Changkyun frowns at another line of cryptic symbols flashing across the screen. It’s all thanks to his ‘-head’ client Hyungwon, who insists on knowing the medical history of every millionaire in the country that Changkyun’s stuck to his desk instead of his comfy mattress. He’d rather not lament on what sort of wacky doctor Hyungwon is. He’s shady, and that’s all Changkyun cares to fathom at the moment.

Yet, he finds more distraction in the tedious online security system, meticulously guarding every private hospital in this country. But breaking down a few firewalls shouldn’t be a problem. After all, he is I.M, the legendary and terrifying hacker that can easily manipulate just about everything in the online world.

But this time, whoever wrote the protection programs for Seoul’s top three private hospitals successfully gave him chills. In a good way.

A smile noticeably creeps onto his face. And he’s clearly more than a little excited for a daring challenge to finally show up.

Solving it will take a little longer than usual, and he’d love to indulge right away, except life as a college student doesn’t allow such a luxury. He’s got an unfortunate eight AM test tomorrow. And sleep is the wiser option for now.

The fun will have to wait.

You were always pretty decent at turning people down unless it came down to your cousin, Yoo Kihyun. So when he asked you a favor on behalf of the nation’s top government agency, it became even harder to say no.

Those close to you knew about your notable talent in programming, which is something you now wish you didn’t have thanks to the outrageous anti-virus programs you had to write with your two hands. Still, this development is hardly a surprise considering your mother was a former CIA agent and your father still works for NASA.

Having early access to all sorts of cool gadgets somehow induced your transformation into what Kihyun calls a ‘benevolent hacker’. And it’s as stressful as it sounds, like what’s going on right now.

“But you’ve even saved our country from a nuclear war!” Kihyun’s voice rang proudly.

You sigh through the phone before slumping further into your chair. “I almost went blind from staring at a screen for so long, but I guess it all worked out.”

“We really appreciate everything you do, really.” He softens. “I know it’s tough, but hey, at least you’re getting paid.”

“I just want to live a normal life.”

“I know, I know.” Kihyun coos sympathetically. “This should be the last time. But…”

“But?” You could feel the hesitation through his silence.

“We’re looking at a pretty high-profiled hacker this time. And if they’re targeting private hospitals, they’re out for some pretty bad damage.”

Kihyun’s words linger with a tinge of frustration, and that struck you to realize the much tier stress your poor cousin deals on a daily basis. The least you can do is comfort him a little.

“Well, the program I wrote for the hospital’s database should stay intact through tonight.” You suggest with a bit of optimism.

“That’s good to hear.” He sighs.

You switch on your laptop, nestling the phone against your shoulder. “By the way, any idea on the perpetrator yet?”

“Nothing solid.” He states. “But we do have someone on file who could be a possible suspect.”

That piqued your interest a little, and you wait for him to continue.

“You familiar with the hacker that goes by the name I.M?”

Your back stiffens, and the phone on your shoulder almost slips to the floor. Kihyun probably noticed your sudden silence, but you still had to let a few shivers run down your spine.

I.M. That name is more or less a legend to your ears. You knew that name. Well, anyone with the slightest interest in programming knows that name. Although your knowledge of him came from passing rumors, the stories are crazy enough to serve as a warning. Multiple cases of leaked government secrets are credited to his name. And just three years ago, I.M’s stints nearly drove a dozen smaller European countries into martial law.

No one knows how or why he operates, nor is there evidence of his identity. He’s like some lurking enigma from the deep, dark web, capable of sending the whole world on edge with a few clicks.

But to the average citizen, his existence is a debatable rumor. Only those with enough expertise of computers know the true extent of his destruction.

Fortunately for you, no trouble has stumped you yet. But if the opponent this time happens to be I.M, there may be just one conclusion: If encountered, do not approach.

“So…is that a yes?” Your cousin’s voice sounded hopeful.

“Um not really, I’m gonna Google him.” You swallow your lie, swiftly deciding against saying much for the sake of Kihyun’s sanity.

“Alright then, don’t stay up too late.” There’s a brief silence before Kihyun’s voice cools. “Thanks for the help so far, kiddo. Now get some sleep.”

Your eyes roll at his usual motherly tone. But he’s right; you need your sleep for tomorrow’s eight AM Philosophy test.

“Okay, night mom.” You sang, hanging up before Kihyun could reply.

Changkyun doesn’t regret taking Philosophy. It’s an easy A and all, but an eight o’clock midterm is kind of pushing it.

His phone buzzes against the night stand’s surface. Changkyun grabs it to shut off the alarm, but the screen displays a text message instead. A grin instantly finds his lips as evidence of sleepiness completely disappear from his features.

[Squishy Dumpling 7:00 AM]: “CHANGKYUN WAKE UP RIGHT NOW! IF YOU DON’T ANSWER IN 1 MIN I WILL CALL.”

Changkyun chuckles under his breath and pushes himself up against the headboard. What started as an inside joke lead to a stupidly endearing contact name. If only you knew about it; that would surely have your eyes rolling.

Seeing your promised text message already has him in a better mood. Yet despite being wide awake, he purposely waits to see if you’re really going to take this wake-up-call job seriously. Changkyun is nonetheless grateful for your proposed offer during last evening’s impromptu study session. After him claiming to have slept through several tests in the past, you were determined to stop him from sleeping through another one.

Indeed, one minute later, his phone starts buzzing continuously with your silly trademark flashing on screen.

He clears his throat, channeling his best dead-tired-college-student impression and takes the call.

“Hmm…hello?”

Changkyun’s voice is already deeper than most guys his age, but his range falls impossibly lower in the mornings. It’s amazing how that husky voice never fails to give you the jitters.

“Changkyun, stop it.” You sigh firmly. “I know you’re awake.”

“Hm? What makes you say that?” He drags on.

Your ear drowns in the vibrations of his voice. “I know you read my text.”

Changkyun lets out a groan that forces you to physically pry the phone away from yourself. “Five more minutes.”

“Changkyun, I’m not your mother.”

He lets out a convincing sigh. “You know, I was thinking, since I already have a ninety-eight in the class, I should just-”

“Changkyun!”

The boy almost blew his cover by chuckling out loud. “Kidding, relax.” He yawns. “I’ll go since you sound like you really want me to.”

You can practically see Changkyun with his proud smirk waiting for a flustered response.

“Obviously.” You return the distress. “Who else can I copy off the answers to?”

“Ouch.” Changkyun hissed. “Ice cold.”

“You’re old enough to handle it.”

Changkyun didn’t hold back his chuckles this time. He always knew one day he’ll meet someone sassier than him. Sure enough, here you are, serving that hot attitude right up at seven in the morning.

“What are you doing after the test?” He redirects the topic.

“Um…probably be at the library to finish some homework.” That’s a partial lie, since your real motive is checking on the condition of your program. If I.M really is the culprit according to Kihyun’s data, you sure need a recheck as soon as goddamn possible. And you’ll need the library’s generous wi-fi speed for that.

“Oh me too, wanna go together?” Changkyun’s voice interrupts your thought. You quickly swallow your hesitation, a bit unsure about fighting hackers with another person sitting by. But Changkyun’s harmless, as far as you know. “Sounds Good.”

Within an hour, you’re patiently waiting for the professor’s arrival in a mostly empty lecture hall. Just as you decide to glance around for Changkyun, a coffee cup suddenly lands on your desk.

“Morning sunshine.”

You turn your head away from the coffee to see Changkyun plop down in the seat next to yours. Seeing him this early had you wide-eyed for a good moment.

“Morning.” Your gaze returns to the cup before you. “I see you had time to get coffee.”

Changkyun shrugs. “I figured you’ll probably need some energy to, you know, copy my answers.”

You’re almost pleased with his comeback. “You know me so well, thanks Changkyun.”

He smiles back, taking out a few pens as the professor finally makes his entrance.

Despite the test being a generous three hours, you and Changkyun were out in less than one. As previously agreed, the two of you are now sitting across each other at your favorite spot in the library--second floor, back corner near the ancient Greek literature. You naturally favored this spot since it’s usually vacant, but most importantly, it’s where the wi-fi router is located.

Finding a spot like this was indisputably your primary task on your first day at college. You needed a distraction-free work space, not so much for your school work but for fighting what ever cyber crime Kihyun might task you with. Luckily, you found this holed-up library, ironically attached to the computer science department, and barely visible from the outside world.

You quickly grew attached to the place, to the point where you now work as a library assistant to gain unlimited entry into the facility. The only thing didn’t expect was to meet Changkyun, who, unbeknownst to you, chose to work here for the reasons that would never cross your mind in several life times.

It’s hard to put your finger on exactly what drew you towards this boy. Changkyun’s an odd ball. You knew that from his persistent suggestion to build a fort using the old, un-catalogued books from the back storage room. But you also knew he isn’t a complete scatterbrain when he translated an entire collection of Arabic poems into English, all on his own.

Which is why you sometimes question why he’s a biology major.

But you are no less of a mystery in Changkyun’s eyes, albeit a much prettier mystery. He initially pegged on the idea of having the entire library to himself and was clearly a little upset when he first heard a new co-worker is joining the staff. But when you came along, his mind changed instantly.

He couldn’t pinpoint the source of your attraction either. It could be your pretty eyes, but it could also be your natural sass which stumped him a few times. And there was that fascinating episode where you, a statistics major, somehow knew weirdly specific details about upgrading the library router’s firmware. And that made the wi-fi so much faster.

Curiosity aside, Changkyun got used to you so quickly that he doesn’t even mind hacking the government with you beside him.

“Can’t believe I got up this early for two free response questions.” Changkyun laments, his chin sinking into his palm.

You kind of agree. That philosophy test was stupidly easy, it’s almost a little insulting.

“At least you get to keep your ninety-eight.” You kept your response casual, unlike your fingers furiously navigating the three private hospitals’ websites you’re supposed to be guarding.

Fortunately, things are still in the green.

Changkyun hums in response, his face giving nothing more than a blank stare. A stark contrast to the feverish excitement he’s containing underneath that poker face. He didn’t think such an emotion still exists in him. But ever since last night’s encounter with such a daring little fire-wall, he’s feeling that nostalgic itch to tear it apart. Now with that stupid test out of the way, boy was he ready to indulge.

You felt unusually restless. Perhaps it’s the possibility of facing I.M, in which case, you’re completely screwed. But you found comfort knowing it’s barely ten in the morning. Even a legendary hacker wouldn’t dwell this early.

Except you’re wrong.

You flinch at a sudden dreadful shade of orange popping on your laptop display. And if it wasn’t for Changkyun’s presence, your jaw would have hit the floor by now.

Thankfully, years of nerve racking experience taught you to stay calm. You double check your VPN connection and drew in a long breath. It’s time for war.

Changkyun knows he’s being a little reckless, but if those DDoS attacks didn’t work last night, might as well change things up for once. He just finished a virus that can use a test run, and there won’t be a better opportunity than this. Within a few clicks, Changkyun eases back into his chair and began relishing the view.

You on the other hand, have both eyes glued to the numbers on your screen. Only a few precious seconds passed before you realized the blatantly obvious malware eating away your codes. That gave you a tiny bit of relief, because your specialty is, in fact, malware sabotage.

“You okay there?”

You sprang apart from your laptop and look up, meeting Changkyun’s curious eyes.

“You’re typing really fast.” He continues. “And loud.”

That’s because I’m fighting a cyber criminal who’s probably trying to take over the world. If only you could muse out loud.

“Oh, sorry, I got an essay for writing class.” You smile sheepishly. “It’s due tomorrow.”

Changkyun looks taken aback and covers his mouth. “You? A procrastinator?”

You would respond with something clever, but your attention falls back to suspending access of this intruding virus. You barely spare him a cheeky eye roll before immersing right back into your keyboard. Luckily, you were right on time.

Changkyun’s gaze suddenly flew back to his laptop. On the screen displays something he’s sure he hasn’t seen since his first time hacking the Ministry of Defense’s military records. The word ‘Obsolete’ flashed in the middle of his display, and for a good second, he almost didn’t recognize that word was meant for him. His features however, slowly lights up in nothing but fascination.

His virus just failed. Interesting.

Your eyes momentarily close to embrace this calm before the storm. If anything, this was just the first round of however many times this douche hacker decides to ruin your eyesight for the next few days. But you found some confidence in yourself, knowing your talent hasn’t failed you yet.

Changkyun admits he might have been a little cocky to assume his virus was enough to wrap things up. But at least he was right to be excited. This isn’t the usual business anymore.

“Are you okay?” You return, tending to a strange look of amusement on Changkyun’s face.

Changkyun almost couldn’t peel his eyes away from his screen. “Yeah just…” He takes another moment to finally absorb reality.

“I just watched a funny video.” His exhale turns into a chuckle. “How goes the essay?”

You sense the oddness in his response, but opted for a bright nod instead. “Making progress.”

Changkyun puts on a convincing grin of acknowledgement in hopes of easing you from further suspicion. The moment you turn back to your computer, he runs his bottom lip between his teeth, suppressing the ironic exhilaration scalding his ego.

Nothing in Changkyun’s career even came close to stopping his malware, not to mention this quickly and so seemingly effortlessly. Perhaps the government actually hired someone decent this time, someone possibly on par with his expertise. He’s almost tempted to abandon his task and track down this person instead. But it’s not wise to side track too soon. He’ll just launch his second attack for now.

DDoS. Malware. You can only dread what’s coming next. It’s almost as if Satan himself answered your fear as your computer screen glows orange after one meager minute of peace.

Your eyes flare up, and a flashing timer pops on screen like an apocalyptic warning.

Two minutes. That’s how long your program will hold up. And that’s how long you have to figure out and stop whatever is breaking your program. But that’s just a laughable ideal.

This quick, aggressive attack just about confirms your worst fear. I.M is behind this ordeal.

It’s amazing how you’re managing to stay intact in your chair, despite your heart rate racing faster than the milliseconds ticking away. In situations like this, there’s no time for regret. And walking out of this one alive meant one thing: run away.

You immediately connect your phone with your laptop, as subtle as possible to avoid Changkyun’s gaze. A few clicks later, you began transferring all three hospital’s database into your phone while wiping every piece of information from its online servers.

This is the last resort you once hoped to avoid. Your actions are just as illegal as I.M’s, but desperation left you with no other choice. You’ll definitely need to speak with Kihyun later.

An airy chuckle escapes Changkyun’s lips. Now this is a sight he hasn’t seen in a while. On his screen is a blank webpage without a single line of code in the back-end database. And to think that was all completed in no more than two minutes, he wishes he can applaud his opponent.

Changkyun closes his eyes, only to be met with that nagging temptation to seek out whoever’s beyond the other side of the screen.

Interestingly enough, that seems to be the only choice left.

Changkyun’s eyes flutter apart with a fervent gaze, one that matches the rising excitement in his chest.

He’ll have to notify Hyungwon there’s been a change of plans. He’s going hunting.

You spent a good two hours writing an email to Kihyun, choosing comforting words explaining that everything is in good hands. The classified information is with you and not the perpetrator, but it might take a few days before you can restore the data.

And you left out I.M’s name, and the part about keeping the targeted data on your personal cell phone. The last thing you’d want is for Kihyun to place you under some weird witness protection program for pulling such a reckless stint.

You proof read your lies and ended the email with a reminder to not call because you accidentally dropped your phone in the bath tub.

You sigh, hitting the send button before turning to stare at your locked down, encrypted and therefore useless cell phone. If only you knew it was going to become a digital safekeeping vault, you could have asked your mom for second phone.

For now you should just be thankful for getting out of this one unscathed. You lift your arms to stretch, then shutting your laptop when your phone suddenly vibrates against the table.

You peer down, curious as to who sent you a message when your eyes immediately widen in horror.

Your phone just vibrated. It shouldn’t even be powered on right now.

Several bright flashes fly past the screen, and a blue bubble with white text promptly pops up.

[201.50.514] Congrats. You’re the first one to escape.

The hairs on your body never perched so painfully.

[201.50.514] Good thing one of my bugs made it. It would be a total shame if I lost you completely.

You pick up the phone, hands starting to shake from the unbelievable display on your phone. The colors and design look just like a messaging app, and you know this is the work of a person whom you really should not have messed with.

You swallow and tap the screen, where a keyboard pops up, inviting your response.

[01101101] sorry who’s this?

Oh god. As if playing dumb will get out of this deep .

[201.50.514] hahaha alright, if you’re really asking then let me introduce myself.

[201.50.514] this is I.M

[201.50.514] and I believe you took something I want