Press Start! (Mystic Messenger: Yoosung Kim/Reader)

Chapter Five: Strange

"All of these suck," you bemoaned, slinging further down into the depths of your living room sofa. "Instant Messaging clearly isn't as popular as it used to be."

Your thumb leisurely scrolled through the search results for "IM" in the app-store of your beloved cellphone. Before you, some sort of cheesy game show provided the appropriately lame background noise for a fruitless endeavor. 

"No, no, definitely not, as if I'd pay for something like this..."

After browsing the web on your computer for a few hours after work, you had been disappointed enough by the results to consider looking for a mobile-compatible messaging app instead. So far, it seemed as though all of the messaging applications available for computers were prehistoric, and, well, all the ones for smart phones seemed to be either for anonymous promiscuity or, simply much too expensive for what they were. 

Your scrolling brought you past a particularly silly candidate, which boasted messaging for those who enjoyed balloon animals, and you found yourself close to search abandonment. 

"Tch," you scoffed, and your thumb edged towards the "exit window" symbol in the corner of the tab. "I guess Mr. Nobody is going to have to bare the burden of this search solo, because I give--"

Check out Mystic Messenger, the app everybody's talking about! Mystic Messenger is a free-to-use, fast access messenger app that allows for IM, email, and voice call communication!

You blinked owlishly at the sudden advertisement that eclipsed the screen, and marveled immediately at its relevancy. 

"I didn't see this listed anywhere before," you murmured, faintly recalling that this app hadn't been included in a single page out of the thirty-plus you had looked through. It wasn't under the top-rated, the most-popular, or the new tabs either, was it?

With your interest mildly piqued, you found yourself clicking on the portion of the ad which would lead you to more information. A few seconds later you were able to access a download prompt accompanied with a general showcase of the apps features--the very ones mentioned in the advertisement. In the "Review" section, several anonymous consumers boasted rates of four or five stars for application, and, overall seemed to praise it rather highly.

"Mystic Messenger, huh?" you queried to yourself, and your thumb sat poised over the "download now" button. This download felt entirely unlike the one you had made for LOLOL. No rush of anticipation met you in this moment, and, to be honest, you could hardly see yourself using the messenger for anything outside of non-IRL friends whom you wanted to communicate with quickly. "I hope Nobody's okay with this one."

~○~

Unknown: ...Hello...?

It had only been about fifteen minutes and one, absolutely delightful bowl of instant noodles later, and you had to admit that you were taken aback by the greeting. Honestly, had you even added any contacts yet? You certainly hadn't told Nobody at least.

[First Name]: ?

A few strings of code flashed across the chat before this stranger deigned to reply.

Unknown: Can you see this?

You blanched at how nonchalant this "unknown" seemed to be. Just what right did they have to speak to you so calmly when they hadn't even revealed who they were or how they had gotten your chat handle?

[First Name]: Who are you???

This query seemed to be all Unknown needed before they felt comfortable launching into the thick of the matter. Apparently, they were not simply a stranger to you, but to the very phone they were using as well. After finding a misplaced smartphone out in the open, Unknown had gone through the, thankfully, unlocked device in order to find any semblance of information that might lead them to the phone's original owner. Unfortunately, short of this Mystic Messenger application and your username under their contact list, Unknown had little to go on.

Unknown: Can I ask a favor of you?

You bristled at the audacity of this stranger. You had only met moments ago, so what right did they have asking anything of you yet?

[First Name]: Do we really know each other well enough to be making requests???

Unknown did not hesitate a moment before replying.

Unknown: You're the only one I can turn to. Besides this application, I discovered an address. I think it might be the owner's home! Could you head there?

A chill went up your spine at this request. Hadn't Horror Movie 101 taught you better than to go to strange places suggested by strange people?

[First Name]: I don't have their phone. What good would that do?

Unknown: I'm currently abroad, so I'm unable to track them down. If you meet with them maybe you can show them this chat log and let them know the situation.

Unknown: Please?

You thought this suggestion over carefully, but perhaps not carefully enough in the moment. You weighed the pros of doing a good deed, and the cons of potentially getting axed murder. What you failed to ask yourself, however, was how Unknown had found a phone here if they were currently studying abroad. How any phone could have you in their contact list for an app you had only downloaded a few moments ago? How you could trust someone whose username revealed not an inch of their identity or intentions?

[First Name]: I guess I could do that for you. If things look sketchy, I'm bailing at the earliest opportunity, though!

Unknown: Thank you! I'll send the address now, but it's a well-developed neighborhood! You don't have to worry!

[First Name]: Whatever.

Unknown: When I get back to Korea I owe you one, okay? I realize it's hard to trust a stranger, so I'll even send a picture of me.

A picture surfaced in the chat of a relatively normal looking guy. Somehow, this reveal seemed to satisfy the part of you that felt suspicious. And so, you made up your mind. After casually changing into a hoodie and jeans, you gathered up a few important artifacts such as your cell phone charger and wallet before heading out the door. Once Unknown had sent you the address and you had plugged it into your navigation app, you were a little startled to discover its proximity. Why, it was only a few blocks away from the Daily Mart, wasn't it?

[First Name]: I'm on my way.

When you reached the address you discovered that the neighborhood was indeed a good one. In fact, you marveled, wasn't this the upscale portion of downtown? The address in question was modern-style home, squished between a row of others eerily like it. The front door was metallic and vaguely threatening due to its massive structure. When your hand tentatively made a grab for the door handle, you realized that your little mission had reached a snag.

[First Name]: I don't know why I didn't expect this, but there's a keypad at the entrance.

Well, that was that, wasn't it? Only the occupant would know such a thing as the password to their front door. Somehow, you felt relieved that this favor would be halted in its tracks.

Unknown: Try this password.

Your phone dinged once more as, impossibly, Unknown had provided you with a solution to the hurdle at hand. But, just how could they know the password to a stranger's place? Attempting to shake off your suspicions, you reasoned that this information too must have been accessible from the cell phone which bore the street address.

Your fingers clumsily entered the password provided, and, unsurprisingly, the front door clicked open without further incident.

[First Name]: It worked.

Minutes passed.

[First Name]: I'm in the house.

Silence.

[First Name]: I don't think there's anybody here. It looks untouched.

Uhh...??

[First Name]: Hey! Are you there? What more am I supposed to do? 

Unknown has left the chat.