#p1harmony

A location followed. You quickly looked at Keeho.

“It's a trap.”

“Obviously.”

“You're smiling.”

“I know.”

“Why?”

“Because this is the first time he made a mistake.”

You raised an eyebrow. “What mistake?”

“He gave us a location.” You stared.

“Maybe he wants us there.”

“He does.”

“Then why are you happy?”

Keeho looked at you. “Because Theo has always controlled the game.”

He picked up his laptop. “Now he's waiting for us.”

You understood. “And that means we control when it starts.”

He smiled. “Exactly.”

There was nothing left for either of you to do in the room.

The police and counter-terrorism unit had already begun taking control of the scene. The servers were being isolated, every piece of equipment photographed and catalogued, and the remaining evidence was being placed under their protection. You gave them everything you had collected so far, including the encrypted files and the information recovered from Theo's infrastructure.

You made it clear that the building was no longer your scene to investigate. From that moment on, it belonged to them.

They would secure every entrance, preserve the evidence and determine how the supervisor had disappeared without leaving a single trace.

You and Keeho had somewhere else to be.

Before leaving, you made one final request concerning Shota.

He was to be transported to a private hospital in the city center rather than a public facility. His condition was stable, but after everything he had been through, you didn't want his location becoming public knowledge or putting him within easy reach of anyone connected to Theo.

The paramedics agreed and prepared him for transport.

Shota was still weak, barely conscious, but alive.

That was enough for now.

The location was an underground data center beneath an abandoned telecommunications facility.

You arrived at 05:12.

The building looked dead. No electricity. No security. No signs anyone had been there in years, but your equipment detected a massive electromagnetic signature beneath the ground.

You looked at Keeho. “He's here.”

“I know that.”

You descended. The deeper you went, the warmer the air became.

Servers.

Thousands of them.

Rows disappearing into darkness.

A private data center.

Not abandoned, never abandoned.

At the center was a single workstation.

One screen.

One chair.

One keyboard.

And one message.

WELCOME HOME, KEEHO.

Keeho stopped.

You stepped beside him. “You've been here before.”

“I have.”

“When?”

“Eleven years ago.”

He walked slowly toward the workstation. “I thought Theo destroyed this place.”

“Well… I guess he didn't.”

Keeho looked around. “He built it for me.”

You frowned. “For you?”

“He wanted me to finish something.”

You approached the terminal. “What?”

Keeho sat down and the system activated.

A video appeared.

Theo.

“Hello, Keeho.”

Keeho stared, hands on his lap, fingers playing with the skin next to his nails.

“You finally came back.” You stood behind him and Theo continued. “You probably hate me.”

Keeho didn't move.

“You should.”

The video changed. It was an old footage. Keeho at nineteen, sitting beside Theo and writing code. You watched him laugh. You had never seen Keeho that young and happy. He looked happy.

Theo's voice continued. “You were always better than me.” Keeho's jaw tightened at his words. “That was the problem.”

The footage changed. Now on the screen was Keeho writing Ghost Protocol. Then stopping. Then arguing with Theo. Then leaving.

You understood. “He knew you'd eventually turn against him.”

Keeho nodded. “He planned for it.”

The video continued. “Ghost Protocol was never meant to be completed.” Theo smiled. “It was meant to evolve.”

You stared.

“The system learned from every person it observed.”

Keeho whispered, “Machine learning.”

“Not exactly,” Theo continued.

“It learned behavior.” The architecture appeared. The system wasn't just collecting information, but it was adapting. Creating models, testing predictions even correcting itself.

And eventually… making decisions.

You felt a chill. “An autonomous intelligence system.”

Keeho nodded. “That's what he wanted.”

Theo's voice continued. “But I couldn't teach it morality.” The screen showed thousands of simulations. “Then I realized you could.”

Keeho froze. “Me?”

“Yes.” The video showed Keeho's old code. Security systems, ethical constraints, human-centered safeguards. “You were the variable I could never predict.”

Theo smiled. “That is why I needed you.”

Keeho looked at you. “I thought he wanted control.”

“He did.” You looked at the system. “But not over people.”

Keeho understood. “Over the intelligence itself.”

The system activated and short later a prompt appeared.

FINAL ARCHITECT REQUIRED.

Then:

KEEHO.

You stepped closer. “What happens if he finishes it?”

Keeho looked at the code. “He doesn't need to finish it.”

“What?”

“It already works.”

You stared. “Then why bring us here?”

Keeho's eyes moved across the architecture. “To make me choose.”

You frowned. “Choose what?”

The system displayed two options.

ACTIVATE

DESTROY

Keeho stared. “If I activate it, it becomes the most powerful predictive security system ever created.”

“And if you destroy it?”

“It disappears.”

You looked at him. “Then destroy it.”

He didn't move. “You don't understand.”

“What?”

“This could prevent attacks before they happen.”

“You'd be giving someone the ability to predict millions of people.”

“I know.”

“That isn't security, fucking dumbass!”

He looked at you. “You're right.”

You stepped closer and frowned. “Then what are you waiting for?”

He looked at the screen. “My whole life.” A pause. “I spent years trying to build something that would protect people.” His voice shook. “Then Theo took it and turned it into a weapon.”

Your expression softened and slowly placed your hand over his. “You don't have to fix the past.”

He looked at you.

“You just have to decide what you do next.”

He stared at you for a long moment. Then slightly smiled. “You really are terrible at giving speeches.”

You laughed. “Shut up.”

“Sorry.” He turned toward the terminal. “Let's destroy it.”

You sat beside him. “Together?”

He looked at you. “Always.”

You began.

But this time, you didn't write a destructive script - you wrote a proof.

A cryptographic verification layer.

You wanted to make sure no hidden copy could survive.

No backup, no dormant proces, no secret instance.

So you constructed a recursive integrity check.

def verify_system(node, visited=None):

    if visited is None:

        visited = set()

    if node.id in visited:

        return True

    visited.add(node.id)

    for child in node.children:

        if not verify_system(child, visited):

            return False

    return node.signature == expected_signature(node)

Keeho read it.

“You're checking every node.”

“Every reachable node.”

“And the unreachable ones?”

You smiled. “That's why I added this.”

You typed another function.

def locate_orphans(storage):

    candidates = []

    for object in storage:

        if object.reference_count == 0:

            candidates.append(object)

    return candidates

Keeho smiled. “Orphaned data.”

“Exactly.”

“That's evil.”

“Thank you.”

“I'm impressed.”

“Better.”

He laughed, but then his expression became serious. “Ready?”

You looked at him. “No.” You said honestly.

“Me neither.”

“But let's do it anyway.”

You pressed Enter and the system began validating itself.

CHECKING CORE…

VALID.

CHECKING MIRRORS…

VALID.

CHECKING ORPHANED STORAGE…

3 INSTANCES FOUND.

Your heart stopped. “Keeho…”

“I see them.”

Three hidden instances. Three backups. Theo had planned everything. You opened the first. Your hand was shaking.

Deleted.

Second.

Deleted.

Third.

The system resisted.

ACCESS DENIED.

Keeho frowned. “That's the root.”

“Can you access it?”

“No.”

You looked at the code. “Then we don't access it.”

He looked at you. “What?”

“We change what it means to exist.” You smiled. “If the system only recognizes itself through cryptographic identity…”

Keeho's eyes widened. “You're going to invalidate its identity.”

“Exactly.”

He understood immediately and you both started typing.

def revoke_identity(instance):

    instance.signature = NULL

    instance.key_reference = NULL

    instance.trust_state = "REVOKED"

    return instance

Keeho added the final line.

commit_revocation()

You pressed Enter and the screen froze.

Then:

IDENTITY REVOKED.

The final instance disappeared. The system began shutting down.

10%.

25%.

50%.

Keeho watched silently.

75%.

90%.

You looked at him. “You okay?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

100%.

The screen went black. For the first time in eleven years, Theo's system was gone. You leaned back. Keeho exhaled slowly.

“It feels weird.”

“What?”

“Being free.”

You smiled. “You'll get used to it.”

“I don't know.” He turned toward you. “I've been running for so long that I don't know who I am when I'm not.”

You looked at him. “Then figure it out.”

“Sounds easy.”

“It won't be.”

He smiled. “But I'll have help.”

You raised an eyebrow. “From who?”

He looked at you. “You.”

You smiled. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“You're still technically a criminal.”

“Past tense.”

“You illegally accessed government systems.”

“Necessary.”

“You stole classified information.”

“Also necessary.”

“You destroyed several networks.”

“Okay, that one was unnecessary.”

You laughed and he smiled.

Then the smile faded and he became serious.

“Do you regret meeting me?”

The question caught you off guard. “No.”

“Even after everything?”

“No.”

He looked down. “I do.”

You frowned. “You regret meeting me?”

“No.” He looked back at you. “I regret that it took me so long.”

taglist @jongseobmpreg @chippiiiiiz @hxraiiii @libbylogs @p1hvivianne

It was a natural devotion to turn you into art that can be preserved. Turn your life into folklore, or however Taylor Swift once said. And to do such a grandiose thing, he needs to think of you first. And oh, he does that with an intensity that you never felt before. At times you've gotten messages telling you how your view of the world mirrors the one of V from V for Vendetta or even worse, Eren Jäger from Attack on Titan. Did this awaken a consciousness in you where you started to debate if you're too militant? Surely, but perhaps you needed that reality check hidden between hearts. There was a piece inside you that even looked forward to this. So you never told him not to. Another reason is as to why he wants to be more important in your life. 

He wants to make himself count. 

So now he thinks of you with a notebook and pen near him. His own private life he has left whenever he's away from you. Where he's open about all of his sides aside from you. Where stuff is written down that some people would question because it seems so different from his personality online. That isn't his worry now, however. All he worries about now is how he can get his thoughts as neat on the paper as they won't appear in his head. Because how can he explain to you that he views you as a bird? How? A bird nowadays is even a term to describe men-obsessed women, if he can't explain it, you might think he's out to get you. 

Okay, maybe he should get back to the beginning, the start of his synapse work of art. It seemed to have started with a song put into your shared playlist by none other than you. Shit, he needs to open his phone now. He was already so comfortable, but a butler must do what they must. Yes, Jongseob is your truest butler, the giver and partially the receiver. Just this relationship is also layered between kisses, cuddles, and sex. The red ears that were a sign of his embarrassment at the thought of being caught with these thoughts were quickly ignored when he found the song and its correlated lyrics. 

Norwegian wood (this bird has flown)

Y/N=Bird

- the girl is implied to be the bird who flew at the end

-the girl is a lover who's adjacent to the lyricist (me)

-adjacent in a way that they leave as soon as possible after they had a night together (us meeting and stuff)

-the girl seems to like him but can't stay. No implication if she takes it to heart or not.

-the bird is a metaphorical meaning for being free and having the chance to escape quickly ???

= Y/N is a bird because she's free to leave me and being able to leave behind our love (thats too mean, didn't meant that)

Lennons perspective

-hardcore cheater (would not trust him with ANYTHING)

-the girl =him (probably) after all the girl sort of did the walk the shame because she's the homewrecker.

-the song is about his affair

We sort of have a affair tho, like we are not public, our friends don't even know +we do the walk of shame all the time. But in the same way, we both also know that there is no other (too much work tbh) (also not interested in other people). So ehhh?

Well, that sounds about right. Definitely worthy to be seen by you. Even with all his crossed-out notes. Like you once proclaimed, that is the most interesting part to see whenever you get one of these sends. Seeing his thought process made him alive was your conclusion and his duty to keep going. So he simply gets his phone out, taps on your (hidden) chat, and takes the clearest photo he can get from this angle. Though, the quality might've been better if he had better handwriting. 

"What are you doing?" Both his phone and his notebook were strayed away as the guilt-ridden evidence they were. Inside his mind, the possibilities of the next minutes already played out at the same time, which caused him to simply glance at the said person who got him into this mess. Jiung. Jongseob was blessed that he was smiling and not questioning why on earth Jongseob started to burn bridges. "Since when have you been here?" Jiung tried to find a clock, though, due to the space Jongseob was at, he just shrugged and sat down opposite him. "Not long, but what did you do?" Okay, every lie he can think of must be battled against each other until he can find the most plausible one. 

"Writing something" Dang it! He seems to have lost control over his mouth. He wanted to say something along the lines of journaling. Now it sounds like something too serious. Why is he always like this? Why can't Jongseob be better at this? "Oh? What? Now you caught my attention" Between not being able to make music ever again while being tortured to death and having to answer that with his running mouth, he'd take the former simply because he can't trust himself. "Something for a friend" By the gasp that escaped Jiung, he knew that he was either caught or Jiung was in disbelief that he'd have friends. "Can I see it?" This must be the universe helping him out because why on earth did he not ask who it was? Well, makes sense now that Jongseob thinks about it. Jiung was never the type of person to be too curious. 

Unlike Keeho.

No shade though, that's like the best part of his personality. Just sometimes, when Jongseob needs to be careful, that is a lethal weapon to reveal things he doesn't want to be revealed. "Nah, I'm going to do that once I finish, okay? Now it doesn't even make sense" As Jongseob shook his head and laughed in between the ridicule of it all, he was silently celebrating the feeling that he may have killed the topic with force. It definitely looks like he did because Jiung simply started to go on his phone when the silence became unbearable. "Have you seen the ambassadorship from Y/N from NMIXX? Aren't you friends with her?" If making out and dreaming about a future together is still under the friend zone, then yes. But Jongseob would never say something like that without your permission and vice versa. 

"Yeah, she's been talking a lot about it whenever we had the time to talk about it" Nailed it. No weird indicator of a closer relationship, no indicator for too much disinterest or anything. He really did master the boyfriend training you forced him to do! "She looks extremely-" Jiung wasn't even allowed to finish his sentence as Keeho and Soul dramatically entered the little booth that once was just inhabited by Jongseob himself. "Elegant, right? Heard that Y/N doesn't like to be called that!" Keeho firmly stated, eyes wandering to Jongseob as if he knew something. He doesn't. Right? Jongseob might never be sure about that, but he also knows that Keeho wouldn't mind. As if he had any control over anything in his team besides outfits. 

"Really?" Jiung exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes now finding the youngest too. Out of necessity, Soul soon found himself looking at him too. Totally didn't make Jongseob nervous or whatsoever. No. "Yeah, she only allows her teammates to call her that. I tried it one time and got a smack on my head." Half-true, the only thing he forgot to mention was that this was ages ago, and he is now allowed to call you that with pride and even more pride. But he doesn't. Out of respect. "But why?" Jiung asked even more. Normally, Jongseob would've been surprised at such curiosity that Jiung had at the moment, but it felt like as if he was put in a trance at the mere topic of his dear girlfriend. Though, somehow, he manages not to smile brighter than the sun. At least he thinks so. "She just feels uncomfortable being put on display like that by people she doesn't know that well. She can ignore fans and all that, but me? Criminal offense. I should be put in prison for that" 

Keeho excitedly snapped his fingers, his free hand beginning to hang over Jongseob's shoulder while having a proud smile on his face. For what? "Jongseob gets it! We shouldn't be calling people hot because that's a compliment for closer bonds. In a way, it's even revealing a desire" It was amusing, almost comedic, to see Jiung's face show the ways he's been thinking about Keeho's words in detail. From agreeing to being concerned to deflecting to slowly accepting the truth behind it. "Makes sense, in a way. But did she really tell you all that?" As nonchalant as Jongseob could put it: yes. In detail too. Over a starlit night and lipstick on his face. Or something like that, it has been some time, and his memory isn't all the best. But he can't confess any of that! So he simply nods. 

"Damn, didn't know you guys were close like that" Keeho now states in disbelief. Like what? A couple? Oh no, don't tell him that his mask has fallen and now the world would know! No, impossible. Jongseob, calm down. Well, on the outside he is calm, but only because he trained his poker face for too long as a kid. So he turns gently to Keeho, a hint of a smile on his face. "We talk from time to time, when the time is right, y'know? And since I'm such a yapper, as you like to say it, we tend to talk a lot during that time" Jongseob finds it quite funny how, despite trying to disprove the yapper allegations in his previous sentence, he still talked Keeho's ears off. Well, at least he knows that you like him when he's yapping. "Making the time you have count, huh?" 

The previous, kind, fond, and caring smile that Keeho was able to observe for so long was dropping by the second Keeho was done with his wit. "What the fuck do you mean by that?" Jongseob asks, all worried, written inside while coldly drawn on the outside. Keeho wasn't backing off however, he instead just shrugs and stares at his phone. "But how is Y/N? I heard she's quite fierce when you get to know her" Jongseobs eyes find Jiung, who seemed to have come back stronger from his brainstorming before. Of course, the fierce part was partly because of the scene that happened moments before, though Jiung would never truly admit that. Not because of a fragile ego but because it won't bring any of them further. Surely. 

"Y/N is actually kind when you get to know her. I swear one time I was in such a bad mood, and she straight up kidnapped me just for me to get some peace and quiet" His eyes began to wander away, almost dreamy-like in a cartoon, though, this time if it ever were to become a topic, it'll develop into the cringiest situation he ever was in. No thinking about that right now, though! Only thinking about Y/N! "Oh and her humor is incredible. Chronically online and with a touch of the weirdest childhood YouTube videos burned in her mind. You really have to talk to her!" Jongseob was so out of touch with reality after he went on his rant that he didn't notice that all three friends of his gave each other the same look of suspicion. 

Not like they would hate it if Jongseob was in a relationship. Never let a homie down or something like that, but why hide it? And so bad? At least that's what Keeho thought when Jongseob's smile seemed to beam at him with a pride only a pathetic lover would have. Though, he can't be sure, right? Surely Jongseob was just a tiny bit impressed, right? Jongseob wouldn't hide a relationship with his closest pupils. Right? By the looks of it Keeho might be able to interpret something, but he chooses not to. For now.

You, on the other hand, while having possibly the best resting day since you became a trainee, have no idea of the quiet suspicion that arose and the anxiety that it would cause you. It would be a misunderstanding if it seems as if you cared more about a possible outed relationship, its just that you might have to take the fall. And you can't handle that. At least not while being an idol. So its fate presents for this beautiful day to not know about this as you simply do nothing. Really nothing. No TV, no food, no notebook, nothing. Just silence and some of your members body parts touching you because they also do nothing. "It's beautiful, innit?" You asked, purposely using that British accent that you might be worse at doing than some others in the group. Not to name names here, of course. 

"Doing nothing?" Lily asked back, with the same accent, but this time it sounded more polished. You nodded, your energy was not meant to be wasted on words today, so you used it as little as possible. "I don't know, I feel like we can at least turn on some music so my brain is stimulated, you know?" Fair point. You were rather the empathist between all the selfishness in the world, so you gladly accepted this change of routine. Though, you were far too lazy to actually get up and get your phone, you softly turned your head to Kyujin, who seemingly sensed it and turned it too. "Can you do it? Your playlist is fire anyway" A coo silently escaped Kyujin's throat when she got to hear you almost puppy-like plead. Since when could you get so cute? You're literally older than her! Not fair!

But she soon got herself together and let her fingers gently swipe over the phone, which soon let music play through the box placed right on the table. Lily sighed in deep content, her body shrinking even more into the couch, which brought you to softly laugh. "You're cute when you're like this Lily" you admitted without any heavy thought lingering behind them. Lily, however, raised her head up and had her face written over with a facade of surprise. "Really? When I sigh?" Lily wasn't surprised that you complimented her so openly; no, it was rather the opposite. It was a given fact that you give compliments out of nowhere, just the way you are. If you were to go radio silent, that would be an indicator that you were in a bad mood. 

"Yeah, can't explain why though" And with that, you decided to go back to the casual laziness you loved so much today. Lily, however, wasn't done as she slyly went towards your lying body and pressed herself down as a simple thank you. Man, if Jongseob sees this, he might think he's the side chick. Though, then again, who wouldn't date this darling that is lying proudly on your stomach with her hands around your torso? Either way, without needing the brain activity, you reached for her hair and started to play with it. An instinct with whom you can show at least some affection. Not that you ever doubt yourself or whatever. "Oh, I like that song!" Sullyoon excitedly proclaimed as a song you knew so deeply inside your heart started to play. Pandemonium. And yes, she is absolutely right. That song is worth a like. 

"The instrumentals go hard, don't you think?" You looked back with your eyes searching for her. Sullyoon, at the sound of your praise, simply decided to snort. "You're not allowed to talk; you were there when Jongseob produced the song, right?" What? No… well, yes, but most certainly you weren't involved in any of it, so you're a simple observer. Though with your argument, you didn't win any of it because you weren't even allowed to say it as some of your friends erupted in surprised noises. "Wait, you knew of this song before it came out?" Bae almost leaned over her chair, eyes almost piercing through your body as if you were a mere ghost in the scene. Which, to some extent, you wish to be. Though, now, back to reality, you chuckled. "You guys know I'm friends with Jongseob" 

"But not to that extent! That's like super close stuff that could get you behind the bars kind of closeness" You could feel Lily's vibrating voice on your stomach for a few seconds before you felt her arms tangling down your shoulder. Now this felt like an investigation. "Duh, I and Jongseob are close! I don't do casual friends! You guys should know that" Was your laugh too nervous? Did you sound too worried? Unbelievable? Jesus. Why can't you be honest with them? They would be happy for you, unbelievably happy. But no, you have to remain as deep in your thorned lies as you are now. "True, you did in fact go to my doctor's appointment when we only knew each other for 2 months, but I'm not convinced!" Lily argued back, her brown eyes staring even more into yours than Bae did. It was definitely the closeness that brought you to blush, but something inside also knew that you blushed because you were intimidated. 

"Of what?" Lily rolled her eyes with a hint of humor hidden behind it. At least that's what you try to tell yourself as the heart beats faster and your mind races with all kinds of realities of doom incoming. "That you guys- well- I don't know. You tend not to be friends with men and so close as well?" Okay, she got you there. It was a given fact, or more so an attraction of yours, to only find solace in women's spaces, after all, you are the ambassadorship of a literal women's brand. "Maybe some people are worth keeping around? No matter what's in between their pants and in their mind?" Lily squinted her eyes, and you did it as well, almost like the perfect mirror. You wondered inside how well you kept cool in such a fierce situation, but perhaps it's the fact that you mirror the non-issue attitude of your friends. Is that a good thing, though? Being a mirror? 

"Y/N is right. Some men are nice and intelligent enough to keep around" Haewon said as she placed a plate of apples on the table from her previous visit to the kitchen. Your hands instinctively reached for it and grabbed two for you and Lily. No matter what, you seem to always be kind to your friends. Even if they would burn down your house. "Yes but this is Y/N we talk about! She literally read Dworkin a while ago and has gotten into fights for us!" Also true. Is this a jury, and are you the gullible? Definitely felt like it. "Perhaps Jongseob is one of the good ones?" One called out, which got a reaction from you and Lily, which was rather judgmental. "There are no good ones! Every man is bad because he's simply in favor of a better life, and he actively uses it even if he can't know about it!" You took a deep breath, forced Lily softly off your body, and sat up straight before deflating into a pretzel-like posture. 

"Jongseob is merely someone who knows about it, is curious about how to fix it, and apologizes. I don't hold him on a pedestal though, I know that there's always a possibility that he might mess up because he's a man" The breath you took now not only solidified your honesty (at least in your opinion) but also how satisfied you seem to be now when you vocalize it. May it be an older sister instinct you developed over the years or simply care in your heart, but when your friends could see what you see, then maybe their lives would be safer. Instead, a whistle was heard in the room. "Man your mercury shined so hard, no cap" You turned your head towards the girl speaking, your face written with confusion and, quite honestly, a little bit of fright. "What?" You uttered while your friend took a deep breath, leaned in closer, and took your hands to intensify their plan. "Mercury is the planet that tells us how we communicate, how we think, and what- in a way- our morals stand to be. And since you have your mercury in M/S, it seemed quite fitting for you to be so-well- how do I say this?" 

"Bitchy?" You assumed, and their head shook instantly. "You were so passionate and so interesting in the way you spoke" Hm, perhaps you should look into astrology now that she brought it onto the table. Though, now it all sounds like a massive mess you don't want to clean up, and by her eyes, you knew she was anticipating an answer. "She's going insane, guys! She needs to be taken in!" You proclaimed, hastily looking around just to hear laughter all around you. Man, were they laughing at you or her? Would be the worst if it were her and would be the normality if it were you. Right? People normally made fun of you when you were younger, so perhaps that's just a thing that comes with being Y/N. You'd never get to answer to that as Kyujin softly touched your shoulder again, bringing you back to earth. "Let's just say that Jongseob is close to her because he's interesting? There's nothing we should worry about when it comes to those two"