Chapter 3: Mr. Deep Sleeper

After I had exhausted myself with the two cheerful players, my body dropped on the purple grass while the virtualized sun enveloped my tanned arms.

Dear lord! Those two are more than a handful.

Help those two out wasn't right for my reputation in the real world, as I'm known amongst my family and friends as "The Procrastinator".

Shutting my eyes, I began to drift off as smoothly as a leaf flying with the wind. Until...

*BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP*

Hruuuugh! I groaned.

I was rudely awoken by a 24-hour digital clock invading my HUD.

17:00? Why is there an alarm for 5 pm?

I looked at the bottom text of the blaring alarm.

Snoozed for 1 hour... what does...!

"Holy crap! I forgot!"

My scream made the birds sleeping peacefully in the branches of the trees flee their nests.

I forgot the alarm was set for my daily check-ups on the Medicuboid's performance!

While still panicking, I opened the virtual menu and struggled to reveal the "settings" tab.

C'mon c'mon!

An instantaneous flash of light cloaked my whole body; leaving me in a void-like room with a large monitor glowing in front of me.

"Ah, you've finally remembered... again," a sharp and sarcastic bellow radioed through the monitor, it was Cambell.

I was in the Medicuboid's VR Lobby, I never really grew accustomed to this place.

It felt bland, lifeless and worst of all, and it's like I was dead.

"Hi, Cam..." My voice grew silent.

Cambell could tell something was wrong, "Something up, pal?"

"No, nothing major with me at the moment."

Cambell made an *urk* noise before stopping himself.

I quickly shared info about how the Medicuboid was handling the servers and Cambell told me how my family was doing.

I specifically asked if my older sister has visited yet.

My head dropped when I heard, "Not yet, but we're trying to contact her."

I remembered a question I meant to ask since it was three months due.

"Are there any other Full-Dive worlds I could go to other than the Serene Garden?"

Cambell explained that the Medicuboid was not meant for entertainment usage but labelled a couple of VRMMOs I could go to if the technicians allowed it.

I reloaded the Serene Garden, and another flash of white covered me.

I opened my eyes with a soft grunt as if I'd just been asleep, to find myself lying on a smooth field of lavender.

"Wakey-wakey, Mister Deepsleeper!" a faint giggly voice jerked me up to my knees.

I surveyed my surroundings; raised my head, and saw Yuuki giving me her trademark smile.

She sat with her legs crossed on a tree log looking more angelic with the pink candy floss clouds and dim yellow sunset glowing in the background.

If only I could right-click and save right now.

"H-Hey! Quit staring..." Yuuki averted her eyes from mine.

'A-Aah sorry! Force of habit, you get the gist.'

While saving the goddess-like scene in my memory bank, Yuuki's lips opened to speak.

"So... a couple of people were looking for you today."

"Really? Who? I don't know anyone who'd be searching for me." I stated, then realising what happened two hours ago.

"Yeah, a small girl and a tall boy, taller than you even!" Another bolt of lightning struck me.

Why? Why do I keep on forgetting everything?

"Aaah!" I yelled, "Loona and Brytehardt! I was supposed to help them catch a rare beetle today or something!"

Yuuki giggled not taking my situation seriously, "My. You forget everything, don't you?"

"It's not my fault, you know," I snapped at Yuuki, who began laughing louder, not noticing my frustration.

Soon after Yuuki had finished her laughing fit, she patted the surface of the tree log, beckoning me to sit next to her, I did as she asked and placed my rear on the space her highness claimed for me.

We both lost ourselves in the sunset sky, now turning a dark purple.

I leaned forward; rested my elbow on my left thigh and cupped my cheek in hand. Yuuki did the same with the opposite limbs, almost headbutting me.

"Do you ever wonder what it's like to fly?" Yuuki asked in a slow, exhausted tone, "Soaring through the air like a crow or a pigeon?"

"Nope," I sat up leaning back resting on my arms still focussed on the dying sun, "However, if I wondered long enough, I'd want to be a wolf dashing against the breeze," Yuuki looked at me, puzzled by my answer.

"Do you ever wonder what it's like to fly?" I repeated her question.

"Nah, never thought about it really," she didn't move an inch while answering.

Yuuki covered her mouth to mask a long, heavy yawn as she briefly sighed afterwards.

"Welp, guess we'd better get going," I prodded Yuuki's right arm, she let out a silent *Hrmm...!* As if to say 'I don't wanna go' or 'Just gimme five more minutes.'

Taking in a deep breath then exhaling slowly, I sat back down next to Yuuki and continued watching the sunset with her.

This time a long, massive yawn came from me, although I didn't place my hand over my mouth.

"Thanks for staying with me, Damai-Kun," I turned my head still looking at the sunset then looked at Yuuki but only saw her waist.

My sight wandered down to my lap meeting with Yuuki's eyes now interlocking with mine.

Oh My Goodness, I have died and witnessed heaven!

I forgot every detail of the sunset.

Yuuki turned her head to the side, facing the sunset again.

"The past three months that I've known you..." She softly chuckled, "It feels like I've known you forever, ya know?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

We both lost ourselves in the sunset again, now turning a luminescent dark grey.

Yuuki continued with her sleepy monologue, "You've helped me out a lot with foraging and farming up curren here, back then... we hardly even knew each other."

"Don't mention it," I said modestly, "I guess I'm building my ladder to heaven."

Yuuki laughed softly for a second, she paused then sighed, "Could you build a staircase instead?"

We both shared eye contact again then looked back at the slowly ascending moon. I asked her what she meant.

"So we'll be there together, silly!" She laughed softly once more, "I think of you like family, ya know?" Her voice getting quieter and softer, Yuuki shuffled, moving her knees up to her chest, "I don't have much left," and drifted off.

I looked down to find a sleeping Yuuki lying on my lap.

Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, don't do it!

Against my former judgement, I lifted Yuuki's smooth, fragile body into a princess carry,

Wow, she's surprisingly weightless.

I mentally jabbed myself for the comment I made regarding her weight.

Soon I arrived at Yuuki and Ran's cottage. Ran bust the front door open then saw me carrying Yuuki. She stopped and gave me the warmest smile that I didn't even think she was capable of doing.

She gestured me inside.

I returned the warm smile Ran gave me and accepted her hospitality.

This house is a lot roomier than I expected, Ran guided me upstairs.

I carefully tucked Yuuki in her bed and tip-toed slowly back to the stairway where I came.

"...!"

This was one of Yuuki's death grips on my left wrist this time. She was sleep talking while I looked at her, "Don't you dare leave me and Aiko alone, Damai nii-chan."

She doesn't have much left...?

What's that supposed to mean...?

She wouldn't let go. So me, being the kindest player in the Serene Garden, sat on the bed next to her and watched her sleep.

In her sleep, she made the brightest smile I've seen since the day I met her.