Not holding back

I was laying on my bed looking at the ceiling, a ray of light was piercing through my curtains as I slowly recovered my consciousness over who I was. Today was my day off, the monitor had my character sharpening his weapon in a tavern while other players were running around.

I stood up and put my slippers on, I went to the bath and after taking care of my needs I washed my face and brushed my teeth, I went to the kitchen and prepared myself a coffee and returned to my room.

I took a sip of my coffee and sighed the hot steam out while I checked on my phone, I scrolled for a bit looking at the pictures that my friend uploaded and checking my DMs of my friends, I laughed and stretched myself while yawing.

I should go for something to make myself breakfast.

I grabbed a bag and my keys and went out, the air was cold but the store wasn’t that far away, I arrived and took some eggs, milk and green onions, while I was shopping, I notice something particular, the same girl wearing the hoodie, she was at the energy drink’s section, I notice from gazing that she had eye bags.

Is that the same girl…

I went to the cash register and paid for my stuff and left, but that girl got me thinking for a bit.

What’s with that girl? Is she new in town? I never saw her before… or maybe I never paid attention to her, maybe… no, I cannot think of that, I better return home.

I arrived at home and started right away to prepare myself breakfast, tamagoyaki, rice and green onions. I ate and washed my plates and went back to my room. I sat down and started playing when one of my friends called me.

“Yosuke, quit playing that, you’ve been there for 14 hours”

“I wasn’t playing that much… I left my computer on, I just got here again”

“Liaaar”

“Whatever, what’s with you? It's rare to see you at this time, don’t you work?”

“I have the day off, you want to grab a coffee and stop playing that game?”

“If it is for free I’ll gladly put down my controller”

“I’ll meet you in 2 hours then, usual spot”

“Right on”

I took my stuff and changed myself, the moment I stepped in the door I saw my mother entering.

“My, where are you going, sweetie?”

“I am going out with Kenjiro”

“Wasn’t he working on Saturdays?”

“He got the day off”

“Take care then”

“Sure, there are some leftovers in the fridge mom, eat them”

“Thank you, sweetie”

I went out after kissing my mother on the cheek, I met my friend inside the mall, he was playing with his phone and the moment he saw me he waved at me.

“Hey, how are you, man?”

“Doing good, so far, should we go eating already? I am kind of starving”

“Yeah, me too”

We went inside a ramen shop and started to eat while I was telling how things went yesterday, he started choking and the cook gave him water.

“Is not that funny for you to choke on your noodles”

“What do you mean it is not?! Dude, your night sucked!”

He contained his laughter and sighed.

“Sorry, but it is hilarious, is like a cruel joke, and I assure you, Kenta is not going to play with you”

“I know, I know… but neither of you guys want to play that game with me, what am I supposed to do?”

“We are just not interested in it, sorry dude. Not even Kyo wanted to, so you are all alone in this one”

“Sucks…”

“Hey, don’t bring yourself down, we played almost every single game together, there must be some that we must play alone sometimes”

“Maybe you are right, but I always play with you guys, no matter the game”

“That’s why you are the party leader after all”

“Don’t try to make me feel better with that”

“Haha sorry, sorry. In any case, there is a good movie that just came, let’s go see it”

“I imagine you are paying for that as well, trying to cheer me up, oh, poor me”

“You are a pain… but I was actually going to pay”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, let’s go”

“Thanks man”

“No problem”

After seeing the movie, we took our own ways and I looked at the sky, it was already dark, I sighed and walked to my home, that’s when I stopped and saw the local convenience store.

Could it be that the girl is there? No… what am I even thinking, that’s creepy, besides I have nothing to buy to go in there, I should go.

I walk in silence and when I stopped, I heard that familiar sound of the store and I entered

And I still entered, what am I even doing?

I looked around the place and looked at the magazines, I took one and started to pretend to read it.

I miss the days when you did this, now it is all on the internet… but doing this is still a bit fun, this looks very interesting though.

I spend a few minutes looking at the images of the magazine and leave it where it was, then I went to see the coffee but they haven’t restocked it.

“Guess that’s just how it is…”

“Huh?”

I heard a voice coming from the side of me. There was the same girl, this time she had a long sleeve t-shirt of the game.

“You know, when they don’t restock the product, you like they will probably never restock again”

“Oh, that, yeah… I remember when they took a brand of cookies when I was in middle school, I try to get them when I got in high school and I never saw them again”

“I get it, sorry to take the last coffee out of you”

“Don’t worry”

The girl took another branch of coffee and put it in her basket. The basket had a cup of ramen, beer, and a bag of grilled squid.

“Isn’t it too late to drink?”

“Mmmh?”

I flinch and cover my mouth.

Shit, I say that out loud.

“Uh… no, I mean… you should… never mind. Is not of my business, I’m sorry”

“Huh? You tell me you never drink past midnight?”

“No, I mean it is probably because you are experiencing beer, right?”

“…”
The girl looked at me and stepped on my foot, I closed my eyes and contained my voice and saw her again with a few tears in my eyes.

“I am 28!”

“HUH?!”

“YOU ARE THE BRAT IN HERE, WHAT ARE YOU, 19?!”

“I’m 25…”

“YOU ARE NOT BETTER THAN ME, YOU LOOK AS YOUNG AS A HIGH SCHOOLER”

“Thank you very much”

“It was not a compliment!”

“Please, can you two keep it quiet inside the store? If you are not going to buy anything I would need you two to leave”

“Ah, sorry, I’m buying”

I grabbed the same coffee that she grabbed and I sighed.

“Sorry, I get really upset when people tend to look at me like a little girl…”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t assume things, nobody that starts drinking buys snacks for it”

The girl got a bit quiet and she went behind me and I went to the cash register to pay for my coffee, I left the store but before I could step outside completely the girl grabbed me from my shirt.

I looked behind and she offered me a bear.

“Eh? I don’t want to drink right now”

“Is for right now, is for midnight”

I took it and saw it around, a normal beer, I could feel it’s cold and I put it inside my bag.

“Thanks…”

Ask her

“But, how would you know I drink it?”

Come on, Yosuke.

“That’s a good point…”

We have exchanged a few words, but there is only one thing you could ask in these moments, is not her number, or name, more importantly.

I lift my hand and point at her, to her shirt.

“You play the new hunters game?”

“Eh? You play too?!”

I nodded and she took her phone out, she then put a QR code out but she took it back and saw me.

“What weapons do you use?”

“I am a charge dual wielder with pistols”

She laughed a bit and put her phone up again.

“That’s a weird combination, you better make it work, I am a serious player”

“What weapons do you use?”

“You are going to wait and see”

She smirked and rubbed her phone.

“Sorry, I was going to give it to you no matter the weapon, I … nobody wants to play-“

“With you even though you play other games with them?”

The girl nodded and smiled at me.

“It’s going to be fun, see you around!”

“See you around...”