—-Ryu—-
I glanced down at my digital wristwatch.
10:38 A.M.
My hand gripped tightly onto the overhead strap of the train as it rumbled along the tracks, the scenery outside a blur of city buildings, signboards, and flashes of sunlight.
Damn it. I was late.
We were supposed to meet at 10:30 sharp by the station entrance. Emilia was the type who'd show up on time, maybe even early. I silently hoped she hadn't been waiting long.
Pulling out my phone, I tapped open our chat from last night. The last message was her usual style, a bear sticker giving a confident thumbs-up, paired with our agreed meeting time. No new replies.
A few more minutes passed, and the train slowed to a halt. As soon as the doors opened, I stepped off and was met by the weekend crowd flooding the station—shoppers, families, students. I scanned the area as I walked, weaving through the bustle, trying to spot that unmistakable shade of blonde hair.
Nowhere in sight.
I made my way toward one of the large pillars near the middle of the station. It wasn't as crowded there, so I slung my bag to the front and quickly fired off a text.
[R: Where are you? I'm here at the station.]
Her reply came almost instantly.
[E: Go outside near the benches.]
[E: 🐻💪]
Of course. She even added a bear emoji flexing its arms.
I moved toward the station exit, pushing past the crowd and climbing the stairs to the outside.
And then, I saw her.
Emilia was sitting near the benches by the plaza. Her blonde hair caught the light effortlessly, making her stand out the way she always did. But what truly caught me off guard wasn't her presence.
It was how she looked.
She was dressed... incredibly well. A stark contrast to her usual hoodie-and-jeans vibe. I blinked, trying to process it. She looked completely different, but in a good way. A really good way.
She hadn't noticed me yet. Her eyes were glued to her phone, thumbs lazily scrolling as she leaned back against the bench. I walked over quietly and took a seat beside her.
She flinched slightly, startled, and then turned to me. Her eyes lit up with recognition.
"Ryu! At least say hi or something—you scared me for a second!"
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling my face warm. "Haha, sorry. You were staring at your screen and I didn't want to yell or anything."
My gaze drifted again, briefly to her outfit.
She was wearing a white summer dress that flowed just past her knees, its fabric light and airy. Puffed sleeves framed her shoulders, and a navy-striped knit cardigan was tossed loosely over them. A wide-brimmed black-and-white hat sat on her head, her golden hair spilling out underneath. And on her feet? Chunky white sneakers that somehow made the whole ensemble even more her.
She noticed my staring and smirked.
"What?" she asked, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Like my outfit?"
I froze. I tried to say something, anything, but my lips parted with no words coming out. I gave a small nod, unable to form a sentence. A faint blush dusted Emilia's cheeks. She looked away for a second, then turned back to me with a mischievous grin.
"First rule—always compliment a girl's outfit!"
"O-oh, right… uh, sure!" I stammered.
She tilted her head and gave a soft smile.
"Just picture Miss Yui's reaction when you do."
I nearly choked on air.
How was I supposed to respond to that? She was clearly enjoying herself, poking fun at me like usual. Still, I swallowed the embarrassment and managed to gather my thoughts. My fingers fidgeted slightly with the strap of my sling bag.
"…Your outfit… it looks good on you."
Her smile widened, and something about it changed. It wasn't teasing or smug, it was sincere. She looked genuinely happy to hear it.
"Thanks!" She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, her voice softening. "I was a little nervous about wearing this, but I'm glad you think it looks good."
That surprised me. Nervous? Emilia? She was usually the type to throw on anything and not care what others thought. But today… She stood up, lightly smoothing the skirt of her dress, and turned toward me with a gentle spin.
"Alright, where shall we go first on our mock date?"
"I, uh… I'm not really sure. Where do you want to go?" I replied, scratching the back of my neck sheepishly.
Emilia blinked at me, looking surprised. Her brows knit slightly.
"Huh? What do you mean you don't know? Didn't you plan anything?"
I looked away, pretending to examine the plaza like it was suddenly fascinating. "Umm… to be honest… no."
Her palm met her forehead with a light smack. "You're really hopeless, you know that?"
I flinched. That one stung, but… she had a point. I didn't grow up around many girls. I was practically a loner in grade school, and then middle school was spent at an all-boys academy. Romance? Dating? Planning dates? I was completely lost. I risked a glance at her. Why was I struggling so much? Emilia and I hang out all the time. This wasn't our first outing. But today… it felt different.
Suddenly, she reached out and placed her hand gently on my arm. I tensed slightly, startled by her touch.
She leaned in just a little, meeting my eyes directly.
"Hey. I know you're not used to this stuff, and that's okay…" she said, her voice calm and reassuring. "I'm here to help you out, alright? So stop stressing."
Her tone had shifted. No sarcasm, no teasing. Just genuine kindness.
I blinked in surprise. Emilia being gentle was… rare. But I could feel the warmth in her words. Maybe she really just wanted to help.
I gave a small smile. "Thanks, Emilia."
She smiled back, a subtle pink tint on her cheeks. "Mm-hm."
I took a slow breath and let my shoulders relax. Okay. I could do this.
"Alright, since it's still kind of early, maybe we should walk around first? See what catches our eye?"
I scanned our surroundings. It was a busy Saturday, and the city was alive with motion. Cafes and boutiques lined the sidewalks. A few families passed us by, and couples were headed in and out of shops.
Across the street stood a large, multi-level mall.
"How about that mall? Wanna check it out?"
Emilia perked up immediately. "Yeah! Let's go!"
She walked ahead, her steps light and full of bounce. Her blonde hair swayed with each movement, catching the sunlight. Even just walking, she drew attention without trying.
I followed a step behind her, trying to ignore the way my heart was doing weird flips.
As we entered the mall, a rush of cool air hit us. The scent of pastries, perfume, and fresh fabric from clothing stores filled the wide, polished hallways.
"Ah—!" Emilia suddenly exclaimed, stopping in her tracks.
I blinked. "What is it?"
"There's a PC shop here!" Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "And the prices look really decent! Come on, let's check it out!"
Before I could react, she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the store.
Rows of glowing monitors, high-end keyboards, gaming mice, and shelves stacked with accessories filled the space. Emilia was practically glowing, darting from one corner to the next.
It was classic Emilia. Energetic, enthusiastic, and completely in her element.
"I heard the new Great Theft Auto is coming out soon, so I want to check out what kind of PC setup can handle it—and a bunch of other games too!" she said, practically bouncing in place.
I smiled.
She's always loved games, just like Taishi and me. Even with her volleyball club and school stuff, she still managed to log on every night to grind quests and help us through dungeons.
And now that I thought about it, that's actually how we became close.
A MONTH AGO — THIRD DAY OF CLASSES
It was lunchtime. Taishi and I had brought packed bento boxes, so we didn't have to deal with the cafeteria lines. We were in full gamer mode, playing co-op on our phones. The battle was intense. Taishi was sweating buckets, his face contorted in concentration. Honestly, looking back, he looked like he was constipated.
"Ryu! Distract him, the fire's on me, you idiot!" Taishi barked.
"Just wait! I'm at 1HP! I'm waiting for my armor to regenerate! Just get behind cover—it's gonna fire lasers!" I shouted back.
"This is why I told you to use the Paladin—it's way better than the Knight!" he growled, frantically dodging lasers and bullet storms.
We were arguing loudly, completely unaware of our surroundings.
Then, someone suddenly appeared beside us.
"Ahhh! Is that Soul Dungeon?!" a voice exclaimed.
It was Emilia. She had wandered in with her friends, but clearly, our heated shouting had caught her attention. Her eyes sparkled with recognition, like she had just found kindred spirits.
Taishi groaned, slumping back in his chair.
"Oh, um… sorry for startling you two." she said with a small laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I got too excited."
"It's all good, Miss Campbell." I replied, smiling.
"So… you play Soul Dungeon too?"
Her face lit up.
"Yeah! I'd say I'm pretty good at it—I usually play after school."
Taishi perked up. "In that case, do you want to join us? Ryu's terrible at tanking. We've been stuck on the second stage boss forever."
"Hey! That's not true!" I fired back. "I'm the one taking all the hits!"
We argued for a while longer, but Emilia was just chuckling the whole time. Eventually, she joined us for a co-op run, choosing the Rogue class.
With her help, we blasted through more dungeon floors than ever before.
When the lunch bell rang and she stood to return to her seat, she waved at us brightly.
"Let's play again tonight!"
That was how it all began.