Ricardo got out of the VR machine five minutes past 6pm, immediately picking up his phone. And he called Sandro. He knew he must have been already out of his afternoon classes, and he really wanted to consult about his questions for Johnny. A few pulses later, the voice of his best friend came through the cellphone.
“Hello. Sorry that I haven't been able to help too much; between classes and Clara, I have been full,” said Sandro, raising his voice over the street noise. “At least you have Amelia.”
“Don't mind it; Amy has been really helpful. I'm glad you insisted on including her.” She might have been withholding information from him, but Ricardo couldn't deny all the support he had been receiving. I guess I need to apologize.
“What did you wanted to talk about?” asked Sandro, after a couple of seconds of silence.
“Do you have some time?” Ricardo hadn't talked about the progress of the plan with Sandro in a long time.
“I'm meeting with Clara in VC as soon as I get home,” answered Sandro. “You could log in and meet with us; if you don't mind her being there.”
“No, actually it might be better. I wanted some advice, and a female perspective would be appreciated.” Ricardo would still need to update Sandro; explaining to Clara too wouldn't demand extra effort.
“Alright, see you in a bit,” said Sandro, sounding relieved, before cutting the line.
A few minutes later, Ricardo got inside his VR machine once again.
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Ilaria had materialized in front of the Training Hall, clad in her level 30 dress. She walked to the inn in a relaxed pace; Sandro still needed to get home. Getting in front of a fountain at the Central Plaza, she admired her reflexion with a smile on her face.
She entered the inn, finding Sandro and Claire in a corner at the back; the same table they had been in the first time they met in-game.
“Ilaria!” Claire called as she waved her arms next to the table. “Already over level 30? You look wondrous.”
Ilaria sat at a side, between the two of them, and ordered a beer. A few weeks had passed since their last meeting; yet they looked the same. Getting tanned in real life wouldn't affect their in-game looks after all.
“So, how's everything?” asked Claire, who couldn't stay silent for too long. “Is the plan going well?”
“Probably alright,” answered Ilaria, sipping from her beer. “That's actually what I wanted to talk about.”
Then Ilaria proceeded to do a summary about her dates with Johnny, up until the last house date, when he had revealed that he was quitting Virtual Connection after Valentines.
“Wow, that's a lot of progress,” said Claire, flashing a winsome smile to Sandro. “I had a hunch you would do great.”
“Alright; I didn't expect your crazy plan to work to that extent,” said Sandro, smiling despite himself.
They were praising her, but it felt undeserved. Ilaria had the impression that Johnny had looked through her since the beginning. Regardless, she was close to her goal. After taking a long sip from her beer, she continued by telling them about the guild party. And the deal.
“Now you only need to ask,” said Claire, eyes sparkling.
“It's weird though.” said Sandro. “Why would Johnny go so far as to make you pretend to be his date?”
“Yup.” said Claire, suddenly thoughtful. “It's like he has a crazy plan of his own.”
“Yeah,” said Ilaria, straightening herself in her seat. It was something that she had been pondering during the day. Her plan was succeeding because it aligned with Johnny's, whatever it might be. And it bothered her. “So, I have been thinking... maybe I should ask him why he's doing what he's doing, before talking about Mina directly.”
“It might be the best,” said Sandro. “If you start with Mina, he might get suspicious, if he isn't already.”
“And, after he explains his plan, I can ask freely,” said Ilaria, a smile on her face. “Whatever he's doing, it must be related to Mina somehow.” With an action guide for the night, she allowed herself to relax in her seat.
“What does Amy think about all this?” asked Claire, breaking the lull in the conversation. “She knows Johnny from before.”
“I haven't been able to tell her yet,” answered Ilaria, picking up her glass of beer. “She has been busy.”
“I imagine,” said Claire, playing with a strand of her hair. “I still can't believe she's leaving Peru after summer ends.”
“What?!” Ilaria felt herself stiffen as coldness went through her body. Too late she realized she was still holding her beer, the glass slipping in slow motion. It crashed loudly on the floor, and disappeared within seconds.
“Damn,” said Claire, hands covering her mouth. “Forget that I said it.”
“Since when do you know?” Ilaria consciously tried to remain calm, a closed-mouth smile being the best she could manage. She had been with Amy almost everyday for the last three weeks... And she hadn't told him.
“We talked a couple of months ago,” said Claire, with downcast eyes. It was an expression seldom seen on her. “Sorry. I was sure she would have already told you.”
“Does Minerva know?” asked Ilaria in a low voice. Being objective, Amelia leaving would hit his sister the hardest.
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“Yes. They had a quarrel because of that,” answered Claire.
“I guess I'm the only one who didn't know.” Ilaria couldn't help feeling betrayed, even though he shouldn't had. For Amelia, he wasn't more than her friend's brother. And if they had been seeing each other lately, it was only for the plan's sake.
With the mood ruined, the reunion ended shortly afterwards.
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Ilaria, clad in her violet gown, aimlessly walked the cobbled streets of Torinelo City at dusk. In a brisk pace, ignoring the ankle pain, she wasted time until the meeting with Johnny. Being in motion helped.
After a few rounds around the commercial district, she finally heeded towards The Grinning Flatfish, where she would have her date. She closed her eyes in front of the fish sculpture, trying to get in-character again.
Here I go.
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As soon as she said her name, Ilaria had been escorted to a private table for two. A smiling, tuxedo-clad Johnny waited for her. The room, with its wide window opening to the lake, was similar to the one in which she had practiced with Amy long time ago.
“Welcome, please sit down,” said Johnny, standing from his seat to pull Ilaria's chair.
“Are you always like that?” asked Ilaria, after Johnny was back on his seat.
“I try to be.” Johnny winked at her, before materializing the menu card. He was back to his former self, seemingly intent on pretending that it was a real date. Yet both knew otherwise.
Ilaria materialized a menu card of her own–she wasn't going to let her date order for her–scanning the list for something she hadn't tried before.
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“Can I start asking now?” The waiter had already left to fulfill their orders, so Ilaria started with the night's goal.
“So hasty,” answered Johnny, flashing a short-lasted smirk. “We can leave those for after the meal.”
Ilaria clenched her fists under the table as she showed what hopefully was a charming smile. Johnny being back to his insufferable self was the last she needed after the day's happenings.
Five minutes later, the waiter returned with their dishes. He put a plate of shellfish pasta in front of Johnny, and a deep ceramic bowl for Ilaria. The metallic cracker than accompanied the plate gave away the content of the lidded container.
“Crab? A quite unconventional choice for a date,” said Johnny, a smile on his face, as he waited for the waiter to pour the wine.
“It's not a date,” replied Ilaria, frowning. Honestly, she had second thoughts as she took off the lid. A whole red crab was laid over a kind of vegetable soup. It would be a mess to eat. Regardless, it was already there and she wanted to try it.
Ilaria spent most of the dinner in utmost concentration, breaking the shell in the cleanest way possible. So much work for so little meat. Johnny made small talk while almost hiding his mirth at her difficulty.
At least the crab was tasty.
Ilaria wiped her hands clean with a wet towel as the coffee and dessert were set on the table. If it was real life, she would definitely have to wash her hands properly, and even so she would smell fishy for the rest of the day.
“I hope you enjoyed the meal,” said Johnny, as he cut a small piece of his berry panna cotta.
“I did; thank you.” Ilaria wouldn't give him the satisfaction of admitting that the crab was a suboptimal choice. She ate a spoonful of her chocolate mousse, making a show of enjoying it.
They kept eating in silence for a couple of minutes, making short work of their desserts. Later, Johnny set his spoon on the empty plater with a clang, straightening himself.
“Alright, it's time for me to fulfill my part of the deal,” said Johnny, taking a sip from his black coffee.
Finally.
Ilaria had her opening question already decided. She went through it in her mind for one last time, drinking from her latte while briefly closing her eyes.
“First question,” said Ilaria, meeting Johnny's gaze. “Why are you doing all this stuff? What's your plan?”
“What do you mean?” Johnny looked at her with a restrained smile, one that Ilaria couldn't decipher at a glance.
“I mean, the speed dating event,” said Ilaria, her fingers drumming on her leg. “You said it was for getting a partner for the couple's tournament, yet you told me later that it was a lie. Then, you made me pretend being your date at the guild party. And you are quitting VC after Valentine's? It's weird no matter how I see it.” Once she started she couldn't stop until unloading everything. Johnny looked at her silently, his expression locked.
“All of that shouldn't count as one question,” said Johnny, breaking into a laugh. “My lady is so greedy.” Ilaria lowered her gaze, maybe she had overreached with the first question.
“Alas, I always meant to tell you at some point. I guess now's the time,” continued Johnny, sipping from his coffee. “To make it short, I'm giving closure to the story.”
Ilaria stared at him, folding her arms over her stomach, as if getting ready to protest.
“Wait, wait,” said Johnny, laughing. “I'll elaborate; give me a minute.”
“Lets start with the setting,” continued Johnny, sounding like Ilaria when she taught at the academy. “No matter how real Virtual Connection feels, at the end of the day everything is a computer simulation. For example, the crab you just ate never existed. It won't make a difference once you leave the game. All that we have done tonight is lay on a pod and let the machine fabricate a lie for us.”
“And?” Ilaria had always been conscious about the meaninglessness of VR games. Yet, what did that have to do with anything?
“The point is, every fiction needs a satisfying ending,” continued Johnny, with a detached demeanor. “Just disappearing would leave too many open threads. Moving on and then leaving, that would be an epilogue that doesn't allow for any kind of sequel.”
“You aren't making any sense,” said Ilaria, fidgeting with her fingers under the tablecloth. “What do I have to do with any of that?”
“You, my dear, have been casted as my new female lead.” Johnny showed a satisfied smile, as he relaxed in his chair.
“I...” Ilaria could only stare at him, as she tried to process his answer. Was Virtual Connection a stage for him? Was he acting out a drama? More importantly...
Did he ever cared about Minerva?
Some time later, their plates were dematerialized from the table. And Johnny took it as a cue to change the topic.
“Are you free tomorrow morning?”
“Ah, yeah,” answered Ilaria without thinking. Since Diana and Kyle were at school, she didn't have any plans in particular.
“Then we should practice at the Training Hall,” said Johnny, standing up. “We are entering the Valentine's tournament together after all.”
“Wait,” said Ilaria, her voice shaking a bit. “The second question...”
“I'll answer it tomorrow. Thinking it over will be in your benefit,” said Johnny, winking at her. “Ten thirty at the Training Hall.”
And just like that, he left the room; Ilaria remaining seated awhile. Johnny's answer had opened even more questions. She had plenty of things to ponder.