Have you ever get drawn to a place you never expected to go or made a choice you never thought you will make?
***Few months ago***
"OMG! Rin, why do you have eyebags?!"
Rin wanted to slap her sandwich on Giorgina's mouth. She regret not considering to apply proper make up this morning as she will be late for work.
Damn, this girl chose a bad time, she thought.
She just started a week ago for her training on their family's company, Archives Publishing. Despite her home being too far from the company and the favor that she needs to be low profile in order to observe the employees behavior while doing her part in the editorial staff, she was excited as her long time college crush, Jared, was actually working there, too.
Her Auntie offered a place to stay. Thinking it will be on their mansion, she agreed without second thoughts only to find out she will stay on her cousin Shaina's condominium unit as it is near their company plus she thinks her Auntie just wants to make her cousin come out of her shell. Even so, her disappointment were easily compensated as she learned Jared lives in the same building. It was all going well but just two days since she moved in, she started hearing this certain game advertisement from her cousin's room every night multiple times to her disbelief.
Because of it, she wasn't able to have proper sleep.
She look at Giorgina, and contrary to her feeling, she smiled at her, "Yes, but don't mind it. I'm still pretty with it. Take a sit."
Her innerself smiled when Giorgina's just raised an eyebrow. The latter then sat on the chair across her.
Her happiness was short-lived tho as she saw Shaina enter the coffee shop. She sat down on a corner table. Surprisingly, she didn't placed any order but the barista brought her some coffee right away.
Wow, is she a VIP here?
She sighed and sip on her macchiato. If she is not just her cousin and she doesn't know how oblivious she is on most of things, she probably would think that everything she did at night is intentional but she knows herself its not the case. Rin suddenly wonder what her cousin do in the company. People think, like her, Shaina is also a normal employee but she doesn't work in thw office. Is she a writer there?
Rin felt the need to go to the comfort room. As she was about to excuse herself, she saw Jared entered the cafe and went straight to her cousin's table!
"They knew each other?" she asked Giorgina who is currently fiddling on her phone.
Giorgina checked who is she pointing at, "Oh, Sha and Red? Yeah, they usually talk like that in the morning." she shrug and look back on her phone.
However, Rin noticed how uncomfortable her cousin is at Jared's presence.
An idea sparked on her head.
"Giorgie, you go ahead without me."
"Hey, where do you think you are heading to?"
"I'm just gonna greet someone," she grinned.
She ignored Giorgina's voice calling her back and went to ger cousin's table.
She smiled at her sweetly. "Hi, Shaina! It is nice to see you here."
She saw the relief on her cousin's face. "Rin, did you have breakfast already?" Sha pulled the chair beside her for Rin to sit on.
"Oh, yes. I had just a while ago."
"Rina?!" It was Jared.
She was glad he talked to her first, "Jared, you know my cousin?"
"Oh yes, she is one of our guild officers."
"Guild-what?"
"Guild officers in Knight of Zodia!" Jared said with much enthusiasm. She heard Sha sighed.
"Oh that ad you usually watch at night?" she asked to Sha.
"You know?"
"Ehh, yes. I can hear."
Sha nodded.
"Are you playing it, Rina?"
Rin was shocked. Its the first time Jared asked her something. She was so happy for the first time he wanted to know about her. She answered without thinking too much.
"Yes! I-I mean soon. I was actually curious about the ad and-and thinking of asking Sha about it!" She ignored her cousin's confused expression, "Sha, can you help me? I really want to play it! I mean, you know I like fantasy themed movies, right?"
"Yes. So you got curious about it being a fantasy game. Well you probably like the content anyway. " Sha paused, "Sure, why not?"
"Yay! Thanks, couz!"
"That's great then. Let me join you for dailies, too, once you started playing. My IGN is SeventhBlade. Looking forward to see you!"
He soon left afterwards.
"How did you know that guy?" Shaina suddenly asked.
"College. Why are you close to him?"
"We are not actually close but he is a guildmate so I'm trying. Are you sure you want to play Zodia? You never played RPG games before."
"Is it necessary? Plus, it's better late than never."
Shaina sighed, "Okay. I have two PC's in my room, you can borrow it once you decided to play."
"OMG! Thanks, couz!"
"Alright. I hope you can enjoy the game."
"Of course." she smiled.
It's her long awaited chance to be with Jared, how can't she be?