Wow... another day, another brain-breaking exam. It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to worry about my studies even though it’s nearing the weekend and the holidays, but I’ve managed to complete and send in my homework beforehand. Crafting items in virtual reality was surprisingly difficult, but on the bright side, nothing is more difficult than avoiding forgetting my studies because of a highly-advanced video game.

Kaz and I are so tired that we’re lying on our beds rather than logging into after entering our bedroom and removing our backpacks. When I say exams are very exhausting, I mean it. Kazuki flops face-first into his pillow as I hear him groan from it before he slowly raises his head and turns towards me.

“How many more days and classes do we have to go, Hayate...? It’s almost winter break, they’re supposed to... you know... give us a real break from school during winter!”

I sigh before turning towards Kazuki. “Just hang in there a little longer, Kaz. If you can endure monster attacks in the game, I know you can do the same for school. For now, just focus on passing the exams, and soon the most boring part of our current lives will be over with. Just ask Zac. He endured Damon’s strict tutoring and still managed to log in to the game with no problem after that. Although he did complain about it once after I met him again.”

I know Damon’s tutoring is for Zac’s good, but I can’t help but feel sorry for his current situation so far. I decided I should talk to Damon about his tutoring style when I have the time.

“Oooh, ooh! Speaking of games...”

Ugh... Why did I have to say that word out loud now?!

“How about we try taking on the right now? You do remember we have our new gear from Annie and Star.”

I sigh again. “Ever heard of priorities? I do want to test out my new bow as much as you want to test your staff, but we still need to prepare for Mom and Dad’s arrival. Plus, we need to restore a bit of our real-life energy if we want to get any dinner preparations done.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

As he grumbles in his pillow again, I can tell he still remembered what today was. Mom and Dad are coming home tonight and I have to prepare dinner while Kazuki has to prepare the dining table. Although, we both decide that we need a few more minutes of rest before we start doing anything else. So I just plant my face on my pillow and give a loud sigh out of exhaustion as I drifted off to sleep.

Eventually, after an hour, Kaz and I wake up from our short nap and begin working on the homecoming dinner for our parents. Sure, they’re just coming home from work as usual, but considering what we have recently endured in the game, just seeing our parents after a week-long absence can perk us up for a while.

After a few hours of preparation, we hear the door open as a familiar voice echoes through the house.

“We’re home. Where are our favorite boys?”

I smile. This is how Dad always greets us when he comes home after a few days at work or after a long business trip. And like before, Kazuki is the first one to rush towards the door and hugs him as Mom puts her camera and her belongings down on a nearby table.

“We missed you, Mom and Dad!” he declares as he flashes a big grin towards our folks. “You never believe what we did back in Isekai Online while you were away! We did such incredible stuff there and got awesome items and weapons that we made by hand!”

“Oh, you did now? I’m glad you’re enjoying the game as much as I am during its development.” Dad then comes towards me and asks, "What about you, Hayate? Did you enjoy the game's virtual world and gameplay so far as well?"

I quickly jump when he asks me that. I did join the game so Kaz can play it immediately, but...

"O-Oh... To be honest, I expected it to be like those VRMMOs based on light novels and anime. But after experiencing it firsthand, it’s like my expectations have been blown through the roof.” I say as I try to explain about me and Kaz’s adventures during our first month of a playthrough in the game to Dad. “We’re just currently stationed in one town, but the buildings and the NPCs there looked so alive and lively just like the players. As for the monsters, some of them were kinda cute while the rest... Let’s just say they were scarier than the animals we know.”

Considering we had encountered a large [Wild Bear] and how I’d originally had trouble with other monsters due to my lack of archery expertise in the game’s launch, most of my statements about them are not too far from the truth.

“Seems like you’re getting used to the fantasy world of . The set designers and writers worked hard on the game’s worldbuilding and lore. If you play your cards right, you might even take part in its main story as well.”

Its main story? Now that I think about it, that book that Kazuki got from that strange NPC might be related to what Dad said. I want to ask Dad about it, but considering that he’s part of the AI development team of the game, he’ll likely either deny it due to spoilers or just urge us to discover it ourselves. I just hope it’s not going to put Kazuki in any virtual danger that might traumatize him.

But as Kazuki begins to get even more excited at this revelation, Mom steps forward and speaks up. “As much as I want you boys to tell us more about your gaming adventure, shouldn’t we get ready for dinner? I have a feeling you two didn’t just come to greet us.”

My eyes widen at her statement, as I have almost forgotten what I’m doing in the first place. “Oh, that’s right! My bad. Don’t worry, the food’s all cooked and set up at the table. Just wash up and we’ll meet you there.”

“Yeah! We’ll tell you more about what we did over the past week later!”

“I hope that includes stories about your studies and chores in the house. You did do them both during my absence, correct?”

Kazuki’s expression quickly turns to comical fear as he flinches and backs away from Mom. “U-Uh... Yeah...”

I can’t help but chuckle at his reaction. He is a dedicated kid when it comes to that game. But when it comes to school and chores, he’s a whole different person. Regardless, I still love him and would do anything to help him grow into an independent and courageous person. With that, we leave the entrance of the house and prepare ourselves for our first family dinner for a while now.

After a while, we are all now sitting together at the dinner table, enjoying our meal and sharing stories over what we’ve done over the past week. For our parents, they talk about some humorous anecdotes during their work, while both of us share our lives in school and our friends, but also our time in the game.

“I see. So in other words, this Annie lady got his eyes on little Kazu, right?” Mom mutters while flashing a sly smile towards Kazuki, something that creeps me out even more than her monthly rage towards our antics. “Judging by what you’ve told us, she seems to be a nice person. I wish I could meet her in real life. Her guardian too. Who knows, maybe Hayate also has a thing for this Star lady as well.”

My eyes widen and my smile turns into a frown as she says this. “Uh, yeah... She’s a keeper…” I sheepishly let out an awkward chuckle as I pretend to agree with Mom. Sure, Star’s a cool girl, but her aggressive personality kind of turns me off her. But on the other hand, she is very friendly and reliable in any situation, so I know we can get along as friends. "Can you excuse me for a bit? I need to relieve myself."

I quickly get up from my seat and head towards the bathroom before Mom can stop me. But then, I stop when I felt like my left hand was being pulled back. When I turned around, I see my Dad tugging on my hand as he gestures me to come closer. I am a bit confused but relent as I lean my ear towards him.

“When you get back, can you meet me in the kitchen? I need to speak with you about what’s to come in a few weeks.”

‘What’s to come in a few weeks’? I was a bit confused about what he was planning, but I just shrugged and continue my way to the bathroom.

After I finish my business, I head towards the kitchen as instructed, where I find Dad leaning against the marble counter. “Okay, I’m here. What’s with this sudden secret meeting we’re having here during our normal family dinner?”

I’m expecting that he might discuss something game-related or regarding my recent grades lately. But Dad just sighs before he looks at Mom and Kazu, who is sitting at the dinner table, oblivious to what was going on. “Well, our time is limited, so I should cut right to the chase. It’s about your brother. You remember what will happen before Christmas, right?”

Before Christmas?

Oh, right! That day! It occurs several days before Thanksgiving, namely on December 19.

“You mean Kazuki’s birthday? Yeah, I’d never forgotten that. Why do you ask?”

“Well, since I’m free from work on that week, I want to give him something special that could put his productivity to good use. I can tell he loves playing that game so much, but I have a feeling that your mother might see it as detrimental to his studies if he continues playing for the next few weeks.”

Dad has a point. While playing that game makes Kazuki happy, his previous remarks about his school and his growing dislikes of his studies and PE class might cause him to retreat into that virtual world more and more, and honestly, I was a bit worried about his wellbeing. But this makes me wonder about what Dad was planning.

“Okay... And what does it have to do with his upcoming birthday?” I ask with a tone of suspicion in my voice.

“To tell you the truth, I’m planning to buy him another game.”

My eyes widen when I hear this. “Another game? I thought was enough to satisfy his fantasy dreams.”

"That's true. But I can't call it a real "video game". It's something that will help him create his fantasy stories in a whole new medium."

I raise my eyebrow as he explains more about his "present". "And how will your gift achieve all of that?"

Instead of answering it immediately, Dad gestures me again to come closer. What’s up with these secret conversations? I’m a bit annoyed at how Dad was trying so hard to keep this a secret. But once I hear his answer, I gasp and look at him as my eyes widen in shock.

“Wait, you’re seriously going to buy that?! Sure, it is easy to use and it doesn’t need any VR stuff, but I don’t know if Kaz will able to use it without any kind of guide. Are you sure you want to give him that as his birthday present?”

“It’s a bit unorthodox, but considering that he’ll do anything to make his very own fantasy adventure, I think this is a great present for a fantasy novel fanatic like Kazuki. Plus, it’s a great tool for him to start learning some new skills.”

That’s true. I heard that despite its easy-to-use reputation, the game Dad wanted for Kazu can be a bit difficult without any help. Still, it can be a great first step for him to find his goal for his future outside . Plus, it could also be a good excuse for him to take a break as well as prevent him from becoming addicted to playing that game.

“Good point. I don’t want him to get coop up in that game for so long and forget his studies and the real world. I’m in. But on one condition: you give me enough money to buy him a birthday present as well. Don’t worry, I don’t want him to use it blindly and I need to give him something great, along with my planned Christmas gift this year.”

“Understandable. Just don’t tell either your mom or your brother about it. I want it to stay a surprise until then. Can you do that?”

I nod yes to Dad as I give him a small smile. “Deal. I’ll make sure neither of them knows of our plans until then.”

And just like a couple of businessmen striking any kind of deal, we both shake hands to finalize the deal before we head back to the dinner table, acting as nothing had happened between us. Despite that, we get a few suspicious stares from Mom and Kazuki, which leaves me a bit unnerved at first. Then again, I sort of expected this to happen considering how long Dad and I have discussed Kaz’s birthday gifts. Thankfully, the rest of the family dinner goes off without a hitch.