Nari

"Time is a burden. That's what I believe."
-- Nari, Comment from RFA Top Secret BookNari is one of the main characters in Mystic Messenger, romancing Yoosung. Nari is a sophomore college student who enjoys playing games but hasn't found a game worth mentioning. She tends to put a cold front because it is her only way to cope the things she was put through. Nari is also the younger sister of Rika and the cousin of Yoosung, though later becoming his girlfriend and later wife. She can be called a tsunshun instead of tsundere due to the fact that she gets depressed (shun) instead of becoming lovestruck (dere) after behaving in a conceited manner.
Nari finds herself constantly distressed about not being able to communicate with people properly and decides to live by herself in order to be alone.
== Personality ==
As the result of her pressured childhood, Nari harbored a cold and brooding personality. She would inadvertently lash out at others and interacted poorly with people. Despite this, she is said to care deeply for others and wanted to help them achieve happiness, but has a hard time showing it.
All her life she had been respected merely for her family or social status, yet because of his genuine kindness and services towards her, Yoosung was the only one to take interest in her for who she was. Though she continued to treat him with some (unintended) bitterness, she began to warm up to Yoosung, and eventually those around her as well. Over time, she came to see her friends as an almost family, and although her slight abrasive nature remained, she reached out to people more in attempt to better understand them.
During this course of her inner development, as Nari spent more time around Yoosung, she found that she was falling in love with him. Although she internally denied this and was confused by her increased heart rate whenever she was around him, she at last admitted her feelings to him. This shows that the icy, impersonal girl she once was had been replaced by a kinder young woman.
== Appearance ==
Nari is described as being a fairly beautiful young woman. She has long, blueish-white hair with a black bow in it. She has dark blue colored eyes and fair skin. She is 155 cm in height, weighing 30 kg with an extremely slender body.
== Background Story ==
Nari was born into a wealthy family of important status; it was mentioned they do clothes and fashion. But because of this she suffered bullying and humiliation at school: her classmates told her she was a boring person and that she shouldn't get full of herself just because her family was rich. On top of that, her parents put multiple pressures on her such as her having to learn to dance, to get good grades and to not ruin the family name. That is why Nari puts up a cold front and developed her bad habit of verbally abusing people. Even her teachers vainly defend her from the bullies in hopes of getting recognized by her family.
She was the younger sister of Rika, whom she grew jealous of, merely because of the fact that she had more attention and love from their parents than herself. Knowing this, Nari's father didn't hesitate in slapping her for her yearning of her older sister's place. Despite this, she couldn't bring herself to hate Rika.
It wasn't until the 6th grade that Nari met her cousin, Yoosung, and began to spend more time with him at her mother's behest. It was a slow process but eventually they ended up becoming friends, though with the help of Rika. They were extremely close and soon Nari developed a cousin complex with Yoosung.
Yoosung was a big influence on Nari and she decided to apply to SKY University as Yoosung was also going to collage there. She decided to become a vet because of the death of her beloved dog Sally, whom she loved so greatly.
Rika also had a great influence on Nari and had a great hand in shaping Nari and her future, making her want to become better and to achieve better results in classes and was the reason she wanted to score top results. Her death shook her so greatly that Nari states it was a few days before the realization hit her and the tears wouldn't stop coming. After her death, Nari became closed off and unmotivated in life, seeing no point in continuing her studies and finding it difficult to cope with the sadness she felt at her death. Eventually, she discovered gaming and used it as a means to escape from her depression, neglecting her studies.
== Involvement ==
As Yoosung and Nari become closer (than they already are), Yoosung compares her to Rika to the point that it becomes an irritating tendency. During Yoosung's route, Nari continues to encourage Yoosung to study and find a life outside of LOLOL and Rika, giving him the strength he sorely lacked after the loss of the one person he cared about most in the world. After it is revealed that a bomb is residing in Nari's house, Yoosung becomes worried and angry with the RFA, with V in particular. After V comes to his apartment and apologizing for all that happened and taking the blame Yoosung pushed on him, Yoosung began to move on past Rika and see Nari for who she really is. Yoosung then visits Jumin and begs him to send more bodyguards to Nari's House after the bomb has been deactivated so that Nari is safe from the hacker and in return, Yoosung takes care of the kitten Jumin found.
In order to protect the girl he loves, Yoosung travels to Mint Eye with 707 and 606 in order to gain data about the organization. Yoosung manages to save 707 from being ensnared by Unknown's words but at the cost of losing his eye. Not wanting to worry the RFA and Nari in particular, he lies about being okay and is brought to the hospital in secret, where he admits to V that he loves Nari so deeply that he doesn't care about losing an eye, as long as she is safe.
At the party, Yoosung finally gets to see Nari, having been released from hospital with his left eye completely bandaged, and admit the depth of his feelings to her in front of the other members and the other party guests, saying that it's okay now because she isn't Rika and the two share a kiss in front of the other members of the RFA and the other party guests.
In his After Ending, it is revealed that Yoosung has become a vet and can see with the help of glasses but is scheduled to have surgery on his left eye so that he can see. Both he and Nari are married and still very deeply in love with one another, with Yoosung commenting that he wishes for them to have a child.
== Relationships ==
=== 606 ===
Nari and Lilith share a very close friendship with one another and are one of the closest out of all the other members; Lilith often delights in teasing Nari and Nari is often naive to Lilith's tricks and pranks and is the epitome of being gullible. Lilith does, however, apologize if the teasing goes too far and the two genuinely care for each other.
=== C ===
Before Rika's death, it appeared that C and Nari had a less antagonistic relationship and were more civil to each other. However, following Rika's supposed death, their relationship broke down and Nari began to blame C for Rika's death, becoming distrustful of everything the older woman said. Nari despised C for not appearing as upset as she was when Rika was announced dead, becoming the main reason she is distrustful of the older woman. Despite Nari's hatred towards C, C cares deeply for Nari and does all she can to help the younger woman, letting Nari take her anger out on C. She lies to Nari, and the others, about Rika's death as she does not want Nari to loose the image of Rika that she had in her mind and never told Nari about Rika's battle with mental illness because she wanted Rika to be remembered as a bright and happy woman.
C also attended Nari and Yoosung's high school graduation ceremony after Rika's death.
=== Vale ===
Nari and Vale are quite close, with Vale often teasing Nari - though not to the same extent of Lilith; they share a sisterly bond and Nari often is annoyed at how Vale flaunts her good looks, feeling somewhat jealous at how beautiful Vale is. Vale often tries to get Nari away from video games and stresses the importance of healthy eating and exercise is to Nari, to no avail.
During times of stress, Nari goes to Vale's home and the two comfort each other and keep each other safe, with Vale taking the role of a mother hen.
Vale had also attended Nari and Yoosung's high school graduation ceremony after Rika's death.
=== Young ===
Nari greatly respects Young, and Young often watches out for her and nags her to get her life together frequently, worrying over her gaming addiction and how she doesn't attend class all that often. Young watches out for Nari's health and her gaming addiction and tries to get her focusing on her studies, to no avail.
Nari brings up at one point that she sometimes sees Young as an older sister looking out for her. In the Christmas special, Nari and Young work together for the Hanji fundraiser. Young says she is proud of Nari for working so hard. She is sometimes obsessed with Nari's small body.
=== Vera ===
Though they don't share a close bond, Vera and Nari care for each other nonetheless. Other than that, Vera and Nari are good friends.
Vera sees great potential in Nari and admits that she had offered her a position at her company some time in the past before Rika's death and, during Yoosung's route, Vera tells Nari that the position is still up for the taking if she really wants it.
It is also revealed that Vera had attended Nari and Yoosung's high school graduation ceremony after Rika's death.
=== Sally ===
Sally was her pet dog, however around the age of seven she got cataracts in her eyes and Nari refused to pay for the surgery, causing Sally's death (she was blinded and got hit by a car). Nari is greatly depressed by this and regrets not allowing the surgery, going as far as to blame herself for the dog's death.
=== Yoosung's Mother ===
Yoosung's mother is Nari's aunt. The details of their relationship remain unknown.
=== Yoosung ===
Out of all the members, Yoosung was the one whom Nari was closest to, mainly because they were cousins; Nari inspired Yoosung and Yoosung greatly looked up to Nari and placed her above all others in his opinion. Yoosung was the main reason that Nari accepted to go to a college far from home and helped her engage in extra curricular activities at school and outside of school.
At the beginning, it is hinted that Yoosung has a crush on Nari in the early stages. He admits his romantic feelings on the first day in his route (the earliest in comparison to the other romances) and out of all the members, he calls Nari the most and frequently engages in texting and phone calls with Nari. Nari and Yoosung quickly engage in a very "cutesy" relationship that is noted with alarm by the other members, due to how fast their relationship is progressing.
Nari passes the game branch and Yoosung begs Jumin to protect Nari with body guards, accompanying Seven on his trip to Mint Eye where he is injured in one eye and loses sight; he worries about Nari to the very end and lies about being hurt to Nari so that the party may continue on as Nari has worked hard to make it happen.
== Quotes ==
* "I wish I could just start all over again in real life… Life is sometimes too cruel for me."
* "Oh… A friend just got dumped and wants to grab drinks."
* Lil…ith…. Sofa… Honey Buddha…chi…ps… Smell….zzz."
* "If someone suggest that I go pro playing games, I’ll pretend to consider it."
* "Rika, I miss you."
* "Rika, I’m sure you’re watching us from up there, right?"
* "I miss her more than usual today."
* "I don't want just the results to belittle my efforts."
* "Anger doesn't help with battles in games. I must remain collected."
* "If I could rewind time... I think I thought about this like a few thousand times now..."
* "What could I have done?"
* "Darkness... deep... emptiness... solitude... games..."
* "Sometimes you run out of tears long before you run out of hurt."
* "In hurts when you try to make things right. And all you can see in you is wrong."
* "I don’t protect because I care, I care because I can protect."
=== Christmas Special ===
* "Jingle bells jingle bells jingle all the way~"
* "My hands are cold... I want hot chocolate..."
* "I'm not going to eat anything someone else gives me today..."
* "I hope the event shines bright enough for Rika to notice from up there."
=== April Fools ===
* "Last April Fool's, I saw some kids wearing their high school uniform to campus! I'm kind of sad I can't see any of those pranks since it's on the weekend this time."
== Trivia ==
* There is a possibility that Nari's white hair is due to a syndrome called Marie Antoinette Syndrome which one's hair rapidly turns white due to extreme amount of stress, shocking news, fits of rage and extreme fear and anxiety.
* It's told that Nari has a stress-related gastritis and a mild mental disorder, although it's not specified what kind. Her immunity system is also low.
** It's also heavily implied that she suffers from depression, clearly stating that she wants to die and even tries to kill herself before being stopped by Yoosung.
** It is also stated that she was sickly as a child, which may relate to the low immunity she is noted to have when she's hospitalized in Secret 02.
** While not official, Nari is interpreted to have Borderline Personality Disorder.
* Despite of her addiction to gaming, Nari is actually smart enough to get a scholarship at her school; to the point that Vera personally offered her an internship at her company.
** Her major is veterinary science and she was the fastest to get her Ph.D as mentioned by herself in Yoosung's After Ending.
* In one of the chattoons on Cheritz's dedicated page, Vale calls Nari N.
* The university that Nari attends, SKY National University, is a possible reference to the three most prestigious universities in South Korea (Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University). These three universities are often commonly known as the SKY Universities.
** She studied 10 years to get into the university.
* She, like Lilith, enjoys Honey Buddha Chips. She savors one bag of chips for weeks, because they're so rare.
* The one who put the black star (★) behind Nari's username in the RFA Messenger is Lilith.
* According to the Orientation Guide Book:
** Her email is Narina@cheritz.com
** Her special talent is defending the peace of gaming.
** She likes instant ramen, sweet rice cakes, omurice, fried chicken, and pizza.
** She dislikes ginseng-flavored candy and things such as black garlic.
** Her favorite quote is: "The only words that truly hurt are the ones that come from the people you most care about."; same with Lilith.
** Although Lilith loves to play pranks on her, she mentioned that she will not go overboard since she thinks Nari would be scary if she reaches her limit.
* She has a very low alcohol tolerance.
* According to Young, she has changed clubs 14 times already within a year.
* Nari reads shoujo manga.
* She has an extreme fear of haunted houses, ghosts and the dark.
* According to Saeyoon's Diary:
** Her behavioral pattern is Home - SKY University
** Her weaknesses are Rika and family.
* According to C's Scrapbook:
** Rika needs her in the RFA despite her being busy attending school.
** In an interview as the new elected class president in high school, she rehearsed a lot for the campaign and speech because she has a mild stage fright. She had lots of people who advised her and few of them are Vale and Rika, who helped the most, but she didn't mention their names.
** Nari's belongings: flip phone, new student ID (she lost the first one), wallet, pencil case (she carries it because there's a cute character printed on it), class printouts, and notebook.