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The Oasis has swept the world by storm: a literal virtual reality haven, people log on and escape to another universe. Toshiro Yoshiaki, an internationally-ranked Oasis player, has just moved from Japan to Columbus to pursue being a professional player. He is slowly adapting to the ways of this new country, but retains a bittersweet nostalgia for his home. There’s just something missing… Zhou, a mysterious child who’s camped out in a park, lives in solitude. Why is he alone and what secrets does he hold?
Toshiro Yoshiaki sighed as he drew his hand across his hair in frustration. He wasn't defeating this monster, despite having spent multiple runs on this quest. Why wasn't it working?…
He took off the headset that connected him to the Oasis, the virtual reality world that almost everyone was playing nowadays, and swept a glance across the room he was actually in. It was mostly empty, the plain white walls paired with only a few sparsely scattered pieces of furniture scattered. He hadn't done much to personalize it, although he had moved in more than a week ago.
The house was nice, certainly, a penthouse suite that had cost a good amount of money. One of the benefits of being a world-class Oasis player, he supposed. In fact, it was probably more luxurious than the apartment he had lived in when he was in Japan. It still wasn't quite what he was used to though, the friendliness in the bustling streets of Tokyo, the city he had lived in for the past eighteen years of his life. Here it was so barren…and lonely.
But it had been his own choice to move to Columbus in America, to pursue being a professional Oasis player. Japan had its own set of skilled players, but Columbus was at the center of it all.
Yet, despite all that, he missed his family and friends, the neighbors that he could talk to instead of only sharing an awkward, passing glance when they saw each other in the hallways. Which was rare in itself, anyway.
Toshiro drew in a deep breath. Enough of these melancholy thoughts. Maybe it would do him good to go outside and get some fresh air. Well, as fresh as it could be when it was overrun with pollution.
He went into his bedroom, about as decorated as the living room, and pulled on a gray sweatshirt, putting on the hood and pulling the drawstrings tight. Even though his avatar on the Oasis was just Daito, with no hint as to his real face or identity, or location, for that matter, being an internationally ranked player still had its dangers.
It was better to travel incognito for the most part, and keep possibilities for recognition to a minimum.
As he stretched his hand toward the motion sensor that would automatically slide open the electronic door, he gave a backward glance to the empty room before walking out into the hall.
There was a soft hum as he waited for the elevator to arrive at his floor. He tapped his foot, somewhat unsettled by the eerie almost-silence. When was the last time that he had heard the energetic chatter that had characterized his old home?
He stepped into the elevator, pressed the button for the first floor, and the smooth descent began. A few seconds later, the always-pleasant elevator voice announced, "Arrived at the first floor."
The sleek glass doors opened, and he stepped out onto the ground floor, before quickly making his way to the building doors and heading outside.
