Chapter 4

Narnia? Hey, Narnia, u thr?
X at home, G-Man.
Chen smiled, his face close to his laptop screen, as if it would bring him closer to her.
Hi N, whaddup?
Y'know... Amrcn ghetto spk is sooo not ur style.
Chen laughed at her words, feeling giddy all of a sudden.
It's x fair, he typed again.
Wat's x fair?
U've always known who I am. Bt not I u.
Irene remained silent on the other side of the chat line.

Dude? You there?
Chen automatically typed the way he has always talked to Prince Caspian - like he would with Sehun or his other male friends.
Irene smiled, noticing his familiar speak. Still, it was quite a while before she replied.
Yup.
So y? Y didn't u tell me who u wr?
I prfr to kp my prfl pte.
Bt it's me, Chn. Y wud u wnt 2 kp yr prfl pte frm me?
 

Online, Chen's fingers always seem to have a mind of its own.
And he mentally kicked himself as soon as he saw his words on the screen.
Why would she want to tell you who she is, idiot! She's Prince Caspian, only the most sought after online figurine artist in the amateur games builder world, he scolded himself. And who do you think you are? Miyamoto?
 

Again, Irene smiled at Chen's words.
They have been online friends for the longest time. Or rather Prince Caspian and Guitar-Man have. In fact, it was she who sought him out, stalking his blog and review pages, luring him with her deviantart pictures, knowing how he liked to collaborate with online graphic designers.
She herself, drawn to his creative technical genius.
But while Chen was a master at games mechanics, he normally needed help on the cosmetics part.
In fact, they have worked a few times together on short CGIs for YouTube and other online media.
They have always communicated online, moving from open tweets to private chat rooms, especially when discussing their projects, or simply reviewing new animes or games together.
 

Yet, she has always kept her real identity anonymous, despite the few times he asked her. To the extend that she speaks as a boy with him most of the time.
No, remaining incognito gave her the freedom to converse with Chen without restrictions.
She was afraid that if he knew who she was, he would retreat into the shy shell he always surrounded himself in. Especially in front of her, as Irene.
 

Online Chen or Guitar Man was a lot bolder and free.
Fun, even.
It was also apparent in his games and other content creations.
G-Man, that was her nickname for him. Somehow to her, it suits him better than the old fashion Guitar Man.
G-Man, like those cool FBI agents, or some rugged government spies, she always thought.
Maybe it was time for her to come clean with him.
They were, after all childhood friends.
 

It saddens her that they grew apart since then. She would have loved to collaborate more with Chen and discuss things they were both passionate about.
Things that Kai and her other friends were not.
But then again, society somehow dictated the distance. The IN crowd and the NERDS just do not mix together.
Not that she considered herself as an IN crowd girl.
 

Still, fate had brought her and Kai together, and took Chen away.
But she found a friend in him again online.
And to jeopardise the friendship by telling him her true identity before was not something Irene wanted to risk.
Til now.

Fate somehow also brought them together, from the virtual world, to the real one, with her sketch book as the conduit.
He deserved to know her real reason.
 

Wud u stil spk 2 me lk ths if u knew it was me, Irene typed.
Chen smiled, understanding her reason.
Guess x.
He inserted a smiley icon for good measure.
Thr u go.
So, wht now? He asked, after a short silence.
I dun know? Irene replied. U tell me.
 

It was then Chen's turn to remain quiet.
What was it that he wanted from Irene?
To him, Irene has always remained as a cult figure, a secret fantasy, a vision of the unattainable IT girl he could not have.
While Prince Caspian was like his cohort, partner in crime.
His bromance mate.
Only now Prince Caspian or Narnia, as her preferred, was not his bro, anymore. Though the prospects of romance seem to be more appealing, Chen grinned inwardly.
 

I want to mt u, he suddenly blurted.
If the words were spoken face to face, it would probably come out as a croak.
A horse yet forceful croak, nonetheless.
 

No.

Unfortunately was Iren’s reply.
No? Y not? Chen yelled over his PC.
I'm scared.
Eh? Isn't that spposd to b my line?
Bt yr G-man. Yr a legend.
So is Prnc Caspn. N in real life, ur Irene. N I'm just plain Chen.
U r never plain, Chen.
Most ppl think so.
I'm not most ppl.
No, ur not.
 

Chen smiled in his sigh. Wishing they were not separated by rows of houses, walls and PC screens.
But I still wanna mt u.
Now he speaks with more conviction. With more confidence.
Nope, Irene typed.
And the chat line went blank.