Chapter Text
The graphics, the design…
It was all he could ever ask for.
It was all perfect.
Sieun took his phone out, snapping a quick photo of the designer’s name. He stood a bit longer, fascinated by the desig-
“You want a picture? Okay. Make it quick.”
A boy, tall, well built. He smiled at him, getting infront of the camera and posed.
It pissed Sieun off.
He scoffed, turning his back and left without a word.
________________
“Lets all make ugly faces.”
“Can we just take a normal picture?”
“Here here, take a picture of me and Suho together” Youngyi exclaimed, jumping up and down with joy.
She sat on the armchair, hooking an arm around Suho’s shoulder and pouted her lips, “Chees-“ The door opened with a bang,
“Suho- Suho. Yah. This is urgent.”
Suho rolled his eyes, locking eyes with the dude who was breathing fastly, forehead slick with sweat.
“Beomseok! Come, take a picture with us!” Youngyi called him over.
“You idiot.” The boy took out his phone pressing on the screen angrily before showing it to Suho’s face. “Read this.”
“The design is so bad.” Suho chuckled, not bothering to read anything on the screen.
“Read it, dumbass. You are not graduating.”
Silence.
“What?” Suho asked, chuckling in confusion. Beomseok was joking, he was just being silly.
“You didn’t participate in the project, did you?”
“Didn’t you say the project was done? I thought a dude from lower class handled it.” Yeongi trailed off.
He took the phone from Beomseok’s hand,
“Character… Character Education Course..?” He read out loud.
”All freeloaders are getting an F.” Beomseok sighed.
He stood up, his grip around the phone was so hard that he thought it might break. He quickly scrolled down to the comments.
‘JUSTICE WILL BE DONE’
’NAHH FREELOADERS ARE COOKED’
‘THEY DESERVE THAT.’
More comments. More proof, that this, in fact, wasn’t a joke.
“Yeon Sieun.” He growled.
________________
And thats why he was standing in front of a class he had never been to before, waiting for Yeon Sieun.
His plan was simple, he would beg Sieun to take his name of the list, talk to the professor so he can graduate. That easy.
He heard about him, the guy was supposed to be short, always wearing hoodies and a cap.
Suddenly, the door opened and a short guy with a cap stepped out,
Must be Yeon Sieun.
“Yeon Sieun!” He yelled, grabbing the guy’s wrist.
The dude was startled, eyes popping out as he shook his wrist out of the grip.
“Yah, You are Sieun, right-“
The door opened again, this time, 5 people with caps on their head stepped out.
What the fuck?
“Yo, what is this? Is this a dresscode or what? Are yall supposed to dress this shitty?”
“Are you… looking for Sieun?”
“Yes?”
“Oh, he left early. He handed his assignment and left.” The other guy said shyly.
Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.
He quickly pulled out his phone, tapping furiously on the call button as he ran a hand through his hair.
He didn’t pick up, again.
_____________
-‘Please, I have to graduate.’
-‘Can you pick up?’
-‘ I got an F. Im not graduating. Thanks to you.’
FREELOADER 3 CALLING…
He stared at his screen, unfazed.
“Theyre so persistent…” He scoffed as he muted his phone.
“Sir! Over here!” A woman waved over. He winced as she yelled, they were in a library after all.
Sieun walked over to her, bowing before sitting down infront of her.
“We are doing the map design, right?” He dived straight in, no interest in having a small talk.
The girl’s expression softened, “Oh, yes… There’s something I have to tell you.”
He raised his eyebrows in confusion.
The girl pouted, “Ah! I’m so so so sorry. I just got a job offer, I can’t do the project anymore. I am so sorry.” She apologized, genuine, made Sieun think he was in the fault.
“That… came out as a suprise. We already had a plan.” He chuckled nervously, hiding his annoyence.
“But! I can introduce you to some replacements! Wait— you went to the exhibit, any designs that caught your eye?”
He thought about the design he took the picture of.
“Yes.” He answered without a doubt. “Do you know if, this person is available?” He showed the picture to the girl.
“Huh? Ahn Suho?” She leaned closer to the screen. “Ah, he’s about to study abroad, I am not sure.” She looked away, embarrassed. “Did you like anyone else?”
Well, fuck his luck.
The day couldnt get any worse.
“That’s a shame. Thank you for everything, good luck on your job.” He nodded politely before gathering up his things, bowing and walking away fastly.
He had to find a new designer, as quickly as possible.
_________________
“Junior, Computer Science Major.”
“Always top of the class”
“He’s a loner, he’s not even in the groupchat.”
“He doesn’t do any club activities “
He sighed, listening to Baku and Gotak gossip about his newest enemy.
“Is he a unicorn or what?” He added himself.
“Right. I don’t I will ever talk to him in this life. I don’t even know his voice. Why dont you give up finding him?” Gotak poked his shoulder. “He will only give you more trouble.”
He grinned, “Now is the time I really have to find him.”
“You’re already obsessed.” Baku sighed.
“Yeon Sieun.” He smiled. “I will find you. I don’t lose easily.”
_________________
“Hi there…”
He turned,
A girl, short, pretty. And a bit familiar.
“Same as usual?” She smiled, pointing at the coffee in his hand.
He looked at her confused, pouting a bit.
“Ah- Sorry. It’s Naeun. Computer Science.” She looked at him for a response, not receiving anything.
“I uh… borrowed some money from you before. Rings a bell?” She tilted her head.
“Ah. 800 won.” He nodded at her.
“That’s the only thing you remember..?” Naeun asked, disappointed. “Thats okay. We can still be friends.”
Friends?
Suddenly, there was 1000 won handed towards him. He stared at the money, and then back at her.
“I don’t have change for that.”
“Just take it.”
He slowly took the money, “I will pay you back later. Thank you.” Sieun adjusted his backpack turning away to leave.
“Wait! Is this you?”
A crumbled paper, he squinted his eyes to take a better look.
WANTED
What the fuck?
“It looks like you, the hat is a spot on. There are posters everywhere.”
He sighed in frustration, pulling out his phone.
23 new messages from FREELOADER 3.
“-Yeon sieun. Age 21. Recently back from military service. Junior. Computer sceince major. No club activities.”
“-We have to talk in person, otherwise you will be in a lot of trouble.”
“-No use blocking this number.”
This guy seriously did a background check on him?
Pshyco.
/Block this number?/
/Number blocked/
“I have to leave. Thank you.”
________________
“I think he blocked my number.”
“What did you expect? If I were him, I would think you’re a pshyco.”
He sighed. Was he seriously acting like a psycho?
“YAHH. I’m hungry.” Youngyi yelled, stomping her foot on the ground.
They stopped in their tracks.
“We check out one last place. And then, you will help me with my graduation project.” She hit his shoulder, hard, making him wince.
“Id rather sleep in the streets. That place was so small.”
They have been checking on dorms for hours.
Suho already knew where he will be staying at, tho.
It was a suprise.
They walked in silence, the sun hitting them on the face.
“Yah, Youngyi.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Huh?”
“If I die, make sure to bury Yeon Sieun next to me. I want to talk to him in the afterlife.”
“Sure, I’d be glad to bury you.” She gave an unsympathetic smile, throwing his arm away from her and walked faster.
He was about to catch up, but a sound from his phone stopped him. A message.
He hoped it was from Yeon Sieun.
_______________
“Yah, stop drinking. You will kill yourself”
Well, he didn’t get a message from Yeon Sieun. In fact, he got a message that said “Your graduation has been cancelled.”
He wanted to die.
“Slow down, man.” Beomseok tried to stop him, grabbing his glass and moving it away.
“Let him drink. He wants to die young.” Yeongi chuckled.
“Who wants to die young?”
They turned their heads towards the voice,
“Jieun!”
“Sorry I’m late.”
“I thought you were happy you got a job, but now you just look tired.” Youngyi pouted, rubbing the girls chin.
Jieun closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, “You guys should stay in college as long as you can before you get jobs.” She turned to Suho, “Oh right, I heard you can’t graduate. Sorryyyy!” She mocked, sitting next to him.
“Aissh, was that a joke?” He scooted further from her.
“Hyung, dont be sad. Be positive. You don’t have much to do anyways, it will be chill, like a gap year.” Beomseok tried to calm him down.
“Yes, be positive. Also, I happen to have a project you have to fill in for.” Jieun’s voice suddenly got softer.
He chuckled, “Not happening.”
“Yahh, come on! The developer really liked your work! He really wants you!” She pouted, giving him puppy eyes.
“He liked my work? He must have good taste.” He chugged down his beer. “A developer? Computer science?”
“Stop with that.” Youngyi and Beomseok both sighed.
Jieun continued, not getting the situation. “He’s a bit cold, but super smart. I heard he was the top of his class.”
“What’s his name?”
“Yeon Sieun.”
Everyone freezed.
“Yeon Sieun!?” Yeongi and Beomseok looked at each other, and then at Suho.
Suho just stared at Jieun, processing the words.
Yeon Sieun. Yeon Sieun. Yeon Sieun.
“Yeon Sieun?” He could finally muster up, voice a whisper.
Jieun looker around, startled by the reaction. She chewed on her fries before nodding, “Yes, Yeon Sieun. Why?”
Suho’s only response was a giggle.
Not a chuckle, Not a laugh.
A fucking giggle.
“He scares me” Youngyi whispered into Beomseok’s ear. He just nodded.
“Okay. I will do it. When do I meet him?” His voice, the happiest he’s ever sounded since last week.
__________________
“-The guy you told me about, I talked to him. He said he can work on the project.”
“-I told him where to meet you, good luck!”
He read Jieun’s text over and over again.
Sieun checked his watch,
14:03
3 minutes late.
He already had a bad feeling about this.
Who arrives 3 minutes late to the first meeting? Did he not know anything about first impressions?
Suddenly, the door opened, so fast that he was convinced someone kicked it.
And then, a guy stepped in to the room.
Tall, handsome face, sharp features. He was wearing a windbreaker, a beine that covered his hair.
The boy smiled at him, a cocky one, one that made Sieun’s stomach twist in disgust.
Step, Step, Step,
He stopped once he arrived at the front of the desk, grinning at Sieun silently.
Sieun liked silence, but this silence was getting uncomfortable.
“Are you the designer?”
The guy didn’t reply for a while, just stared at Sieun. As if he was trying to memorize his face.
“Yes. You must be Yeon Sieun.”
He nodded.
“I didn’t think you’d be handsome.” The designer placed both hands on the table, hovering over Sieun.
He was close, too close.
Sieun felt his face burn.
The guy just chuckled, chewing the inside of his cheek before plopping down on the chair.
“You know my name, right?”
“Yes.”
“It… doesn’t ring a bell?”
“Does that matter? Aren’t you here to talk about the game?” He was getting annoyed, he wasn’t even hiding it.
The developer clicked his tounge, looking at the well cleaned and organized desk, “Yes, I am. Let me take a look.” He reached over, purposely knocking over Sieun’s organized pencils as he took the folder.
He read them silently, flipping over the pages before sighing disappointedly.
“I heard you were a genius. So I expect more.” He threw the folder onto the desk. “Disappointing. Your character design and the storyline both suck.”
In fact, the character design and the storyline was perfect. He just wanted to piss Sieun off. “There’s nothing special about this, you sure this will work?”
Sieun was getting annoyed, “Do you have any experience with mobile games?”
“None.”
“I will find another designer.”
Suho just laughed and opened an empty page in the folder. He took a pen, dodging Sieun’s hand as he tried to stop him.
He started to draw.
___
“Are you seriously going to bury him?” Youngyi had said, playing with Beomseok’s hair.
“Of course not. I’m just going to size him up.”
“If I like him, I will play along for a bit.”
___
He finished the drawing, looked at Sieun for his reaction.
He looked mesmerized.
Suho swore he could see a tilt of his lips. Just a little.
“You like it?” He grinned.
Sieun took the paper, staring at it. There was actually a smile on his face now.
“You have punctuality problem. And your ego is high up your ass. You’re also annoying.” His voice, robotic.
Suho just grinned wider. “That’s a compliment, right?”
“But… you’re a great designer.” Sieun continued, almost embarrassed at his words.
Suho’s grin dropped, not expecting it.
“Give me your number.” The boy showed the phone into his face, so fast it made Suho lean back.
He chuckled as he took the phone, typing in his number.
017-093….
His contact was already saved.
FREELOADER 3
He bit his lip, amused.
He looked at Sieun, who was still staring at his drawing. It was like he was daydreaming.
“Hey. You already have my number saved.” He pressed the call button on Sieun’s phone before reaching out for his own.
Sieun dropped the paper, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
Suho flipped the phone, letting Sieun read the big bold letters.
FREELOADER 3
He then turned his own phone.
YEON SIEUN.
Sieun’s big, pretty eyes seemed to grow impossibly bigger.
He freezed.
His mouth opened, but not a single sound came out.
Suho chuckled at his reaction.
“We finally met, Yeon Sieun.”