Chapter 1

Arrival

It was a day like any other as the girl lay curled up on her bed, phone in hand. The same app as always beamed through her screen and lit up her wide eyed face. Her friend online had recommended it to her a little over a week ago. At first she had been skeptical that it wasn't really as great as the internet made it out to be. However, it hadn't taken long for her addiction to take hold. It seemed in this case the internet had been right for once.

A picture of a blond haired man with bandages across his left eye shown on the screen. His lips were pressed against the mouth of a brunette woman in a red dress whose eyes were hidden from view. Small tears pooled in the corner of the girls eyes and she smiled down at her phone. There were so many emotions racing through her. Happiness, fulfillment, adoration, respect, all of those feelings and more swam around inside her as her cheeks reddened.

Kicking her legs up in the air, the girl let out a happy squee as the words 'good ending' flashed up at her. It had taken eleven sleepless days but she had finally done it. So many nights spent waiting for those 3am chats. Just as many mornings waking just as the sun began to rise to send her love off to school. She couldn't help but beam as she hugged her phone tightly to her chest. Not a bit of regret tinged her happy moment.

"Oh he's so cute!" She laughed to herself, smiling up at the ceiling. A feeling of satisfaction filled her chest only to be replaced with a sense of longing shortly after. Her eyes flickered down back to her phone where the main menu of Mystic Messenger greeted her from the screen.

It was hard for her to believe it was already over after playing for so long. She let out a small sigh as she reminisced about the past week and a half. Every cute chat and phone call flew through her mind and she covered her face with a blush, shaking her head in delight. Why did he have to be so cute? She couldn't stand it!

It was then that a sudden small alarm broke her from her cheerful display. A pout puckered her lips as she looked over to her clock, ringing away on her nightstand. It was already 1 o'clock. How time flew when you were engrossed in the object of your affection.

With a flick of the wrist she quieted the incessant ringing of the alarm. As much as she'd rather stay in bed all day on her phone, it was time for her to get ready for work. Her thoughts of Yoosung would unfortunately have to wait. Why was being an adult so inconvenient at times?

"Keep those orders coming!"

"We need more napkins at table 14!"

"MC are you sure you can can hold all of those? Do you need help?"

The girl smiled at her coworker reassuringly, adjusting the plates in her arms. She was more than used to carrying dozens of dirty dishes throughout the day. Though that didn't stop people from offering their assistance occasionally.

"Don't worry. I got it, really." Mc insisted, making her way to deposit them into the dishwasher in the back of the kitchen. It seemed like every day the same guy was always trying to ask if she needed help. If she wasn't so patient it would've annoyed her. However, seeing as he was new she couldn't find it in her heart to fault him. He obviously meant well.

After depositing the dishes she made her way back out onto the floor. The table she had been serving had finally left and she needed to clean up the rest of the mess for the next customers before her lunch break. A small grimace laced her lips as she saw the two singles laid atop the table amongst the crumbs and spilled sauces. She knew better than to hope for more but something inside her always hurt whenever she got a tip so low. Had she done something wrong? Or perhaps her service wasn't up to par. Regardless of the matter her shoulders sunk as she collected the money, shoving it into her apron pocket.

Once the table was spotless MC made her way into the back to let her manager know she was heading to lunch. With the staff notified and her lunch bag in hand, she headed outside making a beeline for the bench over next to the trees. The shade always helped cool her down after all the running she had to do throughout out day. As soon as she sat down she let out a sigh of relief.

A small buzz from her pocket made her jump in place. She expected to see another notification from Mystic Messenger and pulled out her phone with excitement. Another chance to talk with Yoosung. It was only after she read the notification that her lips bent into a frown. It was just a bank notification.

MC placed her hands over her face and rubbed her cheeks. Did she really forget she finished the game already? It had been just this morning and it was still all she had on her mind. She couldn't help it. Even during her shift she felt her mind wander back to the blonde haired, purple eyed angel of her heart. Sure, he was just a character from a game, but she couldn't help but feel something more for him. She had never had a boyfriend. Or even a crush on a real person, but she figured this was as close as she was going to get. There's no way anyone could ever be more perfect than him.

Yoosung. He was so sweet. So caring and funny. How would she ever manage to find someone like him? There was no one like him in her life and she couldn't help but obsess over him. Why couldn't he just be here with her? If only he were real.

The idea replayed again, what if he were real? A smile melted onto MC's face as she let herself slip into a daydream. She imagined what it would be like if he were here right now on the bench with her. She could lean up against him, her head on his shoulder while she talked about how her day was going. He would listen, maybe compliment how well of a job she does and make her feel better after she mentions how the customers treat her. She would in turn listen to him talk about his game and how his guild was doing. Flattery would get her anywhere with him and she would love to make him blush. She would tell him how cool she thought he was. He would stutter at first before growing confident and she would smile. Then maybe, just maybe, she would look up at him and their eyes would meet. She would feel her heart rate quicken and electricity build in her belly as she stared up into those big purple eyes of his. Her cheeks would flush as he held her gaze, eyes flickering down to her lips. The attraction between them would become magnetic, sparks filling the air, and she would feel herself leaning in. Their eyes would grow heavy as the distance between their lips grew shorter and shorter until finally-

"Uh, Mc what are you doing?" Came a voice suddenly.

"Huh, what?" MC said suddenly, jerked forcibly from her thoughts as the once blushing face of Yoosung was wiped away to reveal the face of her friend. Her face reddened and she smiled sheepishly. She hoped she hadn't been making a weird face again.

"You were making a weird face again," said the other girl, looking a tad concerned.

Damn it.

"Oh uh, I was just uh, thinking was all.." MC said. She rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment as her giggling friend sat beside her.

"Were you thinking about that dumb game again?" Her friend laughed "It looked like you were about to start making out with the air. What, you fantasizing about that character Yoosing again?" She finished, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"His name is YooSUNG. And no, Rachael, I was thinking about other stuff..." MC said, trailing off. Her voice didn't even sound convincing to herself. Rachael just rolled her eyes and snickered, swallowing her food.

"Yeah, yeah okay lover-girl whatever you say. Hey, so you got any plans tonight? Everyone's gonna head out for drinks do you wanna come?" Rachael asked nonchalantly, taking another bite of her sandwich before reaching for her water. MC's eyes trailed away from her friend and she bit her lip. She didn't really like drinking, it always just made her feel depressed. Plus, the way things were going today, what with her lousy tips and the notification from the bank, she didn't think she could really afford to go out anytime soon.

"No, that's okay. I uh, had stuff to do when I got home tonight anyway. Maybe next time." She said, reaching for her lunch bag and pulling out the salad she had packed late the night before. Her friend gave her a look before looking back towards the restaurant.

"You always say that. I told you if you need me to pay or something I don't mind-" she started but MC cut her off.

"No! No that's not it, I really do have stuff to do. Like, laundry and stuff. It's fine." She insisted. She didn't like the idea of her friend spending even more money on her. She felt in dept enough to her as it was. It always made her feel guilty to never have enough money to pay her back.

Rachael studied her face for a moment before giving in.

"Okay, okay I get it. You don't have to get so defensive." Said Rachael before tossing her friend a package of fruit snacks. MC fumbled it before almost dropping it onto the ground, much to her friends enjoyment.

"And if you just wanna play that game of yours too that's fine. Don't have to make up stories." Rachael snickered. MC's face reddened a bit.

"I actually beat that game this morning, unfortunately. I don't have enough for the after end yet... I couldn't stop buying phone calls." She said, looking disappointed in herself.

"You're hopeless you know that?" Rachael laughed, giving her friend a playful shove.

"Yeah, I know." MC said with a smile.

As soon as she reached the comfort of her own home MC found herself face first into the couch. The fabric was a little rough but she didn't care. She was just happy to be home again and away from the chaos that was her job.

Rolling to her side, she pulled out her phone. A picture of Yoosung smiling brightly met her eyes and she smiled back. Now that she was home, she could use her phone as much as she wanted to. No orders to take or pesky tables to be cleaned. This was her relaxation time.

Before she knew what she was doing she found herself back inside the Mystic Messenger app. She blinked a few times in surprise, not having realized she had even pressed the app. Her fingers must have developed some kind of muscle memory she wasn't aware of. Of course, hearing the familiar smooth jazz along with her favorite person's voice greeting her kept her attention.

Her thumb hovered over the original story button, debating on whether or not to maybe start the game over again. She cursed herself silently. As curious about the rest of the story line as she was, something in her urged her not to press the button. She didn't think she would be able to bear playing anyone else's route. It was probably unhealthy but she really did have a great deal of affection for her favorite game character. It would almost feel like... cheating... if she were to play the game for anyone else.

It sounded crazy, but to her, it felt much more personal than a game. She felt such a connection to this character that she just couldn't seem to let go of it. Maybe she did need to get out more. Still, she couldn't be the only person alive to have fallen head over heels for a character in a story.

After much deliberation she found herself looking into the games photo album. She smiled, looking over all the pictures of her crush she had acquired. He really was adorable. What she wouldn't do to squeeze those cheeks or kiss that nose. She wondered vaguely what he might smell like. What kind of shampoo would he use? Whatever it was she bet it would be the best thing she ever smelled.

Speaking of his hair, she wondered what it might feel like. Would it be soft or thick and coarse? It looked so fluffy but it could be from gel or something. She wouldn't mind though. It would be perfect to her no matter what. He was perfect. More perfect than any guy she'd ever met.

It's too bad he wasn't real.

Her heart sank. That was right, he wasn't real. No matter how hard she wished it she knew in the back of her mind that she was being silly. No matter how giddy he made her feel he was nothing but some text and pictures inside her phone. Even his voice. His cute and sometimes whiny adorable voice, was just some other person's pretending to be him. A pit formed in her stomach.

MC clutched her phone tightly to her chest and sat up, her eyes clamped shut. Her insides felt tight and she fought back a sob. But what did it matter? There was no one in the house to hear her. She had been alone for so long it's not like anyone would care if she cried. To cry over something so ridiculous however...

Something inside her broke and that was it. Before she could stop herself the tears started rolling down her cheeks as she hugged her phone tightly. She wished she had someone to hold her, someone to tell her she wasn't weird for feeling this way. Someone to tell her that her life would get better and she wouldn't always be stuck like she was. Her sobs echoed quietly throughout the house and through the sound she knew there was no one.

A sudden vibration caused her to choke back her tears, holding her phone up to her face. Through her blurry vision she saw the faint outline of a chat screen. Had she accidentally opened the original story while she was crying?

Using her sleeve she wiped her face before looking back at her phone. A starry night sky background and a text from "unknown" met her eyes. It seemed she had unknowingly clicked her way back into the story mode. She sniffed before reaching to the answer button. If anything else maybe replaying the game would make her feel better. She could always redo Yoosung's route anyway. Even if she knew what would happen, it would be better than what she had right now. She wanted to talk to him again.

"?" MC selected from the options. As usual the same texts from before replayed again. As she went through the motions something strange caught her eye. As the texts continued to come in strange symbols started mixing themselves into the words. Had this been part of the prologue last time she played? She didn't remember anything like this happening.

She thumbed the answer button once more and was shocked to find even her own answers were corrupted with the same weird font and symbols. Everything on the page was illegible and she swore she saw some of the letters almost appear to vibrate. Maybe there was a bug.

Deciding that she should probably email cheritz about the weirdness happening to her game, she clicked the home button on her phone. Except, much to her surprise, nothing happened. Convinced her phone had froze because of the bug, she tried the power button instead. She was starting to get nervous. She hoped it hadn't corrupted her game. She would be beyond devastated if anything happened to her memories with Yoosung on the app. As much as she wanted to play his route again she didn't want all of her hard work and proof of her affections to disappear.

She soon found herself frustrated and a small sting of panic jolted her insides when her phone refused to turn off. It seemed every button on her phone refused to work. A cold sweat overtook her as she frantically began fiddling with her phone in vain.

"Hey what's going on?" She said with a cry " No no no, please don't mess up! No I need him to stay on here don't mess up!"

All of a sudden her phone vibrated, yanking her back from her oncoming anxiety attack. Then it vibrated again. A confused look crossed her face. Was her phone going to explode or something?

The sudden harsh never-ending vibration sent her into a fit as her phone burned against her palm. With a loud thump the phone hit the wooden floor, vibrating and moving around like it had suddenly become possessed. MC let out a small scream before jumping over the back of her couch to hide behind it. Her phone was making the loudest of noises as it rumbled against the floorboards before suddenly a high pitched whistle pierced the air.

This was it she was going to die. Her phone was going to explode and she was going to die.

Then it happened

A sharp blinding light flashed through the room as an explosion sounded. Everything shook inside the room as a crash echoed from across the room. Then, just as suddenly as it had began, everything became eerily quiet.

MC shivered as she slowly uncovered her head and looked around behind the couch. Everything was dark. A dim light flickered back into view as the lights came back on inside the living room. Carefully, she lifted herself up off of the ground to peek over the couch. What she saw made her gasp.

Black smoke slowly rose up off of the floor, uncovering her broken, very shattered phone. So it had blown up. She shrunk a bit to think what would have happened if she had still been near it when it exploded. However, it wasn't just the phone that caught her eye. There was something against the wall that wasn't there before the fiasco. As the smoke cleared she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

First a pair of brown shoes and pants came into view. There was a person on her floor? Who on earth could possibly be inside her home? No one had come in and she was about 10 stories up in the air. There's no way someone could have just come in through the window. Had someone been in her house while she was gone and she hadn't realized it? Did her phone just kill a burglar?

As she watched from behind the couch more of the strange figure was revealed. Long brown pants met a striped white shirt and blue short sleeve jacket. Up even higher, head slumped over seemingly passed out against the wall, was a messy mop of golden hair. MC's throat tightened and her eyes widened. No. No it couldn't be what was she thinking.

"Uuuuuuugh. Ooow... What happened?" A small voice croaked from the other side of the room. MC's eyes widened further and she shrunk behind the couch more, reaching around until she could grasp onto something. Her hand found a hairbrush she had left on the table next to the couch. She gripped it tightly and kept her eyes above the couch, staring at the intruder.

Slowly, the stranger shifted and lifted their head, opening their eyes slowly. Bright purple orbs focused in steadily onto the girl behind the couch. MC ducked quickly and felt her heart hammering in her chest, breathing shakily.

"I-I have a weapon! A-and I'm uh, not afraid to use it! So... stay where you are burglar!" She shouted fearfully, grimacing behind the couch. They were going to see right through her.

"Wh-what? N-no wait, please don't!" Said a familiar voice. MC's stomach jumped at the thought but she shook her head. Her mind was just playing tricks on her because her emotions were fried. That was the only explanation.

After a moment of silence the voice spoke again.

"Um, I really have no idea what's going on. Who are you? Where am I? I don't understand what's happening. I was just trying to log into a messenger to talk with my friends and everything just went black. Really I'm telling the truth!" The voice said urgently. He really sounded sincere but MC wasn't willing to risk any chances.

"This is my apartment! You tell me who you are first, and what you're doing here!" She said, feeling her confidence grow slightly.

"M-my name's Yoosung! Yoosung Kim! But really I don't know, I don't know how I got here! Please you've got to believe me!" Cried the voice again. MC blinked in disbelief. Who did this person think they were? Had they been hacking into her things and were trying to pose as a character to try to soften her up or something? Who does that? Did they really expect that to work?

"Liar!" She shouted before standing up "You're lying! There's no such thing... as... you.." but that was all she could say. Standing before her was what looked like a perfect replica of the man of her dreams. Her mouth slacked as she stared at the supposed stranger.

The blonde man looked at her with urgency, eyeing the hairbrush in her hand she had been wielding like a bat only a moment ago. He looked absolutely terrified.

"I'm not lying, my name is Yoosung. I go to Sky University, I'm just a college student! I swear I'm not a burglar! Please, I can't hit a woman so please don't attack me. I promise I'm not going to do anything." He said, his voice shaking as he tried to remain calm. The girl merely continued to stare at him. Her face was one of shock and she looked as if she was trying to speak. No matter how much she moved her mouth, nothing seemed to come out.

MC's eyes flickered from the man's eyes down to her shattered phone. No. It couldn't possibly be. No, that's not possible. That couldn't happen. Yoosung, the real living breathing Yoosung, was standing in front of her. She knew it must be a ruse. She knew she shouldn't fall for it. But there was something about this stranger that felt so familiar to her.

The hair, the clothes, the voice. Everything matched so perfectly. And those eyes. Those great, big, beautiful purple eyes. There was no way anyone could really have those color eyes. No matter how hard she looked she couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't contacts. They looked so natural.

That's it, she was going crazy. She finally cracked. This was it. Her phone exploded and now she was hallucinating that the character she loved had just materialized out of her phone and into her living room. That's it. Of course that was the most reasonable option. She let out a small laugh.

"Um... hello?" Said the Yoosung look alike. It seemed MC couldn't take anymore of the situation at hand however and, within seconds, toppled over behind the couch and out of sight.

The man just stood still, a look of surprise and worry plastered to his face.

"What on earth is going on?" He yelled to himself before frantically running over behind the couch. Even if she might attack him with a hairbrush and he had absolutely no clue where he was or what was happening, he had to make sure she was alright. After all, a hairbrush wouldn't intimidate Shooting Star so why should he be any different? He was the second best player in all of LOLOL after all!