IRL Ice Cream

Soyeon pursed her lips. Her fingers tapped against the countertop. Her time on her computer was ticking down, and she needed to farm more ice cream. The man besides her had asked her to eat at the cafe next door, but she didn’t have the time, nor did she wish to spend her time with a stranger, no matter how harmless he looked on the outside. He wouldn’t budge though.

“So how about this? I challenge you to a duel. In game. If I win, you eat with me, if I lose, then I’ll leave you alone.” he said.

It was a tempting offer, one Soyeon could not let go of. She was a good player though. Whoever this guy thought he was, she could beat him.

“Fine. But I need to know your name.” she said. Soyeon wasn’t as dumb enough to think that once you knew a person’s name, they’re no longer a stranger, but names do hold a certain power.

“Jungkook.” he said, stretching out his hand towards her. “Good luck.”

Soyeon took the hand warily, and gave it a good shake. “You too.”

And it was off. Both people decided to make a new character with only the most basic weapon, to see who was the most skillful of all.

But Soyeon’s confidence in her abilities soon wore off. Gone with the wind, as they say. Jungkook’s skills were off the charts. She could barely keep up her defense and snook in hits. His health wasn’t going down much. To a certain degree, she was relieved her’s wasn’t either, but it was clear that both people were sweating.

The faced paced match went on for a while. Soyeon refused to give up. Her determination etched onto her eyebrows, her fingers frantically pressing numerous keys. But Soyeon hadn’t been feeling great lately. She felt that she’d been getting weaker and weaker. As if her health was degrading before her very eyes.

She needed to keep going. To dodge these heavy offenses. Her eyelids were heavy. Her vision was blurry. There was no cushion for her head to fall on, but it didn’t matter.

***

Soyeon woke up with a moist towel on her forehead, and a slight headache. She was lying on a soft surface, and was covered with a warm blanket. It felt just right. Until she realized that this place didn’t smell quite right. It wasn’t her home that she was in, but someone else’s.

Soyeon jumped up with a start. She had been lying on a couch, in a strange living room. In a strange apartment. She looked around, alarmed, but there was no one in sight. The place seemed to be one story, and she scanned for any sign of life. There seemed to be no one, though, so she gave a sigh.

The moist towel had fallen onto her lap when she’d sat up up. It now laid half unfolded. By her side, on the coffee table was a bowl of water, now cold.

There were bags of chips littered everywhere, and the trash can, visible through the open entrance to the kitchen, was overflowing with empty ice cream cans. dropped to the floor. How could someone be so disorganized. And most importantly, how could someone eat so much with