3|AKI
799 Words
The moment I stepped into my apartment, I kicked off my shoes with a groan, letting them thud against the wall. My tie was already half-undone, my shirt wrinkled from another soul-sucking day at the office, and my hair was probably sticking up in every direction like I’d been electrocuted.
Another day survived.
Barely.
I flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling as the last of the daylight bled through my curtains. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I ignored it. The only thing I wanted right now was to disappear into Eternal Horizon and forget that Akiyama Shun even existed.
With a sigh, I rolled over and fired up my laptop.
The game loaded as I stepped in, other characters greeted me. The familiar weight of my character’s armor settled around me like a second skin, and for the first time all day, I breathed.
Then—
>> Private Message Received: Sashimimi
A smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it. I’m f*****g tired to even argue at this point that I actually smiled.
[Sashimimi]: EMBER-SAN! ♡ YOU’RE ONLINE!
[Sashimimi]: Join the guild:333
Her avatar materialized beside me in an explosion of sparkles, her silver hair bouncing as she spun in a circle. She was wearing a new outfit today—a flowing white dress with golden embroidery, her bow slung over her shoulder like she was some kind of celestial archer.
[EmberSythe]: You look ridiculous.
[Sashimimi]: RUDE! She pouted, her cheeks puffing out.
[Sashimimi]: I’ll have you know this is the latest fashion in Luminara!
[EmberSythe]: Since when do you care about fashion? You can’t even shoot straight.
[Sashimimi]: EXCUSE YOU, I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW I HIT A TARGET ONCE!
[EmberSythe]: The target was a tree. And it was behind the enemy.
[Sashimimi]: …Okay, fine, but it was a really big tree!
I snorted, shaking my head. She was impossible.
[EmberSythe]: What do you want, Sashi?
She gasped dramatically, clutching her chest.
[Sashimimi]: Join the guild!
[EmberSythe]: No.
[Sashimimi]: Aww, you’re no fun! She stuck her tongue out at me, then suddenly perked up.
[Sashimimi]: Anyways, I was thinking we could run the new dungeon together!
[EmberSythe]: You mean the one with the boss that one-shots anyone below level 80?
[Sashimimi]: …Maybe?
[EmberSythe]: You’re level 52.
[Sashimimi]: But I have spirit! And also… She reached into her inventory and pulled out a glowing blue potion.
[Sashimimi]: …this super rare HP restore I totally didn’t steal from the guild bank.
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
[EmberSythe]: You stole from the guild?
[Sashimimi]: Borrowed! She grinned.
[Sashimimi]: With every intention of returning it! Probably!
[EmberSythe]: You’re a menace.
[Sashimimi]: But I’m your menace! She batted her eyelashes at me, her voice turning sweet.
[Sashimimi]: Please, Ember-san? I’ll be good!
I sighed.
I was going to regret this.
“A menace I can do without,” I grumbled, my fingers already hovering over the “decline’ button.
Honestly, Sashi. It was like she had a personal vendetta against my peace and quiet. Every time I logged in, it was a guaranteed assault on my senses. Sparkles, over-the-top outfits, nonsensical arguments – it was a whirlwind of digital chaos. And that voice… that high-pitched, incessant yapping that bounced around my skull like a stressed-out chihuahua trapped in a tin can.
[Sashimimi]: Come on, Ember-san! she pleaded, her avatar doing a little jig. “It'll be fun! Think of the loot! The glory! The potential for me to spectacularly fail and provide you with comedic relief!”
I paused, the “decline” button momentarily forgotten. There was a certain morbid fascination to watching Sashi in action. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion, except the train was made of glitter and poor decision-making.
[EmberSythe]: You realize this dungeon has a reputation for being a complete and utter bloodbath for lower-level players, right?
I typed, trying to inject some semblance of reason into the situation.
[EmberSythe]: The boss, ‘Dread Revenant’, literally melts faces off with a single AOE. And you are currently sporting a health bar that looks suspiciously like a half-eaten cookie.
Her avatar suddenly stopped jigging. Her silver hair, usually bouncing with unrestrained glee, seemed to droop ever so slightly. A sigh, I imagined, escaped her lips.
“Okay, okay,” she admitted, her tone a little subdued. “Maybe the ‘spectacularly fail’ part is a tad more likely than usual. But! I have a plan!”
My eyebrow twitched. Sashi’s “plans” were usually on par with a squirrel trying to negotiate a peace treaty with a hawk. They involved a lot of flailing and an immediate descent into utter pandemonium.
[EmberSythe]: Do go on
This was going to be a long evening.
- Writer
