Seven arrives at Rika's apartment just in time. MC is safe. You don't think that those calls and chatrooms and visual novels are all they're doing when they're together, do you? A more detailed story of Seven's route from an MC's point of view, and how she actually deals with Seven.

Author note: this will be the very first story I publish for years and I am so excited! English is not my first language, so feel free to point out the wrong grammar or vocab use if you find any. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The almighty Cheritz owns Saeyoung Choi and I thank them for that. I am enough with owning my MC which loves him till the end of the universe.

Chapter 1. Day 7. 21.15

There I am, sitting on the bed, again, holding the phone loosely in my hand. The last talk with Zen just now still gives me a giddy feeling. So, the unicorn prince can actually freak out at the fact of me spending a night with Seven?

I smile at my phone and re-read the chat log. I told Zen the truth though, I am happy that Seven is with me right now. Though the encounter with… Saeran, as Seven called the hacker, is still fresh in my mind. I glanced at the broken window in the kitchen, just across the bedroom, and I find myself tremble. Slowly but sure, I grip my arms, ensuring myself that it was in the past now. I am safe.

I am safe.

And now I am with the person I really wanted to meet the most. Though in the back of my mind, I wonder if Seven is actually happy being here, especially, after everything.

I take a breath to calm myself and walk to the kitchen, there I see the remains of my attempt on making dinner for both of us. He coldly refused my offer without even spare me a glance, and I cannot help but losing my appetite when I remember that. I glance at the bathroom door at the end of the hall, slightly wondering whether the man that came to my rescue several hours ago is really the 707 I know from RFA app.

He is so… silent. He barely said anything ever since the hacker left. If I am not overly familiar with his voice, I would have kicked him out.

But it is him. His voice is something I can identify very easily, even though I practically never met him before.

But then again, we kind of bumped together into an unfortunate event and it is very much possible that the meeting with his brother bothers him. He must need time to sort out his mind.

I just need to be understanding.

With a sigh, I walk closer to the table, silently gather the partially chopped vegetables and put it in a bowl. I turn around to take it to the fridge when the bathroom door is opened. The redhead looks at me for a second while drying his hair, then proceeds to leave without a word. My eyes follow him until he is out of my sight into the bedroom.

It has not been three hours ever since he arrived here. And ever since he came, a wave of unknown emotion has been surfacing within me. I was pretty sure that I might act like a fangirl over the fact that Seven is finally here with me, but with our situation right now, being nervous of his presence is not even possible.

My eyes dart to the broken window again. My memory serves me with the sight of Seven forbade me to clean the kitchen, where the pieces of shattered glass were anywhere. I can see with my mind how he silently gathered the broken pieces into one place and safely dumped it to litter bin. Then, still as silent, he settled his laptops at the corner of the bedroom and started working.

Just like that.

I glance at the chopped vegetables in the bowl and suddenly feel determined to repeat the question I asked him almost two hours ago.

With that, I walk to the bedroom and find the man sitting on the floor, at the corner of the bedroom, typing quickly on his laptop, just the way I remember him doing that before he went to take a shower. Where does he put the towel he used to dry his hair? I look around the room and fail to locate it…

Wait, not that.

I was about to ask him the question.

"Seven?" I call out to him, and his typing stops, "Would you like dinner—"

"No,"

—I stop my mouth from forming another word.

This man, 707, Luciel, the self-proclaimed God Seven.

The one who first noticed me in chatroom.

The one who tricked me into saying I-love-you~ like a teddy bear.

The only one who has seen my face from CCTV.

The one who never stopped proclaim his love for Elly to the point of me dreaming of him and Elly exchanging vows in altar full of HBC and a priest in PhD Pepper costume.

The one whose voice, albeit the fact that he only seemed to be interested in taking my call in the last three days, grows on me. I found myself getting excited in the possibility of him taking my call, even when what we're talking about is nothing important.

His voice has been resounding in my head even before he said that my voice haunts his. I was very sure that I turned into a creep when I realized what his voice has been doing to me, but then I found out that my voice has similar effect to him. And being a similar type of creep with him sounds interesting.

Now there he is, at the other corner of the bedroom, his back facing me, silence emanates from his form.

While I am here, overrode by my wish to hear his voice in proper conversation.

Not his voice as he struggles to strengthen the fact that he positively trying to ignore me.

How can he ignore someone whose voice has been –as he said before— replaying in his head? He said it right? He said my face popped up his computer screen numerous times before. Then why on earth he's been doing this to me? He was so desperate about protecting me earlier today, but then… only to this extent?

Would he also come to this apartment if the one here is not me?

I stifle a groan as silent as I can (and I know I am unsuccessful) and throw myself on the soft mattress of the bed, curling up to hug my knees. I see him jolts a bit to the sound of rustled fabric, and probably, my voice. But he makes no further movement. I cannot help but staring at his back, determinedly making a hole on his head, his back, his shoulders, anywhere, just to make him say something to me.

Then he will turn around and say 'Gotcha!! I was just fooling around! Now let's go to the space station!'

No.

I should not be like this.

He's hurt. It doesn't take a genius to see it. His unwelcomed reunion with his brother must be nagging his mind more than I can imagine. His reaction when he saw Saeran burns my eyes again. The pain and fear in his voice was clear, as it rings again in my ear. I swore he was in the brink of crying when Saeran...

He shifts his position a bit and my train of thought stops. I swallow the almost unbearable urge to call him again.

He will just ignore me again. Like he did for the past several hours.

Closing my eyes, I tell myself again that I must understand his position. This is not easy for me, but this is enormously more difficult for him. His mind must be in chaos right now. I must be understanding. I must be someone who support him.

But… why… why doesn't he say anything to me?

He's been saying all those thing to me before he came here, and now he's giving me cold shoulder?

Silently, I get up and sit at the edge of the bed, so my feet now touching the floor. I must give him some time to sort his mind. Then he will be back to his cheery self.

Hopefully.

The bed gives off a soft creak when I get to my feet, my eyes are still on the redhead, when he turns around and looks at me. My eyes are widened by his movement, a feeling of anticipation rushes on to me and I try my best to subdue it.

"Seven?" I say slowly.

He sighs and stands up, gives me a pensive look and then looks away, "I'm sorry for barging in on your space. I'll just stay in the corner so don't mind me,"

I feel conflicted when I hear it. His voice seems to have lost the cheerful tone he continuously used on me before. Well yes, you're barging in. And yes, I am uncomfortable. But not because of you being here, but because you look like a lie presented to me with all of this wall between us!! And you're asking me not to mind you? Just what do you think I should do with that request?!

…is what I want to say to him.

But seeing him up close like this, with the undeniable streak of sadness on his form, I swallow my words and try to be as cool-headed as I can, "I am not uncomfortable at all. Just make yourself at home,". I give him the best smile I can give him. In the back of my mind, I believe it turns out to be a small and weak smile, but still a smile nonetheless.

He closes his eyes and pulls on the cable of his headphone calmly, "I feel better this way. I'll just work here. I'll stabilize the security system… and once I finish researching about that Magenta Saeran is at, I'll head there right away,"

When he opens his eyes, he gives me a brief glance before again, looks away, "I didn't want to be alone with you like this, but I guess the intruder left us with no choice,"

Wait, he said he didn't want to be alone with me? Then why was he so desperate about going here and save me? Why didn't he tell Jumin about location of this apartment and asked Jumin to keep it a secret? Jumin's bodyguards would come here using a helicopter or something and he would not have to be here with me alone. And Jumin will be more than capable to keep the location secret.

Oh, right, Jumin's men wouldn't be able to solve the algorithm of something he placed on this place, right?

Then if he's so bothered of being alone with me, he could have come with Jumin's men, unlocked the door, then left me with the bodyguards.

I mean, he's a genius, right? Why wouldn't he think like that?

Because the location of this place is confidential? Well, as I said, he could ask Jumin to keep the confidentiality on check.

He must have known that if something happened with special security system and he is about to repair it then it definitely means that he will spend his time with me. Alone when he keeps the location secret.

Why…? Why does he contradict his own act? Was he that desperate so he failed to think straight? Desperate to save me…? Or desperate to save this place because this place holds so many precious things to RFA?

Good, my head may explode if I continue ponder over this. Okay, let's test this theory: did he come here to save me… or the information?

I gather my thought together and shrug, then smile a bit, "I like it. Just live here!"

I swear the corner of his lips twitch a bit when he hears this, but it disappears as soon as it appears. He gives me a side glance, his expression turns serious, "I don't like it. You might be in danger if you stay with me,"

And against my will, I feel more conflicted. So, what is it that he wants to protect? It must be me, right? But why will it be dangerous? I blink several times as I try to process the fragmented information with my own little head.

"My agency will track down this place… and take me away. So you really have to take care of yourself," he continues slowly.

Right, the agency. He is a secret agent, isn't he? I frown as I realize that the one I am speaking with right now is someone who must conceal their identity. Everything clicks right at the moment: danger, secret agent, track down, take him away.

He is a part of something dangerous.

And by tracking down this place and taking him away… he is not running from something to come here, right?

What if… what if he was in the middle of highly classified mission when he found out that I was in trouble and he rushed here, leaving everything behind… just to save me? I stare at the redhead intensely. Seven… you're not in danger because of me, right?

"The agency…" I start, immediately cursing myself from trembling a bit, "…are you really okay with them? Are you being chased?"

Silence hovers between us as he exhales slowly. He looks like he ponders over his answer before finally says, "A little bit,"

I feel my nails dig into the flesh of my palm. There is a weird, acute feeling, that bubbles inside me in high speed, making me gasp, and become surprised by my own gasping voice. My feet slide forwards toward him, but I stop myself before even a complete step is made. What should I say now?

"But I'm the only one who knows the address to this place, so it'll take them a long time to find me here," he says it like there is nothing to worry about. I can hear the fake soothe in his voice as he continues, "I left my car someplace far because of that,"

I cannot help but glancing at the laptops and several other devices set on the floor around him. He ran from that someplace far to here, I say to myself. Should I even be asking whether he wants to protect me or the information of RFA?

He goes this far to protect me. Because I was here, all alone, unknowingly within the grasp of… Saeran. A stinging sensation appears at the back of my mind when I try to comprehend what Seven must feel when he met his twin that way.

The man in front of me turns around, now his back is facing me. "If I finish my work before I get tracked, I plan to disappear from the face of this earth…"

What?! My eyes abruptly dart back to him.

"Unless something happens, you'll be safe," he calmly continues.

I stare at the back of his head in disbelief, "Just what… just what is there on your mind?!" I whisper silently. I know my voice is too low for him to hear, since he keeps his back on me. An awkward silence envelopes us once again. I struggle with my own jumbled mind. He tries to protect me in expense of his… existence?

And he thinks I am okay with that?!

I am about to say something when he turns around, facing me again. He shoots me a look that makes me stop whatever it is on my tongue, and leave me with an even more confused mind. He holds my gaze as he continues his monologue, this time, his tone is firm, "Anyways, my point is that I'm a dangerous person… So I'll leave as soon as I can. Don't try to get so close to me,"

I tear my eyes off him and shake my head a bit. He is here, literally sacrificing his own safety for my own safety, but he wants me to stay far away from him? He is about to sit down to his previous position when I finally find some words to say, "But… you'll be uncomfortable in that corner,"

He sighs, now with annoyed tone, "I told you before, but this suits me better. If you have a sharpie, I'm all for drawing a line on the ground,"

No, not like this, I scream internally, "Don't you have anything you want to tell me…" Like what? I ask myself. What do I want him to tell me? Maybe… "… about your brother?"

He shoots me another look. His expression unreadable. "That's nothing for you to know," His tone is flat, but I cannot lie that it pierces something inside of me deeper than I anticipated. "It was a mistake telling you about him… Just forget that I ever mentioned it. I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but there's nothing I can tell you right now…" he must have seen the confused look on my face so I look away.

I keep my silence since I don't find any word to say.

"Just don't ask me anything," another flat but fierce word pierce me, "Maybe you should just pretend I'm not here,"

I grab my own arm to stop myself from trembling. How come he has this kind of tone, and use it on me? Am I being too sensitive here? Is he playing a role on me right now? Slowly, I weave my word, "Are you really going to be like this to me?" the words come out between nervous laughter and squeak, too weak for my taste, and I swear he can detect the frustration welling inside of me so easily.

"The reason why I hurried over here was to protect you,"

I shut my eyes tight when I hear that. I cannot even think clearly though I try to tell myself to cheer up at his confirmation that at least, at the very least, he is here to protect me, not just the information. Part of me feels happy, yet the other part is screaming in agony.

"I have no plan to pursue any sort of personal relationship with you, so know it as that. I'm sorry if you had any fantasies about me,"

My eyes open abruptly when he says it. I look at him, to find him not looking at me. His expression is still unreadable.

He does not feel the same about me.

But… he is here to protect me.

Then why can't he just leave me alone if he's not interested in me?

Because I am a part of RFA. I tell myself. He protects me because of that.

But, he said he kept hearing my voice over and over, and kept seeing my face on his screen!

Oh… stop it. I inhale quietly, finding myself tremble again at the searing pain that is originated from nowhere of my body.

Was he playing around with me when he said all that?

Something aches.

No.

The whole me aches.

I grip my arm tighter when I feel the familiar feeling of hotness in my eyes. Oh great, I am about to cry.

No. I will not cry. Not in front of him. I bite my lower lip to swallow an impending sob.

He seems to catch the change in my expression when he spares me another slide glance. His eyes find mine and when he opens his mouth, I cannot help but bracing myself for another painful word.

"This is who I am, so just accept it. Don't try to get close to me," the used-to-be-bright redhead says in finalizing tone, "I'm going to start working now so don't bother me,"

I tear my eyes away from him. At the same time, he sits down back in his previous position and starts typing.

I resist the urge to run away and try my best to calm myself down, all the while forcing my feet to slowly walk away from the bedroom. As the pain inside my chest grows bigger, I reach the kitchen, and finally let the teardrops spill from my eyes. Slowly, I cover my mouth with my hands, determined not to let him hear anything.

I slowly go down on my knee, then let myself sit on the floor. The night wind blows on the side of my cheek from the shattered window. I shut my eyes and my ear, trying my best not to let anything I've seen and heard ruin my conviction.

I can do this.

I can stand my way through this.

I've been through worse.

Slowly, I hug myself as tender as I can, "It's… alright…" I whisper to myself, "It's alright… Don't… let your emotion guide you…"

I don't know how long I shush myself from the silent cry, but slowly, I regain back my steady breathe. Slowly, I open my eyes, letting my vision gain back its focus through all the silent tears I shed. Adding another breathe to soothe myself, I slowly rise to my feet and walk to the tap.

I open the tap and wash my face, softly wipes the tears off of my eyes, and cheek, and neck.

I won't be crushed because of this, Seven, not before I make you talk with me properly. With that newfound determination, I walk back to the bedroom where the phone is, swiftly open the RFA app. After stealing a glance to the redhead at the corner of the room, I open his contact and press 'Call' button.

His phone rings beside him and he takes it. He stops typing when he reads the caller ID, then he puts down his laptop and makes a move to turn around. I don't even think further when I abruptly turn away from him, and I can practically feel his glare on my back. Wait, didn't I say that I will make him talk properly to me? How can I do that if the sight of him alone makes me this nervous? I mentally slap my head.

I am about to give up the call when he actually picks up. I gape slightly, frantically search for word when he beats me to it, "…What is it? Why did you call?"

I exhale slowly to calm down my nerve, "Can you please just look at me?" with that, I slowly turn around.

He clicks his tongue and act all irritated to hear my words, "We're in the same house. Why do I need to look at you? I'm here. Isn't it stupid to talk on the phone when we're in the same place?"

Well yeah… that was stupid, but… "But I want to talk to you Sev—" I say as I start to walk toward him.

"A-ah… don't come closer. We need to keep our distance!"

And I stop on my track. Fighting the pang of pain inside me.

"I always work alone. It's uncomfortable just being with you here," he continues.

Uh… this is just stupid. I should have known that this is how everything will turn out. With that, I make a quick move to leave the bedroom.

"Oh!! Stop! Stop there!"

I stop my track again when I hear him shout on the phone. I am just a millimeter away from leaving the room. Curious, I turn to him, "What? Is there something wrong?"

His eyes meet mine and I swear for a flash millisecond I see worry sparks out from his golden orbs, "…Please don't disappear from my sight though. It makes me nervous,"

I stare at him dumbfounded, "Huh?" He doesn't want me to do what?

He twitches a bit then he stands up, though he makes no movement from his spot, "I know you're uncomfortable with me suddenly coming here… I'll try to solve this as fast as I can and go back so please just hang in there. From this moment, I'm just going to stare at the wall and work so don't call me, and don't talk to me. I need to focus,"

Still with the very same dumbfounded expression I stare at his form. I am still holding my phone on my ears, and his voice echoes twice inside the room for me. I don't need further explanation that he doesn't want me to be around him. But… does he even realize that he is still holding the phone on his ear? Why didn't he cut off the phone and talk to me directly like he wants me to do too?

"But don't disappear from me just because of that. I can sense you moving so just stay still there. You can read if you're bored,"

Wait, what? Sense? Just… what is he trying to say? He doesn't want me near, but he doesn't want me disappear?

"And… wear a jacket or something," I swear he pouts just before the looks away from me, but his face expression turns solemn again very soon. "And don't skip your meal because I am, okay? Then I'm going back to work,"

With that, he ends the call, sits back and starts typing again. Just like nothing has just happened in the room. I cannot help tilting my head when I realize that he even took my call and speak to me on the phone while we're in the same room all the way until he finished talking.

Isn't it stupid, you said? Oh well, you are as stupid as me then. And, asking me to wear jacket? I look down at my short-sleeved black shirt. It has boat-neck style but it is not low enough to reveal anything inappropriate. I shake my head a bit, someone does not make sense here.

I take a look at my phone and closes the RFA app. After inhaling a breath, I open my mouth, "Seven?"

He doesn't stop typing. But with his headphone laying on the base of his neck, I know he hears me.

"I cannot stay still cause I'll need to move around the house, but… I am not going to disappear on you, I promise," I announce.

I catch the sudden pause of the typing sound, and it is enough indicator that he hears. More or less, I manage to see that he is indeed the same quirky person I have come to know. He really is the very same person with Seven. Or 707. Or Luciel. Or God Seven. I stare at his form with more relaxed gaze. Whatever sadness that overtook me earlier slowly drains itself. I climb on the bed, intentionally make the fabric rustles more than necessary to let him know that I am here with him.