Can I Please Just Ignore My Problems?

Another day over would have normally meant a meal and time to relax. The workplace grind wasn’t a bad thing in Noriko’s mind. She enjoyed her work. For all the obsession in her personal hobby, she did love coding as it exercised the part of that like solving puzzles. It certainly was different for everyone. Different view points on programming and some definitely just did it for money. And they never lasted. Perhaps she wouldn’t either because the project was less of the draw for her and the day to day challenges. But it was still engaging.

Engagement was the optimal thing right now. Clacking buttons and frustrated plastic being jerked around. Focus was needed rather than distracted. She wouldn’t reach the end without it. And she couldn’t finish without doing it properly.

A drawn out groan came from her friend as they shared the couch. “C’mon, almost there!” Maiko feverishly focused as clacking plastic only got louder like it was trying to drown out their voices. Encouragement would only do so much. It wouldn’t get them there.

“I’m coming!” Suddenly, a heavy vibration rattled in Noriko’s hand, breaking her concentration. An explosion rocked everything making her sit up. “Maiko!”

Her friend just started laughing loudly, shattering any peace that might have remained. If she wasn’t her best friend and long time accomplice in antics, she might have thought Maiko insane. It was bordering on cheesy villain master plan succeeding laughter. Which, if Noriko was being fair, it probably was her plan. Not the whole time, but when against the wall as they were, she would pick Noriko over two strangers.

‘BlackCoffinx92 and CrowHerder have died. Followers returning to their world.’ Message appeared on screen. The final confirmation that she needed to know.

Noriko hadn’t seen it happen. They were struggling against a pair of mini-boss enemies and being the tank greatsword build she had been soloing one of them while the others focused down the other. They had been struggling with the pair for the last half hour before summoning help.

Underhanded tactics aside, Maiko’s sacrifice did finish off one of their enemies. But all the laughing at a successful plan left Noriko still facing the other alone. And she wasn’t making a lot of progress. She could see the patterns, but they hadn’t been memorized yet. “If you’re done being a pyro help me!”

That managed to break through enough of her cackling that she at least put her hands back on the controller. Though it was another flying combo from the enemy before she actually was helping to draw attention.

The addition of her friend finally turned the battle and they ended the fight. Much of the castle remained, but they took a pause from that in safety. She leaned over to the coffee table for their after dinner snacks.

An unholy mixture that would make a college student proud laid out on the table, their post dinner snacks. The framing they gave themselves as adults to justify the grossly unhealthy display. Two different flavors of sodas along with green tea, pocky’s, three small bags of chips and a tray of conbini cookies. The sane answer would be that most of it would end back in its packages or stored away by the end of the night.

That would be sane. It also wouldn’t be correct. How did two women in their later twenties still eat like teenagers and look like it as well?

Maiko leaned back with a pocky stick flopping in her mouth as she started to talk. “So why are you so against Hiroyuki?”

The sudden question nearly made her cough on her soda sending melon flavor cola up her nose. She stopped that pain in time. “I’m not against him.”

“Not yet you aren’t,” she smirked with her dirty response.

“Maiko!”

“Seriously though, what’s the problem? You’ve got two choices: tell him yes or no. It’s pretty simple, but you took the completely ass backwards answer to just stick your head in the sand!”

There was no escaping now. She couldn’t use work as a shield. And they were in Maiko’s apartment for a girl's game night. Running was an option, but then she couldn’t keep playing the game. And that really wasn’t an option. Damn, Maiko.

Setting the controller at her side on the couch, she folded up her legs into her lap. This wasn’t going to be a short discussion she knew. “I’m not running away.” Her friend glared at her again for repeating herself like a crashing PC. “I’m tactically delaying dealing with it until it’s not an issue anymore.”

“That’s called running away.”

“What the hell does he even see in me anyway? I’m-“ A laser piercing stare came down from Maiko. “-not very interesting.” She corrected. “I’m a fujo that fantasizes about him banging another co-worker. That’s got to creep him out.”

They both fell completely still for longer than healthy before shaking themselves back to reality. A heavy long sigh escaped as they returned to look at each other.

“He probably doesn’t care if I’m being honest.”

“Of course he would! Normal people think we’re weird.”

“Sure, but you don’t exactly hide it very well. He probably already knows.”

“Trying to exclude yourself from that statement?”

“Just making the point, it’s not something to be afraid of.”

Noriko knocked her head against the couch, sinking a little. “Of course it is! He wouldn’t want to be with someone like me.”

“Is that why you’re running away?” There was no answer from Noriko as her silence became confirmation. “At least that’s a better answer.” Maiko turned away, picking up the controller.

“You’re not going to yell at me?” Noriko peaked up through the cushion a little with half of her face out.

Her friend started going through the menu of her inventory. “No, as much as I would like to, that is actually reasonable. Giving up being a fujo isn’t an option.” Noriko poked her head up fully enough to be able to vigorously shake her head in agreement. “And I understand the fear. Not everyone accepts us.”

“You see then?”

Maiko paused in her healing of her character. “Just tell him no then. Problem solved.”

“But then I have to face him!”

“What are you eight?!” She immediately went for the cookie tray looking to throw it.

Noriko waved her hands. “Not the cookies!” Maiko blinked with some surprise as Noriko called it out. She looked to see they were indeed in her hands. And proceeded to put them carefully on the table. But then just moved to the soda instead. “Fine! I’ll tell him no!” With surrender, she slumped back into the cushions disappearing. “Somehow…”

“Tomorrow!” She flung the remote that happened to be in her other hand whacking Noriko.