Chapter Text
You’re pretty excited. Your online friend, Ray, had finally invited you over to check out the game he had been working on; and to get to meet him in person was also pretty great. You’ve been pretty excited all day waiting to be picked up. Your brother, Nam-il, is going to watch your cats for a few days while you’ll be there.
Unfortunately, it’s not Ray who picks you up in a nice black car and make you wear a blindfold for half the ride. But when you finally arrives, it’s Ray who greats you at the entrance to the giant mansion hidden in the mountains. Its super exciting to see the characters, they look just like real people and he grins when you tell him so.
Joining the chat room is interesting, but the names dig into your head and won’t go away. Telling them about the mysterious Rika gets you in, but at the same time, it beings to nag at you. The hyper realistic picture of them, the way some of the names dig at your head, the idea that this isn’t just a game with fantastic AIs like Ray keeps insisting, is starting to bug you.
It takes a few hours until you feel like you’re not being watched and you googles the names from the chat. V photograpy, Jumin CR, and Zen musicals all give responses. And the photo for Zen and Jumin match the one you’ve seen. These are clearly not AIs, or if they are they’re based on real people and super advanced. Even if searching for RFA doesn’t give you anything. Clearly something super sketchy is going on. And as much as you want to trust Ray, he’s clearly involved in something weird. But Ray is your friend, and you are going to figure this out. There’s no proof yet that these people you’re talking to aren’t just super real AIs based on real people, that’d be the easiest thing to do after all. And Ray is your friend, you’re going to give him the benefit of the doubt, even if some of the things going on are really weird and sketchy.
The room they have your in is nice, even if there's no kitchen on this particular floor. Ray clearly took time to make it someplace you’d enjoy. Soft blankets, nice bed, books and a window seat are nice, even if you’re trapped in a weird house in the middle of the woods on a mountain.
The Believers, which isn’t a culty thing to call someone at all, are watching the floor you’re trapped in. No way out unless you tries the window and you aren’t willing to do that, yet. You’re going to play along and give Ray sometime before using the nice sheets to rappel out a window and stealing a car. Just because you didn’t see the way up doesn’t mean you can’t find your way off the mountain.
It’s a little after 11pm when you finally see Ray again as he knocks on your door.
“Hi! I missed you so much Sujin, so I couldn’t help but visit you. It’s really late and you’re still awake. What were you up to?” He smiles at you and you smile back. Surely all his enthusiasm can’t be fake.
“Well I’ve been waiting for you. I came all this way to see you after all.” You keep grinning. There’s no need to be sharp and your brother has told you that dumb thing about bees and honey more than once.
“You were waiting for me? You mean it? I’m so happy,” you didn’t realize just a simple thing, waiting up to talk to a friend would mean so much to him. Ray’s eyes are so bright and happy. He continues talking “I was wondering what you’re up to, and I just had to find out. How has your day been? Did you enjoy my game? Were my AIs entertaining enough?”
“It was a lot of fun! It felt just like I was talking to real people, not AIs.” You wonder how Ray is going to cover this up, but at the same time, he could have based the AIs on real people. You hadn’t found any sign of Zen, Jumin, or V knowing one another in real life.
“I’m so flattered! I gave a lot of consideration to having a realistic aspect. I really wanted it to look like you’re talking to real people when you play. Since you did feel like the AIs are real, my goal is accomplished. But don’t forget they’re just virtual. Everything beyond the screen is a fraud. Fake people giving appropriate answers according to their set patterns. The only real person there is me…” He pauses and his smile picks up a bit, “I’ll have the next update with your opinions as a reference. Speaking of the next update, which AI is your favorite?”
You pause and think about it for a second, before responding with a smile, “I like 707, he seems really fun!”
Ray’s smile falters and then falls. “Oh… Him… I’d describe him as a collection of ironies. He keeps saying silly stuff and pretending to be a funny guy, but all of those are lies,” Ray pauses and looks you in the eyes, his previous smile is completely gone, “He’s actually much dirtier and crooked than you’d think. You shouldn’t pursue him, never. You’ll just end up getting hurt! And if you’re hurt… I’ll be sad too… So just leave that red-haired AI out of your to-pursue list.”
“Okay.” You shrug, it’s his game.
“You know, I keep thinking that I have no idea how characters like them managed to turn out the way they did. Even though I made all five of them… did I add to many flaws to make them realistic…? Oh well. I’ll make note of your opinions and make the game even more fun with the next update. I hope you’ll keep giving me lots of feedback! Anything else you’d like to know?”
“What about you Ray?”
“Huh?” The noise he makes is, in your opinion, adorable. “About me..? I’ve never talked much about myself before,” He blinks at you and gives a small smile, “I don’t think anyone has really ever asked about my feelings before… For now though, I’d like you to think I’m a cool app developer. Oh and I’m really happy you decided to come, I’ve been feeling so good since you showed up! It feels like a dream.”
You and Ray grin at one another, it’s nice to be here, mostly. Though you do miss your cats. Nam-il will take good care of them though.
“Did I just say ‘happy’?” Ray murmurs, and you’re not sure you were supposed to catch that. “It’s been so long since I’ve said that word!” and he laughs. “Sujin, you’re the perfect tester for me to finish my masterpiece. I’m so glad you decided to come. Please keep playing with the RFA, but don’t forget about me!” Ray looks over at the clock on your wall, “Oh! That took much longer than I’d planned. Talking to you is so much fun. I gotta go back to work though. I have some checkups to do. But before I go, there’s one more thing I have to tell you. Meeting you today was the best thing of my life. See you later!” He turns and leaves you there in the room, wondering what in the world you’ve got yourself into.
You don’t manage to fall asleep until after one am, so talking to Yoosung and Jaehee, is pretty nice. You talk about nothing and yet it feels so nice, even though Ray is sweet, only talking to one person is lonely. You hope the AIs decide to trust you soon, that way you can talk more. V also text you about how you know Rika. On one hand you don’t want to lie, but on the other hand, is it really lying if he’s an AI? In the end you tell him Rika was an online friend. When he texts back you grimace at the phone. You really don’t want to invent how you met the AI’s dead fiancée. Hopefully you can manage to not do that at all.
When you finally fall into the clutches of sleep, you dream of swirling mint eyes, watching you from the shadows, waiting for the right time to strike. To drag you down into the depths of their despair and keep you with them.
You wake up on the second day, feeling simultaneously refreshed yet like the grasps of the dream were still holding on to you. Checking the app reveals that you’ve missed a conversation between Jumin and V. But at the same time you don’t regret missing it, because the time stamp is at 3:40 in morning and that’s way too early to deal with people.
The next time someone gets on is 8 and it’s Ray pretending to be V. Which is kinda obvious, but also makes you wonder why he’d do something like that. Once you call him out he wishes you a good morning and sends you a photo of the brunch he’s made for you. It looks wonderful. Although the fact that this is the first time he’s made something for someone with the desire for them to enjoy it, strikes you as sad, though its cute that he got on to say hello even though he’s dropping the food off in person soon.
After he leaves you stop and reread the messenger, the part that sticks out the most.
Ray: Sujin, you have no idea what I’ve gone through for this moment
Ray: Not that you have to know that!
Ray: I just want you to enjoy the stage I poured my soul into.
Sujin: I think you’re a warmhearted person, Ray
Ray: Really?
Ray: …Nobody’s ever told me that before
Ray: My guardians used to scold me a lot…when I was young
Ray: I cried every day, and scolding was routine… Everyone would condemn and blame me…
Ray: Thank you for saying that!
Ray: I want to be a warmhearted man to you…always.
Ray: I wish I could do that forever
And you want to cry. Every time he talks about his past, you have to fight the urge to go back in time to fight his guardians. Even now, when he talks about his ‘Savior’ you have to bite your tongue. Because what sort of savior leaves someone with this bad of self-esteem? He’s making a full game with amazing AIs and he’s always been so kind to you. So why does he seem to think everyone will hate him? Whose been telling him this? It breaks your heart to read.
You might have only known Ray in person for two days, but you were online friends for quite a few months before this. You had met him on a site for teaching yourself how to program, in a chatroom message board and the two of you had hit off. You’d been messaging him almost daily for well over a month now. And honestly, you count him as one of your favorite friends. Although now, you’re starting to feel a little more romantic about it, which is not a feeling you want to deal with currently, so you focus back on the messenger.
Ray joins the messenger again around noon and it’s fun to chat with him again. He can’t visit but you’re also not allowed down to the computer area where he works. Leaves you wondering why an app company is so secretive. You have to bite your tongue to prevent you from asking why everything here is confidential.
The next chat with V has him deciding to trust you and throw the party again. Finally the game is moving on. It’s nice to know that the AIs are at least going to try and be friendlier. There’s not much to do until the next chat comes up, so you sit in the window seat and look out at the garden. The flowers are all in bloom, a rainbow of color cascading across the yard. It looks wonderful from up on the third floor where you’re stuck.
The rest of the day passes calmly, with the AIs warming up to you slowly and you just missing Ray when he comes to visit. He leaves you flowers and it makes you grin. You fall asleep smiling and dream of walking in a never-ending field of flowers walking with Ray in the sunlight.
When you wake, Zen is on. It’s fun to talk with them.
Zen: My looks are from the other world, you know?
Sujin: Zen, I invite you to the room of mirrors.
Zen: God, no…!
Zen: Sujin
Zen: You’re trying to torture me, aren’t you?
Zen: Don’t do that… T^T
Talking with the AIs is fun, but it’s still boring to be trapped on this floor all day. There’s not much to do.
Then Ray messages you as you begin to eat lunch and the day becomes slightly brighter.
Ray: AIs talked about friendship.
Ray: The friendship between V and Jumin…
Ray: Sujin, do you believe in friendship?
Sujin: Of course! Friends are some of best most dear people to me
Ray: Really? You must have a lot of friends…
Sujin: Not really…
Ray: Really? I want to learn friendship…
Ray: I wonder
Ray: what it really is
Ray: I wonder what it feels like to trust and rely on one another…
Ray: Growing up, I never had friends.
Ray: I wasn’t allowed outside when I was young.
Ray: That’s why I try and go outside often these days.
Ray: I really enjoy going out to see flowers in particular
Sujin: You’re friends with the flowers and me! ^^
You and he talk about flowers and impossibilities and you find out that he’s not actually being paid by the person he’s working for. But he’s going to do everything for them anyways. You’re pretty sure they’re taking advantage of him. When he asks you to stay after the RFA game is over, it takes you by surprise.
Sujin: I think after the party is over, I’m going to leave
Ray: Really? Oh..
Sujin: You can always come and visit me! I’ll share some of my favorite places
In all honestly, you really don’t think staying here is a good thing for anyone. At all. Ever.
When he messages you again later that night, feelings bubble forth.
Ray: I want to know more about you
Ray: I think I’ve thought of you the whole day.
Ray: You know what…?
Ray: I’ve never liked somebody before, so I’m not sure about this, but…
Ray: I keep thinking of you.
Ray: That must be because I like you, isn’t it?
Sujin: I like you too.
Ray: Oh!
Ray: I’m…
Ray: I might not be and interesting person.
Ray: I hope you won’t be disappointed in me…
Ray: because
Ray: I already can’t get you out of my head
Ray: I keep thinking of you…even when I’m talking to you.
Ray: And when I’m not talking to you…
Ray: You keep popping into my head.
Sujin: I keep thinking about you too
Later, as the sun sets on the mountain, Ray comes to your room again.
“I want to make a ‘memory’ with you; lots of memories! So let’s go see the flowers…at my favorite garden. You’ll see them softly glowing in the moonlight.”
The two of you traverse the silent hallways of the manor, to the garden out back. Tiny lights line the path and the flowers are all blooming in the summer night. You can hear crickets in the distance and the evening sky is wonderful shades of orange and lavender, casting colorful shadows on the path.
“Ah, it’s so great to be here with you.”
“They’re beautiful!” you smile up at Ray
“You think so, too?” He pauses and gives a soft smile, “…I feel great. I feel great about you, this garden, and that moon. It’s been three days since you came here and we met in person. I keep checking the log, because it still feels like a dream. Although it almost feels like you enjoy chatting with the RFA more than me. I’m grateful for you testing the game in my place…but I’m often scared that you’ll disappear into it.”
“Don’t worry; it’s just a game, but…just what is this place?”
“Oh…this is where I make my game, and…” he gazes at you, mint eyes solemn, “Let’s just say a sort of ‘paradise’… The goal of this place is to create dreams and happiness! It’s a non-commercial entertainments company…I guess you could say. Yes, something like that.”
The two of you walk along the garden path, admiring the flowers when Ray reaches out to catch your elbow “Oh, watch your feet. There’s construction material still out here…I thought I told them to clean up, but I guess they haven’t yet. This building isn’t done yet. The outside is done, but the basement inside is still under construction. But you’ll soon be able to roam around the building as you please…though a few more contracts would be necessary,” Ray sights, “But let’s not talk about this now. But if you want to join us… let us… me in that would be nice.”
The two of you continue to walk the garden as you ponder what he said until the wind picks up and you shiver. Ray wraps and arm around you and begins to lead you inside once more. “Come on Sujin, lets head in, I don’t want you to catch a cold.”
“Same to you Ray.”
Behind you, a man with mint hair and eyes in the black cloak that the believers wear, murmurs “Could that be…?” But you don’t hear him as the door shuts behind you.