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Chapter Zero: Prologue
[5.7k words]

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Year 2016, Seoul. The night air felt like a harsh blizzard to her since she rushed out of the inn with such thin clothing, just a hoodie and some jeans she grabbed from her small wardrobe that probably broke down when she slammed the door behind her earlier.

She had been breathlessly running all the way from an inn's lobby to Myeongdong street. The crowd and passers-by wouldn't notice her staggering silently against the dark cherry blossoms tree, she couldn't notice or see them either, vision hazed by anxiousness as she pulled out her phone. It was buzzing again and again as she looked around the bright district tensely; footsteps, sounds of children inviting their parents to rush to the interesting stalls, laughter, couples clinging to one another, uneven shouts — everything was thudding against her. The scent of smokes from street food stalls, the news from the TV screen from a distant store — and she was still barely ignoring the call from a contact labelled 'X'.

The news chattered again and several heads in the crowd turned while some went on. The sight was dizzying for her.

"CEO of Jin Corporation has merged with the CEO of the ever-growing FPS game Terror Replica Online or better known as TRO. Tonight at 8PM, the occasion is celebrated —"

"E-Excuse me, please let me through." She said as she squished herself through the crowd desperately, approaching the hanging screen to hear it again as she ignored her own phone and the shouts of random guys telling her to pick it up, "No way, no way."

The messy hair under her hoodie and her sweat were already prickling her but now she felt worse. She grunted as she ran her fingers through her short dark hair.

"Girly, you should really pick up your phone."

She ignored them, looking around and the other half of her attention was towards the news playing.

"— in Lotte City Hotel. The company promises to bring more with its —"

"Whoa, that's big. This means the game is going to grow even more." she heard the crowd chat amongst themselves and a few of them were recording or taking pictures of the news, some were saying, "The game is already popular as it is though. We just passed the PC cafe, it's packed as hell."

The phone kept ringing and buzzing in her hands but with a different number. Her gaze shook and she hesitated as shoulders grazed her back swiftly and there were more notifications from her phone.

"Come to think of it, it was more packed than usual." a man said.

"Yeah, I heard there are some live-streamers or something there right now. I don't know any of them though?"

"— ‘the game has a bright future ahead’, CEO Jin Youngjin agreed. Rumours say that they might already be planning a big-scaled mode update which will include —"

"That fucking bastard!" she snapped to her phone, the sudden outburst causing the people around her to stutter backwards out of startlement. She only walked through them again as she pulled her arms over herself to cope against the night's coldness, "Sorry, excuse me again —"

"WHOA, INCLUDE VR TECHNOLOGY?! OH SHIT EXCUSE ME TOO MISS, I HAVE TO RUSH OVER THERE —"

She hissed through her teeth but it was too late to scowl then as the person had already went ahead, and she had to pick up her phone that fell with the same hesitant and worried flicker in her eyes when she saw the same number. It was from 'X' again. Just as she regained her clearer senses, the sudden silence from the other contact was something she felt restless about inside.

"People really are hyped for the game though, huh?" laughed the adult on her right. She followed their gazes that chased the same manner of guys like the one who just ran into her unapologetically earlier, "They're probably there to watch the live-streamers play the game. It hasn't started since an hour ago though?"

She quietened, eyes looking down. Her chest tightened. She couldn't pick up the phone again. She stood in the middle of the lively, bright streets with gold-shone pavements, only staring at her screen as chatters continued over her shoulders and messages from one of her groupchats were popping up over themselves.

"@Sol @AgustD where the hell are the both of you? This match is important and the host is going to it start soon!" said the one with 'BreadJinnie' as his display name.

She was catching her breaths and had not enough to reply yet, her legs moving forward on their own. Her expression softened when she saw the notifications coming from a groupchat she named 'Tannies'.

"Delay it just a bit then? Do something." AgustD replied right away.

She didn't know their circumstances but fuck that, she had no time to think about her other late member at the moment when her phone was rang again but at least this time, the number belonged to RM.

"And I can't even contact Sol."

She swallowed silently.

"Sol bro — hello? You're seeing these spams aren't you? Are you even in Seoul? I went all the way from Busan, tell me you did too at least if you lied. AND HYUNG I JUST ATE LAMB SKEWERS WITH YOU THIS EVENING, WHERE ARE YOUUU" said JK followed by a crying emoji from him and user 'JHOPE'.

"We can't delay it hyung, manager said their schedules were tight to begin with."  she could hear a grunt from V through the screen.

"The team can't start without 8 slots filled. Come quick, you two." Jimin begged.

"Okay yall I understand how we all feel but let's not stress too much, maybe the road is busy?" sighed JHOPE.

"Hoseok-ah, WE ran over CARS just now. If we can, they can too." Breadjinnie said but the emoji he sent after told her that he was more anxious than furious. The same thing probably applied to JK and V.

She felt guilt stroking her chest as she nibbled on her own bottom lips. The PC cafe she was supposed to rush to wasn't even that far from where she was standing at the moment but she couldn't turn, not when there was an incoming call again but from another number — one that made her shoulders stiffen and her grip on the phone tensed.

"I'll be there soon I swear, just don't question my getup okay? Namjoon aka RM, tell them I'm on the way," said AgustD, "use my backup account SUGA, Gloss whatever or your RunchRanda if I can't make it."

"Even if you wore a sack or just your underwear I couldn't care less tbh, just come here safe and sound." Namjoon typed quickly as his eyes looked outside the windows and across the pavements. The fresh PC cafe air thickened as more passers-by gathered outside, their voices unheard due to the windows between them but he could see their amused sniggering. All eight desktops in one section, a room booked just for this occasion of theirs were already set up for their match but two seats remain empty.

They all heaved out heavy sighs. Only six of them were here at the moment. Two were still missing. Namjoon noticed that one of them, the blond-haired one in a white and red hoodie frequently fidgeting. The fries and canned drinks beside them were untouched.

"Don't get too nervous, Jimin. We'll be fine." Namjoon said gently.

"My small fingers aren't to be underestimated, don't worry about me." chuckled Jimin, his lips pressed together and from the casual or inconsistent way he sat in the black-leathered chair, he was obviously tense until the guy with messy black hair next to him gave him a pat on the shoulder, messaging him gently. "Thanks, Taehyung-ah."

"Like JHope, I mean, like Hoseok-hyung said, they might be caught in a traffic or something. Seoul is amazing." Taehyung shrugged, convincing himself and cocking his head to the brown-haired young man beside him. 

"Aren't you and AgustD both from Daegu? You didn't come with him?" said Hoseok curiously.

"Actually, I did but he insisted I go ahead first without him before I was going to leave the inn."

Jungkook and Seokjin were staring at the phone screens, silent in their own gaming chairs. Their manager approached them with a slightly hesitant look.

"We'll have to begin now."

The six of them widened their eyes simultaneously, glancing back and forth between their computers and phones.

She swallowed before turning away from the street ahead. This time, she almost tripped and dropped the phone yet again when someone ran into her but she was more confused for an instance. Both of them grunted on the ground but she hadn't even the time to see the person's face as he scrambled up to his feet and had ran off. She caught his apology but felt odd, squinting on the pavements. There were tiny patches of dark red where they collided.

Was that blood?

She stared at the guy's shrinking back in the distance, his black hair obviously grabbed before he made his way to the street.

That guy spat blood? 

She didn't know the stranger's circumstances and didn't have the time to. Her phone buzzed again with a text from AgustD and a separate text from Dahyun.

"Nari, are you going to be okay?"

She just sighed inwardly and replied with a "don't worry" but couldn't even open the text from her other friend. Jeongyeon's text shone at her pale face next.

"Nari, the rest still wants to talk with you."

She only ignored it, walking on.

"I'm not coming safe and sound but I'm fully-clothed."

Upon seeing AgustD's words in their groupchat, brows furrowed and their confusion just doubled.

"Um, shit. Can't the host wait a little more?" groaned Hoseok, turning the chair around in a blink when Jimin almost clumsily fell out of his. They turned to their manager.

"We can't do much about it... Jungkook, Taehyung, there are no problems with broadcasting the gameplay right?"

Jungkook and Taehyung exchanged firm yet hesitant glances before nodding.

"But Sejin," Seokjin began with difficulty, "two of our teammates aren't here yet —"

The door to their right shoulder burst open and the young man who arrived just slammed back the door to close it behind him. It was most likely unintentional as they all were just in a rush. His black shirt and pale skin were somewhat stained by dirt.

"Yoongi, you actually made it." Namjoon could only gasp when he took in the appearance of his friend who walked right past them to head to his gaming chair, Taehyung's blank stare went on and Jungkook swore he could hear the man still panting quietly under his breaths.

"I'm fine." Yoongi said, laughing a little.

"You look bad." commented Seokjin.

Hoseok, Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook were on the edge of their gaming chairs, more than ready to scavenge for a medical kit in the streets if they had to or if the guy would cough even once.

Yoongi could feel their apprehensive looks on him and just shook them off, putting on his headset. Without further comments after following his gaze to the digital clock on the walls, they all scurried to their own compartments again. The crowd's excitement and thrill outside loudened when he logged on.

Sejin, the adult with a similar air to them let out a relieved sigh before exiting the room.

"Sol couldn't come though, are we really starting now? They are usually the one carrying the C4, Explosion Mode will feel off without them —"

"We'll have to make do." he sighed and shook his head at Hoseok. On their screens, the other team were already complete with eight players with the word 'ready' in green above their usernames.

Their team on the other hand was with one empty slot.

"Sol just said that they can't make it." Taehyung frowned slightly and looked at them for their thoughts, all their palms already on their mouses as Jungkook gulped his mineral water bottle.

Yoongi scratched his head, "We'll have to just play with seven players then. Okay, I got in my second account to fill the slot. No one has to play it."

Seokjin cleared his throat before they spoke when an adult walked into their room. Their tenseness weren't exactly see-through for the audience outside the windows. Soon, they will see their faces too once the broadcast start. The man looked calm but dishevelled as he pocketed his phone.

"PD-nim, we're okay to go." said Namjoon.

"Just play like we usually do. We were given this opportunity to prove that we had been winning with raw skills, fair and square without aimbots and wall-hacks unlike what they said, let's show these jealous weasels how it's really done." Seokjin said and fist-bumped with Jungkook beside him.

Yoongi messaged his own shoulder for a moment, breathing out in his seat before the match countdown would start. He thought he saw some of these messages on his phone screen already, but no, right? He squinted outside. Was it on the phone screen of the person he bumped into? He was in such a hurry and couldn't remember.

Maybe not?

He looked at his friends and wiped the drying blood on his lips, "First time seeing Jimin, JHope and BreadJinnie. Yall don't look bad at all in real life."

They just heaved laughs at his way of breaking the ice.

"I can secretly add in an actual aimbot if we have to." Taehyung whispered with a sarcastic chuckle, hunching his shoulders.

"We're just up against this top clan called '666' anyway. Corny." snickered Jungkook. They just grinned along with laughs again, seeing their youngest teammate so positive.

"All right then..." the PD chuckled fondly at them, "Let's get them to start the game."

Discussions and murmurs ensued again outside the PC cafe room. They swallowed the brief nature's air that wafted in when the PD exited the room. The door closed on them.

"What about Sol though? I'm worried if these people would think that they're avoiding this." Hoseok sighed, still checking their groupchat.

"It was Sol who somehow arranged this for us, I feel bad that we are playing without them." Jungkook scratched his head.

Yoongi rested his crossed arms on his chest, seemingly thinking.

"And what the hell happened to you though?" Jimin asked him casually.

"Bumped into someone."

Taehyung's solemn gaze remained on him but his mind was strangely hung up on the girl he collided with earlier.

"It looks like you ran into a truck or —"

"None of you knows Sol in real life?"

The man just spoke over him. Jimin and Taehyung frowned.

"Huh?" Namjoon hummed thoughtfully and looked around as he drank from his canned drink, "I guess not. I heard they once said that they were from Daejeon?"

Which was her lie out of nervousness.

"That's all we have? Wow." Seokjin looked around.

"I don't know but from the matches I've played with them, I think they're cute." Jimin said casually with a smirk on his lips.

"From their aura and the way they type? You're hopeless." Yoongi sighed, "Could be a male and your regular college student for all you know."

"Still cute."

"Okay." he said flatly, not bothered or bothering with it anymore.

"Their character is female though. Unless they're the kind of guy to prefer playing as female characters for some reasons." shrugged Seokjin.

The ten seconds countdown began. Yoongi calmly yawned and didn't really care about the live chat's speeding up. Their eyes concentrated.

---

This was the first time Nari wanted to destroy her phone with her foot but she couldn't do that, not when her family wasn't very well-off and not when her grandma or friend could be wanting to give her a call. She was already feeling miserable as it is, the night breeze brushing her skin mercilessly that it felt like every step and breath she took was on thin ice, except that her blood was boiling.

Her gaze moved to her phone again. She was watching the global livestream of her teammates. They were doing exceptionally well, just as she expected they would even without her.

"Wow, AgustD isn't joking at all." she chuckled under her breath as she walked along the quiet sidewalk. "With skills like these displayed openly like this, they'll definitely be sought after by the gaming industry right after."

A shame that she couldn't be there. She already saw comments mocking her username 'Sol' but never really let them through her; it was only a concern if it was bad for her clan's name. Terror Replica Online's community was active and large, it was inevitable that she would get called out by some bored keyboard warriors. It thrilled her to see the positive reactions to her friends' gameplay albeit she felt a bit guilty that she knew their faces now, while they didn't know hers yet.

Her phone rang. It was a call from her grandma. She picked up with a softened gaze, leaning against the wall, at least she could see everything in her field of vision this way while in the call.

"Nari, where are you?" the old woman's shaky voice made her waver, "I heard from Dahyun that you would probably be out, I don't know what's going on and why she knows, but why would you go out at a time like this, dear?"

Nari was no longer in the bright and happy street of Myeongdong anymore, but one with a few drunkards shouting across her and neon lights flickering by the convenience stores.  

"G-Grandma, I'm fine." she answered softly and placed the phone near her ears, "I just went out for some fresh air. I'll be home soon, I'm so sorry for worrying you —"

Her heart nearly catapulted through her chest; rough hands covered her mouth from behind and her phone was snatched in the blink of an eye. She couldn't make a sound when she knew too well who it was.

"Hello? Nari?" her grandmother's voice was still sweetly calling for her and she could see her own terrified reflection in the screen held before her, locked from behind and unable to move an inch from petrifying apprehension.

"Tell her you're in the train." a boyish voice whispered near her ears. When she tried to attack and push him back with her elbows in the position, his tone only darkened, "Are you stupid? Do as I told you too as usual. Grandma's waiting, Nari-ah."

"Nari? Oh no, did I accidentally turn off the call again —?"

"N-No, you didn't. Sorry but I think I have to hang up now because I'm getting in the train." she said with a restrained temper, still breathlessly and making effort to free herself from the person behind her. She whimpered sharply with a hiss, "Let me fucking go, you —"

"Ah, I see! All right then. Come back soon." her grandmother's voice came again and she briefly stopped.

"Ah, I-I will."

She could hear the relieved smile on her grandmother's face. Then the call ended. She was released from behind as well but her limbs couldn't move as she wanted them to just yet.

"Oh, you didn't tell her that you aren't even in Daegu?" the laughter echoed and her ears captured every footstep behind her as the man walked to show his face before her himself, because she hadn't turned around.

The tall person before her who'd appear like your regular university student in his casual wear was sneering into her face, then scrolling on her screen's feeds, checking her tabs as if he had permission to.

"Give me back my phone, Daewi." she said, glaring.

"Wow, so fierce!" he laughed and kept on scrolling, "You think I didn't know you were still playing the game?"

"Does it threaten you?"

"Threaten me, she says!" Daewi threw his back laughing, shaking his head energetically.

"Then why?" she clenched her fists, glaring furiously, "Then why are you still bothering me—"

"To keep you in check, obviously." he said boredly and pushed her back without holding back; the fact that he was larger than her and had such domineering presence over the teenager let him feel relaxed as he challenged her gaze, "I guess a sixteen year old daughter of goody two shoes lawyers would know absolutely nothing about what I'm getting at. All you know is how to be a gold-digger online. What a bad child."

"You elitist bastard, you know you're the one who made up that rumour and staged the proofs." she snorted, tearfully furious but it remained pent-up inside her, "You know damn well that account wasn't my second account and the picture was taken by yourself when you wanted me to play, that was your own smurf acc —"

"Why does it matter when no one believes you?" he frowned.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT? WHY —"

"Why I called you out today?" he raised a brow and chuckled. "Before that, I find it pretty amusing how calm you are by yourself at this time of the night. Do you realize who you're talking to at all?"

"I DO. JIN DAEWI. TOP CLAN SYSTEMA'S LEADER WHO GOT THE POSITION BECAUSE HE RAN OFF THE PREVIOUS ONE, KICKED OUT THE VICE LEADER , AN OBSESSED, ELITIST AND DERANGED PLAYER WHO TAKES VIDEO GAMES WAY TOO FUCKING SERIOUSLY, ALSO A COWARD OF A SON WHO HIDES BEHIND HIS CEO DAD AFTER ALL HIS UNDERHANDED TRICKS BEHIND THE SCENES —" as she went on, the mischievous glint in his eyes were replaced by pure, calm malice, "— A MANIPULATOR, POWER ABUSER, CYBERBULLY, HARASSER, PIECE OF SHIT WHO KILLED MY PARENTS," she breathed tensely, "PIECE OF SHIT WHO LOST AGAINST ME WHEN I WAS USING A MEASLY 1-STAR G36 —"

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH, YOO NARI."

She felt a hard kick hit her back and fell forward, grunting in pain but also very pissed at how she was cornered by tough-bodied adults in suit the moment she raised her head slowly.

"There you go again, hiding behind bodyguards to gang up on a sixteen year old at your age? Are you not embarra —?" this time she tensed to charge first but she was overtaken by speed.

Another adult had grabbed her up and threw a punch to her stomach. The cold, clear silence in the alley was disturbed by her own grunts whenever she tried any more remark to piss him off, and she hated that she knew all along, deep inside, that she shouldn't mess around like this. The building and alley were hidden from the moonlight but she could see vaguely with her phone's screen brightness, although it was very low — if only she had her in-game weapons right now. If only. She heard the familiar cheers of her online friends from over the shoulders of the bastard beating her up right now, were they winning? Was their clan victorious?

Daewi's eyes narrowed on the screen.

9-0. Her clanmates won with ease. He turned it off and serenely approached her.

"Stop." he ordered. One command from him was absolute to his father's men. He crouched with a sneer, laughing at her state. "And are you not embarrassed? Picking a fight with the future CEO of the company secretly paying for your grandmother's medicines? HAH, your life can go downhill with just a flick of my finger. Know your place, you're the only one your grandma has right now —"

"You act as if you care for her, shut the f-fuck up." she hissed, coughing on the ground.

"This wouldn't have happened if you just joined my clan and move in with me. You have some skills too as much as I hate to admit it, it would've been beneficial for the both of us." she groaned inside, she was going to die from this man's talks at one point, "You would have easier routes to get invited to E-Sports Tournaments. I am every pro gamer's hope! Even your friend, was it Dahyun? Even Dahyun joined me and understood. But you. You joined small clans over and over again after you left us,"

Her chest tightened and she could only apologize in her head repetitively although she knew her clanmates couldn't hear, wouldn't know nor would they need her in the match perhaps, she felt lost.

"and got them all into trouble. Funnily enough, this Bulletproof Boy Scouts something clan you joined didn't even need my meddling. Although I find it heartwarming that you willingly initiated to borrow money from me to prove their gameplays weren't cheats. Back to you. Who the hell would turn down living in a penthouse with their online friends?"

"You sure still talk a lot. Friends? Dahyun might be my friend, but you aren't. I told you," she breathlessly raised her head go meet his emotionless eyes, "my grandma won't be able to handle a place like that." her chest hurt, "And the fucking audacity you have to say that after murdering mom and dad —!"

"Ah, you're so annoying!" he scratched his head furiously and got up. His men were whispering solemnly behind him. "I came here to negotiate again but I guess you don't want money? Hooow do I make sure you aren't going to run around —"

"Boss. The chairman..."

That unintentionally saved her from having her hair pulled. She heard the bodyguard lightly pulling him over to whisper something and saw his demeanor shift again when he sighed after.

"My phone," she faintly said, "at least give me back my phone."

The alley was silent for a moment. Jin Daewi threw it at her.

"You're lucky I'm leaving Korea right now."

The phone was tossed at her like a popcorn and she barely caught it. She unmuted her phone, turned it on anxiously and checked every app and website. Thankfully, thank god — thankfully, he didn't write any weird shit with her accounts. She inhaled painfully.

"Once you go back to Daegu, keep your lips shut. It's not like you have a choice anyway. Have fun with your rock-bottom clan."

"What the fuck did you just say — ugh!" she staggered and coughed again.

As their shadows and footsteps fade away further, tears welled up in her otherwise beautiful eyes as she wiped her phone with her sleeves and got herself up. The groupchat was buzzing with positivity and joy from their victory.

She dialed for her grandmother but it wouldn't get picked up. Tense, she quickened her pace along the sidewalk, not minding the looks she was given by passers-by for her current appearance.

"Please, please pick up —"

"Nari?"

"Nayeon?" her legs could've given up on Nari right then but her eyes rounded at the voice of her neighbour, "Wait. What are you doing at my house? I-Is grandma okay?"

"Calm down, she's okay but um –"

"What is it?"

"I heard the loud ass ringtone so I came to check, and she's just in the living room just fine but um, did she by any chance, not tell you that she needed —"

"She didn't tell me what...?" she frowned apprehensively.

"Thought so. Maybe she forgot again. Well, I guess it's fine though because there are new medicines sent just now."

She knew by who.

"Ah, okay. Thank you, Nayeon." she said. The lights in the streets were brighter now and the scent of streetfood covered for her murky presence.

"Of course you're welcome but when are you coming back home? Isn't it late?" her friend asked with a whine.

"About that," she chuckled weakly as she walked along the sidewalk, passing convenience stores and the tempting stalls. A lot of teenagers her age were shouting about something loudly, especially the ones with the box-shaped and heart-shaped laughs. "Can you accompany her for tonight? I might be way later than expected."

"But why —?"

Nari hung up before Nayeon could ask her question. She just had to and couldn't help it. She needed to zip her lips for now. For now. For now, she just needed to survive.

She pocketed her phone and sighed softly, making her way through the crowd. Her footsteps on the pavements limped unnoticeably at times. After walking out of the inn with her backpack, she felt that she wanted to celebrate too but couldn't: the groupchat kept buzzing, and she couldn't help but smile alone even without reading the texts.

There was the rowdy bunch ahead, all seven teenagers lining up in front of the food stall with playful pushings. Would be a challenge to walk through without getting elbowed by accident with how energetic these dudes were but she needed to get past.

"JUNGKOOK, STOP PUSHING!"

"USER BREADJINNIE IS ABOUT TO COMMIT CANNIBALISM AND EAT HIS OWN KIND?!" shouted one of them and she saw from a distance that there was a bread in the broad-shouldered one's hand in front.

"...Tteokbokki for me please, sir." Namjoon sighed, ignoring the mess over his shoulders.

"Whoa, I'm still reading the comments." Jimin said, "They're all positive, it feels unreal."

"They'll reupload the gameplay right? Hell, I kicked ass." Yoongi smirked, peeking on his phone.

"I kicked the most butts." Jungkook said proudly.

"Oh right — you cheeky kid. You literally let me and Hoseok-hyung die."

"Sacrifices had to be made. Also, yall heard it right? They say possibility of VR mode in late 2018 or 2019?"

Nari was unsure of how to move through the sidewalk.

"Excuse me, uhm —"

The crowd was gathering together and she couldn't really hear her own voice under theirs.

"That's like in two more years but it does sound nice. Players in the community will stay tuned." Namjoon said and they continued talking about something. She could only blame the loudness of the street.

"Did yall see Namjoon-hyung's and my contribution though? Bro, the cocky player in the other team didn't even last forty seconds into the first round!" they continued cheerfully.

"Yoongi-hyung stole my kills so many times but thank god my ratio was clean, they were so amateur I swear to god." Jimin laughed and Nari backed away a few steps to avoid being elbowed on accident as she just inhaled before treading behind them lightly — "Seokjin-hyung, get some pancakes for me — OH CRAP!"

Honestly, it was her fault first that she tripped clumsily. Having also slipped and felt her heart jump a little, Nari only stuttered quietly when she realized that the person who pulled her to the side on time was gazing into her face with a  frown. He seemed worried but also oddly thoughtful. She blinked back at him wordlessly.

"I —"

"Jimin, you're so clumsy." Taehyung said.

"Shut up —" Jimin, the one with cute cheeks grumbled at his friend before turning to her with a concerned face, "I'm really sorry for that, uhm... and thank god for Yoongi-hyung."

He apologized beside them and Nari was slightly flustered; she knew the reason the other guy, Jimin's friend whose name was Yoongi, had probably been staring at her out of concern since she was beat up a little back there but the intense gaze went on until the tallest one among them then asked, "Are you okay?"

Nari pulled herself back nervously and nodded.

"It's all right. And —" she turned to Yoongi, "thank you?"

"You're welcome." he said.

"Jimin-ssi, how ungentlemanly of you." Jungkook teased, grinning at Jimin. Taehyung noticed his Daegu hyung still watching the girl from the side and wondered too, why did it seem like people often get beaten up in this city?

Yoongi sighed softly at his friends and turned again, "By the way, aren't you —?"

She had already strode away. He tilted his head slightly, hands in his pockets as he stared from a distance. Nari casually took a plaster from her pocket and put it on her cheek herself. Well, it was odd that she had a pack of it beforehand unlike him as though she had been used to such unfortunate bumps. She hurried off the cross the street and finally was out of the frame when he clicked his tongue.

"What's the matter?" Namjoon asked, handing him his snacks as they began walking the opposite way to head to their inn.

"Nothing. I just feel a bit dumbfounded."

"Why?" Hoseok asked as he chewed his food, "Was it because the girl was pretty?"

"Not that,"

"Was she okay though? She looked beat up like Yoongi." Seokjin mused.

"I could be high right now after that perfect match, but I'm pretty sure she's my classmate from Daegu." Yoongi snorted to himself conversationally, "It's weird that she didn't even recognize me. Not that we see each other much especially since I'm always outside classes for basketball practices though."

"Oh, what's she doing in Seoul though?" Taehyung curiously wondered.

"Who knows —?"

Their phones got a notification at the same time and they turned to their phones as they walked on, passing more stalls and game tents as fireworks burst in the night skies.

"I knew you guys would win even without me lmao." 

"It's Sol," Hoseok beamed at them, "brothers, we have a lot to tell!"

"And isn't anyone going to ask for their real name yet?" Seokjin looked around. They just held their snacks in between their armpits or stopped for a moment, stepping aside from the sidewalk to type comfortably.

"If they're uncomfortable, we can't force it." Namjoon said. Yoongi frowned slightly again.

She just smiled to herself, eyes glued to the screen as she waited for her train in the station.

"Don't worry about comments on your absence by the way, we bragged about your headshot rate and about how it's real." Yoongi said in the chat, typing again... "And from now on, yall can call me Yoongi I guess."

She frowned at little.

"Yoongi?" she got into the train and took her seat as her mind wandered. There could be a lot of Yoongis around, chances were low that this clanmate of hers was the one in her class or school. She covered her yawn as she watched giddily, reading the excitement through their chats.

"That was really a blast though now that I processed it. Could be a streamer in the future I think." Jungkook said.

"I'll watch the uploaded gameplay later for sure." she sent, "With skills like what you guys have, yall can be pro gamers in no time."

"I believe so." Namjoon grinned. The fireworks how was pretty above their heads.

"Will we ever get to see you though, Sol? You're the only one we haven't met in real life yet and you're so reserved."

She paused at Jimin's words. He was right that she had been so reserved and private. But what could she do when girls were often targeted even behind screens? All this time, the only things she gave away was that she was Korean because they communicated in Korean throughout their matches together. She trusted them now but it felt awkward.

"Maybe when we get invited to an E-Sports Tournament or something?" she said jokingly.

"We have to work hard for that then." Jungkook said, "And we have yet to thank you for this wide event. I heard that the game is even going to post it on its official channel."

"I bet Sol is a rich ass mf in real life." Seokjin guessed.

She just thought that it would've been nice if it was the real case. Her cheeks felt the sting from the kicks earlier and she grumbled inwardly. At least these small patches would make her look tougher for later. She sighed and looked at her phone again, "I should really find a part-time job but fuck school. And," she mumbled sheepishly to herself, "I need time for TRO."

"By the way Yoongi-hyung, what's our next goal?" Taehyung asked.

"A suggestion from me though: how about getting invited to an E-Sports Tournament?" Hoseok asked cheerfully and she had always been able to tell that there was a really pure person behind the username 'J-Hope'.

She just giggled.

"Goals? Since we topped the weekly ranking this week, it's time for a new step."

"Like?" 

They paused, curiously flocking around Yoongi as he typed. He sent and then pocketed his phone. Taehyung's sharp eyes felt as though his hyung's darkened slightly when he types for a certain part, or he noticed the way his taps tensed and felt that there was more to it.

"We'll be the number one clan in the Asia server, get invited to a tournament and make a whole lot of money so we don't have to live with so much debts and worries, freedom all in all." 

She read the message again, gaze flickering serenely. Her brows furrowed solemnly and she was unconsciously nibbling on her lower lips until it hurt from a small scratch from earlier. The news resounded throughout the game's online community and reached her feed again. She leaned back in the seat with a soft sigh.

"...make a whole lot of money so we don't have to live with so much debts and worries, freedom all in all." she repeated silently like a vow, gaze nowhere despite everyone else in the compartment turning to watch the fireworks prettily bursting in the skies. She remained calm and quiet. It was why she requested that their gameplay was promoted to begin with.

Jin Daewi's clan would have to be surpassed first.

From hereon...

"We'll spam clan battle modes more." Namjoon said.

"Fine with me." said Jungkook determinedly and Yoongi curved a confident smirk, ruffling his own black hair.

"Let's all do it." her phone vibrated again.

"Definitely."

End of Chapter Zero

A/N:

The prologue is kinda long ngl but anyways, I hope this was enjoyable and able to keep you interested 😔🖐️. Sorry for grammar mistakes that I might have, I'm a bad proofreader and I didn't proofpread. 🏃 And sorry for the non-flowery words because I'm not a poet. Tbh this felt like a first chapter lmaooo