Work Text
Stranger missing, stopping attack. The special security system is now in lookout mode.
The apartment air was thick with a palpable silence as you and your redheaded savior stood next to each other, both staring at the window through which the intruder escaped just moments ago. Early evening’s sunlight poured through the opening, illuminating the dust that had accumulated in the unused apartment as well as the glittering, shattered glass on the floor. Seven’s hand, notably larger than yours, was wrapped firmly around your shaky one, as he hadn’t let go since pulling you safely behind him to distance you from the man with white hair.You couldn’t bring yourself to speak. Partially because your body was still in shock, but also because you knew there was nothing you could say to improve the situation. It would take you days to comprehend the events that just transpired, and you could only imagine it would take far longer for Seven based on how he stared at the other man.Luckily for you, the hacker broke the silence first.“Thank god it stopped. That would have been the end for all of us.”At the familiar sound of his voice, one you had heard many times through your phone, you turned to face the person that rescued you. Until now, the only times you had seen Seven were in the photos he used for his chatroom profile picture or in the rare selfies he would send, so you took a moment to take in his appearance.His outfit was simple but certainly not boring. He wore a red cotton shirt with a neckline low enough to see his prominent collarbones underneath a baggy, black zip-up hoodie with yellow decals. Resting on Seven’s chest was a silver cross necklace that moved slightly as he breathed, and around his neck was a pair of headphones. Adorning his lower half were dark-wash jeans and brown, work-boot style shoes.As your eyes traveled back up to Seven’s face, you realized that his wavy, vermillion hair was just as fiery as images of him portrayed, and although it was slightly unkept, the way it framed his face and jawline was still flattering. His lips were thin, the corners of his lips curved slightly downward, giving him a serious expression, and his glasses rested slightly crooked on his upturned nose. But most remarkable were his eyes. They were liquid gold, swimming with depths of emotions that pixels could not portray, and they gazed intensely at you.For someone who had narrowly escaped death, he looked incredible.Still at a loss for what to say, you asked gingerly, “Seven, are you… are you okay?”“I don’t know. I doubt either of us is okay,” he replied. He was still holding your hand.“God,” he continued, shaking his head and looking down. “Shit.”A tense moment passed between the two of you. Seven looked up at you again, and you could feel him analyzing you the same way one would analyze lines of code, noting each feature and assessing how each part works together to form the whole. You tried not to shy away from his stare as you fought away the nervousness that comes with being close to the person you had developed feelings for over the past month.Unable to bear the tension any longer, you opted to break the silence this time.“That man… how do you know him?” you asked.Seven closed his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows, using his free hand to pinch his nose just under his glasses.“That man is my twin brother.”Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and he pulled away from you, as if he had finally realized what had happened. You felt far more unsteady than you expected without his hand around yours. He shoved a hand in his pocket and used the other to fiddle with his necklace before continuing.“MC. I’m sorry, but please keep what happened with Saeran a secret. Actually, you should forget it completely. That would be better, since it was such a traumatic experience for both of us,” he spoke, his expression growing sadder by the second.“Alright,” you replied with a nod. “I’ll trust you, Seven.”You really did trust him. Despite his antics, he had proven himself to be incredibly intelligent and reliable in the time you had gotten to know him, and he was clearly willing to endanger his life to protect yours.“Thank you,” Seven sighed, relief washing over his face. “I promise I’ll see the end to this. I’m so sorry for putting you in danger. I brought all of my equipment with me to rebuild the security system, so I’ll stay here for a white to make sure you’re safe. I’ll have to change the whole algorithm and use an entirely new method to make sure that Saeran can’t hack in again, so it’s gonna take some time,” he explained.You wanted nothing more than to wrap your arms around Seven, both to comfort him and thank him for everything he’s done for you. But you resisted, knowing that this was a difficult moment for him.“Take as much time as you need,” you opted to verbally reassure him instead. “And make yourself at home.”He nodded. “Thank you. I’ll sit in the corner, so that I don’t invade any of your space.”Before you could protest and offer him a seat at the desk or the kitchen table, he walked swiftly past you, put on his headphones, and began to set up his laptop and other gadgets on the floor of the bedroom. You were too startled at his curtness to stop him, and with adrenaline fading from your bloodstream, you were feeling too exhausted to argue.You decided it would be best to give Seven space, both physically and emotionally, so you moved to sit on top of the bed and watch him work from a distance. As you stared, you noted how attractive his hands were, slender fingers nimbly dancing across his keyboard at a speed you didn’t know was possible. You also enjoyed watching his amber eyes dart back and forth as he read and smiled to yourself at how often he had to readjust his glasses when they slipped down his nose.Watching Seven gave you time to pick up on some of his habits that were impossible to learn unless you saw him in person. He would run a hand through his messy hair when he got frustrated. He looked up and to the left when he was deep in thought about something. He slightly squinted when he was confused about what he was reading. You found it all very endearing.But that was no surprise to you.After all, you had spent a lot of time talking to Seven over the last few weeks, and you knew very well that you felt more than platonically for him. He was funny, smart, and kind, and your conversations were always the highlight of your day. As Jaehee put it, it almost felt like the two of you could speak your own language to each other; you were a dynamic duo when it came to making jokes in the chatroom. But you equally enjoyed the phone calls you shared, through which you got to learn bits and pieces about his life.And, although you weren’t completely certain, you felt like he had feelings for you too. Many of your recent conversations were discussions about how he couldn’t focus on his work because of you. Even the other RFA members would comment on Seven’s affinity for you, some even encouraging him to be honest about his feelings. Yet he would always deny it, saying that romance was impossible for someone like him.Regardless, the fact that the man you were crushing on for weeks was now alone in the same room as you was making your heart flutter in your chest.The next two hours consisted of you cleaning up the apartment and occasionally checking in on the floor-bound hacker. You successfully used a dustpan and brush to clean up the glass that shattered around the window despite Seven annoyedly announcing that he would have taken care of it. You also organized the bathroom and set out towels and toiletries for two people, hoping to make Seven’s stay a bit more comfortable. Eventually, you decided to make dinner for the two of you.“Seven,” you called to him from the kitchen, “what do you want for dinner? I was thinking I would just make some rice and veggies.”“Oh, I’m not going to eat, I don’t want to waste time. Can’t you eat by yourself?” he replied, the sharpness of his tone a bit of a surprise to you.“What? Okay… we don’t have to eat together, but I’m not giving you a choice. You’re eating something.”He didn’t reply this time, the only noise coming from the bedroom being the sound of his fingers on his keyboard.Cooking dinner only took you about half an hour, and when you were finished, you walked over to Seven to give him his portion. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, hunched towards his monitors and surrounded by a mess of wires and other devices you didn’t quite recognize. His body didn’t move, but his tired eyes looked up at you as you approached.“I don’t care if you eat on the floor, but you have to take care of yourself,” you said, bending down to put the bowl of rice next to him.He sighed as you stood back up, then closed his eyes and took off his headphones, putting them on the floor before responding.“Please stop caring about me. It will only end up in you getting more hurt,” he stated, staring at his laptop screen.You couldn’t help but let your eyes widen.“Are you serious?”“I plan on leaving as soon as I finish stabilizing the security and researching Magenta. I don’t want to be alone with you like this.”“Well, I do feel safer with you here than with you using the CCTV.”“That’s true,” he looked down and adjusted his glasses before bringing his gaze to yours. “But don’t feel safe around me. It honestly might be more dangerous that I’m here, with the agency tracking me and all. They could find this place and take me away at any moment.”“What?? Are you being chased right now?”“Sort of, yeah. But I’m the only one who knows this address, so it’ll take them a while. Anyway, my point is that it’s dangerous to be near me so I’m leaving as soon as I can.”“But… will you at least sit at the table or on the bed instead of that corner? You look so uncomfortable…”“This suits me better. If you have a Sharpie, I’m all for drawing a line on the ground.”Your mouth fell agape at his ridiculous idea. You were used to Seven’s absurdity, but usually it made you laugh. The somber look on his face told you that he wasn’t joking around this time.“You can’t be serious.”“I am. Please just pretend I’m not here.”“You really aren’t like how you are in the chatroom.”The corners of his mouth tugged upwards into a slight smile before Seven replied.“You should never judge a person by how they are online. I’m sorry if you formed any fantasies about the 707 in the messenger. You have to accept that this is how I really am.”He paused, looking as if he was unsure whether or not to say his next words. He did.“I’m going to get back to work now. Don’t bother me.”You stared at him in disbelief as he put his headphones back over his ears and began to type. Hot tears pricked your eyes as you turned and walked briskly towards the bathroom, not caring how loudly you closed the door behind you.You had daydreamed often of meeting Seven.And this is certainly not what you had imagined.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
BANG!
Seven flinched at the sound of the bathroom door slamming from across the bedroom.Now that MC couldn’t see him, he allowed himself a moment to bury his face in his hands, pushing his glasses up onto his forehead. Despite truly believing that it was in MC’s best interest, he felt awful for the way he was speaking to her. In an alternate universe, or maybe on a different planet, he would take his favorite car and drive off into the sunset with her instead of pushing her away. Would it still be called a sunset if the planet was in a different solar system…?He sighed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes before putting his glasses back on his nose. He was almost finished creating the temporary security system, one that used a completely new coding language and a unique algorithm that would ensure MC’s safety at least for the moment. Even a hacker as talented as Saeran would have a lot of difficulty solving it.Saeran.Confusion and rage burned in Seven’s chest as he thought about his long-lost twin. What the hell had happened to him? Saeran had looked so serene, so safe, in the photos Rika had sent of him on that floppy disk, and now he looked nothing short of deranged. Why were their hair and eyes no longer identical in color? Where did he learn how to hack? And most of all, why didn’t Rika and V protect him?“Ugh, I feel like my brain is going to explode,” Seven mumbled to himself, shaking his head as a feeble attempt to physically clear his thoughts from it. There were so many ideas swimming circles in his mind, but if he knew one thing for certain, it was that his first priority was to make sure no harm would ever come to MC. After all, it was his fault she was in this shitty situation in the first place.He knew he should have kicked her out of the RFA server before she even had a chance to introduce herself. Before each member came to adore her for her charismatic kindness, and before she successfully gathered many guests for the party, reigniting the RFA. Before he realized they had the same sense of humor, and before she started to call him every day and tell him how much she liked him.Before he liked her, too.The sound of the door of the bathroom creaking open snapped Seven out of his thoughts. He pretended like he had been enraptured in his work for the last few minutes and not just thinking about MC so that she would have no inclination to try to talk to him again. Earlier in the evening, Seven had turned to face the wall so that he couldn’t see the party coordinator, though closely monitoring the security cameras in her apartment for the past few days meant that he had already memorized her appearance and mannerisms. Still, all the time in the world could not have prepared him to see her in person for the first time.Seven closed his eyes and pictured the way she looked at him when she was standing mere feet in front of him after Saeran escaped. She was shorter than he was, so she had to tilt her head just slightly upward to meet his eyes. And God… her eyes. They were impossibly bright, adorned beautifully by her long eyelashes. When she looked at him it felt like she could see right into his soul. Her hair color also perfectly complimented her complexion, and she looked amazing in whatever outfit she was wearing.He remembered reading somewhere that all of the atoms of our bodies were created by the cores of stars billions and billions of years ago.Well, the stars certainly took their time creating her.
Focus, idiot! Focus!
Seven was barely able to restart writing lines of code before he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. If God was listening to his prayers, this would be Vanderwood calling to forgive Seven for ditching his agency work and to tell him his house would be spotless when he returned. As ludicrous as that idea was, he was more surprised when he looked at the screen and saw not Vanderwood, but a photo of MC with cat ears he had drawn on her, the profile picture he had set for her contact. Against his better judgement, but slightly concerned for her wellbeing, he answered the call.“What is it? Why did you call me when you’re right here?” he asked, genuinely confused at her decision.“It’s just… you’re not looking at me at all. So I thought I’d get your attention by calling you,” she spoke softly though the phone.He realized that she must be in the kitchen or living room, as he couldn’t hear her voice a second time from the bed. Seven turned around and confirmed his suspicion. MC was sitting at the kitchen table, using one hand to hold her phone and the other to play with a strand of her hair. She had changed out of her sweater and jeans into a blue oversized t-shirt and black pajama shorts with stars on them, exposing more of her skin than Seven was used to seeing.Yeah… focusing on his work was about to get way more difficult.“You know I’m working. You don’t want to be in danger forever, do you? And those clothes… oh. I mean, never mind,” he stuttered out as he stared at MC, barely restraining from facepalming at his inability to keep his thoughts to himself.“What’s wrong with my clothes?” she asked, but Seven was almost certain he saw a knowing glint in her eyes. Embarrassed, he turned back around to face the wall, needing to hide from her the warmth he felt creeping onto his cheeks.“Well, aren’t you cold? You should dress a bit warmer… Nope. Never mind, it’s none of my business.” Another mental facepalm. “Just hang in there. I’m solving this as fast as I can. Please don’t try to call me anymore, I need to focus.”“But-““And put on a jacket or something.”Click.Seven scrambled to put his headphones back on and turned up his music. He desperately needed to clear his mind of any images of MC, with or without an adequate amount of clothing on, if he wanted any chance of finishing the new security system within a day or two. Why did she also have to be blessed with nice legs? It took all of his willpower to stop himself from wondering what they would feel like in his hands.He wished he could blame his affection for her on her appearance, though. MC was problematic for Seven’s mental state from the first day she joined the RFA. She was the perfect combination of all of the other members: sweet like Yoosung, edgy like Zen, intelligent like Jumin, hardworking like Jaehee, and hilarious like himself (though not every member would agree that he was funny). Her kindness towards him and the RFA felt infinite, as she spent hours helping them with their problems while simultaneously organizing the party guests.And Seven wasn’t blind. He realized pretty quickly that she was flirtatious with him in a way that she never was with the other members of the RFA. She was constantly telling him he was cute or that she wanted to get to know him better. Not to mention the many late-night phone calls they shared, talking about visiting the space station together or about going on walks and drives as soon as he wasn’t as busy with the agency. It was so easy, too easy, to forget about the bleak life he lived when he was talking to her. Her voice was the only sunlight ever present in the underground bunker he called home.Nothing frustrated him more than not being able to control his feelings for MC. He hadn’t even realized he was romantically attracted to her until Yoosung teased him about it in the chatroom. But logically it made sense. For the past two weeks, Seven couldn’t close his eyes without picturing MC’s face, and he kept accidentally writing her name in codes and coordinates. He would even mindlessly start making her presents instead of doing his tasks for the agency, and if he wasn’t doing that, he was mindlessly dialing her number just to hear her talk.But he couldn’t act on his feelings. The last time he cared about someone this deeply was his brother, and, well… after what happened, he was never going to let himself get close to anyone again.He didn’t deserve to.Seven steeled himself, inhaling slowly through his nose and then exhaling out his mouth, blowing out any thoughts that weren’t written in code. He had finished the new foundation for the security system, so his next task was to ensure that nobody could find the database, let alone solve the algorithm that protected the information. He skipped through his playlist until he found a song he liked, then dove back into the world of binary numbers.Hours must have passed without him noticing, because when he looked up again, daylight had completely faded from the apartment, the bedroom only dimly lit by the monitor of his laptop. He also had no idea that MC had dropped off a cup of coffee for him, but he could now smell its pleasant aroma. Seven wanted to smack her upside the head for being so kind to him when he ignored her for the entire evening. Not willing to take an actual break, he instead decided to update the RFA server on what happened, sipping his lukewarm drink as he logged on to the messenger.He was surprised to see MC waiting for him there. Turning his body to face the bed, he used the wall to support his back, feeling instant pain relief at the better posture. Now that he could see MC, who was facing away from him, he could just barely make out the light of her phone screen illuminating her hair.
707: MC… I thought you were sleeping
MC: Nope! Isn’t it kinda fun being here when we’re in the same apartment though?
He could never understand how she could be playful at a time like this. When 707 messed around in the server, it was an act, but she was so genuinely optimistic.
707: You know our secret from the members? And I never really explained the special security system to you…
707: If I talk about it here, all of the members will be able to read it
707: The special security system was implemented to protect the information stored here, and thankfully, both you and the information are safe
MC: But what about your work for the agency? Can you be here right now?
707: That’s nothing… don’t worry about me. Take care of yourself first.
Zen has entered the chatroom
Zen: Seven!
707: Hey Zen
Zen: MC!! Are you okay?
MC: Yes, thanks to Seven.
Zen: I’m so glad you’re safe. You’re okay too Seven!?
707: Yeah, sorry for making you worry.
Zen: I feel like I missed everything! So the security system broke, and you had to go fix it?
707: Correct
Zen: And you fixed everything?
707: Not all of it, but I’ve made temporary measures
MC: Seven, how long do you plan to stay here?
707: I’ll leave as soon as I’m done fixing everything
Zen: Yes yes, it’s a knight’s duty to protect the lady!
707: Yeah…
Zen: You’re responding weirdly
707: Oh, sorry. I just can’t relax because the hacker is still out there
Zen: Is it the same guy who sent the email?
MC: I think it was one person who did everything
707: Yeah
Zen: But… is that person related to Rika like V said??
707: Oh, I think it’s someone completely different
MC: I can’t talk about it now, but I think it’s someone else too
If MC were looking at him, he would’ve mouthed a “thank you” to her for keeping Saeran a secret. Not that he deserved her kindness.
Zen: Really? That damn hacker… you said you found out the IP address?
707: Yeah, but I can’t go yet, I have to make sure the security system is safe, and I have to do more research before going.
Zen: Can’t you just give me the address? If we take some of Jumin’s guards we can just beat everyone up
MC: I don’t think that’s a good idea…
707: She’s right, let’s just wait a bit more
Zen: Okay, just make sure you’re a good bodyguard to MC!
707: That’s the plan
MC: Yup, I trust Seven
707: I’m going to go take a shower now, I’ll come back soon to update everyone
Zen: Everyone appreciates what you’re doing, Seven
MC: Yes, thank you for everything
Reading those words hurt him more than they consoled him. He hated himself for letting anything happen to begin with.
707: Don’t thank me, I’m just doing what I was supposed to.
707 has left the chatroom
Seven took off his headphones and placed them on the ground before rummaging around in his bag for a change of clothes to put on after he showered. He heard MC quietly giggle at her phone and felt a pang of jealously, assuming she was still talking to Zen. But he knew he had no right to be jealous after shunning her all day. It would be for the best if she caught feelings for Zen instead.Without saying a word to MC’s lying form, he quietly walked to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He noticed that she already had towels and washcloths laid out for him to use during his stay at the apartment, and a small smile tugged at his lips at her thoughtfulness. He removed his glasses, put them on the countertop, and pulled his shirt over his head before staring at himself in the mirror above the sink. Dear God I look exhausted. No way MC likes me when I look like this.Starting the hot water, Seven stepped out of his jeans and boxers before stepping into the shower, letting the warmth envelop him and wash away all of the anxiety he felt, even if just for a moment. MC even got him his own hair products and body soap. She was too kind for her own good. He wondered if she had any flaws; normally people aren’t as likable as they are attractive. But she certainly was both. Maybe in the shower he could finally let himself think about her.
No. Nope.
He knew exactly what would happen if he let his mind wander, and he refused to do that when she was literally on the other side of the door. But he couldn’t get the image of her in those shorts out of his mind…Seven grabbed the handle on wall and turned the water temperature to cold.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
A soft breeze fluttered the white curtains of the bedroom window and tickled the exposed skin of your arms and face, gently arousing you from your slumber. The room was illuminated with the sunlight of a new day. You wish you had opened the apartment window sooner, feeling at peace as you slowly breathed in the scent of fresh air.But… wait, you don’t remember opening the window last night.Oh. You didn’t open the window.The tranquility of the morning was instantly shoved aside by memories of yesterday’s events. You vividly recalled the feeling of Saeran’s arm wrapped roughly around your neck, the horror on Seven’s face when he finally recognized his twin brother, and the silent treatment you were given by him for the entirety of the evening. You grasped at the fleeting serenity you felt, but it was no use. All you could think about was the situation at hand.It was only now that you noticed the faint sound of fingers typing on a keyboard, and you were reminded that you were no longer the only person living in the apartment. Not wanting to alert your redheaded roommate that you were awake, you remained still as you tried to organize your thoughts.Seven... what was the right thing to do? He made it extremely clear that he did not want you to talk to him, but in your heart you knew that it was because he cared about you that he was pushing you away. You wanted to give him the space he needed, recognizing that he was balancing work and coping with trauma, but another part of you wanted to prove to Seven that you would support him through anything. Debating for another few moments, you determined that you would just be the same MC that he grew to like in the messenger.The sound of rustling sheets filled the quiet room as you turned to face Seven, and he immediately looked up from his laptop to meet your eyes.“Good morning,” he said simply.He looked utterly exhausted. Dark crescents hung under his eyes, and his eyelids looked like they were begging to be shut. Although the hood of his sweatshirt was now pulled up over most of his ginger hair, the strands you could see were messier than yesterday. You could only assume he was up all night running his hands through it, and you wished you could brush it for him.“Did you sleep at all?” you asked, your voice dripping with concern.“Doesn’t matter. I’m halfway done with the security system now, so I plan to finish it today.”Before you could respond, he turned away from you again to face the wall. Ouch. You gathered that he would only ever face you to ensure that you were safe as you slept. It already hurt that he would hardly speak to you, but he couldn’t even look at you? Seven truly was full of surprises; you had no idea that he was capable of being so solemn. It felt like the corner of the room he sat in was several degrees colder than the rest of the apartment. One way or another, you were going to fill it with warmth.Temporarily discouraged, and unwilling to drag yourself out of bed, you turned back over to face the pane-less window. Seven had called a repairman yesterday evening to fix the glass, but he wouldn’t be coming for another hour, so you decided to kill some time on your phone. After scrolling mindlessly on social media for a bit, you thought you should check the RFA messenger to see if anyone was chatting. Your boredom was vanquished when you saw that Jumin was online.
MC: Hello, Jumin.
Jumin Han: Hello, MC.
Jumin Han: I’m not doing so well. The desert golf course idea I had will have to be postponed.
Jumin Han: According to Assistant Kang, this is coffee harvesting season in the Middle East, so she suggested we connect with the Roastery Association instead.
MC: Oh! Can we invite that association to the party?
Jumin Han: Of course we can, MC. You really are a responsible person to care for the party despite the current situation.
707 has entered the chatroom
707: Jumin…
707: Oh, hello MC
MC: How is work going Seven?
707: Fine.
Damn. Just as curt in the messenger as he was to your face. You hoped that Jumin wasn’t emotionally intelligent enough to realize how differently Seven was talking to you.
707: I came here because I have something to tell you, Jumin.
707: I read what you said last night, and in my opinion, we shouldn’t reveal the address to the apartment yet. But when I decide that the situation is too dangerous for just me to handle it, I will reveal it.
Jumin Han: Hmm… I would think that if the situation is dangerous, that means we should all be more involved.
707: Please just trust me.
MC: I agree, I believe in Seven.
Jumin Han: If that is what you think is best, then okay. Just don’t forget that I’m always ready to help out.
707: Thanks, Jumin. If MC gets in any danger because of me, I’ll be sure to ask for your help.
MC: In danger because of you..? Don’t even say that…
Jumin Han: What do you mean by that?
707: Don’t worry about it for now.
Jumin Han: You and V are so frustrating, never giving proper explanations.
707: Sorry. Just doing what I think is best.
Jumin Han: Well, let me ask you this one thing. How does the security system work? I have to let a prepared security team know just in case.
707: Oh. Well… it just gets rid of the intruder.
MC: Seven… Can you reveal the secret?
707: It is secret, but since it concerns your safety, it’s time for me to talk about it
707: The special security system is designed to rid of the intruder and destroy the sensitive information in the apartment
707: It… is a bomb.
707: Rika requested it herself to protect the information and V agreed.
Jumin Han: I can’t believe you.
Jumin Han: The bomb won’t just get rid of the intruder, it can even get rid of the innocent people inside, no?
707: You’re right…
Jumin Han: And Rika wanted it to protect information? That’s not something the Rika I know would do. I can’t believe I didn’t hear about this.
MC: I understand your shock and concern, but I trust Seven will find a way to solve all of this.
Jumin Han: What does trust have to do with any of this?
707: I will never let the bomb go off. I swear on my life.
Jumin Han: So my bodyguards are useless… I can’t believe Rika chose to be such an idiot.
707: What’s important is that everyone knows now, and that MC will not be in danger even if something happens to me.
A knock at the door caused you to flinch and turn back around to face Seven. For a moment, you panicked at the idea that the agency was here to take him away or that Saeran was back to kidnap you. But seeing that Seven didn’t seem concerned reminded you that the window repairman was scheduled to show up around this time, so you instantly relaxed and looked back at your phone.
Jumin Han: Let me call you right now.
707: I’m sorry Jumin. The guy came to fix the glass, so I have to go. MC, will you quit out of the messenger and come with me?
707 has left the chatroom
Jumin Han: I can’t believe this. What the hell was Rika thinking?
MC: I think I have to go. Let me talk this over with Seven.
Jumin Han: MC, call me if you need my help. Please be careful.
MC: Thank you, Jumin.
You left the chatroom
Swinging your legs over the side of the bed, you stepped into your slippers and walked over to Seven, who was now leaning against the wall, waiting for you in the doorway. As you arched your back to stretch it and rubbed your eyes, you noticed Seven avoiding eye contact with you as he began to speak.“Stay behind me when I get the door, please. I made sure this guy wasn’t suspicious, but we can never be too sure.”You could have sworn there was a slight pink dusting his cheeks, but you obliged without commenting on it. He opened the door to reveal an average-looking Korean man, equipped with a tool kit and a new glass pane for the window. Seven thanked the repairman for arriving on such short notice before he got to work, but Seven only nodded at you before walking back over to his corner to continue typing.It was time to begin Mission: Break down Seven’s Walls. First, you went into the bathroom to wash your face and brush your teeth. You also spent a few minutes fixing your hair, tying part of it up with a ribbon, and applying light makeup. You briefly exited the bathroom to grab clothes from the closet, then reentered and changed into a white top and pink skirt.Finished in the bathroom, you next made your way into the kitchen to make breakfast. You cracked a few eggs and whisked them into a bowl with a few ingredients and began to make two omelets. While the eggs cooked, you brewed a cup of coffee and added some milk and vanilla flavoring, hoping it would ease the burden of exhaustion you were certain Seven was carrying. You couldn’t help but let yourself hum your favorite songs as you moved throughout the kitchen. If it disturbed Seven, he didn’t mention it to you.Once your creations were complete, you carefully carried a plate of breakfast and the coffee into the bedroom and set them next to Seven. He looked up at you in surprise.“I’m not gonna eat this, you know,” he said, raising his eyebrows.“Yes you are, even if I have to feed you myself,” you retorted, a bit annoyed at his unwillingness to care for himself.Seven rolled his golden eyes before narrowing them at you, but you again noticed that he was blushing.“Absolutely not, you better not come any closer to me.” His gaze then started to soften. “But thank you for the coffee, I could definitely use some caffeine.”“You’re welcome,” you replied with a smile, satisfied that he would at least get a bit of sugar in his system.You returned to the kitchen to eat your own breakfast, and you mentally patted yourself on the back for how tasty your omelet was. You had been cooking quite frequently since your impromptu move into Rika’s apartment. After finishing the eggs, you began to clean the dishes, eventually overhearing Seven’s voice coming from the bedroom, presumably talking to the repairman. So you shut off the water and dried your hands before joining him. “...I don’t know what you threw to break the glass, but be careful from now on,” the gruff voice of the worker scolded the two of you.“We will,” Seven replied. “Here’s cash.”You remembered one of the RFA members saying that he only ever paid with cash.“Do you want a receipt?”“I don’t need it. Take care.”The repairman gathered his things and walked out of the apartment, and you called out a ‘thank you’ as he left. After hearing the door open and close, you turned to Seven, wanting to take full advantage of his attention finally being away from his monitors.“How do you think your brother broke through the glass?” you asked.“I don’t know, you’d know better since you were there. I don’t really want to think about it, though. I feel like my head will explode if I think about my brother right now…” Seven replied, closing his eyes. When he opened them and looked back at you, you had to stop yourself from taking a step back at how sad his expression was.“And one more thing,” he continued, “Can you really stay as calm as you’ve been? You’ve been trying to chat me up since yesterday. Aren’t you scared that there’s a bomb in here?”“I’m not scared at all with you here,” you replied, intentionally staring into his eyes and hoping that he could feel your honesty.He just looked even sadder.“It’s nice that you’re being positive, but you should take this more seriously,” he pleaded. “I’m not here because of a sense of justice, I’m here because you’re in danger. And shouldn’t you be angry? I’m the reason the danger is even happening…”Again you reassured him, “If it weren’t for you, I would have been kidnapped. You’re the reason I’m okay.”He looked at you in disbelief.“That’s not important. Your life was at risk. God, I wish none of this ever happened. The bomb, and you joining the organization!”You were taken aback at his words. You felt the complete opposite… you were so fortunate to have joined the RFA, because it introduced so many wonderful people into your life. Especially Seven. You couldn’t imagine your life without him now.He must have noticed your surprise, as he sighed and spoke more gently this time.“I’m going to do what I can now to fix this, and you should too. Just stay still and safe while I put my headphones on and work again.”“Seven, why the headphones? Are you avoiding me?” you bluntly probed him, no longer willing to let him avoid you without a reaction from you.His response was to sit down and mutter to himself.“Requesting to satellite… code is G2X0… coordinates are…”Frustrated at his childlike behavior, you turned and went back into the kitchen to finish the dishes without another word. You couldn’t help but let a few hot tears fall as you washed pans and plates. You weren’t truly angry with Seven, you just needed to release some of the emotions you were experiencing.But you were not going to give up on him. You would let him be as rude to you as he wanted if it meant he would eventually feel better, because you were certain that the 707 who would goof around in the messenger and build fire-breathing robot dogs was still in his heart somewhere. He understandably just needed time to cope with the extremely traumatic experience he just had. Unfortunately, he was constantly working instead of giving himself time to work out his emotions.You spent the early afternoon entertaining yourself atop your bed. You had rummaged around the apartment until you found a stack of books, which you dusted off and brought back to the bedroom to read. Some of the works were about philosophy while others were classic stories, and you assumed that they were Rika’s when she lived here. As you read, you would still occasionally check in on the man in the corner.“Seven, can I borrow your glasses? The type is so small in this book,” you whined as you stared at the back of Seven’s head.“Huh?” he said, turning his head, though not turning far enough to face you. “Oh. I’m not stupid, MC. You just want to see me without my glasses.”“Maybe.”“No. You’re such a weirdo. And they aren’t even reading glasses. Go back to your book.”You giggled as you readjusted yourself on the bed to face the window. Not in the mood to read anymore, you opened the RFA messenger. You shuddered in fear when you saw Zen and Jumin were the only two active members. Those two got along like dogs and cats.
Jumin Han: MC, hello. What is Luciel doing right now? He’s not taking my calls.
MC: Hello, Jumin. I think Seven’s busy working
Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom
Jaehee! Thank goodness another mediator is online; now you wouldn’t have to be the only one separating the two men.
MC: Hello Jaehee!
Jaehee Kang: Hello, MC ^^
Jumin Han: Hello Assistant Kang
ZEN has entered the chatroom
ZEN: The special security system… is A BOMB?! WTF???
Uh oh. You weren’t surprised to see how distraught Zen was about the bomb. He was very protective of you, and generally an emotional person.
ZEN: I can’t believe MC was alone in an apartment with a bomb!! It could’ve been hacked and gone off!!!
MC: That won’t happen since Seven is here
ZEN: It’s nice and all that you trust him, but a bomb is still dangerous
Jumin Han: I think Zen is overly excited right now.
ZEN: Don’t analyze me! Of course I’m mad!!
ZEN: Seven agreed to leave MC in an apartment with a bomb and V knew about it!
MC: I’m sure they had their reasons…
You knew that Seven was going to read these messages at some point. He was already hard enough on himself, so you wanted to defend him as much as you could.
ZEN: Then let them explain those reasons!! Let’s see how convincing it is!!
Jumin Han: This is a waste of time. It’s better to conserve our energy to search for a solution
Jumin Han: I was thinking about a plan, and I think we should evacuate MC to a different location
Jaehee Kang: I was thinking about that as well
MC: Then what about the party?
ZEN: That’s not important right now!! Your safety comes first!!
Jumin Han: MC has a point though. The messenger app is connected to Rika’s apartment, so if she leaves, she won’t be able to talk to anyone
Jaehee Kang: I think we should discuss with Seven about the move. He probably already would have relocated her if he could
MC: I think so too. Seven is very thoughtful
Jaehee Kang: To be honest, I can’t believe V hid such a dangerous weapon from us.
Jumin Han: Let’s remember that this is hardest for MC right now.
MC: Thank you. But I really am okay thanks to Seven
ZEN: You’re so admirable, MC, seriously
ZEN: Ugh, I need to calm down. I’m going out for a ride on my motorcycle.
MC: Be safe, Zen
ZEN has left the chatroom
Jumin Han: I honestly can’t believe that Rika made that suggestion either. From what I knew, she was more of a pacifist.
MC: I can’t help but feel that the RFA is hiding more than just a bomb
Jaehee Kang: I agree, naturally I feel less trust towards the RFA. MC… are you really fine still being a member?
MC: Yes. I want to trust Seven.
Jaehee Kang: I see.
Jumin Han: Assistant Kang, I think we should prepare a security team in case of any incidents, and there are a few other things I would like to discuss.
Jumin Han: Can you meet me in the conference room in ten minutes?
Jaehee Kang: Of course.
Jumin Han: MC.
MC: Yes?
Jumin Han: Please… be careful.
Jumin Han has left the chatroom
Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom
As always, you were eternally grateful to the RFA for caring so much for you. It saddened you to see some of them lose their trust in Seven, but it seemed like the majority were directing their feelings of betrayal towards V.You put your phone down and sat up in bed, looking over to your favorite member of the RFA, but you froze when you were met with Seven’s stare. Flustered, you told him you were going to take a phone call on the couch so as to not disturb him, and you hopped out of bed and briskly walked into the living room, not waiting for his reply.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Seven!”
Again?
The computer whiz ran a hand through his crimson waves and sighed at the sound of MC’s voice calling for him. All day she had been fruitlessly attempting to make conversation with him, whether it was by forcing him to eat breakfast or by asking if she could try on his glasses. Seven would never admit it to her, but he found it endearing that MC’s personality was identical to the one she had in the RFA messenger. But at the same time, he found it annoying, as it made her difficult to ignore. It’s hard to be stoic around someone as upbeat as MC… her smile alone was infectious.
“What?” Seven finally called back. MC was also as stubborn as she was cheerful.
“Cockroach, cockroach! Help me!” she cried out from the living room, and he could distinctly shakiness in her voice.
“Huh? A cockroach!?” Seven’s protective instincts took over as he immediately got up and threw his headphones on the ground. He ran into the other room and was greeted by the pitiful sight of MC standing frozen in fear and staring at the floor. Without thinking, he scooped her into his arms and carried her bridal-style over to the couch, gently placing her on the cushions. Only his subconscious noticed how easy it was for him to lift her.
“Just stay on the sofa, I’ll kill it,” he tried to reassure MC, who stood up and moved to the corner of the couch as he made his way to the kitchen to rummage under the sink for pesticide.
“I don’t even know how the hell a cockroach got in… Aha!” Seven proclaimed as he spotted a bright green bottle of pesticide, pulling it out of the cabinet and triumphantly holding it in the air like he had won a prize.
He took quick steps back to the location of the pest, shaking the bottle before spraying the roach for several seconds until he was sure that it was dead. It wasn’t until he sighed and looked up at the damsel in distress that he saw that she was shaking and puffy-eyed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Huh? Y-you’re still crying? Why?” Seven stammered, unable to stop himself from reaching out an arm to MC for her to steady herself with as she stepped down from the sofa. She looked up at him with glassy eyes, her nose pink from crying. Seeing her like this made Seven’s heart physically ache; he would kill every cockroach on the planet if it meant she would never be upset over one again.
“I wanted to tell you a bit ago, but I didn’t want to bother you,” she choked out between sobs. Guilt washed over Seven as he realized he was the reason for her tears. He remembered the many times he would teasingly compare hackers to cockroaches, and now it felt like God was playing a cruel joke on him as that comparison became reality. How had he become more of a burden to her than a cockroach?
“I’m just busy working,” Seven assured her as softly as he could, “I’m not mad at you or anything. So if you want to say something, just say it.”
He knew he was contradicting everything he had told her since he arrived in her apartment. Hell, Seven had literally ignored her the last time she tried to talk to him. But after seeing her cry, his willpower just wasn’t strong enough to stop himself from wanting to care for her right now.
“God… please don’t cry. What can I do?” he mumbled, mostly talking to himself. He knew he was terrible at consoling people, mostly because he had limited human interaction in the past few years. And it wasn’t like Vanderwood would ever come crying to him about anything. The only thing he came to him with was cleaning supplies or a taser. Seven shuddered and instantly pushed that thought out of his mind, then MC’s voice brought him back to reality.
“Can you hold my hands? I can’t stop them from shaking,” she said slowly, wiping tears from her cheeks. Seven’s heart stopped in his chest at her invitation. He was afraid if he held her hands, he wouldn’t be able to let go.
“Can I really hold your hand?” Seven asked, too frazzled to remember that his hand had already been around hers yesterday after his brother had broken into the apartment.
MC didn’t respond, instead silently reaching out a trembling hand to him. Heart rate rapidly increasing, Seven held it in his own. MC’s hand was soft and much tinier than his, and he could certainly feel its shaking as he wrapped his fingers around hers. The contact sent a shock through his system, making his knees weak and his head spin. He felt like he could barely look at her without fainting.
“Your hands are so small,” Seven spoke, his voice just above a whisper.
MC didn’t say anything. The tension in the room felt like it was suffocating him, and he couldn’t bring himself to move or speak. All he could do was stare at the girl in front of him. Her eyes were somehow brighter after crying, and as his gaze trailed down a bit further, he saw that her lips were pink and a bit swollen. Seven couldn’t help but wonder if they were as soft as her hands. He was so tempted to let himself indulge in this moment with her, but if he didn’t stop now, he was worried he might entirely lose control.
He sharply inhaled, having forgotten to breathe.
“I’m not trying to do anything weird,” he said with a serious tone, talking to MC despite really saying it to convince himself. “This is just to comfort you. Here, come sit with me as I work so I can at least make sure you’re okay.”
Seven led MC by the hand over to where he kept his equipment, and he felt her tug on his arm as they got closer to his corner of the bedroom. Spinning to face her, he saw her hesitate at the border of the messy circle of wires, gadgets, and snacks he had accumulated in the last 24 hours. Using his foot, he pushed aside one of his laptops and some chips to make a space for her to sit.
“Hey, it’s okay, come sit here,” he said, reaching out his other hand to help her balance as she stepped carefully around his things. He sat down, crossing his legs and leaning his back against the wall, and she mimicked his movements at his side.
“Thanks, Seven,” MC spoke softly, staring at the floor instead of at him. “I’ll just stay on my phone so I don’t distract you.”
“Okay. Just tell me if you need anything.”
Seven looked at his laptop and tried to pick up where he left off on the security system, but MC’s presence next to him was overwhelming his senses. The warmth radiating from her body, the scent of her perfume… it was all too much. And now that he knew what it felt like to hold her hand, he was craving to do it again.
He was rarely grateful to the agency, but he felt fortunate that he was trained to clear his mind and work under pressure. Without the techniques he had practiced, he was certain he never would’ve gotten back to work.
Eventually, Seven remembered to check the time. About two hours had passed, so the day was now well into the afternoon. The light in the apartment was a brilliant orange color as the sun meandered towards the horizon. Seven was working surprisingly efficiently, and he was proud of himself for being just a few final measures from finishing the new security for the apartment.
Well, he used to work faster than anyone in the business, but he had been in a bit of a slump since the RFA server was hacked. And there may have been a certain person he would call and talk to instead of doing his work. Speaking of the devil, out of his peripheral vision he saw MC shift to stand up. He had almost forgotten that she was next to him, she was so quiet. But now that she had left his side, he noticed that his corner felt much gloomier.
Seven watched MC as she went to lie flat on the bed, jealous that she had the luxury to rest her back. Maybe if things were different he would’ve asked MC for a back massage. Instead, he decided to use his break to check the RFA messenger and read over the conversations he was certain he had missed.
Ah.
Everyone was upset with him, and Seven understood why. He and V were always secretive, but nobody could’ve imagined that one of their secrets was about a lethal weapon. Or that said lethal weapon was in proximity of the RFA’s newest member. Seven distinctly remembers how surprised he was when Rika had asked him to implant the bomb, but he now understood that he was blinded by his view of her as a parental figure. But a real mother would have kept Saeran safe. His poor brother was zero for two on real mothers.
To make him feel even worse, MC defended him to the other members without missing a beat. She reassured everyone, mostly talking to a furious Zen, that he would never have intentionally put her in danger, and that she was certain he had his own reasons for the bomb. Seven felt bad that he actually agreed more with Zen’s opinions, but he appreciated her unwavering trust in him nonetheless.
“MC,” he started, and he watched as she directed her attention to him. “Did you see what everyone said in the messenger?”
“Yes,” she scooted over in the bed to sit on the edge of it, her legs hanging off the side.
“Everyone is so hurt and confused, but I’m sure this is the worst for you…” he trailed off, before looking her intently in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I should have apologized way earlier, but I was flustered and got defensive, and I’ve just been overwhelmed”
She didn’t hide the surprise that graced her features before she responded.
“I’m fine, Seven. I’m sure it’s harder for you since everything is on your shoulders.”
He realized that the look of surprise on her face wasn’t due to the fact that he apologized, it was because she felt like she didn’t need one in the first place. God, MC was like a math problem with no possible solution. He could never figure her out no matter how many different ways he tried to solve her. And now wasn’t sure if he wanted to snap at her for being kind to him or kiss her for being kind to him. In all fairness, it was probably both.
“How are you so nice?” he asked, completely astonished. “You’re really not like anyone else I know.”
“I’m just being honest.”
Ugh. Time to change the subject before he got too hopeful.
“I think all the RFA members are having a really hard time coping with the fact that Rika requested a bomb. I wish I wasn’t so arrogant to think that it was impossible for someone to hack into the security here. I feel so stupid. I’m surprised you’ve stayed so sane.”
Seven could feel that he was rambling, that he was revealing too much about what he was thinking. There was something about the way MC looked at him that made him feel like she was soaking up every word he said, absorbing his anxieties and cleansing him of them. It made him want to talk to her more, to offer her his worries one by one so that she could care for them. That desire was dangerous for him, and he knew it.
“Well, you’re with me. I feel safe,” she insisted.
God
. She had to stop.
“But I put you in danger.”
“It’s not your fault, you had no idea this was going to happen.”
“Thank you, but I don’t see it that way. My job is to expect the unexpected. And I’m so angry with myself for not being perfect,” he felt himself prattling on again. MC’s expression was growing more concerned by the moment, and Seven really wished his mouth had a zipper on it that he could close.
“Seven, are you really okay after everything that happened? Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it? It might make you feel better,” she softly suggested.
“Even if I wanted to, I can’t. I’m just going to finish the security system, research Magenta, and then leave.”
“It’s not your fault, Seven,” MC said, blatantly ignoring his attempt to change the subject again. “You just did what you were asked to. I don’t blame you at all.”
Her words shook him to his core, and he felt the sudden urge to run. Darkness conceals all flaws, but MC’s presence in his life shone on him and brought the entirety of himself to light. It terrified him. Seven missed the comfort of his solitude in his bunker where nobody could come close to seeing the real him. He needed to escape this apartment and escape MC before she uncovered all of the anguish he kept sealed away, even if it meant dimming her light until he left. Seven felt awful about it, but he already hated himself. What was a bit more self-loathing?
“I’m gonna go work again,” he cut off the conversation. It was for the best. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Okay,” was all she said.
Seven wanted nothing more than to shut his eyes and disappear from this world for a while. Honestly, that’s all he’s wanted for over a week now. He hasn’t gotten to rest for more than 30 minutes at a time ever since the agency started piling on work and the RFA server was hacked, and the sleep deprivation was catching up with him. To be fair, he hasn’t gotten enough sleep since he was balancing being a college student with being a secret agent. But, as always, he had to push through. He wasn’t planning on relaxing until MC was safe and he retrieved his brother.
Having been completely engrossed in his work, Seven didn’t notice that MC had gotten up from the bed until he heard the sound of her typing on a keyboard. The apartment was now only lit by a few lamps and the soft light of the moon through the window. How much time had passed since he last checked on her?
He stood up and walked into the other room to see her sitting at the desk, trying to put something into the computer tower next to the monitor. Seven smiled to himself as he remembered the times they would stay on the phone in silence just to enjoy each other’s company when she was answering emails, and he was doing his agency work. He was honestly a bit offended that she didn’t ask him for help with whatever she was trying to accomplish, considering she used to text him any time she needed technological advice.
His smile instantly faded when he looked closer and saw that what she was trying to accomplish involved a floppy disk. His floppy disk.
No.
It only took a few long strides for him to be directly behind MC, and in one smooth motion he snatched the disk from her hand and put it in his pocket. She yelped in surprise and turned her head up and to the left to look at him. Exhausted and beaten down with constant emotional turmoil, Seven couldn’t help but let his anger take over his usual composure.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he snapped at her. “God, I don’t know if you’re actually that innocent or if you’re just dumb.”
She just stared back at him in shock. He didn’t care. If forcing her to stop wanting to get to know him meant making her cry again, then so be it. Seven no longer had the patience to comfort her like he did earlier.
“You ever hear of the saying curiosity killed the cat? Well, you’re the cat, and being curious about me could get you killed. I don’t care if you get mad at me or hate me, but don’t ever try to figure me out or figure out what I do. People try and then can’t handle the truth.”
“I can handle it,” she retorted sternly, seemingly unphased by his sour attitude. “No matter what the truth is, I want to get to know you.”
“That’s strange, because I don’t want to get to know you at all,” he spit back, and her eyes went wide. “I’ve told you multiple times that we can’t be friends. I don’t care what happens to you as long as you’re alive and safe.”
“What about the last month of us getting to know each other? And what if everything turns out to be perfectly fine if I get to know you more? I just want a chance to try,” she pleaded with him as she stood up to look him in the eye, and he took an instinctive step back at the intensity of her aura. She was glowing with some kind of emotion he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“Don’t waste that energy on someone like me, MC. And the person you were getting to know was 707. So if you care that much about the ‘real’ me, then help me by leaving me alone.”
Seven turned and walked back to the bedroom without waiting to hear what she was going to say in response. A small part of him felt bad for being so cruel to her after they were starting to get along, but he pushed that part of him away and replaced it with the thought that he was doing what was best for her.
He wished he could disappear. It would be better for MC if they had never met.
At least that’s what he tried to convince himself of as he got back to work.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
You knew you almost had him. Almost. If you closed your eyes and focused hard enough, you could still feel how Seven’s arms felt around you when he lifted you and how his hand felt around yours. Both felt so… right.He just wasn’t making sense. Why would he rescue you from a cockroach just to tell you he didn’t care about you mere hours later? It was clearly a lie, both to you and himself. And why wouldn’t he believe you when you said you could handle whatever danger he put you in? Your life was not one that was free of hardship, and you learned to persevere through adversity many times. You were happy to take on a bit more if it meant having a chance to be with someone like Seven.For now, though, you needed a moment to be alone, so you stood still in front of the computer where you tried to open the floppy disk. You felt guilty for meddling with something that was clearly personal to Seven, and you were a bit shaken by how angry he seemed with you. If he had asked nicely, you immediately would have put the disk back. But what remained unshaken was your determination to be kind to him.A person as good as Seven deserved to have someone in his life who would unconditionally support him. You had no idea what happened between him and his family, but it was clear the situation was unstable. And the only person he trusted, V, had just betrayed him. You couldn’t fathom how alone Seven must feel. He was the only person who knew himself.You were determined to be the second.Unfortunately, all of the emotional turbulence of the day had exhausted you. Despite doing little physical labor, your arms felt heavy at your sides and your eyelids were begging to be closed. But you wanted to give Seven space, so you ignored your sleepiness and sat back down at the desk to answer emails. After all, you were still the official party coordinator for the RFA. You smiled to yourself at the thought that Jumin would be proud of you for continuing to work on the party.When you had successfully cleared your inbox and responded as best as you could to each guest (including sending a series of “meows” to a cat), you decided to meander back into the bedroom, hoping you had given Seven enough alone time. As you entered the doorway you saw him in his usual spot, but he sat facing the wall again. It felt like months had passed since you quietly sat next to him as he worked, as the dynamic between the two of you had changed dramatically in such a short time.Seven must have changed while you were in the living room, because he now wore a plain black tank top and gray sweatpants. You could only see the back of his head, but the achromatic outfit made his vermillion waves seem even more vibrant than usual, and you noticed the chain of his cross necklace on the back of his neck. The outfit change also exposed his arms, which were lean but far more toned than you expected for someone whose diet consisted of chips and soda. You theorized that he had to stay in shape for his agency work.Needless to say, you really liked looking at them.You weren’t there to ogle the hacker, though. After grabbing your pajamas from the bed, you headed into the bathroom to change and do your nighttime routine, simultaneously checking your phone to see if you had missed any texts. You almost dropped your phone when you saw that the messages you had missed were between Seven and V. For the past few days you had watched as Seven called V every hour with no answer, so you were incredibly worried about the contents of their discussion. You braced yourself as you opened the chatroom.
V: I should have come here earlier… I apologize.
V: I have something to tell everyone, but I don’t have good service here, so I must hurry.
707 has entered the chatroom
707: V.
V: Luciel, I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to talk to you.
707: Why didn’t you answer any of my calls?
V: I’m sorry I was out of reach. I’m in the mountains taking photographs so I had no service, but I recently got to speak to Jumin.
V: I heard from him that the special security system was hacked. MC must have been so surprised.
707: Why did you call Jumin first? What about me?
V: I did try to call you, but that red light you told me about turned on when I tried.
707: What? For real?
V: Yes. I came here because I couldn’t talk to you on the phone.
707: Well, I have a bunch of questions for you, but I’ll only ask the urgent one for now.
707: I changed the algorithm of the security system and have the materials to send to you. But in my opinion we should still evacuate MC. What do you think?
V: We only have a few days left until the party, so I think we should move her after so that she can finish her work on it. Please stay with her and protect her until then.
707: Alright.
V: And I have a personal favor to ask you, Luciel. You know that all the information stored in that apartment is classified, right?
707: Yeah, that’s why I installed the bomb.
V: I’m only saying this as a caution, but the drawers contain some personal letters, so please don’t touch them.
V: Thanks for being understanding, and know I’m not doubting your loyalty.
707: You thought I’d rummage around the RFA’s secret documents without your permission?
707: Is that seriously what you came here to say?
V: I understand that you’ve been on edge because I’ve been MIA. I’m sorry if it seems like I don’t trust you, Luciel.
707: Oh, now I get it.
707: You know I can control the system however I want, so you know I have access to all confidential materials.
707: I don’t want to distrust you, but you doubted me and my loyalty first.
707: Are those letters really what’s important right now?
V: Luciel…
707: What we should be most worried about is MC’s safety. She walked into the apartment with a literal bomb in it with only good intentions.
V: I understand what you mean.
707: I’ve been waiting so long to talk to you and you only came here because you’re nervous I’d read your documents?
V: This is a misunderstanding. Listen to me Luciel, the RFA is my top priority.
707: I knew that a couple days ago. Now I’m not so sure.
V: I guess I should head back as soon as possible. I know you’re mad at me, but let’s not get too worked up until we can talk.
707: Before I meet you, there’s something I have to ask you.
V: Luciel, I think we should talk face to face when I get back. I’ll take care of everything when I return.
707: In the everything you’re talking about, is Saeran included in there?
You had to stop and reread his message. You were stunned at Seven’s willingness to bring up his brother in a place where everyone could see it, especially after he had asked you to not mention the situation to any of the RFA members. It was rare for Seven to display negative emotions in the chatroom, but you could feel his anger through the screen.
V: What?
707: Answer the question. And don’t pretend like you don’t know.
V: Luciel, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but you must have heard something wrong.
707: Do you know where Saeran is and what he’s doing right now?
V: Don’t be like this here. You know that everyone can read this.
V: We can talk ourselves when I get back.
707: No, I don’t want to. I want you to stop running from me and say it here so I don’t completely lose my trust in you.
707: I saw Saeran with my own eyes. Explain to me why he was like that.
V: You must have seen wrong.
707: Why is that boy doing the filthy hacking that I do? Why is he doing it when you were supposed to protect him?
707: Tell me what you know. Say anything so I can trust you again.
V: Luciel, I don’t have
V: Good service right now
V: Later I’ll
V has left the chatroom
707: I’m not sure if he actually lost service or just ran away, but it doesn’t matter.
707: I don’t trust V anymore.
707 has left the chatroom
The worst-case scenario seemed to have come true for that conversation. You knew Seven well enough to know that he would have preferred if V admitted to knowing what had happened to Saeran, even if it meant that his brother’s condition was ultimately V’s fault. You also were surprised that V was even attempting to lie when it was so evident that he was hiding something. Plus, if anyone was intelligent enough to decipher the truth, it was Seven, whether he figured it out on his own or used his extraordinary talent to extract the necessary information.As you finished in the bathroom and speculated about what V could be hiding, you heard a faint but unfamiliar voice coming from the other side of the bathroom door. You pressed your ear up against it and closed your eyes to listen more clearly. The tone of the voice was sweet, but you also recognized a robotic quality to it. You didn’t recall Seven bringing any kind of robot or working on one since arriving at the apartment, so you opened the door to investigate.Seven had not moved from his corner, but to your surprise he had turned to face the bed instead of the wall. You then discovered the source of the voice you had heard. A small, white, robot cat sat in his lap, looking up at him with glowing blue eyes that resembled those of Elizabeth the 3rd. Seven’s glasses glowed back at the cat, illuminated by the light of his laptop screen and obscuring his eyes from your view. Although the cat was emotionless, Seven’s expression was remarkably sad.Your concern for Seven overpowering any hesitation, you walked towards him as you heard the voice speak again,“God Seven, God Seven! I turn on when I sense you are depressed meow!”Seven sighed and rubbed his eyes under his glasses before picking up the cat and spinning it around in his hands, furrowing his eyebrows as he analyzed its exterior. It didn’t seem like he had noticed you approaching yet.“Shut up. How did I set this thing to turn off?” he muttered to himself, still not acknowledging your presence as you now sat down across from him, the two of you only separated by the moat of gadgets and empty food containers around him.“You made that robot?” you realized, genuinely impressed by his seemingly limitless skills. He finally lifted his head to see you, and the glare disappeared from his glasses to reveal his aureate irises. He stared at you sadly for a moment before looking back down at the mechanical feline.“Don’t worry about it. Hey, robot cat, go away,” he said as he put it on the floor. “I don’t want to talk to you.”“I can’t leave your side once I sense sadness,” the programmed voice cheerfully replied. You could sense Seven’s frustration increasing by the second as he glared at the cat.“Meowy, let’s stay quiet for now,” you purred, your intuition telling you that the robot might listen to you instead. You were right.“That’s a voice I have to obey, meow! System shutting down!”The blue light of the cat’s eyes dimmed and you listened as the soft whirring of the robot faded into silence. You had no idea how Seven managed to program the cat to listen to your voice, but you smiled at the thought that he made it with you in mind. It was small gestures like this that made you fall for Seven in the first place, and now they instilled in you the resolve to not give up on him.He sighed again and ran a hand through his hair, your eyes unintentionally flicking to his arm as it flexed to do the motion. You hoped he didn’t notice your wandering gaze or notice the blush you felt warming your cheeks.“It’s finally quiet,” he said gratefully to you.You stared at him for a moment before responding, wanting to imprint his face into your memory… his tired eyes, his funky glasses, and his fiery hair. You memorized his prominent collarbones and the way his necklace sat on his chest. You remember Seven saying that he was far less attractive than Zen, and you disagreed. It was not that Zen wasn’t handsome, but there was something celestial about Seven that made him feel like he had his own gravitational pull on you. And you wanted so badly to breathe in his atmosphere.He just had to let you in first.“I read what happened with V in the messenger,” you started, trying to gauge his reaction to your presence, “It didn’t seem to go well. Are you alright?”Seven’s expression suddenly grew serious, and he gave you a look sterner than the one on his face when you took his floppy disk.“MC. I know it’s funny to tell you to listen to me after everything I said earlier, but you can’t trust V anymore, no matter what happens,” he asserted.You just nodded at him, half expecting him to shoo you away from him now. But to your surprise and relief, he continued.“Normally, an alarm goes off when you try to open the drawers here. But since I made the security system, I can turn it off, too. I’m certain he logged in because he found out that I’m here and got nervous that I would find whatever he’s hiding in this apartment.”“Are you planning on opening the drawers?”“I’ll open them someday, but I don’t think I could handle another big revelation right now. I can barely wrap my head around everything as is,” he confessed, looking to the left with his eyes and slightly shaking his head.“Seven, are you sure there’s nothing I can do to help?” you asked while resisting the urge to reach out and hold his hand to comfort him. “I can search the drawers or research Magenta or even help you work through your emotions.”“No,” he said curtly. “God, I made you worry again… I really should stop blabbing. I wish I could shut down instead of the robot cat. Don’t worry about the drawer or anything else, I’ll just take care of it.”“I can’t help but think that there’s something in there about Saeran, though.”Seven crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at you at the sound of his brother’s name. His tank top shifted just enough for you to see the cleavage of his chest, and you did your best not to stare. Why did he have to look so attractive when he was annoyed with you?“You can think whatever you want, but don’t think about it out of concern for me. And don’t even mention that name,” he said before pausing to think for a moment. “From now on, I think you should forget everything related to the RFA, including the party. You’ll only end up in more danger,” he concluded.You stared at him completely dumbstruck. How could he expect you to just forget about the RFA after everything you had gone through? Even if the RFA were to disband someday, you would remember your experiences with them for the rest of your life, and you adored each member the same way they seemed to adore you.“What? Why are you deciding my future for me?” you answered, not hiding the incredulous tone in your voice. “I’m fully capable of making my own decisions.”“I’m only telling you what to do because I know more than you do about this,” he said while raising an eyebrow at your stubbornness. “Ultimately, you can do what you want, but my opinion won’t change no matter what you say, even if you keep trying to get involved with me. And that won’t work either, by the way. From now on I’m only going to update you through the messenger if I have something to say.”His words stung, but you were growing used to his coldness. You knew that if Seven really cared that little about you, he wouldn’t have brought a robot cat that obeyed your voice. He wouldn’t have spent the last month calling you during any break he got from work. He wouldn’t have risked his life to save yours.This knowledge filled you with a fiery courage that you knew exactly how to channel.“Seven, I think you’re being too one-sided about this situation,” you began, then closed your eyes and took a deep breath. You had to tell him… he had to know how you felt before he had the chance to disappear from your life. Even if he did leave and forget about you, you at least wanted to say that you gave it your all.So you confessed.“What am I supposed to do about my feelings for you? I’ve had them since the day I joined the messenger, and they won’t just vanish when you ask me to leave you alone,” you admitted to him, pushing away any feelings of shyness that were creeping into your mind.Seven’s face was a mix of bewilderment and sorrow. His eyes, wider than you had ever seen them, glittered like pure gold behind his glasses, and his face turned a red that almost rivaled his hair. He used a hand to fiddle with his necklace, a habit he had that told you he was nervous. You figured that someone as intelligent as Seven would have expected you to admit your feelings for him, but he seemed completely taken aback.But just as quickly as he lost it, he regained his composure, and you felt the energy shift in the room. The tension was an unpleasant one. You braced yourself for his response as he slowly opened his mouth to speak.“I don’t care about your feelings, alright?” he raised his volume at you. But you were unflinching, it made sense to you that he would react emotionally. “They aren’t important right now! Think about the fact that you’ve been living with a bomb, all because you joined the RFA… all because of me. And the danger you’re in will only multiply by being with someone like me, do you understand?” he scolded you, his voice sounding exasperated.“I’m not stupid, Seven!” you shouted back. You didn’t care what he said to you, all that mattered was getting through to him. “I know it’s dangerous, and I don’t care! I want to be with you anyway.”“Are you kidding me?” he shook his head at you, looking at you like you were an alien from outer space that had just landed in front of him. “You should just be worried about staying alive. I don’t understand how you can talk about your emotions right now! If you got in danger again… I’d…” Seven trailed off. His eyebrows shifted so that he looked sorrowful instead of angry. It was so unmistakable that he worried for you, he just had to admit it to himself.“Seven,” you said gently. “I know you’re just pushing me away because you care about me. So please, please stop avoiding me.”He often found you funny, but weren’t expecting him to laugh at such a serious moment. And you normally loved the sound of his laughter, but this time it felt mocking, like he thought you were an idiot.“You’re free to think that. But seriously, after this is solved, we’ll never see each other again. Don’t waste your feelings on me. I don’t deserve them.”Oh. You realized he meant that you were an idiot for having feelings for him, and you felt your heart break a bit. It was incomprehensible to you that he couldn’t see how wonderful he was.“Well, whether or not you think you deserve them, you have them,” you stared up at him, letting your all of your feelings pour through your gaze and hoping that it would reach his heart.“Don’t look at me like that!” he pleaded, looking almost wounded by your words. The emotion swirling in his eyes betrayed the shaky anger in his voice. Suddenly, he closed his laptop and started frantically gathering his things into his bag as he muttered, “God… I’m going out in the hallway, and I’m not coming back ‘til you’re asleep. So sort out your emotions in the meantime.”You felt your hair swoosh as he brushed past you, moving quickly through the bedroom and making a left into the hallway where neither of you could see each other. Suddenly, you felt like you did when you first got led to the apartment by Unknown: confused, alone, and afraid. Seven’s presence, no matter how he was treating you at the time, had made you feel so safe. You knew he would never let any harm come your way again, and you missed that feeling as soon as he left.Your thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of your phone vibrating in your pocket. You forgot that the other RFA members would eventually also stumble upon the conversation between Seven and V. And you knew a certain blonde college student was going to feel quite validated. Opening the messenger, you joined the active chatroom.
Jaehee Kang: Hello, MC…
MC: Hi, Jaehee. I wish I knew what to say, this must be so hard for Seven.
Jaehee Kang: Of course, I’ve always felt there was a strong sense of trust between V and Luciel.
Yoosung has entered the chatroom
Yoosung: Jaehee! And MC!
MC: Hey Yoosung. Did you read what happened?
Yoosung: I did, I knew this day would come. But I didn’t expect V to doubt Seven about the drawer…
Jaehee Kang: I also thought he was weird to bring it up.
Yoosung: It’s so obvious he has something to hide. What in the world do you think is in the drawer?
MC: Some secret I’m sure, and I honestly think Seven should open it.
Yoosung: Yeah!
Jaehee Kang: I don’t know, what if we really do find personal letters?
Yoosung: Then we can put them back without reading them. He hid the fact that there’s a bomb in the apartment, so I don’t think we should respect him any longer.
MC: Well, we don’t have his explanation yet, so we shouldn’t immediately put full blame on him.
Jaehee Kang: I agree with MC.
Yoosung: Aren’t you guys being naïve? He got in touch with us so suddenly after days of being MIA, and then he ran away when Seven started interrogating him.
Jaehee Kang: Concerning the name “Saeran,” it is difficult to make a judgement without any information.
Yoosung: This is so frustrating. If we split up I’m going to side with Seven.
MC: I’m sure Seven doesn’t want the RFA to split up…
Jaehee Kang: I think we all feel the same. Luciel was emotional, but I doubt he wants the RFA to be in trouble.
Yoosung: The problem with the RFA would be solved if V just left the organization. Read the conversation Seven had with him again and be objective about it! This is V’s fault!
MC: Yoosung…
MC: Maybe you should try to rest and calm down a bit.
Yoosung: Okay
Yoosung: I’ll try.
Yoosung: MC, you’re beside Seven… please take good care of him.
Yoosung has left the chatroom
Jaehee Kang: God, I wish V would come home soon and explain everything face to face.
MC: What intrigues me most is that V was so flustered to hear the name Saeran.
Jaehee Kang: I agree that it was strange.
Jaehee Kang: But I have no idea who Saeran is, so thinking about it on my own won’t lead to any conclusions.
MC: You should go and rest, Jaehee. It’s late.
Jaehee Kang: You’re right. It’s best to rest instead of staying up thinking.
Jaehee Kang: You must be tired too, MC. Please get some sleep tonight. Goodnight.
Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom
If you were tired before all of this, then you were completely drained now. There was a part of you that wanted to cry, but the majority of you just wanted to sleep. You felt awful for Seven, who you knew was not going to rest even after receiving so much bad news in the span of hours. It was astonishing that he was able to function. You also felt a bit guilty for also causing him some emotional turmoil, but you could feel that with each reminder of how you cared about him, he would open up to you more.You turned off the lamp on the nightstand and flopped onto the bed, getting under the covers and immediately feeling overwhelmed with exhaustion. Normally, you would scroll on your phone or check the messenger before you fell asleep, but your eyes were impossible to keep open. Within minutes, reimagining how Seven’s arms felt on your body lulled you into slumber
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The floor of the hallway felt far less comfortable than the floor of the bedroom despite the fact that they were made of the same dark hardwood. There was no hall décor aside from a dim lamp adorning the beige wall Seven was facing, which barely illuminated his surroundings. He didn’t mind the feeble lighting; anything brighter would showcase the hacker’s pathetic state as he sat limply with his back against the wall. Even the dingy hallway seemed filled with more optimism than he was.Seven rarely felt jealous of Jumin, but he desperately craved the corporate heir’s ability to pause his emotions at a moment’s notice and under any conditions. He wondered if Jumin could remain collected if he randomly discovered that his estranged twin was brainwashed, a hacker, and hated his brother. Or if Jumin had to simultaneously push away the one person in his life that might be able to understand him. Seven concluded that the answer was probably yes to both questions. Well, maybe if Elly was the one who was brainwashed, Jumin would finally lose control. The thought gave him just a bit of comfort.All Seven could do was stare blankly at the screen of his laptop. The left half contained dozens of open tabs of research he had done into Magenta, and the right half was filled with green lines of code that glittered like emeralds in the dark. The most common phrases that would pop up as he ran searches through databases were “disciples” and “Mint Eye.” Clearly, whatever organization Saeran was hacking for was some kind of religious cult. And from the way Saeran talked about his savior and some kind of indoctrination training made Seven think that he was one of the disciples of the cult. What he didn’t understand was how V and Rika didn’t protect him from entering a goddamn cult. Or why that cult needed a hacker to go after the RFA. Or how they even knew about the RFA in the first place.Right now, though, he didn’t care about the answers to those questions. He only had one goal: get Saeran the hell out of whatever situation he was in. After completing all of the research, his next step was to formulate a plan to safely infiltrate the building. Seven had done this hundreds of times as a secret agent. All he could do remotely was locate satellites, extract data from them, identify visible security measures, and begin creating the building’s blueprint. He would have to extract more data when he got there and could attach wiring. If Saeran was also in charge of security, this was not going to be an easy mission, but he would do anything to save his brother.Although most satellite data isn’t encrypted, by the time he unlocked the more hidden information and transferred it onto his hardware, the time was nearing three in the morning. The one good thing about not being able to shut down his emotions like Jumin is that he could sometimes use his emotions to motivate himself. Knowing that he was working to rescue Saeran provided enough adrenaline for him to push through the exhaustion and sorrow he felt. The only thing the adrenaline did not help with was when Seven remembered the girl on the other side of the wall he leaned against.He hoped to God that she was asleep by now. But in all fairness, he couldn’t blame her if she was up crying instead of sleeping after the way he treated her a few hours ago. He couldn’t imagine how discouraging it must feel to confess your romantic feelings to someone just to have them say they didn’t care and would never see you again. And guilt burned like fire in Seven’s chest knowing that he actually did care, and that he felt just as strongly about her. All he wanted was to tell her that he loved the way she brought life to every room she walked into, that he loved how selfless she was, and that he loved when she teased him and made him feel like he was a kid again. But if lying to her ultimately would keep her safe, he would have to lie. No matter how badly it hurt.Seven tilted an ear to each shoulder as a feeble attempt to relieve some of the soreness he felt after craning his neck towards his screen for hours on end. Now that MC was most likely asleep, he decided that he could head back into the bedroom without upsetting either of them further. He shut his laptop as gently as possible, took off his headphones, and pressed an ear to the wall to listen into the bedroom. He was thrilled to hear silence. As he stood up, he barely stopped himself from yelping and spoiling the quiet as a shooting pain went down his back. Nobody should have back problems at the sprightly age of 22; sitting on the floor was really starting to catch up with him. Perhaps he should have made the robot cat a masseuse instead.Before walking into the main apartment, he thought to check the RFA messenger to ensure that she was not online, as it would be a dead giveaway that she was awake. To his relief, none of the members were active, but he did miss a conversation between MC, Jaehee, and Yoosung earlier in the evening. He cringed at the idea that Yoosung could say “I told you so” to everyone about V.Scanning the chatroom, he was grateful to see that Yoosung didn’t let his prediction boost his ego, and to Seven’s surprise, Yoosung was actually opting to side with Seven in the hypothetical that the RFA split up. He didn’t yet have the heart to explain to Yoosung that he was going to vanish from the RFA entirely. When he noticed that MC was still being unconditionally empathetic and supportive after he yelled at her, he closed the chatroom and shut off his phone. The only thing her actions did was give him hope, and hope wasn’t something he could permit himself to have right now.Seven took careful steps to the doorway and peeked his head around the corner to peer into the bedroom. It was dark aside from a small, moon-shaped night light that was plugged into an outlet in the corner he normally occupied. It illuminated the room just enough for him to see the outline of her sleeping form on the bed. The flame of guilt in his chest burned brighter at the thought that MC had put it out for him, and it reminded him of the many times he told her that he would take her to go see the moon with him. But the nightlight would have to suffice.Like one magnet being attracted to another, Seven found his body being pulled to the side of the bed without his mind realizing what he was doing. All he could do was stare at MC’s appearance with his envious, sleepless eyes and try to memorize her features. He had often joked to her that she was an angel to put up with the RFA’s antics, but now she really did look touched by heaven. Her expression was the very image of peace as she let out quiet breaths, and her hair formed a halo around her beautiful face. Seven stood above her silently for a few moments, resisting the urge to crawl into bed next to her but unable to leave her side.“Are you awake, MC?” he whispered before his logical half told him to stop.She did not reply, nor did she stir. Seven couldn’t help but take her silence as an invitation to continue.“It’s weird to see you so quiet after you spent all day trying to talk to me. I really can’t understand you at all. I do nothing but hurt your feelings and you still manage to be bright all the time.”Seven knew he was babbling, but he couldn't stop the words from pouring from his lips. This would be his only chance to tell her how he feels before he disappears.“Being here with you reminds me of the 707 I am in the messenger. You’re just like him, so cheery and funny. But I guess you and Saeyoung are nothing alike, then.”His name tasted unfamiliar and bitter on his tongue.“Saeyoung is so pessimistic and filled with darkness, and you deserve better than that. But I just can’t wear the mask of 707 anymore. Not after what happened. I want you to realize that I’m not as cool as you thought, be disappointed, and lose your feelings for me. I don’t want to put you in any more danger than you’re in.”Seven paused, making sure that his whispering was still not waking her up. When she still did not show any signs of consciousness, he sighed in relief.“I’ll probably have to hurt your feelings all over again tomorrow, though, because for some reason you never listen to me. It’s so strange... No, that’s not true. You’re not the strange one, I am. You’re actually just warm and kind. It makes me dream that someday you’d accept the real me, which I know is ridiculous. But thank you for at least giving me something to dream about.”He felt hot tears streaming down his face, but he had no energy to stop them from falling. His emotions always ran stronger at night, and he had no eyes on him to stop him from letting them out.“MC. Don’t trust anyone in the RFA, not even me. And stop being so nice to me; you’ll be less hurt when I disappear. Letting me protect you, even if just for a short moment in your life, is far more than I deserve. It is enough for Saeyoung,” he finally choked out.He took off his glasses and used the sleeve of his hoodie to wipe the wetness from his cheeks before turning to go gather his things from the hallway. Too exhausted to sustain his usual stubbornness, he set up his equipment at the kitchen table instead of the floor to give his back and neck some relief. Seven also went to his corner to pick up the many empty chip bags and soda cans he had left sprawled about, as well as the mostly untouched meals that MC would leave for him. The bedroom instantly looked about ten times neater, and Seven put his hands on his hips in satisfaction with his work. But his eyes were drawn to the nightlight, which he took from the wall and placed in an outlet near the table instead.Opening his laptop, he started to analyze the photos of the building in which the Mint Eye was based. Fittingly, the roof was a mint green color, starkly contrasting the white pillars that made the complex look almost like a castle in the mountains. The building itself was beautifully constructed, but far larger than Seven expected, which would make his job harder. He identified security cameras and guards in the images, but they were not present in excess, making him believe that most of the security measures were not physical. Seven felt himself growing sleepier, but still attempted to form a map of the castle. Two security cameras, three…
Four, five…
…Six…
Seven jolted awake to the sight of the kitchen table but didn’t feel its hardness on his head. Sitting up quickly, he realized it was broad daylight now in the apartment, and he could see a pillow in front of his laptop with the indent of his face in it. His glasses were folded neatly next to the pillow. Shit. What time was it? Seven tapped frantically on his phone screen to turn it on and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. 10:02 am. God, he was such an idiot for letting himself fall asleep and wasting precious time that he could have used to finish his research. At this rate, he would not be prepared to leave until tomorrow morning. He ignored the small part of him that was excited to have one last day in MC’s presence.He put his glasses back on, a bit embarrassed that MC must have taken them off of him when she brought over a pillow for him. He then shifted his position slightly so that he could see into the bedroom from the corner of his eye. MC must have noticed his movement, because she looked up from her phone and waved at him with a cheerful ‘good morning.’ Seven felt his face redden before he turned to her and gave her a quick nod before looking back at his phone. He had a hunch that she was in the messenger, and upon checking, he confirmed his suspicions. She was having a conversation with Yoosung, and against his better judgment, Seven decided to join.
MC: Seven! How’s work going?
It wouldn’t be MC if she weren’t still kind to him after he treated her so poorly the night before.
707: Hi, MC.
707: It’s going well.
Yoosung: Seven!! How’s your sanity? Okay?
707: Yeah, don’t worry about me.
707: Just be careful.
Yoosung: And hey, MC.
MC: Hi Yoosung!
MC: You understand how Seven feels right now, right?
She was always the one to make sure everyone else was being empathetic towards Seven. Her thoughtfulness was absolutely unrelenting, and it was starting to really drain him of his determination to avoid her.
Yoosung: Of course! I understand there’s something more important than the party right now.
Yoosung: Is there anything I can do to help catch the hacker?
Seriously? What could a blonde gaming addict possibly do? Yoosung was too innocent and optimistic for his own good. If he had to encounter Saeran, he would most certainly get hurt if not killed. His LOLOL skill tree was going to be null and void in a real confrontation.
707: No.
Yoosung: But it could give clues to why Rika committed suicide!
707: I appreciate it, but it’s better if you’re not involved in the RFA anymore.
MC: There’s really nothing we can help with?
Yoosung: Yeah, I mean it Seven, I can put myself at risk to find the truth!
707: I’m sorry to break your enthusiasm, but this isn’t just dangerous anymore.
707: The RFA is completely buried in V’s secrets that nobody else should discover.
Yoosung: I can handle it. I’m stronger than you think.
707: I said I don’t need your help.
Yoosung: I know I won’t be a huge help, but there has to be something I can do.
Yoosung: Can’t I go to the apartment too?
MC: I don’t think that’s a good idea…
Yoosung: Why? Wouldn’t you be safer with two guardians?
Seven was really starting to get mad now. Yoosung knew absolutely nothing about the situation and still wanted to face danger for no reason. It was Seven’s fault that this situation was happening in the first place, and he was going to solve it alone and disappear before he caused anyone else more pain.
707: You’re being pathetic. This isn’t just about the RFA anymore, I’m looking for my brother.
Yoosung: Well that’s all the same right now.
Yoosung: We have to help each other get through this!
707: I don’t want help from anyone in the RFA.
707: Besides, I’m planning to leave the RFA as soon as MC’s safety is secured.
Seven heard MC gasp from the bedroom. He had almost completely forgotten that she was right there the entire time. He kept his face straight ahead, knowing that he couldn’t handle seeing how hurt and surprised she must look.
Yoosung: Wait
Yoosung: What?
MC: Seven, are you serious?
Yoosung: What’s up with you?
Yoosung: You’re just upset with V right?
707: No, it’s not that simple. I had already decided to leave, I meant to tell everyone soon.
Yoosung: Seven, ever since Rika passed, I hated V too.
Yoosung: So I sincerely understand how you feel.
He rolled his eyes. Nobody could ever understand how he felt.
Yoosung: But leaving the RFA… does that mean you’ll never talk to us?
707: Yes. I’m going to forget everyone here.
MC: What? You’re going to forget me too?
No. He would never forget MC. Her smile would always shed warmth on his memories. But he didn’t want her to know that, as any indication that he liked her would just fuel her determination, so he opted to dodge the question.
707: I told you from the start that I’m going to leave as soon as you’re safe.
Yoosung: You’re scaring me, Seven.
Yoosung: What’s wrong with you?
707: I should’ve made it clear from the start that this would happen.
707: It’s always been this way, I’ve always been like this.
Yoosung: Seriously, I’m getting mad.
Yoosung: I get that you’re upset with V…
707: It’s not just that.
707: I can’t have an identity, so I can never have friends.
Yoosung: So all the time we spent together was just temporary?
707: Yes.
MC: You’re being a bit harsh, Seven...
He could feel her eyes on him from the other room, daring him to look back at her. He didn’t. He couldn’t.
Yoosung: So the times we drove in your fancy cars and went to the movies were all just temporary to you?
707: Correct. They’ll all just be meaningless memories to me.
Yoosung: I can't believe this. Why are you only thinking of yourself?
707: You have to sort out your own emotions, and I will too.
Yoosung: This is ridiculous.
Yoosung: Why can’t you just admit that you’re upset with V?
707: Because it’s not just that?
707: There’s no use in explaining. I was supposed to eventually disappear from the start.
MC: Seven, do my feelings for you actually mean nothing?
707: No, they don’t.
Yoosung: Seven! How could you say that to her?
Seeing Yoosung mention how rude Seven was being to her affected him more than he thought it was going to. So far he had just been curt to her in the messenger and more honest to her face, but he was completely shutting her down in front of the RFA now. He turned in his chair so he was facing away from MC now, feeling incredibly guilty for rejecting her feelings in public.
Yoosung: Who are you..? What the hell do you do?
707: You never knew anything about me.
707: My parents
Absent.
Yoosung: Why are you deciding this on your own?
707: Where I was born
Born out of wedlock. Nobody knows.
707: What I do at the intelligence agency
If someone found out, he would be killed.
Yoosung: I don’t, but I thought I understood you anyway!
Yoosung: I guess I was wrong.
707: Yeah, you were.
Yoosung: The Seven I knew was weird but also bright and fun.
Yoosung: And he always made time to care for us no matter how much work he had.
707: I’m not that person. I said it was all temporary.
Yoosung: You even secretly helped Zen get famous!
707: So what?
Yoosung: So what??
Yoosung: Unless you erase my memories, I will never be able to forget you!
MC: Yoosung…
MC: I won’t be able to forget you either, Seven.
He couldn’t read this anymore. They would never be able to understand that he is not blessed with a life that allows for personal relationships. He thought of his college friends, the people he met at grocery stores, Agent Vanderwood. None of these people ever got to know Saeyoung, and nobody ever will.
Yoosung: I’m so jealous of you that you can just forget about us and have a good life when we can’t.
707: Yoosung.
Yoosung: It hurts so much.
707: MC.
707: Stop it, both of you.
707: You can never understand me.
With shaky hands, Seven closed the chatroom. Not wanting to give himself even a moment to think, he put on his headphones and turned on the noise canceling before opening his laptop. Seven didn’t want to acknowledge the conversation that just occurred or the fact that he could hear MC comforting Yoosung on the phone over his music. He would have to find comfort in his bed of programming language and security systems and blueprints. Seven allowed his fingers to find their usual rhythm on his keyboard and left no room in his mind to think about anything but Magenta.He had no idea how much time had passed until a flash of white in his peripheral startled him out of his working trance. Seven moved his yellow irises to the left to see the white robot cat staring back at him with its glowing cobalt eyes. Before he had a chance to react, the cat’s mechanical voice rang out:
“Cheer up, meow! You’re with the person you like, meow!”
He glared at the feline, too flustered and annoyed by its intrusion to recognize that the cat had just exposed his feelings for MC within her earshot.“Why is this on again...” He mumbled to himself and picked up the robot, turning it upside down in an attempt to locate its power switch.
“I turn on when I sense depression! You’re with the person you like meow! You like meow! You like meow! You like meow!”
Each repeated phrase from his creation was a punch to Seven’s gut. Any other guy would be more than thrilled to be stuck in an apartment with the girl he was crushing on, especially if that girl liked him back. But for Seven it was the opposite of comfort. All it did was remind him that he had to abandon his favorite person in less than 24 hours. Abandon their late night calls, inside jokes, mutual interests, wonderful conversations. Abandon the only person who seemed to understand him in a world where he was destined to be misunderstood.“Damn it. Damn it! Shut up!”Completely drained of patience, Seven threw the robot cat as hard as he could, which hit the floor with a loud clang. The pieces of its white body scattered across the floor of the living area as he heard the voice box of the cat let out a final, depressing ‘bzzrt.’ Seven buried his hands in his hair, resting his elbows on the table and staring straight down as he took deep breaths to try to collect himself. The anger swimming in his ears muffled the sound of MC’s approaching footsteps, but her voice cut straight through his frenzied thoughts.“The cat, I think it’s broken,” she observed, her voice tinged with sadness and concern. “Can I fix it? I really liked it.”“Just leave it. It’s useless,” Seven replied, refusing to look up at her. “I’ll trash it later, I’ll be leaving soon anyway.”“Seven, I’m sure you’re just a bit upset about the conversation with Yoosung. It’s okay to be frustrated, but that doesn’t mean we should throw the cat away.”“It’s none of your business how I feel. You had no way of knowing it, but this is how I always am. Can’t you see that all the jokes, the pranks we pulled, the laughs... that they were all a lie? Don’t think about me, just protect yourself!”He could feel his voice increasing in volume and starting to shake as he finally stood up and turned to face her. What shocked him was that he was met with the most determined expression he had ever seen. There was a glint of inspiration in her eye and an aura around her that overpowered him, and he could feel it cracking the walls he put up around his heart, even if those cracks were microscopic in size.“I can protect myself just fine, I’m pretty strong,” she grinned and mock flexed her biceps at him from under her cream sweater.“You’ll really be in danger with that attitude. You’re just like Yoosung, you don’t have a care in the world regardless of what’s going on.”“That’s not true,” her expression grew serious again. “I think about you because I like you!”Her words sent a shiver down his spine. She was so direct. The fissures in his walls were growing, and his emotions were starting to sprinkle out of them the way water forced its way through cracks in a dam.“How many times do I have to repeat myself? I can’t be with you. We can’t be anything together.”“Why not? Why can’t we just try?”The cracks spread once more.“Because everything around me is an illusion in the temporary life of Agent 707. My cars, this apartment, you. Everything will fade away soon like the morning fog. I can’t ever have possessions. And I can't ever have you, no matter how much you say you like me.”“But-”“No. You don’t know how it feels to live this kind of life. Don’t be kind to me when you don’t know the truth about me. Seriously, just leave me alone. The person you like is the 707 you met in the chatroom, not me!”“Then please, please let me understand the person in front of me!”The walls came tumbling down.Before he could stop her, MC took three quick steps forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and pressed one side of her face to his chest. He stood still in shock for a moment, arms shakily hovering around her, before he finally returned her embrace. Seven put one arm around her delicate waist and used the other to cradle the back of her head. She smelled amazing, and her hair was softer than he could have imagined. Her touch overwhelmed his senses. It had been years since had gentle physical contact, and the shock to his system instantly brought tears to his eyes.“MC... why are you doing this to me?” he choked out. “I told you it doesn’t matter what you say. My existence was a mistake from the moment I was born. I couldn’t protect my only brother, and now I have to abandon the person I like. My life is good for nothing, and I want to protect you from being involved in that kind of life. Why can’t you just understand me?”“Don’t say that about yourself. If you were never born I would never have had the pleasure of knowing you. I like whatever version of you is in front of me, no matter how complicated his past was or his present is.”Seven felt himself start to cry harder. He didn’t have the energy to care about how pathetic he must seem to MC. Throughout his entire life, he truly believed that nobody would ever care about him, especially after he and Saeran were separated. And never in a million years did he think a person as wonderful as MC would be the one to prove him wrong. “MC, please don’t do this. Please. I...” he stuttered through sobs. “I do care for you. I want to be the person to make you happy, but I can’t! And I just can’t understand why you want to be with me when I’m so dangerous. Why do you even like me?”Seven loosened his grip on her as he felt her take a step back, sliding her hands down his arms to take each of his hands in her own. He was grateful she didn’t let go, because he thought he might fall over if she did. MC gazed up at him, an emotion in her eyes that he didn’t fully understand, but he could feel her intention nonetheless.“Why do I like you? Well, for starters, you’re the smartest person I’ve ever met. I love listening to you talk about the latest contraption you’ve been working on, and you’re so observant it’s a bit scary. But you’re also incredibly kind. I had no idea you were the reason Zen is becoming famous! And you did it without even telling him. Oh, and not to mention that you’re so funny. You’re always brightening everyone’s day with your wittiness. Especially mine. The cherry on top is that you’re incredibly attractive, too. I like how you look with and without glasses,” she admitted sheepishly.All Seven could do was stare at her in disbelief.She really did like him, and not just in a “Hey, this guy is kinda funny!” way. He was flooded with memories of the times they had spent together. The time he called her at two in the morning and made her look at the moon so he could describe what craters she was looking at. Or when she called him and asked him to play Simon Says as he watched her in the hallway CCTV footage, and she lost almost immediately. Or when he promised to take her on a car ride and she said she’d make the perfect playlist for it, and he listened to the entire thing while he worked.The two of them would make a great couple.“You’re impossible, MC,” he sighed and shook his head in resignation. “You’re so strange. Why aren’t you getting hurt and giving up on our relationship? What are you gonna do if something happens to you because of me?”“I’m okay with whatever happens, I promise. I won’t ever regret having feelings for you.”He stared at her again, out of arguments to convince her to leave him alone. Even someone as stubborn as himself knew that he lost this battle.“Fine. Do what you want. It’s clear I can’t push you away. Still, nothing good can possibly come out of trying to be close to me. And it’ll be too late to regret it when it happens.”“Again, there’s no way I’ll regret being with you. Not when I like you this much.”“How do you say things like that so easily?”“Like what?”“That you like me.”“Because I do! I don’t just go around saying it to people, either. I’m just being honest with you about how I feel.”Seven felt his face get hot and hoped MC didn’t notice.“Damn. Why are you making this so difficult for me? I told myself I would never let myself even want to get to know someone, but you make that so hard. God, what am I supposed to do?”“Maybe you just should take some time to think about everything. And about how I feel about you,” she said with a smile, and he could have sworn there was a hint of satisfaction tugging at her lips.“Yeah, alright. I need time,” Seven agreed.“Then I’ll wait.”“Thank you.”MC gave his hands a quick squeeze of encouragement before she turned and went into the bathroom. A few moments later he heard the water start to run for a shower. It was nice of her to give him space, because he really did have a lot of thinking to do.He sat at the kitchen table, and instead of opening up his research on his laptop, he actually powered it down. Seven just wanted to close his eyes and organize his thoughts instead. He was normally so analytical and logical, but after the many emotionally tumultuous events in the last few days, he was having a very difficult time thinking rationally. He then realized that he should probably meditate before trying to come to any conclusions. So he did, taking deep and slow breaths while clearing his mind as best he could.Seven was surprised that it worked. He felt much better.Well, if he had one fact to base a decision off of, it was that MC seemed utterly certain about her feelings for him, and those feelings could not be swayed by his behavior. She cared for him regardless of how many times he pushed her away or hurt her feelings. In that case, it was likely that she would be willing to get to know Saeyoung, too, not just Seven and Luciel. He felt butterflies in his stomach at the thought of her using his real name.What would the worst-case scenario be? The intelligence agency discovers his affinity for MC, captures her, and tortures her to get information out of him? Yeah, besides straight up murdering her, that would be the worst. The sexiest man on earth wouldn’t be worth agency torture. But, excluding Saeran, Seven has never been successfully caught or traced by anyone. Other agencies have never outsmarted his work, nor has an independent hacker. And he would be more than willing to put in the work to ensure no harm ever came to MC.He had so much trauma in his life, though. Seven knew full well that being abandoned by his father and starved by his mother would lead to some issues in his relationships, let alone the fact that he wasn’t even be allowed to make a close friendship due to his occupation. Someone as perfect as MC deserved a partner who would treat her like the angel she was, and Seven was scared that he wouldn’t be able to do that for her.She did ask why they couldn’t at least try. Maybe she was right. If he really was a terrible boyfriend and she didn’t like him as much as she thought she would, she could just break up with him. Or if he felt like he was being too cruel to her, he could also end the romance between them and remain as a friend.Seven couldn’t believe he was even considering letting someone get to know him. If someone had told him a month ago that he was thinking about what it would be like to be MC’s boyfriend, he would just make a joke that she was his 606 and they communicated in binary code. If you had said it to him just a day ago, he probably would have thrown another robot cat on the floor. But now? It really felt like he had a chance at a new life.If he were to try to be something with MC, it wasn’t going to be easy. She would have to be patient as he opened up to her, look past all of his many flaws, handle his outbursts, and potentially be put in immediate danger. And he would have to work endlessly to make sure nothing ever happened to her by being a part of his life.But if anyone could handle it, it was MC.Maybe he should let her try.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
If you were any less afraid of slipping on the wet floor and hitting your head, you would be dancing in the shower. So in an effort to maintain the safety Seven had worked so hard to preserve for you, you opted to pump your fists in excitement instead.Your tenacity had proven worthwhile. Although it had taken days of convincing, your impromptu roommate finally acknowledged that his hostility could not push you away. And your stomach did cartwheels each time you remembered that he admitted his feelings for you. It was okay with you if he ultimately decided that the only part of him that liked you was his 707 persona; what truly mattered was that he understood that you cared about him. The real him. Though, if you were completely honest with yourself, you really hoped the real him liked you, too.For now, you took a leisurely shower in an effort to give Seven some time to be alone with his thoughts. The strawberry scent of your shampoo filled your head as you washed your hair and put in a deep conditioning treatment. You washed and exfoliated your body, then put on a silent performance as you lip synced to music at your audience of bathroom tiles. After rinsing your hair, you finally shut off the water and wrapped a clean, fluffy towel around your torso. Walking over to the sink, you wiped the moisture from the mirror and stared at yourself for a moment.You couldn’t wipe the smile off of your face.Feeling refreshed, you reentered the bedroom to make the bed and organize a bit before officially starting your day, but there was far less cleaning to be done than you had anticipated. Upon waking up this morning, the first thing you had noticed was that Seven no longer occupied his usual corner, sending you into a state of panic until you realized he was at the kitchen table. You were relieved that he had finally given up on his mission to remain on the floor, but even more grateful for the sight of him sleeping peacefully (and drooling slightly, which you would never tell him you saw). But now you were also appreciative that he cleaned up the ring of junk that normally orbited him.All you had to do was tuck in sheets and blankets and fluff a few pillows before the bed looked pristine, and you threw random articles of clothing into the laundry basket before determining that the room was adequately clean. You peered into the kitchen as you put in your earbuds and saw that Seven was back to doing work at his laptop, looking far less distraught than he had earlier in the morning. This was comfort enough to you, but you were completely reassured when he looked up to softly smile at you when you walked into the kitchen to make lunch. You hoped he didn’t see your cheeks redden at his gaze.The rainy weather and difficult situation at hand had you in the mood for comfort food, so you began to make an uncomplicated soup dish. You chopped vegetables to the beat of your music before sauteing them and working on the broth for the soup. The kitchen itself seemed to transform into a cozy environment as you cooked, the aroma of the dish wrapping around you like a warm blanket.“That smells so good.”Seven’s voice interrupted you from your trance, and you turned your head to face him as you stirred the broth in the pot. He was observing you from his seat, his golden eyes trained on you the way a cat watches the movements of its favorite toy. A slight smile graced his lips, one that would be unnoticeable to someone not paying attention. Even though you had already admitted your feelings for him, having his attention still gave you butterflies.“Thank you,” you said as you turned to face the stovetop again. “I made plenty, so please have some.”“Thanks, I’ll eat if I have a minute to spare.”“You better!”You dipped your mixing spoon into the soup and lifted it to your mouth to taste it, and deciding that it was thoroughly seasoned, you put two servings into bowls. After dropping one off next to Seven, who nodded at you in appreciation, you walked back into the bedroom to eat yours. You scrolled on your phone as you had your lunch atop the bed, just enjoying the light of what was now the early afternoon. Social media eventually bored you, so you did what you always did when you ran out of ideas to keep yourself busy. Thankfully, Jaehee was already online in the messenger, and you could certainly use some girl-talk.
Jaehee Kang: MC, hello. How is Seven doing?
MC: Still working!
MC: He’s not really saying much, but I think he’s sorting out his emotions.
Jaehee Kang: I sincerely hope he doesn’t do anything drastic.
MC: Even if we do have the party, Seven won’t be there, right?
Jaehee Kang: It would be awkward for Luciel to attend at this point.
Jaehee Kang: I don’t know what I can say to help him, but I hope he never decides to part ways with us. We will not have a person in charge of security, but it will also feel very empty.
MC: I thought you generally reacted pretty coldly to Seven’s jokes?
Jaehee Kang: That is true, but I never disliked him.
MC: Perhaps that might’ve created a misunderstanding.
Jaehee Kang: Yes, I feel very guilty.
Jaehee Kang: Anyway, in my opinion, I think it’s because of what is happening right now that Luciel decided to leave.
Jaehee Kang: So please cheer him up MC. I trust that everything will be fine if you do.
MC: Don’t worry, Seven will come around! And I’ll do my best to make sure that happens.
Jaehee Kang: Thank you. Please take good care of him.
Jaehee Kang: I’ll be back soon.
Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom
Well, there goes that method of passing the time. Having been splayed about sideways on the bed as you texted, you sat up and spun around so that you could see into the other room. Seven was still at the table, his laptop in front of him, but he was no longer typing on it or even looking at the screen. Instead, in one of his hands was an electronic box tangled with wires and in the other was a small screwdriver. He stared quizzically at the device as if he were doing a puzzle, looking very cute with his eyebrows furrowed.When you took out your earbuds you could hear that Seven was mumbling to himself as he worked, which you also found endearing. But the fact that he wasn’t actively doing research was also a signal to you that he might be open to talking to you, as it had been a few hours since you gave him space. You swung your legs and hopped off the bed, stretching for a moment before walking out of the bedroom and towards your favorite RFA member.“Was this bolt in 42? No, it was 43. Get your shit together, man,” you heard Seven mutter as you pulled out a chair to sit across the table from him.“Hi Seven, what are you up to?” you said with a smile as he looked up to meet your eyes. His looked brighter than you had ever seen since he arrived.“Hm? Oh, I’m just fixing the robot I broke. If something ever happened to me, at least the cat could talk to you.”You watched as Seven placed the box and screwdriver on the table to pick up something from his lap. He revealed the partially broken cat, which now had its head secured back in place. It seemed like it only needed a few minor adjustments before it was back to its original state. You knew he was the one who designed it, but you were still impressed at how quickly he was fixing it. Seven really was a genius.“Can you talk while you work? I’d like to chat with you,” you requested.One corner of his mouth turned up to form his signature lopsided smirk, and his eyes glittered with amusement at your question.“At this point I’m not even surprised to hear you say that. You really can’t be discouraged, huh?”“Nope.”He laughed, the sound of it reminiscent of the way he used to laugh at your jokes over the phone, and suddenly, all of the turmoil you experienced was worth it. You would sacrifice anything to ensure that the rest of his days were full of genuine laughter.“I usually don’t talk while I work,” he admitted. “But I guess I could think of a topic.”Seven used one hand to tap a finger on his lips, a pensive expression on his face as you waited for his idea.“What about the security system? I could explain all of it, but the jargon is boring and complicated. I’d tell you anything I know, though.”“Anything?”“Yes.”You hesitated a moment, wanting to ask him about himself but unsure if it was safe to bring up sensitive topics so soon. But you had gotten one foot into the doorway of his world, and you had no intention of losing that momentum.“Then could you tell me about the other hacker? Your brother?” you kept your voice soft as you asked.Sadness washed over Seven’s face, his eyes wide and glassy, and for a moment you regretted asking about his sibling. You were about to take back your question when Seven sighed.“Saeran? God,” he ran a hand through his hair and briefly looked down at the table. “I guess there’s no point in keeping secrets now. Remember that floppy disk from yesterday?”You couldn’t help but shudder. You would remember that disk forever.“I remember.”“Well, come here. I’ll show you what’s on it.”Seven cocked his head towards the desk behind him where you had originally tried to enter the disk then stood up from his seat. You mimicked his action and followed him to the computer, where he pulled out the chair and motioned for you to sit down. You realized that, now that he wasn’t pushing you away, he was quite the gentleman, and it flustered you a bit. But what really flustered you was when he leaned over you to use the keyboard and mouse and put an arm on the back of your chair to steady himself. Although you had hugged before, it felt strange to be so casually close to one another.You watched Seven as he opened the file in the floppy disk and pulled up a bunch of photos onto the monitor. All of them contained a boy that looked how you imagined Seven would have looked as a child: big, amber eyes and the same unkempt hair. The boy had a serene expression on his face in almost every image.“The boy in these photos is Saeran,” Seven explained. “He was probably about 16 in these, but he never went to high school because he got sick so often.”“Wow. You two look so similar.”You ignored the fact that the Saeran you had just seen now had bright turquoise eyes and white hair.“Well, that’s because we’re twins. But, even though we look alike, our personalities were so different.”“Really?”“Mhm. I was optimistic and high energy, but Saeran was barely able to leave home. The household we grew up in was very complicated, which didn’t help his health.”You nodded, not wanting to speak as a silent encouragement for Seven to keep talking. Thankfully, your good karma had not run out, and he continued.“Our father is actually one of the presidential candidates right now. He was always an outwardly honorable man, but he had twins out of wedlock with my mother. She ended up asking for his money in return for her keeping quiet about us. That’s why she never let us leave the house… we were just weapons against our dad to her. He even tried to kidnap us a few times. And on top of all of that, our mom was an alcoholic and half insane.”“So if your mom stopped you from leaving the house, how did you end up working as a secret agent? And you went to college, right?”“I was the healthier twin, so I was the one who was sent out for errands when her alcoholism debilitated her. Eventually, I memorized her behavior patterns and figured out when I could sneak out without her realizing.”You weren’t surprised to hear that he was memorizing behavior patterns as a child.“That’s how I met Rika. I got some schooling at the church they went to, and they realized I was really good at math and technology. I ended up getting baptized there and picking the name Luciel.”“Why did you pick Luciel? It kind of sounds like...”“Lucifer? Yes, but the name actually means ‘light-bringing.’ It may be a bit strange to name myself after the angel that became the devil, but to me it’s a reminder to stay on the right path.”“That’s a lovely reason.”“Thank you. V was the one who helped me create a new identity under Luciel so that I could go abroad and get actual schooling. But no matter how hard I tried, there was no plan that let me save Saeran. The only reason I left was because V and Rika promised to take care of him. Now I feel like an idiot. And I’ve missed Saeran so much since the moment we had to part ways.”“Seven, I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that. I can’t imagine how you must be feeling right now.”“Don’t worry about it. Secret agents aren’t supposed to have any sad backstory that ties them to this world. But I could never fully let go of the memories of my brother. The only reason I have these photos is because I begged Rika for them, so she sent me this disk for my 20th birthday…”Seven trailed off, and you turned to see him staring wistfully at the computer screen, a clear look of longing on his face. But at your movement, he blinked and took out the floppy disk from the computer. You watched as he backed away from the desk and leaned against the kitchen table, and you spun around in the chair to face him.“I didn’t realize how long I had been talking. I’m sorry,” he said with an embarrassed look.“No, you didn’t go on too long at all. I can listen for as long as you need.”“You’re so kind. Let’s stop talking about Saeran, though, I really only wanted to share a little bit about him.”“Of course. We can talk about anything you want.”He smiled at you, and you looked at each other in silence for a moment. The apartment suddenly felt too small for the both of you.“You know what’s funny? Talking to you a little just makes me want to talk more. I’ve never really had that happen to me.”“Discussing your emotions and experiences usually helps you feel better, so that makes sense. Thank you for talking to me.”“No, don’t thank me! I should thank you for listening to my story. V was the only one who knew it, which is probably why I trusted him so blindly, but I’m glad there’s someone else who knows the truth about me,” Seven shrugged.“I’m honored to be the second person to know. And I promise I’ll take your secrets seriously. I really do want to get to know you.”Seven’s expression suddenly shifted into an intense gaze, one you hadn’t seen before.“MC, I’m going to try to figure out what happened to my brother, and discover any other secrets that V has been hiding. Were you serious when you said you wanted to stay with me no matter how complicated it was?”“Yes. I really meant it. I know you told me that getting to know you would put me in danger, but you’re worth that to me.”He frowned and rolled his eyes, but you could have sworn you saw a bit of pinkness to his cheeks that wasn’t there before.“God, you gotta stop saying things that fluster me. But, will you… will you stay with me when I go find out what happened to Saeran? It won’t be easy, and you’re free to leave when everything is safe, but-”“Of course I will,” you interrupted him. “I’ll be by your side the whole time.”“Thank you. No matter what happens when we go, I want you to know that I won’t forget about you. I was lying when I said I could forget you and the rest of the RFA, and I’m sorry for that.”“I forgive you. I understand why you felt like you had to.”Seven sat up and took a step towards you before reaching out his hands to help you out of the desk chair. You obliged and put a hand into each of his, allowing yourself to enjoy the electricity coursing through you at the physical contact and to enjoy the warmth of his hands. Just as you were about to let go, however, he squeezed your hands tighter, and you looked at him in surprise. Seven was looking down at you, pupils wide and lips slightly parted.“MC.”“Is everything okay?” you squeaked, feeling incredibly nervous under his stare.“I really like you, too.”The world felt like it vanished around you, and all you could hear was Seven’s voice and your heartbeat in your ears. If Seven wasn’t holding onto your hands, you surely would have needed to sit down.“I’m sorry for pretending like I didn’t. I just, I would feel terrible if something happened to you because of me. Good people like you should stay in this world and do good things. But I shouldn’t try to deny the connection we have any longer, it’s not fair to either of us. And... I want to give this a try. This as in us.”“Do you really mean that?” you tried to hide the excitement in your voice. You were stunned that he had completely changed his mind since last night, and although you were thrilled, you wanted to make sure he wasn’t making any rash decisions.“Yes. The issue was never that I didn’t like you. Honestly, I have since the day you came into the messenger. I just thought my life would never allow someone to enter it. I wish our relationship could be one where I’d ask you on a date to the movies, and I’m sorry it won’t be like that right away. And I’m sorry that being with me could mean something happens to you.”“I don’t mind at all, Seven. I’m just thankful for the chance to get to know you and support you through whatever’s to come.”“You’re an angel, MC. I’m so sorry that I hurt you so many times since I got to your apartment. It killed me to ignore you and only talk to you rudely. I wanted to protect you, but I just ended up hurting both of us.”“Please stop apologizing,” you said as you squeezed his hands in reassurance, and he looked like he might cry again. “It’s really okay. Plus… I think I know how you could make it up to me.”“Really? As long as it doesn’t put us in any more danger, I’d do anything.”“Kiss me.”Seven looked absolutely starstruck at your words. His face changed color to match his hair as he nervously shifted his weight between his legs.“What? Do you actually want me to do that? Not that I don’t want to, I’ve been imagining doing it for weeks, but already…?”You answered his questions by letting go of his hands and grabbing the collar of his hoodie. Mustering all of your confidence, you shut your eyes tight and pulled his face to yours to connect your lips. Within seconds, you felt him kiss you back. The fireworks you had been stifling for days were now exploding within you, and all you could see was glittering colors.You felt Seven use a hand to take off his glasses and put them on the table as placed his free hand on the small of your back, pulling you closer to his body. His lips were slightly chapped, but overall soft as they melted into yours. You wrapped your arms around his neck and resisted the urge to tangle your hands in his wavy hair when you felt him smile against your lips. He used the same hand that removed his glasses to hold your cheek, and you felt his thumb caress it gently as he deepened the kiss, and you felt a knot of desire twist in the pit of your stomach. How was he so good at this?Out of air, you begrudgingly pulled away from Seven and felt him do the same once your arms unlinked from his neck. You shakily caught your breath as you were met with Seven’s face, cheeks flushed and lips pink, no glasses to conceal the emotion in his eyes. You really did love his glasses, but he looked absolutely incredible without them, too. He was looking at you the same way you assumed you were staring at him.Then Seven broke out into a wide grin, one that was just as lopsided and utterly charming as the smirk you had grown accustomed to. His smile was so infectious that you felt yourself grinning back at him just moments later.“Wow,” he started. “I think I made a good choice.”“I think you did too,” you hummed, before angry ruby eyes flashed in your mind. “Oh god.”“What, what? Did I do something?” Seven’s smile instantly faded.“Zen is going to kill you.”Seven began to mouth the word ‘what,’ but raised his eyebrows in realization before he could finish speaking. He laughed, and you smiled wider knowing he was slowly starting to seem back to his usual, positive self.“Good thing Zen doesn’t know the address to this apartment,” Seven said with a wink.God, that wink gave you butterflies. All you could do was nod in response, afraid you would stutter if you tried to speak. Seven gave a knowing look, only making you more flustered, before picking up his glasses from the table and putting them back on his nose.“Unfortunately, I need to get back to work,” he said apologetically. “I want to leave for Magenta by tomorrow morning. You should also spend some time packing today in case the journey is longer than I expect.”“Okay, I can bring things for you to use too so don’t worry about packing. Just focus on the research you have to do.”“You’re the best. I do want to do one thing before I start, though. Come sit on the couch with me.”You walked together to the other side of the room and across from one another on the sofa, crossing your legs. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and asked you to do the same.“I need to apologize to Yoosung,” he admitted sheepishly. “It would help me if you’re there too.”“Of course.”
707: Hey hey
MC: This is quite the change lol
707: I’m trying to be positive!
707: I have something to say to Yoosung. I’d call him but the phone might be bugged.
MC: An apology?
707: Correct!
707: I was very rude to him earlier. Since I’ve lived a life pretty much void of human relationships, sometimes the hurtful side of me pops out. I didn’t mean to hurt him.
Yoosung has entered the chatroom
Yoosung: Seven!!
707: You’re here!
MC: Nice timing Yoosung!
707: Dude, great timing.
707: Super sry about earlier! T_T
You gave Seven a dumbfounded look before reaching over across the couch and smacking his phone out of his hand. He gasped in surprise and snapped his head up to look at you, a cute pout on his face.“You can do better than that,” you said.“I know, I know,” he agreed.
Yoosung: You think a sorry will do!?
MC: Seven, sincerely apologize to him!
707: Okay!
707: I’m sorry Yoosung. I got emotional and said things to hurt you.
Yoosung: So we’re not cutting ties?
707: I’ll do what I can to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Yoosung: It won’t! I don’t know what the situation is, but we’ve known each other for years.
Yoosung: You can’t just say goodbye without giving us a chance to understand!
MC: He’s right!
707: YoosungIluya
Yoosung: A person grows with trust and love, and you can escape your solitude by devoting yourself to society.
Yoosung: Wait… I think this is one of my mom’s lectures…
MC: Aww, Yoosung, do you miss your mom? <3
Yoosung: Stop it.
Yoosung: Anyway, I feel like your heart is back to the way it was, so I’ll forgive you.
707: Thank you.
MC: Congrats, Seven!
Yoosung: But what about what happened with V?
707: I’m going to think of him separately from the RFA.
707: And I’m going to be independent from now on, and try not to be so defensive out of fear of the future.
707: I want to cherish the present for the first time in my life.
MC: You already know I’m supporting you, Seven.
Yoosung: Me too! Support support support!!
707: lololol
707: I couldn’t have thought this way without MC.
Yoosung: You two seem to be getting along better.
MC: We definitely are.
“Should I tell him about what we just did?” you suggested and wiggled your brows at Seven, who grinned back at you.It was his turn to smack your phone out of your hand, and you fell into a fit of giggles as you picked it up from the floor.“Don’t you dare ruin his innocence,” Seven jokingly scolded you.You held your hands up in surrender before looking back at the messenger.
707: I’m going to be pretty busy from now on doing everything I decided to do, so I probably won’t be in the messenger much for a while.
Yoosung: Don’t worry about the party, just do what you have to do! And don’t forget I’m here for you!
707: Thank you, I feel so encouraged.
707: I’m off to do some work!
MC: Same here, I have to pack for our journey.
Yoosung: Okay! Take care of yourselves!
MC: We will. Take care of yourself too, Yoosung
You and Seven left simultaneously left the chatroom and put your phones down, staring at each other in a sweet silence. When you had first met him, this is how you imagined it would be when you met: a duo of dorks. But now you understood that he was far more than the RFA’s goofball hacker who loved cats and honey butter chips.He was a man with a tragic past, who was holding onto strings of hope that always seemed to be cut by those he trusted. Who was stuck in a dangerous job because he was told he had no other choice and didn’t deserve better. Who cared more deeply about everyone than himself, to the point of willingness to sacrifice his own life. And despite all of these things, he was the kind of person who could put on a cheerful face in the chatroom and over the phone with you just to make others laugh. He was still a goofball, but that just scratched the surface. And you wanted all of him.“Alright, MC,” his voice brought you back to reality. “I just have a bit of research I need to finish up. Hopefully I’ll be done by this evening. Will you be okay until then?”“Yup! I’ll just work on packing and cooking.”“Okay, just tell me if you need anything. And MC, thank you.”“For what?”“For being patient with me. I said some really hurtful things to you, and being with me won’t be easy. But you’ve been so kind through it all.”“It was more than worth it.”Seven stood up from the couch and stretched, lifting his arms just enough for you to see his waistline, which only reminded you of the fact that you wanted to see what else his shirt concealed. He then walked over to you and offered you a hand to help you up from the couch, which you took. But he pulled you up with more strength than you were prepared for, so you stumbled into him and gasped. Seven never missed a beat, though, and caught you with a chuckle.“Man, I’m really gonna have to keep a close eye on you when we go.”“Shut up.”