"You got the goods?" I asked as silently as I could, being extra careful not to let anyone overhear. The hotel room is not soundproof after all.

 

“Do you really have to be this discrete?” Rana stared at me, unamused.

 

“Of course. There's no way I'm taking chances of anyone finding out about this."

 

I was in a bit of high spirits after talking with Chu. I think it made me a lot closer to him after he opened up. Wait, it's better than that, have I possibly made another friend?! It seems that I'm on a roll lately so much so that I'm making a bunch of friends.

 

Following my conversation with him, I decided to pay a visit to Rana's room. I intended to bug her a bit as retribution for all the times she had teased me. But mainly just, to collect the reward she had promised me.

 

“Even with your mature act, you seem childish now that I get to know you better,” she stared at me, a bit entertained by my actions.

 

“How rude. I am mature for my age. Well, I think I'm more mature than you at least,” I rebuked.

 

“Of course~ If you say so.”

 

It might be just me, but I can act without being on guard around her. Maybe because she already knows personal things about me that other people don't... or probably because she is just that good at letting people let their guard around her because of her antics. It also helps that she doesn't seem like a bad person. Sly, and manipulative sometimes for sure, but not maliciously evil, maybe even a bit kind-hearted if I'm being honest.

 

After shuffling through her belongings, she took something from her purse and gave it to me. “Here you go as promised~ another cute picture of Liz from when we went to a carnival once. But I have to say, it appears that you do have a soft spot for these kinds of things. Initially, I thought I might have been wrong in my assumptions, but it turns out that my guess on your hobbies was on point.”

 

“This is simply what good friends do, and I'm just being an exemplary friend to Liz. My only intention in collecting her pictures is to know more about my close friend and the environment she was raised. That's the sole reason behind my actions, nothing more," I countered as I placed the photo in my pocket, tucked away safely for me to treasure forever.

 

She gave me a solemn look.

 

“...You didn't have a lot of friends growing up, did you?”

 

What are you even implying by that?! And also please stop looking at me with pitying eyes!

 

“Anyway, I'm going back now that I got what I came for,” I said as I went for the door.

 

Besides, she seems tired from the trip earlier. I'll let her rest for now since she still has to drive us tomorrow to the venue.

 

After opening the door and stepping out of the room she finally spoke out.

 

“Alright, good night~ Don't be too loud though so you won't disturb the other guests. Also, be gentle with Liz, she's still inexperienced after all.”

 

I looked at her in disbelief and saw her give me her usual playful smile.

 

"Wha- wha---- what are you even implying?!" I exclaimed.

 

“Oh my~ I mean, you both are at that age where you two get... curious, right? So, enjoy the night~!" she teased as she closed the door on me, leaving me standing in the hallway... stunned.

 

My mind was racing thinking of the possibilities of why she said those words. Is she telling me Liz has plans for me tonight?! Is she implying that Liz swings that way?! Cause I sure don't though... right?

 

Wait, Kat, that is just one of her antics. Don't let her get through you. She's just messing with you. Yes, that's more plausible given her personality so don’t think about it too much.

 

I walked slowly to my... our shared hotel room with my mind going overdrive. I didn't know how long it took. I was so lost in deep thought about what Rana had said and the potential implications that I found myself completely unaware of the passing time. Eventually, I arrived at my intended destination without even noticing it.

 

I stood in front of the room for a while. After gathering my courage, I hesitantly flashed my hotel key card to unlock the room. After that, I slowly opened the door. Inside, what I saw was a sight for sore eyes. Liz in her nightwear, the novelty of it all has me speechless, and what Rana had said earlier echoed through the depths of my mind.

 

"Oh, you're finally back! You took so long that I was getting worried. I was about to look for you since you forgot to bring your phone," her words brought me back to reality.

 

“U-uh, S-sorry, my bad..." I replied, unable to form any concrete thoughts while trying my best to hide my embarrassment by not looking at her directly.

 

I walked towards the double bed while simultaneously taking off my high-heeled shoes and then plopped myself in the clean fabric headfirst, extra careful to hide my reddening face in the comfort of the soft pillow.

 

Wait, Kat, you're overthinking things again. I already know that Rana is just messing with me. She is probably laughing out loud in her room with how effective her words were. Calm down, breathe in... breathe out.

 

“Aren't you going to take a shower?” she queried.

 

What?! So that you can take advantage of me while I'm bathing?! How bold!

 

“I'll take one tomorrow, I'm kind of tired so I'll just sleep for now,” I reasoned.

 

“Okay... but are you not going to change into your sleeping attire?”

 

What?! So that you could take advantage of me while I'm changing?! How bold!

 

“I- no, I want to sleep wearing this. It is more comfortable for me," I lied.

 

“Oh, okay. you do seem pretty exhausted from the trip. I'll turn off the lights then so you can rest.”

 

True to her words, she turned off all the lights in the field of my vision. The ambiance of the dark room adds to the feeling of nervousness that has been growing ever since Rana planted the idea in my head.

 

Liz, after turning all the lights, went to the other side of the double bed... right next to me. As she settled down, I could hear her breathing, indicating that she was facing my side of the bed and was very close to me at that. How can I possibly sleep now with this kind of atmosphere!?

 

...

...

...

...

...

…

 

I didn't know for how long I lay there frozen in place. I was extra cautious, making sure to control my breathing and avoid any sudden movements as if hiding from a predator. Time seemed to pass, though I couldn't be bothered to keep track. It could have been ten minutes or maybe even twenty. However, my attention was immediately captured when I heard Liz murmur next to me.

 

"Kat, you still awake?" she whispered in a low voice, extra careful to not wake me up if I was really asleep.

 

Why is she even asking? Then realization struck as if a lightbulb suddenly brightened up my clouded and weary mind.

 

Don't tell me... is she waiting for me to fall asleep before she does something... naughty? How bold!?

 

My brain goes overdrive, faster than the fastest supercomputer in the world, to the point of short-circuiting in my attempt to calculate all of the possible cons and pros of ignoring her and just faking my sleep. After a short while, I finally decided to reply. "...Yes, the bed is a bit too hard for me, I can't fall asleep."

 

And also, you're too close! Please give me some space here!

 

"I see... can't sleep either, huh." she paused for a second then as if hesitating, she continued. "Then... want to do something fun?”

 

The heck?! We can't Liz! We're still too young for this! That is only reserved for someone you will marry in the future!!!

 

Hold on Kat, you're overthinking things again. This is all that witch's fault! Calm down, I'm sure I'm just making a huge mistake on your assumptions again. Let’s ask directly from the source. I’m positive she doesn’t mean it that way.

 

"S-something fun?" I asked to clarify what was on her mind.

 

"Uh-huh, you know, something... something to tire ourselves to sleep..." she said in a soft voice.

 

For the love of! That's not helping at all! Stop being overly vague and spit it out already!

 

"L-like what, exactly?" I gulped, a bit hopeful and nervous at the same time as I waited for her reply.

 

"Something like a pillow fight maybe?" she asked as innocently as possible, leaving me dumbfounded by her words.

 

I immediately turned to face her, the darkness of the room hiding her expression. I then gave her a karate chop in the head.

 

“Ow! What was that for? Don't you like pillow fights? I know it sounds childish, but it could be fun if you give it a try! My friends and I used to do it when we had sleepovers back then,” she defended herself.

 

“Please just go to sleep.”

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Liz’s PoV

 

As I sit in the passenger seat of the car, the open road stretches out ahead in a never-ending river of asphalt. The sun is shining, casting a warm glow on the landscape as we drive through scenic routes.

 

The music reverberates through the car, filling it with infectious energy. The rhythm and melodies harmonized with the sound of the engine, creating an exhilarating symphony. My cousin Rana hummed along to the tune. It is one of her favorite bands playing after all so I don’t blame her.

 

“I still think Dex builds need a buff,” Kat voiced her biased opinion.

 

“Why? It seems strong enough already, especially if the user is proficient at dealing critical strikes,” Chu countered.

 

“Not good enough. It doesn’t give extra bonuses like Strength which increases your in-game power or Int which gives skill points for proficiency in casting spells. Low-level players and newbies won’t benefit much from Dex unless they master hitting their opponent’s weak points,” Kat debated.

 

My focus shifted to my two friends chatting for a while in the back seat. They seem… different today, more familiar with each other compared to when we usually play together.

 

I'm genuinely curious about how they became close this fast. Just yesterday, they seldom exchanged words with each other for the whole ride. What could have caused this sudden change?

 

It honestly makes me feel a bit left out…

 

Wait Liz what are you thinking? It's great to see my teammates getting along, especially considering that both of them are usually quiet individuals. As the team captain of Paradigm, I should definitely celebrate this positive development for our squad.

 

Looking far ahead, I caught a glimpse of a gas station in the middle of the road. As we passed by a gas station with a convenience store attached to it, Rana pulled over for a quick stop.

 

“I’ll just go buy something. You kids behave while I'm gone, alright? ~” Rana teased, mostly targeted at Kat.

 

After saying her piece, she stepped out of the car and made her way toward the convenience store.

 

“As if we need you to watch over us,” Kat murmured to herself in a barely audible voice, probably a bit irritated at being called a kid.

 

The two of them then proceeded to continue their conversation about stat builds and patch predictions about the game after Rana left.

 

“I’m going to stretch my legs for a bit, Kat, want to come with me?” I interrupted them.

 

Wait, I shouldn’t have done that, I should have left them alone to bond more, but I just instinctively called to Kat.

 

“Sure, I’ll come with,” she agreed.

 

“How about you Chu? Wanna come?” Kat asked out of nowhere.

 

Chu pondered for a moment before glancing at me for a quick second as if searching for a reaction or something. Is there maybe something on my face?

 

“...I'll just stay here,” he politely declined.

 

Kat nodded at him and then went out of the car. I followed suit.

 

As we walked towards the gas station, I analyzed her. The skin around her eyes looks puffy and a bit swollen as if it's struggling to hold up the weight of exhaustion.

 

She seemed tired. Could it be that she had trouble sleeping last night? Perhaps she's not accustomed to the hotel bed. Judging by her usual high-class furniture at her place, it seems that the standard hotel bed wouldn't meet her expectations. It’s kind of funny how she hides that fact to not appear childish in my eyes.

 

“You seem distracted. What are you thinking of?” she curiously asked, bringing me back to the present.

 

“Oh, I was just thinking of you,” I teased.

“H-huh? Stop being weird or I’ll leave you behind,” she countered as she turned her head away while speeding up to get ahead of me towards the convenience store.

 

I smiled at her response. She always does that whenever she wants to hide her embarrassment from me.

Being around her is so much fun! I kind of understand now why Rana likes to tease people she wants to be close with. It seems that we are in fact related after all.