1.16. Secret Crush

Today, my aei brought me to eat out, yay!

Since it was a Friday, no school tomorrow, aei and I eat out every so often. Today was one of these days.

After this, aei still has work to do.

"Did anything happen in school? You look down."

"No big deal. I can handle it."

I dug into the burger with my fingers.

"If you say so."

Aei is not in a good mood. Xe's superficial miasma is high, but deep miasma decreased from yesterday's level.

Was it true that almost all high school love fails? I don't believe it. There must be some success. I've heard many stories of people marrying their childhood friend online.. but most say that it's incredibly rare..

I know! Today's blog will be about the difference between the way adults and teenagers think. Adults always say that we teenagers don't understand because we haven't experienced what they've experienced. The way I see it, it's the adults who don't understand. We're living in a different generation, things change.

With VR and AR, many couples stay in touch even after they part from highschool.

Yes. That's it. I'll use the two and a half years left in high school to build up my relationship with Avner, that way, our chances of being together will increase even after we leave high school.

Then that means.. I'll have to confess to him? Why can't he be the one to confess to me!

"Eat your food and stop thinking already."

"Ah, sorry."

I bit into the burger out of conditional reflex.

I looked around the fast food chain. I saw a family here, a family there. There's this college lovebird flirting with each other.

College.

What if we go to the same college after highschool?

"Aei, is that, 'if I get all As for my exam I can ask for anything I want' still valid?"

"Yes dear."

I can consider that.. but.. I already have something in mind. I don't know which is more important..

"Will there be a next time?"

"If you can get all As first?" Aei grinned.

"Okay!"

I'll definitely make it. For love!

[I have some sad news.]

"Sad news?"

"Ah. Wait, no. It's not what you're thinking!"

I forgot to put Lily on private mode!

"What happened?"

"Nothing, nothing. I said I can handle it."

"Then come on, quickly finish, I still have work I need to do."

"Y-yes.."

Aei finished hirs basket of cheese fries and began to wipe hirs mouth. Xe would've normally ordered a proper lunch.

===

If you ask me whether I prefer to stay at home or at school, it would be at school. To me, school is a safe haven. I don't mean to demean those that stay at home, it's just.. everyone has their own reason. As for myself, it's a sensitive topic. Though I would be glad to have an open discussion about it.

It's my parents. Aei and mom don't get along. They often argue, because of it. There's almost no peace at home.

I play the role of preventing the arguments. I'm responsible, but I sometimes feel that it's their fault for being angry. I'm the only reason why they hadn't divorced, is something my mom repeats often.

And today, the tension in the house is much heavier than usual.

I always wonder how people that don't go to school live? It's a fact that most people work from home these days, same with children.

The minority like myself are still going to school. My mom and aei always say that formal education is an advantage.

Their advice feels more like placattes though. There is no advantage in graduating. With technology overruling humans, there will come a day when high paying employees are no longer needed.

Even now, I'm seeing my parents struggling with finances. It's a topic that comes up often.

"Done~" I weaved my fingers together and stretched them forward.

[Congratulations Pu'er, you've completed your 132nd article! Keep it up!]

"Thank you Lily."

That's why. I'm trying to make money online.

I don't know how exactly one does it, but statistics say that more than 30 percent of the population earn their money through running a gig. Which is simpler said as being your own boss. It also states that the number of people shifting towards creating an income source for themselves will double in the next decade.

That's big news.

"How many people read my previous blog?"

[7 people.]

"7. That's not a lot.."

[Pu'er, your total readership is 2023, with 12 subscribers.]

Hehe. I know it takes time. I've been blogging for half a year now, but I'm worried that I'm doing it wrong.

Many stars out there get thousands of reads each article, and compare that to mine..

[Patients is virtue. Please don't be discouraged.]

Lily's avatar, a white lily twirled around my head.

"I know. Now then, the news."

[The person who put up this clip on feed was by Franca, a classmate of yours.]

These people.. do they hold a grudge against me or something?

It was me taking a seat beside Avner. A bubble heart filter encompassing the entire scene.

I reported the post, classified it as sensitive. I can only hope that it doesn't reach more people, especially Avner.

Actually, he hasn't even logged into ShareWiw for more than a month now. What are the chances of him noticing, right?

["We don't have that kind of relationship."]

I commented.

["Really? I thought you two were close?"]

["I noticed that he's been hinting that he likes you."]

["I saw him hit on some girl in the bakery club. I really don't have that kind of relationship with him! Here: /{LINK}"]

There. That'll shut them up.

[Pu'er, what if those classmates of yours told Avner about this?]

"I don't think they'll do that. There's no way."

In that baking club clip, when Brunette asked if Avner liked me, he gave a vague response. That proves that he's embarrassed to admit it.. right? Speaking of Brunette.

[Pu'er, you also have unviewed messages from Brunette.]

I tapped on the notification.

["Bad news Pu'er. I think Avner might have misunderstood you!"]

Misunderstood?

["What?"]

Xe replied quickly.

["Maybe he thinks you don't like him because you're being hard on him. He got annoyed when I brought up your name."]

He cursed because he was annoyed? Come on, don't tell me the guide on how to woo a man is a big fat lie!

["He's the one avoiding me, not me. I kept trying to find an opportunity to lock onto his gaze but he doesn't even try to look my way."]

["Are you sure?"]

["I'm very sure."]

["I don't know. He's really suspicious. Then.. what if it's NtBM? What would you do?"]

If he's a vampire..

["Let's not think about it. We'll see what we can do when the time come."]

["You're right."]

["I have another hypothesis though."]

["What's that?"]

["He's purposely making you jealous."]

Jealous? Me?

["I think he's trying to fake the fact that he's not interested in you. And maybe he went to the baking club to trick Ares."]

Right. What if he's aware that I'm playing hard to get? Uwa.. don't tell me it's a reversal?!

I quickly texted Ares.

["Ares, are you on?"]

["What?"]

Good, he's online.

["Did something happen to Avner?"]

["Him again? I think he's given up on you."]

["Eh? Are you sure."]

My heart is sinking..

["I don't know. But the way I see it, it feels like he's always worrying about something."]

["Worrying about?"]

["I don't know.. maybe he's trying to sort out his feelings. I'll help you ask him about it next Monday. Will pass you the info when I get it."]

["Don't make it too obvious okay?"]

["Alright."]

Avner, I'm sorry I made you misunderstan..

"No wait. Something doesn't add up."

The chances of Avner contracting NtBM is.. very unlikely.

Or, he could have realized that I was playing hard to get so he was trying to get revenge?

If that's not it then, he thinks that I don't like him and that's why he gave up?

"Ugh.. I don't know.. why is love so hard.."

[Pu'er, I'm rooting for you. You can do it. Don't give up!]

My heart is broken.

The third one, where he thinks I don't like him, seems most plausible. But what if he's playing hard to get? In the video he was doing research. Research on me?

But.. why would he need to go meet that girl at the baking club then? What's his relationship with her?

…

There's a fourth possibility.

Both Avner's miasma gauges fell, which means he became calmer.

Add on top of the fact that Ares is his closer buddy and may be lying..

Not to mention, he already knows that I like him..

"He's planning to ask another girl to mess with me?"

If I have an intelligence network where Ares and Brunette send information about Avner to me..

Isn't there a chance he has one too?

===

dotturndot: Trying to touch on a little perspective here. The same weather can both be described as hot and cold, by two different people. Everyone can be right and wrong at the same time.

Pu'er misunderstanding is cute, ain't it?