Yoosung

Failed my midterms fml T_T

707

Cuz u played LOLOL all night lol.

Jumin Han

If you want to work for our company, you should take care of your GPA.

Despite the fact that this is exactly what Macy was expecting, it still took her breath away. These characters that had been so beloved to her were right there, chatting with one another like their entire world wasn't about to be turned upside down by her sudden appearance.

Like she wasn't about to come in and completely mess up their lives.

Yoosung

I'm still on the list?! +_+

Jumin Han

Yes.

707

Nice~ Can't believe u get to work straight after college lol

707

In this day and age!

ZEN

Lame. It's nepotism.

Jumin Han

It's called recruitment actually.

ZEN

It's giving a free pass instead of actually training the worker.

Jumin Han

Whatever. I couldn't care less what you say.

Macy felt her chest grow tight with anxiety as the chat continued, despite the fact that she was inwardly screaming for it to stop as she realized just how deep into something horrible she was. No matter what she chose, a crazy cult was going to be watching her. And if she chose anything wrong, someone could die.

Sure, it was easy enough to play the game and avoid a bad ending, but that's when the options were laid out for you, nice and clear.

Here, she didn't have any pre-written options.

All she had was herself.

ZEN

What's the difference between recruitment and nepotism?

707

Thought they r the same? O_O?

Jumin Han

It's nepotism if you recruit a person you know and they aren't of any help.

Yoosung

Oh… So you become a candidate for nepotism the same time you're recruited!

ZEN

707

WAIT!

Yoosung

Why?

ZEN

?

707

Think someone entered the chat room;;

Wait! No! This was happening too fast! Macy tried as hard as she could to run through every scenario in her head and decide what she was going to do. Which route she was going to take. Something that would work out the best for everyone.

Jumin Han

Macy…?

"Gah!" she sat on the bed, flustered as more chat bubbles flew by on her screen.

ZEN

Wtf. How did it get in here?

707

Hacker!

Yoosung

Hacker!? Therae's a hacker in ouer room!

She was too late to pursue V or Saeran. Months too late, so she ruled those routes out quickly. Thankfully, actually. V's route ended with the death of Saeran, and Saeran's route meant Saeyoung would go missing. Neither seemed very happy to her, even if she was able to go that direction.

Yoosung

Sevnee do something!

ZEN

Hey, typos. -_-;;

707

Wait a sec. I'm searching.

Going after Yoosung would give some answers, but ultimately it would leave Saeran and Saeyoung would still be separated, and Mint Eye would still exist. Following after Zen, Jumin, or Jaehee would result in even less resolution. Ultimately, she'd be ignoring the problem.

Jumin Han

Who are you? Reveal yourself. Hey, Assistant Kang.

Jaehee Kang

Yes, I am here.

ZEN

You were so quiet I thought you went somewhere.

Jaehee Kang

Nothing was out of the ordinary so I was just watching

Jaehee Kang

but I see something has just happened.

Convenient that that would leave only your favorite route… Macy thought grimly to herself. There was just one problem…

It didn't end without someone dying either.

In choosing the one route that would resolve the story in the best way, she'd be putting a life on the line. A life that wasn't hers to give.

Yet, here she was, having to make that call…

She briefly wondering if it was the only way, or the only way she would even consider. Was she just making the other ones seem bad to avoid having to do them because she wanted to pursue Saeyoung, who she had felt a connection with since she first installed the app?

No, she thought to herself. You're thinking far too much like the game has trained you to. You don't have to do that. You don't have to just focus on one person and save them by choosing pre-programmed answers. Maybe… Maybe you could save everyone? V included?

Yoosung

omg

Jumin Han

Why is a stranger in our chatroom?

Jaehee Kang

No one can enter this chatroom without installing the private app we use… It seems someone has downloaded the RFA Messenger.

But what if she messed things up and got a bad ending because she wasn't following a route? Maybe it was best to try and help the others, while also sticking to what she knew. No need to go crazy off the rails, though she swore she would be nothing but genuine. And she would save all of them. Even V.

She did, after all, have a love for all of the different characters.

People, she reminded herself. These are actual, living and breathing people now.

Yoosung

I thought Seven let only us download it?

ZEN

Maybe someone downloaded the app on two phones?

707

Maybe?

Jumin Han

Who downloaded it twice?

Yoosung

Not me!

Okay… she took a deep breath. Here goes nothing…

Macy

Hi, sorry. I didn't mean to intrude.

Yoosung

Gahhhh it's talking!

ZEN

So it's not two smartphones.

Jumin Han

Who is it?

Yoosung

Find out what it is!

Jaehee Kang

How did you find out about this place? Where did you download the application?

Macy was trying to type out an explanation, but the others were typing so fast, she couldn't keep up.

707

Oh… ^^; Wait.

707

Just found something. This is weird.

ZEN

What is it. Hurry and tell me.

707

I traced the IP…

707

It's from Rika's apartment.

Yoosung

Rika's apartment?

Jumin Han

Where was it?

Jaehee Kang

The location is not revealed. I know it to be classified.

707

Anyway, someone must have broken into her apt.

707

It talked just now, so it must be a person ^^;

707

Yup

Yoosung

Who are you?! How did you get into Rika's apartment?!

Yoosung

How did you get this app?!

Yoosung

Gah~ So scared right now…

Yoosung

I thought the apartment has a passworh lobk?

ZEN

Typo

Jaehee Kang

I assume it was a break in.

Jaehee Kang

Username "Macy", I recommend that you confess.

ZEN

Jaehee, would you voluntarily confess to everything if it were you?

Jaehee Kang

No. But it is good to ask first.

707

Lolol

Jumin Han

Quit shitting around.

Jumin Han

Macy… Who are you?

Jumin Han

Reveal yourself, stranger.

Macy had typed out a partial message introducing herself, but she was stumped. How could she tell as much of the truth without having to explain the fact that she had somehow hopped into the world of a video game? She'd have to be careful, and would probably need to tell a few half-truths, if not some outright lies.

Jumin Han

If you do not reveal yourself, you will pay.

ZEN

Stranger you will pay? Lmfao

ZEN

Omg~*so scary*~

ZEN

It might be a girl.

707

That's sexist lol. U should watch what u say now that ur a famous actor.

ZEN

I'm not famous;; just a bit recognizable.

Yoosung

Nah~ Look at the youtube hits~

ZEN

Dude. Stawp;;

707

lolol

Jaehee Kang

That video is still excellent no matter how many times I watch it.

Yoosung

Zen, when do you start your next piece?

ZEN

;;Don't know. It's up to the director.

Yoosung

He's a celebrity lol! I'm gonna tell everyone at school.

Jumin Han

Hey.

Jumin Han

Don't get distracted.

Macy reread her message one last time to be sure, then smiled. It was different, and she was about to plunge into unknown territory, but hopefully they would be able to feel that she was being sincere. Now she just had to wait for the right time…

Yoosung

Oh, right. Username Macy…

Jaehee Kang

…An abrupt stranger.

707

My hands r shaking as I hack.

Jumin Han

Who are you? Reveal yourself right now.

Yoosung

Yeees! Who are u?!

ZEN

Use proper english please.

707

If it doesn't say anything I'll hack in and find out.

It was now or never!

ZEN

…Maybe

ZEN
One of my fans?

Macy

Again, I am so sorry for intruding. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. My name is Macy. I was sent here to this apartment by a stranger on this messenger app who gave the passcode and told me to go inside. Once I entered, the stranger disappeared, and I could see you all talking.

Jumin Han

ZEN

Are you a woman?

Macy let out a sigh of relief. That seemed to have gone well.