This is all started when I was studying in the open area. We have a big exam coming up and all of the students are focusing on studying. Some are conducting study groups and some are studying alone.
And I was one of the latter.
As I flipped into the next page of my Calculus book (Wonder why we have a Calculus as a subject? I don't know either), when my best friend Anton approaching me with a big smile on his face.
"Hey, North!" He called. I looked up to him (I was sitting in the school bench, who cares?) and he gave to me the biggest smile of his life... which tells me it will be a nonsense talk. "Guess what?" He dished out his smartphone from his pocket and showed to me the screen of a beautiful white haired maiden in a pretty white and red dress wielding a staff that is looked like a rose. On the top of her head are five gold stars. "I've got the limited hero Olivia!"
Okay, Anton is an Otaku. A certified one. He and I are childhood friends ever since we were young. Like me, he came from a very welthy family but they are focused on food products. And his parents are always on business trip. He rarely sees them and he and his older sister was attended by their maids and butlers.
He likes anime when he was ten and since then, he has a penchant to collect anime merchandise everytime he stumbled onto one. He also went to the anime convection center and never missed an anime (and video game. He likes them when we were in our first year of high school) and squeel on them.
Of course, this also affects Anton's grades. He always scores on average level and his father is not amused at the result. I heard one time that he got a failing grade on Math and his father threated him to throw his anime collections away into the trash. Of course, Anton begged his father to reconsider and give him a FINAL chance to improve his grade or else his anime collections are going straight into the trash.
Me on the other hand doesn't like any of those nor don't have an interest in these either. My parents let me and my siblings focus on the academic and literature books, mind board games like chess and monopoly and make sure to read the business section of the newspaper because you will own the company someday and know the basic ropes of running a business. But unlike the others who are spoiled rotten by their parents and let their entitlement go into their head, we were taught to treat others beneath us with respect and humility. In short, I tolerate my best friend's weird hobbies and obssession over anime and video games.
And this is our situation today.
"Anton." I said in a very serious tone. I took a deep breath and began to berate him. "Seriously, you call me for that?! We have a major exams coming up and you're still playing that stupid game until NOW?!"
"Come on, I still studying too!" Anton defend himself. "I only play for today because the limited banner will end tomorrow."
"Screw limited banner and I don't FREAKING care about it! Now, turn off that phone, get your books and study!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. Seriously, I'm sounded like a mother hen in this scenario.
I look at Anton and he is about to cry like a dejected puppy. Oh, shit. I shouldn't see that coming.
"I can't believe you, North *hic*" he sniffed. "Even you, you consider my hobbies a waste of my time? *hic*"
"It's not like that." I explained to him. I sighed before I continue. "Anton, listen. Just because I'm not into anime or video games doesn't mean that it is considered a waste of time. You can't just play on your phone the whole day and neglecting your studies."
"But what about you?" Anton talked back while pouting like a spoil brat who didn't get any candy from Mommy. "Your hobbies are more like the hobbies of the oldies. What are you? Growing up in the Spanish Era?"
"Hello, this is how I raised." I answered snarkly.
"But North, by my perspective, it's sooooo boring!" He pat me on the shoulder. "Listen now, everyone now is playing games on the phone. Hell, even our top students in this school also playing games."
"The question is: did you see them playing on the phone?" I raised an eyebrow in doubt.
"Well, no but-"
"See, I told you: no one is playing those stupid games and I consider it a waste of time." I look back at my book and continue to where I stop. "Now sit down and I teach you how to solve this equation."
"Party pooper." Anton whispered before sitting down. I pretend I didn't hear that.
*
School lunch is considered a very nice break for me which means that I can go to the library and read some nice books that I could find...
... only in my dreams as Anton dragged me to the canteen and saw several students huddle to a table. There are two students sitting and facing each other; playing games on their smartphones while the surrounding students cheered on both them. They have a serious and competitive look on their faces.
Seriously? Anton dragged me for THIS?
"Frick this shit, I'm out." was my only comment as I turned and tried to walk away when suddenly, Anton grabbed me by the sleeve of my uniform.
"Come oooonnnnn, Northy!" He whined. "You need to watch some students playing the game before you make a comment about playing games or two!"
"Yeah, right." I scarcastically answered. "Hell, no. The only competitive game I'll watch are the chess competitions." And I was trying to get away from this chaos.
"Okay." Anton pouted. Then his face lit up, looking that he had an idea popped in mind just to persuade me. I don't like this. "What if one of the students playing there is Elen?"
I stopped struggling. Elen (or Eleanora as her full name) is the most popular girl in school: beautiful, smart, kind and came from a wealthy family. I have to admit that I have a crush on her and Anton knew it.
I admit defeat on this. "Fine. Just this once."
Anton pumped his fist in the air. "Alright! Let's go then!"
We approached the table where all the students has been gathered. As we nearly approach our destination, all sides are cheering eruptly as one of the students won and the other slumped in defeat.
"Wow, Elen." One of the students, a senior said. "You are pretty good at this. How did you level up your characters?"
"Just go to the training section of the game and there you can farm resources so that you can level up your characters faster." Elen aswered in her sweet voice.
"Um, Elen?" Another student asked, holding her phone. "How did you defeat the boss in chapter 12 in Glided Heroes Chronicles? I'm stuck on that and the boss curbstomp me."
"You see..." and Elen proceeds to teach how.
"See, North?" Anton said while we watch Elen giving some advice to some students who are playing the game. "Elen may be the top student in our school, but she's playing Glided Heroes Chronicles for some time." Then he teased me. "If you play the game, that maybe your chance to talk to her."
I facepalmed at the friend's suggestion.