"Really buddy. I'm sorry. You have to leave." Jimin juts his hip out in exhaustion, rubbing tired hands at his eyes. Today is Saturday and he's on closing duty--the last time he checked the clock it read minutes after 4:30 AM. The man pounds his fist on the infamous "stragglers' table" in the corner of Radon, his hair a bluey hue underneath the brite lights neon sign that hangs above him. 

"No...mm...don't wawaaannnaaaa!" Jimin steps back as the man flails his arms around in drunken desperation, as if he could swat the order away. "I wannnaaaa ssttaaayyyy plleeeaazzee! She won't lemme home..."

Jimin groans and crosses his arms. Take your goddamn sob story to the therapist, not out to the bar! I'm so fucking tired I could fall asleep standing here. "Who won't let you home? You do have a home to go back to, right? I can call a taxi or an Uber for you-"

"NOOOOO!!!" The man wails in agony as if he'd been shot. His cheeks pouch as he leans farther back into the booth, farther away from Jimin. He buries his face into thick hands and starts whining. Jimin rolls his eyes as the man's blubbering starts back up again, this time with the sparkly presence of fresh tears on an unshaven face. "I c-can't!!! She won't ha-have meee anymore...she doesn't love me anymore!! Can't you see! I'm-" He burps loudly. More tears flop from under his droopy lids. "HOPELESSS!"

Yes. Yes you are. Jimin sighs. 

"You aren't hopeless. You're just drunk and tired. And you need to leave. Please, let me help you get a ride home or I'll have to call the police to escort you out. I don't think you want that."

"UUUGGHH." The man hiccups and slams his forehead ruinously into the booth table. Jimin winces at the thump, deciding to sit down across from the man for a minute. Talk some sense into him. Get the man back onto his goddamn feet so Jimin can get into his goddamn bed.

"Let's start with the basics. Would you like me to hail a taxi for you, or call an Uber? Otherwise, if you have a friend that might be willing to pick you up-"

"SHE DOESN'T LOVE ME ANYMORE!" A cry erupts out of the man's chest, so heartbroken that Jimin starts to wonder what drama-worthy breakup this man must've experienced. Jimin picks at his chipping purple nail polish while the man continues his crying. "A-and...she won't piccck me up! Why won't she...I'M HOPELESS! She's too damn good for me...I knew I shouldn't have gone af...ter her..."

Jimin crosses his thumbs over each other. Next time him and Hobi go shopping, he needs to purchase longer lasting nail polish. Working with alcoholic beverages that spill on his hands every once in a while is detrimental to the paint...whenever he paints them they last for a week tops! He also picks at them too, that might not help the chipping issue. 

Jimin holds his thumbnail close to his face, studying the pattern of the chipped blotch of polish and wonders how chemists devise paint formulas to put on nails. Is Hoseok studying how to make nail polish in his chem classes? Is that what he is going to do when he graduates? He should invent a shade of violet polish that turns neon yellow in the sun, now wouldn't that be great! I should ask him about it-

"...you even listenin'?"

"Hmmm?" Jimin's eyes slowly come into focus on the man's tear-streaked face. This guy is wavering like he's going to pass out, and if that ensues Jimin will definitely have to call the coppers to come and snatch this man out of Radon. He doesn't want to do that. "Yes, I'm listening now. Did you say you wanted a taxi or-"

"I'll...call 'er." The man slurs, digging around in his pockets for his cell phone. Jimin studies the man's sorrowful features as he does so. This guy seems to be around his late thirties with a slightly pudgy, unmemorable face. Smooth and maybe even handsome features, if he would shave. Jimin stares back at his nails. "She's not...gonna g-get me..."

"If she denies you, let me talk to her." Jimin suggests, not caring if it's against Radon's rulebook. The customers are technically only supposed to receive assistance from Radon workers for rides home--not have nagging workers urging their family members to please get your man out of here because I'm fucking tired and still have to drive home, and my fucking God, is that the sun rising already?

"MMMkkayyyy..." The man frowns, hiccupping once more. He holds the phone in the air between them, wrist shaky with drunken tremors. Soon, a groggy female voice is muttering through the phone speaker, slowly brightening to didactic speech as she realizes the situation.

"Eunwoo! Where are you! Please don't try to drive in that state! Please don't try to-"

"Nottt...going...toooooo...baby, please donnttt be mad at me cuz I love you and miss you and don't want you to leave me baby please-"

"Where are you? Tell me where you are."

Jimin sits up straighter. "Radon! The bar next to Hope Noodles in the tiny strip mall on-"

"Oh! I know exactly where that is." The man barely registers Jimin's interruptive remark. The phone grows extra wiggly in his tired hand as he struggles to stay alert. "Thank you, stranger. I'll be there to get you shortly, Eunwoo, you dumbass! I swear to God if you would have gone in that car and gotten yourself into another accident..."

The phone call ends shortly after with Jimin applauding in his mind. The drunken stragglers are the worst, Jimin reflects--they always push you to the limits of conversational stamina. How does one argue with an alcohol-dazed frontal lobe? Or talk sense to someone with soju-clogged ears? He doesn't know--he isn't in psychology or neuroscience, but the topics interest him nonetheless. I bet if there's a language out there for drunkards, Pluto can communicate using it. He can beep in Morse, talk to me in Korean, and he even fucking ordered those zombies away from us in some wacko zombie tongue! How did he manage that?

Jimin's tired mind loops around different random ideas and thoughts, trashing them as soon as new ones start to blossom in his brain. It's the only thing that's keeping him awake as he sits next to the face-down man, waiting for headlights to enter the parking lot. Dawn has already struck the late spring air, emitting a faded light through the bar's windows.

"Yer nails are...paint...ed..." Eunwoo mumbles through his crossed arms. Jimin watches as the man reaches out for his hand. Jimin doesn't even flinch as Eunwoo grabs his wrist, holding up Jimin's fingers to the light. So much for my defensive reflexes. I think I've been desensitized to everything threatening these last three weeks. Well, what can I do. A little under seven weeks to go. Will I go numb? Haha.

"Yes. They are painted." Jimin states the obvious, allowing this man to peer at each nail individually as if critiquing art. The man lifts a suspicious eyebrow, bobbing his head to the side.

"You one of...them draaaaaag queens?" The man asks. Did you have to draaaaaagggg out the word? Jimin thinks.

"Yep." Jimin lies, finding some amusement in the man's shocked expression. Jimin starts laughing tiredly, tearing his hand out of Eunwoo's drunken grasp. "I'm a drag queen, name's Melonaju, honey--I'm Seoul's secret drag star. I wear tons of makeup and dress up in wild, out-of-this-world-"

"How do...you uh..." Eunwoo mimics a long stick bending with his shaky hands. At first, Jimin is confused at the movement, but understands what this man is getting at. He bursts into a fresh peal of laughter, turning towards the bar window. The car! Eunwoo's ride is here.

Jimin stands up from the booth, fluffing his messy hair. "Now, that's a discussion for another day. Your ride is here! Let's go. But!" Jimin bares his teeth and sucks in a breath. "...let's just say tucking is uncomfortable work that sometimes involves heinous wads of duct tape-"

"DUCT TAAAAAPE!?" 

The man is incredulous as he pulls himself out of the booth. Outside, the car honks once, twice. Jimin giggles as the man stares down at his pants in horror, then in astonishment. 

Jimin smiles as he leads the stumbling man over to the door, releasing the straggler into the morning air. The older woman waves at him through the window and Jimin waves back. Women don't scare him as much as they used to. Through Perilation, Jimin has found out that there are more threatening things than a woman's body. 

Despite his earlier beliefs on women, Jimin realizes now that there are worse things in the world than being a gay man forced to have sex with-

"GOODBYEEEEE MELUNAJOE!!!"

The man plops into the passenger seat and dutifully slams the car door. Jimin gazes at the lazy wave sent in his direction and lifts his hand in return. 

"Goodbye."

The blue vehicle bolts off into the peaceful yellow morning, leaving him to stare out the window.

.

"Three, two, one-"

"Suffice!" Jimin chimes, clapping his hands together. Playing Perilation is his favorite part of the day, even if the graphics freak him the fuck out. 

Even if he has to get around the game's personal insults--even if he has to speak in Morse Code the entire time to avoid the programmed listeners, it's fun with Jungkook. The levels aren't chores anymore, but entertaining challenges. Challenges for him to figure out more about Jungkook.

Over the last week, Jimin has been secretly trying to get information out of Pluto97. He's researched only the best how to find out if your significant other is cheating websites to master the art of being subtle. For the most part, Jungkook hasn't noticed Jimin's nonchalant digs into personal territory. Jimin has been hiding his questions well, covering them up in stories and light jokes. 

Every fact he learns about Pluto97 goes into one of his old college notebooks. Even if the fact seems pointless, he jots it down. In the grand scheme of things, Jimin needs anything he can get. You can't put together a puzzle without all of the pieces, no matter how small they are! Even specks of dust have their place in the world! Insignificance is only an excuse for ignorance!

Through this method, Jimin has drawn out stupid memories and useful character traits out of his partner. Just yesterday after game play, he'd taken out his notebook to note down the latest about Pluto.

'Has physical therapy on weekends? Waiting room from before in phone picture...was that the therapy place? For what? Don't know. Doesn't admit any injury. Says he's never been better.'

'He said something close to this today when I asked him why he eats soup regularly on the weekdays but not on the weekends...(if I can remember): "cuz it's not the right time! I got a time for everything...a soup time, a study time, Perilation time, et CETERA Melonboy!" What does that mean? Is he an extreme scheduler freak like Hoseok is? UGH.'

'Oh! Likes riding along the Nandong River in Busan when he can. I think that's what he said...he must be a biker! With the crazy way he moves he must either drink four cups of coffee a day or be super athletic...he must be an athlete!' 

'He made me laugh a lot' (Jimin later crossed this out. Pluto always made him laugh...so why did he write it down?) 'Also he told me that I suck at rapping but then rapped along with me terribly...so--he likes the same music as me? Whenever I sing Korean R&B he knows the song and lyrics...and even bubbly American pop songs he knows. He's a great singer!'

"What in Satan's quarters?" Jimin pipes in, pushing Melonaju through door 23 as he sees the theme--or lack thereof. "Where is everything? Why is this entire room just white?"

"Did the programmers forget to do this room?" Pluto slides into the center of the room, spinning in circles. His sponge head regards the bare floor, searching for objects that clearly aren't there. When they both have been moving around pointlessly for a while, the door snaps shut.

"AAGH!" Jimin jumps at the slam. Never before has the level door done that. It usually stays open unless they decide to shut it. And they usually don't shut it. 

Pluto's claustrophobia makes it so that all doors have to stay open...all pathways leading to exits in their levels have to be unblocked. Jimin has discovered that Jungkook gets anxious if there isn't a way out of a situation or an open area nearby. Jungkook also has a tendency when playing to always face perpendicular to their exit--facing it sideways so that he can keep an eye on the way out at all times.

In the early days, Jimin didn't notice this. But after much observation, he picked up on Jungkook's habit of lingering by and facing the exits. So that's why Pluto was facing backwards in his desk during the first classroom level, Jimin thought, he always needs to keep tabs on escape...gosh, it sure sucks to be that claustrophobic. 

"Melonboy!" Jungkook whispers excitedly to him across the white room. "Look! There are mirrors on the back of the dodo! Two of them! Those must be the level entry points."

"Mirrors?" A frown tingles on Jimin's lips. "Why is this...do you have a fear of mirrors or something?"

"Not really. But maybe it's like a fear of glass...? Maybe more bottles will be broken on your purple head-"

"Haha! But I'm serious, Jungkook." Jimin walks up to the mirrors. His reflection approaches him at an equal pace, also holding its hand out curiously. "If there are two doors then we have separate fears regarding this topic. And I honestly don't know why...mirrors."

"Reminds me of the pic you sent me last week, Melonglass." Jungkook blurts with a snort. "You are definitely not afraid of mirrors based on my observation..."

Jimin feels his stomach whoosh around in flattery and something else. He can't place the feeling. Joy? No. Confusion? Yes, confusion. What does Pluto mean by that comment?

"You're right. I'm not." Jimin responds, touching the surface of the glass. The body-length mirror shimmers for a second, and then the game's ghost version? message pops up in his headset. "I mean, I'm not the best-looking but-"

"...YsYuuRrrE."  Something incomprehensible comes through Pluto's line--so quiet that Jimin brushes it off as a stomach gurgle or maybe static from the TV Jungkook's mom might be watching in the other room.

"--I don't mind looking at myself in the mirror. I don't shy away from it, but I don't love it. If you think about it, how someone looks on the outside means very very little in the grand scheme of things. The true charm of a person lies on the inside, within the rather ugly folds of brain that chant out commands to the rest of the nervous system. You know? Shallow people aim for looks, but deep people seek out insides...man, that kinda sounds creepy." Jimin fingers the bottom of his green crop top. "I promise I'm not a serial killer!"

Jungkook laughs brightly. "I couldn't have said it any better, Meloncreep...you're really..."

He trails off. Meanwhile, Jimin chooses the ghost mode option on his screen, figuring that whatever Jungkook isn't saying is something personal. 

"Hey, I have a joke-" Jimin starts, noting the awkward ball of silence suddenly present in the room. He clears his throat. "Is it just MIRROR do you think we should start this level now?"

The joke hits home, and from Jungkook he receives a smattering of claps and nice nice. Jimin beams, releasing his green crop top from his hands to walk through the shimmery mirror. 

"Real nice, Melonboy." 

"Why, thank you. I'll kindly inject myself into this glass now."

"Be my guest."

.

Everything is wrong.

No, scratch that. Jimin spins in circles of absolute white nothingness. Nothing is wrong. THERE IS NOTHING HERE. NOTHING CAN BE WRONG IF NOTHING IS HERE.

"Why...is this game broken? There is literally nothing in this level. Did I even walk through the mirror?" Jimin moves his pawn forward, but the lack of surroundings doesn't tell him if he's even advancing or not. It's all white. All nothing. Jimin's eyes start to bug out under the headset--the black specks of his retinas swim around the empty space. "HEY GAME! ARE YOU LISTENING, YOU PEEPING FUCKS?! THIS LEVEL IS BROKEN, THE CODING OR PROGRAMMING OR WHATEVER MUST BE DAMAGED. THERE ISN'T ANYTHING IN HERE. AT LEAST SEND ME A HEART MESSAGE. WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?"

The game doesn't answer him. No music. Not even a tiny blurb of static in his headphones. 

Jimin's heartbeat is thumping louder than the output from this level, and his thoughts are the loudest. What the fuck? What do you do if the game fucks up? I can't take my headset off or else I'll forfeit the challenge...

"Jungkook? What do I do?"

"Um...maybe y-ou sh-o-uuu...lldd-"

Jimin slides his socks across the wooden floor of his living room, swaying in the emptiness. "Maybe I should what?"

White. White. White. Jimin feels a headache coming on. He shuts his eyes, leaning on the living room wall for support.

"Maybe I should what, Jungkook? Hello? You there?"

Nothing. As the seconds tick by and Jimin still hasn't heard a response from his friend, panic starts to rise and swell in his guts.

Where is Pluto? Did something happen? Or is the game being a little bitch? Did Pluto mute his mic, or is he being forced into silence by the algorithm? Not knowing kills Jimin, makes this whole nothingness even worse.

"PLUTO? ARE YOU OKAY? I HOPE YOU CAN HEAR ME." Jimin sighs when no yeah! I'm still here, Melonboy comes. "JUNGKOOK? JUNGKOOK...UGHHH...WHY. THIS IS UNFAIR. THE GHOST VERSION IS SUPPOSED TO BE TEAMWORK, NOT DIVISION! WHY DID YOU TAKE HIS VOICE AWAY!"

Perilation does not respond. Jimin's hands start sweating. Did the game break? Did the server crash? Did a tree fall into the side of the duplex outside to cut off their wifi? It's not like Jimin can call for Hoseok--right now Hobi is on an all-day hiking trip with Thea.

"Jungkoooooookkkk come hoooommeee now, boy...here here-" Jimin whistles like he's calling a lost dog, hoping the joke will draw Pluto back into the game. Maybe Jungkook will get offended and yell at him? Oh, does Jimin hope so. "Come on, Jungkoooooookkkk! I have ssooooouuupppp! Pleaseeeee..."

Nothing. Not even soup? I'm all ears, Melonchild!

"UGH!" Jimin opens his eyes, but nothing has changed. It's all white. All empty. Melonaju's swatting arms and fashionable body are the only things that stand out. So, to make the time pass faster waiting for Pluto, Jimin waves his arms around like crazy. He punches, stabs the air--shakes invisible maracas around like a member of a Mariachi band. He claps, throws up Seoul gang signs he's only seen in wild action movies, and mimes eating soup. 

The whiteness never dissipates.

"PERILATION! SPEROSITY! GAME! HELLOOOO!! THIS IS BROKEN!" Jimin decides to sit down, to not waste his energy on a level that isn't giving him anything in return. "HELLO!!! I AM PARK JIMIN AND-"

("I AM PARK JIMIN AND-")

Jimin screams as his own voice is played back in his ear. 

He whips around where he heard his voice coming from. Where are you, Jungkook? Why is this game not working? Why-

"FUCKING CHRIST!" Jimin clutches his chest.

("FUCKING CHRIST!") 

Melonaju's double also clutches its chest, sitting only a meter away from him on the floor. A mirror image of Melonaju. Jimin gasps, hears himself gasp--and shudders. The pawn sitting across from him shudders too.

If Jimin were Pluto, he'd break into a fit of STOP COPYING ME and would likely attack this replica pawn of himself. Jungkook would totally flip out under these circumstances, instantly going after the thing copying him until either the mocker stopped or his pawn got hurt. 

But Jimin isn't quite as wild as Pluto, so he sits...and stares. Melonaju2 stares back.

"You're not me." Jimin points to himself.

("You're not me.") A digital finger points to a purple crop-topped chest.

"Uh, go away." Jimin shoos the figure sitting by him to leave him. Finding himself uncomfortable on the ground, he stands up and brushes his clothes off.

("Uh, go away.") Melonaju2 swats his hand out, pauses, and stands up as well. Hands brush at a digital stomach.

Jimin frowns, crossing his arms. His mirror image does too, swaying on its feet and waiting for a new position to mime. Almost like a sick game of Simon Says, where Jimin isn't saying anything and this uninvited player still complies when Simon doesn't say. Simon says get the fuck away from me.

Jimin thinks deeply--he has to think this out, since Jungkook isn't here to help him. The game lied about the ghost version...was a buddyship ever a guaranteed, secure thing? Perilation could steal that from under our feet at any moment...is the game honest about anything? Fuck this game.

"Fuck you!" Jimin snaps.

("Fuck you!") The agitation is clear.

How can I break this spell? Jimin remembers back to when this mocker first showed up. It was after he...after he spoke his own name out loud, right? When he said Park Jimin? It might be worth a shot.

"PARK JIMIN!" He yells, wondering if Pluto can hear him. He carefully watches the doppelganger, awaiting its next move.

("PARK JIMIN!")

("PARK JIMIN!")

Jimin flinches back as he hears his name twice. He turns his head to the side where he heard the second one come from...

"Why are there two of you?"

("Why are there two of you?")

("Why are there two of you?")

Jimin doesn't think he's ever hated his own voice more in his life. The game has soiled it with this poor example of being full of oneself. Jimin isn't that narcissistic, so thankfully he doesn't find this copycat experience enjoyable. It's actually mildly irritating. Very irritating.

"PARK JIMIN!" He repeats, hoping to call out a third clone. When he hears three responses of his own voice, he nods, pleased with his finding. Alright game. You think I'll get scared of myself? Or so annoyed I can't think straight? Well, I'll show you me. An entire ARMY of me. I'll say my name over and over, and call up all the Park Jimins your graphics can handle. I'll show you that I don't need Pluto to beat this level, even if I really really really want him here really badly. Really...where is he...wait! WHAT IF I SAY...will he show up?

"JEON JUNGKOOK! JEON JUNGKOOK!" Jimin chants desperately. He waits for his clones to repeat the words. When the purple-haired Melonajus don't utter anything, Jimin knows he's hit some kind of gold. "JEON FUCKING JUNGKOOK! JEON JUNGKOOK JUNGKOOK JEON JUNGKOOK PLUTO JUNGKOOK JUNGKOOK JUNGKOOK!!!"

His pawns stare. Jimin claps his hands together, feverishly. They don't copy him. Soon, they start to melt, their bodies dripping down onto the ground like snarky snowmen. Their bodies ooze down onto the white, featureless floor, creating pools of Melonaju soup.

"GIMME A JUNG, GIMME A KOOK, GIMME A JEON JUNGKOOOOK!" Jimin punches his arms out like a cheerleader, smiling at the liquid that used to consist of Melonaju2, 3, and 4. "JUNGKOOK, aw yeah, that's right fuckers, JEON JUNGKOOK, JUNGKOOK HEADASS JUNGKOOK-"

"Park Jimin! Oh...my god! OH! PARK JIMIN!" Audio crashes into his ears, Jungkook's voice making his heart warm again. Jimin grows giddy with the idea of success, of having his buddy back in the game. Of beating this shitty white level together! With Pluto by his side!

"Jungkook? You're here-" 

"It works! YOU STUPID GAME, WHEN I SAY JIMIN'S NAME THE FUCKING SPONGES STOP MOVING!" Jimin winces at how loud Jungkook is screaming in his ear. He seems super excited, almost unguardedly so. "PARK JIMIN! WOOO! PARK JIMIN MELONBOY MELONHEART PARK JIMIN, SWEET BOY-"

"Jungkook?" Jimin furrows his brows--why is Pluto ignoring him? "Can you hear me? Jungkoo-"

"PARK JIMIN! THAT'S RIGHT FUCKING SPONGES, MELT TO THE FLOOR! PARK JIMIN, HEAR HIS BEAUTIFUL NAME, FEEL HIS WONDERFUL INTELLIGENT WRATH, TASTE HIS GORGEOUS PURPLE HAIR, FEEL HIS CHARM!"

"Uh, Pluto97? Jungkook, I can, uh, hear-"

"PARK JIMIN WOOO! PARK IT PARK IT, JIMIN, YEAH! PARK IT PARK IT, JIMIN! MY SPECIAL MELONHEART! MY MELONAJU! MY MELONCUTIE! MY MELONBOY...MY MELONCRUSH!"

"Melon...crush?" Jimin blinks. He feels his heart rate pick up. Why...why is my heart beating so fast?

That's when Jimin realizes that it's a recording. A replay. The game sent their audios to each other. The odd feelings that surge through Jimin at this breach of privacy makes him want to hear more of Jungkook's yelling, more of the compliments and more...

"PARK JIMIN...OH PARK JIMIN THAT'S RIGHT, YOU FUCKING SPONGES, AHAHAHHAH DIEEE! PARK JIMIIIIINNN! HE'S NOT HERE! HE CAN'T HEAR ME! PARK JIMIN PARK WONDEROUS JIMIN...OH, I'M SO HOPELESS! SO FUCKING HOPELESS BUT I DON'T CARE! THAT PARK JIMIN IS TOO GOOD FOR MEEEE...PARK JIMIN PARK MELONHEART, MELONCRUSH..."

Jimin's ears are ringing. He finds that he can't move all of a sudden, like Jungkook's voice has glued him to his spot.

Did...Jungkook...hear me yelling out his name repeatedly from the level? He probably did, the game definitely wouldn't only send me a recording. Which means he will put two and two together and know that I heard him call me, uh...oh shit...this is bad...should I lie and tell him I didn't hear anything? That my headphones shot halfway through the level? No, he won't believe me. 

Melon...crush...

Suddenly, the white nothingness morphs into a different shade of white somethingness. Jimin spots a door, and notices the cathedral on the other side. He beat the level. Somehow. How? 

He didn't receive a single command or message from the game. Maybe Perilation really is broken...

Jimin looks around, doesn't see the sponge anywhere.

Should I sign off before Jungkook beats his level? Or would that upset him more? I definitely wasn't supposed to hear that.

Jimin walks out of the whiteness into the cathedral, admiring its tall arches and pretty stained-glass windows. Even if hates the game sometimes, he can't help but appreciate the graphic quality. Sometimes even fake things seem so real, so tangible...

"W-what? I b-beat...the level?" Pluto's shaken voice, coming from behind door 23. 

Jimin panics, telling himself to stay calm. Soon the sponge slides out of the level room, instantly spotting Melonaju's pawn standing next to a gigantic, ornate pillar. The sponge freezes, and Jimin can hear Jungkook's breath hitch in his throat. Melon...crush.

"Listen..." Jimin starts, hating how his voice is all strange and warbled now. "I, um-"

"I h-have to go!"

Pluto97 exits the game without saying goodbye. His sponge disappears into thin air to leave a distraught Jimin mulling over everything he heard.

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