After the night out with Kei, Rena felt a little less lonely than before. Kei was rather adamant about being her friend and claiming the title of ‘best friend’. Of course the girls were fangirling over the whole situation teasing Rena that it would eventually turn into something more. She knew it wouldn’t though, she felt bad about it but she had made it clear from the start that her heart still belonged to someone else.
It was now September and Kei and Azul had been visiting a little less frequently, though Kei was very frequently texting Rena so she wasn’t worried. Their absence shed light on a new group that started to visit the same time every week.
They were a rather loud and rowdy group but they were, well mostly, polite. They were apparently a group of friends, ranging in all ages from 15-30, that played an online game called Mage Wars. They were all in the same guild and would meet up to discuss random things from events to quests.
Today they were being exceptionally rowdy so Rena had been delegated the one to go and try to hush them down.
“Um excuse me, I don’t mean to be rude but would you be able to keep it down a little? You’re disturbing some of the other customers.”
“Huh?” the oldest of the group groaned as he looked up. “Eh they’ll be alright. We’ll be out of here soon anyway.”
Suddenly, a guy with light brown hair jumped up and grabbed Rena’s hand placing a kiss on the back as he did an awkward bow. “Well hello miss! Aren’t you just the loveliest lady I’ve seen today? Would you like to go on a date with me?”
“Um, no. I don’t do dates.” Rena replied awkwardly, pulling her hand away.
”Fin, stop flirting with every girl you see.” A woman with very revealing clothes and pink hair scolded as she chopped him on the head.
”Ow, what the hell Veronica?” The guy replied.
“Ha, Veronica, I think you’re the only girl he doesn’t flirt with.” The oldest guy of the group chuckled.
”Yeah, well that’s because she doesn’t dress like a lady.” Fin said, annoyed.
”Hey! You’re asking for it.” She growled.
”Guys, keep it down! Seriously, how can I be surrounded by such idiots.” A teenage girl with silver hair pulled up in pigtails rolled her eyes.
“You know we just like to have fun Nicole!” A boy around the girl’s age smiled brightly.
“S-s-still we should b-be quiet.” A shy looking girl with blue hair stuttered.
“Hey Miss barista, do you play video games?” The boy asked.
”Um no, I’ve never really had an interest in them if I’m being honest.” Rena answered.
”Well, we’re looking for more members to join our squad. You should play with us. You seem super cool!” He cheered.
Just then Kei walked in, he saw Rena standing by their table and smiled. He strolled up and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
”Hey dove, what’s up? Make some new friends finally?” He joked.
”Oh hey Kei, not exactly. They were being rowdy and I was asked to tell them to keep it down.” She answered.
”We invited her to join our squad!” The teenage boy cheered.
”Oh really? You should do it Ren! I bet it’d be fun! Gives you more people to hang out with while I’m gone.” He smiled.
”Ohh~ is this why you rejected our Fin so quickly? Already got yourself a man?” The woman grinned.
”Umm.. n—“ Rena started but Kei interrupted her.
“Nah I’m just her best friend, but she needs a new hobby. So what does joining the squad entail?” He asked as he removed his arm from Rena who was giving him a glare.
”We play Mage wars!” The boy answered.
“We’re always looking for new members but our squad is kinda known for being a bunch of outcasts.” The older man said.
”Well, I don’t exactly have a way to play—“ Rena tried to say.
”What platform is it on?” Kei asked.
”We play it on PlayStation, but it’s cross platform.” Fin answered.
”Oh awesome! I’ve got an old PS4 you can have Ren.” Kei turned towards her and smiled.
”Oh Kei, I couldn’t—“ Kei stopped her by putting his finger over her lips.
”Ah no. I’m not taking a no for an answer. I never play it anyway so I‘m gifting it to you. And this way when I come over to hang out we have something to do.” His smile grew wider.
“Kei..” Rena wasn’t sure what to say.
Azul walked up behind them looking at his phone. “Face it doll, once birdbrain decides something he won’t give up. That’s why he’s still trying to get you to–” Kei stopped his next words by slapping his hand over Azuls mouth, earning a glare from the man.
“Annnywayy, I’ll bring it over tonight if that’s OK. Then we can get it all set up for you.” Kei smiled as he moved his hand off Azul’s face. A whisper of “asshole” coming from him as he walked to the register.
“OK fine. Just because I don’t want you pestering me anymore.” Rena rolled her eyes.
“Sweet! So can you guys write down your game information. I can get it all set up for her tonight.” Kei said, turning towards the group.
“Sure!” the young boy chirped. “Our squad is called ‘The Bulls’. We have meetings here every Thursday to discuss events in the game or quests we want to do. We have a wide age range so you’ll fit right in!”
“Is it hard to play?” Rena asked.
“Not at all! Austin here had no gaming experience at all before he joined and now he’s one of our top players.” the oldest one said paying the young kid on the back.
“Thanks Captain!” the boy gleamed.
“Oh let me introduce you to everyone. I’m the captain, Hiro. This kid is Austin, then we have the girls Nicole in the pigtails, Pinky over there is Veronica, and Greta is the shy one in the group. The flirt over there is Fin. We have a few more members but they couldn’t make it today.”
“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you all and I guess I look forward to joining you guys. Not that I have much choice it seems.” she said, flashing at Kei who was just grinning.
“Great! I’ll swing by your place tonight then, now can I get my usual? Thanks dove” he said as he struck over to where Azul was waiting.
“Right. We’ll, I better get back to it. Can you just try to keep it down so as not to disturb the other customers? Thanks guys.” Rena said, giving a smile as she turned to go back to work.
Later that evening, Rena was tidying up her apartment, a mix of excitement and nervousness bubbling inside her. She had never really been into video games, but Kei’s enthusiasm was contagious. Just as she finished straightening the cushions on her couch, there was a knock at the door.
“Coming!” she called out, hurrying to open it.
Kei stood there, grinning widely, with a PlayStation 4 under one arm and a bag of snacks in the other. “Hey, dove! Ready to dive into the world of Mage Wars?”
Rena smiled, stepping aside to let him in. “I guess so. Come on in.”
Kei walked in, setting the PlayStation down on the coffee table. “Alright, let’s get this bad boy set up. Do you have an extra HDMI cable?”
Rena nodded, retrieving one from a drawer. “Here you go.”
As Kei connected the cables and powered up the console, Rena couldn’t help but feel a bit of warmth. It was nice having someone around, especially someone as lively and supportive as Kei. He explained each step as he went, making sure she understood how everything worked.
“Okay, we’re all set!” Kei announced, handing her a controller. “Now, let’s create your account and get you into the game.”
They spent the next hour setting up her profile, customizing her character, and going through the basics of the game. Kei was patient, guiding her through each step with a mix of humor and encouragement.
“See? You’re a natural!” he said, watching her navigate through a quest. “I knew you’d pick it up quickly.”
Rena laughed, feeling a bit more confident. “Thanks, Kei. This is actually kind of fun.”
As they reached the part where she needed to choose a gamer tag, Rena paused, thinking. “What should I call myself?”
Kei grinned. “How about something that reflects your mysterious and magical vibe? How about ‘Mystic’?”
Rena’s eyes lit up. “Mystic… I like it. It’s perfect.”
Kei nodded approvingly. “Mystic it is, then.”
As the evening went on, they took breaks to snack on chips and soda, chatting about everything from school to their favorite movies. Kei shared stories about his own gaming adventures, making Rena laugh with his animated retellings.
At one point, Kei leaned back on the couch, looking at her with a soft smile. “You know, I’m really glad we get to hang out like this. It’s nice to see you enjoying yourself.”
Rena felt a blush creep up her cheeks. “Yeah, it’s nice. Thanks for doing this, Kei.”
“Anytime, dove,” he replied, giving her a playful nudge. “Now, let’s get back to the game. We’ve got a guild to impress!”
They continued playing late into the night, the apartment filled with the sounds of their laughter and the game’s music. For the first time in a while, Rena felt a sense of belonging and contentment. She realized that her bond with Kei was growing stronger, and maybe it was time to let go of the past and embrace the present. Kei’s unwavering support and friendship made her see that moving on didn’t mean forgetting, but rather opening her heart to new possibilities.
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OHSXouk5P
