"The Ruptured Red String of Fate-1" (extra)

"I like you, Sanno Angeldame!" Gwyneth Azirean said loudly in front of her long time crush. It was only both of them in the computer room, and she could feel her nervous heart beating loudly.

Sanno, who had just arrived and closed the door, was shocked to see her confess. He was told by his classmate that he had to retrieve some files in his assigned computer for their group project, that was why he went there. But it was just a trap.

Gwyneth looked at him intensely because he just stared at her and didn't say anything. She knew that Sanno wasn't the sociable type personally, even though he was talkative in their group chat. "Uhm… Sanno," she uttered, "I know it sounds weird, but… can you be my boyfriend?"

Sanno was shocked, again. He had accepted that she confessed to him, but didn't expect another statement more shocking than the first one. He didn't know what to do, so he turned his back on her and was about to leave when Gwyneth held the door's handle.

"Sanno, can you give me an answer now?" She said, with pleading eyes. "I don't think I can sleep tonight if I don't hear your answer."

He didn't know what to do. So he asked her, "What do you like about me?" He was confident with the way he looks, but he wanted to know if there were other reasons. "Depending on your answer, I might consider it."

A ray of hope appeared before Gwyneth, and she excitedly answered, "Ever since our first year in college, I had always noticed that you were handsome. Since then, I have always followed you in the cafeteria and sat near you. I find you very cute because you always wear long-sleeved shirts. I also admire how you solve every problem in our programming exercises, I also-"

Gwyneth was interrupted because suddenly, Sanno placed his pointing finger onto her lips. "That's enough," he said and smiled at him. "You're going to be my first girlfriend, so I don't think I can be the best…"

"Sanno!" Gwyn happily called, "You're my first boyfriend too!"

After that fateful day, the two of them enjoyed each other's company. Sanno would always fetch her from the e-bus station before going to class. On some days that the classes were virtual lectures, Sanno would invite her to his apartment to watch their professors together. He would cook her favorite eggs benedict and then take some afternoon nap. When night falls, he would take her home.

At the same time, while their relationship was ongoing, Sanno would spend his nights talking to the master hacker Zion. He had been teaching him the basics and the advanced programming and cybersecurity techniques, including how to hack big organizations. It was something that his father wanted him to do.

"We're going to graduate soon," Gwyneth said, holding hands with Sanno while walking, "Where do you want to work?"

"It depends on my father," he explained. "I think he had some plans for me."

"Dr. Dexter is so strict," she said, pouting. "I want to work somewhere near you."

"Me too," he said, then placed his arms on her shoulder. He planted a kiss on her head. "How about we get married right after graduation?"

Gwyneth's cheeks went beet red. "Are you… proposing to me?!"

"Why should we prolong it? I can't wait to make kids with you," Sanno said, jokingly. "Are you going to make me wait?"

"Sannooo!" she exclaimed, covering his mouth with her hand, "There are many people, they will hear you!"

Sanno laughed, as she saw how his girlfriend cutely panicked. Then, he got serious, "I love you, Gwyn. I will wait until we get married, I promise."

"I love you too, Sanno!" Gwyneth was touched by Sanno's words. To be honest, she was worried that he might go and find some other girl who would want to do lustful things with him. She wanted to save her virginity until her marriage. Knowing that he could wait, she thought that she's the luckiest girl alive.

Things became hectic two months after graduation. Their usual mall visits and museum hoppings were replaced with writing lots of reports. They also had a lot of coding projects that took their time.

As a result, Sanno and Gwyn hadn't met, but they just took video calls and exchanged messages in D-Chat and their emails.

Sanno was so busy in his apprenticeship with Zion that it took his free time, plus he had to accomplish every task in the university.

This grew them apart, and Gwyn's female friend took her to a bar.

"I won't go inside, no way," Gwyneth said as she looked up to the bar with neon signs "VIP Blitz Bar".

"You should destress! Good thing I used concealer on those eye bags," her friend Hacue said, "I even bought us these clothes. Now is the time to use it! Let's party!" Her father is a major shareholder in the VIP bar.

Hacue was wearing a red, silk, halter neck dress, while she made Gwyn wear a revealing, black silk dress. Both of them had their hair loosely combed back.

Hacue dragged Gwyneth inside, and they sat in the barstool, in front of the bartender.

"We're not going to do anything bad," Hacue insisted. "We're just going to forget our worries for a while."

"I guess, if we're just going to sit here, then it's okay," Gwyneth said.

"Sir, recommend us something to drink, please," Hacue told the bartender. "I'm a heavy drinker, while this girl here is a light drinker."

"Sure, lovely ladies. Please wait for a while, and I'll give you something nice," the bartender replied, then chose some bottles on the rack.

After a while, the bartender gave a glass of "Orange Wine" and a glass of "Black Atlantis".

"Here you go," he said, and he went over to the customer beside them to get his order.