"Hey hey!"
"Are you... Awake?"
The sound of a girl appeared from my ears, as I slowly opened my eyes to see Yi Mei Lu in front of my face with her small hands being on my shoulders.
As I wake up, her face turned to relief and said,
"You're awake!"
Her voice charms with excitement, her hands went up. Glancing to the window as she sits beside me.
I turned to see Akiyama Suzu who was asleep at the other seat, in front of mine.
Awhile later then spoken by Yi Mei Lu,
"Hey, the weather seems to be cold."
Her hand was softly leaning to the window as water from the cold outside had stained onto her hand. Her eyes were softened from the feeling as well with her hand.
She turned to me with a small smile on her face, the smile of a cheerful child.
"Brother Xiao."
"Can I call you that instead?"
Her eyes gazing upon mine, as if a charm had sparked through her as she stared.
Slowly after, I responded.
"Sure."
Looking away to my hands, her words sounded like nostalgia from a past where I couldn't seemingly repair with.
But then again, hers were different. More hidden yet sound so genuine.
I quickly snapped back to reality as the TV had turned on,
Saying,
[ Hope everyone is going on their own after the game, please know that there will be given a meal for each person. ]
A meal? But Akiyama Suzu hasn't woken up yet...
Yi Mei Lu looked confused as she looked at the TV for a couple seconds before her face turned horrendous and turned to Akiyama Suzu, quickly walking up to wake her up.
"Sister Suzu, wake up..."
She sounded worried, so scared...
As if something will happen if she doesn't wake up any time now.
She waited for a while, seeing her actions were no effect for her to wake up, she panicked and shook from her shoulders.
She turned to her hands and grabbed them to slap her face softly and yelled,
"Wake up!"
Although it wasn't loud like a casual child would yell but it was still loud.
She continued to shake her shoulders rapidly, using her hands to slap her and even yelled at her to wake up
Little while, she was starting to get more concerned for her and now shaking her shoulders rapidly, trying to wake her up.
Eventually, Akiyama Suzu had woken up right before the meal had come and was left all awkwardly confused on us both
The butler was tall and all black shadowed when it gave us our meals.
We all looked at each other as the meal was on our hands, the aroma coming from the food was delicious.
Too luring, making people eat it the moment they get their hands on it.
But we didn't, we stared at each other as if one of us had the answer to all of this.
Just a quick later, Yi Mei Lu was about to drive that one bite into her mouth and stopped the moment we stared at her.
"..."
Out of embarrassment, she placed the spoon back on the plate. Her face was down-frown as she avoided eye contact. She was looking down, fidgeting her fingers nervously.
The only reason we didn't start eating the moment we got it was because we're not sure. Even though our stomach is growling so bad.
There was a line from a book that I've read...
"In a game, there's no such thing as giving people meals unless you are only using it to lure them get trapped"
A line that's possibly accurate without a situation, where I have read it from a book before.
Although I couldn't remember the name of the book, I would say it was written perfectly.
Yi Mei Lu is feeling anxious lately, she's been silent since the meal had arrived. As if she's scared of something.
A while later, that butler comes back. He was taking our meals with no reactions at all, like a robot...
A message was said from the TV, saying.
[ Seems like you guys didn't eat the meals... ]
An emoji was shown on the TV, the emoji is thinking... Perhaps so is the person behind this all.
Akiyama Suzu was checking out on Yi Mei Lu if she was okay earlier, but words came out of her mouth as "I'm okay."
I can tell that's a lie but whatever plan she's on, I'm afraid I'll ruin it if I say it out loud.
I turned to look at my phone as time went by, and there was a novel.
A novel that's locked until we get out of the train, the file says that but I never downloaded this nor do I know how to.
— [ Tales ]
"...?"
Confusion.
I've had this phone for 4 years, but never come across a strange problem until now.
The first time I bought this, it was as high as I have seen from others' hands.
It was shaped in a rectangle with black colour, there was even a brand logo on the back of it. And the camera is quite great.
As I thought...
Walking around the streets without one seemed left out but is a WOW for them. I got to see the price for one phone and it was over 600 coins!
This average size of an object could cost over 600 coins, a thing that could make people broke.
It's also known to be useful for humanity too? To make things easier??
"They were really not lying about it being useful."
"Huh, I want to give myself one too!"
I said to myself, buying it with curiosity. It seems easy to use.
[ 12 months later... ]
"..."
To my surprise,
Useful but not useful.
I don't know how such objects called "devices" would be this hard to use, just how did they come up with this idea?
For a simple phone that is freshly new, it happened to be useless. It really was a shame to buy one.
"Wasn't it useful?"
I pondered to myself, as I was starting to have a breakdown over this "phone".
Day after day, I tried to go on those square images on the screen, I would get punched in the face with more options to learn.
The language, the options, the the the the the the the the the the the...!
Everything is stressing me out!!!
What is "Games Store"???
What is "HoloTube"???
WHAT IS "GOGOLE"???
Questions were streaming in my head like an explosion, trying to figure out what they're pointing out.
Although I can't smash it down to the ground nor burn it. I'm not letting my money go to waste!
"I'll keep trying"
Say less.
An unhealthy obsession with my phone for a year and finally, my eyes were filled with sparkles as I opened my phone with confidence.
I often check the time on my phone as times are important in life, to know when to start and end.
Although I was still not used to it, at the very least, I know how to use it.
Now, saying these all it seems as if I'm an old man in his 60s, struggling with technologies...
The more I looked at my phone, the more I wanted to crush it with my hand. Despite it being "useful" for humanity, it could definitely have flaws.
That's how objects really work. You make it, test it and find problems that took long enough to make it finally approved by the society.
I looked to see Yi Mei Lu was playing with my low ponytail and was admiring my beautiful and mesmerizing appearance
"Brother Xiao, did no one tell you how ethereal you are?"
She asked in mesmerized as she flowed her hand through my smooth and freshly clean hair.
I answered,
"No"
Her expression turned to surprise, looking at Akiyama Suzu then back at me. She covered her mouth with her other hand.
"Why?"
I asked, if it is something deep, she could still pour it all to her own words spoken. Getting the thought of being heard and understood by someone.
She became more disturbed as she gazed at me before explaining,
"It is sad that they couldn't see that beautiful sight of brother Xiao..."
She sighed, but we were looking at her straight to the eye, in confusion.
Were we talking about appearance??
"What are you talking about?"
"Mei, what are you talking about?"
[ A while later... ]
"You guys don't understand!"
Yi Mei Lu is being stubborn again. She is nearly on the edge to cry like how a kid would.
Then we both replied her with,
"Yeah because we're in different stages of age..."
"Are you delusional?"
Yi Mei Lu went silent, as if her brain had shut down after our replies. Same with her expression.
I looked over to my phone again, staring at the mysterious for seconds before clicking on it whilst Akiyama Suzu tried convincing her.
"What is this about?"
I thought, before getting a hit from the forehead by a panel.