for his own.
Still – she hoped he could overcome this hurdle for Zen deserved better.
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*BUZZ*
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Unfortunately, the good news Mina was awaiting might seem like a distant dream as Jaehee's arrival intensified the problems arising with Zen's fresh new injury. Things took to a darker corner, the woman's intense shock nearly mimicking Mina's to a T. Extra layers of concern were added in regards to the silver haired male's health and, seeing how this was stemming from the woman, the coordinator's uneasiness intensified tenfold.
Being in the hospital for a swollen ankle, in Zen's case, was quite rare – and it usually meant extensive bed-rest as a result.
It was the norm and Jaehee remembered how disappointed the actor would be after each forced break from his theatre work. Tonight he may be heading towards the same outcome.
And,
From the looks of it,
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The actor might be constricted into giving up on his new role in the production with Echo Girl.
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