Started by the Pen

"A Game with Emotion"

Games can change everything in a moment. It’s been a while since that moment happened. She’s a clumsy one—I always find myself picking up her pen whenever she drops it, which happens more often than I expected.

Today is a busy day, not just for us but for the teachers too. During times like this, when we have vacant periods, my friends and I usually pass the time playing mobile games. But today, we discover something unexpected—most of our girl classmates play the same game as us, including her.

Excitement fills the air as my friends eagerly invite them to join us in a match later when we all get home. Before the conversation ends, I can’t stop myself—I turn to her and ask if she’d like to play with me too.

Doubts creep into my mind even before she answers. She’ll probably say no. But then, she smiles and says, "Okay, let’s play some matches later."

At that moment, I feel so alive that I can’t stop smiling all the way home. I tell myself it’s just a game, just a normal interaction like I’ve had with others before. But this time, it feels different. I’ve played with girls before, yet somehow, playing with her makes me nervous. And no matter how much I try to brush it off, I can’t ignore the way my heart reacts.