Hello from the UK :) Just a little note from me, Mel - At the time of writing this chapter, I'm at the end of day 9 on Seven's route and loving it! - He's so cool! Hope you are enjoying the story. Please feel free to leave your honest thoughts. I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

Ciphertext – Chapter 8: Risk Assessment

Luciel knew he couldn't keep up his lie for much longer. It was only a matter of time before the other RFA members discovered that he was hiding a guilty secret. It was both embarrassing and dangerous and he needed to be cautious not to leave a trail of clues behind him.

So, it was time to put the plan he had up his baggy sleeves into action. In order to find out who had sent the dirty photo using Eun-ji's account, he would first need to analyse some information that had been stored in that picture file. He extracted it into a secure folder on his PC and started digging around for the answers to his prayers.

"God, this whole thing is atrocious. Why would anyone want to send a naked picture of themselves to a bunch of people they don't even know?" he looked down at his fingers on the keyboard. "I'm just thankful it wasn't actually Eun-ji. If they'd been allowed to see her purity, it would have corrupted her on the spot."

Determined to continue with his investigation, he mentally willed himself to keep his eyes firmly focused on the numbers before him. Searching through lines of code, which could be taken from the information located under "Image Properties" - if you knew how. Finally, Luciel stumbled across something interesting.

"Ha! Gotcha!" he said, giving a satisfied grin.

He moved in closer to the screen and squinted to read the small text that had appeared there. It showed an address and a series of co-ordinates.

"What is this? I've never heard of these hackers before", he struggled to make out the name on their logo. "Oh, I see, it's Cheritz … hence the cherry design. Wait, rather than hackers, aren't they actually … game producers? I think I used to know someone who played their games. Oh right, Rika did! Well, this is definitely even more suspicious now. I wish V would call me so I could ask his opinion, but the guy's off cavorting around in the Middle East … for God's sake!"

Taking the phone from his pocket, Luciel dialled Eun-ji's number, switched it to speakerphone and waited. It took a few rings for her to answer.

"He-hello? Seven is that you?" she seemed so hesitant to ask.

He breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing her voice. "Ya, it's me. Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me. What about you? Did you escape from those hackers who were chasing you?" Eun-ji sounded genuinely concerned.

"What hackers?" he said, but put a hand over his mouth in horror. In that moment, he had totally forgotten about last night's cover-up story. "I mean … of course, the hackers. It was … all fine. Got rid of them, no problem. Nothing is too much for me, you know!" Feeling under pressure, he laughed nervously.

"You told me you were being chased …" she said. "… what happened? Why were they after you?"

"I don't want to go into the details over the phone, just in case it's been bugged. I can't tell just by listening."

"Oh … I see."

"Don't feel so depressed about it, and … I'm sorry if I upset you. I didn't mean to use such harsh words. I heard you spoke with Yoosung after I hung up?"

"Oh, yes I-," she paused, "well it's just that … you told me to talk to him if I was bored so I did."

"Yoosung's a great guy, but so naïve. Be careful what you say to him, or he might try and steal you."

"Steal me? From who?"

"Just in general, you know … he might try and keep you for himself. He's cute and all, but he can be pretty stubborn and start throwing his toys out of the pram in an instant."

"And … what do you think about that?" she said, her voice so quiet it was almost a whisper. "I mean, do you-"

"Heh. Why are you asking for my opinion? It's not like I especially care what you do with him."

"…"

"Are you still there … Eun-ji?"

"EU-EUN-JI?" she was in shock. "Did you just call me EUN-JI? How on earth do you know my real name?"

Oh shit!

"Well, I am a hacker and I do have additional information on all the RFA members. Sorry to startle you with this news all of a sudden, I guess I should have told you about the background check before", he lied, putting a hand on his chest to feel his heart which was pounding in deep thumps underneath. Telling her the truth wasn't going to be easy. "Listen Eun-ji. Actually I … have done something terrible to you. I want you to hear me out this once, but then I don't want you to speak to me ever again."

"What? Why? I don't understand."

"I've been watching you … at Rika's apartment."

"But I haven't even been out into the hallway yet, so how?"

"I … installed cameras inside the apartment a while back … and I know, this is going to sound so bad, but … ", he covered his face in embarrassment as he spoke, not able to believe that he was admitting this to her over the phone, "… I watched you undress. I watched you lie there, naked on the bed, reaching up to the ceiling."

"…"

"Oh God! I'm so sorry. This is too much for me to confess, but I have to. It's so unfair to keep you in the dark about it."

Eun-ji was only slightly perturbed by his revelation, but tried to keep her cool. "Is that it?" she said, rather too bluntly. "Or was there something else going on too?"

Luciel's eyes widened. "Huh? What do you mean? I-," the first signs of tears started to form at the corners of his eyes. "I'm sorry …" he sobbed.

"Seven, just tell me. I promise I won't be upset with you."

"I'm afraid you'll hate me …"

"Shhh"

It was time to let everything out. "I masturbated whilst watching you on the camera and when you called me all I wanted to do was talk to you, but I was about to cum and I just couldn't bear to let you hear it on the other end. Oh God, you never deserved to be treated like that …. Why, why, why. Stupid idiot 707!"

…

…

…

"Eu-Eunji?" he tried, not wanting to listen to her reaction.

"You told me to hear you out and then never speak with you again, didn't you?"

"I said it, and I meant it. There's no contractual agreement between us. We don't have to talk. Just hang up now."

"No," she said, resolutely.

"What?"

"No. I won't hang up. Please … don't treat me like this Seven!"

"What are you trying to say to me?"

"I really like you. I've liked you from the start. You've supported me and you've made sure I'm okay. The others have been helpful too, but … I get this strange feeling whenever we are talking. Like there's something supernatural that's keeping us bound together. I-I can't even explain it properly."

"Do you need your ears checked? I said I'm not talking to you anymore."

"Why? What did you do that was so wrong?"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I INVADED YOUR PRIVACY!" he yelled, unable to comprehend her words.

"You're a man. Of course, you have desires. Everyone does, in some shape or form." Her voice was calm and sweet, with no sign of vulnerability at all. "Maybe … you didn't even need to mention it to me. The way I see it, your main problem is that you're so racked up with guilt inside and you don't let it out … "

"How can you be so nice about it? I'm a monster!"

Eun-ji laughed. "Now, you're the one who's playing a joke on me."

Luciel melted. This was unbelievable. How could she be so calm about the whole thing? It was a violation of something so important to a girl – her own personal space to think, to breathe, to be naked. She should have to worry that someone was watching her.

"And anyway …" she paused, "I knew you were watching me."

"HUH?" Luciel was horrified. "Then why didn't you say something?"

"Don't you see? It's because I wanted you … to look at me. I couldn't control myself knowing that those cameras were there, so that night I decided to put on a little show for you."

Luciel froze. She had been doing it all for him?

"Eun-ji. Let me tell you now. I'm not all about that. I've … known you for longer than this."

"I know … Saeyoung Choi."

"Ho-how did you even-?"

"Starbucks" she said.

"You've never even seen me. How did you know?"

"That is you … in your profile picture, right?"

Ah … yeah

"Even after you dyed your hair and changed your glasses I recognised you when I saw you, just staring at me from a distance, always at least 10 metres away."

"I'm … speechless. I didn't think you'd noticed me. Good job, but-"

"But what?"

"There another issue here. The special security system. I need to reset it."

Eun-ji sounded cautious. "Special … security system?"

"Stay right where you are, I'm coming over."

He ended the call and smiled to himself, slightly on edge, but happy nevertheless.

And I didn't even get to talk to her about the photo. That can wait. This whole thing has got to be connected to it.