Looks like my boring school days are soon going to be over.
"Hey Ash, Tristan!"
I called out the attention of the only two people remaining outside of school. I quickly captured their attention as they shifted their heads toward my direction, waving a hand to bid me hello. I did the same and jogged my way to them.
"Took you long enough, bud. I thought you were gonna leave me hanging!" Tristan spoke in a dramatic tone, earning him a playful smack on his shoulder from me.
"Nope. Why would I? I know you'd cry a river if I do that. I had a bunch more books to clean up so I took a bit longer to catch up with you." I replied, looking towards my sister afterwards. "and you, Ms Ashford. How's your club meeting today? You said you're going to be late tonight."
"Ms Ashford? Steven, that's just weird." She responded as she raised an eyebrow and laughed. I chuckled as well. I realized I may have been way more energetic today than I ever was before, but I guess it's a sudden but welcomed change for me.
"Yeah. It really sounded weird, buddy." Tristan immediately echoed to me, wincing as if I just told him a very bad joke, earning him another playful smack from me. "It's like you were that substitute teacher again."
A sudden memory of that boring day with our substitute teacher flashed at the back of my mind without my authorization. It made me groan as I tried to get rid of the embarrassment that came from the exchange, waving my hand towards my friend to dismiss the topic. "Anyway, why are we still here? If you won't mind, I'd like to get moving now before Mr Owens fire me for being late to my shift tonight."
Tristan chuckled in response. "Oh right! Let's go!"
This was my time to raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Let's? Aren't you supposed to wait for your car to come over and fetch you up?" I asked him quickly. Is he planning on tagging along again? Not to mention that Ash is with us too. Normally, she will be at home now, if she doesn't have any club activities to participate in. Just the fact that the two of them were walking the sidewalk side by side with me is enough to raise some suspicion within my head. What can Tristan be planning on doing again?
However, my question was immediately shot down by what Tristan mentioned next. It didn't clear the disorientation I felt about that moment in time, but it was enough to keep my mouth shut for the duration of our stroll to my workplace.
"Dude. Trust me, this will be cool. Come on. Let's meet Mr Owens." He said, winking. I scrunched up my face in disgust of what he had just did.
"Cut the crap, Tristan. I might think you're into me, and I don't swing that way." I told him just as I began to pick up the pace and leave the two of them behind.
Close to fifteen minutes later, the three of us arrived at the Tech Store where I work part-time when school is done. I noticed the larger number of students in the shop today, each of them lining up to the cashier's booth in silence, although I can clearly see the excitement passed from one of them to the other.
They all seem to be lining up for a copy of Fantasy Burst Online as well. I wonder how long it will take till the shop runs out of stock too?
"Man, everyone wants a copy of the game eh? I mean, it's cool." Tristan mentioned as he stood beside me. Both of us looked towards the customers all wearing a different uniform than us. They don't seem to be from Golden Crest University, giving me the impression that they were all from another part of town, coming here because there were no stocks of the game left on stores near their place. The game must have been that popular to gain this much attention from youngsters like us.
"Yeah yeah, stay here, I'm gonna log in for the day." I answered to him as I roamed my eyes around the shop to look for Mr Owens. Turned out the manager was helping out his day shift employee take care of the customers still waiting for their turn to be sold the desired game console. I promptly walked towards him to greet him hello, then made my way to the log book on the shelf behind him to write down my name for my shift tonight. Afterwards, I entered the dressing room next to the counter to change into my uniform.
When done, I saw that both Ashley and Tristan were waiting outside the room, catching me by surprise.
"All done?" Tristan asks, raising my suspicion further. I nodded to him and quickly approached Mr Owens, though he doesn't seem to need my help any longer, because there was only one remaining student on the counter left.
"Manager, I'm so sorry for coming a little late today. Those two were holding me back earlier. Insisting to come here today." I told him in an apologetic tone. I lowered my head and accepted the guilt of my action, something that I didn't expect to be shot down the way it did by Mr Owens himself too.
"Don't worry. I waited for my new employees too." He responded, smiling through his wrinkled face. His dismissive tone made me sigh inwardly in relief, however the statement that came afterwards confused me further. New employees? Are we expecting new part timers to come around tonight? Won't we be alone here in the shop anymore? To answer my question, a familiar voice called out to Mr Owens who stand next to me, evidently catching my perception as well.
Tristan?
I thought to myself, looking at the man now dressed in the same uniform from the shop as I do. He wears it proudly, as if it was an emblem of nobility, giving out a big smile as if he just won the lottery. Behind him, Ash wears her own uniform too, but the dress appeared to be a little larger compared to her physique, making me chuckle lightly.
"Surprise, dude!" Tristan was the first one to yell proudly. He opened his arms to me as if he was expecting me to give him a hug which I didn't. Instead, I shot him a look of curiosity as I raised an eyebrow to get him to speak quickly. "Woah woah, what's with that look? Man, ask the Manager!"
I looked beside me, now watching as the manager put down his empty box of the consoles which were just sold out. He seemed nonchalant despite the stupefaction that I just scattered across this room. "Don't blame me. They struck me a deal I can't refuse." He said with his normal casual tone of voice.
"A deal?" I shot back to him.
"Yes. I decided to give you a little something you deserve, dude. Ashley told me all about what you've done to provide for you and your lil sister, and I think that's really sweet because I never had to provide for mine." Tristan answered, his face nodding truthfully. This was the first time that I found this man to be somber instead of being careless most of the time. He sounds serious and it feels like gunning him down with our usual jokes won't work, making me feel strangely comforted. I realized that I don't really know Tristan that much yet, because I didn't know that he was capable of thinking things like this, like I do whenever I am with him.
"You know, I actually envied you man. I was born in a family that gets me everything I want, when I want them." He continued to say. I opened my eyes widely and let my mouth partly open in shock. All this time, the two of us envied each other? I never expected to hear something like that from Tristan, and my cheeks heated up from the embarrassment that I felt because of his indirect compliments towards me. "So, I decided why not get something for my friend? I know you won't take anything from me if I told you I bought them with my parents money, so... here I am! I got Ashley to help me too, so we can get you that game you've always wanted."
Mr Owens put his palm against my shoulder, making me flinch in surprise. "I saw you stare at the poster over there many times recently. I know you want it too."
I can't stop it anymore. I fell to my knees that wobbled with weakness. With the many years I've spent working day and night, this was the first time I felt truly appreciated. This was the first time it truly felt like I belonged somewhere, that it's okay for a commoner like me to be acquainted with someone from a wealthier background like Tristan Gunther. I lowered my head to the ground, afraid that if I looked my companions further, I won't be able to hold back my tears, tears of joy I'm too embarrassed to shed in front of them.
"You guys..."
"You guys are the best, I swear."
Thank you. Thank you for noticing my presence.
•◦⚜◦•
"Ooh look who's grinning eye to eye?"
A playful smirk becomes painted on my sister's face as she looked at me while we walked our way home from Mr Owens' shop.
"Shut up." I responded quickly, but made no attempt to wipe out the childish smile that pasted itself to my face from the very moment I've been handed the console by Mr Owens himself, till now that we are ten minutes away from his shop. I looked down, and noticed the large box I've been carrying since earlier. It will contain the necessary parts I need to run the game I've been dying to get for a while now. I may have lied to my sister and to my friend about not wanting it before, but I can't lie to myself about how much I desired to get my hands on it as well.
"I'm just really happy about what you two did for me today. I swear, best gift ever." I added shortly after, making my sister smile to me as well.
"I'm happy that you are happy, Steve. You really deserves it." She said to me in response.
The rest of our way back home has been spent thinking about what we should eat for dinner. Mr Owens sent us home a little early today since he said he wanted me to test out the console. Of course I didn't shoot him down because I'm excited to try it out too. In the end though, we settled for some eggs and ramen noodles. I never knew I craved japanese food till Ash had it sprawled on the dining table before us. It was a great meal.
Shortly after, I retreated back to my room to check out the console Tristan and Ashley has gotten for me. The box was easy enough to open, I simply used a knife I stashed somewhere in the room to cut off the straps protecting the box from being breached. When I opened the flap, the first thing I found was a heavy foam protecting what is underneath. When I finally removed the protective foam, two boxes greeted me in, one is for the Neuron Detectron System (NDS) which looks exactly like a head gear suited with something similar to electrodes which help detect and regulate motions from the brain, to be translated to movements in the virtual world through the other box I found, a twelve inch black box that serves as the operating console for the game to run. This black box transmit data it receives from the NDS to Beta Solutions' central server, making it possible to act in the virtual world on real time.
Excitedly, I plugged in the required devices on an electric socket on the table near my bed. I fought the urge to just dive into the game, and went to read the instruction manual that came along with the package, just to ensure my safety when I use this. From what I've read, it seems that I just need to put on the headgear, then shout a password that will trigger the console's power modules through voice recognition. After that, it's basically showtime.
I put down the manual next to the machine on the table, then I carefully put on the headgear which fits my head very well. From what I've heard in one of the press conferences that Axel Foster held before the launching of the game, the headgear was made with a special trait to fit right into your head, solving its potential problems with sizes.
I will lay down on my bed afterwards, bracing myself for what is to come. This is it. I finally have it. It is finally within my grasp. I only need to take that one final tug. I withdrawn a large breath.
"Link Start!"