After breakfast, I went to the kitchen and prepared something for my sister to eat at school. She loves Japanese food, so I made her a bento box. Using the leftover rice from the fridge, I whipped up some fried rice with egg and added a side of fruit.
I grabbed a juice box and tucked $30 into her bag, just in case she wanted to buy something from the school cafeteria.
As for my brother, he's been acting all grown-up since our parents passed away three years ago. He refuses to eat anything I make for him, so instead, I just give him a weekly allowance of $700—enough to cover what he needs, including food at school.
Once everything was packed, I asked, "Alright, you guys ready? Let's get going."
I grabbed my car keys and noticed my brother rushing to his room to change quickly. My sister, on the other hand, was already dressed and ready. She's always obedient, unlike my brother. I sighed.
"You get to sit shotgun since he didn't get ready on time," I told her.
Her eyes lit up with excitement, and she squealed, "Yay! Brother, I get to sit shotgun!" She started running around me in celebration.
I laughed. "Go sit before he comes and takes your spot."
She froze for a second, then bolted toward the car, trying to open the door.
"Brother, the door's locked! Open it!" she called out.
I grabbed my key and pressed the button. The car lights flashed, and the doors unlocked.
By the time my sister climbed in, my brother was finally ready. I locked the house as he walked out.
Our house is massive—worth about $2 million. It has seven bedrooms, four bathrooms, two half-baths, a pool, and even a cinema. It's located in Perth, Australia, on the south side in a suburb called Cannington. We live about half an hour from school, and we own the entire 20-acre property.
I still don't fully understand how my father managed to acquire such a large piece of land, but I remember him saying it had been in our family for generations.
Apparently, this was the first piece of land my great-great-great-grandfather received when he came to Australia. Even if we were broke, this land couldn't be taken away from us because of its historical significance.
I walked to my car, started it, and let it run for a few minutes. It was cold this morning, so I figured I'd warm it up a bit before driving. After about five minutes, I pulled out of the driveway.
As I headed to school, my mind was racing. I had a lot on my plate, and the company needed to be up and running fast. I also had to get into VR headsets. Once the game launched, things were going to get crazy. I needed to be ahead of the game.
When the war hit, everything was going to change. The real world and virtual worlds would merge. The population would skyrocket with billions more people. I had to be ready for that.
I remember when the game first launched. People thought the NPCs were just NPCs, right? They were wrong. Those weren't just code running on a server. The NPCs were real people. All the stuff that worked in normal MMOs? That wasn't going to slide anymore.
The game wasn't just made by some company. It was built by the world itself, designed to defend the planet. People were going to get stronger, and the Earth was going to clean itself up. Pollution? Gone. It was like the world was resetting. I had to be prepared for that.
I must've gotten lost in my thoughts because my sister suddenly interrupted me.
"What's going on with you?" she asked, her voice light, like she could sense I was deep in thought.
"Nothing," I said, trying to shake it off. "Just thinking."
She wasn't buying it. "You always say 'nothing,' but you look like you're planning something big. Like... taking over the world or something."
I chuckled. "Maybe I am. Just gotta get ready for everything, you know?"
She rolled her eyes. "Sure, Mr. Serious. Just don't forget to have some fun, too."
I gave her a sideways look. "Yeah, yeah. I'll try."
We rode in silence for a while, but my mind was still racing. The company, the game, the future—it was all on my shoulders now. I couldn't afford to screw this up.
When we pulled up to the school, I glanced at my sister. "Focus today, alright?"
She just gave me a silly grin. "Of course. I'm a pro at this."
"Yeah, sure you are," I said, shaking my head.
She hopped out of the car, running toward her friends. I watched her for a moment, then turned the car back on and headed to my brother school.
Once I dropped my sister off, my brother quickly jumped out to sit in the front seat. I waited for my sister to get inside the school before I glanced at my brother.
"You still remember the promise you made this morning, right?" I asked.
He looked at me, clearly annoyed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. No more skipping, focus on school, blah blah."
I shot him an irritated look. "I'll also talk to your teachers, so they can keep me updated on your grades."
He sighed, but didn't argue. I started driving toward his school.
"So, what have you been doing lately? Any new hobbies?" I asked, trying to make some small talk.
He hummed and shrugged. "I've been playing this game called Black Desert Online lately. It's fun, but kinda pay-to-win."
I raised an eyebrow. "You know there's going to be a VR MMO coming out in the next 3 to 4 years, right?"
He blinked at me, surprised. Then, his eyes lit up before he quickly masked it with a skeptical expression. "That's not possible. VR games aren't anywhere near ready. It takes forever to make something that feels like real VR."
I chuckled. "Yeah, that's true. But I just wanted to give you a heads up. When it drops, I don't want you blaming me for not telling you sooner."
He seemed a bit disappointed, but didn't say anything more. We were already at his school.
"Alright, here we are," I said. "See you later. You coming home on your own, or do you need me to pick you up?"
"I'll come home myself," he replied. "See ya."