Chapter Text
Thunder crashed, releasing a blanket of cold rain down on every poor soul outside of any kind of shelter. Momo stood near the trashcan where she was struggling to stuff a bag from the kitchen into the container and groaned in annoyance. Tilting her head back, she yelled, "are you fucking kidding me!?", as loud as she could without receiving any kind of reply from the sky above. She picked up the late night shift at the cafe due to her coming short on her rent this past month, and getting drenched in freezing rain seemed to be her punishment for not being responsible with money. This is fantastic, she thought sarcastically as she slammed the top of the trashcan repeatedly until the bag was inside enough for the lid to be able to remain closed.
This wasn't the greatest job, but she dropped out of college and moved to a whole new country and cleaning a cafe was the best thing she could get her hands on at the time. Unfortunately it's been raining so much that they haven't had much work, causing her to fall behind on her rent. The place she sleeped in wasn't the most luxurious, nor was it even decent, but she had a bed and a place to eat, and that was good enough for her.
Marching back, Momo stood by the backdoor, dripping everywhere on the floor and looking as miserable as always. One of her coworkers looked up and snickered when they saw her hair and long bangs sticking to her skin and her skirt bunching around her legs. "Shut up," she muttered, stalking past the guy. In a matter of seconds she misstepped and her shoe slipped on the wet vinyl flooring sending her crashing down to the floor with a loud thud. All she heard was a yell before everything turned into a messy blur.
-
Disoriented, Momo blinked a couple of times before lifting her head from the soft pillow to look around the room she was in. White, white, and more white. A hospital. There was movement on one side of the room and she turned to see one of her coworkers, a girl with short, curly hair and dark eyes. "Hae," she called with a raspy throat. Frowning, Momo cleared it and tried again with a little more effort. "Hae."
The girl stirred and looked around before her eyes focused on her. "Oh, Momo!" She said and quickly got up to approach the side of the bed. "You're awake now. I was worried about you. How are you feeling?" Hae was still wearing the uniform from the cafe, and her hair was a mess probably from the humidity outside.
Like she had the desert in her mouth, she wanted to reply. Instead, when she shifted she felt her arm ache and a lot heavier than usual and that distracted her long enough to keep her smart mouth shut and inspect her own body. "A cast!?" No, no, no, no. This can't be, she can't have a broken arm. Not now! It went from her wrist up and past her elbow, making it unable for her to extend it. How was she supposed to work like that? Oh no. She was going to get fired!
Her coworker looked down for a moment, letting the situation sink in before looking up determined. "Don't worry, you'll be able to get another job in no time," she said with encouragement.
Great. Fucking fantastic. This was exactly what she needed right now. To get fired. What was next, her being kicked out of her place? Where was she going to go! What was she going do! She's a twenty-two year old woman that has zero clue how the world works, let alone how to be homeless and on the streets. No savings, no backup plan, no help from her even poorer parents. This was a nightmare coming true. It's only been a few months since she came to Korea and she's already blowing up her plans on becoming independent and helping her parents retire. Her mind was going in so many directions that her head began to pound.
"Look," Hae began when she saw her despair, "I know you're feeling like the world is closing in on you, but take a moment to breathe."
Take a moment to breathe. Is Hae serious? "I wish I could take a moment to breathe, but this..." Without wanting to, her lips began to tremble as her feelings bubbled up. "I can't lose my job, I need to pay rent. I'm already behind because of the stupid storms we've had, and I don't have anyone here..."
"Not even your parents?"
Momo shook her head and brought up her free arm to rub the tears away. "I just moved here from Japan." It surprises her that the girl never questioned her accent. She supposes it's not the most noticeable considering her mother is Korean, but some of their other coworkers have mentioned it to her. "And my parents aren't in a position to give me a hand." So either way she was fucked. The headache was starting to make her eyes glassy with pain.
It didn't matter. She had no job, so the best thing to do was to stop the pity party and find another one as soon as possible. "Thanks for being here with me, I think I can take care of it now." Despite her horrible mood and the stupid headache, Momo smiled at Hae and let her go home to sleep. She was very sweet. Coming here and staying with her until she was awake was the nicest thing anyone has ever done to her and Momo wasn't going to forget.
Later when the sun was rising and she was sitting on her makeshift bed on her underwear, Momo stared at her phone for a long time wondering whether she should contact her parents and tell them what happened to her that previous night. There is this need for her to vent to someone, but at the same time she doesn't want her parents worrying about her when she's so far away from them. Plus, they're already struggling with their little bakery back in Tokyo, they don't need anymore stress.
MC: Mama, I had an accident at work last night but I'm safe at home now. Please don't worry about me. I love you.
Sighing, Momo fell back on the mattress sitting on the floor and closed her eyes to rest. Even though she's been up the entire previous day and the whole morning of this current day, there wasn't an ounce of tiredness in her body. Anxiousness had her strung up, feeling like she could snap at any moment. She needed to find another job. Since she can't do much but lay around and rest, Momo decided to screw that and go around asking for open positions.
Her phone beeped while she struggled to put on a pair of pants, so she pulled them all the way up to her hips and reached for her phone to see it was a message from her mom.
Mama: Darling, please give us a call as soon as you can. I can't believe you had an accident but I'm glad you're safe and at home. Eat well, we love you too.
"This is all for you, Mama," Momo muttered while attempting to button her pants with one hand and failing miserably. Not wanting to bother with it any longer, she pulled on a long, bulky jacket and found it acceptable enough to at least be given the decency to be seen by the employers.
-
The area where she lived was littered with small restaurants that apparently had no need for a girl that can't use both her arms. This frustrated her to no end. Even the receptionist jobs wouldn't consider her because she had to type on computers. She didn't mind another cleaning job, but it was all the same. No one wanted to deal with the slowness or the possible problems that could come with hiring someone that didn't have full use of their extremities. And it's not like she won't be able to use her arm anymore, because she will. She needs a couple of weeks to heal and that was it. Nothing more.
While Momo was pretty headstrong and can go out there and get what she wants with hard work, she is not above begging, particularly begging for her old job back. Maybe if she puts on a pitiful enough face her boss will reconsider his decision.
A thirty minute walk to the cafe and a door slam later told her that no, her boss was not reconsidering anything.
Well, at least she tried. Her dignity was as high as the bottom of her shoes, but it could be worse. She could actually be homeless, she could be starving. Which, if her rumbling stomach wasn't indication enough, she was. It's been almost a full twenty-four hours since the last time she had anything to eat. Looking down at her broken arm, Momo whined and stomped her feet childishly. Soon enough she really won't have anything to eat.
"Momo?" Hae spoke from behind her and Momo turned to meet her surprised face. "What are you doing out and about!? You should be resting!"
What was the harm in being honest, Momo thought. This girl has seen one of the most pathetic moments of her life. She shrugged and smiled at her. "I came to ask for my job back but your asshole boss won't let me have it." And now she'll walk back home with her tail between her legs. "I'll be going now."
Before she could walk away after her wave, Hae walked down the steps and reached for her hand. "Wait," she said with a serious tone. "Do you really fear losing your home?" The question warmed Momo's heart. This girl was seriously the sweetest person she's ever met.
"Yes, I'm already behind on rent and if I don't work then I'll be evicted." By a landlord that happens to be as much of an asshole as her former boss. But she can't blame them, they all need their money to take care of their own bills.
Hae seemed to think about something and Momo considered walking away, but that seemed like a rude thing to do so instead she stayed put. "You don't have to worry about it, it's my problem," she added just in case.
The girl shook her head and smiled brightly. "I do, I can't let you end up in the streets. Why don't you stay with me while you look for a new job?"
Momo gasped softly at the offer. Her common sense told her to feel cautious about the offer, no one was this nice to a (practically) stranger. But her hope told her that there are people this nice in the world and she was standing in front of her. "I couldn't, it's not easy to give up some of your personal space for a complete stranger." As nice and heaven sent as the offer was, she couldn't accept it. It would make her an asshole and that's the last thing she wants to be.
"Please, take it. I know it won't be long. You're a hard worker."
It was a decision she would need to sleep on. There's no way she can allow herself to bother someone as nice and kind as Hae, but at the same time she was risking ending up in the streets. Before anything could come out of her mouth, Momo's stomach rumbled loudly and the two stared at one another. Her face was red, she could tell, and it made her want the floor to swallow her whole. As if things couldn't get more embarrassing for her, fate decides to make it worse.
Hae's eyes softened and she reached back to take her cute little apron off, the one Momo never got to wear because she never got to actually serve at the cafe. "Let's go get lunch together and we can talk about all of this. My treat," she added with a bigger smile.
-
Momo didn't own many things. A couple of outfits, two pairs of shoes, a picture frame of her and her parents standing in front of the newly opened family owned bakery from a few years ago, and her phone. She was a simple woman, she likes to tell herself. The truth is Momo has never had enough money to be able to own much, not growing up and definitely not as an adult. Frankly, there isn't much she needs to be happy. Yes, having money would make her life easier, but it's not all she wants in life. Her parents taught her that money wasn't the most important thing in life, but it was necessary to not be miserable. It doesn't mean you can't be someone miserable who has a lot of money, or that someone without much money is always miserable, but she understood the lesson behind the words of wisdom.
Her parents are the greatest people she knows. No matter how hard times get they keep pushing through. Stubborn as hell, it's definitely where she gets it from. So as soon as she was sheltered under Hae's roof, Momo kept going out every day to see if there was a job she could get.
By the third week, Momo began to feel stressed about everything. She felt she was taking advantage of Hae's generosity and that she was pretty useless person. The gloom that surrounded her didn't really help her with the employers she would interview with, but she couldn't find it in herself to pretend to be happy. All because of her stupid broken arm. Stupid rain. Stupid trash can. Stupid-- With a loud growl, Momo grabbed her phone off the floor next to where she was sitting in the living room area and threw it with force at the couch.
Hae was at work and she was frustrated without anyone to talk to. Four and a half months in Korea and she still couldn't make friends. Hae was her only friend and only because the other girl pitied her. Okay, so she didn't pity her, but close enough. They get along easily, to her surprise, and Momo enjoys being around her, but she needs to have her own place.
Defeated by everything, Momo got off the floor and walked to the couch to get her phone. Flopping down on the cushions, her fingers rubbed the screen absentmindedly before she unlocked it and stared at the icons littered all over it. She could waste her time groaning, or she could waste her time being entertained by a video game.
The store app took a second to refresh before a variety of them appeared as a recommendation. Scrolling through them, one in particular caught her attention.
"How can an app have no name," she muttered to herself as she clicked on the single, green icon to see any info on it. It had no info either. Huh. Could it be the next big, new thing in the app world? She wants in on it. Eh, what was the harm. Her life was as boring as it could be and if it isn't a real app then it won't download.
She waited a second for it to finish downloading, wondering whether she should cook dinner for both her and Hae, but her thoughts were interrupted when a screeching sounds filled the room and her phone's screen began to flicker. What the fuck? Did the stupid app break her phone? Great. Groaning in annoyance, Momo fell back on the couch and questioned her life and her choices. Why are you like this, she asked herself before glancing back at the screen to see if her phone went back to normal.
The phone seemed to be in some sort of message app, but she wasn't sure which it was. Not Fakebook that's for sure. Or Ghostchat.
Unknown: ...Hello...?
Momo narrowed her eyes and looked around the screen, but there was nothing to indicate what the hell was happening. She tried getting off the app but her phone wouldn't even lock the screen. Aw, hell.
MC: ?
Unknown: Can you see this?
With wide eyes, her hand moved on its own and her phone flew away to the other end of the couch. What in the world was happening? That was another person chatting with her. Should she keep going? With a bit of hesitation Momo reached for her phone once more and blinked rapidly as she stared at the screen in confusion.
MC: Who are you?
Unknown: Finally, connected... Thank God.
Unknown: I'm sure you're surprised.
Yeah, no shit. Who the hell wouldn't be surprised by their phone being hacked or something equally creepy like that.
Unknown: It's not everyday you get a text from a stranger.
Yeah, okay, this was getting creepy and she wanted no part on it.
MC: Can I please have my phone back? I don't want to play this game.
Unknown: It's not a game. I found this phone and I'm trying to return it. My problem is there are no contact info or call records…
Unknown: I've been sending messages with this app but no one messages me back.
Unknown: All it has is a note with some pretty important numbers and an address, that's it.
The question here is, why is this her problem. And how exactly did they 'get connected' as this person put it. Was it the app she downloaded?
MC: So take the phone to the police... I'm sure they'll be happy to find the owner.
Unknown: I'd love to do that, in fact I would love to go to the address myself, but I'm currently abroad. Maybe you can try going to this address here and see if anyone knows who this phone belongs to?
"Ha!" Momo yelled before laughing hard. As if she'd fall for this! This was obviously a scheme to kidnap her or something like that. Thankfully she wasn't as dumb as this person thought she was.
MC: If you think I'm going to fall for this…
Unknown: [photo]
Unknown: This is me, maybe this will make you less suspicious?
Unknown: I'm returning to Korea soon. I'll definitely make it up to you.
MC: Why should I help you??
Unknown: You're the only clue I have. I've looked up the address in the map, it's a pretty nice area.
Unknown: If you feel unsafe you can turn around and leave. I wouldn't want to put anyone in danger.
Unknown: Please?
The person makes a good point, somehow they got connected. But for all she knows this could truly by a trap. But it could also be true and someone was missing their phone. This could be a chance for her to do something nice for someone the same way Hae did something nice for her. Lowering her phone to her lap, Momo stared out the window in deep thought trying to make a decision.
MC: Fine.
MC: But I will turn around and run if it feels sketchy.
Unknown: You trust me! Thank you! Let me send you the file with the address.
When she received it, her phone was able to change in and out of the app. Momo immediately looked it up on the map like this person said they did and screenshotted it before sending it to Hae asking her if she knew anything about this area.
MC: You'll have to wait for me to feel ready to go. This is truly creepy…
Unknown: I'm just glad you agreed to help!
Hae: Hey girl, that's a pretty nice area here in Seoul…
Hae: are you thinking of working there? Hook me up if you find something good!
MC: No, just returning something to someone. Thanks girl!
Getting her shoes on, Momo grabbed the small backpack she uses as a purse and walked out the apartment and into the cold air. It was almost winter and she didn't have a place lined up, but at least this was going to distract her for a little while.
Her hand held her phone tightly as she walked to the nearest train station. She scanned her card and waited in line for the train with the person named Unknown in her mind. That picture he sent. She opened up the picture and stared at it some more. He was handsome. She's never met a guy like this before. Would he really make it up to her somehow when he comes back from being abroad?
What is she saying! This was crazy. The guy could be fake and she's none the wiser.
After the long train ride, Momo got off the right station and walked up the stairs to be met with the most beautiful part of town she's ever seen. Everything was so nice and clean, and a lot of the buildings looked very new. Alright. Time to find the address.
She wandered around with the GPS until she stood before a huge fancy building. The doors looked intimidating, but there were people walking around the streets and there seemed to be shops and restaurants as well, so this couldn't be that bad. At least it wasn't some remote area. If she screamed for help, someone was bound to hear it.
MC: Hae, message me in ten minutes. If I don't reply CALL THE POLICE and send them to the address I showed you.
Hae: ...ok... I trust you know what you're doing Momo…
Tucking some of her hair behind her ear, Momo opened up the chat with Unknown and let him know she was outside the building. She entered it and was met with a strangely quiet lobby, but she didn't dwell on it much because she had things to do. The elevator took a moment to get to her, and once she was inside she pressed the number fourteen like the address stated.
When she exited the elevator, she was met with a tiny hall and a single door on the entire floor. Weird, she thought as she slowly approached it. Before she could tell Unknown that there was a strange security system on the door, she received a message that made her shiver.
Unknown: Is there a password lock on the door?
How did he know?
MC: Yes.
Unknown: I'll send you the digits. They're in a note along with the address.
Oh. Momo closed her eyes and breathed out in relief. It's not like no one knew where she was. Hae has been given instructions in case something happens to her, but still. Fear ran through her body for a moment. Something about all of this feels sketchy as hell.
When she entered the digits the door made a soft, whirring sound. She pulled on the handle and it opened without her running into a problem.
MC: Okay, door is open... but I feel like I should've knocked.
After typing that, Momo tried knocking on the door loud enough for someone to hear, but no sound came from inside. "Hello?" She called out, pushing it open a little wider. "Is anyone here?"
Unknown: Why don't you try going inside? You can leave a note, I'll give you my info.
Unknown: If something happens just show them this chat, I'm sure they'll understand.
Sighing nervously, Momo looked around on the inside and nodded to herself. She could do this.
MC: Fine... Alright. If I get murdered I'm going to come back and haunt you.
Unknown: Th
Unknown: ank
Unknown: you…
Momo frowned at the weird way he typed but quickly looked back up before taking a step inside. "Hello!?" She called out louder than before. "I'm coming inside to leave a note! I'm not a thief!" Something she found ridiculous to announce, because that's exactly what a damn thief would say.
The apartment was very pretty. Clean lines, clean surfaces, clean everything. The colors were all muted and light. For some strange reason the place made her feel more comfortable. No sound could be heard other than her breathing and the blood pumping through her veins from how nervous she was. Looking around, Momo approached a desk and looked for a pen and a piece of paper. When her hand reached for a notebook her fingers got coated with dust, making her blink in surprise. Huh?
Her eyes roamed over every item sitting on the desk, then on the furniture at the other side of the desk. It was all covered in a thin layer of dust. Does anyone actually live here? Momo was about to message Unknown when her phone made loud, screeching noises like before, scaring the living crap out of her. She picked it up and turned it on to see yet another message app she didn't recognize, but this time there were a bunch of messages popping up one after the other.
The very first comment made her chuckle, and the following ones confused the shit out of her. It's like they were completely unaware that she was reading all of that, all of them in their own little world. This looked different than the screen where she was talking to Unknown. Which, she noticed, failed to give her the information she needed to write down. Fuck.
A dude (or not dude) named Zen said something but Momo felt a spark of recognition in her when she saw the profile picture. She's seen that face somewhere and she couldn't figure out where. A moment later she was distracted by the cute emoticons that kept randomly showing up. How cute! If she had a job with extra money to spare she would totally purchase emoticons to use in her messenger apps.
707: WAIT!!
Yoosung: Why?
ZEN: ??
707: I think someone entered the chat room;;
Her heart jumped at the unexpected turn in the conversation. Momo now knew they could definitely see her in the chat room, but it didn't make it less scary when the person named 707 noticed her. It made her feel like a child being caught red handed.
Jumin: Momo...?
ZEN: WTF. How did it get in here?
707: HACKER!
Yoosung: Hacker!? Therea's a hacker in ouer room!!! Sevnee do somethign!!
The hell. She was definitely not a hacker. If she were then she'd be out there making bank working for a security company or something cool like that.
ZEN: Hey, typos -_-;;
Momo raised an eyebrow at the person named Zen and his priorities. Not that she blames him, terrible spelling can get in her nerves too.
707: Wait a sec. I'm searching.
Jumin Han: Who are you? Reveal yourself. Hey, Assistant Kang.
Some person named Jaehee appeared while Momo was trying to type a long response, but she stopped on her tracks when they revealed the name of the messenger app. She's never heard of it before. RFA? What does that even stand for? They all started throwing ideas as to why an extra person was logged in, so she decided to end their confusion by introducing herself.
MC: Hello…
They all were surprised to see that yes, she is definitely another person behind the name. 707 mentioned the IP and pointed out she was in Rika's apartment. That meant someone did live here. Yup, no, she wasn't ready to be hauled out by the police and thrown in jail for trying to do something nice for someone. The bunch of them got distracted for a moment but Jumin Han brought them back to the topic of who she was.
MC: I'm Momo... Who are you and what is this place?
These people seemed to get distracted easily, which made the entire thing comical, but she didn't want any trouble. For real, for real. Momo doesn't need anymore bad things happening to her. She's finally getting her cast off this week and she'll be able to keep applying for jobs.
MC: Listen, I'm here because someone asked me to leave a note about a lost phone. Are any of you missing a phone by any chance?
They could be talking through a computer. Before anyone could reply to her, Yoosung suggested introducing themselves and Zen was the first one to do it. Her eyes widened at the picture. She knows who he is!
MC: Hey, I know you!! My friend is obsessed with your musicals!
ZEN: A fan~ I knew it <3
Jumin Han: I see that he has zero interest in his privacy.
Jaehee Kang: My eyes have been cleansed…
707 was next. He didn't really give her any information, but he did reveal Zen's name to her, which she found funny for some reason. These group chat was pretty funny if she didn't consider how weird everything was.
They all took chances introducing themselves, and at some point 707 introduced the last two who seemed the most wary.
MC: Well, 22 yo young hacker can you unhack my phone so I can leave this place and not get in any trouble?
707: *0* I like you already
Jumin Han: Stop shitting.
Jaehee Kang: I don't believe any of us are missing a phone, so I don't know what you mean someone asked you to leave a note.
Jaehee Kang: Could this be a security breach?
ZEN: True. Momo, how did you get in here?
707: How did you get the apartment password?!
MC: Some creepy dude named Unknown started to chat with me through this app and sent me to this address.
Jumin Han: Chatting with a stranger... How naive. What are you, twelve?
ZEN: So cute lol Went to an address from a chatting app lolol
Yoosung: Don't listen to strangers~ The world is dangerous.
Jaehee Kang: I agee.
Momo blushed in embarrassment and considered closing the app and walking away, but 707 texted them all to wait and she held her breath.
707: Do you have chat record?
She tried exiting out of that chat room and tried looking for the Unknown one but this one was the only one logged. How strange... Was this Unknown person a crazy weirdo leading her to her death? A shiver ran down her body. She could've died.
Hae: Momo?
MC: Hey! I'm okay so far, but if I don't show up at home later today make sure you do call the police…
Hae: Girl;; the hell are you doing?
MC: I'll explain it later :))
Back to the conversation with the group of strangers.
MC: The record was deleted but the username was Unknown.
707: That name is not on the log…
Yoosung: What's a log?
Jumin Han: Tree trunk.
Jaehee Kang: It refers to past records;;
ZEN: Tsk tsk everyone's so dumb
Jumin Han: Never thought I'd hear that from you
707: omg lolol I can't believe Zen just said that
Jumin Han: The world must be coming to an end.
Another laugh erupted from the pit of her stomach and it made her wonder whether this was the most she's laughed in a long time. Jaehee brought the attention back to her and 707 wondered if she was a hacker.
MC: It seems Unknown could've been a hacker. I thought about that too.
Yoosung: How did you end up chatting with that person?
The Jaehee person asked her how she got the app and she rolled her eyes at the question. How else would anyone get an app?
MC: I just got it at the app store.
MC: What is this chat room for anyway;;
No one responded except for Jaehee who told her she can have an answer when this V person gets in contact with them. After a few messages this same person said they were ready to call the police.
MC: NO! Please don't call the police! I'll leave right this second.
707: wecan
707: sorry callingandtypingwithonehand
707: lookedintoownerofdevice
707: shescutelol
Momo blushed once more, this time feeling even more embarrassed. Why was this hacker messing with her personal information!? She didn't give him any permission!
Yoosung: You did a background check! So Momo is definitely a girl?
MC: Where did you get that info from!?!?
She typed that while furious. It made her uncomfortable that this random person looked into her personal stuff. A photo of her was requested and she felt herself freeze thinking 707 was going to send one, but instead he sent a picture of another woman.
All of a sudden a new person logged in and everyone turned their attention to them. It was this V guy they went on about and she watched them talk among themselves. Rika this, Rika that. It must be the person this apartment belongs to. Her eyes swept across the computer desk she was standing by, until they landed on a picture frame. It was small, cute even, and there were two people on it.
Her fingers wiped the layer of dust off the surface to be able to see them clearly. It was a woman and a man, both very beautiful. They reminded her of movie stars from America with their hairstyles and clothing. So sleek and elegant. The girl's face was gorgeous. Gentle, kind even, but her eyes seemed so... odd. Almost dead. There was no light in them compared to the guy's eyes. The people in the chat room speak highly of her, but to Momo she didn't come off as warm as they seem to think. Then again, this was one picture. She's never met the woman either so what the hell does she know.
Setting the frame back to where it was, Momo went back to the chat room and caught up, wondering what the hell was going on. Classified information? Secret location? What on earth? Frustration was starting to flourish as they were going on and on about why they couldn't come to the apartment.
V: Do not ask her about it, and Momo, please do not reveal the address.
MC: I have no intentions of doing that... also, who's Luciel?
ZEN: That's 707's real name. Luciel Choi.
Jaehee Kang: lol
Yoosung: omg Jaehee just said lol
Jumin Han: I think it's his baptismal name?
707: I'm going to go pray for a moment.
Momo stifled a laugh at the outcome. That's what that Seven dude gets for revealing someone else's personal information and for getting into hers without permission.
V kept going on about not visiting the apartment, and when she was about to be a smartmouth Jumin beat her to it by telling him to get to the damn point. She's starting to like the guy.
MC: The guy that messaged me didn't know who the phone belonged to, and I can assure you I know no one named Rika.
V: Momo being in the apartment now... Rika must have wanted that.
Jumin Han: Rika called in a complete stranger from up in the sky?
MC: excuse me, but no one talked to me about any of this.
V: Rika wanted someone to do the work she did before.
Her eyes lit up immediately after reading the last message. Work, as in a job? The beating of her heart prompted her to pull the desk chair out and sit on it to calm down. Could this really be a job sent from heaven? This Rika girl, could she be an angel just like Hae?
Everyone was complaining about V's suggestion but Momo was currently distracted by the prospect of a job. It fell on her lap and she wasn't about to get picky. Beggars can't be choosers.
V: That's my guess. Rika didn't leave a will.
V: Luciel already provided us with information about Momo. She doesn't seem dangerous.
Jumin Han: I'm not sure about this to be honest…
Yeah, well, Jumin isn't her favorite anymore. He's trying to keep her away from her new job. That can't happen, she needs it so bad. If there's one thing Momo hates the most, is being a burden to others. Hae has had enough of her bumming off her kindness.
707: Momo must be going crazy with how things are going rn lol
MC: This 'hosting' job, does it have like... a salary or something?
707: lol wut
MC: I just came here to find the owner of the phone... What's going on…
707: You were phished lol According to V, Rika had the person Unknown convince u to go to the apartment
Jaehee Kang: Wait…
None of them answered her question and it bothered her because she can't work for free, not when she needs to find a job that will actually pay bills. Before she could tell everyone to fuck off, her phone binged and she blinked at the text message that appeared on her screen. She clicked on it and it opened yet another screen, but this one seemed to be for private text messages.
707 says
:
Yes, we can pay you.
"Yes!" Momo yelled in happiness at how lucky she was to find this job where she won't need to use both her arms and no one questioned her lack of higher education. "I got a job, I got a job!" Hae will be so happy to hear this. Her parents will be so happy to hear it too, she has party host job. How amazing is that?
After a bit of fumbling with the interface, Momo was able to go back to the chat room where everyone was and she caught up with the explanation of that the RFA was. It sounded simple enough, but she assumed it needed a lot of tact and strategy to be able to get people to attend the party. Not everyone was willing to make time for a fundraiser.
Jumin Han: Our organization has done a lot of good so far... You will never regret joining.
ZEN: If you join the organization we'll be able to talk more. Not everyday we meet a pretty girl.
707: Uhm. How do you know she's pretty? I didn't even send the photo.
ZEN: SEND IT.
707: No.
MC: I can just share a selfie…
ZEN: Yes! Do it!
707: NO!! Let them wonder how you look until the party lolol
MC: I do like that idea better…
ZEN: Damn. Cold.
This was getting ridiculous again, but Momo was so happy she didn't mind participating in the silliness. She even did a happy dance right where she was standing by the desk, in the middle of an apartment that doesn’t belong to her. Being hired for a very random party planner job, by a bunch of people she’s only spoken to through messages, after being phished and led to a creepy and dangerous apartment. Believe it or not, stranger things have happened to her.
Jumin Han: Momo, will you join RFA?
MC: Sure, why not.
Seven went on about finishing registering her as a member and she smiled proudly to herself. Yes, yes! A job! And she didn’t have to work for it, all she had to do was travel to the other side of the city and walk into someone’s apartment without permission. Life is good.
Everyone congratulated her and she cocked her head to the side by the last messages she got.
ZEN: By the way… I had a good dream last night, I think I saw you there.
ZEN: Or not. Bye~
Alright. Weird. Momo blinked owlishly at her phone before she slowly slid it on the back pocket of her jeans. Suddenly, the computer screen by her side beeped on and she jumped back in alarm, almost getting a heart attack. “What the fuck,” she muttered before approaching the humming machine with slow and careful moves. The screen lit up and after loading for a minute, an application opened on it’s own, showing her the same sort of interface the app on her phone had.
707:
I can see you.
Frowning, Momo looked around and behind the computer screen to see if there was a webcam but there wasn’t one. At least not visibly to her. After a moment of thought, Momo bent forward and began to type back.
MC:
Are these text messages private or can everyone see them?
707:
They’re private to all of you except for me ~
Ah, yes. He created the app, the others mentioned it at some point when she wasn’t paying much attention to their bickering. This guy seemed to be some sort of smartypants with a goofy personality. Refreshing considering the kind of people she worked with. Dull, quiet, boring. Except Hae, she was fun to be around. Which reminds her she needs to go back home and tell her the news.
MC:
Anyway… I’ll be going now. Will the front door lock when I close it?
Also, when will I start getting paid?
She didn’t want to disclose the fact that she was currently homeless, but she needed to know the details of her job.
707:
Yes, and,
...you don’t have any bank information…
Oh hell. She didn’t think about that. Up until now she didn’t require one for anything, the cafe, the place she used to live in. They all took cash.
MC:
You can pay me in cash whenever we meet! :)
707:
Err…
You know what, don’t worry about it.
I’ll figure something out and message you when that’s done.
The message confused her but she didn’t pay it much mind. On the train ride back to Hae’s place, her phone went off and she looked at it to see another message from Seven.
707:
I took care of it.
You’re now a proud owner of a bank account.
I’ll send your card to the apartment ~~
Reading that made her heart skip. There’s no way in hell she’s a sucker for money, but right now she really needs it. The fact that he got her a bank account without her being present was impressive. He must be either very resourceful, or very powerful. Or both. It scares her a little bit. Just a tiny bit.
MC:
Wow, you’re amazing! How did you even do that?
707:
They don’t call me God Seven for nothing ;)
Have a safe trip home.
With a wicked smile, Momo decided to reply even though that seemed to be the end of their conversation through private messaging.
MC:
You're amazing, God Seven!
A while went by before her phone told her she had a new message.
707:
...omg >_>!!
-
Hae was already there by the time she arrived, face red and phone clutched tightly ready to call the police like she asked her to. Whoops. Seven’s amazing abilities and the profiles of the other people she spoke with distracted her the entire way back. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were on your way back. I was so worried!” Her friend choked out emotionally. Her beautiful black curls bouncing with the wild movements of her arms.
“I’m so sorry, Hae. But hear me out! I have a great excuse!”
The two sat on the couch while she explained everything to her friend. From the moment she downloaded the weird app, to the guy Seven making a bank account for her. She didn’t mention Rika, the dead girl, or V her lover. But nothing else was left out, not even the fact that Zen was one of the people she spoke with.
“You spoke with Zen!?” The girl got off the couch and crouched in front of her, holding Momo’s knees in excitement. “He’s in your phone right now? You can talk to him whenever you want!?”
Momo nodded her head and opened her app to show her his profile. Her friend screamed and let herself fall back as her face turned red. “I can’t believe my friend spoke to Zen… I’ve sent him fan letters before and even some candy, but to speak directly to him would definitely kill me.”
“I’d message him but unfortunately this is work and I think it’d be super unprofessional if I talk to him out of the blue.”
Hae sighed and sat back up, looking up at her friend with dreamy eyes. “That’s okay. I have all his shows on DVDs, and if I need to see him and hear him I can just pop one in and watch it. He’s so hot…”
Smiling, Momo leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes. “I’ll finally have my own place again. Thank you for letting me stay with you while I was going through a tough time. You’re the best person I know.”
There was so much more she wanted to say to her, but Momo sometimes found it hard to express her emotions. She’s thankful, grateful, and many other nice things, but the words simply won’t come out no matter how hard she tries to express her feelings and emotions. If this job was meant for her, then that means she’ll learn to do that. Momo will have to speak with lots of people, some very important, others not so much. Every kind of background and lifestyle, every sort of personality. Maybe once she learns how to communicate better, she’ll surprise her friend with heartfelt words.
“Girl,” Hae grinned as Momo opened her eyes to look down at her, “your life can honestly get better from here. It’s going to be so awesome working with Zen…”
“I know! They hired me on the spot and I start work tomorrow. I used to think I was unlucky but after this…” Calmness began to soothe her. She can proudly talk to her parents and maybe even help them out financially from all the way over in Korea. Moving to another country wasn’t pointless. Maybe it was meant to be for her to talk with that stranger on the phone, and be led to that apartment. “Things are finally going to go well for me…”
-
Things didn’t finally go well for her.