After leaving the Service Club, Shin returned home, dropped his bag by the bed, and sat at his desk, turning on his computer.
Homework could wait—gaming came first.
Shin was currently into an online RPG, a standard Japanese RPG with a slow pace. Shin wasn't picky, though.
The moment he logged in, a private message popped up.
Rescue Angel: "Hey, Zuke! Are you up for a raid this Saturday? It's the new high-difficulty one."
Yes, Shin's in-game name was Zuke, which he also used as his username when he entered "Infinite Horror VR."
Usernames are like habits; once you get used to one, you tend to reuse it across platforms. So, if you ever see "Zuke" around, it might just be Shin.
Zuke: "Got plans this Saturday, can't make it."
Shin quickly messaged back to "Rescue Angel" that he was busy Saturday.
Since he'd promised Yukinoshita, he'd keep his word, though he'd rather be gaming.
Rescue Angel: "What? You, busy on a Saturday? A miracle! Not a date, is it?"
"Rescue Angel" was even more of a shut-in than Shin. While he mostly stayed home on weekends, this player was online nearly 24/7.
Supposedly a girl, though Shin wasn't sure; anyone online could claim to be anything.
Zuke: "Not a date, but I might spend the whole day watching others date…"
He sighed. He and Yukinoshita, two singles, spending the weekend helping a couple—just felt odd.
Rescue Angel: "That sounds like a weird hobby... Can you do Sunday instead?"
Apparently content with Shin's vague explanation, Rescue Angel moved on to suggesting Sunday.
It was true that Shin typically gamed all weekend, so Sunday seemed open.
Unfortunately, just yesterday that would have worked. Now, thanks to the Service Club, Yukinoshita had also booked his Sunday.
Zuke: "I'm busy Sunday too…"
Rescue Angel: "What!? Are you turning into a normie?!"
Clearly, Rescue Angel had assumed they were cut from the same shut-in cloth.
Zuke: "It's just some personal stuff. Not everyone is online 24/7 like you, you know?"
Rescue Angel: "How rude! I do leave the house for school."
Zuke: "You're still in school?"
Shin was surprised to learn this. He'd assumed she spent all day gaming.
Apparently... she might just be a chronic late arrival and early leaver.
Rescue Angel: "As long as it's not a date. All the decent players I know drop out as soon as they get a girlfriend."
Rescue Angel wasn't worried about his situation out of any special feelings, purely for his gaming skills.
Zuke: "True, but still, that sounds harsh…"
Rescue Angel: "I'm just saying—if you ever really want a date, I might help you out."
Zuke: "Pretty confident in calling yourself cute, huh?"
For all the raids they'd done together, this was the most he'd heard her talk.
Rescue Angel: "I'm not exaggerating. Back home, I was called a once-in-a-lifetime beauty."
Zuke: "What, are the people there all ancient spirits?"
Zuke didn't take it seriously. Online, anyone can claim anything.
Zuke: "Anyway, I'm busy this weekend. Let's raid next week."
Rescue Angel: "Fine. If you're out, I can't find enough teammates anyway. Good time to go to my job, I guess."
Zuke: "You have a job?"
Rescue Angel: "My allowance is tight; it barely covers my gaming expenses, so I got a part-time job… though I haven't gone in ages."
Zuke: "The fact you still have the job is a miracle. That boss must be a saint."
From this conversation, Shin could practically picture this player's lifestyle—late to school, obsessed with online games, being absent from work…
No, the more I think about it, the more I feel that this girl is a useless person.
To be Continued…
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(T/N: Guys, this fiction has a slow start, and some folks might find it boring, but trust me, this is a literal masterpiece. The fiction has 700+ Chapters, it is a multiversal fic(MC going into different verses), and it is one of the highest-rated fics on Faloo ever. Faloo is a platform like Qidian(the Chinese equivalent of Webnovel). All works on Faloo are paid, and the top brass of writers get to post on Faloo, so stick with the story! You guys won't be disappointed!)