Game

Beau Riley

--

I plopped my bag on the bed with a deep sigh. Thank goodness, tomorrow is Saturday. This morning was seriously too much for me.

I decisively wore off my hoodie and then stared at my flat and smooth belly. "Still so small. How do I get abs...?" I murmured under my breath with a hint of disappointment.

I've been trying to build up my abs since last month, but to no avail. This will probably be my body type forever. I'll just accept it as it is. Hopefully, it doesn't bring me any trouble in the future.

A knock suddenly sounded from outside. I hurriedly twisted the door open for the person waiting in front of my room.

"Baby, eat some snacks first. Wait for mommy to finish cooking downstairs, okay?" My mother's voice echoed through the room as she entered carrying a tray of cookies and a glass of milk.

I nodded obediently. "Okay, Mom."

She carefully placed the tray on my study table before giving me a peck on my cheek. "Love you, baby."

"Love you too, Mom," I replied with a smile as I watched her walk out of my room while humming a delightful tune.

My mother has always been like this. She's just so sweet and gentle, especially to the only man in her life, which is me, by the way. She's a single mom. My biological father dumped her after getting her pregnant, so my mom has to drop out of school and take care of me. From then on, she single-handedly fed me and paid for my studies through her bakery business.

Her hard work earned us enough money to have our own house, our own car, and pay my tuition fees at the university, which are quite high, actually.

It was because of this that I always did my best to lessen her worries for me. I never partied outside, never drank alcohol or smoked cigarettes, and I never really had any romantic relationships so that I could solely focus on my studies. It was probably because of this that I only dared to have a crush, but never a lover.

I want to pay back my mother's efforts in raising me, despite all the pain it caused her before.

Speaking of 'crush', my phone suddenly dinged as a text message appeared on the phone screen.

————

7:01 pm

From: Sage

wanna play?

————

I hurriedly plopped my butt on the bed to remove my shoes while staring at my phone with flushed cheeks. I was still wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, so I decided to just quickly grab my pajamas and change already.

After changing my clothes, I rolled over on the bed with a huge grin.

————

7:05 pm

To: Sage

G

————

I watched as he sent me another reply, which said 'OK'. I removed myself from the bed and strode towards the computer to turn it on.

While waiting for it, my phone suddenly rang. This time, it was a call from Sage.

I paused for a few seconds first to ponder over it and then decided to just press the green button to accept his call.

"Hey," he whispered first through the line. "I hope I didn't disturb you. You weren't studying?"

I sat down on my gaming chair as I placed my phone on the table. "I wasn't. It's fine."

"Oh, that's good." There was silence between us before he added, "Should we play LoL?"

"Sure. Just for an hour or two, though. I still haven't gotten my dinner yet," I reminded him as I clicked on my mouse to enter the game.

"Let's leave this call on so we can talk throughout the game," Sage said, his soothing and low voice vibrating through the table.

I subconsciously smiled at that. "Yeah, sure."

From then on, he would call me every night to play with me. Although I liked the way I was able to talk to him and be casual around him, it still took a lot of practice for me to loosen up in his presence. We only spoke on the phone, though.

At school, I rarely saw him these past few days. He didn't come to the library often, and I couldn't spot him on campus either.

The only thing that could prove to me that he still exists in this world was because of our late-night games and calls.

Sage was fun to be with. In fact, he was the friendliest person I've ever met. Like sunshine on a snowy day.

The downside was that the more I got to talk to him, the more I was attracted to his warmth. I was Icarus, and he was the sun. If I'd be too close to him, I'd probably burn and fall from the sky.

Maybe it was for the better that I've never seen him that much at school. If I see his beautiful face again, I will probably plunge deeper into his flames.

"Byu, are you still there?"

And the funniest thing was that he never really asked my name ever since we started gaming together.

I cleared my throat first before I lightly replied, "Yes."

"As I was saying, I'm planning to join the Midnight Lions tomorrow. Do you think they will accept me?" Sage asked in a hopeful tone.

I tilted my head at that. Wow, he's really going out of his comfort zone, huh? To think that he was actually thinking of joining the e-sports circle—that was quite unexpected. I sincerely thought he was just like me, who's into casual gaming and not into competitive sports.

"Hmm, you're a great player. They'll probably accept you as a trainee," I commented while my fingers were busy tapping and clicking over the keyboard. "Why did you suddenly join, though?" I finally asked to satisfy my curiosity.

His soft chuckle echoed through the phone. "I want to step up the game. I've been hesitating before, but the competition changed my mind. The thrill of losing and winning was so intense. I liked it so much."

I bit my lower lip to stop myself from grinning too wide. The way he was passionately telling me about his dream tingled a spot in my heart and stomach. His joy is my joy. I'm such a simp for him. Really.

"How about you? You're very good at this, too. Do you have any ideas to join? We can join the team together too," Sage suggested.

I shook my head even though I knew he couldn't see me. "No, thanks. Not really my area."

"If you say so."

I continued playing with him until we won the round. I stretched my arms and waist as I stood up from the gaming chair. "Let's call it a day."

"Oh, yeah. Uhm, do you have any plans for tomorrow?" His slightly shy voice woke me up from my sleepy state.

My ears perked up as I tried to decipher the meaning behind his words. Is he asking me out?

I licked my lower lip first before I grabbed the phone and plopped myself on the bed. "None. It's the weekend, so I'm free. Why?"

"I was just thinking..."

"Yeah?" I tried to sound calm as much as I could. But the way he was sounding so bashful and breathy on the other line sent shivers down my spine. Goodness, my thoughts are starting to go down the wrong path right now.

"... How about we go out tomorrow? I've been busy with things lately, and it would be great to hang out with you in person, I think," he whispered in a low voice.

I heard rustles from his side, so I guessed he probably shifted in his position.

I looked up at the ceiling as I pressed the phone near my ear. "Okay, where are we going?" I asked while removing my newly bought thick-framed glasses from my face. I lied on my stomach and put a pillow on my chest to support my weight.

"That would be a secret," Sage answered with a playful laugh. "You can't back down now, okay?"

I grinned as I ran my slender fingers through my dark brown hair. "Okay."

"See you, Byu!"

"See you, Sage."