It was a silent car ride home, no music, no banter, nothing. I really killed the mood at the restaurant and there wasn’t a way to get it back.

Riri pulled up in front of our house, silently shutting her car off.

“Thanks for the food.” Mizuki struggled to say with a downcast expression on her face.

Riri frowned, before a slight smile formed on her lips. She turned around and looked directly at Mizuki. “You’re not getting out of my car with that face.”

“Oh..” Mizuki said as her voice trailed off.

Riri turned around and tapped Mizuki on the shoulder. “Look.” She smiled brightly while pointing at her face. “Smile!”

Mizuki smirked a little, but didn’t offer much else.

“Please?” Riri asked as she ticketed her head. “We can go shopping this weekend.”

“Really?!” Mizuki shouted suddenly, a big smile spreading across her cheeks.

“It’s a promise.” Riri held out her pinky finger.

Mizuki looked at Riri’s hand for a few seconds before locking her pinky finger with her’s.

What a wholesome sight.

“You’re not excluded!” Riri blurted out while glaring at me. “You have to smile as well.”

Mizuki turned to look at me, almost expectantly.

I’m not in the mood to smile, but I know Riri won’t let it go if I don’t. Plus, Mizuki wants me to smile as well for some strange reason.

I internally sighed, resigning myself to my fate.

I moved my facial muscles to form the best I could muster.

Mizuki and Riri's eyes almost popped out of their heads. They made complicated facial expressions while throwing looks at each other.

That’s… this is good, right? “So I get a reward too, right?”

“Ew!” Riri screamed. “No! I should have never asked you to smile! Why do you smile like that?!”

I looked towards Mizuki and her face said it all. “It’s that bad?”

“Yes!” Mizuki and Riri answered in unison.

I knew my smile wasn’t good .. but damn. I have feelings.

Riri sighed loudly, making a face of defeat. “Nevermind. This was fun. I’ll see you two later.”

Mizuki and I stepped out of the car and closed the doors. Before we could head inside, Riri stopped me.

“Let me see your phone?” Riri asked as she held out her hand.

“Why???” I asked.

Riri gave me a dumbfounded look, moving between Mizuki and I.

I don't know what’s going on, but it looks like Mizuki and Riri are having a conversation with their eyes.

I didn’t know what to do while Mizuki and Riri were doing their eye thing, so I just stood there silently.

Riri finally turned to me before sighing loudly. “So I can put my number in your phone.”

Have I… have I made it to the promised land????

Riri’s face scrunched up, as if she had just encountered the most unpleasant experience. “Is that your genuine smile?!”

I looked at Mizuki, and she was making a disgusted face. “Stop looking at me!”

My feelings… “…yes.”

“You know what? I don’t care.” Riri announced. “It’s not like that. So stop thinking that way. Just hand over your phone.

I really just got out in the friend zone… well it’s not like I had already made up my mind that I was going to pursue her… ugh! Who am I kidding?! I’m pissed! I at least wanted the option!

“Yeah.” I reached into my pocket before taking out my phone and slowly handing m it over to Riri. “Of course.”

“About time!” Riri announced as she snatched my phone out of my hand. “You need a new phone. This is old as shit.”

Riri slowly scrolled through my phone, making weird faces. Though there isn’t much on my phone, it still irritates me that she so blatantly violated my privacy.

I tried to snatch my phone back, but Riri quickly moved her hands away. “Give me my phone back!”

“Nope!” Riri responded with her hand held up in front of my face. While her other hand held my phone and scrolled through it. “Mom?! Dad?! Zuki?! Is that it?!”

I just got here?! “Fuck you!”

Riri with a smirk, turned to stare at me. Her deep light brown eyes shimmering.

My heart skipped a beat, and my words got caught in my throat.

Riri smirked, and scoffed. “I bet you do, don’t you?”

“W-what?!” Damnit! How did she know that she affected me like that?! I can’t let her win. “No!”

Riri smacked her lips. “Real convincing.” She handed my phone back to me, with a smirk that didn’t go unnoticed.

“Y-“

“Hey!” I turned around to see Kenzie walking out of the house. “Is that Riri?!”

Kenzie started running towards us as Riri stepped out of her car. Kenzie ran past me and crashed into Riri, embracing her in a tight bear hug. “How are you?!”

“I-I’m fine Mrs-“

“Kenzie.” Kenzie cut Riri off instantly with a deadpan expression.

Riri rolled her eyes while a giddy smile formed in her lips. “Kenzie…”

Watching Kenzie and Riri’s display of affection caused one thought to form in my mind.

How am I just finding out about all of this? Am I really that oblivious?

“So what have you all been doing?” Kenzie asked as she eyed everyone.

“Oh, we just got some food.” Riri spoke up. “He looked like he needed something to cheer him up.”

“Oh.. it’s about that girl, huh?” Kenzie asked with a frown, eyeing me and Mizuki.

I avoided eye contact with Kenzie, while Mizuki‘s mood turned sour and she made a complicated expression.

Kenzie sighed loudly, before turning back in my direction. “Did you at least have fun?”

“Yeah, I had fun.” I held up my bag with my left overs. Well, leftover isn’t the proposer term. It’s really a full meal because I didn’t eat anything.

Kenzie‘s face softened a bit, and a small smile formed on her lips. “She’s a good girlfriend! And she’s pretty! Stop worrying about that other girl and hurry up and pick her!”

Woah!

Riri’s eyes shot open and her lips started moving but nothing was coming out. “Wait!” Riri waved her hands in the air dismissively. “Hold up!“

“Oh.” Kenzie looked genuinely surprised and turned to stare at Riri. “So you two havent made it official yet?”

“No!” Riri quickly responded.

Ouch! That kind of hurt! You don’t have to be that opposed to the idea! I’m not that bad!

Kenzie patted Riri’s shoulder. “We’ll take your time. But don’t take too long. He needs someone like you to straighten him out.”

What’s happening right now? Am I supposed to do something? I’m starting to feel awkward.

Riri looked confused and didn’t seem to know what to do. She looked to Mizuki for help, but Mizuki didn’t seem to want to be involved and quickly averted her eyes. To which she looked to me for help next.

I don’t know what Riri and I actually are, but I do know that it's far from being anything romantic. Damn that hurts saying... “Yeah, it’s not…”

I noticed out of the corner of my eye, Riri making a relieved facial expression as I started to speak.

Oh.. So that’s how you feel..

I smiled cruelly before waltzing over to Riri. “Don’t worry!” I wrapped my arm around Riri and pulled her close to me. “She’s already mine!”

Riri went stiff in my arms, and her face went blank.

Yeah! Take that!

Almost immediately, Kenzie burst out laughing.

“Okay! I have to go!” Riri peeled my arm off of her and silently got in her car.

“Pfft! Wait…Wait!” Kenzie was attempting to stop Riri, but could barely speak through her laughter.

Riri quickly and silently pulled off, burning rubber and leaving a trail of dust.

I was left standing with a dumbfounded expression on my face.

I looked at Mizuki and she had an indescribable look on her face. She noticed me looking at her and quickly turned the other way and started walking towards the house.

Shit.

“That was so cute, right?” Kenzie asked as she held her cheeks. Swooning like a little schoolgirl.

Yeah, like in a.. ‘I’m scared for my life’ type of way.

“Don’t look like that. I just helped you. Trust me.” Kenzie winked at me, while rubbing my back.

I really have no one to blame but myself for taking it a little too far.

“Yeah..” I responded with a sigh. I’m tired and desperately in need of rest. I’ve had enough of making bad decisions for today.

I turned around and started walking towards the house.

Kenzie followed behind me before waking right next to me. “Did you take your medicine?“

“Yeah.” I responded absentmindedly.

“How is it working?” Kenzie asked, her voice tinged with worry.

“It’s okay.” I actually don’t think it’s working that well. But, I just started. It still makes me feel weird, so it could be that I’m just not used to it yet.

“Okay.” Kenzie slowly rubbed my back. “Take a shower and get some rest.”

“Yeah.” I wonder what my mom is doing right now?

I did as Kenzie instructed. I took a nice hot shower and I am now laying face down in my bed.

“Ugh!!! Why can’t I stop thinking about her?!” I flung my pillow against the wall before laying back down. “Dammit. I don’t feel like getting up to go get it.”

I sighed loudly before rolling onto my side.

You can’t save everyone.. “She’s right.”

I’m really in over my head. I think it’s time to throw in the towel. Maybe.. Maybe the best thing to do is to enjoy the few days that I may have left in this world.

★Failure to beat the game will result in PERMANENT DEATH of the Player and the world's inhabitants!★

I could still hear the painful and annoying voice in my head as if I had just heard it.

My chest tightened, and I was attacked by a wave of guilt.

Isn’t it selfish of me to just give up? I’m not the only one that’s going to be affected by it.

My eyes started watering, and my heart started pounding.

Well, maybe it’s not for a few days? The notification never gave me a time frame. Maybe I’ll lose the game tonight, or tomorrow, or next month, next year, maybe ten years from now. Who knows, maybe everyone will be able to live a happy and fulfilled life until then.

Tried as I might to rationalize my incompetence and cowardice, the guilty feeling didn’t alleviate. In fact it grew even worse.

I threw my sheets over me and let the darkness take over me.

I’ll face whatever tomorrow holds when it comes.