It was a dark room full of computers and flat screens. No one would know whether it was day or night as there was no single light that could penetrate that room. A series of coding and algorithm radiated from the entire screens, along with symbols of one eyed Horus in every corner. The air was stuffy yet it was not a problem for a young man who sat straight in front of bunch of computers. Typing endlessly, he didn't pay any attention toward anything else. He didn't even fix his black leather jacket to cover his skinny upper arm tattooed the same one eyed Horus like in those screens.
At some point, he stopped typing and fixed his gaze to those screens.
One of the screens, the one in the left side, displayed what seemed to be a picture of a very handsome, slim, tall young man with noticeable muscletone beneath his shirt, perfectly fair-skinned, wearing long sleeve white shirt which folded in his elbow, black jeans, sunglasses, and silver-white long hair with short bangs falling slightly over his red eyes and tied in a low ponytail reaching down his back. He was seen getting out from a building named GD Entertainment at the front hall. It was Ryu Hyun, or mostly known as Zen, like the name stated in the information beside the picture.
Another screen displayed a tall, also slim – although not very muscled like Zen – young man with messy short dark hair in a suit. He wore grey tie, well-suited with his sharp grey eyes. He looked so busy escaping a flock of reporters surrounded him in the airport. The man sitting in the room knew perfectly well, it was another scandal for a man in suit. It was Han Jumin, an heir of the 5th largest company in South Korea, C&R International.
The man's gaze moved from Han Jumin to the younger man's picture above it. There were 2 pictures of the same young man but different hair colors. One was dark brown and the other was blond. The one with dark brown hair was wearing a high school uniform, a jacket, a long-sleeved collared white shirt, a tie, and dress trousers. He was leaning on the wall of a school's front gate while lifting his left arm to see his watch. Her curled his lower lip, seemed like he was waiting for someone. The other one, the blond one, looked a bit older than the previous one. But he looked leaner. His thick bags under his eyes completed the idea that he was somehow lack of nutrition and suffered from sleep deprived the older he got. The information beside his pictures stated his name was Kim Yoosung, a college student of Yonsei University, one of three prestigious university in South Korea known as SKY University.
Then, the man's gaze turned into a picture of a woman with short brown hair and glasses beside Yoosung's pictures. A sternful face with her goldish brown eyes, seen getting out from C&R International building with lots of things carried in her arm, mostly papers. She wore a white shirt, a dark brown to black jacket with skirt and shoes and dark tights. Her name was Kang Jaehee, a secretary of Han Jumin.
But then, that young man with tattoo fixed his gaze to the red haired young man in the screen in front of him. Suddenly his eyes widened. A shrill laughter echoed around the corner of the room. Streak tears of joy escaped from his mint colored eyes, and he smirked. He swiped his white-pink tips hair to the back. He didn't take his eyes off the picture of that red haired young man.
"RFA's party is fake," that young man muttered with pitched voice, "V, all that man plans is just hypocritical trickery. My savior said to be especially careful.. I must invite you all to the real party, and get rid of those traitors.. That's how my savior predicted the future, and I'm only a messenger. Have fun … preparing for RFA's last party. That party may end up as the invitation to our party of paradise,"
He gripped tightly of the monitor displaying a red haired young man with yellow black stripes glasses in his violet sport car. He widened his mint colored eyes and leaned forward into the screen, smirked even wider, "Luciel… A traitor like you will never be invited to our paradise.."
…
With unsteadily movements, Seven went through the trouble of getting his favorite Ph. D Pepper soda drink from his fridge and gulped it down in one time. His red tank top was wet from Ph. D Pepper that was spilled due to his haste of getting rid of his thirst. But he didn't bother to change his clothes, not to mention he didn't have that many clothes despite his wealth of being a secret agent plus a hacker.
A pair of jeans, empty cans of Ph. D Pepper, lots of half-eaten Honey Buddha Chips littered the floor. He didn't take a glance at how mess his house was. After all, Vanderwood would come and clean his house as usual.
Vanderwood was his handler, though Seven addressed him as his maid sometimes. He even told the RFA members that he had a maid named Mary Vanderwood the 3rd – a parody for Jumin's cat, Elizabeth the 3rd – and sent his crossdressing pictures he took to the RFA chat room when he disguise himself as a maid in one of his secret mission as an agent. If he could brag like Zen, he admitted that he looked a lot like woman in that pictures. He wore a French maid costume, a black with white trim one-piece dress with a full skirt above knee length, white half apron with lace, white tights, and black high heels. To be added, he wore a long red hair wigs and full make-up, eye lashes, mascara, lipstick, foundation, everything. Anyone who looked at the picture would certainly fail to see that it was not a real woman, Zen was one of them. Seven was completely laughing out loud when Zen stated in the chat room that Mary Vanderwood looked fairly photogenic. Zen cursed himself after that.
The real Agent Vanderwood was a tall man, shoulder-length brown haired, and always wore a black shirt with a purple collar and a black jacket with leopard print patterns on the underside. The red haired young hacker and Vanderwood had known each other for 6 years, ever since Seven went abroad to study in college at fairly young age, 14 years old, and joined a secret intelligent agency by V's order. He was said to be the youngest secret agent in the Agency and Vanderwood was assigned to watch over him. And by watch over, it meant his only job was to make sure Seven completed his work for agency in a right amount of time.
There were times when Seven thought highly of his handler, him being the younger one to be added. But Seven found out later it was fun teasing his handler one time or two. The face Vanderwood made while holding out his temper was one of a kind. Wrinkled eyebrows, squinted eyes, thinned lips, and flared nostrils, Vanderwood looked extraordinarily hilarious in Seven's eyes. At least, it was before the handler took out his one and only weapon he brought anywhere he went, taser gun. Seven didn't fancy of getting hit once again by that weapon.
He threw an empty can of Ph. D Pepper and took another from the fridge. He took a sip this time and walked back to his working room full of computers and CCTV footage from a few different places. His surveillance cameras in one of CCTV caught on a scene where a couple of middle aged men circling around the table, smoking their cigars and drinking scotch in their hand as they talked about money and politics. Seven noticed one of the men to be an important person from Ministry of Finance. The fact that someone from the government were caught in the surveillance, Seven had already guessed that there might be sort of a criminal case happened inside the government. A white collar crime they said.
There was nothing good about being a secret agent and a genius hacker. True, he was paid very well for his dirty job from his agency that he could buy a few cars and build a home-like-fortress. But other than those things, he had nothing but a life of solitude. He also made pact of not having a deep relationship with any human beings. Marriage for example. That was the deal of joining the agency.
His only salvation was only his sport cars. The adrenalin rush that he got from racing his cars was the best thing that could happen once in a while.
At least he knew how to deal with his emptiness in his heart.
Joining RFA was another thing. To be a part of charity organization that V and Rika made was one of the ways he could cleanse his sinful existence. The agency still had no idea about RFA, although Seven got into the agency thanks to V – V remained silent for Seven's espousal in RFA. Agent Vanderwood was the only one from the agency who knew about it. And he swore he wouldn't tell the agency as long as he didn't neglect his main job.
But the accident that occurred in RFA yesterday in which Eun Ha magically joining RFA was an exception for him. He didn't really do his job well in the agency because his mind was occupied with the safety of the new member, Eun Ha. Let alone he had to figure out who that Unknown person was. Seven needed to find out why that Unknown person used Eun Ha to acquire information about the last party's guests. And most important thing, Unknown's real identity.. Was that person really the one who was sent by Rika like V said before? He really need to solve this case first if he wanted to move on and finished the tasks that agency gave him.
It was a hard option. He wanted to make sure of Eun Ha's safety by finding out whom that Unknown was. On the other hand, he really need to solve the case that his agency gave him, otherwise his life might be in jeopardy. It was nice if he were the only one who would be in jeopardy, but it was not that simple. A lot of innocence's life could also be in danger if he didn't do what the agency assigned him to. So, it was between saving RFA members or a lot of innocent people. Tough choice.
He chose RFA anyway.
Seven glanced to the CCTV in his upper right. It was CCTV outside Rika's office tel. He noticed that Eun Ha hadn't returned to the office tel since 11 am that afternoon. She told Seven that she would go out only for a couple hours. It was already 5 pm according to his watch. Maybe her definition for a couple hours was different from other people.
She didn't tell him where she'd go. Secret, huh? That was not a new thing in Seven's life story though..
But he didn't want to ask her, though every cell in his body was screaming and yelling at him to find out where she might be and why she hadn't returned till that late. Perhaps she went to meet her friends or her family. She wasn't someone who would spend the rest of her life confined in one place like him. She had a life too outside RFA. Perhaps.. She met her boyfriend?
Yeah, he couldn't deny the possibility of her having a boyfriend. And now that she had joined the organization, the chance of her meeting with every member of RFA was not impossible. She met Jaehee already yesterday. Perhaps, she would meet Zen or Yoosung next? Zen and Yoosung were the eager ones to know what Eun Ha looked like. And both of them had told her that they longed to have a girlfriend from the first time she logged in to the chat room. The possibility of Eun Ha being together with one of them was not zero at all. Perhaps, in the end, Seven would get an invitation of her wedding anytime soon, and another invitation might follow up from every member of RFA in every year.
But that would never happen in his life. To be able to breathe and barely alive till now was already a luxury for him. He never intended to live until old age reached him. He just wanted to die young and preserved his young face till the end. Just like Lady Diana who would never grow old in everyone's memory. Still beautiful, until the race of humanities faded.
He checked CCTV outside Rika's office tel again. Still no sign of her anywhere.
Seven picked up his cell phone. Hoping that Eun Ha would magically appear in his phone's screen and call him. But he knew that he was not a wizard who could make anyone appeared by wishing it, so he risked to call her first at last.
He didn't even finish hearing the first ringtone, but she picked up right away, as if she had been waiting for his call..
No, it wouldn't likely. She must have her phone right in front of her, so that she could answer his call right away. It was stupid for having an imagination that she had been waiting for his call. He was no one to her after all.
"Hello," Eun Ha answered
Abnormality struck his heart right when one syllable went out from the girl's mouth. Had he attached a heart monitor in his chest, the machine would probably have told him there had been a chance of heart attack.
"Seven.. Hello?" she called again
Seven cleared his throat and took a deep breath.
"RESPOND! MAYDAY MAYDAY!" Seven screamed
He decided to pull some pranks on her.
"What's going on? Are you okay?" Eun Ha asked worriedly
Gotcha!
"Oooooh a survivor!" he giggled
"What's up meow? Over," Eun Ha replied with a serious voice, yet, she giggled not a moment after
"Woow, I never expected this kind of response, hahha" he exclaimed, happy at the response
"Well, I kinda know that you're gonna do some pranks on me though," Eun Ha said
"Whuutttzzzz? How? How could you knooow?"
"I know you, Seven. You already put a prank on me the first time you called me, remember? Sooo, I know that you might pull some prank again this time, haha" Eun Ha chuckled, "Well, it's not that hard though. I kinda know who you are Seven,"
"No, you don't know anything about me," Seven thought, "Not in a slight,"
"Seven? Is there something wrong? Over," Eun Ha asked
"Ah.. no, no. Sorry~ maybe my soul got stuck in the space for a moment there," Seven said, teasing Eun Ha
"Woow, how could you go into space without asking me to join you.. Ckckck.. You're too much God Seven!" Eun Ha pouted
"Gaaaahhh, sorry~ I'll take you too someday~ But now~ I'm going to ask you something~" Seven said
"Yes, God Seven. Your humble servant is ready to hear your words~" Eun Ha said
"Silly girl, why do you have to cope with my joke like this?" Seven thought
"Where are you now? You haven't gone back to office tel.. Or.. maybe.. you wore some sort of Ninja's outfit to blend to your surrounding and got inside the office tel without me knowing?" Seven asked, half joking and half curious at the same time
"A ninja outfit? Hmm~ Why didn't I think about it, huh," Eun Ha said, "Well, maybe I'll consider to wear it if you wear that too. We could be a couple you know," she giggled
Seven felt his heart ache at her point of becoming a couple, as he knew by heart that he would never have that kind of relationship.
"Maybe~ yes maybe no," Seven chuckled, "Anyway, where are you right now?"
He needed the answer.
"I'm with Zen and Yoosung now. I watched Zen's rehearsal and we plan to have dinner together afterwards. I thought you've read the chat," Eun Ha said
How could he be correct with his thoughts before? It was not only with Zen, she went with Yoosung too!
"Nope, so busy, no time for chat," Seven said
"But, you called me right now~" Eun Ha said
"Tha.. that.. that's because you haven't… gone back to the office tel!" Seven stammered
"Awww, so you're worried about me?" Eun Ha teased
"Gaaaahhhh, stop teasing me," Seven growled
"Haha okay okay," Eun Ha said, "So~ how have you been Seven?"
"Well, I'm fine. Still breathing and alive," Seven relaxed
"Have you eaten yet?"
"Of course~ Ph. D Pepper and Honey Buddha Chips are always by my side~"
"That's not a proper meal though," Eun Ha said, concerned, "I wish I could cook you something if I were by your side,"
Seven didn't reply anything to her. Deep down, he longed for something like that. Someone who would concern about his well-being.. But he didn't want to continue this kind of conversation. It only made him feel more suffer.
"Hmm~ Anyway, I checked one last time," Seven said, changing the subject, "…whether you had anything to do with the hacker, but you're clean!"
"Of course I am, I know nothing about the Unknown or the hacker," Eun Ha said in relieved
"Yes, and I'm still trying to look up anything about the hacker, but to tell you the results so far, the hacker that led you to the apartment, doesn't seem to have any distinct qualities. So I think it's safe to say that you're completely safe! I'll tell V, so no worries!" Seven said with a happy tone
"Thanks, Seven," Eun Ha replied
"Ooooh, compliment! Yup, I'll try harder!"
"Yes, but, don't forget to concern about your health too Seven. You can only protect me if you're one hundred percent healthy. So, you need to promise me that you will take care of your body. Okay?" Eun Ha told him
"Okay madam~"
He turned his eyes to the floor beneath his feet. Empty cans of Ph. D Pepper and Honey Buddha Chips covered his floor. He hadn't even eaten nor drunk anything beside those for days. So much for a healthy life.. Nevertheless, Seven agreed to her. Disagreement would only make things complicated though.
"Hey Seven," Eun Ha said slowly
"Hmm~"
"Don't you have any new photos of you? Hmm, I've met Yoosung and Zen already, but I haven't met you. So, I want to know how you look like too.." Eun Ha said
"Me?! You want to see me? Not satisfied with my profile pic?!" Seven asked
"Well, no. You don't seem like the type to take selfies like Zen, so, I kinda curious about you," Eun Ha said
"Humm~ Careful now~, you can't get close with someone so dangerous like me~" Seven said with a playful tone
It was a threat. She really couldn't get any closer than this. Not even become his best friend. No, he didn't deserve anyone. His life was full of shit anyway.
"Hmm~ but you seem nice to me Seven," Eun Ha said, "But, ok then, I won't push you though,"
Seven was glad that she didn't make him do anything beyond his will, but somehow, he felt a bit disappointed that she gave up so easily. It was complicated. Torn between two sides of coins and didn't know how to act was annoying.
"Maybe I'm not fancy of taking selfies, but I do love cats!" Seven said
Cat? Cat?! Why in the world he mention cat at that precise moment? Not to mention, there was no connection between selfies and his love toward cat! Perhaps his brain was malfunctioning.. He could only wish she didn't ask more about his incoherent statement..
"Well, just adopt one. I know how you love Elly.. You even learn waltz, tango, and samba for Elly," Eun Ha giggled
Thanks God she didn't ask more. But how could she remember about that? It was his status in RFA Messenger Application precisely an hour before she logged in.
"You read my status?" Seven asked
"Yeah, haha" Eun Ha said, "I couldn't help imagining you, in a suit, and Elly with her princess outfit, white dress with lace and a tiny tiara in her head, on waltz together. How you had to slouch so low until your knees and elbows touched the floor in order to keep your eyes fixated toward Elly," she laughed, "Or you could just put Elly on your chest and dancing around! Oh my.. I'd love to take a pic of you both if it really comes true!" she shrieked joyfully
"Eun Ha.." he was speechless at her thoughts, "How could we think the same thing?!" he shrieked as well, excited at the thought, "It is really my happiness for eternity~ But how could I.." he sighed, "Jumin would never let his precious one danced with me," he sulked, blowing out his cheeks
"Ah.. yes.. Jumin.. He really adores his cat, doesn't he? When did he get her?" she asked
"Hmm~" he pondered, "Probably 3 years ago?" his brows furrowed, trying to dig into his memory, "Yeah! 3 years ago! Rika gave it to him as a present, but V named her.."
"Elizabeth the 3rd," she completed the sentence, "What a fancy name, don't you think?"
"Indeed~ Although I prefer calling her Elly~" he giggled, "Anyway, I'd love to adopt one, like you said. But I can't.. My maid Mary Vanderwood the 3rd said so. If I raise a cat, my house would become impossible, so I shouldn't get one! She said she would need a pay raise if I get a cat! Twice the current pay! If that happened, I would become broke because of a cat!" Seven said
"Wow, your maid is very fierce," Eun Ha said
"Yup. But I love her accent though. She came from UK!" Seven said, "And literally, she cleans the whole house and disappears in the blink of eyes. Anyhow, can't ever raise Mary Vanderwood's pay!"
"Woow, how convenient of you to have a British maid! I love all about British! You should let me meet her some day. I want to speak British with her too!"
"Hmm, I don't know. I guess she didn't really want to meet another people beside me!" Seven said
"Why? Is she shy or something?" Eun Ha asked
"Yeah, kind of. Anyway! I should just live a humble life with my babies for now!"
"Babies? You have babies, Seven? You're married?!" she uttered in shock
Seven laughed, "No~ I called my cars with babies~ They're cars, but I love them like my own blood~ I cleaned them myself.. Couldn't let them touched by another men nor machines~" he answered, still laughing
"Fiuh.. I thought you're married by accident or something.."
He kept giggling at her reaction, "No~ I'm still young~ Never thinking about settle up so soon~"
"Ah.. Is that so? Hmm, different with me though.. I wish I could marry the one I love as soon as I met him," she giggled
His smile dissipated quickly as fast as it had placed upon. Of course.. It was every girls' dreams for getting married as soon as possible. Somehow, disappointment filled his entire being and random thoughts swarmed in his mind, like hearing an airwaves coming from an old radio, "If.. I met her in another state of life.. Could we be together?"
He shook his head. Silly him.. How could he even think such thing..
"So~ Have you found him yet?" he asked
His heart never beats any faster than that very moment. Somehow, the clock seemed to move slower than it was supposed to be. He could even hear the second hand in the clock up above his PCs. Loud and clear. Every second passed equal with 10 heartbeats in his left chest. He hardly breathes. He placed his right palm into his left chest, trying to control his heart beats into normal.
"Hmm," she hummed
He closed his amber colored eyes and allowed himself hearing the most mellifluous hummed he ever heard. Although he feared the continuation of it.
"Well?" he asked again, his jaw clenched tightly
"Nope, I haven't found him yet," she answered, laughing nervously
A smirk imprinted on his lips as soon as her answer ringing on his ear. "So, she was still single?" he thought lightheartedly. He clenched his palm now, and placed it on his lips, trying to hold his yelp of merriment only for himself.
He cleared his throat, still unable to wipe out his smirk, "Well, don't worry.. There are a looooot of fish in this world~" he muttered, giggling
She chuckled, "Yeah.. Lots of them.. But finding one who's on the same page with me is a rare breed. Perhaps, an alienated deep sea fish who is on the verge of extinction.." she muttered, "But over all, I seek for someone who literally head over heels for an ordinary girl like me, and that's not so easy I can tell you,"
His hand felt sweaty now. Even he had a hard time gripping his phone to its right place beside his left ear. Somehow her answer resonated over and over again in his mind. An alienated one? Deep sea fish?
He gulped, as he imagined the things the girl just said somehow resemblance him so well. How he always dwell in a dark life of being an secret agent.. All those dirty works he did for the Agency.. He was literally the alienated deep sea fish..
"Hope you could find him soon," he muttered with a smile
"Yeah.. I hope.." she answered, "I hope I could find someone like you who's head over heels for your babies.." she chuckled
His heart skipped a bit once again. Someone like him? So.. He had a chance?
Seven's eyes widened in shock.. "No! What are you thinking you fool!" he cursed himself in silence.
"I know right?" he laughed, trying to hide his true feelings, "My babes, just looking at them makes me feel full! Sound of car engine equals with cat purring! Although I don't have a cat, I'm happy with my babes. No extra cost but with all the fun!" Seven retorted in excitement
"Good! Two birds with one stone!" Eun Ha said, excited as well
"Wow! You totally get me! So cool!" he laughed, "Indeed, I'm the Master of Economy! Kneel before my humble life!" Seven said
"Kneel! Meow!" Eun Ha exclaimed
Seven laughed so hard at Eun Ha's jokes. He never knew that Eun Ha could be as ridiculous as him.
"You're so hilarious, Eun Ha!"
"You are too my Master of Economy!" Eun Ha laughed again
Suddenly, there was a slight change in one of CCTV. Those middle aged men started to bargain about something. And one person opened up a case full of money. His smile dissipated. Seven needed to look more carefully about this.
"Anyway, sorry Eun Ha, I'll have to get back to work,"
One man was handling over some documents. Seven needed to take look to those documents and made a copy of them. He began typing in his keyboard.
"Don't go," Eun Ha pleaded
Seven stopped his fingers from dancing around above the keyboard and focused on the voice in his left ear. His heart was torn into pieces after hearing that cute voice of begging him stay on the phone. Never before he heard such a thing in his dreadful life.
"I'll be back asap! Have a great night! Tell me if you reach office tel, okay?"
"Yeah, okay then. Talk to you soon, Seven."
"Bye,"
Seven disconnected the phone call. He didn't really want to end that phone call. He wanted to keep calling her like a normal person would do. But, he was not normal. All he could do right now was making sure that he knew everything that happened with those middle aged men. As it was his job after all.
