Ara

MC: “Oh, so I'm the distraction now?”

Werner: “Affirmative. Not in a bad way. I very much appreciate the view.”

MC: “Oh.”

His girlfriend is hot, so what. 

It’s just another ordinary weekend night. You and a few online friends have gathered to play, though most of the time it just ends with people yelling insults into their mics.

“Not our fault you girls suck so bad!” the other side barks back, the voice of a young guy you’ve known for who knows how long.

“NOOB!” someone shouts obnoxiously as the argument heats up.

You can’t even tell whose voice is whose through the chaos in the background anymore. Lowering the volume a bit, you click through the menu to reach the store tab.

The lobby has been packed lately, which explains why everyone’s here tonight. There’s a convention coming up next week, so everyone’s excited to finally meet in person. Some live far away, so it’s a rare chance to gather everyone in one place.

You’ve never met anyone in the group besides the two girls you talk to all the time. Other than that, everything stays in online games or group chats. You’ve just never met the rest, mostly because you were added to the group way later than everyone else. By the time you joined their Ventrilo, everybody already knew each other and got along well.

So sometimes you feel a bit left out. The girls try to include you, but it’s not really about the group. It’s more that you find it awkward and tough to get close to people who are already tight. It feels like you’re invading their space, like you’re an outsider.

“Mooney, are you still there?”

You hear your friend’s voice through the headset and answer quietly. “Yeah, I’m still here.”

“You’re so quiet, girl, say something!” another guy suddenly barges in, making you feel irritated enough for the night.

“Are you bitter because we won?” another guy speaks up, as if trying to bombard you with their loud voices and obnoxious tone.

In reality, you’re just frustrated that this fucking game decided to restock your favorite items right when you haven’t received your paycheck. You doubt you’ll be able to get them in time. So you sit here, stressing out and calculating whether buying these items means you won’t be able to afford a proper meal later.

This is why I hate capitalism.

You almost cuss out loud while people keep talking in the background.

“What are you doing?” another friend asks, ignoring the idiots rambling on.

“Checking the store,” you answer with a heavy sigh, shifting your weight in the chair.

“Oh right! The item you said you liked got restocked!” she emphasizes, making you want to sigh even harder.

“Yeah, and at the most inconvenient time too…” You don’t want to sound like you’re bitching over in-game items, but honestly, it’s worth bitching over.

“Poor girl, you just upgraded your setup, didn’t you?” she asks. You nod before realizing she can’t see your face.

“Yeah, my screen fucked up and I had to swap out some cards. This sucks.” You almost groan, and she lets out a helpless laugh on her end.

“Well, on the bright side, you can play Assassin’s Creed now,” she reminds you, making you tilt your head.

“Fair enough.” You huff a soft sigh and shift in your chair again.

“Anyway, I have to log off now. Got class tomorrow. Y’all have fun!”

Your friend goes offline immediately, leaving the others to let out a collective groan.

“Really? She’s running away again.”

“Spare her, she’s still got homework to do.”

The guys chitchat, talking about pretty much nothing. You don’t say anything further, just continuing to browse your inventory.

Maybe you should join a different game or another lobby. You haven’t really talked much with any of these guys anyway. You only joined because your friend asked you to, and staying here feels awkward. You doubt they even want to play with you.

Just as you’re about to hit the exit button, a smaller window pops up in the corner of your screen.

Uhm hello?

You look at the text, then check the profile and username to see who it is.

Imavirgin

Jesus Christ, who is this guy?!

You almost burst out laughing before remembering to mute your mic, barely keeping yourself from falling off your chair.

mooney: Uhm hi?

You reply, recognizing the profile as one of the dudes from your friends’ gaming group. Okay, a familiar face. You didn't even remember adding him, since you never text anyone outside the general chat.

You recall people clowning him in the chat by spamming his favorite anime girls. He’s pretty much the unspoken mascot of the group at this point.

A bunch of losers, and you're one of them :)

mooney: Do you need something?

You type it out as he seems to hesitate on his end.

Imavirgin: Uh... if you're leaving... um... we're one short in my other friend lobby if you wanted to... join? You don't have to.

Why does this guy type like he’s stuttering on his own keyboard?

You question everything as you read his text. Is this guy actually inviting you to play with his other friend group?

Normally, no one in this group asks you to play unless it’s through your friends. It’s understandable though. You’re not exactly easy to approach, so maybe they just don’t want to bother you.

mooney: Why did you ask me tho? The other guys are still online right?

You reply, watching the typing indicator load for way too long, as if he’s writing a whole paragraph only to delete it.

Imavirgin: ... I think you play well… and we need objective

He explains, sounding like he’s trying to convince you, afraid you’ll reject the invite. The corner of your mouth curves up slightly.

mooney: Are you saying I play good?

You press him to admit it. Most guys in the group hate admitting a girl plays well anyway. They always make fun of your friend, even when she cracks skulls with an M16 and goes 18-3.

Imavirgin: ...yes

He answers almost instantly, making you snort before typing back.

mooney: Better than those dudes so you ask me?

You're just messing with him. Most guys here would never admit someone plays better than their buddies, so you wonder how he’ll react. He replies with the exact same word.

Imavirgin: ... Yes

And as if afraid it’s not clear enough, he sends another right after.

Imavirgin: Plus you never ditch mid-match.

You stare at the screen, a small smile touching your lips.

mooney: Ok, send me invite then

You type it out, wondering which of the guys in the lobby he even is. You don't really pay attention to their handles.

Don't tell me his name is [Imavirgin] in-game too?

You scan the lobby, but before you can find him, an invitation pops up in the top corner of your screen.

69_PussySlayer_420

The handler popping up on your screen makes you burst out laughing. Thank God you weren't drinking anything, and thank God you muted your mic, because you're laughing like a hyena.

What the fuck is wrong with this guy? What kind of name is that?

You try to stop laughing, clutching your stomach as you adjust yourself in the chair.

You accept the invite and drop into the lobby. You can hear a few dudes talking in the background, with Imavirgin’s voice among them.

“Your friend on yet, Lub?” a guy asks through his mic. You check his name: i_L0v4_MILF21.

You can't hold back a wheeze, accidentally unmuting your mic and laughing right into it.

“Wait-”

“Is that a girl, Lub?”

“BRO NO FUCKING WAY!”

The guys start chiming in and making fun of him until he finally speaks up.

“You guys, shut up!”

It’s not the first time you’ve heard his voice, but it’s definitely the clearest. Usually, everyone’s shouting over each other in the lobby or mid-match, so you can never tell who’s who.

“Sorry…” he stammers, a subtle pause between his words. “This is Mooney. She’s from my other group.”

“You know we’re playing ranked today, right? Letting a girl play... I’m not taking responsibility if we lose and get dragged fucking down.”

The obnoxious voice comes through your headset again. i_L0v4_MILF21 seems to be the loudest in the room, full of shit, but you stay quiet simply because you aren't in the mood to argue.

“Hey, she’s really good. And she plays the objective.”

“Yeah, yeah, right. Look at you finally growing a dick to ask a girl to play. What’s next? A wedding proposal?”

Why does this dude sound so fucking mad and jealous? What’s his problem?

You roll your eyes.

“You have me on your team, and she’s crazy on the map. Trust me.” Lub continues, defending you to his friends.

You don't have the patience for this, so you finally speak up. “Are we playing or not?”

The whole lobby goes dead silent for a second.

“Oh fuck! She’s real!” someone breaks the awkward silence, practically screaming into his mic.

“Bro, I thought you were catfishing us!”

“Yeah, thought she was one of your imaginary girlfriends, like those figurines and body pillows you have…”

They start clowning him again, and you just sigh heavily. Man-children.

“Hey, new girl,” i_L0v4_MILF21 speaks up again, drawing your attention. “If we lose, I’m blaming it on you.”

He sounds so smug you just want to crawl through the screen and choke him out.

Game on, you little shit.

[Note: I know absolutely nothing about COD, so bear with me. My entire knowledge of the franchise comes from Tumblr smut about Ghost (Simon Riley). The closest I've ever gotten to actually playing COD was back in 2009 when my cousin was babysitting me. He handed me a controller that wasn't even connected and let me think I was helping.]

The load screen flashes, dropping your team straight into Search and Destroy on Crash. Before the countdown even hits zero, you pull out your M4A1, clear your throat, and take control of the comms. 

“Three rushing A-site through the alley. Lub, watch the sniper lane at middle.” 

You sprint past i_L0v4_MILF21 before he can even line up his crosshairs, cooking a flashbang and bouncing it clean off the archway. 

The white flash pops, instantly followed by the sharp, rhythmic crack of your rifle, three clean, controlled bursts to the chest. Three kills, three headshots, feeding the killfeed before the rest of the team even reaches the courtyard. 

“A-site cleared. Plant the bomb, Lub. I’m covering back-alley.” 

You slide into cover behind the wooden barrels, switching to your secondary, eyes on the killcam angles. When the last enemy tries to flank from the second-floor balcony, you snap up, pre-firing through the wooden wall to rip through his armor and secure the round-winning kill. 

Silence falls over the call, save for the heavy breathing of the dudes on your team. Clicking your tongue as the scoreboard flashes your flawless score.

(×_×)⌒☆

“Okay, that was fucking luck, not that you’re good,” the guy says in denial, grumbling through his mic. You just laugh your ass off at how ridiculous he sounds.

“What do you mean? She fucking carried us with Lub!” another guy chimed in to speak up, and they begin to banter again.

“We smoked them so hard they’re mad in the lobby,” a third guy laughs out loud. “Thank you, Mooney, you’re fucking cool. Lub, where did you find her?”

“Don’t tease her too much,” the man who’s been quiet for a while finally speaks up. The other guys just laugh louder.

“Why are you so quiet today? 'Cause a girl’s in the lobby?”

“Shut up, dude.” 

i_L0v4_MILF21’s mic lights up once again as he talks over the others. 

“Didn’t you guys say you were logging off by now? What the fuck are you still here for?”

He sounds like he wants to chase those guys away and kick them out of the room. They all just laugh before wrapping it up.

“GG.”

“GG.”

“GG, guys.”

When everyone else leaves the lobby, the only ones left behind are you, i_L0v4_MILF21, and 69_PussySlayer_420.

God, their names… Are they best buddies or something?

You just stare at the screen, about to leave, not even sure if you should say something to the guy or just log off.

“Wanna play another match?” i_L0v4_MILF21 suddenly asks, taking you by surprise.

Didn’t he just say earlier he didn’t want to play with a girl because they couldn’t shoot properly?

“Bro, you have work tomorrow, remember? You’re going to be late again. What about your work wife?”

“What about her?” The guy suddenly sounds so irritated, as if the other guy stepped on a landmine. “Not her business whether I’m on time or not though.”

“You said she’s coming to take the key tomorrow morning,” the other guy adds. “Shouldn’t you go to bed now?”

“You suddenly sound like my mom, and it’s not in a funny way,” he cuts through his friend’s words again. You sit there, feeling a bit awkward and unsure if you should even voice your presence.

“Okay, I’m just saying-” He seems to finally notice you’re still in the lobby as he speaks up again. “O-oh, you’re still here… Mooney.”

He doesn’t even sound comfortable calling you by your handle, and while you don’t quite understand why, you find it kind of adorable.

“Figured I should say goodbye first,” you answer him. You don’t hear a response from his side for a second.

Just as you think he disconnected, his friend speaks up once more.

“Dude’s malfunctioning just because a girl wants to say goodbye. Did it take you so long to invite her to the lobby because your brain was trying to reboot from all those cum-thick hentai you jerk off to?”

Jesus Christ, where did the cum even come from?

He doesn’t say it in a mean way, just unhinged and joking around. Good god, you’re used to these kinds of conversations because people in your other group have said way worse, but still… that’s a bit much to say in front of a stranger, isn’t it? Does he just not care?

You don’t even know what to say or if you should answer at all. Then you hear a low groan come through your headset.

“Dudeee!” He sneers at the other guy, who just laughs. “Sorry about my friend.”

“The fuck are you apologizing for? She didn’t even say anything. Hey, Mooney,” the guy speaks in between you two, asking. “How do you even know this loser? Don’t tell me he showed you his Yu-Gi-Oh card collection and you agreed to hang out with him?”

You sit stiffly in your chair, not knowing what to say. Who even makes conversation like this?

“I mentioned before she’s from another group-”

“Sshh. I’m asking her, not you, Lub,” the guy shuts him down, then continues pressing you. “So? You were pretty vocal in the game, why so quiet now?”

“I just… don’t want to talk to you.” You’re unsure if that’s the right way to put it, but you just don’t like talking to strangers. Plus, this guy keeps getting on your nerves in a way you can’t quite put your finger on.

“Ouch, you-”

Before he can continue, someone else cuts in.

“Ah, I think that’s enough for today. Thank you, Mooney. GG.”

He deflects the conversation back to you. You think, yeah, maybe I should leave. He’s clearly not comfortable with his friend continuing to talk to you, probably afraid the other guy might say something offensive.

“GG…” You actually want to call his name, but you’re unsure what it even is. There’s no way you’re using his handle or username, that sounds weird as fuck.

“Ludwig. But people call me Lub,” he finally introduces himself a bit more properly, probably realizing how ridiculous his username and handle sound.

“Okay. GG, Lub. Goodbye.”

You leave the lobby without saying anything further.

That was all for the night. You decide to take a quick shower before going to bed. When you return from the bathroom and check the mail on your phone one last time, you see a notification:

69_PussySlayer_420 gifted you an item from the Steam store!

You think you misread it, so you take a second look. It really is that guy who sent you the item, and it’s the exact one you mentioned wanting. How did he even know, what the fuck? And why did he even buy it for you?

You collapse onto your comfy bed, open the chat on your phone, and text the [Imavirgin] account once again.

mooney: Did you just buy me an item?

You ask him without any further context. Maybe he made a mistake, maybe he was trying to give it to one of his friends and misclicked.

Imavirgin: Yes

Why is his answer so short now, as if he has nothing further to elaborate on? As if it’s normal to give a random person something they want?

mooney: Uhm are you sure you didn't mistake me for anyone else?

You ask him again for clarification, feeling confused and dumbfounded by his action.

Imavirgin: Nope

You stare at the screen, your mind a bit blank for a few minutes.

mooney: Which part of my question was that "nope" for?

You ask another question, seeing the typing indicator appear on the other side.

Imavirgin: It's just for carrying me and my friends.

It’s a short answer, leaving you no room to negotiate. Before you can reply, another message comes in.

Imavirgin: Sorry for what my friend said. He didn't mean anything, he just likes to talk nonsense.

You read his text and wonder if he’s being sincere, or if he’s no different from the other dudes you’ve met and talked to before.

mooney: I'll take it then.

You reply, and the only thing he sends back is a thumbs-up emoji, as if he’s got nothing left to say.

This guy… not really much of a talker, is he? You don’t find any reason to say anything further, so you turn off your phone and get cozy in bed.

(×_×)⌒☆

A week isn’t that long, especially considering you have to travel for the convention. You’re only close to two girls in the group, but some of the others are really nice, so you saw no reason to decline when they asked you to hang out.

What bothered you wasn't the travel though.

What bothered you was why the hell everybody was so late. You had circled the Pokémon booth god knows how many times, and it was hard to keep your hands to yourself when everything was so tempting. You tried your luck at the drawing table more than five times hoping to get your favorite card, but walked away with nothing. Sighing heavily, you shoved the rest of your stuff into your bag and pulled out your phone.

The group chat had been dead quiet since morning. The last message was someone saying they were getting ready to head over, and you doubted they’d be here anytime soon considering that was three hours ago.

What is wrong with people and timetables? At least you weren't completely alone all morning. You had time to meet up with a few other online friends, which was fun, but walking around for so long was starting to wear you out. It was already past the time everyone agreed to meet, yet not a single update had been sent.

You sat down on a bench near the main hall headquarters and looked around. The place was packed to the brim with cosplayers and groups of friends hanging out.

Should you send something in the group chat? Like telling them you’re here and asking when they’ll arrive? Or would that be weird? You don't know them that well, so you didn't want to come across as needy or attention-seeking.

Maybe you were just overthinking the whole thing.

A notification popped up on your screen a second later.

imavirgin: where tf everybody at? i have been here the whole morning

You stared at the familiar profile and handle, letting out a faint huff.

xX_Sephiroth_99_Xx: relax we are on our way. almost there.

imavirgin: almost your ass you say that 30 minutes ago in our dm

ShadowSlayer2009: ok just find something to do while we get there. im at parking lot now

imavirgin: hurry tf up mannn

You read through the texts, still hesitating to chime in and admit you were already here too. If he’d been here all morning without saying anything, he probably had his own stuff to do or other friends to meet. Blurted out that you were alone felt awkward.

Before you could lock your phone, another message flashed on the screen. It was one of the girls from the group chat. You weren't super close, but she was always nice and tried to make sure you didn't feel left out.

Kawaiiprinc3ss: mooney

You stared at the ping.

Kawaiiprinc3ss: you read the group message too right? have you arrived yet?

Her message effectively paused the rest of the chat. You thought for a second before typing back.

mooney: yeah i have been here since morning.

Kawaiiprinc3ss: sorry bb i run into some issue i will arrive a bit late 😭

mooney: oh thats fine i can hang around bit more til you arrive

ShadowSlayer2009: wait isnt lub already there. why dont you two just meet up first? we will gather at one spot once everybody arrive

Kawaiiprinc3ss: oh yeah easier to find each other, then mooney you can find lub right

You almost forgot who "Lub" was until you recalled the guy who invited you to his lobby a week ago. Right, the imavirgin and 69_PussySlayer_420 guy.

imavirgin: me?

ShadowSlayer2009: bro you complained no one there now there is someone you hesitate. fucking man up.

You stared at the chat, not knowing what to say. He didn't sound super thrilled about the idea either, and you felt weird pushing it. You planned to just ignore the group and wait for the girl to get here, but your phone buzzed again.

A direct message this time.

imavirgin: hey sorry, i saw you read the message in group

imavirgin: you dont have to meet up with me if you dont want to

How did he even come to that conclusion? You hadn't even said anything yet. Sure, you found the whole thing a bit awkward, but it wasn't like you were unwilling to hang out. Otherwise, why would you bother coming at all?

mooney: i didn't say anything? did you not want to meet up with me?

imavirgin: that wasnt what i mean!

imavirgin: sorry i just think you'd want to meet up with people you're more familiar with…

Even without seeing his face, you could practically feel the panic radiating through the screen. He was surprisingly transparent in text. It was kind of funny.

mooney: ok then i want to meet up with you

imavirgin: really?!

imavirgin: are u sure?

Why was he like this? You wondered why he was so timid compared to the other guys in the group, who all seemed super outgoing. Was he just overthinking everything, or did you give him the wrong impression?

mooney: ludwig, i'm sure i want to meet up with you. can you come out of wherever you're hiding please?

imavirgin: oh you remember my name

mooney: ?

mooney: do people normally not remember your name?

imavirgin: not that, people just call me lub more than my name

mooney: i see. should i call you that too if that's what you prefer?

imavirgin: you can call me whatever you want

You almost laughed at the reply, unsure if he was just chill or genuinely didn't care what people called him.

imavirgin: im near the headquarter tho, where are you right now?

mooney: im at headquarter too, around the resting area

imavirgin: im there too.

Now the issue was that neither of you had any idea what the other looked like. Finding each other in this sea of people wasn't going to be easy.

mooney: give me some visual description might help me find you better

imavirgin: oh im… brown blond hair

mooney: there are like 1000 guys with same shade of hair, lub

imavirgin: uhm i guess better if you can see my bag i have keychain on it

mooney: let me guess, Lala Satalin Deviluke

imavirgin: !

imavirgin: how do u know that?

mooney: i mean you spam about her in group chat with others all the time. hard to miss

imavirgin: yeah… but i actually try to tell you about my other keychain

mooney: pokemon or yugioh one?

imavirgin: …. whichever make it easier for you

mooney: okay lub so you're brown blond hair with yugioh pokemon and Lala Satalin Deviluke keychain on your bag. anything else i should notice?

imavirgin: that is all…

mooney: k

imavirgin: what about you? is there anything i can notice you?

mooney: no

You sent the quick reply and immediately stood up from the bench. At the exact same time, a guy sitting on the adjoining bench around the corner stood up too, and you practically walked straight into him.

“Sorry,” you both blurted out simultaneously.

The guy dropped something onto the floor. You leaned down and picked it up before he could, only to pause when you realized you were holding a Lala Satalin Deviluke keychain.

For a second, you thought it was just a bizarre coincidence, but then you looked up at him.

He was tall, taller than you realized at first because he slumped his shoulders. Fluffy, light dirty-blonde hair fell around his head, a bit longer in the back, and he wore a massive, oversized hoodie paired with jeans so loose they looked ready to slip off his hips. A black backpack was slung over one shoulder.

His overall look was messy and uncombed, but small specks of moles scattered across his face made his features stand out. He had a faint bump on his nose, and if not for his height, you might have walked right past him. But staring up at him now, everything suddenly slotted into place.

The guy looked thoroughly confused, nervous, and flustered as you kept staring at him. A bright red flush slowly crept from the tips of his ears, down his cheeks, and spread across his neck. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before reaching out to take the keychain from your hand.

His fingers were long and slender, with faint calluses on the tips, unmistakably from hours on a mouse and keyboard. Gamer hands :) 

“Thank you,” he mumbled under his breath, so quietly you barely caught it.

His fingertips brushed yours as he pulled the keychain back, making him flinch slightly. “So-sorry,” he stammered, reacting as if he’d just been shocked by static electricity.

You didn't say anything, shifting your eyes away. He quietly stepped past you to leave, but as he walked by, you caught a glimpse of his backpack. Hanging right off the side zipper were two distinct Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh keychains.

Your eyes tracked him for a second before you turned around and lightly tugged on the hem of his oversized shirt.

He froze instantly, looking back over his shoulder with a startled expression.

“Im a virgin…?” you asked.

His eyes widened, looking both shocked and mortified by the name. For a fraction of a second, his face practically read yes that’s me, quickly followed by how the fuck do you know that?

Then his eyes widened even further as the realization hit him.

“Mooney?”

(꩜ ᯅ ꩜) 

It was awkward, really, because after that, the two of you just sat in silence. He didn't say anything, staring down at his phone or more accurately, trying to pretend he was busy because he didn't know what to say. You could occasionally catch him glancing at you through the corner of his eye.

It kind of frustrated you, until you finally looked up at him.

“What is it?” you asked out straightforwardly.

He seemed to shrink into his seat, shaking his head slightly. “N-nothing.”

His answer made you want to press further. His awkwardness was making you feel awkward, and you had no idea why he was so nervous around you. It wasn't like you were going to bite him. The tips of his ears had been bright red from the moment he saw you, he couldn't hold eye contact for more than five seconds, and you hadn't spoken more than five words to him.

“Are you normally this nervous around strangers?” you asked, watching the flush spread even further across his face.

“I-I'm no… not really,” he stuttered slightly, avoiding your gaze.

The bench was huge, but he was sitting at the very edge, his long legs looking like they were struggling to find a comfortable angle just to leave you more than half the space.

It was a simple yes-or-no question, and he couldn't even answer. Maybe he was just ridiculously shy.

He could obviously sense you staring, but he didn't dare ask you to stop. He just sat there in silence, waiting to see who would break it first.

Thank God he was the one who finally spoke up.

“So you're, uhm… a friend of Kawaiiprinc3ss, right?”

It was the most obvious question ever, and you could tell he felt stupid the second it left his mouth. But he clearly didn't know what else to say, so you answered, keeping the conversation going because anything was better than the dying silence.

“Yeah. You're friends with her too, aren't you?”

You threw the question back at him. He shook his head, then hesitated and nod.

“Uhm, I don't talk to her much,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You're quieter in real life,” you commented softly.

He almost jumped, lifting his head. For a brief moment, your eyes met his. His brownish-green eyes narrowed slightly, as if he wasn't sure how to process your words. The ambient light caught them, highlighting his awkwardness even more.

“Though you weren't exactly loud in VC either,” you added when you saw the tension on his face.

He let out a small huff, almost a breath of relief. “I, uhm… don't tend to talk when there are…”

“Strangers?” you finished for him when he hesitated.

Did he think you'd take offense to that? You felt the exact same way, quiet around people you didn't know, but impossible to shut up around close friends.

“I was gonna say people I don't know… but yeah. You're right. Strangers.” He spoke awkwardly, and you let out a soft laugh.

“You're talking just fine with me though.”

His gaze fell back on you, eyes widening slightly, hesitation still laced in his voice. “Because I know you. I-I mean, we played games together. I didn't mean like I know you… but I'm getting to know you now…”

He tried to explain, but the more he spoke, the more tangled he got. He stuttered, stumbling over his words, his body language practically screaming how flustered he was. He looked so troubled you almost cracked a smile, but you kept it gentle and eased him down instead.

“Okay, calm down. I get what you mean.”

Your calm tone settled him. He looked at you with a wave of relief washing over his face.

“Nice to get to know you too, Ludwig.” You offered him a small smile.

He returned it, still a bit stiffly, but way better than whatever full-system malfunction he was having earlier.

You didn't get much of a chance to talk to him after that, because the rest of the group finally arrived. Everyone gathered in one place, wandering the convention floor a bit longer before deciding to head out for a bite to eat.

As you sat beside your friend at the restaurant, a guy across the table spoke up. “Oh, Logan's coming over too.”

“What? I thought he said he couldn't make it?”

“Yeah, work stuff, but he said he can join for dinner.”

Everyone kept chatting, but you stayed quiet, focusing on your friend beside you.

“Boo,” she muttered, clearly disapproving. “He always does that, changes plans at the last minute.”

Another guy laughed. “Spare him, his job is a wreck. Even on weekends the dude's on shift…”

They continued to banter while you stayed in your corner. Your friend turned to you suddenly. “So, I think you and Lub live in the same city, right?”

Her words caught you off guard. You lifted your head, only to meet a pair of amber eyes looking back at you from across the table. Both of you quickly looked away, feeling like you'd been caught secretly staring.

“Ah, yeah, but we… haven't talked much.”

“Yeah, I figured. You're both so quiet. Why don't you talk more?”

Her question made your shoulders stiffen slightly. She gestured to the tall guy opposite you, but Ludwig just turned his face away, taking a sip from his water glass with sudden, intense concentration.

“You,” she called out, catching his attention.

He pointed at himself, looking around blankly. “Me?”

“Yeah, you. I see you yapping with the guys all the time, why are you so quiet today?”

The guy next to him suddenly chimed in, nudging Ludwig with his elbow. “This guy? He's shy around any kind of female species.”

Your eyes fell back on Ludwig's face. The familiar tint of red crept up from his neck, but he stayed quiet, taking the hit.

“Wait, really? Max, stop exaggerating,” your friend laughed, shaking her head.

“Nope. He straight up malfunctions if a girl stands within a five-meter radius of him.” Max kept clowning Ludwig, who just let out a nervous chuckle, the flush on his cheeks deepening.

“He's exaggerating,” Ludwig finally mumbled in his own defense.

Your friend turned to you. “Yeah, obviously. Otherwise, how would you two have even talked earlier, right?”

You hesitated, unsure how to answer without making it weird. Should you explain that you two had barely managed a full conversation before everyone arrived?

“We didn't say much-”

“See? I told you,” Max cut through your words instantly. “He can't form a complete sentence in front of a girl, let alone Mooney.”

An edge of irritation touched your chest. You knew he probably didn't mean anything malicious, but God, could this guy let someone finish a sentence? You remembered him from VC, he was always cutting people off, especially when you first joined. Your friends would try to include you, and Max would constantly talk over you, completely dismissing whatever you had to say.

He was basically a minion to Logan. Logan had an ego larger than his brain, constantly ignoring you during matches or in general chat, which led Max to mirror the exact same behavior toward you. It made you feel isolated, like an outsider.

You looked straight at Max and spoke up. “That's a bit of a stretch. He speaks to me just fine.”

You turned your gaze to Ludwig. His sandy bangs slightly shadowed his eyes as he looked over at you.

“Right, Lub?” you asked, signaling him with your eyes.

“Ah, yeah. We talk just fine,” Ludwig immediately followed up, backing you up against Max.

“Max, enough of you messing around. Leave them alone,” your friend chimed in, effectively shutting him down.

You didn't even give Max another glance. Just then, a shadow fell over the table as someone approached.

“What's with all the commotion?” A deep, smooth voice filled the space, and a few of the guys stood up to greet him.

“Logan, bro! You finally made it. We were waiting for you…”

They greeted each other before Logan slipped off his jacket, draping it over an empty chair.

“I suppose we have a new face,” he said, his eyes landing on you.

Dark cropped hair, a sharp jawline, and dark eyes. Standard good-looking guy. His outfit was clean and put-together as he offered you a polished smile.

“I'm Logan. Nice to meet you.” He extended his hand, waiting for a handshake.

Everyone at the table was watching. As much as you disliked him, you didn't want to be a buzzkill, so you reached out and briefly took his hand.

“I'm Mooney. Nice to meet you too.” His hand was cold, and you pulled yours back immediately, wanting no further contact.

Nice my ass, asshole.

You felt petty, but having to smile at the guy who had systematically excluded you from the group wasn't easy. You had only come because you thought he wouldn't show up. Why did he have to turn up now?

Keeping your face neutral, you settled back into your seat and ignored him as the others struck up conversations with him.

“Mooney, do you drink?” your friend leaned in and asked quietly. “Most people are ordering beer, but I can get you something else if you want.”

You scanned the table. Almost everyone was having beer. It wasn't that you couldn't drink, you just didn't feel like it tonight.

“Do you want a soda instead?”

The quiet voice came from across the table. You looked up at Ludwig.

“Oh, you're not drinking either?” your friend asked him before you could answer.

“Yeah. Don't feel like it today,” he murmured softly, giving a short response.

You caught his eye and nodded. “I'll have a soda too.”

It felt a lot less awkward when you weren't the only one opting out.