Ciphertext – Chapter 20: Captured

Eun-ji walked briskly to the other side of the road, making sure the hoodie was completely covering her head so she wouldn't be seen by curious passers-by. Her hair hung like curtains over her face, which further shielded her from view. The man working at the fish-shaped bun stand briefly studied her as she walked past, but as a customer approached, he quickly let his mind wander back where it belonged.

Since she didn't want to go back to Rika's apartment straight away, Eun-ji decided to take an alternative route and headed towards the nearest shopping mall. That should help kill some time. Maybe Luciel's head would have cooled off by the time she returned and they could have a proper discussion. For now, a long walk around the city would give her a chance to collect her feelings together, reflect upon what had happened with Zen and come up with a game plan to win Luciel's heart for good, no matter what it took.

Saeyoung … I won't believe that you want to push me away so easily. I haven't known you for long, but … you're better than this. You're smart, attractive, interesting and definitely the most hilariously random guy I have ever met. How on earth can I stop liking you? So don't ignore me, please!

Eun-ji wanted to confront him like this to prove exactly how serious she was, but she knew he wouldn't hear her. Or if he did, he wouldn't listen to what she said. If she went to the apartment now, he'd go and drown out her voice with music and his eyes would only be focused on the never-ending lines of data and code that flooded the screen. It would be like trying to communicate with a brick wall, and it was utterly pointless.

She turned the corner, her attention focused solely on consulting her smartphone for GPS directions to the mall. The sound of heavy, hypnotising footsteps grew louder behind her and before she knew it, a strong hand had taken hold of her left shoulder.

"Eun-ji Moon," stated the man behind her, matter-of-factly. He placed his free hand onto her other shoulder. "Stop right there. You're coming with me," he crooned into her ear. His voice was nasally yet deep and Eun-ji could feel his warm breath tickling her cheek. His tone was especially intense. It was a voice she didn't recognise and he spoke with a slightly foreign-sounding accent. But although her deep-rooted intuition told her to be wary of him, she had to admit she was a little curious to know more.

What am I even supposed to say in this situation?

"I-I-I …." She tried to speak, but the words seemed to disappear before they had even formed.

The man tightened his grip on her shoulders to anchor her there, so she wouldn't try to make a careless escape. The fact that he hadn't even needed to confirm her name scared her the most. He already knew exactly who she was, there was no doubt in his mind. Slowly turning her head so she could see the stranger, her heart raced with fear of what might follow. He allowed her to face him but he still kept a firm grip on her shoulders.

Looking up at him, Eun-ji guessed he was around 180cm in height. He wore a green beanie hat with strands of his longish jet black hair poking out from underneath the material. His nose and mouth were obscured by a large white surgical mask. She met his gaze, his piercing, cold eyes laced with a dark brown hue. His clothing was simple; a pair of jeans, a long black coat and a white scarf. He also wore black gloves, but that was understandable seeing as it was so cold outside.

"Are you ready to come with me, to a place I like to call 'Paradise'?" he said, his voice deepening slightly. "If you try and scream or run away, I'll taser you." He pulled back his coat to reveal a taser gun tucked into his pocket. "And you don't want that, do you?"

Finally, Eun-ji found her words again. "N-no. I'm not going anywhere! Just tell me who you are and why the hell you know my name!"

He laughed smugly, removing his hands from her shoulders. He took her chin, forcing her to look at him directly. "You have a bit of a penchant for danger, don't you … Eun-ji Moon?"

"What do you mean? I don't like dangerous situations at all," she confirmed.

"Well, that's just not true, is it? I know that you're attracted to danger and that's why you're still trying to win him back." He ran his fingers through her hair, playfully.

"H-him?" she tried her best to feign innocence but realised that she was failing miserably.

He moved in closer, his nose almost pressing against hers. "Don't play dumb with me, girl. You know exactly who I'm talking about."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about …" she lied. "Can't you please just tell me who you are?"

The man ignored her question again and continued. "As someone who's been getting shall we say … 'intimate' with Luciel, you should have no problem agreeing to my conditions."

Eun-ji felt herself growing hot with embarrassment and fear.

He knows about us! But what's his connection to Saeyoung? I can't trust this man. It sounds like he knows too much.

"No, it's not like that. There's nothing going on. We're just acquaintances." At that moment, it felt important to make it seem like she and Luciel were in a completely platonic relationship.

"Oh? And I thought you were all spoony over him, because … what was it you two got up to last night again? Oh yeah, you guys had SEX!" He purposely over-emphasised that last word. "Do you have a regular habit of fucking your acquaintances, or is Mr. Hacker 707 just a special case?" The grin on his face was so natural it was nauseating.

Eun-ji scowled at him. She felt sick to her stomach. "H-How do you even know about that?" Although the question had come out automatically, she really didn't want to find out the answer.

His eyes looked complacent. "You're such a bad girl, not answering me properly." He paused and sighed. "Ugh, but since you're so cute I'll tell you. Basically, it was far too easy to hack into the cameras that Luciel had hidden in Rika's apartment. Seriously, it wasn't any problem at all, I just tweaked the code here and there and BOOM! – immediate access. That boy, he didn't do a very good job of hiding the security in there. Within minutes, everything just showed up on my monitor in 4k, crystal clear – perfecto! And I have to say, I got a pre-tty nice show," replied the man, winking. "You're not bad at all, you know. Well … at least you know how to locate Luciel's 'on' button."

"WHAT?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Their privacy had been well and truly invaded by an external agency.

The man placed a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. "Shh. Keep your voice down. Remember, this is a private conversation, just between you and me."

Eun-ji mumbled something, but her voice became muffled by the soft fabric of his glove, so it was impossible to make it out any of the words.

Wrapping his other arm around her, the man traced his fingers across the small of her back and drew her in towards him as though he was about to dance with her. Eun-ji recoiled a little in disgust as their bodies made contact, but she could not free herself from his grasp.

"I keep tabs on that boy's every move since his mind is such a valuable asset to the agency. We protect him from unnecessary emotional contact with others. After all, those kinds of unnecessary romantic feelings only get in the way of his productivity."

He's too close to me … I don't like this.

She could sense the perverse smile that lingered behind that mask. "I'm the piece of shit hacking genius who controls Luciel's life. You will call me Mr. P. That's what I go by these days. But don't ever mess with me, or there will be serious consequences. I have too many connections, too many hackathon awards and too many big government contracts to let a pretty girl like you fuck things up." He brought his hands down to Eun-ji's ass and gave it a light squeeze through her skirt, which made her cringe in horror. "Say my name, Eun-ji, so you don't forget it."

Mr. P removed his hand from her mouth so she could speak. "Get your hands off me! You really are a piece of shit. Trying to take complete ownership over someone else's life is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. You should just leave Saeyoung alone!"

"He actually lets you call him Saeyoung?" he mused, removing his mask. "Interesting …" A wide smirk spanned his unexpectedly young and handsome face as it became visible. I told you I was a piece of shit hacker myself, didn't I? Now, go ahead … say my name!" His tone was so domineering and cruel that Eun-ji was almost certain he would strangle her if she didn't fulfil his simple request. "Come on, I'm waiting."

Trembling, Eun-ji felt herself hesitate before she spoke, but the fear of her imminent death was stronger than her will to try and flee. "… Mr. P," she managed, feebly.

"Ooh, I like the way that just rolls off your tongue. It sounds so sexy," he teased, not actually caring about it in the slightest. "Maybe I'll make you say my name when we're enjoying ourselves in the bedroom. That way, I can cleanse your mind of Luciel and fill it with thoughts only about me. And I know you'll have no choice but to obey me when I make you cum five times harder than he did!" He was unrelenting.

No way, no way, no way! There's no way I'll let you use me like that!

"Let me go!" she screamed, writhing and trying to push herself away from him. "I don't want to do anything with you. Just let me go … please, Mr. P!"

She had broken their agreement, and this made him angry. "SHUT UP! You're drawing attention to yourself!" He swept her hood back and took her face roughly in his hands. "Just try to relax and enjoy this …" And with that, he engaged her in a full-on kiss. Eun-ji's eyes widened with fear as their lips met and he expertly forced his tongue inside her mouth, caressing hers so passionately it was gruelling. That was the last thing she had expected him to do. Bitter tears started to form at the corners of her eyes. She tried her best to push him away again, but he had her captivated, stunned.

This isn't what I want … but I can't move. His kiss is melting me inside. No, I have to be stronger than this. I can't give in to this temporary feeling. He's scum. I know he is!

Suddenly, Mr. P broke the kiss and glared deeply and intently into her eyes. She felt hypnotised by the swirling darkness that seemed to emanate from within them. Then, he whispered something into her ear that made her skin crawl. "Goodnight. Be a good girl for me and just accept my little gift to you. But probably … it's not what you think." He laughed. "Sex would only be fun if you were conscious, after all." It was as though his words were meant only for his own amusement.

He stabbed Eun-ji's thigh with something sharp. The pain ripped through her body like a bullet. It was unbearable but she couldn't raise her voice to call for help. Both legs started to go numb and she could barely stand up. Feeling dizzy, her vision grew hazy and the sounds around her become increasingly incoherent. He'd injected her with a tranquilliser and it was absorbing into her bloodstream all too quickly.

Mr. P released her from his grip and she fell straight to the ground. Fortunately, the hoodie she was wearing was so thick that it helped to cushion the blow somewhat. Her limbs softened like jelly, buckling under the sedative effect of the drug. It felt as though she would just sink into the ground and become a part of the scenery.

Eun-ji's throat felt coarse and dry as she attempted to speak. "Sae … young." She knew she couldn't expect him to come to her rescue now. Maybe his so-called 'God Seven' persona wasn't so almighty after all. It wasn't like he had mystical superpowers; he was just a regular guy with enviable hacking skills. But she wanted him to treasure her and keep her safe. She wanted him to hold her in his arms and tell her a funny joke that would easily make all the pain disappear. But that wasn't going to happen. Not now, and maybe not ever.

Saeyoung … Saeyoung …

Help me.

Please.

I love you.

As the blurry image of Mr. P's unforgiving, scathing expression burnt itself into her memory, she gave into the inevitable, let herself drown in the vertigo that consumed her and passed out cold.