Why are you playing by yourself?

 

All the adults who saw me alone would ask this question. In response, I would timidly say, “It’s because playing alone is fun.”

 

However, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

 

From childhood, I was a lonely child who rarely went outside to play. My parents were the heads of a large corporation, essentially making me the heir to a rich and powerful throne. Due to being the successor, the eyes around me were always greedy or malicious.

 

All of my “friends” at school were never genuine, rather choosing to insult me in private. Home was no better, as my parents only wanted to raise me financially, not emotionally. Eventually, both sides of my life became too stressful, causing me to become more timid and anxious.

 

Slowly but surely, my mental state started to decay. The world looked dull and bleak, colorless as always I would say. To escape from this reality, I started playing video games on my computer after seeing an online advertisement that caught my attention.

 

[Wild Realms] was the name of the game that I was playing. It was a standard MMORPG game that included a very in-depth character creator. Since I wanted an escape from the real world, my character looked nothing like me, as I opted for a more bold look.

 

Instead of my short blond hair and shy green eyes, my character had dazzling, long red hair and sharp, crimson eyes. In the game, I wasn’t Kaguya Hinamori, I was Kamori. Maybe it was because of escapism, but I quickly grew addicted to this game and spent countless hours on it.

 

Even then, my skill wasn’t exactly up to par with the other players. Despite spending numerous hours on the game, I was still stuck on the first required dungeon. The boss was just too hard, causing me to be stuck in the last room of the dungeon for months.

 

For a while, I thought I was going to be stuck at this part forever. That was, until I met him.

 

His name was Zakito.

 

A max-level player who had serious PvP skills and a crazy amount of endgame items. He was a big man with luscious golden hair, ripped abs, and a mischievous smile. There wasn’t anyone who didn’t know of his name.

 

One day, I encountered him fishing by the side of a river. There was no one else there but him, so I decided to greet him.

 

[Kamori]: Hello!

 

[Zakito]: Hi. Wanna fish 2gether?

 

[Kamori]: Okay, but why fishing?

 

[Zakito]: It’s relaxing. Nice and quiet atmosphere. Beautiful scenery. Give it a try.

 

I was a little confused because not many people liked fishing in this game, including me, but I still wanted to give it a chance. 

 

As we cast our lines into the virtual river, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of calm wash over me. The gentle sound of water, the rustling of leaves, and the serene scenery created a tranquil atmosphere unlike any I had experienced before.

 

As we waited for a bite, Zakito shared stories of his adventures in the game, his strategies for defeating tough bosses, and his love for exploring every corner of the virtual world. His passion was infectious, and for the first time in a long while, I found myself genuinely enjoying someone’s company.

 

Hours passed as we fished and chatted, and before I knew it, the sun was setting on the horizon, casting a warm glow over the landscape. With a contented sigh, I realized that I hadn’t felt this at peace in a long time.

 

As we packed up our gear and bid farewell, I found myself looking forward to our next fishing trip. And as I logged off the game and returned to the real world, I couldn’t shake the feeling of gratitude for Zakito and the unexpected joy he had brought into my life.

 

Fortunately for me, I met him again the next day. Then, the next and the next and the next. We started hanging out more and going on adventures together.

 

Years passed, and I was no longer stuck at the first dungeon. Now, I was in the same clan as Zakito and clearing the newest content available. Even my personal life became better and less depressing.

 

After entering high school, I had an entire makeover, redefining myself as the cool, beautiful princess of the school. Most of the girls were friends with me, and many guys confessed to me as well. However, I didn’t accept any confessions and set a small invisible wall between me and everyone else.

 

Only Zakito would be allowed to get that close to me. We were much closer now than we were a few years ago, but that was a problem in itself.

 

I was in love with him.

 

It’s embarrassing to say that I fell in love with someone over a video game, but that didn’t matter. I didn’t love Zakito, I loved the person behind Zakito. His calm and gentle personality, funny jokes, and captivating stories stole my heart.

 

During our time together, I learned he was the same age as me and lived a few cities over from where I lived. This made me feel elated, as it felt like I could see him anytime I wanted. However, my heart was in disarray.

 

Despite our growing bond in the virtual world, I hesitated to reveal my true identity to Zakito. Fearful of rejection and unsure if our connection would translate outside of the game, I kept my feelings hidden.

 

Nevertheless, fate had other plans.

 

One day, Zakito logged onto the game and played as he normally did, but his behavior was definitely off. He would consistently daydream and be slow to reply. Worried about his condition, I asked him what was wrong.

 

[Zakito]: I reunited with my first childhood friend recently, but my other childhood friend has been acting weird.

 

[Kamori]: How so?

 

[Zakito]: She’s been acting really spoiled and clinging to me more often.

 

[Kamori]: …

 

Something snapped inside of me.

 

Immediately, I logged off and contemplated my options. I could lose Zakito to another girl, or…

 

I could take him for myself.

 

After all, what’s the use for all this money and power if I can’t use it for my own desires?

 

So, that’s exactly what I did.

 

With my family’s power and riches, I hired several investigators to find Zakito based on the limited information I had of him. It took a while, but I eventually got the results I wanted.

 

Haruto Renzaki.

 

A 16-year-old second year male at Sakurazaka High. First childhood friend, Shizuku Shirakawa. Second childhood friend, Sakura Satou.

 

Parents are currently overseas, which was a shame because I wanted to introduce myself.

 

Well, it can always wait until later.

 

After all, I’ll be by his side for a very long time.

 

“Isn’t that right, my dear Haruto?”