One more time - 8

"Is Ezzie here?"

If this was a game, then the background music must have probably turned into a cheerful one.

The voice of a familiar girl greeted us from the outside, and she walked towards us in a calm manner, before finding a vacant chair and dragged it towards our direction.

Brian's eyes were stuck towards this girl through the whole time, and I was getting goosebumps instead.

One of these days, Brian might land a punch on me and leave me waking up at a hospital bed.

I was slightly sweating from fear, and somehow there's also a bit of an unknown excitement from this sensation. Of course I tried my best for my feelings to not show on my face.

I'm not sure what's going on with my emotions, but I might just be probably turning crazy.

"I can join, right?"

"Sure, madam." Aiden even stood and gave a casual bow before sitting once more. Brian however, resumed his cold expression which he usually had.

"So, what were you talking about?"

The three of us went silent, then she smiled in a way that doesn't really look like a smile. I can only assume that she thought of something not really related to what we're currently talking about.

"Oh?..." Her eyes narrowed as she opened her boxed lunch, and are you three talking about girls? Ranking the beauties---"

"No, no, no. Not at all." It was actually Brian who replied, and from his flustered gesture, even Lyn was stunned dumbstruck. It didn't take for a long time for her to recover, though. She instead started to laugh, and pout thereafter.

"What, you can't let a girl in your merry group? I'll be going then..."

"No, wait. Stay for a while."

I suddenly grabbed her hand and it made her boxed lunch fall on the desk. The sound of it attracted a bit of attention, but everyone seemed to have become silent and if it isn't exaggerated, everyone might have been looking at us instead.

"Ezzie, are you sure?"

"It's not like she'll believe me anyway. I just don't want any more misunderstandings to occur, that's all."

"...So bold..."

Lyn was covering her mouth with her hand, and I couldn't tell if she was being shy or was playing a little prank on me so I let go of her hand.

"S-Sorry man, I didn't mean to." Of course, I was apologizing to the big guy in front of me.

Lyn sat down once again, and from her calm expression, it does seem that she's just playing around. No matter what I tell, few people would only believe me anyway. I mean, even these two guys laughed the first time I've mentioned it.

"Actually, I came back from the future."

"Pff---!"

The three of them spat out to their sides at the same time.

"Just like that? No intros or anything?" Aiden asked as he wiped his mouth.

On the other hand, Lyn was happily laughing to herself as if she hadn't heard a good joke for a while. Her laughter gradually increased and the way she laughed was also starting to become funny for me because I just felt silly.

Brian on the other hand, wiped their messes as he smiled.

We've been gathering attention for quite a while now, but everyone would just go back to their own business as usual.

"Hey. That's supposed to be a secret."

Her body started to have mini convulsions as she tried to supress her laughter once more.

"S-Sorry, I can't... help it... Pfft...!"

"Well that's what we were really talking about." I could only wryly smile from her reaction, and Aiden was just staring at her.

Brian finally finished cleaning up, and that took about almost twenty minutes of our break time. Any more longer and we'll have less time.

"So Ezzie. What was it that you were going to say yesterday?"

"Actually... I forgot it already."

"What? With all of that suspense that you built up from yesterday, and this?"

"Ugh." Brian only grunted to himself as heavily Aiden complained.

"Let me remember. For now, eat."

"Forget eating, I may not even be able to sleep at this point!"

"Man, just let me think for a while, okay?"

What was it? I really can't remember what I was about to say.

"Ahh... now I remember."

"Really? Come on, don't let up now."

There was a bit of tension, and I couldn't help but take a deep breath before telling them.

"I had a girlfriend back then, and now I have none."

My face probably looked downcast, as the two boys probably empathized with me. Their looks had this seriousness to it that I can't describe, and Aiden's eyes were also wide open as if he believed what I just said.

"Sorry to hear that, but at least let us now who's the girl."

The girl already finished what she was eating, which I didn't even see how it happened.

"She's someone I just met online."

"Online? Don't tell me..."

"Yeah, it's from a game that I frequently play."

Now that I think about it, I barely even played lately. I just thought of what happened these past few days, and how I was able to get in touch with Esyllt, yet I was unable to do so.

"Met in real life yet?"

"She's in another country."

"LDR then. How about her social media?"

"Had none, unfortunately. Wait, I'll go check later just to be sure."

As Lyn asked questions, I suddenly had ideas, ideas that might just work.

"It isn't a fake person, right?"

"Yeah, I was about to ask him about it, but there were pictures of her, he said." Aiden followed up and supplemented the information.

"It's not... shopped... right?" Her tone was slightly higher than usual, and it somehow gave me doubts about Esyllt.

"It was clean and clear as day, that it wasn't shopped most likely. She had two photos by the way. One of her stolen shots, and the other, her own selfie."

"That makes sense that you'd believe her then."

Lyn paused and her questions finally ended at the moment, and from her questions I had the urge to go home right now and see what I could possibly do to confirm her identity at least in this timeline.

"Man, I have an idea."

Aiden tapped my shoulder, and the bell finally rang, ending the recess.

...

Back at home, I did my usual routine but this time, I didn't check my friend list first. It was always the same anyway, as long as that guy hadn't acquired his legendary set yet.

I took a bath first, and wore casual clothes. After that I went outside to do some small shopping at the grocer.

...

Two hours later, I came back home and it was almost 8 PM.

This time, I opened my friend list and StarQuincy09 is offline.

Only the few friends that I had were online, and the new one that I added lately, Kyuri.

Aiden's idea was good, but I risk my PC getting damaged.

"Let it stay online, huh."

Of course my internet provider had no data limit, so I could do what he told me. The only thing is the heat may rise and I don't really have an air conditioner in my room, only a fan.

Just to be prepared, I took off the metal lid on the side and let the PC do its work, and I put the only fan in the room towards the open area. This way I could hopefully minimize the heat generated, but the whole room might get hot instead.

I mean, my room doesn't have any kind of ventilation besides the doorway, and leaving the door open, the whole place might get hot.

Or am I just exaggerating things? I haven't actually tried it yet because I rarely play over six hours even if I call myself dedicated to the game. It's just I also limit myself so I can still feel that excitement during I play.

Going back, it's already 8 PM and currently eating dinner. Merk wasn't around and the things he said earlier was still a bit fresh in my mind.

"Well, if this was actually a visual novel and I get to have, or IF I get to have another chance at it, then I'll probably dig up some info about that girl on the bakery..."

Suddenly, a sound came from my PC and I found out that it was only my social media account.

There were lots of unneeded notifications, and I could barely filter them if I already have at least three hundred.

"When was the last time I logged in? Why do people like this anyway?"

I scrolled through the notifications until I got fed up with it, then I finally clicked on the search button.

"Esyllt."

I slowly typed in her name, slightly hesitant, and even kept deleting the letters. I kept delaying myself but the curiosity in my mind could only be satiated when I do the things that I want to do.

"It's not like it's not allowed anyway. Nor am I stalking. Sure, this isn't stalking!"

I finally typed in her name and pressed on the Enter key on my keyboard.