CHAPTER 3: Just a cHaT

"Huh"

The moment she caught her eyes on him, she zoned out for a second too.

"What do you mean by "huh"." Rey ask back, heads tilted, waiting for a proper respond.

"No!" Almost at an instance, she jolted up, and literally slammed the webcam, as if it was a laptop. The camera fell off as it captures her frantically pressing the keyboard, before finally hitting the right spot and shut the stream off. Rey was once again, sent back to The Void.

"Huh" Rey still couldn't recover from the series of events and denial. Damn, that is the first time getting rejected right in the face.

"Looks like the deal is off, then." He mumbled, reaching towards the same button that bought him here. Just when he was about to quit, he got another message.

As someone with slight obsessive-compulsive disorder, he had no choice but to tap open his wristwatch once more.

[A message from ButterNChocolate!]

"What does she want?" Rey tap open the notification icon. He wasn't quite in the mood after all that, he is a man of pride after all.

But deep down, he is rejoicing a bit that their deal is still on the line. Somehow, he is a bit looking forward to this cooperation, definitely not because that "she" is looking a lot like "him".

[So...]

[Sorry for all that incident]

[Are you still... willing to work with me?]

"Some apology." Rey spoke beneath his breath but nevertheless, he typed:

[The contract, please sign it first hand] [File: Doc: Contract of Hiring a SA]

[You should find a lawyer for it]

[Yeah... Thanks]

[So, you wanted to... meet up face to face?][Well, the decision is always up to the client]

[I know you had your own privacy, take your time to consider. If can, I suggest that I could move in with you to speed up the process.]

Before you all thinking this is going a bit way too far and such story is unacceptable, ungrateful, sinful and unholy in the name of God.

Hear me out.

Rey is one of the "safest" SA's out there, whether he really is "g" with the "a" and "y" or just had low desire for lust and sex.

SA's are actually recommended to live with their clients for some time to improve the effectiveness of their work.

As it is easier for them to observe them close up and study their lifestyle pattern better. But, as well all know, this is not a cultured literature, so there are rules for such situation.

[We had rules, you can search up our company's website if you are afraid of incidents]

[Anyways, if you are interested, we should meet up. You will choose the date and site]

After dealing with her, Rey press the button and quit the virtual world immediately. As he woke up in real life, the bus had just arrived at the stop, just like what he predicted.

He had been counting ever since he enter the Isekai Realm, he had been counting, minutes, seconds even into milliseconds, and this is the perfect equation for him. He exited the shuttle bus and enters his apartment, preparing for the meeting with her next day.

"Is he really him?" The girl sat on the edge of her bed as she swiped her phone, looking furiously about the information of that SA. She just hired someone, and that someone seems to be the one that she knew damn well back then.

"Him!" She stop in front of the profile of a dude, yup, that is Rey's account in the Sekai World. With a full name of Rey Jones, it is hard not to spot him.

"The best-selling SA?"

"Top five in the world!?"

She scrolled down his description and couldn't help but exclaim. He hasn't post anything, yet, but he has a profile pic with a format that resembles an official passport. She tap open the image and zoom it open with her fingers.

Standard emotionless face, pale skin of a dead corpse, white bland lips, eyes that had seen enough of this world, dark circles that surrounded his eyes alongside a classic black framed glasses.

His is filled with tired, pain and suffering, as if his soul was sucked dry from his corpse. Yeah, he didn't change, not even a bit, he is still that walking dead.

"Gah..." She toss the phone away in frustration, alongside her wig.

"Why did I sign up for this Streaming Agent bullshit?" She took a pillow and stuff her face as she scream out. "What will he think of me right now..."

She couldn't hold but to think about the bad thoughts flashing in his mind. All of that just make her even more embarrassed and frustrated, why him, what the hell is wrong with his luck...

"It she really him?"

Rey sat on his desk as he work on the laptop in front of him. He took a sip of thick coffee while taking a quick glance towards the digital clock at the corner of his screen. Just a bit over twelve, a bit early for him to hit the sack right now.

"What the hell is wrong with me..." He is doing is "work", alright, just not the one that he even expected to do.

He is scrolling down hundreds of her posts, examining every single one of them like a goddamn stalker.

"Couldn't she wear anything that is a little bit... sexier?" He couldn't hope but arose such thought. "Wait, what the hell am I thinking!?"

He shake his head furiously, trying to shook off those dirty thoughts. "Focus, work, don't think of that, don't think of that, empty your mind, cleanse your soul..."

After a series of self-convincing and self-hypnotizing...

Yeah, he still couldn't help but to think about trying to take a glance of her chest.

"Fuck is wrong with you!"

Rey gave himself a hearty slap across the cheek before instantly slamming the laptop shut with a snap. He rub his head back and forth with his hand, brushing through the weed like hair of his as he let out a louder, deeper and much more frustrated groan.

It was rare for someone as chill as him to act out like that, he is also quite surprised himself for making out such a big fuss. And for being such a creep.

"Just snap out of it!" He was about to slap himself in the face once more, but a message leap out and save his pretty cheek.

[I am free tomorrow]

[Let's meet up at somewhere near in between us... how about Clark's Bar?]

"Clark's Bar?" Rey felt a sense of uneasiness, that place is at the redlight district.

He knew it for a fact because Steve is an old visitor of it. "Whatever" He shook the unrelated thought off his head as he accepted her invitation.

[I am fine with that]

[The specific time for it?]

[...]

[I am busy most of the day...]

[Sorry to bother you, but...]

[Can we meet, somewhere at eleven before midnight?]

"Eleven?" Rey's brow raised up even more. Although he is a light sleeper and couldn't sleep still for a whole four hours, but isn't that a little too late for outings?

The location, and the date and time, everything seems way too suspicious.

He had heard one news article that stirring up quite a storm last year in their field. Regarding people faking as clients to meet up with their Streaming Agents in order to kidnap them and sell their organs at a baffling price in the black market.

Now he couldn't stop but wonder whether his name and face will topple the headlines in the future.

But nevertheless, he accepted it.

Listen, he had his own excuses, too.

Firstly, the location is chosen at a redlight district, which is normally crowded at that period of time. So, the chances is quite slim for them to undergo their crimes at such spaces.

Second, although seemingly weak and fragile at first glance, Rey is quite muscular and well built beneath the heavy coat. She is just a feeble little girl, but if she bring more hands along, it's a different story then,

Third, they are meeting up in a bar. Which is even more crowded and packed filled with people compared to the streets outside.

So, the conclusion?

[Alright, don't be late]

[Goodnight]

[Goodnight...]

"Argh..." Rey close his phone and place it at the corner of his desk as he lean back and let out a sigh of relief.

"Just meet up, ask some simple questions, ask her about her targets, and done. Simple." He took off his glasses and place it on top of his phone as he rub his sore eyes and yawned. Weird, he is feeling exceptionally tired today.

"Maybe, I just need a doze real quick." He turn back and plop onto his bed, as the lights were turns off automatically.

He was fast asleep, deep into his dreams, or rather, pieces of his memories...

"Eek!" She let out a surprised squeal beneath the blanket as she saw his text. "He just say goodnight to me!"

The phone illuminates in the dark, showing her blushing red face as she bid him goodnight back.

"J-just hope everything goes well tomorrow..."