DJ was determined to impress Aria, and he believed winning over her best friend, Cherry, would help achieve that goal. The trio had recently started exchanging greetings with Aria and Cherry whenever they crossed paths during college hours. The atmosphere was more relaxed than before, and the girls seemed open to interaction.
The competition to win Aria's favor was still ongoing, especially between Holo and DJ. One day, DJ decided to visit Happy Burgers on his own, leaving Holo and Joe behind.
As he walked into Happy Burgers, he spotted Cherry and Aria at the counter. Summoning his confidence, he made his way toward them, silently reminding himself, "To tame the lion, tame the dog first."
Meanwhile, the girls stood tall, feigning smiles, a routine response when faced with approaching customers. This time, it was DJ, wearing a subtle grin on his face. As he made his way toward them, Aria muttered in a low voice, "I'm heading inside. You handle him," and disappeared into the kitchen. Cherry masked her annoyance with a smile.
When DJ reached the counter, Aria's departure was noticeable. Cherry greeted him, "Hi DJ."
"Hello, Cherry," DJ greeted in return.
"Holo and Joe didn't come?" Cherry inquired.
"No, just me today. I was passing by and felt like having a burger," replied DJ.
"Got it. What can I get you?" Cherry asked.
"A large chicken burger, medium fries, and a Coke, please," DJ requested.
"Sure," Cherry replied, swiftly entering the order into the billing machine. The receipt promptly printed out. Following the procedure, Cherry tore the receipt, handing one half to DJ while passing the other half through the window to the kitchen. She glanced back, noticing DJ still standing at the counter.
"By the way, if you don't mind, can I ask you something?" asked Cherry.
"Of course, feel free to ask anything," DJ replied with a friendly smile.
"What do D and J stand for in your name?" Cherry asked curiously.
DJ's expression shifted instantly, and the happiness on his face vanished. "Do you really want to know?" he asked uncomfortably, swallowing hard.
Cherry couldn't help but be intrigued by DJ's reaction. She grinned widely and said, "Now I want to know even more."
Taking a deep breath, DJ requested, "Could you come a bit closer?"
As Cherry leaned in closer, DJ hesitated and then finally revealed, "Daisy Jingleheimer."
Cherry struggled to catch the words clearly. "What?" she asked.
Taking another deep breath, DJ repeated, "Daisy Jingleheimer."
Cherry burst into laughter upon hearing his unusual name. The laughter wasn't loud enough to disturb the customers, but it caught Aria's attention in the kitchen. Aria watched through the window as Cherry laughed and DJ forced a smile, clearly embarrassed.
Days passed, and DJ continued visiting Happy Burgers without his friends. He cherished the moments talking to Cherry whenever she had the time, patiently waiting when she was busy, eager to continue their conversations after her shift. The initial goal DJ set for himself began to fade, replaced by a newfound joy he had never experienced before. It was a mutual feeling for Cherry. Eventually, they exchanged numbers, and their small restaurant chats evolved into late-night calls. DJ even started picking Cherry up from her home for college. They began attending movies and other events together, causing a reduction in the time spent with their respective friends.
Meanwhile, though DJ had withdrawn from the competition for Aria's affection, Holo continued to struggle in his attempts to interact with Aria. His part-time job as a waiter at Evergarden, one of Papoli's popular restaurants, consumed most of his time. He lacked Aria's contact information and address, making it difficult to find opportunities to meet her, either in college or outside. Holo wasn't willing to take leave from his job to prioritize meeting Aria.
Days went by, and Holo noticed a decline in the time spent with DJ and Joe. Joe was engrossed in researching a white paper on supernatural phenomena from the past century in Meru. DJ had his own reasons for the reduced hangouts. They would occasionally meet properly, primarily during gym sessions and classes.
Soon, Holo began to feel the absence of his friends. However, he found solace in a new companion to alleviate his loneliness: his online friend from the Faceless app. Initially, his conversations with Dora were infrequent, but gradually, they became a regular occurrence. Unbeknownst to Holo, Dora was, in fact, Aria, and Aria remained oblivious to the fact that Luffy, her online friend, was Holo.
One night, they found themselves engrossed in conversation once more.
Luffy: Do you use this app often?
Dora: Yeah, I prefer it over traditional social media.
Luffy: Any particular reason?
Dora: I think people can speak more truly if they don't feel being judged by others. Being anonymous nowadays gives us the liberty to be our true selves
Luffy: I guess you are right
Luffy: By the way, why do you like trekking so much?
Dora: My upbringing—raised by a passionate trekker.
Luffy: Ah, got it!
He ended it with a laughing emoji
Luffy: Do you like anything else besides trekking?
Dora: I enjoy traveling and experimenting with new dishes wherever I go.
Holo responded with two laughing emojis.
Luffy: With your interests, you'd make a fantastic travel vlogger.
Dora: And what about you? Besides trekking?
Luffy: Hanging out with friends, playing various sports, and maybe even chatting with strangers.
He ended it with a wink emoji.
Aria responded with some laughing emojis.
The previous time, Holo had been the one smiling unconsciously, but this time, both had smiles on their faces. They continued chatting for a while before heading to bed that night. The pattern repeated, with Holo initiating the chat every night and Aria actively engaging. They discussed various casual topics, yet neither of them felt the need to unveil their true identities.
Eventually, they began chatting during the day as well, with conversations starting with their shared interests and stretching on for hours. Despite the lack of face-to-face interaction, they found joy in each other's company through words.
More than three weeks had passed since their first encounter on Faceless, yet all they knew about each other were their likes and dislikes. One night, Holo decided to bring up something that had been on his mind for a while.
Luffy: Do you want to exchange phone number?
Dora: Nope
Luffy: How about other social media accounts?
Dora: Still nope.
Luffy sent multiple astonished emoji.
Luffy: To be honest, I'm starting to doubt whether I'm talking to a girl or a guy.
He finished it with a disappointed emoji.
Dora: Why does it matter to you?
Luffy: Because I enjoy talking to you, and after all this time, I still don't know anything about the real you.
On the other side, Aria sighed as she read Holo's serious text. After a moment's pause, she replied.
Dora: To be honest, you're among the very few people in the world with whom I can be myself.
Dora: I also enjoy our conversations.
Luffy: If that's the case, then let me confess something.
Luffy: I think I've developed feelings for you.
Luffy: Have you been feeling the same?
Aria replied after a brief pause.
Dora: I'm not sure about what feelings you are getting, but yes I like to chat with you.
Luffy: Romantic feelings.
Dora: What if I turn out to be an older person or a guy?
Luffy: At this moment, it doesn't matter.
Luffy: Maybe my feelings will shift to a platonic connection once I meet you in person, but they'll still be strong.
Aria responded after a moment.
Dora: Dude, you're making our conversations difficult for me.
Luffy: Sorry about that.
Luffy: Can you at least tell me your real name?
Dora: My real name is…