Work Text:
Ray glanced at the monitor, looking at the photo of the person who had been chosen for this Savior plan. Originally, Ray remembered, Savior wanted a beautiful and naïve girl, who could make RFA trust her easily.
"They love innocent people because they can take advantage of them," she had said.
These plans have changed, though. He paused, watching through the camera of the target's cell phone. Rika had chosen that person based on a photo, but the photo was no longer that person. Instead of smooth and long brown hair with a fringe adorning adorable brown eyes and a shy smile, Ray found the painful expression of the target as he checked the time on his cell phone.
The hair had been cut short, the skin, once healthy and lightly tanned now looked pale and sickly-Ray tried very hard not to think they looked alike-dark circles beneath those lovely brown eyes that seemed empty. The fringe was unkempt and the short hair was all messy. Despite his delicate features, Ray could see differences in the structure of his face.
That's because, as Ray soon discovered when he investigated, after the Savior’s choice, the target had apparently assumed to be Transgender. Ray did not know what that meant until he searched.
The target had been born as Mi-Cha, a girl, in the eyes of the government, and before long had assumed another name ("Chinmae," he spoke out loud, testing the name), and the transition to male, with which he identified.
Strangely, Ray could still feel mesmerized by the brown eyes that had first caught his attention, though it was honestly painful to watch them lose the light of laughter that he had previously seen in past photos.
The minty-eyed boy had raised this problem for Savior, but while she was not satisfied with the situation - no, Ray was not thinking about how terrifying she was when Savior was not happy with him - there was no time to find someone else . Besides, Chinmae was the perfect target for them. He needed the help of the Mint Eye. Ray felt a little sorry for the young boy. Following his gender revelation, Chinmae had lost contact with parents and friends, and of course, there were great difficulties in finding a job and paying for his basic needs such as food and apartment. Savior believed that this would be good for Mint Eye plans, Chinmae needed salvation, and Ray was happy to be able to deliver salvation to Chinmae.
Ray watched Chinmae frown through the phone's front camera, and murmur something slightly intelligible. The boy seemed to be in his house, as Ray could tell of the old furniture in his apartment, and he was shirtless. The hacker noticed the bandages around his chest, vaguely wondering if the surgery had gone well. Chiname sighed to himself, and dropped the phone on the bed, facing the ceiling, and Ray watched for a few more seconds - Chinmae seemed to be putting on his uniform for his job as a waiter - before finally opening the connection in the pre-installed application on the cell phone Ray had put it the day he invaded the boy's cell phone.
Unknown:
Hi!
He waited a few seconds before typing the next message, grinning slightly at the monitor when the sound of the notification startled Chinmae.
Unknown:
Finally someone to talk to!
Chinmae picked up the cell phone, frowning when he unlocked the screen, and clicked on the notification. His eyes were filled with confusion, and he bobbed his head to the side. For a second, Chinmae did nothing, and Ray feared he would ignore the message, but then a playful glow appeared in his eyes - Ray had to ignore the cold in the belly that see that glow gave him, - and he seemed to type something . Said and done, a message appeared on the screen of Ray's cell phone.
Chinmae:
Hey ya howdy doodle doo
Ray winked at himself. What the hell was that? Chinmae smiled to himself, seeming pleased with himself, before dropping his cell phone on the bed once more. Ray blinked owlishly to himself before biting his lips, not knowing what to say.
Unknown:
You... you're quite square.....
He stopped himself from continuing that line of thought, watching Chinmae come back, now with a light coat around his shoulders. "Hm, did the person respond?" He murmured to himself. The voice was low and hoarse, Ray noted. He raised an eyebrow at Ray's response. The hacker blushed a little and typed again.
Unknown:
No, never mind ^^;;;
You're saying hi, right? Hi^^
Ray watched Chinmae nod to his cell phone as he read the message, his playful smile appearing on his face. It was the first time the hacker saw Chinmae smile like that, he wondered how such an idiot - and what should be suspicious - like those messages could make someone smile like that?
Unknown:
Interesting. Worth the wait…
He typed in the chat before Ray could think about it. He was so interested and curious, wanting to see to what extent his messages could influence Chinmae's facial expression.
Unknown:
Hope I didn't surprise you.
Don't be nervous. I'm just an "ordinary" person~
He watched eagerly as Chinmae raised his eyebrow. "Are you trying to make me nervous? Why on earth would anyone stress so hard to be 'ordinary'? Ah, suspicious, suspicious." The boy murmured to himself. He paused for a second, as if thinking of the answer.
Chinmae:
You're the developer of this app?
The question surprised Ray a little. Chinmae had picked up fast, there was a calculating glow in the boy's eyes that made Ray a little uncomfortable.
Unknown:
Yeah! I made it myself…
The lie escaped his fingers, quickly. He tried to sound excited, to put himself in the character of the "developer looking for someone to test a game."
Unknown:
What do you think of this app? You like it?
I was hoping you'd like it...
In fact, I'm really excited.
Cuz the first person to come in is you, Chinmae!
I was so worried that no one will come in as I was making this app.
Oh, he was rambling again, Ray noticed, and stopped typing. Chinmae's gaze was now a little confused. "How does he know my name?" He asked suspiciously. Oops, Ray came back into the conversation, cringing a little for using the boy's name. "Uh, wait, it's written over my text. Uh ... Does this app take the name information on the phone system ...?"
Ray sighed relieved when Chinmae came to his own conclusion.
Chinmae:
Is there something I can do for you?
Unknown:
Oh, thanx for asking!
cuz there is a favor I want to ask...
Though I know it's too much to ask from a stranger
there is something I really want you to help me with.
Chinmae frowned. "Oh, that's sooo wrong." He murmured. "I'm talking to a guy in an app that I do not remember having installed, that’s totally something of those crime programs that end with me killed by my stupidity."
Chinmae:
I'm not buying it.
Ray inclined his head, humming himself. Chinmae was not totally without self-preservation, which was fine, he imagined. But he needed to catch his attention soon, if he wanted to recruit the boy.
Unknown:
Why don't you decide after hearing what I'm selling?
It could turn out to be something fun.
Even bed and board is provided!
Ray knew it was a low blow to say that, considering Chinmae's current life situation. He noticed the change in the brightness of the boy's eyes as he read it. He watched the brown-haired boy swallow, and redoubled his attention in the messages.
Unknown:
Isn't it amazing?
Hear me out first ^^
This app isn't just a messenger app, it's a messenger game app.
I wanted to ask if you could test it out for me.
Game concept is chatting with pretty/good-looking guys ^^
Chinmae snorted reading it, barely suppressing laughter. "Is this serious?"
Chinmae:
For free?
The question was valid, Ray knew, especially considering Chinmae was desperately in need of money. Not that he would need it any more if he came to the Mint Eye, so Ray could not promise money. It would be a lie, after all.
Unknown:
Wouldn't that be a win-win for us both?
You'll have fun playing the game, and I can achieve my goal.
And... wouldn't it be more suspicious if
a stranger paid you to do this? ^^
Ray paused to type the next message, when Chinmae answered, out loud. "No, duh, this is called a job, companies hire testers all the time." The brunet seemed to have this mania of responding aloud, but did not write down what he was thinking about in the chat. Probably a habit created in his job, Ray thought, since a waiter needed to please the client no matter what he thought, so Chinmae should avoid talking too offensive. That made sense. Savior was right, as always, this kind of person would be perfect for the mission.
Unknown:
The chats aren't everything.
There are also hidden stories...
Amusing stories
that will stir your imagination!
All you need to do...
is to play the game and tell me your honest opinion.
Ray sent a photo of RFA for good measure. Chinmae bit his lip - that was lovely. "Shit, they are hot." The brunet mumbled to himself. Ray took that into account, probably this could be a way to lure Chinmae - and completely ignored the faint feeling that burned unpleasantly in his chest with what Chinmae said.
Unknown:
These are the characters that comes out in this game ^^
They're not real people but characters created with AI.
What do you think? Don't you think it'll be fun?
"Well, it might be." Chinmae said to the phone, with a conflicting look. "But you can be a murderer, and I need money to live, I can not just accept jobs that do not give me money."
Chinmae:
Dunno about fun but if there's no reward...
Unknown:
lol
Hmm... Well..
About the reward and all
I think it'll be better if we talk over the phone about the details.
Let's talk over the phone.
Don't freak out when you see an unknown number and answer the phone plz ^^
Ray logged off. Chinmae sighed, putting his cell phone on his side, so that Ray could only see a little of his hair, and he was too far away to hear the soft murmurs, though Chinmae seemed to be talking to himself. Nervous habit, maybe? The white-haired boy shook his head. Now was not the time to analyze the target. He needed to get Chinmae's attention. The brunet was not totally fleeing the situation, but he did not seem to want to accept it, either. Ray gave a couple of minutes before calling Chinmae's cell phone number.
The brunette picked up the cell phone and looked at it for about ten seconds before taking a determined expression and accepting the call, bringing the phone to his ear. Ray was a little annoyed that he could not see Chinmae's face - which was very useful to know what to say, because of the facial expressions.
"Hey. It's me, the one who was just chatting with you." Ray said, trying to sound calm and sure. There was a pause before Chinmae spoke.
"How did you know my number?" His voice was much clearer on the call, Ray noted. It was sweet, soft, though it was thickening, because of the hormones. It sounded a bit like the voice of young teenagers collected in Mint Eye. Even with the suspicion in the boy's voice, his voice was still nice to hear.
"It's automatically collected when you log-on to the messenger." Ray explained, before realizing how it should sound, and complete. "Oh ummm, don't get me wrong, as it's only dialable within the messenger app."
Chinmae did not answer, so Ray continued:
"As I mentioned in the chat room, I called to explain to you about this app. And I also thought that talking while you hear my voice will be more credible. In truth, a tutorial within the game was supposed to explain everything, but it's still being modified. Do you remember the characters I sent you?"
"Yes, I remember." Chinmae sighed. His voice seemed a little embarassed because of that.
"Yeah, the image I sent you of the game characters I'm currently developing. Those characters will be your chatting partners." Ray explained. "All five characters in the image are part of an association called R.F.A."
"Is that short for Ramen Filled Aristocrat?" Chinmae interrupted.
Ray paused, not sure whether he had heard correctly. Uh, dealing with him can be a headache... Ray thought wearily. But Savior wants it, so I need to do my best and do it…
"...wow. For..real...? I'll pretend I didn't hear that." The Mint-Eye Boy said, bringing his hand to his face. He could feel Saeran in his head, wanting to growl. That attitude was a little too similar to the Traitor to him. “RFA is a closed organization with the purpose of holding fundraising parties. The plot is set to open a fundraising party with your help. You've been set as the party coordinator, in charge of inviting guests. Just think that you are the one choosing whom to invite to the party."
"Are there any merits in gathering more guests?" Chinmae asked, sounding curious. Ray made a half-surprised sound in the back of his throat, not expecting disruption or ready to answer that question. He had no idea what to say, he had never decided on a lie, and thinking under pressure was not his specialty.
"Merits? Yeah, of course. Maybe increase my sales performance?" He laughed, trying to look amused. Well, that's true. Savior will be satisfied if there are more people at the party, because they are more targets, which 'increases my sales performance'. "Haha... JK. I'll spoil the fun if I tell you right now. Isn't it no fun if you know in advance? You should find out yourself by playing the game."
Ray waited for Chinmae's response, but the boy was quiet. He just hummed thoughtfully.
"Of course it'll be a disappointment if it's only inviting guests. You will find out their secrets by chatting/answering phone calls with the characters. It'll be much faster to understand by playing, instead of listening to all this." The hacker continued as it became clear that Chinmae would not say anything more.
"How did you make the phone call system? No, nevermind, you probably can't tell me. And I wouldnt really understand." Chinmae murmured before shaking his head, if the camera’s moviment where to be trusted. "So it's something like the currently trending e-boyfriend thing."
Ray had to hold his laughter.
"Haha, there's an expression like that? I mean, having a boyfriend in your screen is pretty common in this era. Oh, and as you've seen from the image, there are not only male characters but also a female one." He clarified, not quite knowing if Chinmae was... gay. "Right. But this game hasn't been released yet and cannot be revealed to the market. So, to perform the tests, you have to come over here."
Ray flinched at his own choice of words. With Chinmae's lack of response, he could almost see the red flags rising in the transgender boy's brain.
"Where's here?" Yep. Chinmae's voice was dripping with suspicion.
"You probably won't know even if I told you. It's in the mountains and doesn't appear on the map. To maintain confidentiality before the release, it's being developed in a sparsely populated area. Of course, you don't have to come here yourself as it's troublesome. I'll send a car over to your place if you tell me your address. Hop onto that and head this way."
Chinmae was slow to reply again. His voice was off the phone, and Ray looked at the camera, seeing that Chinmae had dropped his arm. The camera shook, and he could hear a faint laugh.
"Oh, god. That sound's like a really weird way to kidnap someone." Chinmae looked at the screen of his cell phone, letting Ray see his face. The boy had an exasperated expression. He put the phone next to his ear again. "My address? I don't think that'll be possible."
"Ah, it doesn't have to be your address." Ray said nervously.. "Tell me the nearest address. I'll send the car over where it's convenient for you."
Chinmae paused - as he seemed to do quite a bit. The kind of person who needed silence to think, maybe. "Fine. As long as if it doesn't have to be my home address." He said finally. There was another murmur, but Ray could not understand much, other than "dumped" "apartment" "problems with money."
A slight guilt went up Ray's chest, knowing that he had played with Chinmae's needs for the boy to accept. But then, Ray considered, Chinmae would be better off in Mint Eye, it was Paradise, after all.
"No, it doesn't have to. Can you send me an address by text message?"Ray agreed. Chinmae made a sound that sounded like an agreement with the back of his throat before pulling the his phone away from his ear to type something in the text room they were sharing before. He paused before sending, his brown eyes seemed to be filled with conflicting emotions.
Ray checked the address. It was a good four blocks from Chinmae's house, he noticed, just in front of a 24-hour convenience store, and nodded approvingly. The boy was cautious enough.
"Done." Chinmae said into the phone, catching his attention again.
"I'll send a car right now to the address you've sent me. Please be there. Oh. I'm telling you this in advance, so don't freak out. The location I'm at is also confidential, and it can't be revealed. You won't be able to see the road to this place. Don't be scared and do as I tell you. I should hang up now. I should also get ready."
Chinmae did not question his words. "Get ready?"
"Yes. Get ready to greet you. My heart's fluttering from the thought that I can meet you soon... Everything will be complete once you're here. Then...I'll see you later."
Ray hung up, focusing on the camera now. There was a strange moment where the camera seemed to be flying, apparently Chinmae had thrown the phone on the bed.
"That was fucking creepy." Chinmae murmured, sighing. "God, please let this not be an murderer."
A shiver raced down Ray's spine with these words, guilt was eating at his chest, too, for causing that reaction in Chinmae. I don't even know him, why do I care, anyway? He thought nervously.
Ray shook his head. No matter, he needed to call the car that was already prepared in that neighborhood to get the Target. And checking to see if the room preparations were ready, it had been hell to change the princess room he had originally planned for something more appropriate for Chinmae.
"At least his voice seemed nice." Ray heard, half muffled, in the camera that was still activated. The young hacker blushed a little, and disconnected from the camera phone. He had things to do.
Chinmae:
"What the hell? Who is this weirdo?"