THURSDAY

You walked down the street while clutching in your notebook, still mad about how the WIFI at home suddenly acted up. You have an essay due for tomorrow, but you can’t finish it at home. You could have just gone to the community library, but it’s a bit far from your house, so you decided to just go to an internet cafe. It’s not the best option however, you don’t have a choice. You brought your earplugs because you know it’s loud at the cafe.

As you enter, it’s almost full, mostly gamers. Luckily you found an empty spot at the far end and only one person is sitting on that row. You wanted the spot beside the wall, but it’s already occupied. You sat down and organized your belongings.

It’s been quite a long time since you started doing your work, but then you heard noise besides you. You glanced at your left and saw a guy, which you didn’t notice that he took the vacant spot beside you, screaming while playing an online game.

That guy is screaming so much that you can still hear him even though you are wearing headphones. You sighed and continued to do your work while trying hard to ignore him, but you almost jumped in surprise when the table shook. The guy is smacking the table so hard that even yours shook.

You hissed and glared at him. You closed your notebook and tapped him.

“Can you please not slam the desk?” you asked but he just rolled his eyes and looked back in his computer.

You shook your head and flipped your notebook.

Not even 5 minutes has passed, the guy on your left is screaming again and keeps slamming his hands on the table. Getting fed up by the noise, you don’t have a choice but to listen to music. You put on the headphones that were hanging beside your monitor. You really don’t want to get distracted by the music, however since it’s getting loud on your spot, you didn’t have a choice. You opened up a site and clicked on your favorite BTS’ playlist. A smile instantly creeps on your mouth.

You continue to type, but for some reason you suddenly feel uncomfortable. It’s like someone is watching you, but you dismissed the thought. You stretch your arms and took a glimpse at your right unintentionally. 

It was a mistake because the guy on your right is watching you intensely.

You felt awkward, so you slightly bowed at him yet, he was still looking at you, that it’s almost like he is burning a hole in you by his stare. Even though he is wearing a bucket hat and a mask, you could see him smirking. You wanted to ask him why he was looking at you, but you suddenly jumped from your seat when the guy on your left screamed loudly, making almost everyone in the cafe look at him.

All of a sudden you felt something poking you. You looked on your right and saw the guy handing you a headphone that seems different from yours.

“Wha-”

He signaled you to use his headphones instead. Instantly, you waved your hands on him, refusing it. The guy from the left yelled again, making you jump again. You felt your headphones suddenly disconnected from your computer, and the guy on your right, forcibly made you wear his headphones.

The guy on your left is still screaming, but you can’t hear it anymore. Your new headphone is better than the one you wore earlier, making you realize that it was his own and not from the internet cafe.

An employee suddenly went and talked to the guy who was yelling and they seemed to be arguing. After a few minutes, the employee escorted the screaming guy outside the internet cafe.

Someone must have complained. Finally.

You looked on your right and saw him staring at you once again. You took off the headphone and said, “Thank You, but I don’t think I will need this anymore.” you were about to return the headphone to him, but he made a big ‘X’ with his hands. You guess he doesn't want you to return it to him, so you have no choice but to use it.

It’s been an hour, and you finally completed your essay. Being immersed in BTS' songs, made you feel more motivated. Well, it's all thanks to the guy's headphone. You can’t hear anything other than the music that you were listening to.

You took a glimpsed on your side and watched him silently as he played the game seriously. He is glaring at the monitor and silently cursing. You thought that maybe he is losing. It was such an amusing sight to see. He must have realized you were watching him because he glimpsed at you. 

He pointed on his screen and asked,

“Want to play with me?”

You quickly shake your head. “I don’t know how to.”

You were startled when he quickly moved his chair to you. He gently pushes your chair a little bit on the side and takes over your computer. You watched him set up the online game. He then looked back at you.

“Press these keys to make your character move, while pressing this key to attack the enemy. Don’t worry we will be a team so you can count on me,” he said as he taught you.

You stared at the keyboard then a look at your monitor. You are amazed by the graphics of the game and confused at the same time. You don’t know what to do even though he taught you everything.

You noticed your character that he made for you.

Beau

What does it mean?

Another character appeared, and waved in front of your character, Beau. You looked at the guy and then he winked at you.

So that’s him. You read his character’s name.

Cookie

You chuckled.

Suddenly a countdown appeared on the screen, then a group of characters appeared and started attacking you and him. You were flabbergasted as you watched Cookie fight them. He is so good that he beat most of them. However, another group appeared, but this time it doubled the number. You panicked, and pressed the key that he taught you earlier. You can’t help but admit that you had fun playing the game. You were so immersed in it and by some time, you got so good at the game.

However, you didn’t even realize the time because an employee suddenly went to you and said that the cafe is closing. That was when you realized that you were playing for more than 2 hours. 

You turned off your computer and gathered your stuff. You walked towards the cashier but suddenly remembered the headphones, so you went back and unplugged it to return it. However, the guy wasn’t there anymore.

“Have you seen the guy beside me? He left his headphones,” you asked the employee.

“He left already.”

You quickly bowed and went outside hoping you can still catch him, but he was no longer there.

You looked at your surroundings once again hoping he would come back. But he didn’t. You stared at the headphones and then put it in your bag while you made a mental note to return it to him when you see him next time. 

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unedited.