>

“So how are things?”

I could see Ayako visibly recoil away in disgust. A dangerous look of warning radiating from the glint in her eyes.

“Don’t talk to me.”

Whether he was just plain stupid, or if he simply had a death wish, whatever the case, he pressed on.

“I see you got a bow now.”

She narrowed her lips, “and I see you got eyes.”

“Since when?”

She began inching away from her dreaded questionnaire.

“It’s really none of your business.”

“How’s your shot like?”

“I just said -”

“How good is your draw?”

“Sora!” She frustratingly yelled out, her furious glance finding mine in a far-off corner of the room. “Can I kill him now?”

For the third time since their last debacle, I found myself playing parent to another meaningless dispute between the irate live streamer and the increasingly jaded head level designer.

“Jin, you’re like twice my age,” I said, speaking after a weary sigh. “Can you act like it for once?”

“I’m just trying to make sure,” He muttered as his defense.

“Keep at it and she’ll make sure an arrow goes through your head by the end of it. Leave her alone, don’t go dying over this. Go play with your hand or something.”

Jin seconded a glance at Ayako, saw another torrent of anger on the verge of eruption and ultimately decided best to not further prod the hornet’s nest, backing away with a conceding, “Alright.”

“Thank you!” Ayako cried out, sinking her legs to the floor in relief. “Can’t even be miserable in peace around here without someone getting in your face.”

Having resolved the matter, the simple quiet started to settle once more. While Ayako wallowed in her despair and Jin directed himself to the seemingly futile task of reattaching his hand, I too tended to my own share of adversities.

Three matters that pestered my mind.

The first was the most obvious one. The prospect of having to be face to face with Arishia again was not one I was looking forward to. Having agreed to sit it out and wait in the area till she arrives with Background Character B made our reunion absolute. Really wish we didn’t need her, but she’s a necessary evil, unfortunately.

The second involves chemistry. A team requires a trust, and a trust requires a bond and well… Ayako and Jin aren’t seeing eye to eye, Arishia being the absolute wildcard of a character she was, meant we shared enough friction between all of us to generate a wildfire. We’re gonna need some counseling if we’re ever gonna work with each other.

The third one, a newly risen matter, had me contemplating the most out of all the rest. A new message from Tayuma.

<

Listen, I don’t know how many are in this party of yours including me, but suffice it to say, if each of us is going to be marked, then we’re a beacon of light for NPCs to frolic towards and I don’t think we’re going to be able to handle them and the boss at the same time. A small team won’t cut it.

I talked with every single person in my group here, all 102 of them. None wanted anything to do with you or Jin, still. Both your names are mud. No one's gonna want to walk into hell with people they despise. But we need them and unless we get them on board somehow, we’re finished before we’ve even started.

Can you think of something? You better, dude. I’m running out of ways to try and convince them here. Plus the same respawning horde of NPCs keep on approaching us, probably because I’ve joined up with you, so I don’t really have the time nor the luxury to think much on ideas. Let me know once you do… I’m sure you’ll think of something.>>

His last sentence struck out to me.

“You’ll think of something.”

I could almost laugh out loud at the audacity at it. The outright boldness of his assumption. Just who does he think I am? Some kind of Mr.Fixer? The solution granter to any and all troubles that arise?

No, I’m a guy who’s just as clueless as the rest of us, holding onto that last strand of hope that everything will just somehow work out. That ‘last strand’ being the team I was building and you just snipped it from my grasp.

So there I was, tumbling down the steps of progress, all the way back to zero, cuddling my knees silently in my corner of respite.

I finally tabbed out of the message screen, struggling to maintain indifference in the face of my companions, both of whom would cause furtive glances in my direction, wondering to themselves on what I was up to.

I’m up to nothing, guys, nothing. I’m at a loss here, seriously.

Perhaps I should go break the news to them, now. But am I ready to be the bearer of bad news once again to this duo?

Last time I did that, I ended up being pinned against the wall. All because I thought Ayako could do better than me to spread the news.

Wait… Ayako.

I looked at her from across the room. The Livestreamer with a strong influence on many.

The idea still stands. I can still use her.

To the left, Jin… the man of many bitter faces towards most things that confronted him, and also head level designer. Once again, the idea stands tall. I can use him, too.

My menu screen, in its limited array of options, I prodded open the one that can verify my idea taking shape.

>

Among the many updates first introduced to us way back when, I scrolled down to the one that mattered most.

-Removed options to screenshot, record, and stream from the menu screen.

Removed option to stream, or so it is written.

I swiped it close, then waved my fingers all the way to the end of the list, where the > option sat amidst. Prompting it open, I found myself staring at an interface of many complex signs and symbols, all waiting for a command to stir them to life.

Now I wonder how long it’ll take to re-enable the streaming function for just one person.

“Change of plans.” I stood up, breaking away from the secluded corner I put myself in. “Forget the team. We’re making a guild.”

A look of bewilderment from Jin, frozen mid-reattachment, with his eyebrows furrowed.

“Say again?” He asked.

Ayako, who was already filled in on the bare minimum on our task, looked up at me, forgetting her anger upon hearing my proclamation.

“A guild,” She said in disbelief. “No one’s made a guild yet.”

“Then we’ll be the first,” I walked myself to the center of the room. “Everyone trapped in here will be its first members.”

Jin stood up. “Am I not getting something? Did all the hate on us just somehow dissipate into thin air?”

“Reality isn’t as kind, unfortunately. No, they still hate us,” I nudged my chin at Ayako. “But they don’t hate her. They love her. They’ll follow her.”

“Woah, woah, woah, wait a second - me?” Ayako immediately sprung up in surprise, pointing a finger at herself.

“Yes, you, you’re guild mascot now.”

“What, just like that?”

“Yes, just like that.

Ayako was reeling in shock to even muster another response. So Jin inquired further on her behalf.

“I’m sure to you your plan is a masterstroke of brilliance. But if you could just bring it back down to reality for me, tell me, how do you plan on recruiting everyone here? Ayako aside, we’re not exactly in the position to be passing out flyers.”

To that, I brought out again the master key to all our problems: The interface.

“If you can remove something, you can insert it back in. If you can enable my option to stream again, then we’ll broadcast live our recruitment speech for the whole world to see.”

I could tell that Jin was starting to come around. The unconscious nodding of his head claims it to be so.

“Now that’s not a bad idea, actually,” He said, stroking his chin. “You can still view streams in-game, that feature hasn’t been disabled yet. So then I’m assuming the one giving the speech is -?”

“You guessed it. It’s Ayako.”

We both turn our heads towards her. The poor girl, fumbling over words, stuttering mid-sentence, all anger seemingly evaporated in the face of the task beset against her.

“Wait - No - Guys - Don’t,” she squished her cheeks with her palms. “Oh, this is happening way too fast.”

“What do you say?” I asked.

“What do I say?” She repeated almost breathlessly, her fingertips rubbing her temples at speeds fast approaching the sound barrier. “What do I say? What the hell do I say to that?”

“Well, if I were you I’d start rehearsing on what I’m about to say to the world,” I said, unable to restrain a smile watching her get so flustered. “Wouldn’t want to start biting my tongue live on air, would I now?”

“Come on man, I never agreed to this!” She yelled, her voice verging on a whine. “Where’s my consent? Where are my rights?!”

“So… that’s a no, then?”

“Of course it’s a no! Wait, I mean, it’s a yes! Wait no, I mean - argh! I don’t know! I’ve never done this before!”

“You mean you never broadcast yourself in front of a live audience before?” I feigned a look of doubt before slowly answering. “Forgive me, I somehow don’t believe that.”

“Oh, come on, don’t play daft, you know what I mean,” She said, looking rather sickly and pale. “Look, I’m just a livestreamer. I don’t do talks like this, I’m no motivational speaker, I’m just - just… you know? I’m just me!”

“And I’m just me too,” I responded, empathizing with her sudden worried look. “Not a leader, not a savior. Just me. I don’t need you to suddenly be the most inspiring woman on earth, in fact, I don’t need you to be anything. I just need you to be you, okay?”

For the longest time, I remained unanswered. But the apprehension gradually fading from her eyes told me that she’ll be okay. I was about to walk away before she finally found her voice.

“You know, I think you should be the one giving the rousing talks here not me,” she said.

“Ah, nah, me? I’ll pass. The spotlight is all yours. Trust me, you’d look much better in it than I would.”

“Done talking?” Jin called out from behind. “Gonna need to do some configuring if we wanna make this work. That means I need your hand. Here. Now. Chop, chop.”

“Coming, coming,” I said, ready to take off in his direction.

Then Ayako spoke again, her face flushed with color that had previously gone, “Bet you thought you were super cool just now weren’t you? Giving your little speech, playing the cool reliable guy. Come on, be honest.”

I turned back to her, flashing a small wry smile, “Guilty as charged.”

“See, I thought so,” She said, smirking wide.

“So what’s the verdict, Your honor?” I asked. “Will I be facing punishment for severe second-degree cringe?

For the first time in a long time, the sound of laughter left her lips, a small short chuckle, but enough to radiate the beauty of her joyful expression, to ease the tension in her eyes.

Before long, she rendered upon me her final judgement, all while still retaining that slight smile on her face.

“Acquitted of all charges.”