Ch. 2 - Online stranger.

I didn't exactly put too much to it, and just agreed. I still dont know how much the game function, some features are still new to me. I was still experimenting, so I didn't bother with it any further and play competition mode for a now.

*Beep*

"Im here!"

As I was in matching progress for a another match, I receive a message. I cancelled matching and open my chat box, it was from the girl who sent me the confession, she sent me a sticker that says "Im here".

*Beep*

"Hi, are you there?*

She sent me another message, I replied "Hello there" and went back to matching, after the match I check my chat box again. No replies, I close the app and went to sleep afterwards.

I didn't think about it again untill yesterday when I was working, the thought of someone, in a game at least, would confess out of nowhere. Well I did register my name in love match making, maybe she just randomly got hooked up with me, I already think she's piss off to be paired with a guy like me.

"Senpai, senpai? Akagi-senpai!"

I snap out of my thoughts and heard Haruna calling for me.

"What is it?"

I bluntly ask her, without looking at something in front of me.

"Here's the vegetables you ordered me to cut"

"Ah, thank you, Haruna-chan"

Maybe I should only concentrate to what im doing right now, I will just see it at home. We're not to busy, and so I tend to cook my meals delicately, I can't afford distractions or lose concentration. After I got home, I did my normal daily routines before opening my phone again and lay comfy in my bed. I opened the game to see new messages.

There were none, just as I thought so. I close the app and open my LikeIT account, sometimes in my spare time, I draw something and post them here. I love drawing and I admire arts, I make fanarts of anime characters and im learning how to create my own anime characters, I plan on being a manga artist someday.

As I was checking one of my post, I was a bit shocked to see it have 721 likes, I only posted it recently and to be honest, I dont usually receive that much like before. I check the status of it and many came from a person name "AiriAries" and her followers. I took a little investigation on who she is, but before I found anything noteworthy, someone DM me. I wonder who could it be, but I somewhat expect its one of her followers. I check who it might be, I was also a bit curious to what are they about to say.

"Hey there! I knew that this account was you."

I wasn't surprise, I reply to her :

"Hello, thank you for your support and appreciation of my arts! "

Even though I make my statement sound like im so happy about it, but I was rather feeling empty when I said it. Lets be honest everyone replies like that, however my expression towards her change when she said this.

"I wish I could draw like you, I love it that you manage to draw Red hair, he's such a hot character and the way you drew him so detailed with his muscles and abs, so sexy! "

I respond with joy and sincerity after her statement, Red hair is indeed a hot male character, but he is not well known and for someone to have the same interest and thoughts as me is what really makes me wanna befriend her.

"I agree with you, I didn't know you knew him, what a surprise."

"Yeah, its a bit rare for me to find someone who knew as well, most of my friends also knew him. and we're all happy that you share your artworks here."

Those were some sweet and sincere words I ever read since I was in middle school, I was about to reply but before that she said something first.

"We were having a hard time looking for lewd artworks of Red hair, but thanks to you we now have one! a high quality one."

To be honest, most of my artworks are a bit lewd, I like drawing them shirtless and flexing, while female characters wearing bikinis and making hot poses. I was consider to be a rule 34 artist too. And it makes me happy that she likes it and not disgusted by it.

We talk more about anime and gaming, I found out that she is trying to be a Vtuber, she's starting now and she still hasn't got that much attention. She ask if I have other gaming accounts so that we can play together as partners and if I can subscribe to her channel, I didn't see any harm in it so I just agreed. It was getting late, so I said goodbye and fell asleep. Our daily routine of small talks and quick conversations continue for some time, untill she started to be more open.

* 2 Days later *

I just got back, but the first thing I check is her massages.

"Oh, she's online already."

I type in, sorry I just got home right now, be with you in a few minutes. I took a shower a change my cloths before I went straight to bed and open my phone. I open the game and I receive messages from her already.

"Welcome back!" she says, greeting me warmly. I reply to her saying, " Hey, what's up? ". I've rarely get any friends, especially this kind of interaction, its my first time ever socializing online, I didn't expect it to be this game though, but im not opposed to it.

We started talking about our goals and what careers we want, I already know hers but she talks to me in much more details about it. Then as I was preparing to tell my dream career, she ask me something.

"Can I talk to you about something?" she says, I quickly replied "Sure, what is it?"

"When your in a state of being persecuted, how do you react? "

At first I was clueless to what is she talking about, but she soon made her statement clear.

"How do you get into good terms with everyone? How can you make everyone like and accept you, im still wondering what im doing wrong."

I instantly replied to her " You can't assume that everyone will like you, just dont mind them "

I have doubts that she would understand my statement, but im ready to explain it the moment she replies back to me.

Airi : "Huh? but I dont think that's right, what if people criticize you? and started gossiping about you?"

Akagi : "Why would you let yourself be affected by their gossiping?"

Before I gave her my answer, I ask her how she would handle it first, cause the way she ask me seems like she already experienced it before and still troubled to overcome it.

Airi : "Well I will try my best to earn their compliments, I tried to be kind to them so I can earn their favor."

Akagi : "Who is exactly criticizing you?"

Airi : "Well, my classmates, some of my friends and other people."

Akagi : "And in what way they're gossiping about you and what are they so critical about?"

Before she can reply I quickly type in a sentence of reassurance to keep her from being creeped out or for her to hold back her thoughts.

"Im asking you this so I can get a much better and sensible perspective of what is happening to you."

Airi : "Well they told me that I couldn't get a clue of what's happening, and that I cant understand the situation they're in. And they say I intimidate them."

Akagi : "In what ways exactly are you intimidating to them."

Airi : "Everytime I excel on something in school, my grades, performance and sometimes my talent. I would usually get praised from my teachers, but my classmates would look harshly at me and gossip. They say I cant get any hint, that I make them feel nothing and get left behind in my dust."

Akagi : "So what did you do?"

Airi : "Well, I tried being nice to them, by giving them what they lack, and I stop being too smart so they can move up a bit and I wont be as , I dont want them to see me as an obstacle."

Akagi : "So your lowering your own level? and I assume you also let them get your homework?"

She simple relied "Yes".

Akagi : "Dont you realize they're only tempting you to get what they want? they dont want you to excel, they dont care about you all they want is the success for themselves without putting to much effort."

Airi : "But all I want is to be nice to them and for them to see me as a good person."

Akagi : "Your putting yourself aside for them, and what you get in return? do you think they'll see you as a kind person? No, they'll just see you as a push over."

Airi : "What do you mean?"

Akagi : "Without you trying your best they can excell without that much effort, they want to be seen as the center of attention. And seeing how easy they can manipulate you just makes it easier for them. They dont care about you if you fail, they only want you gone."

Airi : "But, wouldn't that be too selfish and might hurt their feelings and motivation?"

Akagi : "No, cause if they lose motivation studying just because someone is smarter than them, means that they dont care about studying for their future, they only want to excel and stand out in school. And dont get swayed by what they think, they have no contribution to your efforts and for your plan in the future."

Airi : "But I just want to be kind to them."

Akagi : "You can be kind by just offering them a helping hand, not getting swayed and giving them what they want no matter what. They'll just see you as a pushover, learn to set up boundaries and limits."

Airi : "But I haven't been really got into trouble with others, and I dont want to have enemies."

Akagi : "Focus on your studies and get passing grades, dont get swayed by what other people say, they only want to sabotage you, and in the end you can only really rely on yourself."

"I'm not telling you to stop being kind to others, but im telling to be much more aware of what they're doing and how would it affect you. Set up limits and make them respect your decision. The same thing for your friends, if they're really your friends, then they should know how to respect your choices, even if they judge you so much. People who judge dont understand and those who understand dont judge."

I realize for some reason i've been a bit emotional and said a loud of things to her, iy suddenly brings up my experience in these situations back then when I was in school. I can't help but get a bit emotional when I hear about it.

Airi : "Oh I see."

And she read all of it! My, my, im a bit embarrassed I went emotional and she had to read what I have to say, she's probably weirded out that a person like me who she just met 3 days ago.

"Way to ruined it all! " I said to myself as I put down my phone and face palm.

*Beep*

Here's her reply, I slowly raise back my phone expecting a vulgar reply from her, just like most girls in sociel media nowadays.

"That is really good advice, I guess your right, they haven't actually done anything back to me and my kindness to them doesn't really make a difference on how they act towards me. I would remember what you said and thank you telling me this~."

Oh wow, such a nice reply not exactly what i've been expecting but im fine with this, this is better.

"No problem, it may be hard for you to adopt to this new method of handling your haters, so take it slowly and cement your own thoughts over their criticisms."

"Im glad I was able to tell you what's on my mind, I feel better and I feel much concentrate on what I should. Thank you for your time and for listening."

I replied to her "No problem."

I dont what I was expecting, but her words somehow assure me that I really did say the right things. She talk for some for an hour before logging out. I read a book for an additional hour before sleeping.