Ephemeral [707 x MC]

Loop 1- Force of Nature

9:02 AM

Saeyoung blinks at the sight of the time on the corner of his computer screen, slowly lifting his head. He feels like absolute shit- his mouth is dry and his head aches. Must've fallen asleep while working again, he observes numbly. He lifts a hand to his cheek- there's small rivets where his face had been mashed against the keyboard, and his glasses are skewed on his nose. 

He stands up, stretches, then goes to get himself a can of PhD Pepper, because what kind of loser drinks water these days?

Once he's settled comfortably back into his computer chair, he opens up his phone and logs into the RFA chat room. All of the other members are already there, which is an uncommon sight, even so long after Rika died. The conversation is casual, and Saeyoung throws in a couple remarks, content. He's not smiling at his phone or anything cheesy like that, but the heaviness in his chest has lifted, just a little. Almost like... 

He stops mid-thought. There's a stranger in the chat room. Username... MC?

Impossible. 

The others continue chatting carelessly, about the difference between recruitment and nepotism. He waits for them to notice, to affirm the strange sight that had alarm bells ringing in Saeyoung's head. Finally, he decides to just bring it to their attention. 

707: Wait!!

Yoosung★: Why?

ZEN: ??

707: Think someone entered the chat room;;

Jumin Han: MC...?

Saeyoung sits back, satisfied. Good on Jumin, picking up so quickly on what he was saying. He has this situation under control- he knows that- but he can't help the pit of nerves in his stomach. 

ZEN: Wtf. How did it get in here?

707: Hacker!

Yoosung★: Hacker!? Therea's a hacker in over room!!!

Yoosung★: Sevnee do somethign!!

ZEN: Hey, typos. -_-;;

707: Wait a sec. I'm searching.

Saeyoung, true to his word, logs on to his computer and starts looking, half-watching as the chat room descends into chaos. He pauses to throw in a cursory "maybe" when Zen asks if anyone downloaded the app on two phones. It's unlikely, but possible. 

His attention is immediately brought back to his phone when their mystery guest starts talking. 

MC: Hello...

There's an explosion of panic on the chat room again. The way she responds piques Saeyoung's curiosity- she seems just as confused as the rest of them. It's almost funny. He goes back to his computer. 

Interesting... 

The IP address of the stranger... it's coming from Rika's apartment. 

There's an idea coming together in Saeyoung's mind- a stranger somehow got the RFA app and broke into Rika's apartment. But in which order? And why? He quickly informs the chat room. 

The conversation continues on the chat room, and Saeyoung switches his computer screen to check the security cameras in Rika's apartment. He was right- there's someone in there. A girl. If he squints, he can just barely make out her face- she's cute. And it doesn't look like she broke in- nothing is broken, and the door is slightly ajar, as if she had just walked into her own home. 

She looks around slowly, hesitates. Then looks back down at her phone. Saeyoung checks his again too, just in time to see her typing. 

MC: Reveal yourselves first. I'm the most confused one here...

She's fierce- Saeyoung can appreciate that. She's like a force of nature from the beginning. 

He smiles, just a little, to himself.