[Music Recommendation: "Usui Takumi" theme (Kaichou wa Maid-sama OST)-available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter

[Please note: This chapter is written in Grim Reaper's / Kai's POV-the day after his call with Senara]

"Master, wake up," the voice of our butler woke me up.

I slowly opened my eyes and I'm immediately blinded by the sun's light. Ugh. I hate mornings. Why couldn't classes be in the afternoon or evening? I shut my eyes close again and rolled to the other side of bed.

The butler sighed. "Master, if you keep this up, you'll be late."

"That's fine. I'd still ace their exam even if I don't attend class," I lazily replied, waving my hands, signalling him to get out.

"But master—"

Ugh. He just wouldn't stop. Now I understand why father put him as my personal butler. He's a persistent one.

"Ugh… just leave me alone," I commanded him with my eyes closed. I'm still very sleepy. I only managed to sleep near dawn and that was only 2 hours ago.

"You should really lessen playing games, master."

"I'm not just playing for the sake of playing."

"Yes, but still…" Blah-blah-blah.

'Assessment is over. He's irritating for sure. I should ask my father to change my butler. He's as willful as my irritating sister. Why can't they just be polite and reserved? … like Senara—she seemed pretty docile. Speaking of her, I wonder how she's doing.'

"By the way master," the irritating butler rambled again, "you left your console open last night so I took the liberty to turn it off. But someone left you a message."

"Hm? Who?" I wondered, still with my eyes closed. Morning was truly my enemy.

"It was from a player named 'Senara Lee'. I'm not quite sure how to address—him or her?"

I jolted up from bed as soon as I heard her name. It was odd since we haven't been friends for long but I'm somehow worrying for her. Her family's problem was no joke after all. I walked towards my playing couch and turned on the game to check the message.

"W-what the—Master, this is no time to play games!" Blah-blah-blah. Such a nag.

"I'm not turning this on if you remembered what she said," I turned to him. "Well, do you remember?"

"That's—my apologies, I didn't dare open the whole message."

"See?" I shrugged, and shifted my focus on the tv screen.

Once loaded up, I went over my short friend list and unto the pings I received—a couple from those lazy guild assistants, lots of spams from the idiot trio, and there… just one message from Senara. I scrolled past the others and just read hers. Out of all the nonsense of the others, hers was most likely the only message with sense in it.

"Hi Grim Reaper! Thank you again for last night. I won't be playing Armageddon for a while but don't worry. I decided to spend more time with dad from now on… in case the worst happened. Anyway, enjoy playing! I'll be back as soon as I can," she said.

"Hmm… she's still not ok," I murmured to myself as I leaned back on the couch and looked up the tall ceiling. I paused for a moment, deliberating what to do. "I'm technically still a teenager, too, so there's not much I can do."

"Indeed you are master, you're only sixteen," the blabbermouth butler interrupted my peaceful thinking. "But being young doesn't mean you can be—"

"Ah!" a sudden idea popped in my head. "Is father in his office right now?"

"Why—yes, he is. But—" Oh, shut up, that was the only thing I wanted to hear from you.

I quickly strided out of my monochrome room and unto my father's office at home, still on my sleeping robes. It was a bit far from my room. I had to go over a couple of stairs and pass by many rooms. They shouldn't have built our house too big—even my long legs didn't help much in lessening the effort of walking.

"Father," I called him as I banged the door in his office wide open.

Father sat on his office table, still yawning. I inherited my distaste of mornings from him.

"Hm?" he looked in my direction, rubbing his eyes. "Oh, my son! Kaiden!" Took him a while to recognize me.

"Yes, it's me." Then I walked towards him while I talked. "I need your help on something."

"Anything for my son, what is it?" he asked, smiling. He's a really doting and kind father. I like him. I probably inherited my grumpiness from my mother.

When I reached his desk, I saw a hot coffee on his table so I grabbed it and sipped it.

"Haaah… coffee is the best."

"Ack! That's my coffee, son! Go get yours!"

But I mischievously gulped it down. Ha-ha! I liked pranking my docile father. His face turned into a sorry puppy in an instant—always fascinating to watch. I turned towards his butler who was standing beside a large bookshelf, and signalled him to get us another set of coffee.

"Stop crying, I already asked your butler to get us another cup."

Still pouting, he nodded. "Ahhhh… my coffee."

"Nevermind that. I need your help."

"Right, what is it about?" he asked, sounding uninterested.

"It's about my new friend. Some puny whales are bullying them."

"I see. That's too bad. And what's the name of your friend?"

"Senara Lee."

"Sena—" he repeated after me. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide. "Is she a girl?"

"Ahh… yeah? So what?"

"My son finally has a girl—"

"Not like what you're thinking," I interrupted. I knew what he's thinking. "She's an in-game friend."

"But still—it's a girl!"

"Ugh, whatever you want to think. Just help her family sort it out."

While I was saying that, father's focus immediately shifted to his laptop.

"Wow! She's a beauty, my son. You're really good at picking."

"Huh?! What the—Are you even listening? I said she's an in-game friend. How would I know how she looks?"

I didn't notice, he already looked her up. He turned his laptop to face me. And there, I saw her picture… Indeed, she was quite a beauty. With orange hair and green eyes… like a pumpkin. She should change her username to Lady Pumpkin instead.

Father waggled his eyebrows and smiled like a hopeless romantic to my face.

"Please, stop. Are you helping or not?" I grumbled.

"Of course I am! Anything for my future—I mean, my beloved son's friend." I swear, I heard him put emphasis on the word "friend".

Well, whatever. At least she'll get the help she needed, right?

And after that, father instructed the butler to call a couple of people, including his secretary. As for me, I just stayed in his office enjoying my coffee and breakfast.

'I hope you become happier soon, Senara.'