**Arc 2: Chapter 10 – Cracks in the Code**
Jae-min was starting to think he spent more time at the café than anywhere else. He wasn't sure if it was the caffeine, the smell of fresh pastries, or the way So-ra's face lit up when she solved a problem, but it had become a daily ritual. Today, though, something felt different.
The café was quieter than usual, almost eerily so. So-ra was at her usual spot, laptop open, but her expression was distant. She wasn't typing, just staring at the screen with a frown etched across her face.
"Morning," Jae-min said, sliding into the seat across from her.
So-ra didn't look up. "Hey."
"Uh-oh," Jae-min said, leaning forward. "What's wrong?"
She sighed, finally meeting his eyes. "It's the mod. I thought everything was fixed, but there's a new bug. A big one."
"What kind of bug?"
"The kind that crashes everything," So-ra said bitterly. "If I don't fix it, all the progress I've made could be useless."
Jae-min frowned, thinking. "Didn't we test the core parts yesterday? What changed?"
So-ra shook her head. "I don't know. That's the problem. The code looks fine, but something is interfering with it."
"Maybe it's not the code," Jae-min said.
So-ra raised an eyebrow. "What else could it be?"
Jae-min hesitated, then glanced around the café to make sure no one was listening. "What if it's not a technical issue? What if it's… someone sabotaging it?"
So-ra blinked, caught off guard by the suggestion. "Sabotage? Why would anyone do that?"
"Think about it," Jae-min said. "You said this mod is a big deal, right? It could bring in a lot of attention. Maybe someone doesn't want you to succeed."
For a moment, So-ra didn't respond. Then she shook her head. "That's ridiculous. Who would even—"
She stopped, her expression shifting as if a thought had just occurred to her.
"Someone in mind?" Jae-min asked.
So-ra frowned. "There's this guy… Min-jun. He's part of the same online community I am. We've always been competitive, but recently he's been acting weird. Asking questions about my mod, trying to get me to share my files…"
"And you think he might've done something?"
"I don't know," So-ra admitted. "But it's possible."
---
That night, So-ra invited Jae-min back to her apartment for the first time.
It wasn't what he expected. The space was small and cluttered, with stacks of books and old computer parts scattered across every available surface. But it was cozy in its own way, and it felt distinctly *her*.
"Alright," So-ra said, pulling up a chair for him at her desk. "If we're going to figure this out, I need you to keep an eye on the system logs while I run some tests."
Jae-min nodded, doing his best to follow her instructions. The screen in front of him was filled with lines of code and error messages that made no sense to him, but he focused anyway.
For hours, they worked side by side, their conversation a mix of technical jargon (mostly from So-ra) and sarcastic comments (mostly from Jae-min).
Finally, So-ra let out a triumphant yell. "There it is!"
"What?" Jae-min asked, leaning closer.
She pointed to a line of code on the screen. "This shouldn't be here. Someone inserted a script to cause the crashes."
"Min-jun?" Jae-min guessed.
So-ra nodded, her jaw tight. "It has to be. This script is linked to an IP address that matches his profile."
"What a jerk," Jae-min said. "Can you fix it?"
"Of course I can," So-ra said, already typing furiously.
Jae-min watched her work, impressed by her focus and determination.
---
By the time she was done, the clock had struck midnight. So-ra leaned back in her chair with a satisfied sigh.
"It's fixed," she said.
"Nice," Jae-min said. "So what happens now?"
"Now?" So-ra said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Now I make sure Min-jun gets what's coming to him."
Jae-min smirked. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
So-ra chuckled, but the sound was softer, almost vulnerable. "Thanks, by the way. For helping."
"Anytime," Jae-min said, meaning it.
So-ra hesitated, then glanced at him. "Why do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Stick around," she said. "You could've walked away a long time ago."
Jae-min met her gaze, his expression serious. "Because I believe in you. And I want to see you win."
For a moment, So-ra didn't say anything. Then she smiled, a small but genuine smile that made Jae-min's chest tighten.
"Goodnight, Jae-min," she said softly.
"Goodnight, So-ra," he replied, already looking forward to whatever came next.