(Juwan's POV)
I sat on my bed, contemplating on what I did earlier.
She ran away as soon as the train stopped at her station. Ofcourse she would, why wouldn't she? I'm an idiot for getting carried away.
"Haa..." I flopped down on my bed, my hands covered my face as I remember her face from earlier.
Lovely Aerin.
The character I used to main on a gacha game, a girl who unknowingly wears her heart on her sleeves, someone who always overthink yet always moving forward anyways.
But now, she's real.
She's someone who I always talked to. At first, I did it out of survival and to test the waters in this world, making sure to make out conversation as short as possible. But last night, I realized that I've been genuinely fun talking to her.
[Have you forgotten?]
Suddenly, some unwanted memories resurfaced on my mind.
[You're unlovable, Juwan.]
"Fuck."
Right, at this point, I'm just a side character, a throwaway villain at best. I shouldn't hope for anything more other than friendship with her.
.
.
The next day comes as I arrived at school early. As usual, there's only one student who arrived earlier than me.
I walked towards her, trying to act normal after what I told her last night.
"Morning." I greeted her as normal as possible.
"Hmm? Morning..." She greeted back the best she can, fighting her sleepiness.
I walked towards her as her glasses starts to fall off her face. Seriously, this girl.
"Why did you come to school this early when you know you're still sleepy?" I asked her as I removed her glasses gently, folding it and putting it on her desk.
"Because if... if I sleep more then.."
"Then?"
"Then I won't wake up on time."
Before I realize it, my hand is already on her head, rustling her hair as she giggles.
"Ah-- my bad." I told her as she grabbed my arm.
"Don't stop." She said while pouting before closing her eyes again.
"Pfttt-- seriously. I'm not Cedric you know." I told her jokingly as I kept gently massaging her scalp.
"Ofcourse you aren't, you're Juwan."
I covered my mouth, preventing myself from smiling like a dumbass. She pulled me down, forcing me to sit on her desk while she leans her head on my arm.
Seriously she's so cute--
[You're unlovable, Juwan.]
I pulled my hand away from her head. I almost forgot, don't get attached, her main love interests are Cedric and Xavier. Besides, what I'm feeling is probably just infatuation.
"... So, how's the progress with confessing to Ced?" I asked her as she looked up at me.
Her face suddently contorted to a flustered expression as she realized what she's doing as she leans back away from my arm.
"Umm! Sorry Juwan, I was--!"
"You weren't fully awake?" I cut her off as I stop myself from laughing.
She looked at me, before giggling as she wipes her tears off of her face.
"Yes." She told me as she wore her glasses again.
"Don't worry about it." I told her as I found myself enjoying conversing with her again.
"Anyways, were you able to hangout with Ced yesterday?" I asked her again, her eyes focused on my face.
"No?" She said, tilting her head slightly.
"Why? It was your perfect chance to hangout with him?" I asked her despite knowing the answer.
"A-ah well, I was kinda busy a did some stuffs yesterday. And besides! I don't think I can hangout with them since I'm not that comfortable with his other friends since you're the only I'm familiar with and well... you have work after school." She said timidly as she giggles nervously while scratching her cheek.
"Damn." I uttered.
I checked my phone to see if there's anything I could do when I suddenly receive a message from Sir Gin.
'Don't come to the cafe today, it's a paid leave.' Thanks for the obvious plot device, Sir Gin.
"I-it's weird, I know." She suddenly said, making me look back at her.
"Hmm?" I looked back at her.
"Ah umm--! You suddenly went silent so I thought that... you found it weird.. or something." She told me, her anxiety showing.
"Not at all, no." I told her as I found myself smiling.
"Then why did you--"
"I just thought that if you feel uncomfortable without me there, then I'll tag along." I told her, her pink eyes lighting up as a smile formed on her face.
"But how about your work?" She asked, her expression suddenly turned into worry.
"I'll just tell my boss that I have to stay late at school." I told her, not telling the full truth that my boss already told me not to come.
"But--!"
"Don't worry about it." I told her as my hand lands on her head.
[Have you forgotten?]
Shut it.
I didn't pull my hand away, rustling her hair as the worry on her face disappeared.
"Okay... thanks, Juwan." She told me as her shoulders started to relax.
"Hands off, creep." Suddenly, a certain someone swatted my hand off Lovely's head.
"Well, good morning to you too." I sarcastically greeted the girl standing behind Lovely.
"S-Sonaia! Morning!" Lovely greeted her as well.
"Seriously Vely, you shouldn't let creeps touch you like that." Sonaia told Lovely as she look at me.
"Right? That's what I told her last night." I said as Sonaia's face contorted into this weird expression.
"What do you mean last night--?!"
"I-it's fine! Juwan isn't a creep anyways!" Lovely said as she grabbed tightly on my jacket, surprising both me and Sonaia.
Sonaia's jaw dropped before glaring at me as I gently shook my head. We both looked at Lovely who looks like a cute animal clinging on my jacket.
Sonaia massaged the bridge of her nose before letting out a sigh.
"Oh right, Cedric will probably ask me again to hangout with him later. Join us Shorty." I told Sonaia, teasing her about her height.
"Shorty?!" She exclaimed as she was prepared to hit me.
She stopped herself, she can't be violent in front of Lovely. She sighs, calming herself but her gaze is still sharp.
"I don't see the point of joining--"
I looked at her intensely before looking at Lovely then back to her as she realized what I'm trying to say. She massaged the bridge of her nose again before looking at the ceiling.
"Haa.. fine, I'll join." She told me, letting out a sigh as she looks at Lovely, whose eyes are beaming with excitement.
I raised my hand, giving Sonaia a thumbs up. She raised her middle finger as a response.
.
.
As the last class for today ends, I stretched my back and put my stuffs on my bag.
"God I didn't understand shit!" Cedric uttered as he yawns.
"Understand what?" I asked him as we both stand up.
"The lesson." He said, drinking water from his bottle before putting it back in his bag.
"Ah-- I stopped listening halfway through the class." I told him as I slip my bag strap on my shoulder.
"Don't worry, it was obvious." He said as we watched some of the students leave.
Cedric checked his phone as the hologram thingy popped out of the screen as he swipes it.
"Ah, the guys are planning on going to the arcades again. You joining?" He asked me.
"Hmm? Yeah." I responded.
"Right, I'll tell them you won't be join-- wait what? You're joining us?!" He said, his eyes widened as he looked at me.
"Yep. Ah-- but I'll bring some peeps along." I told him as his smile widens
"Sure sure! Damn, it's been atleast a month since you hung out with us!" Cedric said as he went to his phone, texting his other friends.
I walked to Lovely's seat as I saw her resting her head on top of her chair, fully asleep. I sigh, gently parting her and massaging her scalp.
"Wake up, Lovely." I told her as she grumbles.
"Mhmm... five more minutes." She told me as she started to relax even more.
"Dummy, we're going to the arcade, remember?" I told her as she yawns, gently pushing herself up from her desk, looking at me.
"...morning." She groggily told me with a smile as the rays of the sunset hits her face.
"Pftt-- haha! Right, goodmorning." I told her as I gently put her glasses on her face.
I helped her put her stuffs inside her bag, carrying it along with mine as we start walking towards Cedric. He looked at Lovely and froze, realizing that his crush is one of the person tagging along.
"You didn't tell me Vely was the one joining us!" He whispered at me, grabbing me by my jacket as he shakes me.
"Vely?" I smugly said, teasing him as he punches me on my arm as I laugh.
"Shut up. Anyways, who's the other people joining us?" He asked as the smile never left his face.
We walked outside our classroom and straight to the classroom that's just down the hall.
"Yo, shorty hurry up." I called out to Sonaia as she was putting her books on her bag.
She glared at me before letting out a sigh, grabbing her bag as she walks toward us.
"Hi Sonaia." Cedric greeted her with a smile as she smiled at him.
"Sup, shorty." I greeted her with a smile as she punched me straight in the stomach.
"Vely!" She greeted Vely who was still half awake, hugging her.
"Let's go." Sonaia told me coldly as I sticked out my tongue out of spite.
We walked in the hallway, Cedric and Sonaia got to the staircase first as I slow down my pace to make sure that Lovely, who's not fully awake yet, doesn't trip.
"Are there more people joining us?" Cedric asked me as we walk down the staircase.
"Nah, just these two." I said as I gently guide Lovely down the stairs.
We reached the ground floor and continued walking as we exit the school grounds. We sat down at the bus stop, Cedric and I were chatting when I suddenly noticed that Lovely's eyes were wide open, her face bright red as she lets go of my jacket.
She's definitely fully awake now.
"Morning." I greeted Lovely in a teaseful manner as her face sweat like bullets.
"I--umm... morning.." She greeted back, gently grabbing her own hair as she covered her face with it.
"So how's your sleep?" I ask her as she pouts, fully knowing that I'm about to tease her.
"Ah, Vely! Did you know how surprised I was when Juwan said you're gonna hangout with us?" Cedric suddenly said as Lovely flinched.
"I-- uhmm... I rarely go to the arcades so I'm sorry if I--"
"Don't worry! I'll show you all the interesting games there!" Cedric said, reassuring her.
"Yeah, Cedric and I will--" I was about to join in ther conversation but noticed her gaze is focused on Cedric.
[Have you forgotten?]
I shut myself up, leaning back on the chair so that they converse with each other more easily. The bus arrived as the four of us went inside
The two of them sat beside each other as I sat on the other side, putting both my bag and Lovely's at the empty beside me.
I detached myself through the whole bus ride, taking my earphones and wearing it as I listen to music, distracting myself.
We got off the bus as I keep carrying both my bag and Lovely's as she and Cedric kept conversing, as if they're in their own world.
"Your face looks even more dead right now." Suddenly, Sonaia said as she walk beside me.
"If you keep looking at my face, you'll fall for me." I sarcastically told her.
"Ew." She responded as we continue to walk.
We arrived at the mall and met up with Cedric's other friends. We reached the arcade as Cedric immediately shows Lovely around.
Sonaia and I roamed around the arcade, trying not to talk since we'd probably insult each other again. She went and exchanged her bills for coins, making me hold them as she play some of the arcade games.
"You're weird." She suddenly uttered as her long silver hair reflects the light of the game she's playing.
"Huh?"
"I was suspicious of your intentions with Lovely, that was all there is to it... But you suddenly became hostile towards me." She said as she grabs some coins on the coin basket I'm holding.
"You started it." I told her as I sat beside her.
"Did I now?"
"Yeah dumbass." I told her as she looks at me, before looking at the game.
"Still, I find your actions weird."
"How so?" I asked her.
She kept playing, finally starting to get comfortable with the controls of the arcade machine as I watch her gameplay on the screen.
"You talk to Vely more than Cedric does. The way you talk to her is much more gentle than how you talk to others."
"Really? I'm more gentle with her?" I scoffed, not believing in her words.
"You call me Shorty you fucker, so yes you talk gentler with her." ...Fair enough.
"You keep patting her, which is weird by the way, and the way you look at her whenever you do it... it's pretty obvious that you like her."
"That's not--"
"Maybe not fully, but I'm sure you know yourself enough to know that you developed some kind of feelings for her, even if it's just a small crush."
I went silent.
Ofcourse I'll develop feelings for her. She's the one character I always admired, her personality of never backing down even when she's scared and anxious is what inspired me to keep on going forward with my own life.
So now that she's real, now that I can converse with her, interact with her, it's impossible for me to not like her.
But...
"That's why you confuse me. Despite knowing that you like her, you're still helping her get closer with Cedric."
"So why is that?"
"I-- well... it's just..." I scratched the back of my neck, surprised by her question.
[Have you forgotten?]
I haven't.
"It's just..?" She faced me.
"I mean, look at me. Isn't it obvious?" I said, fuck I can't even look her in the eyes.
[You're unlovable, Juwan.]
"I'm unlovable." I said, trying to sound normal but my voice betray me.
She stayed silent, the character she's playing on the arcade machine stood still, and I don't-- I can't look at her face.
"My bad, tell the others that I went home first."
"Hey, wait--!"
I grabbed my bag and left the arcade.