Stranger

Trillions of tiny raindrops came crashing down to the surface. All noise was shut out by the downpour. Befitting for the boy's current state. The sensation of his skin tingling did not bother him. He knew it was slowly eating at his skin. Wanting to drown himself in this weather but couldn't, he still had a guest back at home. Bounded by his sense of responsibility.

It had been almost two weeks since the NPC came into his life. Today was his last day for work this week. The almost pitch black clouds loomed over him but he knew the moon was on the other side. He was slightly relieved that work had picked back up it's busy pace. Once again, he was dragged by his leash like a slave. He didn't like his work but it distracted him, taking his mind off of his problems.

A light flickered in this dark, gloomy weather. Following the rays of light reflecting from the pavement underneath him, he took a look at the source of these disturbing flashes. It was a sign that flickered desperately to cling onto life. A shabby building that had aged horribly. It was still quite a way for him to make it back home and the rain showed no sign of letting up. Taking refuge into this building was the wisest choice.

The warm breeze from the opening of the door could only satisfy his physical aspect. The interior betrayed it's shabby exterior. Fully occupied by people who had the same thought as him, he arrived too late and was the odd one out. There were no available tables so all he would be able to do here was stand. Taking his mask and goggles off, a voice of a professional waiter reached out to him within the mild chatters.

"Welcome to our café, unfortunately our tables are full. The next available table would probably be in, hm- about thirty minutes."

"It's okay-"

A deeper but gentle voice interjected before Suzuki Satoru could finish responding. The voice exuded a gentleman's vibe, pleasant to the ears. It wasn't loud but it was strong enough to carry over.

"Waiter, he can sit with me."

"I'm not sure if our policy allows that, even if it's you."

"Really? But look at that man. He's pitiful. Are you going to make someone who's braced the cold and cruel weather stand when there's obviously soft comfy chairs laying around here? Especially when someone offers that man a seat. I can't possibly occupy this entire table by myself. To deny that because of your policy, that'll be an evil deed, indeed."

"Hah- Okay okay, truthfully it's not even a policy. It's just a hassle to keep track of the orders. Just spare me next time, mister."

The man beckoned for Satoru to sit. Satoru couldn't exactly see his face as the cloth mask and tinted glasses that barely let light travel inside, blocked his facial features. On the top of his head, seated a trilby hat. The fitted trench coat he wore, complemented his muscular frame. The man was sketchy, his outfit screamed that he was trying so hard not to stand out. It was the outfit of a stereotypical comic detective. Satoru uncaringly went with the flow, accepting his fate to whatever misfortunes would come. The waiter pulled out a pen and pad once Satoru seated himself.

"What would you like to order sir?"

Satoru didn't know what to choose. He only heard of cafés from guild members who were heavily influenced by maids. Those were only maid cafés, this was not of them. The drink, 'Coffee' sat on the tip of his tongue. He did not want to be energized at this late hour. Loss for words, he knit his eyebrows. The ragged menu did not have anything appeasing. The man pulled Satoru's attention with a question.

"Are you seeking shelter from this rain."

"Yeah, I am."

"I see. Waiter, give him the same drink I ordered earlier. There's a special deal going on, although it's not on the menu. The owner can't even afford to keep their menu updated. It should cost the same amount as a coffee. No worries, it's not a caffeine drink."

Satoru was caught off guard. The man decided on his drink for him. In normal circumstances he would be a bit bothered by it but he didn't exactly come here for a drink so he brushed it off. In fact the man saved himself from complicated thinking so he held slight gratitude. The waiter nodded and left.

"Thank you."

"Think nothing much of it young man."

- Young man? I'm not exactly young, you know.

The café was lowly lit and gave off an antique feeling. It was somewhat soothing. In normal cases, he would be wowed that such a place existed. His inner turmoil would not be easily shaken by just this. Satoru could tell the man was trying to make small talk but he subconsciously blocked it out.

"The drink we order has a funny story to it."

"Oh really?"

"It's not really funny but it was a coincidence. The workday was long and I needed coffee to energize myself. I happened to come in while there was a burglary going on. The owner really wanted to thank me for stopping it, so he wanted me to decide the name of that drink. Surprisingly, it became my favorite drink as well."

"Oh I see..."

The empty cup that rested on the table hinted to Satoru, they were both victims seeking a safe haven from the weather. He would have to listen to this guy for quite a while. The man adjusted his glasses as if he was observing something to it's finest details. The mouth under the cloth moved and a muffled voice escaped.

"I guess that story didn't lighten up your mood. You don't look too well."

"Mm... Is it that obvious?"

"Yes. I have seen many things in life. It's part of my job to analyze people. Not to detract any of your experiences"

"No. It's true, I haven't seen much. It's the same thing everyday. I guess the only real thing that brought a change in that was Yggdrasil. Even then, I don't know if it counts as experience."

"Oh? I would say that works as experience. I use to play that game."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it was a long time ago."

"Oh, so you weren't there for the end of the server."

"No, I wasn't. I quit because my family wanted me to spend more time with them."

"I see."

- Family huh.

Satoru knew that when someone shared a part of them, information between two parties would go smoother. It made it easier to be forthcoming. He was a bit more comfortable with opening up to the stranger, especially since they both played Yggdrasil in the past.

"If you were still playing Yggdrasil. How would you feel if someone changed your NPC?"

"Hm... I would feel mad."

The words stabbed at Satoru, quashing his sliver of hope. The guilt inside him intensified and his cycle of despair continued.

"If that was the past me. It seems like you're not telling me the whole story. How can I give a proper answer if you don't tell me the entire story."

Satoru exhaled. He wasn't an important powerful figure, it would do no real harm to share his social trouble with a stranger. The rain would stop and they would go out their way, never to meet again. There was nothing to hide if he chose his words correctly.

"Well, I heard from a friend of mine. He ran a guild. It wasn't big but it was a tight knit group. But one after another, the members left. He couldn't blame them because they chose real life over the game. Still... it weighed heavily on him. Trying to preserve their memories, he worked tirelessly to keep the guild running in case they ever came back. Of course the ones that quit never came back. The ones that didn't delete their account, only came on once a year at most. On the last day, he messed with a NPC's setting without thinking much about it. It was supposed to be a harmless silly little thing"

Before Satoru continued, he took a breather and mentally prepared to be labeled as a screw loose.

"Hypothetically speaking, what if that same NPC came to life and said it loved you. In reality, it's only because you changed its setting. Wouldn't that be betraying both the NPC and the creator?"

The man took a minute to soak in the craziness of the whole situation before speaking. In consideration to Satoru, the man hummed to notify that he did not give up on the conversation. Before responding, the fingers once again adjusted the glasses.

"You remind me of a very good friend I had."

"This isn't me, it's just a friend of mine..."

"He would excessively worry about the little things, at times it was quite entertaining. But, undeniable it was because he cared so much. He didn't talk much but he always listened to everyone's problems and resolved them peacefully. He was truly a man befitting as the leader and I could regard him as a true friend."

The way his voice carried those words, fully penetrated Satoru's barrier. Satoru openly awaited for the story to finish.

"If it's that guy, I wouldn't mind whatever he did. When I had quit the game, I entrusted him with all my gear, items, and property. At that time, I didn't tell him exactly how I felt because my wife was nagging for my attention... Our friendship ran deep but ultimately I left him with the short end of the stick. I wanted him to have it all. I knew he would treasure my character's possessions like our friendship. He was that type of guy. And because he's that type of guy, it also frustrates me. I want him to use the things I left behind instead of displaying it like an art museum. I don't know if he did that but judging from his personality, I'm sure he did that."

He took a breather before continuing. Satoru paid close attention to the man's wisdom.

"If he decided to change it for his use, item, NPC, and so on, then I would be glad it came to be of use to him. Since I can't be there for him, I want his life to be easier. I'm sure the others would feel the same! It seems like I kept talking about myself, sorry. To answer your hypothetical question... Even if the NPC naturally fell in love with you or not, at the end of the day they still love you. Are you going to deny them?"

"But she was encoded to feel that way. Is it really fine?"

"You're beating yourself. Don't think too hard about it. Do both of them love each other?"

"I-I… I think so."

"Then it's not a problem, unless it's because of drugs. That's a different story. Anyways, in your case it should be fine. If I saw that same friend and my NPC together, living happily then I would feel extremely happy for both of them. If I was the cause of their problem then they need to not fret over such trivial thing."

Hesitant, for some strange reason this man's words were very convincing. It felt like it could be a new addition to Satoru's collection of lectures from someone he knew. Interrupting the one sided conversation, a beeping noise emitted somewhere from the man. Scavenging his pockets in a hurry, he took out his wallet and left behind money for his drink.

"I apologize, I'm still working so I have to go now."

A job where you could be lounging in a café, what type of job do you have.

"Uh- Hey! Thanks for listening to my crazy story."

The man who was leaving did not look back. He only waved his hand to acknowledge that he heard. His strong vocal cords overshadowed the chatter.

"Saving someone who is in trouble is common sense!"

- That line… No it couldn't be. Must be coincidence.

The door shut. Suzuki Satoru, felt indebted toward this stranger who shared personal information. Interrupting his thought process, the waiter laid a drink in front of him before giving a monotone confirmation.

"One 'Justice has Arrived."

- Ah- so it really was you... You saved me once again... Thank you.

The hot cup sat on the table, warming his frosted body. He could no longer feel the coldness that the rain brought. The pleasant aroma arose to his nose, lifting the evil that shackled and corrupted his soul. It was truly fitting for its name, all lurking shadows that dwelled in his heart were erased.