My Virtual Lover

Live 14: Awkward Strangers

“Why is it that people like them pissed me off?” Jury crosses his arm as he sits on her office chair.

She leans on the leather-skinned chair while grunting at the two men who fought against her. Jury had her plates full with her job and parents, she doesn’t want to add more unnecessary problems in her life that involve online friends. The young woman only wants to have fun in Holorealm, not to involve herself in another drama.

She has online brothers and friends just because she’s bored, the young woman is secretly lonely as she looks for friends who understand her interest. Jury looks at the calendar on her desk, showing that she needs to wait for three more days to play with Kani. Her smile widens when she remembers Kani’s gentle words to her, he looks like her favorite Idol Kano.

Not to mention, their name is also similar in some ways. She can’t help but want to depend on Kani for his FPS skill, Jury is amused and admired his aggressive playstyle. APEX has been pretty popular these days due to its creative and competitive battle royale. She wants Kani to teach her the basics of APEX.

However, she had another issue she needs to address, hence it’s the client who asked for her help to redesign their cafe logo. The client asks her if she can help him with any promotion idea concerning his cafe. Jury remembers some of the lessons she was taught when she was a university student.

She gives it some thought whether she will be helping the man with his branding, adding an extra price for that though. Jury replies to the client’s email as professionally as she could, telling him that she can take care of it as long as the client is contented with adding an extra fee for that service.

It wasn’t long until she sent it, but she already received a fast reply from her client. Her client sounds enthusiastic, he doesn’t mind adding an extra price as long as it’s useful for the future of his cafe. Jury giggles a bit, reading the enthusiastic email of seemingly a young owner. She senses a change in the sender’s tone and language, it was as if the sender is a different person.

Perhaps, the sender asked someone to handle the email for him, the true owner. Judging from the previous email he sent, it was quite polite and reserved. However, the current sender had a more casual and friendly tone. Jury smiles at the email he sent, whoever sent it must have been a person who likes coffee a lot.

It looks like an addiction at that point, but she doesn’t mind reading his enthusiastic comment since it energizes her as well.

“Well, I’ll think of something for him then” she grins. “A slogan that fit his cafe”.

* * *

It was evening by that time, papers piling up on the floor with scribbles and writing. The clock almost hit eight and she has yet to have her evening shower. She browsed Pinterest images and other sources for inspiration, but nothing crosses her mind. Her father is already knocking on her bedroom door, telling her that the supper has been ready since half an hour ago.

Julius knocks softly again on the door, telling his daughter that the soup will get cold. Jury sighs heavily, telling him that she’ll be there soon for the third time. However, she’s not satisfied with the concept and design she did for the coffee shop. She feels like she needs to know more about the cafe’s history and interior decoration.

Jury emailed the client, requesting him to take photos of the cafe’s interior along with the history behind it. The sender replies almost immediately, he’ll take a picture before he closes the cafe later for her references. Jury is glad that the sender is replying to her quickly than before, she had an inkling that the current sender is younger than the previous one.

She stretches her arm upwards as she stands up from her seat, she gives up to her hunger as she walks sluggishly to the dining room. Julius has already finished his job as he chills in front of the television, watching culinary shows which only makes Jury hungrier than before. It appears the young woman has been holding her hunger.

She grabs a bowl of red soup, enjoying the slightly warm broth along with the savory taste. Indonesia’s culinary is indeed delicious, just like what the rumor said of Indonesian’s food spices are the best. Jury feels rather full from the soup, she returns to her room quietly after she thanked her father for the food.

She throws herself on the silky bed, the crimson fabrics graze her skin as she envelops herself in the blanket. The air conditioner made her feel cold, she rolls her body on the bed like a sushi roll. She is now in-between the blanket, somewhat dozing off due to the warmth sensation surrounding her body.

Her orange gaze glances at the window across her desk, the reflection of the city lights reflected on the window. She misses her home in London, she misses her mother who always smiles at her and caresses her hair. However, she’s been pretty stressed lately due to her difficult mission in reporting war crimes.

Her life is always in constant danger, she rarely goes home as her father does. Rather her father is good at chores and cooking, her mother on the other hand isn’t as bright as her father. She wishes to be like her mother, to be the truth seeker of a case but in a more investigative way.

Everyone might think it’s a foolish goal, but her childhood dream is to become a great detective like Sherlock Holmes. She glances at her bookcase which is full of Arthur Conan Doyle books, she wants to be a genius like Sherlock Holmes, and as witty as the British Detective. Her daydreaming had to be destroyed by another email beeping in her laptop, it was the client from before.

She didn’t notice how much time has passed, nighttime has clouded the sky in darkness. The full moon appears brightly in the sky, illuminating the city slightly despite the colorful cityscapes. The clock hits eleven by the time her daydream finishes, she glances at the picture the client attached in the email.

Good Cup’s cafe looks elegant and spectacular, she’s interested in visiting the wood-themed cafe. It looks rustic and wonderful for the eyes, the client also took pictures of their food and drinks. It is a dedication, Jury respects the fact that the client is more dedicated than the one who sent her email before.

She finally can picture something when she sees the clear cafe interior, the color brown and yellow is often sighted in the cafe interior. Especially, maple leaves since they’re using maple trees as their decoration, a fake one though. She smiles when she sees the warm vibe of the cafe, she thinks of an idea.

* * *

In Anthony’s dorm…

Anthony smiles when he reads the email from the graphic designer, she replies to him by telling him that she will work on it as soon as possible. The email puts a smile on Anthony’s face as he finishes his bath, refreshed from the warm shower. He’s still wearing a brown towel over his waist, exposing his rather flat tummy on display in the man-sized mirror.

Anthony barely eats anything to save his money to buy his favorite toaster for his small room. He wants to experiment more on his cooking and practice it in his dorm so that he can make a new recipe for the cafe. His aunt loves his initiative and curiosity to try something new, Anthony is an industrious person.

“I would make a thumbnail of the new logo along with the rebranding ideas that you want,” the email said that. “Please be patient while I’m working on it”.

“Sure, take your time” Anthony replies to the email, typing it jovially. “I would love to see the final result of your brainstorming! You see, I admire graphic designers such as you! I have a long-distance cousin who can do that, you guys are amazing”.

He pressed the ‘sent’ button in excitement, but then immediately regrets it after he rereads the email he just typed. Anthony is acting casually with the graphic designer as if they’re friends. He facepalmed himself, he texted the graphic designer in panic after he reads the content of his email.

“I apologize for my excitement, it’s been a while since I talk to someone! Please, forget I have ever said anything like this” Anthony texted the graphic designer shamefully while gritting his teeth in embarrassment.

He sits on his bed, still thinking of the previous actions he did, contemplating the fate of his cafe’s future for his lack of politeness in the email. Anthony is still on his towels, possibly contemplating about his job.

“My aunt won’t get angry for this, right?” he convinced himself, hoping that his aunt didn’t read the email he just sent.