I'm going to Poland on holiday and won't be back until 2nd December so updates will likely happen at the end of next week, or asap when I have fresh ideas Perhaps the Polish scenery will inspire me as well.

Ciphertext – Chapter 16: Consolation Prize

Luciel was still showering away, the steam rising from underneath the door. Thankfully for Eun-ji, the sound of the water worked as a way of drowning out any other noises she was making. Flustered, she rifled through Rika's closet and threw of her clothes into a weekend bag. After all, it wasn't as though she'd had time to prepare an entire suitcase in advance since everything had happened so quickly. Fortunately, as she had discovered, the majority of Rika's clothes fit her pretty well. Following Zen's recommendation, she found a hooded top and put it on over a t-shirt, with a long patchwork-style skirt, some leggings and a pair of old sneakers. Seeing herself in the mirror, the outfit looked kind of weird, but she really didn't care. This apartment was no place for her right now and she just needed to get out. She slipped on a pair of dark sunglasses. It was the middle of winter, but the sun was beating down hard on Seoul that morning. Plus, she knew that her identity should be kept a secret if she was going to venture out alone.

Taking one last sorrowful look at the bathroom door, she sighed deeply, clenched her fists by her sides and headed out.

A few minutes later, Luciel stepped out of the shower, towelling his hair off thoroughly and trying to focus on the wall in front of him. Without his glasses, and with the build-up of condensation, he couldn't really see anything at all. The hot water on his skin had woken him up just a little, but he was no less relaxed about the whole situation. He tried to mentally prepare himself for what he would say to Eun-ji when he opened that bathroom door. It was all too true that he hadn't been kind to her, but all he needed to do was justify his reasoning more clearly or she would despise him forever. Moving over to the sink, he splashed some cold water over his face for a swift change in temperature. Gasping as he realised just how freezing it was, he glared at his reflection in the mirror; a blurry mass of red and yellow, melding into some kind of nauseating surrealist painting. He dried himself completely and threw on a fresh shirt and jeans.

Reluctantly, he poked his head around the side of the doorframe. Nothing.

Hmm. Maybe she's in the bedroom?

Expecting to find her lying on the bed reading a book to occupy herself, he checked to see. Nothing.

"Eun-ji?" he tried, being cautious to keep his tone calmer than before. "Where are you?"

Then, his phone started vibrating on the kitchen counter and he ran in to see who was calling.

"Him again?" he swiped the screen to answer. "Vanderwood. What do you want? I just got dressed and I'm about to start the project. Can't you get off my case for like … five seconds?"

"I can still see you," replied Vanderwood. "If you're looking for the girl, she's gone."

"What girl?" Luciel wanted to pretend that he shouldn't know.

Vanderwood wasn't taking any of his bullshit. "Luciel … Don't try and worm your way out of admitting that you were with a girl in there. I saw her as well."

"That's none of your business," said Luciel, glaring up at the camera hidden in the corner of the kitchen. "Why the hell are you even still at my house?"

"It's my business as long as I'm your manager," Vanderwood stated. "I don't want to know exactly what happened last night, but she looked upset when she left."

Luciel felt the rage rise up inside him again. "Yeah? And whose fault do you think that is? What do you care anyway? So long as I work, my private life has nothing to do with you."

"Luciel, don't blame me for this. I'm only following Mr. P's orders. And I do care … actually."

"Well save your feelings, Vanderwood. I don't want them."

"Uh … obviously I didn't mean it like that …" he began. "No … I really don't want to imagine you and me doing-"

"Ughh. Shut up!" Barely acknowledging the slightly homoerotic undertones of their conversation. "What the fuck were we talking about in the first place?" He was too pissed off to care about this.

"The girl." Vanderwood reminded him.

"Oh, right … well anyway she's gone. I guess it means I can concentrate on my work. Aren't you glad?" But Luciel wasn't glad. Not at all.

"Just get it done and we'll just forget about what happened."

"Can't you track her for me while I'm working, to see where she went?"

"Track her?" Vanderwood echoed, sounding concerned. "Why do you want me to track her? Weren't you trying to get rid of her?"

"Whether I was or not I … just want to know that she's alright. She wasn't supposed to leave this apartment. It's a security risk right now. The RFA app got hacked into and we still don't know how she ended up here to begin with. I can't explain properly."

"Why should I help you with a personal matter? I've got other things to be getting on with."

Luciel sighed. "Please Vanderwood. Just this once … do something nice."

Vanderwood laughed. "Just this once, huh?" He thought about it for a second. Could it really do any harm? Anyway, he was an expert tracker and could get one of his guys on it pronto. "Fine. I'll remember that, and you owe me. But you have to promise me you'll finish up this job by 7pm tonight. If you let your mind wander too far, you'll make mistakes, and you know where mistakes lead you …"

"I understand, but please tell me you'll keep looking for her and report back to me as soon as you find out where she stops," begged Luciel. "And don't tell Mr. P anything about this … okay?"

"Is it so much of a big secret?"

"Not exactly, but I still don't fully trust Mr. P. He's elusive as always. I mean, I've never even met the guy despite the fact that he's the boss. Honestly, I'm always on edge when I think how covert this whole setup is."

Vanderwood coughed. "Well, that makes two of us. But we can't just talk, let's at least take action and do what we can to keep him happy. Do good work, Luciel. Your country is relying on you."

"I guess you're right …" Luciel agreed, although a little reluctantly. "It's an important job and someone's got to do it. I just wish it didn't have to be me."

"You signed the deal, Luciel. There's no getting out of it."

Vanderwood didn't need to remind him about the unjust conditions of his contract. "I'll go and make a start on the database. Talk to you later."

Luciel hung up and stared at the PC screen in the living room.

Time to get to work.

Eun-ji. Please be safe.