LOCATION: THREE HARBOUR GREEN, VANCOUVER
TIME: 8:20

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JEONGGUK JEON LEANS back on the white plush leather couch in the living room of his penthouse. picking up the remote, he switches on the tv. the glass wall behind offers a fantastic view of the ocean.

his penthouse never fails to make him happy. it may be on the pricy side but the view of the city and the ocean makes it all worth it to jeongguk. smiling, he sets up the prototype of the new videogame he is testing.

grabbing the controller off the glass coffee table, he reaches for a handful of gummy worms in a blue ceramic bowl sitting on the table. munching on gummy worms, he starts up the game, hoping to figure out the glitches and fix them before the upcoming deadline.

jeongguk turns his head from side to side, hearing the tiny crack of bones at the movement. "okay," he breathes heavily, flexing his fingers.

smiling to himself as the newly developed action game begins, his fingers move deftly over the buttons on the controller. his concentration splits in two. one part of his mind is focused on finding what needs to be improved or corrected in the game while the other half is on winning the level.

a small frown of concentration mars his features as he plays, long fingers moving quickly, sharp mind taking in errors and glitches. once the level is over, jeongguk grins proud at his success.

he picks up a small notepad and pen next to him, scribbling down everything he took note of while playing. when he is done, he eyes the controller. "one more game won't hurt." he shrugs.

"can i play too?"

jeongguk jumps in his seat, yelling out a string of colourful words in surprise. he twists his body around to see a girl tracing the outline of a blown glass vase on his shelf.

he jumps to his feet in shock, doe eyes wide. "who the fuck are you? and more importantly, how the fuck did you get into my house?" he pauses, taking in her looks. "wait, did i bring you home with me last night? no, i didn't go out last night. what the hell?"

she giggles, eyes moving to another blown glass sculpture on his shelf. "pretty," she breathes, eyes full of fascination. "um, earth to giggly alice? this is not wonderland. stop touching my shit and answer my questions."

she finally looks at him, not in the least bit offended. her small frame skips forward towards him. jeongguk holds up a hand. "that's as far as you go, short stuff. now tell me your name and how in the hell you got into my apartment."

"it's jasmin. jasmin master. and i got in by magic. you're jeongguk, right? you have a lovely home. i like the paintings and the blown glass art." the girl beams, tapping her fingers against one another.

jeongguk frowns, noticing how she can't seem to stay still. his head tilts to the side, wondering if she is on something. "are you high right now? and what's that bullshit about getting in by magic? did you pick my lock? and you know my name how?"

"so many questions." she comments, running a hand through her hair. "i really like your house. there's a lot of space and light." jasmin's eyes move up and around.

jeongguk sighs, rubbing his forehead exasperatedly. "for fuck's sake." he takes another deep breath. "jasmin," he drawls out like he's speaking to a child. "i want you to listen to me. tell me how you got into my apartment and how you know who i am."

she plays with the strap of her sling bag, adjusting and readjusting it. "i told you, magic. can i play? i saw you playing a videogame." she gestures to his tv. "what kind of trippy wee– wait, you've been in here that long?!"

she giggles again. "your shocked face is funny. oh!" she claps her hands together, eyes suddenly going wide. "i almost forgot i have something important to tell you."

the young man is torn between frustration and confusion. watching as she moves around the couch to meet him, he runs his hand through his hair.

"i brought you something. it's rude to visit without gifts where i'm from." she reaches into her bag and pulls out something. jeongguk's brows go up in surprise. "i-is that a fourth generation game boy?" he points.

jasmin nods her head. "do you know how hard it is to get one of those?" he gasps, grabbing the device from her hands. "mhm, which is why i made it myself. took a lot of tries and focus."

he finally looks up at her in disbelief. "you're telling me, you made this yourself. how?" he can't help but feel this is the strangest girl he has ever met, still wary of how she had broken into his home. "conjuration." she shrugs, picking up the controller.

his expression is blank, holding no amusement whatsoever. "you're still on this magic bullshit?" she chuckles, turning to him, her expression going serious all of a sudden.

"jeongguk, magic is anything but bullshit."

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two down, four to go!