{{Trapped but with you}} ~A YooSeven Story~

Prologue

Is there a reality truly out there?

Seven sits down in another embroidered elegant seat and sprawls both arms on the table, frustrated. He had always wondered if in a true reality there would be much changes to the one he lives in now. Seven hates the reality he lives in, if you can even call it that. He hates this party, even.

Sighing despondently, Seven lets his head fall onto the table. MC is currently on Zen's route, he guessed. Though everyone is programmed to do as the game follows, including Seven himself, the party plays out however - as long as it doesn't affect MC. Sometimes there's about forty guests, sometimes eleven. Sometimes, Seven isn't even at the party.

All Seven can do is wait for his route to be played. Only then he'll be able to feel some kind of affection, some type of attention towards him. Or, rather, his character. Even if it isn't real at all, Seven is just tired of being so lonely. Every night he wishes his self-awareness away but it never works. It wasn't fair. Why was he the mistake, the error in the game, the glitch?

Out of irritation, Seven had subconsciously grasped his red hair tightly, causing some concern to a certain blonde man that was just passing.

"Are you okay, Seven?" He inquires, tilting his head.

Seven perks up upon hearing that soft voice, that god-given voice, and his gaze meets two wide purple eyes.

Yoosung Kim.

Yoosung Kim is all Seven feels like he has in this reality. He's just.. beautiful. His violet, round eyes. His perky, bright hair. His pretty smile. Seven was obsessed, and he had been for as long as he could remember. But Yoosung was just programmed to be his friend. The two do not privately interact - not even private messages or calls, as it isn't part of the game. The only time Seven can truly speak to Yoosung is through the chatroom or when they infiltrate Mint Eye in Yoosung's route.

God, how he hated Yoosung's route. Yoosung and MC just have to be all lovey-dovey in the chatroom, right in front of Seven. It filled him with pure envy. Not just for getting to flirt as much as she could with him, even kiss him, but because she also has free will. Whoever is behind MC is out there in the real world, happy..

"Hellooo, Seven..?"

Seven snaps out of his trance as he still stares at Yoosung, shaking his head. "Sorry.. Just kind of, uh, out of it?"

He glances over at a crowd forming in around the podium. Zen seems to finally be giving his speech. Right after the game ends here, it'll be back to Day 1.

Seven leans back in his chair, and his eyes follow Yoosung as he pulls out a chair next to Seven, slumping into it. "Ohh.. well, I get how that feels."

Yoosung grins and leans closer to Seven. "Even the Great Defender Of Justice gets tired, huh? I guess it's up to me to make him feel better~!"

Seven chuckles. He WISHES Yoosung could do something to make him feel better.  They've had this conversation ten times before, in fact. If Seven asks what he's going to do, Yoosung will ponder for a second before asking to play LoLoL later.  But, Yoosung DOES make an adorable face when he thinks so nonetheless, Seven asks anyway.

"What exactly could you do to make me feel better, then, hmm?" Seven inquires, jokingly tapping his chin in thought and tilting his head.

Yoosung averts his gaze and darts his eyes around the room. "Uhh.. well.."

Seven watches carefully as Yoosung scrunches up his nose in thought. There it is. There's that expression.

He slowly leans forward and rests his head on his hands, propped up by his elbows on the table and softly smiles. Maybe every day in this reality would be a little more bearable if it was just him and Yoosung.. sitting at this table.. forever.

"Oh! How about a challenge to LoLoL after this party is over?" Yoosung grins mischeviously, leaning back and rubbing his hands together. "I gotta steal your number one spot, you know~!"

Seven still stares into Yoosung's eyes, unable to tear his own away. He breathes in and out slowly.  Another long week and a half was about to begin, and depending on the route, he may not be able to see Yoosung's face and speak to him freely for that amount of time. Even when there are occurences that causes characters to meet up, the only things that play out are words said when the person behind MC is witnessing a visual novel mode. Other than that, characters stay still and there's nothing but silence until the next visual novel mode plays out. It's really quite unnerving for Seven, actually. Like the world is frozen. Still, except for him.

"Hey.. Seven..? You sure everything's okay..?"

Seven blinks several times.  Another trance, and he was staring right at Yoosung the entire time. In the background, Seven becomes aware of Zen's blaring voice over the microphone. His speech, it sounded like it was beginning to end.  And so, the game will reset.

He breathes in and out slowly, studying Yoosung's expression. He was going to miss not seeing him for a little while again, only able to communicate through small conversations in the chatroom. No matter how much he tried to visit him, the game wouldn't allow it. It simply isn't programmed to happen.

On impulse, Seven reaches out and grasps Yoosung's hand tightly, as if letting go of him will end the world.

Yoosung, a little taken aback, squeezes Seven's hand. From his perspective, something must've hurt Seven for him to be acting like this. Yoosung feels just as though he needs to comfort Seven, and be there for him. Surely, something's wrong. He had never seen the latter act so affectionate, especially as now Seven seemed to be bringing his hand up to his face and clutching is with two of his own. With a calm sigh and a soft smile, Yoosung speaks.

"I'm not going anywhere, Seven."

Seven shakes his head. He can't lose Yoosung to another reset. The whole thing was just too infuriating; Seven was close to ripping his own hair out.  All he wants is to be with Yoosung, can't he at least have that? Even now, Yoosung desperately attempts to reassure him. The blonde man, he's just.. too perfect. Seven tries to hold it back.. but does it really matter? The whole small world they live in will reset in five seconds anyway. Zen's finishing up his words.

"I love you, Yoosung." Seven says, squeezing Yoosung's smaller hand with two of his own bigger ones. And yet still, Seven looks for any satisfaction, any happiness that he can grab from the remaining two seconds that he has with Yoosung. He manages to just about see Yoosung's eyebrows raise and eyes widen, his mouth gaping.  And then Seven blinks.

As short as the blink could possibly, Seven still reopened his eyes to find himself sitting at his computer in his room. The moonlight pierces through his window and onto the desk that Seven swore was once a clothes table, with the unaware potential love of his life next to him. But it's inevitable. The game had to reset.

He feels his eyes swell up. This happens everytime. And now, he needs to open his phone quickly, to repeat the same words he always does.

'Wait- think someone just entered the chatroom.' He types in his usual comedic manner, while behind the screen he held back tears. How could he get out?