My Virtual Lover

Live 27: Accidental First Date Offer

The Crimson Group is formed with Tempesta as the leader, her group popularity spreads over every corner of Holorealm. She’s known as the Game Freak Tempesta, the hurricanes that will send over anyone to hell if she finds them speaking ill of games in general. She despises people who pretend to be a gamer but only play mobile games, it’s shameful for her.

Tempesta values games more than anything else, her self-worth is found in games. Even if she’s depressed, Tempesta always thinks of her games before her death. It is as if her life’s cord is decided by the games she currently wants to play. As an audience and a friend, that part of her worries Kevin quite a bit.

However, he’s just an online friend and nothing more. She doesn’t mind the glare and gossips about her brash attitude, she just wants to stay away from dramas and complicated problems. Kevin likes her attitude, similar to his views on Holorealm as well. He wouldn’t want to involve himself in another unimportant problem that happens in social media.

His daydream about Tempesta then cut short with the voice in his headphones blaring, calling his name repeatedly like a broken radio.

“Kevin Darius! Is anyone with the name Kevin Darius is here!?” a voice speaks up. “I swear kids these days never listen”.

“Here” Kevin answers in a hurry. “Sorry, ma’am for not replying”.

Kevin apologizes to the old female teacher as she keeps calling the university students’ names in turn. The young man fixes his glasses, paying attention to the online classes explanation. The nerd is yawning as the lecturer explains about mathematic quotation for the design, measuring room width, and anything related to that.

He was hoping that offline lessons available soon, he feels as if his studies were left behind because of the constant distraction of his niece in his uncle’s house. Kevin blushes when he remembers his niece speaking to Professor Danny about how she loves her barbie doll, his classmates laugh at him for his nephew’s intrusion.

Thankfully, Professor Danny isn’t as mean as Student Lecturer Rina. Still, it is something that he wishes it won’t repeat. He keeps glancing at the door behind him, wishing that his nephew is still asleep at this hour. It’s still morning, the online class starts at eight; hence she should be in bed rather than interrupting him.

“Kevin Darius! Answer problem number one!” the lecturer calls his name yet again. “I hope you’re prepared with an answer”.

Kevin was too absorbed in his own thoughts to even know what’s the answer, he doesn’t even know what’s the first question is all about. His stutters and uncertainty in his tones show that he is not prepared with an answer. Disappointment plasters on the lecturer’s expression, she clicks her tongue and continues asking another student instead.

Kevin apologizes as he listens to the boring lecture through his rusty laptop once more. He wonders if the duel will be afoot as she promises, Tempesta is an interesting person to hang out with. He finds himself wondering about Tempesta’s real-life name and true persona. She’s a gem hidden between the mud.

He would love to tease him in real life, the personification of a true gamer girl. However, he’s somewhat wary that the girl she befriends is much older than him. Tempesta thinks like a depressed adult, what she cares about is her career and income whenever she hears her complain to him.

It was admirable that the girl works so hard to achieve her dream as a Vtuber, he wouldn’t have thought to see a girl who is so enthusiastic with games as much as he does. He often dreams about the girl avatar in his mind even when he’s asleep. The man finds himself comfortable with the girl to talk about.

“I can’t wait to play with her tomorrow” Kevin smiles as he looks at the screen of his cell phone.

He waits for the notifications of her chat to show up, he knows that both of them are into each other. They’ve been flirting with each other these days, he wants to know her more; his curiosity is piqued.

* * *

“Alright, class is over! Don’t forget to do your homework!” the lecturer sighs heavily. “I don’t want to hear any one of you make an excuse during the pandemic!”.

With that, the lecturer ends the class swiftly, Kevin then goes to the Discord server to hang out in the music server where he listens to the music while reading or doing homework. He just needs to input a command in the server chat to play the playlist in his Spotify. Not long after, the sound of a jingle bell rings in his ear.

It was a small notification, but he knows that someone is entering his voice channel room. He checks the username and realizes the user who just decides to hang out with him. It’s none other than the girl he waits for the whole day. Tempesta greets him in a friendly gesture, asking him about his college and homework.

It was a general talk, but the girl barely shares information about herself.

“I remembered when I was still in university, homework is something else” she sighs heavily. “I remember losing my sleep and being ill for a few days! The next thing I knew I’m already fainted on the university ground! Diagnosed with an illness called Pancreatitis”.

“Wait, you’re what?” Kevin raises his eyebrows. “That’s a dangerous illness, right? Geez, don’t joke about it”.

Kevin is somewhat amused with Tempesta’s lighthearted personality after discussing such heavy topics. She then trails off to Kevin’s day, asking him how he’s been doing so far. Kevin answers with short words. He doesn’t want to look too bold for her, he’s holding his flirtation until she’s the one who gives him a cue.

“So how long are you into games?” she suddenly asks out of the blue. “Is that the only thing you like? Or is there something else?”.

Tempesta’s curiosity is visible for Kevin to see, he either has to oblige to her answer or play hard to get. He chooses the latter, teasing her that an older woman shouldn’t be so curious about a youngster’s life. She shouldn’t be so intrusive of someone’s life, his bluntness is on point. Not to mention, the nerdy weeb is starting to escape his comfort shell.

She’s a bit confused about what to answer, but the sound of her flustered tone is there for him to hear well. After a long pause between them, no conversation is on bound and they’re being distant yet again. It’s hard to approach her when he is quite introverted and closed-off as well.

A part of his heart wants to avoid being close to a woman before, not after the rejection he receives when he was younger. However, he’s starting to change his mind after he sees her stand in front of him with her sailor uniform and bloodshot eyes. Tempesta is an uncomplicated woman, someone who’s not going to stab him behind his back, that he’s assured.

“Say, are you close with your other online friends?” Tempesta asks nervously. “I’m just wondering why you’re inviting me in your private discord group to be honest”.

Of course, she would ask that; it was a strange declaration that escapes his lips.

“Do you want to join my discord group?” it was an abrupt decision on his part, as the discord admin of the Normies Server. The Normies Discord Server was created several years ago when he was a high schooler, it’s the group, a mixture of his online friends along with his real-life friends.

He already asks the other permission for Tempesta’s arrival, it’s scary how much he looks forward to seeing Tempesta lingering around her group. However, the news of her newly formed group has spread over Holorealm. The young man can’t help but wonder if she’s going to leave the discord server for another server.

“But she’s close with me, so there’s no way she would leave me for her own little group” he reassures himself. “Right? Unless I’m wrong”.

“Say, what do you and your online friends usually do in the discord server? Chatting and playing games together?” she sounds as if she’s interested in the server he created. “You’re the admin and all, so I was wondering if you know what your members usually do”.

His thoughts were cut by her constant question, but he loves hearing more questions from her. It shows that both of them are interested in each other.

“Well, we usually play games, chat, but no personal problems involved here” he comments. “I restrict any drama”.

“Then you’re also watching films too right? Are you interested in a movie?” Tempesta bombards him with another question, her jolly tone excites him more. “Do you guys watch movies too? Let’s watch something with the others if your friends are free”.

“That can do, how about now?” his questions yet again baffled the man himself, Kevin wouldn’t expect to be this blunt in asking someone.

“Now? That’s so sudden” Tempesta nods. “But what are we going to watch?”.

The girl is going along with him, he can’t help but feel somewhat joyful that she replies to his question with a ‘yes’. He silently raises his hand to the air, luckily they’re on calls instead of meeting in real life.

“Sure, what about the movie this at based on a fighting game? You know Mortal Kombat?” he asks her, holding down his excitement.

“Oh yeah, I know that” she nods. “Let’s watch it together then”.