[May 3, 2:40 pm, in the real world]
Dizzying sights, disorienting lights and distorting hights. The aftereffects gave Junkitsu a heavy head and weak limbs, when he exited the Pod. In fact, his co-ordination was worse than a drunkard's.
But a few hands helped him get up and took him to a bench, where he sat down and wait for the effects to wear off. Six of them stood around Junkitsu, awaiting his relief.
Murmurs and whispers of concern circled around his ears as Junkitsu's senses return to normalcy.
"How are you feeling, man?" One player asked.
"Better, by the second..." He breathed to the fullest until the nausea and dizziness became bearable. "Thanks for the help. I need to get my Holo-Slab-"
"It's with me, buddy!" Another player said, with his Slab in his hand.
"Oh, thank you! Let me take it ba-"
"One second." The first player took the Slab away. "If you want your Slab, you must join our pack. Deal?"
Junkitsu looked at the player who took his Slab hostage. He was masked as a hyena with a smirking design. The other players were also masked as hyenas, whose eyes were shaped to display their desire of coveting him.
Junkitsu realised that he was getting recruited, and in a rather aggressive approach.
While he took into account of his debut's popularity and the possibility of him being reached out, he was taken aback by this group, who seemed like they'd do anything to get what they want.
Even their methods seem blatant, straightforward, raw and shameless. The hyena-masks are also absolutely aware of their actions.
Although Junkitsu liked their scouting sight and eagerness for growth in power, he frowned upon their methods. But he also knew that antagonizing them without knowing his own place would result in serious consequences.
"You know, on second thought... I feel like the nausea's coming back... Man, I'm gonna be sick..." He hung his head down, cupping his mouth closed, curling into a cocoon, which lit a flame of panic in the group's hearts.
'Now, all I need to do is wait for King and Dan. Hope they find me soon. I don't know how long I can fake this...' Junkitsu's prayers have been answered when he heard a familiar voice.
"King, he's here, on the bench!" Danōki arrived with him, their faces breathing out in relief but the green-eyed introvert was not happy to see the group surrounding Junkitsu.
Kingumo approached him and knelt down to check what's wrong. He was whispered to about the situation and started to play along.
"I think the CDC's a bit severe in him. We should take him to a clinic. May I take his Slab, please?" King asked.
"It's alright. The clinic's close by, right? Let him finish the check-up and return back here. We'll hold for him." A third player assured.
"Guys, he's a private person. He doesn't like his belongings to be with strangers. So, please, give it to me here." Dan spoke.
"Hold on, we aren't just strangers. We're his pals! In fact, we're his schoolmates. From junior high!" A fourth player justified. All of his friends agreed. From outside, this sounded plausible, very much convincing, in fact. Except Danōki knows this is rubbish. All of it.
'How dare they try to put wool over my eyes! I don't know what they want with Jun, but they'll never get it!' In his mind, he knew this would be a headache, but he decided to do the unthinkable. "Oh my gosh! Is that the Super Rookie?! Man, I'm your biggest fan!"
Dan's yell invoked two main emotions inside all those listeners: confusion and devotion.
All nine of them were swept away by the growing mob in an instant. While Dan took advantage of the mob pushing him away, King and Jun struggled to break away, and when they did, they crawled under, dodging the stamping feet, inch by inch.
The six players were thoroughly stuck in the pond of fans, fighting for freedom and air.
Dan was waiting, nonchalantly leaning on a Pod, when two hands jutted out from the edge of the mob. Immediately, he went, grabbed and pulled his friends out, completing the rescue by half.
Thanks to Dan's orchestrated chaos, the three escaped to the elevator, leaving the mob and the hyena-masks to their devices.
As the elevator descends, the three leaned on each wall of the elevator, maintaining silence. The silent, somber atmosphere invoked discomfort within King.
'I failed miserably... I volunteered to be a Guide, and promised them a good time. But nothing went my way. Dan got hurt and Junkitsu was almost poached away by them. I'm sure they'd stop-' King's worries vanished when the elevator was filled with the cousins' laughter.
He was visibly confused. He was prepared to bear the brunt of their supposed critiques and insults. It looked like they just consider the problems as nuisances. In that moment, King felt a sense of relief and awe. Soon, he joined in the laughter.
At the first floor, the passengers waiting for the elevator were greeted by three maniacal men, exiting out of the car. Their moist eyes and grinning faces unnerved them. Junkitsu looked the scariest of the trio, fueling the fear in their hearts.
The passengers were spooked beyond limits, their memories burned into their minds forever.
Outside the Hub, the trio sat down on the stairs, catching their breaths and wiping tears from their eyes, as the laughter was finally suppressed.
"Yo, what happened to your nose?" Junkitsu pointed at the bandaid on Dan's nose.
"There was a little tussle outside while you guys were playing. Two jerks were ridiculing you with crass words. I told them to stop. And you know the rest."
"And?"
"Ippon, bro."
Junkitsu grinned, raising his hand for a high-five.
"Wait, I don't get it." King's eyebrows furrowed. "Am I missing something?"
"Nothing. Wait till tomorrow, you'll see." Dan smiled, satisfied that he created the suspense. King, on the other hand, clicked his tongue in disappoinment, thinking to himself that the content might be trivial.
"Suit yourself... Wait, almost forgot. I got acquainted with a Judoka."
"A Judoka?" King and Jun's voices united.
"Yeah, she said her dojo's somewhere around here. Also, she invited us to join for some sightseeing. By the way Jun, you're in for a surprise~!" Dan couldn't help but smile wide at the thought of his plan.
"Kobayashi-san, does that Judoka have red hair? Sounds pretty frank and blunt?" King couldn't help but squeeze his chest in anxiety.
"Oh, yeah! Wait, do you know each other?" On seeing him, Dan was slapped with realization, regarding the warning against Kingumo and his past. "Oh, right~, she said you're well-known, but not in a good way."
King's heart sunk when he heard. Before he could utter a word, he was stopped.
"But I beg to differ! I can see some history between you two, but I only know her side. If you're okay with it, just tell. I'm all ears." Dan assured him that he'll listen well.
King stammered in cold sweat.
"I understand, it can be complicated, but it's fine. No pressure, no rush. You can tell about it when you feel the time's right, okay?" Dan shook hands with him in goodwill and ended with a gentle smile.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Finally. I'm starving. Ramen's on me, everyone." Jun yawned at the conversation, which annoyed Dan, for he felt belittled.
As the two started arguing regarding Jun's blunt nature, King ran a number of thoughts in his mind. After much pondering, he decided. He closed his eyes, called Dan and Jun and shared. He shared the most he can.
Dan's eyes widened in disbelief and Jun's neck tilted in utter confusion.
"Huh?" This word came at the expense of 95% of Jun's thinking capacity.
"What?!" This word came at the expense of 100% of Dan's life expectancy.
----------------------------------------
[3:10 pm, Sukobiru Ramen]
"Beniken-san is your ex-girlfriend, and you don't remember it?!" This is the 8th time Dan had asked King, ever since he entered the restaurant and sat down to enjoy his bowl of Beef Cutlet ramen.
Ever since he walked down the route along with his friends.
Ever since he heard it from King's mouth outside the Hub.
This is also the 3rd time Jun turned towards him and pulled his cheek, to the point it glowed red like a tomato.
"Nuisance, am I right?" Jun chuckled at King while subtly apologizing on behalf on Dan for his misbehavior.
"No, I don't think so, Takeshi-san. It's only natural to be... confused and keep on asking about it."
"And whose fault do you think it is?! It's pretty ridiculous when you think about it!" Dan burst out. "How is that you can't remember anything about your relationship with Beniken-san? You've been dating for months, you said it yourself!"
"It's her words, not mine." King corrected solemnly.
"Are you telling the truth, King?" Dan squinted with suspicion.
"I swear on my home, it's the truth! I have no idea how we ended up being a couple. And I've only seen Kaede-san as a friend and nothing more. Even she used to say she's not interested, but then..." King sighed in frustration.
"I've seen people swear on their names or mothers, but swearing on a house, first time seeing it."
"We have a custom about making promises on perishable things only. In our neighbourhood, we can simply repair, retrieve or replace those things, including our homes, but our lives or bonds are a different matter. Once lost, they can't be brought back, even if you exchange your inheritance for it."
Dan was amazed on hearing the philosophy behind the oath-making.
"Anyways, leaving the gossip aside, there are some things I wanna know." Jun said in a serious tone. King looked at him, ready to teach. "That time I was faking my nausea, you said something... CDC, isn't it? What is that all about?"
"Hm, CDC is short for Cognition Displacive Cybersickness. But players dub it as the 'Astral Jetlag'. This happened because your consciousness had strained on your first login. It's recommended to have your first gameplay time to be about 10-20 minutes. That's why new players must first play in White-Star dungeons, since they take less time to clear." King briefed.
> "But because of your community service, I ended up taking a long time to clear."
>
> "I'm sorry for that."
"Don't be. I had fun because of it. The jetlag is a small price to pay. Also, we got Jackpot! So, loosen up and enjoy!" Jun cheered him up and sipped some of the red broth.
"One more thing, who are those jerks huddled around Jun that time? They looked shady as hell." Dan asked, chewing a chunk of the cutlet.
"Those guys... they're what you call Poachers. While players request others to join their groups, Poachers snatch them away, monopolizing talent. Out of the notorious groups, the Blackfoot Kin is pretty infamous. What happened to Takeshi-san is one of the many tactics they used to increase their numbers." King apologized.
"Don't be, bro! It's not your fault those guys are jerks. Plus, loosen up and enjoy, bro!" Dan cheered him up, chewing the noodles with delish.
"Guys, I have something crazy to talk about." Jun notified them.
"What is it, Takeshi-san?" King leaned, crunching the spring onion and leek with his teeth.
Jun explained how his nightmare was used as a material for level design in the game, when he transformed into the Golden Fox.
"Wow, I've heard of rumours where people played levels that resembled their dreams. But this is the first time actually hearing it." King finished his bowl of Vegetable Ramen.
"Is that common?" Dan asked.
"No, quite the opposite, actually. It's been proven that users with a higher sync rate have a stronger connection to the game. This type of highway is also the reason some players gain innate skills early on, which is nothing but their real-life talents get carried over here." This fact surprised Jun and Dan. "Takeshi-san, you should check it out soon. I won't be surprised if you got more than one skill."
"How did you come to that?" Jun also finished his bowl of Special Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen.
"Your innate understanding of Mindscapes. Not many people can play that mini-game on first try. For one, it's like a dream within the game. It's pretty vivid, you know. Players have a tendency to get lost into it, losing the Crawl." Hearing this, Jun felt satisfied, his knowledge about the game and himself increased.
"I understand... but King, this is what's bugging me. What did you do to end up having jail time?" This question made King gulp in surprise. His Adam's apple moved up and down, his hesitation apparent.
His head hung down in shame, dreading the idea of sharing his past. But on feeling Jun's apparent gaze obscured by his hair, he started to speak.
"I... d-don't like to talk about it... It's better th-th-this way... but it's also... wrong t-t-to not tell someone... who helped me... a lot. I'll tell you... both. But before that, you should know about this place. My neighbourhood, Kogane Koen." With his gaze shining behind his glasses, King proceeded, hesitating no longer.
"Kogane Koen used to be a district with a deep-seated notoriety for financial crimes in the past. Gambling, laundering, illegal loaning, casinos, you name it. As a result, the families suffered from discrimination and social stigma. That all ended when Clover Harbor faced the first Upheaval. Now, the descendants of those criminals formed a community and rebuilt this district, vowing to earn and use money for good and beyond forever."
Dan felt amazed hearing the history behind King's homeplace.
He remembered about the Upheaval during a history lesson when he and Jun were 7th graders.
It was the turning point for Clover Harbor's history and society, when a lowly criminal from the underbelly, united the world's greatest crime families and syndicates into one singular mega-syndicate, only to decimate it one month after its inauguration. He later served his life as a police officer, striving for a world free of crime until his last breath.
"I see... so that means..." Jun understood the nature of his past.
"Yes, I am a criminal- an underage gambler at that..." Silence loomed over the table. The trio were hesitant to break the silence in their own way. Jun's silence, particularly, did not make the atmosphere lighter.
King put his head down, hiding his tear-filled eyes from the cousins, as they gazed on his head in deep silence. Torrents of insults, curses and derogatory titles flooded his mind. Bad memories were replayed, reminding him of his shame. The disappointed faces of his mother, father and his elder brother gazed blankly at him, with their wailing voices echoing from the hollow eyes.
He sank deeper, as he saw Dan turning away in disgust as Jun transformed into the Fox, baring his fangs to bite his neck down as payback for his previous actions against him.
King did not resist as he went down sinking into the tar of depression, with his mind cut off from the world. Until he was abruptly pulled back by Jun's sharp call.
King lifted his head quickly to see Dan and Jun's faces and looked down upon a cup of mint choco-chip ice cream, cut three ways.
"King, to be frank, I don't care about you or your past. But one thing is sure, you did a good job hanging on. So, why don't you rest and leave it to us, hmm?" Jun wore a subtle smile.
"What...? W-w-why? Why would you go to such lengths for me? I mean, we've only met today... You won't gain anything from being with someone like me! You-you-you're better off with someone! Why?" King was on the verge of tears as he was voicing out his doubt. His suspicion was within reason, to be fair.
"Simple. You're our friend." Jun's words turned his apprehension to nothing.
"Yeah, he's right! It isn't easy adjusting in a new place, after all. You're a lifesaver, King!" Dan affirmed it.
"Thus, we eat this ice-cream, sealing our pact. To being friends." With gusto, Jun dug into his piece of ice-cream and gulped it down. "Thinking about it now, what Dan said isn't off the mark. Your situation is ridiculous, indeed. There's no way a pushover like you can pull a stunt like that. Nevertheless, we'll get to the bottom of this."
> "Bro!!!"
>
> "What? It is what it is..."
>
> "You idjit, you can't just say that to his face like that! Have some tact, man!"
"Hurry up, before it melts." Jun said to King, before continuing to bicker with Dan.
King gulped down his piece, with tears flowing uncontrollably. His heart became full with awe, respect, gratitude and love for Jun and Dan. He could not properly say a single word without crying.
He felt liberated.
King was able to feel the wings of his inner self, stretching with freedom. His confidence and self-esteem were rejuvenating. With new-found eloquence, he accepted the pact whole-heartedly, with grace.
After 3 years of ostracization, this 19 year-old eagle has finally found people he can call, friends.
On seeing King's teary face, Dan's empathy peaked, joining him for the waterworks, consoling each other while Jun lamented silently that he's on babysitting duty for the two crybabies.
Jun looked out through the window, thinking to himself about the eventful day he had.
----------------------------------------
[4:00 pm, Teibo Apartments]
"Let's meet again tomorrow, at the Hub. See you later!" King wished them and went to his home, anticipating tomorrow's events.
After the ride in the elevator, Jun and Dan entered their home.
Feeling exhausted, Dan lied on the couch quickly, demanding a cup of ice-cream.
"Are you sure you want mint choco-chip? It's all we have." Jun reminded him.
> "Wait, those two tubs are nothing but mint choco-chip?!"
>
> "Yeah."
>
> "No! Please tell me you at least asked for different flavors..."
"Nah. Free ice-cream, winner's flavor. Didn't mention about changing flavors, nor did I ask for it." Jun explained.
And so, Dan cried through the evening, lamenting about his cousin's poor choice of tastes.
[To be continued]