Day 5 - 07:30 AM
reep...reep...Reep...Reep..REEP.. REEPREEPREE -
Zai almost launched her phone across the room after shutting off her alarm. However, she didn't, and after checking the time she realized that she'd overslept long enough to miss the song portion of her wake-up alert.
Groggily lifting the screen up to her face, she noticed several missed calls from both Jaehee and Zen. Double checking the time, she registered the fact that, no, she wasn't hallucinating due to sleep deprivation, but had indeed received a dozen phone calls from Zen and Jaehee in under twenty minutes. Incredible.
Lying back and pulling up the covers to her chest, Zai decided to take a slow day. After opening the RFA chat, she realized that probably wasn't going to happen.
/ Jaehee Kang: OMG /
/ Jaehee Kang: Zai isn't answering Zen or I's calls. /
/ Jaehee Kang: How are we supposed to tell her the news? /
/ Yoosung : Maybe consider waiting for her to wake up like a normal person? /
/ Jaehee Kang: This is Urgent Information;; /
/ Yoosung : Sure but she's been working so hard! And V just confirmed the party date too! /
/ Yoosung : It's in just six days...he's acting like Jumin acts with you... /
/ Jaehee Kang: What is that supposed to mean? /
Zai has joined the chat room.
/ Jaehee Kang: Zai! /
/ Yoosung : Zai! How are you doing!? /
/ Yoosung : You're not being overworked are you? /
/ Yoosung : Do you need me to help with anything? /
/ Zai: Thank you for your concern, Yoosung, but I'm fine, honest.
/ Zai: How are things going with Seven? /
/ Yoosung : Luciel and I are doing fine! Thanks for asking! /
/ Jaehee Kang: Since when has he been 'Luciel' to you? /
/ Yoosung : Uhh... /
/ Jaehee Kang: Never mind that!
/ Jaehee Kang: Zai! /
/ Jaehee Kang: Something very important happened while you were asleep! /
/ Zai: I figured from all the calls you and Zen sent me. What is it? /
ZEN has joined the chat room.
/ ZEN: I GOT A NEW ROLE WITH ECHO GIRL! /
/ Yoosung : WHAT? NO WAY!
/ Jaehee Kang: Zen! I was just about to tell her! /
/ Zai: Oh! Congratulations, Zen! /
/ ZEN: Thanks, Babe! I can't believe I got the role! It's a dream come true! /
/ ZEN: We should totally go out to celebrate! All three of us! ^^/
/ Yoosung : I need to go tell Luciel the news! /
Yoosung has left the chat room.
/ Zai: I'd love to, Zen! /
/ Zai: But V just announced the party date last night, so I don't think I can make it;; /
/ Zai: I'm sure Jaehee would enjoy it though ^^ /
/ Jaehee Kang: I would, but I will have to ask Mr. Han about it. /
Jumin Han has joined the chat room.
/ Jumin Han: Take the evening off, Assistant Kang. /
/ Jaehee Kang: What? Really? /
/ Jumin Han: Yes. I'll be having an important guest over tonight so you can go early. /
/ ZEN: Alright Jaehee! I'll pick you up. Is six good? /
/ Jaehee Kang: Six is fine ^^ /
/ ZEN: Sweet! Sorry, I'd talk more but I gotta go call the director. See you later! /
ZEN has left the chat room.
/ Zai: I'm so excited for you, Jaehee! You'll tell me how it goes, right? /
/ Jaehee Kang: Of course. /
/ Jaehee Kang: Mr. Han, if you don't mind me asking...who is it you are hosting tonight? /
/ Jumin Han: That is confidential information. /
/ Zai: It's V. /
/ Jaehee Kang: Oh? /
/ Jumin Han: How... /
/ Zai: Last night he said he was going to ask you if you'd let him stay with you until the party. /
/ Zai: So I'm assuming he's going to your place to talk it over? /
/ Jumin Han: It is...Something like that. /
/ Jaehee Kang: Mr. Han there is nothing to be ashamed of in wanting to spend an evening with a childhood friend. /
/ Jumin Han: I suppose so. /
/ Jumin Han: Still, it is slightly unprofessional of me to dismiss my employees for personal reasons such as these. /
/ Zai: There's no reason you can't take some time off once in a while to be with people you care about, Jumin. /
/ Jumin Han: ...If you say so. /
Jumin Han has left the chat room.
/ Jaehee Kang: I suppose I should go check on him. /
/ Zai: Okay! Tell me how it goes with Zen tonight, Jaehee! /
/ Jaehee Kang: Definitely ^^ /
Jaehee Kang has left the chat room.
Zai has left the chat room.
After the conversation was over, Zai set her phone on the side table and pulled the blankets all the way over her head. She loved the RFA with all her heart, but sometimes a girl just had to sleep.
Day 5 - 09:16 AM
707 has joined the chat room.
Yoosung has joined the chat room.
/ 707: Whoa! I can't believe Zen got a job with Echo Girl! I should ask him to get me some autographs. /
/ Yoosung : Do you think he'll get me one too? /
/ 707: Why wouldn't he? Besides! No one can resist the cuteness of Yoosung! /
/ Yoosung : Luciel! /
/ 707: Aaaahh...even in text form... My name sounds so good when you say it! Do it again! /
/ Yoosung : What!? No! Now you're just being weird! /
/ 707: Aww come on... I'll get you an autograph from someone even better than Echo Girl! /
/ Yoosung : Really!? Who? /
/ 707: The Defender of Justice 707! /
/ Yoosung : ... /
Yoosung has left the chat room.
/ 707: ! /
/ 707: W-wait! Yoosung, come back! /
707 has left the chat room.
Day 5 - 10:33 AM
Zai woke up feeling moderately refreshed. As in, she didn't feel as much like a zombie as she did earlier in the morning. She covered up a yawn with her hand before slowly rising from the bed to get dressed. She made herself a bowl of cereal and absentmindedly scrolled through Seven and Yoosung's conversation before the phone buzzed in her palm and she pushed the food aside to lean forward on the table and answer it.
"Hello?" Zai waited for a few moments and almost started reaching for her bowl before she heard someone gasping for breath into the receiver. "...Hellooo?"
"Zai!" The phone burst to life with sound and Zai jumped, almost falling back and knocking the cereal over before steadying herself (and the bowl) again the counter.
"Jaehee? Is that you?" There was quiet for a few seconds after the apparent hyperventilation stopped.
"...Zai! I must apologize but I need your assistance most urgently!"
"What is it?"
"Mr. Han gave me the night off to go out with Zen, but I have nothing to wear for such an occasion! I can't show up in my office clothes for something like this!" Zai could tell that the other woman was close to weeping and she tried her best to reassure her.
"Jaehee? Jaehee! It's going to be all right. Zen doesn't care how you dress. He just wants you to be there to celebrate with him."
"Yes, but what if the paparazzi see us? He might get involved in a scandal!"
"It's just a little meeting between friends. If you really feel that worried about it, then you can just wear your office clothes and pretend it's about business."
The line was silent, then a voice so small came out of the receiver that Zai had to press the phone right up against her ear to even hear a word.
"... What if...I actually wanted him to...to see me as more than a friend...?" Zai took a fortifying breath. Now was a tipping point in Jaehee's life. She couldn't screw this up.
"Listen, Jaehee. I may have only known Zen for a few days," As well as the many she had known him through all her time doing his route. "But I know that he cares deeply about you. A scandal could never keep him away from acting, and you shouldn't risk his, or your happiness just for something that may or may not happen." She could almost feel Jaehee's anxiety through the phone. "I think that you should go for it. Don't let anything stop you from doing what you feel is right!"
Jaehee made a noise of understanding before she gasped lightly.
"But Zai...What about you?" Her? Oh yeah, she'd forgotten about that.
"Don't worry about me okay? That's a discussion for another time."
"Alright, if you say so..." The two women basked in each other's presence for a moment.
"Zai...one more thing?"
"Yes, Jaehee?"
"If I sent you pictures of clothes, could you help me pick an outfit?" Zai did her best to stifle her giggles but a few slipped out as she rushed to answer the question.
"Sure, Jaehee."
Day 5 - 03:18 PM
Zai had just finished responding to another batch of prospective party attendees when she spotted the notification telling her that a new chat was open. Tapping the alert and letting it automatically open the RFA app for her, she made a mental reminder to eat lunch soon.
Zai has joined the chat room.
/ Zai: Hey Yoosung! What's up? /
/ Yoosung : Zai! You're really close with Zen now, right? Do you think you can get me an autograph from Echo Girl? /
/ Zai: Uhh...I don't know. I guess I could ask for you? /
/ Yoosung : Aaah, thanks! I'm a big fan of hers! /
/ Zai: That's cool. Personally, I'm more invested in Zen's role. /
Jaehee Kang has joined the chat room.
/ Jaehee Kang: Any production with Zen in it is incapable of failure. /
/ Zai: Agreed. /
/ Yoosung : If you two are so close with Zen now, then how do you feel about him acting with Echo Girl lolololol /
/ Jaehee Kang: Zen has a responsibility to his fans. It is not our business to interfere with his acting career. /
/ Zai: I don't know. I guess I'm fine with it as long as there aren't any kissing scenes. /
/ Yoosung : Oooh...is that jealousy I see? /
/ Zai: Yes;; /
/ Jaehee Kang: Zai...you know you cannot let your feelings for Zen affect his work. /
/ Zai: I know;;;; But still... I can't help it if I don't want him kissing anyone else but you or I. /
/ Jaehee Kang: What... /
/ Yoosung : Wow! So you three really are together then? /
/ Jaehee Kang: What? /
/ Zai: Jaehee you already said that... /
/ Jaehee Kang: Yes, but I wasn't sure the first time so I decided to repeat myself. Please explain. /
/ Zai: Well, like, uh... I mean. /
/ Yoosung : I think she's trying to say that Zen's affections belong to you two? /
/ Zai: Yeah! That. /
/ Jaehee Kang: Zai... /
Oh, no, she didn't want Jaehee falling back down the slippery slope of being just one of Zen's fans. They'd made too much progress for her to turn around now.
/ Zai: Jaehee you should think about it first before you turn down the idea. At least consider it? /
/ Zai: I know Zen is completely okay with it if that's what you're worried about. /
/ Jaehee Kang: I'm not sure... /
/ Zai: If you're confused about it then why don't you ask him yourself at your date tonight? /
/ Jaehee Kang: Date? Who said anything about a date!? It is simply a celebratory outing between two members of the RFA. /
/ Zai: Jaehee. It is a Date. Between you and Zen. You are going on a date with Zen. /
/ Yoosung : I can't believe Jaehee is trying to friend-zone herself for Zen. /
/ Zai: Yeah;; I wish I was going too but I have so much work to do! /
Yoosung sent a few crying emojis and Zai had a hard time holding in her giggles.
/ Yoosung : I'll keep you company, Zai! I'll even send you selfies like Zen does! /
Her screen was then filled with a picture of Yoosung sitting at his desk while waving at the phone's camera. LOLOL could obviously be seen on the computer screen behind him, but Zai's eyes were drawn to the article of clothing that the lanky boy was currently drowning in.
/ Zai: Hey Yoosung...that wouldn't happen to be Seven's jacket you're wearing, is it? /
Unsurprisingly, the chat was silent for mere moments before it exploded again.
/ Yoosung : AAAHHHH I FORGOT RETURN HIS JACKET BEFORE I LEFT! /
/ Jaehee Kang: They do say that love dulls one's senses. /
/ Yoosung : THAT ISN'T TRUE IN THE SLIGHTEST BUT I STILL HAVE TO GIVE LUCIEL HIS JACKET BACK! /
/ Yoosung : Sorry, Zai but I have to leave right now or it'll be way too late by the time I get back home! Maybe next time! /
Yoosung has left the chat room.
/ Zai: ...So much for that. I appreciate the thought, though. /
/ Jaehee Kang: I'm honestly surprised that Luciel has let things progress this far with Yoosung. /
/ Zai: I'm not! Those two are so incredibly obvious. I'm happy for them. /
/ Jaehee Kang: As am I. /
/ Zai: Now we just need you to be happy for yourself! /
/ Jaehee Kang: Zai, please... /
/ Zai: I'm not letting this go until you accept the fact that you deserve good things too. /
/ Jaehee Kang: I do not see why you are so determined to make me accept this. /
/ Zai: Because apparently, you can only have faith in yourself if other people have it in you first. /
/ Jaehee Kang: You... Zai.../
Zai stared at her phone's screen and willed for Jaehee to understand that she could be selfish and indulgent once in a while, that she could actually enjoy things for herself without feeling guilty about it.
/ Jaehee Kang: I will think about it. Please do not press me on the matter any further. /
/ Zai: I wouldn't pressure you like that. /
/ Jaehee Kang: I know, and I appreciate it. /
/ Jaehee Kang: I should start getting ready to leave the office. Have you eaten yet? /
At the reminder, Zai's stomach immediately made a noise of discomfort, and she remembered that the only thing she'd eaten that day had been the cereal she'd had for breakfast.
/ Zai: Um, no. /
/ Jaehee Kang: Zai. /
/ Zai: I was going to eat but then I got distracted;; /
/ Jaehee Kang: Then stop focusing on my problems and look after yourself. /
/ Zai: Fine, I'm going. /
She almost signed out then but was reminded of something she'd promised earlier.
/ Zai: Do you still need my help with your outfit? /
/ Jaehee Kang: ... /
/ Jaehee Kang: Yes please;;/