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Xlec's eyes move from left to right as a blue map appeared on the computer screen. He grinned excitedly.
"Yes! Finally, I can hire this-" He paused mid-way when a red dot loaded.
And...
"What....?" He whispered in shock, his eyes widening.
He rubbed his eyes and opened them to make sure he wasn't delusional.
"How... How could this be..!?" Mouth agape, he looked at the small red dot that was hovering.
Kain looks over from the couch to see Xlec's face way too close to the computer screen.
He raised an eyebrow curiously and got up. Walking over to Xlec, he placed a gloved hand on his chair. He look over Xlec's shoulder to see what had shocked him. "What's wron-..?!"
Kain blinked, "No way..." He muttered, having the same reaction as Xlec. "What in the actual fuck. All this time... Oh. My. God." One of his hands clasped over his face in disbelief.
Xlec rubbed his temples with a frown as he seemingly glared at the red dot. "All this time... The hacker we were soooooo curious about, right under our noses. Honestly-!"
Wonder what the commotion was about, the other two - Damon and Arties also joined and took a look at the computer screen.
"..."
Arties just exited.
...
"So what do we do? Do you want to meet the hacker?" Kain asked Xlec.
Xlec jumped up from his seat, his arms outspread at his sides which moved up and down. "Of course I do! You have no fucking idea how many and how LONG it took to literally find this person! For God's sake, I wanna hire the hacker for my country you know! Imagine how useful they would be!"
Arties tapped his chin, "Well they would be. So I guess we're gonna meet them... When? Like, do we ambush them or something? I don't think we can like, just knock on their door and well, say hi..."
In fact, they actually could.
So taking a look at the map again, they then realised that the red dot was situated in the dorm house where Kari is from.
"... Guys. Is it just me or are you thinking-" Xlec got cut off.
"Yes Xlec. We all are thinking the same."
Damon blinked and said with an unsure voice, "We are?"
"Excluding him." Kain immediately added.
"Don't tell me... It can't be Kari, can it? This is insane!" Arties commented.
Xlec pursued his lips, "I checked the students of that dorm. Besides Kari, the other girls there are basically, like getting F for their grades."
Damon frowned, "You can't just judge someone on their grades! Maybe they're just bad at like subjects and maybe secretly better at techy stuff!"
"I sent some of my personal doctors who had a doctoral degree in psychology, and well, they each handed a laptop to each of the girls and asked them to try to guess the password for like $15000. While they were doing it, the doctors paid very close attention to what they were doing, their actions, expressions, ect. ect. Kari is the only person I didn't test. And... It's highly unlikely for a student to evade even the top psychologist experts I have sent."
Damon couldn't form a sentence after hearing that and quiet down.
A moment of silence engulfed the room.
Finally, Kain decided to speak up.
He drummed his fingers against the armchair. "Do you think... Kari will tell us if we asked?"
Xlec shrugged, "I don't know. Do you guys wanna ask her? It's your call."
Arties pushes up his spectacles, "Well, I think I rather ask."
Damon nodded hurriedly, indicating that he, as well, would do the same.
Numerous glances were sent at Kain who was still deep in thought.
At last, he came to a decision.
He stood up from the chair.
"Let's ask Kari."
____
With a chip in her mouth, Kari hummed lightly as she spammed the controller.
Biting and swallowing the chip down, a victory was heard from the TV screen.
At the moment, she was alone. Where was Zayd? He was forcefully dragged back by Sugo to finish his paperwork. Kari also chipped in to help shove him back to his work and Zayd didn't dare to lay one hand on his beloved and begrudgingly went, promising Kari that he would be back by 8:30 PM.
Kari chuckled slightly as she replayed the scene of Zayd grabbing both of her hands, and with sparkling eyes and a determined tone. "I will be back by 8:30! I swear!"
She sighs and shakes her head.
Using one hand, she reached into the chip bag and pulled out a chip, and stared at it for a while before eating it. Muttering as she rested her cheek on her fist, "What am I gonna do with you, Zayd..?"
Just then, she heard a knock on her door.
'Hm? Who could it be? The girls maybe?'
She got up and walk towards the door and open it, peeking one head out, she was surprised to see the princes at her door.
She raised an eyebrow, "Secret meeting I'm involved in?"
Seeing the serious looks on their faces, she opens the door wider and let them in.
Leading them inside, she plopped down in a cherry bean bag. She gestured for the others to sit down on the other bean bags as well which they did.
Kari tilt her head, her eyes moving as she looks at them from left to right, "So, what's wrong?" She asked with a relaxed smile.
Xlec cast a glance at the others, asking who should speak up. They all sent him signals that he should which Xlec reluctantly agreed telepathically.
He took a deep breath mentally, shifting nervously in the bean bag, he parted his lips and made a light cough, "Kari... Are you... Uhm, by any chance... A.. Hacker?"
Kari stiffened noticeably, not expecting that question, and the princes did not miss that. They didn't know what to feel, should their moods plummet or rise?
She kept silent for a while, her mind in a mess right now as it was stuck on telling them or lying.
Should she?
Should she tell them?
"..."
Tension could be felt in the air.
Kari gulped, she...
She should tell them.
They are her friends... after all, they have the right to know... Don't they?
With shaky breaths, she nodded slowly.
"Yes... I am... A hacker."
Silence entered the room when the boys heard her say yes. It was really true?
She was the hacker?
She... Really was?
Shock didn't register in their minds yet. After all, a part of them was also thinking.
There's no way Kari would be the hacker!
But... No.. She was THE hacker.
And that, well, it took a while for it to register in their brains.
As a matter of fact, Kari was sure their CPU had also crashed. Because, they were frozen on the bean bags, not even moving one inch.
And it's already been 10 minutes...
Kari took a glance at the paused game on the screen and picked up the controller and put back her headphones on as she resumed the game, waiting for the princes to get back to their senses.
Eventually, they did get back to their senses.
Dear, dear me. What is gonna happen next?
.
.
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