Chapter Text
The constant vibration of her phone in her pocket was comforting. The chatrooms being full of the other members of the RFA were definitely enough to make her feel much less lonely in this situation. Why had she even agreed to stay at the apartment? Moreover, how could she have foolishly listened to a stranger? It’s because you can’t ever turn down the opportunity to help people, stupid. She knew this to be true, and yet she still wished that she could say “no” sometimes, especially when it was something as odd as going into someone’s apartment, only to realize no one lived there and she’d ended up forcibly joining some strange group of people. Each with their own unique qualities.
She set her small bag down on the chair and pulled the phone from her pocket, a small smile forming on her lips. It was sweet that the boys in the RFA were always concerned about her eating. Though… Because none of them know what I look like, I wonder if they’re imagining I am Rika? Pretending as though whatever tragedy befell her didn’t actually happen? Thoughts like that kept her up late at night. Most of the time she brushed her late night chatrooms with Seven, Zen, or Yoosung off for just her being a night owl. But really…
“It’s kinda lonely in here.” She sighed aloud, taking in the furnished apartment she’d been staying in for the past couple of days. “I should go out for some air. That should be fine, right?” She reasoned with herself, glancing at the emails she had yet to answer and the messages from the other members of the group she’d recently joined. “I can answer those later, but…” She hesitated. “Perhaps I should call Seven and make sure it’d be okay to leave?”
After a five minute long internal debate on exactly why it was just fine to call Seven, and that he wouldn’t hate her or think she was annoying for calling him, she was listening to the familiar ring of the dialing tone.
“MC! I was just thinking about you and BAM! You called. It must be fate, right?” He chuckled on the other end of the phone. “Man~ It’s so hard to concentrate right now on all of my work. Even the great God Seven needs some rest sometimes!”
She found herself chuckling despite herself. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting your work, Seven. I feel kind of silly calling… but I was just wondering if it would be fine for me to leave the apartment for a walk. I’m a bit cramped in here.”
“Leave?” Seven’s voice was quiet on the other end of the line for a moment, and she feared she’d said something upsetting. “I don’t think it would be too dangerous, but you have to be careful out there, okay? Even the mighty Seven Zero Seven, Defender of Justice cannot be of use to you when you leave the safety of the apartment! And call me if anything happens, at all!”
“Don’t worry, I will. Thanks, God Seven!” She could relax knowing it was fine to leave the apartment. Going out for walks in the morning or even just meeting some friends for lunch. Things like that would be nice. It’s not like she could just completely ignore her usual social life because she’d agreed to help the RFA with this party. She still had to keep up with the friends she had in real life, like Seok and Eun. They’d be worried if she didn’t meet up with them for their weekly coffee at a cafe that was now halfway across town.
“Haha, the Great Seven Zero Seven to the rescue!” His voice was cheerful and full of teasing playfulness. Out of all of the members of the RFA, he was definitely the most welcoming, and the easiest to warm up to. Despite that… she always felt there was an underlying sadness to him. She often felt that way herself. When she was alone at night, laying on an unfamiliar bed, thinking about how the choices she made in life had ended up with her being here, in an apartment and talking to strangers who were already beginning to feel like close friends despite how little time she had known them all. “Awe man…” He groaned through the phone. “I just got more work. Later, MC! Seven out!”
He didn’t give her a chance to reply before hanging up, and she shook her head lightly, a smile turning up the corners of her lips. He really was a one-of-a-kind guy, but she liked that about him. Even though some stranger had ended up with the app, even though she had somehow infiltrated this private group of friends, Seven had always been bright and cheerful. His welcoming aura - even through text - was helping her transition into this new lifestyle she’d have for the next week or so. How long would she be with these guys? Would she be with them even after this party they spoke of, or would her duties end there? Will I… have to say goodbye to them one day? She shook her head, swallowing the lump growing in her throat. Let’s not think of that right now. Instead, I should call Seok and Eun and see if they are on their way to our spot.
MC: I’m on my way. You guys gonna make it??
EUN: You bet! You know it’s my favorite time of the week!
SEOK: I am running late, but I will be there. Don’t forget, Eun, you’re buying this time!
EUN: Awwwee :( Of course you had to bring that up! I know it’s my turn!
The argument between her two best friends continued, and a giggle left her lips. She shook her head and left them to their argument. It would take her twice as long to get to the Lunagate cafe at this rate. It was halfway across town from this apartment. Getting her clothes moved over to the place without messing with any of the things that had belonged to the previous occupant was odd. Even more so living temporarily in an apartment that belonged to a woman who was dead now. I really should be more unnerved by that instead of worrying about calling Seven too many times or accidentally slipping up and writing the wrong thing to the wrong guest. So far I’ve done pretty good with the information I have, but some of these guests they suggest are kind of… odd.
Her thoughts strayed to Yoosung, who was probably the closest in age to her. She was still younger by a margin, but he was obsessed with his games. Even though they were in such a large city, she couldn’t believe that she’d never run into the boy before. Or if she had, she definitely didn’t pay attention to him much, which was a thought that made her quite sad. He must have been so sad to lose his cousin. And though she didn’t appreciate constantly being compared to his cousin, she knew that it was likely part of his way of coping with her being gone. His way of grieving. Otherwise, she would have told him not to think of her as Rika and to stop being delusional. Instead, she’d opted for a kinder approach, letting him know that she would be a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen to his problems, but that it did make her feel a bit uncomfortable to be compared to Rika constantly. Yes, she’d agreed to take on the work the woman had done, but that did not make her that person.
Still, she felt for the boy. From the sounds of it, losing his cousin had been a big part of why he’d become obsessed with LOLOL and being a hero. His username referring to a popular and overpowered character was also probably some sort of silent scream of his desire to have changed the past. He can save people in the game where he couldn’t in real life. He ignored his grief and instead focused on a virtual world, where he held control of things that otherwise could not be controlled. People who “died” in the game often weren’t truly dead. I hope he can move on from Rika. It would be best for him to live as normal of a life as possible. LOLOL isn’t bad for him except that it completely controls his life. It’s an outlet, but it’s becoming a way for him to lose himself. I don’t mean to lecture him all the time, but I can’t encourage the behavior either… What do I do?
Surprisingly, even with her delay, she only arrived at the cafe minutes after Eun did. The bubbly girl waved at her with a huge grin plastered onto her face. “MC! I’m so glad to see you!” Without any warning, she was wrapped up in the arms of the girl and nearly suffocated by her friend’s grip. “It feels like it’s been forever! It’s only been a week though!” She was as carefree as always. “You’d never guess what happened! So,” she started to go off on a tangent about this new actor she discovered, and how she’d been certain he’d slip up in a category since he seemed too perfect to her. The way her eyes grew wide and her hands flew all over the place reminded MC of what she imagined Seven would look like when telling her about one of his dreams.
“But anyways, what about you? Normally you’re the first one here. I’m surprised I got here first.” Eun said, finally taking a seat at the usual table. They always sat outside, unless it was too cold or raining. It was quite a nice day out, and the fresh air was just the reminder she needed that things may be crazy in her life right now, but there was comfort in routine at times. Not always, but sometimes. Just the small things that could help ground her and keep her from losing her head.
“I… well..” She hesitated a moment. Would it be okay to tell her about what happened? She supposed it wouldn’t hurt. It’s not like she was banned from talking about the RFA. Though she would keep the address of the apartment secret, as promised. “So I was on the subway the other day heading home when I got this strange message…” After what seemed like forever of explaining how she had felt bad to just not help someone who had said they were trying to be kind, only to find out she’d been deliberately led to the place, and now she was befriending a variety of people who were all very interesting. She left out names and other details, and almost avoided the topic of Seven entirely for the sake of his secret agent identity, but by the time she was finished she realized just how insane the past couple of days had been. The look on Eun’s face was enough of a reminder.
“You’re joking, right?” Eun blinked, leaning back in her chair after having been intently listening to the recap of MC’s past couple of days with wide eyes and immense interest. “That’s…” She shook her head, letting out a breath and straightening in her seat. “Damn. All I have to say is you’ve always been lucky like that. To have such adventures. I mean… You aren’t even from Korea originally. You came to study abroad and ended up living here because your mom married some CEO who ultimately went bankrupt because he made enemies with the C&R Company. Though, don’t get me wrong, you’ve definitely improved your Korean.” She laughed.
“It’s not funny.” She whined, looking at her friend who was failing to give her the support she desperately needed right now. “I have no idea why I’m even staying there and doing all of this. I just agreed to do it without even thinking. They seemed so excited about this party.”
“Okay, okay,” hands held up in surrender, Eun’s laughter began to fade. “Still, you’re like the center of attention for all of those guys, right? Maybe you’ll finally find yourself a boyfriend after than incident with-”
“Let’s not talk about him, please?” MC quickly interjected, shoulders tensing. He wasn’t someone she wished to remember right now. And something like dating wasn’t even on the table, really. “It’s not like that though. I’m just helping them with their...”
Eun’s sudden gasp and not-so-quiet fangirling cut off her words. While she wasn’t the most shy girl that she’d ever met, it was certainly not normal for her friend to be so over the top. “Oh.My.Gosh. MC! Remember that actor I was just talking about? He’s… well…. He’s here!” She was staring at him one moment, and dragging MC over towards him in the next. She was being jostled around so much that she had to wait until they were standing right in front of the guy to look at who Eun was even talking about. He was so tall that she found herself looking up to see him.
Jaehee would be disappointed at how long it took her brain to register the beautiful man standing before her. She simply stared at him while Eun began to chat up a storm, talking about how she loved his work and would love to get a selfie with him, if it was alright with him. After a moment of staring, the white haired man caught her gaze and smiled. “And who might you be? Another fan of mine? You must be staring because I’m so good-looking, right? Don’t worry ~ I don’t bite.” He was just as full of himself in person as he was in the chatroom.
The giggling wasn’t intended, but she couldn’t help herself. He had not the slightest clue of what she looked like. Should she tell him it was her? She spared a glance over to Eun and immediately shut that thought down. How could she explain to her friend that she knew a ‘celebrity’ and spoke with him casually? “I am a fan of your work, Zen.” She smiled at him. “I think you are extremely talented, and I can tell that you work hard to prepare for all of your roles. I look forward to seeing you grow and go even further as a musical actor!” That would make his day, right? He was always upset that people only cared about his looks. Though… when he realizes it was me, it may upset him… Oh well. I will just have to cross that bridge when I come to it.
“You have seen my work? Really?” He sounded genuinely surprised, and the childish excitement on his face was just too adorable. The realization must have hit him, because he quickly composed himself. “Of course, I’m extremely talented. It’d be a shame to hide my talent and my face from the world, don’t you think?” Eun was nodding her head along, swooning over the handsome man. “Oh!” He perked up. “My Director is here. I have a meeting. Excuse me, ladies. It was a pleasure to meet you.” He winked at MC. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest and she didn’t think he missed the heat that shot to her cheeks because he chuckled softly before going to meet with the man she assumed was his Director.
Next to her, Eun was losing her composure even more, fanning herself with her hand and staring at Zen. Laughing softly, MC grabbed her hand and tugged her back over to their chairs. The waitress had already set down their usual orders, including the one for Seok, who was rushing down the sidewalk with his bag slapping against his back. He was completely out of breath when he reached their table, nearly chugging his entire iced coffee. “Sorry I’m late.” He panted, shrugging off his bag and plopping into the seat, trying to catch his breath. Being on time wasn’t a specialty of his, and even though she’d normally tease him about it, MC was glancing over her shoulder towards Zen and the Director he was talking with. She wondered what he was discussing? Was it the potential new role that he’d been talking about earlier in the chatroom? Would it be weird for her to ask about it later without trying to give away that it was her who met him? Should she just go up and talk to him?
“Earth to MC!” Seok was waving his hands trying to get her attention, and she gasped in surprise when she finally registered his movements, his hands being much too close to her face for comfort. He was staring at her for a moment, and then leaned to look behind her towards the actor. “Oh? Is our MC crushing on a boy?” He teased when she moved to block his way, mimicking his movements a couple of times before he really got a good look at the man a couple of tables behind her. “Him? Really? I didn’t peg you as the pretty boy type, MC. I’m disappointed.” His teasing smile didn’t match the phony disappointment in his tone. Heat rising in her cheeks, she picked up his rather light backpack and threw it at him, mumbling for him to be quiet and that it wasn’t anything like what he was thinking. “Sure it’s not. Anyways, let me tell you about my good news! I just got an internship with C&R! It’s the best company to work for around here.”
Isn’t that the company Jumin is the heir of? Why are all of my friends suddenly becoming connected to the RFA in weird ways? This should be a crime! A crime! She smiled despite the mental crisis she was having. “That’s so cool! The benefits for that company is amazing from what I have heard! Though you better be punctual. They don’t seem like the type of company who would let you off with a warning for being late.” In fact, she was pretty sure Jumin would tear into him for being late even just once, and ask if he was serious about working for his company. She shuddered at the thought. If that were to happen, she’d have to personally call Seven and ask him to kidnap Elizabeth the 3rd for her and make Jumin apologize. While Seok was a bit challenged when it came to keeping track of time, he was an incredible hard worker. Though… I don’t think involving myself in their affairs would do anyone any good. And Jumin is usually pretty fair from what it sounds like, except when it comes to Jaehee, who always has to babysit his cat.
In only a short period of time she’d learned so much from the members of the RFA. They were growing on her. She looked forward to their calls, their texts… their conversations in the chatroom. The way they all interacted was entertaining, even when she wasn’t a part of the conversation, but somehow she usually got mentioned in some way or another. “No kidding. I was able to meet one of the Directors and he was super strict. I wasn’t expecting a pop quiz about the company, but I was prepared, thankfully.” He shook his head. “That Jumin Han guy is tough. And I heard he doesn’t like women.”
MC nearly blurted out that Jumin was simply cautious of them because his father was always around women who wanted them for their money, but she knew that defending him would only cause unwanted attention and curiosity. Instead she swallowed the words and tucked them back into their little corner with the rest of her thoughts of the RFA members, and giggled. “I’m sure that’s not true.” She could hear Seven’s voice echoing in her head. Does Jumin Han is gay? She nearly burst into manic laughter at the reminder, and had to swallow down the words once again. “He might just not be interested in fleeting relationships. Perhaps he is waiting for the right woman? Girls aren’t the only ones who wait for things like romance, you know.” She reminded him, wiggling her finger.
They enjoyed the rest of their weekly chat. Seok left first, as he had to get everything ready for his first day at the company tomorrow. While she walked back towards the subway station with Eun, she realized she’d been out much longer than she had expected, and she hoped that it was okay. The apartment wasn’t a child that needed to be babysat, right? But perhaps they were worried about the hacker trying to sneak in and steal the information since they clearly knew the password? Maybe they were protecting the information rather than her, but playing it off as for her to encourage her to behave? I need to stop thinking so much into things. She brushed the thoughts aside. “Hey, MC?” Eun spoke up, her voice quieter than usual. “Let me know how that thing with the RFA goes, okay? I worry about you. You are much too nice to people.” The nudge she felt dig into her ribs gently was a friendly reminder of her worry.
“Don’t worry, Eun. I will keep you updated.” She waved her friend off, and spent the rest of the subway ride immersed in a chatroom with Yoosung, who was completely complaining about how much homework he was given in one of his classes. Zen had popped in for a short minute to detail his experience at the cafe, to which she played the clueless supporter. She almost felt bad, and wanted to at least tell someone about this. Maybe I should call Seven… he’d find it funny, and wouldn’t tell Zen I’m sure. He seemed like the only option right now, but could she just tell Seven she ran into Zen on accident? What if he thought she was hiding something and telling him the address of the apartment or something? Her thoughts were brought from their never-ending array of questions by the stopping of the subway. Humming a tune as she walked down the streets towards the apartment she would temporarily be calling home.
Nothing looked out of place when she returned, though it still sent chills down her spine just being in the place. That sense of being utterly alone crashed over her once more, and she sighed as she tugged off her sweater to change into a more comfortable pair of clothes. Sitting on the small sofa, MC set to work on finally responding to the emails she’d been putting off, each response more absurd than the last, though she could tell by the emails and after examining what little information she had about the guest what the best response would be. However she was rather surprised that saying she was allergic to people not showing up to the party was what had been the final tipping point to a desirable answer from the allergy researcher. Emails taken care of, it was definitely time to put on some television and get comfortable for the rest of the evening.